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Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:34:39Z

Vsabo: /* Diplomatic Delegation */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly disinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, alternative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecrate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawal of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root out any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.

===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.

===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factions within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard to ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nation's interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:30:24Z

Vsabo: /* Investment of Sea */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly disinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, alternative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecrate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawal of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root out any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.

===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.

===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factions within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard to ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:29:21Z

Vsabo: /* Investment of Salt */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly disinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, alternative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecrate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawal of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root out any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.

===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 Thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 Thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.
===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factions within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard to ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:22:35Z

Vsabo: /* Spies */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly disinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, alternative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecrate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawal of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root out any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 Thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.
===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 Thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 Thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.
===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factions within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard to ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:21:37Z

Vsabo: /* Spies */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly disinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, alternative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecrate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawal of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root our any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 Thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.
===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 Thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 Thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.
===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factions within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard to ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:10:23Z

Vsabo: /* Virtuous Possibilities */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly distinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, althernative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecreate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen by the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawl of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root our any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 Thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.
===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 Thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 Thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.
===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factios within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyardto ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

Each age a lens

2026-04-19T16:02:21Z

Vsabo: /* Jotun */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]][[Category:Druj]]
{{CaptionedImage|file=Advisor Frith.jpg|align=left|caption='''Frith''', Advisor on Orc Affairs|width=300}}
==Overview==
* '''Five orc nations have engaged in diplomacy of one kind or another with the Empire'''
Many of the nations that border the Empire are [[orc]] nations. Not all are barbarians; the Empire has a long-standing peace treaty with the Thule for example (see the '''[[Invited with asperity]]''' wind of fortune for more details on Thule diplomacy this season). There are also communities of orcs within the Empire's borders. Some are part of Imperial nations - the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], the former [[Grendel]] of [[the League]], the free [[Jotun]] thralls of [[the Marches]]. Others maintain a degree of independance while still being at least ambivalent to the Empire - the orcs of [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] and the protectorate of Morasjasse - while still others keep to themselves and have an uncertain relationship with their Imperial neighbours - the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] in [[the Barrens]] for example, the septs of [[Mareave]], or the remaining orc septs in [[Ossium]] who declined to move to [[Skarsind]] when the offer was made.

In most cases, diplomacy with most of these disparate orc groups is technically the responsibility of the [[Imperial Consul]], currently '''Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason''' of [[Wintermark]], perhaps advised by the [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]], '''Frith''' of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. In practice, many of these orc groups prefer to deal with members of certain nations with whom they have ties - the Jotun prefer to talk to the folk of Wintermark for example, while the Great Forest Orcs consider the Navarr to be their close allies.
==Jotun==
* '''The Jotun remain at war with the Empire'''
* '''Responsibility and authority for diplomacy with the Jotun falls to the Imperial Consul'''
The [[Jotun]] are a powerful, martial nation lead by the Jarl of Jarls - Queen Yrsa Jansdóttir of [[Jotun#History|Kallsea]] and King Gudmundr Arason of [[Jotun#History|Narkyst]]. The Empire has been at war with them for most of its existence, although there have been numerous short periods of peace during that time. They encroach into Imperial lands - having conquered [[Bregasland]] and [[Liathaven]] (which they name ''Ashvale''). The Empire responds with an [[Rubies in the snow|attack on Skallahn]] that threatens to take control of [[Hordalant#The_Kongegőr|the Kongegőr]], the bridge that connects the northern and southern territories of the sprawling barbarian nation.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotunarmy.jpg|title=Jotun banners often show the skulls of powerful creatures.|align=right|width=300}}
There is no ambassador to the Jotun. They seem never to have been especially interested in such a formalised relationship with the Empire. That is not to say that they are incapable of engaging in diplomacy or negotiation, merely that they tend to prefer to deal with individual nations rather than the Empire as a whole. Over the centuries they have had a "close" relationship with the folk of [[Wintermark]], for example, for all that the two nations clash constantly along their borders. In recent times, they have also shown a similar degree of respect for [[the Brass Coast|the Freeborn]]. When the Empire as a whole must deal with the orcs of Kallsea and Narkyst, however, the responsibility falls to the [[Imperial Consul]].

===A New Meeting Place===
* '''A new Meeting Place has been constructed on Gull Isle, a tidal island in the Gullet.'''
* '''The Wintermark National Assembly have encouraged their people to use this opportunity to build bridges with the Jotun.'''

While they are unreceptive to the more formal structures of an [[embassy]], there is nonetheless a long tradition of peaceful meeting on neutral ground between the Jotun and Wintermark. Once there was a [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] just outside the borders of [[Sermersuaq]] where such meetings too place. Sadly in 382YE it was destroyed and defiled by a renegade [[Varushka|Varushkan]], infuriating the Jotun.

In recent years careful negotiations have been taking place regarding the creation of a new meeting place. The old stone is gone, but something new has been raised, with assistance from the Wintermark [[mystic|mystics]] and their "opposite numbers" among the Jotun, the ''[[Elite_Jotun_characters#Ghodi|ghodi]]''. A little common ground has been found, and there the Empire has helped build a great meeting hall where, it is hoped, Jotun and Imperial might be able to speak without the shadow of violence falling across them. This initiative had extensive support from the Wintermark National Assembly as seen in the [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_146|statement]] raised by Hayrin at the Summer Solstice, and supported by the Wintermark Assembly.

[[Construct Meeting Place|Construction]] has taken nearly a year, but it is finally complete. A meeting hall now stands on a wave-swept island in the waters to the west of [[Kallavesa]] where barbarian and human can meet one another to talk. There are still some decisions to be made about the place, however.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="For Ustigar Jarl of Keirheim, by Iron Osric, Hammer of the West">
Where march the war-bound, the bold-hearted brethren?<br>
Where flew the banners, the fire-bright spears?<br>
Far from the fray, he stood steadfast in duty,<br>
Bound to the crown, while his kin bled and fell.<br>
Steel-fast in service, he stayed through the seasons,<br>
Honour his harness, though hunger for war<br>
Burned in his breast like buried bright ember -<br>
To rise, to reckon, to rest in the red.<br>
But fate is a falcon, fierce in its turning,<br>
It flew to his field in the fullness of time.<br>
Sword-slung and shouting, he'll stride into battle,<br>
And die with the day, as doers of old.</quote></div>
===Rules of War===
* '''Iron Osric has spoken to Igya Olgafsdottir about a meeting to better define terms of war with the Jotun'''
* '''The message has been well received and a meeting proposed for the Spring Equinox honouring Tromsan traditions'''
* '''Negotiations will occur at the new meeting place, Osric, the Golden Jarl and the Imperial Consul are invited'''
* '''The thane and the jarl are both invited to bring a small entourage; the meeting will take the form of a feast where anger is put aside'''

Shortly before the Winter Solstice, a messenger leaves the Jotun territory of ''Ashvale'' (which the Empire calls [[Liathaven]]) and makes camp at the base of the burial mound that was once [[Kahraman#Fort_Braydon_(destroyed)|Fort Braydon]]. She sits under a flag of truce and waits. The [[the Brass Coast|Freeborn]] who speak to her learn that she is bringing a message from ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', hero-engineer and warleader of the Jotun. The message is quickly communicated to [[Tassato]] and to the office of the [[Imperial Consul]].

Apparently [[general]] [[Heroism#Iron_Osric|Iron Osric]] of the [[Green Shield]] has requested a parley to discuss the terms of the on-going war. In particular, "to try and agree what magic we will not employ, the banning of poisons or other foul things, the protection of innocents, where our armies will clash, the number of forces and how long the conflict will endure before the feasting time." There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether Osric is speaking only on behalf of Wintermark, or for the Empire as a whole.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Iron Osric.png|caption=Iron Osric, General of the [[Green Shield]]|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra.jpg|caption=Avisena i Ezmara i Guerra, the Golden Jarl|align=right|width=300}}</div></div>
What's clear from the reply is that the Jotun continue to view Iron Osric and a figure they refer to as "the Golden Jarl" in particular as exemplars of what it means to be an honourable warrior. As such they are minded to take his request very seriously. Igya proposes that it is long past time for such a meeting, and that she is eager to attend one as a representative of her Queen. A second representative will come to speak with the voice of the King, and each will bring a <u>small</u> honour guard of champions and godhi to speak for the warbands and champions of the west.

Olgafsdottir has called the meeting under the laws of hospitality of her home. In [[Tromsa#Tromsdalen|Tromsdalen]] when feuding warbands can stand one another no more and only blood will settle their anger, they engage in the ''hetjuveisla'' - the feast of heroes. Both sides bring food and drink, and bards to play music and tell tales. For a time the price of blood is set aside, so that a negotiation may be held in good faith to determine precisely how the battle-to-come will go. When the feast is over, the sun must rise and set again before violence resumes allowing both sides to safely return to their homes.

As long as Iron Osric agrees, she proposes that at the Spring Equinox - at the start of the year - Iron Osric, the Golden Jarl, and the Imperial Consul come to the new Meeting Place. Igya proposes that Osric and the Jarl each bring a small honour guard and the Consul an assistant. Both sides should bring food, drink, and bards. A negotiation will take place there that will bind both sides in agreement, and they will part peacefully.

News of this meeting is not met with universal approval. Both the Imperial Consul and Iron Osric are [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]]. The Jotun refuse to name the Golden Jarl, but it is definitely a reference to one of the Freeborn. Of [[the Marches]] in particular there is no mention - where the Jotun still dominate [[Bregasland]] - there are rumbles of discontent that Winterfolk and Freeborn will negotiate how war will take place between the Empire and the western barbarians. They're not alone - in [[Navarr]] there are a few undercurrents of unhappiness about this. While it is easy to see the sense of a general representing the [[Military Council]] and the Consul representing the [[Senate]], no-one is sure if this "Golden Jarl" even speaks for the Brass Coast. And who will speak for the other nations that must fight the Jotun?

===Virtuous Possibilities===
* '''The Jotun have constructed an ancestral shrine as part of the Meeting Place, and assume that the Empire will dedicate a space to the Way'''
* '''The Synod could pass a writ of consecration to create a true aura at the Meeting Place'''
* '''The effect would be dependant on the aura chosen, and whether it was a sacred site or a memorial'''
* '''The Jotun have requested that the Wintermark National Assembly endorse any such Consecration to soothe the worries of the Ghodi'''
* '''A true consecration will not lead any Jotun to convert to the Way of Virtue'''

With the new Meeting Place constructed, the Jotun have wasted no time in making themselves at home. Along with the wall-hangings, feasting tables, treasured ancestral weapons and other creature comforts they have brought with them, they have swiftly established dedicated spaces for their religious practice. One room of the Meeting Place has been established as a shrine to the ancestors, and is already being filled with small idols, painted images and relics of the honoured dead. As well as this, an outdoor space has been marked out as suitable for ritual combat. While raising a hand in anger against a guest or a host would be a terrible breach of hospitality, two or more warriors choosing to test their strength against one another in honour of their ancestors is not only accepted but encouraged as a demonstration of strength and piety.

Soon, word reaches the Meeting Place of a letter sent by '''Thane Erlend Gunnulfson''', who identifies himself as the person responsible for gathering the Empire's contribution of [[white granite]] towards this project. The letter bears a suggestion that the Empire might [[Consecration|consecrate]] part of the site. While most Jotun are broadly distinterested in the Way of Virtue (despite the best efforts of the Lasambrian orcs), the suggestion seems reasonable. If the Jotun can honour their ancestors, why not allow the Empire to honour their Virtues? There is agreement with the offer, at least in principle.

In practice, there are several ways that this could be done. The simplest would be to claim a specific space in the Meeting Place as a space for religious observance, and to consecrate it normally with a little [[liao]], renewing it season by season. This is how consecrated areas are maintained across the Empire, after all. This would incur no costs, lead to no downsides, and would allow the aura to be changed from season to season.

Of course there is a more costly, and more impactful, althernative. [[Liao#True Liao|True liao]] could be used to create a [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] within the new Meeting Place. One of the [[Assembly#The_Virtue_Assemblies|Virtue Assemblies]] would need to uphold a [[writ of consecration]] as normal, and that judgement would need to be upheld by a [[greater majority]] of the relevant assembly. While multiple assemblies could attempt to pass a writ to consecreate the Meeting Place, such judgements would be considered to be [[Mandate#Competing_Mandates|competing]] with one another; only the greater majority judgement with the highest margin of success would be upheld.

There are limits to the effect of such a consecration. Jotun living in, or visiting, the Meeting Place might visit the Imperial shrine out of curiosity or a desire to learn, but such things would have no wider effect on the Jotun as a nation - this would not convert the Jotun to the Way. However, a true consecration would reinforce how the Empire view their relationship with the Jotun. An [[Auras_of_Loyalty#A_Peerless_Kinship|aura of Loyalty]] for example, would remind everyone of the importance of service to others, and perhaps communicate that the Empire will always stand by their friends and allies. An [[Auras_of_Pride#Partner_of_Greatness|aura of Pride]] would encourage rock-hard self esteem, and remind Imperial visitors that they are the foundation on which future relations with the Jotun will be build, perhaps resonating with Jotun ideas of honour and integrity. There would be a degree of interpretation involved on both sides, especially since the Jotun would react to the ''actual aura'' rather than the symbolism of the virtue. But such a potent site would be seen the the Jotun as demonstrating the kind of future that the Empire desires with them.

Normally a writ of consecration would be passed with the intention of creating an [[Inspirational location]] dedicated to a [[paragons and exemplars|paragon or exemplar]]. With the Meeting Place, the writ could identify the Meeting Place as a [[Inspirational_location#Sacred_Sites|sacred site]] - significant but not associated with any particular individual, or as a [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|memorial]] dedicated to a renowned inspirational figure.

Consecrating the Meeting Place as a memorial could not help but send a much more specific message to the Jotun. The barbarians would interpret a shrine commemorating a specific figure from the Empire's past through the lens of their own faith, and likely see the inspirational figure chosen in such a way as an "honoured ancestor" of the Empire. This possibility was apparently met with a great deal of interest by the ''godhi'' visiting the construction of the Meeting Place. Some, more open-minded ghodi, would be very curious about what figures the Empire looks to for guidance, and while some elements will doubtless be lost in translation, the Jotun will look to any memorial as a statement about who the people of the Empire desire to be. Any greater effect would be highly dependent on the figure chosen, but it will doubtless be deeply meaningful.

There is a note alongside this talk of open-mindedness, however. The ghodi are as divided and cantankerous as any group of Synod priests, and while they often show unity in the face of outsiders their internal debates are just as heated. More conservative voices are already raising criticisms of allowing the Empire such leeway in the practice of their faith. The missionary zeal of the Empire is well known, and some fear that this may be the thin end of the wedge. Indeed, there are undoubtedly Imperial citizens who would love nothing more than to spread the Way among the peoples of the Jotun, whether the Jotun wanted them to or not. In order to shut this debate down before it starts causing problems, the Jotun have suggested that their neighbours in Wintermark act as guarantors of the Empire's honour. The Wintermark National Assembly could pass a suitably-worded [[statement of principle]] endorsing a writ of consecration regarding the Meeting Place. Such a statement would need to be raised before the consecration was carried out, but if passed with a greater majority it would address the fears of the more suspicious Jotun.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
* '''The Ambassador to the Grendel is Starlight Starchaser of Urizen'''
The Grendel are the dominant power on Attar and the Broken Shore, and they remain at war with the Empire. They have conquered parts of Redoubt, and continue to fight Imperial forces defending Mareave. The [[Asavean Archipelago|Asavean]] plenum offers significant support to the Grendel in the form of warships and resources, using them as proxies for their own war with the Empire.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.
===Misapprehensions===
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
A single [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] arrived at the offices of the Ambassador to the Grendel, '''Starlight Starchaser''' of Urizen. The letter begins by welcoming the new ambassador, but then immediately goes on to correct a misapprehension. [[Bedight in veils#Peace and Storm|Last season]], Morna simply pointed out that any discussion of peace between Grendel and Empire must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel. This has apparently been misinterpreted as a sign that the Grendel desire an end to the conflict with the Empire. That is not the case - Speaker Morna was simply reminding '''Abel the Rounder''' of how diplomatic relations between nations must take place.

If the Empire wishes to put forward their own plan for peace, they are welcome to do so. As long as the Empire's opening offer is serious, Morna will present it to the Salt Lords for consideration. At the ''absolute minimum'' it will need to include the complete withdrawl of Imperial forces from Mareave and Redoubt. The Grendel Ambassador will not waste the Salt Lords' time with anything less.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''The Grendel controlling Morajasse have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
* '''They have asked that the Imperial Consul handles communications with them rather than the Ambassador to the Grendel'''
While Feroz has mosly been liberated from the Grendel occupation, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - his partner and a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers, they control the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]]. They carefully protect the borders of Morajasse, and apparently have sufficient supplies to endure a drawn-out siege if needed.

They are not just protecting their own borders. They have shown themselves more than willing to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the battle at [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oran]], the [[Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. So far, they seem to continue to be independent of the Grendel. Indeed, the protectorate has requested that all negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] speculate that this request reflects a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council... yet there are certainly other possibilities some of them quite intriguing. Given Wind Lord Saoirse has clearly mastered the art of commanding [[Call Winged Messenger|magical couriers]] its hard to believe they have not at least been in contact with the Salt Lords, but for now they appear to be operating in line with their agreement with the Senate.

Not long before the Winter Solstice, such a magical courier arrives at the Consulate in Tassato, again sent by Wind Lord Saoirse. The message is short and sweet. Commander Gallum is considering the invitation of '''Atte Arrowtongue''' to Anvil but at this time thinks he and his supporters should be focused on Feroz. Spring might be a better time to send emissaries. This would also present an opportunity for his partner to send one of her covenmates to speak with '''Khalil i Carno i Guerra''' and the Artisan's Guild.

More importantly, he wants to be clear to the Consul that while he and his soldiers only agreed to protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks, they are also prepared to fight against the invading [[Iron Confederacy]] forces that [[Red_skies#Swords_of_the_South|currently occupy]] the islands of the [[Feroz#Cazar_Straits|Cazar Straits]], provided they are well paid. While there may be something of a ''détente'' between the Salt Lords and the Suranni Dukes, Commander Gallum Fiersach apparently sees no "legal" impediment to fighting as mercenaries against all comers.

===Ramparts of Sand===
* '''Wind Lord Saoirse is prepared to again enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks or Iron Confederacy'''
Last season, Wind Lord Saoirse offered to support Feroz by drawing allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. Indications are that she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. The Imperial Conclave declined to [[Endowment|endow]] her with the mana she requested, but she wishes them to know that the offer is still open. If the Empire is at all concerned about the intentions of the Suranni, or the risk of the Children of Wrecks retaliating, she will enchant the [[fortification]] to enhance its garrison as it protects the territory.
{{SOP|statement=The Grendel on Mora's Rock have stolen the wealth of the Brass Coast. As thieves, they are to be despised. To trade with them harms the Prosperity of the Empire. It should not happen. Let them wallow in their ill-gotten gains, shunned by the Empire. Trade instead with the Freeborn. Help the honest to earn an honest living, and build the Prosperity of the Coast.|by=Dragonet de Gauvin, Prosperity Assembly|vote=137-38|when=Autumn Equninox 387YE|size=small}}
===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock have been attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura'''
* '''The entrepreneurial Freeborn remain suspicious and uncooperative'''
For several months now, the orcs at Mora's Rock have been making attempts to trade with their Freeborn neighbours in [[Segura]] and Feroz. To date, however, they have had limited success. It is hard for the people of the Brass Coast not to see the "protectorate" and remember the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They were, after all, still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. While the garrison merchants have crowns to spend, their wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz one way or another.

At the Autumn Equinox, '''Dragonet de Gauvin''' proposed a statement of principle condemning the orcs of Morajasse as thieves. The Prosperity assembly upheld the judgement, but not with a greater majority, so its impact has been negligible. However, given that the majority of the Freeborn seem broadly disinclined to trade with the Grendel, the status quo sees Commander Gallum's forces continue to find it next to impossible to engage in peaceful relations with their neighbours. The Freeborn of Feroz may, perhaps grudgingly, accept their protection but they do not accept their coin.

===Spies===
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: right;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo.jpg|caption='''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''', Imperial Spymaster|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GMShutteredLantern.jpg|caption='''Tyburn Weaver''' (changeling), Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly_Vigilance.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
* '''There is concern that the Protectorate of Morajasse is being used as a base for Grendel spies'''
* '''A spy network could be used to gather information about both the Protectorate and the Iron Confederacy in the Cazar Straits'''
* '''If the Conclave sends mana to Morajasse, then the Shuttered Lantern could be employed to inveigle their way into the Protectorate'''
* '''A scouting army could investigate rumours of espionage rings and assess the military disposition of Gallum's forces'''
* '''The Silent Bell could be used to root out any collaborators in the area'''

Suspicion of the Protectorate of Morajasse is not restricted to matters of trade however. The Grendel are known to employ [[Rings_and_crowns|espionage rings]] throughout the [[Bay of Catazar]]. They spy on Imperial territories but they are also capable of taking direct action - a Grendel espionage ring aided the attack on [[A beacon of smoke|Siroc]] for example. Not much is actually known about the so-called Protectorate, and it is entirely possible that Commander Gallum is protecting Feroz simply to let a Grendel espionage ring dig themselves into the territory in advance of the orcs of the Broken Shore launching another attack.

There are any number of ''other'' conspiracy theories - some are looking at the request to be treated as a separate entity to the Grendel as a sign that perhaps Gallum and his forces are fractured from the Salt Lords for example. This is most likely wishful thinking but perhaps its noteworthy that they have not tried to seize ships and return to Attar.

Regardless of what one believes, there are rumblings in Feroz that what is needed is a better understanding of this Protectorate. So far, they have been reticent to travel to Anvil, and their borders are largely closed. Only the very small number of Freeborn prepared to deal with them are allowed entry and then only to a trading camp just over the border. Further information might help the Brass Coast, and the Empire, get a better idea of how to approach the Protectorate.

The [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' (or the Senate) could of course create a [[spy network]] in Feroz. There are, after all, two non-Imperial regions in the territory now. If at least 1,000 strength were committed to the spy network it would be enough to get a general feel for not only the Protectorate, but also the Suranni presence in the Cazar Straits. If at least 5,000 strength were committed, it would be sufficient to get detailed information about what is going on in these regions and an insight into the politics of the two foreign groups. The drawback is that this is a slow process - building a spy network takes time as does using it to uncover information. If the Spymaster began immediately, there'd be no report before the Summer Solstice at the absolute earliest.

If the Empire wants information more quickly, then there are three potential opportunities any one of which would give some insight into the Protectorate, and each of which could provide additional information.

The [[Military Council]] could direct an army to the territory to take the [[Army qualities#Scouting|Guard the Gates]] [[army orders|order]]. As long as the general indicated in their orders that the army was particularly interested in the Protectorate, they could take advantage of opportunities to speak to the [[fortification#garrison|garrison]] of Mora's Rock as they patrol outside Morajasse. This would give insight into the Grendel, their attitude to Feroz, and the broader plans of the Commander. If that army were also enchanted with [[Bound by Common Cause]], they could also work with the people of Feroz to get a better sense of their attitudes, or become aware of any underhand activity sponsored by Gallum and his supporters.

Another possibility would be to look to the wizards of the [[Conclave]]. The [[Shuttered Lantern]] are adept at negotiation and infiltration where wizards are involved, but the Grendel are too canny to just welcome them into their homes. However if the Conclave passed a declaration to send mana to the Wind Lord, then members of the the Shuttered Lantern would have the perfect cover they need to inveigle their way into the Rock. In that case, the [[Grandmaster]] could [[Concord#Guiding_an_Order|guide their order]], urging Freeborn and other members to visit Morajasse and try to get a feel for what is going on. This would require 20 mana from the font as usual, and would provide insight into feelings in the Protectorate and may reveal something of their plans. Salt-Lord Saoirse is a powerful magician, supported by a coven of adepts, so they are sure to have things to talk about.

Finally, the Synod could engage the [[Silent Bell (Sodality)|Silent Bell]] to root our any collaborators in the area. If there is an espionage ring here, it would at least confirm that, and may even provide some leads to help shut it down. If there are merchants profiteering from trade with Morajasse, it would enable the Synod to put a stop to that, if they so chose. If the Empire plans to isolate the former Grendel, then the Silent Bell might be the most effective tool in the long run.

Normally these opportunities might be exclusive, too many spies in one area would simply reveal the Empire's interest. As it happens, though, the three possibilities are each focused on different priorities. Each additional opportunity taken would provide less information overall, but would focus on different parts of the Protectorate and so still have some potential value.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Wheeling gulls.jpg|caption=Beoraidh is a tiny "nation" with great big ambitions.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Beoraidh==
* '''Beoraidh is a city state on the coast of Mareave that allegedly aims to remain neutral in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel'''
* '''The Senate has recognised the orcs of Beoraidh as foreigners'''
The city state of [[mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]] in [[Mareave]] is apparently committed to neutrality between the Empire and the [[Grendel]]. The former-Salt Lord Eshan rules from the city there, and sees the place as a "free port" where traders from everywhere are welcome - provided they bring money or goods to trade. Recently, as discussed in the '''[[A_wild_night_and_a_new_road#Polite_Correspondence|A wild night and a new road]]''' wind of fortune, Beoraidh has come [[All_the_night-tide#Beoraidh|under the protection]] of the [[Sarcophan Delves]] - something that has not sat entirely easily with their Imperial neighbours. Exactly what this protection means - and how much influence the Sarcophan actually have - is not entirely clear. At the last it implies that anyone attacking Beoraidh - Imperial or otherwise - will incur the wrath of the Delves and their warships.
===Prosperity===
* '''Beoraidh has aligned itself with the Sarcophan Delves, accepting the protection of the powerful mercantile nation'''
As an independent nation, recognised by the Senate, the city-state of Beoraidh falls into the purview of the Imperial Consul. A messenger arrives at the Consulate in Tassato bearing greetings from former-Salt Lord Eshan. The first thing the missive announces is that the ruler of Beoraidh has taken the title "Eshan, Lord of Sand". This is likely an attempt to mollify the Salt Lords of the Grendel, among whose number he is no longer counted.

The meat of the letter addresses the alliance with the Sarcophan Delves. Eshan presents the decision to accept the protection of the Delves as a perfectly reasonable one prompted by reality. The Empire's Senate can be quite volatile, as can the Salt Lords. To accept the protection of one side or the other would be to risk being seen as aligned with them - something detrimental to the desire of Beoraidh to remain neutral. The Sarcophan Delves however are renowned for their refusal to pick sides, and the orcs of Beoraidh find that they have more in common with them than the Unshackled. Perhaps if the Empire had been more enthusiastic about the invitation to establish the [[I_wish_you_would#Shrine_of_the_Virtues|shrine of the virtues]], or had been more welcoming to the gladiators seeking Imperial investment, or had more decisively dealt with the armies invading Mareave, Eshan might have waited a little longer. Whatever his reason, it is clear he feels the Sarcophan are simply offering his city the best deal going.

As such, Eshan, Lord of Sand, wishes to formally inform the Imperial Consul that they have agreed a treaty with the Delves. An attack against their city, or the plains of [[Mareave#Sinfoyard|Sinfoyard]], will be treated as an attack on the Delves. However, the treaty is very clear that this agreement is not be an "exclusive" partnership. Both Beoraidh and the Delves are free to continue to pursue their own ambitions in the Bay of Catazar, with the Empire and the Grendel at the bare minimum. The tribute sent to the Empire, and the Grendel, will continue until such time as it can be renegotiated - as an assurance of Beoraidh's good faith as much as anything else. Yet the Lord of Sand is not shy about suggesting that Beoraidh will, eventually, want to discuss that tribute.

If the Consul is still interested in investing in Beoraidh, Eshan lays out three possiblities.
===Investment of Salt===
* '''The opportunity to build a temple or basilica in Beoraidh is still available'''
* '''A previous Imperial Consul agreed to purchase land for the shrine of virtue'''
* '''Even if commissioned, work cannot begin until the money for the land is paid'''

The previous Consul proposed an agreement with Lord Ehsan to [[I_wish_you_would#Beoraidh|build a Temple of the Way]] in the city-state. If the new Consul is still interested in that, opportunities to do so remain available. Eshan and his council have no interest in turning money and prosperity away, wherever it comes from. The invitation to build the shrine of the virtues remains. Either a temple or a grand basilica, depending on the level of investment the Empire wishes, can still be built. Provided the agreed on 20 Thrones for the purchase of land is delivered, of course.
===Investment of Sea===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Investment in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Mareave </td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, and 108 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:''' Opens the port of Beoraidh to Imperial fleet captains</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Raises taxation in Mareave by 3 thrones and taxes from tariffs by 7 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Until the end of the Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''The Empire is welcome to invest in the docks of Beoraidh'''
The Sarcophan are interested in investing in Beoraidh's docks, and Eshan feels it would be remiss not to offer a similar opportunity to the Empire. He has, indeed, already offered this opportunity to the Grendel and his former colleagues in the council of Salt Lords seem cautiously interested. If the Imperial Consul is interested, then Eshan proposes that the Empire participate in the expansion of Beoraidh's docks with an eye towards creating docks specifically for Imperial vessels to dock, and for their merchants to do business in the marketplaces of the city. Beoraidh still produces goods of its own, but the real draw perhaps will be the opportunity to gain access to goods imported from the Broken Shore.

A standard fleet visiting Beoraidh will be able to secure assorted valuable goods worth 72 rings, as well as two doses of consumable available to the orcs of Beoraidh, the Delves, or the Grendel trading there. An [[enchantment|enchanted]] or [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] fleet would receive proportionally more.

Eshan intends to apply what he calls "[[Tariffs#Mercantilist|reasonable tariffs]]" and anticipates the Empire will apply the same tariffs to any Beoraidh ships visiting Imperial ports. Once the docks are completed there will certainly be Beoradhi merchants eager to do so. The [[Civil Service|civil service]] estimates that investment in the docks would also raise the taxable income of Mareave by 3 Thrones each season - increased prosperity for Beoraidh will slowly trickle across to the businesses of the territory as a whole - and bring in an additional 7 Thrones per season to the Senate treasury in the form of tariffs.
===Investment of Stone===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Imperial Consulate in Beoraidh'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Embassy</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Beoraidh, Sinfoyard, Mareave</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 25 white granite, and 90 crowns (modified by under-developed)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 Thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Provides the Empire with some information on the factions in Beoraidh, local politics and recent developments
* Allows the Consul to purchase goods from Beoraidh
</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
* '''Eshan proposes an Imperial consulate be built in Beoraidh'''
* '''This would not involve the appointment of a new ambassador'''
* '''The consulate would provide some limited information on the factions in the city and their machinations'''

Eshan is not naive when it comes to diplomacy; he has decades of experience as a salt lord after all. After some discussion with his advisors, and with the Sarcophan representatives, he offers the Empire the ability to establish a consulate in Beoraidh if they wish to do so. This will give them a presence in the city, and cement diplomatic relations between the city-state and the great power. They don't want embassy - they'd rather continue to deal with the Consul. But a small cadre of civil servants in Beoraidh would be able to ease representation to Beoraidh.

The Grendel have already been approached, and now Eshan makes the same offer to the Empire. A structure in the Imperial style, built near the ''[[Mareave#Palace_of_Chains|Palace of Chains]]'', with lodging for a dozen civil servants and visiting diplomats. The proposal is much more compact than a traditional Imperial embassy - only 25 white granite - but the labour costs are a little higher due to the limitations of Beoraidh.

If the new consulate were completed, it would not require the appointment of an ambassador to deal directly with Lord Ehsan. Instead the civil servants there would report to the Imperial Consul and could be instructed to acquire local goods for a small fee (assuming such things are [[The_circle_game#Diplomatic_Ministries|still acceptable]]). Perhaps more importantly, the Empire would have civil servants on the ground in Beoraidh who could assess what was happening in the city. It would provide some idea of factios within the city, what they want and any options that might exist to influence or antagonise them. It might also help the Empire to be more aware of what the Grendel and the Sarcophan were up to in the city...

===Retribution===
* '''A group of Beoraidh orc gladiators claim they were assaulted while visiting Anvil'''
* '''They are coming to Anvil to confront those they say attacked them'''

During the Summer Solstice, representatives of the Diamant Drakes [[I_wish_you_would#That's_Entertainment|visited Anvil]], to discuss opportunities for Imperial citizens to invest in the gladiatorial arena at Beoraidh. According to these orcs, while they were in Anvil they were assaulted by members of the [[Sannite]] sept of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], accused of engaging in slavery. When the forces of law and order intervened, members of the militia flat lied about what had happened.

This obvious corruption of the Anvil militia doesn't particularly bother them - this group seem to have a very low opinion of those who enforce the laws and this has only enforced that. What the Diamant Drakes are angry about, is the beat down they claim they received at the hands of the Sannites. As news of it has spread through Beoraidh interest in visiting the Empire has declined significantly. The fact their attackers were [[Imperial Orcs]] has also soured some who were intent on seeking closer relations with their neighbours in Mareave.

After stewing on the matter for a few months, the Diamant Drakes have announced their intention to seek [[Grendel_religion#Retribution|retribution]] at the Winter Solstice. They haven't addressed exactly what this means but they're expected to reach Anvil around three in the afternoon on the Saturday of the summit, and head to the Unshackled camp to confront the Sand Vipers they are apparently holding responsible for the assault.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=GeneralSeventhWave.jpeg|caption=Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=AmbassadorSarcophanDelves.jpg|caption= Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Delves.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Pathfinder Gaddak.jpg|caption=Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave.|align=left|width=250}}</div>

===Diplomatic Delegation===
* '''A delegation from Beoraidh led by Emissary Harailt intends to visit the Imperial Orcs at 11.00am on Saturday'''
* '''They are keen to speak to Pathfinder Gaddak, Senator for Mareave'''
* '''Eshan has asked the Imperial Consul and/or Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyardto ensure no unfortunate incidents happen'''
* '''Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike has also asked the Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly'''
During the Winter Solstice, a delegation from Beoraidh plans to visit Anvil. Their main intent is to speak to the Imperial Orcs within whose territory they live, and are especially keen to meet '''Pathfinder Gaddak'''. Gaddak is [[Senator]] for Mareave but was one of those involved in ensuring an endangered Beoraidh vessel safely returned to port. Their invitation to the folk of Beoraidh to visit Anvil was reasonable, and encouraged Eshan that the experiences of the Diamant Drakes need not be representative.

Obviously the story of the Diamant Drakes makes them a little concerned about the kind of reception they will receive. In part this has inspired their decision to ask representatives of the Sarcophan Delves to accompany them given that nations interest in smoothing relations between the city state and the Empire. To be on the safe side, Eshan asks that the Imperial Consul meet the delegation either in person or via a trusted lieutenant to further ensure that there is no repeat of the recent assault. Alternatively or additionally, '''Melkior of Balthazar's Vineyard''' could serve a similar purpose - their sensible missive contributed to the decision to undertake this delegation after all. On behalf of the Delves, Bedellar Huisbaas Annike has asked the [[Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves]] to use their influence to ensure things progress smoothly.

The delegation has been entrusted to the leadership of ''Emissary Harailt'', an experienced negotiator and merchant and one of Eshan's distant cousins. They anticipate reaching Anvil around eleven in the morning on Saturday of the coming summit, but a lot depends on their confidence with regard to their potential reception.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj Flag.png|align=left|width=300}}</div>

==The Mallum==
* '''The Druj demand that the Empire withdraw all troops from Sarangrave or they will unleash the vallorn of Béantal Dol
Unexpectedly, a message has also been received at the Consulate that appears to be from the [[Druj]]. If it is taken at face value, it is a message from a buruk tepel named ''Inkagoch'' who resides in the city of [[Salt Flats of Sanath#Leen|Leen]] in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. It is fairly terse and wastes no time with clever language. According to this missive, the rulers of [[the Mallum]] demand that the Empire withdraw all of its forces from the [[Sarangrave]]. If they do not, then the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|Ghulai]] of the [[Druj_armies#Tainted_Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] will destroy the warding stones of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and unleash the [[vallorn]] to claim the marshes. If the Druj cannot have the Sarangrave, nobody can...

The civil service advising the Consulate have no idea if the Druj are capable of making good on this threat but... the Tainted Basilisk are adept at [[Night magic]] so the fact the territory is largely under Imperial control may not present an obstacle to their ghulai reaching the stones. Everything the Empire knows about the [[Into_Béantal_Dol#The_Warding_Stones|warding stones]] that contain the vallorn suggests that if too many are destroyed the boundary will fail and the vallorn will explode out across the marshes like an unwinding spring. The Druj have clearly advanced their understanding of the vallorn in the last few years, as evidenced by their work in Therunin.

If they are not bluffing, the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]] is likely to be able to hold off the vallorn at least for a while but... the loss of life would potentially be apocalyptic. The vallorn would not spare anyone - rebel orc, Druj, or Imperial. This would be an absolute disaster for everyone in the Sarangrave and would mean the Druj could never recover the territory themselves. Are they really that desperate? Surely not even the Druj would be prepared to unleash such a catastrophe?

Surely?

==Further Reading==
* [[Advisor on Orc Affairs]]
* [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

* [[Invited with asperity]] 387YE Winter wind of fortune specifically dealing with the Thule

In harmony and unison

2026-04-18T22:43:21Z

Vsabo: /* Dreams come true */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>"And this, children, is the ''exact site'' the paragon Atun landed with the first Highborn all those years ago. From here the First Empress would go on to found the Empire at Anvil in Casinea and introduce all the other peoples of the continent to the seven Virtues of the Way. Now, who thinks they can name all seven Virtues for me?"

"Uhm, Steward Shem?"

"Yes, Master Japheth?"

"Did, um. Was Ah-toon very afraid of the water?" Japheth had been standing notably further away from the shore-line than the rest of the children, some of whom had already been dipping in their toes during lunch-break.

"She may well have been, Japeth, but remember that Virtue can give us the strength to face our fears! Now, about-. Yes, Japheth?"

"Even with all the bad eternals in the sea like Sha-ka and Kobe...Kobe, um, Salty-Lungs?"

"Yes Japeth, but the Empire and the Imperial Conclave will protect you from all the bad eternals, there's no need to worry."

"Does, does that mean Mr Syrup is a good Eternal?"

One of the two greatsword-wielding warriors stood a little behind the group smiled and spoke up. "Oh yes Japeth, ''Prince'' Surut is a <u>very</u> good eternal. So good that your Senator and the Conclave expressly arranged for us to come and make sure you were all safe from all the bad ones." Steward Nimrod was not best pleased and re-asserted himself.

"Thank you, Warden. This is ''NOT'' magic class with Magister Shem, Japheth, this is our class field trip to Sanctuary Sands. I think it's just about time we packed up for the day anyway. Your homework is to draw a picture of Paragon Atun, including at least one of the tenets and symbols of Wisdom. Run along everyone!"

The rusted warden inclined their head to Steward Shem and continued their dutiful watch over the children and the coastline.</ic>
<div style="float: left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=OrderSevenfoldPath.jpg|caption=Let all power be guided by virtue.|width=300px}}</div>
==Overview==
<div style="float: right; max-width: 400px; margin-left: 10px;">
<quote by="Grandmaster Elagabala, on behalf of the Sevenfold Path">
The Conclave asks for plans for a Grand Lodge of the Sevenfold Path in Sanctuary, Sanctuary Sands, Necropolis. It would stand in remembrance of the magician-paragon Atun and their Virtue in voyaging to the continent, and looking to the horizon as a promise that this Empire will bring the light of Virtue to everyone, everywhere.
</quote></div>
The ongoing project to create a grand lodge for each of the [[Conclave order|Conclave orders]] proceeds apace. The recently completed grand lodge of the [[Golden Pyramid]] in [[Mareave]] was briefly in danger from the orcs of the [[Grendel|Broken Shore]], but, thankfully, the intervention of the Military Council has secured it. At least for now.

There can only be two ongoing projects at any one time, and with the completion of the first grand lodge, the [[Conclave]] declared that the [[Sevenfold Path]] would be next in line while the recently [[The shape of things to come|upgraded plans]] for the [[Silver Chalice]] are yet to be commissioned by the [[Senate]]. For the next set of plans to be prepared by Conclave, either the Silver Chalice or the Sevenfold Path must commission and finish building their grand lodges. Of course, the potential for an [[appraisal]] is still available.

==Homecoming==
The people of Sanctuary Sands are ''delighted'' to hear that the Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path decided that the site of the landing (or at least, a little inland) would be the order's chosen place for their grand lodge. Virtuous magicians from across the Empire heard the call of '''Elagabala''' and began scouting out the prime location, with the best view, to prepare the designs. So what if it's directly on the coast? So what if it's an obvious target for the Grendel? So what if the heralds of [[Siakha]] find priests delicious aperitifs? This place is to be a beacon for the light of virtue! The gleaming fortress of [[Necropolis#Reumah's_Rest|Reumah's Rest]] stands overlooking the cliffs in Coursmouth! Besides, the Military Council have protected the grand lodge in [[Mareave#Clisearn|Clisearn]], they will surely manage any lesser concerns of the material world.
__TOC__
==Dreams come true==
There are seven true virtues, and not one of them is Subtlety. Plans for an enormous [[weirwood]] vessel come together, one large enough to host a full cadre of order magicians along with not one but two small shrines to the Virtues. The vessel will sit in the water next to a small but [[Edifice#Grandeur|impressive basilica]] dedicated to [[the Way]]. A pier extends out a little further into the Catazar for pensive walks along the shoreline while meditating on the paragon-magician Atun. Two masts of [[mithril]] are to protrude from the structure, displaying sails showing the emblem of the order, ever lit by lightstones strategically placed along both the masts.

Unsurprisingly, the presence of the grand lodge would provide a big benefit for the people of [[Necropolis]]. Such a powerful reminder of the crucial role of the Highborn in bringing Wisdom and the Way to the world would benefit every [[congregation]] in the territory. More it would remind the Highborn of their naval history, that their people were once masters of the oceans. That would spark renewed interest in Highborn naval endeavours, permanently raising the capability of the nation to support one additional navy.

As with the first two lodges, the Grandmaster would gain better rates for their ministry (unless, of course, the Senate were to abrogate it as discussed in the '''[[The circle game]]''' wind of fortune) and the Conclave would see a healthy increase in the mana crystals available in the [[font]].
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Grand Lodge of the Sevenfold Path'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Great Work (Grand Lodge)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Sanctuary Sands, Necropolis</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 20 white granite, 15 mithril, 65 weirwood and 300 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 5 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Adds 15 mana crystals to the Conclave font each season
* Incorporates a [[Edifice#Grandeur|grand basilica]] dedicated to the Way
* Reduces the cost of mana purchases by the Grandmaster
* Raises the level of investment of congregations in the territory by one
* Allows Highguard to raise and support one additional navy over the current limits
* Provides a dose of true liao to the order's vaults at the Summer and Winter solstice
* Provides every member of the order with a single dose of liao for a year
* Adds the Voice of the Paragons to Imperial lore for as long as [[Net of Gossamer Chains]] is interdicted
* Can request a single relic linked to an important historical figure for the Winter Solstice after the grand lodge is complete
</td></tr>
</table></div>
What excites everyone the most, however, is what a confluence of the Empire's most advanced minds of the intersection of magic and virtue might achieve. By using a combination of the divinatory magics of the [[Day]] and [[Night]] realms and the experienced hands of those who spend a lifetime handling the [[liao|purple substance]], the able to examine Imperial [[liao]] production to find doses with the potential spark to be developed into [[true liao]] that might otherwise be discarded. As a result, a single dose of true liao would be handed over to the Grandmaster at Summer and Winter Solstice, to use as she and her successors see fit. There would also be a little extra normal liao for everyone in the order for a year following the completion of the grand lodge.

==Props==
* '''Voice of the Paragons is a ritual focus that helps magicians cast Mantle of the Golden Orator, Silver Tongue of Virtue, and A Light That Moves'''
* '''The Paragon's Voice Chapter will add the focus to Imperial lore for as long as Net of Gossamer Chains is interdicted'''

Some enterprising benefactors from the ''Paragon's Voice Chapter'' are keen to encourage and reward this endeavour and have come to the magicians of the Sevenfold Path with an offer for when the lodge is completed. They specialise in a unique [[:category:foci|focus]] that aids in the casting of rituals that enhance one's ability to [[Congregation#Downtime_Options|preach]], specifically [[Mantle of the Golden Orator]], [[Silver Tongue of Virtue]], and [[A Light That Moves]], though they've not had the opportunity to test that one yet.

They'd be willing to allow Imperial artisans to visit their chapter house to learn how to create this item in exchange for one concession. They are strongly of the belief that while the practice and mastery of mortal magic can be be pursued and celebrated as part of one's path to transcending the Labyrinth, no [[eternal]] has any place in the consecrated halls of a [[congregation]]. They will teach any Imperial artisan who wishes to learn how to make the foci for as along as [[Net of Gossamer Chains]] is [[Interdiction|interdicted]] by the Conclave. Provided [[Callidus]] cannot seek to corrupt and manipulate the teachings of the [[Synod]], the focus will effectively be in Imperial lore - it just couldn't be disseminated to anyone.

==Duets==
* '''The Black Tablet will seek out a single relic connected to a chosen historical figure suitable for casting Whispers through the Black Gate'''
The ''Paragon's Voice'' are not the only ones to have an offer for the grandmaster for choosing to build her grand lodge in the Necropolis. The ''Black Tablet'' have for some years now supported the work of the [[Imperial Necromancer]], and see their work as validation that magic that is often treated with suspicion and trepidation (that of the winter realm) can still be used for virtuous ends. Once the lodge has been built, if the Grandmaster is willing and able to pass a [[declaration]] of [[concord]] in support of the practice of necromancy, they will aim to provide some help to the magicians at Anvil.

In return for this support, they will look to the Conclave for direction towards a single past historical figure of great virtue for whom they may have some remnants in the Necropolis. They will see if they can find and prepare a relevant relic for someone who was in some way cotemporaneous, connected with or may have insight into that figure (if not the figure themselves) that is a valid target for [[Whispers through the Black Gate]] and provide it to the Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path at the start of the next Winter Solstice following the completion of the grand lodge. If multiple declarations are passed, they will default to the first one raised by the Sevenfold Path.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atun.jpg|caption=Atun; paragon of [[Wisdom]] and magician, who led her people to safety when it seemed there was no sanctuary to be found.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Makeover==
* '''The impressive basilica could be consecrated with true liao, either as a basilica or as an inspirational memorial to Atun'''

The designs for the grand lodge include an impressive basilica. In theory, the plans could be expanded even further, but another 25 white granite would be needed to expand the central house of worship into a bona fide cathedral ('''OOC Note:''' Any Senate motion or announcement must be explicit if they plan to do this). Even a basilica would be impressive however, especially if it were consecrated with true liao. If that happened, there would be the potential for the Senate to create a new Imperial title to lead the worship in the basilica and minister to the needs of the magicians of the order. Such a position could be on a par with the archbishop of Capodomus Cathedral, though the Order would have to choose the virtue carefully... such a decision would naturally impact the whole Order.

The alternative might be to create an [[Inspirational_location#Memorials|inspirational memorial]] to Atun. The Paragon of Wisdom led her people to safety at Sanctuary Sand, she didn't remain here with them. According to the legends she never left her ship. On the fourth day she set sail again, allegedly alone, although most people believe that part is probably an ahistorical story. The new basilica could be consecrated to create a memorial to Atun's legendary status as a [[Paragons and exemplars|paragon]] of [[Wisdom]].

There is no requirement to use a precious dose of true liao in this manner - it is simply that the potential exists to do so, once the grand lodge is complete. The inherent grandeur of the structure would make a suitable housing for ether plan.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Elagabala Preaching.jpg|caption='''Elagabala ''', Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path|align=right|width=500}}</div>

==Movin' out==
* '''The shipwrights propose to name the vessel Elagabala's Vision'''
* '''It could set sail and travel anywhere on the Bay of Catazar in a single season'''
* '''It would be vulnerable to attack while at sea'''
* '''The vessel would move the level of investment in congregations to the territory the season after it arrived'''

The design for the grand lodge is built around the idea of massive sea-going vessel, in a style the architects imagine captures the historical tradition of Highborn seafaring. It is much bigger than a normal Imperial [[fleet]], closer in size to one of the Asavean warships currently threatening the Empire's coasts. The original idea was that the grand lodge would be built in the ''shape'' of a ship, but as soon as someone suggests that the rejoinder from one of the Order's Freeborn magicians is "Or... we could include an actual enormous ship!"

The designers propose to call the vessel ''Elagabala's Vision''. In fairness, it's not an uncommon strategy for architects and shipwrights who are eager to find a powerful patron who will authorise their work being built. The truth is that the vessel they have sketched would be ungainly and clumsy. It would be utter folly to risk it on an actual voyage in open waters far away from land, but it could waddle around the Bay of Catazar, clinging to the coastline, if it needed to. It would be vulnerable if the Grendel attacked (although the Grendel are often loathe to destroy valuable things), and it certainly wouldn't be a lot of use in battle. That said, it could accompany a Highborn navy if one were ever launched, providing spiritual succour to the sailors and soldiers fighting for the Empire. And if Sanctuary Sands were ever seriously threatened, the vessel could put to sea to save the lives of order magicians and local inhabitants if needed.

Once complete the grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path could give orders for ''Elagabala's Vision'' to sail to any territory on the Bay of Catazar currently under Imperial control. It would take a season to get there - it couldn't do anything in the season it was sailing and it will always be vulnerable to Grendel navies while at sea. But once it made landfall, it would allow the order to project their power and influence in whatever territory they had sailed to. There are few practical benefits to this arrangement - the only one the prognosticators can find is that it would move the benefits the grand lodge provides to congregations to the new territory in the season after it arrived. But half the grand lodge would definitely be mobile and who knows when that might come in useful?

==Further Reading==
* [[Sevenfold Path]]
* [[Lit_up#Grand_Lodges|Lit up]] - 386YE Winter wind of fortune introducing the concept of grand lodges

Every day of your life

2026-04-18T16:41:47Z

Vsabo: /* The Writing on the Wall */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>Bonesung Reller swayed back and forth in time to the music that was ringing in his ears. His fellow mystagogues blew on their wind instruments, the disconsolate sound blowing around the mystagogue like wind in a tunnel. The mood in the room was tense, the onlookers anxious, excited but nervous, straining to hear through the thickening of fear.

The bitter taste of aniseed filled his mouth like bile. He could hear the voices getting louder and louder, but the din in his head was too much. Blood makes noise his teacher had warned him the first time he ever tasted Hope. This was what she had meant... his heart racing, his blood pounding, shouting through the roar.

For a moment he thought he heard a new voice. Discordant, disjointed, rising and falling. He reached for it, but his blood denied the memory of the acts.

Crestfallen he knew he had failed. The moment was gone. He'd have to try again after the silence returned. All that was left was a bitter taste in his mouth.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, and the Unshackled believe they are those of their ancestors, reaching out across the Howling Abyss to guide those who have come after.}}</div>
==Overview==
The [[Imperial Orcs]] Assembly, in the words of '''Bloodcrow Knott''', have stated that their [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|highest calling]] is the creation of an "Assembly of the Ancestors" to receive the same status as any other [[assembly]] of the [[Synod|Imperial Synod]]. The judgement was controversial - attracting almost as much opposition as support. What it did get was the attention of every orc in the Assembly and so it passed narrowly - but with a greater majority. It was supported by a [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_168|similar statement of principle in the General Assembly]] however, raised by '''Matteus with the Woodwych Harts''', suggesting that such an assembly could explore the role of the Virtues in how orcs become ancestors.

One of the reasons the judgement may have proved controversial is the legal challenges it poses. It calls on the [[Civil Service|civil service]] to provide the same recognition and support for the Assembly of Ancestors as any other Assembly. But no assembly of the Synod has any particular ability to influence the civil service - they are there to support the Synod in the legal execution of its powers, they're not there to change the legal framework. To do so, in response to a request from the Synod would be profoundly unconstitutional and very dangerous.

The judgement cannot affect the civil service, but it has affected many Imperial Orcs, reminding them of the importance that many place on their ancestors and encouraged them all to look for ways to build on lost traditions and revitalise the links to those who have shown they have the strength to return over the Howling Abyss. With the help of the [[Illarawm]] in particular, Imperial Orcs are looking for new opportunities to embrace their ancestors.
{{Judgement|Size=small|Judgement=As the Empire grows and more orc septs are freed, we must face a hard truth. Despite Doctrine affirming the importance of the Ancestors’ guidance in the orc soul’s journey, Synod holds no place for them. If we are truly an Empire of Liberation, an Empire that breaks chains and gives voice to the once-subjugated, we must create a new Assembly. An Assembly of Ancestors. A place where every orc within the Empire and those still hesitant to join it, can know their Ancestors’ voices will be heard. An Assembly to share guidance through those voices, led by our own spiritual leaders - those who hear the Ancestors most clearly. The Unshackled call for the creation of the Assembly of Ancestors, with the same recognition and support from the Civil Service as any Synod Assembly - this is the highest calling of our Assembly.|Raised By=Bloodcrow Knott|Assembly=Imperial Orc Assembly|Outcome={{GM}} 60-46|When=Autumn Equinox 387YE}}
==Constitution==
* '''The current legal framework offers no basis to support such an assembly'''
* '''It is not clear who would join the assembly other than Imperial orcs'''

The civil service passed a copy of Bloodcrow Knott's message to the Constitutional Court to see if there were any recommendations that they could offer. Unfortunately, they have been unable to provide much in the way of encouragement. The [[Imperial Constitution|Constitution]] defines the broad structure of the Synod - its interpretation has always confirmed the requirement for the [[Assembly#The Virtue Assemblies|virtue assemblies]] and the [[Assembly#The National Assemblies|national assemblies]], as well as the [[Assembly#General Assembly|General Assembly]] and [[Assembly#Assembly of the Nine|Assembly of Nine]]. When the Imperial Orc Assembly was [[Establish_Imperial_Orc_Assembly|established]] in Winter 377YE, some scholars opined that the motion may not have been necessary - that the Assembly should have come into existence the moment the Imperial Orcs became the tenth nation of the Empire.

The Constitution does not leave room, however, for the creation of any further assemblies outside of this structure. Despite the calls for an Assembly of the Ancestors to be made, there is no way to create such an Assembly within the framework of the Synod. The [[Tribune of the Synod|Tribune]] and magistrates have also opined that is profoundly unclear what legal remit and powers such an Assembly would or could have - how its membership would be defined, which judgements it would have access to, and what moral authority it would wield.
<div style="float: right; max-width: 50%; width=300px; margin-left: 10px; clear: right;"><quote by="Imperial Constitution"> The Synod will establish assemblies that each may know their virtue and select the most virtuous amongst them to lead. Voting in the Synod will be performed by such assemblies as are rightfully able to weigh the virtue of an action or individual, in accord with their nationality and authority.</quote></div>
Even if that were not so, there would be considerable problems trying to establish an Assembly of the Ancestors in the Synod. There are orcs in [[the Marches]], but none of them attend [[Anvil]], and so they are not active in the Synod. There are a small number of Apulian orcs in [[the League]], but only a tiny number of them attend Anvil. Most orcs in the League have eagerly embraced the Virtues rather than focus on their [[Grendel]] ancestors. It's worth noting that a companion judgement in the League Assembly supporting this goal, [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_179|submitted by Chessia Gordost Von Temeschwar]] ''was'' upheld, but not with a greater majority. As a result, any Assembly would consist almost entirely of Imperial Orcs. At which point the obvious constitutional question it begs is how this new assembly would be any different to the existing Imperial Orc Assembly.

Ultimately, any change would be a matter for the [[Senate]] - there is no possibility that the civil service could simply institute such a thing - it could only be as a result of a [[Senate motion]]. The Court advise that such a motion would require a [[Senate_motion#Constitutional_Vote|constitutional vote]] to pass and [[The Throne#Ratification|ratification]] by [[the Throne]]. It would need close [[scrutiny]] by the Court, and they are clear that they see few ways it might pass. Whether a motion passes or not ''always'' depends on the exact wording, but in this case, the prospects are dim.

Given the problems raised by the Court, most Imperial Orcs have focussed their efforts on searching out opportunities for what they might achieve instead.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=200}}
==The Writing on the Wall==
* '''The Illarawm propose the creation of the Annals of the Ancestors'''
* '''The sept will carve the name, deeds and words of the ancestors onto the walls of their ossuary'''
* '''The Imperial Orc Assembly can use a statement of principle to select a single ancestor to be honoured each season'''
Two and a half years ago, the Empire completed the construction of the [[Construct_Ossuary_Temple|Grand Ossuary]] in [[Skarsind]]. This massive [[edifice]] gave the [[Illarawm]] a home, a place to store their sacred bones as well as a stake in the nation. The gift, asking nothing in return, was enough to persuade the Illarawm to embrace their new home and join the Imperial Orcs.

Now it seems they stand ready to return the favour - they have proposed that the Ossuary could be used to create annals of the ancestors. The plan is simple, building on similar approaches that other assemblies have already adopted. The [[Wintermark]] Assembly maintains the [[Heroism#Chronicle_of_Heroism|Chronicle of Heroism]], the [[Prosperity]] Assembly compiles the [[Roll of Benefactors]]. Surely the Imperial Orc Assembly could be called on to do likewise?

[[Imperial_Orcs_culture_and_customs#Writing|Writing]] holds a special importance for many members of the Imperial Orcs. The idea that someone's words could inspire or advise orcs generations down the line is incredibly compelling - particularly for the [[Sunstorm]], who for many decades were unable to create such records. One way to find a place for the ancestors would be to take steps to record their insight - to document their advice for any orc of the future who needs it. Such an act would be the ultimate expression of the power of the written word. If the Imperial Orcs can immortalise the words of an ancestor, they could serve to create a bridge between them and those who come after, allowing their words to echo through the ages.

But where to store such important writing? A thing of invaluable worth, it would need to be protected against damage or theft. Rather than raise a new library, the Illarawm present a solution that meets with the approval of many. Rather than use paper or vellum, they would inscribe the words in stone, creating a record that would last centuries. Rather than raise a building and line it with tablets of stone, arrayed on shelves, they propose to use an existing structure and etch the message on the bones of the building itself.

Once each season, the Imperial Orc Assembly could use a [[statement of principle]] to name an important ancestor, describe their ancestor and provide a record of the most important words the Ancestor has spoken since passing over the Howling Abyss. If the statement achieves a greater majority (if there are multiple statements raised in the same season, only the one with the greatest margin will be successful), then the Illarawm will carve the ancestor's words into the stone walls of the Ossuary. Illarawm mystagogues will ensure knowledge of the ancestor is spread far and wide, and help others to hear their voice.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Yerende.png|align=right|width=200}}

==Rookery Without Crows==
* '''The Legion's Rookery could be amended to produce one or two less liao, and instead provide doses of Hearkeners Hope'''
* '''Imperial Orc congregations could be amended to produce one less liao, and instead provide a dose of Hearkeners Hope'''
* '''Hearkeners Hope allows an orc to hear their ancestors' voices more clearly for a short time'''
* '''The egregore has six doses of Hearkeners Hope for their fellow orcs to examine'''
* '''The Imperial Orc Assembly can accept the offer with an appropriately worded statement of principle that passes with a greater majority'''
With the attention drawn to the discontinuity between orc religious beliefs and the framework of the Synod, members of the [[Yerende]] have pointed out the problem with [[liao]]. The civil service distributes liao to [[Member of the Synod|Members of the Synod]] to enable them to tend to their [[congregation|congregations]]. Since orcs can make no use of liao, many preachers see it as little more than a trade good, useful for exchanging for coin or political favour, but of no great significance to the congregations of Imperial Orcs who seek spiritual counsel.

''Black Tillers'', a band of Yerende living in [[Skarsind#Gildenheim|Gildenheim]], point in particular to the [[Skarsind#Legion's Rookery|Legion's Rookery]]. The Imperial Orcs revere the [[worth]] of this building, it having stood for over two centuries, and its true consecration to [[Ambition]] inspires many within the Unshackled to strive even harder to build their nation up to ever greater heights. Yet as a [[great work]], its sole benefit is to provide the congregations of [[Skarsind]] with yet more liao that they can make little use of.

The skilled herb-tenders of Black Tillers have a proposal to fix that. If backed by the Imperial Orc Assembly, they will trade away some of this additional liao - there is plenty of demand, particularly in [[Axos]] - and use the proceeds to prepare small quantities of a powerful narcotic they call ''Hearkeners Hope''. There are no valuable [[herbs]] in the concoction - rather it is a preparation created using various rare plants, not unlike those found and employed by the [[mystic|mystics]] of [[Kallavesa#Regions|Kallavesa]]. The Tillers will not disclose the secret of its production, but they are prepared to use the bounty produced by the Legion's Rookery to share the results with their fellow Imperial Orcs, and theoretically any Navarr who make use of the [[Navarr wayhouse|wayhouse]] in [[Skarsind#Skogei_Glens|Skogei Glens]].

Hearkeners Hope is a reddish-brown syrup with a taste of aniseed that is noticeable by anyone who so much as smells it. An orc who ingests it feels a powerful sense of communion with their ancestors, which can last as much as an hour. Though it is not fully effective for everyone, many orcs claim it allows them to hear the voices of their ancestors more clearly for a time, and some [[shamans]] report that the voices of ancestors can separate, making it easier to distinguish one from another. It can be uncomfortable to use; however, some orcs claim that making their ancestors louder is not always a pleasant experience. ('''OOC Note:''' Please be aware that Hearkeners Hope is not liao that can be used by orcs, it is a consumable that has a roleplaying effect. As we've said previously, there is no way for orcs to use [[religious skills]]).

If given leave to produce Hearkeners Hope, the Black Tillers will commit to sharing a single dose of it with each Imperial Orc who tends to a congregation in Skarsind. In practice, this will alter the Legion's Rookery great work such that each congregation receives one fewer dose of liao, but instead a dose of Hearkeners Hope each season. If the Imperial Orcs wish to adopt the proposal, they will need the Assembly to submit a simple [[statement of principle]] thanking the Tillers for their work and instructing them to trade for one dose each of Hearkeners Hope.

Alternatively, the Assembly could commit to this and use their statement to ask the Black Tillers to trade ''all'' the liao from the Rookery. If that happened, the Rookery would produce no liao but would instead provide two doses of Hearkeners Hope to every congregation in Skarsind. If pushed, the Yerende could go further - the Assembly could use their statement to ask them to trade ''as much liao as possible''. If that happened, the Rookery would produce two doses of Hearkeners Hope instead of liao, and every Imperial Orc congregation would produce one less liao than normal and receive one dose of Hearkeners Hope instead.

One potential hindrance is the recently completed [[Construct Sorrowful Tunnels|Sorrowful Tunnels]]. It is possible that the Legion's Rookery could be used to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_fortune#Sorrowful_Tunnels_(Skarsind)|support]] the funding of additional workers in the mine, if it is assigned as a National seat of the Imperial Orcs, at the cost of additional liao for congregation owners in Skarsind. If the Senate motion to redirect the Rookery's production asked the ''Black Tillers'' to draw up plans for a structure to provide Hearkeners Hope to congregations in Skarsind, then suitable plans would be made available before the following summit.

The Black Tillers have provided half a dozen doses of the rare substance to the Imperial Orc egregore to help the Assembly decide if the offer is worthwhile. If the judgement passes with a greater majority, they will begin distributing the strange narcotic immediately; otherwise, they will look to other endeavours.

Hearkeners Hope is mildly poisonous for humans, any who consume it risk fever and a powerful feeling of dread.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly ImperialOrc.png|align=right|width=200}}

==Spanning the Abyss==
* '''For the next year, the Imperial Orc Assembly can use a mandate to urge their shamans and mystagogues'''
* '''Each season, they can choose a single non-Imperial orc sept to learn more about their ancestors'''
Bloodcrow Knott's statement talked of hard truths - one such truth is that the Imperial Orcs still know comparatively little of the beliefs of those orc septs who are outside the Empire. Years of fighting with the barbarians have taught the Empire much about how to fight the [[Druj]], the Grendel, the [[Jotun]], and the [[Thule]], but it has yielded precious few secrets about their ancestors. The Empire knows the name of some of them, but often little more than that. The same can be said for other septs - the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the Marcher orcs, the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]], and the distant orcs of the [[Commonwealth]]. Who were they? What tales are told of their deeds? What lessons did they leave for future generations? And perhaps most importantly, what words do they impart to those who came after? If the Imperial Orcs know more about the beliefs of other septs, what might they learn?

Given that the Imperial Orcs have declared the ancestors to be the Assembly's highest calling, many shamans and mystagogues are ready to do their bit to help. It might be dangerous, especially in Druj lands, but the assembly could ask them to travel beyond the Empire's borders to meet with another sept and find out more about their beliefs. A season's work would be enough to learn more about any one sept's ancestors, their names, their stories, their words.

For the next three seasons, the Imperial Orc Assembly can use a mandate to ask the mystagogues and shamans to learn more about the ancestors of a single non-Imperial orc sept.

{{Mandate|mandate=A nation is much more than lines on a map. We send (named priest) with 15 crowns to lead a delegation of mystics and shamans to discover more of the ancestors of the (named sept).|assembly=Imperial Orc Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted, the named priest will lead a group of willing orcs in search of information and lore about the ancestors of the named orc sept. It must be a non-Imperial sept, but it could be any sept the Empire has encountered, anywhere in the world.

==Further Reading==
* [[Imperial Orcs religious beliefs]]
* [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|The Highest Calling]] - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune introducing the highest calling

Every day of your life

2026-04-18T16:35:43Z

Vsabo:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>Bonesung Reller swayed back and forth in time to the music that was ringing in his ears. His fellow mystagogues blew on their wind instruments, the disconsolate sound blowing around the mystagogue like wind in a tunnel. The mood in the room was tense, the onlookers anxious, excited but nervous, straining to hear through the thickening of fear.

The bitter taste of aniseed filled his mouth like bile. He could hear the voices getting louder and louder, but the din in his head was too much. Blood makes noise his teacher had warned him the first time he ever tasted Hope. This was what she had meant... his heart racing, his blood pounding, shouting through the roar.

For a moment he thought he heard a new voice. Discordant, disjointed, rising and falling. He reached for it, but his blood denied the memory of the acts.

Crestfallen he knew he had failed. The moment was gone. He'd have to try again after the silence returned. All that was left was a bitter taste in his mouth.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=ImperialOrc.jpg|align=right|width=350|caption=All orcs hear voices, and the Unshackled believe they are those of their ancestors, reaching out across the Howling Abyss to guide those who have come after.}}</div>
==Overview==
The [[Imperial Orcs]] Assembly, in the words of '''Bloodcrow Knott''', have stated that their [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|highest calling]] is the creation of an "Assembly of the Ancestors" to receive the same status as any other [[assembly]] of the [[Synod|Imperial Synod]]. The judgement was controversial - attracting almost as much opposition as support. What it did get was the attention of every orc in the Assembly and so it passed narrowly - but with a greater majority. It was supported by a [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_168|similar statement of principle in the General Assembly]] however, raised by '''Matteus with the Woodwych Harts''', suggesting that such an assembly could explore the role of the Virtues in how orcs become ancestors.

One of the reasons the judgement may have proved controversial is the legal challenges it poses. It calls on the [[Civil Service|civil service]] to provide the same recognition and support for the Assembly of Ancestors as any other Assembly. But no assembly of the Synod has any particular ability to influence the civil service - they are there to support the Synod in the legal execution of its powers, they're not there to change the legal framework. To do so, in response to a request from the Synod would be profoundly unconstitutional and very dangerous.

The judgement cannot affect the civil service, but it has affected many Imperial Orcs, reminding them of the importance that many place on their ancestors and encouraged them all to look for ways to build on lost traditions and revitalise the links to those who have shown they have the strength to return over the Howling Abyss. With the help of the [[Illarawm]] in particular, Imperial Orcs are looking for new opportunities to embrace their ancestors.
{{Judgement|Size=small|Judgement=As the Empire grows and more orc septs are freed, we must face a hard truth. Despite Doctrine affirming the importance of the Ancestors’ guidance in the orc soul’s journey, Synod holds no place for them. If we are truly an Empire of Liberation, an Empire that breaks chains and gives voice to the once-subjugated, we must create a new Assembly. An Assembly of Ancestors. A place where every orc within the Empire and those still hesitant to join it, can know their Ancestors’ voices will be heard. An Assembly to share guidance through those voices, led by our own spiritual leaders - those who hear the Ancestors most clearly. The Unshackled call for the creation of the Assembly of Ancestors, with the same recognition and support from the Civil Service as any Synod Assembly - this is the highest calling of our Assembly.|Raised By=Bloodcrow Knott|Assembly=Imperial Orc Assembly|Outcome={{GM}} 60-46|When=Autumn Equinox 387YE}}
==Constitution==
* '''The current legal framework offers no basis to support such an assembly'''
* '''It is not clear who would join the assembly other than Imperial orcs'''

The civil service passed a copy of Bloodcrow Knott's message to the Constitutional Court to see if there were any recommendations that they could offer. Unfortunately, they have been unable to provide much in the way of encouragement. The [[Imperial Constitution|Constitution]] defines the broad structure of the Synod - its interpretation has always confirmed the requirement for the [[Assembly#The Virtue Assemblies|virtue assemblies]] and the [[Assembly#The National Assemblies|national assemblies]], as well as the [[Assembly#General Assembly|General Assembly]] and [[Assembly#Assembly of the Nine|Assembly of Nine]]. When the Imperial Orc Assembly was [[Establish_Imperial_Orc_Assembly|established]] in Winter 377YE, some scholars opined that the motion may not have been necessary - that the Assembly should have come into existence the moment the Imperial Orcs became the tenth nation of the Empire.

The Constitution does not leave room, however, for the creation of any further assemblies outside of this structure. Despite the calls for an Assembly of the Ancestors to be made, there is no way to create such an Assembly within the framework of the Synod. The [[Tribune of the Synod|Tribune]] and magistrates have also opined that is profoundly unclear what legal remit and powers such an Assembly would or could have - how its membership would be defined, which judgements it would have access to, and what moral authority it would wield.
<div style="float: right; max-width: 50%; width=300px; margin-left: 10px; clear: right;"><quote by="Imperial Constitution"> The Synod will establish assemblies that each may know their virtue and select the most virtuous amongst them to lead. Voting in the Synod will be performed by such assemblies as are rightfully able to weigh the virtue of an action or individual, in accord with their nationality and authority.</quote></div>
Even if that were not so, there would be considerable problems trying to establish an Assembly of the Ancestors in the Synod. There are orcs in [[the Marches]], but none of them attend [[Anvil]], and so they are not active in the Synod. There are a small number of Apulian orcs in [[the League]], but only a tiny number of them attend Anvil. Most orcs in the League have eagerly embraced the Virtues rather than focus on their [[Grendel]] ancestors. It's worth noting that a companion judgement in the League Assembly supporting this goal, [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_179|submitted by Chessia Gordost Von Temeschwar]] ''was'' upheld, but not with a greater majority. As a result, any Assembly would consist almost entirely of Imperial Orcs. At which point the obvious constitutional question it begs is how this new assembly would be any different to the existing Imperial Orc Assembly.

Ultimately, any change would be a matter for the [[Senate]] - there is no possibility that the civil service could simply institute such a thing - it could only be as a result of a [[Senate motion]]. The Court advise that such a motion would require a [[Senate_motion#Constitutional_Vote|constitutional vote]] to pass and [[The Throne#Ratification|ratification]] by [[the Throne]]. It would need close [[scrutiny]] by the Court, and they are clear that they see few ways it might pass. Whether a motion passes or not ''always'' depends on the exact wording, but in this case, the prospects are dim.

Given the problems raised by the Court, most Imperial Orcs have focussed their efforts on searching out opportunities for what they might achieve instead.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Illarawm.png|align=right|width=200}}
==The Writing on the Wall==
* '''The Illarawm propose the creation of the Annals of the Ancestors'''
* '''The sept will carve the name, deeds and words of the ancestors onto the walls of their ossuary'''
* '''The Imperial Orc Assembly can use a statement of principle to select a single ancestor to be honoured each season'''
Two and a half years ago, the Empire completed the construction of the [[Construct_Ossuary_Temple|Grand Ossuary]] in [[Skarsind]]. This massive [[edifice]] gave the [[Illarawm]] a home, a place to store their sacred bones as well as a stake in the nation. The gift, asking nothing in return, was enough to persuade the Illarawm to embrace their new home and join the Imperial Orcs.

Now it seems they stand ready to return the favour - they have proposed that the Ossuary could be used to create annals of the ancestors. The plan is simple, building on similar approaches that other assemblies have already adopted. The [[Wintermark]] Assembly maintains the [[Heroism#Chronicle_of_Heroism|Chronicle of Heroism]], the [[Prosperity]] Assembly compiles the [[Roll of Benefactors]]. Surely the Imperial Orc Assembly could be called on to do likewise?

[[Imperial_Orcs_culture_and_customs#Writing|Writing]] holds a special importance for many members of the Imperial Orcs. The idea that someone's words could inspire or advise orcs generations down the line is incredibly compelling - particularly for the [[Sunstorm]], who for many decades were unable to create such records. One way to find a place for the ancestors would be to take steps to record their insight - to document their advice for any orc of the future who needs it. Such an act would be the ultimate expression of the power of the written word. If the Imperial Orcs can immortalise the words of an ancestor, they could serve to create a bridge between them and those who come after, allowing their words to echo through the ages.

But where to store such important writing? A thing of invaluable worth, it would need to be protected against damage or theft. Rather than raise a new library, the Illarawm present a solution that meets with the approval of many. Rather than use paper or vellum, they would inscribe the words in stone, creating a record that would last centuries. Rather than raise a building and line it with tablets of stone, arrayed on shelves, they propose to use an existing structure and etch the message on the bones of the building itself.

Once each season, the Imperial Orc Assembly could use a [[statement of principle]] to name an important ancestor, describe their ancestor and provide a record of the most important words the Ancestor has spoken since passing over the Howling Abyss. If the statement achieves a greater majority (if there are multiple statements raised in the same season, only the one with the greatest margin will be successful), then the Illarawm will carve the ancestors words into the stone walls of the Ossuary. Illarawm mystagogues will ensure knowledge of the ancestor is spread far and wide, and help others to hear their voice.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Yerende.png|align=right|width=200}}
==Rookery Without Crows==
* '''The Legion's Rookery could be amended to produce one or two less liao, and instead provide doses of Hearkeners Hope'''
* '''Imperial Orc congregations could be amended to produce one less liao, and instead provide a dose of Hearkeners Hope'''
* '''Hearkeners Hope allows an orc to hear their ancestors' voices more clearly for a short time'''
* '''The egregore has six doses of Hearkeners Hope for their fellow orcs to examine'''
* '''The Imperial Orc Assembly can accept the offer with an appropriately worded statement of principle that passes with a greater majority'''
With the attention drawn to the discontinuity between orc religious beliefs and the framework of the Synod, members of the [[Yerende]] have pointed out the problem with [[liao]]. The civil service distributes liao to [[Member of the Synod|Members of the Synod]] to enable them to tend to their [[congregation|congregations]]. Since orcs can make no use of liao, many preachers see it as little more than a trade good, useful for exchanging for coin or political favour, but of no great significance to the congregations of Imperial Orcs who seek spiritual counsel.

''Black Tillers'', a band of Yerende living in [[Skarsind#Gildenheim|Gildenheim]], point in particular to the [[Skarsind#Legion's Rookery|Legion's Rookery]]. The Imperial Orcs revere the [[worth]] of this building, it having stood for over two centuries, and its true consecration to [[Ambition]] inspires many within the Unshackled to strive even harder to build their nation up to ever greater heights. Yet as a [[great work]], its sole benefit is to provide the congregations of [[Skarsind]] with yet more liao that they can make little use of.

The skilled herb-tenders of Black Tillers have a proposal to fix that. If backed by the Imperial Orc Assembly, they will trade away some of this additional liao - there is plenty of demand, particularly in [[Axos]] - and use the proceeds to prepare small quantities of a powerful narcotic they call ''Hearkeners Hope''. There are no valuable [[herbs]] in the concoction - rather it is a preparation created using various rare plants, not unlike those found and employed by the [[mystic|mystics]] of [[Kallavesa#Regions|Kallavesa]]. The Tillers will not disclose the secret of its production, but they are prepared to use the bounty produced by the Legion's Rookery to share the results with their fellow Imperial Orcs, and theoretically any Navarr who make use of the [[Navarr wayhouse|wayhouse]] in [[Skarsind#Skogei_Glens|Skogei Glens]].

Hearkeners Hope is a reddish-brown syrup with a taste of aniseed that is noticeable by anyone who so much as smells it. An orc who ingests it feels a powerful sense of communion with their ancestors, which can last as much as an hour. Though it is not fully effective for everyone, many orcs claim it allows them to hear the voices of their ancestors more clearly for a time, and some [[shamans]] report that the voices of ancestors can separate, making it easier to distinguish one from another. It can be uncomfortable to use; however, some orcs claim that making their ancestors louder is not always a pleasant experience. ('''OOC Note:''' Please be aware that Hearkeners Hope is not liao that can be used by orcs, it is a consumable that has a roleplaying effect. As we've said previously, there is no way for orcs to use [[religious skills]]).

If given leave to produce Hearkeners Hope, the Black Tillers will commit to sharing a single dose of it with each Imperial Orc who tends to a congregation in Skarsind. In practice, this will alter the Legion's Rookery great work such that each congregation receives one fewer dose of liao, but instead a dose of Hearkeners Hope each season. If the Imperial Orcs wish to adopt the proposal, they will need the Assembly to submit a simple [[statement of principle]] thanking the Tillers for their work and instructing them to trade for one dose each of Hearkeners Hope.

Alternatively, the Assembly could commit to this and use their statement to ask the Black Tillers to trade ''all'' the liao from the Rookery. If that happened, the Rookery would produce no liao but would instead provide two doses of Hearkeners Hope to every congregation in Skarsind. If pushed, the Yerende could go further - the Assembly could use their statement to ask them to trade ''as much liao as possible''. If that happened, the Rookery would produce two doses of Hearkeners Hope instead of liao, and every Imperial Orc congregation would produce one less liao than normal and receive one dose of Hearkeners Hope instead.

One potential hindrance is the recently completed [[Construct Sorrowful Tunnels|Sorrowful Tunnels]]. It is possible that the Legion's Rookery could be used to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_fortune#Sorrowful_Tunnels_(Skarsind)|support]] the funding of additional workers in the mine, if it is assigned as a National seat of the Imperial Orcs, at the cost of additional liao for congregation owners in Skarsind. If the Senate motion to redirect the Rookery's production asked the ''Black Tillers'' to draw up plans for a structure to provide Hearkeners Hope to congregations in Skarsind, then suitable plans would be made available before the following summit.

The Black Tillers have provided half a dozen doses of the rare substance to the Imperial Orc egregore to help the Assembly decide if the offer is worthwhile. If the judgement passes with a greater majority, they will begin distributing the strange narcotic immediately; otherwise, they will look to other endeavours.

Hearkeners Hope is mildly poisonous for humans, any who consume it risk fever and a powerful feeling of dread.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly ImperialOrc.png|align=right|width=200}}

==Spanning the Abyss==
* '''For the next year, the Imperial Orc Assembly can use a mandate to urge their shamans and mystagogues'''
* '''Each season, they can choose a single non-Imperial orc sept to learn more about their ancestors'''
Bloodcrow Knott's statement talked of hard truths - one such truth is that the Imperial Orcs still know comparatively little of the beliefs of those orc septs who are outside the Empire. Years of fighting with the barbarians have taught the Empire much about how to fight the [[Druj]], the Grendel, the [[Jotun]], and the [[Thule]], but it has yielded precious few secrets about their ancestors. The Empire knows the name of some of them, but often little more than that. The same can be said for other septs - the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the Marcher orcs, the [[Culling_the_threat#The_Dreamers_of_the_Dark_Forest|Dreamers of the Dark Forest]], and the distant orcs of the [[Commonwealth]]. Who were they? What tales are told of their deeds? What lessons did they leave for future generations? And perhaps most importantly, what words do they impart to those who came after? If the Imperial Orcs know more about the beliefs of other septs, what might they learn?

Given that the Imperial Orcs have declared the ancestors to be the Assembly's highest calling, many shamans and mystagogues are ready to do their bit to help. It might be dangerous, especially in Druj lands, but the assembly could ask them to travel beyond the Empire's borders to meet with another sept and find out more about their beliefs. A season's work would be enough to learn more about any one sept's ancestors, their names, their stories, their words.

For the next three seasons, the Imperial Orc Assembly can use a mandate to ask the mystagogues and shamans to learn more about the ancestors of a single non-Imperial orc sept.

{{Mandate|mandate=A nation is much more than lines on a map. We send (named priest) with 15 crowns to lead a delegation of mystics and shamans to discover more of the ancestors of the (named sept).|assembly=Imperial Orc Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted, the named priest will lead a group of willing orcs in search of information and lore about the ancestors of the named orc sept. It must be a non-Imperial sept, but it could be any sept the Empire has encountered, anywhere in the world.

==Further Reading==
* [[Imperial Orcs religious beliefs]]
* [[The_highest_calling#The_Highest_Calling|The Highest Calling]] - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune introducing the highest calling

Invited with asperity

2026-04-18T16:28:45Z

Vsabo: /* Icy Crags and Distant Peaks */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]]
<ic>
"Why, Mistress Tasya, the Castellan of Krevsatyzmei is always pleased to receive you and any tidings you bring from The King Beneath the Hill. Even when, uh, so unexpectedly."

The on-duty guard, Pallad, looked up to her colleague Mor in the nest for some confidence, but received nothing but a deeply concerned glance. She-Of-The-Black-Cloak is not someone you want to walk up to you at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a harsh Karskian blizzard in the small hours of the night where it is all too easy to interpret every sound as a monster sneaking up on you. They were south of the mountains, making it much more likely that something awful was prowling nearby.

"Given the hill you stand on and who you bought it from, Pallad-daughter-of-Rith, you and your Castellan should always be prepared to engage in the tradition of hospitality. Please tell Mors-son-of-Ganax to kindly remove his hand from his crossbow lest I be made to feel ... unwelcome"

''Shit, how does she know our names?'' thought Pallad, trying not to let her fear show.

"Of course, ahem, honoured guest. May I offer you a pour of wine from my own flask, and perhaps some of this Holtfordian fruit?" The guard noted that while most of this small delegation were human, inasmuch as she could make out any details beneath their cowls and fur-lined cloak, one of them at least was a fellow orc. But not a Child of the Dragons, she thought.

"That will do nicely," Tasya let a smile escape her thick hood as she slowly and clearly partook of the wine and dates, unbothered both to stand before a fully garrisoned outpost of the Thule and by the biting cold the guards were so heavily wrapped up against.

Mors regained his composure first and shouted down from the tower; "And what business does Irontooth bring to a Tower of the Dragons?" This was a Thule outpost. There was surely no doubt that the Dragons were more powerful than any Sovereign. Probably older too. There was certainly no need to be scared of a messenger! Even if she already somehow knew yours and your parents names? Right?

"Business?" Tasya crowed. "What business can there be between the Wolf and the Raven? Between the Warrior and the Grave? I am here to speak the words of the Charnel Lord, and I will do so, to your Castellan, without further delay."

Best not push it. This was clearly the Castellan's problem and the warlock would not appreciate the intervention of mere gate guards.

"Of course, Mistress Tasya, enter and be welcome in our hall in the names of the Five. I shall go waken the Castellan."

The gates swung open, and the delegation of the Broken Barrow swiftly disappeared inside.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=IconThule.jpg|align=left|caption=For all that they take a long view of events, when the Thule Dragons choose to act their nation can move with dangerous intensity.|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
The [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] - the [[Thule]] - live to the north of the Empire. They share a long mountainous border with [[Wintermark]], with the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], and particularly with [[Varushka]]. Their magocratic nation is ruled by the five [[Thule_lore#Dragons|Dragons]] - allegedly immortal sorcerers of immense power who the folk of their nation treat as living ancestors or perhaps even gods. For much of Imperial history, they were at war with the Empire. In recent years a series of treaties have secured peace - mostly by [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|ceding]] parts of the northern Imperial nations.

It is not a universally ''popular'' peace. There are grumbles from Wintermark that the Empire keeps surrendering to the orcs of the north, although they are subdued and rarely enter the public discourse. The Imperial Orcs of [[Skarsind]] keep the Thule at arms' length where possible. It is the nation of [[Varushka]] that has been most critical of the peace treaties - and it cannot be argued that they have been called on to sacrifice more of its northern lands to the Thule than any other nation. The priests of Varushka expressed a commitment to never hand over Varushkan soil to the orcs again - with [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_57|judgement 57]] in their own assembly, and [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_67|Judgement 67]] in the General. Neither achieved a [[greater majority]] however - hardly surprising for the General but perhaps unexpected in the Varushkan assembly. It seems that '''Lenochka Zabotovna Vypalse''' and '''Father Drakov''' may not speak with a single voice on this matter.

For now, though, peace endures. The [[Ratify_Thule_Treaty_Spring_387YE|treaty has been ratified]]; it is law. Two nations - [[the Marches]] and [[Navarr]] - are sending great amounts 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; ensure Imperial access to the
[[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], in return for the right to send 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. All that remains is for the pageantry and theatre of a formal signing.

==State Visit==
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided will attend the Senate Chambers at 18:00 on Saturday to celebrate the recent signing of the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE | five-year peace treaty]].'''
* '''Rak intends to retire soon, and he will be accompanied by a coterie of potential successors. This may present an opportunity to shape the tenor of Imperial/Thule relations for the next few years.'''
* '''The party will discuss the future of cooperation between the two great powers, the fate of the Druj, the vallorn, and other matters of import.'''

Last season, a delegation from Otkodov was waylaid and unable to make it to Anvil as planned to formally sign the treaty. They are now on their way to complete the intended state visit. Whilst a formal signing of the treaty is not legally required (indeed Rak is satisfied that everything is in order, and the flow of merchants across the border in both directions is testament to the fact that the treaty is holding) the Thule do consider the symbolism inherent in ink and parchment to be valuable.

More pressingly, there is much to discuss as regards making the most use of the period of peace. Cooperation between nations of such might and prowess could yield great benefits, so long as fair terms can be agreed. There is the matter of the vallorn to discuss, the fate of the Druj and their territories, and the ever-present Jotun in the west. There might also be opportunities for trade, for magical cooperation or simply for friendship between peers. It would not do to pass up this opportunity for the great and good of the Empire to liaise with the representatives of Otkodov. No actual agreements will be worked on at this meeting, such things are a matter for Winged Messengers or small private meetings, but the seed of discussion bears the fruit of cooperation.

Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided has served as the Dragon's emissary to the Empire for several years now, and has decided that the time is coming to step aside. Not immediately, perhaps, but soon. To that end, he is bringing with him a selection of potential successors; apprentices and mentees who have worked with him on Imperial Diplomacy and may be poised to take up the challenge. Ultimately, the Dragons will make the final call as to who replaces Rak, but it would be foolish to assume that they will not be paying ''very'' close attention to proceedings to assess the candidates. Imperial Citizens who wish to shape the future of Thule foreign policy may benefit from attending the event.

They have informed the civil service that the Thule delegates will be:
* Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided (he/him) - Ambassador to The Empire
* Runa, of the ''Circle of Thrice-Turned Stones'' (he/him) - An accomplished Night and Autumn warlock with an interest in trade.
* Hekla, of the ''Unbroken Chain of Gilded Fire'' (he/him) - A prodigious Summer warlock specialising in military matters.
* Galk, of the ''Sunken Orb of Brilliant Sapphire'' (he/they) - A studious Winter, Spring and Day warlock at the forefront of theoretical magic.
* Orn The Scribe (he/they) - a servant bonded to the offices of the Speaker for the Dragons Undivided.

The party will arrive in Anvil at 18:00 on Saturday and proceed to the Senate building. They have asked that any interested citizen be allowed to attend, but leave the facilitation of the event itself in the capable hands of the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]], '''Kindra Surefoot'''. They expect to be in the Senate for at most an hour, but if there are still worthwhile discussions ongoing by that point, they may adjourn to the Imperial Offices for a short additional time.

==A Cultural Exchange (Redux)==
* '''Imperial storytellers are invited to meet with skuldyr in Otkodov to exchange and discuss cultural tales on the themes of Heroism and Duty.'''
* '''The [[High Bard of the Empire]] is tasked with arranging the conjunction to Leopard-Tooth Pass on Friday at 23:15.'''
* '''The warlock Hoosfa Mek offers to continue exchanging written records of folk tales in the Tome of Shared Lore.'''

[[About today#A Cultural Exchange |Last Winter]], ''skuldyr'' from Otkodov attended the Wintermark camp in Anvil to exchange stories with the scops. The event appears to have been judged a success by the warlocks, as an invitation has been sent to the Empire, via the civil service. A conjunction of the Sentinel Gate has been identified that would allow up to 12 people to take the Thule up on this invitation by travelling to Leopard-Tooth Pass in Kógur, Skuld at 23:15.

Eirikur the skuld asks for the storytellers of the empire to bring no more than five tales, which should be focused on the themes of Heroism and Duty. Last year, Eirikur spoke with many scops in Wintermark, but also spoke to some Navarri. Since then, he has been learning more about the narrative traditions of The Empire's northern peoples. For this exchange, he would like the visiting party to be composed of Wintermark Scops, Varushkan Storytellers, and Navarri bards.

The Civil Service have assigned responsibility for this conjunction to the [[High Bard of the Empire]], '''Mikael Reskovich'''. They would also like to remind any potential attendees that it is [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE| currently illegal]] to preach [[The Way]] in Otkodov. It is not clear how strict the Thule will be on this, but guests of the Dragons might do well to avoid overtly religious messages in their stories.

At the last meeting with the skuldyr, the warlock Hoosfa Mek gave a gift to the [[Ambassador to Otkodov|Ambassador]], a book of Thule tales. They will be present at this meeting as well and have expressed that, if the Ambassador wishes, they would be happy to take custody of the book once again and have more stories added to it. They would be especially keen for this if their Imperial counterparts have been able to record some of their own tales in the tome.
==A Northern Passage==
* '''The Thule have responded negatively to a proposal to map the northern parts of the Sea of Snow and the coast of Otkodov
Ambassador Surefoot has carefully raised the matter of securing a sea-route to Otkodov through the north-eastern [[Sea of Snow]]. As they point out, there was a fleet mapping expedition of the frigid sea [[Never_be_found_at_home#Senate_Motion|a few years ago]]. While it uncovered [[Midnight_rain#Mapping_the_Sea_of_Snow|a great deal of information]] it did not manage to follow in the [[Never be found at home#Passage to Ultima Thule|wake of the ''Sea Hawk'']] and discover if there ''is'' a navigable passage to the coast of [[Otkodov#Nithoggir|Nithoggir]]. There is an invitiation for cooperation between the Empire and Otkodov, with an eye toward developing a sea trade route.

Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided explains that the Dragons recently permitted an attempt to find a trade route between western Otkodov and Wintermark, overland through the wastes of Tsirku, and it was an unmitigated disaster that cost many lives. They do not see that any attempt to open a sea route would be any more successful - there are beasts in the ice-strewn waters off the coast of Otkodov that are truly terrible even for the Sea of Snow. Weighing the risk and the reward, they see little advantage to allowing the Empire to create - and ultimately control - a maritime route to their shores. They would rather leave that door unopened at least for the time being. Rak goes further - not only will the Dragons not authorise cooperation in this endeavour they will not permit a trading post on their coast. Trade with Otkodov will continue overland, as it has done for the last decade or so.

Reading between the lines, it is very clear that no matter what Rak says, fundamentally the Dragons do not want the Empire to have a way to bring fleets to their coast. Relations may have thawed in the last decade, but not so much that the Dragons will tolerate Imperial ships sailing through open waters to the lands of the Thule.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Forest of Ulnak is mapped, but large parts of the territory remain a mystery.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Hinodir, Tathenon, and the Eastern Woods==
* '''Reports from Varushka speak of Thule armies on the move'''
* '''An agent of the Charnel Lord is speaking to the Thule in Krevsatymei'''
* '''The Thule are preparing an invasion of the Forest of Ulnak and invite Imperial warbands to accompany them'''
* '''They also welcome Imperial armies provided the generals are prepared to follow the lead of Tathenon the Gyre'''
Following the Autumn Equinox, Thule hunters swept into the [[Forest of Ulnak]], using the [[spy network]] there at the invitation of the [[Imperial Spymaster]]. One of the Dragons, ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'', [[Bedight_in_veils#Forest_of_Ulnak|negotiated access]] allowing the orcs of Otkodov to take advantage of existing framework laid down by the Empire. There are Imperial scouts using the spy network as well, but the Thule make no effort to cooperate with them. These hunters are fairly different to the warriors more often encountered by the Empire - bow and spear warriors with thick hide armour and dark blue hoods, accompanied by battle warlocks and practitioners of [[Night magic]]. The warbands are all shrouded by an [[enchantment]] that makes them hard to spot against natural landscapes and guides them through the wild woods of the territory. Their work completed, they return to Otkodov shortly before the Winter Solstice.

Even as the hunters already sent out, the Thule are on the move. Eyewitnesses observe significant Thule military forces entering [[Ossium]] - moving into the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Both woodlands have apparently been woven with Spring magic; at first there is a concern this is an attempt to unleash the [[Thunderous Tread of the Trees]]. Rather than becoming mobile however it seems the forest is possessed of a magical awareness that causes the trees to attack intruders and trespassers in a manner more similar to [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]]. There's talk of other movements as well - ''Tasya of the Black Feathers'', the mouth-piece of the [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] known as the [[Charnel Lord]] - has been spotted visiting ''Krevsatyzmei'', the Thule fortification in Karsk. At various points in the past the Charnel Lord has allied with the Thule, betraying them with equal ease when the tides of battle shifted. It seems another cycle of diplomacy may be beginning.

Ambassador Kindra has raised the possibility of a joint effort to attack the Forest of Ulnak, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided politely requests that the ambassador keep the military strategists at arms length during the coming delegation. At the same time however, he issues an invitation from ''Tathenon the Gyre, Who Wields the Might of the Sky''. Any Imperial [[military unit|warband]] that wishes is welcome to join the Thule in their assault against the Druj of Ulnak. Those who wish to do so may fight alongside the ''Earthquake Drummers'', who lead the assault against the vermin of [[the Mallum]]. Any captain who brings their warband will be granted a gift of crystal mana. A standard military unit will be rewarded with 7 crystal mana, with an [[Military unit#Upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] military unit receiving proportionally more.

Furthermore any Imperial army that wishes to join the assault is welcome to do so ''provided'' the [[general]] acknowledges the sovereignty and strategy of Tathenon the Gyre. They will fight alongside the orcs of Otkodov, just as the orcs of Otkodov fought alongside the Empire to liberate Sermersuaq. Rak is aware that the level of secrecy requested may disincline the Military Council to support the attack but the Dragons have weighed that risk as being acceptable to ensure the Druj do not become aware of their strategy. Regardless, while the Empire fight to conquer [[Sarangrave]], and fight along the border with the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]], they help Otkodov achieve its goal even if no armies provide any aid in Ulnak.

The civil service believe there is no legal issue with Imperial military units supporting the Thule - they are foreigners and have in the past been military allies, and the Druj are definitely barbarians. They caution that sending armies into the Forest of Ulnak this season ''without'' agreeing to accept the strategy of Tathenon the Gyre will mean that the Empire's troops will act as a separate force. It's doubtful the Thule will fight the Empire directly, but depending on where a general launches their attack the possibility of Imperial and Otkodov forces clashing over the eastern Forest of Ulnak cannot be discounted - it is not feasible to predict exactly what might happen here. One thing they are certain of; even if a general does wish to support the Otkodov armies they will still be free to issue orders as to the conduct and [[army orders|tactics]] their army will employ. The only thing that will be determined by Otkodov is the order in which the regions of Ulnak are assailed.
==Caridis, Sławomir, and the Face-peelers==
* '''The Thule are prepared to have the Claws of the Dragon work with Varushkan warriors to root out the face-peelers
* '''This creates a raiding venture for Varushkan military units
* '''The Boyar's Hasta can take support the raid if it takes certain specific actions
* '''The consequence is disruption to draughir citizens of Karsk and Ossium
Another matter of a military flavour concerns the "face-peeling shapeshifters" known to exist in and around the Webwood, among other locales. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided stresses again that the Thule do not consider them to be a particular concern but they are also not by any stretch allies of Otkodov. Cleaning out a den of rabid wolves is usually a good idea; while they may favour attacking humans they might easily shift their depredations to orcs. With that in mind, Rak conveys an invitation from the Dragon known as ''Caridis the Binder of Runes and Oaths'' inviting '''Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' to gather some bands of Varushkan warriors, [[Varushka_military_concerns#Wagon_Raiders_and_Sell_Swords|sell swords]], [[warden|wardens]] and the like to work with the ''Claws of the Dragon'' to exterminate the "trudnik" in Ossium and [[Karsk]]. The Claws of the Dragon are a small fellowship of warlocks that serve the Dragons by rooting out magical threats to Otkodov - they have recently been involved with the folk of Wintermark in dealing with both cults of [[Agramant|Blood-on-the-Snow]] and the monoliths of the Falconer. Caridis the Binder has instructed them to work with Sławomir to deal with the "face stealers" and so they have focused their efforts into eastern Varushka even as the armies of Otkodov begin to move.

Following the Winter Solstice, [[Varushka|Varushkan]] [[military unit|military units]] will have the opportunity to undertake a [[military unit#Raiding|raiding]] [[venture]] called ''Root out the Face-peelers''. This will involve working with the Thule in Karsk and Ossium to track down nests of "trudnik" and, where they are found, employ axe and flame to destroy them. The Claws of the Dragon are a fairly small organisation, but they are supported here by a cadre of warriors and hunters. Regardless, the full success of this venture will depend on Varushkan involvement.

A standard military unit that undertakes this venture will receive six measures of [[Materials#Natural_Materials|forest materials]], and a phial of ''Corrupt Blood''. This latter is a vile [[potion]] brewed by the trudnik that infuses the drinker with preternatural strength and endurance. A military unit that has been upgraded or enchanted will receive proportionately more. Unfortunately, this raid comes with a cost. One of the problems is that the glamour the trudnik use makes it easy for them to masquerade as Varushkans with the [[draughir]] [[lineage]]. A thorough attack on the trudnik will cause trouble for the draughir of Karsk and Ossium; following the Winter Solstice they will receive a -1 penalty to the production of their resource unless it is a [[military unit]] taking the ''Root out the Face-peelers'' action. Even if few military units get involved, the inevitable suspicion and doubt that is seeded will be enough to unsettle the affairs of draughir in Karsk and Ossium.

If at least 7,500 strength of military units participate in the raid, the trudnik will be driven out of their lairs in Karsk and Ossium. The Empire will be able to expand their knowledge of these creatures, and finally get some reliable evidence of what they are and what they are doing. There may be some mopping up to do - at least one of the trudnik lairs in Ossium is apparently very old and extends into the earth - and if there is a dark spirit involved with the face-peelers it may fall to the Empire to deal with it. The matter of "spoils" however has already been set by Caridis - the Empire will claim whatever trudnik "loot" lies in Imperial Varushka, while the Thule will take custody of anything seized from the trudnik that lies in Thule lands. This would include Slomavetka, allegedly a lair of the trudnik set in a rich forest and with deep caverns carved into the hill beneath it, which lies just across the border in the Webwood.

Everything seems quite straightforward, at least in theory, but Rak is clear that if any problems do develop, it will fall to Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh, with the guidance of the Ambassador to Otkodov, to negotiate with the Claws of the Dragon on behalf of Caridis the Binder.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=BoyarsHasta Colour.webp|align=right|width=300}}</div>
Or rather, not ''entirely'' straightforward. While cooperation is being mooted, [[boyar]] '''Skandavitz Iskander Kastrioti''' points out that the [[Boyar's Hasta]] - an army that makes a point of working with sell swords and wagonraiders - might be an ideal force to help support the raid on the trudnik. The Thule have no particular objection - warriors are warriors as far as they are concerned. A brief discussion with the [[Civil Service|civil service]] lays out the logistics of how this might be done. The Boyar's Hasta would need to be in [[Ossium]], where the trudnik are apparently most populous. It would need to use its [[Army_qualities#Sell_Sword|Sell Sword quality]] to take the [[Army_qualities#Scouting|guard the gates]] order, and the general would need to specify in their [[army orders|orders]] that they wished to support the raid on the face-peelers. Finally, the army would need to be [[enchantment|enchanted]] with the [[Autumn magic|Autumn]] ritual [[Bound by Common Cause]] simply because that enchantment helps create bonds between the soldiers and the people of the territory. The civil service also caution that the Boyar's Hasta would not benefit from [[Casualties#Natural_Resupply|natural resupply]] while doing this - the trudnik will certainly fight back after all and the soldiers will be dispersed across Karsk as well as Ossium. But it would provide its strength to supporting the ''raid the face-peelers'' action, making it much more likely the raids would be a thorough success (that is, it would add its strength ''before'' orders or the presence of military units taking a [[military unit#campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army are taken into account - military units supporting the Boyar's Hasta would ''not'' count toward the strength requirement of the action, only those specifically taking the raiding action would count).

Obviously it is up to '''Serafina Semenov''', the general of the Boyar's Hasta, whether the army chooses to take advantage of this opportunity or not.

==Icy Crags and Distant Peaks==
{{WingedMessenger|address=Missives can be sent to ''Thania of the Blackstaff, Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun, Miekarova, Varushka'', who is the spokesperson for the Thule orcs living in and around the Icy Crag. She is interested only in matters related to the college and the warlocks attending; anything else should go through the Ambassador from Otkodov.}}
* '''Thule warlocks have taken up residence in Miekarova, around the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun
* '''Their spokesperson is Thania of the Blackstaff, an aged Thule warlock
* '''Thania is interested in acquiring certain ritual texts codified at the college and prepared to offer mithril for them
The contingent of warlocks have taken up residence at the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun, studying with the Imperial scholars. Their presence makes some magicians uneasy; many of these orcs are veterans of the various wars with the Empire. Others bring an unnervingly intense reverence for the Dragons. For the most part though they are distant, reserved, and primarily interested in researching and discussing magical concepts alongside their peers. Their "leader" is a warlock named ''Thania of the Blackstaff'', an aged orc who has made a study of all six realms of magic. She speaks on behalf of the Thule orcs on matters related to the Icy Crag, but indicates that any more political matters need to go via the Ambassador to the Empire.

A couple have attempted to introduce the Imperial students and professors to a ball-game from Otkodov that uses staves and [[Spellcasting#Offensive_Spells|offensive magic]] to keep control of a [[tempest jade]] sphere. The "excitement" of the contest comes from the fact the "ball" is enchanted to explode violently if it is struck too many times over a short period. It is very much an acquired taste but those who have participated say it is great for "getting the blood pumping" if nothing else.

The presence of the Thule reduces the costs to upkeep the Icy Crag by five thrones each season, but they receive a copy of any [[Formulaic_ritual#Ritual_Texts|ritual text]] codified there. They've also apparently had a thorough read through the stacks, looking with interest for details of magic previously worked on here. Having learned of the existence of [[Aid Once More]], [[Bitter Mantle of the Leaden Crown]], ''Heaven's Spear Sunders the Mountain'', ''The Never-ending Lullaby'', and ''Sermersuaq Fools the Orca with a Rasp of Her Knuckles'', they are interested to find out more if the opportunity presents itself and eager to acquire ritual texts if the Empire will allow it.

For each of these rituals the Conclave is prepared to [[dissemination|disseminate]] to Thania of the Blackstaff, she will provide 6 wains of mithril to the individual who raises the [[declaration]] after it passes, or should they specify in their declaration, to the Conclave (to later be distributed with a declaration of [[endowment]]). Alternatively she can provide 35 [[vis#golden apple|golden apples]] (again, to the person who raised the declaration or the Conclave for endowment). As long as the desired payment is clear, Thania isn't concerned what form is requested as she apparently has been assigned significant resources by the Dragons.

One problem the civil service point out is that three of the rituals - ''Heaven's Spear Sunders the Mountain'', ''The Never-ending Lullaby'', and ''Sermersuaq Fools the Orca with a Rasp of Her Knuckles'' - are not actually part of [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]] and thus ''can't'' be disseminated by the Conclave. There's nothing to stop whoever has those ritual texts entering into negotiations with Thania directly for purchase of the ritual texts but it is not a simple matter to create a new copy of a text.

==Fraynir and the Black Waste==
* '''The Thule have made preparations to defend Sküld from an active vallorn
* '''Fraynir, one of the five Dragons, wishes to acquire the ''Dreadful Ending'' ritual
* '''They are offering a ritual that already seems to exist in Imperial lore under a different name'''

Ambassador Kindra has provided some guidance regarding the concerns of '''Dylan Thornweaver''' and the [[vallorn]]. It is now common knowledge that there is a vallorn in [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] - occupying the ruins of the ancient city of Emrys. Ambassador Rak offers reassurance that the Dragons' opinion on the matter has not shifted from [[A_thousand_years_of_longing#Our_Friends_in_the_North|where it was]] when the [[Great Library of Hacynian]] completed their research. Research he is keen to remind the Empire that the [[A_thousand_years_of_longing#Our_Friends_in_the_North|Thule supported]]. Otkodov remains enthusiastic about the reunification - the "ascension" - of the vallorn. They remain ready to deal with the vallorn of Sküld - but would appreciate a season of advance warning before the Empire completes the [[trods]] network and begins the transformation. They remain confident that their armies and their magic will be more than a match for it given its size and sluggishness. They've sacrificed a thousand years of prosperity in Sküld to keep it weak, after all. With the vallorn gone they would no longer need to keep Sküld under a [[Wither the Seed|shroud of Winter magic]] and could restore it to full fertility. There is also speculation that the Thule are eager to finally get at the treasures of Emrys which legends suggest was perhaps the most magically advanced city of the Terunael Empire; the warlocks refuse to be drawn.

There is some concrete news on the matter of the vallorn, however, that may be of interest to the Empire. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that a project is underway to prepare for the vallorn's rise - it is just common sense. Rather than rely on a grand [[fortification|citadel]], The-One-Who-Waits (likely the Dragon ''Fraynir'', an acknowledged master of [[curse|curses]] and shrouding magic) has decreed the creation of several rings of [[white granite]] stones around the outskirts of the vallorn of Emrys. When they are completed, they will be warded with [[Winter magic]] and [[ilium|star metal]] to create fortified camps that will catastrophically weaken any vallornspawn that ventures within. Given the nature of all such wards, the stones themselves will be unassailable by the creatures of the vallorn and as such offer a reliable defence against the vallorn's expansion. To magicians versed in such things it seems to be a version of [[Wardens of the Black Waste]].

The reason Rak has raised this point, it quickly turns out, is that Fraynir has instructed him to offer a text containing the ritual - ''Walls of Starless Night'' - in return for a copy of a specific ritual created at the Icy Crags. Fraynir wished the Imperial Conclave to [[Dissemination|disseminate]] the ritual [[Dreadful Ending]]. This ritual destroys [[Druj_miasma#Miasma_Pillars|miasma pillars]] - nothing to do with the vallorn.

Fraynir is apparently unaware that ''Wardens of the Black Waste'' is a part of Imperial lore. This is understandable given the ritual was codified at the [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|Lyceum]] by then-[[Dean of the Lyceum|Dean]] '''Simargl the Empty One'''. It's possible that the Conclave may wish to go ahead with the trade. If they do, whoever raises the Dissemination will need to pay the traditional ten thrones, and will receive in return the ritual text of ''Walls of Starless Night''. It's very unlikely that Walls of Starless Night will be an improvement over ''Wardens of the Black Waste'', however. With that in mind, the Ambassador could facilitate negotiation on behalf of the Conclave, and perhaps the [[Vallornguard]], given it is clear that Fraynir is keen to get their hands on this very niche ritual.

==Orobus and the Bonewood==
* '''The Dragon Orobus is keen to acquire living weirwood trees'''
* '''She specifically wants living trees from the Heartwood of the Great Vale and/or the Golden Trees of Seren'''
* '''She will pay 12 rings of ilium for the ability to collect some trees and transplant them to the Bonewood
* '''Agreeing to this arrangement will reduce the production of the weirwood forest by 1 wain each season, permanently'''
Fraynir is not the only Dragon interested in Emrys, and in preparing Sküld. Orobus the Chained, said to be the Dragon most adept at negotiation and binding magic, and wielding influence over the [[Realms|eternal realms]] has also placed a proposal before the Ambassador. Orobus wishes to purchase several living [[weirwood]] trees; specifically from either the [[Heartwood of the Great Vale]] in [[Hercynia]] or the [[Golden Trees of Seren]] in [[Miaren]]. The details appear to be straightforward enough. She plans to transplant the trees into the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Silent Pines]] in [[Ossium]]; she is looking for trees that "remember" the vallorn, who will be able to "share" their experiences with the trees of the Bonewood.

This sounds fairly esoteric; there's no indication about what this will do if anything but Orobus is still keen. If the current holder of the Heartwood or the Golden Trees is interested, they can instruct the Ambassador to relay their agreement. Orobus will provide warlocks versed in [[Spring magic|Spring]] and Winter magic to ensure the trees arrive and that their transplantation is successful. It's estimated that the removal of the trees will reduce the weirwood production of the forest permanently by 1 wain each season. In return Orobus will provide 12 rings of [[ilium]] to the holder of the seat as payment for the trees.

The civil service have been unable to get a clear idea of exactly what Orobus is aiming for here. It's not possible to move weirwood production around, for example. The idea of trees "remembering" the vallorn appears to be a mystical or metaphysical idea rather than one rooted in magical theory. There are suggestions however that this is part of a deal that Orobus has brokered with an eternal designed to provide some sort of protection to the Bonewood against the vallorn. It might be possible to discover more through negotiation or diplomacy, but the Dragon is playing her cards quite close to her chest.

Both the Heartwood of the Great Vale and Golden Trees of Seren are due to be appointed at the Winter Solstice summit, via the [[Auction of the Seats]]. The decision about whether to take Orobus up on her deal will need to be made by whoever has control of the seat after the auction as the weirwood forests are their responsibility.

==Further Reading==
* [[Thule]]
* [[Thule lore]]

Invited with asperity

2026-04-18T16:11:42Z

Vsabo:

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]]
<ic>
"Why, Mistress Tasya, the Castellan of Krevsatyzmei is always pleased to receive you and any tidings you bring from The King Beneath the Hill. Even when, uh, so unexpectedly."

The on-duty guard, Pallad, looked up to her colleague Mor in the nest for some confidence, but received nothing but a deeply concerned glance. She-Of-The-Black-Cloak is not someone you want to walk up to you at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a harsh Karskian blizzard in the small hours of the night where it is all too easy to interpret every sound as a monster sneaking up on you. They were south of the mountains, making it much more likely that something awful was prowling nearby.

"Given the hill you stand on and who you bought it from, Pallad-daughter-of-Rith, you and your Castellan should always be prepared to engage in the tradition of hospitality. Please tell Mors-son-of-Ganax to kindly remove his hand from his crossbow lest I be made to feel ... unwelcome"

''Shit, how does she know our names?'' thought Pallad, trying not to let her fear show.

"Of course, ahem, honoured guest. May I offer you a pour of wine from my own flask, and perhaps some of this Holtfordian fruit?" The guard noted that while most of this small delegation were human, inasmuch as she could make out any details beneath their cowls and fur-lined cloak, one of them at least was a fellow orc. But not a Child of the Dragons, she thought.

"That will do nicely," Tasya let a smile escape her thick hood as she slowly and clearly partook of the wine and dates, unbothered both to stand before a fully garrisoned outpost of the Thule and by the biting cold the guards were so heavily wrapped up against.

Mors regained his composure first and shouted down from the tower; "And what business does Irontooth bring to a Tower of the Dragons?" This was a Thule outpost. There was surely no doubt that the Dragons were more powerful than any Sovereign. Probably older too. There was certainly no need to be scared of a messenger! Even if she already somehow knew yours and your parents names? Right?

"Business?" Tasya crowed. "What business can there be between the Wolf and the Raven? Between the Warrior and the Grave? I am here to speak the words of the Charnel Lord, and I will do so, to your Castellan, without further delay."

Best not push it. This was clearly the Castellan's problem and the warlock would not appreciate the intervention of mere gate guards.

"Of course, Mistress Tasya, enter and be welcome in our hall in the names of the Five. I shall go waken the Castellan."

The gates swung open, and the delegation of the Broken Barrow swiftly disappeared inside.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=IconThule.jpg|align=left|caption=For all that they take a long view of events, when the Thule Dragons choose to act their nation can move with dangerous intensity.|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
The [[orc|orcs]] of [[Otkodov]] - the [[Thule]] - live to the north of the Empire. They share a long mountainous border with [[Wintermark]], with the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], and particularly with [[Varushka]]. Their magocratic nation is ruled by the five [[Thule_lore#Dragons|Dragons]] - allegedly immortal sorcerers of immense power who the folk of their nation treat as living ancestors or perhaps even gods. For much of Imperial history, they were at war with the Empire. In recent years a series of treaties have secured peace - mostly by [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|ceding]] parts of the northern Imperial nations.

It is not a universally ''popular'' peace. There are grumbles from Wintermark that the Empire keeps surrendering to the orcs of the north, although they are subdued and rarely enter the public discourse. The Imperial Orcs of [[Skarsind]] keep the Thule at arms' length where possible. It is the nation of [[Varushka]] that has been most critical of the peace treaties - and it cannot be argued that they have been called on to sacrifice more of its northern lands to the Thule than any other nation. The priests of Varushka expressed a commitment to never hand over Varushkan soil to the orcs again - with [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_57|judgement 57]] in their own assembly, and [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_67|Judgement 67]] in the General. Neither achieved a [[greater majority]] however - hardly surprising for the General but perhaps unexpected in the Varushkan assembly. It seems that '''Lenochka Zabotovna Vypalse''' and '''Father Drakov''' may not speak with a single voice on this matter.

For now, though, peace endures. The [[Ratify_Thule_Treaty_Spring_387YE|treaty has been ratified]]; it is law. Two nations - [[the Marches]] and [[Navarr]] - are sending great amounts 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; ensure Imperial access to the
[[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], in return for the right to send 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. All that remains is for the pageantry and theatre of a formal signing.

==State Visit==
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided will attend the Senate Chambers at 18:00 on Saturday to celebrate the recent signing of the [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE | five-year peace treaty]].'''
* '''Rak intends to retire soon, and he will be accompanied by a coterie of potential successors. This may present an opportunity to shape the tenor of Imperial/Thule relations for the next few years.'''
* '''The party will discuss the future of cooperation between the two great powers, the fate of the Druj, the vallorn, and other matters of import.'''

Last season, a delegation from Otkodov was waylaid and unable to make it to Anvil as planned to formally sign the treaty. They are now on their way to complete the intended state visit. Whilst a formal signing of the treaty is not legally required (indeed Rak is satisfied that everything is in order, and the flow of merchants across the border in both directions is testament to the fact that the treaty is holding) the Thule do consider the symbolism inherent in ink and parchment to be valuable.

More pressingly, there is much to discuss as regards making the most use of the period of peace. Cooperation between nations of such might and prowess could yield great benefits, so long as fair terms can be agreed. There is the matter of the vallorn to discuss, the fate of the Druj and their territories, and the ever-present Jotun in the west. There might also be opportunities for trade, for magical cooperation or simply for friendship between peers. It would not do to pass up this opportunity for the great and good of the Empire to liaise with the representatives of Otkodov. No actual agreements will be worked on at this meeting, such things are a matter for Winged Messengers or small private meetings, but the seed of discussion bears the fruit of cooperation.

Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided has served as the Dragon's emissary to the Empire for several years now, and has decided that the time is coming to step aside. Not immediately, perhaps, but soon. To that end, he is bringing with him a selection of potential successors; apprentices and mentees who have worked with him on Imperial Diplomacy and may be poised to take up the challenge. Ultimately, the Dragons will make the final call as to who replaces Rak, but it would be foolish to assume that they will not be paying ''very'' close attention to proceedings to assess the candidates. Imperial Citizens who wish to shape the future of Thule foreign policy may benefit from attending the event.

They have informed the civil service that the Thule delegates will be:
* Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided (he/him) - Ambassador to The Empire
* Runa, of the ''Circle of Thrice-Turned Stones'' (he/him) - An accomplished Night and Autumn warlock with an interest in trade.
* Hekla, of the ''Unbroken Chain of Gilded Fire'' (he/him) - A prodigious Summer warlock specialising in military matters.
* Galk, of the ''Sunken Orb of Brilliant Sapphire'' (he/they) - A studious Winter, Spring and Day warlock at the forefront of theoretical magic.
* Orn The Scribe (he/they) - a servant bonded to the offices of the Speaker for the Dragons Undivided.

The party will arrive in Anvil at 18:00 on Saturday and proceed to the Senate building. They have asked that any interested citizen be allowed to attend, but leave the facilitation of the event itself in the capable hands of the [[Ambassador to Otkodov]], '''Kindra Surefoot'''. They expect to be in the Senate for at most an hour, but if there are still worthwhile discussions ongoing by that point, they may adjourn to the Imperial Offices for a short additional time.

==A Cultural Exchange (Redux)==
* '''Imperial storytellers are invited to meet with skuldyr in Otkodov to exchange and discuss cultural tales on the themes of Heroism and Duty.'''
* '''The [[High Bard of the Empire]] is tasked with arranging the conjunction to Leopard-Tooth Pass on Friday at 23:15.'''
* '''The warlock Hoosfa Mek offers to continue exchanging written records of folk tales in the Tome of Shared Lore.'''

[[About today#A Cultural Exchange |Last Winter]], ''skuldyr'' from Otkodov attended the Wintermark camp in Anvil to exchange stories with the scops. The event appears to have been judged a success by the warlocks, as an invitation has been sent to the Empire, via the civil service. A conjunction of the Sentinel Gate has been identified that would allow up to 12 people to take the Thule up on this invitation by travelling to Leopard-Tooth Pass in Kógur, Skuld at 23:15.

Eirikur the skuld asks for the storytellers of the empire to bring no more than five tales, which should be focused on the themes of Heroism and Duty. Last year, Eirikur spoke with many scops in Wintermark, but also spoke to some Navarri. Since then, he has been learning more about the narrative traditions of The Empire's northern peoples. For this exchange, he would like the visiting party to be composed of Wintermark Scops, Varushkan Storytellers, and Navarri bards.

The Civil Service have assigned responsibility for this conjunction to the [[High Bard of the Empire]], '''Mikael Reskovich'''. They would also like to remind any potential attendees that it is [[Ratify Thule Treaty Spring 387YE| currently illegal]] to preach [[The Way]] in Otkodov. It is not clear how strict the Thule will be on this, but guests of the Dragons might do well to avoid overtly religious messages in their stories.

At the last meeting with the skuldyr, the warlock Hoosfa Mek gave a gift to the [[Ambassador to Otkodov|Ambassador]], a book of Thule tales. They will be present at this meeting as well and have expressed that, if the Ambassador wishes, they would be happy to take custody of the book once again and have more stories added to it. They would be especially keen for this if their Imperial counterparts have been able to record some of their own tales in the tome.
==A Northern Passage==
* '''The Thule have responded negatively to a proposal to map the northern parts of the Sea of Snow and the coast of Otkodov
Ambassador Surefoot has carefully raised the matter of securing a sea-route to Otkodov through the north-eastern [[Sea of Snow]]. As they point out, there was a fleet mapping expedition of the frigid sea [[Never_be_found_at_home#Senate_Motion|a few years ago]]. While it uncovered [[Midnight_rain#Mapping_the_Sea_of_Snow|a great deal of information]] it did not manage to follow in the [[Never be found at home#Passage to Ultima Thule|wake of the ''Sea Hawk'']] and discover if there ''is'' a navigable passage to the coast of [[Otkodov#Nithoggir|Nithoggir]]. There is an invitiation for cooperation between the Empire and Otkodov, with an eye toward developing a sea trade route.

Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided explains that the Dragons recently permitted an attempt to find a trade route between western Otkodov and Wintermark, overland through the wastes of Tsirku, and it was an unmitigated disaster that cost many lives. They do not see that any attempt to open a sea route would be any more successful - there are beasts in the ice-strewn waters off the coast of Otkodov that are truly terrible even for the Sea of Snow. Weighing the risk and the reward, they see little advantage to allowing the Empire to create - and ultimately control - a maritime route to their shores. They would rather leave that door unopened at least for the time being. Rak goes further - not only will the Dragons not authorise cooperation in this endeavour they will not permit a trading post on their coast. Trade with Otkodov will continue overland, as it has done for the last decade or so.

Reading between the lines, it is very clear that no matter what Rak says, fundamentally the Dragons do not want the Empire to have a way to bring fleets to their coast. Relations may have thawed in the last decade, but not so much that the Dragons will tolerate Imperial ships sailing through open waters to the lands of the Thule.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Forest of Ulnak is mapped, but large parts of the territory remain a mystery.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Hinodir, Tathenon, and the Eastern Woods==
* '''Reports from Varushka speak of Thule armies on the move'''
* '''An agent of the Charnel Lord is speaking to the Thule in Krevsatymei'''
* '''The Thule are preparing an invasion of the Forest of Ulnak and invite Imperial warbands to accompany them'''
* '''They also welcome Imperial armies provided the generals are prepared to follow the lead of Tathenon the Gyre'''
Following the Autumn Equinox, Thule hunters swept into the [[Forest of Ulnak]], using the [[spy network]] there at the invitation of the [[Imperial Spymaster]]. One of the Dragons, ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'', [[Bedight_in_veils#Forest_of_Ulnak|negotiated access]] allowing the orcs of Otkodov to take advantage of existing framework laid down by the Empire. There are Imperial scouts using the spy network as well, but the Thule make no effort to cooperate with them. These hunters are fairly different to the warriors more often encountered by the Empire - bow and spear warriors with thick hide armour and dark blue hoods, accompanied by battle warlocks and practitioners of [[Night magic]]. The warbands are all shrouded by an [[enchantment]] that makes them hard to spot against natural landscapes and guides them through the wild woods of the territory. Their work completed, they return to Otkodov shortly before the Winter Solstice.

Even as the hunters already sent out, the Thule are on the move. Eyewitnesses observe significant Thule military forces entering [[Ossium]] - moving into the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] and [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Both woodlands have apparently been woven with Spring magic; at first there is a concern this is an attempt to unleash the [[Thunderous Tread of the Trees]]. Rather than becoming mobile however it seems the forest is possessed of a magical awareness that causes the trees to attack intruders and trespassers in a manner more similar to [[Forge the Wooden Fastness]]. There's talk of other movements as well - ''Tasya of the Black Feathers'', the mouth-piece of the [[Varushkan_Monster#Sovereigns|sovereign]] known as the [[Charnel Lord]] - has been spotted visiting ''Krevsatyzmei'', the Thule fortification in Karsk. At various points in the past the Charnel Lord has allied with the Thule, betraying them with equal ease when the tides of battle shifted. It seems another cycle of diplomacy may be beginning.

Ambassador Kindra has raised the possibility of a joint effort to attack the Forest of Ulnak, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided politely requests that the ambassador keep the military strategists at arms length during the coming delegation. At the same time however, he issues an invitation from ''Tathenon the Gyre, Who Wields the Might of the Sky''. Any Imperial [[military unit|warband]] that wishes is welcome to join the Thule in their assault against the Druj of Ulnak. Those who wish to do so may fight alongside the ''Earthquake Drummers'', who lead the assault against the vermin of [[the Mallum]]. Any captain who brings their warband will be granted a gift of crystal mana. A standard military unit will be rewarded with 7 crystal mana, with an [[Military unit#Upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] military unit receiving proportionally more.

Furthermore any Imperial army that wishes to join the assault is welcome to do so ''provided'' the [[general]] acknowledges the sovereignty and strategy of Tathenon the Gyre. They will fight alongside the orcs of Otkodov, just as the orcs of Otkodov fought alongside the Empire to liberate Sermersuaq. Rak is aware that the level of secrecy requested may disincline the Military Council to support the attack but the Dragons have weighed that risk as being acceptable to ensure the Druj do not become aware of their strategy. Regardless, while the Empire fight to conquer [[Sarangrave]], and fight along the border with the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]], they help Otkodov achieve its goal even if no armies provide any aid in Ulnak.

The civil service believe there is no legal issue with Imperial military units supporting the Thule - they are foreigners and have in the past been military allies, and the Druj are definitely barbarians. They caution that sending armies into the Forest of Ulnak this season ''without'' agreeing to accept the strategy of Tathenon the Gyre will mean that the Empire's troops will act as a separate force. It's doubtful the Thule will fight the Empire directly, but depending on where a general launches their attack the possibility of Imperial and Otkodov forces clashing over the eastern Forest of Ulnak cannot be discounted - it is not feasible to predict exactly what might happen here. One thing they are certain of; even if a general does wish to support the Otkodov armies they will still be free to issue orders as to the conduct and [[army orders|tactics]] their army will employ. The only thing that will be determined by Otkodov is the order in which the regions of Ulnak are assailed.
==Caridis, Sławomir, and the Face-peelers==
* '''The Thule are prepared to have the Claws of the Dragon work with Varushkan warriors to root out the face-peelers
* '''This creates a raiding venture for Varushkan military units
* '''The Boyar's Hasta can take support the raid if it takes certain specific actions
* '''The consequence is disruption to draughir citizens of Karsk and Ossium
Another matter of a military flavour concerns the "face-peeling shapeshifters" known to exist in and around the Webwood, among other locales. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided stresses again that the Thule do not consider them to be a particular concern but they are also not by any stretch allies of Otkodov. Cleaning out a den of rabid wolves is usually a good idea; while they may favour attacking humans they might easily shift their depredations to orcs. With that in mind, Rak conveys an invitation from the Dragon known as ''Caridis the Binder of Runes and Oaths'' inviting '''Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' to gather some bands of Varushkan warriors, [[Varushka_military_concerns#Wagon_Raiders_and_Sell_Swords|sell swords]], [[warden|wardens]] and the like to work with the ''Claws of the Dragon'' to exterminate the "trudnik" in Ossium and [[Karsk]]. The Claws of the Dragon are a small fellowship of warlocks that serve the Dragons by rooting out magical threats to Otkodov - they have recently been involved with the folk of Wintermark in dealing with both cults of [[Agramant|Blood-on-the-Snow]] and the monoliths of the Falconer. Caridis the Binder has instructed them to work with Sławomir to deal with the "face stealers" and so they have focused their efforts into eastern Varushka even as the armies of Otkodov begin to move.

Following the Winter Solstice, [[Varushka|Varushkan]] [[military unit|military units]] will have the opportunity to undertake a [[military unit#Raiding|raiding]] [[venture]] called ''Root out the Face-peelers''. This will involve working with the Thule in Karsk and Ossium to track down nests of "trudnik" and, where they are found, employ axe and flame to destroy them. The Claws of the Dragon are a fairly small organisation, but they are supported here by a cadre of warriors and hunters. Regardless, the full success of this venture will depend on Varushkan involvement.

A standard military unit that undertakes this venture will receive six measures of [[Materials#Natural_Materials|forest materials]], and a phial of ''Corrupt Blood''. This latter is a vile [[potion]] brewed by the trudnik that infuses the drinker with preternatural strength and endurance. A military unit that has been upgraded or enchanted will receive proportionately more. Unfortunately, this raid comes with a cost. One of the problems is that the glamour the trudnik use makes it easy for them to masquerade as Varushkans with the [[draughir]] [[lineage]]. A thorough attack on the trudnik will cause trouble for the draughir of Karsk and Ossium; following the Winter Solstice they will receive a -1 penalty to the production of their resource unless it is a [[military unit]] taking the ''Root out the Face-peelers'' action. Even if few military units get involved, the inevitable suspicion and doubt that is seeded will be enough to unsettle the affairs of draughir in Karsk and Ossium.

If at least 7,500 strength of military units participate in the raid, the trudnik will be driven out of their lairs in Karsk and Ossium. The Empire will be able to expand their knowledge of these creatures, and finally get some reliable evidence of what they are and what they are doing. There may be some mopping up to do - at least one of the trudnik lairs in Ossium is apparently very old and extends into the earth - and if there is a dark spirit involved with the face-peelers it may fall to the Empire to deal with it. The matter of "spoils" however has already been set by Caridis - the Empire will claim whatever trudnik "loot" lies in Imperial Varushka, while the Thule will take custody of anything seized from the trudnik that lies in Thule lands. This would include Slomavetka, allegedly a lair of the trudnik set in a rich forest and with deep caverns carved into the hill beneath it, which lies just across the border in the Webwood.

Everything seems quite straightforward, at least in theory, but Rak is clear that if any problems do develop, it will fall to Sławomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh, with the guidance of the Ambassador to Otkodov, to negotiate with the Claws of the Dragon on behalf of Caridis the Binder.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=BoyarsHasta Colour.webp|align=right|width=300}}</div>
Or rather, not ''entirely'' straightforward. While cooperation is being mooted, [[boyar]] '''Skandavitz Iskander Kastrioti''' points out that the [[Boyar's Hasta]] - an army that makes a point of working with sell swords and wagonraiders - might be an ideal force to help support the raid on the trudnik. The Thule have no particular objection - warriors are warriors as far as they are concerned. A brief discussion with the [[Civil Service|civil service]] lays out the logistics of how this might be done. The Boyar's Hasta would need to be in [[Ossium]], where the trudnik are apparently most populous. It would need to use its [[Army_qualities#Sell_Sword|Sell Sword quality]] to take the [[Army_qualities#Scouting|guard the gates]] order, and the general would need to specify in their [[army orders|orders]] that they wished to support the raid on the face-peelers. Finally, the army would need to be [[enchantment|enchanted]] with the [[Autumn magic|Autumn]] ritual [[Bound by Common Cause]] simply because that enchantment helps create bonds between the soldiers and the people of the territory. The civil service also caution that the Boyar's Hasta would not benefit from [[Casualties#Natural_Resupply|natural resupply]] while doing this - the trudnik will certainly fight back after all and the soldiers will be dispersed across Karsk as well as Ossium. But it would provide its strength to supporting the ''raid the face-peelers'' action, making it much more likely the raids would be a thorough success (that is, it would add its strength ''before'' orders or the presence of military units taking a [[military unit#campaigning|campaigning]] action to support the army are taken into account - military units supporting the Boyar's Hasta would ''not'' count toward the strength requirement of the action, only those specifically taking the raiding action would count).

Obviously it is up to '''Serafina Semenov''', the general of the Boyar's Hasta, whether the army chooses to take advantage of this opportunity or not.

==Icy Crags and Distant Peaks==
{{WingedMessenger|address=Missives can be sent to ''Thania of the Blackstaff, Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun, Miekarova, Varushka'', who is the spokesperson for the Thule orcs living in and around the Icy Crag. She is interested only in matters related to the college and the warlocks attending; anything else should go through the Ambassador from Otkodov.}}
* '''Thule warlocks have taken up residence in Miekarova, around the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun
* '''Their spokesperson is Thania of the Blackstaff, an aged Thule warlock
* '''Thania is interested in acquiring certain ritual texts codified at the college and prepared to offer mithril for them
The contingent of warlocks have taken up residence at the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun, studying with the Imperial scholars. Their presence makes some magicians uneasy; many of these orcs are veterans of the various wars with the Empire. Others bring an unnervingly intense reverence for the Dragons. For the most part though they are distant, reserved, and primarily interested in researching and discussing magical concepts alongside their peers. Their "leader" is a warlock named ''Thania of the Blackstaff'', an aged orc who has made a study of all six realms of magic. She speaks on behalf of the Thule orcs on matters related to the Icy Crag, but indicates that any more political matters need to go via the Ambassador to the Empire.

A couple have attempted to introduce the Imperial students and professors to a ball-game from Otkodov that uses staves and [[Spellcasting#Offensive_Spells|offensive magic]] to keep control of a [[tempest jade]] sphere. The "excitement" of the contest comes from the fact the "ball" is enchanted to explode violently if it is struck too many times over a short period. It is very much an acquired taste but those who have participated say it is great for "getting the blood pumping" if nothing else.

The presence of the Thule reduces the costs to upkeep the Icy Crag by five Thrones each season, but they receive a copy of any [[Formulaic_ritual#Ritual_Texts|ritual text]] codified there. They've also apparently had a thorough read through the stacks, looking with interest for details of magic previously worked on here. Having learned of the existence of [[Aid Once More]], [[Bitter Mantle of the Leaden Crown]], ''Heaven's Spear Sunders the Mountain'', ''The Never-ending Lullaby'', and ''Sermersuaq Fools the Orca with a Rasp of Her Knuckles'', they are interested to find out more if the opportunity presents itself and eager to acquire ritual texts if the Empire will allow it.

For each of these rituals the Conclave is prepared to [[dissemination|disseminate]] to Thania of the Blackstaff, she will provide 6 wains of mithril to the individual who raises the [[declaration]] after it passes, or should they specify in their declaration, to the Conclave (to later be distributed with a declaration of [[endowment]]). Alternatively she can provide 35 [[vis#golden apple|golden apples]] (again, to the person who raised the declaration or the Conclave for endowment). As long as the desired payment is clear, Thania isn't concerned what form is requested as she apparently has been assigned significant resources by the Dragons.

One problem the civil service point out is that three of the rituals - ''Heaven's Spear Sunders the Mountain'', ''The Never-ending Lullaby'', and ''Sermersuaq Fools the Orca with a Rasp of Her Knuckles'' - are not actually part of [[Formulaic_ritual#Imperial_Lore_and_the_Ritual_List|Imperial lore]] and thus ''can't'' be disseminated by the Conclave. There's nothing to stop whoever has those ritual texts entering into negotiations with Thania directly for purchase of the ritual texts but it is not a simple matter to create a new copy of a text.
==Fraynir and the Black Waste==
* '''The Thule have made preparations to defend Sküld from an active vallorn
* '''Fraynir, one of the five Dragons, wishes to acquire the ''Dreadful Ending'' ritual
* '''They are offering a ritual that already seems to exist in Imperial lore under a different name'''

Ambassador Kindra has provided some guidance regarding the concerns of '''Dylan Thornweaver''' and the [[vallorn]]. It is now common knowledge that there is a vallorn in [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]] - occupying the ruins of the ancient city of Emrys. Ambassador Rak offers reassurance that the Dragons' opinion on the matter has not shifted from [[A_thousand_years_of_longing#Our_Friends_in_the_North|where it was]] when the [[Great Library of Hacynian]] completed their research. Research he is keen to remind the Empire that the [[A_thousand_years_of_longing#Our_Friends_in_the_North|Thule supported]]. Otkodov remains enthusiastic about the reunification - the "ascension" - of the vallorn. They remain ready to deal with the vallorn of Sküld - but would appreciate a season of advance warning before the Empire completes the [[trods]] network and begins the transformation. They remain confident that their armies and their magic will be more than a match for it given its size and sluggishness. They've sacrificed a thousand years of prosperity in Sküld to keep it weak, after all. With the vallorn gone they would no longer need to keep Sküld under a [[Wither the Seed|shroud of Winter magic]] and could restore it to full fertility. There is also speculation that the Thule are eager to finally get at the treasures of Emrys which legends suggest was perhaps the most magically advanced city of the Terunael Empire; the warlocks refuse to be drawn.

There is some concrete news on the matter of the vallorn, however, that may be of interest to the Empire. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that a project is underway to prepare for the vallorn's rise - it is just common sense. Rather than rely on a grand [[fortification|citadel]], The-One-Who-Waits (likely the Dragon ''Fraynir'', an acknowledged master of [[curse|curses]] and shrouding magic) has decreed the creation of several rings of [[white granite]] stones around the outskirts of the vallorn of Emrys. When they are completed, they will be warded with [[Winter magic]] and [[ilium|star metal]] to create fortified camps that will catastrophically weaken any vallornspawn that ventures within. Given the nature of all such wards, the stones themselves will be unassailable by the creatures of the vallorn and as such offer a reliable defence against the vallorn's expansion. To magicians versed in such things it seems to be a version of [[Wardens of the Black Waste]].

The reason Rak has raised this point, it quickly turns out, is that Fraynir has instructed him to offer a text containing the ritual - ''Walls of Starless Night'' - in return for a copy of a specific ritual created at the Icy Crags. Fraynir wished the Imperial Conclave to [[Dissemination|disseminate]] the ritual [[Dreadful Ending]]. This ritual destroys [[Druj_miasma#Miasma_Pillars|miasma pillars]] - nothing to do with the vallorn.

Fraynir is apparently unaware that ''Wardens of the Black Waste'' is a part of Imperial lore. This is understandable given the ritual was codified at the [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|Lyceum]] by then-[[Dean of the Lyceum|Dean]] '''Simargl the Empty One'''. It's possible that the Conclave may wish to go ahead with the trade. If they do, whoever raises the Dissemination will need to pay the traditional ten thrones, and will receive in return the ritual text of ''Walls of Starless Night''. It's very unlikely that Walls of Starless Night will be an improvement over ''Wardens of the Black Waste'', however. With that in mind, the Ambassador could facilitate negotiation on behalf of the Conclave, and perhaps the [[Vallornguard]], given it is clear that Fraynir is keen to get their hands on this very niche ritual.

==Orobus and the Bonewood==
* '''The Dragon Orobus is keen to acquire living weirwood trees'''
* '''She specifically wants living trees from the Heartwood of the Great Vale and/or the Golden Trees of Seren'''
* '''She will pay 12 rings of ilium for the ability to collect some trees and transplant them to the Bonewood
* '''Agreeing to this arrangement will reduce the production of the weirwood forest by 1 wain each season, permanently'''
Fraynir is not the only Dragon interested in Emrys, and in preparing Sküld. Orobus the Chained, said to be the Dragon most adept at negotiation and binding magic, and wielding influence over the [[Realms|eternal realms]] has also placed a proposal before the Ambassador. Orobus wishes to purchase several living [[weirwood]] trees; specifically from either the [[Heartwood of the Great Vale]] in [[Hercynia]] or the [[Golden Trees of Seren]] in [[Miaren]]. The details appear to be straightforward enough. She plans to transplant the trees into the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Silent Pines]] in [[Ossium]]; she is looking for trees that "remember" the vallorn, who will be able to "share" their experiences with the trees of the Bonewood.

This sounds fairly esoteric; there's no indication about what this will do if anything but Orobus is still keen. If the current holder of the Heartwood or the Golden Trees is interested, they can instruct the Ambassador to relay their agreement. Orobus will provide warlocks versed in [[Spring magic|Spring]] and Winter magic to ensure the trees arrive and that their transplantation is successful. It's estimated that the removal of the trees will reduce the weirwood production of the forest permanently by 1 wain each season. In return Orobus will provide 12 rings of [[ilium]] to the holder of the seat as payment for the trees.

The civil service have been unable to get a clear idea of exactly what Orobus is aiming for here. It's not possible to move weirwood production around, for example. The idea of trees "remembering" the vallorn appears to be a mystical or metaphysical idea rather than one rooted in magical theory. There are suggestions however that this is part of a deal that Orobus has brokered with an eternal designed to provide some sort of protection to the Bonewood against the vallorn. It might be possible to discover more through negotiation or diplomacy, but the Dragon is playing her cards quite close to her chest.

Both the Heartwood of the Great Vale and Golden Trees of Seren are due to be appointed at the Winter Solstice summit, via the [[Auction of the Seats]]. The decision about whether to take Orobus up on her deal will need to be made by whoever has control of the seat after the auction as the weirwood forests are their responsibility.

==Further Reading==
* [[Thule]]
* [[Thule lore]]

Ourselves and immortality

2026-03-23T21:11:31Z

Vsabo: /* Cornice */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Plenipotentiary]]
<ic>The sound of someone trying to drag a heavy box as quietly as possible was very distracting. Aemilia strove to maintain poise, but the words in her head tumbled and fragmented and were gone. She put down her pen with a pointed "click" and turned round in her chair.

"Sorry, Aemelia." Diogenes did not sound sorry. He had his sleeves rolled up and was rooting through some of the storage chests that sat under the bookshelves. "What are you working on?"

"A poem about death." She replied flatly. "Or I was until someone decided they needed to rearrange the library right this second. Now I'm talking to you."

"Sorry again." He still didn't sound sorry. "But there's been news. The Archmage has called the Court of Rope together. All three of them. For the Solstice. Marcus wants us to be ready to offer Tribute."

"I thought the Queen was still under enmity?" Aemelia had not been keeping track.

"Not since last Winter," replied Diogenes cheerily. He ran his finger through the frosted tips of his bleached hair and then swore quietly as he realised he'd caked his head in dust. "Queen and Knight at neutrality, King remains amitous."

"That isn't a word." Aemelia corrected her coven mate on reflex, more out of pedantic habit than any confidence he would stop making up words.

"''Definitely'' all three of them? Not just the King?" Poise alone kept Aemelia's tone neutral. "Hag Queen and Burnt Prince as well? In the same parley?"

Diogenes was only half listening, busy selecting scrolls and stuffing them into the pockets in his sash.

"Well, the heliopticon says it's all three of them. Tupenties from Moonwell Spire says it's ''as monarchs'' as well if that matters."

It did not, in fact, help. Aemelia caught herself nibbling her thumbnail, and it took an effort to put her hand back in her lap.

"How long has it been since all three of them have been approached together?" She asked mildly. "As the Court I mean, rather than individually?"

"Years, I suppose. I hadn't really given it any thought. Why?"

"No reason, just thinking out loud." She did not let her eyes stray to the shelf where the ''Tome of Ruinous Omens'' lay innocently on its side, fat with visionary dreams and carefully curated advice about the Court of the Three and the dangers of getting entangled with them. "I just seem to recall that last time they were all together, it caused a bit of a fuss. But I'm sure ''this'' time it will be ''absolutely fine''."</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=StillLifeWithASkull.jpg|caption=Everything is sure to be well, to be well.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''Six eternals have sent emissaries to Anvil, apparently in response to plenipotentiary messages from the Imperial archmages'''
* '''Five have agreed to meetings of one kind of another, either in person or via emissaries'''
* '''The other has provided messages, opportunities, or gifts of one type or another'''
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the [[eternal|eternals]] respond to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] messages of the six [[archmage|archmages]]. Each of the six is empowered to send a single message to an eternal of their [[realms|realm]] each season, with certain expectation of ''some'' kind of response. Some eternals will arrange a [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] or some kind, a personal meeting with themselves or more commonly one of their favoured lieutenants. Others may take more direct action, offering [[opportunity|opportunities]] to secure boons or enlist the eternal's power to change the Empire in some way. Sometimes they decline the offer of meetings or boons, but even then they are likely to provide their reasons for doing so.

Since the Autumn Equinox, messengers representing six eternals have come to the Empire from their eternal patrons, detailing the response to each plenipotentiary missive.
==Before a House==
* '''The Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges welcomes the plenipotentiary of the Autumn Archmage
* '''A parley will take place in a chamber reached via the Hall of Worlds at TBC on Saturday during the summit
* '''Prospero requests the Archmage bring someone capable of speaking for the Celestial Arch along with them
* '''The Archmage may include up to two others as part of their entourage
* '''The current Archmage of Autumn is Vossk of Zenith Ascendant
{{CaptionedImage|file=Prospero001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
It has been a [[Back_in_town#Prospero|little over two years]] since last a formal emissary of the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] visited the Empire. The minotaur, resplendent in robes of incarnadine and viridian, again visits the [[Astolat#Castle of Thorns|Castle of Thorns]] rather than visiting [[Anvil#The Hub|the Hub]]. Their message is short and devoid of unnecessary details. It seems that the ''Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges'' requests formal [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] with '''Vossk of Zenith Ascendant''', the new [[Archmage of Autumn]].

The meeting will take place in a chamber set aside for the purpose, at '''TBC''' on Saturday during the coming Winter Solstice. The main topic of conversation will be the matter of ritual magic - ''Threadweaver'' is interested to hear how the Archmage believes the ''City of Bridges'' might provide support to the Imperial war machine in the manner Vossk has outlined, although the minotaur is quick to point out that nothing is promised.

On the matter of promises, however, the ''Reckoner of Ebony and Bone'' is keen to conclude the matter of the favour owed by the [[Celestial Arch]] following his [[Inkpot_gods#The_Arch_and_The_Web|provision of a meeting]] with the people of [[Skoura]]. It is time for that favour to be called in, and as such Vossk is requested to bring a member of the [[Conclave order]] with the authority to discuss such matters to the parley. As with the favour provided to the [[Rod and Shield]], which was repaid by the [[386YE_Spring_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Dissemination:_Find_the_Best_Path|dissemination]] of a [[Find the Best Path|military ritual]] to the magician-princes of Jarm, the expectation is that the repayment will be of commensurate value to the favour provided.

There are provisions for up to two others - secretaries, clerks, or [[scrivener|scriveners]] as the Archmage deems appropriate. The agenda for the meeting is set, however, and Prospero is unlikely to be amused by attempts to introduce new matters for discussion once it begins.

==I Would Not Stop==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Siakha001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Siakha offers parley to the Archmage of Spring at TBC on Saturday/Friday during the summit
* '''The ''Marvath'' will discuss the matter of destruction the Archmage has raised
* '''Three new rituals have appeared in Urizen lore without warning, apparently as a gift to Ibiss Briarheart
* '''The current Archmage of Spring is Ibiss Briarheart'''
During some of the worst weather of the early Winter, a creature emerges from the [[Regio#Imperial Regio|Imperial Regio]] at [[Anvil]]. It is a ''[[Siakha#Servants_of_Siakha|tempest]]'', one of the children of ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]''. A storm given flesh, a thing of barely contained disruptive force. This one is a little different to those encountered on battlefields supporting the [[Children of Wrecks]]. It bears a staff of [[tempest jade]] and wears an open dark green robe that evokes the wind-tossed breakers of the [[Bay of Catazar]]. It jerks and twitches in time to some inaudible rhythm only it can hear. Moving through Anvil with impressive directness, anyone who gets in its way even slightly is [[repel|hurled aside]] without warning. By the time it reaches the Hub, there are magistrates and militia waiting for it. It does not waste time on formalities, simply delivering its message to anyone who is near enough to hear its loud, rumbling words.

''Thunder-That-Speaks'' has heard the words of '''Ibiss Briarheart'''. She accepts the petition for parley. There will be an opportunity for the Archmage of Spring to speak with her favoured lieutenant the ''Marvath'' who is empowered to talk of the destruction desired by Briarheart. That meeting will take place on Friday evening at '''TBC''', in a chamber created for the purpose. Only the Archmage themselves, or their proxy if they cannot come themselves, is invited to attend.

There will be no talk of [[Grendel]], nor of wreckers. Nothing to say about Sarvos, nor Asavea, nor the lords of Winter. The matter the ''Hurricane Queen'' is interested in is the devastation, slaughter, and loot that the Archmage has proposed. She will offer her gift, if the Archmage is strong enough to accept it. Indeed, she has provided gifts to the people of Urizen as Briarheart has asked.

Message delivered, the ''tempest'' returns by the same direct route that it arrived, this time with an armed escort that it does not acknowledge in any way. It disappears through the gate at the heart of the Imperial regio with neither another word nor a backward glance.
==Civility==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Skathe001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Surut002.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tharim 001.jpg|align=right|width=215}}
* '''The Thrice-cursed Court accept the offer of parley
* '''They will accept a delegation from Anvil at midnight on Friday
* '''Each of the three has matters of interest to them
* '''The current Keeper of Tharim's Throne Claudia Varkulova Remislav is invited to join the courtiers of the Thrice-cursed to help facilitate the meeting
* '''The current Archmage of Winter is Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien, although they have indicated their intent to retire
On the evening of the first day of Winter proper, the air is sharp with the promise of snow and ice, and a messenger arrives at Anvil. It comes not from the Imperial Regio, but along the main road that runs through the settlement. It takes its time, savouring the sights and sounds, and pausing to observe folk about their early evening business. It is clearly a [[Inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]], and of the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]] in particular. Pallid skinned, with lengths of rusted metal woven into and out of its flesh, it observes with empty eye sockets that nonetheless seem to see everything that transpires. A foul aura surrounds it, and those who get too close feel their skin crawling - that feeling of being on the edge of sleep and hearing a noise from a part of the room you know to be empty. Chained to its wrist is a book, the binding of which does not bear close inspection by those of faint heart or weak stomach.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box>'''Weakness and the Hall of Worlds'''<br>The last time all three members of the Thrice-cursed Court were together, they appeared in the Hall of Worlds. Their departure triggered an unpleasant effect. Everyone in the Hall of Worlds was struck with [[Calls#Weakness|weakness]]. There's no indication this was done on purpose; it might just be an effect of the Thrice-cursed monarchs withdrawing their presence from the Hall. There's also no indication this will happen again, but it is something to be aware of.<br><br>

But to be on the safe side, it's worth a reminder that one cannot leave the Hall of Worlds while subject to [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]], because one cannot cast [[operate portal]]. It is important to remember that you can only move ''yourself'' between the Hall of Worlds and Anvil (and vice versa) with the [[operate portal]] spell. The [[Ambassadorial Gatekeeper]] ritual allows other options but must either be cast in advance, or performed in the Hall of Worlds.

It's also tricky to remove weakness while one is experiencing it, given the way it restricts a character's abilities. The most reliable way would be to use a potion such as [[Apothecary_Potions#Feverfail_Elixir|Feverfail Elixir]] or [[Master_Medicinal#Maledict's_Medicament|Maledict's Medicament]]. A magician who does so would then be free to cast the [[purify]] spell, or take part in a ritual such as [[Renewed Strength of the New Day]] to help their fellows overcome any lingering curse. It's also important to remember that, as with [[Calls#VENOM|venom]], weakness does not go away naturally - it must be treated in some way before it is removed.

Again, there's no particular reason to believe this may become an issue, but this is a good a time as any to remind people of the dangers of being weakened while in the Hall of Worlds.</box></div>
When it reaches the Hub, it bows low and begins to read from the book. It bears a greeting from the ''[[The Thrice-cursed Court|Court of Broken Hearts]]''. From the ''[[Tharim|King-in-Chains]]'', from the ''[[Surut|Prince-of-Ashes]]'', and from the ''[[Skathe|Queen-of-Nails]]''. They accept the invitation of the [[Archmage of Winter]]. They also express their regret: they have heard that the Archmage of Winter Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien has chosen to step away from their powerful position to pursue other interests. Ematius was a worthy Archmage, say the Three, and whomever steps up to replace them will surely have their work cut out for them, given how difficult the other eternals of the Winter realm can be to deal with.

Regardless, they offer formal parley on Friday night, at midnight, during the coming Summit. The new Archmage may bring two others as their aides if they wish. In addition to the Archmage, the Keeper of Tharim's Throne '''Claudia Varkulova Remislav''' is invited to attend as a guest of the King. During the parley they may speak as they see fit, with no constraints placed on them by the Archmage. They may bring a servant of their own along if they desire. The Keeper of Tharim's Throne is also empowered to bring one other specific person if the wish: the [[the Marches|Marcher]] [[General]] of the [[Drakes]], '''William Guildenstern'''. Tharim leaves it entirely to Claudia's discretion whether they believe Guildenstern will provide any benefit to the parley.

As to the parley itself, each of the three monarchs of the ''Court of Rope'' has topics of interest to them. The King-in-Chains and his lieutenant ''Lord-Captain Catenatus'' will discuss the matter of the wicked folk of [[Skoura]], and of the murder of ''Obligatus''. The ''Prince-of-Ashes'' will speak of the clever artisans of Skoura, and of knights and [[regio]], as well as on the matter of the [[vallorn]]. The ''Queen-of-Nails'' will speak of the peculiar folk of Skoura, the [[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#Smile_(Skathe)|boon of Catena]], and of other gifts that the Court are minded to offer to their Imperial friends.

These gifts will ''not'' however include the ritual to ''Unleash Wild Fire''. The Empire has proved reticent to actually use the magical lore that the ''Court of Locked Doors'' has offered in recent years and while '''Armand Remislav Who Was Remys''' is beloved of the court, they would be better served seeking other boons.

In response to questions, or requests for clarification, the messenger simply smiles and shakes their head. Once they have finished delivering their messages, they depart Anvil the way they came - not via the Imperial regio, but along the road leading out of the town. Those few brave enough to follow a herald of the Thrice-cursed soon lose it as the evening darkens into night and the first curtains of snow close around it.
===Tribute Collectors===
* '''Surut intends to send tribute collectors to Anvil prior to the parley
* '''These tribute collectors are due to arrive at Anvil around 22:00 on Friday
* '''They are only interested in speaking to "warriors" - whatever that means
There is another matter to consider; the ''Burnt Knight'' intends to send some of his heralds to Anvil before the parley proper to collect "tribute". They will be looking for warriors - and the herald stresses they must be warriors - prepared to accept a tiny portion of Surut's curse for a time. This will apparently involve the herald-knights [[Calls#CLEAVE|injuring]] the arms or legs of those prepared to receive their strike. They may arrange for [[Surgical skills#Physick|physicks]] to be on hand if they wish; the important thing is the willingness to offer tribute.

The herald is close-mouthed about the details of this peculiar ceremony. They do let slip, however, that this is about the fact that the Thrice-cursed Court all too often deals only with magicians. This may be acceptable to the ''Thronebound'' and the ''Contemptuous'', but the ''Ashen Prince'' values the raw strength of the warrior more than he does honeyed words or clever magic.

Before departing, the herald also mentions that Surut is expecting that there will be at least some warriors prepared to show respect to him. It is not stated explicitly but there is a subtext that Surut would likely be displeased to discover that the Empire is not willing to offer sufficient tribute, and this will directly impact his mood in the parley.

==And Eternity==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Ylenwe001.webp|align=right|width=300]]</div>
* '''Ylenwe has responded to a request for parley from the Archmage of Day
* '''A herald of Ylenwe named Trunembra of the Strings will visit the Hall of Worlds during the arcane colloquium
* '''In addition to the Archmage of Day, Ylenwe has requested that the High Bard of the Empire be there
* '''The current Archmage of Day is Skywise Gralka
On a blustery autumn day a quiet herald with mottled silver and indigo scales appears at the Hub. They arrive without comment, and the first anyone is aware of them is when, seated on a three-legged stool, they start to play quiet notes on their cerulean-and-weltsilver lyre. Their harmonious melody quells the often garrulous crowds in the Hub.

As they pluck their soothing strings, they deliver their message from the '' Mistress of Music''. Zie has heard the words of the Archmage of Day, and seen the results of their cooperation at Bulgakov, and in the [[Speak_to_me#Song_of_the_White_Wood|White Wood]]. Yet there are limits to what Ylenwe can achieve - and here the heralds music turns mournful, bringing a tear to the eye of all save the most hard-hearted. The [[Hahnmark#Kronemark|Sungate]] in Kronemark is beyond the power of ''Zie of the Perfect Morning''.

According to her herald the Sungate is not a scar, some residue of the harm the ''[[Cold Sun|Oblivion Flame]]'' inflicts upon the world. Rather it is an open wound, a thing directly supported by the disharmonious fury of the ''End Of Songs''. The howling empty heart of the ''Light Destructive'' cannot be moved by the music of the ''Dove''; there is no way to close the Sungate or to allow mortals to approach the fane of such relentless, irresistible hatred. If things change in the future then fate may deliver an opportunity to deal with this burning beacon of despite, but for now there is nothing to be done but avoid it.

The heralds’ notes fall silent, and they bow their scaled head for several moments in contemplation. When their music resumes it has a more hopeful tone. When it comes to the White Wood and its song, though, the ''Shape of Sound'' can achieve something a little more wholesome. She intends to send her herald ''Trunembra of the Strings'' to the Hall of Worlds during the [[Arcane Colloquium]]. Once the Archmage of Day has completed their hosting duties, there will be a chance to discuss matters. The eternal asks that the [[High Bard of the Empire]] also be there, if possible. There will be discussion of musical instruments, and the role that music can play in uplifting the spirit and honing understanding of the world.
===Passed the Setting Sun===
* '''Ylenwe proposes to serve as patron for a house of harmonious music in Skarsind
* '''Zie wishes the Archmage and High Bard to consider how to help those threatened by Cold Sun
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Harmonious Hall'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' TBC, Skarsind</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 15 white granite, 15 weirwood, 10 mithril, 10 ilium, 120 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirement:''' Must be ceded to Ylenwe (??)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Unclear at this time
</td></tr>
</table></div>
The ''Harmonious Chorister'' proposes the construction of a hall of music in the White Wood, a place where Imperial citizens can come together to study magic especially as it relates to the [[Day magic|Realm of Sea and Sky]] and the pursuit of harmony. The herald is not clear on what precisely this means - this is partly the matter that is to be discussed with the Archmage and the High Bard - but they do deliver plans for the structure. It appears to be a spacious hall, designed to complement the natural beauty of the area, with plenty of room for musical study and performance. The hall of music is an [[edifice]] that would require 15 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, and 10 rings of ilium to construct, and would need to be conceded to Ylenwe. This last point raises a few eyebrows, but the herald gently suggests that questions would be better held until Trunembra of the Strings can answer them with more authority.

There is another matter that ''Zie of the Dawn'' wishes to speak of. The Oblivion Flame has been [[Cold war|kindled again]] in the mortal world. Its creatures have erupted into lands torn by war, suspicion, and disharmony. It rampages unchecked, destroying and killing without pause. [[Cold Sun]] has learned much from its recent incursion into the Empire, and Ylenwe asks that the Archmage and the High Bard use all their influence to encourage the [[Senate|Imperial Senate]] to offer whatever aid the Empire can spare to the people of both the [[Commonwealth]] and [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] - both of whom are facing a storm that the Empire alone has successfully weathered. Again, there will be a chance to talk about this with Trunembra of the Strings.

==Only Gossamer, My Gown==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:WhisperGal006.png|align=right|width=250]]</div>
* '''The Whisper Gallery have responded to the request for parley from the Archmage of Night
* '''They intend to take possession of the Hall of Worlds late on Saturday
* '''Exact details of what will be discussed, and precisely who with, are not clear
* '''The current Archmage of Night is Bella Vicente d'Apulian'''
It is not a herald that arrives at Anvil as Autumn ages toward Winter, but an orc from distant [[Spiral#Apulian|Apulian]]. She comes in the [[dramaturgy|dramaturgical]] guise of [[the Mountebank]] - or perhaps more correctly [[the Mountebank#The Sailor|sailor]]. Of particular note is her [[The_Cloak|cloak]] which seems to billow around her with a life of its own, and whose hood does a remarkable job of concealing her identity even without her mask - a crudely carved piece of driftwood whose simplicity seems quite at odds with her flamboyant garb.

She comes as a messenger of the ''Seers of the Empty Thrones'', the ''Repairers of Reputation'', the ''Chiaroscuran Courtiers of the Echoed Fall'' - the [[Whisper Gallery]]. They have received the art of ''sweet Bella'' - '''Bella Vicente d'Apulian''' presumably - the delicious [[Archmage of Night]]. The specific requests contained within have piqued their interest. They choose to accede, and will send their sommelier to meet with the Archmage and any other Imperial magicians who wish to be present, late on Saturday night in the Hall of Worlds. The ''Weavers of the Improbable Loom'' will reach out to that place shortly before the meeting and fashion it suitable to their needs; they presume the Archmage understands their need to do so.

They do however place stipulations on the parley. All those who attend must be masked; those who do not accept this requirement will find they are unable to enter the Hall and will instead find themselves returning to Anvil. This misdirection of the paths between Anvil and the Hall of Worlds will persist until the parley - and it will be a parley - has been completed.

They are especially interested in seeing certain folk attend. In addition to sweet Bella, they invite the wise '''Fausta''', Grandmaster Silver Chalice; the ambitious '''Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian''', [[Senator]] for [[Spiral]] and cunning '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian''', Custodian of [[Legacy]]; the perceptive '''Mikael Reskovich''', High Bard; and the hateful '''Morgan Waystone Path''', [[Magpies#Speaker|Speaker of the Magpies]]. If they are in attendance they may accompany the Archmage into the Hall as part of their entourage. The Sommelier has words to convey to each from the ''Praetori Exsilium in Litore''.

Delightful Bella has, with honeyed words, asked for aid in uncovering secrets and the lieges of the Gallery shall be interested to see whether they are successful in doing so. There may be talk of [[Axos]], the fall of the empire of dreams, and the Spider of Lost Days. There may be talk of the [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|War of Whispers]], and of the destruction of the [[Magpies]], and of the [[Whispering Shadow Courtiers]].

The message is vague, perhaps unsurprisingly. On one matter, though, the orc is quite clear. The Whisper Gallery are not friends of, or allies to, the Empire of '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''', the ''Throne of Pumpkins''. Imperial thieves are too keen to drag secrets from the shadowed places of the world and expose them to the harsh noonlight. The Court continues to oppose them, wherever they can, and will urge others to do so. The enmity they bear against secret-slaughterers has not been slaked, not even a little.

However for this single night at the Winter Solstice, there will be a chance for good-mannered discussion. Things change, and while the enmity of the Court has not lessened, the shape it takes is as mutable as anything else drowned in the shadows. With that in mind, any members of the militia, or any magistrates, who attempt to exert their authority over the people visiting their friends in the ''Court of Disrule'' will be ejected. They are welcome as long as they come masked, and remain civil, but any who attempt to harass or impose boundaries on their fellow citizens will find the patience of the ''Dancers of the Gossamer Pavane'' extremely limited.

With that, the orc bows politely, and takes her leave. A pair of magistrates stand ready outside the Hub to ask her some significant questions, but almost as soon as she steps out of the tent she is mobbed by two dozen figures dressed identically in the same voluminous cloak. The shapes wheel around each other and before the magistrates can do much more than raise the alarm, each of them races off in a different direction. While several of these interlopers are caught, they are Imperial citizens from every nation - a mix of humans and orcs. The only thing they have in common is that they are all actors, who say they had been paid for a unique thespian opportunity. None of them have ever met before, each was recruited by a different agent, and they all resolutely claim to have no idea they were dealing with the Whisper Gallery. Of the orc who delivered the message of the Whisper Gallery there is no sign.
===Participation : Parley===
* '''Anyone who wants to visit the Hall of Worlds during the parley must wear a mask
* '''While in the Hall of Worlds during the parley, it is impossible to remove a mask
* '''Everyone in the Hall of Worlds during the parley experiences a roleplaying effect
* '''Additional options exist for leaving the parley
The Whisper Gallery are using the invitation to parley to "twist" the gate that leads to the Hall of Worlds. Anyone who is not masked in some way will be unable to reach the meeting. Anyone who enters the Hall of Worlds will find that they cannot remove their mask; it is impossible for anyone to take their own or another character's mask off while the parley is underway.

Furthermore everyone in the Hall of Worlds will experience a [[roleplaying effect]]: ''your mask represents your true face and you find it easy to act in accordance with its identity''. This effect becomes more pronounced as the parley continues. The dramaturgical personae offer some suggestions as to roleplaying effects tied to the traditional roles, but its up to you how you interpret the identity your mask represents. The effect fades within a few minutes of leaving the Hall of Worlds.

The twisting of the paths to and from the Hall of Worlds has a second effect. Anyone leaving the Hall of Worlds can choose to go immediately to the out-of-character area rather than return to Anvil directly. They're free to come back into play through the entrance between the out-of-character area and Anvil if they wish. This doesn't represent teleportation but rather the character being escorted, unseen, by heralds wreathed in [[Night magic]] until they reach the relative safely of the alleys of [[Anvil#Outer_Anvil|Outer Anvil]] - a clear effort from the Whisper Gallery to stymie attempts to intercept, search, or detain anyone visiting their parley.

During the parley any herald of the Whisper Gallery may call [[Calls#CURSE|CURSE]] against anyone attempting to disrupt the meeting. If this is done, the target should immediately leave the Hall of Worlds by the nearest exit and return to Anvil; they are unable to enter the Hall of Worlds again until time out.

Finally, we ask all participants to be mindful of our [[Conduct#Roleplaying_Conflict|conduct]] rules around roleplaying conflict, especially those concerning physical intimidation.

==Cornice==
{{CaptionedImage|file=King Under the Mountain.png|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Adamant has declined a formal parley from the Archmage of Summer'''
* '''They have made a number of proposals relating to ritual magic
* '''The current Archmage of Summer is Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''
There is, of course, a sizable contingent of ''koboldi'' busy at Anvil following the Autumn Equinox. While they are mostly focused on anchoring the [[Opening ceremonies|new structure]], one of them takes time out of their schedule to visit the Hub. A cheerful, friendly individual with silver scales buffed to mirror sheen, they wear a splendid golden coat inlaid with hundreds of tiny gemstones that twinkle and glitter as they move. Somewhat apologetically, they indicate that they have been charged with delivering a message from the ''[[Adamant|King Under the Mountain]]'' in response to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] of the [[Archmage of Summer]]. It is, they warn, a fairly mixed bag all things told.

The ''koboldi'' delivers the bad news first - “''to get it out of the way so that one can focus on happier things''”. While the ''King Under the Mountain'' would be happy to see more great fortresses of [[white granite]] built in northern Varushka, they are concerned that the Vorazi do not see the bigger picture. The court of Adamant might help make a fortress larger, more impressive, or harder to destroy. They might help it be built more swiftly. They might even aid in enchanting it so that it can be more easily repaired or its garrison granted additional strength. The one thing they are ''not'' going to do is make it ''cheaper''. As the ''koboldi'' says philosophically “''you really don’t want to cut corners when you’re building something that’s meant to withstand armies, do you?''”

The request to intercede with Imperial roads is not something Adamant is interested in at the moment. The [[Senate]] is doing a wonderful job repairing and maintaining the grand highways, says the ''koboldi''. Yet the [[Spring magic#Ruin|ruinous]] magic of Spring - the ''koboldi'' shudders at the thought of it - has a way of tearing down even those things crafted from the strongest mundane materials. Infusing an entire Empire’s worth of roads with adamant - even the pale shadow of true adamant that can be worked in the mortal world - would take massive effort and not be achieved quickly. For something as mundane, and lacking in [[Summer magic#Majesty|majesty]] as a network of roads? Is such an endeavour worthy of the ''King Under the Mountain''? It isn't impossible to achieve but would require a great deal of fast talk, and likely involve the kind of [[:Category:Imperial Enchantment|Imperial enchantment]] that has been illegal since the [[interdiction]] of '''Cassandra i Periera i Erigo''' [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction_:_Empire_Wide_Enchantments|made such things a crime]].

Finally on the matter of the Ashen Flame, the Archmage must understand that there is no shortage of covens and individual magicians seeking the patronage of ''Sharaz on the Adamant Throne''. Their master is not uninterested, but at the moment there is little to make that coven stand out. If the Ashen Flame is serious about impressing Adamant, says the ''koboldi'', they should prevail on the Archmage of Summer to arrange a meeting on their behalf with some of Adamant's assessors. They should outline what they actually want, and why Adamant should give it to them. If this is the sole purpose of a plenipotentiary missive, the ''Master of Gnomes'' is much more likely to be amenable to honouring that request.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dima12713.jpg|caption='''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''', Master of the Koboldi|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Laughlan10531.jpg|caption='''Laughlan vi Temeschwar''', Master of Rings|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Lucrezia Corvinascura.jpg|caption='''Lucrezia Corvinascura''', Chair of the Wolf|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
===''Throne of the Mountains''===
* '''Adamant offers an arcane projection that might be codified to conjure a powerful castle from his domain
* '''Unlike the Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae, the conjured fort would focus on protecting a single region of hills
* '''In return for their aid they request that certain titles have their powers expanded
After all that negativity, the ''Dragon of Stone'' is interested to hear the request of '''Joseph of the Ashen Flame''' regarding the conjuration of ''actual'' citadels rather than simple castles that simply ''claim'' to be citadels. It is within the power of the ''Imperishable Potentate'' to do so. Adamant is prepared to provide a [[arcane projection|document]] that can serve as the basis for a ritual called ''Throne of the Mountains'' that could be codified at any Imperial [[college of magic]]. It would conjure a powerful defensive structure from the domain of Adamant that would offer superlative protection to the region of [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]] where the enchantment was cast. This defence would make it significantly harder for an enemy army to claim the region, and they would find attempts to do so particularly punishing. Beyond that the ''koboldi'' provides no other details. A little cross-questioning from a member of the [[Unfettered Mind]] who happens to be present leaves them with the distinct impression that the ''koboldi'' is outlining something similar in basic outline to [[the Basalt Citadel]], but for enchanting hills or mountains. Attempts to get a more specific explanation just send the ''koboldi'' off into a tangent about how great fortifications are in general.
In return for this boon, the ''Stone King'' wishes to see the powers of certain [[Imperial title|Imperial titles]] amended. At the moment the epic builders of the Empire often have little lists of things they can and cannot build - ''clearly'' an oversight suggests the cheerful ''koboldi''. The ''Throne of Adamant'' “simply” wishes the [[Imperial Senate]] to amend the powers of the [[Master of the Koboldi]], [[Legion Engineer]], [[Master of Rings]], and [[Chair of the Wolf]] such that these titles can build ''any'' [[Commission]] that creates a structure. This would mean they could commission any current ''or future'' [[commission#Military Commissions|military]] or [[commission#Civilian Commissions|civilian]] commission that makes a structure (this would exclude, for example, mustering an [[army]] or raising a [[navy]]).

The ''koboldi'' cheerfully points out that this will save the Senate a lot of trouble in the long run as they won’t have to keep tweaking the titles as they come up with new things to build.

Obviously any other restrictions about how and where and when they can build things will remain as per the individual titles. If the Senate does so before the Conclave Session on Saturday night, a ''koboldi'' will try and make sure the Archmage of Summer has the document in their hands during the session.

===''Monolithic Stronghold''===
* '''Adamant considers the power of Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon
* '''In return for aid, they ask that the Imperial Master of Works have their power to commission fortifications restored
Likewise, when it comes to the ''Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon'', Adamant is prepared to examine the [[arcane projection]] and see if it can be improved. The ''koboldi'' cautions that this might increase the magnitude of the enchantment; it’s hard to say. In return Adamant wishes to see the Senate show their commitment to building and maintaining mundane [[fortification|fortifications]] - they ask that the Archmage use their political influence to restore the power of the [[Imperial Master of Works]] to [[commission]] such structures. The civil service indicate that it would be possible to limit the number of times each season that this power could be used - in much the same way as the power of the [[Imperial Spymaster]] to build [[spy network|spy networks]] is limited. Again, if this is done before the last Conclave Session of the summit, the ''koboldi'' will do their best to deliver a modified arcane projection to the Archmage during that time although they can't promise to be successful.
===On Gnomes===
* '''Gnomes are inhabitants of the Summer realm, part of Adamant's court
As a final note, which the ''koboldi'' almost forgets to mention, there is the matter of gnomes. They are [[inhabitants of the realms|inhabitants]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] that serve as excavators in the ranks of Adamant’s court. They are simple yet powerful creatures of earth and stone that can swim through rock, and reshape it as they wish with their bare hands. The ''koboldi'' is a little sniffy when they recount this - there are strong hints that their people and the gnomes do not get along well. Indeed, the little silver herald finished by saying that they don’t see why '''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''' would be worried about gnomes when they have so many delightful ''koboldi'' to work with.
===Collecting Stones===
* '''Adamant has also received a missive from the Stone Smith
It seems that the Archmage of Summer is not the only person who has requested parley with the the ''Unturned Stone''. The [[Stone Smith]], '''Gemma Brightsmith''' has also sought counsel from the ''Swordbreaker'' on behalf of her fellow [[smith|smiths]] through the auspices of an [[Stone Smith#Call to the Gull|Autumn eternal]]. Rather than reply in the same fashion as he does with an Archmage, however, it seems Adamant has chosen to send his heralds directly to [[the Marches]] to present his response. You can find more detail about this in the '''[[In the ground]]''' wind of fortune.

==Timetable==
There are comparatively few meetings taking place during this summit. The times, the locations, and the eternals involved, are summarised here.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Day !! Time !! Eternal !! Realm !! Note
|-
| Friday || TBC || [[Siakha]] || Spring || Parley; only the Archmage is invited to the chamber where it will take place
|-
| Friday || 00.00 || [[The Thrice-cursed Court]] || Winter || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|-
| Saturday || TBC|| [[Prospero]] || Autumn || Parley in a chamber
|-
| Saturday || 15:00 || [[Ylenwe]] || Day || A herald will attend the [[Arcane Colloquium]] after the formal business is completed
|-
| Saturday || 00.00 || [[Whisper Gallery]] || Night || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|}

Ourselves and immortality

2026-03-23T21:03:42Z

Vsabo: /* Only Gossamer, My Gown */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Plenipotentiary]]
<ic>The sound of someone trying to drag a heavy box as quietly as possible was very distracting. Aemilia strove to maintain poise, but the words in her head tumbled and fragmented and were gone. She put down her pen with a pointed "click" and turned round in her chair.

"Sorry, Aemelia." Diogenes did not sound sorry. He had his sleeves rolled up and was rooting through some of the storage chests that sat under the bookshelves. "What are you working on?"

"A poem about death." She replied flatly. "Or I was until someone decided they needed to rearrange the library right this second. Now I'm talking to you."

"Sorry again." He still didn't sound sorry. "But there's been news. The Archmage has called the Court of Rope together. All three of them. For the Solstice. Marcus wants us to be ready to offer Tribute."

"I thought the Queen was still under enmity?" Aemelia had not been keeping track.

"Not since last Winter," replied Diogenes cheerily. He ran his finger through the frosted tips of his bleached hair and then swore quietly as he realised he'd caked his head in dust. "Queen and Knight at neutrality, King remains amitous."

"That isn't a word." Aemelia corrected her coven mate on reflex, more out of pedantic habit than any confidence he would stop making up words.

"''Definitely'' all three of them? Not just the King?" Poise alone kept Aemelia's tone neutral. "Hag Queen and Burnt Prince as well? In the same parley?"

Diogenes was only half listening, busy selecting scrolls and stuffing them into the pockets in his sash.

"Well, the heliopticon says it's all three of them. Tupenties from Moonwell Spire says it's ''as monarchs'' as well if that matters."

It did not, in fact, help. Aemelia caught herself nibbling her thumbnail, and it took an effort to put her hand back in her lap.

"How long has it been since all three of them have been approached together?" She asked mildly. "As the Court I mean, rather than individually?"

"Years, I suppose. I hadn't really given it any thought. Why?"

"No reason, just thinking out loud." She did not let her eyes stray to the shelf where the ''Tome of Ruinous Omens'' lay innocently on its side, fat with visionary dreams and carefully curated advice about the Court of the Three and the dangers of getting entangled with them. "I just seem to recall that last time they were all together, it caused a bit of a fuss. But I'm sure ''this'' time it will be ''absolutely fine''."</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=StillLifeWithASkull.jpg|caption=Everything is sure to be well, to be well.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''Six eternals have sent emissaries to Anvil, apparently in response to plenipotentiary messages from the Imperial archmages'''
* '''Five have agreed to meetings of one kind of another, either in person or via emissaries'''
* '''The other has provided messages, opportunities, or gifts of one type or another'''
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the [[eternal|eternals]] respond to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] messages of the six [[archmage|archmages]]. Each of the six is empowered to send a single message to an eternal of their [[realms|realm]] each season, with certain expectation of ''some'' kind of response. Some eternals will arrange a [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] or some kind, a personal meeting with themselves or more commonly one of their favoured lieutenants. Others may take more direct action, offering [[opportunity|opportunities]] to secure boons or enlist the eternal's power to change the Empire in some way. Sometimes they decline the offer of meetings or boons, but even then they are likely to provide their reasons for doing so.

Since the Autumn Equinox, messengers representing six eternals have come to the Empire from their eternal patrons, detailing the response to each plenipotentiary missive.
==Before a House==
* '''The Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges welcomes the plenipotentiary of the Autumn Archmage
* '''A parley will take place in a chamber reached via the Hall of Worlds at TBC on Saturday during the summit
* '''Prospero requests the Archmage bring someone capable of speaking for the Celestial Arch along with them
* '''The Archmage may include up to two others as part of their entourage
* '''The current Archmage of Autumn is Vossk of Zenith Ascendant
{{CaptionedImage|file=Prospero001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
It has been a [[Back_in_town#Prospero|little over two years]] since last a formal emissary of the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] visited the Empire. The minotaur, resplendent in robes of incarnadine and viridian, again visits the [[Astolat#Castle of Thorns|Castle of Thorns]] rather than visiting [[Anvil#The Hub|the Hub]]. Their message is short and devoid of unnecessary details. It seems that the ''Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges'' requests formal [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] with '''Vossk of Zenith Ascendant''', the new [[Archmage of Autumn]].

The meeting will take place in a chamber set aside for the purpose, at '''TBC''' on Saturday during the coming Winter Solstice. The main topic of conversation will be the matter of ritual magic - ''Threadweaver'' is interested to hear how the Archmage believes the ''City of Bridges'' might provide support to the Imperial war machine in the manner Vossk has outlined, although the minotaur is quick to point out that nothing is promised.

On the matter of promises, however, the ''Reckoner of Ebony and Bone'' is keen to conclude the matter of the favour owed by the [[Celestial Arch]] following his [[Inkpot_gods#The_Arch_and_The_Web|provision of a meeting]] with the people of [[Skoura]]. It is time for that favour to be called in, and as such Vossk is requested to bring a member of the [[Conclave order]] with the authority to discuss such matters to the parley. As with the favour provided to the [[Rod and Shield]], which was repaid by the [[386YE_Spring_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Dissemination:_Find_the_Best_Path|dissemination]] of a [[Find the Best Path|military ritual]] to the magician-princes of Jarm, the expectation is that the repayment will be of commensurate value to the favour provided.

There are provisions for up to two others - secretaries, clerks, or [[scrivener|scriveners]] as the Archmage deems appropriate. The agenda for the meeting is set, however, and Prospero is unlikely to be amused by attempts to introduce new matters for discussion once it begins.

==I Would Not Stop==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Siakha001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Siakha offers parley to the Archmage of Spring at TBC on Saturday/Friday during the summit
* '''The ''Marvath'' will discuss the matter of destruction the Archmage has raised
* '''Three new rituals have appeared in Urizen lore without warning, apparently as a gift to Ibiss Briarheart
* '''The current Archmage of Spring is Ibiss Briarheart'''
During some of the worst weather of the early Winter, a creature emerges from the [[Regio#Imperial Regio|Imperial Regio]] at [[Anvil]]. It is a ''[[Siakha#Servants_of_Siakha|tempest]]'', one of the children of ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]''. A storm given flesh, a thing of barely contained disruptive force. This one is a little different to those encountered on battlefields supporting the [[Children of Wrecks]]. It bears a staff of [[tempest jade]] and wears an open dark green robe that evokes the wind-tossed breakers of the [[Bay of Catazar]]. It jerks and twitches in time to some inaudible rhythm only it can hear. Moving through Anvil with impressive directness, anyone who gets in its way even slightly is [[repel|hurled aside]] without warning. By the time it reaches the Hub, there are magistrates and militia waiting for it. It does not waste time on formalities, simply delivering its message to anyone who is near enough to hear its loud, rumbling words.

''Thunder-That-Speaks'' has heard the words of '''Ibiss Briarheart'''. She accepts the petition for parley. There will be an opportunity for the Archmage of Spring to speak with her favoured lieutenant the ''Marvath'' who is empowered to talk of the destruction desired by Briarheart. That meeting will take place on Friday evening at '''TBC''', in a chamber created for the purpose. Only the Archmage themselves, or their proxy if they cannot come themselves, is invited to attend.

There will be no talk of [[Grendel]], nor of wreckers. Nothing to say about Sarvos, nor Asavea, nor the lords of Winter. The matter the ''Hurricane Queen'' is interested in is the devastation, slaughter, and loot that the Archmage has proposed. She will offer her gift, if the Archmage is strong enough to accept it. Indeed, she has provided gifts to the people of Urizen as Briarheart has asked.

Message delivered, the ''tempest'' returns by the same direct route that it arrived, this time with an armed escort that it does not acknowledge in any way. It disappears through the gate at the heart of the Imperial regio with neither another word nor a backward glance.
==Civility==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Skathe001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Surut002.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tharim 001.jpg|align=right|width=215}}
* '''The Thrice-cursed Court accept the offer of parley
* '''They will accept a delegation from Anvil at midnight on Friday
* '''Each of the three has matters of interest to them
* '''The current Keeper of Tharim's Throne Claudia Varkulova Remislav is invited to join the courtiers of the Thrice-cursed to help facilitate the meeting
* '''The current Archmage of Winter is Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien, although they have indicated their intent to retire
On the evening of the first day of Winter proper, the air is sharp with the promise of snow and ice, and a messenger arrives at Anvil. It comes not from the Imperial Regio, but along the main road that runs through the settlement. It takes its time, savouring the sights and sounds, and pausing to observe folk about their early evening business. It is clearly a [[Inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]], and of the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]] in particular. Pallid skinned, with lengths of rusted metal woven into and out of its flesh, it observes with empty eye sockets that nonetheless seem to see everything that transpires. A foul aura surrounds it, and those who get too close feel their skin crawling - that feeling of being on the edge of sleep and hearing a noise from a part of the room you know to be empty. Chained to its wrist is a book, the binding of which does not bear close inspection by those of faint heart or weak stomach.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box>'''Weakness and the Hall of Worlds'''<br>The last time all three members of the Thrice-cursed Court were together, they appeared in the Hall of Worlds. Their departure triggered an unpleasant effect. Everyone in the Hall of Worlds was struck with [[Calls#Weakness|weakness]]. There's no indication this was done on purpose; it might just be an effect of the Thrice-cursed monarchs withdrawing their presence from the Hall. There's also no indication this will happen again, but it is something to be aware of.<br><br>

But to be on the safe side, it's worth a reminder that one cannot leave the Hall of Worlds while subject to [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]], because one cannot cast [[operate portal]]. It is important to remember that you can only move ''yourself'' between the Hall of Worlds and Anvil (and vice versa) with the [[operate portal]] spell. The [[Ambassadorial Gatekeeper]] ritual allows other options but must either be cast in advance, or performed in the Hall of Worlds.

It's also tricky to remove weakness while one is experiencing it, given the way it restricts a character's abilities. The most reliable way would be to use a potion such as [[Apothecary_Potions#Feverfail_Elixir|Feverfail Elixir]] or [[Master_Medicinal#Maledict's_Medicament|Maledict's Medicament]]. A magician who does so would then be free to cast the [[purify]] spell, or take part in a ritual such as [[Renewed Strength of the New Day]] to help their fellows overcome any lingering curse. It's also important to remember that, as with [[Calls#VENOM|venom]], weakness does not go away naturally - it must be treated in some way before it is removed.

Again, there's no particular reason to believe this may become an issue, but this is a good a time as any to remind people of the dangers of being weakened while in the Hall of Worlds.</box></div>
When it reaches the Hub, it bows low and begins to read from the book. It bears a greeting from the ''[[The Thrice-cursed Court|Court of Broken Hearts]]''. From the ''[[Tharim|King-in-Chains]]'', from the ''[[Surut|Prince-of-Ashes]]'', and from the ''[[Skathe|Queen-of-Nails]]''. They accept the invitation of the [[Archmage of Winter]]. They also express their regret: they have heard that the Archmage of Winter Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien has chosen to step away from their powerful position to pursue other interests. Ematius was a worthy Archmage, say the Three, and whomever steps up to replace them will surely have their work cut out for them, given how difficult the other eternals of the Winter realm can be to deal with.

Regardless, they offer formal parley on Friday night, at midnight, during the coming Summit. The new Archmage may bring two others as their aides if they wish. In addition to the Archmage, the Keeper of Tharim's Throne '''Claudia Varkulova Remislav''' is invited to attend as a guest of the King. During the parley they may speak as they see fit, with no constraints placed on them by the Archmage. They may bring a servant of their own along if they desire. The Keeper of Tharim's Throne is also empowered to bring one other specific person if the wish: the [[the Marches|Marcher]] [[General]] of the [[Drakes]], '''William Guildenstern'''. Tharim leaves it entirely to Claudia's discretion whether they believe Guildenstern will provide any benefit to the parley.

As to the parley itself, each of the three monarchs of the ''Court of Rope'' has topics of interest to them. The King-in-Chains and his lieutenant ''Lord-Captain Catenatus'' will discuss the matter of the wicked folk of [[Skoura]], and of the murder of ''Obligatus''. The ''Prince-of-Ashes'' will speak of the clever artisans of Skoura, and of knights and [[regio]], as well as on the matter of the [[vallorn]]. The ''Queen-of-Nails'' will speak of the peculiar folk of Skoura, the [[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#Smile_(Skathe)|boon of Catena]], and of other gifts that the Court are minded to offer to their Imperial friends.

These gifts will ''not'' however include the ritual to ''Unleash Wild Fire''. The Empire has proved reticent to actually use the magical lore that the ''Court of Locked Doors'' has offered in recent years and while '''Armand Remislav Who Was Remys''' is beloved of the court, they would be better served seeking other boons.

In response to questions, or requests for clarification, the messenger simply smiles and shakes their head. Once they have finished delivering their messages, they depart Anvil the way they came - not via the Imperial regio, but along the road leading out of the town. Those few brave enough to follow a herald of the Thrice-cursed soon lose it as the evening darkens into night and the first curtains of snow close around it.
===Tribute Collectors===
* '''Surut intends to send tribute collectors to Anvil prior to the parley
* '''These tribute collectors are due to arrive at Anvil around 22:00 on Friday
* '''They are only interested in speaking to "warriors" - whatever that means
There is another matter to consider; the ''Burnt Knight'' intends to send some of his heralds to Anvil before the parley proper to collect "tribute". They will be looking for warriors - and the herald stresses they must be warriors - prepared to accept a tiny portion of Surut's curse for a time. This will apparently involve the herald-knights [[Calls#CLEAVE|injuring]] the arms or legs of those prepared to receive their strike. They may arrange for [[Surgical skills#Physick|physicks]] to be on hand if they wish; the important thing is the willingness to offer tribute.

The herald is close-mouthed about the details of this peculiar ceremony. They do let slip, however, that this is about the fact that the Thrice-cursed Court all too often deals only with magicians. This may be acceptable to the ''Thronebound'' and the ''Contemptuous'', but the ''Ashen Prince'' values the raw strength of the warrior more than he does honeyed words or clever magic.

Before departing, the herald also mentions that Surut is expecting that there will be at least some warriors prepared to show respect to him. It is not stated explicitly but there is a subtext that Surut would likely be displeased to discover that the Empire is not willing to offer sufficient tribute, and this will directly impact his mood in the parley.

==And Eternity==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Ylenwe001.webp|align=right|width=300]]</div>
* '''Ylenwe has responded to a request for parley from the Archmage of Day
* '''A herald of Ylenwe named Trunembra of the Strings will visit the Hall of Worlds during the arcane colloquium
* '''In addition to the Archmage of Day, Ylenwe has requested that the High Bard of the Empire be there
* '''The current Archmage of Day is Skywise Gralka
On a blustery autumn day a quiet herald with mottled silver and indigo scales appears at the Hub. They arrive without comment, and the first anyone is aware of them is when, seated on a three-legged stool, they start to play quiet notes on their cerulean-and-weltsilver lyre. Their harmonious melody quells the often garrulous crowds in the Hub.

As they pluck their soothing strings, they deliver their message from the '' Mistress of Music''. Zie has heard the words of the Archmage of Day, and seen the results of their cooperation at Bulgakov, and in the [[Speak_to_me#Song_of_the_White_Wood|White Wood]]. Yet there are limits to what Ylenwe can achieve - and here the heralds music turns mournful, bringing a tear to the eye of all save the most hard-hearted. The [[Hahnmark#Kronemark|Sungate]] in Kronemark is beyond the power of ''Zie of the Perfect Morning''.

According to her herald the Sungate is not a scar, some residue of the harm the ''[[Cold Sun|Oblivion Flame]]'' inflicts upon the world. Rather it is an open wound, a thing directly supported by the disharmonious fury of the ''End Of Songs''. The howling empty heart of the ''Light Destructive'' cannot be moved by the music of the ''Dove''; there is no way to close the Sungate or to allow mortals to approach the fane of such relentless, irresistible hatred. If things change in the future then fate may deliver an opportunity to deal with this burning beacon of despite, but for now there is nothing to be done but avoid it.

The heralds’ notes fall silent, and they bow their scaled head for several moments in contemplation. When their music resumes it has a more hopeful tone. When it comes to the White Wood and its song, though, the ''Shape of Sound'' can achieve something a little more wholesome. She intends to send her herald ''Trunembra of the Strings'' to the Hall of Worlds during the [[Arcane Colloquium]]. Once the Archmage of Day has completed their hosting duties, there will be a chance to discuss matters. The eternal asks that the [[High Bard of the Empire]] also be there, if possible. There will be discussion of musical instruments, and the role that music can play in uplifting the spirit and honing understanding of the world.
===Passed the Setting Sun===
* '''Ylenwe proposes to serve as patron for a house of harmonious music in Skarsind
* '''Zie wishes the Archmage and High Bard to consider how to help those threatened by Cold Sun
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Harmonious Hall'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' TBC, Skarsind</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 15 white granite, 15 weirwood, 10 mithril, 10 ilium, 120 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirement:''' Must be ceded to Ylenwe (??)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Unclear at this time
</td></tr>
</table></div>
The ''Harmonious Chorister'' proposes the construction of a hall of music in the White Wood, a place where Imperial citizens can come together to study magic especially as it relates to the [[Day magic|Realm of Sea and Sky]] and the pursuit of harmony. The herald is not clear on what precisely this means - this is partly the matter that is to be discussed with the Archmage and the High Bard - but they do deliver plans for the structure. It appears to be a spacious hall, designed to complement the natural beauty of the area, with plenty of room for musical study and performance. The hall of music is an [[edifice]] that would require 15 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, and 10 rings of ilium to construct, and would need to be conceded to Ylenwe. This last point raises a few eyebrows, but the herald gently suggests that questions would be better held until Trunembra of the Strings can answer them with more authority.

There is another matter that ''Zie of the Dawn'' wishes to speak of. The Oblivion Flame has been [[Cold war|kindled again]] in the mortal world. Its creatures have erupted into lands torn by war, suspicion, and disharmony. It rampages unchecked, destroying and killing without pause. [[Cold Sun]] has learned much from its recent incursion into the Empire, and Ylenwe asks that the Archmage and the High Bard use all their influence to encourage the [[Senate|Imperial Senate]] to offer whatever aid the Empire can spare to the people of both the [[Commonwealth]] and [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] - both of whom are facing a storm that the Empire alone has successfully weathered. Again, there will be a chance to talk about this with Trunembra of the Strings.

==Only Gossamer, My Gown==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:WhisperGal006.png|align=right|width=250]]</div>
* '''The Whisper Gallery have responded to the request for parley from the Archmage of Night
* '''They intend to take possession of the Hall of Worlds late on Saturday
* '''Exact details of what will be discussed, and precisely who with, are not clear
* '''The current Archmage of Night is Bella Vicente d'Apulian'''
It is not a herald that arrives at Anvil as Autumn ages toward Winter, but an orc from distant [[Spiral#Apulian|Apulian]]. She comes in the [[dramaturgy|dramaturgical]] guise of [[the Mountebank]] - or perhaps more correctly [[the Mountebank#The Sailor|sailor]]. Of particular note is her [[The_Cloak|cloak]] which seems to billow around her with a life of its own, and whose hood does a remarkable job of concealing her identity even without her mask - a crudely carved piece of driftwood whose simplicity seems quite at odds with her flamboyant garb.

She comes as a messenger of the ''Seers of the Empty Thrones'', the ''Repairers of Reputation'', the ''Chiaroscuran Courtiers of the Echoed Fall'' - the [[Whisper Gallery]]. They have received the art of ''sweet Bella'' - '''Bella Vicente d'Apulian''' presumably - the delicious [[Archmage of Night]]. The specific requests contained within have piqued their interest. They choose to accede, and will send their sommelier to meet with the Archmage and any other Imperial magicians who wish to be present, late on Saturday night in the Hall of Worlds. The ''Weavers of the Improbable Loom'' will reach out to that place shortly before the meeting and fashion it suitable to their needs; they presume the Archmage understands their need to do so.

They do however place stipulations on the parley. All those who attend must be masked; those who do not accept this requirement will find they are unable to enter the Hall and will instead find themselves returning to Anvil. This misdirection of the paths between Anvil and the Hall of Worlds will persist until the parley - and it will be a parley - has been completed.

They are especially interested in seeing certain folk attend. In addition to sweet Bella, they invite the wise '''Fausta''', Grandmaster Silver Chalice; the ambitious '''Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian''', [[Senator]] for [[Spiral]] and cunning '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian''', Custodian of [[Legacy]]; the perceptive '''Mikael Reskovich''', High Bard; and the hateful '''Morgan Waystone Path''', [[Magpies#Speaker|Speaker of the Magpies]]. If they are in attendance they may accompany the Archmage into the Hall as part of their entourage. The Sommelier has words to convey to each from the ''Praetori Exsilium in Litore''.

Delightful Bella has, with honeyed words, asked for aid in uncovering secrets and the lieges of the Gallery shall be interested to see whether they are successful in doing so. There may be talk of [[Axos]], the fall of the empire of dreams, and the Spider of Lost Days. There may be talk of the [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|War of Whispers]], and of the destruction of the [[Magpies]], and of the [[Whispering Shadow Courtiers]].

The message is vague, perhaps unsurprisingly. On one matter, though, the orc is quite clear. The Whisper Gallery are not friends of, or allies to, the Empire of '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''', the ''Throne of Pumpkins''. Imperial thieves are too keen to drag secrets from the shadowed places of the world and expose them to the harsh noonlight. The Court continues to oppose them, wherever they can, and will urge others to do so. The enmity they bear against secret-slaughterers has not been slaked, not even a little.

However for this single night at the Winter Solstice, there will be a chance for good-mannered discussion. Things change, and while the enmity of the Court has not lessened, the shape it takes is as mutable as anything else drowned in the shadows. With that in mind, any members of the militia, or any magistrates, who attempt to exert their authority over the people visiting their friends in the ''Court of Disrule'' will be ejected. They are welcome as long as they come masked, and remain civil, but any who attempt to harass or impose boundaries on their fellow citizens will find the patience of the ''Dancers of the Gossamer Pavane'' extremely limited.

With that, the orc bows politely, and takes her leave. A pair of magistrates stand ready outside the Hub to ask her some significant questions, but almost as soon as she steps out of the tent she is mobbed by two dozen figures dressed identically in the same voluminous cloak. The shapes wheel around each other and before the magistrates can do much more than raise the alarm, each of them races off in a different direction. While several of these interlopers are caught, they are Imperial citizens from every nation - a mix of humans and orcs. The only thing they have in common is that they are all actors, who say they had been paid for a unique thespian opportunity. None of them have ever met before, each was recruited by a different agent, and they all resolutely claim to have no idea they were dealing with the Whisper Gallery. Of the orc who delivered the message of the Whisper Gallery there is no sign.
===Participation : Parley===
* '''Anyone who wants to visit the Hall of Worlds during the parley must wear a mask
* '''While in the Hall of Worlds during the parley, it is impossible to remove a mask
* '''Everyone in the Hall of Worlds during the parley experiences a roleplaying effect
* '''Additional options exist for leaving the parley
The Whisper Gallery are using the invitation to parley to "twist" the gate that leads to the Hall of Worlds. Anyone who is not masked in some way will be unable to reach the meeting. Anyone who enters the Hall of Worlds will find that they cannot remove their mask; it is impossible for anyone to take their own or another character's mask off while the parley is underway.

Furthermore everyone in the Hall of Worlds will experience a [[roleplaying effect]]: ''your mask represents your true face and you find it easy to act in accordance with its identity''. This effect becomes more pronounced as the parley continues. The dramaturgical personae offer some suggestions as to roleplaying effects tied to the traditional roles, but its up to you how you interpret the identity your mask represents. The effect fades within a few minutes of leaving the Hall of Worlds.

The twisting of the paths to and from the Hall of Worlds has a second effect. Anyone leaving the Hall of Worlds can choose to go immediately to the out-of-character area rather than return to Anvil directly. They're free to come back into play through the entrance between the out-of-character area and Anvil if they wish. This doesn't represent teleportation but rather the character being escorted, unseen, by heralds wreathed in [[Night magic]] until they reach the relative safely of the alleys of [[Anvil#Outer_Anvil|Outer Anvil]] - a clear effort from the Whisper Gallery to stymie attempts to intercept, search, or detain anyone visiting their parley.

During the parley any herald of the Whisper Gallery may call [[Calls#CURSE|CURSE]] against anyone attempting to disrupt the meeting. If this is done, the target should immediately leave the Hall of Worlds by the nearest exit and return to Anvil; they are unable to enter the Hall of Worlds again until time out.

Finally, we ask all participants to be mindful of our [[Conduct#Roleplaying_Conflict|conduct]] rules around roleplaying conflict, especially those concerning physical intimidation.

==Cornice==
{{CaptionedImage|file=King Under the Mountain.png|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Adamant has declined a formal parley from the Archmage of Summer'''
* '''They have made a number of proposals relating to ritual magic
* '''The current Archmage of Summer is Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''
There is, of course, a sizable contingent of ''koboldi'' busy at Anvil following the Autumn Equinox. While they are mostly focused on anchoring the [[Opening ceremonies|new structure]], one of them takes time out of their schedule to visit the Hub. A cheerful, friendly individual with silver scales buffed to mirror sheen, they wear a splendid golden coat inlaid with hundreds of tiny gemstones that twinkle and glitter as they move. Somewhat apologetically, they indicate that they have been charged with delivering a message from the ''[[Adamant|King Under the Mountain]]'' in response to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] of the [[Archmage of Summer]]. It is, they warn, a fairly mixed bag all things told.

The ''koboldi'' delivers the bad news first - “''to get it out of the way so that one can focus on happier things''”. While the ''King Under the Mountain'' would be happy to see more great fortresses of [[white granite]] built in northern Varushka, they are concerned that the Vorazi do not see the bigger picture. The court of Adamant might help make a fortress larger, more impressive, or harder to destroy. They might help it be built more swiftly. They might even aid in enchanting it so that it can be more easily repaired or its garrison granted additional strength. The one thing they are ''not'' going to do is make it ''cheaper''. As the ''koboldi'' says philosophically “''you really don’t want to cut corners when you’re building something that’s meant to withstand armies, do you?''.”

The request to intercede with Imperial roads is not something Adamant is interested in at the moment. The [[Senate]] is doing a wonderful job repairing and maintaining the grand highways, says the ''koboldi''. Yet the [[Spring magic#Ruin|ruinous]] magic of Spring - the ''koboldi'' shudders at the thought of it - has a way of tearing down even those things crafted from the strongest mundane materials. Infusing an entire Empire’s worth of roads with adamant - even the pale shadow of true adamant that can be worked in the mortal world - would take massive effort and not be achieved quickly. For something as mundane, and lacking in [[Summer magic#Majesty|majesty]] as a network of roads? Is such an endeavour worthy of the ''King Under the Mountain''? It isn't impossible to achieve but would require a great deal of fast talk, and likely involve the kind of [[:Category:Imperial Enchantment|Imperial enchantment]] that has been illegal since the [[interdiction]] of '''Cassandra i Periera i Erigo''' [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction_:_Empire_Wide_Enchantments|made such things a crime]].

Finally on the matter of the Ashen Flame, the Archmage must understand that there is no shortage of covens and individual magicians seeking the patronage of ''Sharaz on the Adamant Throne''. Their master is not uninterested, but at the moment there is little to make that coven stand out. If the Ashen Flame is serious about impressing Adamant, says the ''koboldi'', they should prevail on the Archmage of Summer to arrange a meeting on their behalf with some of Adamant's assessors. They should outline what they actually want, and why Adamant should give it to them. If this is the sole purpose of a plenipotentiary missive, the ''Master of Gnomes'' is much more likely to be amenable to honouring that request.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dima12713.jpg|caption='''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''', Master of the Koboldi|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Laughlan10531.jpg|caption='''Laughlan vi Temeschwar''', Master of Rings|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Lucrezia Corvinascura.jpg|caption='''Lucrezia Corvinascura''', Chair of the Wolf|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
===''Throne of the Mountains''===
* '''Adamant offers an arcane projection that might be codified to conjure a powerful castle from his domain
* '''Unlike the Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae, the conjured fort would focus on protecting a single region of hills
* '''In return for their aid they request that certain titles have their powers expanded
After all that negativity, the ''Dragon of Stone'' is interested to hear the request of '''Joseph of the Ashen Flame''' regarding the conjuration of ''actual'' citadels rather than simple castles that simply ''claim'' to be citadels. It is within the power of the ''Imperishable Potentate'' to do so. Adamant is prepared to provide a [[arcane projection|document]] that can serve as the basis for a ritual called ''Throne of the Mountains'' that could be codified at any Imperial [[college of magic]]. It would conjure a powerful defensive structure from the domain of Adamant that would offer superlative protection to the region of [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]] where the enchantment was cast. This defence would make it significantly harder for an enemy army to claim the region, and they would find attempts to do so particularly punishing. Beyond that the ''koboldi'' provides no other details. A little cross-questioning from a member of the [[Unfettered Mind]] who happens to be present leaves them with the distinct impression that the ''koboldi'' is outlining something similar in basic outline to [[the Basalt Citadel]], but for enchanting hills or mountains. Attempts to get a more specific explanation just send the ''koboldi'' off into a tangent about how great fortifications are in general.
In return for this boon, the ''Stone King'' wishes to see the powers of certain [[Imperial title|Imperial titles]] amended. At the moment the epic builders of the Empire often have little lists of things they can and cannot build - ''clearly'' an oversight suggests the cheerful ''koboldi''. The ''Throne of Adamant'' “simply” wishes the [[Imperial Senate]] to amend the powers of the [[Master of the Koboldi]], [[Legion Engineer]], [[Master of Rings]], and [[Chair of the Wolf]] such that these titles can build ''any'' [[Commission]] that creates a structure. This would mean they could commission any current ''or future'' [[commission#Military Commissions|military]] or [[commission#Civilian Commissions|civilian]] commission that makes a structure (this would exclude, for example, mustering an [[army]] or raising a [[navy]]).

The ''koboldi'' cheerfully points out that this will save the Senate a lot of trouble in the long run as they won’t have to keep tweaking the titles as they come up with new things to build.

Obviously any other restrictions about how and where and when they can build things will remain as per the individual titles. If the Senate does so before the Conclave Session on Saturday night, a ''koboldi'' will try and make sure the Archmage of Summer has the document in their hands during the session.

===''Monolithic Stronghold''===
* '''Adamant considers the power of Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon
* '''In return for aid, they ask that the Imperial Master of Works have their power to commission fortifications restored
Likewise, when it comes to the ''Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon'', Adamant is prepared to examine the [[arcane projection]] and see if it can be improved. The ''koboldi'' cautions that this might increase the magnitude of the enchantment; it’s hard to say. In return Adamant wishes to see the Senate show their commitment to building and maintaining mundane [[fortification|fortifications]] - they ask that the Archmage use their political influence to restore the power of the [[Imperial Master of Works]] to [[commission]] such structures. The civil service indicate that it would be possible to limit the number of times each season that this power could be used - in much the same way as the power of the [[Imperial Spymaster]] to build [[spy network|spy networks]] is limited. Again, if this is done before the last Conclave Session of the summit, the ''koboldi'' will do their best to deliver a modified arcane projection to the Archmage during that time although they can't promise to be successful.
===On Gnomes===
* '''Gnomes are inhabitants of the Summer realm, part of Adamant's court
As a final note, which the ''koboldi'' almost forgets to mention, there is the matter of gnomes. They are [[inhabitants of the realms|inhabitants]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] that serve as excavators in the ranks of Adamant’s court. They are simple yet powerful creatures of earth and stone that can swim through rock, and reshape it as they wish with their bare hands. The ''koboldi'' is a little sniffy when they recount this - there are strong hints that their people and the gnomes do not get along well. Indeed, the little silver herald finished by saying that they don’t see why '''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''' would be worried about gnomes when they have so many delightful ''koboldi'' to work with.
===Collecting Stones===
* '''Adamant has also received a missive from the Stone Smith
It seems that the Archmage of Summer is not the only person who has requested parley with the the ''Unturned Stone''. The [[Stone Smith]], '''Gemma Brightsmith''' has also sought counsel from the ''Swordbreaker'' on behalf of her fellow [[smith|smiths]] through the auspices of an [[Stone Smith#Call to the Gull|Autumn eternal]]. Rather than reply in the same fashion as he does with an Archmage, however, it seems Adamant has chosen to send his heralds directly to [[the Marches]] to present his response. You can find more detail about this in the '''[[In the ground]]''' wind of fortune.

==Timetable==
There are comparatively few meetings taking place during this summit. The times, the locations, and the eternals involved, are summarised here.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Day !! Time !! Eternal !! Realm !! Note
|-
| Friday || TBC || [[Siakha]] || Spring || Parley; only the Archmage is invited to the chamber where it will take place
|-
| Friday || 00.00 || [[The Thrice-cursed Court]] || Winter || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|-
| Saturday || TBC|| [[Prospero]] || Autumn || Parley in a chamber
|-
| Saturday || 15:00 || [[Ylenwe]] || Day || A herald will attend the [[Arcane Colloquium]] after the formal business is completed
|-
| Saturday || 00.00 || [[Whisper Gallery]] || Night || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|}

Ourselves and immortality

2026-03-23T21:03:26Z

Vsabo: /* Only Gossamer, My Gown */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Plenipotentiary]]
<ic>The sound of someone trying to drag a heavy box as quietly as possible was very distracting. Aemilia strove to maintain poise, but the words in her head tumbled and fragmented and were gone. She put down her pen with a pointed "click" and turned round in her chair.

"Sorry, Aemelia." Diogenes did not sound sorry. He had his sleeves rolled up and was rooting through some of the storage chests that sat under the bookshelves. "What are you working on?"

"A poem about death." She replied flatly. "Or I was until someone decided they needed to rearrange the library right this second. Now I'm talking to you."

"Sorry again." He still didn't sound sorry. "But there's been news. The Archmage has called the Court of Rope together. All three of them. For the Solstice. Marcus wants us to be ready to offer Tribute."

"I thought the Queen was still under enmity?" Aemelia had not been keeping track.

"Not since last Winter," replied Diogenes cheerily. He ran his finger through the frosted tips of his bleached hair and then swore quietly as he realised he'd caked his head in dust. "Queen and Knight at neutrality, King remains amitous."

"That isn't a word." Aemelia corrected her coven mate on reflex, more out of pedantic habit than any confidence he would stop making up words.

"''Definitely'' all three of them? Not just the King?" Poise alone kept Aemelia's tone neutral. "Hag Queen and Burnt Prince as well? In the same parley?"

Diogenes was only half listening, busy selecting scrolls and stuffing them into the pockets in his sash.

"Well, the heliopticon says it's all three of them. Tupenties from Moonwell Spire says it's ''as monarchs'' as well if that matters."

It did not, in fact, help. Aemelia caught herself nibbling her thumbnail, and it took an effort to put her hand back in her lap.

"How long has it been since all three of them have been approached together?" She asked mildly. "As the Court I mean, rather than individually?"

"Years, I suppose. I hadn't really given it any thought. Why?"

"No reason, just thinking out loud." She did not let her eyes stray to the shelf where the ''Tome of Ruinous Omens'' lay innocently on its side, fat with visionary dreams and carefully curated advice about the Court of the Three and the dangers of getting entangled with them. "I just seem to recall that last time they were all together, it caused a bit of a fuss. But I'm sure ''this'' time it will be ''absolutely fine''."</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=StillLifeWithASkull.jpg|caption=Everything is sure to be well, to be well.|align=right|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''Six eternals have sent emissaries to Anvil, apparently in response to plenipotentiary messages from the Imperial archmages'''
* '''Five have agreed to meetings of one kind of another, either in person or via emissaries'''
* '''The other has provided messages, opportunities, or gifts of one type or another'''
As the Winter Solstice approaches, the [[eternal|eternals]] respond to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] messages of the six [[archmage|archmages]]. Each of the six is empowered to send a single message to an eternal of their [[realms|realm]] each season, with certain expectation of ''some'' kind of response. Some eternals will arrange a [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] or some kind, a personal meeting with themselves or more commonly one of their favoured lieutenants. Others may take more direct action, offering [[opportunity|opportunities]] to secure boons or enlist the eternal's power to change the Empire in some way. Sometimes they decline the offer of meetings or boons, but even then they are likely to provide their reasons for doing so.

Since the Autumn Equinox, messengers representing six eternals have come to the Empire from their eternal patrons, detailing the response to each plenipotentiary missive.
==Before a House==
* '''The Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges welcomes the plenipotentiary of the Autumn Archmage
* '''A parley will take place in a chamber reached via the Hall of Worlds at TBC on Saturday during the summit
* '''Prospero requests the Archmage bring someone capable of speaking for the Celestial Arch along with them
* '''The Archmage may include up to two others as part of their entourage
* '''The current Archmage of Autumn is Vossk of Zenith Ascendant
{{CaptionedImage|file=Prospero001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
It has been a [[Back_in_town#Prospero|little over two years]] since last a formal emissary of the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] visited the Empire. The minotaur, resplendent in robes of incarnadine and viridian, again visits the [[Astolat#Castle of Thorns|Castle of Thorns]] rather than visiting [[Anvil#The Hub|the Hub]]. Their message is short and devoid of unnecessary details. It seems that the ''Sovereign Lord of the City of Bridges'' requests formal [[Archmage#Parely|parley]] with '''Vossk of Zenith Ascendant''', the new [[Archmage of Autumn]].

The meeting will take place in a chamber set aside for the purpose, at '''TBC''' on Saturday during the coming Winter Solstice. The main topic of conversation will be the matter of ritual magic - ''Threadweaver'' is interested to hear how the Archmage believes the ''City of Bridges'' might provide support to the Imperial war machine in the manner Vossk has outlined, although the minotaur is quick to point out that nothing is promised.

On the matter of promises, however, the ''Reckoner of Ebony and Bone'' is keen to conclude the matter of the favour owed by the [[Celestial Arch]] following his [[Inkpot_gods#The_Arch_and_The_Web|provision of a meeting]] with the people of [[Skoura]]. It is time for that favour to be called in, and as such Vossk is requested to bring a member of the [[Conclave order]] with the authority to discuss such matters to the parley. As with the favour provided to the [[Rod and Shield]], which was repaid by the [[386YE_Spring_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Dissemination:_Find_the_Best_Path|dissemination]] of a [[Find the Best Path|military ritual]] to the magician-princes of Jarm, the expectation is that the repayment will be of commensurate value to the favour provided.

There are provisions for up to two others - secretaries, clerks, or [[scrivener|scriveners]] as the Archmage deems appropriate. The agenda for the meeting is set, however, and Prospero is unlikely to be amused by attempts to introduce new matters for discussion once it begins.

==I Would Not Stop==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Siakha001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Siakha offers parley to the Archmage of Spring at TBC on Saturday/Friday during the summit
* '''The ''Marvath'' will discuss the matter of destruction the Archmage has raised
* '''Three new rituals have appeared in Urizen lore without warning, apparently as a gift to Ibiss Briarheart
* '''The current Archmage of Spring is Ibiss Briarheart'''
During some of the worst weather of the early Winter, a creature emerges from the [[Regio#Imperial Regio|Imperial Regio]] at [[Anvil]]. It is a ''[[Siakha#Servants_of_Siakha|tempest]]'', one of the children of ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]''. A storm given flesh, a thing of barely contained disruptive force. This one is a little different to those encountered on battlefields supporting the [[Children of Wrecks]]. It bears a staff of [[tempest jade]] and wears an open dark green robe that evokes the wind-tossed breakers of the [[Bay of Catazar]]. It jerks and twitches in time to some inaudible rhythm only it can hear. Moving through Anvil with impressive directness, anyone who gets in its way even slightly is [[repel|hurled aside]] without warning. By the time it reaches the Hub, there are magistrates and militia waiting for it. It does not waste time on formalities, simply delivering its message to anyone who is near enough to hear its loud, rumbling words.

''Thunder-That-Speaks'' has heard the words of '''Ibiss Briarheart'''. She accepts the petition for parley. There will be an opportunity for the Archmage of Spring to speak with her favoured lieutenant the ''Marvath'' who is empowered to talk of the destruction desired by Briarheart. That meeting will take place on Friday evening at '''TBC''', in a chamber created for the purpose. Only the Archmage themselves, or their proxy if they cannot come themselves, is invited to attend.

There will be no talk of [[Grendel]], nor of wreckers. Nothing to say about Sarvos, nor Asavea, nor the lords of Winter. The matter the ''Hurricane Queen'' is interested in is the devastation, slaughter, and loot that the Archmage has proposed. She will offer her gift, if the Archmage is strong enough to accept it. Indeed, she has provided gifts to the people of Urizen as Briarheart has asked.

Message delivered, the ''tempest'' returns by the same direct route that it arrived, this time with an armed escort that it does not acknowledge in any way. It disappears through the gate at the heart of the Imperial regio with neither another word nor a backward glance.
==Civility==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Skathe001.webp|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Surut002.png|align=right|width=200}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tharim 001.jpg|align=right|width=215}}
* '''The Thrice-cursed Court accept the offer of parley
* '''They will accept a delegation from Anvil at midnight on Friday
* '''Each of the three has matters of interest to them
* '''The current Keeper of Tharim's Throne Claudia Varkulova Remislav is invited to join the courtiers of the Thrice-cursed to help facilitate the meeting
* '''The current Archmage of Winter is Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien, although they have indicated their intent to retire
On the evening of the first day of Winter proper, the air is sharp with the promise of snow and ice, and a messenger arrives at Anvil. It comes not from the Imperial Regio, but along the main road that runs through the settlement. It takes its time, savouring the sights and sounds, and pausing to observe folk about their early evening business. It is clearly a [[Inhabitants of the realms|creature of the realms]], and of the [[Realms#Winter|Winter realm]] in particular. Pallid skinned, with lengths of rusted metal woven into and out of its flesh, it observes with empty eye sockets that nonetheless seem to see everything that transpires. A foul aura surrounds it, and those who get too close feel their skin crawling - that feeling of being on the edge of sleep and hearing a noise from a part of the room you know to be empty. Chained to its wrist is a book, the binding of which does not bear close inspection by those of faint heart or weak stomach.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box>'''Weakness and the Hall of Worlds'''<br>The last time all three members of the Thrice-cursed Court were together, they appeared in the Hall of Worlds. Their departure triggered an unpleasant effect. Everyone in the Hall of Worlds was struck with [[Calls#Weakness|weakness]]. There's no indication this was done on purpose; it might just be an effect of the Thrice-cursed monarchs withdrawing their presence from the Hall. There's also no indication this will happen again, but it is something to be aware of.<br><br>

But to be on the safe side, it's worth a reminder that one cannot leave the Hall of Worlds while subject to [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]], because one cannot cast [[operate portal]]. It is important to remember that you can only move ''yourself'' between the Hall of Worlds and Anvil (and vice versa) with the [[operate portal]] spell. The [[Ambassadorial Gatekeeper]] ritual allows other options but must either be cast in advance, or performed in the Hall of Worlds.

It's also tricky to remove weakness while one is experiencing it, given the way it restricts a character's abilities. The most reliable way would be to use a potion such as [[Apothecary_Potions#Feverfail_Elixir|Feverfail Elixir]] or [[Master_Medicinal#Maledict's_Medicament|Maledict's Medicament]]. A magician who does so would then be free to cast the [[purify]] spell, or take part in a ritual such as [[Renewed Strength of the New Day]] to help their fellows overcome any lingering curse. It's also important to remember that, as with [[Calls#VENOM|venom]], weakness does not go away naturally - it must be treated in some way before it is removed.

Again, there's no particular reason to believe this may become an issue, but this is a good a time as any to remind people of the dangers of being weakened while in the Hall of Worlds.</box></div>
When it reaches the Hub, it bows low and begins to read from the book. It bears a greeting from the ''[[The Thrice-cursed Court|Court of Broken Hearts]]''. From the ''[[Tharim|King-in-Chains]]'', from the ''[[Surut|Prince-of-Ashes]]'', and from the ''[[Skathe|Queen-of-Nails]]''. They accept the invitation of the [[Archmage of Winter]]. They also express their regret: they have heard that the Archmage of Winter Ematius "Icebreaker" Ankarien has chosen to step away from their powerful position to pursue other interests. Ematius was a worthy Archmage, say the Three, and whomever steps up to replace them will surely have their work cut out for them, given how difficult the other eternals of the Winter realm can be to deal with.

Regardless, they offer formal parley on Friday night, at midnight, during the coming Summit. The new Archmage may bring two others as their aides if they wish. In addition to the Archmage, the Keeper of Tharim's Throne '''Claudia Varkulova Remislav''' is invited to attend as a guest of the King. During the parley they may speak as they see fit, with no constraints placed on them by the Archmage. They may bring a servant of their own along if they desire. The Keeper of Tharim's Throne is also empowered to bring one other specific person if the wish: the [[the Marches|Marcher]] [[General]] of the [[Drakes]], '''William Guildenstern'''. Tharim leaves it entirely to Claudia's discretion whether they believe Guildenstern will provide any benefit to the parley.

As to the parley itself, each of the three monarchs of the ''Court of Rope'' has topics of interest to them. The King-in-Chains and his lieutenant ''Lord-Captain Catenatus'' will discuss the matter of the wicked folk of [[Skoura]], and of the murder of ''Obligatus''. The ''Prince-of-Ashes'' will speak of the clever artisans of Skoura, and of knights and [[regio]], as well as on the matter of the [[vallorn]]. The ''Queen-of-Nails'' will speak of the peculiar folk of Skoura, the [[Upon_a_midnight_dreary#Smile_(Skathe)|boon of Catena]], and of other gifts that the Court are minded to offer to their Imperial friends.

These gifts will ''not'' however include the ritual to ''Unleash Wild Fire''. The Empire has proved reticent to actually use the magical lore that the ''Court of Locked Doors'' has offered in recent years and while '''Armand Remislav Who Was Remys''' is beloved of the court, they would be better served seeking other boons.

In response to questions, or requests for clarification, the messenger simply smiles and shakes their head. Once they have finished delivering their messages, they depart Anvil the way they came - not via the Imperial regio, but along the road leading out of the town. Those few brave enough to follow a herald of the Thrice-cursed soon lose it as the evening darkens into night and the first curtains of snow close around it.
===Tribute Collectors===
* '''Surut intends to send tribute collectors to Anvil prior to the parley
* '''These tribute collectors are due to arrive at Anvil around 22:00 on Friday
* '''They are only interested in speaking to "warriors" - whatever that means
There is another matter to consider; the ''Burnt Knight'' intends to send some of his heralds to Anvil before the parley proper to collect "tribute". They will be looking for warriors - and the herald stresses they must be warriors - prepared to accept a tiny portion of Surut's curse for a time. This will apparently involve the herald-knights [[Calls#CLEAVE|injuring]] the arms or legs of those prepared to receive their strike. They may arrange for [[Surgical skills#Physick|physicks]] to be on hand if they wish; the important thing is the willingness to offer tribute.

The herald is close-mouthed about the details of this peculiar ceremony. They do let slip, however, that this is about the fact that the Thrice-cursed Court all too often deals only with magicians. This may be acceptable to the ''Thronebound'' and the ''Contemptuous'', but the ''Ashen Prince'' values the raw strength of the warrior more than he does honeyed words or clever magic.

Before departing, the herald also mentions that Surut is expecting that there will be at least some warriors prepared to show respect to him. It is not stated explicitly but there is a subtext that Surut would likely be displeased to discover that the Empire is not willing to offer sufficient tribute, and this will directly impact his mood in the parley.

==And Eternity==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:Ylenwe001.webp|align=right|width=300]]</div>
* '''Ylenwe has responded to a request for parley from the Archmage of Day
* '''A herald of Ylenwe named Trunembra of the Strings will visit the Hall of Worlds during the arcane colloquium
* '''In addition to the Archmage of Day, Ylenwe has requested that the High Bard of the Empire be there
* '''The current Archmage of Day is Skywise Gralka
On a blustery autumn day a quiet herald with mottled silver and indigo scales appears at the Hub. They arrive without comment, and the first anyone is aware of them is when, seated on a three-legged stool, they start to play quiet notes on their cerulean-and-weltsilver lyre. Their harmonious melody quells the often garrulous crowds in the Hub.

As they pluck their soothing strings, they deliver their message from the '' Mistress of Music''. Zie has heard the words of the Archmage of Day, and seen the results of their cooperation at Bulgakov, and in the [[Speak_to_me#Song_of_the_White_Wood|White Wood]]. Yet there are limits to what Ylenwe can achieve - and here the heralds music turns mournful, bringing a tear to the eye of all save the most hard-hearted. The [[Hahnmark#Kronemark|Sungate]] in Kronemark is beyond the power of ''Zie of the Perfect Morning''.

According to her herald the Sungate is not a scar, some residue of the harm the ''[[Cold Sun|Oblivion Flame]]'' inflicts upon the world. Rather it is an open wound, a thing directly supported by the disharmonious fury of the ''End Of Songs''. The howling empty heart of the ''Light Destructive'' cannot be moved by the music of the ''Dove''; there is no way to close the Sungate or to allow mortals to approach the fane of such relentless, irresistible hatred. If things change in the future then fate may deliver an opportunity to deal with this burning beacon of despite, but for now there is nothing to be done but avoid it.

The heralds’ notes fall silent, and they bow their scaled head for several moments in contemplation. When their music resumes it has a more hopeful tone. When it comes to the White Wood and its song, though, the ''Shape of Sound'' can achieve something a little more wholesome. She intends to send her herald ''Trunembra of the Strings'' to the Hall of Worlds during the [[Arcane Colloquium]]. Once the Archmage of Day has completed their hosting duties, there will be a chance to discuss matters. The eternal asks that the [[High Bard of the Empire]] also be there, if possible. There will be discussion of musical instruments, and the role that music can play in uplifting the spirit and honing understanding of the world.
===Passed the Setting Sun===
* '''Ylenwe proposes to serve as patron for a house of harmonious music in Skarsind
* '''Zie wishes the Archmage and High Bard to consider how to help those threatened by Cold Sun
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''The Harmonious Hall'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' TBC, Skarsind</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 15 white granite, 15 weirwood, 10 mithril, 10 ilium, 120 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' None</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirement:''' Must be ceded to Ylenwe (??)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Unclear at this time
</td></tr>
</table></div>
The ''Harmonious Chorister'' proposes the construction of a hall of music in the White Wood, a place where Imperial citizens can come together to study magic especially as it relates to the [[Day magic|Realm of Sea and Sky]] and the pursuit of harmony. The herald is not clear on what precisely this means - this is partly the matter that is to be discussed with the Archmage and the High Bard - but they do deliver plans for the structure. It appears to be a spacious hall, designed to complement the natural beauty of the area, with plenty of room for musical study and performance. The hall of music is an [[edifice]] that would require 15 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, and 10 rings of ilium to construct, and would need to be conceded to Ylenwe. This last point raises a few eyebrows, but the herald gently suggests that questions would be better held until Trunembra of the Strings can answer them with more authority.

There is another matter that ''Zie of the Dawn'' wishes to speak of. The Oblivion Flame has been [[Cold war|kindled again]] in the mortal world. Its creatures have erupted into lands torn by war, suspicion, and disharmony. It rampages unchecked, destroying and killing without pause. [[Cold Sun]] has learned much from its recent incursion into the Empire, and Ylenwe asks that the Archmage and the High Bard use all their influence to encourage the [[Senate|Imperial Senate]] to offer whatever aid the Empire can spare to the people of both the [[Commonwealth]] and [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]] - both of whom are facing a storm that the Empire alone has successfully weathered. Again, there will be a chance to talk about this with Trunembra of the Strings.

==Only Gossamer, My Gown==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: right;">[[file:WhisperGal006.png|align=right|width=250]]</div>
* '''The Whisper Gallery have responded to the request for parley from the Archmage of Night
* '''They intend to take possession of the Hall of Worlds late on Saturday
* '''Exact details of what will be discussed, and precisely who with, are not clear
* '''The current Archmage of Night is Bella Vicente d'Apulian'''
It is not a herald that arrives at Anvil as Autumn ages toward Winter, but an orc from distant [[Spiral#Apulian|Apulian]]. She comes in the [[dramaturgy|dramaturgical]] guise of the [[the Mountebank]] - or perhaps more correctly [[the Mountebank#The Sailor|sailor]]. Of particular note is her [[The_Cloak|cloak]] which seems to billow around her with a life of its own, and whose hood does a remarkable job of concealing her identity even without her mask - a crudely carved piece of driftwood whose simplicity seems quite at odds with her flamboyant garb.

She comes as a messenger of the ''Seers of the Empty Thrones'', the ''Repairers of Reputation'', the ''Chiaroscuran Courtiers of the Echoed Fall'' - the [[Whisper Gallery]]. They have received the art of ''sweet Bella'' - '''Bella Vicente d'Apulian''' presumably - the delicious [[Archmage of Night]]. The specific requests contained within have piqued their interest. They choose to accede, and will send their sommelier to meet with the Archmage and any other Imperial magicians who wish to be present, late on Saturday night in the Hall of Worlds. The ''Weavers of the Improbable Loom'' will reach out to that place shortly before the meeting and fashion it suitable to their needs; they presume the Archmage understands their need to do so.

They do however place stipulations on the parley. All those who attend must be masked; those who do not accept this requirement will find they are unable to enter the Hall and will instead find themselves returning to Anvil. This misdirection of the paths between Anvil and the Hall of Worlds will persist until the parley - and it will be a parley - has been completed.

They are especially interested in seeing certain folk attend. In addition to sweet Bella, they invite the wise '''Fausta''', Grandmaster Silver Chalice; the ambitious '''Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian''', [[Senator]] for [[Spiral]] and cunning '''Rafael Barossa d'Apulian''', Custodian of [[Legacy]]; the perceptive '''Mikael Reskovich''', High Bard; and the hateful '''Morgan Waystone Path''', [[Magpies#Speaker|Speaker of the Magpies]]. If they are in attendance they may accompany the Archmage into the Hall as part of their entourage. The Sommelier has words to convey to each from the ''Praetori Exsilium in Litore''.

Delightful Bella has, with honeyed words, asked for aid in uncovering secrets and the lieges of the Gallery shall be interested to see whether they are successful in doing so. There may be talk of [[Axos]], the fall of the empire of dreams, and the Spider of Lost Days. There may be talk of the [[Venture#War_of_Whispers|War of Whispers]], and of the destruction of the [[Magpies]], and of the [[Whispering Shadow Courtiers]].

The message is vague, perhaps unsurprisingly. On one matter, though, the orc is quite clear. The Whisper Gallery are not friends of, or allies to, the Empire of '''Vesna Borkovna Prochnost''', the ''Throne of Pumpkins''. Imperial thieves are too keen to drag secrets from the shadowed places of the world and expose them to the harsh noonlight. The Court continues to oppose them, wherever they can, and will urge others to do so. The enmity they bear against secret-slaughterers has not been slaked, not even a little.

However for this single night at the Winter Solstice, there will be a chance for good-mannered discussion. Things change, and while the enmity of the Court has not lessened, the shape it takes is as mutable as anything else drowned in the shadows. With that in mind, any members of the militia, or any magistrates, who attempt to exert their authority over the people visiting their friends in the ''Court of Disrule'' will be ejected. They are welcome as long as they come masked, and remain civil, but any who attempt to harass or impose boundaries on their fellow citizens will find the patience of the ''Dancers of the Gossamer Pavane'' extremely limited.

With that, the orc bows politely, and takes her leave. A pair of magistrates stand ready outside the Hub to ask her some significant questions, but almost as soon as she steps out of the tent she is mobbed by two dozen figures dressed identically in the same voluminous cloak. The shapes wheel around each other and before the magistrates can do much more than raise the alarm, each of them races off in a different direction. While several of these interlopers are caught, they are Imperial citizens from every nation - a mix of humans and orcs. The only thing they have in common is that they are all actors, who say they had been paid for a unique thespian opportunity. None of them have ever met before, each was recruited by a different agent, and they all resolutely claim to have no idea they were dealing with the Whisper Gallery. Of the orc who delivered the message of the Whisper Gallery there is no sign.
===Participation : Parley===
* '''Anyone who wants to visit the Hall of Worlds during the parley must wear a mask
* '''While in the Hall of Worlds during the parley, it is impossible to remove a mask
* '''Everyone in the Hall of Worlds during the parley experiences a roleplaying effect
* '''Additional options exist for leaving the parley
The Whisper Gallery are using the invitation to parley to "twist" the gate that leads to the Hall of Worlds. Anyone who is not masked in some way will be unable to reach the meeting. Anyone who enters the Hall of Worlds will find that they cannot remove their mask; it is impossible for anyone to take their own or another character's mask off while the parley is underway.

Furthermore everyone in the Hall of Worlds will experience a [[roleplaying effect]]: ''your mask represents your true face and you find it easy to act in accordance with its identity''. This effect becomes more pronounced as the parley continues. The dramaturgical personae offer some suggestions as to roleplaying effects tied to the traditional roles, but its up to you how you interpret the identity your mask represents. The effect fades within a few minutes of leaving the Hall of Worlds.

The twisting of the paths to and from the Hall of Worlds has a second effect. Anyone leaving the Hall of Worlds can choose to go immediately to the out-of-character area rather than return to Anvil directly. They're free to come back into play through the entrance between the out-of-character area and Anvil if they wish. This doesn't represent teleportation but rather the character being escorted, unseen, by heralds wreathed in [[Night magic]] until they reach the relative safely of the alleys of [[Anvil#Outer_Anvil|Outer Anvil]] - a clear effort from the Whisper Gallery to stymie attempts to intercept, search, or detain anyone visiting their parley.

During the parley any herald of the Whisper Gallery may call [[Calls#CURSE|CURSE]] against anyone attempting to disrupt the meeting. If this is done, the target should immediately leave the Hall of Worlds by the nearest exit and return to Anvil; they are unable to enter the Hall of Worlds again until time out.

Finally, we ask all participants to be mindful of our [[Conduct#Roleplaying_Conflict|conduct]] rules around roleplaying conflict, especially those concerning physical intimidation.

==Cornice==
{{CaptionedImage|file=King Under the Mountain.png|align=right|width=200}}
* '''Adamant has declined a formal parley from the Archmage of Summer'''
* '''They have made a number of proposals relating to ritual magic
* '''The current Archmage of Summer is Mirella of the Twisted Rose'''
There is, of course, a sizable contingent of ''koboldi'' busy at Anvil following the Autumn Equinox. While they are mostly focused on anchoring the [[Opening ceremonies|new structure]], one of them takes time out of their schedule to visit the Hub. A cheerful, friendly individual with silver scales buffed to mirror sheen, they wear a splendid golden coat inlaid with hundreds of tiny gemstones that twinkle and glitter as they move. Somewhat apologetically, they indicate that they have been charged with delivering a message from the ''[[Adamant|King Under the Mountain]]'' in response to the [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]] of the [[Archmage of Summer]]. It is, they warn, a fairly mixed bag all things told.

The ''koboldi'' delivers the bad news first - “''to get it out of the way so that one can focus on happier things''”. While the ''King Under the Mountain'' would be happy to see more great fortresses of [[white granite]] built in northern Varushka, they are concerned that the Vorazi do not see the bigger picture. The court of Adamant might help make a fortress larger, more impressive, or harder to destroy. They might help it be built more swiftly. They might even aid in enchanting it so that it can be more easily repaired or its garrison granted additional strength. The one thing they are ''not'' going to do is make it ''cheaper''. As the ''koboldi'' says philosophically “''you really don’t want to cut corners when you’re building something that’s meant to withstand armies, do you?''.”

The request to intercede with Imperial roads is not something Adamant is interested in at the moment. The [[Senate]] is doing a wonderful job repairing and maintaining the grand highways, says the ''koboldi''. Yet the [[Spring magic#Ruin|ruinous]] magic of Spring - the ''koboldi'' shudders at the thought of it - has a way of tearing down even those things crafted from the strongest mundane materials. Infusing an entire Empire’s worth of roads with adamant - even the pale shadow of true adamant that can be worked in the mortal world - would take massive effort and not be achieved quickly. For something as mundane, and lacking in [[Summer magic#Majesty|majesty]] as a network of roads? Is such an endeavour worthy of the ''King Under the Mountain''? It isn't impossible to achieve but would require a great deal of fast talk, and likely involve the kind of [[:Category:Imperial Enchantment|Imperial enchantment]] that has been illegal since the [[interdiction]] of '''Cassandra i Periera i Erigo''' [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction_:_Empire_Wide_Enchantments|made such things a crime]].

Finally on the matter of the Ashen Flame, the Archmage must understand that there is no shortage of covens and individual magicians seeking the patronage of ''Sharaz on the Adamant Throne''. Their master is not uninterested, but at the moment there is little to make that coven stand out. If the Ashen Flame is serious about impressing Adamant, says the ''koboldi'', they should prevail on the Archmage of Summer to arrange a meeting on their behalf with some of Adamant's assessors. They should outline what they actually want, and why Adamant should give it to them. If this is the sole purpose of a plenipotentiary missive, the ''Master of Gnomes'' is much more likely to be amenable to honouring that request.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Dima12713.jpg|caption='''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''', Master of the Koboldi|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Laughlan10531.jpg|caption='''Laughlan vi Temeschwar''', Master of Rings|align=right|width=250}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Lucrezia Corvinascura.jpg|caption='''Lucrezia Corvinascura''', Chair of the Wolf|align=left|width=250}}
</div>
===''Throne of the Mountains''===
* '''Adamant offers an arcane projection that might be codified to conjure a powerful castle from his domain
* '''Unlike the Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae, the conjured fort would focus on protecting a single region of hills
* '''In return for their aid they request that certain titles have their powers expanded
After all that negativity, the ''Dragon of Stone'' is interested to hear the request of '''Joseph of the Ashen Flame''' regarding the conjuration of ''actual'' citadels rather than simple castles that simply ''claim'' to be citadels. It is within the power of the ''Imperishable Potentate'' to do so. Adamant is prepared to provide a [[arcane projection|document]] that can serve as the basis for a ritual called ''Throne of the Mountains'' that could be codified at any Imperial [[college of magic]]. It would conjure a powerful defensive structure from the domain of Adamant that would offer superlative protection to the region of [[Region_qualities#Hills|hills]] where the enchantment was cast. This defence would make it significantly harder for an enemy army to claim the region, and they would find attempts to do so particularly punishing. Beyond that the ''koboldi'' provides no other details. A little cross-questioning from a member of the [[Unfettered Mind]] who happens to be present leaves them with the distinct impression that the ''koboldi'' is outlining something similar in basic outline to [[the Basalt Citadel]], but for enchanting hills or mountains. Attempts to get a more specific explanation just send the ''koboldi'' off into a tangent about how great fortifications are in general.
In return for this boon, the ''Stone King'' wishes to see the powers of certain [[Imperial title|Imperial titles]] amended. At the moment the epic builders of the Empire often have little lists of things they can and cannot build - ''clearly'' an oversight suggests the cheerful ''koboldi''. The ''Throne of Adamant'' “simply” wishes the [[Imperial Senate]] to amend the powers of the [[Master of the Koboldi]], [[Legion Engineer]], [[Master of Rings]], and [[Chair of the Wolf]] such that these titles can build ''any'' [[Commission]] that creates a structure. This would mean they could commission any current ''or future'' [[commission#Military Commissions|military]] or [[commission#Civilian Commissions|civilian]] commission that makes a structure (this would exclude, for example, mustering an [[army]] or raising a [[navy]]).

The ''koboldi'' cheerfully points out that this will save the Senate a lot of trouble in the long run as they won’t have to keep tweaking the titles as they come up with new things to build.

Obviously any other restrictions about how and where and when they can build things will remain as per the individual titles. If the Senate does so before the Conclave Session on Saturday night, a ''koboldi'' will try and make sure the Archmage of Summer has the document in their hands during the session.

===''Monolithic Stronghold''===
* '''Adamant considers the power of Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon
* '''In return for aid, they ask that the Imperial Master of Works have their power to commission fortifications restored
Likewise, when it comes to the ''Monolithic Stronghold of the Gemstone Dragon'', Adamant is prepared to examine the [[arcane projection]] and see if it can be improved. The ''koboldi'' cautions that this might increase the magnitude of the enchantment; it’s hard to say. In return Adamant wishes to see the Senate show their commitment to building and maintaining mundane [[fortification|fortifications]] - they ask that the Archmage use their political influence to restore the power of the [[Imperial Master of Works]] to [[commission]] such structures. The civil service indicate that it would be possible to limit the number of times each season that this power could be used - in much the same way as the power of the [[Imperial Spymaster]] to build [[spy network|spy networks]] is limited. Again, if this is done before the last Conclave Session of the summit, the ''koboldi'' will do their best to deliver a modified arcane projection to the Archmage during that time although they can't promise to be successful.
===On Gnomes===
* '''Gnomes are inhabitants of the Summer realm, part of Adamant's court
As a final note, which the ''koboldi'' almost forgets to mention, there is the matter of gnomes. They are [[inhabitants of the realms|inhabitants]] of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] that serve as excavators in the ranks of Adamant’s court. They are simple yet powerful creatures of earth and stone that can swim through rock, and reshape it as they wish with their bare hands. The ''koboldi'' is a little sniffy when they recount this - there are strong hints that their people and the gnomes do not get along well. Indeed, the little silver herald finished by saying that they don’t see why '''Dima Vasilyevna Novosad''' would be worried about gnomes when they have so many delightful ''koboldi'' to work with.
===Collecting Stones===
* '''Adamant has also received a missive from the Stone Smith
It seems that the Archmage of Summer is not the only person who has requested parley with the the ''Unturned Stone''. The [[Stone Smith]], '''Gemma Brightsmith''' has also sought counsel from the ''Swordbreaker'' on behalf of her fellow [[smith|smiths]] through the auspices of an [[Stone Smith#Call to the Gull|Autumn eternal]]. Rather than reply in the same fashion as he does with an Archmage, however, it seems Adamant has chosen to send his heralds directly to [[the Marches]] to present his response. You can find more detail about this in the '''[[In the ground]]''' wind of fortune.

==Timetable==
There are comparatively few meetings taking place during this summit. The times, the locations, and the eternals involved, are summarised here.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Day !! Time !! Eternal !! Realm !! Note
|-
| Friday || TBC || [[Siakha]] || Spring || Parley; only the Archmage is invited to the chamber where it will take place
|-
| Friday || 00.00 || [[The Thrice-cursed Court]] || Winter || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|-
| Saturday || TBC|| [[Prospero]] || Autumn || Parley in a chamber
|-
| Saturday || 15:00 || [[Ylenwe]] || Day || A herald will attend the [[Arcane Colloquium]] after the formal business is completed
|-
| Saturday || 00.00 || [[Whisper Gallery]] || Night || Parley in the Hall of Worlds
|}

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:50:25Z

Vsabo: /* Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Winter]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Beater on the Field.jpg|caption=Beaters secure the boundaries of the Marches against all intrusion. Some times this is more challenging than others.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Loyal to the People==
The Strong Reeds were raised from the Bregas. To this day the bulk of their soldiers come from the Dour Fens, and they know the wetlands better than anyone else. Since the [[Only forward|Jotun returned]] to steal their homeland, they have been amid the reeds, resisting the invaders. This despite the unhappiness some of their countryfolk still feel towards the Empire - and we must not forget that many Bregas are marshfolk first, Marchers second, and Imperial citizens a distant third. Yet the 'Reeds have remained true to the oath of their General, fighting from the rushes and the deep fens to bamboozle the barbarian invaders wherever they can.

They are in a perilous situation, for all their skill at [[Army_qualities#Secretive|laying low]]. The Queen of Kalsea herself, ''Yrsa Jansdóttir'', set the Lion of the North to root out the 'Reeds and their sympathisers. The Bregas army has been left exposed, and those who offer them succour left in mortal danger. The Jotun are closing in on their hidden encampments, deep in the fens. It has become more and more difficult for them to move or take action without the barbarians descending on them in force.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] to [[So_our_path_is_laid#Battle_Opportunity_:_How_Will_They_Rise_Up?|come to their aid]]. In [[Bregasland#Grey Fens|Grey Fens]] they intercepted the Jotun champions [[So_our_path_is_laid#Objective:_Recover_the_scouting_orders|ordered]] to hunt out the havens of the Strong Reeds. Both ''Ghodi Melker'' and the yegarra champion ''Eisa Winterborn'' were brought low - the latter success in particular being cause for muted celebration. A thorn in the Empire's side for years, Imperial heroes brought Eisa to ground at ''Leakey Moss'', and her warband has withdrawn back to their stronghold in [[Skallahn#Mindrkyst|Skallahn]]. They will not return to fight in the Empire again until some new hero raises the walrus banner and walks the path of the rare yegarra champions.
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">This game of fox and hound is at an end. No quarter shall be given. Not any more. Rise up! Rise from the reeds and be a tidal wave of fury to wash the scum from our fields. I march with you as a soldier, as a marcher, as your friend. I march with my husband by my side for us, for land, for the Marches. And when we are done, will bring in the harvest and toast to the turning of the seasons.</quote></div>

Unfortunately, their success was not unqualified. They were unable to prevent one of the champions from rallying her warband. Barely has the equinox ended before ''Seeker Alma'' - a skilled tracker from the hills of [[Reinos]] - leads a contingent of Lasambrian Jotun into the sleepy village of ''Catchment'', deep in the fens. Some two hundred Marcher soldiers, taken by surprise, are slain or captured before they can flee. A grievous loss - but one that could have been significantly worse had the Empire's heroes been less thorough. Alma continues to harry the Bregas across the marshes, striking without warning against sanctuaries that have been secret for generations.

Yet despite this, the 'Reeds remain in Bregasland. They endure, and when the order comes, they will [[If_one_be_gone_we_carry_on#Objective:_Rouse_the_Strong_Reeds|rise]].
===Rise===
Granite-faced Derun Stonetower and the Tower of the North continues to work alongside Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, standing in for King Gudmundr Arasonn as general of the Fist of Ulven, ruling Bregasland with a mailed fist. Yet many of the barbarian "heroes" are champing at the bit, eager for honourable battle against the Marcher-folk and their allies. As a people, the Jotun tend to have little time for stealth and the subtle manoeuvring of spies and scouts; let others seek the Strong Reeds, the champions of Kalsea and Narkyst will build their bridge across the [[Howling Abyss]] in glorious battle! Throughout the long Summer into Autumn, [[So_our_path_is_laid#Pride_of_the_Marches|barbarian raiders]] came reaving across the border into prosperous [[Mitwold]].

<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Mary Birchsmith, General of the Bounders">Bounders, show me your strength and your loyalty. We bring the knights of Eleonaris with us to fight alongside our friends and siblings in Gravenmarch. We will support the strong reeds to rise up and show the Jotun what we stand for. This is marcher land and we take pride in that. We will overwhelming assault into Graven March, Bregasland. A Marcher! A Marcher!</quote>
<quote by="William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes">Make of them a scarecrow. Make our enemy a living effigy of your will - Shrive yourselves, pour your anger and sorrow into your greatswords and poleaxes… First army be shriven of sin and malignancy drive it into the invaders. It is not Sin however to hate the Jotun. To repel the invaders virtue demands it. So Shrive yourselves in battle my Drakes. Liberate the fens and furrows of Bregasland and be born anew. Do this for me now. For fellow, our commander, our stoats and all who have suffered this evil. Should you find the fire of the Marches - send me to her, so I may love my wife amidst the chaos of the land. Our Overwhelming Assault will be the battle song of my love for this and all of you.</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Cloaks, we march to free the reeds, we march to recover the lost and aid the Marchers, we march with the Champions of Eleonaris. A good friend has just become one of their champions and I hope she can march to battle with the Winterfolk once more. Blaze Dunn! A Hero has a name!</quote></div>

The ''Ice Fishers of Ldansk'' have been in Bregasland for a year or more, growing more restless with each season that passes. ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' plants her raven-banner in Ottery, splitting her attention between rooting out the Strong Reeds and testing the borders to the east. The Howling Bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' have had their eyes on the wealth of Mitwold since they arrived. With the death of ''Eisa Winterborn'' it is as if grief has unhinged their champion who drives their warband to fight the Marchers wherever possible even when it is perhaps not wise to do so.

Their desire for bloodshed is nothing, however, beside that of the traitor-yegarra who gather around the banners of ''Stephen of Sarcombe''. While the other champion-warbands seek wealth and challenge, the yegarra of the [[Mournwold|Mourn]] look to sate their bloodlust on the [[Yeoman of the Marches|yeofolk]] of Mitwold and Bregasland alike. Rumours that other Jotun warbands will not fight alongside Stephen's yegarra for fear of dishonouring themselves and their ancestors have solidified. In desperation Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir has loosed the choke-chain King Gudmundr used to control the furious human champion, letting him lead his troops into Mitwold in the hope, perhaps, that the Marchers will end the problem he represents before the King returns.

And so the raids continue after the Autumn Equinox. The Imperial defenders of Mitwold are able to ensure they do reach much further east than [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and occasionally [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]], but their focus is elsewhere. The task of dealing with the raiders falls to the [[beater|beaters]] who [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|patrol the borders]], and to the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]]. The [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the [[Autumn Hammers]] have quit Mitwold leaving only the [[Drakes]] and the [[Bloodcloaks]] in Mitwold - and they are busy preparing for what is to come.

Fortunately the absence left by the armies marching north is quickly filled for by the arrival of the [[Bounders]] from neighbouring [[Upwold]]. A fortnight after the Equinox, a grand cohort of [[Knights of Glory|elfin knights and goblin-kind infantryfolk]] emerge from an old battlefield in Meade March, drawn from the demesne of [[Eleonaris]]. Without delay they march west to join the Imperial armies, splitting into three distinct groups and setting their brightly-coloured pavilions and fluttering banners alongside the tents of the Imperial soldiers.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GenBounders.jpg|caption='''Mary Birchsmith''', General of the Bounders}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Plate.jpg|caption='''William Guildenstern''', General of the Drakes}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt.png|caption='''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''', General of the Bloodcloaks}}
</div>
To aid the Drakes comes ''Kore'' the lion-maned warlord, glorious in their scarlet armour. They command only half the number of warriors brought by the others, but each of their knights is twice the size of their comrades. While their torso, head, and arms are humanlike their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. These crimson knights use their lances to great effect, devastating their enemies with a thundering charge. ''Ser Helvennan'', resplendent in gold and red chain, quietly joins the Bloodcloaks. The Stag-knight leads a mixed band of elfin spearmasters and grizzled goblin-kin with shield and javelin. ''Ollavan the Reeve'', the sharp-eared bowmaster, comes at the head of a band of wily archers and rust-red hunting hounds. They are eager not only to face their foes, but to test their skill against the marksmen of the Bounders. The knights attract comment wherever they go, their richly coloured garb and merry voices something of a contrast with the fields of Meade March.

The Drakes are further reinforced by nearly five thousand troops lead by Imperial captains from every Imperial nation save the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They have come to fight the Jotun; some offer their aid to the beaters while they wait but few can keep up with the fast-moving Marchers. Others seek the beaters for different reasons however. Perhaps as many as nine thousand more soldiers wish to sneak across the border into Bregasland to join the Strong Reeds. The expertise of the beaters is tested, but they are found equal to the challenge. Others take the riskier route along the southern shores of the Westmere with the aid of sailors from [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Steward's Landing]], slipping into the conquered territories through [[Bregasland#Eel's_Landing|Eel's Landing]] or isolated fishing villages along the coastline.

===Fist, Lion, Tower===
Once everyone is in place, on a certain day, at an appointed hour, the camps are struck. The Drakes, Bounders, and Bloodcloaks begin to move south through Meade March toward [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|Gravenmarch]], toward battle. At the same time, the Strong Reeds rise, launching a surprise attack against the Jotun garrison at Graven. With them are two thousand delicately deadly warriors of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] attired in breathtaking splendour of sky blue and sun gold; the household of ''Ser Alcedini'', the brightly feathered Kingfisher Castellan, who leads them into battle alongside the Bregas forces. The 'Reeds can't know for sure that help is coming, cut off from the rest of the Marches as they are. They can only trust that if they act, their allies will be there to support them. More than a few Bregas soldiers breathe a sigh of relief when the news that a major Imperial force has crossed the border into the 'March reaches them.

Battle is joined. The Tower of the North, the Fist of Ulven, and the Lion of the North respond quickly, Jotun warriors surging south to intercept the Imperial forces. The rising of the Strong Reeds, however, provides a powerful element of surprise. The eyes of the barbarians were to the north, toward Ottery and Fisher's Rock rather than towards Graven. By the time they realise the attack is underway, the town has been freed from the Jotun.

At first it seems as if the whole of Graven March will follow suit, but as the days unfold that hope begins to fade somewhat. While the initial fighting mostly involves the Tower, the Fist, and the Lion, reinforcements quickly arrive. Some six thousand Summer [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - orc-like warriors with a distinct leonine cast to their features in crimson steel chain - join the battle. Knights of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of Summer]], they are equally enthusiastic about fighting Imperial troops as they are clashing with their kin from the Summer Realm. In particular the axe-wielding warriors lead by ''Ser Grumbar'' the Hound-knight seek out every opportunity to contend with the knights of ''Ser Helvennan'' who side with the Bloodcloaks.

Only a few days after the fighting begins, the Jotun are further bolstered by some fifteen thousand Lasambrian orcs - the entire Lasambrian Jotun force of the Hierro, the Corazón, and the Escuta. Yet even these allies are only sufficient to slow the Imperial advance, not to halt it entirely. The Drakes and the Bounders plough straight through the Jotun defenders to meet up with the Strong Reeds at Graven; three armies of Marcher soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder against the barbarians. The liveries of dozens of Marcher households flutter and dance in the wind from the west as stubborn yeofolk face the orcs who bedevil their homelands.

The Bloodcloaks swiftly establish a presence at the town that once served as a place for the Navarr to meet with the people of the Marches to trade stories of the wider world. And to trade herbs, especially valuable [[cerulean mazzarine]] from [[the Brass Coast]] in return for the unique plants gathered in the deep fens. Indeed, while the Bloodcloaks are establishing a field hospital in the little town they come across a hidden stash of healing herbs concealed beneath the floorboards - dozens of carefully wrapped packages of [[true vervain]] and [[Imperial roseweald]] and [[marrowort]]. There is a note, hastily written, wishing whoever finds the herbs well and expressing the hope that those who use them might remember the [[striding]] of ''Liath's Path''. It's clear to the Winterfolk that this cache was left by the Navarr trapped in Graven when the Jotun came, in the hope that it would find its way into Imperial hands. Of the Navarr themselves, there is no sign. Doubtless they were among those executed by the barbarians when Graven fell.

It proves to be a valuable find; the Winterfolk healers have their work cut out for them as they [[Army_qualities#Woundbinder|tend the wounds]] of their allies. The Jotun may have been put on the back foot by the attack into Gravenmarch, but they have rallied quickly, mounting a [[Army orders#Solid Defence|solid defence]] in the face of the Empire's furious assault.

Tough as the going is, the Marchers and their allies from the north are equal to the challenge. They liberate several of the smaller households and villages as they expand their control of the 'March outward from Graven. The arrival of the Lasambrians has nudged the butter churn a little, but Imperials rally quickly to the new situation and as slow as the going is it looks as if they will ultimately win the battle, if not the war.

Then, of course, the other shoe drops and the bad news arrives in the form of an exhausted Greywater messenger from Ottery.
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<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunMarch.jpg|align=left|width=500|caption=The Jotun have followed last season's raids with a full-on invasion of Mitwold.}}</div>

==Pride of the Marches==
The Greywater is injured, on the verge of collapse when they reach Graven and demand to speak to the Strong Reeds. Refusing to rest until they have discharged their duty - there were four of them when they set out from Ottery and only one survived the passage through the Jotun lines - they bring a dire message. The Lasambrians are not the ''only'' force of Jotun that has come into Bregasland since the Autumn equinox.

While the Tower, and the Fist, and the Lion, and their Lasambrian allies, have been fighting the Empire in Gravenmarch, a massive force of Jotun has gathered in Ottermire... and is sweeping east across the Otterway into Mitwold. Perhaps forty five thousand Jotun have joined the warbands raiding Oddmire, alongside several thousand crimson-and-gold clad knights of the Summer realm. Eight armies, marching up out of [[Liathaven]] and [[Hordalant]] through the western fens to Ottery. Rather than join the defence, they barely broke their march before crossing the walkway into Oddmire.

For the first time in a century or more, there are Jotun armies in Mitwold. The news spreads through the Imperial forces like wildfire. Soldiers of the Drakes demand to be allowed to return home to protect their farms, their families, their friends. Fear that the army might make it as far as Upwold grips the Bounders. Yet in the end, there are bonds of duty and loyalty that are stronger than the fear they feel. The Empire's forces are too tightly bound up in the fight in Gravenmarch to risk trying to break free and march back north. Everything is focused here, on seizing a foothold in Bregasland. Trying to turn back now would leave the four armies between the hammer and the anvil - and risk making the situation worse. At the moment, should disaster come upon them, they can retreat into [[Mournwold#Green_March|Green March]]. If they try to turn north, there is every chance they will end up trapped in Gravenmarch at the mercy of the Jotun.

It is a painful decision, but in the end the soldiers of the Marches and Wintermark have little choice but to trust the orders of their generals, to trust that the defenders of Mitwold will be equal to the challenge that faces them.
===Odd's Way===
Nearly fifty thousand Jotun. Two full contingents of the [[Knights of Glory]]. The Ice Fishers, and the Howling Bears, and the raven-banner of Helma Skutasdóttir. The traitors of the Mourn. They march along the Otterway into Oddmire. No simple raiding party, but a hammer blow against the Pride of the Marches.

Normally the western barbarians invade a territory with a crushing assault, seeking to overwhelm defenders with furious might and force of numbers. Uncharacteristically though, the Jotun attacking Mitwold seem to be favouring a more [[Army orders#Cautious Assault|cautious]] strategy. Most likely last season's raids established the presence of defending armies dug-in in Oddmire. Perhaps the Jotun commanders are simply being cautious of a trap, or careful about overextending their forces. Either way, they focus more on preserving their strength than smashing the Imperial armies... which are not there. The relative slowness of the Jotun response in Bregasland makes more sense if one assumed the barbarians were expecting the Imperial armies to still be in Mitwold rather than launching an attack of their own.

Eight armies, well-rested and well-provisioned from their stay in Liathaven and Hordalant. The Fell Hammers and the Iron Host are in the van, with the glory-hungry warriors of the Mandowla's Roar and Raging Thunder straining against the unfamiliar orders to advance cautiously rather than slam full-strength into whatever Mitwold has to offer. The knights that accompany those two armies are clearly no happier about this strategy than their orc friends, but they follow their orders. The Howling Night, the Skjaldirborn, and the Shield of the Mountain form the solid core at the heart of the Jotun expeditionary force, with the Southern Bear in the rearward position, [[Army_qualities#Resilient|grinding]] relentlessly forward even as they seek to lock down the land the advance guard claims. The army of Bjorgthorn Hammerhand prides itself on only moving forward, and even though the Jotun come with caution, move forward they do.

The defenders of Mitwold know about the Jotun invasion before the forces in Gravenmarch; the beaters who watch the borders immediately realise what is happening and raise the alarm. The news speeds eastward, galvanising the garrison of Forte Fidelis and sending the yeofolk and stewards to their armouries. Weapons and armour are passed out, as the folk of the Marches brace themselves for the Jotun advance. Just as with their neighbours to the east and the south, they will not cede one inch of ground save that the barbarians pry it from their clenched fists. Messengers are sent to Mournwold and Upwold, telling them of the invasion and while they do not directly ask for aid - Marchers are proud people - the implication is there. They may be rivals in peacetime, but as both Bregasland and Mournwold have shown, when war comes to the Marches, folk unite against the interloper.
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This grim pride, the courage of the yeofolk, is not in vain but it cannot hope to hold back the Jotun for long. At best, the garrison and the beaters, the households, and the walls of Oddmire can only delay what seems inevitable. Western Oddmire falls, and within a week the rest of the region follows suit. Odd's End is overwhelmed by the barbarians, forced to open its gates rather than see the entire town flattened by Jotun siege engines. Steward's Landing falls shortly afterward without any fighting at all - because ''Jarvey "Strongoar" Oddsboy'' and his entire household have loaded everyone they can onto their boats and slipped across the Gullet to [[Kallavesa#Wittal_Grove|Fisk]]. The Winterfolk who once kept a careful eye on the Marchers to the south welcome them, working with the steward and his levies to ensure that the northern shores of Mitwold can be kept supplied, should the worst come to the worst.

Despite the relatively cautious strategy the invasion of Mitwold follows a familiar pattern. Wherever they go, the Jotun offer Imperial citizens the Choice. Take up arms alongside the Jotun; lay aside the accoutrements of war and become thralls; or be given a swift and honourable death. Nobody takes the first choice. Most take the second. Few are stubborn enough to face the third. Many families make the decision to retreat before the Jotun, staunchly certain that they will reclaim their land soon enough when the Drakes return and drive the Jotun back into the western fens. The refugees are welcomed by their neighbours to the east with open grumbling about the inconvenience - but they ''are'' welcomed and found places to stay.

===The Walls of Meade===
Oddmire is quickly taken, and then the Jotun march on [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]]. The first [[market town]] and the oldest. The largest settlement south of [[Hahnmark#Kalpaheim|Kalpaheim]], the city-port of the Marches. Revitalised by the dredging of the Westmere, by trade with the [[Faraden]], and by decades of prosperity and security, Meade stands ready to repel the Jotun just as they did the [[Harvest_of_infamy|Asavean raiders]] last Autumn.

Of course, last Autumn the Marchers had ample warning that the attack was coming, and the garrison of Forte Fidelis was bolstered by the Drakes. This year, the defenders of Meade are on their own. The city has walls of course, but while there has been some talk of [[Three_keys#The_Walls_of_Meade|further work]] it has been over a decade since the defences were [[Fortify_Town_defences|reinforced]] by the Senate. The walls are stout, but to stand against eight armies of Jotun bent on conquest? That would be a challenge even for a true [[fortification]] - there's little doubt that if the Jotun turned south-east into the [[Mitwold#Golden_Downs|'Downs]] even Forte Fidelis would be hard pressed to keep them out.

So the Jotun come up through Meade March towards the pride of the Marches. The people turned back the Asaveans, and they fight just as valiantly against the Jotun, but they are outnumbered and ultimately outmatched. A Jotun messenger offers the people of Meade one chance to surrender, but if anything the proud refusal of the defenders both impresses and pleases the herald sent to deliver the offer. She returns to the armies, and they waste no time besieging the city. Not that it is a siege in any literal sense. The soldiers of Forte Fidelis garrison the walls as best they can, but the gates are riven to splinters by Jotun battering rams almost immediately. The warriors of the west pour into Meade, and those who fight back are swiftly overwhelmed. This is a city of prosperity, of clever merchants and wise scholars, not a city of warriors, after all.

The remaining garrison retreats east. A great many Marchers stay behind, refusing to give up their homes. They watch sullenly as the Jotun establish a command post in Meade, from which to direct the rest of their forces. With the city fallen, there is little chance for the households of Meade March to mount more than a token defence. Yet with the aid of the beaters and the Forte Fidelis soldiers, they do their best, and their courage at least helps to slow the Jotun invasion and give time for the rest of Mitwold to prepare for what is to come. As it is, the 'March is conquered and the Jotun continue to press forward into the heart of the Marches.

As the bulk of the Jotun move to back up the raiders attacking [[Mitwold#The_Meadows|the Meadows]], however, Stephen of Sarcombe moves to have the remaining [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Alder|alders]] of Meade and their families hanged, sending his yegarra also to try and capture the bailiffs of [[Bailiff of Meade|Meade]] and the [[Bailiff of the Grand Market|Grand Market]], the [[Alder of Meade]], and even the [[Master of the Root and Stem]] so they can face similar treatment. Before he can do much more than mobilise his people, they are confronted by Helma Skutasdóttir and her warband. Denouncing him as a coward and unfit to call himself Jotun, Helma herself challenges him to defend his honour. Actual fighting between the orcs of Helma's raven-banner and Stephens yegarra breaks out in the centre of Meade. Bjorgthorn Hammerhand, general of the Southern Bear, is forced to send his own warriors to separate the two warbands - but not before several fighters on both sides are slain. He does not bother to hide his utter contempt for Stephen and his clear support for Helma in this matter. According to witnesses, it looks as if the traitor-Marchers are squaring up to actually take on the Southern Bear, but in the end they back down and retreat from Meade with their tails between their legs. It becomes common knowledge that Bjorgthorn has dispatched messengers north to the King and Queen, demanding that something be done about the "rabid dog" in the midst of the Jotun before he is forced to deal with the matter himself.

Flies like Stephen aside, though, the rest of the Jotun invasion goes off with barely a hitch. After Oddmire and Meade March, the Jotun press heavily into the Meadows. North-eastern Mitwold borders [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Wittal Grove]], some of the only dry land in the whole of [[Kallavesa]], and allows easy access to [[Upwold#Stock_March|Stock March]] in Upwold. If the Jotun can secure it, and secure their lines across northern Mitwold, the threat they represent is multiplied significantly.

Yet despite their fervour, and their sheer numbers, their invasion slows and begins to falter once they hit the Meadows. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the weather worsens significantly. Torrential rains give way to heavy snowfall in the approach to midwinter, and while the Jotun are no strangers to cold and snow they are not foolhardy enough to throw themselves into the teeth of the storm while there are defenders still fighting. Across the northern Marches, camps are established as the Jotun make the preparations needed to keep what they have taken so far - and presumably to continue to conquer Mitwold until the entire Pride of the Marches is in their hands.
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==Between Beats==
It is easy to imagine that every warrior in the Jotun lands is in the Marches; six armies in Bregasland fighting the Empire's attempt to liberate Gravenmarch. Eight armies in Mitwold. Thousands of would-be champions fighting under the banners of their warlords, even as thousands of Imperial captains fight in support of the armies of the Empire. Knights of Glory on both sides, urging their compatriots to fight boldly, to neither give nor ask for quarter, to seek to build enduring legends that will live on in the songs of the bards long after their bodies are gone to rot and treeroots.

The fighting in Bregasland has been bloody - three thousand Imperial heroes dead or broken. The number would have been higher without the Bloodcloaks; the Jotun have suffered more grievous losses simply because they lack the medical expertise of the Winterfolk, their losses closer to four thousand. The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward taking Gravenmarch from the barbarians, but the fighting continues. Behind them, the armies of the west rampage across Mitwold, slowed by the stubborn defenders, but only a little. Oddmire and Meade March - and the city of Meade - are in their hands. They are halfway toward claiming the whole of the Meadows, and who knows where their ambition will take them after that?

The ultimate goal of the Jotun may be unclear, but one thing ''is'' clear. The Marchers will not give up without a fight, not in Mitwold, and not anywhere else. The Jotun have been beaten before, time and again, and this time will be no different. Just as the Strong Reeds fight for the people of Bregasland, just as the Tusks battled the odds and risked everything to free their folk in Mournwold, the people of Mitwold trust that the Drakes will be back and make the Jotun pay a high price for their trespass.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofBregasland.png|align=right|width=300}}
==Game Information==
* '''The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward claiming Gravenmarch'''
* '''The Jotun have conquered Oddmire and Meade March, and are halfway towards claiming the Meadows'''
* '''All titles connected to the city of Meade have lost access to their resources'''
Following the battle opportunity in Autumn, the Jotun have struck back against the Strong Reeds, causing them to take 200 casualties. They have now risen up, however, openly fighting the barbarians. As such, the information the Jotun scouts gathered about their movements and dispositions is no longer useful. If the Strong Reeds choose to start lying low again, they will not face any ongoing losses unless and until the Jotun are able to scour the territory for them once again. The "counter" on their ability to rise up would be reset at this point given they still maintain the absolute support of the Bregas people. Alternatively, they could leave the territory without difficulty either alone or with other Imperial armies.

The Imperial forces have not taken Gravenmarch but they are four-fifths of the way there. While the route they entered Bregasland by, has been cut off - Oddmire and Meade March being in Jotun hands - there is nothing to stop them retreating into the Mournwold, or even circling round through Mournwold into Golden Downs or Maiden Downs. If they wish to return to Mitwold directly - into Oddmire or Meade March - they will have to fight the Jotun to do so.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofMitwold.png|align=right|width=300}}
The city of Meade is in Jotun hands. While they are not going out of the way to loot the place, there is still massive disruption here. As such the [[Bailiff of Meade]], [[Bailiff of the Grand Market]], [[Master of the Root and Stem]], and [[Alder of Meade]] have all lost access to their production - whether sinecure or ministry. The titles still exist, they simply can't wield their powers to secure resources. In addition, the Bounder's Hall in Meade is now in Jotun hands and unfortunately that means that it is no longer possible for beaters to [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] in Mitwold. There is nothing to stop characters instead [[Military_unit#Guarding|supporting Forte Fidelis]] but they won't receive any income for doing so unless that action is assigned [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Guerdon shares]]. Likewise, until Oddmire and Steward's Landing are once again in Marcher hands it is no longer possible for Marcher [[fleet|fleets]] to take the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]].

==Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks==
* '''Characters who took the Beating the Bounds or Raid Kalsea's Coastline actions have had a busy season'''
* '''The General of the Bloodcloaks retains some of the healing herbs recovered from the Navarr herb cache in Graven'''
Any character who took the [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] [[venture]] in Mitwold this season, or who undertook the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]] is encouraged to roleplay their part in the events taking place in the Marches. In particular, they may have been involved in helping [[military unit|military units]] sneak into Bregasland to join the Strong Reads, helped deliver the desperate warning of the Jotun assault to the defenders of Mitwold, or been involved in evacuating Steward's Landing. If your military unit or fleet supported one of these actions, you may have been injured engaging in risky heroism against the Jotun. Anyone who did so can email {{plot}} before the end of March and request a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|lingering wound]] sustained in the campaign. A lingering wound can help support your roleplaying on the field as one of the defenders of Mitwold. Bear in mind however that, if left untreated, lingering wounds can also be fatal.

The Navarr herb cache uncovered by the Bloodcloaks in Graven has been distributed to the healers of the Wintermark army, but a portion has also been set aside for the [[general]]. As such, '''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''' will find six drams of each of the five medicinal herbs in their pack, all that remains of this bounty.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=The crimson and gold pennants of Queen Eleonaris flutter over the Fields of Glory in the Summer Realm|align=left|width=200}}</div>

===Participation : Knights of Glory===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought with the Drakes, the Bounders, or the Strong Reeds receive a special benefit'''
The Knights of Glory who fought alongside the Drakes, Bounders, and Strong Reeds revel in the uncompromising tactics the three armies employed. As is their wont they communicate some of their enthusiasm to the soldiers who fight alongside them. A character whose military unit supported one of these three armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Winter Solstice.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Winter Solstice regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a [[roleplaying effect]] that lasts until the end of the Winter Solstice: ''You feel the urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and take particular pleasure from approval and adulation. You feel the urge to do things that demonstrate your prowess as a powerful warrior. Being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:49:38Z

Vsabo: /* Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Winter]] [[Category:Military Council]]
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==Loyal to the People==
The Strong Reeds were raised from the Bregas. To this day the bulk of their soldiers come from the Dour Fens, and they know the wetlands better than anyone else. Since the [[Only forward|Jotun returned]] to steal their homeland, they have been amid the reeds, resisting the invaders. This despite the unhappiness some of their countryfolk still feel towards the Empire - and we must not forget that many Bregas are marshfolk first, Marchers second, and Imperial citizens a distant third. Yet the 'Reeds have remained true to the oath of their General, fighting from the rushes and the deep fens to bamboozle the barbarian invaders wherever they can.

They are in a perilous situation, for all their skill at [[Army_qualities#Secretive|laying low]]. The Queen of Kalsea herself, ''Yrsa Jansdóttir'', set the Lion of the North to root out the 'Reeds and their sympathisers. The Bregas army has been left exposed, and those who offer them succour left in mortal danger. The Jotun are closing in on their hidden encampments, deep in the fens. It has become more and more difficult for them to move or take action without the barbarians descending on them in force.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] to [[So_our_path_is_laid#Battle_Opportunity_:_How_Will_They_Rise_Up?|come to their aid]]. In [[Bregasland#Grey Fens|Grey Fens]] they intercepted the Jotun champions [[So_our_path_is_laid#Objective:_Recover_the_scouting_orders|ordered]] to hunt out the havens of the Strong Reeds. Both ''Ghodi Melker'' and the yegarra champion ''Eisa Winterborn'' were brought low - the latter success in particular being cause for muted celebration. A thorn in the Empire's side for years, Imperial heroes brought Eisa to ground at ''Leakey Moss'', and her warband has withdrawn back to their stronghold in [[Skallahn#Mindrkyst|Skallahn]]. They will not return to fight in the Empire again until some new hero raises the walrus banner and walks the path of the rare yegarra champions.
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">This game of fox and hound is at an end. No quarter shall be given. Not any more. Rise up! Rise from the reeds and be a tidal wave of fury to wash the scum from our fields. I march with you as a soldier, as a marcher, as your friend. I march with my husband by my side for us, for land, for the Marches. And when we are done, will bring in the harvest and toast to the turning of the seasons.</quote></div>

Unfortunately, their success was not unqualified. They were unable to prevent one of the champions from rallying her warband. Barely has the equinox ended before ''Seeker Alma'' - a skilled tracker from the hills of [[Reinos]] - leads a contingent of Lasambrian Jotun into the sleepy village of ''Catchment'', deep in the fens. Some two hundred Marcher soldiers, taken by surprise, are slain or captured before they can flee. A grievous loss - but one that could have been significantly worse had the Empire's heroes been less thorough. Alma continues to harry the Bregas across the marshes, striking without warning against sanctuaries that have been secret for generations.

Yet despite this, the 'Reeds remain in Bregasland. They endure, and when the order comes, they will [[If_one_be_gone_we_carry_on#Objective:_Rouse_the_Strong_Reeds|rise]].
===Rise===
Granite-faced Derun Stonetower and the Tower of the North continues to work alongside Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, standing in for King Gudmundr Arasonn as general of the Fist of Ulven, ruling Bregasland with a mailed fist. Yet many of the barbarian "heroes" are champing at the bit, eager for honourable battle against the Marcher-folk and their allies. As a people, the Jotun tend to have little time for stealth and the subtle manoeuvring of spies and scouts; let others seek the Strong Reeds, the champions of Kalsea and Narkyst will build their bridge across the [[Howling Abyss]] in glorious battle! Throughout the long Summer into Autumn, [[So_our_path_is_laid#Pride_of_the_Marches|barbarian raiders]] came reaving across the border into prosperous [[Mitwold]].

<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Mary Birchsmith, General of the Bounders">Bounders, show me your strength and your loyalty. We bring the knights of Eleonaris with us to fight alongside our friends and siblings in Gravenmarch. We will support the strong reeds to rise up and show the Jotun what we stand for. This is marcher land and we take pride in that. We will overwhelming assault into Graven March, Bregasland. A Marcher! A Marcher!</quote>
<quote by="William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes">Make of them a scarecrow. Make our enemy a living effigy of your will - Shrive yourselves, pour your anger and sorrow into your greatswords and poleaxes… First army be shriven of sin and malignancy drive it into the invaders. It is not Sin however to hate the Jotun. To repel the invaders virtue demands it. So Shrive yourselves in battle my Drakes. Liberate the fens and furrows of Bregasland and be born anew. Do this for me now. For fellow, our commander, our stoats and all who have suffered this evil. Should you find the fire of the Marches - send me to her, so I may love my wife amidst the chaos of the land. Our Overwhelming Assault will be the battle song of my love for this and all of you.</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Cloaks, we march to free the reeds, we march to recover the lost and aid the Marchers, we march with the Champions of Eleonaris. A good friend has just become one of their champions and I hope she can march to battle with the Winterfolk once more. Blaze Dunn! A Hero has a name!</quote></div>

The ''Ice Fishers of Ldansk'' have been in Bregasland for a year or more, growing more restless with each season that passes. ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' plants her raven-banner in Ottery, splitting her attention between rooting out the Strong Reeds and testing the borders to the east. The Howling Bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' have had their eyes on the wealth of Mitwold since they arrived. With the death of ''Eisa Winterborn'' it is as if grief has unhinged their champion who drives their warband to fight the Marchers wherever possible even when it is perhaps not wise to do so.

Their desire for bloodshed is nothing, however, beside that of the traitor-yegarra who gather around the banners of ''Stephen of Sarcombe''. While the other champion-warbands seek wealth and challenge, the yegarra of the [[Mournwold|Mourn]] look to sate their bloodlust on the [[Yeoman of the Marches|yeofolk]] of Mitwold and Bregasland alike. Rumours that other Jotun warbands will not fight alongside Stephen's yegarra for fear of dishonouring themselves and their ancestors have solidified. In desperation Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir has loosed the choke-chain King Gudmundr used to control the furious human champion, letting him lead his troops into Mitwold in the hope, perhaps, that the Marchers will end the problem he represents before the King returns.

And so the raids continue after the Autumn Equinox. The Imperial defenders of Mitwold are able to ensure they do reach much further east than [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and occasionally [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]], but their focus is elsewhere. The task of dealing with the raiders falls to the [[beater|beaters]] who [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|patrol the borders]], and to the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]]. The [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the [[Autumn Hammers]] have quit Mitwold leaving only the [[Drakes]] and the [[Bloodcloaks]] in Mitwold - and they are busy preparing for what is to come.

Fortunately the absence left by the armies marching north is quickly filled for by the arrival of the [[Bounders]] from neighbouring [[Upwold]]. A fortnight after the Equinox, a grand cohort of [[Knights of Glory|elfin knights and goblin-kind infantryfolk]] emerge from an old battlefield in Meade March, drawn from the demesne of [[Eleonaris]]. Without delay they march west to join the Imperial armies, splitting into three distinct groups and setting their brightly-coloured pavilions and fluttering banners alongside the tents of the Imperial soldiers.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GenBounders.jpg|caption='''Mary Birchsmith''', General of the Bounders}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Plate.jpg|caption='''William Guildenstern''', General of the Drakes}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt.png|caption='''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''', General of the Bloodcloaks}}
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To aid the Drakes comes ''Kore'' the lion-maned warlord, glorious in their scarlet armour. They command only half the number of warriors brought by the others, but each of their knights is twice the size of their comrades. While their torso, head, and arms are humanlike their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. These crimson knights use their lances to great effect, devastating their enemies with a thundering charge. ''Ser Helvennan'', resplendent in gold and red chain, quietly joins the Bloodcloaks. The Stag-knight leads a mixed band of elfin spearmasters and grizzled goblin-kin with shield and javelin. ''Ollavan the Reeve'', the sharp-eared bowmaster, comes at the head of a band of wily archers and rust-red hunting hounds. They are eager not only to face their foes, but to test their skill against the marksmen of the Bounders. The knights attract comment wherever they go, their richly coloured garb and merry voices something of a contrast with the fields of Meade March.

The Drakes are further reinforced by nearly five thousand troops lead by Imperial captains from every Imperial nation save the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They have come to fight the Jotun; some offer their aid to the beaters while they wait but few can keep up with the fast-moving Marchers. Others seek the beaters for different reasons however. Perhaps as many as nine thousand more soldiers wish to sneak across the border into Bregasland to join the Strong Reeds. The expertise of the beaters is tested, but they are found equal to the challenge. Others take the riskier route along the southern shores of the Westmere with the aid of sailors from [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Steward's Landing]], slipping into the conquered territories through [[Bregasland#Eel's_Landing|Eel's Landing]] or isolated fishing villages along the coastline.

===Fist, Lion, Tower===
Once everyone is in place, on a certain day, at an appointed hour, the camps are struck. The Drakes, Bounders, and Bloodcloaks begin to move south through Meade March toward [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|Gravenmarch]], toward battle. At the same time, the Strong Reeds rise, launching a surprise attack against the Jotun garrison at Graven. With them are two thousand delicately deadly warriors of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] attired in breathtaking splendour of sky blue and sun gold; the household of ''Ser Alcedini'', the brightly feathered Kingfisher Castellan, who leads them into battle alongside the Bregas forces. The 'Reeds can't know for sure that help is coming, cut off from the rest of the Marches as they are. They can only trust that if they act, their allies will be there to support them. More than a few Bregas soldiers breathe a sigh of relief when the news that a major Imperial force has crossed the border into the 'March reaches them.

Battle is joined. The Tower of the North, the Fist of Ulven, and the Lion of the North respond quickly, Jotun warriors surging south to intercept the Imperial forces. The rising of the Strong Reeds, however, provides a powerful element of surprise. The eyes of the barbarians were to the north, toward Ottery and Fisher's Rock rather than towards Graven. By the time they realise the attack is underway, the town has been freed from the Jotun.

At first it seems as if the whole of Graven March will follow suit, but as the days unfold that hope begins to fade somewhat. While the initial fighting mostly involves the Tower, the Fist, and the Lion, reinforcements quickly arrive. Some six thousand Summer [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - orc-like warriors with a distinct leonine cast to their features in crimson steel chain - join the battle. Knights of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of Summer]], they are equally enthusiastic about fighting Imperial troops as they are clashing with their kin from the Summer Realm. In particular the axe-wielding warriors lead by ''Ser Grumbar'' the Hound-knight seek out every opportunity to contend with the knights of ''Ser Helvennan'' who side with the Bloodcloaks.

Only a few days after the fighting begins, the Jotun are further bolstered by some fifteen thousand Lasambrian orcs - the entire Lasambrian Jotun force of the Hierro, the Corazón, and the Escuta. Yet even these allies are only sufficient to slow the Imperial advance, not to halt it entirely. The Drakes and the Bounders plough straight through the Jotun defenders to meet up with the Strong Reeds at Graven; three armies of Marcher soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder against the barbarians. The liveries of dozens of Marcher households flutter and dance in the wind from the west as stubborn yeofolk face the orcs who bedevil their homelands.

The Bloodcloaks swiftly establish a presence at the town that once served as a place for the Navarr to meet with the people of the Marches to trade stories of the wider world. And to trade herbs, especially valuable [[cerulean mazzarine]] from [[the Brass Coast]] in return for the unique plants gathered in the deep fens. Indeed, while the Bloodcloaks are establishing a field hospital in the little town they come across a hidden stash of healing herbs concealed beneath the floorboards - dozens of carefully wrapped packages of [[true vervain]] and [[Imperial roseweald]] and [[marrowort]]. There is a note, hastily written, wishing whoever finds the herbs well and expressing the hope that those who use them might remember the [[striding]] of ''Liath's Path''. It's clear to the Winterfolk that this cache was left by the Navarr trapped in Graven when the Jotun came, in the hope that it would find its way into Imperial hands. Of the Navarr themselves, there is no sign. Doubtless they were among those executed by the barbarians when Graven fell.

It proves to be a valuable find; the Winterfolk healers have their work cut out for them as they [[Army_qualities#Woundbinder|tend the wounds]] of their allies. The Jotun may have been put on the back foot by the attack into Gravenmarch, but they have rallied quickly, mounting a [[Army orders#Solid Defence|solid defence]] in the face of the Empire's furious assault.

Tough as the going is, the Marchers and their allies from the north are equal to the challenge. They liberate several of the smaller households and villages as they expand their control of the 'March outward from Graven. The arrival of the Lasambrians has nudged the butter churn a little, but Imperials rally quickly to the new situation and as slow as the going is it looks as if they will ultimately win the battle, if not the war.

Then, of course, the other shoe drops and the bad news arrives in the form of an exhausted Greywater messenger from Ottery.
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<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunMarch.jpg|align=left|width=500|caption=The Jotun have followed last season's raids with a full-on invasion of Mitwold.}}</div>

==Pride of the Marches==
The Greywater is injured, on the verge of collapse when they reach Graven and demand to speak to the Strong Reeds. Refusing to rest until they have discharged their duty - there were four of them when they set out from Ottery and only one survived the passage through the Jotun lines - they bring a dire message. The Lasambrians are not the ''only'' force of Jotun that has come into Bregasland since the Autumn equinox.

While the Tower, and the Fist, and the Lion, and their Lasambrian allies, have been fighting the Empire in Gravenmarch, a massive force of Jotun has gathered in Ottermire... and is sweeping east across the Otterway into Mitwold. Perhaps forty five thousand Jotun have joined the warbands raiding Oddmire, alongside several thousand crimson-and-gold clad knights of the Summer realm. Eight armies, marching up out of [[Liathaven]] and [[Hordalant]] through the western fens to Ottery. Rather than join the defence, they barely broke their march before crossing the walkway into Oddmire.

For the first time in a century or more, there are Jotun armies in Mitwold. The news spreads through the Imperial forces like wildfire. Soldiers of the Drakes demand to be allowed to return home to protect their farms, their families, their friends. Fear that the army might make it as far as Upwold grips the Bounders. Yet in the end, there are bonds of duty and loyalty that are stronger than the fear they feel. The Empire's forces are too tightly bound up in the fight in Gravenmarch to risk trying to break free and march back north. Everything is focused here, on seizing a foothold in Bregasland. Trying to turn back now would leave the four armies between the hammer and the anvil - and risk making the situation worse. At the moment, should disaster come upon them, they can retreat into [[Mournwold#Green_March|Green March]]. If they try to turn north, there is every chance they will end up trapped in Gravenmarch at the mercy of the Jotun.

It is a painful decision, but in the end the soldiers of the Marches and Wintermark have little choice but to trust the orders of their generals, to trust that the defenders of Mitwold will be equal to the challenge that faces them.
===Odd's Way===
Nearly fifty thousand Jotun. Two full contingents of the [[Knights of Glory]]. The Ice Fishers, and the Howling Bears, and the raven-banner of Helma Skutasdóttir. The traitors of the Mourn. They march along the Otterway into Oddmire. No simple raiding party, but a hammer blow against the Pride of the Marches.

Normally the western barbarians invade a territory with a crushing assault, seeking to overwhelm defenders with furious might and force of numbers. Uncharacteristically though, the Jotun attacking Mitwold seem to be favouring a more [[Army orders#Cautious Assault|cautious]] strategy. Most likely last season's raids established the presence of defending armies dug-in in Oddmire. Perhaps the Jotun commanders are simply being cautious of a trap, or careful about overextending their forces. Either way, they focus more on preserving their strength than smashing the Imperial armies... which are not there. The relative slowness of the Jotun response in Bregasland makes more sense if one assumed the barbarians were expecting the Imperial armies to still be in Mitwold rather than launching an attack of their own.

Eight armies, well-rested and well-provisioned from their stay in Liathaven and Hordalant. The Fell Hammers and the Iron Host are in the van, with the glory-hungry warriors of the Mandowla's Roar and Raging Thunder straining against the unfamiliar orders to advance cautiously rather than slam full-strength into whatever Mitwold has to offer. The knights that accompany those two armies are clearly no happier about this strategy than their orc friends, but they follow their orders. The Howling Night, the Skjaldirborn, and the Shield of the Mountain form the solid core at the heart of the Jotun expeditionary force, with the Southern Bear in the rearward position, [[Army_qualities#Resilient|grinding]] relentlessly forward even as they seek to lock down the land the advance guard claims. The army of Bjorgthorn Hammerhand prides itself on only moving forward, and even though the Jotun come with caution, move forward they do.

The defenders of Mitwold know about the Jotun invasion before the forces in Gravenmarch; the beaters who watch the borders immediately realise what is happening and raise the alarm. The news speeds eastward, galvanising the garrison of Forte Fidelis and sending the yeofolk and stewards to their armouries. Weapons and armour are passed out, as the folk of the Marches brace themselves for the Jotun advance. Just as with their neighbours to the east and the south, they will not cede one inch of ground save that the barbarians pry it from their clenched fists. Messengers are sent to Mournwold and Upwold, telling them of the invasion and while they do not directly ask for aid - Marchers are proud people - the implication is there. They may be rivals in peacetime, but as both Bregasland and Mournwold have shown, when war comes to the Marches, folk unite against the interloper.
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This grim pride, the courage of the yeofolk, is not in vain but it cannot hope to hold back the Jotun for long. At best, the garrison and the beaters, the households, and the walls of Oddmire can only delay what seems inevitable. Western Oddmire falls, and within a week the rest of the region follows suit. Odd's End is overwhelmed by the barbarians, forced to open its gates rather than see the entire town flattened by Jotun siege engines. Steward's Landing falls shortly afterward without any fighting at all - because ''Jarvey "Strongoar" Oddsboy'' and his entire household have loaded everyone they can onto their boats and slipped across the Gullet to [[Kallavesa#Wittal_Grove|Fisk]]. The Winterfolk who once kept a careful eye on the Marchers to the south welcome them, working with the steward and his levies to ensure that the northern shores of Mitwold can be kept supplied, should the worst come to the worst.

Despite the relatively cautious strategy the invasion of Mitwold follows a familiar pattern. Wherever they go, the Jotun offer Imperial citizens the Choice. Take up arms alongside the Jotun; lay aside the accoutrements of war and become thralls; or be given a swift and honourable death. Nobody takes the first choice. Most take the second. Few are stubborn enough to face the third. Many families make the decision to retreat before the Jotun, staunchly certain that they will reclaim their land soon enough when the Drakes return and drive the Jotun back into the western fens. The refugees are welcomed by their neighbours to the east with open grumbling about the inconvenience - but they ''are'' welcomed and found places to stay.

===The Walls of Meade===
Oddmire is quickly taken, and then the Jotun march on [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]]. The first [[market town]] and the oldest. The largest settlement south of [[Hahnmark#Kalpaheim|Kalpaheim]], the city-port of the Marches. Revitalised by the dredging of the Westmere, by trade with the [[Faraden]], and by decades of prosperity and security, Meade stands ready to repel the Jotun just as they did the [[Harvest_of_infamy|Asavean raiders]] last Autumn.

Of course, last Autumn the Marchers had ample warning that the attack was coming, and the garrison of Forte Fidelis was bolstered by the Drakes. This year, the defenders of Meade are on their own. The city has walls of course, but while there has been some talk of [[Three_keys#The_Walls_of_Meade|further work]] it has been over a decade since the defences were [[Fortify_Town_defences|reinforced]] by the Senate. The walls are stout, but to stand against eight armies of Jotun bent on conquest? That would be a challenge even for a true [[fortification]] - there's little doubt that if the Jotun turned south-east into the [[Mitwold#Golden_Downs|'Downs]] even Forte Fidelis would be hard pressed to keep them out.

So the Jotun come up through Meade March towards the pride of the Marches. The people turned back the Asaveans, and they fight just as valiantly against the Jotun, but they are outnumbered and ultimately outmatched. A Jotun messenger offers the people of Meade one chance to surrender, but if anything the proud refusal of the defenders both impresses and pleases the herald sent to deliver the offer. She returns to the armies, and they waste no time besieging the city. Not that it is a siege in any literal sense. The soldiers of Forte Fidelis garrison the walls as best they can, but the gates are riven to splinters by Jotun battering rams almost immediately. The warriors of the west pour into Meade, and those who fight back are swiftly overwhelmed. This is a city of prosperity, of clever merchants and wise scholars, not a city of warriors, after all.

The remaining garrison retreats east. A great many Marchers stay behind, refusing to give up their homes. They watch sullenly as the Jotun establish a command post in Meade, from which to direct the rest of their forces. With the city fallen, there is little chance for the households of Meade March to mount more than a token defence. Yet with the aid of the beaters and the Forte Fidelis soldiers, they do their best, and their courage at least helps to slow the Jotun invasion and give time for the rest of Mitwold to prepare for what is to come. As it is, the 'March is conquered and the Jotun continue to press forward into the heart of the Marches.

As the bulk of the Jotun move to back up the raiders attacking [[Mitwold#The_Meadows|the Meadows]], however, Stephen of Sarcombe moves to have the remaining [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Alder|alders]] of Meade and their families hanged, sending his yegarra also to try and capture the bailiffs of [[Bailiff of Meade|Meade]] and the [[Bailiff of the Grand Market|Grand Market]], the [[Alder of Meade]], and even the [[Master of the Root and Stem]] so they can face similar treatment. Before he can do much more than mobilise his people, they are confronted by Helma Skutasdóttir and her warband. Denouncing him as a coward and unfit to call himself Jotun, Helma herself challenges him to defend his honour. Actual fighting between the orcs of Helma's raven-banner and Stephens yegarra breaks out in the centre of Meade. Bjorgthorn Hammerhand, general of the Southern Bear, is forced to send his own warriors to separate the two warbands - but not before several fighters on both sides are slain. He does not bother to hide his utter contempt for Stephen and his clear support for Helma in this matter. According to witnesses, it looks as if the traitor-Marchers are squaring up to actually take on the Southern Bear, but in the end they back down and retreat from Meade with their tails between their legs. It becomes common knowledge that Bjorgthorn has dispatched messengers north to the King and Queen, demanding that something be done about the "rabid dog" in the midst of the Jotun before he is forced to deal with the matter himself.

Flies like Stephen aside, though, the rest of the Jotun invasion goes off with barely a hitch. After Oddmire and Meade March, the Jotun press heavily into the Meadows. North-eastern Mitwold borders [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Wittal Grove]], some of the only dry land in the whole of [[Kallavesa]], and allows easy access to [[Upwold#Stock_March|Stock March]] in Upwold. If the Jotun can secure it, and secure their lines across northern Mitwold, the threat they represent is multiplied significantly.

Yet despite their fervour, and their sheer numbers, their invasion slows and begins to falter once they hit the Meadows. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the weather worsens significantly. Torrential rains give way to heavy snowfall in the approach to midwinter, and while the Jotun are no strangers to cold and snow they are not foolhardy enough to throw themselves into the teeth of the storm while there are defenders still fighting. Across the northern Marches, camps are established as the Jotun make the preparations needed to keep what they have taken so far - and presumably to continue to conquer Mitwold until the entire Pride of the Marches is in their hands.
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==Between Beats==
It is easy to imagine that every warrior in the Jotun lands is in the Marches; six armies in Bregasland fighting the Empire's attempt to liberate Gravenmarch. Eight armies in Mitwold. Thousands of would-be champions fighting under the banners of their warlords, even as thousands of Imperial captains fight in support of the armies of the Empire. Knights of Glory on both sides, urging their compatriots to fight boldly, to neither give nor ask for quarter, to seek to build enduring legends that will live on in the songs of the bards long after their bodies are gone to rot and treeroots.

The fighting in Bregasland has been bloody - three thousand Imperial heroes dead or broken. The number would have been higher without the Bloodcloaks; the Jotun have suffered more grievous losses simply because they lack the medical expertise of the Winterfolk, their losses closer to four thousand. The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward taking Gravenmarch from the barbarians, but the fighting continues. Behind them, the armies of the west rampage across Mitwold, slowed by the stubborn defenders, but only a little. Oddmire and Meade March - and the city of Meade - are in their hands. They are halfway toward claiming the whole of the Meadows, and who knows where their ambition will take them after that?

The ultimate goal of the Jotun may be unclear, but one thing ''is'' clear. The Marchers will not give up without a fight, not in Mitwold, and not anywhere else. The Jotun have been beaten before, time and again, and this time will be no different. Just as the Strong Reeds fight for the people of Bregasland, just as the Tusks battled the odds and risked everything to free their folk in Mournwold, the people of Mitwold trust that the Drakes will be back and make the Jotun pay a high price for their trespass.
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==Game Information==
* '''The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward claiming Gravenmarch'''
* '''The Jotun have conquered Oddmire and Meade March, and are halfway towards claiming the Meadows'''
* '''All titles connected to the city of Meade have lost access to their resources'''
Following the battle opportunity in Autumn, the Jotun have struck back against the Strong Reeds, causing them to take 200 casualties. They have now risen up, however, openly fighting the barbarians. As such, the information the Jotun scouts gathered about their movements and dispositions is no longer useful. If the Strong Reeds choose to start lying low again, they will not face any ongoing losses unless and until the Jotun are able to scour the territory for them once again. The "counter" on their ability to rise up would be reset at this point given they still maintain the absolute support of the Bregas people. Alternatively, they could leave the territory without difficulty either alone or with other Imperial armies.

The Imperial forces have not taken Gravenmarch but they are four-fifths of the way there. While the route they entered Bregasland by, has been cut off - Oddmire and Meade March being in Jotun hands - there is nothing to stop them retreating into the Mournwold, or even circling round through Mournwold into Golden Downs or Maiden Downs. If they wish to return to Mitwold directly - into Oddmire or Meade March - they will have to fight the Jotun to do so.
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The city of Meade is in Jotun hands. While they are not going out of the way to loot the place, there is still massive disruption here. As such the [[Bailiff of Meade]], [[Bailiff of the Grand Market]], [[Master of the Root and Stem]], and [[Alder of Meade]] have all lost access to their production - whether sinecure or ministry. The titles still exist, they simply can't wield their powers to secure resources. In addition, the Bounder's Hall in Meade is now in Jotun hands and unfortunately that means that it is no longer possible for beaters to [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] in Mitwold. There is nothing to stop characters instead [[Military_unit#Guarding|supporting Forte Fidelis]] but they won't receive any income for doing so unless that action is assigned [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Guerdon shares]]. Likewise, until Oddmire and Steward's Landing are once again in Marcher hands it is no longer possible for Marcher [[fleet|fleets]] to take the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]].

==Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks==
* '''Characters who took the Beating the Bounds or Raid Kalsea's Coastline actions have had a busy season'''
* '''The General of the Bloodcloaks retains some of the healing herbs recovered from the Navarr herb cache in Graven'''
Any character who took the [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] [[venture]] in Mitwold this season, or who undertook the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]] is encouraged to roleplay their part in the events taking place in the Marches. In particular, they may have been involved in helping [[military unit|military units]] sneak into Bregasland to join the Strong Reads, helped deliver the desperate warning of the Jotun assault to the defenders of Mitwold, or been involved in evacuating Steward's Landing. If your military unit or fleet supported one of these actions, you may have been injured engaging in risky heroism against the Jotun. Anyone who did so can email {{plot}} before the end of March and request a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|lingering wound]] sustained in the campaign. A lingering wound can help support your roleplaying on the field as one of the defenders of Mitwold. Bear in mind however that, if left untreated, lingering wounds can also be fatal.

The Navarr herb cache uncovered by the Bloodcloaks in Graven has been distributed to the healers of the Wintermark army, but a portion has also been set aside for the [[general]]. As such,'''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''' will find six drams of each of the five medicinal herbs in their pack, all that remains of this bounty.
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===Participation : Knights of Glory===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought with the Drakes, the Bounders, or the Strong Reeds receive a special benefit'''
The Knights of Glory who fought alongside the Drakes, Bounders, and Strong Reeds revel in the uncompromising tactics the three armies employed. As is their wont they communicate some of their enthusiasm to the soldiers who fight alongside them. A character whose military unit supported one of these three armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Winter Solstice.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Winter Solstice regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a [[roleplaying effect]] that lasts until the end of the Winter Solstice: ''You feel the urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and take particular pleasure from approval and adulation. You feel the urge to do things that demonstrate your prowess as a powerful warrior. Being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:36:53Z

Vsabo: /* Fist, Lion, Tower */

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:35:20Z

Vsabo: /* Fist, Lion, Tower */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Winter]] [[Category:Military Council]]
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==Loyal to the People==
The Strong Reeds were raised from the Bregas. To this day the bulk of their soldiers come from the Dour Fens, and they know the wetlands better than anyone else. Since the [[Only forward|Jotun returned]] to steal their homeland, they have been amid the reeds, resisting the invaders. This despite the unhappiness some of their countryfolk still feel towards the Empire - and we must not forget that many Bregas are marshfolk first, Marchers second, and Imperial citizens a distant third. Yet the 'Reeds have remained true to the oath of their General, fighting from the rushes and the deep fens to bamboozle the barbarian invaders wherever they can.

They are in a perilous situation, for all their skill at [[Army_qualities#Secretive|laying low]]. The Queen of Kalsea herself, ''Yrsa Jansdóttir'', set the Lion of the North to root out the 'Reeds and their sympathisers. The Bregas army has been left exposed, and those who offer them succour left in mortal danger. The Jotun are closing in on their hidden encampments, deep in the fens. It has become more and more difficult for them to move or take action without the barbarians descending on them in force.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] to [[So_our_path_is_laid#Battle_Opportunity_:_How_Will_They_Rise_Up?|come to their aid]]. In [[Bregasland#Grey Fens|Grey Fens]] they intercepted the Jotun champions [[So_our_path_is_laid#Objective:_Recover_the_scouting_orders|ordered]] to hunt out the havens of the Strong Reeds. Both ''Ghodi Melker'' and the yegarra champion ''Eisa Winterborn'' were brought low - the latter success in particular being cause for muted celebration. A thorn in the Empire's side for years, Imperial heroes brought Eisa to ground at ''Leakey Moss'', and her warband has withdrawn back to their stronghold in [[Skallahn#Mindrkyst|Skallahn]]. They will not return to fight in the Empire again until some new hero raises the walrus banner and walks the path of the rare yegarra champions.
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">This game of fox and hound is at an end. No quarter shall be given. Not any more. Rise up! Rise from the reeds and be a tidal wave of fury to wash the scum from our fields. I march with you as a soldier, as a marcher, as your friend. I march with my husband by my side for us, for land, for the Marches. And when we are done, will bring in the harvest and toast to the turning of the seasons.</quote></div>

Unfortunately, their success was not unqualified. They were unable to prevent one of the champions from rallying her warband. Barely has the equinox ended before ''Seeker Alma'' - a skilled tracker from the hills of [[Reinos]] - leads a contingent of Lasambrian Jotun into the sleepy village of ''Catchment'', deep in the fens. Some two hundred Marcher soldiers, taken by surprise, are slain or captured before they can flee. A grievous loss - but one that could have been significantly worse had the Empire's heroes been less thorough. Alma continues to harry the Bregas across the marshes, striking without warning against sanctuaries that have been secret for generations.

Yet despite this, the 'Reeds remain in Bregasland. They endure, and when the order comes, they will [[If_one_be_gone_we_carry_on#Objective:_Rouse_the_Strong_Reeds|rise]].
===Rise===
Granite-faced Derun Stonetower and the Tower of the North continues to work alongside Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, standing in for King Gudmundr Arasonn as general of the Fist of Ulven, ruling Bregasland with a mailed fist. Yet many of the barbarian "heroes" are champing at the bit, eager for honourable battle against the Marcher-folk and their allies. As a people, the Jotun tend to have little time for stealth and the subtle manoeuvring of spies and scouts; let others seek the Strong Reeds, the champions of Kalsea and Narkyst will build their bridge across the [[Howling Abyss]] in glorious battle! Throughout the long Summer into Autumn, [[So_our_path_is_laid#Pride_of_the_Marches|barbarian raiders]] came reaving across the border into prosperous [[Mitwold]].

<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Mary Birchsmith, General of the Bounders">Bounders, show me your strength and your loyalty. We bring the knights of Eleonaris with us to fight alongside our friends and siblings in Gravenmarch. We will support the strong reeds to rise up and show the Jotun what we stand for. This is marcher land and we take pride in that. We will overwhelming assault into Graven March, Bregasland. A Marcher! A Marcher!</quote>
<quote by="William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes">Make of them a scarecrow. Make our enemy a living effigy of your will - Shrive yourselves, pour your anger and sorrow into your greatswords and poleaxes… First army be shriven of sin and malignancy drive it into the invaders. It is not Sin however to hate the Jotun. To repel the invaders virtue demands it. So Shrive yourselves in battle my Drakes. Liberate the fens and furrows of Bregasland and be born anew. Do this for me now. For fellow, our commander, our stoats and all who have suffered this evil. Should you find the fire of the Marches - send me to her, so I may love my wife amidst the chaos of the land. Our Overwhelming Assault will be the battle song of my love for this and all of you.</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Cloaks, we march to free the reeds, we march to recover the lost and aid the Marchers, we march with the Champions of Eleonaris. A good friend has just become one of their champions and I hope she can march to battle with the Winterfolk once more. Blaze Dunn! A Hero has a name!</quote></div>

The ''Ice Fishers of Ldansk'' have been in Bregasland for a year or more, growing more restless with each season that passes. ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' plants her raven-banner in Ottery, splitting her attention between rooting out the Strong Reeds and testing the borders to the east. The Howling Bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' have had their eyes on the wealth of Mitwold since they arrived. With the death of ''Eisa Winterborn'' it is as if grief has unhinged their champion who drives their warband to fight the Marchers wherever possible even when it is perhaps not wise to do so.

Their desire for bloodshed is nothing, however, beside that of the traitor-yegarra who gather around the banners of ''Stephen of Sarcombe''. While the other champion-warbands seek wealth and challenge, the yegarra of the [[Mournwold|Mourn]] look to sate their bloodlust on the [[Yeoman of the Marches|yeofolk]] of Mitwold and Bregasland alike. Rumours that other Jotun warbands will not fight alongside Stephen's yegarra for fear of dishonouring themselves and their ancestors have solidified. In desperation Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir has loosed the choke-chain King Gudmundr used to control the furious human champion, letting him lead his troops into Mitwold in the hope, perhaps, that the Marchers will end the problem he represents before the King returns.

And so the raids continue after the Autumn Equinox. The Imperial defenders of Mitwold are able to ensure they do reach much further east than [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and occasionally [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]], but their focus is elsewhere. The task of dealing with the raiders falls to the [[beater|beaters]] who [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|patrol the borders]], and to the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]]. The [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the [[Autumn Hammers]] have quit Mitwold leaving only the [[Drakes]] and the [[Bloodcloaks]] in Mitwold - and they are busy preparing for what is to come.

Fortunately the absence left by the armies marching north is quickly filled for by the arrival of the [[Bounders]] from neighbouring [[Upwold]]. A fortnight after the Equinox, a grand cohort of [[Knights of Glory|elfin knights and goblin-kind infantryfolk]] emerge from an old battlefield in Meade March, drawn from the demesne of [[Eleonaris]]. Without delay they march west to join the Imperial armies, splitting into three distinct groups and setting their brightly-coloured pavilions and fluttering banners alongside the tents of the Imperial soldiers.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GenBounders.jpg|caption='''Mary Birchsmith''', General of the Bounders}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Plate.jpg|caption='''William Guildenstern''', General of the Drakes}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt.png|caption='''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''', General of the Bloodcloaks}}
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To aid the Drakes comes ''Kore'' the lion-maned warlord, glorious in their scarlet armour. They command only half the number of warriors brought by the others, but each of their knights is twice the size of their comrades. While their torso, head, and arms are humanlike their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. These crimson knights use their lances to great effect, devastating their enemies with a thundering charge. ''Ser Helvennan'', resplendent in gold and red chain, quietly joins the Bloodcloaks. The Stag-knight leads a mixed band of elfin spearmasters and grizzled goblin-kin with shield and javelin. ''Ollavan the Reeve'', the sharp-eared bowmaster, comes at the head of a band of wily archers and rust-red hunting hounds. They are eager not only to face their foes, but to test their skill against the marksmen of the Bounders. The knights attract comment wherever they go, their richly coloured garb and merry voices something of a contrast with the fields of Meade March.

The Drakes are further reinforced by nearly five thousand troops lead by Imperial captains from every Imperial nation save the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They have come to fight the Jotun; some offer their aid to the beaters while they wait but few can keep up with the fast-moving Marchers. Others seek the beaters for different reasons however. Perhaps as many as nine thousand more soldiers wish to sneak across the border into Bregasland to join the Strong Reeds. The expertise of the beaters is tested, but they are found equal to the challenge. Others take the riskier route along the southern shores of the Westmere with the aid of sailors from [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Steward's Landing]], slipping into the conquered territories through [[Bregasland#Eel's_Landing|Eel's Landing]] or isolated fishing villages along the coastline.

===Fist, Lion, Tower===
Once everyone is in place, on a certain day, at an appointed hour, the camps are struck. The Drakes, Bounders, and Bloodcloaks begin to move south through Meade March toward [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|Gravenmarch]], toward battle. At the same time, the Strong Reeds rise, launching a surprise attack against the Jotun garrison at Graven. With them are two thousand delicately deadly warriors of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] attired in breathtaking splendour of sky blue and sun gold; the household of ''Ser Alcedini'', the brightly feathered Kingfisher Castellan, who leads them into battle alongside the Bregas forces. The 'Reeds can't know for sure that help is coming, cut off from the rest of the Marches as they are. They can only trust that if they act, their allies will be there to support them. More than a few Bregas soldiers breathe a sigh of relief when the news that a major Imperial force has crossed the border into the 'March reaches them.

Battle is joined. The Tower of the North, the Fist of Ulven, and the Lion of the North respond quickly, Jotun warriors surging south to intercept the Imperial forces. The rising of the Strong Reeds, however, provides a powerful element of surprise. The eyes of the barbarians were to the north, toward Ottery and Fisher's Rock rather than towards Graven. By the time they realise the attack is underway, the town has been freed from the Jotun.

At first it seems as if the whole of Graven March will follow suit, but as the days unfold that hope begins to fade somewhat. While the initial fighting mostly involves the Tower, the Fist, and the Lion, reinforcements quickly arrive. Some six thousand Summer [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - orc-like warriors with a distinct leonine cast to their features in crimson steel chain - join the battle. Knights of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of Summer]], they are equally enthusiastic about fighting Imperial troops as they are clashing with their kin from the Summer Realm. In particular the axe-wielding warriors lead by ''Ser Grumbar'' the Hound-knight seek out every opportunity to contend with the knights of ''Ser Helvennan'' who side with the Bloodcloaks.

Only a few days after the fighting begins, the Jotun are further bolstered by some fifteen thousand Lasambrian orcs - the entire Lasambrian Jotun force of the Hierro, the Corazón, and the Escuta. Yet even these allies are only sufficient to slow the Imperial advance, not to halt it entirely. The Drakes and the Bounders plough straight through the Jotun defenders to meet up with the Strong Reeds at Graven; three armies of Marcher soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder against the barbarians. The liveries of dozens of Marcher households flutter and dance in the wind from the west as stubborn yeofolk face the orcs who bedevil their homelands.

The Bloodcloaks swiftly establish a presence at the town that once served as a place for the Navarr to meet with the people of the Marches to trade stories of the wider world. And to trade herbs, especially valuable [[cerulean mazzarine]] from [[the Brass Coast]] in return for the unique plants gathered in the deep fens. Indeed, while the Bloodcloaks are establishing a field hospital in the little town they come across a hidden stash of healing herbs concealed beneath the floorboards - dozens of carefully wrapped packages of [[true vervain]] and [[Imperial roseweald]] and [[marrowort]]. There is a note, hastily written, wishing whoever finds the herbs well and expressing the hope that those who use them might remember the [[striding]] of ''Liath's Path''. It's clear to the Winterfolk that this cache was left by the Navarr trapped in Graven when the Jotun came, in the hope that it would find its way into Imperial hands. Of the Navarr themselves, there is no sign. Doubtless they were among those executed by the barbarians when Graven fell.

It proves to be a valuable find; the Winterfolk healers have their work cut out for them as they [[Army_qualities#Woundbinder|tend the wounds]] of their allies. The Jotun may have been put on the back foot by the attack into Gravenmarch, but they have rallied quickly, mounting a [[Army orders#Solid Defence|solid defence]] in the face of the Empire's furious assault.

Tough as the going is, the Marchers and their allies from the north are equal to the challenge. They liberate several of the smaller households and villages as they expand their control of the 'March outward from Graven. The arrival of the Lasambrians has nudged the butter churn a little, but Imperial rally quickly to the new situation and as slow as the going is it looks as if they will ultimately win the battle, if not the war.

Then, of course, the other shoe drops and the bad news arrives in the form of an exhausted Greywater messenger from Ottery.
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<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunMarch.jpg|align=left|width=500|caption=The Jotun have followed last season's raids with a full-on invasion of Mitwold.}}</div>

==Pride of the Marches==
The Greywater is injured, on the verge of collapse when they reach Graven and demand to speak to the Strong Reeds. Refusing to rest until they have discharged their duty - there were four of them when they set out from Ottery and only one survived the passage through the Jotun lines - they bring a dire message. The Lasambrians are not the ''only'' force of Jotun that has come into Bregasland since the Autumn equinox.

While the Tower, and the Fist, and the Lion, and their Lasambrian allies, have been fighting the Empire in Gravenmarch, a massive force of Jotun has gathered in Ottermire... and is sweeping east across the Otterway into Mitwold. Perhaps forty five thousand Jotun have joined the warbands raiding Oddmire, alongside several thousand crimson-and-gold clad knights of the Summer realm. Eight armies, marching up out of [[Liathaven]] and [[Hordalant]] through the western fens to Ottery. Rather than join the defence, they barely broke their march before crossing the walkway into Oddmire.

For the first time in a century or more, there are Jotun armies in Mitwold. The news spreads through the Imperial forces like wildfire. Soldiers of the Drakes demand to be allowed to return home to protect their farms, their families, their friends. Fear that the army might make it as far as Upwold grips the Bounders. Yet in the end, there are bonds of duty and loyalty that are stronger than the fear they feel. The Empire's forces are too tightly bound up in the fight in Gravenmarch to risk trying to break free and march back north. Everything is focused here, on seizing a foothold in Bregasland. Trying to turn back now would leave the four armies between the hammer and the anvil - and risk making the situation worse. At the moment, should disaster come upon them, they can retreat into [[Mournwold#Green_March|Green March]]. If they try to turn north, there is every chance they will end up trapped in Gravenmarch at the mercy of the Jotun.

It is a painful decision, but in the end the soldiers of the Marches and Wintermark have little choice but to trust the orders of their generals, to trust that the defenders of Mitwold will be equal to the challenge that faces them.
===Odd's Way===
Nearly fifty thousand Jotun. Two full contingents of the [[Knights of Glory]]. The Ice Fishers, and the Howling Bears, and the raven-banner of Helma Skutasdóttir. The traitors of the Mourn. They march along the Otterway into Oddmire. No simple raiding party, but a hammer blow against the Pride of the Marches.

Normally the western barbarians invade a territory with a crushing assault, seeking to overwhelm defenders with furious might and force of numbers. Uncharacteristically though, the Jotun attacking Mitwold seem to be favouring a more [[Army orders#Cautious Assault|cautious]] strategy. Most likely last season's raids established the presence of defending armies dug-in in Oddmire. Perhaps the Jotun commanders are simply being cautious of a trap, or careful about overextending their forces. Either way, they focus more on preserving their strength than smashing the Imperial armies... which are not there. The relative slowness of the Jotun response in Bregasland makes more sense if one assumed the barbarians were expecting the Imperial armies to still be in Mitwold rather than launching an attack of their own.

Eight armies, well-rested and well-provisioned from their stay in Liathaven and Hordalant. The Fell Hammers and the Iron Host are in the van, with the glory-hungry warriors of the Mandowla's Roar and Raging Thunder straining against the unfamiliar orders to advance cautiously rather than slam full-strength into whatever Mitwold has to offer. The knights that accompany those two armies are clearly no happier about this strategy than their orc friends, but they follow their orders. The Howling Night, the Skjaldirborn, and the Shield of the Mountain form the solid core at the heart of the Jotun expeditionary force, with the Southern Bear in the rearward position, [[Army_qualities#Resilient|grinding]] relentlessly forward even as they seek to lock down the land the advance guard claims. The army of Bjorgthorn Hammerhand prides itself on only moving forward, and even though the Jotun come with caution, move forward they do.

The defenders of Mitwold know about the Jotun invasion before the forces in Gravenmarch; the beaters who watch the borders immediately realise what is happening and raise the alarm. The news speeds eastward, galvanising the garrison of Forte Fidelis and sending the yeofolk and stewards to their armouries. Weapons and armour are passed out, as the folk of the Marches brace themselves for the Jotun advance. Just as with their neighbours to the east and the south, they will not cede one inch of ground save that the barbarians pry it from their clenched fists. Messengers are sent to Mournwold and Upwold, telling them of the invasion and while they do not directly ask for aid - Marchers are proud people - the implication is there. They may be rivals in peacetime, but as both Bregasland and Mournwold have shown, when war comes to the Marches, folk unite against the interloper.
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This grim pride, the courage of the yeofolk, is not in vain but it cannot hope to hold back the Jotun for long. At best, the garrison and the beaters, the households, and the walls of Oddmire can only delay what seems inevitable. Western Oddmire falls, and within a week the rest of the region follows suit. Odd's End is overwhelmed by the barbarians, forced to open its gates rather than see the entire town flattened by Jotun siege engines. Steward's Landing falls shortly afterward without any fighting at all - because ''Jarvey "Strongoar" Oddsboy'' and his entire household have loaded everyone they can onto their boats and slipped across the Gullet to [[Kallavesa#Wittal_Grove|Fisk]]. The Winterfolk who once kept a careful eye on the Marchers to the south welcome them, working with the steward and his levies to ensure that the northern shores of Mitwold can be kept supplied, should the worst come to the worst.

Despite the relatively cautious strategy the invasion of Mitwold follows a familiar pattern. Wherever they go, the Jotun offer Imperial citizens the Choice. Take up arms alongside the Jotun; lay aside the accoutrements of war and become thralls; or be given a swift and honourable death. Nobody takes the first choice. Most take the second. Few are stubborn enough to face the third. Many families make the decision to retreat before the Jotun, staunchly certain that they will reclaim their land soon enough when the Drakes return and drive the Jotun back into the western fens. The refugees are welcomed by their neighbours to the east with open grumbling about the inconvenience - but they ''are'' welcomed and found places to stay.

===The Walls of Meade===
Oddmire is quickly taken, and then the Jotun march on [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]]. The first [[market town]] and the oldest. The largest settlement south of [[Hahnmark#Kalpaheim|Kalpaheim]], the city-port of the Marches. Revitalised by the dredging of the Westmere, by trade with the [[Faraden]], and by decades of prosperity and security, Meade stands ready to repel the Jotun just as they did the [[Harvest_of_infamy|Asavean raiders]] last Autumn.

Of course, last Autumn the Marchers had ample warning that the attack was coming, and the garrison of Forte Fidelis was bolstered by the Drakes. This year, the defenders of Meade are on their own. The city has walls of course, but while there has been some talk of [[Three_keys#The_Walls_of_Meade|further work]] it has been over a decade since the defences were [[Fortify_Town_defences|reinforced]] by the Senate. The walls are stout, but to stand against eight armies of Jotun bent on conquest? That would be a challenge even for a true [[fortification]] - there's little doubt that if the Jotun turned south-east into the [[Mitwold#Golden_Downs|'Downs]] even Forte Fidelis would be hard pressed to keep them out.

So the Jotun come up through Meade March towards the pride of the Marches. The people turned back the Asaveans, and they fight just as valiantly against the Jotun, but they are outnumbered and ultimately outmatched. A Jotun messenger offers the people of Meade one chance to surrender, but if anything the proud refusal of the defenders both impresses and pleases the herald sent to deliver the offer. She returns to the armies, and they waste no time besieging the city. Not that it is a siege in any literal sense. The soldiers of Forte Fidelis garrison the walls as best they can, but the gates are riven to splinters by Jotun battering rams almost immediately. The warriors of the west pour into Meade, and those who fight back are swiftly overwhelmed. This is a city of prosperity, of clever merchants and wise scholars, not a city of warriors, after all.

The remaining garrison retreats east. A great many Marchers stay behind, refusing to give up their homes. They watch sullenly as the Jotun establish a command post in Meade, from which to direct the rest of their forces. With the city fallen, there is little chance for the households of Meade March to mount more than a token defence. Yet with the aid of the beaters and the Forte Fidelis soldiers, they do their best, and their courage at least helps to slow the Jotun invasion and give time for the rest of Mitwold to prepare for what is to come. As it is, the 'March is conquered and the Jotun continue to press forward into the heart of the Marches.

As the bulk of the Jotun move to back up the raiders attacking [[Mitwold#The_Meadows|the Meadows]], however, Stephen of Sarcombe moves to have the remaining [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Alder|alders]] of Meade and their families hanged, sending his yegarra also to try and capture the bailiffs of [[Bailiff of Meade|Meade]] and the [[Bailiff of the Grand Market|Grand Market]], the [[Alder of Meade]], and even the [[Master of the Root and Stem]] so they can face similar treatment. Before he can do much more than mobilise his people, they are confronted by Helma Skutasdóttir and her warband. Denouncing him as a coward and unfit to call himself Jotun, Helma herself challenges him to defend his honour. Actual fighting between the orcs of Helma's raven-banner and Stephens yegarra breaks out in the centre of Meade. Bjorgthorn Hammerhand, general of the Southern Bear, is forced to send his own warriors to separate the two warbands - but not before several fighters on both sides are slain. He does not bother to hide his utter contempt for Stephen and his clear support for Helma in this matter. According to witnesses, it looks as if the traitor-Marchers are squaring up to actually take on the Southern Bear, but in the end they back down and retreat from Meade with their tails between their legs. It becomes common knowledge that Bjorgthorn has dispatched messengers north to the King and Queen, demanding that something be done about the "rabid dog" in the midst of the Jotun before he is forced to deal with the matter himself.

Flies like Stephen aside, though, the rest of the Jotun invasion goes off with barely a hitch. After Oddmire and Meade March, the Jotun press heavily into the Meadows. North-eastern Mitwold borders [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Wittal Grove]], some of the only dry land in the whole of [[Kallavesa]], and allows easy access to [[Upwold#Stock_March|Stock March]] in Upwold. If the Jotun can secure it, and secure their lines across northern Mitwold, the threat they represent is multiplied significantly.

Yet despite their fervour, and their sheer numbers, their invasion slows and begins to falter once they hit the Meadows. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the weather worsens significantly. Torrential rains give way to heavy snowfall in the approach to midwinter, and while the Jotun are no strangers to cold and snow they are not foolhardy enough to throw themselves into the teeth of the storm while there are defenders still fighting. Across the northern Marches, camps are established as the Jotun make the preparations needed to keep what they have taken so far - and presumably to continue to conquer Mitwold until the entire Pride of the Marches is in their hands.
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==Between Beats==
It is easy to imagine that every warrior in the Jotun lands is in the Marches; six armies in Bregasland fighting the Empire's attempt to liberate Gravenmarch. Eight armies in Mitwold. Thousands of would-be champions fighting under the banners of their warlords, even as thousands of Imperial captains fight in support of the armies of the Empire. Knights of Glory on both sides, urging their compatriots to fight boldly, to neither give nor ask for quarter, to seek to build enduring legends that will live on in the songs of the bards long after their bodies are gone to rot and treeroots.

The fighting in Bregasland has been bloody - three thousand Imperial heroes dead or broken. The number would have been higher without the Bloodcloaks; the Jotun have suffered more grievous losses simply because they lack the medical expertise of the Winterfolk, their losses closer to four thousand. The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward taking Gravenmarch from the barbarians, but the fighting continues. Behind them, the armies of the west rampage across Mitwold, slowed by the stubborn defenders, but only a little. Oddmire and Meade March - and the city of Meade - are in their hands. They are halfway toward claiming the whole of the Meadows, and who knows where their ambition will take them after that?

The ultimate goal of the Jotun may be unclear, but one thing ''is'' clear. The Marchers will not give up without a fight, not in Mitwold, and not anywhere else. The Jotun have been beaten before, time and again, and this time will be no different. Just as the Strong Reeds fight for the people of Bregasland, just as the Tusks battled the odds and risked everything to free their folk in Mournwold, the people of Mitwold trust that the Drakes will be back and make the Jotun pay a high price for their trespass.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofBregasland.png|align=right|width=300}}
==Game Information==
* '''The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward claiming Gravenmarch'''
* '''The Jotun have conquered Oddmire and Meade March, and are halfway towards claiming the Meadows'''
* '''All titles connected to the city of Meade have lost access to their resources'''
Following the battle opportunity in Autumn, the Jotun have struck back against the Strong Reeds, causing them to take 200 casualties. They have now risen up, however, openly fighting the barbarians. As such, the information the Jotun scouts gathered about their movements and dispositions is no longer useful. If the Strong Reeds choose to start lying low again, they will not face any ongoing losses unless and until the Jotun are able to scour the territory for them once again. The "counter" on their ability to rise up would be reset at this point given they still maintain the absolute support of the Bregas people. Alternatively, they could leave the territory without difficulty either alone or with other Imperial armies.

The Imperial forces have not taken Gravenmarch but they are four-fifths of the way there. While the route they entered Bregasland by, has been cut off - Oddmire and Meade March being in Jotun hands - there is nothing to stop them retreating into the Mournwold, or even circling round through Mournwold into Golden Downs or Maiden Downs. If they wish to return to Mitwold directly - into Oddmire or Meade March - they will have to fight the Jotun to do so.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofMitwold.png|align=right|width=300}}
The city of Meade is in Jotun hands. While they are not going out of the way to loot the place, there is still massive disruption here. As such the [[Bailiff of Meade]], [[Bailiff of the Grand Market]], [[Master of the Root and Stem]], and [[Alder of Meade]] have all lost access to their production - whether sinecure or ministry. The titles still exist, they simply can't wield their powers to secure resources. In addition, the Bounder's Hall in Meade is now in Jotun hands and unfortunately that means that it is no longer possible for beaters to [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] in Mitwold. There is nothing to stop characters instead [[Military_unit#Guarding|supporting Forte Fidelis]] but they won't receive any income for doing so unless that action is assigned [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Guerdon shares]]. Likewise, until Oddmire and Steward's Landing are once again in Marcher hands it is no longer possible for Marcher [[fleet|fleets]] to take the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]].

==Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks==
* '''Characters who took the Beating the Bounds or Raid Kalsea's Coastline actions have had a busy season'''
* '''The General of the Bloodcloaks retains some of the healing herbs recovered from the Navarr herb cache in Graven'''
Any character who took the [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] [[venture]] in Mitwold this season, or who undertook the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]] is encouraged to roleplay their part in the events taking place in the Marches. In particular, they may have been involved in helping [[military unit|military units]] sneak into Bregasland to join the Strong Reads, helped deliver the desperate warning of the Jotun assault to the defenders of Mitwold, or been involved in evacuating Steward's Landing. If your military unit or fleet supported one of these actions, you may have been injured engaging in risky heroism against the Jotun. Anyone who did so can email {{plot}} before the end of March and request a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|lingering wound]] sustained in the campaign. A lingering wound can help support your roleplaying on the field as one of the defenders of Mitwold. Bear in mind however that, if left untreated, lingering wounds can also be fatal.

The Navarr herb cache uncovered by the Bloodcloaks in Graven has been distributed to the healers of the Wintermark army, but a portion has also been set aside for the [[general]]. As such, '''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''' will find six drams of each of the five medicinal herbs in their pack, all that remains of this bounty.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=The crimson and gold pennants of Queen Eleonaris flutter over the Fields of Glory in the Summer Realm|align=left|width=200}}</div>

===Participation : Knights of Glory===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought with the Drakes, the Bounders, or the Strong Reeds receive a special benefit'''
The Knights of Glory who fought alongside the Drakes, Bounders, and Strong Reeds revel in the uncompromising tactics the three armies employed. As is their wont they communicate some of their enthusiasm to the soldiers who fight alongside them. A character whose military unit supported one of these three armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Winter Solstice.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Winter Solstice regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a [[roleplaying effect]] that lasts until the end of the Winter Solstice: ''You feel the urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and take particular pleasure from approval and adulation. You feel the urge to do things that demonstrate your prowess as a powerful warrior. Being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:34:10Z

Vsabo: /* Fist, Lion, Tower */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Winter]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Beater on the Field.jpg|caption=Beaters secure the boundaries of the Marches against all intrusion. Some times this is more challenging than others.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Loyal to the People==
The Strong Reeds were raised from the Bregas. To this day the bulk of their soldiers come from the Dour Fens, and they know the wetlands better than anyone else. Since the [[Only forward|Jotun returned]] to steal their homeland, they have been amid the reeds, resisting the invaders. This despite the unhappiness some of their countryfolk still feel towards the Empire - and we must not forget that many Bregas are marshfolk first, Marchers second, and Imperial citizens a distant third. Yet the 'Reeds have remained true to the oath of their General, fighting from the rushes and the deep fens to bamboozle the barbarian invaders wherever they can.

They are in a perilous situation, for all their skill at [[Army_qualities#Secretive|laying low]]. The Queen of Kalsea herself, ''Yrsa Jansdóttir'', set the Lion of the North to root out the 'Reeds and their sympathisers. The Bregas army has been left exposed, and those who offer them succour left in mortal danger. The Jotun are closing in on their hidden encampments, deep in the fens. It has become more and more difficult for them to move or take action without the barbarians descending on them in force.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] to [[So_our_path_is_laid#Battle_Opportunity_:_How_Will_They_Rise_Up?|come to their aid]]. In [[Bregasland#Grey Fens|Grey Fens]] they intercepted the Jotun champions [[So_our_path_is_laid#Objective:_Recover_the_scouting_orders|ordered]] to hunt out the havens of the Strong Reeds. Both ''Ghodi Melker'' and the yegarra champion ''Eisa Winterborn'' were brought low - the latter success in particular being cause for muted celebration. A thorn in the Empire's side for years, Imperial heroes brought Eisa to ground at ''Leakey Moss'', and her warband has withdrawn back to their stronghold in [[Skallahn#Mindrkyst|Skallahn]]. They will not return to fight in the Empire again until some new hero raises the walrus banner and walks the path of the rare yegarra champions.
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">This game of fox and hound is at an end. No quarter shall be given. Not any more. Rise up! Rise from the reeds and be a tidal wave of fury to wash the scum from our fields. I march with you as a soldier, as a marcher, as your friend. I march with my husband by my side for us, for land, for the Marches. And when we are done, will bring in the harvest and toast to the turning of the seasons.</quote></div>

Unfortunately, their success was not unqualified. They were unable to prevent one of the champions from rallying her warband. Barely has the equinox ended before ''Seeker Alma'' - a skilled tracker from the hills of [[Reinos]] - leads a contingent of Lasambrian Jotun into the sleepy village of ''Catchment'', deep in the fens. Some two hundred Marcher soldiers, taken by surprise, are slain or captured before they can flee. A grievous loss - but one that could have been significantly worse had the Empire's heroes been less thorough. Alma continues to harry the Bregas across the marshes, striking without warning against sanctuaries that have been secret for generations.

Yet despite this, the 'Reeds remain in Bregasland. They endure, and when the order comes, they will [[If_one_be_gone_we_carry_on#Objective:_Rouse_the_Strong_Reeds|rise]].
===Rise===
Granite-faced Derun Stonetower and the Tower of the North continues to work alongside Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, standing in for King Gudmundr Arasonn as general of the Fist of Ulven, ruling Bregasland with a mailed fist. Yet many of the barbarian "heroes" are champing at the bit, eager for honourable battle against the Marcher-folk and their allies. As a people, the Jotun tend to have little time for stealth and the subtle manoeuvring of spies and scouts; let others seek the Strong Reeds, the champions of Kalsea and Narkyst will build their bridge across the [[Howling Abyss]] in glorious battle! Throughout the long Summer into Autumn, [[So_our_path_is_laid#Pride_of_the_Marches|barbarian raiders]] came reaving across the border into prosperous [[Mitwold]].

<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Mary Birchsmith, General of the Bounders">Bounders, show me your strength and your loyalty. We bring the knights of Eleonaris with us to fight alongside our friends and siblings in Gravenmarch. We will support the strong reeds to rise up and show the Jotun what we stand for. This is marcher land and we take pride in that. We will overwhelming assault into Graven March, Bregasland. A Marcher! A Marcher!</quote>
<quote by="William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes">Make of them a scarecrow. Make our enemy a living effigy of your will - Shrive yourselves, pour your anger and sorrow into your greatswords and poleaxes… First army be shriven of sin and malignancy drive it into the invaders. It is not Sin however to hate the Jotun. To repel the invaders virtue demands it. So Shrive yourselves in battle my Drakes. Liberate the fens and furrows of Bregasland and be born anew. Do this for me now. For fellow, our commander, our stoats and all who have suffered this evil. Should you find the fire of the Marches - send me to her, so I may love my wife amidst the chaos of the land. Our Overwhelming Assault will be the battle song of my love for this and all of you.</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Cloaks, we march to free the reeds, we march to recover the lost and aid the Marchers, we march with the Champions of Eleonaris. A good friend has just become one of their champions and I hope she can march to battle with the Winterfolk once more. Blaze Dunn! A Hero has a name!</quote></div>

The ''Ice Fishers of Ldansk'' have been in Bregasland for a year or more, growing more restless with each season that passes. ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' plants her raven-banner in Ottery, splitting her attention between rooting out the Strong Reeds and testing the borders to the east. The Howling Bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' have had their eyes on the wealth of Mitwold since they arrived. With the death of ''Eisa Winterborn'' it is as if grief has unhinged their champion who drives their warband to fight the Marchers wherever possible even when it is perhaps not wise to do so.

Their desire for bloodshed is nothing, however, beside that of the traitor-yegarra who gather around the banners of ''Stephen of Sarcombe''. While the other champion-warbands seek wealth and challenge, the yegarra of the [[Mournwold|Mourn]] look to sate their bloodlust on the [[Yeoman of the Marches|yeofolk]] of Mitwold and Bregasland alike. Rumours that other Jotun warbands will not fight alongside Stephen's yegarra for fear of dishonouring themselves and their ancestors have solidified. In desperation Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir has loosed the choke-chain King Gudmundr used to control the furious human champion, letting him lead his troops into Mitwold in the hope, perhaps, that the Marchers will end the problem he represents before the King returns.

And so the raids continue after the Autumn Equinox. The Imperial defenders of Mitwold are able to ensure they do reach much further east than [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and occasionally [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]], but their focus is elsewhere. The task of dealing with the raiders falls to the [[beater|beaters]] who [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|patrol the borders]], and to the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]]. The [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the [[Autumn Hammers]] have quit Mitwold leaving only the [[Drakes]] and the [[Bloodcloaks]] in Mitwold - and they are busy preparing for what is to come.

Fortunately the absence left by the armies marching north is quickly filled for by the arrival of the [[Bounders]] from neighbouring [[Upwold]]. A fortnight after the Equinox, a grand cohort of [[Knights of Glory|elfin knights and goblin-kind infantryfolk]] emerge from an old battlefield in Meade March, drawn from the demesne of [[Eleonaris]]. Without delay they march west to join the Imperial armies, splitting into three distinct groups and setting their brightly-coloured pavilions and fluttering banners alongside the tents of the Imperial soldiers.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GenBounders.jpg|caption='''Mary Birchsmith''', General of the Bounders}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Plate.jpg|caption='''William Guildenstern''', General of the Drakes}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt.png|caption='''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''', General of the Bloodcloaks}}
</div>
To aid the Drakes comes ''Kore'' the lion-maned warlord, glorious in their scarlet armour. They command only half the number of warriors brought by the others, but each of their knights is twice the size of their comrades. While their torso, head, and arms are humanlike their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. These crimson knights use their lances to great effect, devastating their enemies with a thundering charge. ''Ser Helvennan'', resplendent in gold and red chain, quietly joins the Bloodcloaks. The Stag-knight leads a mixed band of elfin spearmasters and grizzled goblin-kin with shield and javelin. ''Ollavan the Reeve'', the sharp-eared bowmaster, comes at the head of a band of wily archers and rust-red hunting hounds. They are eager not only to face their foes, but to test their skill against the marksmen of the Bounders. The knights attract comment wherever they go, their richly coloured garb and merry voices something of a contrast with the fields of Meade March.

The Drakes are further reinforced by nearly five thousand troops lead by Imperial captains from every Imperial nation save the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They have come to fight the Jotun; some offer their aid to the beaters while they wait but few can keep up with the fast-moving Marchers. Others seek the beaters for different reasons however. Perhaps as many as nine thousand more soldiers wish to sneak across the border into Bregasland to join the Strong Reeds. The expertise of the beaters is tested, but they are found equal to the challenge. Others take the riskier route along the southern shores of the Westmere with the aid of sailors from [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Steward's Landing]], slipping into the conquered territories through [[Bregasland#Eel's_Landing|Eel's Landing]] or isolated fishing villages along the coastline.

===Fist, Lion, Tower===
Once everyone is in place, on a certain day, at an appointed hour, the camps are struck. The Drakes, Bounders, and Bloodcloaks begin to move south through Meade March toward [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|Gravenmarch]], toward battle. At the same time, the Strong Reeds rise, launching a surprise attack against the Jotun garrison at Graven. With them are two thousand delicately deadly warriors of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] attired in breathtaking splendour of sky blue and sun gold; the household of ''Ser Alcedini'', the brightly feathered Kingfisher Castellan, who leads them into battle alongside the Bregas forces. The 'Reeds can't know for sure that help is coming, cut off from the rest of the Marches as they are. They can only trust that if they act, their allies will be there to support them. More than a few Bregas soldiers breathe a sigh of relief when the news that a major Imperial force has crossed the border into the 'March reaches them.

Battle is joined. The Tower of the North, the Fist of Ulven, and the Lion of the North respond quickly, Jotun warriors surging south to intercept the Imperial forces. The rising of the Strong Reeds, however, provides a powerful element of surprise. The eyes of the barbarians were to the north, toward Ottery and Fisher's Rock rather than towards Graven. By the time they realise the attack is underway, the town has been freed from the Jotun.

At first it seems as if the whole of Graven March will follow suit, but as the days unfold that hope begins to fade somewhat. While the initial fighting mostly involves the Tower, the Fist, and the Lion, reinforcements quickly arrive. Some six thousand Summer [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - orc-like warriors with a distinct leonine cast to their features in crimson steel chain - join the battle. Knights of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of Summer]], they are equally enthusiastic about fighting Imperial troops as they are clashing with their kin from the Summer Realm. In particular the axe-wielding warriors lead by ''Ser Grumbar'' the Hound-knight seek out every opportunity to contend with the knights of ''Ser Helvennan'' who side with the Bloodcloaks.

Only a few days after the fighting begins, the Jotun are further bolstered by some fifteen thousand Lasambrian orcs - the entire Lasambrian Jotun force of the Hierro, the Corazón, and the Escuta. Yet even these allies are only sufficient to slow the Imperial advance, not to halt it entirely. The Drakes and the Bounders plough straight through the Jotun defenders to meet up with the Strong Reeds at Graven; three armies of Marcher soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder against the barbarians. The liveries of dozens of Marcher households flutter and dance in the wind from the west as stubborn yeofolk face the orcs who bedevil their homelands.

The Bloodcloaks swiftly establish a presence at the town that once served as a place for the Navarr to meet with the people of the Marches to trade stories of the wider world. And to trade herbs, especially valuable [[cerulean mazzarine]] from [[the Brass Coast]] in return for the unique plants gathered in the deep fens. Indeed, while the Bloodcloaks are establishing a field hospital in the little town they come across a hidden stash of healing herbs concealed beneath the floorboards - dozens of carefully wrapped packages of [[true vervain]] and [[imperial roseweald]] and [[marrowort]]. There is a note, hastily written, wishing whoever finds the herbs well and expressing the hope that those who use them might remember the [[striding]] of ''Liath's Path''. It's clear to the Winterfolk that this cache was left by the Navarr trapped in Graven when the Jotun came, in the hope that it would find its way into Imperial hands. Of the Navarr themselves, there is no sign. Doubtless they were among those executed by the barbarians when Graven fell.

It proves to be a valuable find; the Winterfolk healers have their work cut out for them as they [[Army_qualities#Woundbinder|tend the wounds]] of their allies. The Jotun may have been put on the back foot by the attack into Gravenmarch, but they have rallied quickly, mounting a [[Army orders#Solid Defence|solid defence]] in the face of the Empire's furious assault.

Tough as the going is, the Marchers and their allies from the north are equal to the challenge. They liberate several of the smaller households and villages as they expand their control of the 'March outward from Graven. The arrival of the Lasambrians has nudged the butter churn a little, but Imperial rally quickly to the new situation and as slow as the going is it looks as if they will ultimately win the battle, if not the war.

Then, of course, the other shoe drops and the bad news arrives in the form of an exhausted Greywater messenger from Ottery.
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{{CaptionedImage|file=Bounders_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
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<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunMarch.jpg|align=left|width=500|caption=The Jotun have followed last season's raids with a full-on invasion of Mitwold.}}</div>

==Pride of the Marches==
The Greywater is injured, on the verge of collapse when they reach Graven and demand to speak to the Strong Reeds. Refusing to rest until they have discharged their duty - there were four of them when they set out from Ottery and only one survived the passage through the Jotun lines - they bring a dire message. The Lasambrians are not the ''only'' force of Jotun that has come into Bregasland since the Autumn equinox.

While the Tower, and the Fist, and the Lion, and their Lasambrian allies, have been fighting the Empire in Gravenmarch, a massive force of Jotun has gathered in Ottermire... and is sweeping east across the Otterway into Mitwold. Perhaps forty five thousand Jotun have joined the warbands raiding Oddmire, alongside several thousand crimson-and-gold clad knights of the Summer realm. Eight armies, marching up out of [[Liathaven]] and [[Hordalant]] through the western fens to Ottery. Rather than join the defence, they barely broke their march before crossing the walkway into Oddmire.

For the first time in a century or more, there are Jotun armies in Mitwold. The news spreads through the Imperial forces like wildfire. Soldiers of the Drakes demand to be allowed to return home to protect their farms, their families, their friends. Fear that the army might make it as far as Upwold grips the Bounders. Yet in the end, there are bonds of duty and loyalty that are stronger than the fear they feel. The Empire's forces are too tightly bound up in the fight in Gravenmarch to risk trying to break free and march back north. Everything is focused here, on seizing a foothold in Bregasland. Trying to turn back now would leave the four armies between the hammer and the anvil - and risk making the situation worse. At the moment, should disaster come upon them, they can retreat into [[Mournwold#Green_March|Green March]]. If they try to turn north, there is every chance they will end up trapped in Gravenmarch at the mercy of the Jotun.

It is a painful decision, but in the end the soldiers of the Marches and Wintermark have little choice but to trust the orders of their generals, to trust that the defenders of Mitwold will be equal to the challenge that faces them.
===Odd's Way===
Nearly fifty thousand Jotun. Two full contingents of the [[Knights of Glory]]. The Ice Fishers, and the Howling Bears, and the raven-banner of Helma Skutasdóttir. The traitors of the Mourn. They march along the Otterway into Oddmire. No simple raiding party, but a hammer blow against the Pride of the Marches.

Normally the western barbarians invade a territory with a crushing assault, seeking to overwhelm defenders with furious might and force of numbers. Uncharacteristically though, the Jotun attacking Mitwold seem to be favouring a more [[Army orders#Cautious Assault|cautious]] strategy. Most likely last season's raids established the presence of defending armies dug-in in Oddmire. Perhaps the Jotun commanders are simply being cautious of a trap, or careful about overextending their forces. Either way, they focus more on preserving their strength than smashing the Imperial armies... which are not there. The relative slowness of the Jotun response in Bregasland makes more sense if one assumed the barbarians were expecting the Imperial armies to still be in Mitwold rather than launching an attack of their own.

Eight armies, well-rested and well-provisioned from their stay in Liathaven and Hordalant. The Fell Hammers and the Iron Host are in the van, with the glory-hungry warriors of the Mandowla's Roar and Raging Thunder straining against the unfamiliar orders to advance cautiously rather than slam full-strength into whatever Mitwold has to offer. The knights that accompany those two armies are clearly no happier about this strategy than their orc friends, but they follow their orders. The Howling Night, the Skjaldirborn, and the Shield of the Mountain form the solid core at the heart of the Jotun expeditionary force, with the Southern Bear in the rearward position, [[Army_qualities#Resilient|grinding]] relentlessly forward even as they seek to lock down the land the advance guard claims. The army of Bjorgthorn Hammerhand prides itself on only moving forward, and even though the Jotun come with caution, move forward they do.

The defenders of Mitwold know about the Jotun invasion before the forces in Gravenmarch; the beaters who watch the borders immediately realise what is happening and raise the alarm. The news speeds eastward, galvanising the garrison of Forte Fidelis and sending the yeofolk and stewards to their armouries. Weapons and armour are passed out, as the folk of the Marches brace themselves for the Jotun advance. Just as with their neighbours to the east and the south, they will not cede one inch of ground save that the barbarians pry it from their clenched fists. Messengers are sent to Mournwold and Upwold, telling them of the invasion and while they do not directly ask for aid - Marchers are proud people - the implication is there. They may be rivals in peacetime, but as both Bregasland and Mournwold have shown, when war comes to the Marches, folk unite against the interloper.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotra.png}}
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This grim pride, the courage of the yeofolk, is not in vain but it cannot hope to hold back the Jotun for long. At best, the garrison and the beaters, the households, and the walls of Oddmire can only delay what seems inevitable. Western Oddmire falls, and within a week the rest of the region follows suit. Odd's End is overwhelmed by the barbarians, forced to open its gates rather than see the entire town flattened by Jotun siege engines. Steward's Landing falls shortly afterward without any fighting at all - because ''Jarvey "Strongoar" Oddsboy'' and his entire household have loaded everyone they can onto their boats and slipped across the Gullet to [[Kallavesa#Wittal_Grove|Fisk]]. The Winterfolk who once kept a careful eye on the Marchers to the south welcome them, working with the steward and his levies to ensure that the northern shores of Mitwold can be kept supplied, should the worst come to the worst.

Despite the relatively cautious strategy the invasion of Mitwold follows a familiar pattern. Wherever they go, the Jotun offer Imperial citizens the Choice. Take up arms alongside the Jotun; lay aside the accoutrements of war and become thralls; or be given a swift and honourable death. Nobody takes the first choice. Most take the second. Few are stubborn enough to face the third. Many families make the decision to retreat before the Jotun, staunchly certain that they will reclaim their land soon enough when the Drakes return and drive the Jotun back into the western fens. The refugees are welcomed by their neighbours to the east with open grumbling about the inconvenience - but they ''are'' welcomed and found places to stay.

===The Walls of Meade===
Oddmire is quickly taken, and then the Jotun march on [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]]. The first [[market town]] and the oldest. The largest settlement south of [[Hahnmark#Kalpaheim|Kalpaheim]], the city-port of the Marches. Revitalised by the dredging of the Westmere, by trade with the [[Faraden]], and by decades of prosperity and security, Meade stands ready to repel the Jotun just as they did the [[Harvest_of_infamy|Asavean raiders]] last Autumn.

Of course, last Autumn the Marchers had ample warning that the attack was coming, and the garrison of Forte Fidelis was bolstered by the Drakes. This year, the defenders of Meade are on their own. The city has walls of course, but while there has been some talk of [[Three_keys#The_Walls_of_Meade|further work]] it has been over a decade since the defences were [[Fortify_Town_defences|reinforced]] by the Senate. The walls are stout, but to stand against eight armies of Jotun bent on conquest? That would be a challenge even for a true [[fortification]] - there's little doubt that if the Jotun turned south-east into the [[Mitwold#Golden_Downs|'Downs]] even Forte Fidelis would be hard pressed to keep them out.

So the Jotun come up through Meade March towards the pride of the Marches. The people turned back the Asaveans, and they fight just as valiantly against the Jotun, but they are outnumbered and ultimately outmatched. A Jotun messenger offers the people of Meade one chance to surrender, but if anything the proud refusal of the defenders both impresses and pleases the herald sent to deliver the offer. She returns to the armies, and they waste no time besieging the city. Not that it is a siege in any literal sense. The soldiers of Forte Fidelis garrison the walls as best they can, but the gates are riven to splinters by Jotun battering rams almost immediately. The warriors of the west pour into Meade, and those who fight back are swiftly overwhelmed. This is a city of prosperity, of clever merchants and wise scholars, not a city of warriors, after all.

The remaining garrison retreats east. A great many Marchers stay behind, refusing to give up their homes. They watch sullenly as the Jotun establish a command post in Meade, from which to direct the rest of their forces. With the city fallen, there is little chance for the households of Meade March to mount more than a token defence. Yet with the aid of the beaters and the Forte Fidelis soldiers, they do their best, and their courage at least helps to slow the Jotun invasion and give time for the rest of Mitwold to prepare for what is to come. As it is, the 'March is conquered and the Jotun continue to press forward into the heart of the Marches.

As the bulk of the Jotun move to back up the raiders attacking [[Mitwold#The_Meadows|the Meadows]], however, Stephen of Sarcombe moves to have the remaining [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Alder|alders]] of Meade and their families hanged, sending his yegarra also to try and capture the bailiffs of [[Bailiff of Meade|Meade]] and the [[Bailiff of the Grand Market|Grand Market]], the [[Alder of Meade]], and even the [[Master of the Root and Stem]] so they can face similar treatment. Before he can do much more than mobilise his people, they are confronted by Helma Skutasdóttir and her warband. Denouncing him as a coward and unfit to call himself Jotun, Helma herself challenges him to defend his honour. Actual fighting between the orcs of Helma's raven-banner and Stephens yegarra breaks out in the centre of Meade. Bjorgthorn Hammerhand, general of the Southern Bear, is forced to send his own warriors to separate the two warbands - but not before several fighters on both sides are slain. He does not bother to hide his utter contempt for Stephen and his clear support for Helma in this matter. According to witnesses, it looks as if the traitor-Marchers are squaring up to actually take on the Southern Bear, but in the end they back down and retreat from Meade with their tails between their legs. It becomes common knowledge that Bjorgthorn has dispatched messengers north to the King and Queen, demanding that something be done about the "rabid dog" in the midst of the Jotun before he is forced to deal with the matter himself.

Flies like Stephen aside, though, the rest of the Jotun invasion goes off with barely a hitch. After Oddmire and Meade March, the Jotun press heavily into the Meadows. North-eastern Mitwold borders [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Wittal Grove]], some of the only dry land in the whole of [[Kallavesa]], and allows easy access to [[Upwold#Stock_March|Stock March]] in Upwold. If the Jotun can secure it, and secure their lines across northern Mitwold, the threat they represent is multiplied significantly.

Yet despite their fervour, and their sheer numbers, their invasion slows and begins to falter once they hit the Meadows. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the weather worsens significantly. Torrential rains give way to heavy snowfall in the approach to midwinter, and while the Jotun are no strangers to cold and snow they are not foolhardy enough to throw themselves into the teeth of the storm while there are defenders still fighting. Across the northern Marches, camps are established as the Jotun make the preparations needed to keep what they have taken so far - and presumably to continue to conquer Mitwold until the entire Pride of the Marches is in their hands.
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==Between Beats==
It is easy to imagine that every warrior in the Jotun lands is in the Marches; six armies in Bregasland fighting the Empire's attempt to liberate Gravenmarch. Eight armies in Mitwold. Thousands of would-be champions fighting under the banners of their warlords, even as thousands of Imperial captains fight in support of the armies of the Empire. Knights of Glory on both sides, urging their compatriots to fight boldly, to neither give nor ask for quarter, to seek to build enduring legends that will live on in the songs of the bards long after their bodies are gone to rot and treeroots.

The fighting in Bregasland has been bloody - three thousand Imperial heroes dead or broken. The number would have been higher without the Bloodcloaks; the Jotun have suffered more grievous losses simply because they lack the medical expertise of the Winterfolk, their losses closer to four thousand. The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward taking Gravenmarch from the barbarians, but the fighting continues. Behind them, the armies of the west rampage across Mitwold, slowed by the stubborn defenders, but only a little. Oddmire and Meade March - and the city of Meade - are in their hands. They are halfway toward claiming the whole of the Meadows, and who knows where their ambition will take them after that?

The ultimate goal of the Jotun may be unclear, but one thing ''is'' clear. The Marchers will not give up without a fight, not in Mitwold, and not anywhere else. The Jotun have been beaten before, time and again, and this time will be no different. Just as the Strong Reeds fight for the people of Bregasland, just as the Tusks battled the odds and risked everything to free their folk in Mournwold, the people of Mitwold trust that the Drakes will be back and make the Jotun pay a high price for their trespass.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofBregasland.png|align=right|width=300}}
==Game Information==
* '''The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward claiming Gravenmarch'''
* '''The Jotun have conquered Oddmire and Meade March, and are halfway towards claiming the Meadows'''
* '''All titles connected to the city of Meade have lost access to their resources'''
Following the battle opportunity in Autumn, the Jotun have struck back against the Strong Reeds, causing them to take 200 casualties. They have now risen up, however, openly fighting the barbarians. As such, the information the Jotun scouts gathered about their movements and dispositions is no longer useful. If the Strong Reeds choose to start lying low again, they will not face any ongoing losses unless and until the Jotun are able to scour the territory for them once again. The "counter" on their ability to rise up would be reset at this point given they still maintain the absolute support of the Bregas people. Alternatively, they could leave the territory without difficulty either alone or with other Imperial armies.

The Imperial forces have not taken Gravenmarch but they are four-fifths of the way there. While the route they entered Bregasland by, has been cut off - Oddmire and Meade March being in Jotun hands - there is nothing to stop them retreating into the Mournwold, or even circling round through Mournwold into Golden Downs or Maiden Downs. If they wish to return to Mitwold directly - into Oddmire or Meade March - they will have to fight the Jotun to do so.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofMitwold.png|align=right|width=300}}
The city of Meade is in Jotun hands. While they are not going out of the way to loot the place, there is still massive disruption here. As such the [[Bailiff of Meade]], [[Bailiff of the Grand Market]], [[Master of the Root and Stem]], and [[Alder of Meade]] have all lost access to their production - whether sinecure or ministry. The titles still exist, they simply can't wield their powers to secure resources. In addition, the Bounder's Hall in Meade is now in Jotun hands and unfortunately that means that it is no longer possible for beaters to [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] in Mitwold. There is nothing to stop characters instead [[Military_unit#Guarding|supporting Forte Fidelis]] but they won't receive any income for doing so unless that action is assigned [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Guerdon shares]]. Likewise, until Oddmire and Steward's Landing are once again in Marcher hands it is no longer possible for Marcher [[fleet|fleets]] to take the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]].

==Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks==
* '''Characters who took the Beating the Bounds or Raid Kalsea's Coastline actions have had a busy season'''
* '''The General of the Bloodcloaks retains some of the healing herbs recovered from the Navarr herb cache in Graven'''
Any character who took the [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] [[venture]] in Mitwold this season, or who undertook the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]] is encouraged to roleplay their part in the events taking place in the Marches. In particular, they may have been involved in helping [[military unit|military units]] sneak into Bregasland to join the Strong Reads, helped deliver the desperate warning of the Jotun assault to the defenders of Mitwold, or been involved in evacuating Steward's Landing. If your military unit or fleet supported one of these actions, you may have been injured engaging in risky heroism against the Jotun. Anyone who did so can email {{plot}} before the end of March and request a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|lingering wound]] sustained in the campaign. A lingering wound can help support your roleplaying on the field as one of the defenders of Mitwold. Bear in mind however that, if left untreated, lingering wounds can also be fatal.

The Navarr herb cache uncovered by the Bloodcloaks in Graven has been distributed to the healers of the Wintermark army, but a portion has also been set aside for the [[general]]. As such, '''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''' will find six drams of each of the five medicinal herbs in their pack, all that remains of this bounty.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=The crimson and gold pennants of Queen Eleonaris flutter over the Fields of Glory in the Summer Realm|align=left|width=200}}</div>

===Participation : Knights of Glory===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought with the Drakes, the Bounders, or the Strong Reeds receive a special benefit'''
The Knights of Glory who fought alongside the Drakes, Bounders, and Strong Reeds revel in the uncompromising tactics the three armies employed. As is their wont they communicate some of their enthusiasm to the soldiers who fight alongside them. A character whose military unit supported one of these three armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Winter Solstice.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Winter Solstice regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a [[roleplaying effect]] that lasts until the end of the Winter Solstice: ''You feel the urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and take particular pleasure from approval and adulation. You feel the urge to do things that demonstrate your prowess as a powerful warrior. Being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

Rose grow the rushes o'

2026-02-14T23:32:57Z

Vsabo: /* Fist, Lion, Tower */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Winter]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Beater on the Field.jpg|caption=Beaters secure the boundaries of the Marches against all intrusion. Some times this is more challenging than others.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Loyal to the People==
The Strong Reeds were raised from the Bregas. To this day the bulk of their soldiers come from the Dour Fens, and they know the wetlands better than anyone else. Since the [[Only forward|Jotun returned]] to steal their homeland, they have been amid the reeds, resisting the invaders. This despite the unhappiness some of their countryfolk still feel towards the Empire - and we must not forget that many Bregas are marshfolk first, Marchers second, and Imperial citizens a distant third. Yet the 'Reeds have remained true to the oath of their General, fighting from the rushes and the deep fens to bamboozle the barbarian invaders wherever they can.

They are in a perilous situation, for all their skill at [[Army_qualities#Secretive|laying low]]. The Queen of Kalsea herself, ''Yrsa Jansdóttir'', set the Lion of the North to root out the 'Reeds and their sympathisers. The Bregas army has been left exposed, and those who offer them succour left in mortal danger. The Jotun are closing in on their hidden encampments, deep in the fens. It has become more and more difficult for them to move or take action without the barbarians descending on them in force.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] to [[So_our_path_is_laid#Battle_Opportunity_:_How_Will_They_Rise_Up?|come to their aid]]. In [[Bregasland#Grey Fens|Grey Fens]] they intercepted the Jotun champions [[So_our_path_is_laid#Objective:_Recover_the_scouting_orders|ordered]] to hunt out the havens of the Strong Reeds. Both ''Ghodi Melker'' and the yegarra champion ''Eisa Winterborn'' were brought low - the latter success in particular being cause for muted celebration. A thorn in the Empire's side for years, Imperial heroes brought Eisa to ground at ''Leakey Moss'', and her warband has withdrawn back to their stronghold in [[Skallahn#Mindrkyst|Skallahn]]. They will not return to fight in the Empire again until some new hero raises the walrus banner and walks the path of the rare yegarra champions.
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">This game of fox and hound is at an end. No quarter shall be given. Not any more. Rise up! Rise from the reeds and be a tidal wave of fury to wash the scum from our fields. I march with you as a soldier, as a marcher, as your friend. I march with my husband by my side for us, for land, for the Marches. And when we are done, will bring in the harvest and toast to the turning of the seasons.</quote></div>

Unfortunately, their success was not unqualified. They were unable to prevent one of the champions from rallying her warband. Barely has the equinox ended before ''Seeker Alma'' - a skilled tracker from the hills of [[Reinos]] - leads a contingent of Lasambrian Jotun into the sleepy village of ''Catchment'', deep in the fens. Some two hundred Marcher soldiers, taken by surprise, are slain or captured before they can flee. A grievous loss - but one that could have been significantly worse had the Empire's heroes been less thorough. Alma continues to harry the Bregas across the marshes, striking without warning against sanctuaries that have been secret for generations.

Yet despite this, the 'Reeds remain in Bregasland. They endure, and when the order comes, they will [[If_one_be_gone_we_carry_on#Objective:_Rouse_the_Strong_Reeds|rise]].
===Rise===
Granite-faced Derun Stonetower and the Tower of the North continues to work alongside Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, standing in for King Gudmundr Arasonn as general of the Fist of Ulven, ruling Bregasland with a mailed fist. Yet many of the barbarian "heroes" are champing at the bit, eager for honourable battle against the Marcher-folk and their allies. As a people, the Jotun tend to have little time for stealth and the subtle manoeuvring of spies and scouts; let others seek the Strong Reeds, the champions of Kalsea and Narkyst will build their bridge across the [[Howling Abyss]] in glorious battle! Throughout the long Summer into Autumn, [[So_our_path_is_laid#Pride_of_the_Marches|barbarian raiders]] came reaving across the border into prosperous [[Mitwold]].

<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;"><quote by="Mary Birchsmith, General of the Bounders">Bounders, show me your strength and your loyalty. We bring the knights of Eleonaris with us to fight alongside our friends and siblings in Gravenmarch. We will support the strong reeds to rise up and show the Jotun what we stand for. This is marcher land and we take pride in that. We will overwhelming assault into Graven March, Bregasland. A Marcher! A Marcher!</quote>
<quote by="William Guildenstern, General of the Drakes">Make of them a scarecrow. Make our enemy a living effigy of your will - Shrive yourselves, pour your anger and sorrow into your greatswords and poleaxes… First army be shriven of sin and malignancy drive it into the invaders. It is not Sin however to hate the Jotun. To repel the invaders virtue demands it. So Shrive yourselves in battle my Drakes. Liberate the fens and furrows of Bregasland and be born anew. Do this for me now. For fellow, our commander, our stoats and all who have suffered this evil. Should you find the fire of the Marches - send me to her, so I may love my wife amidst the chaos of the land. Our Overwhelming Assault will be the battle song of my love for this and all of you.</quote>
<quote by="Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt, General of the Bloodcloaks">Cloaks, we march to free the reeds, we march to recover the lost and aid the Marchers, we march with the Champions of Eleonaris. A good friend has just become one of their champions and I hope she can march to battle with the Winterfolk once more. Blaze Dunn! A Hero has a name!</quote></div>

The ''Ice Fishers of Ldansk'' have been in Bregasland for a year or more, growing more restless with each season that passes. ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' plants her raven-banner in Ottery, splitting her attention between rooting out the Strong Reeds and testing the borders to the east. The Howling Bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' have had their eyes on the wealth of Mitwold since they arrived. With the death of ''Eisa Winterborn'' it is as if grief has unhinged their champion who drives their warband to fight the Marchers wherever possible even when it is perhaps not wise to do so.

Their desire for bloodshed is nothing, however, beside that of the traitor-yegarra who gather around the banners of ''Stephen of Sarcombe''. While the other champion-warbands seek wealth and challenge, the yegarra of the [[Mournwold|Mourn]] look to sate their bloodlust on the [[Yeoman of the Marches|yeofolk]] of Mitwold and Bregasland alike. Rumours that other Jotun warbands will not fight alongside Stephen's yegarra for fear of dishonouring themselves and their ancestors have solidified. In desperation Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir has loosed the choke-chain King Gudmundr used to control the furious human champion, letting him lead his troops into Mitwold in the hope, perhaps, that the Marchers will end the problem he represents before the King returns.

And so the raids continue after the Autumn Equinox. The Imperial defenders of Mitwold are able to ensure they do reach much further east than [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and occasionally [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]], but their focus is elsewhere. The task of dealing with the raiders falls to the [[beater|beaters]] who [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|patrol the borders]], and to the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]]. The [[Valiant Pegasus]] and the [[Autumn Hammers]] have quit Mitwold leaving only the [[Drakes]] and the [[Bloodcloaks]] in Mitwold - and they are busy preparing for what is to come.

Fortunately the absence left by the armies marching north is quickly filled for by the arrival of the [[Bounders]] from neighbouring [[Upwold]]. A fortnight after the Equinox, a grand cohort of [[Knights of Glory|elfin knights and goblin-kind infantryfolk]] emerge from an old battlefield in Meade March, drawn from the demesne of [[Eleonaris]]. Without delay they march west to join the Imperial armies, splitting into three distinct groups and setting their brightly-coloured pavilions and fluttering banners alongside the tents of the Imperial soldiers.
<div style="float:left; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amberlain7869.jpg||caption='''Amberlain P. Black''', General of the Strong Reeds}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=GenBounders.jpg|caption='''Mary Birchsmith''', General of the Bounders}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Marcher Plate.jpg|caption='''William Guildenstern''', General of the Drakes}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt.png|caption='''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''', General of the Bloodcloaks}}
</div>
To aid the Drakes comes ''Kore'' the lion-maned warlord, glorious in their scarlet armour. They command only half the number of warriors brought by the others, but each of their knights is twice the size of their comrades. While their torso, head, and arms are humanlike their lower bodies are those of deadly predatory cats. These crimson knights use their lances to great effect, devastating their enemies with a thundering charge. ''Ser Helvennan'', resplendent in gold and red chain, quietly joins the Bloodcloaks. The Stag-knight leads a mixed band of elfin spearmasters and grizzled goblin-kin with shield and javelin. ''Ollavan the Reeve'', the sharp-eared bowmaster, comes at the head of a band of wily archers and rust-red hunting hounds. They are eager not only to face their foes, but to test their skill against the marksmen of the Bounders. The knights attract comment wherever they go, their richly coloured garb and merry voices something of a contrast with the fields of Meade March.

The Drakes are further reinforced by nearly five thousand troops lead by Imperial captains from every Imperial nation save the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They have come to fight the Jotun; some offer their aid to the beaters while they wait but few can keep up with the fast-moving Marchers. Others seek the beaters for different reasons however. Perhaps as many as nine thousand more soldiers wish to sneak across the border into Bregasland to join the Strong Reeds. The expertise of the beaters is tested, but they are found equal to the challenge. Others take the riskier route along the southern shores of the Westmere with the aid of sailors from [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Steward's Landing]], slipping into the conquered territories through [[Bregasland#Eel's_Landing|Eel's Landing]] or isolated fishing villages along the coastline.

===Fist, Lion, Tower===
Once everyone is in place, on a certain day, at an appointed hour, the camps are struck. The Drakes, Bounders, and Bloodcloaks begin to move south through Meade March toward [[Bregasland#Gravenmarch|Gravenmarch]], toward battle. At the same time, the Strong Reeds rise, launching a surprise attack against the Jotun garrison at Graven. With them are two thousand delicately deadly warriors of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]] attired in breathtaking splendour of sky blue and sun gold; the household of ''Ser Alcedini'', the brightly feathered Kingfisher Castellan, who leads them into battle alongside the Bregas forces. The 'Reeds can't know for sure that help is coming, cut off from the rest of the Marches as they are. They can only trust that if they act, their allies will be there to support them. More than a few Bregas soldiers breathe a sigh of relief when the news that a major Imperial force has crossed the border into the 'March reaches them.

Battle is joined. The Tower of the North, the Fist of Ulven, and the Lion of the North respond quickly, Jotun warriors surging south to intercept the Imperial forces. The rising of the Strong Reeds, however, provides a powerful element of surprise. The eyes of the barbarians were to the north, toward Ottery and Fisher's Rock rather than towards Graven. By the time they realise the attack is underway, the town has been freed from the Jotun.

At first it seems as if the whole of Graven March will follow suit, but as the days unfold that hope begins to fade somewhat. While the initial fighting mostly involves the Tower, the Fist, and the Lion, reinforcements quickly arrive. Some six thousand Summer [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] - orc-like warriors with a distinct leonine cast to their features in crimson steel chain - join the battle. Knights of the [[Eleonaris|Lady of Summer]], they are equally enthusiastic about fighting Imperial troops as they are clashing with their kin from the Summer Realm. In particular the axe-wielding warriors lead by ''Ser Grumbar'' the Hound-knight seek out every opportunity to contend with the knights of ''Set Helvennan'' who side with the Bloodcloaks.

Only a few days after the fighting begins, the Jotun are further bolstered by some fifteen thousand Lasambrian orcs - the entire Lasambrian Jotun force of the Hierro, the Corazón, and the Escuta. Yet even these allies are only sufficient to slow the Imperial advance, not to halt it entirely. The Drakes and the Bounders plough straight through the Jotun defenders to meet up with the Strong Reeds at Graven; three armies of Marcher soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder against the barbarians. The liveries of dozens of Marcher households flutter and dance in the wind from the west as stubborn yeofolk face the orcs who bedevil their homelands.

The Bloodcloaks swiftly establish a presence at the town that once served as a place for the Navarr to meet with the people of the Marches to trade stories of the wider world. And to trade herbs, especially valuable [[cerulean mazzarine]] from [[the Brass Coast]] in return for the unique plants gathered in the deep fens. Indeed, while the Bloodcloaks are establishing a field hospital in the little town they come across a hidden stash of healing herbs concealed beneath the floorboards - dozens of carefully wrapped packages of [[true vervain]] and [[imperial roseweald]] and [[marrowort]]. There is a note, hastily written, wishing whoever finds the herbs well and expressing the hope that those who use them might remember the [[striding]] of ''Liath's Path''. It's clear to the Winterfolk that this cache was left by the Navarr trapped in Graven when the Jotun came, in the hope that it would find its way into Imperial hands. Of the Navarr themselves, there is no sign. Doubtless they were among those executed by the barbarians when Graven fell.

It proves to be a valuable find; the Winterfolk healers have their work cut out for them as they [[Army_qualities#Woundbinder|tend the wounds]] of their allies. The Jotun may have been put on the back foot by the attack into Gravenmarch, but they have rallied quickly, mounting a [[Army orders#Solid Defence|solid defence]] in the face of the Empire's furious assault.

Tough as the going is, the Marchers and their allies from the north are equal to the challenge. They liberate several of the smaller households and villages as they expand their control of the 'March outward from Graven. The arrival of the Lasambrians has nudged the butter churn a little, but Imperial rally quickly to the new situation and as slow as the going is it looks as if they will ultimately win the battle, if not the war.

Then, of course, the other shoe drops and the bad news arrives in the form of an exhausted Greywater messenger from Ottery.
<fourpicture>
{{CaptionedImage|file=BloodCloak_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Bounders_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Drakes_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=StrongReeds_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
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<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunMarch.jpg|align=left|width=500|caption=The Jotun have followed last season's raids with a full-on invasion of Mitwold.}}</div>

==Pride of the Marches==
The Greywater is injured, on the verge of collapse when they reach Graven and demand to speak to the Strong Reeds. Refusing to rest until they have discharged their duty - there were four of them when they set out from Ottery and only one survived the passage through the Jotun lines - they bring a dire message. The Lasambrians are not the ''only'' force of Jotun that has come into Bregasland since the Autumn equinox.

While the Tower, and the Fist, and the Lion, and their Lasambrian allies, have been fighting the Empire in Gravenmarch, a massive force of Jotun has gathered in Ottermire... and is sweeping east across the Otterway into Mitwold. Perhaps forty five thousand Jotun have joined the warbands raiding Oddmire, alongside several thousand crimson-and-gold clad knights of the Summer realm. Eight armies, marching up out of [[Liathaven]] and [[Hordalant]] through the western fens to Ottery. Rather than join the defence, they barely broke their march before crossing the walkway into Oddmire.

For the first time in a century or more, there are Jotun armies in Mitwold. The news spreads through the Imperial forces like wildfire. Soldiers of the Drakes demand to be allowed to return home to protect their farms, their families, their friends. Fear that the army might make it as far as Upwold grips the Bounders. Yet in the end, there are bonds of duty and loyalty that are stronger than the fear they feel. The Empire's forces are too tightly bound up in the fight in Gravenmarch to risk trying to break free and march back north. Everything is focused here, on seizing a foothold in Bregasland. Trying to turn back now would leave the four armies between the hammer and the anvil - and risk making the situation worse. At the moment, should disaster come upon them, they can retreat into [[Mournwold#Green_March|Green March]]. If they try to turn north, there is every chance they will end up trapped in Gravenmarch at the mercy of the Jotun.

It is a painful decision, but in the end the soldiers of the Marches and Wintermark have little choice but to trust the orders of their generals, to trust that the defenders of Mitwold will be equal to the challenge that faces them.
===Odd's Way===
Nearly fifty thousand Jotun. Two full contingents of the [[Knights of Glory]]. The Ice Fishers, and the Howling Bears, and the raven-banner of Helma Skutasdóttir. The traitors of the Mourn. They march along the Otterway into Oddmire. No simple raiding party, but a hammer blow against the Pride of the Marches.

Normally the western barbarians invade a territory with a crushing assault, seeking to overwhelm defenders with furious might and force of numbers. Uncharacteristically though, the Jotun attacking Mitwold seem to be favouring a more [[Army orders#Cautious Assault|cautious]] strategy. Most likely last season's raids established the presence of defending armies dug-in in Oddmire. Perhaps the Jotun commanders are simply being cautious of a trap, or careful about overextending their forces. Either way, they focus more on preserving their strength than smashing the Imperial armies... which are not there. The relative slowness of the Jotun response in Bregasland makes more sense if one assumed the barbarians were expecting the Imperial armies to still be in Mitwold rather than launching an attack of their own.

Eight armies, well-rested and well-provisioned from their stay in Liathaven and Hordalant. The Fell Hammers and the Iron Host are in the van, with the glory-hungry warriors of the Mandowla's Roar and Raging Thunder straining against the unfamiliar orders to advance cautiously rather than slam full-strength into whatever Mitwold has to offer. The knights that accompany those two armies are clearly no happier about this strategy than their orc friends, but they follow their orders. The Howling Night, the Skjaldirborn, and the Shield of the Mountain form the solid core at the heart of the Jotun expeditionary force, with the Southern Bear in the rearward position, [[Army_qualities#Resilient|grinding]] relentlessly forward even as they seek to lock down the land the advance guard claims. The army of Bjorgthorn Hammerhand prides itself on only moving forward, and even though the Jotun come with caution, move forward they do.

The defenders of Mitwold know about the Jotun invasion before the forces in Gravenmarch; the beaters who watch the borders immediately realise what is happening and raise the alarm. The news speeds eastward, galvanising the garrison of Forte Fidelis and sending the yeofolk and stewards to their armouries. Weapons and armour are passed out, as the folk of the Marches brace themselves for the Jotun advance. Just as with their neighbours to the east and the south, they will not cede one inch of ground save that the barbarians pry it from their clenched fists. Messengers are sent to Mournwold and Upwold, telling them of the invasion and while they do not directly ask for aid - Marchers are proud people - the implication is there. They may be rivals in peacetime, but as both Bregasland and Mournwold have shown, when war comes to the Marches, folk unite against the interloper.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Jotra.png}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Verys.png}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tykonus.png}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Feresh.png}}
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This grim pride, the courage of the yeofolk, is not in vain but it cannot hope to hold back the Jotun for long. At best, the garrison and the beaters, the households, and the walls of Oddmire can only delay what seems inevitable. Western Oddmire falls, and within a week the rest of the region follows suit. Odd's End is overwhelmed by the barbarians, forced to open its gates rather than see the entire town flattened by Jotun siege engines. Steward's Landing falls shortly afterward without any fighting at all - because ''Jarvey "Strongoar" Oddsboy'' and his entire household have loaded everyone they can onto their boats and slipped across the Gullet to [[Kallavesa#Wittal_Grove|Fisk]]. The Winterfolk who once kept a careful eye on the Marchers to the south welcome them, working with the steward and his levies to ensure that the northern shores of Mitwold can be kept supplied, should the worst come to the worst.

Despite the relatively cautious strategy the invasion of Mitwold follows a familiar pattern. Wherever they go, the Jotun offer Imperial citizens the Choice. Take up arms alongside the Jotun; lay aside the accoutrements of war and become thralls; or be given a swift and honourable death. Nobody takes the first choice. Most take the second. Few are stubborn enough to face the third. Many families make the decision to retreat before the Jotun, staunchly certain that they will reclaim their land soon enough when the Drakes return and drive the Jotun back into the western fens. The refugees are welcomed by their neighbours to the east with open grumbling about the inconvenience - but they ''are'' welcomed and found places to stay.

===The Walls of Meade===
Oddmire is quickly taken, and then the Jotun march on [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]]. The first [[market town]] and the oldest. The largest settlement south of [[Hahnmark#Kalpaheim|Kalpaheim]], the city-port of the Marches. Revitalised by the dredging of the Westmere, by trade with the [[Faraden]], and by decades of prosperity and security, Meade stands ready to repel the Jotun just as they did the [[Harvest_of_infamy|Asavean raiders]] last Autumn.

Of course, last Autumn the Marchers had ample warning that the attack was coming, and the garrison of Forte Fidelis was bolstered by the Drakes. This year, the defenders of Meade are on their own. The city has walls of course, but while there has been some talk of [[Three_keys#The_Walls_of_Meade|further work]] it has been over a decade since the defences were [[Fortify_Town_defences|reinforced]] by the Senate. The walls are stout, but to stand against eight armies of Jotun bent on conquest? That would be a challenge even for a true [[fortification]] - there's little doubt that if the Jotun turned south-east into the [[Mitwold#Golden_Downs|'Downs]] even Forte Fidelis would be hard pressed to keep them out.

So the Jotun come up through Meade March towards the pride of the Marches. The people turned back the Asaveans, and they fight just as valiantly against the Jotun, but they are outnumbered and ultimately outmatched. A Jotun messenger offers the people of Meade one chance to surrender, but if anything the proud refusal of the defenders both impresses and pleases the herald sent to deliver the offer. She returns to the armies, and they waste no time besieging the city. Not that it is a siege in any literal sense. The soldiers of Forte Fidelis garrison the walls as best they can, but the gates are riven to splinters by Jotun battering rams almost immediately. The warriors of the west pour into Meade, and those who fight back are swiftly overwhelmed. This is a city of prosperity, of clever merchants and wise scholars, not a city of warriors, after all.

The remaining garrison retreats east. A great many Marchers stay behind, refusing to give up their homes. They watch sullenly as the Jotun establish a command post in Meade, from which to direct the rest of their forces. With the city fallen, there is little chance for the households of Meade March to mount more than a token defence. Yet with the aid of the beaters and the Forte Fidelis soldiers, they do their best, and their courage at least helps to slow the Jotun invasion and give time for the rest of Mitwold to prepare for what is to come. As it is, the 'March is conquered and the Jotun continue to press forward into the heart of the Marches.

As the bulk of the Jotun move to back up the raiders attacking [[Mitwold#The_Meadows|the Meadows]], however, Stephen of Sarcombe moves to have the remaining [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Alder|alders]] of Meade and their families hanged, sending his yegarra also to try and capture the bailiffs of [[Bailiff of Meade|Meade]] and the [[Bailiff of the Grand Market|Grand Market]], the [[Alder of Meade]], and even the [[Master of the Root and Stem]] so they can face similar treatment. Before he can do much more than mobilise his people, they are confronted by Helma Skutasdóttir and her warband. Denouncing him as a coward and unfit to call himself Jotun, Helma herself challenges him to defend his honour. Actual fighting between the orcs of Helma's raven-banner and Stephens yegarra breaks out in the centre of Meade. Bjorgthorn Hammerhand, general of the Southern Bear, is forced to send his own warriors to separate the two warbands - but not before several fighters on both sides are slain. He does not bother to hide his utter contempt for Stephen and his clear support for Helma in this matter. According to witnesses, it looks as if the traitor-Marchers are squaring up to actually take on the Southern Bear, but in the end they back down and retreat from Meade with their tails between their legs. It becomes common knowledge that Bjorgthorn has dispatched messengers north to the King and Queen, demanding that something be done about the "rabid dog" in the midst of the Jotun before he is forced to deal with the matter himself.

Flies like Stephen aside, though, the rest of the Jotun invasion goes off with barely a hitch. After Oddmire and Meade March, the Jotun press heavily into the Meadows. North-eastern Mitwold borders [[Kallavesa#Wittal Grove|Wittal Grove]], some of the only dry land in the whole of [[Kallavesa]], and allows easy access to [[Upwold#Stock_March|Stock March]] in Upwold. If the Jotun can secure it, and secure their lines across northern Mitwold, the threat they represent is multiplied significantly.

Yet despite their fervour, and their sheer numbers, their invasion slows and begins to falter once they hit the Meadows. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the weather worsens significantly. Torrential rains give way to heavy snowfall in the approach to midwinter, and while the Jotun are no strangers to cold and snow they are not foolhardy enough to throw themselves into the teeth of the storm while there are defenders still fighting. Across the northern Marches, camps are established as the Jotun make the preparations needed to keep what they have taken so far - and presumably to continue to conquer Mitwold until the entire Pride of the Marches is in their hands.
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==Between Beats==
It is easy to imagine that every warrior in the Jotun lands is in the Marches; six armies in Bregasland fighting the Empire's attempt to liberate Gravenmarch. Eight armies in Mitwold. Thousands of would-be champions fighting under the banners of their warlords, even as thousands of Imperial captains fight in support of the armies of the Empire. Knights of Glory on both sides, urging their compatriots to fight boldly, to neither give nor ask for quarter, to seek to build enduring legends that will live on in the songs of the bards long after their bodies are gone to rot and treeroots.

The fighting in Bregasland has been bloody - three thousand Imperial heroes dead or broken. The number would have been higher without the Bloodcloaks; the Jotun have suffered more grievous losses simply because they lack the medical expertise of the Winterfolk, their losses closer to four thousand. The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward taking Gravenmarch from the barbarians, but the fighting continues. Behind them, the armies of the west rampage across Mitwold, slowed by the stubborn defenders, but only a little. Oddmire and Meade March - and the city of Meade - are in their hands. They are halfway toward claiming the whole of the Meadows, and who knows where their ambition will take them after that?

The ultimate goal of the Jotun may be unclear, but one thing ''is'' clear. The Marchers will not give up without a fight, not in Mitwold, and not anywhere else. The Jotun have been beaten before, time and again, and this time will be no different. Just as the Strong Reeds fight for the people of Bregasland, just as the Tusks battled the odds and risked everything to free their folk in Mournwold, the people of Mitwold trust that the Drakes will be back and make the Jotun pay a high price for their trespass.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofBregasland.png|align=right|width=300}}
==Game Information==
* '''The Empire is four-fifths of the way toward claiming Gravenmarch'''
* '''The Jotun have conquered Oddmire and Meade March, and are halfway towards claiming the Meadows'''
* '''All titles connected to the city of Meade have lost access to their resources'''
Following the battle opportunity in Autumn, the Jotun have struck back against the Strong Reeds, causing them to take 200 casualties. They have now risen up, however, openly fighting the barbarians. As such, the information the Jotun scouts gathered about their movements and dispositions is no longer useful. If the Strong Reeds choose to start lying low again, they will not face any ongoing losses unless and until the Jotun are able to scour the territory for them once again. The "counter" on their ability to rise up would be reset at this point given they still maintain the absolute support of the Bregas people. Alternatively, they could leave the territory without difficulty either alone or with other Imperial armies.

The Imperial forces have not taken Gravenmarch but they are four-fifths of the way there. While the route they entered Bregasland by, has been cut off - Oddmire and Meade March being in Jotun hands - there is nothing to stop them retreating into the Mournwold, or even circling round through Mournwold into Golden Downs or Maiden Downs. If they wish to return to Mitwold directly - into Oddmire or Meade March - they will have to fight the Jotun to do so.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofMitwold.png|align=right|width=300}}
The city of Meade is in Jotun hands. While they are not going out of the way to loot the place, there is still massive disruption here. As such the [[Bailiff of Meade]], [[Bailiff of the Grand Market]], [[Master of the Root and Stem]], and [[Alder of Meade]] have all lost access to their production - whether sinecure or ministry. The titles still exist, they simply can't wield their powers to secure resources. In addition, the Bounder's Hall in Meade is now in Jotun hands and unfortunately that means that it is no longer possible for beaters to [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] in Mitwold. There is nothing to stop characters instead [[Military_unit#Guarding|supporting Forte Fidelis]] but they won't receive any income for doing so unless that action is assigned [[Military_unit#Guerdon_Shares|Guerdon shares]]. Likewise, until Oddmire and Steward's Landing are once again in Marcher hands it is no longer possible for Marcher [[fleet|fleets]] to take the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]].

==Participation : Beaters and Bloodcloaks==
* '''Characters who took the Beating the Bounds or Raid Kalsea's Coastline actions have had a busy season'''
* '''The General of the Bloodcloaks retains some of the healing herbs recovered from the Navarr herb cache in Graven'''
Any character who took the [[Venture#Beating_the_Bounds|beat the bounds]] [[venture]] in Mitwold this season, or who undertook the [[Voyage#Raid_Kalsea's_Coastline|Raid Kalsea's Coastline]] [[voyage]] is encouraged to roleplay their part in the events taking place in the Marches. In particular, they may have been involved in helping [[military unit|military units]] sneak into Bregasland to join the Strong Reads, helped deliver the desperate warning of the Jotun assault to the defenders of Mitwold, or been involved in evacuating Steward's Landing. If your military unit or fleet supported one of these actions, you may have been injured engaging in risky heroism against the Jotun. Anyone who did so can email {{plot}} before the end of March and request a [[Combat#Traumatic_Wounds|lingering wound]] sustained in the campaign. A lingering wound can help support your roleplaying on the field as one of the defenders of Mitwold. Bear in mind however that, if left untreated, lingering wounds can also be fatal.

The Navarr herb cache uncovered by the Bloodcloaks in Graven has been distributed to the healers of the Wintermark army, but a portion has also been set aside for the [[general]]. As such, '''Tager Defender of the Fallen Tyrshalt''' will find six drams of each of the five medicinal herbs in their pack, all that remains of this bounty.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|caption=The crimson and gold pennants of Queen Eleonaris flutter over the Fields of Glory in the Summer Realm|align=left|width=200}}</div>

===Participation : Knights of Glory===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought with the Drakes, the Bounders, or the Strong Reeds receive a special benefit'''
The Knights of Glory who fought alongside the Drakes, Bounders, and Strong Reeds revel in the uncompromising tactics the three armies employed. As is their wont they communicate some of their enthusiasm to the soldiers who fight alongside them. A character whose military unit supported one of these three armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Winter Solstice.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Winter Solstice regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a [[roleplaying effect]] that lasts until the end of the Winter Solstice: ''You feel the urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and take particular pleasure from approval and adulation. You feel the urge to do things that demonstrate your prowess as a powerful warrior. Being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

Mushroom, mushroom, mushroom

2026-02-06T17:56:33Z

Vsabo: /* Skin of the Mushroom */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Winter]][[Category:Recent History]]
{{stub}}
<ic>"Can I help you?" Renard kept his voice neutral, hoping that diplomacy was still an option. He was intimately aware of the distance between himself and the two treewardens that had brought this potentially threatening visitor to his attention.

The entity stopped poking at the petrified tree and slowly turned around to focus its attention on the Navarr priest. It barely came up to his shoulder, but it was three times as broad as he was. It had long, spindly, sinewy arms that reached almost to the ground, and squat legs that seemed to be little more than stumps. It was clearly not anything mortal - the wide spreading red cap that seemed to be part of its head marked it out as some kind of ambulatory toadstool. Renard noted that it didn't seem to have a face as such, but directed his wary smile at where he imagined one might be.

"The question. Is. Rather." The creature spoke in stops and starts, it's voice surprisingly soft and breathy for a clumpy mass of fungus with no obvious way of speaking. Or breathing. It tailed off. Renard wondered if it was broken. Then it spoke again, that same stilted pattern to its speech. "Rather. It is whether. I can help. You."

When it was obvious that there was no more coming, Renard asked what it meant. The thing gestured to the petrified tree, and the priest swallowed nervously as its sheer length, and the club-like hand at its end, became more apparent. It didn't seem to have any joints as such, and Renard was pretty confident that if the thing decided to hit him with it, then it would end badly.

"This. Is a thing. That should not. Be." It said, and Renard fancied he could hear just the tinge of anger in its voice. "It should. Not. Be like. This."

"It was the Cold Sun," Renard explained quickly. He didn't want the thing thinking ''he'' was to blame. "When the Empty Hands came they did this. There's trees like it all over Miaren. We're working on a way to deal with them but... it takes time. Sorry. "

He wasn't sure why he was apologising. The mushroom being rested its misshapen hand against the calcified "bark" of the tree. It was one of those that passing artists had decorated, turning the bone-white aberration into something if not beautiful then at least symbolic of the defiance of the Navarr people.

"Trees die." Said the visitor, as if it had not really listened to what Renard had said. "They die. They rot. New trees grow. This is. An abomination. I will. Take care. Of it. For you."

Renard felt the air shift then, and took an involuntary step back. The treewardens, sensitive to his worry, readied their spears. The mushroom creature began to sing, then, softly. A wordless, shifting, throbbing song that the priest felt in his skin and bones rather than heard with his ears. Colours pulsed across the pale surface of the fungusman - soft pink, deep red, startling violet - and then with a loud ''snap'' the petrified trunk of the tree split straight up the middle. Cracks ran maze-like across the surface, and pieces began to fall away. Still the visitor sang its weird song and Renard saw pale tendrils spread from where its stumpy legs touched the ground into the ashen soil that surrounded the accursed tree. In less than a minute the destruction was complete. The corrupted tree lay in pieces, and the blasted ground around it... swelled with life. Mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, and less identifiable things began to cover the remains, as dark green ferns uncoiled and opened their feathered leaves all around it.

The mushroom fellow observed the transformation calmly then turned its attention back to Renard who was staring speechless at the little blue and purple flowers beginning to open across several of the ferns.

"It will take. Time. For new trees. To grow." Said the visitor. "But. They will. Grow."

It shook itself - a wave going from the top of its wide cap to the ground and then back again. Renard noted that the tendrils which had emerged from its feet had broken off, and now lay drained and lifeless amid the burgeoning growth.

"I misspoke. Before. You can. Help me. Maybe." It said. "I have been sent. To speak. With your people. About gardens. And Life. Is that. Something. You can. Assist me. With?"

Renard took a breath, and ratchetted his smile up a notch, as he tried to think of a suitable response.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 275px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Mushroom Sage.jpg|caption=The heralds of Llofir have been abroad in the Empire, especially in Navarr.|align=left|width=275}}</div>
==Overview==
In 384YE, Llofir [[Alignment|demanded amity]] in response to a request for [[Archmage#Plenipotentiary|plenipotentiary]]. At that time it [[I_knew_you_were_trouble#Llofir|explicitly stated that it would use that amity]] to take revenge for the [[383YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_war#Destroying_Angels|destruction of its garden]] at [[Reikos#Tamarbode|Tamarbode]]. The request was denied and there was little further contact, but the most recent summit saw another attempt to call the eternal for a plenipotentiary. This time Llofir responded by [[Has_reared_himself_a_throne#Hours_Breathing_Faint_and_Low|demanding the Empire first perform the dangerous ritual]] [[Hallow of the Green World]] as a show of trust.

Unwilling to take such a risky step, the [[Conclave]] appear to have offered a compromise - [[387YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Alignment:_Llofir,_Neutrality|declaring neutrality]] with [[Llofir]]. The removal of enmity represents a more cautious approach. Llofir's heralds can now move freely about the Empire, which is a potential matter for concern, but it can't wield its power freely, as it could if it were granted amity.

To the surprise of some, it seems to be a compromise the eternal is prepared to accept - to a degree. Earlier that year heralds of Llofir had [[The_first_shot#Miaren|suggested that the eternal would be willing to aid a war against the vallorn]]. The eternal is clear that it has not yet forgiven the Empire for the destruction of the garden, but it seems it is keen to fight against an enemy so inimical to everything the ''Rotlord'' stands for.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Ibiss8557.jpg||caption='''Ibiss Briarheart''', Archmage of Spring|align=right|width=250}}</div>
==Cautious Detente==
* '''The Conclave has declared neutrality with Llofir'''
* '''Llofir has accepted the compromise this decision represents but the eternal continues to nurse a grudge for Highguard, the League and Urizen'''
* '''Ibiss Briarheart is the current Archmage of Spring'''
Llofir's message is clear - it is not interested in plenipotentiary. It offered a way that the Conclave could restore trust and they chose a halfway house and that is absolutely fine. But it does not erase the crimes of the past, and if something new is going to grow out of destruction it will be on Llofir's terms.

Specifically Llofir focuses its disgruntlement on the nations it holds responsible for the destruction of its garden - [[the League]], [[Highguard]], and the people of [[Urizen]]. They'll receive no favours, no assistance, no wisdom, and Llofir makes no secret of its willingness to support anyone prepared to bring these nations to account. Perhaps, say the heralds, it is time to test them; to see if they are still healthy or if it is time for them to fade from history. It could all just be talk; the heralds of Llofir are not visiting these nations and there's no sign of immediate retribution taking place.

==Conversations With Navarr==
* '''Llofir is prepared to help the Navarr construct an army'''
* '''The Advisor on the Vallorn has been asked to gather Navarr together - and only Navarr - to speak with heralds of Llofir at TBC'''
* '''''Seren Embercast'' is the current Advisor on the Vallorn'''
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Seren Embercast.jpg|caption='''Seren Embercast''', Advisor on the Vallorn|align=right|width=250}}</div>
Following the olive branch extended by the Conclave, the ''Lady of Spores'' is prepared to aid the Navarr in their fight against the [[vallorn]]. Shortly after the Autumn Equinox, several heralds of the Spring eternal appear in [[Brocéliande]], [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]], keen to talk to the magicians and vates of the nation about this matter. They're adamant however that the ''Great Fungus'' is interested in aiding ''the Navarr'' and not ''the Empire'' in this matter.

The heralds are enthusiastic about the [[A thousand years of longing|grand plan]] to unite the vallorn hearts and render the entity mortal. They are aware that only two vallorn hearts remain unconnected to the great network of [[trods]] - the one in [[Sarangrave]] (a territory now claimed by the Empire) and the one in [[Axos]]. The heralds are interested to hear how the Navarr plan to complete the "mycelial network" that will begin the war with the vallorn in earnest.

As such some heralds are planning to visit Anvil to talk to the Navarr. They will visit them in their camp, and they are interested in speaking to Spring magicians (and not just the vates) of the nation. They have asked '''Seren Embercast''', the [[Advisor on the Vallorn]] to gather then together to talk about the vallorn and the progress of the great plan. They are not interested in talking to anyone other than Navarri however - and ask that the Navarr ensure that there are not members of other nations present.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Orange_Pore_Fungus.jpg|caption=The ''Lady of Spores'' has expressed support for the war against the Vallorn.|align=right|width=300}}</div>
===A New Army===
* '''Llofir offers help to the army raised in Miaren if it is dedicated to the destruction of the vallorn'''
The ''Rotlord'' is prepared to offer its support for the new Navarr army to help it fight the vallorn, ''provided the meeting with the Navarr mages goes well''. To ensure that there is no misunderstanding, the heralds are happy to make the offer clear. If the negotiations are successful, then scores of Llofir's heralds will join the army, providing spores that spread rot and putrefaction, scouring the landscape, but leaving it ready for new life to emerge. If that happened, the army would gain the scouring quality allowing the general to issue the following orders.
====Scouring====
* '''Can use the ''Scour the Land'' order while attacking'''
* '''Can use the ''Turn the Circle'' order while defending'''

If the Navarr can convince Llofir's heralds to join the new army in Miaren it would gain the "scouring" quality granting it access to two unique orders. Scouring the land would help the army drive the vallorn back and inflict heavy casulaties on it, while salt

<box>'''Scour the Land'''<br>
* '''All casualties inflicted by this army on forces of the vallorn are increased by two fifths'''
* '''The ability of this army to contest territory against the vallorn is increased by three tenths'''
* '''All casualties suffered by this army are increased by a fifth'''
* '''The army does not benefit from any effects that reduce casualties suffered'''
With the aid of Llofir's heralds, the army spreads spores unleashing a wave of rot and decay against the the forces of the vallorn. Lifeless husks, twisted ettercaps, and mutated insects alike are exposed to infection from the spores. This infection is deep enough to overcome even the supernatural vitality of the vallorn so that the slightest wounds turning deadly. Unfortunately the army also suffers similar effects - they also suffer increased casualties and it is impossible for them to reduce casualties from effects like Rivers of Life or the support of a [[Army_qualities#Physick|physick]] army ''while using this order''.</box>

<box>'''Turn the Circle'''<br>
* '''All casualties inflicted by this army on forces of the vallorn are increased by a tenth'''
* '''All casualties suffered by this army are increased by a tenth'''
* '''All ruins in the targeted regions are destroyed'''
* '''The army cannot benefit from any effects that reduce casualties suffered'''
The seeds and spores that Llofir spreads can do more than just destroy the forces of the vallorn - they can also tear down abandoned buildings allowing them to quickly consume ruins. The heralds will target any ruins in the territory, tearing them down as they scour the land clear. One or more regions in the territory will lose the ruined quality, sites of antiquity will be consumed as the slate is wiped clean. As things rot and decay, they leave the soil in the area as rich and fertile as it has ever been. Taking this order won't turn a desert into a garden, but ruins and the like will be replaced by verdant landscapes. The order is completely indiscriminate, attacking anything that is old and decaying in the territory. As always, handling the spores of Llofir is not without its risks, the army suffers increased casualties and it is impossible for them to reduce casualties from effects like Rivers of Life or the support of a [[Army_qualities#Physick|physick]] army ''while using this order''.</box>

===A New Garden===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Llofir's Paludarium'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Fane</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Greenfalls, Miaren</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 10 weirwood, 10 rings of ilium and 30 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Special:''' Must be ceded to Llofir by the Senate</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Allows Llofir to claim the entire region of Greenfalls turning it into a vast garden.
* Allows the [[Imperial Apothecaries Guild|Apothecaries Guild]] to appoint the Tender of Llofir's Garden</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Opportunity ends if not commissioned before the end of Autumn Equinox 388YE</td></tr>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Tender of Llofir's Garden'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Navarr</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Apothecaries Guild</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives mushrooms each season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' To oversee the garden and lead the defence against any attacks on the garden</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''There has been talk of the Navarr granting Llofir a new garden to replace the one in Tamarbode that was destroyed'''
* '''Llofir's Paludarium is a commission that requires 10 wains of weirwood, 10 rings of ilium, and 30 crowns in labour costs'''
* '''The Senate would need to cede the commission to Llofir'''
* '''The entire region where the garden is built will be claimed by Llofir over the coming year'''
There has been suggestions that the Navarr might allow Llofir to create a new garden to replace the one that was destroyed in Tamarbode. It seems that Llofir is prepared to accept an offer of a new garden in Navarr lands. It has accepted that the Tamarbode garden is gone but there is new life, provided the location is suitable. When Llofir created the first garden, it did so as part of unleashing a great wave of magic that scoured the territory of [[Reikos]]. Plants bloomed, tearing down ruined structures, devouring graves and crypts. The scars of the Druj occupation were erased, but with them went much of the Highborn history in the territory.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Panellus Stipticus.jpg|caption=The ''Quiet One'' wishes to establish a new mushroom garden in Miaren.|align=right|width=300}}
Having scoured lands claimed by the Navarr, the heralds say that the location Llofir would choose is [[Miaren#Greenfalls|Greenfalls]] in [[Miaren]]. This location is safe and secure, far from the vallorn and similar destructive threats like Highguard and Urizen. Sadly it is dangerously close to Temeschwar and Tassato, but Llofir is confident that this time, its forces would be strong enough to defeat this enemy should it be attacked again. Greenfalls contains many important Navarr ruins which would inevitably be altered as a minimum, if not destroyed by Llofir's embrace, but for the servants of the Rotlord such renewal is one of the reasons why the region interests the eternal.

If the Navarr were minded to provide Llofir's with a new garden, they would need to [[commission]] Llofir's Paludarium in Greenfalls. This structure is equivalent to a [[fane]] and would need to be ceded to the eternal to function. Once the structure is complete and has been ceded to the Rotlord, then it will slowly spread to consume the entire region in which it is built. The entire region of Greenfalls will be converted into a rich verdant garden by the Lady of Spores, teeming with mushrooms, fungus and molds. If that happens, then the Llofir would allow the Apothecaries Guild to appoint a Navarr citizen to tend the garden and protect its borders. In return they would be invited to gather a handful of mushrooms with magical abilities each season.

Llofir's heralds are unable to provide information on what properties these mushrooms might have, saying that it would depend how the garden is grown. However that appears to be something the Navarr could affect.

====Old Rope====
* '''Llofir seeks 1000 herbs to power the transformation of Greenfalls into a verdant garden'''
* '''In return it offers material support worth 15 wains of mithril for the new army being raised in Miaren'''
* '''The type of herb provided will affect the nature of the garden Llofir creates'''
Even with the Paludarium, the transformation of Greenfalls will require a huge undertaking of magic by Llofir. Creating a vast garden is a hugely ''expensive'' endeavour, and while the Rotlord has the power to accomplish the deed, it would apparently leave them quiescent for many moons. That is a fate it would rather avoid, so rather than drive the transformation themselves, Llofir would prefer to utilise herbs to power the change.

Huge numbers of herbs would be required to perform the magic. Llofir's heralds believe the eternal could use up to a thousand herbs to complete the transformation of the region. The ''Quiet One'' does not ask for this aid as a gift however - instead it offers a simple trade. If the Navarr and their allies were willing to provide the necessary herbs, then in return the eternal will provide the Navarr with weapons and armour fashioned from mycelium that has grown so old and hard that it is as light and strong as [[mithril]]. Based on the samples shown, the civil service calculate that this would reduce the amount of mithril required to raise the army in Miaren by 15 wains. If less herbs were provided, then the exchange could still be made, but the eternal would provide proportionally less aid to the new army.

The Rotlord is content to allow the Navarr to choose which herb might be exchanged in this way - but it would need to be all the ''same'' type of herb. Mixing different herbs would be a catastrophe as the innate properties of the herbs would clash with each other. The heralds claim that whichever herb the Navarr chose would determine the properties of the garden Llofir created, affecting the mushrooms available to the Tender of Llofir's Garden and any future benefits the garden might offer.

Llofir's heralds will discuss the offer with the Navarr when they meet at the coming summit and provide arrangements if they wish to proceed.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Amanita_muscaria.jpg|caption=Llofir is... interested... in the fall of the Druj empire.|align=right|width=300}}
==''End of Empire''==
* '''Llofir sees the Druj nation in decline and offers to help hasten that end'''
* '''This is risky because it might instead revitalise the Druj'''
* '''It proposes that Hallow of the Green World be performed in Therunin while it remains under Druj control'''
There's one other matter that is of interest to Llofir. That of the Druj. The eternal seems to believe that the "Empire of the Druj" is in decline, that Imperial aggression has weakened it so much that it may be on the brink of collapse. It proposes to test if this is the case.

If the Empire are prepared to evoke [[Hallow of the Green World]] in [[Therunin]], then that [[enchantment]] will settle over the Druj Empire (such as it is) rather than the Imperial Empire - due to the [[Laws_of_magic#The_Law_of_Boundaries|magical Law of Boundaries]]. The effects will be concentrated in Therunin itself, in the [[Forest of Ulnak]], and in the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. The ritual will provide some succour to the Druj of course - it helps to promote the growth of [[herb|healing herbs]] in [[herb garden|herb gardens]] - but that may be of little comfort to the orcs of the Mallum. It will also allow Llofir to focus his power freely on the Druj, to fulfil its identity as the "Ender of Empires." With the tools at it's disposal it will act to hasten the collapse of the Druj, bringing sickness and ruin. The eternal cannot predict exactly what form this will take, but it will be impactful.

The ritual will ''also'' free the other Spring eternals to act directly in the Druj Empire. [[Yaw'nagrah]] and [[Arhallogen]] already have a fair amount of freedom to operate there, and are broadly inclined to support the Druj. On the other hand it seems the [[Irra Harah|Prince with a Thousand Foes]] is chomping at the bit to be able to act freely in the Mallum against the Druj. And while [[Siakha]] shows no favour where the Druj are concerned, she revels in ''any'' chance to destroy. For that matter, there are other Spring eternals with no interest in the Empire who might be goaded to intervene in the Druj empire if the doors were opened for them to do so.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Cassandra11972.jpg|caption='''Cassandra i Periera i Erigo''', Imperial Censor (Summer 385-Autumn 386)|align=right|width=250}}</div>
Obviously, invoking this ritual is no simple matter - but the magnitude required to affect the Druj right now is ''significantly'' lower than that required to effect the entire Empire. It could be cast at magnitude 100 at the coming Winter Solstice, if it were targeted against the Druj territories. It would still be tricky - and risky - because it would require a strong Spring regio in a Druj held territory, so it would be impossible to cast from Anvil. Anyone prepared to make the attempt would need to find an opportunity to use the [[Sentinel Gate]] to a suitable location in the Druj empire containing a Spring regio.
{{stub}}
Another piece of good news is that there would be no legal obstacles involved. The [[Interdiction]] that was [[385YE_Autumn_Equinox_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction_:_Empire_Wide_Enchantments|raised two years ago]] by [[Imperial Censor]] '''Cassandra i Periera i Erigo''' is very specific. It is the practice of ''weaving an enchantment across the entire Empire'' that is forbidden. Using the ritual to affect the Druj empire is entirely legal.

Llofir's heralds try to be plain that the eternal has no particular enmity against the Druj - it is simply that it believes they are on the cusp of falling into ruin. If they are too sickly to survive, Llofir would see them perish, and new life rise from their remains. "They will either fall, or rise," says one philosophical little herald. "We will either hasten their inevitable end, or they will be rejuvenated. Either outcome is acceptable."
===Waves of Ruin (Conjunction)===
* '''There is a pair of conjoined conjunctions to Eastring in Therunin at TBD'''
* '''The Druj are attempting to use Spring magic to rile up the vallorn even further'''
* '''If they can be stopped and driven off from the ritual site, then ritualists could travel to the area to perform Hallow the Green World on the remaining Mallum territories'''
* '''This conjunction takes place within the ''vallorn miasma'''''
There is a pair of strange conjoined conjunctions to Eastring in Therunin late on Saturday at the next summit. The first is a large conjunction for 60 people, the second conjunction is to the same location but smaller, and occurs just ten minutes after the first one. Conjoined conjunctions are rare, but not completely unknown - and this one would be ideal for Llofir's plan.

Even if the Empire is not minded to take up Llofir's offer, the conjunction is still crucial. The Druj have moved a group of ''[[Druj_lore#Ghulai|ghulai]]'' to the area, looking to repeat the ritual they used a year ago to rile the vallorn. If they are not stopped then the current risks in Therunin will grow significantly worse. The expansionist threat of the vallorn will continue, and will last for another year, potentially seeing the whole of Therunin swallowed up. The Druj are clearly desperate to do something that might draw the Empire's attention away from their homelands.

The area is, inevitably, within the [[Vallorn#Vallorn_Miasma|vallorn miasma]] which presents its own difficulties. At least the miasma does not play favourites; the Druj will be as effected by it as Imperial forces. It might be prudent, however, to make preparations for dealing with the effects even if only arranging a way to remove [[Calls#VENOM|venom]] from those who return from the conjunctions.

Stopping the ritual is a victory in itself but if the Druj are stopped and the area is secured, then a ritual team of up to twenty five people could use the second conjunction to join the heroes in Therunin. They could use the regio to perform Hallow the Green World - they may even be able to take advantage of any resources or items the Druj are carrying to help them perform their own magic. With their ritual team defeated, the Druj would be in no position to counter any such ritual.

If the enchantment is cast, it will wash out of Therunin and take hold across the Mallum. [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|Heralds]] of the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]], and the eternals themselves, will be freed to exert influence over the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]] and the [[Forest of Ulnak]]. It is impossible to say what the impact that might have - beyond saying there will definitely ''be'' one.

It is easier to assess the effect on Therunin itself. Llofir's heralds will spread the power of ruin across the territory, weakening and sapping strength from the [[vallorn]]. It's ability to claim another region will be significantly reduced - falling by 5,000 from its current total. Imperial armies fighting in the territory will find it easier to hold the vallorn back during the season, but will still suffer the effect of fighting an active vallorn. Assuming the Druj ritual is stopped, by the start of the Spring Equinox the vallorn will settle back into relative quiescence - active but not expanding. It will keep any land it has already expanded into of course but the threat of any further expansion will be gone for the time being.

At the same time, Llofir will "rejuvenate" the marshy territory. Given what happened in [[Reikos]] when the eternal did the same, it will mean that any ruins in the regions the Navarr once occupied will be swept away. New life will rise from the destruction with supernatural speed - seeing [[Therunin#Peakedge Song|Peakedge Song]] and [[Therunin#Upper Tarn Valley|Upper Tarn Valley]] gain the ''forested'' quality. The Lower Tarn Valley will lose the ''poisoned'' quality, but in the process gain the ''Mycelial'' quality as all kinds of fungus and mushrooms - most natural but some infused with Spring magic - sprout across it. The scars of war with the Druj will be erased, but in the process any damaged or ruined structures or settlements will be consumed by Llofir's power.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Whisperspore'''<br>If you plan to take the boon Llofir is offering, you will need a suitable phys-rep for the resultant ''whisperspore''. A pouch containing an amount of pale powder such as sherbet or flour makes an adequate phys-rep for whisperspore. The whisperspore itself is provided in the form of a typical rip-on-use card. The only way to find out exactly what it does is to use it (by inhaling it).</box></div>

==Rot and the Magic==
* '''Whisperspore is still available to Imperial magicians who seek it through Madyn's Gift'''
* '''The strange material can be used to involve the eternal in the casting of certain rituals during the Winter Solstice'''
Despite, or perhaps because of, the change in status, the Rotlord has [[Has_reared_himself_a_throne#Trust|continued to offer Whisperspore]] to any Imperial magicians prepared to pay its price. During the Winter Solstice, any Imperial magician can perform the Spring ritual [[Madyn's Gift]] but include up to five measures of [[beggar's lye]] alongside the [[realmsroot]]. For each pair of realmsroot and beggar's lye, the casters will receive a dose of ''whisperspore''. Any leftover realmsroot or beggar's lye will be returned untouched.

This substance is valuable in it's own right, but during the Solstice the substance can also be used to capture the attention of Llofir. Obviously, both the creation of whisperspore and its use to gain boons from Llofir is only legal while the eternal has neutrality; if the Conclave restores enmity than accepting any of these boons would be a crime.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=LlofirArt.jpg|caption=The ''Wisdom of Fallen Wood'' offers magical boons to some of the Empire's masters of Spring magic.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
===Skin of the Mushroom===
* '''Skin of Bark, Blood of Amber will provide additional endurance if cast with a dose of whisperspore
* '''The target becomes subject to VENOM, and their body will swiftly fall apart if they die
* '''This will prevent them rising as a husk or vallornspawn husk
[[Skin of Bark, Blood of Amber]] is a potent enchantment of Spring magic that brings vitality. Yet Llofir and its servants often speak of the way new life rises from death. If at least one dose of whisperspore is used in the performance of the ritual during the Winter Solstice, the ritual will provide an additional rank of Endurance to the target, but they will also become subject to VENOM. If the VENOM is removed, the enchantment immediately ends. If the subject dies while the enchantment is in place, their body will swiftly break down in the same way as if someone had cast [[Turns the Circle]] on it. This means that subjects will not rise as [[vallornspawn husks]] or otherwise leave bodies to be possessed or claimed.

The ritual can be cast on multiple targets as normal, but in this case it requires a dose of whisperspore for each target. Otherwise everyone involved will simply gain the usual effects of ''Skin of Bark, Blood of Amber''. If the enchantment is placed on a single target, it can be made [[Ilium#Using_ilium_in_rituals|permanent with ilium]] in the usual way. If this happens, the heightened effects - for good or ill - are permanently infused into the target.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: right;"><box>'''Magical Mushrooms'''<br>Like [[Yaw'nagrah]], Llofir's demesne in the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]] overflows with the magical substances known as ''donahorti''. They take the form of fungus, spores, rots and rusts of all kinds. Common effects include boons for magicians casting Spring rituals (especially those associated with the resonance of [[Spring magic#Ruin|ruin]]); endurance or healing at a price (often represented by [[Calls#VENOM|venom]] or [[Calls#WEAKNESS|weakness]]; or gifts of strange insight, exhilaration, or awareness similar to those experienced by consuming some mundane fungi (albeit much more pronounced and powerful).

Ideal phys-reps for such substances might be actual pieces of mushroom or toadstool, or small bags of powder representing spores.</box></div>

===Blessing of Old Winter===
* '''Blessing of New Spring has additional effects if cast with whisperspore
* '''A farm will provide 6 fewer crowns for one year but four doses of magical mushrooms of various kinds
* '''The effect lasts for a full year
* '''A farm enchanted with Llofir's power cannot be targeted with Strong Ox, Golden Sun or Gathering the Harvest
[[Blessing of New Spring]] is a very old ritual widely used across the Empire to enchant farms to make them fertile and productive. It is especially powerful when used in conjunction with [[Strong Ox, Golden Sun]] and [[Gathering the Harvest]], rituals that build on the effects of this magic to increase a farm's yield even further.

Llofir offers an alternative for those who are eager to embrace the gifts that the ''Great Fungus'' offers. If a dose of whisperspore is used while performing the ritual - then a new enchantment will settle over the farm - something his heralds call "The Blessing of the Rotlord". This new enchantment will last for one year, unless the ritual is replaced in that time. During that time, the farm will produce a small crop of magical mushrooms, in place of the normal crops that would grow. While that happens, the farm will produce six crowns less but gain four magical mushrooms in their place.

A ritual group could invoke the Blessing of the Rotlord on multiple farms at once, but it would require one dose of whisperspore for each farm that is targeted by the ritual, otherwise the normal Blessing of New Spring will settle over all the farms instead. A farm enchanted with ''Blessing of the Rotlord'' cannot benefit from [[Strong Ox, Golden Sun]] or [[Gathering the Harvest]].

===Regrow the Land's Heart===
* '''Regrow the Land's Heart can be infused with Llofir's power if the entire cost is paid with whisperspore and vital honey, and no crystal mana is included
* '''The territory will experience a burst of renewal focused around transforming places of ruin and rot into fertile land
* '''Farms and herb gardens in the territory will produce less money or fewer herbs, but provide additional magical mushrooms
The ''Great Fungus'' perceives death and decay as a route to new life. Sometimes its blessings are terrible, bringing disease and infection. Sometimes, however, its blessing promotes the blooming of new life from mulch and putrefaction. The final boon it offers Imperial magicians is an offer to weave this growth into any casting of [[Regrow the Land's Heart]] that targets an Imperial territory. To claim this boon, the ritual must be cast with both ''whisperspore'' and [[Vis#Vital Honey|vital honey]], and no crystal mana must be used (although mana from other sources such as [[Balms of the Fountainhead#Suffusion of Blood|Suffusion of Blood]] is fine), and the performance must include an evocation of Llofir by at least three of its names.

If this is done Llofir will pour its own power into the enchantment. It will still have its normal effect - indeed it will be even more effective. Areas scarred by war or natural disaster, will quickly become overgrown with new plants and mushrooms. Regions with the [[Region_qualities#Ruined|ruined]] quality will not lose it, but the areas of ruin will swiftly be transformed into gardens or even woodlands. Every [[farm]] in the territory will provide 3 crowns fewer in income in the period leading up to the Spring Equinox, and every [[herb garden]] will produce six fewer true vervain. Instead they will provide three doses of magical mushrooms from the demesne of Llofir.

The exception is a territory that is part of the League, Highguard, or Urizen. The heralds of Llofir will not prevent the boon being used to cast ''Regrow the Land's Heart'' on those nations, but they warn that doing so will invite the eternal to take a measure of vengeance against the enchanted territory. No boons will be provided; what exactly will happen is unpredictable but the [[Unfettered Mind]] and [[Celestial Arch]] theorise that the eternal's influence will cause the ritual to deploy its effects in the most unhelpful fashion. Yet there is also a possibility here to drain away some of the enmity Llofir feels towards those nations - targeting a territory from one of those nations, especially if the ritual is performed by magicians of that nation, will satisfy the eternal's anger and repair the relationship with the ''Rot Lord''.

==Further Reading==
* [[Llofir]]
* [[Has_reared_himself_a_throne#Hours_Breathing_Faint_and_Low|Has reared himself a throne]] - Autumn 387YE plenipotentiary wind of fortune
* [[383YE_Summer_Solstice_winds_of_war#Destroying_Angels|Destroying angels]] - Summer 383YE wind of war

Even darkness must pass

2025-09-08T21:18:07Z

Vsabo: /* Battlefield Opportunity: Eliminate the Fireblood Skinks */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Autumn]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Even Darkness Must Pass.jpg|caption=In the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==To See Such Times==
In the [[Sarangrave]], chaos reigns. It is a season of ruin, of madness, bloodshed and terror, fury and despair, magic and steel and water and twisted bough, poison and hope, light and darkness, endings and beginnings. You can feel it in the air. The red dice are rolling, the world is in free-fall and nobody has the slightest idea of what will be showing when they finally come to rest.

The blight of [[Rivers Run Red|ruinous Spring magic]] begins to settle over the waters here, but at the last moment it frays and falls to pieces. Instead, a different power of magic spreads out, filling the waters with [[Rivers of Life|wholesome healing power]]. Imperial magicians have undone the scheme of the Druj, replacing their malign curse of death with a benign curse of life for everyone fighting here.

There is plenty of other magic at work here. The behemoth god-beast Kroll has risen from the nameless lake to loom over the [[Sarangrave#Palace of the Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]], and yet the Palace itself [[Root_and_branch#Shine_a_Light_(Battle_Opportunity)|has vanished]]. Wards and traps unfold across the marshes and the forests laid down by fleeing magicians and desperate covens. The [[Druj miasma]] clings to everything here, heightening feelings of fear and despair, but the Imperial armies are accompanied by thousands of golden knights drawn from the court of [[Eleonaris|Queen Eleonaris]]. Part of Zenith has fallen under Druj control, trapping Imperial armies in [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marsh|Bloodwater Marsh]], but the Empire moves its own soldiers to try and reclaim it. The power of the [[Irra Harah|Shackle Smasher]] has been unleashed in the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak Forest|Nesustak Forest]], while wicked wards of [[Spring magic|Spring]] and [[Night magic|Night]] run riot across the marshlands. Alliances shift, and nobody can be entirely sure who is a potential friend and who is secret foe.
==All Seem Accursed==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDv8UaWeWJg}}
The chaos spills south into [[Zenith]]. The [[Towerjacks]] have come to the forest of [[Zenith#Lustri|Lustri]]. There they meet the [[Argent Sword]]; the army of [[Inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]], [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|guardians]], and [[Inhabitants of the realms#Soldiers|soldiers]] from the [[Realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]] who march as part of a costly bargain wrought with the Sovereign Lords of the Cities of Autumn.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:ArgentSword_Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Argent Sword]]
[[File:TowerJacks Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Towerjacks]]</div>
The second army of [[Urizen]] is a thing of wonder. An army of minotaurs, their horns adorned with gold and steel, who march in the shadow of three dozen many-armed bronze colossi each a head taller than any mortal being. An army of hammer-wielding smiths, as broad as they are tall, warriors of the [[Estavus|City of Fire and Stone]] under contract to [[Callidus|Callidus of the Coins]]. An army of both swift-moving almost fox-like scouts with a supernatural sense for the presence of wealth, and of ox-sized silver spiders recruited from the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] to provide expert support on matters of logistics. They march under orders from a human general, and they are unlike anything that has been seen in the Empire in living memory.

During the Summer Solstice, the [[Druj]] attempted to [[Root_and_branch#A_Sackful_Of_Poison_(Battle_Opportunity)|assail]] the marshes of [[Zenith#Proceris|Proceris]]. With the aid of the [[Yaw'nagrah|Green Mother]] they sought to [[Root_and_branch#Objective:_Stop_the_Verdant_Tenders|transform the bog octopuses]] of the waterlogged region into ravenous monsters; if not for Imperial heroes the many-legged tasty cephalopods would have undergone an unnatural growth spurt. Their scheme was stopped, those responsible scattered.

Now a [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen|ward of Night magic]] hangs over Proceris protecting it from further trouble - there are [[sentinel|sentinels]] already at work seeking out any remaining Druj and giving them swift justice. Even with the power of the ritual reduced to protect only the region where it is cast, there is nowhere for these guerrillas and ambushers to hide - the empowered magic of Night sees to that. Ironic, given that empowerment was worked by the Druj in the first place…

Two armies then march to the woodlands of Lustri. The Urizen of Zenith are first to warn of the Druj trap. The [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] have worked their own enchantment on the forest, weaving an entangling net of Spring magic between the trees. The effect is horribly familiar - a ward that is all too easy to pass into but almost impossible to escape. Druj warriors and awful venomous abominations alike sneak and skitter between the trunks of the dark woodlands waiting for the armies to put a foot wrong.

They have reckoned, however, without the ingenuity of the Towerjacks. This trap may be magical in nature but ultimately it is just another kind of fortification. There are safe paths here, as well as deadly ones. There are choke-points and dead-ends, killing grounds and barriers, but the Holberg engineers are no stranger to such concepts. It takes a little less than a week to reconfigure the Imperial strategy, and then with the Towerjacks in the vanguard the armies [[Army_qualities#Engineer|storm the walls]] the Druj have raised.

The fighting is bloody and terrible. The Argent Sword are disciplined but fundamentally unfamiliar with woodland fighting. The Towerjacks are adept at predicting and defusing the traps of the Druj wards, but they must still deal with the warriors and beasts protected by that magic. Blood spills and pools beneath the trees as the season rolls on. It is slow going, every step risks setting off a trap or an ambush. Yet the armies do make progress, do take those steps.

Almost immediately it is clear that the armies of the Druj are not ''in'' Lustri. It is clear they are relying on their ward to hold back any Imperial counterattack while the six armies that [[Root_and_branch#Dark_Beneath_the_Boughs|came down from Therunin]] have pressed into the Sarangrave in hope of slaughtering the Empire’s soldiers in the southern Sarangrave.

It might have worked. The ward is powerful, but the Towerjacks make all the difference. They unravel the puzzle, match cunning for cunning, disable the traps, and break through the dead-ends and barricades of writhing thorns. Ten days before the Autumn Equinox news comes from the front; the armies of Urizen and the League have been victorious. Lustri is now in Imperial hands once more.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:WinterSun Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Winter Sun]]</div>
==So Our Path Is Laid==
Six armies of Druj, out of Therunin, fresh from the [[Zenith#The_Stork's_Gaze_(Ruined)|ruination of the Stork’s Gaze]]. Without exception they hurl themselves into the fray, an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the Bloodwater Marsh and the Imperial army caught between their hammer and the twin anvils of the [[vallorn]] of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and the colossal [[fortification]] of the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]].

There is a desperation to their strategy; it seems that several of these [[Druj armies|armies]] are drawn from the septs of the marshlands. Six armies. The [[Druj armies#Arrow Viper|Arrow Viper]] and the [[Druj armies#Thorn Born|Thorn Born]], the [[Druj armies#Jagged Claws|Jagged Claws]] and the [[Druj armies#Hunting Scorpion|Hunting Scorpion]]; the [[Druj armies#Flame Beetle|Flame Beetle]] and of course the Tainted Basilisk. They have pulled out all the stops; almost all of them bear an [[enchantment]] of [[Spring magic]] that grants them the cunning of the predators coupled with a thirst for blood and mayhem found nowhere in the animal kingdom. The blessings of the Tainted Basilisk.

They face just a single Imperial army - the [[Winter Sun]] - the rest having used rituals and other methods to join the armies in the north. The Winter Sun bear a strange enchantment of Night magic whose effects are at first not entirely clear. The Winter Sun focus on [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|seeking out native forces]] that might aid the Empire’s plans.

Battle erupts across the Bloodwater Marshes again - the Empire fights against the desperate, furious Druj and their vicious enchantments. Like the orcs, they are also caught between hammers and Anvils. From the south-west, six armies. From the east, the Tower of the Skink. To the north of them, the vallorn and the feverwater. A war in microcosm, as the orcs of the Winter Sun must split their attention between pushing into Whisperwood and fighting off nearly thirty thousand powerfully enchanted Druj warriors.

==Watcher in the Water==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:CitadelGuard Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Citadel Guard]]
[[File:EasternSky Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Eastern Sky]]
[[File:TheFireoftheSouth Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Fire of the South]]
[[File:GoldenAxe Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Golden Axe]]
[[File:GranitePillar Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Granite Pillar]]
[[File:GryphonPride Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Gryphon's Pride]]
[[File:LionsAdelmar Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Lions of Adelmar]]
[[File:NorthernEagle Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Northern Eagle]]
[[File:QuietStep Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Quiet Step]]</div>
In the north, the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|ghulai]] of the Palace of the Sleepers, along with their college of magic, have disappeared. They have left behind a terrible beast; the catastrophically large single-eyed octopoid horror that they called from the lake below their conical hill. As large as a castle, the supernatural terror sweeps aside the soldiers arrayed against it with its immense muscular tentacles.

As it fights, it lets loose terrible booming cries that cause the lake around it to surge and explode upwards. The ground itself runs like water, miring those trying to fight their way clear of the area. It soon becomes clear that the god-beast Kroll does not intend to fight alone. In answer to its thunderous call come hundreds upon hundreds of bog octopuses. Not the tiny cephalopods that throng in the marshes of Proceris to the south, but full-grown beasts that sometimes rival an ox-wagon in size. They erupt from the marshes, falling on the Imperial armies.

While they fight, the Druj forces battling to keep Sarangrave fall back. They seek to take advantage of the confusion to flank the northern force - the [[Eastern Sky]], the [[Fire of the South]], the [[Gryphon's Pride]], the [[Lions of Adelmar]], the [[Granite Pillar]], the [[Northern Eagle]] and the [[Boyar's Hasta]], and the [[Summer Storm]], joined by the [[Quiet Step]] from the Barrens, and the [[Citadel Guard]] and [[Golden Axe]] driving north with some preternatural force.

Arrayed against them are the [[Druj armies#Deadly Blade|Deadly Blade]] and the [[Druj armies#Hidden Snake|Hidden Snake]], the [[Druj armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]] and the [[Druj armies#Poison Crane|Poison Crane]], the [[Druj armies#White Lion|White Lion]] and the [[Druj armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]]. They are no less desperate than those attacking in the south, and many of them bear the same enchantment - a parting gift from the ghulai of the Palace of the Sleepers, no doubt. The Deadly Blade and the Hidden Widow supplement their vicious attacks with terrible venoms, which they distribute among the other armies freely. Their aim is clearly to kill as many Imperial soldiers as possible; an aim that is proudly supported by the cruelty and merciless tactics of the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]]. They wield the power of fear and despair as a weapon that is well-suited to their hands.

It is just as well that the water here runs with life, or their murderous plan would have taken an unspeakable toll against the Empire.

Completing the conquest of Kroll requires a confrontation with the god-beast of the lake and its multitude of progeny. The Eastern Sky and the Gryphon’s Pride hurl themselves against the immense octopus with resolute fury, revelling in the chance to accrue unlooked for [[glory]] by facing this monstrous beast. The [[Lions of Adelmar]] need all their defensive mastery to ensure the other Dawnish armies are not torn to pieces by their courageous assault. In the end, they cannot defeat the beast alone; it takes the arrows of the [[Golden Axe]] to finally inflict enough damage on the beast that it is forced to retreat. Not slain - but driven off. It dives deep into the depths of the lake, leaving behind a lake stained black with ichor. Presumably, it has returned whence it came - back to the Spring realm to recover from its wounds. Hopefully this will take a long time indeed.

The beast inflicts serious casualties on the armies arrayed against it, and even after it is driven off, its progeny continue to harass the Imperial forces and the Druj armies with equal indiscrimination.

==Where You Might Be Swept Off To==
In the end, the Empire is victorious. Their magical mastery, their zeal, and sheer force of numbers win the day. It is a close-run thing; when the water begins to clear the Imperial forces have claimed Kroll in the east and are four-tenths of the way toward taking the Nesustak Forest in the west. In the south, the three armies have not only held off the six Druj armies, but they have pressed forward into the Whisperwood and are three-fifths of the way towards capturing it entirely.

Yet the chaos shows no sign of ending. When it is clear that the Empire has the upper hand, when Kroll disappears beneath the surface of the lake, most of the Druj armies abandon Sarangrave. Harried by Imperial raiders, they pull back into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. That is not to say that the territory has been abandoned however; the Tower of the Skink still dominates the [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] and represents a major obstacle to Imperial control of the territory.

Not all the armies have retreated however; the Hidden Snake and the Poison Crane have pulled back to Thornfen to bolster the garrison of the fortification. In a way, they have no choice; the septs that support them are Sarangrave septs and if they abandon the territory they will suffer increasing losses. It is not a matter of courage or loyalty, but of fear - the fear that if they leave their territory they will be seen as weak and expendable by the other Druj of the Mallum.

In the south, the six armies that attacked out of Zenith are in an even worse state - they have been forced out of the Bloodwater Marshes but they cannot retreat into Lustri without facing catastrophic losses at the hands of the two armies there - and risking being trapped in their own web of traps. Their situation is a mirror of that which faced the Druj in Zenith several years ago when the Empire trapped them in the south. It is fortunate for the orcs - and unfortunate for the Empire - that the Tainted Basilisk are with the southern force. They have already demonstrated their ability to weave Night magic, to create a shroud of power that allows armies to move through dangerous territories. Yet where will they go? Will they risk slipping through the Imperial lines to the Salt Flats? Try to make a stand at the Tower of the Skink? Or perhaps find a way to escape into Therunin - and the uncertainty of the vallorn?

==Do Not Be Too Eager==
There is one other matter that demands Imperial attention. An unexpected development. As the Imperial armies in the north press into the Nesustak forest, they find the Druj defenders and the sept of the Banded Snake in disarray. Their defence seems uncoordinated, confused, and sporadic. The further the armies push west, the clearer it becomes that something is afoot.

The Druj magicians have raised a ward of Night magic here, and it serves to aid the defenders, but there is something else afoot. The Banded Snake seem to be fighting on two fronts. As the Autumn Equinox draws near, the truth of what is unfolding becomes clear. A force of former Druj slaves, subject septs, and children of the [[Irra Harah|Prince with a Thousand Foes]] have been quietly gathering in the depths of the forest, and now they have struck against the Druj. Taking their former overlords by surprise, exploiting the fact that the focus of the masters of the Mallum was on the Empire, they attacked without warning. The Druj panicked - unprepared to fight those they had considered broken. Their former masters were overwhelmed quickly thanks in large part to the support of the ''Thorn of the Ancestors''. Those who were not slaughtered by the Empire have fallen under the knives, spears, and clubs of the risen slaves. A week before the Autumn Equinox, it becomes clear that these free slaves have claimed the rest of the Nesustak Forest - that the Druj who remain are hunted fugitives.

At the same time, in the south, the power of Night magic enshrouds the Winter Sun. It hones the intuition of the soldiers, and urges them to find those who will make common cause with them, focusing their efforts to [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|break the chains]] of the Druj slaves. Those who fight to free the slaves and the conquered septs, rather than focusing on taking land or slaying the Druj, find that the voices of their ancestors become clearer and clearer - and that some of those ancestor voices are very old indeed. Ancient orcs of the Mallum, pressed into slavery by the old Imperials, drawn not from the Druj but from those who were their slaves. Terrible tales of those who fled tyranny to find death and enslavement waiting for them when they left the Mallum at the hands of humans who saw them as little better than beasts.

Normally, these voices are loud, angry, full of fear and hate. Under the influence of Night magic, those sincerely fighting to liberate the septs find these voices quiet, become clearer, become more lucid. Distant memories of ancient pacts and traditions empower the Winter Sun to reassure those who have spent too long under the thumb of the Druj that they are not the enemy. They can do little to moderate the fear that these orcs feel for the other Imperial armies… but it is a start. A unique chance to treat with the survivors of centuries of oppression.

It is while they fight in the Bloodwater Marsh and the Whisperwood that this approach bears dividends. The [[Make_it_happen#The_Bloodwater_Spears|Bloodwater Spears]] have been missing from the Sarangrave since the Imperial forces first crossed the border from Lustri. It now becomes clear that they had simply been waiting for an opportunity. Some are in Nesustak Forest working with the rebels there; others have been in the Whisperwood quietly recruiting the elders of the [[Make_it_happen#The_Water_Walkers|Water Walkers]] sept to their cause. An alliance between the two groups has been forged, and now they reach out to the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They make common cause - but they also know how to exploit the situation.

As the Winter Sun press forward, the Spears and the Walkers launch their own forays into the Whisperwood. The mighty Fortress of the Skink still provides a measure of support for the beleaguered Druj forces here, as they fall back. As the Empire advances, the rebel orcs give their own signal and bands of them attack where they can, picking off lone Druj warriors and exacting a bloody revenge. Druj scouts are discovered hanging from trees, their bodies held aloft by grim nooses formed from their own entrails. Druj supply wagons burned, the bodies of the paymasters chained to the charred remains. Corpses of Pakkad and Chikad warriors with their eyes and tongues torn out.

Beneath the dark boughs of the Whisperwood, the waters of the Sarangrave seethe with boiling fury, a thirst for vengeance that no amount of murder can slake. The Spears and the Walkers clearly have designs of their own on the Whisperwood and they are far from friends of the Empire. But for the Druj there is only the most pure and undiluted hatred.

==Even The Very Wise Cannot See All Ends==
As the Autumn Equinox draws close, the leaders of the ramshackle rebellion have a message for the Empire. Their message, relayed by those Winter Sun orcs who have fought most closely with them, is that they will not harass the Empire’s troops as long as they focus their attention on the Druj. If they seek to attack the rebels in Nesustak Forest or Whisperwood, they will protect themselves.

When the Druj are finally driven from the Sarangrave, there will be a chance to talk about what happens next. Then hopefully the Empire will know whether they have come to the Mallum as liberators or conquerors? They cannot be both, after all.

==Game Information==
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Regions of Sarangrave.png|align=right|width=500}}</div>
===Sarangrave===
* '''Nobody has dominion of Sarangrave
* '''The Empire controls three regions'''
* '''The Druj control two regions'''
* '''The vallorn controls one region'''
* '''The rebels control one region'''
The Empire has claimed Kroll and now controls that region along with Turan Flats and Bloodwater Marsh. The Druj still hold the Tower of the Skink and the surrounding region of Thornfen, and for now they cling on in Whisperwood. Two armies - the Poison Crane and the Hidden Snake - are still in Thornfen, bolstering the fortification there. The other Druj armies in the north have abandoned the territory and withdrawn into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]].

The Palace of the Sleepers appears to have disappeared. It is not clear if this is a permanent disappearance, a transportation of some kind similar to that used to try and protect the Halls of Knowledge, or simply a shroud of some kind. It’s also not clear what this will mean for the Tainted Basilisk, who rely on the Palace and the associated ghulai and septs to support their army.
===Rebel Orcs===
* '''Rebellious former slaves of the Druj claim the Nesustak Forest'''
* '''Some of the rebellious orc faction are Water Walkers who have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
Last season’s enchantment on the Nesustak Forest, placed by Imperial magicians, seems to have empowered [[Irra Harah]] to throw his entire weight behind these rebels, and that region is now in the control of the rebellious Sarangrave septs. Supported by Irra Harah, they have launched a surprise attack. With the Druj armies cut off from the region by the Imperial invasion, the Bloodwater Spears, the Water Walkers, and an unknown sept have taken the opportunity to overthrow the Druj, butchering the handful of remaining tepel and their guards to seize control.

It seems the rebels would like to have pulled off the same in the Whisperwood, but here the going is much harder, with the Druj armies based in Thornfen defending fiercely. If the Druj abandon the territory completely, or are forced out of Thornfen, then it's possible the rebels could claim more of the territory.

The Empire has made serious inroads into Nesustak (two-fifths towards claiming it) and Whisperwood (three-fifths towards claiming it). With Nesustak falling into the control of the rebels, it is impossible to take any more of the region without fighting and killing the rebel orcs that have risen up and displaced the Druj there - and the Senate recently recognised the Water Walkers as foreigners. The Whisperwood is a simpler prospect - the Empire could seize control of it by driving the Druj out, if they continue as they are.

The rebels show no signs of trusting or liking the Empire. There has been contact with the Winter Sun, but the most it has achieved so far is an agreement not to attack each other. The rebels won’t share what knowledge they have, and they don't have the force of arms to attack the Tower of the Skink. It is not clear if there is a basis to negotiate - they appear to want the Sarangrave for themselves, and for their fellows, rather than see it conquered by the Empire. At the moment their ability to do so is limited due to their lack of anything approaching an [[Imperial army]] in strength… but if they got control of the [[Sarangrave#Fingers of the Devourer|Fingers of the Devourer]] in the Whisperwood it would be dangerous to assume they cannot find a way to ''make'' an army.
===Disaster in the South===
* '''Six Druj armies are fighting on the border between Zenith and Sarangrave'''
* '''Their disposition depends on what happens during the Autumn Equinox'''
The six armies in the south of the Sarangrave have nowhere to go - they have been driven out of Sarangrave but cannot withdraw into a safe region. For the moment they are fighting on the border, but it is clear that they have plans to escape. They will likely intend to take advantage of Night magic to do so, as they did when they escaped Zenith after they were trapped by the Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|align=right|width=250}}
===The Weight of Glory===
* '''Soldiers in armies enchanted with Knights of Glory this season are becoming more attuned to the Summer Realm
* '''The Sarangrave armies under this enchantment this season can no longer use the ''Give Ground'' or ''Cautious Advance'' orders
In the reign of [[Empress Brannan]] there was a growing problem that armies were becoming reliant on Knights of Glory, but more importantly that exposure to the glorious knights of the Summer Realm was having an unlooked for effect on Imperial soldiers. It seems that the excitement of fighting in the Mallum is, indeed, starting to affect the Empire’s loyal warriors - possibly because of the oppressive aura of fear coupled with the feeling of pride and strength exposure to the heralds of the Fields of Glory brings.

During the next season, any Imperial army in Sarangrave that was supported by Knights of Glory this season cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders. If the [[general]] issues such an order it will default to [[Army orders#Balanced Attack|Balanced Attack]] or [[Army orders#Solid Defence|Solid Defence]] instead. This effect persists until the army in question has spent an entire year without experiencing the Knights of Glory enchantment.

It may be possible to ameliorate this effect by other means but it is not clear quite how this might be done. The national or virtue assemblies of the Imperial Synod may be able to assist in this matter, perhaps with a suitably worded statement of principle.

Magicians working with the armies point out that this is not something the heralds, or their eternal mistress, are actively ''doing''. It is rather a side effect of extended exposure to the enchantment, and to the magical warriors it summons, possibly compounded by the terrible aura of fear that hangs over the Mallum. Eleonaris is not able to "stop doing this" because she and her soldiers are not actually ''doing'' anything to make this happen.

==Participation==
===Citadel and Sky ===
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Citadel Guard or the Eastern Sky receive a potent boon
The Knights of Glory are powerful soldiers summoned from the Summer Realm and often influence the mortal soldiers they fight alongside - especially when the army and its [[Army orders|orders]] are in synch with their mistress [[Eleonaris]]. The Eastern Sky engaged in a triumphant charge against the Druj this season, and the Citadel Guard drew on unique Summer magic to empower their own strategy. In both cases, the summoned Knights enthusiastically and vocally supported their actions, and threw themselves joyously into battle against the Druj.

The captain of any military unit that fought alongside either the Eastern Sky or the Citadel Guard begins the Autumn Equinox with an [[enchantment]] - [[Glory to the Sovereign]]. This gives them two ranks of [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] and 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.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and you take particular pleasure in approval and adulation. You particularly want to do things that will make you be seen as worthy, strong and powerful warriors; being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

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.
===Other Knights===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought alongside any other army enchanted with Knights of Glory in Sarangrave receive a different benefit'''
Knights of Glory also fought alongside the Fire of the South, the Golden Axe, Gryphon's Pride, Lions of Adelmar, Northern Eagle, and the Granite Pillar. A character whose military unit supported one of these armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Autumn Equinox.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Autumn Equinox regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a roleplaying effect that lasts until the end of the Autumn Equinox: ''You feel a strong urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and you take particular pleasure in approval and adulation. You particularly want to do things that will make you be seen as worthy, strong and powerful warriors; being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

==Battle Opportunity : To Deal Out Death in Judgement==
The situation in the south of [[Sarangrave]] has seen [[Druj]] leaders attempting to bring up reinforcements; perhaps in an effort to hunt down the rebels in [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]], or to prepare to assail the [[Winter Sun]] with as large a force as possible. It is a desperate gambit that requires the drawing of elite [[arkad]] troops from [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]], where they currently aid the defence of the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]].

The Druj are on the back foot, their supply lines are stretched to breaking point and cut into pieces by [[Even_darkness_must_pass|the Imperial advance]]. The hammer blow dealt by the Empire has clearly rattled the barbarians - forcing them onto the back foot. There is a brief opportunity to strike against them before they can regroup to take advantage of their disarray. It would be wise to be [[Vigilance|Vigilant]] however, the Druj are at their most deadly and determined when cornered.

On the Saturday of the equinox, the Sentinel Gate can be used to access the ''Uklead Groves'' in the central Whisperwood.

===Objective: Seize the Whisperwood===
* '''The Empire has a chance to capture the region of Whisperwood'''
* '''There are two approaches that can be taken to secure victory'''
* '''Success with either approach will give the Empire control of the Whisperwood and dominion over the Sarangrave'''

The two approaches offer a choice for the [[Field Marshal]] on how to approach the engagement. That will force the Druj to adapt their own strategies in response. The battlefield presents a difficult environment in which to operate, and threats will most certainly change how they fight to deny the Empire's strengths and expose their vulnerabilities.

Success with either approach will see the Druj forces lose cohesion and force them to withdraw from the region. The arkad forces will fall back to Thornfen, the last bastion of Druj power in the Sarangrave. The Winter Sun, and independent military units operating in the area will be able to quickly wrest control of the area, securing the Whisperwood for the Empire. That will tip control of the entire Sarangrave to the Empire, granting [[Laws_of_magic#The_Law_of_Dominion|dominion]] over the [[territory]] and enabling it to be [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Assignment|assigned to an Imperial nation]].

If the [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]] can arrange the capture of the Whisperwood, then a Senator could raise a motion to assign the territory to an Imperial nation. Otherwise, the [[Civil Service]] will raise an administrative motion at the following summit, once they have had time to prepare a [[opportunity|briefing]] on the new territory with an assessment of how each nation might benefit from it.

====Tactical Option: Dismiss the Miasma====
* '''There are three pillars in the area that anchor the miasma across the region'''
* '''If they are destroyed with Chimes of Annulment or Consecration they must all be done within ten minutes of each other'''
* '''If they are destroyed with Dreadful Ending, they can be done sequentially'''
* '''If all three are destroyed, the Druj will fall back and the Empire will capture the Whisperwood'''

The [[Druj miasma]] is a boon to the enemy who are used to fighting under its effects but it requires a network of pillars to maintain it. The pillars here in the ''Uklead Groves'' anchor the miasma in place across the Whisperwood - if they can be destroyed, then the miasma in this region will fade. This would enable the Empire to swiftly advance as the Druj fall back, giving them control of the region. It would also and make it easier for Imperial forces to operate in the Whisperwood in future, either during seasonal campaigns or when accessed through conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate.

The Empire has destroyed miasma pillars using the Day ritual, [[Chimes of Annulment]] and with powerful consecrations in the past. These pillars appear more powerful than those the Empire encountered in Zenith and may require more than fifteen doses of liao to overcome their auras. The weakness of this approach is that all three pillars have to be destroyed within ten minutes of each other which requires very careful strategic planning given the distances involved. The untested alternative is to use the Winter ritual, [[Dreadful Ending]], which is much harder to cast but would allow the Empire to destroy the pillars one by one.

If all three pillars are destroyed, then the Druj will fall back, allowing the Empire to seize control of the Whisperwood and with it the territory of Sarangrave.

====Tactical Option: Hold the Ground====
* '''Hold the ground between the pillars to tie up the Druj's forces for an hour'''
* '''The Druj will give up after an hour and retreat if they cannot force the Empire to retreat'''

Instead of striking out to destroy the miasma pillars, the Field Marshal could elect to hold the ground between them against the advancing Druj. This would require Imperial forces to secure the area, and capture at least one or more of the pillars to force the Druj to engage them. Once they control one or more of the pillars, that will draw Druj to their position like wasps to honey as they seek to engage the Empire and protect the pillars.

With the Druj on the back foot and their forces outmanoeuvred, they don't have the numbers to press the attack indefinitely. If the Empire can hold the field for an hour, the Druj morale will break and they will give up the attack. At that point, the battlefield would be theirs, the Druj forces would fall back, and the Imperial forces could return to Anvil in good order.

If the Empire hold the ground between the pillars for an hour and weather the Druj counter-attack, then the Druj will fall back, allowing the Empire to seize control of the Whisperwood and with it the territory of Sarangrave.

===Battlefield Opportunity: Eliminate the ''Fireblood Skinks''===
* '''Bassk Bloodburner has brought their arkad fighters to ''Uklead Groves'''''
* '''Slay the het and his Chikad force on the field of battle'''
* '''Killing Bassk and the arkad fighters will prevent the Druj from using poison or venom in the Sarangrave next season'''

The Druj are infamous across the continent for their use of poison and venom. The local expert in this area is Het Bassk, the ''Bloodburner'', and his Chikad. Adept at brewing their own concoctions and applying them in combat, the ''Fireblood Skinks'' have already reaped a painful toll on Imperial soldiers this season, killing those that could not get to the apothecaries in time.

Eliminating Bassk and the unit will deny the Druj crucial skills, making it impossible for them to employ any poisons or venoms in the Sarangrave next season. Their [[Army_qualities#Venomous|venomous]] armies won't be able to employ Fire in the Blood and they won't have poisons or venoms to deploy on battlefields and skirmishes. The Buruk Tepel will soon replace Het Bassk, but it will give the Empire a season's grace from the Druj's murderous ways.

===Battlefield Opportunity: Save the Fallen Sentinel===
* '''Rescue ''Corisande of Vertigon Spire'' and save their soul'''
* '''The Druj have begun to transform the sentinel into a tortured soul'''
* '''Priests and apothecaries will need to work together to bring the sentinel back from the brink of death'''

A captured Urizen sentinel, Corisande, is being broken and tortured close to the ''Uklead Groves''. She is physically wounded, and has been forced to imbibe dire concoctions by the tepel who are holding her. Her will is broken, and she is close to death - it is clear that the Druj are trying to use her to create one of their tortured souls. There is every chance that the lost sentinel can be rescued and saved, which could save their soul and provide valuable intelligence on how the corrupted Druj alchemy is employed. Priests and apothecaries might both be needed to alleviate Corisande's suffering; healing her physical wounds, purifying the toxins from her body and exorcising the affliction on her soul.

===Battlefield Threat: Tortured Souls===
* '''The Druj have unleashed their twisted creations into the area'''
* '''Priests can exorcise these corrupted souls'''

As the Empire has pressed deeper into the Sarangrave, they have begun to encounter more of the Druj's twisted and wracked creatures. Some postulate that the eastern barbarians have dank dungeons filled with these hideous monsters. Others argue that the increase in numbers is merely a response to the Empire's aggression, and the Druj have tasked their tepel with creating as many as they can to slow the advance of their foes.

Tortured Souls are created by the hideous poisons used by the Tepel when they break an individual's will and turn them into a monster full of wrath and malice towards any they face. They are fearsome foes, often still clad in the garb of their former Imperial lives; they are capable of inflicting a grievous curse with blows from their weapons. Whilst it is possible to put down and execute their physical forms, their spiritual presence can quickly return. The only way to defeat one permanently is for priests to ascertain the strength of the aura on it using Insight and then overcome it with a powerful enough exorcism to dismiss the soul once it has been dropped.

===Battlefield Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] to everyone exposed to it unless they have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Uklead Groves'', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Any hero 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, by only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sarangrave]]
* [[Druj]]

* [[Make it happen]] - 384YE Summer Wind of Fortune about some of the septs of the Sarangrave
* [[Root and branch]] - 387YE Summer Wind of War about the continuing battle for Sarangrave
* [[Unlock thy hidden gate]] - 387YE Spring Wind of War about the start of the battle for Sarangrave

Songs like trees

2025-09-08T21:15:31Z

Vsabo: /* Conjunctions: Dangerous Locations */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Autumn]] [[Category:Military Council]]
We don't often put a "Content Warning" on a Wind, but this one merits it. Please bear in mind that the text includes depictions of body horror.
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Songs like trees.jpg|caption=Songs, like trees, grow and flourish. Trees, like songs, have an ending.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==We Come, We Come, With Roll of Drum==
__TOC__
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-HASsbLlBI}}
The [[Golden Sun]] returns to [[Therunin]]. It has been less than a year since they [[Blood_and_mire|escaped the strangling traps of the Druj]], their retreat purchased at great cost by the [[Iron Helms]] and [[Isaella's Dance]]. Since then, they have chafed at the bit in [[Astolat]], recovering from the terrible harm done them by the orcs of [[the Mallum]]. Now they are back, to fight again in Therunin, to take from the [[Druj]] the jewel they have claimed - and to stop the [[vallorn]] devouring what the [[Navarr]] fought for so long to cleanse.

With them come the [[Wolves of War]], out of [[Morrow]]. They, too, have been on furlough this past six months, recovering from campaigning in the west against the [[Jotun]]. They have seen the threat of the vallorn firsthand, helping the people of Urizen root out its harbingers as its wicked green tendrils probed the defences of [[Morrow#Peregro|Peregro]].

The two armies march to [[Reikos]], to [[Reikos#High Chalcis|High Chalcis]], to join their forces. Waiting for them are the heroes of the Empire, the captains who fight where their conscience dictates. Perhaps even the Wolves of War are a little taken aback by just how many are preparing to join them in their attack - and the Wolves are the Imperial army perhaps most experienced in dealing with warbands, mercenary companies, adventuring parties, and champion fellowships. Well over a hundred [[military unit|captains]] ready to march with the Wolves and the Sun, bringing their soldiers with them, swelling the size of the force crossing to nearly three times the size.

The overwhelming majority are, unsurprisingly, folk of Navarr. [[Thorn|Thorns]] and [[brand|brands]], sombre faced and ready to do what is needful to fight for Therunin. Yet they are not the only ones - [[Dawn]], [[the League]], [[Highguard]], and [[Wintermark]] are all well represented here, along with a single warband of the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. All prepared to risk their lives to fight the vallorn and the Druj at the same time.

To battle the Druj is bad enough, but the orcs of the Mallum have worked foul magic to rouse the vallorn of Therunin. It spills beyond [[Therunin#Sweetglades|Sweetglades]] and the [[Therunin#Greenheart|Greenheart]]. Scouts say it seems set on devouring the [[Therunin#Upper Tarn Valley|Upper Tarn Valley]]... but once the armies cross the border from Reikos the vallornspawn cannot help but be drawn towards them, towards the concentrated force of life, towards the metal and leather that makes up the accoutrements of war.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="Jean d’Apulian, General of the Wolves of War">Steel sings as discipline and loyalty endure. Watch now as the Wolves of War and Golden Sun lead this Empire into this war on the Vallorn. See how the cost is paid by knight and bravo. Burn the Thickets and that which can march no more. Drive steel through dead faces as we fall amongst them. One bloody yard at a time.</quote>

<quote by="Lord Daemon Mortére, General of the Golden Sun">The time has come. The golden sun will rise from Astolat. I said when we left Therunin the sun will always stand where the Empire needs us most. The Empire needs the Sun to fight once more in Therunin. This time we are called to fight the horrors of the vallorn. Let our march sound like a drumbeat of Loyalty throughout the territories of the Empire. We will meet the Wolves of War and make our Grinding advance into Peakedge Song. The Troubadours will tell the tale as knight and bravo pay the cost for this Empire. Where Glory and Death Entwine.</quote></div>
The night before the armies move, the priests of Reikos gather on [[Reikos#Chalcis_Mount|Chalcis Mount]], and move among the soldiers offering the blessings of the Way. [[Dedication]] and [[anointing]] to those who wish them, whether they fear their courage may falter in the face of the task ahead of them or they seek to strengthen their own convictions. The priests do not judge, offering support to any who need it, and when the dawn comes some of them find their calling urges them to walk with the armies. The vallorn, after all, is the single greatest spiritual threat to the Empire and the faithful of the Way.

Not long after sunrise, though, there is a sign from the east. A pillar of black smoke mounts up towards the clear midsummer sky. A column of ashes. Some of the Navarr in particular, those who know what it must presage, march with tears wet on their cheeks. But there is still a job to be done, and these armies, these champions who march with them, are the ones who must do it.

==In the Bitter Rain==
It is not far from High Chalcis to the border. Some of the Highborn, perhaps for the first time, cannot help but ruminate on just how short a distance lies between Therunin and the [[Gardens of High Chalcis|garden city on Chalcis Mount]]. In the past this has been a boon, easing trade between the two centres of healing. Now it can be seen as a foreboding of doom.

There are Druj watching the border, of course. Some of these shadowed eyes are rooted out, others manage to escape eastward to warn the rest of the orcs of the Empire’s coming. None attempt to fight, not voluntarily at least. Any who cannot escape, die fast and hard. The Druj will not be a challenge, here, will not be anything more than an afterthought in Peakedge Song it seems. The real threat here comes from the east, yes, but much closer to home.

A short journey, less than a day, to where [[Therunin#Peakedge_Stead|Peakedge Stead]] once stood. It is still burning. There are still Druj here, shepherding the flames, revelling in the destruction for its own sake. Beating drums. Some of them are drunk or drugged; others are more alert and give some small trouble to the first Imperial soldiers to arrive. Yet even they flee, denying anyone any feeling to just retribution for what has been done. There is open weeping.

For centuries Peakedge Stead has been synonymous with succour, with gentle healing, with sanctuary. It has tended the worst wounds the vallorn could inflict, offered safety and the promise of wholeness to those exposed to the malice of the Druj. When Reikos fell into the hands of the Stone Toad, it accepted all refugees and stood vigil against attack from the west. When the [[Great Forest Orcs]] were driven from their homes, it welcomed them beneath its hallowed roofs. A garden as much as a steading, a place where the battle for the future was envisioned not solely in terms of weapons and armour. And now it is gone. The palisades burn. The hospitals burn. The gardens, and the gentle tree-lined groves, and the memorials built to those who set down their lives to heal others, burn.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Ossegrahn001a.webp|align=right|width=300}}</div>
It is too late for Peakedge Stead. The moment the last rays of the setting sun faded after the Summer Solstice, the protection of [[Ossegrahn|Lord Rain]] was withdrawn. The unbreachable thorn walls withered and fell and as soon as they were gone the malice of the Druj washed over this place of healing, and the flames followed all too soon after. And then, the majority of the Druj camped here, their work done, seem to have simply left. There is a clear path north-east away from the bonfire that was once Peakedge Stead, toward the [[Therunin#Upper_Tarn_Valley|Upper Tarn Valley]].

Imperial forces secure the site, do their best to fight the fire. It rages until dawn the next day, when it begins to burn out. As the flames die down, it begins to rain. A focused cloudburst that brings with it the soothing scents of [[Spring]]. From out of the rain emerges a figure with pale blue skin and a sodden shift. A [[Inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|herald]] of ''Brother Harvest''. Flanking them are two massive quadrupedal creatures, [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|guardians]] that until recently protected the steading with their green and growing songs.

The herald is quiet, and calm, and has a message. At great cost, at the request of the [[Archmage of Spring]], Lord Rain maintained the protection of Peakedge Song for another season. He was clear that he did so to allow the [[Imperial Conclave|Conclave]] and the [[Imperial Senate|Senate]] to complete their deliberations, before removing accursed magic from [[Imperial lore]]. He felt that assurances were given, and he made clear that if they could not be fulfilled he would be left with no choice. The Archmage entered into that bargain freely, with his eyes open, and ''Ossegrahn'' trusted that what was promised would be done. It was not done, and instead the Conclave [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Alignment:_Ossegrahn,_Neutrality|turned away from his friendship]]. As if blaming him for doing what they asked, and being clear about what it would cost.

So ''Coomarta of the Rains'' was left with no choice. In the absence of a sign that the Empire could move away from merciless slaughter, from magic that kills the weak indiscriminately, there is little point continuing. He withdrew his children to the [[Realms#Spring|Spring realm]] as he said he would do. Peakedge Song fell within the hour to the Druj. They looted the place, burned it, would have tortured any left behind… had there ''been'' any left behind for them to hurt.

For while ''Father Tarn'' is saddened that he was misled, and let down, he does not blame the healers and the sick for the actions of the few at [[Anvil]]. All those who wished to do so were offered sanctuary in the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]], where they might grow and practice the healing arts for as long as they wished - on the understanding of course that they could never return. While he might have been able to grant them sanctuary in the chamber of a regio the Druj would be able to attack there as well.

Some took that choice, and if there is anything to be salvaged from all this it is the hope that whatever fate they found there brings them peace. Those who would not accept the hand of Lord Rain made a different choice and embraced the [[Kaela#The_Gift_of_Kaela|Gift of Kaela]]. A terrible choice, and one that the ''Cupbearer'' would have denied them if he could. But it was theirs to make.

And now, as he said he would, ''Elder Fossegrim'' will turn his face away from the Empire. There will be no more boons, and he will not agree to [[Archmage#Parley|parley]]. Those rituals he has shared with his friends will remain, until their assurances are broken. Any gifts he has given likewise will remain until time claims their power. No more of his heralds will visit the Empire, not to offer their aid to those in need, nor to the [[Greenwatcher]], nor to the fight against the vallorn.

Perhaps in another hundred years, if the Empire survives, they may speak again. But for now, it is farewell.

As the herald turns away, its sad message delivered, the rain breaks. As it walks, fresh green shoots burst from the footprints it leaves in the sodden ash. Within a few minutes these shoots have blossomed into bushes and vines, with more and more greenery rippling outwards from the path like raindrops on the surface of a mountain pool. Within half an hour the ruins of Peakedge Stead are gone and in their place, a garden of green leaves and pale white flowers. Where the palisade once stood, a ring of young saplings begin to grow, making the outskirts of the sanctuary.

“The vallorn cannot come here while the trees live,” says the herald in parting. “Let this be a memory and a promise. It can remain a place of sanctuary and hope to those who need it.”

And with that it is gone.

==Hew the Stone and Break the Door==
The Druj have fled east, no doubt seeking to outpace the vallorn which they at least believe will be seeking to overgrow the [[Therunin#Lower_Tarn_Valley|Tarn Valley]]. No doubt some of them are in for an unpleasant surprise. The day after the armies enter Therunin, they encounter what they take at first to be the vallorn, but is in fact something entirely different. The Druj have unleashed [[Spring magic]] in more ways than one it seems; this at least is something that the Empire and the Wolves of War in particular are familiar with. Something akin to [[Thunderous Tread of the Trees]] has settled over Therunin, calling and releasing countless numbers of spirits to inhabit the plant life of the territory.

No doubt the intention is to help the spread of the vallorn - the magic seems not to differentiate between an oak and a willow and whatever aberrant plants grow in [[Therunin#Sweetglades|Sweetglades]] and [[Therunin#Greenheart|Greenheart]]. Unlike the more familiar magic, which sends trees rampaging against settlements and fortifications, the spirits called by the Druj prefer to ambush those that come within reach. Often they pretend to be normal trees and bushes before striking suddenly when their victims least suspect it. The smaller plants like to entwine and entomb their prey, strangling, smothering, or starving them.

It all adds yet another obstacle to the attempt to protect Therunin, beyond the Druj and the vallorn itself. Even apparently wholesome plants may hide something malignant and cruel within, and it is very hard indeed to predict where the animated vegetation will strike. As the only significant force in the territory, though, the Golden Sun and the Wolves of War bear the brunt of the curse’s violence.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Yawnagrah002.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>
==That Hill and Wood Shall Slay==
The first true vallornspawn are sighted on the fourth day, while the Imperial forces are engaged with sweeping out left-behind guerrilla Druj. The enemy are clearly not expecting them - they are focused on hunting any remaining Navarr and coming up with abhorrently novel ways to kill them. Shortly after noon, a dozen misshapen flying things, each as large as a well-fed sheep, approach out of the east. Similar in part to wasps, and in other parts to vicious beetles the size of wolves, and yet still something entirely their own and entirely wrong, they pass low overhead. The high-pitched whine of their wings grates on the nerves of those below, setting teeth on edge and causing a few [[naga]] in particular to succumb to nausea and disorientation. Sometimes [[Naga#Luxuriant_Senses|keen senses]] can be a curse, rather than a blessing.

Several of these airborne horrors are shot from the sky with longbow and crossbow and hurled javelin. They don’t seem to be capable of gaining height, too poorly built for flying much above the treetops. Examined close up, they have far too many eyes at one end and barbed venom-dripping stingers at the other. One of the creatures is cut open, its bloated abdomen proving to be full of horrible wriggling maggot-like grubs that wail like cursed piccolos when exposed, curling in on themselves and dying in the steady rays of the early morning sunlight.

These warped insects are only the vanguard of the vallorn; by the next sunrise the sky to the east is noticeably different. A greenish tinge hangs in the air that sweeps forward as the day wears on. Scouts report terrible things; legions of [[ettercap]] and shambling [[vallornspawn husks]]. The unnameable abominations that the vallorn breeds, many mixing animal and vegetable characteristics together to create something different, something altogether more grotesque, than either alone could achieve. There are also great insects, the natural inhabitants of Therunin, that show the signs of having been corrupted en masse, driven mad, driven to swarm and slaughter where normally they would be placid and disinterested. The Druj have clearly not tired of driving the innocent beasts of the marshes into the vallorn, even after their [[Blood_and_mire#All_Along_the_Lakeside_(Battle_Opportunity)|failures at Feverwater]]. There is even a report of a [[Legendary_beasts#Hydra|hydra]], blooming red meat-flowers opening and closing like extra mouths along its body, howling and hissing a bowel-loosening combination of pain and fury as it comes.

At first the line is easily held. The vallorn is not a thing that uses tactics, or strategy. Some of its horrors are as keen to attack each other as they are the interlopers from the Empire. Some charge the nearest living thing that does not bear the mark of the vallorn, and try to kill it and devour it. Others are more stealthy, like hunting spiders or predatory wasps, sneaking up on their victims and using venom, razor-sharp barbs, or talons and fangs to kill. Still others move more slowly - great masses of twisted vegetation given awful momentum either by the Druj’s curse or by the vallorn - it matters little which is which in the end, the results are the same.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">[[File:GoldenSun_Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Golden Sun]]
[[File:WolvesofWar_Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Wolves of War]]</div>
Those who have fought the vallorn elsewhere are perhaps a little unprepared for the realities of facing it in a marsh. While the most obvious spawn are at least human- or orc-sized, in Therunin the waters and the mud and the silt provide many more avenues for awful horror. A common iteration of the vallorn here is an eyeless fist-sized mess of legs and mandibles and gripping pincers that moves through the marsh drawn by movement and when it encounters flesh it holds on tight and begins to eat. The worst part is that many of those who suddenly find their shins or knees or feet being literally eaten out from beneath them will fall backward, into the mud… and discover to their horror that these mawcrabs hunt in packs.

The Navarr are prepared, and spread a warning, but there is only so much they can do to mark the tell-tale disturbances in the thick mud or the murky water when these mawcrabs are on the move.

This is just one example of what the Empire faces in Peakedge Song. The vallorn is terrible for many reasons, one of which is that its creatures take so many utterly unpredictable forms and shapes. Skinless bears, two-headed lizard things with alligator maws and tree-climbing claws. As the miasma thickens across the region, much larger creatures come tumbling through the trees - roughly spherical balls of meat and muscle with razor-sharp lamprey mouths and staring all-too-human eyes and a dozen thick tentacles with which they swing and clamber and grab and crush. Snake-like worms large enough to swallow a full-grown soldier whole, with reaching multi-jointed legs around their mouths to scoop up and hold their prey while they suck it down. A terror that might once have been a [[Marshwalkers|marshwalker]] before the vallorn took it into itself and remade it in its image - a thing that is doubly dangerous because each part of it seems to spread corruption and when it joins together it does not take the form of a towering humanoid but a wave of mud and grasping arms and moaning tormented mouths.

It may not be only the vallorn that they face, either. There are sightings of smaller, more subtle creatures among the vallornspawn. The enchanters of Dawn are certain that these creatures are [[inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]] of ''[[Yaw'nagrah|Woodwyf]]''. They do not, for the most part, engage the Imperial forces directly but their presence has an undeniable effect of the vallornspawn around them. They bear the ruinous [[Spring magic|blessings]] of their mistress and they do not attract the ire of the vallorn beasts around them. A cadre of Dawnish and League monster hunters is quickly convened, and charged with specifically hunting the children of the ''Green Mother'' wherever they appear.

Over all this the miasma flows like water, pooling and spreading. It brings with it its own flavour of death - everyone knows that mortals who breathe the miasma begin to sicken. Everyone knows that those who fall while its fetid corruption fills their lungs and nostrils will rise again as a servant of the vallorn, a husk driven only to kill and spread the taint, spirit trapped forever unless its friends are able to free it with a second death.

==Broken is the Barren Bough==
Yet here at least the Empire has the upper hand. [[Winter magic]] has been bound around the armies, around the soldiers, and settles like a barbed shawl over the captains and warbands who march with them. Many do not realise that the magic is woven with the resonance of [[Realms#Winter|the Wasteland]]; it leaves them feeling hale and hearty, full of the power that [[Winter magic#Preservation|preserves]]. Their instinct for [[Winter magic#Survival|survival]] has been subtly enhanced as well; again few realise what is happening.

But this is Winter magic and it would be odd if there were not some lingering unnaturalness to it. The soldiers and champions fighting in Therunin find their appetites shifting slightly; wholesome food and drink becomes just a little less appealing. Without really thinking about it, many of them adopt a new diet. Drinking brackish water straight from the slow-moving rivulets; devouring bugs, termites, weevils teased from the bark of the marsh trees; favouring bread and biscuits and tack that is marbled with mould. Yet they show no ill-effects. The only folk that seem broadly unaffected by this unnatural urge are the [[draughir]], some of whom seem to relish the fact that the best food, the freshest food, is passed over by their companions in favour of midden-fare.

All of this is a result of a ritual that has never been tested before, encumbered with the lugubrious name ''[[Why Sulemaine Walked Away From The Baker]]'', it protects soldiers from poison, and from venom, and from the miasma of the vallorn… or at least it protects them from the miasma ''in theory''. Before now, its effectiveness has never been tested…

It is tested now. The miasma is thick as fog around the vallornspawn, spreading like fingers of corruption spread by the winds. Those who fight within it find their wounds fester, their injuries drag them down into death or awful half life. It breeds sickness in those exposed to it, filling lungs with spores and fluid, causing skin to corrupt and break apart with vines and flowers. Yet not a single soldier of the Golden Sun, of the Wolves of War, nor of the warbands that fight with them, succumbs to the sickness of Green Lung. Wounds may fester, death may come, but the worst effects of the miasma are mitigated by the Winter magic. While some of those who die within the miasma rise as husks, it seems to be no more than a third of those slain - and the Navarr agree that the transformation is taking much longer than usual in those who do succumb allowing for their bodies to be burned or [[Turn the Circle|turned away from corruption]].

The wards surrounding the Imperial forces do not match the power of the [[Vitality of Rushing Water]] - the magic is too widespread, too focused on preservation and survival compared to that particular [[enchantment]] of [[Spring magic]] but it provides vital protection, and frees the [[Surgical skills#Physick|physicks]] who march with the armies free to treat wounds and save lives without worrying about that hollowing-out sickness.

==Darkness Falls At Last==
Almost from the moment the vallornspawn begin to spill into Peakedge Stead, the armies of the Empire must fight. It is relentless - day and night the attacks come. Battalions of ettercaps and husks; small packs of horrible vallorn warped beasts; great corrupted insects. Again and again they come and the Imperial armies must stand against them.

As the season draws on, the armies begin to flag - but again the power of the Winter enchantment helps stave off exhaustion. This is a double-edged blade of course - it does not actually [[Winter magic#heal|heal]] those warriors tired to the point of collapse. It simply provides them with the will and the strength to push themselves beyond their natural limits… and when they snap the results are grim indeed. Just as well the magic protects the warriors from the miasma - the physicks have their work cut out saving those who have battled on to the point their bodies have begun to shut down.

Painful, cruel, but it works. As Autumn deepens, it works and the vallornspawn are contained. They do not spill out across Peakedge Song, they don’t taint the marshlands with the touch of the vallorn. They are contained, and thrown back. Yet they still come. There is no sign that their strength is weakening, or their drive faltering. Inasmuch as the vallorn ''want'' anything it is clear that the roused force will continue to seek to reclaim this land that was once Terunael, that was wrested free from their corrupting touch over the course of a thousand years.

And if the defenders falter, even for an instant, the green tide will wash over all and condemn Therunin once more to its verdant hell.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Regionsoftherunin.png|align=right|width=500}}

==Game Information==
*'''Therunin remains nominally under the control of the Druj'''
*'''The vallorn has been stopped in Peakedge Song'''
*'''Imperial forces are about a fifth of the way toward reclaiming the region of Peakedge Song'''
*'''An effect similar to Thunderous Tread of the Trees is making the situation in Therunin even worse for Imperial armies'''
Imperial forces have prevented the vallorn of Therunin claiming any land in Therunin. Where it would have spilled into the Upper Tarn Valley - perhaps at the direction of the Druj magicians - it has instead moved to try and destroy the largest concentration of uncorrupted life in the territory. To wit it is focused on the two armies and hundreds of warbands accompanying them, and on claiming Peakedge Song. The Wolves of War and the Golden Sun have borne the brunt of the assault and saved the region - at least for now.

The Empire is around a fifth of the way to reclaiming Peakedge Song, but it is an uphill struggle thanks to the vallorn force that is also trying to claim the region.

There has been little sign of the Druj - a few encounters with ambushes and guerrilla fighters in Peakedge Song, and a number of traps left behind. Whatever Mallum forces are still in Therunin seem concentrated in the east.

===Against the Vallorn===
*'''The vallorn continues to try and expand into Peakedge Song
*'''It will attack wherever there are enemy armies or fortifications
*'''Winter magic has significantly reduced the damage taken by the armies fighting here
Fighting the vallorn while it is expanding in this way has proved to be very dangerous. The vallornspawn spreading into Peakedge Song have brought the [[Vallorn#Vallorn_Miasma|vallorn miasma]] with them in some fashion, endangering everyone who tries to face them. It appears that while an expanding vallorn does not take an order in the way an Imperial general would do, it is effectively always taking a special order that potentially poisoning anyone who fights - an ''order'' that ''doubles'' all casualties it causes.

Fortunately, [[Why Sulemaine Walked Away From The Baker]] has provided significant protection. It has both reduced the extra casualties caused by three-quarters, and on top of that reduced all casualties taken by a tenth. Without the enchantment, the losses to the armies here would have been ''significantly'' higher.

===Peakedge Stead and Lord Rain===
*'''Peakedge Stead has been burned by the Druj'''
*'''The Houses of Healing and Stones from Blood have been destroyed'''
*'''Thornsong College is still protected - for now - by Night magic'''
*'''Ossegrahn has turned away from the Empire'''
*'''An enchanted grove remains where the steading once stood'''
One of the oldest settlements of the Navarr, Peakedge Stead, has been destroyed by the Druj. The people who had taken sanctuary there have either taken the [[Kaela#The_Gift_of_Kaela|Gift of Kaela]] and died painlessly, or taken the boon of Ossegrahn and departed the mortal world for the [[Realms#Spring|Primal Forest]]. They will not return.

The [[Hand_of_the_Healers#Houses_of_Healing|Houses of Healing]] have been destroyed along with Peakedge Stead, and the [[Hand of the Healers]] has lost the ability to receive [[Hand_of_the_Healers#Offerings_of_Lord_Rain|gifts]] from Lord Rain. Likewise, there will be no replacement for the [[Hand_of_the_Healers#Gift_of_Rainfather|gift of the Rainfather]]. The [[Factor of Stones from Blood#Stones from Blood|Stones from Blood]] has also been destroyed - the incumbent, '''Dewi Flies Free''', will be the last [[Factor of Stones from Blood]].

For the moment, [[Thornsinger#Thornsong House|Thornsong House]] remains hidden within a ward of [[Night magic]] meaning nothing and nobody can locate it. This magic will end at the start of the Winter Solstice. There is no easy way to restore this protection, and it is ''very'' likely that some of those Druj waiting in Peakedge Song are there intentionally to destroy the House. Once the ward falls the house will also be at risk from the vallorn.

Ossegrahn has turned away from the Empire. He has withdrawn his support from Greenwatch, meaning that the [[Greenwatcher]] has likewise lost access to the [[Greenwatcher#Implements of Willowbraid|Implements of Willowbraid]] and the [[Greenwatcher#Gift of Father Tarn|Gift of Father Tarn]] will not be replaced. The eternal has said that he will continue to provide power to any ritual or [[arcane projection]] that bears his [[Eternals_and_rituals#Assurance_and_Stipulation|assurance]], but no further boons will be forthcoming. He will not attend any [[Archmage#Parley|parley]] with the Empire for the foreseeable future.

Where Peakedge Stead once stood, however, a magical ring of trees and enchanted glade now stands. This appears to be a final boon from Lord Rain. His herald claims that it will remain untouched by the [[vallorn]], and preliminary investigation shows that it bears an effect similar to (but distinct from) the [[Ward of the Black Waste]] (but obviously woven with Spring magic rather than Winter magic). A thorough investigation of this site would require an [[appraisal]] and likely need to wait until the chaos in Therunin comes to an end.

==Battle Opportunity : With Doom We Come==
The valiant efforts of the independent captains, who lead their military units in support of the Golden Sun and the Wolves of War, have held the vallorn at bay in Peakedge Song. Drawn away from the Upper Tarn Valley, the spring-infused monsters sought to overwhelm the defenders of the great steading and the treetop sanctuaries, but ultimately they were kept in check. Through dedicated effort, and no small loss of life, the unrelenting force of nature was prevented from spreading into the region. While stopped, it has not withdrawn and the miasma continues to roil and writhe beneath the tree tops. Whatever happens, the vallorn will push forth again in the coming season.

Fortunately, this location offers a chance to erect powerful wards that could significantly reduce the strength of any assault by the vallorn, assuming that the Imperial heroes are able to put them in place before the location is overrun. There are strange standing stones here, that scouts have nicknamed the ''Thorn Guardians''. These warding stones could be used as anchors for warding rituals if the Empire has the magicians to perform them.

There is also a new and growing threat that has been discovered in Peakedge Stead this season. The awakening of the vallorn has seen a migration of ettercaps bursting out from hives in the heart of Sweetglades. Twisted by the fecund vitality of spring, these insectoid horrors have established another nest at the edges of the miasma close to the fallen steading. From inside the strange natural construction all manner of swiftly gestating new creatures are emerging to join the chittering hordes that scrabble alongside the shambling spawn of the deceased and overgrown husks. If this nest can be engaged and dealt with it will inflict a serious blow against the vallorn in Therunin this season.

A conjunction of the Sentinel Gate has been identified by the prognosticators and will allow travel to ''Thorngroves'' on the Sunday of the equinox.

===Objective: Hold Back the Vallorn===
* '''The vallorn advance can be slowed by creating wards via the ''Wardens of the Black Waste'' ritual'''
* '''Each of the five warding stones can be enchanted only once'''
* '''Each ward raised will reduce the strength of the vallorn in Therunin by 1000 for the next season'''
The settlements at Peakedge Stead are old, very old in fact; certainly established before the founding of the Empire, and said by some to date back to the fall of Terunael. Whilst Thornsong House has been shrouded by the Navarr, the Druj have burned most of the steading and pulled down vital parts of [[Factor_of_Stones_from_Blood|Stones from Blood]]. Even so, the barbarians have not destroyed the place utterly. Many structures have either escaped their attention or not drawn their ire enough to warrant the effort of level.

The ''Thorn Guardians'' are one such set of edifices that remain, hidden in plain sight among the forest. These five white granite pillars are warding stones, believed to date back to the time when the Navarr people first began to gather and strengthen themselves, preparing for the long war against the vallorn. It has been theorised that the stones were once part of the original defences that protected the first steading in the area. It seems in the past they were used to anchor wards in place, granting the early Navarr a period of respite from the attack of the Vallorn. Nowadays, the Empire has access to much more powerful wards than the Terunael ever created, but there is no reason why the powerful winter ritual [[Wardens of the Black Waste]] couldn't be employed here.

The construction of the ''Thorn Guardians'' allows them to be used to bear ritual wardings - either [[Ward of the Black Waste]] or [[Wardens of the Black Waste]] - to hold back the vallorn. When a ward is cast on a warding stone it anchors the magic, removing the normal requirement for a physical building or posts to hold the magic in place. When cast in this way, the wards won't have an immediate dramatic impact on the area, but the magic will grow over time, steadily weakening any vallorn spawn that come in the area.

Each successful casting of Wardens of the Black Wastes on a single warding stone will reduce the strength of the vallorn in Therunin by 1000 over the coming season, to a maximum of 5000 strength if all five stones were enchanted. Unlike the destruction of the ettercap hives, this offers only a temporary reduction; it will only last as long as the magic of the wards remain. With the arrival of the Winter Solstice, the wards will fade and the vallorn will be able to move freely once more. If the Empire can create the rituals on the warding stones, then a similar approach may be possible in the future, creating new strategic options to help in countering the vallorn if it works. As this is part of an opportunity, it is not possible to use [[ilium]] to make the effect on the stones permanent.

===Objective: Poison the Ettercap Hive===
* '''There is a large ettercap nest in Thorngroves that could be poisoned to weaken the enemy'''
* '''The Apothecaries Guild have a chance to discover what poison is needed to destroy the nest on Friday evening'''
* '''If they cannot identify the right poison, the only alternative would be to pour every possible poison into the nest to see what works'''
* '''Successfully poisoning the hive will permanently reduce the strength of the current vallornspawn host by two thousand'''

An ettercap hive has been located at ''Thorngroves'' close to the ruins of Peakedge Stead. The large number of mature ettercap that have been witnessed crawling free of the brood hole suggests this nest is particularly large. Entering the nest is out of the question - the miasma is so thick inside it would kill any human or orc who tried to enter. However, the nests can be destroyed by pouring poison into the feeding hole that the ettercaps use to feed the nest. If the defenders can be driven off and the location of the feeding hole discovered then poison could be poured in to wreak havoc on the larvae within.

The Empire don't yet know what poison is needed, but there is an opportunity for the [[Apothecaries Guild]] to uncover that information on the first evening of the summit. If they can identify what poison is needed, that will make this objective much easier to achieve. If they fail, then the only resort would be trial and error, mixing as many poisons as possible and pouring everything down the hole.

This nest is twice the size of the ones located in Sweetglades, and will need twice as much poison as either of those. However, destroying it will be even more effective, permanently removing two thousand force from the effective strength of the current vallornspawn host that is trying to expand in Therunin.

===Battlefield environment: Vallorn miasma===
* '''A vallorn miasma reaches out through the woodlands at Peakedge Stead'''
* '''Any creatures - human or orc - that enters the woodland will be affected by the miasma'''
* '''No player characters will raise as a vallornspawn husk within the timeframe of the battle'''
As the vallorn has advanced out from Sweetglades to meet the arrival of the Imperial armies, it has been preceded by a roiling haze of miasma. The spore-filled air will make anyone who encounters it feel feverish or sick, suffering in short time from an envenomed blood. A venture of this scale into the vallorn miasma comes with many risks, especially for those who die of their wounds in its cloying depths. Citizens are reminded that The Gift of Kaela and the winter ritual [[Surcease of Sorrow]] can be used ensure that if the worst happens, one's corpse will not be able to rise as a vallornspawn. Likewise, the spring ritual [[Turns the Circle]] can be cast upon a fallen citizen to prevent their inevitable reanimation in the hours and days after their death.

<box><big>'''[[Vallorn#Vallorn_Miasma|Vallorn miasma]]'''</big><br>
* '''The woodland at Peakedge Stead is under the effect of a vallorn miasma'''
* '''Anyone in the miasma is affected by [[Calls#VENOM|VENOM]] unless they are bonded to an [[Abraxus Stone]] or are under the effect of [[Vitality of Rushing Water]]'''
* '''Anyone affected by the VENOM from the vallorn miasma will eventually begin to suffer from symptoms of nausea or mild feverishness'''
The limited exposure time during this battle means that there is no chance of anyone developing [[Vallornspawn_husk#Green_Lung|green lung]]</box>

==Conjunctions: Dangerous Locations==
* '''Two ettercap nests have been uncovered in the Sweetglades'''
* '''They could be poisoned to reduce the strength of the vallorn'''
* '''There is an opportunity for the Apothecaries Guild to discover how best to poison them'''
* '''If they fail, the only alternative would be for Imperial heroes to use trial and error to see what works'''
* '''Each poisoned nest will reduce the vallorn's strength by a thousand'''
* '''A Sarcophan trader has asked anyone who ventures into the Sweetglades to look out for a rare flower'''
There are rumblings deep in the woods of the Sweetglades; rumours and reports from thorns, questing knights, and other members of the Vallornguard that there are two ettercap nests in relatively undefended areas. Them being in the Sweetglades means there is still a vast array of creatures milling around the ettercap's nest, but the scouts believe that there is opportunity here.

Most of the nest is underground - the creatures emerge from the nest's exit once they are large enough to survive. Unfortunately, the nests are filled with thick miasma - far too poisonous for any human or orc to enter. However, all the nests that scouts have discovered so far have incorporated a feeding hole that the ettercaps use to feed the nest. If the monsters can be held off and the location of the feeding hole discovered then poison could be poured in to wreak havoc on the larvae within.

Exactly what kind of poison would be most effective is unknown, but that is a question that the [[Apothecaries Guild]] might be able to help with. There is a conjunction to investigate the corpse of a dead ettercap, which might give the Apothecaries a chance to uncover the ideal poison or poisons to use. If they fail, then Imperial heroes might have to resort to trial and error, mixing as many poisons as they can and pouring them down the hole.

''Catharina Gjullit'', member of the [[The_mathematics_of_tears#The_Gjullit_Opportunity|Gjullit family]], has asked that any members of the sodality who go through the Sentinel Gate look out for ''corpseblossom''; a rare herb that they have been told occasionally grows in the chests of long-lived ettercaps. The merchant will be visiting Anvil at the Winter Solstice on behalf of their family, and will be interested in purchasing any cuttings which Imperials can acquire.

===Surprises===
* '''A dead ettercap nest presents an opportunity to investigate what poisons are effective'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Unlikely|combat unlikely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Guild Leader of the Imperial Apothecaries'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for investigating'''
Even as the soldiers of the Golden Sun and the Wolves of War fought to hold off the horde, scouts were able to venture into the Sweetglades. There, they found the remnants of an ettercap nest; just a few of the insectuous creatures shuffling around. The scouts were able to defeat the remnant monsters and have asked the [[Imperial Apothecaries Guild]] to investigate as they believe the right investigation could reveal how best to poison a nest. It is the responsibility of the [[Imperial_Apothecaries_Guild#Guild_Leader|Guild Leader of the Imperial Apothecaries]], '''Esmé i Estrico i Erigo''', to investigate the dead nest and experiment with the different [[Potion#Poisons|poisons]] known to the Empire to discover which is best used on the two uncovered in Sweetglades, as well as the one in Peakedge Song.

===Cluster of Rosebuds===
* '''A collective of vallornspawn are protecting a nest in the Squamous Woods'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Speaker of the Vallornguard'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for disrupting the nest'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The nest in the Squamous Woods represents a chance for the Vallornguard to help in the long-term effort to "''rid the Empire of the vallorn''". It is the responsibility of the [[Vallornguard#Speaker_of_the_Vallornguard|Speaker of the Vallornguard]], '''Percival Summerstrong''', to drive off the vallornspawn protecting the nest long enough to allow them to poison the nest. If the sodality is able to successfully poison the nest, then the current horde threatening to overrun Therunin will be permanently reduced by one thousand.

===In the Night===
* '''A collective of vallornspawn are protecting a nest in the Twitching Grove'''
* '''This skirmish is a [[Accessibility#Combat_Highly_Likely|combat highly likely]] encounter'''
* '''The ''Keeper of the Last Battle'' is [[Sentinel_Gate#Prognostication|responsible]] for disrupting the nest'''
{{AgainstBarbarians}}
The nest in the Twitching Grove represents a chance to destroy a clear threat to the Empire's ability to expand its borders to trigger the last battle against the vallorn. If it can be destroyed, then the Imperial armies in Therunin will face fewer monstrosities over the coming season making it easier to claim Peakedge Song or at the very least hold the vallorn back. It is the responsibility of the [[Keeper of the Last Battle]], '''Dax''', to drive off the vallornspawn protecting the nest long enough to allow them to poison the nest. If the group is able to successfully poison the nest, then the current horde threatening to overrun Therunin will be permanently reduced by one thousand.

<box><big>'''[[Vallorn#Vallorn_Miasma|Vallorn miasma]]'''</big><br>
* '''''Surprises'', ''Cluster of Rosebuds'', and ''In the Night'' all take place within vallorn miasma'''
* '''Anyone in vallorn miasma is affected by [[Calls#VENOM|VENOM]] unless they are bonded to an [[Abraxus Stone]] or are under the effect of [[Vitality of Rushing Water]]
* '''Anyone affected by the VENOM from the vallorn miasma will eventually begin to suffer from symptoms of nausea or mild feverishness
The short length of these conjunctions means that in this instance, there is no chance of anyone developing [[Vallornspawn_husk#Green_Lung|green lung]]</box>

==Further Reading==
* [[Therunin]]
* [[Ossegrahn]]
* [[Vallorn]]

* [[Willow and rain]] - Summer 387YE Wind of War
* [[To hold death's hand in mine]] - Spring 387YE Wind of War
* [[Under eastern skies]] - Winter 386YE Wind of War
* [[Blood and mire]] - Autumn 386YE Wind of War
* [[Ashes]] - Summer 386YE Wind of War

Even darkness must pass

2025-09-08T21:10:54Z

Vsabo: /* Battlefield Opportunity: Eliminate the Fireblood Skinks */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Autumn]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Even Darkness Must Pass.jpg|caption=In the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow.|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==To See Such Times==
In the [[Sarangrave]], chaos reigns. It is a season of ruin, of madness, bloodshed and terror, fury and despair, magic and steel and water and twisted bough, poison and hope, light and darkness, endings and beginnings. You can feel it in the air. The red dice are rolling, the world is in free-fall and nobody has the slightest idea of what will be showing when they finally come to rest.

The blight of [[Rivers Run Red|ruinous Spring magic]] begins to settle over the waters here, but at the last moment it frays and falls to pieces. Instead, a different power of magic spreads out, filling the waters with [[Rivers of Life|wholesome healing power]]. Imperial magicians have undone the scheme of the Druj, replacing their malign curse of death with a benign curse of life for everyone fighting here.

There is plenty of other magic at work here. The behemoth god-beast Kroll has risen from the nameless lake to loom over the [[Sarangrave#Palace of the Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]], and yet the Palace itself [[Root_and_branch#Shine_a_Light_(Battle_Opportunity)|has vanished]]. Wards and traps unfold across the marshes and the forests laid down by fleeing magicians and desperate covens. The [[Druj miasma]] clings to everything here, heightening feelings of fear and despair, but the Imperial armies are accompanied by thousands of golden knights drawn from the court of [[Eleonaris|Queen Eleonaris]]. Part of Zenith has fallen under Druj control, trapping Imperial armies in [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marsh|Bloodwater Marsh]], but the Empire moves its own soldiers to try and reclaim it. The power of the [[Irra Harah|Shackle Smasher]] has been unleashed in the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak Forest|Nesustak Forest]], while wicked wards of [[Spring magic|Spring]] and [[Night magic|Night]] run riot across the marshlands. Alliances shift, and nobody can be entirely sure who is a potential friend and who is secret foe.
==All Seem Accursed==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDv8UaWeWJg}}
The chaos spills south into [[Zenith]]. The [[Towerjacks]] have come to the forest of [[Zenith#Lustri|Lustri]]. There they meet the [[Argent Sword]]; the army of [[Inhabitants of the realms#heralds|heralds]], [[Inhabitants of the realms#Guardians|guardians]], and [[Inhabitants of the realms#Soldiers|soldiers]] from the [[Realms#Autumn|Iron Labyrinth]] who march as part of a costly bargain wrought with the Sovereign Lords of the Cities of Autumn.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:ArgentSword_Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Argent Sword]]
[[File:TowerJacks Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Towerjacks]]</div>
The second army of [[Urizen]] is a thing of wonder. An army of minotaurs, their horns adorned with gold and steel, who march in the shadow of three dozen many-armed bronze colossi each a head taller than any mortal being. An army of hammer-wielding smiths, as broad as they are tall, warriors of the [[Estavus|City of Fire and Stone]] under contract to [[Callidus|Callidus of the Coins]]. An army of both swift-moving almost fox-like scouts with a supernatural sense for the presence of wealth, and of ox-sized silver spiders recruited from the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] to provide expert support on matters of logistics. They march under orders from a human general, and they are unlike anything that has been seen in the Empire in living memory.

During the Summer Solstice, the [[Druj]] attempted to [[Root_and_branch#A_Sackful_Of_Poison_(Battle_Opportunity)|assail]] the marshes of [[Zenith#Proceris|Proceris]]. With the aid of the [[Yaw'nagrah|Green Mother]] they sought to [[Root_and_branch#Objective:_Stop_the_Verdant_Tenders|transform the bog octopuses]] of the waterlogged region into ravenous monsters; if not for Imperial heroes the many-legged tasty cephalopods would have undergone an unnatural growth spurt. Their scheme was stopped, those responsible scattered.

Now a [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen|ward of Night magic]] hangs over Proceris protecting it from further trouble - there are [[sentinel|sentinels]] already at work seeking out any remaining Druj and giving them swift justice. Even with the power of the ritual reduced to protect only the region where it is cast, there is nowhere for these guerrillas and ambushers to hide - the empowered magic of Night sees to that. Ironic, given that empowerment was worked by the Druj in the first place…

Two armies then march to the woodlands of Lustri. The Urizen of Zenith are first to warn of the Druj trap. The [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] have worked their own enchantment on the forest, weaving an entangling net of Spring magic between the trees. The effect is horribly familiar - a ward that is all too easy to pass into but almost impossible to escape. Druj warriors and awful venomous abominations alike sneak and skitter between the trunks of the dark woodlands waiting for the armies to put a foot wrong.

They have reckoned, however, without the ingenuity of the Towerjacks. This trap may be magical in nature but ultimately it is just another kind of fortification. There are safe paths here, as well as deadly ones. There are choke-points and dead-ends, killing grounds and barriers, but the Holberg engineers are no stranger to such concepts. It takes a little less than a week to reconfigure the Imperial strategy, and then with the Towerjacks in the vanguard the armies [[Army_qualities#Engineer|storm the walls]] the Druj have raised.

The fighting is bloody and terrible. The Argent Sword are disciplined but fundamentally unfamiliar with woodland fighting. The Towerjacks are adept at predicting and defusing the traps of the Druj wards, but they must still deal with the warriors and beasts protected by that magic. Blood spills and pools beneath the trees as the season rolls on. It is slow going, every step risks setting off a trap or an ambush. Yet the armies do make progress, do take those steps.

Almost immediately it is clear that the armies of the Druj are not ''in'' Lustri. It is clear they are relying on their ward to hold back any Imperial counterattack while the six armies that [[Root_and_branch#Dark_Beneath_the_Boughs|came down from Therunin]] have pressed into the Sarangrave in hope of slaughtering the Empire’s soldiers in the southern Sarangrave.

It might have worked. The ward is powerful, but the Towerjacks make all the difference. They unravel the puzzle, match cunning for cunning, disable the traps, and break through the dead-ends and barricades of writhing thorns. Ten days before the Autumn Equinox news comes from the front; the armies of Urizen and the League have been victorious. Lustri is now in Imperial hands once more.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:WinterSun Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Winter Sun]]</div>
==So Our Path Is Laid==
Six armies of Druj, out of Therunin, fresh from the [[Zenith#The_Stork's_Gaze_(Ruined)|ruination of the Stork’s Gaze]]. Without exception they hurl themselves into the fray, an [[Army orders#Overwhelming Assault|overwhelming assault]] against the Bloodwater Marsh and the Imperial army caught between their hammer and the twin anvils of the [[vallorn]] of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]] and the colossal [[fortification]] of the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]].

There is a desperation to their strategy; it seems that several of these [[Druj armies|armies]] are drawn from the septs of the marshlands. Six armies. The [[Druj armies#Arrow Viper|Arrow Viper]] and the [[Druj armies#Thorn Born|Thorn Born]], the [[Druj armies#Jagged Claws|Jagged Claws]] and the [[Druj armies#Hunting Scorpion|Hunting Scorpion]]; the [[Druj armies#Flame Beetle|Flame Beetle]] and of course the Tainted Basilisk. They have pulled out all the stops; almost all of them bear an [[enchantment]] of [[Spring magic]] that grants them the cunning of the predators coupled with a thirst for blood and mayhem found nowhere in the animal kingdom. The blessings of the Tainted Basilisk.

They face just a single Imperial army - the [[Winter Sun]] - the rest having used rituals and other methods to join the armies in the north. The Winter Sun bear a strange enchantment of Night magic whose effects are at first not entirely clear. The Winter Sun focus on [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|seeking out native forces]] that might aid the Empire’s plans.

Battle erupts across the Bloodwater Marshes again - the Empire fights against the desperate, furious Druj and their vicious enchantments. Like the orcs, they are also caught between hammers and Anvils. From the south-west, six armies. From the east, the Tower of the Skink. To the north of them, the vallorn and the feverwater. A war in microcosm, as the orcs of the Winter Sun must split their attention between pushing into Whisperwood and fighting off nearly thirty thousand powerfully enchanted Druj warriors.

==Watcher in the Water==
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">[[File:CitadelGuard Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Citadel Guard]]
[[File:EasternSky Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Eastern Sky]]
[[File:TheFireoftheSouth Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Fire of the South]]
[[File:GoldenAxe Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Golden Axe]]
[[File:GranitePillar Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Granite Pillar]]
[[File:GryphonPride Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Gryphon's Pride]]
[[File:LionsAdelmar Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Lions of Adelmar]]
[[File:NorthernEagle Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Northern Eagle]]
[[File:QuietStep Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Quiet Step]]</div>
In the north, the [[Druj lore#Ghulai|ghulai]] of the Palace of the Sleepers, along with their college of magic, have disappeared. They have left behind a terrible beast; the catastrophically large single-eyed octopoid horror that they called from the lake below their conical hill. As large as a castle, the supernatural terror sweeps aside the soldiers arrayed against it with its immense muscular tentacles.

As it fights, it lets loose terrible booming cries that cause the lake around it to surge and explode upwards. The ground itself runs like water, miring those trying to fight their way clear of the area. It soon becomes clear that the god-beast Kroll does not intend to fight alone. In answer to its thunderous call come hundreds upon hundreds of bog octopuses. Not the tiny cephalopods that throng in the marshes of Proceris to the south, but full-grown beasts that sometimes rival an ox-wagon in size. They erupt from the marshes, falling on the Imperial armies.

While they fight, the Druj forces battling to keep Sarangrave fall back. They seek to take advantage of the confusion to flank the northern force - the [[Eastern Sky]], the [[Fire of the South]], the [[Gryphon's Pride]], the [[Lions of Adelmar]], the [[Granite Pillar]], the [[Northern Eagle]] and the [[Boyar's Hasta]], and the [[Summer Storm]], joined by the [[Quiet Step]] from the Barrens, and the [[Citadel Guard]] and [[Golden Axe]] driving north with some preternatural force.

Arrayed against them are the [[Druj armies#Deadly Blade|Deadly Blade]] and the [[Druj armies#Hidden Snake|Hidden Snake]], the [[Druj armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]] and the [[Druj armies#Poison Crane|Poison Crane]], the [[Druj armies#White Lion|White Lion]] and the [[Druj armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]]. They are no less desperate than those attacking in the south, and many of them bear the same enchantment - a parting gift from the ghulai of the Palace of the Sleepers, no doubt. The Deadly Blade and the Hidden Widow supplement their vicious attacks with terrible venoms, which they distribute among the other armies freely. Their aim is clearly to kill as many Imperial soldiers as possible; an aim that is proudly supported by the cruelty and merciless tactics of the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]]. They wield the power of fear and despair as a weapon that is well-suited to their hands.

It is just as well that the water here runs with life, or their murderous plan would have taken an unspeakable toll against the Empire.

Completing the conquest of Kroll requires a confrontation with the god-beast of the lake and its multitude of progeny. The Eastern Sky and the Gryphon’s Pride hurl themselves against the immense octopus with resolute fury, revelling in the chance to accrue unlooked for [[glory]] by facing this monstrous beast. The [[Lions of Adelmar]] need all their defensive mastery to ensure the other Dawnish armies are not torn to pieces by their courageous assault. In the end, they cannot defeat the beast alone; it takes the arrows of the [[Golden Axe]] to finally inflict enough damage on the beast that it is forced to retreat. Not slain - but driven off. It dives deep into the depths of the lake, leaving behind a lake stained black with ichor. Presumably, it has returned whence it came - back to the Spring realm to recover from its wounds. Hopefully this will take a long time indeed.

The beast inflicts serious casualties on the armies arrayed against it, and even after it is driven off, its progeny continue to harass the Imperial forces and the Druj armies with equal indiscrimination.

==Where You Might Be Swept Off To==
In the end, the Empire is victorious. Their magical mastery, their zeal, and sheer force of numbers win the day. It is a close-run thing; when the water begins to clear the Imperial forces have claimed Kroll in the east and are four-tenths of the way toward taking the Nesustak Forest in the west. In the south, the three armies have not only held off the six Druj armies, but they have pressed forward into the Whisperwood and are three-fifths of the way towards capturing it entirely.

Yet the chaos shows no sign of ending. When it is clear that the Empire has the upper hand, when Kroll disappears beneath the surface of the lake, most of the Druj armies abandon Sarangrave. Harried by Imperial raiders, they pull back into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]]. That is not to say that the territory has been abandoned however; the Tower of the Skink still dominates the [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] and represents a major obstacle to Imperial control of the territory.

Not all the armies have retreated however; the Hidden Snake and the Poison Crane have pulled back to Thornfen to bolster the garrison of the fortification. In a way, they have no choice; the septs that support them are Sarangrave septs and if they abandon the territory they will suffer increasing losses. It is not a matter of courage or loyalty, but of fear - the fear that if they leave their territory they will be seen as weak and expendable by the other Druj of the Mallum.

In the south, the six armies that attacked out of Zenith are in an even worse state - they have been forced out of the Bloodwater Marshes but they cannot retreat into Lustri without facing catastrophic losses at the hands of the two armies there - and risking being trapped in their own web of traps. Their situation is a mirror of that which faced the Druj in Zenith several years ago when the Empire trapped them in the south. It is fortunate for the orcs - and unfortunate for the Empire - that the Tainted Basilisk are with the southern force. They have already demonstrated their ability to weave Night magic, to create a shroud of power that allows armies to move through dangerous territories. Yet where will they go? Will they risk slipping through the Imperial lines to the Salt Flats? Try to make a stand at the Tower of the Skink? Or perhaps find a way to escape into Therunin - and the uncertainty of the vallorn?

==Do Not Be Too Eager==
There is one other matter that demands Imperial attention. An unexpected development. As the Imperial armies in the north press into the Nesustak forest, they find the Druj defenders and the sept of the Banded Snake in disarray. Their defence seems uncoordinated, confused, and sporadic. The further the armies push west, the clearer it becomes that something is afoot.

The Druj magicians have raised a ward of Night magic here, and it serves to aid the defenders, but there is something else afoot. The Banded Snake seem to be fighting on two fronts. As the Autumn Equinox draws near, the truth of what is unfolding becomes clear. A force of former Druj slaves, subject septs, and children of the [[Irra Harah|Prince with a Thousand Foes]] have been quietly gathering in the depths of the forest, and now they have struck against the Druj. Taking their former overlords by surprise, exploiting the fact that the focus of the masters of the Mallum was on the Empire, they attacked without warning. The Druj panicked - unprepared to fight those they had considered broken. Their former masters were overwhelmed quickly thanks in large part to the support of the ''Thorn of the Ancestors''. Those who were not slaughtered by the Empire have fallen under the knives, spears, and clubs of the risen slaves. A week before the Autumn Equinox, it becomes clear that these free slaves have claimed the rest of the Nesustak Forest - that the Druj who remain are hunted fugitives.

At the same time, in the south, the power of Night magic enshrouds the Winter Sun. It hones the intuition of the soldiers, and urges them to find those who will make common cause with them, focusing their efforts to [[Army_qualities#Freedom_Fighters|break the chains]] of the Druj slaves. Those who fight to free the slaves and the conquered septs, rather than focusing on taking land or slaying the Druj, find that the voices of their ancestors become clearer and clearer - and that some of those ancestor voices are very old indeed. Ancient orcs of the Mallum, pressed into slavery by the old Imperials, drawn not from the Druj but from those who were their slaves. Terrible tales of those who fled tyranny to find death and enslavement waiting for them when they left the Mallum at the hands of humans who saw them as little better than beasts.

Normally, these voices are loud, angry, full of fear and hate. Under the influence of Night magic, those sincerely fighting to liberate the septs find these voices quiet, become clearer, become more lucid. Distant memories of ancient pacts and traditions empower the Winter Sun to reassure those who have spent too long under the thumb of the Druj that they are not the enemy. They can do little to moderate the fear that these orcs feel for the other Imperial armies… but it is a start. A unique chance to treat with the survivors of centuries of oppression.

It is while they fight in the Bloodwater Marsh and the Whisperwood that this approach bears dividends. The [[Make_it_happen#The_Bloodwater_Spears|Bloodwater Spears]] have been missing from the Sarangrave since the Imperial forces first crossed the border from Lustri. It now becomes clear that they had simply been waiting for an opportunity. Some are in Nesustak Forest working with the rebels there; others have been in the Whisperwood quietly recruiting the elders of the [[Make_it_happen#The_Water_Walkers|Water Walkers]] sept to their cause. An alliance between the two groups has been forged, and now they reach out to the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]]. They make common cause - but they also know how to exploit the situation.

As the Winter Sun press forward, the Spears and the Walkers launch their own forays into the Whisperwood. The mighty Fortress of the Skink still provides a measure of support for the beleaguered Druj forces here, as they fall back. As the Empire advances, the rebel orcs give their own signal and bands of them attack where they can, picking off lone Druj warriors and exacting a bloody revenge. Druj scouts are discovered hanging from trees, their bodies held aloft by grim nooses formed from their own entrails. Druj supply wagons burned, the bodies of the paymasters chained to the charred remains. Corpses of Pakkad and Chikad warriors with their eyes and tongues torn out.

Beneath the dark boughs of the Whisperwood, the waters of the Sarangrave seethe with boiling fury, a thirst for vengeance that no amount of murder can slake. The Spears and the Walkers clearly have designs of their own on the Whisperwood and they are far from friends of the Empire. But for the Druj there is only the most pure and undiluted hatred.

==Even The Very Wise Cannot See All Ends==
As the Autumn Equinox draws close, the leaders of the ramshackle rebellion have a message for the Empire. Their message, relayed by those Winter Sun orcs who have fought most closely with them, is that they will not harass the Empire’s troops as long as they focus their attention on the Druj. If they seek to attack the rebels in Nesustak Forest or Whisperwood, they will protect themselves.

When the Druj are finally driven from the Sarangrave, there will be a chance to talk about what happens next. Then hopefully the Empire will know whether they have come to the Mallum as liberators or conquerors? They cannot be both, after all.

==Game Information==
<div style="float:right; width: 600px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Regions of Sarangrave.png|align=right|width=500}}</div>
===Sarangrave===
* '''Nobody has dominion of Sarangrave
* '''The Empire controls three regions'''
* '''The Druj control two regions'''
* '''The vallorn controls one region'''
* '''The rebels control one region'''
The Empire has claimed Kroll and now controls that region along with Turan Flats and Bloodwater Marsh. The Druj still hold the Tower of the Skink and the surrounding region of Thornfen, and for now they cling on in Whisperwood. Two armies - the Poison Crane and the Hidden Snake - are still in Thornfen, bolstering the fortification there. The other Druj armies in the north have abandoned the territory and withdrawn into the [[Salt Flats of Sanath]].

The Palace of the Sleepers appears to have disappeared. It is not clear if this is a permanent disappearance, a transportation of some kind similar to that used to try and protect the Halls of Knowledge, or simply a shroud of some kind. It’s also not clear what this will mean for the Tainted Basilisk, who rely on the Palace and the associated ghulai and septs to support their army.
===Rebel Orcs===
* '''Rebellious former slaves of the Druj claim the Nesustak Forest'''
* '''Some of the rebellious orc faction are Water Walkers who have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate'''
Last season’s enchantment on the Nesustak Forest, placed by Imperial magicians, seems to have empowered [[Irra Harah]] to throw his entire weight behind these rebels, and that region is now in the control of the rebellious Sarangrave septs. Supported by Irra Harah, they have launched a surprise attack. With the Druj armies cut off from the region by the Imperial invasion, the Bloodwater Spears, the Water Walkers, and an unknown sept have taken the opportunity to overthrow the Druj, butchering the handful of remaining tepel and their guards to seize control.

It seems the rebels would like to have pulled off the same in the Whisperwood, but here the going is much harder, with the Druj armies based in Thornfen defending fiercely. If the Druj abandon the territory completely, or are forced out of Thornfen, then it's possible the rebels could claim more of the territory.

The Empire has made serious inroads into Nesustak (two-fifths towards claiming it) and Whisperwood (three-fifths towards claiming it). With Nesustak falling into the control of the rebels, it is impossible to take any more of the region without fighting and killing the rebel orcs that have risen up and displaced the Druj there - and the Senate recently recognised the Water Walkers as foreigners. The Whisperwood is a simpler prospect - the Empire could seize control of it by driving the Druj out, if they continue as they are.

The rebels show no signs of trusting or liking the Empire. There has been contact with the Winter Sun, but the most it has achieved so far is an agreement not to attack each other. The rebels won’t share what knowledge they have, and they don't have the force of arms to attack the Tower of the Skink. It is not clear if there is a basis to negotiate - they appear to want the Sarangrave for themselves, and for their fellows, rather than see it conquered by the Empire. At the moment their ability to do so is limited due to their lack of anything approaching an [[Imperial army]] in strength… but if they got control of the [[Sarangrave#Fingers of the Devourer|Fingers of the Devourer]] in the Whisperwood it would be dangerous to assume they cannot find a way to ''make'' an army.
===Disaster in the South===
* '''Six Druj armies are fighting on the border between Zenith and Sarangrave'''
* '''Their disposition depends on what happens during the Autumn Equinox'''
The six armies in the south of the Sarangrave have nowhere to go - they have been driven out of Sarangrave but cannot withdraw into a safe region. For the moment they are fighting on the border, but it is clear that they have plans to escape. They will likely intend to take advantage of Night magic to do so, as they did when they escaped Zenith after they were trapped by the Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=EleonarisArt.jpg|align=right|width=250}}
===The Weight of Glory===
* '''Soldiers in armies enchanted with Knights of Glory this season are becoming more attuned to the Summer Realm
* '''The Sarangrave armies under this enchantment this season can no longer use the ''Give Ground'' or ''Cautious Advance'' orders
In the reign of [[Empress Brannan]] there was a growing problem that armies were becoming reliant on Knights of Glory, but more importantly that exposure to the glorious knights of the Summer Realm was having an unlooked for effect on Imperial soldiers. It seems that the excitement of fighting in the Mallum is, indeed, starting to affect the Empire’s loyal warriors - possibly because of the oppressive aura of fear coupled with the feeling of pride and strength exposure to the heralds of the Fields of Glory brings.

During the next season, any Imperial army in Sarangrave that was supported by Knights of Glory this season cannot take the [[Army orders#Cautious Advance|Cautious Advance]] or [[Army orders#Give Ground|Give Ground]] orders. If the [[general]] issues such an order it will default to [[Army orders#Balanced Attack|Balanced Attack]] or [[Army orders#Solid Defence|Solid Defence]] instead. This effect persists until the army in question has spent an entire year without experiencing the Knights of Glory enchantment.

It may be possible to ameliorate this effect by other means but it is not clear quite how this might be done. The national or virtue assemblies of the Imperial Synod may be able to assist in this matter, perhaps with a suitably worded statement of principle.

Magicians working with the armies point out that this is not something the heralds, or their eternal mistress, are actively ''doing''. It is rather a side effect of extended exposure to the enchantment, and to the magical warriors it summons, possibly compounded by the terrible aura of fear that hangs over the Mallum. Eleonaris is not able to "stop doing this" because she and her soldiers are not actually ''doing'' anything to make this happen.

==Participation==
===Citadel and Sky ===
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Citadel Guard or the Eastern Sky receive a potent boon
The Knights of Glory are powerful soldiers summoned from the Summer Realm and often influence the mortal soldiers they fight alongside - especially when the army and its [[Army orders|orders]] are in synch with their mistress [[Eleonaris]]. The Eastern Sky engaged in a triumphant charge against the Druj this season, and the Citadel Guard drew on unique Summer magic to empower their own strategy. In both cases, the summoned Knights enthusiastically and vocally supported their actions, and threw themselves joyously into battle against the Druj.

The captain of any military unit that fought alongside either the Eastern Sky or the Citadel Guard begins the Autumn Equinox with an [[enchantment]] - [[Glory to the Sovereign]]. This gives them two ranks of [[Combat skills#Endurance|endurance]] and 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.

As well as the game benefits, the aura creates a [[roleplaying effects|roleplaying effect]]: ''You feel a strong urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and you take particular pleasure in approval and adulation. You particularly want to do things that will make you be seen as worthy, strong and powerful warriors; being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

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.
===Other Knights===
* '''Characters whose military unit fought alongside any other army enchanted with Knights of Glory in Sarangrave receive a different benefit'''
Knights of Glory also fought alongside the Fire of the South, the Golden Axe, Gryphon's Pride, Lions of Adelmar, Northern Eagle, and the Granite Pillar. A character whose military unit supported one of these armies may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of [[Eleonaris]].
* If you possess the [[heroic skills#hero|hero]] skill, you may choose to increase your number of hero points by one until the end of the Autumn Equinox.
* If you do not have the hero skill, you gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Autumn Equinox regardless.
Anyone who chooses to gain this benefit also experiences a roleplaying effect that lasts until the end of the Autumn Equinox: ''You feel a strong urge to do great deeds that will make you the centre of attention, and you take particular pleasure in approval and adulation. You particularly want to do things that will make you be seen as worthy, strong and powerful warriors; being overlooked or dismissed may cause you to lose your temper.''

==Battle Opportunity : To Deal Out Death in Judgement==
The situation in the south of [[Sarangrave]] has seen [[Druj]] leaders attempting to bring up reinforcements; perhaps in an effort to hunt down the rebels in [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]], or to prepare to assail the [[Winter Sun]] with as large a force as possible. It is a desperate gambit that requires the drawing of elite [[arkad]] troops from [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]], where they currently aid the defence of the [[Sarangrave#Tower_of_the_Skink|Tower of the Skink]].

The Druj are on the back foot, their supply lines are stretched to breaking point and cut into pieces by [[Even_darkness_must_pass|the Imperial advance]]. The hammer blow dealt by the Empire has clearly rattled the barbarians - forcing them onto the back foot. There is a brief opportunity to strike against them before they can regroup to take advantage of their disarray. It would be wise to be [[Vigilance|Vigilant]] however, the Druj are at their most deadly and determined when cornered.

On the Saturday of the equinox, the Sentinel Gate can be used to access the ''Uklead Groves'' in the central Whisperwood.

===Objective: Seize the Whisperwood===
* '''The Empire has a chance to capture the region of Whisperwood'''
* '''There are two approaches that can be taken to secure victory'''
* '''Success with either approach will give the Empire control of the Whisperwood and dominion over the Sarangrave'''

The two approaches offer a choice for the [[Field Marshal]] on how to approach the engagement. That will force the Druj to adapt their own strategies in response. The battlefield presents a difficult environment in which to operate, and threats will most certainly change how they fight to deny the Empire's strengths and expose their vulnerabilities.

Success with either approach will see the Druj forces lose cohesion and force them to withdraw from the region. The arkad forces will fall back to Thornfen, the last bastion of Druj power in the Sarangrave. The Winter Sun, and independent military units operating in the area will be able to quickly wrest control of the area, securing the Whisperwood for the Empire. That will tip control of the entire Sarangrave to the Empire, granting [[Laws_of_magic#The_Law_of_Dominion|dominion]] over the [[territory]] and enabling it to be [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Assignment|assigned to an Imperial nation]].

If the [[Imperial Military Council|Military Council]] can arrange the capture of the Whisperwood, then a Senator could raise a motion to assign the territory to an Imperial nation. Otherwise, the [[Civil Service]] will raise an administrative motion at the following summit, once they have had time to prepare a [[opportunity|briefing]] on the new territory with an assessment of how each nation might benefit from it.

====Tactical Option: Dismiss the Miasma====
* '''There are three pillars in the area that anchor the miasma across the region'''
* '''If they are destroyed with Chimes of Annulment or Consecration they must all be done within ten minutes of each other'''
* '''If they are destroyed with Dreadful Ending, they can be done sequentially'''
* '''If all three are destroyed, the Druj will fall back and the Empire will capture the Whisperwood'''

The [[Druj miasma]] is a boon to the enemy who are used to fighting under its effects but it requires a network of pillars to maintain it. The pillars here in the ''Uklead Groves'' anchor the miasma in place across the Whisperwood - if they can be destroyed, then the miasma in this region will fade. This would enable the Empire to swiftly advance as the Druj fall back, giving them control of the region. It would also and make it easier for Imperial forces to operate in the Whisperwood in future, either during seasonal campaigns or when accessed through conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate.

The Empire has destroyed miasma pillars using the Day ritual, [[Chimes of Annulment]] and with powerful consecrations in the past. These pillars appear more powerful than those the Empire encountered in Zenith and may require more than fifteen doses of liao to overcome their auras. The weakness of this approach is that all three pillars have to be destroyed within ten minutes of each other which requires very careful strategic planning given the distances involved. The untested alternative is to use the Winter ritual, [[Dreadful Ending]], which is much harder to cast but would allow the Empire to destroy the pillars one by one.

If all three pillars are destroyed, then the Druj will fall back, allowing the Empire to seize control of the Whisperwood and with it the territory of Sarangrave.

====Tactical Option: Hold the Ground====
* '''Hold the ground between the pillars to tie up the Druj's forces for an hour'''
* '''The Druj will give up after an hour and retreat if they cannot force the Empire to retreat'''

Instead of striking out to destroy the miasma pillars, the Field Marshal could elect to hold the ground between them against the advancing Druj. This would require Imperial forces to secure the area, and capture at least one or more of the pillars to force the Druj to engage them. Once they control one or more of the pillars, that will draw Druj to their position like wasps to honey as they seek to engage the Empire and protect the pillars.

With the Druj on the back foot and their forces outmanoeuvred, they don't have the numbers to press the attack indefinitely. If the Empire can hold the field for an hour, the Druj morale will break and they will give up the attack. At that point, the battlefield would be theirs, the Druj forces would fall back, and the Imperial forces could return to Anvil in good order.

If the Empire hold the ground between the pillars for an hour and weather the Druj counter-attack, then the Druj will fall back, allowing the Empire to seize control of the Whisperwood and with it the territory of Sarangrave.

===Battlefield Opportunity: Eliminate the ''Fireblood Skinks''===
* '''Bassk Bloodburner has brought their arkad fighters to ''Uklead Groves'''''
* '''Slay the het and his Chikad force on the field of battle'''
* '''Killing Bassk and the arkad fighters will prevent the Druj from using poison or venom in the Sarangrave next season'''

The Druj are infamous across the continent for their use of poison and venom. The local expert in this area is Het Bassk, the ''Bloodburner'', and his Chikad. Adept at brewing their own concoctions and applying them in combat, the ''Fireblood Skinks'' have already reaped a painful toll on Imperial soldiers this season, killing those that could not get to the apothecaries in time.

Eliminating Bassk and the unit will deny the Druj crucial skills, making it impossible for them to employ any poisons or venoms in the Sarangrave next season. Their [[Army_qualities#Venomous|venomous]] armies won't be able to employ Fire in the Blood and they won't have poisons or venoms to deploy on battlefields and skirmishes. The Buruk Tepel will soon replace Het Bassk, but it will give the Empire a season's grace from the Druj murderous ways.

===Battlefield Opportunity: Save the Fallen Sentinel===
* '''Rescue ''Corisande of Vertigon Spire'' and save their soul'''
* '''The Druj have begun to transform the sentinel into a tortured soul'''
* '''Priests and apothecaries will need to work together to bring the sentinel back from the brink of death'''

A captured Urizen sentinel, Corisande, is being broken and tortured close to the ''Uklead Groves''. She is physically wounded, and has been forced to imbibe dire concoctions by the tepel who are holding her. Her will is broken, and she is close to death - it is clear that the Druj are trying to use her to create one of their tortured souls. There is every chance that the lost sentinel can be rescued and saved, which could save their soul and provide valuable intelligence on how the corrupted Druj alchemy is employed. Priests and apothecaries might both be needed to alleviate Corisande's suffering; healing her physical wounds, purifying the toxins from her body and exorcising the affliction on her soul.

===Battlefield Threat: Tortured Souls===
* '''The Druj have unleashed their twisted creations into the area'''
* '''Priests can exorcise these corrupted souls'''

As the Empire has pressed deeper into the Sarangrave, they have begun to encounter more of the Druj's twisted and wracked creatures. Some postulate that the eastern barbarians have dank dungeons filled with these hideous monsters. Others argue that the increase in numbers is merely a response to the Empire's aggression, and the Druj have tasked their tepel with creating as many as they can to slow the advance of their foes.

Tortured Souls are created by the hideous poisons used by the Tepel when they break an individual's will and turn them into a monster full of wrath and malice towards any they face. They are fearsome foes, often still clad in the garb of their former Imperial lives; they are capable of inflicting a grievous curse with blows from their weapons. Whilst it is possible to put down and execute their physical forms, their spiritual presence can quickly return. The only way to defeat one permanently is for priests to ascertain the strength of the aura on it using Insight and then overcome it with a powerful enough exorcism to dismiss the soul once it has been dropped.

===Battlefield Environment: Miasma of despair===
* '''The entire battlefield is affected by an oppressive Druj miasma'''
* '''The miasma causes [[Calls#WEAKNESS|WEAKNESS]] to everyone exposed to it unless they have a way to [[Roleplaying_effects#Overcoming_Roleplaying_Effects|overcome]] it'''

The entire area at ''Uklead Groves'', is under the effect of the [[Druj miasma]], a pall of potent fear that blankets the lands the Druj claim dominion over. Any hero 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, by only by becoming ''extremely'' angry - which can cause problems all its own.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sarangrave]]
* [[Druj]]

* [[Make it happen]] - 384YE Summer Wind of Fortune about some of the septs of the Sarangrave
* [[Root and branch]] - 387YE Summer Wind of War about the continuing battle for Sarangrave
* [[Unlock thy hidden gate]] - 387YE Spring Wind of War about the start of the battle for Sarangrave

Born with insight

2025-09-08T20:46:57Z

Vsabo: /* Overview */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]]
<ic>
Emma jerked her hand back as if scalded. The short dagger was not hot, but as soon as she'd touched it, she'd felt the powerful aura surrounding it. Thoughts of everyone who had ever wronged her had flashed through her mind like lightning, filling her with the desire to see them get their just deserts for the things they'd done.

It was an innocuous thing, for all that it was a weapon of war. The shopkeeper had seemed to know its worth, when she'd told him she was looking for something special for the earl of her house, he'd led her straight to this. She hadn't understand what could possibly justify the price until, encouraged by her host, she'd put her hand on the hilt. That's when the power of the hallowed aura had flowed over her.

She'd promised her earl, she would find some rare item in Caitun, but she'd never imagined something like this. She pondered the matter for a moment, trying to consider all the logistics. It's not like she could leave the thing lying around... that would be... ill-advised. She had nowhere to stow it - so the only practical choice would be to keep it on her person. She could thread the scabbard loop through her belt easily enough and nobody would think twice.

The thought of bearing that aura all the way back to Laroc made her nervous. What would that do to her? Was it safe? But then the Cardinals of the Assembly of Nine had managed it... it couldn't be ''that'' dangerous... whatever they now said. Her feelings warred with each other as she wrestled with her desire to know more about the dagger and its strange aura and the nagging voice that reminded her that the Synod had urged everyone to turn their back on such items. Was the possibility to learn more really worth the risk?

"How much did you say it was again?" she asked her host.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=CardWisdom.jpg|caption=Silas of the Cenotaph has been a central figure in the discussion of false virtue in the Empire.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
Rather than encourage the faithful to engage with false virtues to try to learn more about them, the General Assembly has moved decisively to counter the threat they pose, enacting a clear mandate that warns people of the dangers of false virtues and encouraging everyone to be Vigilant against them. The decision was far from unanimous however, with nearly five hundred votes lodged against. Many of these votes may have been from the Assembly of Wisdom which has consistently supported their Cardinal, '''Silas of the Cenotaph''' throughout, arguing that his approach was grounded in Virtue and has delivered valuable insight into the nature of the false Virtue of Peace.

The effects of that opposition are important however - failing to get a greater majority in support of their mandate undermines the authority of the Synod, so their words have less effect in those nations that are most prone to question the leadership of the Synod, [[Urizen]], [[Varushka]], and most recently [[Wintermark]].

Wintermark had already taken steps to try to counter the influence of false Virtues, indeed their rejection of the moral leadership of the Synod was in part ''based'' on the way it was openly experimenting with malign spiritual auras. Now an important statement has been passed in the Varushkan Assembly, one that goes much further than other assemblies and reminds Varushkans of their history fighting the perfidious influence of the false Virtues.

Both have options to follow up their position, and the Vigilance Assembly could try to encourage them to cooperate. Working together would likely be more effective than working apart.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Varushkan.png|width=150|align=left}}

==With a Furious Mind==
* '''The Varushkan Assembly could use a mandate to encourage the nation to confront those who meddle with false virtues'''
* '''The mandate will give Varushkans opportunities to confront the spread of false virtues head on before it can take root'''
* '''If they enact the mandate, Varushkan people will expect their leaders to show no tolerance either'''
{{SOP|statement=We Varushkans know well the value of the wisdom of those who walked our roads before us. Those forebears knew the peril of welcoming false virtue into their homes and hearts, and Vigilance they showed then should be an example to us now. As the Heirs of Vardas strove tirelessly to crush the anarchist Firestarters wherever they arose, so too must we move against those who would bring blasphemy and heresy to our motherland. Tolerate no folly nor malice, and guide the law’s hand to inflict the punishment that has been earned upon those who would risk the spirits of our people.|by=Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka, Varushkan Assembly|vote={{GM}} 276-10|when=Summer Solstice 378YE}}
The statement by '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' does not pull any punches. It reminds everyone of the efforts of the so-called [[Volkhov and Bran|Heirs of Vardas]] (who probably need a better name) to defeat the wicked Firestarters and urges people to ''move against'' those who would bring blasphemy and heresy to Varushka. These are fighting words, and coming from a renowned [[warden]], someone sworn to hunt down those who break the law and to battle supernatural threats. This is not a simple call to eschew the dangers of false virtues, rather it is a rallying cry to take up arms and actively oppose them.

The call resonates strongly with fundamental Varushkan beliefs. Varushkans know that danger is always present and they have little time for fools who meddle with powers that invariably bring ruin down on everyone. Every Varushkan child is taught to ''keep to the road'' - you don't just wander off in the woods to see where it takes you. That way lies terrible danger for you and potentially for your whole family. Critics of Varushka often accuse them of bargaining with the dark powers, but what outsiders often fail to appreciate is that such deals are a last resort - something to fall back on, only when the steel axes of the schlacta have failed to split the danger in two. Iron is the thing most Varushkans use to defeat the fell creatures of the night.

With the greater majority of the Assembly backing the Wise warden's words, they could enact a mandate to spread this fighting talk across Varushka.

{{Mandate|mandate=Seek out the poison! We send {named priest} with 75 doses of liao to urge Varushkans to move against those who would spread blasphemy and heresy. Tolerate no folly and guide the law’s hand to inflict the punishment that has been earned.|assembly=Varushkan National Assembly}}

This mandate won't stop Varushkans experimenting with false Virtues - that ship has sailed. There will always be those who are intrigued by such things and those individuals will look to the example set by the Assembly of Nine and be inspired to emulate them. However if this mandate is passed with a greater majority then most Varushkans will be alerted to the danger and they will be eager to take up their axes and fight. They won't break the law, Varushkans are notoriously law-abiding people, but they won't shirk from danger as they guide the law to bring the uncompromising hand of justice down on those who would meddle with false Virtues. Schlacta will keep an eye out for the danger and will be ready to answer the call when the horn blows for battle. Warden fellowships will actively confront the threat, seeking to directly oppose those who meddle with malign spiritual auras.

The result will be that any time there are significant problems arising in Varushka caused by the malign influence of the false Virtues, the Varushkan nation will be much more likely to have opportunities to confront the problem head-on. It will be much harder for these malign threats to take root, as the Varushkans will seek every chance to confront the menace at an early stage. The mandate won't keep false Virtues out of Varushka, but it will put everyone on the alert ready to fight them wherever they appear.

Of course, the mandate will need to be passed with a greater majority to have an effect, otherwise people will question it's legitimacy and it will fail.

The mandate will also create an expectation that Varushkans at Anvil will be equally alert to the dangers posed by false Virtue and just as ready to fight them when they appear. So far, no Varushkans have been corrupted by false Virtues, that anyone is aware of - those who embraced the false auras were Highborn, Navarr and Dawnish (though one later moved to the League). If any prominent Varushkan were to openly dabble with false Virtues, people would expect swift action to deal with it. After-all why should they be ready to take up the axe and risk their own lives fighting false Virtues if their leaders aren't willing to do the same. They will expect their Assembly and their leaders at Anvil to show no tolerance for the presence of false Virtues in Varushka or the Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=left}}

==Action Must Be Taken==
* '''There are rumours of false Virtues on a farmstead in Hahnmark'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could directly confront those involved and arrest anyone who is breaking the law'''
* '''The Assembly could try and talk to those involved, but they will flee if those talks go badly'''
{{SOP|statement=Cold cannot compromise. We send Rafe with 75 doses of liao to urge anyone who encounters an aura of malign or unknown providence to speak with the Crows. They will help you mend your skein.|vote={{GM}} 330-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|by=Rafe, Wintermark Assembly}}
The Varushkans are not the only ones to question the authority of the Synod. Mindful that their people will not accept the leadership of the Synod except where it is backed by a greater majority, the Wintermark Assembly took it upon themselves to urge those who discover a malign spiritual aura to warn the stormcrows of what they have found. The mandate they have enacted ensures that people will let the stormcrows know if there is any sign of false virtues.

And sure enough, it seems there just might be. To be fair, it could be something and nothing, but Reet Thaneson happens to mention to a passing stormcrow that one of the farmsteads near his fathers hall might be up to no good. The Grieversonns always seem pleasant enough, but they keep strange company and all of it from outside the Mark. Valdr Grieversonn, the head of the family, used to attend Anvil with his wife decades ago, but the old man came home alone one year and he never returned. The rumour at the time was that his wife had been executed for some terrible crime, but that was years ago.

Reet says he went out to the Grieverson farm a decade ago, to take the news of Britta's death and while he was there he noticed there was a strange aura on the house. He didn't go in, but even standing on the threshold he could feel the power of it and it wasn't like any other aura he'd ever experienced. As best he can remember it, it made him think how important it was that the three people of the Mark all respected each other. It seemed pretty innocuous ''at the time''.

By itself, none of that would amount to much. A man is entitled to some peace after his wife dies, and being private and having odd friends isn't exactly a crime. But what just might be, is that recently Valdr Grieverson has taken more than a passing interest in the Sungate - the terrible legacy of the invasion of Cold Sun, two pillars that burn with the light of the sun any who come to close. The Sungate is the best part of ten miles from Valdr Grieversonn's farmstead, and yet he's been seen poking his nose round it half a dozen times in the last six months.

It could all be something and nothing. Doubtless there will be more like this in the coming seasons, someone will overhear another Wintermarker cursing after hitting their thumb with a hammer and go running to the Crows, telling tales of how their neighbour is about to unleash pure hatred on their hall. Still it bears looking into, it's just a question of how:

{{Mandate|mandate=We send {named priest} with 5 doses of liao to urge local magistrates to confront Valdr Grieversonn.|assembly=Wintermark Assembly}}

The Wintermark Assembly could use a simple mandate to authorise a Stormcrow to go down there and work with local magistrates to confront Valdr Grieversonn. If he's not going anything to hide, then there won't be a problem, but if he is up to no good that will likely turn into a confrontation. If it does turn violent, and Grieversonn puts up any kind of resistance, then the local militia will try to contain it until the reinforcements from Anvil can arrive to defeat him and his kin in battle. If he is involved with false virtues, this option will put an end to it, but the Assembly would lose the chance to find out what it was.

{{Mandate|mandate=We send {named priest} with 5 doses of liao to urge those who know Valdr Grieversonn well to encourage him to talk to the Assembly.|assembly=Wintermark Assembly}}

The alternative would be to try and approach him to talk to him about what he's up to. There might be an innocent explanation for it all, he might feel what he is doing is justified. If the Assembly choose this mandate then it will set up an opportunity to talk to Valdr at the next summit. There would be a chance to find out if the Grieversonns are involved with false virtues and try to help Valdr mend his skein.

The problem with this approach is that if those discussions go badly, then Valdr and his family are likely to flee, making it much harder to stop them carrying out whatever plan they have. Given it ''may'' involve the incredibly dangerous Sungate, that could be too big a risk to take. If that is the case, it might be better to get the [[Unfettered Mind]] to use a [[Declaration]] of [[Concord]] to ask members to investigate what is going on at the Sungate.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=left}}
==Sick of Complacence==
* '''The Vigilance Assembly could use a mandate to encourage Wintermark and Varushka to combine efforts to fight the influence of false Virtues'''
* '''The Vigilance Assembly could declare the fight against false Virtues to be their highest calling'''
The Wintermark Assembly and the Varushkan Assembly have both rejected the leadership of the Synod at different times. Both have adopted a hard line on orthodoxy insisting that there can be no truck with false Virtues. The Wisdom Assembly appears to believe it is Virtuous for important priests to embrace malign auras to learn more about them, but there seems to be precious little support for that view in the North of the Empire. Varushka has long been an orthodox nation, insisting on strict adherence to the rules, but that has not always been mirrored by the people of the Mark. Could that now be changing?

Working together, the two nations might be better placed to form a bulwark against the malign influence of false Virtues. They don't share a common border, not anymore, but they could still cooperate to push for a hard line stance in the Imperial Synod. That would allow members of both nations to work together. The Firestarters were most active in Varushka, but they didn't confine their attacks to Karov and the other territories. If people do dabble with false virtues, then the problems are unlikely to stop at any one nation's borders. Varushka and Wintermark could try to pool their efforts to fight the influence of false Virtues in the Empire, but it is hard for any one national assembly to encourage that kind of cooperation.

The solution could be for the Vigilance Assembly to try to get both nations to work together. There are likely to be members of the Vigilance Assembly in both nations, they would be best placed to talk to their colleagues in their national assembly. Any cooperation is unlikely to be successful without the support of the nations in question - but if they are amenable to the effort the Vigilance Assembly could use a single mandate to encourage wider collaboration.

{{Mandate|mandate=Seek out falsehood and expose the truth. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to urge Wintermarkers and Varushkans to work together to seek out and oppose the false Virtues at every turn. Let us seek out the poison in our neighbours fields.|assembly=Vigilance Assembly}}

If this mandate were enacted with a greater majority, then there would be [[opportunity|opportunities]] for Wintermark and Varushka to cooperate to oppose the influence of false Virtues when they arise. Of course, the two nations might discover that trying to work together causes more problems than it solves. Doubtless there would need to be much discussion between the various assemblies before making a final decision whether to proceed.

The Vigilance Assembly has been tireless in defence of the Empire against the effects of malign spiritual auras, so they may well believe that this approach does not go far enough. It's one thing to try and get Wintermark and Varushka to join forces against the influence of false Virtues but the Assembly could go much further. To do so effectively, they would need to focus on the issue, and declare the problem to be [[the highest calling]] of the assembly.

{{Mandate|mandate=Be alert to all dangers; within and without. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to urge followers of Vigilance to be alert for any sign of false Virtues. To thwart this malice before it strikes is the highest calling of our Assembly.|assembly=Vigilance Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted with a greater majority then followers of Vigilance all over the Empire will prioritise the fight against false Virtues above all other threats. They will be alert to the dangers and report any sign of it they find, and they will be ready to take action, legal or not, to thwart this malice before it can act.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wisdom.png|width=150|align=left}}
==Rip the System==
* '''The Wisdom Assembly could defy the General Assembly and reiterate their position'''
* '''That would allow the Assembly to continue investigating false auras'''
* '''Doing so would help spread malign auras in the Empire and could spark a crisis of faith'''

The Assembly of Wisdom has stood solidly behind their cardinal throughout, issuing repeated statements demonstrating their support and explicitly vindicating his actions as Wise. The General Assembly may believe it is too dangerous to meddle with false Virtues, but the Wisdom Assembly appears to think otherwise.

It's clear that the Cardinal was able to learn a lot from the study he made of the hallowed item. The tenets teach that Wisdom knows all knowledge is incomplete - if false Virtues are as dangerous as the General Assembly claims, doesn't that make it more important to find out about them, not less? Can ''anyone'' imagine the Military Council meekly accepting orders from the Senate not to use scouts to find out what was on the battlefield because it was too dangerous for the scouts?

The Wisdom Assembly could refuse to accept the judgement of the General Assembly to turn aside from the investigation of false Virtues. Openly opposing the General Assembly would inevitably lead to a huge confrontation - it could risk turning into a full-blown crisis of faith in the Empire. Given how high the stakes are, devotees of Wisdom would only contemplate it if the Assembly are prepared to stake everything on it's importance by clearly identifying it as their highest calling.

{{Mandate|mandate=Wisdom is finding the right question. We send {named priest} with 50 doses of liao to encourage devotees of Wisdom to carefully investigate false virtues. Test what we learn about malign spiritual auras is the highest calling of this assembly|assembly=Wisdom Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted with a greater majority then followers of Wisdom all over the Empire will be inspired by the actions of their Cardinal. They will embrace false Virtues in an effort to learn more about them and share what they learn with the Empire. This will lead to more opportunities for the Wisdom Assembly to experience and explore false virtues and to increase their understanding by personally engaging with them in the coming year.

However it will fan the flames of false virtue in the Empire, making it easier for advocates of malign spiritual auras to convert others to their beliefs. That could bring the Assembly into direct conflict with the Vigilance Assembly and indeed the General Assembly - at worst it would be a crisis of faith.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Nine.png|width=150|align=left}}
==Something Must be Done==
* '''Judgements by the Assembly of the Nine have gained little traction outside Anvil
{{SOP|statement=It is the considered view of the Assembly of Nine that engaging with False Virtue is a religious crime if it does not meet all the requirements of Judgement 42, Winter 386YE. Allowing yourself to fall under the influence of a False Virtue, without the listed mitigation, should result in a trial for the crimes of Blasphemy and/or Heresy as appropriate. In this we reaffirm the judgement made by the general assembly.|by=Yosephus Morningson, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority 7-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size = small}}
{{SOP|statement=We in the Assembly of Nine move that the general standard we expect from synod priests is that an inquisition must be conducted before a condemnation is raised. It is an abuse of priestly powers to do otherwise; if you feel you must do so and there is a good reason for it, do so in the full knowledge of the above and prepare your virtue defence.|by=Nekoda, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority 7-1|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size = small}}
The Assembly of Nine has also weighted in on the matter of false virtues. '''Yosephus Morningson''' reiterated support for [[386YE_Winter_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_42|Judgement 42 in the General Assembly at the Winter Solstice 386YE]] on behalf of the [[Cardinal of the Way]], while '''Nekoda''' expressed the opinion that [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemnation]] should only follow on from [[inquisition]] on behalf of the [[Cardinal of Courage]]. Current events, the embrace of false Virtues by the cardinals, has tarnished the reputation of the Assembly of Nine, however, and so for the most part these statements gain limited traction beyond Anvil at this time.

In either case, it may be difficult to convince a suspicious population that [[386YE_Winter_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Judgement_42|Judgement 42]] can form a sound basis for engagement with false Virtues, since it appears to restrict such activities to those who attend Anvil ("clause 2 - The action was taken in full view of the synod"). As has [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|been previously identified]], the one position that nobody will accept is the idea that cardinals and the priests who attend Anvil should be free to investigate false Virtues while the common people of the Empire must not. The followers of the Way look to the cardinals for inspiration - they expect the leaders of the Synod to exemplify the true Virtues. If the Synod ultimately decides there is a basis for engaging with false Virtues, then people will follow that lead and ignore any element that tells that it is not safe to do so. They will do as the people at Anvil do, not as they say.

Chief Magistrate Karkovitch reiterates the request to the Imperial Senate; that they [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|not make any changes]] to [[Imperial law]] on the matter of [[religious crime|religious crimes]] until the review of religious law is complete. The guidance of the Assembly of Nine will be borne in mind, but the situation is not straightforward. For the moment the magistrates will still limit their role in cases of religious law to ensuring that no miscarriage of justice is being enacted. As long as a condemnation shows why the actions the suspects are accused of are broadly compatible with the legal definition of blasphemy or heresy, magistrates will not try to assess whether actions constitute a religious crime or not. That determination has already been made by the Synod and they will restrict their judgement to assessing whether or not the individual committed the actions they are accused of.

This means that the proposal by Nekoda that condemnation only follow an inquisition will ''not'' be taken into account by the magistrates, and neither will any of the guidelines put forward in Judgement 42. If an assembly condemns someone in accordance with current practices, the magistrates will treat the matter as a religious crime and prosecute accordingly regardless of how the condemnation is raised or whether it took place "in full view of the Synod."

==Further Reading==
* [[Malign spiritual presences]]
* [[Volkhov and Bran]] - Historical research regarding the so-called "Heirs of Vardas"

* [[Know your enemy]] - 387YE Summer wind of fortune about false virtue
* [[The final cut]] - 387YE Spring wind of fortune about the peaceful debate
* [[A little understanding]] - 386YE Winter wind of fortune about Cardinals and peace

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:44:43Z

Vsabo: /* Glowing Ramparts */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling alone, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'', a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
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===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wind Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following the summit where it is provided.

==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:43:41Z

Vsabo: /* Glowing Ramparts */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling alone, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'', a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wind Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.

==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:34:56Z

Vsabo: /* Bells and Pearls */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling alone, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'', a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:34:44Z

Vsabo: /* Bells and Pearls */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling alone, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh',' a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:31:26Z

Vsabo: /* Smidr Clad In Scarlet */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling alone, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}

==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'' a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:11:47Z

Vsabo: /* Forest of Ulnak */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the least and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Suran.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kavol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Arav.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Kobol.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Evra.PNG|width=400}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Farod.PNG|width=400}}
</div>
===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling along, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}
==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'' a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:11:00Z

Vsabo: /* Forest of Ulnak */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
{{CaptionedImage|file=thulebanner1.jpeg|title=Thule banner iconography|align=right|width=250}}
===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred thrones for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the last and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
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===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling along, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}
==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'' a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Bedight in veils

2025-09-08T20:07:53Z

Vsabo: /* Mieriada */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]][[Category:Thule]][[Category:Iron Confederacy]][[Category:Grendel]][[Category:Jotun]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Atte.png|caption=Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason of the Sussivari Oathsworn Fyrd; elder statesman and [[Imperial Consul]].|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
There are six great powers in the known world, but also innumerable lesser powers. They do not have the power or influence to shake the world with a ''Pax Sarcophan'', nor send shockwaves through the world when they go to war. Yet they are no less important to those with whom they share a border, and for some at least, their ambitions are no less relevant to the Empire. Sometimes diplomatic relations require in-depth analysis; sometimes there is an opportunity to catch one's breath and let the drama move slowly towards the next crisis point.

There are [[ambassador|ambassadors]] to some of these nations - the Suranni, the Thule, and the Grendel in particular. Other nations are dealt with by the [[Imperial Consul]]. They handle diplomatic relations with any foreign and barbarian power with which the Senate has not created a separate ambassador. As well as those who have responded this season, this includes people as diverse as the [[Skoura|Skourans]], the [[Great Forest Orcs]], the [[Druj]] and the independent septs of the Mallum, technically the Sand Fishers, the exiles of [[Madruga#Trajadoz|Trajadoz]], and indeed any other distinct group of people that might make contact with the Empire, or be contracted by them. It can be...challenging... at the best of times.

Here we learn about relations with five foreign nations and two groups of orcs: the [[Iron Confederacy]], [[Otkodov]], the [[Jotun]], the [[Grendel]], the people of [[Tsark]], the Karass of [[the Barrens]], and the new ''Protectorate of Morajasse''.
==Otkodov==
{{Nation|nation=[[Thule]]|status=Foreigner|port=None|ambassador=Kindra Surefoot}}
===Shadow of Peace===
* '''The treaty with the Thule has been passed by the Imperial Senate
The [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Ratify_Thule_Treaty|treaty with Otkodov]] that was presented and upheld by the Senate during the Spring Equinox has not been [[veto|vetoed]] and has become law.

While the plan was originally for Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided and a number of other Thule dignitaries to visit [[Anvil]] during the Autumn equinox to formally sign the treaty, their visit has been delayed until Winter. Rak is unwilling to give full details but is very clear that it is nothing the Empire has done or is doing - it is an internal matter. The treaty is legally in effect regardless; the formal signing is as he said previously mostly just "political theatre".

There are five [[fortification|Thule fortifications]] that defend their land in territories controlled by the Empire. Last season, work was completed to expand and improve several of those fortifications and powerful [[enchantment|enchantments]] were played on all of them. This season, only the [[Ossium#Bonewood|Bonewood]] castle of ''Fljajokep'' bears any noticeable enchantment - again bound with brass sigils that communicate to those who see them that they are marks of power, glowing with the heat of the forge. Likewise, magic seethes in the depths of the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]]. Another Thule enchantment - a ward of [[night magic]]. Do the Thule know something the Empire does not, or are they simply taking precautions against potential attacks from [[the Mallum]]?

If the Thule are slow to sign the treaty, they are not slow to take advantage of it. Thule merchants soon appear in markets in the Marches and Navarr to buy large amounts of food and supplies, which are slowly shipped north. Herds of cattle, pigs and sheep are escorted towards the border with Otkodov, along with ox-pulled wagons containing grain, dried and cured meat, salted fish, wheels of cheese and barrels of pickles. As a result of the huge purchases, the ability of the Marches and the Navarr to support armies has both decreased, presumably the ability of the Thule to support additional armies has increased proportionally.

A few people shake their heads and wander if the Empire isn't storing up trouble for the future, but in the meantime the benefits are being felt immediately. There is money to be made in [[Mitwold]] and [[Upwold]] and in [[Hercynia]] and [[Miaren]] as a result of the treaty, and the boom is helping to raise taxation from territories across the two nations. In addition there is there a bounty of twenty mana being provided to the font each season, along with ten mana for the [[Broker of Treji Wayhouse]] and the [[Reeve of the Happiston Mana Exchange]].
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===Laws and Levies===
* '''The Dragons are ''mostly'' amused by the Conclave's decision to outlaw hollows'''
* '''They will not tolerate any attempt to prohibit the presence of hollows in the Empire'''
* '''The Thule are prevaricating on the matter of Thule tariffs on Imperial goods'''

The Thule have been officially informed of Conclave's decision to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Interdiction:_Hollowing|interdict the creation of hollows]]. For the most part they seem to be amused; the creation of hollows is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Dragons, just one of the unique magics they alone possess. The ability reflects their great age and supreme mastery of the arcane arts and they're ''very'' confident that nobody in the Empire has the slightest idea how to do it, given how many times the [[Volodny]] tried to acquire the arts from them. Every approach has always been rebuffed - dragons are adamant that they are never going to share the secret with the Empire - ever.

They are only ''mostly'' amused however, as there is a suspicion that this could lead to some kind of prohibition on hollows entering the Empire. The Dragons are very clear on this point, the ''body'' of a hollow is the property of the Dragon that created it. Hollows are a vital embodiment and reflection of a Dragon's power. They will not find any attempt to limit where their hollows may travel funny ''at all'' - rather it will be seen as a personal insult and one intended to try and curtail the powers of the Dragons. Rak compares it to an attempt by the Dragons to limit where the Empress might travel or who they might speak with.

Attempts to raise the issue of tariffs and levies with the Thule have not yet produced an official response. Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided demurs when asked about the matter, but when pushed suggests that such discussions would be complex and time-consuming and might need to wait until his replacement has been agreed and put in position by the Dragons.

The civil service suspect that the Thule are deliberately playing for time on this issue. They seem to be quite content with the current arrangements and happier ''not'' to discuss them. They suggest that the Empire might need to find a way to apply some leverage to this issue if they wish the Thule to prioritise it.

===Mieriada===
* '''The Thule had taken control of Mieriada in Miekarova'''
* '''They have claimed the Night Quarry and all other notable resources in the region'''
* '''The Empire retains access to the Maze of Zoria and half the stone produced by the Night Quarry'''
* '''The Thule are making arrangements for the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse'''

While magic is protecting Ossium, the orcs of Otkodov take ownership of [[Miekarova#Mieriada|Mieriada]] in [[Miekarova]]. An army comes down from the frozen heights above Wendell's Hope, and secures the borders of the formerly Varushkan region. This includes taking custody of the [[Night Quarry]], the old [[Miekarova#Heart_of_the_Tempest|Heart of the Tempest]], the [[Guardian_of_the_Maze_of_Zoria#The_Maze_of_Zoria|Maze of Zoria]], several of the more extensive of the [[Miekarova#The_Painted_Caves|Painted Caves]], and [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Tolvoli_Slaughterhouse_and_the_Heart_of_the_Tempest|the Tolvoli Slaughterhouse]]. Much more than simply land has been lost here. It is not so straightforward as simply losing these things, however.

First of all the Thule have agreed to allow half of the seasonal production of the Night Quarry to continue to be claimed by the Imperial Bourse. The seat will continue to be [[Auction of the Seats|auctioned]] - its [[Night Quarry#Bounty of white granite|production]] simply drops from 28 wains each season to 14 wains for the foreseeable future. Operational details are still being finalised but it appears the Imperial treasury will be required to pay half the upkeep of the Quarry for this.

Secondly they have agreed to preserve Imperial access to the Maze of Zoria - for as long as Thule warlocks are welcome at an Imperial [[college of magic]]. A number of warlocks have taken up residence at the [[Master_of_Ice_and_Darkness#The_Icy_Crag_of_the_Eternal_Sun|Icy crag of the Eternal Sun]], reducing the upkeep of the college by 5 thrones each season but allowing the Thule copies of any ritual text created at the college from the Summer Solstice onward. These first warlocks seem a little disappointed to discover [[Hayaak]] has become patron of the college, but so far there have been no unpleasant interests. One of the warlocks lets slip that they had hoped to have a chance to speak with some of the servants of [[Jaheris]] that used to operate out of the college about a [[curse]] called ''Terror of the Night Hags'' which has recently come into the possession of the Dragons - and whether the Empire has any experience of its effects. Shortly after this unfortunate breach of protocol, the warlock in question was suddenly recalled to Otkodov presumably to face a dressing down.

Tolvoli Slaughterhouse was not covered by the treaty, but Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided indicates that the warlocks dealing with the Heart of the Tempest are prepared to keep purchasing animals from their Varushkan neighbours in return for a portion of the magical substances harvested from the dhubik there. Practically this means that the Tolvoli Slaughterhuse continues to operate, and the Tolvoli Butcher remains able to acquire the [[Tolvoli Butcher#The Red Harvest|red harvest]] by providing the Thule with beasts. However, the amount available is reduced due to the warlocks claiming their own share of the preparations. This means that the Tolvoli Butcher loses the top rank from each of their ministries. It's possible that the Varushkans are not interested in continuing to trade with the Thule in this way. The Tolvoli Butcher is due to be [[Tolvoli_Butcher#Appointment|appointed]] this season - if no Varushkan takes the position the Dragons will take that as an indication they do not wish to participate in this arrangement and will take different steps to ensure the dhubik do not become a threat.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Forest of Ulnak regions.png|caption=The Empire has mapped the Forest of Ulnak, but parts of the territory still remain unknown.|align=left|width=400}}</div>

===Forest of Ulnak===
* '''Hinodir of the Bright Orb has requested access to the spy network in the Forest of Ulnak
* '''The Thule are not prepared at this time to share what they know of the Vore
Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided mentions that they received an interesting letter from '''Eli of the Cenotaph''' and '''Jaromir Ostrovyn Kostka''' concerning the [[Forest of Ulnak]] and especially what lies to the north through the mountains - what the Empire called "the Vore". After taking counsel from the Dragons, Rak regretfully says that at this time he cannot share anything about this matter with Imperial citizens, not even to confirm whether the Mines of Areshan are in the Vore or not. Otkodov does not have a navigable border with the Vore and is happy for it to remain so at this time. As such, Rak concurs that the Thule would rather not see the folk of the Vore - whoever they are - gain control of Ulnak should the Druj collapse.

However... ''Hinodir of the Bright Orb'' has indicated that there may be a path toward the Thule sharing a little of their own understanding of the situation in the north-east. The Dragon knows that the [[Imperial Spymaster]] '''Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo''' operates a [[spy network]] in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule would like to make use of that spy network to explore the territory in detail. As foreigners, all that is required for them to make use of the network is permission from someone empowered to do so. If that permission is forthcoming, the Thule would make use of the network following the Autumn Equinox to create a map of their own and investigate magical locations in the woodlands. There would be no requirement for other concessions - the [[Ossium#Webwood|Webwood]] borders Ulnak and as such their scouts can easily gain access to the Forest.

Should the Empire decide otherwise, the Thule will conduct an independent action in the Forest of Ulnak. It would be a costly affair, but the orcs of Otkodov are as capable of spying on their neighbours as the Empire is - although the Civil Service note that in the absence of the Civil Service, it is likely that a spy network costs the Thule significantly more to establish than it costs the Empire.

This concession would obviously represent a first step toward any alliance between Thule and Empire to invade the Forest of Ulnak. Rak is quick to point out that this does not mean the Dragons will definitely commit to such a course, only that if the Empire doesn't trust them to use the spy network it will make it ''less'' likely. Once the Dragons have a better understanding of exactly what is in Ulnak, they will determine if the risk of involvement there is worth the reward to Otkodov.

Rak was recently requested by one correspondent to put a price on such aid - there was an opening offer of 50 rings of ilium for four armies for a year. In response he points out that four armies would cost the Empire two hundred thrones a season - eight hundred throes for a year - ''just for the running costs''. The Dragons will not even contemplate helping the Empire fight the Druj unless the rewards for the Thule are considerably better than that. Ilium is very valuable, but star metal falls from the sky... land does not.

One thing they are ''not'' asking for at this time is for the Empire to share their own maps or findings. They are welcome to do so if they want, but the Thule still want access to the spy network. The orcs of Otkodov are interested in different things to the Empire, for a start, and need to make their own observations rather than rely on potentially out of date reports from Imperial scouts.

The request is unusual to say the last and because of its unprecedented nature, there is no long-standing constitutional basis for how the decision might be taken. There are good arguments that could be made that control and use of such structures falls under either the remit of the [[Imperial Military Council]] or the [[Imperial Senate]], both of which have heavy demands on their time. The [[Imperial Spymaster]] has responsibility for coordinating the use of Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves - but they don't currently have the legal power to decide a response to this request.

To resolve the problem, the Civil Service will introduce two administrative motions on Friday night of the Senate. The first would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to grant access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves to foreign powers by announcement in the Military Council. The second would give the Imperial Spymaster the legal power to control all access to Imperial spy networks and smugglers coves by anyone. This power would be employed by announcement in the Military Council. If either motion is passed, the Spymaster will be able to deal with the issue, if neither motion is passed or they are vetoed, then the matter will need to be resolved by Senate motion.

===Legacies===
* '''Rak Who-Speaks-For-The-Dragons-Undivided expresses some interest in the Legacy Accords
* '''He asks for his opposite number to provide their own assessment of the proposals
* '''A poem written by a Wintermark skop has been shared with Thule artists
* '''Rak thanks Asch Fortae Shalder for their sentiments and asks if they have any concrete proposals
Rak asks Kindra to offer their opinion on the "Legacy Accords" presented to him by a Navarr named '''Dylan Thornweaver'''. They appear to be the basis for a treaty to determine how any future war between the Empire and Otkodov would be undertaken with several limitations and restrictions of who can be killed and what can be destroyed. The Ambassador keeps their cards close to their chest as to their own opinion, yet its clear they are interested enough to ask their opposite number to look into the matter.

The Thule Ambassador thanks '''Ragnhild Honeytongue Thrice-Passed Skaersdottir''' for the poem they have created, and assures them that the skuld ''Eiríkur'' is indeed aware of it. He expresses his gratitude and appreciation, and wishes to inform Ragnhild that he indeed intends to return to Anvil at some point (if he is given leave to do so) having greatly appreciated the warm welcome the skuldyr received.

Then there is the matter of '''Asch Fortae Shalder''', called the Wise Reviver. The Suaq Winterfolk expressed concerns that the orcs of Otkodov are still suffering starvation, and Rak wishes to reassure them that the situation is well under control. Along with the meat and other produce purchased from Sermersuaq, and the herds of cows recently bought in the Marches, the tribute of food paid by the Marches and Navarr more than addresses any shortfall the northern nation might be experiencing. It is, however, satisfying to be reminded that while there are Imperial citizens who resent the Thule, there are also those who appreciate the aid they offered in recovering Sermersuaq from the Jotun. The sentiments Asch has expressed are welcome, but they would be much more likely to secure the interest of the Dragons if they had something concrete to propose. Perhaps in a future missive, or with the help of Ambassador Kindra? Or perhaps something from the Imperial Conclave?

Finally, as requested '''Slawomir Rabovich Bolotstrazh''' has sent a missive to the Thule Embassy providing more details about face-stealing creatures or folk that apparently operate in the woodlands of [[Ossium]]. Rak thanks the wise one for their work, and after consultation with some of the warlocks more familiar with the region than he is, confirms that they are known to the Thule. They were called ''face peelers'' by some of the human labourers who worked the forests of [[Otkodov#Sküld|Sküld]], and were also known to the slaves the Druj kept in Ossium. They prey only on humans - they will fight and kill orcs but are not drawn to them the way they are human folk. The Thule destroyed them wherever they encounter them for obvious reasons, but since they released all their slaves they have not troubled Otkodov at all. According to the folk tales the Thule learned from the humans they once kept, these creatures have a glamour that allows them to deceive others into treating their unnatural appearance as perfectly normal, and are able to breach protections and wards when the humans around them transgress even in jest in certain ways. The details are not entirely clear - with the best will in the world the Thule did not pay ''that'' much attention to their slaves. Perhaps there are still some in Ossium or Karsk who could answer questions on this matter?

==Iron Confederacy==
* '''The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
{{Nation|nation=The [[Iron Confederacy]]|port=[[Foreign_ports#Robec|Robec]]|status=Foreigner|ambassador=Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo}}
The Suranni lie to the south of the Empire. They are a secretive nation, bound up in tradition and suspicion. While they are currently at peace with the Empire, even accepting merchants and traders into their lands, they are certainly not ''friends''. Recent events have seen them, like the [[Faraden]], caught between the [[Liberty Pact]] and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Yet where Faraden feels it must play a delicate balancing act, the Suranni Dukes are more confident in their power and prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other.

The Suranni ambassador to the Empire is ''Baroness Katerine Lavasse of Meore'', who operates from the Tour Lavasse in Chaubrette, a territory unknown to Imperial citizens that apparently lies to the west of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Veroigne|Veroigne]]. A noble [[naga]], she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god [[Suranni_pantheon#Evra_the_Smith,_Maiden_of_the_Forge|Evra the Smith, Maiden of the Forge]]. She has already indicated that she is very much more pragmatic than her predecessor and more interested in compromise. She still reports to the Dukes of the Iron Confederacy, however, and so her apparent goodwill toward the Empire cannot be relied upon.
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===Regarding Serfs===
* '''The Imperial Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy has made further enquiries about the status of serfs'''
* '''Baroness Lavalle has reiterated what was said over a year ago about the difference between serfs and slaves'''
Ambassador Tethros also asked for some clarification on the status of serfs in the Suranni homelands. Baroness Katerine is clearly a little frustrated by the question, considering it to be returning to a matter that was already [[The_price_of_peace#Iron_Confederacy|settled more than a year ago]]. As was explained at the time, the former slaves of the Iron Confederacy became serfs, and the [[Imperial Senate]] consequently removed the unjust [[Tariffs#Sanctions|trade sanctions]] they had imposed.

In answer to the Ambassadors questions, the Baroness reiterated what she said previously. Unlike slaves, serfs enjoy some protections under the law. They cannot be subjected to direct violence, and cannot be bought and sold as chattel. They work the land they belong to, and whatever they produce belongs to the noble who owns that land. They cannot leave the land they are bound to, but the landowner does have some responsibility to ensure that they are not unnecessarily abused. It is possible for a serf or the child of serfs to improve their lot through selection for priesthood or exceptional military service.

Hopefully this will put the matter to rest once and for all. The Iron Confederacy has conceded to the Empire on the matter of slavery because it suited them to do so, but the Dukes see little profit in continuing to belabour the point.
===Grim Magics===
* '''The curse on the Suranni province of Arbonne appears to have abated
Last season the Suranni province of [[Arbonne]], which the Empire knows as Kalino, was struck by a terrible curse that blighted the fields at the height of harvest-time. Queries were directed to the Empire as to what, if anything, they might know about the situation. Ambassador Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo has apparently reiterated that although the effects of the curse were somewhat familiar - similar to [[Anathemic Call of Bug and Briar]] - there is no chance that Imperial magicians would have been involved in this calamitous magic. Rather, the Ambassador suggests that the [[Children of Wrecks]] - whose mistress is a powerful practitioner of [[Spring magic]], and who are known to include a number of former Hand of Dumon wizards among their number - may have had a hand in it.

Baroness Katerine accepts the Ambassador's reassurance, while remaining sceptical that the Children of Wrecks may have been involved. So far, their malign magic has broadly focused around the conjuration of violent storms and unseasonable deluges. Yet the involvement of the Hand of Dumon appears to be a given. Fortunately the priests of [[Suranni pantheon#Farod the Herald, Maiden of the Dawn|Farod the Maiden]], whose gentle hands bring Spring rains and still storms, have prevailed upon the goddess to intervene and it seems the power of Dumon has been broken.

Civil Servants suggest that this is likely an exaggeration - it's more likely that the curse has simply run its course than that the prayers of priests have brought the magic to a premature end.
===Days of Wine and Roses===
* '''A delegation of Suranni diplomats have accepted the Ambassador's invitation to attend the Marcher Wassail.'''
* '''They plan on attending Anvil at 11:00 on Saturday, and wish to be formally received in the Senate as befits their status.'''
The Iron Confederacy are quite well-disposed to the Empire at the moment. The Hand of Dumon is illegal, the sale of narcotics to the Iron Confederacy is illegal, the Empire remains at war with the Grendel and the Jotun, and Imperial trade flocks to Robec like starlings to scattered seeds. The Grand Dukes find their borders secure and their coin purses full, and this inclines them to a positive mood. As such, they have given permission for a small group of nobles to accept the Ambassador's kind invitation to attend the Marcher camp for Wassail. They intend to arrive at 11:00 on Saturday and see what merriment is afoot after their formal reception. Baroness Katerine Lavasse is sure that they will have a good time, and is also sure that the Empire, as good hosts, will ensure that the costs of any refreshments the party may require are covered. The Empire is so ''very'' proud of their prosperity, after all - the Suranni are happy to provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate it.

The delegation will be led by the Baronet Ser Marquette Lavasse, Baroness Katerine's cousin who attended the coronation of Emperor Vesna. He will be accompanied by his bodyguard Seigneur Ser Guillaume, his cousin the Baronet Ser Vauquelin Lavasse who acts as the Suranni Ambassador to Faraden, and doubtless a few other minor functionaries who can introduce themselves if they wish. Baroness Katerine indicates that the party would be pleased to be received in the Senate by Ambassador Tethros, as well as either the Emperor herself or a member of their household. There is no need for a grand ceremony, simply a mutual acknowledgement of two great nations with equally great destinies in this world, after which the party can be escorted to see whatever quaint pastimes the yeofolk of the Marchers have laid on.

Of course, no business would be discussed on such a social occasion. None at all. But if there should happen to be citizens around who were interested in making polite conversation on the subject of international trade, well, Ser Marquette is known to have an interest in such matters. The Children of Wrecks, naturally a matter of great concern to any civilised society, are also of great concern to Ser Guillaume, who has been staying abreast of the possibility for action against these marauders. And surely the Ambassador to Faraden will find much in common with Ser Vauquelin. Nobody will be talking business, of course. Simply sharing a little gossip about matters of mutual interest.

There is one more matter - a request, in fact. Baroness Katerine desires that one Ghisli 'the Provider' Baerson, a wealthy citizen whose audacity would make a Grendel blush, attend upon the delegation so that a face may be put to the name that everybody has heard so much about. Surely there will be some ''fascinating'' discussions to be had.
===Letters to Robec===
* '''The Suranni are enjoying the amount of Imperial trade passing through their port of Robec
The steady stream of Imperial traders into the port of [[Foreign_ports#Iron_Confederacy|Robec]] continues, and the Suranni continue to take every advantage. The Winterfolk benefactor '''Ghisli''' and their collaborators are to be commended for their hard work. Regardless of how things end up with the [[Asavean Archipelago|Asaveans]] and their Freedom Accord, the Baroness is confident that the Dukes will approve plans underway to make more unique and valuable Suranni produce available to Imperial traders visiting the port.
===An Imperial Historian in the Baronial Court===
* '''Marko Siwarsbairn is visiting the Iron Confederacy to complete a report on Suranni military victories
* '''They are a guest of Baroness Katerine herself
* '''The work is expected to take at least six months, available at the Autumn Equinox
It is possible that one reason the Ambassador might be expressing concern about the precise status of serfs is the [[https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Soldiers_of_Suran#Into_the_Iron_Confederacy|publication]] by the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] of the first part of [[Historical_research#Marko_Siwarsbairn|Marko Siwarsbairn's]] research into Suranni military history. The historian is a guest of Baroness Lavalle, staying at her estates in Chaubrette, working closely with ''Josse Argent'' and several other scholar-priests. According to the Baroness, the work is going well, but as she [[I_wish_you_would#The_Historians|mentioned last season]] it looks as if Marko will be unable to return to the Empire before the Winter Solstice. She reassures the Ambassador that she is more than happy to continue hosting the Wintermark scholar who she describes as "delightfully droll."

There is however one matter that needs to be resolved; as the Ambassador is aware there were concerns when Siwarsbairn first came to the Iron Confederacy that their intention might be to engage in espionage. There is obviously no sign of that - Marko has been the soul of discretion and civility - but they are refusing to allow the Baroness or Josse Argent to read their report before it is delivered to the Empire. Katerine is concerned that the reason for this must be that it contains sensitive information. Marko claims it is because legally the report belongs to the Minister of Historical Research. As such, they are at an impasse. Can Ambassador Tethros intercede with the Imperial [[Minister of Historical Research|Minister]] to reassure Marko that it is acceptable to share their final report with their host. The scholar has already indicated they will trust the word of the Ambassador, should they pass along the Minister's instructions.

The Baroness is at pains to dispel any potential misunderstanding; if Marko continues to refuse to share their findings they won't be prevented from leaving or anything extreme like that. But they might find the willingness of Josse and the other scholars to cooperate suffers as a consequence.
{{CaptionedImage|file=JotunPose.jpg|align=right|width=450}}

==Jotun Diplomacy==
* '''The Jotun orcs of the west remain at war with the Empire'''
The Imperial Consul is responsible for diplomacy with the Jotun, although they seem to prefer dealing with the folk of Wintermark and occasionally the Brass Coast than any Senate-appointed diplomat.
===The Jarl's Death===
* '''The Jotun are pleased by the honour shown to Jarl Ustigar of Kierheim who died fighting General Osric at Anvil'''
* '''It is not yet clear who will replace Ustigar as the Jarl of Kierheim'''
* '''Igya Olgafsdottir has been recognised as the new representative to the Empire'''
During the Summer Solstice, ''Jarl Ustigar of Keirheim'' died in a duel of champions facing General Iron Osric. His body was carried from Anvil with all due respect, and transported back to his beloved Skallahn for the hero's burial he has earned over the decades of loyal support for the Jotun. It is not clear who his successor as Jarl of Kierheim will be, but there is rumour that both the King of the South and the Queen of the North have made pilgrimage to Kierheim to attend his funeral and to speak with those who might claim his mantle. It is likely this event that has drawn the two of them away from battle in the Marches this season, and it appears that a number of champions and heroes have likewise attended the burial. ''Igya Olgafsdottir'', Jarl of [[Tromsa]], has been acclaimed as the representative from the Jotun to the Empire.
{{SOP|statement= A meeting place is being built and with it new opportunities with the Jotun. In honour of the legends, we invite the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in the mystics. Let them share ideas and find ways to bridge the gaps between our nations.|by=Hayrin, Wintermark Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 284-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}

===Meeting Hall===
* '''A new meeting hall is being constructed on a tidal isle, Gull Island in the Gullet'''
* '''The Wintermark Assembly could enact a mandate to soothe fears over the new meeting hall and invite the Jotun to join them there'''
The [[Sermersuaq#The_Meeting_Place|Meeting Place]] was for centuries a place just beyond the borders of Sermersuaq where the Jotun and the folk of Wintermark could meet in peace. It was primarily used for diplomatic purposes, allowing the two nations to discuss treaties and ceasefires, exchange prisoners, and the like. It also served this purpose when Wintermark joined the Empire - until it was apparently shattered by a Varushkan calling themselves ''Alderei the Fair'' (not the recent general of the [[Iron Helms]] - a different Varushkan using the same name). Its destruction at the time was taken as more evidence of how dishonourable the Empire had become. Empire.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Wintermark.png|width=150|align=right}}
Over the last year or so work has been afoot to try and create a new locale that can serve the same purpose. At the Spring Equinox earlier in the year, the Imperial Senate commissioned the [[Construct Meeting Place|construction of a meeting hall]] on [[Keep_talking#A_Meeting_Place|Gull Island]], in the sea off [[Kallavesa]]. The site was apparently chosen with the aid of the [[mystic|mystics]] and has certain resonances that make it an ideal place for peaceful meetings between the Empire and the orcs of Narkyst and Kallsea. Work is proceeding apace; the white granite has been delivered and all that remains is to actually build the place.

The Jotun have a notorious fear of water and avoid sailing wherever possible. Some say they fear drowning more than anything - the one sure way to guarantee that your soul is lost to the Howling Abyss. Some Jotun even talk of the sea ''as'' the Howling Abyss. Others say it is the presence of the terrible monsters in the Sea of Snow that makes sea travel so difficult. Fortunately the island is ''tidal'', so it is possible to walk across to it at low tides. For some reason, the Jotun seem to appreciate this - the thought of being ''trapped'' on the isle and unable to leave until the tide goes down doesn't seem to bother them, if anything quite the contrary.

There have still been challenges to overcome of course - the peculiar coral husks that have been bedevilling the coast of the Marches and Wintermark have several times tried to attack the island. Fortunately the same Wintermark fleets that [[Voyage#Escort_the_Fisherfolk_of_Westerhal|guard the fishing fleet of Westerhal]] have been on hand to ensure the builders are not troubled. Work is expected to be completed in time for the Winter Solstice - unless something disastrous goes wrong of course.

In anticipation of this the Wintermark Assembly supported a [[statement of principle]] raised by '''Hayrin''', inviting the Ghodi to break bread with their counterparts in Wintermark and find a way to "bridge the gaps" between the two nations. One problem, of course, is that the Ghodi have no idea what the Imperial Synod is discussing; the other is that not all Winterfolk welcome the Jotun to their lands. The orcs conquered Sermersuaq and were only recently driven out. They have made several attempts to conquer Kallavesa. Some worry that they may try to use this new Meeting Place as springboard to renew their attacks. There are also serious questions about whether the mystics are the best people to meet with the Ghodi for the first, auspicious meeting in the first place. A formal gathering at the new meeting place cannot help but set the tenor for future meetings on the site. Should there not be [[scop|scops]] involved to tell the tales of Wintermark heroes? Are there enough mystics of Suaq and Steinr traditions to ensure that the meeting is with ''all'' the peoples of Wintermark?

{{Mandate|mandate=The meeting hall at Gull Island will be completed for the Winter Solstice. Yet until a meeting has taken place there it is just a hall. We send (named individual) with 25 doses of liao to spread word of the Hall both in Wintermark, and in the lands of the Jotun. Let the Ghodi bring their people to join with the folk of Wintermark to see what bridge may be built.|assembly=Wintermark National Assembly}}

If this [[mandate]] is enacted, the named individual will be responsible for encouraging messengers to travel into Jotun lands - a potentially risky move given the state of ongoing war - and priests to deploy suitable auras to support those messengers and reassure the folk of Kallavesa. It will not be enough to send them into Skallahn and Tromsa - they will need to travel in the south as well where the Jotun are involved in an ongoing battle with the Marchers. Assuming the Ghodi respond positively to the invitation - and it is likely they will given events to date - the named individual will be responsible for gathering a suitable contingent of folk to meet with the Jotun during the Winter Solstice. Such a momentous meeting is bound to attract the attention of the Sentinel Gate, after all.

===Smidr Clad In Scarlet===
* '''A smidr, a Jotun smith, has written to the Consul asking for help investigating the murder of two thralls'''
* '''He intends to come to Anvil under a flag of truce at 18:30 on Friday and hopes to speak with the Consul'''
The Jotun are skilled artisans - some claim that they taught Isenbrad the runes (though many Steinr claim the opposite). Their artisans are known as ''smidr'' or simply smiths: they are known to be highly respected and are thought to occupy a somewhat independent position in Jotun society, standing somewhat outside the hierarchy of clans and jarls. The smidr have their own ways: they have thralls sworn to them (who in practice will do most of the more mundane crafting, though a Jotun warrior will always describe their weapon as crafted by the smidr themselves and not by their thralls, who are considered simply an extension of the smidr's mastery.

In some stories, the smidr are described as belonging to fraternal organisations known as skrohn: a single skroh might contains a handful of actual smidr, many warriors who work under them and act to protect the smidr in return for being furnished with the finest weapons and armour, and many more thralls who work under the tutelage of the smidr and who, if they show skill and promise, may be invited to pick up a weapon and the smithing-hammer and begin the long journey to becoming a smidr themselves.

The smidr are also believed to have some role in the complex diplomacy the Jotun undertake with the Eternals of the Realms. While they certainly do take the battlefield, they are considered deserving of close protection by some of the most elite Jotun warriors: it has been some generations since the Empire has confirmed a smidr killed in battle (though presumably it does happen).

All of this would be a mere curiosity, just another part of Jotun culture that the Empire was not fully aware of, were it not for a letter to the office of the Consul some weeks before the Autumn Equinox. The letter is addressed from Harald Fourforge of the Skroh of the Locked Door of Skallahn: clearly a smidr. He explains that he is not writing on behalf of the Jarl of Jarls (to whom he scrupulously avoids assigning a gender as there are of course two claimants to that position). Rather, he is writing about a matter that he hopes will ''not'' rise to the level of official diplomatic incident. It seems that two thralls, Vigdis and Toki, were murdered in Fareskov last season: their Jarl, Jarl Alvilda Ottesen, has asked him to investigate, as it appears to be linked to some kind of eternal interest in the dark forest there.

As it is, Harald and his colleagues of the Locked Door, had their own interest in the events that transpired: he suspects that the murders that took place may well have been ordered by the Hungry Beast, as part of a plan to slip the fetters the smidr have placed on him in Skallahn. However, he wants to try to establish all the facts before he relays any information or conclusions to Jarl Ottesen. If she then believes that this was an Imperial attack on her thralls, she will doubtless take her complaints upwards, and out of the smidr's hands. If Harald is convinced that this was the act of malefactors working against both Jotun and Imperial interests (as allegedly happened with the meeting stone), and they can be brought to justice, then he will be only too happy to tell Jarl Ottesen this and then she is unlikely to consider the matter further.

As such, he is travelling to Anvil under a flag of peace (presumably he will not be travelling along, but he does not confirm this). He expects to arrive at 18:30 on Friday, nice and early before too much Imperial business gets underway, and he hopes to be met by the Imperial Consul. He would also like to speak to Vossk of Zenith Ascendant, Eerikki Korpi, and Aulus Warcaster, as he believes they may have some light to shed on the matter. He is sure the Consul will be able to arrange such meetings. If he cannot satisfy things to his satisfaction, with the Consul's permission he will probably return again at some point during the summit.

He ends his letter by stressing once again that he is not speaking on behalf of any official diplomatic channels, the business of the Meeting-Place and anything that might transpire there is very much ''not'' the business of a smidr. As such he trusts that the Imperials will do the honourable thing and not try to discuss such matters with him.
{{CaptionedImage|file=shark.png|align=right|width=400|}}
==Grendel==
* '''The Grendel remain at war with the Empire
The orcs of the Broken Shore, the dominant power on Attar along the southern shores of the [[Bay of Catazar]], remain at war with the Empire. After several months of comparative silence, the Grendel navies and armies are on the move,. They have launched a land offensive against Mareave, where they have "liberated" the Brine Turtles and threatened the [[Mareave#Fundindelve|mithril mine]]. They have also initiated a naval attack against Redoubt, which has seen them seize the port of [[Redoubt#Elos|Elos]] and only the sacrifice of the [[Fist of the Mountains]] prevented them from destroying it and potentially reshaping that entire area of coast.

Speaker Morna is the primary diplomat who deals with the Empire, and reports to the Salt-Lords Council directly. They are known to be cynical, arrogant, and self-indulgent, and while they obviously participate in the ongoing-knife fight that is Grendel politics, they were chosen for their fidelity as much as their diplomatic acumen.

===Peace and Storms===
* '''Speaker Morna claims that the Grendel have dealt with the Children of Wrecks presence in their domain
* '''They request that further correspondence about diplomatic matters come from the Ambassador to the Grendel
Following the Summer solstice there has been a single missive from Speaker Morna. It is delivered among [[Call Winged Messenger|fluttering unseen wings]] to the office of the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]], '''Finna''' of [[Dawn]].

They begin by addressing '''Abel the Rounder''', who raised the matter of the [[Children of Wrecks]]. Last season Speaker Morna touched on the fact the Salt Lords had sent their soldiers to deal with the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Temple_of_Tempest_Jade|Temple of Tempest Jade]], the unholy fane dedicated to the ''[[Siakha|Maelstrom]]'' on the shores of [[Bay_of_Catazar#Raineach|Raineach]]. The Empire needn't worry about that enclave of the Children any more, although Morna mentions that it seems a significant portion of the fanatics who once worshipped there had already shifted their attention to the more amenable islands off the Brass Coast. At this time the Salt Lords are not concerned about the Children who seem hell-bent on looting Sarvos rather than risking their ramshackle "navy" against the might of the orcs of Attar. Likewise, they are broadly unconcerned about the ''Pax Sarcophan'' - for while it may impede any nation from assaulting merchant vessels of uninvolved nations it entirely recognises the right to attack the ships of anyone one is at war with. So while the ships of the Commonwealth, Sumaah, and even Axos might be protected from any piracy sponsored by the Salt Lords, the Empire's ships very much are not.

As to the matter of peace, Speaker Morna explains that any such discussion must take place between themselves and the Ambassador to the Grendel.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Black pearl and his shell.jpg|align=right|width=450}}</div>
===Bells and Pearls===
* '''The Grendel are mostly unconcerned about the recent portents in the Bay
* '''Saltbinder Grekodh offers a deal to acquire any black pearls remaining in the Empire
The speaker offers commiserations to '''Thane Umarth Winter's Flame Klannsk''', general of the Fist of the Mountains. They commend the [[Grendel_religion#Fidelity|Fidelity]], [[Grendel_religion#Audacity|Audacity]], and [[Grendel_religion#Vigilance|Vigilance]] of the warriors of Wintermark, and acknowledge that in the matter of the destruction of Elos, their actions seem to have carried the day in the Empire's favour. It is difficult to do otherwise when the price paid for victory proved to be so high.

On the matter of a "Drowned Emperor" or "Queen of the Abyss", the Council of Salt Lords has taken counsel with ''Saltbinder Grekodh'' a magician with intimate knowledge of the [[Winter magic|arts of Salt]]. On the strength of that counsel, the Salt Lords have made their own preparations to deal with any threat from the depths of the Bay, but are unconcerned at this time with "imminent doom".

The Saltbinder has, however, expressed an interest in certain "black pearls" that have appeared in the waters of the bay. Saltbinder Grekodh and their coven are prepared to offer a reward of one pawn of [[Vis#Hearts Blood|Hearts Blood]] for each pair of pearls delivered via the [[Ephisis' Scale|commerce with the City of Gold and Lead]] during the Autumn Equinox. Any magician interested in making such a trade should ensure there are no more than a dozen pearls in the box, and include a piece of parchment with the rune [[Lann]] drawn on it. Obviously such a trade would be illegal in the Empire, but neither Speaker Morna nor Saltbinder Grekodh seem in any way concerned about this.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofTheBarrens.png|align=right|width=500}}

==The Barrens==
* '''For the most part the septs of the Barrens are largely just getting on with things
The Imperial Consul deals with diplomacy with the Barrens septs, at least in theory. In practice the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are more likely to respond to approaches from the [[Imperial Orcs|Unshackled]], while the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have made it clear that their alliance with the [[Navarr]] takes precedence over any Imperial political concerns. The Rahvin are also considering what response, if any, they will have to the Senate's [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Empire's_Responsibility_in_the_Barrens|acknowledgement]] of the Empire's responsibility of what happened in the Barrens.

The Karass are more complicated - the Karass [[Little_mercy#Trading_at_Carmine_Field|requested the Empire build a trading post]] and that whoever run it have the responsibility to handle arrangements with the Karass. This new [[Envoy to the Karass]] is due to be appointed, but the position isn't legally recognised as an ambassador which means the title holder can't raise a treaty in the Senate. Presumably, they would have to defer to the Imperial Consul for any ''official'' diplomatic business.
===The Karass===
* '''The Karass remain singularly focussed on removing the Last Battle Wayhouse from "their" lands'''
* '''They would like the Empire to avoid building any commissions in "their" lands'''
* '''The Karass are further alarmed by demands for ''poetry'' that have been levelled by the Dawnish'''

The [[Not_to_conquer#Karass|Karass]] are now the most numerous of the surviving septs of [[the Barrens]], along with the [[Great Forest Orcs]] and what is left of the [[Not to conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]]. They have a presence in the [[The_Barrens#The_Untrod_Groves|Untrod Groves]] and the [[The_Barrens#Bleaks|Bleaks]] - having largely abandoned the villages that used to dot the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plain of Teeth]]. They have a poor reputation with the other septs, perhaps tied to their role in the early days of Imperial domination in the destruction of the [[Not_to_conquer#Vendarri|Vendaari]].

In recent months there has been alarm among the Karass about the presence of the [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in the Untrod Groves. One of the first of the new [[Navarr_wayhouse|great wayhouses]] built, it serves as a focus for the Last Battle striding of the Navarr, whose scouts are engaged in exploring the [[Sarangrave#Nesustak_Forest|Nesustak_Forest]] across the border in [[Sarangrave]]. Unfortunately, the Karass are deeply concerned about [[Navarr]] "trespassers" in "their" woods. An emissary dispatched from the Untrod Groves makes their way to [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]] to deliver a missive intended for the [[Imperial Consul]], from the leader of the sept ''Anka Karass''.

The Karass do not contest that [[the Barrens]] is Dawnish now - it has been conquered and that is just the way things are. The Empire has replaced the Druj and the Karass accept that. They are content to live in the Untrod Groves and the Bleaks as foreigners; to trade with Dawnish settlers if they wish to deal with them. Perhaps in time civility will blossom into friendship and alliance. But the Druj would never have built such a threatening commission in Karass lands, unless the sept had offended them in some way.

The Karass claim to be alarmed that the wayhouse was built without any warning. The first they knew of it was that there were Navarr all over the place poking their noses into Karass business. They thought they were free to live their lives in peace and be left alone, just as they did with the Druj, and then this happens. They say they want to see the woods of the central Barrens remain wild and just dangerous enough to allow Dawnish knights to quest in them - and Karass hunters to stalk the game they favour.

However what Anka Karass really wants, more than anything else, is for the wayhouse to be removed - or at least moved to the [[The_Barrens#The_Plains_of_Teeth|Plains of Teeth]] or [[The_Barrens#Saltmarsh|Saltmarsh]] or... well anywhere other than the Bleaks or the Untrod Groves. They claim this is due to concern among the Karass that the presence of the wayhouse has helped to wake the Manticore Earl from its quiescence. The last time it was roused, some decades ago, Anka Karass herself personally led the attack to fend off its incursion, on the orders of the Druj. She was the only survivor of that incident and she is very wary that the Earl seeks revenge. And it is not just the Earl of the Groves: who knows what else the Navarri presence might awaken in the deep woods of the Barrens? What if they start take an interest in ''Peytaht''? It does not bear thinking about.

The Civil Service point out that obviously it is not possible to just "move" a wayhouse. In the event the Imperial Senate is prepared to honour the Karass request, they would need to abrogate the Last Stand Wayhouse, and commission a new wayhouse elsewhere in the Barrens. Such a [[wayhouse]] would be built using the standard rules, and provide the standard benefits. What it would ''not'' do is provide any of the special benefits currently provided by the Last Stand striding.

They also point out that at the moment the Karass are not actually ''offering'' anything to the Empire. They are requesting changes, some of them potentially expensive, and providing nothing in return. They are however, very clearly desperate, about this issue. The presence of the Last Battle Wayhouse appears to alarm them even more than the prospect of the Druj returning.

Finally the Karass have received a letter from a Dawnish noble demanding poetry - about love. The Karass do not know what to do with this. Demands from their rulers for things are perfectly understandable, but the Druj never required them to provide poetry. They swear they don't have any poems and they don't know how to make them. They have provided the noble with three doses of true vervain, in the hope that this tribute will suffice in place?
{{CaptionedImage|file=Tsark2.png|align=right|width=600}}

==The People of the Moon==
* '''Tsark have indicated that they would like to open low-key channels of communication with the Empire'''
* '''They do not want an embassy at this time and would like to deal with the Consul if needed'''
* '''Sage Kristoph is coming to Anvil at 20:15 on Friday and will head to the Zenith Ascendent camp'''

A month before the Autumn Equinox, a visitor appears in Zenith. An elderly orc in long flowing robes, [[Write_your_own_ending#A_Border_'tween_the_Mountains_and_the_Moon|Sage Apollion has visited the Empire before]]. Last time he came to discuss the construction of a new fortification in Zenith, this time he has bigger concerns and has come with an important announcement.

On behalf of the People of the Moon, the Council of Sages have elected to reconsider their previous policy of complete isolation from the People of the Horse. Safe Apollion claims the Council are pleased that the People of the Spires have respected their wishes and built their fortification far from the Mountains of the Moon so as not to pose a threat. As the People of the Horse have also respected the Council's requirements for privacy and solitude, the Council would like to ''test'' a period of restrained diplomacy to see if the two parties might thereby benefit.

The Sage is keen to emphasize that this new channel of communication should be moderate and sombre. They do not wish to have an embassy, which might easily be taken as a sign that this new approach was intended to be permanent. It is hardly appropriate anyway, since such arrangements are usually reciprocal, and there is no chance of any Imperial citizen being allowed to enter the Mountains of the Moon. Instead they would like permission for two sages and their staff to take up residence at the Spire of the Night Sun, a relatively small Urizen spire near the border of [[Zenith#Occursion|Occursion]] that was abandoned during the last Druj invasion and has never been reclaimed.

From here they will be able to handle any official correspondence, presumably from the Imperial Consul, that the People of the Horse have for them. They stress that this is very much a trial period - many members of the Council remain deeply concerned about the prospect of violence spreading from the People of the Horse into the Mountains like a plague. Virtue is contagious after all - but so is vice. If that happens, then they will have to sever all links for their own safety.

One of their number, Sage Kristoph, is planning to come to Anvil. Zenith Ascendant have agreed to host him in their tent, and he would be happy to discuss details of the Council's change of heart, which he has long argued for. In particular he would like to meet with:

* Abel of Zenith Ascendant to sketch out possible trade.
* Vetti Gatherer-Peregrine to discuss Zaboravi cultivation.
* Sofonisba Amilcara of the City Below to discuss poetry.
* "Whoever is in charge of Vallorn" to discuss that matter - this would presumably need to be the Speaker for the Vallornguard or the Advisor on the Vallorn.
Sage Kristoph is exected to arrive around quarter-past eight in the evening on Friday during the summit.
<div style="float:right; width: 350px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Crab-traced-2.png|align=right|caption=It seems that many of Gallum's troops are Stone Born, the most heavily armoured and arguably the most disciplined of the Grendel [[Elite_Grendel_troops#The_Moridun|Moridun]].|width=350}}</div>
==The Protectorate of Morajasse==
* '''A significant force of Grendel remains in Feroz with control of Mora's Rock and the region of Morajasse
While the majority of Feroz has been liberated, [[Feroz#Morajasse|Morajasse]] remains in the hands of the master-strategist ''[[Fake empire#Gallum Fiersach|Commander Gallum Fiersach]]''. Ably supported by his partner, ''Wind Lord Saoirse'' - a master of the [[Autumn magic|lore of Sand]] - they are based at the fortress of [[Feroz#Mora's Rock|Mora's Rock]] along with a significant number of veteran Grendel soldiers. They have significant stocks of supplies, and they are carefully protecting the borders of Morajasse. And not just their own borders - before the Spring Equinox, Gallum and Saoirse led their troops into [[Feroz#Oranseri|Oranseri]] to [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|fight the Children of Wrecks]]. After the fight, the Wind Lord delivered a message restating how the orcs of Mora's Rock despise the wreckers, and [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#After_the_Rain|urging the Freeborn]] to make preparations for further attacks.
===Bulwark Against the Storms===
* '''The Grendel currently garrisoning Mora's Rock have been recognised as foreigners by the Senate
* '''It would be a crime for any Imperial general to issue orders to attack Morajasse
* '''Commander Gallum Fiersach and his soldiers now protect Feroz from the Children of Wrecks
At the Summer Solstice, the [[Imperial Senate]] chose to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Recognise_Protectorate_of_Gallum_Fiersach|recognise]] Morajasse as ''a protectorate under the command of Gallum Fiersach, who will be deemed a foreigner as long as they remain independent from the Grendel''. They have not [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence|conceded]] the region - because it was not theirs to concede already being in the hands of Commander Gallum. The Senate has simply recognised its borders, and by extension dubbed the commander and his followers to be foreigners. Reassurances have also been delivered that the wily Freeborn magician '''Bakar i Riqueza''' will no longer be [[curse|cursing]] the fortification or impeding the garrison there.

With these steps taken, as [[I_wish_you_would#At_Mora's_Rock|promised last season]], Commander Gallum commits to protect the coast of Feroz against the Children of Wrecks to the best of his ability - at least for the time being. A [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missive]] has been delivered to the [[Imperial_Consul#Imperial_Consulate|Imperial Consulate]] in [[Tassato]], sent by ''Wind Lord Saoirse'', indicating that the protectorate and its commander are open to further negotiations. Gallum has requested that such negotiations be handled by the [[Imperial Consul]] rather than the [[Ambassador to the Grendel]]. Although no particular reason is given, the civil service speculate that it is to ensure a clear division between the protectorate and the Salt Lords' council.
<div style="float:right; width: 150px; clear: left;">
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Prosperity.png|width=150|align=right}}
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Vigilance.png|width=150|align=right}}
</div>

===Supplies===
* '''The orc quartermasters at Mora's Rock are attempting to buy provisions and supplies from the Freeborn of Feroz and Segura
* '''They find the normally entrepreneurial Freeborn are suspicious and uncooperative
Mora's Rock has supplies laid in, thanks to the foresight of Commander Gallum and his quartermasters. There is sufficient preserved food and fresh water to last out a significant siege. However, Wind Lord Saorise mentions that it would be significantly better if the soldiers there were able to trade with their Freeborn neighbours.

Unfortunately, for the last several years the Grendel at Mora's Rock have been synonymous with the cruel tyranny of former Governor Rahab. They may have acted professionally and with discipline, but they were still part of the apparatus that enforced the authority of the despised ruler of the territory. The garrison is wealthy - but that wealth was mostly taken from the people of Feroz. Some was taken directly by conquest, the rest "earned" through payments made by former Governor Rahab. As such, unsurprisingly, the people of Feroz are not wild about trading their limited supplies - and neither for that matter are the folk of adjoining [[Segura#Lucksprings|Lucksprings]] or [[Segura#Anozeseri|Anozeseri]].

At the very least it would likely be possible for the Freeborn Assembly, or the Assembly of Prosperity, or even the Vigilance assembly perhaps, to get involved here. They might use a [[statement of principle]] to offer encouragement to the people of Feroz and/or Segura, urging them to deal with the orcs. They might alternatively discourage them from doing so, and ensure the local Freeborn keep the Protectorate of Morajasse at arms length. Any influence the assemblies might wield here would be reliant on the wording of their [[statement of principle]] and of course the achievement of a [[greater majority]].

===Glowing Ramparts===
* '''Wild Lord Saorise is prepared to enchant Mora's Rock if the Empire fears an attack from the Children of Wrecks
Wind Lord Saorise includes a note of potential interest to the [[Imperial Conclave]]. She and her coven are capable of performing an [[enchantment]] using the [[Autumn magic#Lore of Sand|Lore of Sand]] that will draw allied forces from the [[Realms#Autumn|Mercurial Archipelago]]. She has demonstrated this ability in the past - leading advisors to the Consul to conclude she is referring to the enchantment the Empire knows as [[Mystic_scrolls_of_Estavus#Ramparts_of_Ashlar|Ramparts of Ashlar]]. If the Imperial Conclave is prepared to [[Endowment|endow]] her with 75 crystals of mana she will ensure that enchantment is raised over Mora's Rock to significantly increase the ability of the garrison to resist the Children of Wrecks. Obviously the enchantment only lasts for a season, but Saorise says that the Protectorate will undertake the enchantment whenever the Conclave provides the mana.

Obviously, while she has proposed the Conclave deliver the mana, it is unlikely she will turn down a donation of mana from private citizens should they be able to use a ritual such as [[Ethereal Courier]] to deliver them. Unfortunately, that ritual is a little unreliable as to how ''soon'' it reaches the recipient. As such, using Ethereal Courier will result in an enchantment in the ''following'' season, whereas the endowment of the Conclave would elicit an enchantment following following the summit where it is provided.
==Further Reading==
* [[Ambassador]]
* [[Imperial Consul]]

Drowned in tears

2025-09-07T16:29:26Z

Vsabo: /* Arming the Rebels */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>Oxtitocszin leaned their arms on the railing at the rear of the ship, staring unseeing at the foaming wake. They had been unsettled since they'd first sighted Nyaerdivik three days ago. It was playing havoc with their stomach; the medicine the Frieøyer apothecary had given them was good for seasickness but not for whatever it was that was actually plaguing the diplomat.

"You didn't have to come out all this way." Itzama had come up behind them with his characteristic cat-like tread, and the first Oxtitocszin knew about it he was leaning next to them at the railing. "You could have sent someone. The captain says these waters are not as safe as they were - Asavean pirates have been sighted in the last week."

Itzama spat over the side when he mentioned the Asaveans; he claimed their name left a bad taste in his mouth which was ridiculous, of course.

"I wanted to see it for myself and be sure." Oxtitocszin replied. "One has to trust one's own judgement sometimes in these things."

"You look like you've been to a funeral rather than a semi-official visit to the frontier." Itzama had a bantering tone, and Oxtitocszin tried to rise to it but ultimately was not in the mood. They admitted that their choice of garb was uncharacteristically somber - bottle-green trousers with barely a hint of gold on them, a tunic darker than sea-blue, and a deep purple shawl with hardly any embroidery on it at all. On the other hand, they were visiting to watch a human being be put to death so a certain amount of sobriety seemed only appropriate.

In the end, the visit had gone well enough. The ambassador found the people of Nyaerdivik a little tiring truth be told, and their odd ceremonies with bread and rainwater always made the präster the tiniest bit nervous. The actual execution had been a cold affair, and Oxtitocszin pulled their shawl tighter as a chill not entirely due to the sea-borne winds ran through them.

"Look, they'd murdered six people," said Itzama in a gentle voice. "They wept when the sentence was read out, certainly, but they didn't give any thought to the tears of those they killed or their families. If it was me..."

Their friend tailed off. Oxtitocszin looked sideways, raised their eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Well if it was me I'd not have done it because I'm not a murderer. But if I ''had'', and I was aware of myself enough to think properly, I wouldn't want the weight of that guilt chasing ''me'' through the Labyrinth into my next life. Nobody would, who wasn't mad to begin with."

Oxtitocszin winced at "mad" but kept their opinions to themselves. It was easy for people to assume that killers acted because the balance of their mind was unsettled, but the woman had not shown any sign of such an imbalance. They had wept, and expressed remorse, and arguably that was why the judge had decreed the use of abrasion oil. The fact of their crimes was inevitable, but there was still a chance for mercy. Assuming of course that it ''was'' mercy. They sighed.

"Do you think that Accalon might have a point?" they asked at last.

"Oh is that what this is all about," said Itzama. He chewed his moustache for a moment, a habit that irritated Oxtitocszin but which they tolerated thanks to decades of friendship. It showed he was considering a matter seriously for a change. "Yes," he said at last, "or rather, no? Maybe?"

"Helpful as ever." Oxtitocszin's jibe held a little laughter behind it, but their eyes were serious.

"I mean, the Labyrinth is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals like you and me. I don't credit the argument that anything made by mortals, or done by mortals, can permanently harm the immortal spirit. It's ludicrous - like expecting a sword to hack down a mountain. I think the Imperial ambassador fellow is right that we should not get complacent, and wrong to talk so dogmatically about something that's ultimately beyond us all. Maybe when one of us transcends the Labyrinth we can ask the Creator whether excommunication is a good idea or not."

Oxtitocszin shook their head admonishingly at their friend's comment, which in different circumstances and different company might have earned him cautious words about blasphemy or heresy. Their conversation turned to less serious matters, and then a light drizzle sent them back into the cabin for coffee and candied fruits. But not without one final look towards the western horizon from the präster, and one last unsatisfied sigh.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Rain ot ocean beach.jpg|align=left|caption=The storms that rage over the Sea of Salt show no signs of dying down.|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, 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.

Here we discuss diplomatic considerations with three factions of the [[the seven seas#Sea of Salt|Sea of Salt]] - the great powers of [[Asavean Archipelago]] and their perennial enemies the [[Sumaah Republic]], and the tiny satrapy of Ibaria.
==Asavea==
* '''The Asavean Archipelago is an empire scattered across a sprawling archipelago, far across the ocean to the west'''
* '''Traditional enemies of the Sumaah, they are currently at war with both them and the Empire'''
* '''The Empire is seeking to convert the Archipelago to the Way and overthrow the ruling Plenum - this goal will take ''years'' to accomplish'''

The Asavean Ambassador to the Empire is ''Lady Madrianna of the Blue Stones''. An important member of one of ruling families of Asavea, she advises the Plenum on diplomatic matters, especially relations with the Empire and their close neighbours. It is Lady Madrianna who has encouraged the Asaveans to make common cause with the [[Grendel]] and who is ultimately behind efforts to suborn the [[Faraden]].
{{Nation|nation=[[Asavean Archipelago]]|status=Barbarian|port=[[Asavean_Archipelago_ports|Nemoria]] (closed)|ambassador=Vacant}}
===State of War===
* '''The Asavean Archipelago and the Empire are at war
* '''The Asaveans are supporting the Grendel, and attempting to convert the Faraden to their cause'''
* '''The ongoing attempt of missionaries to proselytize the Way continues to enrage the Asaveans'''
* '''If the Empire continue on their current course, the Asaveans will increase their military support for the Grendel'''
Asavea and the Empire have been at war since the [[Liberty Pact]] forged [[Mosaic|attack on Chalonsio]] three years ago. The surprise attack outraged the Asaveans and they have been out for vengeance ever since. In recent times they have been offering military support to the [[Grendel]] in the form of mercenaries and powerful war ships. They are also interfering wherever possible in local politics - their agents are active in [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] both.

The Plenum placed a bounty on ''all'' ships trading with the Empire, but quickly incurred the wrath of the [[Sarcophan Delves]]. The ''[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]'' has seen the Asaveans in retreat, dropping their bounty - a humiliating climbdown that has the Plenum spitting teeth. They won't confront the Sarcophan directly - the merchant nation correctly gambled that the Asaveans can't afford to be at war with a third great power - but that will not prevent them from finding some ''other'' way to express their frustrated anger. Given this came hot on the heels of the [[Two_suns_in_the_sunset#A_Bond_Between_Sailors|defeat of the Asavean navies]] when they sought to destroy the city of [[Foreign_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]] and there is little doubt that they will seek some new way to save face and harm their enemies.

Although the Empire is not currently sending soldiers to fight in Asavea, they are [[Irreconcilable_differences|sending missionaries to try and convert the Archipelago to the Way]] and [[Two suns in the sunset|seeking to overthrow the Plenum]]. This is a massive endeavour that will take ''years'' to accomplish. The Asaveans are increasingly aware of what the Empire is trying to do and are gradually increasing efforts to strike back.

Relations have improved only slightly this season, following a previous letter that suggested that the war between the Empire and the Archipelago could end. Those gains won't last long if the Empire continues to make serious efforts to overthrow the Asavean government and bring down their society. The only reason things have not got worse is that the Asaveans are ''not yet taking that threat really seriously''.
===Peace Murmurs===
* '''The Asaveans are open to discussing terms to end the war, provided the Empire ceases sending missionaries to their shores'''
* '''There is a proposal that recognising the Asavean gods as virtuous paragons would resolve the issue for both parties'''
Last season, '''Mauriac of Eyrie''' sent a carefully worded letter that at least cracked the door on more cordial diplomatic communication. ''Lady Madrianna'' [[Talking_to_friends#Asavea|lightly touched]] on the possibility of a cessation of the current conflict. Unfortunately the first step toward any negotiation of peace would be the immediate cessation of attempts to spread the Way to Asavea. There is no indication that the Imperial Synod plans to abandon its missionary work any time soon, however. Indeed the assemblies continue to encourage the faithful to commit resources to the long-term plan of [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea|anchoring the Way in Asavea]].

[[Ambassador to Asavea|Ambassador]] '''Asier i Elia i Guerra''' has cautioned Lady Madrianna about taking Mauriac of Eyrie's words too seriously - that Mauriac "''does not represent the Empire in any official capacity''." If the Lady of the Blue Stones is concerned by this, she does not mention it in her responses. Rather she seems intrigued by some matters the Ambassador touches on relative to the [[recognition]] of Asavean virtue. Several years ago there was a Temple of the Seven Lords of Virtue in Nemoria itself; its history is wracked with tragedy of course but that is no reason not to consider the lessons it taught. Perhaps one way for the Imperial Synod to withdraw from their ultimately self-destructive efforts to undermine the nation of Asavea would be for them to recognise the virtue inherent in the Asavean way of life.

After all, the teachings of the priests, temples, and ultimately the gods of Asavea must logically be virtuous. The religion encourages behaviour that could easily be identified as [[Pride|proud]], [[loyalty|loyal]], [[Courage|courageous]], and especially [[Prosperity|prosperous]]. If the Synod took the brave step of acknowledging this, and that there was no real need to send missionaries to a nation that is already virtuous, then the Plenum would be much more inclined to accept peace with the Casinean Empire. And once this step was taken, and the Empire recognised that the gods of Asavea are [[paragons and exemplars|paragons of virtue]], there are any number of Asavean priests who would be keen to come to the Empire and explain their ways, tenets, and practices.
===Priests in Prison===
* '''A small group of priests remain "guests" of the Brass Coast generals'''
* '''The Freeborn could make an example of them to demoralise the Asavean priesthood or set them free to demonstrate the superiority of the Way'''
During the liberation of Feroz, when Oran was taken from the Grendel, a contingent of Asavean priests and their households were ultimately captured by the generals of [[the Brass Coast]]. The generals refused to execute the priests, instructing that a ransom should be extracted or they should be released. At the moment though they remain under voluntary "house arrest" in Oran. The Temple of Balo and the Black Bull has itself been shuttered, of course, but the building still stands and the priests who used to serve there are still "guests" of the Freeborn. They have been quite cooperative, polite, civil, and caused as little trouble as possible - they fear that any attempt to cause trouble is likely to force a resolution of their status in a way that will go badly for them.

However, a spokesperson for the priests has politely asked for a message to be delivered to the Ambassador to Asavea asking if there has been any progress made on repatriating them to the Archipelago. The situation is also causing some concern from the Magistrates - the priests of Balo of the Foam and the Black Bull are barbarians, in that they are citizens of a nation the Empire is at war with. It is also unconstitutional to imprison criminals, and only the fact that the Asaveans appear content to cooperate with their captors prevents the Freeborn magistrates pushing the matter further.

The Plenum, and Lady Madrianna, seem broadly unconcerned with - or perhaps unaware of? - the captured priests. Their temples in Asavea, however, appear to be deeply concerned and angry that their priests are being "held in dungeons" by the Empire. Some of the more lurid tales circulating in Nemoria - at least according to missionaries and smugglers - suggest that they are being brutally tormented to try and force them to recant the gods and embrace the Way.

At the moment the situation is pretty much stable. The money needed to support the priests is being paid by some of those Freeborn who owe them their lives (people smuggled out of Feroz under the nose of Governor Rahab, or granted sanctuary in the old temple). But the fact they are still technically prisoners in the Empire who simply want to go home makes the situation much more complicated.

Any decision as to what should happen to the priests remains for the generals of the Brass Coast to decide. A unanimous decision by the generals could resolve their fate one way or another. It wouldn't be illegal to execute them, they are members of a nation the Empire is at war with, so they are barbarians. That would send a clear signal to the Asavean priesthood that the Way will not tolerate blasphemers and heretics. It would also be legal for the Freeborn generals to order them to be put them on ships back to the Archipelago if they preferred to try and seek a diplomatic benefit to returning them.

===Support for the Grendel===
* '''The Asaveans have now deployed five large war ships to Imperial waters to support the Grendel in their war against the Empire'''
* '''Their support for the Empire's enemies will only increase, the more desperate they become'''
It is difficult and dangerous for the Asaveans to contemplate sending an entire [[Imperial navy|navy]] overseas to fight in foreign waters. For that reason, thus far the Asaveans have limited themselves to sending large powerful war ships - more than capable of playing a vital role on campaign, they are still agile enough to move swiftly to where they need to be. (Each warship is the strategic equivalent of a fleet, albeit with a military strength of 1000).

Now that their privateers and fleet captains are no longer engaged against Imperial shipping they are in a position to consider increasing their support for the Grendel. It is certain that they will not hesitate to do so if the Empire does not ultimately change course.
{{CaptionedImage|file=City of Locks.png|align=right|width=300}}
===A Congress Of Crime===
* '''The City of Locks will open the Conspirator's Congress at 19:15 on Friday.'''
* '''There will be a chance to speak with the heads of three major Asavean crime families.'''
* '''Florence i Fuego i Erigo will be allowed to attend, and may select five other people to accompany her.'''
As the clock ticks closer to the Autumn Equinox, yet another Herald of the City of Locks makes their way to Anvil. This one is known to the civil service, a heavily-tattooed representative of the Union of Stevedores and Lock-Keepers who brought the response to the first plenipotentiary delivered to [[Basileia|Basileia Brazen]] one year ago. With unreasonable cheerfulness and unerring accuracy, she makes directly for the most hung over civil servant available to deliver her message.

Boss Callarook is very happy that Conclave has made the objectively correct choice to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Alignment:_Accept_Offer_of_Boss_Callarook|accept his offer]] of contacting representatives of the ones who call themselves ''Les Marchands Honnêtes'', or the Honest Merchants in Catazarri. Every society with laws has crime, and in any society of sufficient size, that crime is going to get organised. The Asavean Archipelago, for all their pretensions, are no different. Now, with the aid of the most powerful of the Five Pillars, the Empire has a chance to turn that fact to their advantage.

The Conspirator's Congress is a [[Regio#Portals_and_Chambers|chamber]] in the City of Locks that has been made available to those who wish to engage in illicit meetings and shady business. There are rules that govern the space, but they are few. Florence i Fuego i Erigo , who raised the Declaration accepting Boss Callarook's offer (and who knows what she did otherwise), knows the rules, and can explain them as much as she wishes to whoever she wishes. Considering her unique position, the City of Locks is happy to delegate her the responsibility of deciding who gets to attend the meeting - herself and five others seems like a good number. Boss Callarook will attend the Anvil Regio at 19:15 to open the door for the party.

Having delivered this message at a volume higher than is comfortable, the Herald drops a tip to the bewildered civil servant who was taking notes. Said tip turns out to be a heavily annotated primer on Imperial law with the words 'bloody hilarious mate' scrawled on the cover, and a dose of something that turns out to be [[Create_law_prohibiting_Bite|Bite]].

==Ibaria==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''Ibaria is a poor satrapy on the edge of the Archipelago whose rebellion was ruthlessly crushed'''
* '''They are a martial people who would rise again, if they had the means and there was a chance of victory'''
* '''They could raise up to three armies if supplied with mithril'''
On the near edge of the vast [[Asavean Archipelago]], lies the [[Asavean_factions#The_Satrapy_of_Ibaria|island satrapy of ''Ibaria'']]. A peripheral and comparatively poor satrapy, Ibaria has a proud martial tradition and its soldiers serve in more than one Asavean army. A few years back, the Ibarians attempted to rebel and overthrow their satrap. Their revolt was crushed by the Plenum, and those rebels who survived fled the Archipelago. Some of them came to the Empire, helped by the same [[the League|League]] merchants who had once prospered from trading with their satrapy.

===Arming the Rebels===
* '''The Empire could fund the Ibarians to raise up to three armies'''
* '''Each army would cost 200 mithril and 75 thrones'''
* '''Three armies would guarantee that the Ibarians could throw off the rule of the Plenum'''
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Muster Ibarian Rebels'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Senate Motion only</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Ibaria, Asavean Archipelago</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' Up to 600 mithril and 225 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' Minimum 1 year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Enables the Ibarians to raise up to three armies
* One army would see the Ibarian rebellion crushed and their people ruthlessly oppressed
* Two armies would allow them to rebel if the Asaveans were heavily engaged in a major war elsewhere
* Three armies would guarantee that they can throw off the rule of Plenum</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
According to Imperial agents, the Ibarians have an intense martial spirit and the will to fight. They are eager to rise up again, but the Plenum ensures they remain poor as punishment for their last revolt. If they had arms and armour, and the materials that an [[Imperial army|army requires]], they could muster three armies... and rise in open defiance of the Plenum once again. The costs involved are punitive however. To muster the kind of martial force they would need to have a chance of breaking free of Asavea - that would require 600 wains of [[mithril]] and 225 thrones. If all the materials were donated in one go, then a year later the Ibarians would be ready to rise up again - and this time they might be successful. Three armies would be enough to win their freedom in the short term. With two armies, they would only succeed while the Plenum were also fighting fires elsewhere, against some other serious threat to their dominance of the Archipelago. One army would simply get them killed, and see even more punitive measures imposed by the Plenum.

The Satrapy of Ibaria is ripe for rebellion. Yet simply sending materials and well-wishers to the Archipelago will be of limited use. Without some support from the [[Civil Service]], it will be difficult to arrange equipment and support is employed in the most effective way. The [[Imperial Senate]] can instruct the Civil Service to orchestrate the transportation of materials to Ibaria to help them raise armies. A single [[senate motion]] could be used to ''Muster Ibarian Rebels'' - it would not require one of the Empire's limited commissions, but it would need 600 mithril and 225 thrones to complete all three armies. Any Imperial citizen would be able to contribute to this project but it would take at least a year, and could be longer if the materials were donated in dribs and drabs.

===Freeing the Corsairs===
{{SOP|statement=Freeborn Corsairs, you have already demonstrated your Ambition and Courage in the smuggling of missionaries to Asavea. In recent months Asavean refugees from Ibaria have started attending Anvil having settled in the League. They are a martial people who have risen up against their oppressors in the past, but they have left behind cousins in Ibaria, within whom the flame of rebellion still lingers! The National Assembly praises your Courage thus far, and encourages you to continue in your Ambition, focusing your work on Ibaria, where we may be able to better coordinate our efforts and missionaries.|by=Asier i Elia i Guerra, Freeborn Assemby|vote=Greater Majority 154-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
* '''The Freeborn Assembly could declare that helping the Ibarians is their highest calling'''
During the Summer Solstice, the Ambassador to Asavea themselves put forward a [[statement of principle]] in the Freeborn Assembly calling for those [[corsair|corsairs]] currently [[Voyage#Smuggle_Missionaries|smuggling missionaries]] into Asavea to focus their efforts on supporting Ibaria. The Assembly supported this call, urging support both for the Ibarian representatives attending Anvil and for the many more remaining behind in the Archipelago.

The Freeborn have more fleets than any other Imperial nation, but they're stretched thin. At the moment the corsairs of the Brass Coast are already somewhat engaged with the Ibarians, as part of their work [[Voyage#Smuggle_Missionaries|smuggling missionaries and resources to Asavea]]. But they're also [[Voyage#Raid_the_Broken_Shore|raiding the Broken Shore]] and [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|hunting monsters in the Sea of Snow]] and [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting Imperial shipping in the Bay of Catazar]].

If the Freeborn Assembly really want opportunities to use their fleets to make a different helping the Ibarian people, they will need to prioritize this goal above all others. They would need to declare it to be [[the highest calling]] of the nation. They could do this with a simple mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=Life is short - let it never be dull! We send {named priest} with 75 doses of liao to urge every Freeborn citizen to do what they can to help the Ibarians. Let us aim high and pursue our dreams - for this is the highest calling.|assembly=Freeborn National Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted then in the season after it is enacted, it will create at least one Freeborn Voyage to allow fleets to dedicate their time to aiding the Ibarians in their fight to be free. However, the current Freeborn special options to raid the Broken Shore, hunt monsters in the Sea of Snow, and escort Imperial shipping will fade. Having committed themselves to the Ibarian cause, the Assembly will not be able to declare any other cause to be their highest calling in the coming year.

The mandate would create a deep well of commitment to help the Ibarians - the desire to live a life free of the rule of others is part of the foundational ethos of the Brass Coast. But to achieve success will need the support of the corsairs and those families that own their own fleets. For the next year a new voyage would become available - '''Free the Ibarians'''. This would be a [[Voyage#Scouting_Voyages|scouting voyage]] (meaning [[enchantment|enchantments]] such as [[Muffled Oar]] would be effective) available only to Freeborn characters. A standard fleet that undertakes this voyage would receive 2 doses of liao, 2 measures of iridescent gloaming, and 60 rings representing payment from passengers and donations from Freeborn priests.

Each standard fleet assigned to the '''Free the Ibarians''' action would add 100 points toward successful resolution that season. Each additional rank for an [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] fleet adds another 20 points. Rituals and other effects that increase the ranks of a scouting fleet (specifically [[Muffled Oar]]) will increase the effective strength for purposes of this special action.

Each season that the Freeborn were able to commit a combined military strength of 5,000 in support of the Rebellion in Ibaria, there would be a wind of fortune at the next summit presenting opportunities for the Brass Coast and their allies to take direct action to help the Ibarians.
==Sumaah==
* '''The Sumaah Republic is an empire devoted to an orthodox interpretation of the Way'''
* '''The Empire recently helped to fend off a major naval assault by the Asaveans seeking to burn a Sumaah city'''
The [[Sumaah Republic]] are simultaneously allies of, and rivals to, the Empire. Their shared practice of the Way both provide them with common ground, and divides them over questions of orthodoxy. As founding members of the [[Liberty Pact]], their ties to the Empire have been strengthened, and they have been closely involved in bringing ruin to those involved in the abhorrent practice of slavery. At the moment they are focused on their [[Guide_the_spirit#Virtuous_War|war]] with the [[Asavean Archipelago]], but they remain committed to spreading the Way through the entire world. In gratitude for [[Two_suns_in_the_sunset#A_Bond_Between_Sailors|major aid]] from the Empire in repulsing an Asavean assault against the port of [[Foreign_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]], the Sumaah have committed to sharing a dose of [[Liao#True Liao|true liao]] with the Empire every season "''until the Plenum falls and the Way is spread to the Archipelago''." Relations with the grateful Sumaash, which have been bumpy in the past, are now better than ever.

The Sumaah ambassador to the Empire is ''Oxtitocszin'', who holds the rank of Censor of wood, metal and stone and is a member of the High House of Pride (the Sumaah equivalent of the Pride Assembly, but with significantly more responsibility and leeway to pursue foreign diplomacy). They advise not just the Sumaah ''präster'', but the House of the People (the Sumaah equivalent of the Imperial Senate). By all accounts they are an even-handed, level-headed individual, and a devout practitioner of the Way.
{{Nation|nation=[[Sumaah Republic]]|status=Foreigner|port=[[Sumaah_Republic_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]]|ambassador=Accalon of [[Highguard]]}}
===The Ambassadors Letter===
* '''The Sumaash are non-plussed by the tone of the Ambassador's letter'''
In their most recent letter, Ambassador Accalon offered apologies for the [[Talking_to_friends#The_Ambassadors_Letter|tone]] of their previous missive and explained that they had written while [[curse|accursed]]. Oxtitocszin accepts the apology, and issues one of their own for their own oversight following the Winter Solstice. "''The virtuous acknowledge when they make mistakes''", they write, "''And there is no shame in offering nor in accepting a sincere apology.''"

On the matter of the [[Unfettered Anarchy|specific curse]], the Sumaah Ambassador commiserates with Accalon. There is a very similar curse called (roughly translated) ''"Waves of Discord''" and it is a serious crime to cast it on a virtuous person. "''It has no merit,''" writes Oxtitocszin, "''and more so than many other curses it is the moral equivalent of forcing someone to drink to excess against their will.''" With no suggestion they are telling Accalon how to do their job, they suggest that the [[Imperial Censor]] might wish to examine the magic and determine whether it serves any virtuous purpose - and if not perhaps follow the Sumaah approach. "''Night magic has many virtuous uses,''" they conclude. "''But the Waves of Discord are not numbered among them.''"

There is also the matter of the item provided by '''Ehud of Reumah's Redoubt''' - the [[Magic_items#Schema|schema]]. The object has been dispatched to the Empire in the custody of a respected merchant-captain and Oxtitocszin believes it will be delivered to the Civil Service by the start of the Autumn Equinox summit at [[Anvil]].

Discussion of a miraculous cloak related to the Asavean follower of the Way ''Amika Acciai'' sparks some interest but the Houses are still discussing its import. The House of Wisdom has approached Ambassador Oxtitocszin and requested that they in turn ask Ambassador Accalon to liaise with the Assemblies of Wisdom and the Way on this matter. They are interested in learning as much as possible about the cloak - its provenance, the nature of the aura it has manifested, and how it relates to the virtue of Amika Acciai. If it would not be too much trouble, would Accalon prevail on the assemblies to make a thorough study of the item and send as much information as they can gather for the perusal of the priests of the House of Wisdom? Oxtitocszin is more than happy to serve as a go-between should a member of one of the assemblies wish to send a statement to their office via the [[Call Winged Messenger|usual means]].
===Scrubbing the Soul===
* '''The Sumaash do not have the same view of excommunication as the Empire'''
* '''The Empire may do as it wishes, Sumaah will not make it a crime to sell the stuff which has religious and spiritual use
Ambassador Oxtitocszin is a little surprised to discover that their opposite number continues to discuss Abrasion Oil. Last season they [[Talking_to_friends#Abrasion_Oil|went into some detail]] about various Sumaah attitudes to [[excommunication]], and thought the matter done. They accept the suggestion that Imperial [[fleet|merchants]] are unlikely to want to deal in the substance, but counter by pointing out that it is not in extensive use in the Republic either. As long as the Empire's captains avoid the port of ''Nyaerdivik'' they are unlikely to encounter it unless they explicitly seek it out. The [[Imperial Conclave]] is of course free to [[interdiction|interdict]] whatsoever they please, within reason, although the Ambassador queries whether their remit actually extends to items of a purely spiritual nature. Is their domain not the practice of magic, and magical substances? Either way it is little concern of the Sumaah what the Empire chooses to do in this matter and Oxtitocszin is confident they will act with [[Wisdom]] and [[Vigilance]] regardless.

It seems that the discussion of Abrasion Oil has prompted several Imperial citizens to follow up with queries of their own. One from a [[Navarr]] named '''Dylan of the Thornweaver Striding''' asked several insightful questions. In short, the use of Abrasion Oil is carefully considered and it is hardly available to random citizens of the Republic; those who make use of it are virtuous and well-trained in its application even if they do not personally practice the ceremony of excommunication itself. On the matter of whether excommunication causes a soul to struggle to pass through the Labyrinth, the Censor of Wood and Stone points Dylan to their previous notes on the matter - nobody truly knows what happens to the soul of one who is excommunicated and such things are ultimately a matter of philosophy and faith. The [[The_Doctrines_of_the_Faith#The_Doctrine_of_the_Labyrinth|Doctrine of the Labyrinth]] says that ''the Labyrinth of Ages is a place of pure spirit and beyond the true comprehension of any but a paragon'' and in Sumaah there are differing interpretations of how excommunication affects the soul that are in line with the doctrines. As to the recipe and the use of [[marrowort]], such questions are surely better addressed to an [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]].

With due respect, the Ambassador considers the matter of Abrasion Oil concluded. Unless some significant matter is to be raised, they will move on to other more pressing topics and anyone with further interest in it should refer to Oxtitocszin's previous statements.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RedWindCorsairs_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
===A Gift of Pride===
* '''The Sumaah House of People has put together a gift to help the Brass Coast rebuild their devastated homeland
* '''The Asavean Plenum has gotten wind of their intention and schemes to steal or destroy the aid before it arrives
* '''Sumaah asks that Imperial captains help escort their shipment to the Brass Coast
When the Asavean tyrants [[A beacon of smoke|burned Siroc]], the Sumaah House of the People promised that they would provide aid to [[the Brass Coast]] to rebuild. Several visitors to the [[Zemress#The_Seminary_of_Zemress_(Destroyed)|Seminary of Zemress]] before [[Below_the_thunders#In_Roaring,_Rise|its destruction]] developed an affection for the nation, particularly those from among the Frieøyer. Hearing of the multiple calamities that have struck [[Feroz]] and [[Madruga]], and as an expression of gratitude to the Freeborn for their aid in defending Sumaah waters, the House has determined that they will contribute in some small way to the reconstruction of the Coast.

With the Asaveans on the back-foot following both the failure of their assault on Zemeh and the institution of the ''Pax Sarcophan'', there is an opportunity to be seized. As such the House of the People has instructed the House of Pride to secure a shipment of aid to be given as a formal gift between the Republic and the Empire to help the Freeborn restore their ravaged territories. Oxtitocszin asks that Ambassador Accalon help coordinate the delivery of the gift.

Unfortunately, it has come to the attention of the House of Vigilance that the Asaveans have somehow received word of the Republic's intent. There is suspicion of [[eternal]] involvement, of espionage sponsored and supported by the [[Realms#Autumn|Autumn realm]], most likely the meddlesome [[inhabitants of the realms|inhabitants]] of the [[Basileia|City of Locks]]. It seems the Plenum has ordered its cutthroat pirate captains to either seize the gifts or sink the ships transporting them. The Republic can spare only so many ships to transport the white granite, and the window of opportunity to do so is closing. So Oxtitocszin is embarrassed to ask that Imperial captains once again help the Republic - this time to ensure the shipment actually gets to [[the Brass Coast]]. Especially given the Ambassador's nebulous warning of an unknowable imminent threat rising in the waters of the [[Bay of Catazar]] itself.

Following the Autumn Equinox, Imperial [[fleet]] captains will be able to take part in the '''Escort the Stone Fleet''' [[voyage]]. Each standard fleet assigned to the action adds 100 points toward successful resolution of the opportunity. Each additional rank for an [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] fleet adds another 20 points. Rituals and other effects that increase the ranks of a [[Voyage#Guarding_Voyages|guarding]] fleet (most likely [[Wolves of the Hungry Sea]]) will increase the effective strength for purposes of this special action.

The House of the People does not expect Imperial captains to participate for free; the mariners of Frieøyer are also keen to ensure that those who sail alongside them receive their just reward for their labout. As a result, a standard fleet taking this action will receive
54 rings, two bottles of '''Oilybrag''', and one pot of '''Sevensalve'''. The [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies]] could also choose to assign the guerdon to the action.

In a similar manner to a [[spy network]], the total strength assigned to the opportunity will determine the outcome. The more ships that take part, the more white granite the House of the People are prepared to risk sending to the Brass Coast. All the results shown below are cumulative, so if the Empire can assign 15,000 or more strength to escort the Stone Fleet, they will gain all the benefits shown.
<div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 50px;">

<big>'''Best Intentions'''</big><br>
'''Less than 5,000'''<br>
The House of the People will not risk sending wains in light of the Asavean threat but will still arrange for an amount of aid that they hope will be well received in the Brass Coast. In addition to general assistance from Republic citizens prepared to travel to the Empire and help build houses and offer other direct support, they will provide healing herbs and medicines to the people of Feroz. In addition to more general aid, at the Winter Solstice the ambassador will take custody of five pots of '''Sevensalve''', and twenty doses of liao intended for use by the people of the Brass Coast.

<big>'''A Small Gift'''</big><br>
'''Between 5,000 and 10,000'''<br>
With enough vessels, the House of the People and the House of Vigilance will be satisfied that the flotilla can protect the Sumaah vessels from Asavean pirates, and at the Winter Solstice the Ambassador will also take custody of 10 wains of white granite intended for use by the Freeborn rebuilding and defending their nation.

<big>'''A Grand Armada'''</big><br>
'''Between 10,000 and 15,000'''<br>
The more valuable the cargo of the Sumaah ships, the more keen the pirates of Asavea will be to seize it. With a truly impressive armada of vessels, the Sumaah Houses will be prepared to risk another 10 wains of white granite, bringing the total to 20 wains. They will also provide another five pots of '''Sevensalve''', and twenty doses of liao for use by Freeborn priests supporting their people in rebuilding their pride.

<big>'''Spirit of Zemress'''</big><br>
'''More than 15,000'''<br>
With this many fleets, the ships arranged by the House of the People will be joined by several more vessels chartered by Sumaah citizens from all walks of life inspired by [[Loyalty]], [[Courage]] and [[Pride]]. They will come to the Brass Coast to offer practical aid in securing Madruga or helping to deal with the damage done to Feroz by the wicked Grendel governor. At the Winter Solstice, there will be an [[opportunity]] to work with the Sumaah to remove one of the [[Region_qualities|negative qualities]] besetting the Freeborn territories. For each additional 5,000 strength beyond 15,000 there will be another opportunity to a maximum of three such opportunities.
</div>

The Sumaah understand that such collaboration can take time to organise. They can, if needed, wait until the following season to send the aid - in that case, the ambassador need only write to their counterpart using [[Call Winged Messenger]] at the summit to let them know. Beyond that, the urgency of the moment will be gone and the [[opportunity]] will be lost.

===Liberty Pact===
* '''Axos' decision to call a meeting of the Liberty Pact has done little to dispel Sumaah concerns about the nation'''
* '''The Sumaah seek to amend the Liberty Pact to require that all signatories welcome missionaries versed in the Way'''

As with the [[Commonwealth]], the Sumaah have [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#The_Liberty_Pact|concerns]] about the meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] that has been [[Troop_of_echoes#Liberty|convened]] by the people of [[Axos]]. They do not dispute the right of members to convene meetings, and note that the Axou have followed all the appropriate forms. They do not object to the use of the [[Lashonar#Caucus_Forum|Caucus Forum]] - indeed Oxtitocszin grudgingly admits that it is a sensible arrangement given that a Sumaah delegation might legitimately balk at visiting the wicked nation itself. Their problem is more fundamental; they object to the Axos on spiritual grounds and want nothing to do with them.

Everything they have learned about Axos tells them that their religion is an abomination. It denies and derides all [[the Doctrines of the Faith]], and enshrines monstrous practices in the pursuit of some crazed belief in the malign nature of the Creator and the Labyrinth. And all that before one gets to its brazen embrace of [[malign spiritual presences]] alongside the true Virtues. In a Virtuous world, Axos should be dropped from the Liberty Pact, and would already have been so, where it not for the protection extended to them by the Empire.

Unless the Empire has had a change of heart, the Sumaah don't plan to revisit the issue of Axos membership at this time, but given the success of the Pact in fighting slavery, Ambassador Oxtitocszin is keen to see what the Pact might achieve next. A recent [[statement of principle]] in the House of Ambition argues that it is impossible for true liberty to be achieved without the guidance of the Way. Only the Way truly recognises the need for individuals to be free to pursue their ambitions, and only the Way appreciates the true nature of prosperity and the importance of labour receiving just rewards. As such, the Sumaah will seek to amend the Liberty Pact to require that all signatories welcome missionaries versed in the Way to spread the true faith and to help people understand the real meaning and importance of destroying the institution of slavery. The so-called "Common Good" is acceptable only to the degree it does not deny the virtues - but the Commonwealth ultimately has blinkered itself by refusing to embrace the Way without which any idea of the greater good cannot be realised.

If there is not time to discuss this matter at the Winter meeting, then presumably the Empire will convene the meeting Ambassador Accalon mentioned at the Spring Equinox. The Sumaah Republic anticipates that the weight of Sumaah and the Empire will be sufficient to get the Commonwealth delegates to see sense.

===Zemress Naval Academy===
* '''The Sumaash welcome the offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
The Sumaah Republic thanks the [[Senator]] for [[Sarvos]] for their invitation to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress_Naval_Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]], although they do express some surprise that the invitation did not originate with the Senator for Madruga where the Academy is based. Regardless, there is some interest in Sumaah in the opportunity to study alongside the shipwrights and mariners of the Brass Coast.

As such the House of the People has appointed a ''Guide for the Students'' to oversee Sumaah pupils prepared to make the journey to the Empire to visit the Academy. ''Bjarna Xicot'' of the Frieøyer has been appointed - an experienced captain in their own right they will be accompanying the [[A Gift of Pride|convoy]] making its way to the Coast after the Autumn Equinox along with a number of enthusiastic would-be students.

While the Sumaah are not entirely without naval experience, they look forward to the chance to study alongside their Imperial peers. There is also apparently some talk of discussing a joint venture to restore the Zemress Seminary - or ideally something significantly more impressive. ''Bjarna Xicot'' is apparently keen for a chance to discuss the nature of Zemress as a paragon with the sailors of the Brass Coast.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Adelmar The Lion.jpg|captiom=Panel taken from a depiction of Adelmar by Asenath Daughter of Esther, Felix’s Watch.| align=right|width=300}}</div>
===Ama the Wanderer===
*'''Ser Eddard d'Argenteux has arrived in Sumaah to undertake research
* '''They will not be returning to the Empire before the Winter Solstice
The Ambassador reports that [[Historical research#Ser Eddard d'Argenteux|Ser Eddard d'Argenteux]] has safely reached Zemeh, and is settling in well. They have already been the focus of some interest from the House of Ambition, especially those who find personal inspiration in the life of Ama the Wanderer. Hopefully working with them the scholar can [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Research_Adelmar_the_Lion|determine once and for all]] whether Ama is indeed [[Adelmar the Lion]]. Ser Eddard has requested that the Ambassador apprise the [[Minister of Historical Research]] that given the distances involved, and the general danger of the western seas, they will not be back before the Winter Solstice and as such will unfortunately be unavailable to undertake another project - unless the research can be done in the warm and welcoming climate of the Sumaah Republic, of course.
===Peculiar Questions===
* '''Ambassador Oxtitocszin has received several missives from Imperial citizens that do not relate to diplomatic matters
* '''They diplomatically request that the Empire consider their role and the nature of the missives they send
Following the Summer Solstice, Ambassador Oxtitocszin notes that they received several [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missives]] that related to matters of philosophy rather than diplomacy. While is is true that Oxtitocszin is präster, their role in the House of Pride and as Censor of Wood and Stone related to diplomatic matters rather than offering spiritual guidance. As such they politely request that future missives relate to their role - presenting and discussing opportunities of a diplomatic nation relating to trade and politics rather than matters of Doctrine or the practice of liao ceremonies. They do not wish to be rude; but they chose to serve their people and the Way in a specific capacity that suits their expertise.

They can pass such questions along, but warn that in most cases it is unlikely there will be a single clear answer on anything that is not already covered by the Doctrines of the Faith. Furthermore, any short answer runs the risk of creating misconceptions. As a case in point, the query of '''Suspiria i Riqueza''' about Sumaah attitudes to immortality mostly results in a suggestion that to date no Sumaah präster or magician has ever encountered a method of achieving that state that was not riddled with blasphemous and heretical considerations. There is a general feeling that the only way a human might "achieve immortality" would be to transcend the Labyrinth but theologians are fiercely divided on the matter of whether that is the case and whether "immortality" has any meaningful definition anyway.

Likewise, in answer to the Shaman of Wintermark, Oxtitocszin has no real detail to add to the story about their uncle and the condor - he only mentioned it as an example of the fact that people are prone to believe the oddest things and frankly is rather regretting having brought it up in the first place.
{{Asavean Links}}
{{Sumaah Links}}

Drowned in tears

2025-09-07T16:29:10Z

Vsabo: /* Arming the Rebels */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>Oxtitocszin leaned their arms on the railing at the rear of the ship, staring unseeing at the foaming wake. They had been unsettled since they'd first sighted Nyaerdivik three days ago. It was playing havoc with their stomach; the medicine the Frieøyer apothecary had given them was good for seasickness but not for whatever it was that was actually plaguing the diplomat.

"You didn't have to come out all this way." Itzama had come up behind them with his characteristic cat-like tread, and the first Oxtitocszin knew about it he was leaning next to them at the railing. "You could have sent someone. The captain says these waters are not as safe as they were - Asavean pirates have been sighted in the last week."

Itzama spat over the side when he mentioned the Asaveans; he claimed their name left a bad taste in his mouth which was ridiculous, of course.

"I wanted to see it for myself and be sure." Oxtitocszin replied. "One has to trust one's own judgement sometimes in these things."

"You look like you've been to a funeral rather than a semi-official visit to the frontier." Itzama had a bantering tone, and Oxtitocszin tried to rise to it but ultimately was not in the mood. They admitted that their choice of garb was uncharacteristically somber - bottle-green trousers with barely a hint of gold on them, a tunic darker than sea-blue, and a deep purple shawl with hardly any embroidery on it at all. On the other hand, they were visiting to watch a human being be put to death so a certain amount of sobriety seemed only appropriate.

In the end, the visit had gone well enough. The ambassador found the people of Nyaerdivik a little tiring truth be told, and their odd ceremonies with bread and rainwater always made the präster the tiniest bit nervous. The actual execution had been a cold affair, and Oxtitocszin pulled their shawl tighter as a chill not entirely due to the sea-borne winds ran through them.

"Look, they'd murdered six people," said Itzama in a gentle voice. "They wept when the sentence was read out, certainly, but they didn't give any thought to the tears of those they killed or their families. If it was me..."

Their friend tailed off. Oxtitocszin looked sideways, raised their eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Well if it was me I'd not have done it because I'm not a murderer. But if I ''had'', and I was aware of myself enough to think properly, I wouldn't want the weight of that guilt chasing ''me'' through the Labyrinth into my next life. Nobody would, who wasn't mad to begin with."

Oxtitocszin winced at "mad" but kept their opinions to themselves. It was easy for people to assume that killers acted because the balance of their mind was unsettled, but the woman had not shown any sign of such an imbalance. They had wept, and expressed remorse, and arguably that was why the judge had decreed the use of abrasion oil. The fact of their crimes was inevitable, but there was still a chance for mercy. Assuming of course that it ''was'' mercy. They sighed.

"Do you think that Accalon might have a point?" they asked at last.

"Oh is that what this is all about," said Itzama. He chewed his moustache for a moment, a habit that irritated Oxtitocszin but which they tolerated thanks to decades of friendship. It showed he was considering a matter seriously for a change. "Yes," he said at last, "or rather, no? Maybe?"

"Helpful as ever." Oxtitocszin's jibe held a little laughter behind it, but their eyes were serious.

"I mean, the Labyrinth is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals like you and me. I don't credit the argument that anything made by mortals, or done by mortals, can permanently harm the immortal spirit. It's ludicrous - like expecting a sword to hack down a mountain. I think the Imperial ambassador fellow is right that we should not get complacent, and wrong to talk so dogmatically about something that's ultimately beyond us all. Maybe when one of us transcends the Labyrinth we can ask the Creator whether excommunication is a good idea or not."

Oxtitocszin shook their head admonishingly at their friend's comment, which in different circumstances and different company might have earned him cautious words about blasphemy or heresy. Their conversation turned to less serious matters, and then a light drizzle sent them back into the cabin for coffee and candied fruits. But not without one final look towards the western horizon from the präster, and one last unsatisfied sigh.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Rain ot ocean beach.jpg|align=left|caption=The storms that rage over the Sea of Salt show no signs of dying down.|width=500}}</div>
==Overview==
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, 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.

Here we discuss diplomatic considerations with three factions of the [[the seven seas#Sea of Salt|Sea of Salt]] - the great powers of [[Asavean Archipelago]] and their perennial enemies the [[Sumaah Republic]], and the tiny satrapy of Ibaria.
==Asavea==
* '''The Asavean Archipelago is an empire scattered across a sprawling archipelago, far across the ocean to the west'''
* '''Traditional enemies of the Sumaah, they are currently at war with both them and the Empire'''
* '''The Empire is seeking to convert the Archipelago to the Way and overthrow the ruling Plenum - this goal will take ''years'' to accomplish'''

The Asavean Ambassador to the Empire is ''Lady Madrianna of the Blue Stones''. An important member of one of ruling families of Asavea, she advises the Plenum on diplomatic matters, especially relations with the Empire and their close neighbours. It is Lady Madrianna who has encouraged the Asaveans to make common cause with the [[Grendel]] and who is ultimately behind efforts to suborn the [[Faraden]].
{{Nation|nation=[[Asavean Archipelago]]|status=Barbarian|port=[[Asavean_Archipelago_ports|Nemoria]] (closed)|ambassador=Vacant}}
===State of War===
* '''The Asavean Archipelago and the Empire are at war
* '''The Asaveans are supporting the Grendel, and attempting to convert the Faraden to their cause'''
* '''The ongoing attempt of missionaries to proselytize the Way continues to enrage the Asaveans'''
* '''If the Empire continue on their current course, the Asaveans will increase their military support for the Grendel'''
Asavea and the Empire have been at war since the [[Liberty Pact]] forged [[Mosaic|attack on Chalonsio]] three years ago. The surprise attack outraged the Asaveans and they have been out for vengeance ever since. In recent times they have been offering military support to the [[Grendel]] in the form of mercenaries and powerful war ships. They are also interfering wherever possible in local politics - their agents are active in [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] both.

The Plenum placed a bounty on ''all'' ships trading with the Empire, but quickly incurred the wrath of the [[Sarcophan Delves]]. The ''[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]'' has seen the Asaveans in retreat, dropping their bounty - a humiliating climbdown that has the Plenum spitting teeth. They won't confront the Sarcophan directly - the merchant nation correctly gambled that the Asaveans can't afford to be at war with a third great power - but that will not prevent them from finding some ''other'' way to express their frustrated anger. Given this came hot on the heels of the [[Two_suns_in_the_sunset#A_Bond_Between_Sailors|defeat of the Asavean navies]] when they sought to destroy the city of [[Foreign_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]] and there is little doubt that they will seek some new way to save face and harm their enemies.

Although the Empire is not currently sending soldiers to fight in Asavea, they are [[Irreconcilable_differences|sending missionaries to try and convert the Archipelago to the Way]] and [[Two suns in the sunset|seeking to overthrow the Plenum]]. This is a massive endeavour that will take ''years'' to accomplish. The Asaveans are increasingly aware of what the Empire is trying to do and are gradually increasing efforts to strike back.

Relations have improved only slightly this season, following a previous letter that suggested that the war between the Empire and the Archipelago could end. Those gains won't last long if the Empire continues to make serious efforts to overthrow the Asavean government and bring down their society. The only reason things have not got worse is that the Asaveans are ''not yet taking that threat really seriously''.
===Peace Murmurs===
* '''The Asaveans are open to discussing terms to end the war, provided the Empire ceases sending missionaries to their shores'''
* '''There is a proposal that recognising the Asavean gods as virtuous paragons would resolve the issue for both parties'''
Last season, '''Mauriac of Eyrie''' sent a carefully worded letter that at least cracked the door on more cordial diplomatic communication. ''Lady Madrianna'' [[Talking_to_friends#Asavea|lightly touched]] on the possibility of a cessation of the current conflict. Unfortunately the first step toward any negotiation of peace would be the immediate cessation of attempts to spread the Way to Asavea. There is no indication that the Imperial Synod plans to abandon its missionary work any time soon, however. Indeed the assemblies continue to encourage the faithful to commit resources to the long-term plan of [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Synod_judgements#Anchor_the_Way_in_Asavea|anchoring the Way in Asavea]].

[[Ambassador to Asavea|Ambassador]] '''Asier i Elia i Guerra''' has cautioned Lady Madrianna about taking Mauriac of Eyrie's words too seriously - that Mauriac "''does not represent the Empire in any official capacity''." If the Lady of the Blue Stones is concerned by this, she does not mention it in her responses. Rather she seems intrigued by some matters the Ambassador touches on relative to the [[recognition]] of Asavean virtue. Several years ago there was a Temple of the Seven Lords of Virtue in Nemoria itself; its history is wracked with tragedy of course but that is no reason not to consider the lessons it taught. Perhaps one way for the Imperial Synod to withdraw from their ultimately self-destructive efforts to undermine the nation of Asavea would be for them to recognise the virtue inherent in the Asavean way of life.

After all, the teachings of the priests, temples, and ultimately the gods of Asavea must logically be virtuous. The religion encourages behaviour that could easily be identified as [[Pride|proud]], [[loyalty|loyal]], [[Courage|courageous]], and especially [[Prosperity|prosperous]]. If the Synod took the brave step of acknowledging this, and that there was no real need to send missionaries to a nation that is already virtuous, then the Plenum would be much more inclined to accept peace with the Casinean Empire. And once this step was taken, and the Empire recognised that the gods of Asavea are [[paragons and exemplars|paragons of virtue]], there are any number of Asavean priests who would be keen to come to the Empire and explain their ways, tenets, and practices.
===Priests in Prison===
* '''A small group of priests remain "guests" of the Brass Coast generals'''
* '''The Freeborn could make an example of them to demoralise the Asavean priesthood or set them free to demonstrate the superiority of the Way'''
During the liberation of Feroz, when Oran was taken from the Grendel, a contingent of Asavean priests and their households were ultimately captured by the generals of [[the Brass Coast]]. The generals refused to execute the priests, instructing that a ransom should be extracted or they should be released. At the moment though they remain under voluntary "house arrest" in Oran. The Temple of Balo and the Black Bull has itself been shuttered, of course, but the building still stands and the priests who used to serve there are still "guests" of the Freeborn. They have been quite cooperative, polite, civil, and caused as little trouble as possible - they fear that any attempt to cause trouble is likely to force a resolution of their status in a way that will go badly for them.

However, a spokesperson for the priests has politely asked for a message to be delivered to the Ambassador to Asavea asking if there has been any progress made on repatriating them to the Archipelago. The situation is also causing some concern from the Magistrates - the priests of Balo of the Foam and the Black Bull are barbarians, in that they are citizens of a nation the Empire is at war with. It is also unconstitutional to imprison criminals, and only the fact that the Asaveans appear content to cooperate with their captors prevents the Freeborn magistrates pushing the matter further.

The Plenum, and Lady Madrianna, seem broadly unconcerned with - or perhaps unaware of? - the captured priests. Their temples in Asavea, however, appear to be deeply concerned and angry that their priests are being "held in dungeons" by the Empire. Some of the more lurid tales circulating in Nemoria - at least according to missionaries and smugglers - suggest that they are being brutally tormented to try and force them to recant the gods and embrace the Way.

At the moment the situation is pretty much stable. The money needed to support the priests is being paid by some of those Freeborn who owe them their lives (people smuggled out of Feroz under the nose of Governor Rahab, or granted sanctuary in the old temple). But the fact they are still technically prisoners in the Empire who simply want to go home makes the situation much more complicated.

Any decision as to what should happen to the priests remains for the generals of the Brass Coast to decide. A unanimous decision by the generals could resolve their fate one way or another. It wouldn't be illegal to execute them, they are members of a nation the Empire is at war with, so they are barbarians. That would send a clear signal to the Asavean priesthood that the Way will not tolerate blasphemers and heretics. It would also be legal for the Freeborn generals to order them to be put them on ships back to the Archipelago if they preferred to try and seek a diplomatic benefit to returning them.

===Support for the Grendel===
* '''The Asaveans have now deployed five large war ships to Imperial waters to support the Grendel in their war against the Empire'''
* '''Their support for the Empire's enemies will only increase, the more desperate they become'''
It is difficult and dangerous for the Asaveans to contemplate sending an entire [[Imperial navy|navy]] overseas to fight in foreign waters. For that reason, thus far the Asaveans have limited themselves to sending large powerful war ships - more than capable of playing a vital role on campaign, they are still agile enough to move swiftly to where they need to be. (Each warship is the strategic equivalent of a fleet, albeit with a military strength of 1000).

Now that their privateers and fleet captains are no longer engaged against Imperial shipping they are in a position to consider increasing their support for the Grendel. It is certain that they will not hesitate to do so if the Empire does not ultimately change course.
{{CaptionedImage|file=City of Locks.png|align=right|width=300}}
===A Congress Of Crime===
* '''The City of Locks will open the Conspirator's Congress at 19:15 on Friday.'''
* '''There will be a chance to speak with the heads of three major Asavean crime families.'''
* '''Florence i Fuego i Erigo will be allowed to attend, and may select five other people to accompany her.'''
As the clock ticks closer to the Autumn Equinox, yet another Herald of the City of Locks makes their way to Anvil. This one is known to the civil service, a heavily-tattooed representative of the Union of Stevedores and Lock-Keepers who brought the response to the first plenipotentiary delivered to [[Basileia|Basileia Brazen]] one year ago. With unreasonable cheerfulness and unerring accuracy, she makes directly for the most hung over civil servant available to deliver her message.

Boss Callarook is very happy that Conclave has made the objectively correct choice to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Alignment:_Accept_Offer_of_Boss_Callarook|accept his offer]] of contacting representatives of the ones who call themselves ''Les Marchands Honnêtes'', or the Honest Merchants in Catazarri. Every society with laws has crime, and in any society of sufficient size, that crime is going to get organised. The Asavean Archipelago, for all their pretensions, are no different. Now, with the aid of the most powerful of the Five Pillars, the Empire has a chance to turn that fact to their advantage.

The Conspirator's Congress is a [[Regio#Portals_and_Chambers|chamber]] in the City of Locks that has been made available to those who wish to engage in illicit meetings and shady business. There are rules that govern the space, but they are few. Florence i Fuego i Erigo , who raised the Declaration accepting Boss Callarook's offer (and who knows what she did otherwise), knows the rules, and can explain them as much as she wishes to whoever she wishes. Considering her unique position, the City of Locks is happy to delegate her the responsibility of deciding who gets to attend the meeting - herself and five others seems like a good number. Boss Callarook will attend the Anvil Regio at 19:15 to open the door for the party.

Having delivered this message at a volume higher than is comfortable, the Herald drops a tip to the bewildered civil servant who was taking notes. Said tip turns out to be a heavily annotated primer on Imperial law with the words 'bloody hilarious mate' scrawled on the cover, and a dose of something that turns out to be [[Create_law_prohibiting_Bite|Bite]].

==Ibaria==
{{CaptionedImage|file=Assembly Freeborn.png|width=150|align=right}}
* '''Ibaria is a poor satrapy on the edge of the Archipelago whose rebellion was ruthlessly crushed'''
* '''They are a martial people who would rise again, if they had the means and there was a chance of victory'''
* '''They could raise up to three armies if supplied with mithril'''
On the near edge of the vast [[Asavean Archipelago]], lies the [[Asavean_factions#The_Satrapy_of_Ibaria|island satrapy of ''Ibaria'']]. A peripheral and comparatively poor satrapy, Ibaria has a proud martial tradition and its soldiers serve in more than one Asavean army. A few years back, the Ibarians attempted to rebel and overthrow their satrap. Their revolt was crushed by the Plenum, and those rebels who survived fled the Archipelago. Some of them came to the Empire, helped by the same [[the League|League]] merchants who had once prospered from trading with their satrapy.

===Arming the Rebels===
* '''The Empire could fund the Ibarians to raise up to three armies'''
* '''Each army would cost 200 mithril and 75 thrones'''
* '''Three armies would guarantee that the Ibarians could throw off the rule of the Plenum'''
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Muster Ibarian Rebels'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Senate Motion only</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Ibaria, Asavean Archipelago</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' Up to 600 mithril and 225 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' Minimum 1 year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Enables the Ibarians to raise up to three armies
* One army would see the Ibarian rebellion crushed and their people ruthlessly oppressed
* Two armies would allow them to rebel if the Asaveans were heavily engaged in a major war elsewhere
* Three armies would guarantee that they can throw off the rule of Plenum</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
According to Imperial agents, the Ibarians have an intense martial spirit and the will to fight. They are eager to rise up again, but the Plenum ensures they remain poor as punishment for their last revolt. If they had arms and armour, and the materials that an [[Imperial army|army requires]], they could muster three armies... and rise in open defiance of the Plenum once again. The costs involved are punitive however. To muster the kind of martial force they would need to have a chance of breaking free of Asavea - that would require 600 wains of [[mithril]] and 225 thrones. If all the materials were donated in one go, then a year later the Ibarians would be ready to rise up again - and this time they might be successful. Three armies would be enough to win their freedom in the short term. With two armies, they would only succeed while the Plenum were also fighting fires elsewhere, against some other serious threat to their dominance of the Archipelago. One army would simply get them killed, and see even more punitive measures imposed by the Plenum.

The Satrapy of Ibaria is ripe for rebellion. Yet simply sending materials and well-wishers to the Archipelago will be of limited use. Without some support from the [[Civil Service]], it will be difficult to arrange equipment and support is employed in the most effective way. The [[Imperial Senate]] can instruct the Civil Service to orchestrate the transportation of materials to Ibaria to help them raise armies. A single [[senate motion]] could be used to ''Muster Ibarian Rebels'' - it would not require one of the Empire's limited commissions, but it would need 600 mithril and 225 Thrones to complete all three armies. Any Imperial citizen would be able to contribute to this project but it would take at least a year, and could be longer if the materials were donated in dribs and drabs.

===Freeing the Corsairs===
{{SOP|statement=Freeborn Corsairs, you have already demonstrated your Ambition and Courage in the smuggling of missionaries to Asavea. In recent months Asavean refugees from Ibaria have started attending Anvil having settled in the League. They are a martial people who have risen up against their oppressors in the past, but they have left behind cousins in Ibaria, within whom the flame of rebellion still lingers! The National Assembly praises your Courage thus far, and encourages you to continue in your Ambition, focusing your work on Ibaria, where we may be able to better coordinate our efforts and missionaries.|by=Asier i Elia i Guerra, Freeborn Assemby|vote=Greater Majority 154-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
* '''The Freeborn Assembly could declare that helping the Ibarians is their highest calling'''
During the Summer Solstice, the Ambassador to Asavea themselves put forward a [[statement of principle]] in the Freeborn Assembly calling for those [[corsair|corsairs]] currently [[Voyage#Smuggle_Missionaries|smuggling missionaries]] into Asavea to focus their efforts on supporting Ibaria. The Assembly supported this call, urging support both for the Ibarian representatives attending Anvil and for the many more remaining behind in the Archipelago.

The Freeborn have more fleets than any other Imperial nation, but they're stretched thin. At the moment the corsairs of the Brass Coast are already somewhat engaged with the Ibarians, as part of their work [[Voyage#Smuggle_Missionaries|smuggling missionaries and resources to Asavea]]. But they're also [[Voyage#Raid_the_Broken_Shore|raiding the Broken Shore]] and [[Voyage#Hunt_the_Monsters|hunting monsters in the Sea of Snow]] and [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting Imperial shipping in the Bay of Catazar]].

If the Freeborn Assembly really want opportunities to use their fleets to make a different helping the Ibarian people, they will need to prioritize this goal above all others. They would need to declare it to be [[the highest calling]] of the nation. They could do this with a simple mandate.

{{Mandate|mandate=Life is short - let it never be dull! We send {named priest} with 75 doses of liao to urge every Freeborn citizen to do what they can to help the Ibarians. Let us aim high and pursue our dreams - for this is the highest calling.|assembly=Freeborn National Assembly}}

If this mandate is enacted then in the season after it is enacted, it will create at least one Freeborn Voyage to allow fleets to dedicate their time to aiding the Ibarians in their fight to be free. However, the current Freeborn special options to raid the Broken Shore, hunt monsters in the Sea of Snow, and escort Imperial shipping will fade. Having committed themselves to the Ibarian cause, the Assembly will not be able to declare any other cause to be their highest calling in the coming year.

The mandate would create a deep well of commitment to help the Ibarians - the desire to live a life free of the rule of others is part of the foundational ethos of the Brass Coast. But to achieve success will need the support of the corsairs and those families that own their own fleets. For the next year a new voyage would become available - '''Free the Ibarians'''. This would be a [[Voyage#Scouting_Voyages|scouting voyage]] (meaning [[enchantment|enchantments]] such as [[Muffled Oar]] would be effective) available only to Freeborn characters. A standard fleet that undertakes this voyage would receive 2 doses of liao, 2 measures of iridescent gloaming, and 60 rings representing payment from passengers and donations from Freeborn priests.

Each standard fleet assigned to the '''Free the Ibarians''' action would add 100 points toward successful resolution that season. Each additional rank for an [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] fleet adds another 20 points. Rituals and other effects that increase the ranks of a scouting fleet (specifically [[Muffled Oar]]) will increase the effective strength for purposes of this special action.

Each season that the Freeborn were able to commit a combined military strength of 5,000 in support of the Rebellion in Ibaria, there would be a wind of fortune at the next summit presenting opportunities for the Brass Coast and their allies to take direct action to help the Ibarians.
==Sumaah==
* '''The Sumaah Republic is an empire devoted to an orthodox interpretation of the Way'''
* '''The Empire recently helped to fend off a major naval assault by the Asaveans seeking to burn a Sumaah city'''
The [[Sumaah Republic]] are simultaneously allies of, and rivals to, the Empire. Their shared practice of the Way both provide them with common ground, and divides them over questions of orthodoxy. As founding members of the [[Liberty Pact]], their ties to the Empire have been strengthened, and they have been closely involved in bringing ruin to those involved in the abhorrent practice of slavery. At the moment they are focused on their [[Guide_the_spirit#Virtuous_War|war]] with the [[Asavean Archipelago]], but they remain committed to spreading the Way through the entire world. In gratitude for [[Two_suns_in_the_sunset#A_Bond_Between_Sailors|major aid]] from the Empire in repulsing an Asavean assault against the port of [[Foreign_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]], the Sumaah have committed to sharing a dose of [[Liao#True Liao|true liao]] with the Empire every season "''until the Plenum falls and the Way is spread to the Archipelago''." Relations with the grateful Sumaash, which have been bumpy in the past, are now better than ever.

The Sumaah ambassador to the Empire is ''Oxtitocszin'', who holds the rank of Censor of wood, metal and stone and is a member of the High House of Pride (the Sumaah equivalent of the Pride Assembly, but with significantly more responsibility and leeway to pursue foreign diplomacy). They advise not just the Sumaah ''präster'', but the House of the People (the Sumaah equivalent of the Imperial Senate). By all accounts they are an even-handed, level-headed individual, and a devout practitioner of the Way.
{{Nation|nation=[[Sumaah Republic]]|status=Foreigner|port=[[Sumaah_Republic_ports#Zemeh|Zemeh]]|ambassador=Accalon of [[Highguard]]}}
===The Ambassadors Letter===
* '''The Sumaash are non-plussed by the tone of the Ambassador's letter'''
In their most recent letter, Ambassador Accalon offered apologies for the [[Talking_to_friends#The_Ambassadors_Letter|tone]] of their previous missive and explained that they had written while [[curse|accursed]]. Oxtitocszin accepts the apology, and issues one of their own for their own oversight following the Winter Solstice. "''The virtuous acknowledge when they make mistakes''", they write, "''And there is no shame in offering nor in accepting a sincere apology.''"

On the matter of the [[Unfettered Anarchy|specific curse]], the Sumaah Ambassador commiserates with Accalon. There is a very similar curse called (roughly translated) ''"Waves of Discord''" and it is a serious crime to cast it on a virtuous person. "''It has no merit,''" writes Oxtitocszin, "''and more so than many other curses it is the moral equivalent of forcing someone to drink to excess against their will.''" With no suggestion they are telling Accalon how to do their job, they suggest that the [[Imperial Censor]] might wish to examine the magic and determine whether it serves any virtuous purpose - and if not perhaps follow the Sumaah approach. "''Night magic has many virtuous uses,''" they conclude. "''But the Waves of Discord are not numbered among them.''"

There is also the matter of the item provided by '''Ehud of Reumah's Redoubt''' - the [[Magic_items#Schema|schema]]. The object has been dispatched to the Empire in the custody of a respected merchant-captain and Oxtitocszin believes it will be delivered to the Civil Service by the start of the Autumn Equinox summit at [[Anvil]].

Discussion of a miraculous cloak related to the Asavean follower of the Way ''Amika Acciai'' sparks some interest but the Houses are still discussing its import. The House of Wisdom has approached Ambassador Oxtitocszin and requested that they in turn ask Ambassador Accalon to liaise with the Assemblies of Wisdom and the Way on this matter. They are interested in learning as much as possible about the cloak - its provenance, the nature of the aura it has manifested, and how it relates to the virtue of Amika Acciai. If it would not be too much trouble, would Accalon prevail on the assemblies to make a thorough study of the item and send as much information as they can gather for the perusal of the priests of the House of Wisdom? Oxtitocszin is more than happy to serve as a go-between should a member of one of the assemblies wish to send a statement to their office via the [[Call Winged Messenger|usual means]].
===Scrubbing the Soul===
* '''The Sumaash do not have the same view of excommunication as the Empire'''
* '''The Empire may do as it wishes, Sumaah will not make it a crime to sell the stuff which has religious and spiritual use
Ambassador Oxtitocszin is a little surprised to discover that their opposite number continues to discuss Abrasion Oil. Last season they [[Talking_to_friends#Abrasion_Oil|went into some detail]] about various Sumaah attitudes to [[excommunication]], and thought the matter done. They accept the suggestion that Imperial [[fleet|merchants]] are unlikely to want to deal in the substance, but counter by pointing out that it is not in extensive use in the Republic either. As long as the Empire's captains avoid the port of ''Nyaerdivik'' they are unlikely to encounter it unless they explicitly seek it out. The [[Imperial Conclave]] is of course free to [[interdiction|interdict]] whatsoever they please, within reason, although the Ambassador queries whether their remit actually extends to items of a purely spiritual nature. Is their domain not the practice of magic, and magical substances? Either way it is little concern of the Sumaah what the Empire chooses to do in this matter and Oxtitocszin is confident they will act with [[Wisdom]] and [[Vigilance]] regardless.

It seems that the discussion of Abrasion Oil has prompted several Imperial citizens to follow up with queries of their own. One from a [[Navarr]] named '''Dylan of the Thornweaver Striding''' asked several insightful questions. In short, the use of Abrasion Oil is carefully considered and it is hardly available to random citizens of the Republic; those who make use of it are virtuous and well-trained in its application even if they do not personally practice the ceremony of excommunication itself. On the matter of whether excommunication causes a soul to struggle to pass through the Labyrinth, the Censor of Wood and Stone points Dylan to their previous notes on the matter - nobody truly knows what happens to the soul of one who is excommunicated and such things are ultimately a matter of philosophy and faith. The [[The_Doctrines_of_the_Faith#The_Doctrine_of_the_Labyrinth|Doctrine of the Labyrinth]] says that ''the Labyrinth of Ages is a place of pure spirit and beyond the true comprehension of any but a paragon'' and in Sumaah there are differing interpretations of how excommunication affects the soul that are in line with the doctrines. As to the recipe and the use of [[marrowort]], such questions are surely better addressed to an [[Surgical skills#Apothecary|apothecary]].

With due respect, the Ambassador considers the matter of Abrasion Oil concluded. Unless some significant matter is to be raised, they will move on to other more pressing topics and anyone with further interest in it should refer to Oxtitocszin's previous statements.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RedWindCorsairs_Colour.png|align=right|width=300}}
===A Gift of Pride===
* '''The Sumaah House of People has put together a gift to help the Brass Coast rebuild their devastated homeland
* '''The Asavean Plenum has gotten wind of their intention and schemes to steal or destroy the aid before it arrives
* '''Sumaah asks that Imperial captains help escort their shipment to the Brass Coast
When the Asavean tyrants [[A beacon of smoke|burned Siroc]], the Sumaah House of the People promised that they would provide aid to [[the Brass Coast]] to rebuild. Several visitors to the [[Zemress#The_Seminary_of_Zemress_(Destroyed)|Seminary of Zemress]] before [[Below_the_thunders#In_Roaring,_Rise|its destruction]] developed an affection for the nation, particularly those from among the Frieøyer. Hearing of the multiple calamities that have struck [[Feroz]] and [[Madruga]], and as an expression of gratitude to the Freeborn for their aid in defending Sumaah waters, the House has determined that they will contribute in some small way to the reconstruction of the Coast.

With the Asaveans on the back-foot following both the failure of their assault on Zemeh and the institution of the ''Pax Sarcophan'', there is an opportunity to be seized. As such the House of the People has instructed the House of Pride to secure a shipment of aid to be given as a formal gift between the Republic and the Empire to help the Freeborn restore their ravaged territories. Oxtitocszin asks that Ambassador Accalon help coordinate the delivery of the gift.

Unfortunately, it has come to the attention of the House of Vigilance that the Asaveans have somehow received word of the Republic's intent. There is suspicion of [[eternal]] involvement, of espionage sponsored and supported by the [[Realms#Autumn|Autumn realm]], most likely the meddlesome [[inhabitants of the realms|inhabitants]] of the [[Basileia|City of Locks]]. It seems the Plenum has ordered its cutthroat pirate captains to either seize the gifts or sink the ships transporting them. The Republic can spare only so many ships to transport the white granite, and the window of opportunity to do so is closing. So Oxtitocszin is embarrassed to ask that Imperial captains once again help the Republic - this time to ensure the shipment actually gets to [[the Brass Coast]]. Especially given the Ambassador's nebulous warning of an unknowable imminent threat rising in the waters of the [[Bay of Catazar]] itself.

Following the Autumn Equinox, Imperial [[fleet]] captains will be able to take part in the '''Escort the Stone Fleet''' [[voyage]]. Each standard fleet assigned to the action adds 100 points toward successful resolution of the opportunity. Each additional rank for an [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] fleet adds another 20 points. Rituals and other effects that increase the ranks of a [[Voyage#Guarding_Voyages|guarding]] fleet (most likely [[Wolves of the Hungry Sea]]) will increase the effective strength for purposes of this special action.

The House of the People does not expect Imperial captains to participate for free; the mariners of Frieøyer are also keen to ensure that those who sail alongside them receive their just reward for their labout. As a result, a standard fleet taking this action will receive
54 rings, two bottles of '''Oilybrag''', and one pot of '''Sevensalve'''. The [[Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies]] could also choose to assign the guerdon to the action.

In a similar manner to a [[spy network]], the total strength assigned to the opportunity will determine the outcome. The more ships that take part, the more white granite the House of the People are prepared to risk sending to the Brass Coast. All the results shown below are cumulative, so if the Empire can assign 15,000 or more strength to escort the Stone Fleet, they will gain all the benefits shown.
<div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 50px;">

<big>'''Best Intentions'''</big><br>
'''Less than 5,000'''<br>
The House of the People will not risk sending wains in light of the Asavean threat but will still arrange for an amount of aid that they hope will be well received in the Brass Coast. In addition to general assistance from Republic citizens prepared to travel to the Empire and help build houses and offer other direct support, they will provide healing herbs and medicines to the people of Feroz. In addition to more general aid, at the Winter Solstice the ambassador will take custody of five pots of '''Sevensalve''', and twenty doses of liao intended for use by the people of the Brass Coast.

<big>'''A Small Gift'''</big><br>
'''Between 5,000 and 10,000'''<br>
With enough vessels, the House of the People and the House of Vigilance will be satisfied that the flotilla can protect the Sumaah vessels from Asavean pirates, and at the Winter Solstice the Ambassador will also take custody of 10 wains of white granite intended for use by the Freeborn rebuilding and defending their nation.

<big>'''A Grand Armada'''</big><br>
'''Between 10,000 and 15,000'''<br>
The more valuable the cargo of the Sumaah ships, the more keen the pirates of Asavea will be to seize it. With a truly impressive armada of vessels, the Sumaah Houses will be prepared to risk another 10 wains of white granite, bringing the total to 20 wains. They will also provide another five pots of '''Sevensalve''', and twenty doses of liao for use by Freeborn priests supporting their people in rebuilding their pride.

<big>'''Spirit of Zemress'''</big><br>
'''More than 15,000'''<br>
With this many fleets, the ships arranged by the House of the People will be joined by several more vessels chartered by Sumaah citizens from all walks of life inspired by [[Loyalty]], [[Courage]] and [[Pride]]. They will come to the Brass Coast to offer practical aid in securing Madruga or helping to deal with the damage done to Feroz by the wicked Grendel governor. At the Winter Solstice, there will be an [[opportunity]] to work with the Sumaah to remove one of the [[Region_qualities|negative qualities]] besetting the Freeborn territories. For each additional 5,000 strength beyond 15,000 there will be another opportunity to a maximum of three such opportunities.
</div>

The Sumaah understand that such collaboration can take time to organise. They can, if needed, wait until the following season to send the aid - in that case, the ambassador need only write to their counterpart using [[Call Winged Messenger]] at the summit to let them know. Beyond that, the urgency of the moment will be gone and the [[opportunity]] will be lost.

===Liberty Pact===
* '''Axos' decision to call a meeting of the Liberty Pact has done little to dispel Sumaah concerns about the nation'''
* '''The Sumaah seek to amend the Liberty Pact to require that all signatories welcome missionaries versed in the Way'''

As with the [[Commonwealth]], the Sumaah have [[My_passions_from_a_common_spring#The_Liberty_Pact|concerns]] about the meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] that has been [[Troop_of_echoes#Liberty|convened]] by the people of [[Axos]]. They do not dispute the right of members to convene meetings, and note that the Axou have followed all the appropriate forms. They do not object to the use of the [[Lashonar#Caucus_Forum|Caucus Forum]] - indeed Oxtitocszin grudgingly admits that it is a sensible arrangement given that a Sumaah delegation might legitimately balk at visiting the wicked nation itself. Their problem is more fundamental; they object to the Axos on spiritual grounds and want nothing to do with them.

Everything they have learned about Axos tells them that their religion is an abomination. It denies and derides all [[the Doctrines of the Faith]], and enshrines monstrous practices in the pursuit of some crazed belief in the malign nature of the Creator and the Labyrinth. And all that before one gets to its brazen embrace of [[malign spiritual presences]] alongside the true Virtues. In a Virtuous world, Axos should be dropped from the Liberty Pact, and would already have been so, where it not for the protection extended to them by the Empire.

Unless the Empire has had a change of heart, the Sumaah don't plan to revisit the issue of Axos membership at this time, but given the success of the Pact in fighting slavery, Ambassador Oxtitocszin is keen to see what the Pact might achieve next. A recent [[statement of principle]] in the House of Ambition argues that it is impossible for true liberty to be achieved without the guidance of the Way. Only the Way truly recognises the need for individuals to be free to pursue their ambitions, and only the Way appreciates the true nature of prosperity and the importance of labour receiving just rewards. As such, the Sumaah will seek to amend the Liberty Pact to require that all signatories welcome missionaries versed in the Way to spread the true faith and to help people understand the real meaning and importance of destroying the institution of slavery. The so-called "Common Good" is acceptable only to the degree it does not deny the virtues - but the Commonwealth ultimately has blinkered itself by refusing to embrace the Way without which any idea of the greater good cannot be realised.

If there is not time to discuss this matter at the Winter meeting, then presumably the Empire will convene the meeting Ambassador Accalon mentioned at the Spring Equinox. The Sumaah Republic anticipates that the weight of Sumaah and the Empire will be sufficient to get the Commonwealth delegates to see sense.

===Zemress Naval Academy===
* '''The Sumaash welcome the offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
The Sumaah Republic thanks the [[Senator]] for [[Sarvos]] for their invitation to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress_Naval_Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]], although they do express some surprise that the invitation did not originate with the Senator for Madruga where the Academy is based. Regardless, there is some interest in Sumaah in the opportunity to study alongside the shipwrights and mariners of the Brass Coast.

As such the House of the People has appointed a ''Guide for the Students'' to oversee Sumaah pupils prepared to make the journey to the Empire to visit the Academy. ''Bjarna Xicot'' of the Frieøyer has been appointed - an experienced captain in their own right they will be accompanying the [[A Gift of Pride|convoy]] making its way to the Coast after the Autumn Equinox along with a number of enthusiastic would-be students.

While the Sumaah are not entirely without naval experience, they look forward to the chance to study alongside their Imperial peers. There is also apparently some talk of discussing a joint venture to restore the Zemress Seminary - or ideally something significantly more impressive. ''Bjarna Xicot'' is apparently keen for a chance to discuss the nature of Zemress as a paragon with the sailors of the Brass Coast.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Adelmar The Lion.jpg|captiom=Panel taken from a depiction of Adelmar by Asenath Daughter of Esther, Felix’s Watch.| align=right|width=300}}</div>
===Ama the Wanderer===
*'''Ser Eddard d'Argenteux has arrived in Sumaah to undertake research
* '''They will not be returning to the Empire before the Winter Solstice
The Ambassador reports that [[Historical research#Ser Eddard d'Argenteux|Ser Eddard d'Argenteux]] has safely reached Zemeh, and is settling in well. They have already been the focus of some interest from the House of Ambition, especially those who find personal inspiration in the life of Ama the Wanderer. Hopefully working with them the scholar can [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Research_Adelmar_the_Lion|determine once and for all]] whether Ama is indeed [[Adelmar the Lion]]. Ser Eddard has requested that the Ambassador apprise the [[Minister of Historical Research]] that given the distances involved, and the general danger of the western seas, they will not be back before the Winter Solstice and as such will unfortunately be unavailable to undertake another project - unless the research can be done in the warm and welcoming climate of the Sumaah Republic, of course.
===Peculiar Questions===
* '''Ambassador Oxtitocszin has received several missives from Imperial citizens that do not relate to diplomatic matters
* '''They diplomatically request that the Empire consider their role and the nature of the missives they send
Following the Summer Solstice, Ambassador Oxtitocszin notes that they received several [[Call Winged Messenger|magical missives]] that related to matters of philosophy rather than diplomacy. While is is true that Oxtitocszin is präster, their role in the House of Pride and as Censor of Wood and Stone related to diplomatic matters rather than offering spiritual guidance. As such they politely request that future missives relate to their role - presenting and discussing opportunities of a diplomatic nation relating to trade and politics rather than matters of Doctrine or the practice of liao ceremonies. They do not wish to be rude; but they chose to serve their people and the Way in a specific capacity that suits their expertise.

They can pass such questions along, but warn that in most cases it is unlikely there will be a single clear answer on anything that is not already covered by the Doctrines of the Faith. Furthermore, any short answer runs the risk of creating misconceptions. As a case in point, the query of '''Suspiria i Riqueza''' about Sumaah attitudes to immortality mostly results in a suggestion that to date no Sumaah präster or magician has ever encountered a method of achieving that state that was not riddled with blasphemous and heretical considerations. There is a general feeling that the only way a human might "achieve immortality" would be to transcend the Labyrinth but theologians are fiercely divided on the matter of whether that is the case and whether "immortality" has any meaningful definition anyway.

Likewise, in answer to the Shaman of Wintermark, Oxtitocszin has no real detail to add to the story about their uncle and the condor - he only mentioned it as an example of the fact that people are prone to believe the oddest things and frankly is rather regretting having brought it up in the first place.
{{Asavean Links}}
{{Sumaah Links}}

Threats that are to come

2025-09-05T22:11:08Z

Vsabo: /* Siege and Refugees */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]]
<ic>"The dowsers reports are in sir." said the young woman, holding up a set of paper sheaves. She extended her hand forwards as if to hand them to the sombre man sat behind the dark wooden desk, but at the last minute she changed her mind and placed them on top of the smooth mahogany.

Startled by the intrusion, Professor Gelberg looked up from the letter he was reading. He leaned forwards so that he could peer over the top of his spectacles at his student and eyed them for a moment, silently pondering what to say next. It was a bad habit that made his students nervous and he knew it, but somehow he couldn't seem to shake it. "Can you tell me what they say?" he asked at last, as much to break the silence.

"They've confirmed what we suspected from the measurements we took from the two unconfined wells on the east side of the city. They're both relatively shallow, but there is a much larger aquifer beneath it. It's covered by a thick layer of rock... it will take time to drill through it, but it's eminently possible. There's a report with them from the local engineers, they've confirmed they can make the drills we need."

"Excellent. Excellent work Carina. You've been very thorough."

Immanuel's student nodded her head quickly in acknowledgement of the praise, the faintest hint of a smile visible on her lips. "We're still waiting on the other locations, but we're cautiously optimistic. Two of the remaining sites look equally promising."

"Excellent - thank you. I'm sure our hosts will be very pleased. With luck, this is exactly what they're hoping for. You can leave these," he said pointing at the papers on the desk, "I'll read through them when I'm done here. Let me know when you hear more."

The dismissal was subtle, but Carina immediately acknowledged it and turned to leave. She was a smart woman, she'd make an excellent researcher one day, he thought to himself. That was, if she didn't end up training to be an officer like her uncle. He frowned at that thought, reminded of just how much was at stake right now.

He looked back down at the letter he'd received from Professor Schmidt and frowned again. A colleague writing him to ask him his views was nothing unusual, but something about this magic proposed by Schmidt was preying on his mind...
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Actuallythebest001.png|caption=Holberg is regarded by some as the greatest city in the entire world, but that is not to say that it is a stranger to problems and protracted sieges.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
At the Summer Solstice '''Lula''' and '''Bernhard Kleist von Ennerlund''' and '''Cees van Holberg''' won the [[Patron of the Beurteilung|patronage of the Beurteilung]] at [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Imperial_elections#Bourse_Auction|auction]] for twenty thrones. This gave them the right to request that the scholars of the Commonwealth appraise a pressing matter, much as if it were an [[appraisal]] being carried out by the prognosticator's office. The work is led by ''Professor Immanuel Gelberg'', a studious [[Commonwealth]] scholar whose work emphasizes the [[Commonwealth#Religion|Common Good]]. This season, Die Beurteilung is set the task of assessing "''any innovative mechanisms to secure and bolster Holberg's food and water supplies against threats that are to come''."

In truth, the city is currently well-provisioned by supplies coming from Dawn and the rest of the Empire, so boosting the food supply doesn't provide much in the way of immediate returns. There are concrete steps the nation could take to lay in supplies in Holberg against a siege and increase the amount of viable farmland beyond Holberg's walls, but without an urgent need, there are few benefits now.

Of course it might be invaluable in the future - if events change. After all, who can who can say what threats are to come?
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="Instructions to Professor Immanuel Gelberg">In vigilant preparation, direct the scholars of the Commonwealth to assess any innovative mechanisms to secure and bolster Holberg's food and water supplies against threats that are to come; whether for a protracted siege, or especially to feed an influx of significant numbers of refugees. We do this in acknowledgement that our Common Good is an admirable goal, and to protect the current and future inhabitants of Holberg, the Greatest City in the Empire.</quote></div>

==Greatest City in the Empire==
* '''Professor Gelberg and his team are keen to get to work exploring opportunities in Holberg
The professor and his team are happy to be working in Holberg; they seem very taken with the city. The Commonwealth has a pair of [[fortification|fortifications]] which are ''near'' the size of the vast defences that protect the city, but both these fortifications are stand-alone affairs built on the Commonwealth's borders with [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarm]], well away from any conurbation. Commonwealth cities and large towns are usually walled to protect against bandits and opportunistic raids, but they have nothing like the gigantic fortress-city of Holberg.
{{SOP|statement=Citizens of Holberg, it is our virtuous duty to increase provisions for our great city and the armies who resupply here. We urge you to look to your ingenuity in making the fertile lands of Utterland more productive, and welcome any Sandfishers who wish to aid you.|by=Lia Adelaar, League Assembly|vote=Greater Majority 240-0|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
They are also pleased with the warm welcome they receive, and the enthusiastic cooperation of many of the Holburghers with an interest in their work. This collaborative spirit is of course further bolstered by the words of '''Lia Adelaar''' and the League Assembly, who urged them to offer their own ingenious suggestions as to how to make the lands of [[Holberg#Utterlund|Utterlund]] more productive, and to welcome any Sandfishers who might wish to become involved in the project.

After a few days of settling back in following their [[Beat_of_your_drum#Sun_and_Gold|recent visit]] to the [[Great Library of Hacynian]], the professor judges it prudent to consider the supplies of food and drinking water. Getting enough of both is ''always'' a problem for a city and while Holberg manages, it would struggle if there was any kind of substantial siege. Given the scale of the defences, a protracted siege could well be the easiest way to take the city. Once the invaders had seized control of [[Holberg#Holmauer|Holmauer]] and [[Holberg#Rebeshof|Rebeshof]] they could cut the supply lines to the city and starve it out.

After some consideration, the Professor presents his conclusions in two parts - improving the food supplies to the city from the outlying regions and making provisions against the prospect of a siege or of the city needing to take in a great number of refugees.
==Siege and Refugees==
* '''Professor Gelberg proposes drilling three deep wells and building seven storehouses spread around the city'''
* '''The proposals would protect against the effects of a siege for two seasons and allow the city to support any number of refugees'''
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Seven Stores'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Holfried, Holberg</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 20 white granite, 5 weirwood, 5 mithril and 30 thrones in labour and set-up costs</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 3 thrones</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Provides enough provisions to completely protect the city against a siege for two seasons
* Provides enough provisions to feed any number of refugees that come to Holberg (they might still need shelter)
* Provides enough supplies to keep two armies in Holberg in supply for two seasons</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Option:''' Double the upkeep to 6 thrones to provide subsidised food to reduce hunger among the poor of Holberg</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Unlimited</td></tr>
</table></div>

The city of Holberg already benefits from extraordinarily good protection against a siege. The region of [[Holberg#Holfried|Holfried]] is hilly and the bulk of the city abuts the mountains of neighbouring [[Semmerholm#Estmure|Estmure]] in [[Semmerholm]]. There is a narrow mountain pass that leads from the city to Estmure - which the Druj were not able to close during their thirty year campaign to take the city. As long as that pass remains open any siege of Holberg is certain to fail.

If a military force were able to take Estmure, then they could close the pass. At that point if [[Holberg#Holmauer|Holmauer]] and [[Holberg#Rebeshof|Rebeshof]] had been taken, the city would be cut off. Such a siege could quickly become devastating. Fortunately, Estmure is protected by [[Semmerholm#The_Adamant_Gate|the Adamant Gate]] a large fortification that is quite literally unbreakable! Nobody in Holberg would ever refer to Estmure and the Adamant Gate as an actual [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbican barbican], but in effect it serves a similar purpose - to besiege Holberg proper, attackers would need to first capture the Gate.

Still, what is good can always be made better. The commission for the Commonwealth scholars mentions the possibility of a large influx of refugees and that could quickly become a problem. It is always a challenge supplying a city with enough victuals and the city's wells could quickly run dry if there was a massive influx of people.

It isn't practical to try and store large amounts of drinking water. Huge volumes would be required and the risk of it fouling would be too high. There are several [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well unconfined wells] that have been built over the years, but the Professor proposes to drill three new deep wells - digging shafts all the way down through the limestone to reach the confined aquifers far below the city. The work would be expensive and difficult, but once complete, there would be more than enough water to ensure the city never ran short, even if there was a huge influx of refugees, or the city was completely cut off.

As part of the work, the Professor also proposes the creation of seven huge food stores situated around the city. These would hold grain, salted and cured meat, dried fish, and so on. It is important to keep them apart; a single store is at risk from fire, vermin or sabotage. After discussion with the city elders, the team suggest one large store for each of the seven Virtues. The work is challenging - drilling wells is expensive and time-consuming work. It is also dangerous and requires a highly skilled team. Fortunately the engineers of Holberg are a match for anything in the Commonwealth - there is nothing here that couldn't be handled at any time now that the Professor's team has done their work - if the whole edifice was commissioned.

The stores would incur some running costs - grain needs to be purchased to fill the stores, and it can't be kept indefinitely. The best way to keep the food from spoiling is to sell a fraction of it each season and buy new to replace it - hence the costs. As a result, the stores would need three thrones each season in upkeep to keep them operating, reflecting the difference between the price of food purchased and the food sold.

The civil service can easily manage the stores and arrange to dispose of any grain before it spoils by selling it in Holberg's markets, but the Commonwealth professors propose an alternative. Holberg is a powerful and wealthy city, but it still has its share of impoverished citizens, the poorest of whom struggle to find enough to eat. Rather than sell the grain for the best price, a portion of it could be distributed to the poor of Holberg. Such beneficence would be expensive - it would double the upkeep of the stores from three thrones a season to six - but it would mean that everyone had enough to eat. Such a commitment to the Common Good would improve the health of the poorest people in Holberg, helping the city grow faster and freeing the poorest from the need to spend their waking hours securing enough wealth simply to eat.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|width=300}}</div>
It's hard to assess if the benefits are worth the costs, given how well protected Holberg already is, but the combination of wells and grain stores would ensure that Holberg would be ''completely'' protected against the effects of any siege for two entire seasons after Estmure was taken. Only ''after'' that would supplies start to run out and the siege become a problem. Finally the storehouses would mean that an Imperial army could take refuge within the boundaries of the city for up to two seasons, without risk of running out of supplies. The army would not go [[Imperial_army#Out_of_Supply|out of supply]] for two seasons, despite their supply lines being cut. The general of an army wishing to take advantage of this would need to be in the territory and specify in their [[Army orders|orders]] that they were accepting the sanctuary of Holberg; if more than one army attempted this in the same season ''none'' would gain the benefit. While taking advantage of this opportunity, the army would ''not'' benefit from [[Casualties#Natural_Resupply|natural resupply]] (unless they were a League army), although they ''could'' benefit from [[Casualties#Emergency_Resupply|emergency supply]]. It would also not prevent other armies from the same nation being out of supply.

The stores would also mean Holberg could support any number of refugees within the walls, or in nearby Holmauer, without suffering from starvation. Of course a large influx of people would need to be housed somewhere, so the stores wouldn't resolve all the problems that refugees might cause, but they would be enough to ensure there was no problem finding enough food for people to eat.

'''OOC Note: ''' There are no rules for sieges in Empire at the moment, but in the event that we add rules for sieges, these defences would provide protection from any attempt to starve the city by cutting off supplies for two complete seasons.

==Land and Ditches==
* '''Professor Gelberg has rehashed the old civil service proposals for draining some of the wetlands of Holberg'''
* '''The commission would remove the marsh quality from Rebeshof and Utterlund and the penalty to farms in Holberg'''
* '''There are few people in Holberg interested in farming the new land so the benefits are minimal'''
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Seven Dykes'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Holberg</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 30 weirwood, 90 crowns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* One year after completion, Rabeshof and Utterlund would lose the marsh quality
* The current penalty to farms in Holberg would stop
* Makes it appealing for people to farm the new regions which would increase the supply of food to Holberg</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Unlimited</td></tr>
</table></div>

The other half of the appraisal was a request to increase the supply of food to Holberg. It doesn't take long for Professor Gelberg and his team to locate the issue. Most of the territory of Holberg has slowly surrendered to the spreading waters of the Nameless River. Decades of painstaking work to drain the marshes to create fertile farmland have been defeated by Druj malice as they destroyed the dykes designed to keep the waters out. There are people who live outside the city and eke out a living from farming what dry land remains, but they are few and far between. Most of Holberg has simply adapted to the loss of the drained land by buying more victuals from the Dawnish [[yeofolk of Dawn|yeofolk]] and merchants of Semmerholm.

The most obvious way to improve the food supply of Holberg is clearly to drain the marshes of [[Holberg#Rebeshof|Rebeshof]], [[Holberg#Ennerlund|Ennerlund]], [[Holberg#Utterlund|Utterlund]] and [[Holberg#The_Morass|the Morass]]. Years ago, the civil service put forwards [[380YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_fortune#The_Creeping_Morass|various proposals]] to rebuild the damaged dykes but at the time they were all too expensive to contemplate. The fact that there are so few [[farm|farms]] and [[herb garden|herb gardens]] in Holberg is probably why there was never enough support to save the land from the encroaching flood waters.

Professor Gelberg brushes off the old plans and examines them carefully, with a view to looking at what parts of the proposals might be pared back to reduce the costs. The original proposal was put together with ambition to boost herb production in the territory - dropping those elements significantly reduce the costs. The slimmed down proposal is nicknamed the Seven Dykes - to match the proposal for the store houses in the city itself. In fact it would entail an extensive series of groundworks reinforced with [[weirwood]] timbers to hold the dykes in place at key locations towards the Nameless River but the name seems to stick no matter how misleading it is.

It would take time to drain the land, Professor Gelberg calculates that Rebeshof and Utterlund would lose the marsh quality one year after completion of the dykes. But the current penalties to farms in the territory would end as soon as the work was completed, as the waters would leave behind fertile land as they receded. That would provide a lasting benefit to the food supply of Holberg, making farms here more productive and drawing more farmers to the area as the land becomes more viable. Ensuring adequate supplies of food are available is always challenging for any city but Holberg would be guaranteed to have no food supply problems for years to come if the work was completed, unless the city somehow managed to double in size.

Sadly the benefits of the work are still marginal at best. At present there are few significant problems with food supply in Holberg; the city is able to import much of what it needs from nearby Dawn. Ever since Holberg joined the Empire, it has increasingly relied on importing large amounts of fresh food from the rest of the Empire - in many ways, that is actually part of what has made the city so successful. If the occupants of Holberg spent their time growing their own food, they would be far fewer successful businesses in the city. Holberg is known for its chefs, bakers, and victuallers not for its farmers - it does after all require an entirely different level of expertise to take raw ingredients and turn them into something wonderful than to dig those ingredients out of the ground in the first place.

Arguably though the problem is not the lack of farms, so much as the lack of ''farmers''. Most League citizens are simply not that interested in working the land, not when there is more gainful employment to be had elsewhere. Once the regions of Utterlund and Rebeshof are drained then people ''could'' set up profitable farms there - but why would Holbergers give up life in the city for that?

==The Common Good==
* '''It may be possible to persuade the Sandfishers to farm the regions as foreigners'''
* '''Doing so would increase taxation and make the Sandfishers more prosperous'''
* '''It would provide a modest increase in supply for League armies'''
* '''Nothing could happen until the regions are drained'''
Professor Gelberg discusses the problem with his Imperial counterpart - [[Appraisal#Naomi_of_Virtue's_Rest|Naomi of Virtue's Rest]] - who is also [[Any port in a storm|conducting an appraisal in Holberg]]. Both believe that the ideal solution is to persuade the Sandfishers to set up farms in the newly drained regions. That option would provide potential benefits to both parties. Any new farms would be subject to taxation, increasing revenue to the Imperial coffers, but they would also increase the supply of produce, helping to ensure a surfeit of food available in the City.

<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Seven Farms'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Amendment to the Seven Dykes</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Requirements:'''
* Rebeshof and Utterlund are drained by the construction of the Seven Dykes
* Outreach to the Sandfishers to persuade them to farm Rebeshof and Utterlund as foreigners
* Herds of swine delivered from the Marcher markets, in the manner of the recent cattle markets
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Costs:''' 5 thrones to establish pig markets in appropriate Marcher towns</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:'''
* Boosts Imperial taxation in the territory by up to 6 thrones a season
* Increases League army supply - but not by enough to support an additional army at this time
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability:''' Unlimited</td></tr>
</table></div>
And the Sandfishers should benefit as well. With access to all that land, they could establish substantial farms allowing them to make significant profits. At the moment the Sandfishers are mostly running subsistence farming in Misericorde, focussed on gathering fish, eels, whelks, snails, crabs, lobsters, frogs and other "delicacies". The Sandfishers consider their land to be an abundant paradise, and they're making good profits selling their goods in Holberg's markets where they are considered to be exotic speciality foods. But the methods they are employing will never result in a major increase in food supply to the city.

And even if they could, it's not clear that the city would buy that much Sandfisher food. Holberger's favourite food is sausage of every variety. From simple pork and beef sausages made with herbs and spices to enormously spicy cured meats, the city has an insatiable appetite for it. There's a limit to how much eel the folk of Holberg want to eat, but the city would cheerfully buy all the sausage the Sandfishers could supply, provided the quality was there.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="Personal Motto of Kanute Adelaar van Holberg, Custodian of the Bloody Great Sausage">Victory is like a good Sausage - You don't want to know how its made.</quote></div>
There are a number of political and economic challenges involved. The Sandfishers made discreet enquiries about the prospects for the region of Utterlund, but they assumed that the land would need to be ceded to them for them to own and work it. That simply isn't the case - there is no reason at all that the Sandfishers couldn't own and operate very successful farms in Rebeshof and Utterlund, ''just like any other foreigner might''. The problem is their lack of vision - they were given Misericorde by the League, and they've prospered there - so now they're stuck thinking in those terms.

To succeed the League would need to ''persuade'' the Sandfishers to set up farms in the adjacent regions, not as ''rulers'' of the land, but simply as ''owners'' of it. The Sandfishers should have few problems adjusting to Imperial law - they already follow it while visiting or studying in Holberg after all - and there is ample evidence that they are adopting a simplified version of it in Misericorde more out of expediency than anything else.

The bigger problem is taxes. The Sandfishers are currently choosing to give "taxes" to Holberg, making a donation of one throne a season. It's a token gesture, given the huge number of tiny farms and herb gardens they've set up in the region. If any of them moved their current operation to Imperial territory, they'd have to pay Imperial taxes, which would be a heavy burden for the small, inefficient farms the Sandfishers run. They can't prosper in Imperial territory spending their days collecting eels, crabs and whelks by hand from coastal waters and river banks.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBMarches.jpg|align=right|width=300}}</div>
But if they set up large prosperous pig farms, they could make a ''lot'' more money - at which point the taxes would be moot. They'd need to be persuaded to abandon traditional Sandfisher hunter-gatherer approaches for more intensive farming techniques... and they'd need to acquire huge herds of pigs to set the new farms up. Those would need to come from [[the Marches]] - they're the only Imperial nation that could provide enough pigs to form new herds in the time available.

Recent success with the [[Million_miles_of_water#The_Cattle_Markets|cattle markets at Stockford and Wayland]] have demonstrated that Marcher farmers can spare the livestock - but who would pay for it? The Sandfishers are surprisingly resistant to the idea of accepting charity from the Empire, their understanding of [[Prosperity]] prohibits them from simply taking things without giving back.

To really produce meaningful benefits, the League would need to find a way to persuade the Sandfishers to move to Rebeshof and Utterlund after the land was drained, convince them to set up large pig farms there, get them to accept the financial support needed to establish the new pig herds and convince Marcher [[yeomen of the Marches|yeofolk]] to make arrangements to provide the livestock. It's a tall order - but doing so would see taxes in Holberg rise, food supplies to the city increase, and see the Sandfishers grow closer to the city of Holberg, even as they become more prosperous. Professor Gelberg is so excited by the idea, which he believes represents a perfect example of the Common Good, that he intends to author a paper on the subject that he hopes to submit to the ''Zeitschrift für strukturierte Ökonomie'' when he returns home.

Of course at the moment it's little more than a theory. Since the implementation is primarily diplomatic in nature - finding ways to approach the Sandfishers to engage them with the idea - the Professor has left that part to Imperial diplomats.

However the early signs are promising - the Professor's team was overheard discussing the idea by his Sandfisher guide, ''Swift-Fisher'', and she let them know that not all Holberg citizens eat sausages. She claims to know "for a fact" that the [[Merchant Prince of Misericorde Market]], is a [[Schisms_and_Heresies#Vitalism|vitalist]] who eschews meat and similar, and there are presumably other Holbergers who do likewise. However she then points out that she learned at school in Holberg that pigs can be trained to find truffles, which are a rare delicacy considerably more valuable than whelks. The professor recounts the story merely to illustrate that the idea was clearly not unappealing to her...

Nothing could happen until the regions of Rebeshof and Utterlund were drained. The Sandfishers are not worldly, but they're no fools - they're not about to set up new farms in the middle of a swamp. And the costs and benefits are hard to prognosticate because it would be dependent on the Marchers and the size of the herds of pigs acquired. The Professor is aware that large sums of money changed hands over cattle bonds recently, but he has no idea precisely how much was involved. However he estimates that if the League acquired every pig the Marchers could spare in a season, that would be enough to enable the Sandfishers to set up scores of farms across the territory raising overall taxation by a maximum of 6 thrones a season (the returns would be less if some of the bonds were acquired by any potential competitors).

The success of the project would also improve the League's ability to [[Imperial_army#Maximum_numbers_of_Imperial_Forces|support armies]]. It wouldn't be enough ''by itself'' to allow them to [[Imperial_army#Recruitment|raise]] a fourth [[Imperial army|army]], but it would be a valuable milestone on the way to reaching that ambitious goal.

==Further Reading==
Other winds about die Beurteilung and the amazing adventures of Professor Gelberg and his team of daring appraisers.

* [[Germinating a city]]
* [[Beat_of_your_drum#Die_Beurteilung|Beat of your drum]]
* [[According_to_principle#die_Beurteilung|According to principle]]

Troop of echoes

2025-09-05T16:16:34Z

Vsabo: /* Wit and Wisdom */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The young man wakes between one breath and the next, and sits up. He yawns, stretches, sips from a glass of water on the bedside table. Gets up, draws the curtains. It is still dark outside but the first light of dawn is beginning to spill across the sea far below his window.

He barely remembers his dream; something about a party at the palace and applause. He washes the dream away as he performs his morning ablutions - even at this early hour his servant has ensured the water is warmed and there is a fresh towel waiting for him. He pauses for a moment looking at himself in the gold-inlaid mirror. He practices his expressions for a few minutes: appearing sombre, appearing amused, appearing angry. Then he dresses, beginning with the simple dragonbone mask that covers the upper part of his face, then a freshly laundered silk under-robe of glorious apricot. He fingers the material, luxuriating in both its texture and its colour. He pulls on a sombre black lambswool outer-robe, but belts it only loosely. It gives him a sense of satisfaction that everyone will see how he rejects the funereal garb of the traditionalists, ready to embrace the joy of a nation reborn.

In the foyer of his apartments he pauses to pour fresh water and oil into the little basin at the shrine, and scatter black rose petals. Solokha, hands folded before her, wearing the Mask of Peace. The other sorcerer-kings stand behind her, united and solemn. If he feels any particular connection to his alleged ancestor he does not display it in his perfunctory obeisance.

The office is quiet. He is the first one there. He relaxes into his chair. The new leather creaks as he tries to settle himself. He is unaccustomed to it, but knows that in time it will come to fit his body like a glove - and if it does not he will simply replace it. He takes a moment to ensure everything is arranged on his desk, positioned just so to convey busy professionalism and subtle power. His eyes stray again to the portraits of the Grand Ilarchs on the wall opposite the desk. Anyone who meets with him will do so under the watching gaze of Kyther. And the others, of course.

The only document on his desk is a sealed letter; his secretaries have been chosen for their competence at dealing with the day-to-day demands of his office so this is something that requires his personal attention. He turns it over in his hand, selects the jade-handled golden letter opener. It is from his opposite number in the Empire. It must have arrived during the night. He reads it carefully, writing a few lines on the vellum he keeps for his most important business with a pristine swan's feather quill.

While he writes, a servant enters, soft woollen slippers making no noise on the dark carpet. They open the shutters on the window, which faces towards the dawn, to where the sun is rising. The servant refills his water glass from the pitcher, bows, and quietly retreats. The meeting with Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban - with the Grand Council rather - has already been arranged and he must be ready to present his summary of the missive. Must be ready to receive his instructions.

He pauses for just a moment, though, gazing out at the glorious crimson, topaz, golden light spilling out across the horizon. It sparks a fierce joy in him, reminding him that he at last has everything he ever wanted, that at last he is part of something ''good'' and ''powerful'' and ''destined''.

It's going to be a wonderful day.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the ''Nikitis Axou'' movement.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLmiuMv5L4}}
* '''Axos are signatories to the Liberty Pact, and relations have been slowly improving in recent seasons'''
* '''There have been recent upheavals in both the Axou and Imperial embassies as the ambassadors from both nations have changed'''
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with foreign nations, 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.

Imperial relations with the [[Axos|Citadels of Axos]] are significantly improved over where they were a year ago, in part due to the involvement of Imperial priests in the [[It_never_happened#Solokha|reclamation of the ruins of Solokha]]. The Axou remain proud and touchy about their sovereignty and position in the world, however, creating challenges for the [[Ambassador to Axos|Imperial ambassador]]. They are members of the [[Liberty Pact]], but they know they are only there thanks to the Empire, on the sufferance of the [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]]. In recent months, the small nation to the south of [[the Mallum]] is clearly undergoing a level of [[Victory_and_unity#Times_Change|internal upheaval]] thanks to the ambitions of ''Grand Ilarch Kyther''. More recently they were [[A_better_future#School_and_Scandal|rocked by scandal]] leading to the retirement of the former Ambassador Ilarch Maxatious, the formation of a new Grand Council to guide the nation, and the establishment of a [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|Unified Convocation]] that seeks to do the same for Axos' disparate religious [[Bands#Sects|sects]].

At the same time there were upheavals closer to home as long-serving Ambassador ''Fintan Nighthaven'' was [[revocation|revoked]] from his position and [[sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the [[Imperial Synod]]. He is succeeded in the position by ''The Flame of Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]]. In Axos, Maxatious has been replaced by ''Ilarch Kario Skopos'', a scion of the Skopos family of the [[Axos#Chambers of Ussyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. At the instruction of the Grand Ilarchs, however, he has renounced his ties to the citadel of his birth for as long as he holds the post. Instead, he is known as Ilarch Skopos of Solokha, signifying his neutrality when it comes to the politics of the citadels. The new ambassador reports directly to the Grand Council and represents their will, and through them the will of their people.
{{Nation|nation=[[Axos]]|port=[[Axos_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Kantor]] and [[Axos_ports#Chambers_of_Issyk|Issyk]]|ambassador=The Flame of Riqueza of [[the Brass Coast]]|status=Foreigner}}
==But To Sing==
* '''A formal delegation intends to visit Anvil during the Autumn Equinox
* '''They will be received in the Senate around 11.30am on Saturday
* '''The delegation expects to speak to the ambassador and renew good relations between the two nations
* '''There is talk of other business after the formal delegation
One of the first matters Ilarch Skopos has arranged is the dispatch of a diplomacy envoy to Anvil, to arrive during the Autumn Equinox and renew relations between the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. The delegation expects to be formally received by the new Ambassador in the Imperial Senate; the meeting is scheduled for late morning on Saturday. Kario admits that mostly the delegation is intended to be a little pageantry to mollify some of those looking for an excuse for the Citadels to be annoyed with the Empire; a chance for diplomats from both nations to make some speeches and little else.

Once it's concluded however, it is hoped that there will be chance to discuss a couple of more serious issues specifically relating to the war in the [[Sarangrave]], and to the Liberty Pact. On the matter of the war with the [[Druj]] it seems that the [[A_better_future#The_Tyrants_of_the_Mallum|Summer visit]] from representatives of ''Grand Ilarch Dancia Terricos of [[Axos#Ipotavo|Ipotavo]]'' went well. They spoke with '''Gabriel Barossa''' among others, and remain committed to taking action against the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. It is hoped that there will be someone at the Senate who will be able to speak on behalf of the [[Imperial Military Council]] on this joint strategy and any political elements that may need smoothing out.

==Liberty==
* '''The Axou are calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact for the Winter Solstice which they will host
* '''They plan to use Lashonar's Caucus Forum to do so
* '''They are bringing the matter of a recent amendment to the table for voting
In their missive the Imperial Ambassador mentioned that the Empire was considering calling a meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] either in the coming Winter or in Spring next year. This news delights Ilarch Skopos, because it shows that the ambassadors of the two nations are thinking along similar lines. As it happens, Axos is calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact at the Winter Solstice that they will host (as is [[Voice_of_Liberty#Rights_of_Signatories|their right]]). They are aware that the seas are dangerous, and so have secured the boon of the [[Lashonar#Caucus Forum|Caucus Forum]] from the ''[[Lashonar|Midnight Owl]]''. The [[eternal]] has assured Ilarch Skopos' office that there will be no problem bringing together representatives from all four nations that are signatory to the Pact in the secure [[Realms#Night|chamber of Night]].

The goal of the Axos delegate is to repeal the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|384YE amendment]] that demands all signatories apply a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] to the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. They argue that the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|Second Principle]] - that ''signatory nations will place economic or trade sanctions of their own choosing on nations defined as slaving nations'' - is more than sufficient. The Pact, says Ilarch Skopos, is about ending slavery not about allowing the signatory nations to force their own politics on the other members. The Commonwealth has overstepped and attempted to turn the Pact into a political weapon that distorts its original purpose.

Ilarch Skopos anticipates that the Empire will let his office know if there are any motions the Imperial delegate wishes to place before the Pact for discussion at this meeting, and that the [[Sumaah Republic]] and [[Commonwealth]] will do the same. One of Skopos' experts on the Liberty Pact will be travelling to Anvil along with the formal delegation and hopes there will be a chance to speak to the [[Voice of Liberty]] '''Jarrigk Silktongue''' on the upcoming meeting. They apologise for pre-empting the Empire's meeting, but if there is business that is not resolved during the Winter Solstice there will be ample opportunity for the Imperial delegate to call a further meeting. Ilarch Skopos advises making use of the Caucus Forum, or a similar eternal boon, simply because it makes it much harder for members of other nations to find reasons they cannot attend.
{{SOP|statement= Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. As preachers of Ambition, spreading virtue across the known world, we need to act immediately to guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path. Reaching out in support, sparking the embers which to blow into the inferno of true virtue.|by=Tongs, Ambition Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos, inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos. Let us be the light of truth to plan seeds of Virtue and Enlightenment now which will bear fruit for generations to come. Only then can we address their folly of the Creator. Heed the call of Ambitions Master and Masquerade, of Pride’s Conqueror, of Vigilance’s Sentinel, and Wisdom’s Avigliana.|by=Fintan Nighthaven, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Fintan Nighthaven. You are not above reproach and certainly not above consequence. You have proven a force of corruption in your dealings with Peace - the extent of your influence must be scrutinised. Time 6pm Sat, place Nighthaven Camp. Let us see if you are malicious.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, Wisdom Assembly|vote=Upheld (184-20)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=For irregularities in their dealings with Axou, and following accusations of assisting the spreading of false virtue, we revoke Fintan Nighthaven from the position of Ambassador to Axou. This action has been requested by the Consul of the Senate.|by=Revocation, Cardinal Lenarius Ankarien, Ambition Assembly|vote=Greater Majority (5-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=On behalf of the Imperial Inquisitor: (Judgement 148 after inquisition) Fintan Nighthaven has been found guilty of incontestable acts of blasphemy and abuse of priestly powers. His work as an agent of Peace has harmed both the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. He lied to the Vigilance Assembly and the Greater Synod to gain true liao that he used to create an artefact shield of Peace. He brought false hallows under false pretences to the Assembly of Nine. His provision of significant liao facilitated a mandate of unity in Axos. This cannot stand.|by=Condemntaion, Cardinal Silas of the Cenotaph, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority (8-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Chaplain Consular, Lepedina. It is your responsibility to tend to the souls of the Ambassadorial Court. Fintan Nighthaven has been allowed to operate undeterred to devastating consequence. We will discuss what work you have done at the next summit.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, General Assembly|vote=Automatically upheld|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
==A Unified Convocation==
* '''The Unified Convocation sees a number of Axou sects coming together in a tentative philosophical alliance
* '''It enshrines and encourages adherence to the Axou faith which declares the Creator a tyrant and the Labyrinth a place of torture
* '''The Imperial Synod has discussed offering aid to the Unified Convocation
As [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|mentioned last season]], in the wake of the recent cleansing of [[Axos#Solokah|Solokha]], ''Theodosia of Ipotavo'' has established a permanent presence in the ruins of the citadel. At this small temple, several of the Axou [[bands#sects|sects]] who helped reclaim the haunted ruins have established a "Unified Convocation" - the ''Enias Sinklisis'' in the old language of the Nikitis Axou. It is modelled somewhat on the General Assembly of the [[Imperial Synod]], but so far only a small number of Axou sects expressed any interest in becoming part of it. How much influence the Convocation will be able to wield is not clear; the Axou share a single religion but few priests possess any actual political power.

It seems that over recent months the Convocation has focused on spreading a message of unity, and of the importance of the Axou faith as a way for citizens of the Citadels to understand their place in the world. Fundamentally conservative, it has so far proved acceptable to those who wield real power - the Grand Ilarchs. Indeed ''Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban'' has spoken openly in support of the Convocation, and of the importance of cleaving to the values that built the Citadels.

Anyone who has made any study of [[Axos religion|Axou religion]] knows that fundamentally it stands in opposition to the Way. Indeed Axou religious scholars have gone so far as to [[Axos_religion#Repudiation|repudiate]] the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in detail in their writings. Not only does the religion preach the importance of resisting the Creator, the curse of death, and the torments of the Labyrinth, it preaches that ''any'' spiritual force may prove to be a useful weapon in that battle. Axou sects combine the true virtues freely with much more [[Malign spiritual presences|malign spirits]] in their pursuit of that war. Unifying the disparate sects will be an uphill struggle, but if it succeeds it is unlikely to be good for anyone with ambitions to spread the Way into Axos.

During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements]] were upheld in the [[Ambition]] and [[Vigilance]] assemblies calling for Imperial priests to travel to "''guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path''" and to "''Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos''." Neither statement achieved a [[Greater majority]] however. That may be for the best - the Axou are notoriously prickly about condescension and painting their priests as "lost sheep" or "infants" is almost guaranteed to annoy them a great deal. The Grand Convocation has not asked for any assistance, and if it were to be offered it would need to be done carefully or risk upsetting a situation that is, at least for the moment, relatively stable. Should any Virtue Assembly wish to offer aid however, the first step would be to achieve a greater majority.

The Civil Service caution that sending Imperial priests to Axos on this matter will be challenging. Recent trips to Solokah showed that the Axou are no less committed to their beliefs than the Empire is. It is unlikely that any group of Imperial priests, are going to undermine Axou certainty that the Creator is the enemy and that the Labyrinth is a trap. In turn there is little risk of the Axou convincing devout priests of the Way that ''their'' beliefs are false and they should decry the Creator. What ''is'' likely to happen however is that the Axou sects will continue to share their understanding of the so-called "false virtues" with anyone who comes to Axos, and there is a real danger of those tempted to explore these malign spiritual presences would take this opportunity to visit the eastern nation and embrace those dangerous spirits.

==Robes of Sorrow==
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan Enemy of the Creator.jpg|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, has been condemned in the Empire but exalted in Axos.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
* '''The former ambassador to Axos has been revoked and condemned by the Assembly of Nine
* '''The United Convocation have declared him to be an Enemy of the Creator
* '''The General Assembly could choose to vindicate Fintan for his actions'''.
One of the statements urging Imperial priests to visit Axos and help mold the United Convocation came from the former Ambassador '''Fintan Nighthaven'''. During the Summer Solstice, Fintan was variously [[inquisition|inquisited]] by the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''', and then both [[revocation|revoked]] and [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the Assembly of Nine. This has caused a great deal of discussion among priests in various parts of the Empire; some have even pointed out that it is "''interesting''" that the condemnation was raised by the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]], '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', who is himself quite a [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|controversial figure]].

Oblivious to all this, and apparently unaware that it might have ramifications, the initial response to hearing that Fintan was no longer Ambassador to Axos was one of surprise and sadness. Fintan, wrote Ilarch Skopos, was an experienced diplomat who he personally had hoped to correspond with. Dealing with someone of Fintan's pedigree would have surely served as a steadying guide to his first faltering steps along the road of diplomacy. While Ilarch Skopos welcomes the new ambassador it is with a little sorrow that he never had a chance to match wits with the famous Fintan Nighthaven. And so on.

It is followed a few days later by a formal recognition from the United Convocation that Fintan Nighthaven is an "Enemy of the Creator". This is apparently meant as an honorific, and within traditional Axou sects it is not dissimilar to being recognised as an exemplar or perhaps more likely the newly created status of [[Exaltation|exalted]]. Someone who through spiritual or philosophical means has opposed the Creator's wicked plans and encouraged other mortals to resist the curse of death and the torments of the Labyrinth. It is clearly meant to be a good thing, but unfortunately may end up being another nail in the coffin of the former Ambassador.

The crimes Fintan stands condemned for - [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] and [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]] - are very serious indeed. The magistrates will try Fintan for these crimes at the Autumn Equinox, under the [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|new guidance]] as to how to proceed - and it is not clear if the Ambassador will be able to refute them. From a legal point of view, there are various possible pathways forward. It is vanishingly unlikely that the magistrates will not find the actions Fintan is accused of as broadly compatible with the definitions of the religious crimes of which he has been accused --- it is certainly not overwhelmingly clear that the actions in question are ''not'' within the right scope. It may of course be the case that the accusations are simply false: if this is the case, and the magistrates judge this to be so at trial, then Fintan would have a clear defence in law, which would imply that almost every member of the Assembly of Nine has opened themselves to prosecution for [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|perverting the course of justice]]. If Fintan pleads guilty, the right of [[Member_of_the_Synod#Clemency|clemency]] is open to him, if a member of the Synod wishes to offer it: if this plea fails, it seems likely, given the scale and severity of the accusation, that his execution will surely follow.

However, another path exists. Per the recent guidance, there is but one body within the Synod that can countermand another assembly when it deigns to condemn - but it may so countermand even the Assembly of Nine. This is, of course, the General Assembly. A judgement of [[Sanction#Vindication|Vindication]], stating clearly that the General Assembly considers Fintan's actions to have constituted neither [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] nor [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]], would essentially terminate the current legal proceedings. Such a statement would not even require a greater majority to pass... unless the Emperor intervened in their role as Custodian of Virtue. Even then, a greater majority would save Fintan. It would also set the General Assembly directly at odds not only with the Assembly of Nine but also with their recent strong stance against meddling with false virtues, but the Synod has changed its mind before.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box><big>'''Tomb Dust and Masks'''</big><br>The ideal phys-rep for ''tomb dust'' is a little pouch of sand or a dark coloured cloth wrap secured with string or thong. It doesn't need to be especially large - just big enough to feel comfortable in the hand.<br><br>The ideal phys-rep for a ''Mask of the Citadel'' is a bone-like mask such as china, porcelain or the like, but any mask will do. Axou masks tend to evoke skulls rather than echoing the more fanciful designs of the League (for example).</box></div>

==Pearl and Ruby Glowing==
* '''Axos welcomes Imperial ships
* '''Kantor and Issyk remain open to Imperial vessels
* '''The goods available from Kantor have changed
Trade with Axos appears to remain strong. With the end of the Asavean bounty on ships trading with Imperial ports, there are more black-sailed ships arriving at [[Necropolis#Crown's Quay|Crown's Quay]] in [[Necropolis]]. Thanks to Imperial ships still committed to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting ships]] to and from Imperial ports, trade is beginning to return to normal levels. Healthy trade is the lifeblood of nations, as the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] say, and the "[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]" appears to be paying off already.

Kantor is no longer providing crystal mana - instead it will provide a visiting captain with two doses of something the Axou call ''Tomb Dust'' - a consumable that allows the user to expend their personal reserves of strength to power their magic. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them.

The merchants of the city have also been given leave by the Grand Council to make some of their rarer goods available to visiting Imperial captains; a fleet that has been [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] may be able to acquire one of the ''Masks of the Citadel'' - [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings.

==Through the Pale Door==
* '''A delegation has visited the Halls of Maykop and worked on codification of a ritual
* '''A copy of ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'' is now in the possession of the Tyburn Weaver
* '''The Axos Ambassador received worrying news of potential espionage
* '''Ilarch Skopos has asked for formal reassurance that no espionage or theft has taken place
In response to a [[A_better_future#Winter Magic|peace-making gesture]] from the [[Axos#Halls of Maykop|Halls of Maykop]], the Imperial Conclave agreed to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Shuttered_Lantern_to_Maykop|send a delegation]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] to Axos to work with magicians there on a codification. They chose a ritual named ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'', an [[enchantment]] that adds weight to spoken oaths and geasa. The formulation of the ritual, believed to have been based on work performed by the [[Urizen]] '''Spyridonakes of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', was completed swiftly and efficiently and a copy of the ritual text should now be in possession of [[Grandmaster]] '''Tyburn Weaver''' who raised the [[declaration]]. Shortly after the work was completed, not long before the Autumn Equinox, a concerned message reached the office of the Imperial Ambassador from Ilarch Skopos.

Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is a little concerned to have received a warning from a reputable source that Imperial citizens, members of the delegation from the Shuttered Lantern, may have planned to engage in espionage and theft while visiting Maykop as guests of the faculty there. Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is particularly distressed by this, and as such the Axou Ambassador requests reassurances from the Ambassador, and ideally the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Conclave, that no such act has taken place and that no similar act will be considered in the future. It may simply be that the source of the warning was engaged in malicious mischief, or seeking to sabotage relations with the Grand Council, but there is enough concern that Ilarch Skopos feels driven to request such reassurances.

Regardless it does not appear that the Grand Ilarch of Maykop is keen for further delegations from the Empire. While individual students may attend it is unlikely a similar opportunity for a Conclave order to work on the codification of a ritual will be forthcoming any time soon.
<br><br><big>'''Participation : Shuttered Lantern'''</big><br>
Any player whose character is part of the Shuttered Lantern order may have accompanied the delegation heading to Maykop last season, to attend the University there and help codify the Winter ritual. They will have found the city a little standoffish, especially members of the Grand Ilarch's immediate circle and the higher ranking members of the University faculty, but been welcomed with a degree of enthusiasm by the students in particular. In addition to the work of codification, alongside Axou experts in Winter magic, there were opportunities for several feasts, a chance to see the sights of the cloistered citadel, and to audit a few classes on any number of subjects both mundane and more exotic (especially those relating to funerary practices which are treated as both a science, an art, and a magical discipline by the Axou).

There may have been opportunities for minor espionage but nothing with game implications. If there ''was'' a theft of ritual knowledge, only Grandmaster Tyburn will know the details and who took part in the operation (that is, the Grandmaster is free to invite other players to have been part of such a scheme but it's not appropriate for a player to decide they were involved).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|caption=The Axou are interested in the Five Cities Military Academy.|width=300}}</div>
==Along the Ramparts==
* '''The Axos have politely declined an offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
* '''A counter-proposal would see Axou captains visit Tassato to study at the Five Cities Military Academy
* '''There are both concerns about what the Axou might learn and opportunities involved in such an exchange
Ambassador Kezandro put forward a proposition that Axos might be interested in purchasing a right to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress Naval Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]] in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]]. After extensive discussion, Ilarch Skopos regretfully declines the offer on behalf of the Grand Council. It seems that the Axou do not see the value in [[Imperial navy|naval forces]] - their expertise lies very much in the realm of [[fortification]] and in those places where they might consider expansion a navy will be of little use.

On the other hand there ''is'' some interest in the [[Tassato#Five_Cities_Military_Academy|Five Cities Military Academy]] and the [[Tassato#Barossa School of Imperial Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]]. According to Ilarch Skopos there are a number of mid-rank officers in the military forces of the northern citadels - [[Axos#Gates of Ipotavo|Ipotavo]], [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Kaban]], and [[Axos#Chambers of Issyk|Issyk]] - who have expressed a desire to spend time studying alongside the Empire's elite captains. There are places to study the science and art of war in Axos, of course, especially in Ipotavo, but Skopos does not shy away from praising the Empire's foremost military academy. Axos has enjoyed a long period of relative peace, after all. It's strong traditions of defensive warfare mean that experience of aggressive campaigns is limited to the gaming tables and discussions with dead generals whose knowledge of the modern world and developments in military strategy is in many places woefully inadequate. If Axos is truly to take its place in the world as a true power, it will need to modernise and expand its martial forces and the Grand Council cautiously approve of the idea of sending some of their warriors to study at the Barossa School.

Obviously this is a very different proposition to the [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|current situation]] - where the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits]] oversees a low-key exchange program mostly focused on providing opportunities to study the arts and humanities. It would place Axos citizens in a position to study Imperial military history and practices like never before - and there is some significant potential for espionage if the Axou were so inclined. Fortunately the Empire has no history of direct military conflict with Axos since their [[Mareave_and_Urizen#Imperial_Records|ill-starred invasion]] in the reign of [[Emperor Nicovar]]. On the other hand there is little doubt among the Civil Service that the Axou would benefit more from studying the Imperial war machine - and the workings of the [[Imperial Military Council]] in particular - than the Empire might gain from the arrangement. At the very least they would end up almost as well-informed about the Empire's victories, losses, and current strategies as any other dedicated captain attending the Academy (that is, they would gain at least as much information as someone reading a summary of the [[War#Winds_of_War|winds of war]] each season). That alone ''could'' prove problematic, in theory, depending what the Empire is doing at the time.

Ilarch Skopos proposes that the students wishing to attend the Academy simply ''pay'' for the privilege. He estimates that there is sufficient interest in the opportunity to provide 5 thrones each season to the Academy. Such funds would end up in the Imperial treasury unless the [[Imperial Senate]] made other arrangements. Either way the arrangements would need a [[Senate motion]] to confirm arrangements should they wish to accept the request.
<br><br><big>'''A Proposal from Apulian'''</big><br>
''Batheka de Tassato Regario'', an Apulian orc veteran and experienced Grendel commander before joining [[the League]] points out that if the Empire ''is'' prepared to take the risk there may be an opportunity for additional profit in it. The Axou may not be able to match the Empire in grand strategy but they are not without their areas of expertise. Their grand citadels - city-sized fortifications - are proof that the people of Axos are skilled engineers, almost as good as those from [[Holberg]], and that they have a lot of experience with defensive building. Anyone who has visited the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]] knows they have some techniques that are not common in the Empire, and their cities have properties very reminiscent of the new [[citadel]] innovation.

They're also known to be reasonably effective at deploying battle-mages their ''[[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Texatai]]'' light skirmishers are apparently well-practiced at small unit tactics employing both sword and rod. While their fighting style is similar to that of the [[Urizen]] [[Sentinel]] there are enough differences to mean they might have some actual insight into such strategies.

If the Senate ''does'' go ahead with allowing Axou soldiers to study at the Five Cities Military Academy, Batheka proposes that the Ambassador (or the senate motion used to issue the invitation) casually invite some siege commanders, or if they prefer some ''toxatai'' captains, to come along. Done casually it will not alert the Axou to the idea they might have something useful to offer; one reason Batheka suggests only asking for one or the other. Asking both will make it a little too obvious what the Empire seeks to gain from the arrangement.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sian Eternal.jpg|align=right|caption='''Siân Eternal''', ''Singer of the Silence'', currently oversees the Great Library at Hacynian.|width=250}}</div>

==Wit and Wisdom==
* '''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop has requested an opportunity for some of her students to spend a season at the Great Library of Hacynian
* '''She waits on a response from the Bursar of the House of Spirits or the Singer of the Silence
Last season ''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop'' - a well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy who has been living in the Empire for nearly four years now - [[A_better_future#Librarian_and_Bursar|expressed interest]] in the Great Library of Hacynian. Mistress Isephenia oversees a small group of students from Axos [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|studying in the Empire]], and assists Imperial youths who might wish to study in Maykop. She also helps operate the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|House of Spirits]] in [[Casinea]] alongside [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|Bursar]] '''Rinnah''' of the [[Highguard_groups#The Shattered Tower|Shattered Tower]]. Several students would like the opportunity to study at the Great Library but would need permission to do so.

The Axos professor mentions that no permission has so-far been forthcoming. She's aware that there has been some uncertainty as to who might be responsible for the Great Library but again wonders if either the Bursar or the [[Singer of the Silence]] - '''Siân Eternal''' - would be interested? If so they can send a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ilarch Skopos and confirm the invitation. In many ways Mistress Isephenia would rather they politely decline that simply remain silent, but she understands that there are many drains of the time of a busy academic.

Obviously the civil service have advised a degree of caution following the request, given that it appears to offer no particular benefit to the Empire beyond perhaps some diplomatic favour from Maykop, and risks the Axou finding out more about the vallorn than is good for them.
{{Axos Links}}

Troop of echoes

2025-09-05T16:14:58Z

Vsabo: /* Along the Ramparts */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The young man wakes between one breath and the next, and sits up. He yawns, stretches, sips from a glass of water on the bedside table. Gets up, draws the curtains. It is still dark outside but the first light of dawn is beginning to spill across the sea far below his window.

He barely remembers his dream; something about a party at the palace and applause. He washes the dream away as he performs his morning ablutions - even at this early hour his servant has ensured the water is warmed and there is a fresh towel waiting for him. He pauses for a moment looking at himself in the gold-inlaid mirror. He practices his expressions for a few minutes: appearing sombre, appearing amused, appearing angry. Then he dresses, beginning with the simple dragonbone mask that covers the upper part of his face, then a freshly laundered silk under-robe of glorious apricot. He fingers the material, luxuriating in both its texture and its colour. He pulls on a sombre black lambswool outer-robe, but belts it only loosely. It gives him a sense of satisfaction that everyone will see how he rejects the funereal garb of the traditionalists, ready to embrace the joy of a nation reborn.

In the foyer of his apartments he pauses to pour fresh water and oil into the little basin at the shrine, and scatter black rose petals. Solokha, hands folded before her, wearing the Mask of Peace. The other sorcerer-kings stand behind her, united and solemn. If he feels any particular connection to his alleged ancestor he does not display it in his perfunctory obeisance.

The office is quiet. He is the first one there. He relaxes into his chair. The new leather creaks as he tries to settle himself. He is unaccustomed to it, but knows that in time it will come to fit his body like a glove - and if it does not he will simply replace it. He takes a moment to ensure everything is arranged on his desk, positioned just so to convey busy professionalism and subtle power. His eyes stray again to the portraits of the Grand Ilarchs on the wall opposite the desk. Anyone who meets with him will do so under the watching gaze of Kyther. And the others, of course.

The only document on his desk is a sealed letter; his secretaries have been chosen for their competence at dealing with the day-to-day demands of his office so this is something that requires his personal attention. He turns it over in his hand, selects the jade-handled golden letter opener. It is from his opposite number in the Empire. It must have arrived during the night. He reads it carefully, writing a few lines on the vellum he keeps for his most important business with a pristine swan's feather quill.

While he writes, a servant enters, soft woollen slippers making no noise on the dark carpet. They open the shutters on the window, which faces towards the dawn, to where the sun is rising. The servant refills his water glass from the pitcher, bows, and quietly retreats. The meeting with Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban - with the Grand Council rather - has already been arranged and he must be ready to present his summary of the missive. Must be ready to receive his instructions.

He pauses for just a moment, though, gazing out at the glorious crimson, topaz, golden light spilling out across the horizon. It sparks a fierce joy in him, reminding him that he at last has everything he ever wanted, that at last he is part of something ''good'' and ''powerful'' and ''destined''.

It's going to be a wonderful day.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the ''Nikitis Axou'' movement.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLmiuMv5L4}}
* '''Axos are signatories to the Liberty Pact, and relations have been slowly improving in recent seasons'''
* '''There have been recent upheavals in both the Axou and Imperial embassies as the ambassadors from both nations have changed'''
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with foreign nations, 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.

Imperial relations with the [[Axos|Citadels of Axos]] are significantly improved over where they were a year ago, in part due to the involvement of Imperial priests in the [[It_never_happened#Solokha|reclamation of the ruins of Solokha]]. The Axou remain proud and touchy about their sovereignty and position in the world, however, creating challenges for the [[Ambassador to Axos|Imperial ambassador]]. They are members of the [[Liberty Pact]], but they know they are only there thanks to the Empire, on the sufferance of the [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]]. In recent months, the small nation to the south of [[the Mallum]] is clearly undergoing a level of [[Victory_and_unity#Times_Change|internal upheaval]] thanks to the ambitions of ''Grand Ilarch Kyther''. More recently they were [[A_better_future#School_and_Scandal|rocked by scandal]] leading to the retirement of the former Ambassador Ilarch Maxatious, the formation of a new Grand Council to guide the nation, and the establishment of a [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|Unified Convocation]] that seeks to do the same for Axos' disparate religious [[Bands#Sects|sects]].

At the same time there were upheavals closer to home as long-serving Ambassador ''Fintan Nighthaven'' was [[revocation|revoked]] from his position and [[sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the [[Imperial Synod]]. He is succeeded in the position by ''The Flame of Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]]. In Axos, Maxatious has been replaced by ''Ilarch Kario Skopos'', a scion of the Skopos family of the [[Axos#Chambers of Ussyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. At the instruction of the Grand Ilarchs, however, he has renounced his ties to the citadel of his birth for as long as he holds the post. Instead, he is known as Ilarch Skopos of Solokha, signifying his neutrality when it comes to the politics of the citadels. The new ambassador reports directly to the Grand Council and represents their will, and through them the will of their people.
{{Nation|nation=[[Axos]]|port=[[Axos_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Kantor]] and [[Axos_ports#Chambers_of_Issyk|Issyk]]|ambassador=The Flame of Riqueza of [[the Brass Coast]]|status=Foreigner}}
==But To Sing==
* '''A formal delegation intends to visit Anvil during the Autumn Equinox
* '''They will be received in the Senate around 11.30am on Saturday
* '''The delegation expects to speak to the ambassador and renew good relations between the two nations
* '''There is talk of other business after the formal delegation
One of the first matters Ilarch Skopos has arranged is the dispatch of a diplomacy envoy to Anvil, to arrive during the Autumn Equinox and renew relations between the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. The delegation expects to be formally received by the new Ambassador in the Imperial Senate; the meeting is scheduled for late morning on Saturday. Kario admits that mostly the delegation is intended to be a little pageantry to mollify some of those looking for an excuse for the Citadels to be annoyed with the Empire; a chance for diplomats from both nations to make some speeches and little else.

Once it's concluded however, it is hoped that there will be chance to discuss a couple of more serious issues specifically relating to the war in the [[Sarangrave]], and to the Liberty Pact. On the matter of the war with the [[Druj]] it seems that the [[A_better_future#The_Tyrants_of_the_Mallum|Summer visit]] from representatives of ''Grand Ilarch Dancia Terricos of [[Axos#Ipotavo|Ipotavo]]'' went well. They spoke with '''Gabriel Barossa''' among others, and remain committed to taking action against the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. It is hoped that there will be someone at the Senate who will be able to speak on behalf of the [[Imperial Military Council]] on this joint strategy and any political elements that may need smoothing out.

==Liberty==
* '''The Axou are calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact for the Winter Solstice which they will host
* '''They plan to use Lashonar's Caucus Forum to do so
* '''They are bringing the matter of a recent amendment to the table for voting
In their missive the Imperial Ambassador mentioned that the Empire was considering calling a meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] either in the coming Winter or in Spring next year. This news delights Ilarch Skopos, because it shows that the ambassadors of the two nations are thinking along similar lines. As it happens, Axos is calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact at the Winter Solstice that they will host (as is [[Voice_of_Liberty#Rights_of_Signatories|their right]]). They are aware that the seas are dangerous, and so have secured the boon of the [[Lashonar#Caucus Forum|Caucus Forum]] from the ''[[Lashonar|Midnight Owl]]''. The [[eternal]] has assured Ilarch Skopos' office that there will be no problem bringing together representatives from all four nations that are signatory to the Pact in the secure [[Realms#Night|chamber of Night]].

The goal of the Axos delegate is to repeal the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|384YE amendment]] that demands all signatories apply a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] to the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. They argue that the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|Second Principle]] - that ''signatory nations will place economic or trade sanctions of their own choosing on nations defined as slaving nations'' - is more than sufficient. The Pact, says Ilarch Skopos, is about ending slavery not about allowing the signatory nations to force their own politics on the other members. The Commonwealth has overstepped and attempted to turn the Pact into a political weapon that distorts its original purpose.

Ilarch Skopos anticipates that the Empire will let his office know if there are any motions the Imperial delegate wishes to place before the Pact for discussion at this meeting, and that the [[Sumaah Republic]] and [[Commonwealth]] will do the same. One of Skopos' experts on the Liberty Pact will be travelling to Anvil along with the formal delegation and hopes there will be a chance to speak to the [[Voice of Liberty]] '''Jarrigk Silktongue''' on the upcoming meeting. They apologise for pre-empting the Empire's meeting, but if there is business that is not resolved during the Winter Solstice there will be ample opportunity for the Imperial delegate to call a further meeting. Ilarch Skopos advises making use of the Caucus Forum, or a similar eternal boon, simply because it makes it much harder for members of other nations to find reasons they cannot attend.
{{SOP|statement= Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. As preachers of Ambition, spreading virtue across the known world, we need to act immediately to guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path. Reaching out in support, sparking the embers which to blow into the inferno of true virtue.|by=Tongs, Ambition Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos, inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos. Let us be the light of truth to plan seeds of Virtue and Enlightenment now which will bear fruit for generations to come. Only then can we address their folly of the Creator. Heed the call of Ambitions Master and Masquerade, of Pride’s Conqueror, of Vigilance’s Sentinel, and Wisdom’s Avigliana.|by=Fintan Nighthaven, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Fintan Nighthaven. You are not above reproach and certainly not above consequence. You have proven a force of corruption in your dealings with Peace - the extent of your influence must be scrutinised. Time 6pm Sat, place Nighthaven Camp. Let us see if you are malicious.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, Wisdom Assembly|vote=Upheld (184-20)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=For irregularities in their dealings with Axou, and following accusations of assisting the spreading of false virtue, we revoke Fintan Nighthaven from the position of Ambassador to Axou. This action has been requested by the Consul of the Senate.|by=Revocation, Cardinal Lenarius Ankarien, Ambition Assembly|vote=Greater Majority (5-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=On behalf of the Imperial Inquisitor: (Judgement 148 after inquisition) Fintan Nighthaven has been found guilty of incontestable acts of blasphemy and abuse of priestly powers. His work as an agent of Peace has harmed both the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. He lied to the Vigilance Assembly and the Greater Synod to gain true liao that he used to create an artefact shield of Peace. He brought false hallows under false pretences to the Assembly of Nine. His provision of significant liao facilitated a mandate of unity in Axos. This cannot stand.|by=Condemntaion, Cardinal Silas of the Cenotaph, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority (8-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Chaplain Consular, Lepedina. It is your responsibility to tend to the souls of the Ambassadorial Court. Fintan Nighthaven has been allowed to operate undeterred to devastating consequence. We will discuss what work you have done at the next summit.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, General Assembly|vote=Automatically upheld|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
==A Unified Convocation==
* '''The Unified Convocation sees a number of Axou sects coming together in a tentative philosophical alliance
* '''It enshrines and encourages adherence to the Axou faith which declares the Creator a tyrant and the Labyrinth a place of torture
* '''The Imperial Synod has discussed offering aid to the Unified Convocation
As [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|mentioned last season]], in the wake of the recent cleansing of [[Axos#Solokah|Solokha]], ''Theodosia of Ipotavo'' has established a permanent presence in the ruins of the citadel. At this small temple, several of the Axou [[bands#sects|sects]] who helped reclaim the haunted ruins have established a "Unified Convocation" - the ''Enias Sinklisis'' in the old language of the Nikitis Axou. It is modelled somewhat on the General Assembly of the [[Imperial Synod]], but so far only a small number of Axou sects expressed any interest in becoming part of it. How much influence the Convocation will be able to wield is not clear; the Axou share a single religion but few priests possess any actual political power.

It seems that over recent months the Convocation has focused on spreading a message of unity, and of the importance of the Axou faith as a way for citizens of the Citadels to understand their place in the world. Fundamentally conservative, it has so far proved acceptable to those who wield real power - the Grand Ilarchs. Indeed ''Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban'' has spoken openly in support of the Convocation, and of the importance of cleaving to the values that built the Citadels.

Anyone who has made any study of [[Axos religion|Axou religion]] knows that fundamentally it stands in opposition to the Way. Indeed Axou religious scholars have gone so far as to [[Axos_religion#Repudiation|repudiate]] the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in detail in their writings. Not only does the religion preach the importance of resisting the Creator, the curse of death, and the torments of the Labyrinth, it preaches that ''any'' spiritual force may prove to be a useful weapon in that battle. Axou sects combine the true virtues freely with much more [[Malign spiritual presences|malign spirits]] in their pursuit of that war. Unifying the disparate sects will be an uphill struggle, but if it succeeds it is unlikely to be good for anyone with ambitions to spread the Way into Axos.

During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements]] were upheld in the [[Ambition]] and [[Vigilance]] assemblies calling for Imperial priests to travel to "''guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path''" and to "''Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos''." Neither statement achieved a [[Greater majority]] however. That may be for the best - the Axou are notoriously prickly about condescension and painting their priests as "lost sheep" or "infants" is almost guaranteed to annoy them a great deal. The Grand Convocation has not asked for any assistance, and if it were to be offered it would need to be done carefully or risk upsetting a situation that is, at least for the moment, relatively stable. Should any Virtue Assembly wish to offer aid however, the first step would be to achieve a greater majority.

The Civil Service caution that sending Imperial priests to Axos on this matter will be challenging. Recent trips to Solokah showed that the Axou are no less committed to their beliefs than the Empire is. It is unlikely that any group of Imperial priests, are going to undermine Axou certainty that the Creator is the enemy and that the Labyrinth is a trap. In turn there is little risk of the Axou convincing devout priests of the Way that ''their'' beliefs are false and they should decry the Creator. What ''is'' likely to happen however is that the Axou sects will continue to share their understanding of the so-called "false virtues" with anyone who comes to Axos, and there is a real danger of those tempted to explore these malign spiritual presences would take this opportunity to visit the eastern nation and embrace those dangerous spirits.

==Robes of Sorrow==
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan Enemy of the Creator.jpg|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, has been condemned in the Empire but exalted in Axos.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
* '''The former ambassador to Axos has been revoked and condemned by the Assembly of Nine
* '''The United Convocation have declared him to be an Enemy of the Creator
* '''The General Assembly could choose to vindicate Fintan for his actions'''.
One of the statements urging Imperial priests to visit Axos and help mold the United Convocation came from the former Ambassador '''Fintan Nighthaven'''. During the Summer Solstice, Fintan was variously [[inquisition|inquisited]] by the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''', and then both [[revocation|revoked]] and [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the Assembly of Nine. This has caused a great deal of discussion among priests in various parts of the Empire; some have even pointed out that it is "''interesting''" that the condemnation was raised by the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]], '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', who is himself quite a [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|controversial figure]].

Oblivious to all this, and apparently unaware that it might have ramifications, the initial response to hearing that Fintan was no longer Ambassador to Axos was one of surprise and sadness. Fintan, wrote Ilarch Skopos, was an experienced diplomat who he personally had hoped to correspond with. Dealing with someone of Fintan's pedigree would have surely served as a steadying guide to his first faltering steps along the road of diplomacy. While Ilarch Skopos welcomes the new ambassador it is with a little sorrow that he never had a chance to match wits with the famous Fintan Nighthaven. And so on.

It is followed a few days later by a formal recognition from the United Convocation that Fintan Nighthaven is an "Enemy of the Creator". This is apparently meant as an honorific, and within traditional Axou sects it is not dissimilar to being recognised as an exemplar or perhaps more likely the newly created status of [[Exaltation|exalted]]. Someone who through spiritual or philosophical means has opposed the Creator's wicked plans and encouraged other mortals to resist the curse of death and the torments of the Labyrinth. It is clearly meant to be a good thing, but unfortunately may end up being another nail in the coffin of the former Ambassador.

The crimes Fintan stands condemned for - [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] and [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]] - are very serious indeed. The magistrates will try Fintan for these crimes at the Autumn Equinox, under the [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|new guidance]] as to how to proceed - and it is not clear if the Ambassador will be able to refute them. From a legal point of view, there are various possible pathways forward. It is vanishingly unlikely that the magistrates will not find the actions Fintan is accused of as broadly compatible with the definitions of the religious crimes of which he has been accused --- it is certainly not overwhelmingly clear that the actions in question are ''not'' within the right scope. It may of course be the case that the accusations are simply false: if this is the case, and the magistrates judge this to be so at trial, then Fintan would have a clear defence in law, which would imply that almost every member of the Assembly of Nine has opened themselves to prosecution for [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|perverting the course of justice]]. If Fintan pleads guilty, the right of [[Member_of_the_Synod#Clemency|clemency]] is open to him, if a member of the Synod wishes to offer it: if this plea fails, it seems likely, given the scale and severity of the accusation, that his execution will surely follow.

However, another path exists. Per the recent guidance, there is but one body within the Synod that can countermand another assembly when it deigns to condemn - but it may so countermand even the Assembly of Nine. This is, of course, the General Assembly. A judgement of [[Sanction#Vindication|Vindication]], stating clearly that the General Assembly considers Fintan's actions to have constituted neither [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] nor [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]], would essentially terminate the current legal proceedings. Such a statement would not even require a greater majority to pass... unless the Emperor intervened in their role as Custodian of Virtue. Even then, a greater majority would save Fintan. It would also set the General Assembly directly at odds not only with the Assembly of Nine but also with their recent strong stance against meddling with false virtues, but the Synod has changed its mind before.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box><big>'''Tomb Dust and Masks'''</big><br>The ideal phys-rep for ''tomb dust'' is a little pouch of sand or a dark coloured cloth wrap secured with string or thong. It doesn't need to be especially large - just big enough to feel comfortable in the hand.<br><br>The ideal phys-rep for a ''Mask of the Citadel'' is a bone-like mask such as china, porcelain or the like, but any mask will do. Axou masks tend to evoke skulls rather than echoing the more fanciful designs of the League (for example).</box></div>

==Pearl and Ruby Glowing==
* '''Axos welcomes Imperial ships
* '''Kantor and Issyk remain open to Imperial vessels
* '''The goods available from Kantor have changed
Trade with Axos appears to remain strong. With the end of the Asavean bounty on ships trading with Imperial ports, there are more black-sailed ships arriving at [[Necropolis#Crown's Quay|Crown's Quay]] in [[Necropolis]]. Thanks to Imperial ships still committed to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting ships]] to and from Imperial ports, trade is beginning to return to normal levels. Healthy trade is the lifeblood of nations, as the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] say, and the "[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]" appears to be paying off already.

Kantor is no longer providing crystal mana - instead it will provide a visiting captain with two doses of something the Axou call ''Tomb Dust'' - a consumable that allows the user to expend their personal reserves of strength to power their magic. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them.

The merchants of the city have also been given leave by the Grand Council to make some of their rarer goods available to visiting Imperial captains; a fleet that has been [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] may be able to acquire one of the ''Masks of the Citadel'' - [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings.

==Through the Pale Door==
* '''A delegation has visited the Halls of Maykop and worked on codification of a ritual
* '''A copy of ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'' is now in the possession of the Tyburn Weaver
* '''The Axos Ambassador received worrying news of potential espionage
* '''Ilarch Skopos has asked for formal reassurance that no espionage or theft has taken place
In response to a [[A_better_future#Winter Magic|peace-making gesture]] from the [[Axos#Halls of Maykop|Halls of Maykop]], the Imperial Conclave agreed to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Shuttered_Lantern_to_Maykop|send a delegation]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] to Axos to work with magicians there on a codification. They chose a ritual named ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'', an [[enchantment]] that adds weight to spoken oaths and geasa. The formulation of the ritual, believed to have been based on work performed by the [[Urizen]] '''Spyridonakes of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', was completed swiftly and efficiently and a copy of the ritual text should now be in possession of [[Grandmaster]] '''Tyburn Weaver''' who raised the [[declaration]]. Shortly after the work was completed, not long before the Autumn Equinox, a concerned message reached the office of the Imperial Ambassador from Ilarch Skopos.

Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is a little concerned to have received a warning from a reputable source that Imperial citizens, members of the delegation from the Shuttered Lantern, may have planned to engage in espionage and theft while visiting Maykop as guests of the faculty there. Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is particularly distressed by this, and as such the Axou Ambassador requests reassurances from the Ambassador, and ideally the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Conclave, that no such act has taken place and that no similar act will be considered in the future. It may simply be that the source of the warning was engaged in malicious mischief, or seeking to sabotage relations with the Grand Council, but there is enough concern that Ilarch Skopos feels driven to request such reassurances.

Regardless it does not appear that the Grand Ilarch of Maykop is keen for further delegations from the Empire. While individual students may attend it is unlikely a similar opportunity for a Conclave order to work on the codification of a ritual will be forthcoming any time soon.
<br><br><big>'''Participation : Shuttered Lantern'''</big><br>
Any player whose character is part of the Shuttered Lantern order may have accompanied the delegation heading to Maykop last season, to attend the University there and help codify the Winter ritual. They will have found the city a little standoffish, especially members of the Grand Ilarch's immediate circle and the higher ranking members of the University faculty, but been welcomed with a degree of enthusiasm by the students in particular. In addition to the work of codification, alongside Axou experts in Winter magic, there were opportunities for several feasts, a chance to see the sights of the cloistered citadel, and to audit a few classes on any number of subjects both mundane and more exotic (especially those relating to funerary practices which are treated as both a science, an art, and a magical discipline by the Axou).

There may have been opportunities for minor espionage but nothing with game implications. If there ''was'' a theft of ritual knowledge, only Grandmaster Tyburn will know the details and who took part in the operation (that is, the Grandmaster is free to invite other players to have been part of such a scheme but it's not appropriate for a player to decide they were involved).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|caption=The Axou are interested in the Five Cities Military Academy.|width=300}}</div>
==Along the Ramparts==
* '''The Axos have politely declined an offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
* '''A counter-proposal would see Axou captains visit Tassato to study at the Five Cities Military Academy
* '''There are both concerns about what the Axou might learn and opportunities involved in such an exchange
Ambassador Kezandro put forward a proposition that Axos might be interested in purchasing a right to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress Naval Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]] in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]]. After extensive discussion, Ilarch Skopos regretfully declines the offer on behalf of the Grand Council. It seems that the Axou do not see the value in [[Imperial navy|naval forces]] - their expertise lies very much in the realm of [[fortification]] and in those places where they might consider expansion a navy will be of little use.

On the other hand there ''is'' some interest in the [[Tassato#Five_Cities_Military_Academy|Five Cities Military Academy]] and the [[Tassato#Barossa School of Imperial Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]]. According to Ilarch Skopos there are a number of mid-rank officers in the military forces of the northern citadels - [[Axos#Gates of Ipotavo|Ipotavo]], [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Kaban]], and [[Axos#Chambers of Issyk|Issyk]] - who have expressed a desire to spend time studying alongside the Empire's elite captains. There are places to study the science and art of war in Axos, of course, especially in Ipotavo, but Skopos does not shy away from praising the Empire's foremost military academy. Axos has enjoyed a long period of relative peace, after all. It's strong traditions of defensive warfare mean that experience of aggressive campaigns is limited to the gaming tables and discussions with dead generals whose knowledge of the modern world and developments in military strategy is in many places woefully inadequate. If Axos is truly to take its place in the world as a true power, it will need to modernise and expand its martial forces and the Grand Council cautiously approve of the idea of sending some of their warriors to study at the Barossa School.

Obviously this is a very different proposition to the [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|current situation]] - where the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits]] oversees a low-key exchange program mostly focused on providing opportunities to study the arts and humanities. It would place Axos citizens in a position to study Imperial military history and practices like never before - and there is some significant potential for espionage if the Axou were so inclined. Fortunately the Empire has no history of direct military conflict with Axos since their [[Mareave_and_Urizen#Imperial_Records|ill-starred invasion]] in the reign of [[Emperor Nicovar]]. On the other hand there is little doubt among the Civil Service that the Axou would benefit more from studying the Imperial war machine - and the workings of the [[Imperial Military Council]] in particular - than the Empire might gain from the arrangement. At the very least they would end up almost as well-informed about the Empire's victories, losses, and current strategies as any other dedicated captain attending the Academy (that is, they would gain at least as much information as someone reading a summary of the [[War#Winds_of_War|winds of war]] each season). That alone ''could'' prove problematic, in theory, depending what the Empire is doing at the time.

Ilarch Skopos proposes that the students wishing to attend the Academy simply ''pay'' for the privilege. He estimates that there is sufficient interest in the opportunity to provide 5 thrones each season to the Academy. Such funds would end up in the Imperial treasury unless the [[Imperial Senate]] made other arrangements. Either way the arrangements would need a [[Senate motion]] to confirm arrangements should they wish to accept the request.
<br><br><big>'''A Proposal from Apulian'''</big><br>
''Batheka de Tassato Regario'', an Apulian orc veteran and experienced Grendel commander before joining [[the League]] points out that if the Empire ''is'' prepared to take the risk there may be an opportunity for additional profit in it. The Axou may not be able to match the Empire in grand strategy but they are not without their areas of expertise. Their grand citadels - city-sized fortifications - are proof that the people of Axos are skilled engineers, almost as good as those from [[Holberg]], and that they have a lot of experience with defensive building. Anyone who has visited the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]] knows they have some techniques that are not common in the Empire, and their cities have properties very reminiscent of the new [[citadel]] innovation.

They're also known to be reasonably effective at deploying battle-mages their ''[[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Texatai]]'' light skirmishers are apparently well-practiced at small unit tactics employing both sword and rod. While their fighting style is similar to that of the [[Urizen]] [[Sentinel]] there are enough differences to mean they might have some actual insight into such strategies.

If the Senate ''does'' go ahead with allowing Axou soldiers to study at the Five Cities Military Academy, Batheka proposes that the Ambassador (or the senate motion used to issue the invitation) casually invite some siege commanders, or if they prefer some ''toxatai'' captains, to come along. Done casually it will not alert the Axou to the idea they might have something useful to offer; one reason Batheka suggests only asking for one or the other. Asking both will make it a little too obvious what the Empire seeks to gain from the arrangement.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sian Eternal.jpg|align=right|caption='''Siân Eternal''', ''Singer of the Silence'', currently oversees the Great Library at Hacynian.|width=250}}</div>

==Wit and Wisdom==
* '''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop has requested an opportunity for some of her students to spend a season at the Great Library of Hacynian
* '''She waits on a response from the Bursar of the House of Spirits or the Singer of the Silence
Last season ''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop'' - a well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy who has been living in the Empire for nearly four years now - [[A_better_future#Librarian_and_Bursar|expressed interest]] in the Great Library of Hacynin. Mistress Isephenia oversees a small group of students from Axos [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|studying in the Empire]], and assists Imperial youths who might wish to study in Maykop. She also helps operate the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|House of Spirits]] in [[Casinea]] alongside [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|Bursar]] '''Rinnah''' of the [[Highguard_groups#The Shattered Tower|Shattered Tower]]. Several students would like the opportunity to study at the Great Library but would need permission to do so.

The Axos professor mentions that no permission has so-far been forthcoming. She's aware that there has been some uncertainty as to who might be responsible for the Great Library but again wonders if either the Bursar or the [[Singer of the Silence]] - '''Siân Eternal''' - would be interested? If so they can send a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ilarch Skopos and confirm the invitation. In many ways Mistress Isephenia would rather they politely decline that simply remain silent, but she understands that there are many drains of the time of a busy academic.

Obviously the civil service have advised a degree of caution following the request, given that it appears to offer no particular benefit to the Empire beyond perhaps some diplomatic favour from Maykop, and risks the Axou finding out more about the vallorn than is good for them.
{{Axos Links}}

Troop of echoes

2025-09-04T22:09:22Z

Vsabo: /* A Unified Convocation */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The young man wakes between one breath and the next, and sits up. He yawns, stretches, sips from a glass of water on the bedside table. Gets up, draws the curtains. It is still dark outside but the first light of dawn is beginning to spill across the sea far below his window.

He barely remembers his dream; something about a party at the palace and applause. He washes the dream away as he performs his morning ablutions - even at this early hour his servant has ensured the water is warmed and there is a fresh towel waiting for him. He pauses for a moment looking at himself in the gold-inlaid mirror. He practices his expressions for a few minutes: appearing sombre, appearing amused, appearing angry. Then he dresses, beginning with the simple dragonbone mask that covers the upper part of his face, then a freshly laundered silk under-robe of glorious apricot. He fingers the material, luxuriating in both its texture and its colour. He pulls on a sombre black lambswool outer-robe, but belts it only loosely. It gives him a sense of satisfaction that everyone will see how he rejects the funereal garb of the traditionalists, ready to embrace the joy of a nation reborn.

In the foyer of his apartments he pauses to pour fresh water and oil into the little basin at the shrine, and scatter black rose petals. Solokha, hands folded before her, wearing the Mask of Peace. The other sorcerer-kings stand behind her, united and solemn. If he feels any particular connection to his alleged ancestor he does not display it in his perfunctory obeisance.

The office is quiet. He is the first one there. He relaxes into his chair. The new leather creaks as he tries to settle himself. He is unaccustomed to it, but knows that in time it will come to fit his body like a glove - and if it does not he will simply replace it. He takes a moment to ensure everything is arranged on his desk, positioned just so to convey busy professionalism and subtle power. His eyes stray again to the portraits of the Grand Ilarchs on the wall opposite the desk. Anyone who meets with him will do so under the watching gaze of Kyther. And the others, of course.

The only document on his desk is a sealed letter; his secretaries have been chosen for their competence at dealing with the day-to-day demands of his office so this is something that requires his personal attention. He turns it over in his hand, selects the jade-handled golden letter opener. It is from his opposite number in the Empire. It must have arrived during the night. He reads it carefully, writing a few lines on the vellum he keeps for his most important business with a pristine swan's feather quill.

While he writes, a servant enters, soft woollen slippers making no noise on the dark carpet. They open the shutters on the window, which faces towards the dawn, to where the sun is rising. The servant refills his water glass from the pitcher, bows, and quietly retreats. The meeting with Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban - with the Grand Council rather - has already been arranged and he must be ready to present his summary of the missive. Must be ready to receive his instructions.

He pauses for just a moment, though, gazing out at the glorious crimson, topaz, golden light spilling out across the horizon. It sparks a fierce joy in him, reminding him that he at last has everything he ever wanted, that at last he is part of something ''good'' and ''powerful'' and ''destined''.

It's going to be a wonderful day.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the ''Nikitis Axou'' movement.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLmiuMv5L4}}
* '''Axos are signatories to the Liberty Pact, and relations have been slowly improving in recent seasons'''
* '''There have been recent upheavals in both the Axou and Imperial embassies as the ambassadors from both nations have changed'''
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with foreign nations, 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.

Imperial relations with the [[Axos|Citadels of Axos]] are significantly improved over where they were a year ago, in part due to the involvement of Imperial priests in the [[It_never_happened#Solokha|reclamation of the ruins of Solokha]]. The Axou remain proud and touchy about their sovereignty and position in the world, however, creating challenges for the [[Ambassador to Axos|Imperial ambassador]]. They are members of the [[Liberty Pact]], but they know they are only there thanks to the Empire, on the sufferance of the [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]]. In recent months, the small nation to the south of [[the Mallum]] is clearly undergoing a level of [[Victory_and_unity#Times_Change|internal upheaval]] thanks to the ambitions of ''Grand Ilarch Kyther''. More recently they were [[A_better_future#School_and_Scandal|rocked by scandal]] leading to the retirement of the former Ambassador Ilarch Maxatious, the formation of a new Grand Council to guide the nation, and the establishment of a [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|Unified Convocation]] that seeks to do the same for Axos' disparate religious [[Bands#Sects|sects]].

At the same time there were upheavals closer to home as long-serving Ambassador ''Fintan Nighthaven'' was [[revocation|revoked]] from his position and [[sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the [[Imperial Synod]]. He is succeeded in the position by ''The Flame of Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]]. In Axos, Maxatious has been replaced by ''Ilarch Kario Skopos'', a scion of the Skopos family of the [[Axos#Chambers of Ussyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. At the instruction of the Grand Ilarchs, however, he has renounced his ties to the citadel of his birth for as long as he holds the post. Instead, he is known as Ilarch Skopos of Solokha, signifying his neutrality when it comes to the politics of the citadels. The new ambassador reports directly to the Grand Council and represents their will, and through them the will of their people.
{{Nation|nation=[[Axos]]|port=[[Axos_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Kantor]] and [[Axos_ports#Chambers_of_Issyk|Issyk]]|ambassador=The Flame of Riqueza of [[the Brass Coast]]|status=Foreigner}}
==But To Sing==
* '''A formal delegation intends to visit Anvil during the Autumn Equinox
* '''They will be received in the Senate around 11.30am on Saturday
* '''The delegation expects to speak to the ambassador and renew good relations between the two nations
* '''There is talk of other business after the formal delegation
One of the first matters Ilarch Skopos has arranged is the dispatch of a diplomacy envoy to Anvil, to arrive during the Autumn Equinox and renew relations between the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. The delegation expects to be formally received by the new Ambassador in the Imperial Senate; the meeting is scheduled for late morning on Saturday. Kario admits that mostly the delegation is intended to be a little pageantry to mollify some of those looking for an excuse for the Citadels to be annoyed with the Empire; a chance for diplomats from both nations to make some speeches and little else.

Once it's concluded however, it is hoped that there will be chance to discuss a couple of more serious issues specifically relating to the war in the [[Sarangrave]], and to the Liberty Pact. On the matter of the war with the [[Druj]] it seems that the [[A_better_future#The_Tyrants_of_the_Mallum|Summer visit]] from representatives of ''Grand Ilarch Dancia Terricos of [[Axos#Ipotavo|Ipotavo]]'' went well. They spoke with '''Gabriel Barossa''' among others, and remain committed to taking action against the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. It is hoped that there will be someone at the Senate who will be able to speak on behalf of the [[Imperial Military Council]] on this joint strategy and any political elements that may need smoothing out.

==Liberty==
* '''The Axou are calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact for the Winter Solstice which they will host
* '''They plan to use Lashonar's Caucus Forum to do so
* '''They are bringing the matter of a recent amendment to the table for voting
In their missive the Imperial Ambassador mentioned that the Empire was considering calling a meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] either in the coming Winter or in Spring next year. This news delights Ilarch Skopos, because it shows that the ambassadors of the two nations are thinking along similar lines. As it happens, Axos is calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact at the Winter Solstice that they will host (as is [[Voice_of_Liberty#Rights_of_Signatories|their right]]). They are aware that the seas are dangerous, and so have secured the boon of the [[Lashonar#Caucus Forum|Caucus Forum]] from the ''[[Lashonar|Midnight Owl]]''. The [[eternal]] has assured Ilarch Skopos' office that there will be no problem bringing together representatives from all four nations that are signatory to the Pact in the secure [[Realms#Night|chamber of Night]].

The goal of the Axos delegate is to repeal the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|384YE amendment]] that demands all signatories apply a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] to the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. They argue that the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|Second Principle]] - that ''signatory nations will place economic or trade sanctions of their own choosing on nations defined as slaving nations'' - is more than sufficient. The Pact, says Ilarch Skopos, is about ending slavery not about allowing the signatory nations to force their own politics on the other members. The Commonwealth has overstepped and attempted to turn the Pact into a political weapon that distorts its original purpose.

Ilarch Skopos anticipates that the Empire will let his office know if there are any motions the Imperial delegate wishes to place before the Pact for discussion at this meeting, and that the [[Sumaah Republic]] and [[Commonwealth]] will do the same. One of Skopos' experts on the Liberty Pact will be travelling to Anvil along with the formal delegation and hopes there will be a chance to speak to the [[Voice of Liberty]] '''Jarrigk Silktongue''' on the upcoming meeting. They apologise for pre-empting the Empire's meeting, but if there is business that is not resolved during the Winter Solstice there will be ample opportunity for the Imperial delegate to call a further meeting. Ilarch Skopos advises making use of the Caucus Forum, or a similar eternal boon, simply because it makes it much harder for members of other nations to find reasons they cannot attend.
{{SOP|statement= Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. As preachers of Ambition, spreading virtue across the known world, we need to act immediately to guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path. Reaching out in support, sparking the embers which to blow into the inferno of true virtue.|by=Tongs, Ambition Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos, inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos. Let us be the light of truth to plan seeds of Virtue and Enlightenment now which will bear fruit for generations to come. Only then can we address their folly of the Creator. Heed the call of Ambitions Master and Masquerade, of Pride’s Conqueror, of Vigilance’s Sentinel, and Wisdom’s Avigliana.|by=Fintan Nighthaven, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Fintan Nighthaven. You are not above reproach and certainly not above consequence. You have proven a force of corruption in your dealings with Peace - the extent of your influence must be scrutinised. Time 6pm Sat, place Nighthaven Camp. Let us see if you are malicious.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, Wisdom Assembly|vote=Upheld (184-20)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=For irregularities in their dealings with Axou, and following accusations of assisting the spreading of false virtue, we revoke Fintan Nighthaven from the position of Ambassador to Axou. This action has been requested by the Consul of the Senate.|by=Revocation, Cardinal Lenarius Ankarien, Ambition Assembly|vote=Greater Majority (5-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=On behalf of the Imperial Inquisitor: (Judgement 148 after inquisition) Fintan Nighthaven has been found guilty of incontestable acts of blasphemy and abuse of priestly powers. His work as an agent of Peace has harmed both the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. He lied to the Vigilance Assembly and the Greater Synod to gain true liao that he used to create an artefact shield of Peace. He brought false hallows under false pretences to the Assembly of Nine. His provision of significant liao facilitated a mandate of unity in Axos. This cannot stand.|by=Condemntaion, Cardinal Silas of the Cenotaph, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority (8-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Chaplain Consular, Lepedina. It is your responsibility to tend to the souls of the Ambassadorial Court. Fintan Nighthaven has been allowed to operate undeterred to devastating consequence. We will discuss what work you have done at the next summit.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, General Assembly|vote=Automatically upheld|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
==A Unified Convocation==
* '''The Unified Convocation sees a number of Axou sects coming together in a tentative philosophical alliance
* '''It enshrines and encourages adherence to the Axou faith which declares the Creator a tyrant and the Labyrinth a place of torture
* '''The Imperial Synod has discussed offering aid to the Unified Convocation
As [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|mentioned last season]], in the wake of the recent cleansing of [[Axos#Solokah|Solokha]], ''Theodosia of Ipotavo'' has established a permanent presence in the ruins of the citadel. At this small temple, several of the Axou [[bands#sects|sects]] who helped reclaim the haunted ruins have established a "Unified Convocation" - the ''Enias Sinklisis'' in the old language of the Nikitis Axou. It is modelled somewhat on the General Assembly of the [[Imperial Synod]], but so far only a small number of Axou sects expressed any interest in becoming part of it. How much influence the Convocation will be able to wield is not clear; the Axou share a single religion but few priests possess any actual political power.

It seems that over recent months the Convocation has focused on spreading a message of unity, and of the importance of the Axou faith as a way for citizens of the Citadels to understand their place in the world. Fundamentally conservative, it has so far proved acceptable to those who wield real power - the Grand Ilarchs. Indeed ''Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban'' has spoken openly in support of the Convocation, and of the importance of cleaving to the values that built the Citadels.

Anyone who has made any study of [[Axos religion|Axou religion]] knows that fundamentally it stands in opposition to the Way. Indeed Axou religious scholars have gone so far as to [[Axos_religion#Repudiation|repudiate]] the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in detail in their writings. Not only does the religion preach the importance of resisting the Creator, the curse of death, and the torments of the Labyrinth, it preaches that ''any'' spiritual force may prove to be a useful weapon in that battle. Axou sects combine the true virtues freely with much more [[Malign spiritual presences|malign spirits]] in their pursuit of that war. Unifying the disparate sects will be an uphill struggle, but if it succeeds it is unlikely to be good for anyone with ambitions to spread the Way into Axos.

During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements]] were upheld in the [[Ambition]] and [[Vigilance]] assemblies calling for Imperial priests to travel to "''guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path''" and to "''Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos''." Neither statement achieved a [[Greater majority]] however. That may be for the best - the Axou are notoriously prickly about condescension and painting their priests as "lost sheep" or "infants" is almost guaranteed to annoy them a great deal. The Grand Convocation has not asked for any assistance, and if it were to be offered it would need to be done carefully or risk upsetting a situation that is, at least for the moment, relatively stable. Should any Virtue Assembly wish to offer aid however, the first step would be to achieve a greater majority.

The Civil Service caution that sending Imperial priests to Axos on this matter will be challenging. Recent trips to Solokah showed that the Axou are no less committed to their beliefs than the Empire is. It is unlikely that any group of Imperial priests, are going to undermine Axou certainty that the Creator is the enemy and that the Labyrinth is a trap. In turn there is little risk of the Axou convincing devout priests of the Way that ''their'' beliefs are false and they should decry the Creator. What ''is'' likely to happen however is that the Axou sects will continue to share their understanding of the so-called "false virtues" with anyone who comes to Axos, and there is a real danger of those tempted to explore these malign spiritual presences would take this opportunity to visit the eastern nation and embrace those dangerous spirits.

==Robes of Sorrow==
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan Enemy of the Creator.jpg|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, has been condemned in the Empire but exalted in Axos.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
* '''The former ambassador to Axos has been revoked and condemned by the Assembly of Nine
* '''The United Convocation have declared him to be an Enemy of the Creator
* '''The General Assembly could choose to vindicate Fintan for his actions'''.
One of the statements urging Imperial priests to visit Axos and help mold the United Convocation came from the former Ambassador '''Fintan Nighthaven'''. During the Summer Solstice, Fintan was variously [[inquisition|inquisited]] by the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''', and then both [[revocation|revoked]] and [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the Assembly of Nine. This has caused a great deal of discussion among priests in various parts of the Empire; some have even pointed out that it is "''interesting''" that the condemnation was raised by the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]], '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', who is himself quite a [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|controversial figure]].

Oblivious to all this, and apparently unaware that it might have ramifications, the initial response to hearing that Fintan was no longer Ambassador to Axos was one of surprise and sadness. Fintan, wrote Ilarch Skopos, was an experienced diplomat who he personally had hoped to correspond with. Dealing with someone of Fintan's pedigree would have surely served as a steadying guide to his first faltering steps along the road of diplomacy. While Ilarch Skopos welcomes the new ambassador it is with a little sorrow that he never had a chance to match wits with the famous Fintan Nighthaven. And so on.

It is followed a few days later by a formal recognition from the United Convocation that Fintan Nighthaven is an "Enemy of the Creator". This is apparently meant as an honorific, and within traditional Axou sects it is not dissimilar to being recognised as an exemplar or perhaps more likely the newly created status of [[Exaltation|exalted]]. Someone who through spiritual or philosophical means has opposed the Creator's wicked plans and encouraged other mortals to resist the curse of death and the torments of the Labyrinth. It is clearly meant to be a good thing, but unfortunately may end up being another nail in the coffin of the former Ambassador.

The crimes Fintan stands condemned for - [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] and [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]] - are very serious indeed. The magistrates will try Fintan for these crimes at the Autumn Equinox, under the [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|new guidance]] as to how to proceed - and it is not clear if the Ambassador will be able to refute them. From a legal point of view, there are various possible pathways forward. It is vanishingly unlikely that the magistrates will not find the actions Fintan is accused of as broadly compatible with the definitions of the religious crimes of which he has been accused --- it is certainly not overwhelmingly clear that the actions in question are ''not'' within the right scope. It may of course be the case that the accusations are simply false: if this is the case, and the magistrates judge this to be so at trial, then Fintan would have a clear defence in law, which would imply that almost every member of the Assembly of Nine has opened themselves to prosecution for [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|perverting the course of justice]]. If Fintan pleads guilty, the right of [[Member_of_the_Synod#Clemency|clemency]] is open to him, if a member of the Synod wishes to offer it: if this plea fails, it seems likely, given the scale and severity of the accusation, that his execution will surely follow.

However, another path exists. Per the recent guidance, there is but one body within the Synod that can countermand another assembly when it deigns to condemn - but it may so countermand even the Assembly of Nine. This is, of course, the General Assembly. A judgement of [[Sanction#Vindication|Vindication]], stating clearly that the General Assembly considers Fintan's actions to have constituted neither [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] nor [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]], would essentially terminate the current legal proceedings. Such a statement would not even require a greater majority to pass... unless the Emperor intervened in their role as Custodian of Virtue. Even then, a greater majority would save Fintan. It would also set the General Assembly directly at odds not only with the Assembly of Nine but also with their recent strong stance against meddling with false virtues, but the Synod has changed its mind before.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box><big>'''Tomb Dust and Masks'''</big><br>The ideal phys-rep for ''tomb dust'' is a little pouch of sand or a dark coloured cloth wrap secured with string or thong. It doesn't need to be especially large - just big enough to feel comfortable in the hand.<br><br>The ideal phys-rep for a ''Mask of the Citadel'' is a bone-like mask such as china, porcelain or the like, but any mask will do. Axou masks tend to evoke skulls rather than echoing the more fanciful designs of the League (for example).</box></div>

==Pearl and Ruby Glowing==
* '''Axos welcomes Imperial ships
* '''Kantor and Issyk remain open to Imperial vessels
* '''The goods available from Kantor have changed
Trade with Axos appears to remain strong. With the end of the Asavean bounty on ships trading with Imperial ports, there are more black-sailed ships arriving at [[Necropolis#Crown's Quay|Crown's Quay]] in [[Necropolis]]. Thanks to Imperial ships still committed to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting ships]] to and from Imperial ports, trade is beginning to return to normal levels. Healthy trade is the lifeblood of nations, as the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] say, and the "[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]" appears to be paying off already.

Kantor is no longer providing crystal mana - instead it will provide a visiting captain with two doses of something the Axou call ''Tomb Dust'' - a consumable that allows the user to expend their personal reserves of strength to power their magic. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them.

The merchants of the city have also been given leave by the Grand Council to make some of their rarer goods available to visiting Imperial captains; a fleet that has been [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] may be able to acquire one of the ''Masks of the Citadel'' - [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings.

==Through the Pale Door==
* '''A delegation has visited the Halls of Maykop and worked on codification of a ritual
* '''A copy of ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'' is now in the possession of the Tyburn Weaver
* '''The Axos Ambassador received worrying news of potential espionage
* '''Ilarch Skopos has asked for formal reassurance that no espionage or theft has taken place
In response to a [[A_better_future#Winter Magic|peace-making gesture]] from the [[Axos#Halls of Maykop|Halls of Maykop]], the Imperial Conclave agreed to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Shuttered_Lantern_to_Maykop|send a delegation]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] to Axos to work with magicians there on a codification. They chose a ritual named ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'', an [[enchantment]] that adds weight to spoken oaths and geasa. The formulation of the ritual, believed to have been based on work performed by the [[Urizen]] '''Spyridonakes of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', was completed swiftly and efficiently and a copy of the ritual text should now be in possession of [[Grandmaster]] '''Tyburn Weaver''' who raised the [[declaration]]. Shortly after the work was completed, not long before the Autumn Equinox, a concerned message reached the office of the Imperial Ambassador from Ilarch Skopos.

Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is a little concerned to have received a warning from a reputable source that Imperial citizens, members of the delegation from the Shuttered Lantern, may have planned to engage in espionage and theft while visiting Maykop as guests of the faculty there. Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is particularly distressed by this, and as such the Axou Ambassador requests reassurances from the Ambassador, and ideally the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Conclave, that no such act has taken place and that no similar act will be considered in the future. It may simply be that the source of the warning was engaged in malicious mischief, or seeking to sabotage relations with the Grand Council, but there is enough concern that Ilarch Skopos feels driven to request such reassurances.

Regardless it does not appear that the Grand Ilarch of Maykop is keen for further delegations from the Empire. While individual students may attend it is unlikely a similar opportunity for a Conclave order to work on the codification of a ritual will be forthcoming any time soon.
<br><br><big>'''Participation : Shuttered Lantern'''</big><br>
Any player whose character is part of the Shuttered Lantern order may have accompanied the delegation heading to Maykop last season, to attend the University there and help codify the Winter ritual. They will have found the city a little standoffish, especially members of the Grand Ilarch's immediate circle and the higher ranking members of the University faculty, but been welcomed with a degree of enthusiasm by the students in particular. In addition to the work of codification, alongside Axou experts in Winter magic, there were opportunities for several feasts, a chance to see the sights of the cloistered citadel, and to audit a few classes on any number of subjects both mundane and more exotic (especially those relating to funerary practices which are treated as both a science, an art, and a magical discipline by the Axou).

There may have been opportunities for minor espionage but nothing with game implications. If there ''was'' a theft of ritual knowledge, only Grandmaster Tyburn will know the details and who took part in the operation (that is, the Grandmaster is free to invite other players to have been part of such a scheme but it's not appropriate for a player to decide they were involved).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|caption=The Axou are interested in the Five Cities Military Academy.|width=300}}</div>
==Along the Ramparts==
* '''The Axos have politely declined an offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
* '''A counter-proposal would see Axou captains visit Tassato to study at the Five Cities Military Academy
* '''There are both concerns about what the Axou might learn and opportunities involved in such an exchange
Ambassador Kezandro put forward a proposition that Axos might be interested in purchasing a right to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress Naval Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]] in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]]. After extensive discussion, Ilarch Skopos regretfully declines the offer on behalf of the Grand Council. It seems that the Axou do not see the value in [[Imperial navy|naval forces]] - their expertise lies very much in the realm of [[fortification]] and in those places where they might consider expansion a navy will be of little use.

On the other hand there ''is'' some interest in the [[Tassato#Five_Cities_Military_Academy|Five Cities Military Academy]] and the [[Tassato#Barossa School of Imperial Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]]. According to Ilarch Skopos there are a number of mid-rank officers in the military forces of the northern citadels - [[Axos#Gates of Ipotavo|Ipotavo]], [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Kaban]], and [[Axos#Chambers of Issyk|Issyk]] - who have expressed a desire to spend time studying alongside the Empire's elite captains. There are places to study the science and art of war in Axos, of course, especially in Ipotavo, but Skopos does not shy away from praising the Empire's foremost military academy. Axos has enjoyed a long period of relative peace, after all. It's strong traditions of defensive warfare mean that experience of aggressive campaigns is limited to the gaming tables and discussions with dead generals whose knowledge of the modern world and developments in military strategy is in many places woefully inadequate. If Axos is truly to take its place in the world as a true power, it will need to modernise and expand its martial forces and the Grand Council cautiously approve of the idea of sending some of their warriors to study at the Barossa School.

Obviously this is a very different proposition to the [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|current situation]] - where the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits]] oversees a low-key exchange program mostly focused on providing opportunities to study the arts and humanities. It would place Axos citizens in a position to study Imperial military history and practices like never before - and there is some significant potential for espionage if the Axou were so inclined. Fortunately the Empire has no history of direct military conflict with Axos since their [[Mareave_and_Urizen#Imperial_Records|ill-starred invasion]] in the reign of [[Emperor Nicovar]]. On the other hand there is little doubt among the Civil Service that the Axou would benefit more from studying the Imperial war machine - and the workings of the [[Imperial Military Council]] in particular - than the Empire might gain from the arrangement. At the very least they would end up almost as well-informed about the Empire's victories, losses, and current strategies as any other dedicated captain attending the Academy (that is, they would gain at least as much information as someone reading a summary of the [[War#Winds_of_War|winds of war]] each season). That alone ''could'' prove problematic, in theory, depending what the Empire is doing at the time.

Ilarch Skopos proposes that the students wishing to attend the Academy simply ''pay'' for the privilege. He estimates that there is sufficient interest in the opportunity to provide 5 Thrones each season to the Academy. Such funds would end up in the Imperial treasury unless the [[Imperial Senate]] made other arrangements. Either way the arrangements would need a [[Senate motion]] to confirm arrangements should they wish to accept the request.
<br><br><big>'''A Proposal from Apulian'''</big><br>
''Batheka de Tassato Regario'', an Apulian orc veteran and experienced Grendel commander before joining [[the League]] points out that if the Empire ''is'' prepared to take the risk there may be an opportunity for additional profit in it. The Axou may not be able to match the Empire in grand strategy but they are not without their areas of expertise. Their grand citadels - city-sized fortifications - are proof that the people of Axos are skilled engineers, almost as good as those from [[Holberg]], and that they have a lot of experience with defensive building. Anyone who has visited the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]] knows they have some techniques that are not common in the Empire, and their cities have properties very reminiscent of the new [[citadel]] innovation.

They're also known to be reasonably effective at deploying battle-mages their ''[[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Texatai]]'' light skirmishers are apparently well-practiced at small unit tactics employing both sword and rod. While their fighting style is similar to that of the [[Urizen]] [[Sentinel]] there are enough differences to mean they might have some actual insight into such strategies.

If the Senate ''does'' go ahead with allowing Axou soldiers to study at the Five Cities Military Academy, Batheka proposes that the Ambassador (or the senate motion used to issue the invitation) casually invite some siege commanders, or if they prefer some ''toxatai'' captains, to come along. Done casually it will not alert the Axou to the idea they might have something useful to offer; one reason Batheka suggests only asking for one or the other. Asking both will make it a little too obvious what the Empire seeks to gain from the arrangement.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sian Eternal.jpg|align=right|caption='''Siân Eternal''', ''Singer of the Silence'', currently oversees the Great Library at Hacynian.|width=250}}</div>

==Wit and Wisdom==
* '''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop has requested an opportunity for some of her students to spend a season at the Great Library of Hacynian
* '''She waits on a response from the Bursar of the House of Spirits or the Singer of the Silence
Last season ''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop'' - a well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy who has been living in the Empire for nearly four years now - [[A_better_future#Librarian_and_Bursar|expressed interest]] in the Great Library of Hacynin. Mistress Isephenia oversees a small group of students from Axos [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|studying in the Empire]], and assists Imperial youths who might wish to study in Maykop. She also helps operate the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|House of Spirits]] in [[Casinea]] alongside [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|Bursar]] '''Rinnah''' of the [[Highguard_groups#The Shattered Tower|Shattered Tower]]. Several students would like the opportunity to study at the Great Library but would need permission to do so.

The Axos professor mentions that no permission has so-far been forthcoming. She's aware that there has been some uncertainty as to who might be responsible for the Great Library but again wonders if either the Bursar or the [[Singer of the Silence]] - '''Siân Eternal''' - would be interested? If so they can send a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ilarch Skopos and confirm the invitation. In many ways Mistress Isephenia would rather they politely decline that simply remain silent, but she understands that there are many drains of the time of a busy academic.

Obviously the civil service have advised a degree of caution following the request, given that it appears to offer no particular benefit to the Empire beyond perhaps some diplomatic favour from Maykop, and risks the Axou finding out more about the vallorn than is good for them.
{{Axos Links}}

Troop of echoes

2025-09-04T22:04:53Z

Vsabo: /* But To Sing */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Autumn]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The young man wakes between one breath and the next, and sits up. He yawns, stretches, sips from a glass of water on the bedside table. Gets up, draws the curtains. It is still dark outside but the first light of dawn is beginning to spill across the sea far below his window.

He barely remembers his dream; something about a party at the palace and applause. He washes the dream away as he performs his morning ablutions - even at this early hour his servant has ensured the water is warmed and there is a fresh towel waiting for him. He pauses for a moment looking at himself in the gold-inlaid mirror. He practices his expressions for a few minutes: appearing sombre, appearing amused, appearing angry. Then he dresses, beginning with the simple dragonbone mask that covers the upper part of his face, then a freshly laundered silk under-robe of glorious apricot. He fingers the material, luxuriating in both its texture and its colour. He pulls on a sombre black lambswool outer-robe, but belts it only loosely. It gives him a sense of satisfaction that everyone will see how he rejects the funereal garb of the traditionalists, ready to embrace the joy of a nation reborn.

In the foyer of his apartments he pauses to pour fresh water and oil into the little basin at the shrine, and scatter black rose petals. Solokha, hands folded before her, wearing the Mask of Peace. The other sorcerer-kings stand behind her, united and solemn. If he feels any particular connection to his alleged ancestor he does not display it in his perfunctory obeisance.

The office is quiet. He is the first one there. He relaxes into his chair. The new leather creaks as he tries to settle himself. He is unaccustomed to it, but knows that in time it will come to fit his body like a glove - and if it does not he will simply replace it. He takes a moment to ensure everything is arranged on his desk, positioned just so to convey busy professionalism and subtle power. His eyes stray again to the portraits of the Grand Ilarchs on the wall opposite the desk. Anyone who meets with him will do so under the watching gaze of Kyther. And the others, of course.

The only document on his desk is a sealed letter; his secretaries have been chosen for their competence at dealing with the day-to-day demands of his office so this is something that requires his personal attention. He turns it over in his hand, selects the jade-handled golden letter opener. It is from his opposite number in the Empire. It must have arrived during the night. He reads it carefully, writing a few lines on the vellum he keeps for his most important business with a pristine swan's feather quill.

While he writes, a servant enters, soft woollen slippers making no noise on the dark carpet. They open the shutters on the window, which faces towards the dawn, to where the sun is rising. The servant refills his water glass from the pitcher, bows, and quietly retreats. The meeting with Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban - with the Grand Council rather - has already been arranged and he must be ready to present his summary of the missive. Must be ready to receive his instructions.

He pauses for just a moment, though, gazing out at the glorious crimson, topaz, golden light spilling out across the horizon. It sparks a fierce joy in him, reminding him that he at last has everything he ever wanted, that at last he is part of something ''good'' and ''powerful'' and ''destined''.

It's going to be a wonderful day.
</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 300px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Alikos Helio.jpg|caption=The ''Axou helios'' is an ancient symbol of the Axou people, adopted by the ''Nikitis Axou'' movement.|align=left|width=300}}</div>
==Overview==
{{audio|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCLmiuMv5L4}}
* '''Axos are signatories to the Liberty Pact, and relations have been slowly improving in recent seasons'''
* '''There have been recent upheavals in both the Axou and Imperial embassies as the ambassadors from both nations have changed'''
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with foreign nations, 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.

Imperial relations with the [[Axos|Citadels of Axos]] are significantly improved over where they were a year ago, in part due to the involvement of Imperial priests in the [[It_never_happened#Solokha|reclamation of the ruins of Solokha]]. The Axou remain proud and touchy about their sovereignty and position in the world, however, creating challenges for the [[Ambassador to Axos|Imperial ambassador]]. They are members of the [[Liberty Pact]], but they know they are only there thanks to the Empire, on the sufferance of the [[Commonwealth]] and the [[Sumaah Republic|Sumaah]]. In recent months, the small nation to the south of [[the Mallum]] is clearly undergoing a level of [[Victory_and_unity#Times_Change|internal upheaval]] thanks to the ambitions of ''Grand Ilarch Kyther''. More recently they were [[A_better_future#School_and_Scandal|rocked by scandal]] leading to the retirement of the former Ambassador Ilarch Maxatious, the formation of a new Grand Council to guide the nation, and the establishment of a [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|Unified Convocation]] that seeks to do the same for Axos' disparate religious [[Bands#Sects|sects]].

At the same time there were upheavals closer to home as long-serving Ambassador ''Fintan Nighthaven'' was [[revocation|revoked]] from his position and [[sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the [[Imperial Synod]]. He is succeeded in the position by ''The Flame of Riqueza'' of [[the Brass Coast]]. In Axos, Maxatious has been replaced by ''Ilarch Kario Skopos'', a scion of the Skopos family of the [[Axos#Chambers of Ussyk|Chambers of Issyk]]. At the instruction of the Grand Ilarchs, however, he has renounced his ties to the citadel of his birth for as long as he holds the post. Instead, he is known as Ilarch Skopos of Solokha, signifying his neutrality when it comes to the politics of the citadels. The new ambassador reports directly to the Grand Council and represents their will, and through them the will of their people.
{{Nation|nation=[[Axos]]|port=[[Axos_ports#Towers_of_Kantor|Kantor]] and [[Axos_ports#Chambers_of_Issyk|Issyk]]|ambassador=The Flame of Riqueza of [[the Brass Coast]]|status=Foreigner}}
==But To Sing==
* '''A formal delegation intends to visit Anvil during the Autumn Equinox
* '''They will be received in the Senate around 11.30am on Saturday
* '''The delegation expects to speak to the ambassador and renew good relations between the two nations
* '''There is talk of other business after the formal delegation
One of the first matters Ilarch Skopos has arranged is the dispatch of a diplomacy envoy to Anvil, to arrive during the Autumn Equinox and renew relations between the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. The delegation expects to be formally received by the new Ambassador in the Imperial Senate; the meeting is scheduled for late morning on Saturday. Kario admits that mostly the delegation is intended to be a little pageantry to mollify some of those looking for an excuse for the Citadels to be annoyed with the Empire; a chance for diplomats from both nations to make some speeches and little else.

Once it's concluded however, it is hoped that there will be chance to discuss a couple of more serious issues specifically relating to the war in the [[Sarangrave]], and to the Liberty Pact. On the matter of the war with the [[Druj]] it seems that the [[A_better_future#The_Tyrants_of_the_Mallum|Summer visit]] from representatives of ''Grand Ilarch Dancia Terricos of [[Axos#Ipotavo|Ipotavo]]'' went well. They spoke with '''Gabriel Barossa''' among others, and remain committed to taking action against the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]]. It is hoped that there will be someone at the Senate who will be able to speak on behalf of the [[Imperial Military Council]] on this joint strategy and any political elements that may need smoothing out.

==Liberty==
* '''The Axou are calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact for the Winter Solstice which they will host
* '''They plan to use Lashonar's Caucus Forum to do so
* '''They are bringing the matter of a recent amendment to the table for voting
In their missive the Imperial Ambassador mentioned that the Empire was considering calling a meeting of the [[Liberty Pact]] either in the coming Winter or in Spring next year. This news delights Ilarch Skopos, because it shows that the ambassadors of the two nations are thinking along similar lines. As it happens, Axos is calling a meeting of the Liberty Pact at the Winter Solstice that they will host (as is [[Voice_of_Liberty#Rights_of_Signatories|their right]]). They are aware that the seas are dangerous, and so have secured the boon of the [[Lashonar#Caucus Forum|Caucus Forum]] from the ''[[Lashonar|Midnight Owl]]''. The [[eternal]] has assured Ilarch Skopos' office that there will be no problem bringing together representatives from all four nations that are signatory to the Pact in the secure [[Realms#Night|chamber of Night]].

The goal of the Axos delegate is to repeal the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|384YE amendment]] that demands all signatories apply a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] to the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. They argue that the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|Second Principle]] - that ''signatory nations will place economic or trade sanctions of their own choosing on nations defined as slaving nations'' - is more than sufficient. The Pact, says Ilarch Skopos, is about ending slavery not about allowing the signatory nations to force their own politics on the other members. The Commonwealth has overstepped and attempted to turn the Pact into a political weapon that distorts its original purpose.

Ilarch Skopos anticipates that the Empire will let his office know if there are any motions the Imperial delegate wishes to place before the Pact for discussion at this meeting, and that the [[Sumaah Republic]] and [[Commonwealth]] will do the same. One of Skopos' experts on the Liberty Pact will be travelling to Anvil along with the formal delegation and hopes there will be a chance to speak to the [[Voice of Liberty]] '''Jarrigk Silktongue''' on the upcoming meeting. They apologise for pre-empting the Empire's meeting, but if there is business that is not resolved during the Winter Solstice there will be ample opportunity for the Imperial delegate to call a further meeting. Ilarch Skopos advises making use of the Caucus Forum, or a similar eternal boon, simply because it makes it much harder for members of other nations to find reasons they cannot attend.
{{SOP|statement= Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. As preachers of Ambition, spreading virtue across the known world, we need to act immediately to guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path. Reaching out in support, sparking the embers which to blow into the inferno of true virtue.|by=Tongs, Ambition Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Priests of the Empire you are needed in Solokha once more! The Unified Convocation of Axos, inspired by our own Synod, attempts to formalise Axou spiritual beliefs. Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos. Let us be the light of truth to plan seeds of Virtue and Enlightenment now which will bear fruit for generations to come. Only then can we address their folly of the Creator. Heed the call of Ambitions Master and Masquerade, of Pride’s Conqueror, of Vigilance’s Sentinel, and Wisdom’s Avigliana.|by=Fintan Nighthaven, Vigilance Assembly|vote=Upheld (338-38)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Fintan Nighthaven. You are not above reproach and certainly not above consequence. You have proven a force of corruption in your dealings with Peace - the extent of your influence must be scrutinised. Time 6pm Sat, place Nighthaven Camp. Let us see if you are malicious.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, Wisdom Assembly|vote=Upheld (184-20)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=For irregularities in their dealings with Axou, and following accusations of assisting the spreading of false virtue, we revoke Fintan Nighthaven from the position of Ambassador to Axou. This action has been requested by the Consul of the Senate.|by=Revocation, Cardinal Lenarius Ankarien, Ambition Assembly|vote=Greater Majority (5-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=On behalf of the Imperial Inquisitor: (Judgement 148 after inquisition) Fintan Nighthaven has been found guilty of incontestable acts of blasphemy and abuse of priestly powers. His work as an agent of Peace has harmed both the Empire and the Citadels of Axos. He lied to the Vigilance Assembly and the Greater Synod to gain true liao that he used to create an artefact shield of Peace. He brought false hallows under false pretences to the Assembly of Nine. His provision of significant liao facilitated a mandate of unity in Axos. This cannot stand.|by=Condemntaion, Cardinal Silas of the Cenotaph, Assembly of Nine|vote=Greater Majority (8-0)|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
{{SOP|statement=Chaplain Consular, Lepedina. It is your responsibility to tend to the souls of the Ambassadorial Court. Fintan Nighthaven has been allowed to operate undeterred to devastating consequence. We will discuss what work you have done at the next summit.|by=Inquisition, Inquisitor Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost, General Assembly|vote=Automatically upheld|when=Summer Solstice 387YE|size=small}}
==A Unified Convocation==
* '''The Unified Convocation sees a number of Axou sects coming together in a tentative philosophical alliance
* '''It enshrines and encourages adherence to the Axou faith which declares the Creator a tyrant and the Labyrinth a place of torture
* '''The Imperial Synod has discussed offering aid to the Unified Convocation
As [[A_better_future#Unified_Convocation|mentioned last season]], in the wake of the recent cleansing of [[Axos#Solokah|Solokha]], ''Theodosia of Ipotavo'' has established a permanent presence in the ruins of the citadel. At this small temple, several of the Axou [[bands#sects|sects]] who helped reclaim the haunted ruins have established a "Unified Convocation" - the ''Enias Sinklisis'' in the old language of the Nikitis Axou. it is modelled somewhat on the General Assembly of the [[Imperial Synod]], but so far only a small number of Axou sects expressed any interest in becoming part of it. How much influence the Convocation will be able to wield is not clear; the Axou share a single religion but few priests possess any actual political power.

It seems that over recent months the Convocation has focused on spreading a message of unity, and of the importance of the Axou faith as a way for citizens of the Citadels to understand their place in the world. Fundamentally conservative, it has so far proved acceptable to those who wield real power - the Grand Ilarchs. Indeed ''Grand Ilarch Kyther of Kaban'' has spoken openly in support of the Convocation, and of the importance of cleaving to the values that built the Citadels.

Anyone who has made any study of [[Axos religion|Axou religion]] knows that fundamentally it stands in opposition to the Way. Indeed Axou religious scholars have gone so far as to [[Axos_religion#Repudiation|repudiate]] the [[Doctrines of the Faith]] in detail in their writings. Not only does the religion preach the importance of resisting the Creator, the curse of death, and the torments of the Labyrinth, it preaches that ''any'' spiritual force may prove to be a useful weapon in that battle. Axou sects combine the true virtues freely with much more [[Malign spiritual presences|malign spirits]] in their pursuit of that war. Unifying the disparate sects will be an uphill struggle, but if it succeeds it is unlikely to be good for anyone with ambitions to spread the Way into Axos.

During the Summer Solstice, two [[statement of principle|statements]] were upheld in the [[Ambition]] and [[Vigilance]] assemblies calling for Imperial priests to travel to "''guide the lost sheep of Axou to a Virtuous path''" and to "''Support the Convocation such that we may use its infancy to advance Imperial interests in Axos''." Neither statement achieved a [[Greater majority]] however. That may be for the best - the Axou are notoriously prickly about condescension and painting their priests as "lost sheep" or "infants" is almost guaranteed to annoy them a great deal. The Grand Convocation has not asked for any assistance, and if it were to be offered it would need to be done carefully or risk upsetting a situation that is, at least for the moment, relatively stable. Should any Virtue Assembly wish to offer aid however, the first step would be to achieve a greater majority.

The Civil Service caution that sending Imperial priests to Axos on this matter will be challenging. Recent trips to Solokah showed that the Axou are no less committed to their beliefs than the Empire is. It is unlikely that any group of Imperial priests, are going to undermine Axou certainty that the Creator is the enemy and that the Labyrinth is a trap. In turn there is little risk of the Axou convincing devout priests of the Way that ''their'' beliefs are false and they should decry the Creator. What ''is'' likely to happen however is that the Axou sects will continue to share their understanding of the so-called "false virtues" with anyone who comes to Axos, and there is a real danger of those tempted to explore these malign spiritual presences would take this opportunity to visit the eastern nation and embrace those dangerous spirits.
==Robes of Sorrow==
<div style="float:left; width: 250px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Fintan Enemy of the Creator.jpg|caption=Fintan Nighthaven, former Ambassador to Axos, has been condemned in the Empire but exalted in Axos.|align=right|width=250}}</div>
* '''The former ambassador to Axos has been revoked and condemned by the Assembly of Nine
* '''The United Convocation have declared him to be an Enemy of the Creator
* '''The General Assembly could choose to vindicate Fintan for his actions'''.
One of the statements urging Imperial priests to visit Axos and help mold the United Convocation came from the former Ambassador '''Fintan Nighthaven'''. During the Summer Solstice, Fintan was variously [[inquisition|inquisited]] by the [[Virtue inquisitor|Inquisitor of Wisdom]] '''Kalina Jadwigowna Piosnkowa Prochnost''', and then both [[revocation|revoked]] and [[Sanction#Condemnation|condemned]] by the Assembly of Nine. This has caused a great deal of discussion among priests in various parts of the Empire; some have even pointed out that it is "''interesting''" that the condemnation was raised by the [[Cardinal of Wisdom]], '''Silas of the Cenotaph''', who is himself quite a [[Know_your_enemy#Take_the_Power_Back|controversial figure]].

Oblivious to all this, and apparently unaware that it might have ramifications, the initial response to hearing that Fintan was no longer Ambassador to Axos was one of surprise and sadness. Fintan, wrote Ilarch Skopos, was an experienced diplomat who he personally had hoped to correspond with. Dealing with someone of Fintan's pedigree would have surely served as a steadying guide to his first faltering steps along the road of diplomacy. While Ilarch Skopos welcomes the new ambassador it is with a little sorrow that he never had a chance to match wits with the famous Fintan Nighthaven. And so on.

It is followed a few days later by a formal recognition from the United Convocation that Fintan Nighthaven is an "Enemy of the Creator". This is apparently meant as an honorific, and within traditional Axou sects it is not dissimilar to being recognised as an exemplar or perhaps more likely the newly created status of [[Exaltation|exalted]]. Someone who through spiritual or philosophical means has opposed the Creator's wicked plans and encouraged other mortals to resist the curse of death and the torments of the Labyrinth. It is clearly meant to be a good thing, but unfortunately may end up being another nail in the coffin of the former Ambassador.

The crimes Fintan stands condemned for - [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] and [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]] - are very serious indeed. The magistrates will try Fintan for these crimes at the Autumn Equinox, under the [[The_final_cut#Questions_for_the_Magistrates|new guidance]] as to how to proceed - and it is not clear if the Ambassador will be able to refute them. From a legal point of view, there are various possible pathways forward. It is vanishingly unlikely that the magistrates will not find the actions Fintan is accused of as broadly compatible with the definitions of the religious crimes of which he has been accused --- it is certainly not overwhelmingly clear that the actions in question are ''not'' within the right scope. It may of course be the case that the accusations are simply false: if this is the case, and the magistrates judge this to be so at trial, then Fintan would have a clear defence in law, which would imply that almost every member of the Assembly of Nine has opened themselves to prosecution for [[List_of_Criminal_Offences#Crimes_against_the_Processes_of_the_State|perverting the course of justice]]. If Fintan pleads guilty, the right of [[Member_of_the_Synod#Clemency|clemency]] is open to him, if a member of the Synod wishes to offer it: if this plea fails, it seems likely, given the scale and severity of the accusation, that his execution will surely follow.

However, another path exists. Per the recent guidance, there is but one body within the Synod that can countermand another assembly when it deigns to condemn - but it may so countermand even the Assembly of Nine. This is, of course, the General Assembly. A judgement of [[Sanction#Vindication|Vindication]], stating clearly that the General Assembly considers Fintan's actions to have constituted neither [[Religious_crime#Abuse_of_Powers|abuse of powers]] nor [[Religious_crime#Blasphemy|blasphemy]], would essentially terminate the current legal proceedings. Such a statement would not even require a greater majority to pass... unless the Emperor intervened in their role as Custodian of Virtue. Even then, a greater majority would save Fintan. It would also set the General Assembly directly at odds not only with the Assembly of Nine but also with their recent strong stance against meddling with false virtues, but the Synod has changed its mind before.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><box><big>'''Tomb Dust and Masks'''</big><br>The ideal phys-rep for ''tomb dust'' is a little pouch of sand or a dark coloured cloth wrap secured with string or thong. It doesn't need to be especially large - just big enough to feel comfortable in the hand.<br><br>The ideal phys-rep for a ''Mask of the Citadel'' is a bone-like mask such as china, porcelain or the like, but any mask will do. Axou masks tend to evoke skulls rather than echoing the more fanciful designs of the League (for example).</box></div>

==Pearl and Ruby Glowing==
* '''Axos welcomes Imperial ships
* '''Kantor and Issyk remain open to Imperial vessels
* '''The goods available from Kantor have changed
Trade with Axos appears to remain strong. With the end of the Asavean bounty on ships trading with Imperial ports, there are more black-sailed ships arriving at [[Necropolis#Crown's Quay|Crown's Quay]] in [[Necropolis]]. Thanks to Imperial ships still committed to [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting ships]] to and from Imperial ports, trade is beginning to return to normal levels. Healthy trade is the lifeblood of nations, as the [[Sarcophan Delves|Sarcophan]] say, and the "[[Can%27t_give_everything_away#An_Ultimatum|Pax Sarcophan]]" appears to be paying off already.

Kantor is no longer providing crystal mana - instead it will provide a visiting captain with two doses of something the Axou call ''Tomb Dust'' - a consumable that allows the user to expend their personal reserves of strength to power their magic. There are several varieties of tomb dust depending where it is gathered, but they all apparently bear a touch of ''necromantia'' about them.

The merchants of the city have also been given leave by the Grand Council to make some of their rarer goods available to visiting Imperial captains; a fleet that has been [[fleet#upgrades|upgraded]] or [[enchantment|enchanted]] may be able to acquire one of the ''Masks of the Citadel'' - [[:Category:Foci|magical foci]] that empower certain ritual magics favoured by the descendants of the sorcerer-kings.

==Through the Pale Door==
* '''A delegation has visited the Halls of Maykop and worked on codification of a ritual
* '''A copy of ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'' is now in the possession of the Tyburn Weaver
* '''The Axos Ambassador received worrying news of potential espionage
* '''Ilarch Skopos has asked for formal reassurance that no espionage or theft has taken place
In response to a [[A_better_future#Winter Magic|peace-making gesture]] from the [[Axos#Halls of Maykop|Halls of Maykop]], the Imperial Conclave agreed to [[387YE_Summer_Solstice_Conclave_sessions#Concord:_Shuttered_Lantern_to_Maykop|send a delegation]] of the [[Shuttered Lantern]] to Axos to work with magicians there on a codification. They chose a ritual named ''Oath of the Bleak Garden'', an [[enchantment]] that adds weight to spoken oaths and geasa. The formulation of the ritual, believed to have been based on work performed by the [[Urizen]] '''Spyridonakes of the Lighthouse-That-Was''', was completed swiftly and efficiently and a copy of the ritual text should now be in possession of [[Grandmaster]] '''Tyburn Weaver''' who raised the [[declaration]]. Shortly after the work was completed, not long before the Autumn Equinox, a concerned message reached the office of the Imperial Ambassador from Ilarch Skopos.

Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is a little concerned to have received a warning from a reputable source that Imperial citizens, members of the delegation from the Shuttered Lantern, may have planned to engage in espionage and theft while visiting Maykop as guests of the faculty there. Grand Ilarch Keloparia of Maykop is particularly distressed by this, and as such the Axou Ambassador requests reassurances from the Ambassador, and ideally the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Conclave, that no such act has taken place and that no similar act will be considered in the future. It may simply be that the source of the warning was engaged in malicious mischief, or seeking to sabotage relations with the Grand Council, but there is enough concern that Ilarch Skopos feels driven to request such reassurances.

Regardless it does not appear that the Grand Ilarch of Maykop is keen for further delegations from the Empire. While individual students may attend it is unlikely a similar opportunity for a Conclave order to work on the codification of a ritual will be forthcoming any time soon.
<br><br><big>'''Participation : Shuttered Lantern'''</big><br>
Any player whose character is part of the Shuttered Lantern order may have accompanied the delegation heading to Maykop last season, to attend the University there and help codify the Winter ritual. They will have found the city a little standoffish, especially members of the Grand Ilarch's immediate circle and the higher ranking members of the University faculty, but been welcomed with a degree of enthusiasm by the students in particular. In addition to the work of codification, alongside Axou experts in Winter magic, there were opportunities for several feasts, a chance to see the sights of the cloistered citadel, and to audit a few classes on any number of subjects both mundane and more exotic (especially those relating to funerary practices which are treated as both a science, an art, and a magical discipline by the Axou).

There may have been opportunities for minor espionage but nothing with game implications. If there ''was'' a theft of ritual knowledge, only Grandmaster Tyburn will know the details and who took part in the operation (that is, the Grandmaster is free to invite other players to have been part of such a scheme but it's not appropriate for a player to decide they were involved).
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=NBLeague.jpg|align=right|caption=The Axou are interested in the Five Cities Military Academy.|width=300}}</div>
==Along the Ramparts==
* '''The Axos have politely declined an offer to study at the Zemress Naval Academy
* '''A counter-proposal would see Axou captains visit Tassato to study at the Five Cities Military Academy
* '''There are both concerns about what the Axou might learn and opportunities involved in such an exchange
Ambassador Kezandro put forward a proposition that Axos might be interested in purchasing a right to study at the [[Madruga#Zemress Naval Academy|Zemress Naval Academy]] in [[Madruga#Calvos|Calvos]]. After extensive discussion, Ilarch Skopos regretfully declines the offer on behalf of the Grand Council. It seems that the Axou do not see the value in [[Imperial navy|naval forces]] - their expertise lies very much in the realm of [[fortification]] and in those places where they might consider expansion a navy will be of little use.

On the other hand there ''is'' some interest in the [[Tassato#Five_Cities_Military_Academy|Five Cities Military Academy]] and the [[Tassato#Barossa School of Imperial Strategy|Barossa School of Imperial Strategy]] in [[Tassato]]. According to Ilarch Skopos there are a number of mid-rank officers in the military forces of the northern citadels - [[Axos#Gates of Ipotavo|Ipotavo]], [[Axos#Tunnels of Kaban|Kaban]], and [[Axos#Chambers of Issyk|Issyk]] - who have expressed a desire to spend time studying alongside the Empire's elite captains. There are places to study the science and art of war in Axos, of course, especially in Ipotavo, but Skopos does not shy away from praising the Empire's foremost military academy. Axos has enjoyed a long period of relative peace, after all. It's strong traditions of defensive warfare mean that experience of aggressive campaigns is limited to the gaming tables and discussions with dead generals whose knowledge of the modern world and developments in military strategy is in many places woefully inadequate. If Axos is truly to take its place in the world as a true power, it will need to modernise and expand its martial forces and the Grand Council cautiously approve of the idea of sending some of their warriors to study at the Barossa School.

Obviously this is a very different proposition to the [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|current situation]] - where the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits]] oversees a low-key exchange program mostly focused on providing opportunities to study the arts and humanities. It would place Axos citizens in a position to study Imperial military history and practices like never before - and there is some significant potential for espionage if the Axou were so inclined. Fortunately the Empire has no history of direct military conflict with Axos since their [[Mareave_and_Urizen#Imperial_Records|ill-starred invasion]] in the reign of [[Emperor Nicovar]]. On the other hand there is little doubt among the Civil Service that the Axou would benefit more from studying the Imperial war machine - and the workings of the [[Imperial Military Council]] in particular - than the Empire might gain from the arrangement. At the very least they would end up almost as well-informed about the Empire's victories, losses, and current strategies as any other dedicated captain attending the Academy (that is, they would gain at least as much information as someone reading a summary of the [[War#Winds_of_War|winds of war]] each season). That alone ''could'' prove problematic, in theory, depending what the Empire is doing at the time.

Ilarch Skopos proposes that the students wishing to attend the Academy simply ''pay'' for the privilege. He estimates that there is sufficient interest in the opportunity to provide 5 Thrones each season to the Academy. Such funds would end up in the Imperial treasury unless the [[Imperial Senate]] made other arrangements. Either way the arrangements would need a [[Senate motion]] to confirm arrangements should they wish to accept the request.
<br><br><big>'''A Proposal from Apulian'''</big><br>
''Batheka de Tassato Regario'', an Apulian orc veteran and experienced Grendel commander before joining [[the League]] points out that if the Empire ''is'' prepared to take the risk there may be an opportunity for additional profit in it. The Axou may not be able to match the Empire in grand strategy but they are not without their areas of expertise. Their grand citadels - city-sized fortifications - are proof that the people of Axos are skilled engineers, almost as good as those from [[Holberg]], and that they have a lot of experience with defensive building. Anyone who has visited the [[Redoubt#The_Walls_of_Cargo|Walls of Cargo]] knows they have some techniques that are not common in the Empire, and their cities have properties very reminiscent of the new [[citadel]] innovation.

They're also known to be reasonably effective at deploying battle-mages their ''[[Axos#Axou_Military_Concerns|Texatai]]'' light skirmishers are apparently well-practiced at small unit tactics employing both sword and rod. While their fighting style is similar to that of the [[Urizen]] [[Sentinel]] there are enough differences to mean they might have some actual insight into such strategies.

If the Senate ''does'' go ahead with allowing Axou soldiers to study at the Five Cities Military Academy, Batheka proposes that the Ambassador (or the senate motion used to issue the invitation) casually invite some siege commanders, or if they prefer some ''toxatai'' captains, to come along. Done casually it will not alert the Axou to the idea they might have something useful to offer; one reason Batheka suggests only asking for one or the other. Asking both will make it a little too obvious what the Empire seeks to gain from the arrangement.
<div style="float:right; width: 250px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sian Eternal.jpg|align=right|caption='''Siân Eternal''', ''Singer of the Silence'', currently oversees the Great Library at Hacynian.|width=250}}</div>

==Wit and Wisdom==
* '''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop has requested an opportunity for some of her students to spend a season at the Great Library of Hacynian
* '''She waits on a response from the Bursar of the House of Spirits or the Singer of the Silence
Last season ''Mistress Isephenia of Maykop'' - a well respected professor in the faculty of natural philosophy who has been living in the Empire for nearly four years now - [[A_better_future#Librarian_and_Bursar|expressed interest]] in the Great Library of Hacynin. Mistress Isephenia oversees a small group of students from Axos [[A_mountain_of_vipers#A_Scholarly_Overture|studying in the Empire]], and assists Imperial youths who might wish to study in Maykop. She also helps operate the [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|House of Spirits]] in [[Casinea]] alongside [[Bursar of the House of Spirits|Bursar]] '''Rinnah''' of the [[Highguard_groups#The Shattered Tower|Shattered Tower]]. Several students would like the opportunity to study at the Great Library but would need permission to do so.

The Axos professor mentions that no permission has so-far been forthcoming. She's aware that there has been some uncertainty as to who might be responsible for the Great Library but again wonders if either the Bursar or the [[Singer of the Silence]] - '''Siân Eternal''' - would be interested? If so they can send a [[Call Winged Messenger|winged messenger]] to Ilarch Skopos and confirm the invitation. In many ways Mistress Isephenia would rather they politely decline that simply remain silent, but she understands that there are many drains of the time of a busy academic.

Obviously the civil service have advised a degree of caution following the request, given that it appears to offer no particular benefit to the Empire beyond perhaps some diplomatic favour from Maykop, and risks the Axou finding out more about the vallorn than is good for them.
{{Axos Links}}

So our path is laid

2025-08-29T21:24:44Z

Vsabo: /* Flip of a Coin */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Autumn]] [[Category:Military Council]]
<div style="float:left; width: 500px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=if you dare.jpg|caption="Cross us if you dare..."|align=left|width=500}}</div>
==Paths and Errands==
The [[Jotun]] have conquered [[Bregasland]]. They hold the marshes and fens, and they have made the people who remain their thralls. A number of Bregas have fled east to [[Mitwold]], but many more have stayed behind. They will not abandon their land, not to the orcs of the west. While some bow their heads to the Jotun yoke, there is no Mathilda Fisher here and no question of collaboration with the invaders. Others actively resist them, taking inspiration from the [[Strong Reeds]] and the Graywaters. Even those who seem to have surrendered remain as uncooperative as they can be without bringing the wrath of the Jotun on their heads.

During the Summer Solstice, Imperial heroes used the [[Sentinel Gate]] in a [[Shovels_and_spades#Breaking_Burhfæst_(Battle_Opportunity)|risky attack]] against forces attempting to maintain the mighty enchanted fortification anchored to [[Bregasland#Graven_Rock|Graven Rock]]. Had those heroes not been victorious - defeating the powerful [[inhabitants of the realms#Guardian|guardian]] from the court of the [[Adamant|King under the Mountain]] that would have anchored the magical citadel for another year - the Jotun hold over Bregasland would have been further secured. As it is, the Burhfæst was dismissed and the Ice Fishers' bastion in Graven March has returned to the [[Realms#Summer|Summer Realm]] from whence it came. If they wish to carve out a fortress for themselves, they will now have to do it the old fashioned way. Which sources in Graven suggest they might very well be preparing to do.
<div style="float:right; width: 500px; clear: left;"><quote by="Amberlain P. Black, General of the Strong Reeds">Strong Reeds. Those Jotun hounds sniff at our heels and dig at our hiding places. But as they close in we will not bend, we will not break and we will not flee, for our loyalty is not so easily shaken. We Lay Low for one more season, to allow our friends to Resupply and build their strength. And then how we will rise up. The Jotun Queen calls for my head and I say let her come herself! I stand with you. I stand with Bregasland and if those Jotun dogs wish to find us... Make them work for it. Bregasland Stands!</quote>

<quote by="Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir, General of the Fist of Ulven">Under the gaze of the king we once more guard the dour fens, the lands of our ancestors. While the Queen of the North seeks out the thorn in our heel, we will bind these lands with steel and stone, a girdle of strength to make Ulven herself proud of her children.</quote>

<quote by="Derun Stonetower, General of the Tower of the North">We stand ready to let our hammers sing, to ring out a toll on Marcher steel. If they do not come, we will mark the boundaries, and do whatever is needful to make these grim marshes ours.</quote>

<quote by="Iduna Yrsasdóttir, General of the Tower of the North">The Strong Reeds hide among the bulrushes, gathering their strength. Do not underestimate the threat they pose, nor the power of their oaths. Like the hawk they bide their time, and when they strike it will be with the full force of the wind. Yet no-one can hide forever. The cunning eyes of Raðljóst will reveal them to us, and we shall bring them at last to battle amid the dripping fens. So says the Queen, and none shall gainsay her.</quote>

<quote by="Johnathan Piper “The Cockscroft Lad”, Statement of Principle, Marcher Assembly, Upheld with a Greater Majority (206-0), Summer Solstice 387YE">Hew and cry, hew and cry! Marchers of Bregasland I call to you now. Our Strong Reeds lie low to protect our land, but our enemies have learned of ways to find them. We the Marcher Assembly urge the Virtuous Marchers of Bregasland to help our heroes hide. Offer them your barns. Set fires. Dam rivers. Intrigue and distract. Anything to thwart our invaders. Look out for your neighbours. Look after yourselves, and show the Jotun that Marchers one and all, will not let our land be taken!</quote></div>
The majority of the Jotun, though, seem more concerned with rooting out the Strong Reeds and their sympathisers than actively oppressing the Bregas. The Marcher army is wily, and avoids obvious traps with ease. Yet for all their fixation on honour, glory, heroism, and a good death the Jotun are not fools. The ‘‘Lion of the North’’ - Queen Jansdóttir’s personal army - is on a quest to drive the Reeds from their holdfasts and hiding places and force them to engage in open battle. The Queen herself is not present in Bregasland; her eldest child ''Idun Yrsasdóttir'' serves as general this season for some reason. On the orders of her mother, she has [[Army qualities#Mercenary|called to her banner]] seasoned hunters from [[Tromsa]] and veteran [[Elite_Jotun_troops#Raðljóst|Raðljóst]] from [[Skallahn]]. As the season wears on their [[Army qualities#Scouting|expertise]] proves invaluable, and the Strong Reeds are again and again forced to abandon their positions and fall back deeper into the marshes.

==Pride of the Marches==
While the Lion of the North focuses on finding the Marcher army, two other generals keep control of the Dour Fens. The stoic Tower of the North, under the banners of the granite-faced Derun Stonetower, work alongside the Fist of Ulven to strengthen the borders here. It is Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir who leads the Fist, rather than King Gudmundr Arasonn, Jarl-of-Jarls, ruler over the southern territories of the Jotun. It is just as rare for King Gudmundr not to be at the forefront of his army as it is for Queen Yrsa not to lead her own. What could have drawn the attention of the Jarls-of-Jarls elsewhere?

One of the challenges facing Gjeirfund Haggarsdóttir comes from an unexpected source; keeping the yegarra champion Stephen of Sarcombe on a short leash. The traitor of the Mourn has always been angry, but it seems that since the death of Jarl Haakon and the loss of the ‘Wold his temper has worsened. His dressing down by King Gudmundr cannot help but rankle, and accordingly his cruelty towards the Marchers has become more and more acute. Whispers are beginning to do the rounds that other Jotun champions will not fight alongside him, or with the yegarra under his banner, for fear that they will bring dishonour on themselves. For his part, Stephen takes a vicious pleasure in striking against anyone shown to be part of the network of resistance fighters that spans the fens; he seems to be staying just on one side of the line but it is surely only a matter of time before he crosses it.

There are other champions in Bregasland, other warbands. The Ice Fishers of Ldansk have been here for the last year, and they show no signs of departing. They are joined by ''Helma Skutasdóttir'' and her raven-banner, turning her clever gaze on the matter of the Strong Reeds while her warband explores the marshes seeking to root out its secrets. ''Eisa Winterborn'' and her walrus banner are here also, as are the howling bears under the standard of ''Yanya Uranduln'' but their eyes lie to the east. They launch several raids across the border into Mitwold, into [[Mitwold#Oddmire|Oddmire]] and southern [[Mitwold#Meade March|Meade March]]. While they never approach the city of [[Mitwold#Meade|Meade]] itself, they keep the [[Valiant Pegasus]], the [[Autumn Hammers]], the [[Drakes]], the [[Bloodcloaks]] and the garrison of [[Mitwold#Forte_Fidelis|Forte Fidelis]] busy. Indeed, were it not for the presence of the armies, it's not impossible that the two warbands together might have seriously threatened the people of Odd's End. It stands as a sobering reminder just how close the Jotun are to the heart of the Marches.

==Flip of a Coin==
Back in Bregasland, the Strong Reeds may be on the back foot, but they continue to foment resistance and gather support. Some twenty Imperial captains have brought their warbands west to support the Marcher army, to do what it takes to try and keep them hidden. Most are Marchers but there are a significant number of soldiers from [[the League]] alongside them. Several of the latter are from [[Holberg]], and are no strangers to fighting in marshes. Together they ambush Jotun patrols, move supplies, rescue Marchers who might otherwise fall into the hands of Stephen of Sarcombe, and lay the groundwork for the eventual uprising against the Jotun. The unconditional support of the Marcher assembly has gone some way to ensuring that the people of Bregasland, whatever they may think about the Empire as a whole, are eager to support ''their'' army regardless of the risks.

Yet there’s only so much that can be done. The Lion of the North have experience dealing with Imperial spies and scouts - they tore apart the old [[spy network]] in [[Hordalant]] for example - and the veterans they have brought in to spearhead their campaign are near a match for even the most quick witted of the Strong Reeds captains. It comes clear only a little too late that part of the reason for the raid into Mitwold is to identify the smuggling routes used to keep the Strong Reeds supplied. In the end, though, it is partly simple bad luck, a roll of the dice, that sees things start to become unstuck. A conversation overheard, an over-zealous would-be champion hoping to impress Eisa Winterborn, an early Autumn raid against a tavern along the shores of the Westmere, and three Ottery smugglers fall into the hands of the Jotun. They keep their mouths closed as long as they can but in the end, faced with watching their sibling and father die, one of them talks. That is all it takes to start the dominos falling.

After that initial raid, the Lion of the North have the first thread they need to pick at to start unravelling the resistance, and they attack it with gusto. While the ravens of Helma Skutasdóttir seek out the safe houses in the west, Eisa and her yegarra begin to systematically arrest and question travellers across the east. The Strong Reeds are spread out across the territory. The bravest Bregas among them as often as not hide in plain sight, but many more must hide in a more conventional way. In part it is the close, fierce ties of family that prove to be the undoing of the Bregas - when family and friends are threatened it is only those with a heart of stone who can keep their silence, keep their nerve. The hidden pattern begins to be exposed; supply drops identified and raided, holdfasts attacked, sympathisers isolated or carefully watched, messengers intercepted.

The situation is grim, but all is not lost. The Jotun have not "found" the Strong Reeds as such. They cannot force an army that has disappeared into the reeds and marshes to fight them. But they can make it increasingly untenable to remain hidden, to continue to fight piecemeal against the invaders, by cutting away all the ways that the people of the Marches can support them. Yet there's many a slip between cup and lip, as the old proverb goes. The Jotun would be wise not to celebrate their "victory" prematurely. The Marchers have a long history of surprising their enemies, after all.
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofBregasland.png|caption=Bregasland is currently under occupation by the Jotun.|align=right|width=500}}

==Game Information==
* '''The Strong Reeds are vulnerable to the Jotun
* '''Escaping the territory will be costly; remaining may also prove costly
The Jotun remain in control of Bregasland. The magical fortification anchored to Graven Rock has not been renewed, although there are signs the Ice Fishers of Ldansk may be preparing to build a more mundane [[fortification]] in "the only bit of dry land in Bregasland". The presence of four armies supporting the fortification in Mitwold has meant that raids by Jotun champions have been unsuccessful in causing any significant damage or seizing any wealth from the territory.

The Lion of the North, thanks to the [[Army_qualities#Scouting|scouting expertise]] of those champions who have come from Skallahn and Tromsa, have exposed vulnerabilities in the Strong Reeds. At the moment they are still mostly hidden but the Jotun have begun to exploit their weaknesses and the situation could become dire - the orders the General issues after the Autumn Equinox will be crucial.

If the General orders the army to leave the territory, then they will struggle to do so without alerting the Jotun as to what is happening. The western barbarians will not be able to prevent them leaving, but in the process the Strong Reeds will suffer 1,000 casualties at the hands of the Jotun provided at least one barbarian army is still in the territory. This represents not only pitched fighting along the eastern regions of Bregasland, but also the risk of small groups being lost or trapped in the territory unable to get out. These casualties cannot be mitigated by [[Rivers of Life]], or by army orders. However, [[night magic]] such as the ''Host of Shadows'' (a non-Imperial ritual) may prove effective in helping the army avoid these casualties. If a ritual of that nature is cast on the army, it will suffer only 500 casualties as it leaves Bregasland.

Should the General issue an attacking order then the usual rules for the military campaign apply.

Finally. The General could choose to order the Strong Reeds to continue to Lay Low in Bregasland. This would follow the rules for that order with one exception. Rather than suffering no casualties, as long as any Jotun armies remain in the territory the army will suffer 500 casualties each downtime. Again, magical effects such as ''Rivers of Life'' won't change this - many of the casualties are ''captured'' rather than killed in battle for example. But again, there may be ways to ameliorate these losses. Likewise, without additional effort, no more seasons of Lay Low will count for the Rise Up order (unless the heroes of Anvil intervene one way or another).

This situation will persist until something significant changes in Bregasland, and as long as the Jotun remain in control of the territory.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">[[File:StrongReeds Colour.png|link=387YE_Summer_Solstice_Military_Council_orders#Strong Reeds]]</div>
==Participation==
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Strong Reeds may partake of a form of spiritual inspiration
* '''Accessing this inspiration requires an anointing of either Loyalty or Pride
* '''The inspiration is stronger for Marcher characters but people from other nations still receive a benefit
Military units who supported the Strong Reeds as they upheld their oath toward the people of the Dour Fens may receive a special benefit. The Empire has taken steps on several battles to bolster the [[Pride]] and [[Loyalty]] of the Marcher armies, and the Bregas people. The inspiration these acts provide should not be underestimated.

Any Marcher character whose [[military unit]] supported the Strong Reeds this season may experience that inspiration if it suits their characterisation. If they receive an [[anointing]] of [[Auras_of_Loyalty#Anointing|Loyalty]] or [[Auras_of_Pride#Anointing|Pride]], from a fellow Marcher, they receive a bonus [[heroic skills#Hero|hero point]] during the Autumn Equinox. This bonus increases their maximum number of hero points for the duration of the summit.

Any character who is not a Marcher may also receive a benefit, ''provided'' it is a [[the Marches|Marcher]] priest who leads the ceremony, but it is less intense. Instead of an increase to their maximum hero points for the summit, they receive a single temporary hero point which is lost once it is used - provided they have an appropriate anointing.

In the event that a character loses or changes their anointing of Pride or Loyalty, the bonus hero point is lost and can't be regained again.

==Battle Opportunity : How Will They Rise Up?==
* '''The Imperial prognosticators have identified a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate that leads to Bregasland
The Imperial prognosticators have identified a major conjunction of the [[Sentinel Gate]] during the Autumn Equinox that will allow Imperial heroes to venture into Bregasland. It will present an opportunity to confront the Jotun who are rooting out the Strong Reeds and allow the Empire to mitigate the impact on the Strong Reeds if they take the battle and are successful.

==Further Reading==
* [[Bregasland]]

* [[Shovels and spades]] - Summer 387YE Wind of War about the fighting in Bregasland
* [[If one be gone we carry on]] - Spring 387YE Wind of War about the fighting in Bregasland
* [[Over western hills]] - Winter 386YE Wind of fortune about fighting in the western Marches

For those in peril on the sea

2025-07-18T22:00:51Z

Vsabo: /* A Vigilant Light */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Summer]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Appraisal]]
<ic>"What is... a lighthouse?"

An audible groan went up from the audience. The Urizen before them stood calmly waiting for it to die down.

"We have heard a lot," they continued, "about the challenges of building large towers in hard-to-reach places, of mirrors, lenses, lamps, fuel, finding people prepared to go to tiny islands and... ah... 'freeze their arses off'."

A ripple of laughter, and some jocular banter directed at the Freeborn architect who had voiced this sentiment during her own presentation. Again, the Urizen waited patiently for the jokes and chuckles to subside, like the tide going out.

"But we must, I think, also consider what a lighthouse ''is''. What the core of its essence is. It is more than a 'glorified torch holder' and more than a way to 'save people from slamming their ships into the cliffs'. It is a symbol, and a potent one at that."

Warming to their subject, the speaker strode closer to the audience, scanning across them. They gave the impression of looking each person in the eye in turn.

"It is, fundamentally, ''light''. It is the promise of safety when the storm rages about you. It is a warning of danger, but also the knowledge that someone else cares enough to warn you, a stranger, of the threat. It is a sigil of hope made manifest - not the passive hope that leads to inaction but the bright hope that tells each of us that we can face the challenges of the day and make tomorrow better. It is truth, as I am sure the philosophers of Sarvos would agree. It is the sanctuary, as the Highborn know, that comes with sturdy walls and Vigilance. It is the wish of home made manifest that tells the tired corsair they are nearly there. It is so much more than a tower with a light atop it."

They paused then letting their words sink in. The audience were quiet, hanging on their words. It was easy to forget that the purpose of poise was not to deny emotion, but to bank it for when it will be most useful, and on this subject the Urizen spoke with burning passion.

"We must not forget that Master Sweetwater has brought us here not only to discuss the logistics of building lighthouses, but so that we might protect our shores and perhaps most importantly of all, uplift the pride of those nations who have lost their light. We can build all the towers in the world, but if we do not pause to think about what a lighthouse is, what it represents, then we are doomed to achieve only a portion of the task ahead of us. I will now open the floor to comments and questions, if you please."</ic>
{{CaptionedImage|file=Oran_by_the_Sea.jpg|caption=The Celesti Lighthouse sits high on the headland overlooking Oran.|align=left|width=400}}
==Overview==
'''Cyrus''' [[senator]] for [[Reikos]], seconded by '''Pathfinder Gaddak''' of [[Mareave]], and endorsed by the [[Imperial Senate]], asked ''[[Appraisal#Eilian Sweetwater|Eilian Sweetwater]]'' of the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticators Office]] to [[appraisal|appraise]] ''the restoration or recreation of the great warding lighthouses (such as the Shining Pillar and the Lighthouses of Nikiphoros) of the Bay so that we might protect our shores from new eternal threats and uplift the Pride of those nations that have lost their light.'' Eilian, a former researcher with the [[Historical research#Department of Historical Research|Department of Historical Research]] threw himself into the role with relish, appreciating the opportunity to visit and explore several historic locations around the [[Bay of Catazar]].

There are of course a number of lighthouses around the southern coast of the Empire, but most of those that remain amount to little more than a squat tower with a beacon atop intended to warn about a specific shoal or rocky shore. There were also a number of much larger lighthouses, often inspiring examples of Imperial architecture and engineering. Unfortunately, one by one, over the last few decades they have been destroyed, lost, or left derelict. It is these larger lighthouses that Eilian Sweetwater is particularly interested in. His appraisal, however, begins in [[Sarvos]] where the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticators Office]] host a meeting of experts from [[the Brass Coast]], [[the League]], [[Highguard]], and [[Urizen]].
==Symbols of Sanctuary and Hope==
* '''The impromptu symposium on lighthouses convened in Sarvos discussed the symbolism of lighthouses among the four nations of the Bay'''

The meeting takes a week or so, with artisans from the four nations sharing their expertise, ideas, and even a few proposals. Each of the four nations is in agreement as to the utility of lighthouses, but their individual appreciation is a little more nuanced.
===The Brass Coast===
{{CaptionedImage|file=Highguard.jpg|align=right|width=300}}
To many Freeborn, a lighthouse is a beacon of hope - it is not just that it is invaluable to navigators, providing not only warning about danger, it is also a marker that has specific meaning. Lighthouses have an almost spiritual role in the Brass Coast, embodying as they do, the elements of [[The_Brass_Coast_religious_beliefs#Dust,_Flame,_and_Glass|glass and fire]] that shape their people.

The old Shining Beacon was an enduring symbol that a tired Freeborn crew were nearly home, back to their families and friends, and safe from the dangers of the sea. They are especially valuable to [[corsair]] families, who often shared a fierce love of the great lights that rose above their islands. In some cases the loss of the Shining Pillar, and the looting of the Celesti Lighthouse by Rahab, was felt more keenly than even the burning of Siroc.

Freeborn glass makers are the undisputed masters of their craft in the Empire, with huge expertise in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing glassblowing], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_casting glass casting], as well as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annealing_(glass) annealing], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caneworking caneworking], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampworking lampworking] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraved_glass engraving].

===Highguard===
The Highborn are by no means as active as seafarers as they were in the past, but it is no coincidence that the lighthouse is an almost universally recognised symbol of [[Vigilance]]. Before [[Necropolis#The Necropolis|Necropolis]] was a city of the dead, back when it was called ''Pharos'', it was named for the great lighthouse that stood above the city on the cliffs of [[Necropolis#Coursmouth|Coursmouth]]. The Pharos was burned along with the city in the closing days of [[Highguard_history#The_Revelation_and_the_Civil_War|civil war]] with the patricians. It was never rebuilt, and to some historians it represents a turning point - the slow turning away of the Highborn from the sea to look inward to the spirit.

Though the Highborn are no longer a great naval power, they retain their love of architecture and there are few nations who can rival their ability to create the tall towers needed to house a beacon.

===Urizen===
For the [[Urizen]], lighthouses are a realisation of the power of [[Urizen_hearth_magic#Illumination|illumination]]. They shine to dispel the power of mist and fog, but just as importantly to illuminate the night. A lighthouse is not just a warning beacon, it stands as a witness to everything that happens at sea, promising safety and sanctuary to those who are guided by it. Traditionally, no lighthouse keeper turns away those in need of sanctuary; in Urizen and Highguard they are often priests dedicated to Vigilance. Some take on the responsibility for organising volunteer crews to offer direct aid to ships that get into trouble within the span of their lights - those who take out small boats in the teeth of a storm to bring succour to those who otherwise would be doomed to drown at sea.

The Urizen are unrivalled experts at creating and controlling light. It takes enormous amounts of time and skill to make a lightstone powerful to serve as the light source of a large lighthouse and there are few outside Urizen who have the arete to master the art.

===The League===
Appreciation of lighthouses is more prosaic in the League where they are appreciated for their practical benefits. They are sometimes viewed as symbols of achievement, or even Prosperity; reflecting the work needed to build them and the way the support that they give to mariners and merchants helps to ensure fewer ships and their precious cargoes are lost at sea.

Yet there is also a little mysticism even here. The best lighthouses use [[The_League_hearth_magic#Mirrors|huge mirrors]] to focus the light - leading to an odd folk tradition where lighthouse keepers were often seen as people with a specific understanding of truth. In some coastal towns in the League, the lighthouse keeper also served as a local magistrate, hearing minor crimes and delivering judgement. There are folk tales that liars who look into the lamp atop a lighthouse, reflected and reinforced by the polished mirrors, are struck blind if they do not recant their falsehoods.

The Brass Coast may make the best glass in the Empire, but the mirror-masters of the League acknowledge no rivals anywhere in the world, creating cunningly crafted and polished mirrors that can focus light into the perfect beam.

===Unshackled===
The last group to attend the symposium were the [[Imperial Orcs]] of [[Mareave]]. The Unshackled have little experience dealing with lighthouses, but now that they have a coastline they are much more appreciative of the value these burning towers provide. There is a derelict lighthouse at [[Mareave#Icarion|Icarion]] that Eilian Sweetwater is very keen to revisit, but they are also aware that a smaller lighthouse stands above the docks in [[Mareave#Beoraidh|Beoraidh]].

The Grendel like their lighthouses, say the [[Sannite]]. They're symbols not only of vigilance but also [[Prosperity]]. Several of the Salt Lords traditionally pay the lighthouse keepers out of their own pockets, making a show of protecting mariners across the seas of the Bay. Rahab's destruction of the Celesti Lighthouse - or at least his endorsement of the looters - is said in the bazaars of Beoraidh to have raised significant eyebrows among some of the more traditional Grendel lords and was a clear sign of his utter desperation in the face of the constant provocations of the Brass Coast.

In the eyes of the Grendel, only a fool destroys a lighthouse. It is seen as a mark of the "madness" of the Children of Wrecks that they intentionally destroy lighthouses - the taint of their [[Siakha|ravening mistress]] no doubt. Which leads to further discussion of the problem of the Children, and the likelihood that any new lighthouses will likewise be targeted for destruction.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Kimus001.png|align=right|width=200}}</div>

===A Surprise Guest===
In addition to the invited attendees, there is a surprise additional guest when the symposium starts. At first some of the other attendees mistake them for an Urizen, given they are wearing pale lavender hooded robes. It is only when the evening draws in and it becomes apparent this particular attendee glows in the dark that suspicions are raised. After being challenged, the guest confirms that they are in fact a [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|herald]] dispatched by the ''[[Kimus|Seer Clad in Raiment of Gold]]'', at the invitation of the [[Archmage of Day]], to observe proceedings. They give their name as ''Fotismos'' and while they are not especially voluble, they often interject with odd details or peculiar observations that later prove to be quite insightful.

Finally, during an open session of discussion toward the end of the symposium, they take the stage to explain their mistress' interest in lighthouses is more than academic. As the Empire knows, some of the most powerful methods of illumination used in the lighthouses of the Empire have been inspired or infused by the ''Thousand Eyes of the Sun and Moon''. Their explanation is esoteric but seems to boil down to the fact that the eternal likes the way lighthouses observe their surroundings, and bring light to the dark. As such, Fotismos has been instructed to offer support to the appraisal for as long as the Empire deems their presence appropriate.

===Conclusions===
In general, Eilian concludes, lighthouses are more than just towers with lights on top of them. They are symbols of Vigilance - of being alert to dangers at sea - but more than that they promise safety and succour. There is little that can be said in any concrete way about the threat of unknown eternals, but if there ''is'' something festering in the depths of the Bay of Catazar, it surely cannot hurt for the Senate to invest in some of these bright, far-seeing beacons. Especially as all the ''significant'' lighthouses seem to have been knocked down.

As well as a philosophical discussion of lighthouses, however, the symposium at Sarvos brings out a number of practical opportunities. With their heads close together, a set of general plans are created and made available to builders across the Empire. They include designs, diagrams, and theory needed to create a "[[#A Warning Light|standard lighthouse]]" - a simple tower with a light atop it - and a more impressive and effective "[[#A Welcoming Beacon|great lighthouse]]" suitable to serve as a potent beacon to Imperial ships.

===Participation===
It's entirely acceptable for any character with an interest in lighthouses, the construction or symbolism thereof, to have attended this symposium and met with other delegates, debated the meaning of towers and beacons, and shared concerns about whatever form this peculiar threat might take.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Sullivans-Island-Lighthouse-beach-night.jpg|align=right|width=350}}

==A Warning Light==
* '''A typical lighthouse is an edifice built with at least 10 wains in a region with a coastline'''
* '''A lighthouse can be built entirely with white granite'''
* '''Up to a fifth of the wains may be mithril reflecting the mirrors used to amplify the beacon'''
* '''By default an edifice has no mechanical game effects'''

There are any number of lighthouses scattered around the shores of the Empire which serve the traditional function - warning sailors of dangers and helping them navigate through storms and thick fogs. A lighthouse could be built in any region with a coastline - it is after all "just" a stone tower with a light on top of it, tended to by a one-or-two person team who ensure the beacon remains lit in times of need.

Anyone capable of building an [[edifice]] can construct a standard lighthouse. The minimum price for a lighthouse is 10 wains, but as with any edifice any number of wains might be used depending on the [[edifice#grandeur|grandeur]] desired. It would be most practical to build a lighthouse from [[white granite]], but up to a fifth of the wains involved might be [[mithril]] instead representing powerful mirrors. Regardless of materials used, this kind of lighthouse is of resolutely mundane nature. Regardless of where they are placed, an edifice has no mechanical game effects, though a lighthouse will always be important and notable, especially to mariners and others sea-goers who travel the protected waters.

'''OOC Note:''' A standard lighthouse is classed as an edifice. Once constructed, it will receive at most a paragraph of description on the appropriate territory page (depending on [[Edifice#Grandeur|grandeur]]). While it may make most sense to build such a thing in a [[territory#Regions|region]] with the [[Region_qualities#Coastal|coastal quality]] the only requirement is that the region include a section of coastline. As with any other [[commission]] the lighthouse could become part of an [[opportunity]] - although there is no guarantee that will be the case.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Macquarie lighthouse at Midnight at Full Moon.jpg|align=right|width=350}}
==A Welcoming Beacon==
* '''A ''great lighthouse'' would be a great work benefitting fleets'''
* '''Standard costs would be 40 wains of weirwood or white granite and 10 wains of mithril, to provide the first level of investment in a territory'''
* '''A lighthouse that supports fleets must be built in a region with the coastal quality'''

A ''great lighthouse'' would be a massive structure of white granite or weirwood with mithril mirrors at the top, and may incorporate a boat station operated by volunteers who seek to preserve life in the case of a disaster. This kind of lighthouse is a specific [[great work]] that benefits [[fleet|fleets]]. It is effectively an [[opportunity]] available to anyone who can commission a great work.

A ''great lighthouse'' must be built in a region with the [[Region_qualities#Coastal|coastal quality]]. The lighthouse represents a level of investment in [[fleet|fleets]] based in the territory. A lighthouse uses a combination of either weirwood and white granite, and an amount of mithril for the mirrors. Adding the first level of investment takes 40 wains of weirwood or white granite, and 10 wains of mithril. Lighthouses adding higher levels of investment need proportionally more mithril and either white granite or weirwood.

This kind of lighthouse receives a paragraph on the appropriate territory page, as well as adding an entire rank to the effectiveness of any fleet based in the territory that takes a [[Fleet#Trading|trading]] action during downtime. The weakness of such a great work is that it is relatively easy to damage if the region where it is built is captured by an enemy. The practical nature of the [[Grendel]] means they are broadly unlikely to do such a thing - Governor Rahab's anger and greed making him an exception - but the Children of Wrecks actively enjoy destroying lighthouses.

'''OOC Note:''' A ''great lighthouse'' is a specific example of a great work that can be built with non-standard materials, and can only be constructed in a region with a specific quality. Anyone who can commission a great work could specify that they are building a great lighthouse. The amounts given here are for the first level of investment in fleets in a territory; higher levels of investment will require proportionally more materials.

==Notable Lighthouses==
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:400px; float: right; margin: 10px;"
|-
! Historic Lighthouse !! Location !! Condition
|-
| [[Caricomare|Caricomare Lighthouse]]|| [[Sarvos#Cigno|Sarvos, Cigno]] || Never built
|-
| [[Celesti_Lighthouse_Keeper#The_Celesti_Lighthouse|Celesti Lighthouse]]|| [[Feroz#Oran|Feroz, Oran]] || Damaged
|-
| [[Madruga#The_Shining_Pillar_(Destroyed)|Shining Pillar]]|| [[Madruga#Free_Landing|Madruga, Free Landing]] || Destroyed
|-
| [[Necropolis#The_Necropolis|Pharos]]|| [[Necropolis#Coursmouth|Coursmouth, Necropolis]] || Destroyed
|-
| [[Urizen_groups#The_Lighthouse_at_Nikephoros|Nikephoros]]|| [[Redoubt#Naris|Naris, Redoubt]] || Destroyed
|-
| [[Spiral#Apulian|The Eye of Kimus]]|| [[Spiral#Apulian|Spiral, Apulian]] || Destroyed
|-
| [[Mareave#The_Lighthouse_of_Icarion|The Light of Virtue]]|| [[Mareave#Icarion|Mareave, Icarion]] || Ruined
|-
|}
</div>
As part of their work, Eilian has conducted a review of all the notable lighthouses on the Bay of Catazar. They have made an initial study of the history of each of these important structures and where possible they have visited what remains, but time is not on their side. The lighthouses are spread across the entire coast, and it is challenging to do much more than visit them. Fotismos, the herald of ''She Who Watches'' proves quite helpful here able to provide snippets of insight that even the residents of the territories in question are unaware of.

It's clear that each lighthouse could be restored, or rebuilt, or the work completed, creating a unique structure that reflected the nation where it was built. Unfortunately, each such project requires a degree of investigation and detail that simply exceeds the amount of time available before the Summer Solstice. With that in mind, Eilian and a small team of experts from the symposium have focused their attention - for the moment at least - on a proposal on one of the lighthouses mentioned in the appraisal. At least in theory.

Unfortunately the Shining Pillar is not in a position to be restored. Not only is the island on which it stood claimed by the Children of Wrecks, but that island has apparently been devoured by a perpetually churning maelstrom. The herald ''Fotismos'' with uncharacteristic wryness, comments that even their mistress would struggle to construct a lighthouse on the mouth of an insatiable beast. With that in mind, Eilian and his team explore the next best thing - the damaged Celesti Lighthouse.

==The Celesti Lighthouse==
* '''Eilian Sweetwater has made a particular study of the Celesti Lighthouse in Feroz
* '''The lighthouse was looted and rendered inoperable during the governorship of Rahab the Rapacious
Situated near the farthest tip of the [[Feroz#Oran|Oran]] peninsula, at one of its highest points, is the shell of the [[Celesti_Lighthouse_Keeper#The_Celesti_Lighthouse|Celesti lighthouse]]. Nearly five hundred feet tall - a wonder of the Empire that rivalled the [[Madruga#The_Shining_Pillar_(Destroyed)|Shining Pillar]] of [[Madruga]] - it was originally commissioned as part of the massive investment in coastal ports and defences during the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

Intended to serve both as a navigation aid and to keep a watch for signs of [[Grendel]] ships, the structure was much larger than it needed to be - making it an object of ribald fun for satirists and humourists around the Bay of Catazar. Barabbas planned to have the lighthouse lit in a dramatic display as his great armada sailed past on its way to conquer Attar but due to overspending and delays, construction hadn’t yet started on the complex beacon, and only the tower itself was finished.

Following the destruction of the Barabbine Fleet, funding for coastal projects abruptly ceased, and there was little Senate interest in completing what was largely seen as one of the late Throne's great follies. With Senate funding withdrawn, it proved impossible to complete the lighthouse. A small group of [[Guerra]] hakima kept a large bonfire lit at night in the otherwise empty beacon room of the partially completed lighthouse, maintaining its purpose as an aid to sailors through the treacherous isles and sandbanks of the southern coast. Sightseers and pilgrims to the site provided the small amount of funding to keep the structure itself in fair condition, though never enough to complete its construction.

In 380YE, however, '''Ahraz i Guerra''' - one of the remaining hakima of the Celesti - raised the money necessary to complete the beacon. Based in a reclusive monastery near the summit of the [[Kahraman#The_Gilded_Peak|Gilded Peak]] in [[Kahraman]], they strove to recreate the golden light of the peaks, and their plans were still kept in the monastery archives. With funds raised, the plans recovered from the Celesti archives and the design of the unique lamp secured, work to properly complete the lighthouse was authorised by the short-lived [[Civilian Commissioner]] for the Brass Coast.

For several years, the golden light of the Gilded Peaks shone out across the Bay, welcoming travellers to the Brass Coast, and providing a vital navigation aid for those attempting to traverse the isles and sandbanks of [[Feroz#Cazar Strits|Cazar]]. By no coincidence, this also made it visible to taller structures in Siroc, Oran, and Joharra. The "Celesti Lighthouse Keeper" was charged with maintaining the tower; keen to promote trade with the newly opened foreign ports in the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. Sadly, when Feroz was conquered by the [[Grendel]], and ceded to the [[orc|orcs]] by the subsequent [[Ratify_treaty_with_the_Grendel_Autumn_383YE#Treaty|peace treaty]], the lighthouse came under the dominion of the ruthless and avaricious ''Governor Rahab''.
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Restore the Celesti Lighthouse'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Edifice</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Oranseri, Feroz</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 16 wains of [[mithril]], 48 crowns in labour</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability: Openended</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effect:''' Fully restores the beautiful and historic Celesti lighthouse</td></tr>
</table>
</div>
===A Phoenix Rises===
* '''The Celesti Lighthouse could be restored to its former glory
Following the liberation of Feroz, the lighthouse was left in a parlous shape; the foundations remain but the mirrors and the gorgeous lamp have been looted. It still serves as an intimidating sight above the cliffs of Oran, and it is perhaps unsurprising that the [[Children of Wrecks]] sought to [[Send_for_me#Butcher's_Yard_(Feroz)|bring it down]] in Winter 386YE - another thumb to the eye of the Freeborn. Fortunately the [[Strategos|Strategos of the Brass Coast]], '''Gael i Guerra''', organised a warband of Imperial heroes to ensure the wreckers were defeated and so the tower at least still stands.

Given its long history, and the impossibility of visiting the site where the Shining Pillar once stood (it is now a howling maelstrom that allegedly opens into the very realm of [[Siakha]] herself), Eilian makes a point of visiting the damaged tower and speaking with representatives of the ''Celesti'' about the possibility of repairing and restoring it. Just restoring the lighthouse would be an easy task. The structure is sound, only the lamp and mirrors require replacement. A [[commission]], and three months of work would restore the beacon and allow the lighthouse to function again just as it did before.

===A Vigilant Light===
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Fortify the Celesti Lighthouse'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Citadel (Fortification)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Oranseri, Feroz</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' 120 [[white granite]] and 30 [[mithril]], 450 crowns labour costs</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' 1 year</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability: Open-ended</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Raises the level of investment for trading fleets in Feroz by one
* Defends the region as a level one citadel
* Allows Freeborn fleets to take a guarding voyage to defend Oranseri from attack by sea
* Remove the [[Region_qualities#Abandoned|abandoned]] quality from Oranseri
* Restores an amended version of the Celesti Lighthouse Keeper
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' 10 Thrones</td></tr>
</table>
</table>
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightGreen;">'''Celesti Lighthouse Keeper'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Type:''' Brass Coast</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Appointment:''' Tally of the Votes</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Powers:''' Receives 12 crowns income each season</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Responsibilities:''' To oversee the Lighthouse, and protect the shores of the Brass Coast from threats of all kinds</td></tr>
</table></div>
* '''The tower could become the centrepiece of a massive citadel
* '''As well as protecting the coast it could be fortified further by Imperial fleets
* '''It would also function as a great work supporting Freeborn fleets in Feroz
* '''Completing the lighthouse would remove the abandoned quality from Oranseri
The problem the Celesti Lighthouse faces is that the Children of Wrecks have already tried to destroy it once, and launched a raid against the town of Oran that was [[A_circle_sewn_with_fate#The_Battle_of_Oran|only thwarted]] due to the intervention of the Grendel at [[Feroz#Mora's_Rock|Mora's Rock]]. Given they still control the Cazar Straits, Eilian proposes using the existing tower as a starting point to restore the original purpose of the lighthouse - warning and defending against attacks -

Eilian is somewhat inspired by [[Necropolis#Reumah's_Rest|Reumah's rest]] in [[Necropolis]]. The massive lighthouse itself is built of white granite, and could be heavily reinforced in the manner of a fortified tower or small keep without damaging its beauty. In addition, though, Eilian's proposal includes strategically placed barricades, two small forts, and the best warning bells that can be purchased from [[Highguard]]. As well as a keeper, the Celesti Lighthouse would be garrisoned by a group of elite Freeborn marines. If enemies are spotted or encountered, the garrison would quickly rouse and stand ready to defend the shores, while messengers could be sent swiftly inland to provide warning of the attack.

The great lighthouse Eilian proposes would be a [[citadel]] costing 120 white granite and 30 mithril, with a labour cost of 450 crowns and taking a year to complete. At the end of that time, the Celesti Lighthouse beacon would once again shine across the Bay, a source of Pride and a subtle reminder of Barabbas' ambition to one day conquer the Broken Shore. As well as protecting Oranseri (and itself of course), it would also function as a great work raising the level of investment in fleets based in Feroz by one rank bonus when they undertake a [[Fleet#Trading|trading action]] (if the territory already has a great work that enhances fleets, the price will be increased proportionally). The new Lighthouse would have an upkeep of 10 thrones. As well as its more traditional benefits, however, it would have two other effects.

It would remove the [[Region_qualities#Abandoned|abandoned]] quality from Oranseri; both the reassuring light and the protection it offers would make Freeborn much more likely to risk resettling Oran. Combined with the [[Send_for_me#Inkworks_of_Joharra|Inkworks of Joharra]], the town would begin to reclaim its former glory.

Finally, any [[fleet]] will be able to take a [[Fleet#Guarding|guarding]] action to support the lighthouse. They will add their strength to that of the citadel if it is attacked ''from the sea'', but crucially they will also defend the coastal waters of the entire territory from invasion, sea monsters, raiders and the like. Normally a fleet cannot support a fortification or citadel; this grand fortified lighthouses and coastal defences would be an exception to that rule.

The title of Celesti Lighthouse Keeper would be restored, but rather than a ministry that can purchase mana, it would represent a [[sinecure]] representing willing donations from Freeborn ship captains. The title would be appointed by Tally of the Votes rather than chosen by the Senators - those directly affected by the lighthouse would make the decision of who its custodian should be - and their responsibilities would expand to protecting the shores of the Brass Coast from threats of all kinds.
<div style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right; margin-left:10px;">
<table class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><tr><td style="background-color: LightBlue;">'''Infused Light'''</tr>
<tr><td>'''Commission Type:''' Special (part of another commission)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Location:''' Oranseri, Feroz</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Cost:''' increases cost by 60 ingots of weltsilver, 40 ingots of tempest jade, 10 rings of [[ilium]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Time:''' Special</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Availability: Open-ended (must be included in commission)</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Effects:'''
* Replaces the Escorting Imperial Shipping voyage with Patrol the Bay of Catazar
* Once complete allows Senate to restore the Broken Shore Bounty
* Empowers rituals if the Celesti Lighthouse Keeper is present
</td></tr>
<tr><td>'''Upkeep:''' None (unless Broken Shore Bounty restored)</td></tr>
</table></div>

===Light in the Storm===
* '''Kimus offers to infuse Day magic into the lighthouse via the lamp'''
* '''Doing so would provide a boost to morale of Imperial sailors and their allies, while reminding the enemies of the Empire that the Brass Coast remains defiant
* '''It replaces the Escort Imperial Shipping voyage with the Patrol the Bay of Catazar voyage
* '''Once complete it can be used to restore the Broken Shore Bounty
* '''It also provides a magical benefit to the Celesti Lighthouse Keeper
In addition to the purely mundane assessment, the herald ''Fotismos'' presents their own proposal to the Empire via Eilian and their team. The ''Glass of the Heavens'' is prepared to offer their own unique addition to the specialised light source, one that would provide an unblinking supernatural light that would be visible even more clearly than normal. Indeed, every ship sailing the waters of the Bay of Catazar would know exactly where they were in relationship to the lighthouse at all times even if they couldn't see it and didn't know what Celesti Lighthouse was.

The ''watchstone'' adds an additional cost to commission the lighthouse of 60 ingots of [[weltsilver]], 40 ingots of [[tempest jade]], and ten rings of [[ilium]]. Once the structure was complete, Fotismos would install the unquenchable light in the lighthouse - regardless of whether the commission is for the [[#A Phoenix Rises|simple restoration]] or the much more impressive [[#A Vigilant Light|vigilant light]]. However the instruction to incorporate the gift of ''She Who Watches the World'' must be given at the point the lighthouse work is commissioned - it can't be added later without negotiation with the eternal and likely significant remodelling. The magical illumination will burn with a steady beam of light and provide several benefits.

Firstly, the fact that everyone in the Bay of Catazar knows exactly where they are in relation to it would be a boon to navigation. It would also serve as a reminder to hostile forces in the bay that the lighthouse - and the Freeborn nation it represents - defies them. Even the Grendel navies would know the light was there, and that no matter what they or the Children of Wrecks do to the Brass Coast, they will never submit. The benefit to the morale of the corsairs would be considerable, and the impact on the pirates and privateers of the Bay would likewise be significant. It would remove the need for the Freeborn to keep [[Voyage#Escort_Imperial_Shipping|escorting Imperial shipping]], while still preventing the penalties that action was created to remove.

Instead it will create a new scouting voyage '''Patrol the Bay of Catazar''' that will allow ''any'' Imperial vessels to patrol the Bay, helping anyone who gets into trouble, and also being alert for any signs of threat or peculiar developments at sea or on its shore. It would essentially work like a [[spy network]] focused on the Bay itself rather than its coasts, alert for movements of ships, supernatural threats from the depths, and the likes. The rewards would be the same as Escort Imperial Shipping, but in addition if at least 1500 effective strength was applied to the action in a season it would produce a short spy report detailing any interesting events taking place across the Bay.

The Lighthouse would also restore the confidence of the common folk around the Bay that the Freeborn Corsairs are looking out for them. Once work were complete, the Imperial Senate could use a senate motion to re-open the ''Broken Shore Bounty'' as a Freeborn National Bourse Seat appointed by [[Tally of the Votes]]. It would have the usual upkeep for an [[ilium]] seat - two thrones each season - and provide 7 ilium each season. If they chose to do so, the Senate could place the Lighthouse Keeper themselves in charge of the Bounty, making it a Bourse Seat with additional benefits.

Obviously, if the Lighthouse were destroyed or looted again these benefits would be lost - one reason Fotismos is eager to stress that the larger, fortified lighthouse is a much better bet than the smaller, less defensible, version.

Finally, Fotismos would provide the ''Celesti Lighthouse Keeper'' with a fragment of the material from which the light was made, creating an unbreakable link between the lighthouse and the title. As long as the Celesti Lighthouse Keeper were included as an additional target of a ritual, the effective magnitude of any divination cast on Feroz would be increased by 10 for purposes of overcoming shrouds, and any [[Piercing Light of Revelation]] would have its magnitude for purposes of removing shrouds or effects that obscure or conceal the territory increased by 30. Furthermore, as long as Kimus is not placed under [[alignment#Enmity|enmity]], a performance of Piercing Light of Revelation specifically intended for that purpose could be used to destroy any [[curse]] of storm or ruin targeting Feroz - such as [[Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea]] or [[Thunderous Deluge]] - provided the magnitude of the ritual is at least three times the magnitude of the target curse.

==An Extensive Prospect==
* '''Eilian is confident that given time he could prepare similar length proposals for other historical sites around the Bay of Catazar
* '''If the Senate wishes to do so they can approve a sabbatical for Eilian who will spend the next year working on lighthouses
* '''They will name either an individual, or the Magpies, to be responsible for directing Eilian as to which of the listed projects he should pursue each season
* '''It would not be possible to direct Eilian on any other appraisal during the year of his sabbatical
Eilian has expressed genuine regret that he was not able to provide further proposals in response to the appraisal. He was able to make little more than a cursory visit to the sites of the other historical beacons that once stood above the Bay of Catazar, many of which have fascinating stories attached to them. He has also been deep in conversation with the peculiar herald ''Fotismos'' who it appears shares an appreciation for lighthouses, both historical and potential. The former historian is confident that together with the emissary of [[Kimus|Thousand Eyed Kimus]] he could come up with detailed proposals for several of them if he only had time. As such, after speaking with ''Gerard leSalle'' and the rest of the [[Appraisal#The_Prognosticators_Office|Prognosticator's Office]] he has a request for the Imperial Senate.

He asks if the Senate is interested in learning more about the lighthouses of the Bay, and proposals as to how they might be used to honour the legacies of their nations, prepare for the future, or simply provide the valuable services lighthouses offer. If they are, Eilian proposes that the Senate pass a [[Senate motion|motion]] formally approving a year long sabbatical for the former historian and their team to continue his exploration of the lighthouses of the Bay, with the support of the herald of the Day Realm and the experts gathered at the symposium. There are six potential sites he and his associates could explore in more detail:
* The proposed lighthouse of [[Caricomare]] which was never completed due to a clash between inspired Ambition and tediously pragmatic economic realities. There are intriguing notes that it was intended in part to help protect low-lying parts of the city of Sarvos from the threat of storms.
* The site of the Pharos of Necropolis which Eilian believes could gain additional impact from its association with the exemplar and founder of Highguard, [[Atuman]].
* The Lighthouse of Nikeporos, destroyed during a recent [[On_southern_sands#On_Wings_of_Storm|battle with the Grendel]] which is said to have stood atop a peculiar [[regio]] tied to the [[Realm#Winter|Winter realm]].
* The lighthouses that currently stand along the shores of [[Redoubt#Naris|Naris]], associated with the restored port of Elos in Redoubt, that once safeguarded the maritime aspirations of the people of Urizen. The herald Forismos is especially interested in this one.
* The [[Spiral#The Lighthouse of Apulian|Lighthouse of Apulian]] in Spiral, which was a [[great work]] constructed in pre-Imperial times destroyed by ''Hadrian of Apulian'' with its own dedicated cadre of [[Spiral_Spoils_of_War#The_Lighthouse_Keepers|Lighthouse Keepers]].
* The [[Mareave#The Lighthouse of Icarion|Lighthouse of Icarion]], originally built in an old Urizen style, that stands along the clifftops near the southern end of the [[Mareave#Apulian Way|Apulian Way]].
Eilian and his allies could prepare a single proposal each season over the coming year for ''one'' of these sites. Obviously, there is not enough time to do ''all'' the lighthouses but Eilian anticipates there will be some that are of more value to the Empire than others. As part of the motion approving the sabbatical, the Imperial Senate could choose to name someone who would be responsible for liaising with Eilian to direct his team to one of these sites. ('''OOC Note:''' The player would email {{plot}} before the close of downtime after each event indicating which of the named projects they wish Eilian to undertake that season.) Eilian would prepare a focused report for the following season, as part of the winds of fortune.

Alternatively, they could devolve responsibility for his historical appraisal to the [[Magpies]] (if the [[Imperial Sodality]] is [[The Throne#Ratification|ratified]] of course), presuming that their manifesto still includes the provisos relating to [[Two_for_joy#Historical_Research|historical research]].

The downside is that Eilian would not be available for any further appraisals until the start of the Summer Solstice 388YE. There would be no additional costs, other members of the department could carry out two appraisals as normal during this time, but the prognosticator could not be named to read any other appraisal during this time.

==Further Reading==
* [[Appraisal]]
* [[Edifice]]
* [[Great work]]

* [[Celesti Lighthouse Keeper]]
* [[Send for me]] - 386YE Winter wind of fortune about rebuilding Feroz

Beat of your drum

2025-07-18T19:56:13Z

Vsabo: /* Welcome, New Ambassador */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Summer]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>The stew was surprisingly nice, mused Roget. He found it a little surprising given there was no meat in it. This ''worzelpaste'' or whatever they called it was very effective. His companion sensed his approval and the League merchant spotted the tiny twitch of the lip that he had come to identify as the orc smiling at him.

"Anyway, what it comes down to is this," continued the orc seriously. They had been discussing the relative merits of Imperial and Commonwealth attitudes, and it had become a little intense. "Altmann asked... you know who Altmann is, yes?"

Roget nodded. "He was the philosopher who founded your nation?"

The orc - Manno - winced slightly. "It is a little more complicated than that, but yes, he laid the foundations for our nation. Anyway, Altmann asked 'do the ends justify the means'?"

"We ask that question in the Empire as well," said Roget. "Have you got an answer?"

Manno shook his head and ate another massive spoonful of vegetable stew.

"No, no. Altmann said there ''is'' no answer. Or rather that there are a lot of answers, and that it is up to each person to decide what that answer is. The important thing is that once you ''have'' decided, then you can't act against that knowledge. Or you mustn't, rather. You have to know what is true and then act, you see? A little like your Imperial virtues but more... rational. Reasoned? So the best we've been able to come up with as an answer to the paradox is "sometimes" or "maybe". You see?"

"I see," said Roget. But the orc hadn't finished. His eyes glowing with passionate intensity, Manno leaned across the table.

"But! While it started with Altmann, it doesn't end there. One of the philosophers who came after him - Hinzel I think it was - said that the real question Altmann was asking was 'If the ends are important enough, does that mean that a good person should use every means at their disposal to achieve them?'"

"Ah, we have a similar argument in the Empire. People often argue whether the pursuit of one Virtue trumps the others. It comes up rather a lot when discussing the nature of Ambition..."

The orc nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. Exactly! If the ends you seek are a perfect world where nobody need ever suffer again, what does it mean if you decide some action is too terrible for you to take it? Are you not selfishly putting your own good - your own feeling - ahead of the good of the world? Pushing the perfect future further away meaning more people suffer before it is achieved? You see?"

"Yes, quite," said Roget, just a little nervous at the orc's fervour. "And what did Hinzel say was the answer?"

The orc barked a short laugh and subsided back into his seat. "He had no idea. Wrote six volumes debating it with himself and died halfway through the seventh. People have been arguing about it ever since. I'm just a simple farmer, mind. It's possible an actual philosopher might have a good answer for you but... I wonder sometimes. What I would sacrifice if I knew I could bring the perfect world a little closer, if I might cut even a day of suffering off of the long march to the Greatest Good?"

Roget smiled and nodded, but he felt a shiver go up his spine and was secretly relieved when the others came back to the table and the subject turned to less esoteric matters.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Timeless Books.jpg|caption=In the Commonwealth even a "simple farmer" may be remarkably erudite on matters of philosophy and the Common Good.|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, 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.

The [[Commonwealth]] are a militaristic nation committed to the idea of ensuring the greatest good to the greatest number of people. They are perhaps the closest allies the Empire has among the great powers of the known world. This is in no small part due to their membership of the [[Liberty Pact]], dedicated to destroying the abhorrent practice of slavery across the world. Both nations are dedicated to extending their influence over the whole world, and know that only one of them can fulfil their grand ambition, but for now their rivalry with the Empire remains amicable. The Empire shared their mastery of magic with the magicians of the Commonwealth, and Commonwealth soldiers fought and died alongside the Freeborn in the [[A beacon of smoke|fall of Siroc]].

At present, the Commonwealth remains locked in a bitter war with the [[Principalities of Jarm]], over what appear to be irreconcilable differences. The proximate cause is the nation of Lantir, a tiny landlocked country surrounded by the two rival great powers. The Commonwealth [[According_to_principle#The_Lantir_War|took sides in a civil war]] in the nation causing the Jarmish to back the rival faction. The war continues to rage without any sign of burning out and it remains the key focus of the Commonwealth's Military Council, distracting them from other business.

The Commonwealth ambassador to the Empire is ''Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen'', of die Stahlhalle in the port-city of Volkavaar, a veteran soldier who reports to the generals who hold the reins of political power in their nation. An old campaigner, they generally speak plainly and as honestly as any politician can when dealing with their Imperial counterpart.
{{Nation|nation=Commonwealth|status=Foreigner|port=[[Commonwealth_ports#Leerdam_(Eastern_Commonwealth)|Leerdam]] and [[Commonwealth_ports#Volkavaar_(Western_Commonwealth)|Volkavaar]]|ambassador=Finn Pridetalker of [[Wintermark]]}}
==Welcome, New Ambassador==
* '''The Commonwealth greets the new ambassador and wishes the old one well
* '''They are disappointed in delays completing the diplomatenschloss but understand
* '''The Militärattache provides prior warning that the Commonwealth will be discontinuing the practice of allowing merchants to offer bribes to ambassadors
The first order of business is for ''Militärattache Schöningen'' to welcome the new [[Ambassador to the Commonwealth|ambassador]] '''Finn Pridetalker''' of [[Wintermark]]. Schöningen has nothing but praise for the former ambassador '''Lucia Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato''', but understands the Empire's interest in remaining flexible and ensuring a number of viewpoints are represented in international relations. She hopes she will be able to cultivate as good a working relationship with the [[Wintermark|Winterfolk]] ambassador as with the long-serving [[the League|League]] predecessor.

Obviously Ludkhannah is a little disappointed to hear that work on the [[386YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Construct_Diplomatenschloss|diplomatenschloss]] has had to slow while new construction materials are secured. It is understandable though - the Commonwealth always appreciates the problems that being at war on multiple fronts can cause. She hopes that the work can nonetheless be completed soon, but also shares the concerns raised by ''Ingenieurin Hellebrant'' relating to [[Principalities of Jarm|Jarmish]] and Commonwealth ships both traversing the river Couros. She looks forward to hearing how the Ambassador intends to address these challenges, and is ''mostly'' joking when she suggests that the simplest solution would be to decommission the Jarmish Embassy in [[Redoubt#Cargo|Cargo]].

On the subject of the diplomatenschloss, Militärattache Ludkhannah raises the matter of [[Ambassador#Mercantile support|mercantile support]]. There is a tradition that Imperial [[ambassador|ambassadors]] traditionally benefit personally from involvement with a foreign nation. Generally merchants who engage in trade between the Empire and the nation in question visit the [[embassy]] to curry favour with the ambassador and their staff for various reasons. Often these "lobbyists" make a portion of the items they buy and sell available to the ambassador at favourable prices. The implication is that as long as the ambassador benefits from trade with a nation, they will be more likely to act to smooth over obstacles and maintain a good relation - to the direct profit of the merchants involved.

There is obviously no Commonwealth embassy at the moment but once the diplomatenschloss is completed, the Militärattache will be actively discouraging this kind of behaviour. Recent policy shifts require merchants trading in foreign ports to remember they are ambassadors of the nation, and this practice of offering "special deals" demeans the reputation of the Commonwealth. It smacks of underhand corruption and bribery. Instead the Ambassador from the Commonwealth is arranging for some small cultural tokens of appreciation to be sent to the embassy each season as recognition of the fine relations between the two nations - which will not require the ambassador to put their hand in their pockets to buy "special deals." Militärattache Schöningen has noted the ambassador's interest in [[According_to_principle#Leerdam|Soldatentrunk and Kriegsamulett]], and intends to bear that in mind.

On the wider scale, Militärattache Schöningen has distributed the information that the Empire finds certain products more appealing than others, but notes that the goods being offered in Volkavaar and Leerdahm are as much about what is available in the locality as anything else. It is up to the individual merchants to decide what they do with this information but it is still useful to know.

==War in the East==
* '''The decision not to allow mercenaries to fight with the Commonwealth has been accepted'''
The [[According_to_principle#The_Lantir_War|Lantir War]] continues to rage between the Commonwealth and the [[Principalities of Jarm]]. There are a few moments in the official correspondence where it is clear Militärattache Schöningen may be a little disappointed by the Senate's refusal to allow Imperial troops to support Commonwealth armies, but she understands the Empire is fighting wars of its own just as the [[Sumaah Republic]] are.

She wishes to pass on that they have made good use of some of the battlefield rituals shared with them by the Imperial Conclave both on the strategic and tactical scales. The Commonwealth will never be able to out-perform the Jarmish ritualists, but the Empire's assistance is helping to redress the imbalance.

The Militärattache is frank that at present the Commonwealth are struggling - they are being pushed back by the flashy magical power the Jarmish rely on, but she remains confident that the Commonwealth will eventually triumph. Their methods are more sustainable and more considered and ultimately the Jarmish will run out of mana to power their rituals. Once that happens, the Jarmish will start trying to sue for peace. Although they are not the aggressor in this war, having been asked to protect their allies in Lantir from the corrupting influence of the Jarmish princes, Ludkhannah is hopeful that once Jarm's magical resources are exhausted and Lantir is secure, then the Commonwealth will be able to attack Jarm directly.

She is concerned however that some are already talking of a possible peace treaty. The Commonwealth have as many other concerns and threats both internal and external as the Empire no doubt does. The strain of all out war with the Jarmish is taxing the Commonwealth and there is talk that negotiation may be needed to allow the Commonwealth time to recover - once Lantir is secure obviously.

===Power and Responsibility===
* '''An opportunity exists to send 200 crystal mana to the Commonwealth to aid in strategic goals
* '''In return the Ambassador would receive an amount of Commonwealth consumables
According to Militärattache Schöningen, the Imperial Ambassador proposed sending a significant amount of crystal mana to the Commonwealth for use in the war. In return, the Commonwealth would provide large amounts of ''Soldatentrunk'', ''Blutlehm'', ''Würzpaste'' and ''Heldenstein''. After discussion with military procurers and quartermasters, the Commonwealth Ambassador responds with a proposal of their own. If Finn Pridetalker can arrange for 200 crystal mana to be delivered to her office by [[Ethereal Courier]] by the end of the Summer Solstice, she can arrange for 25 bottles of Soldatentrunk, 25 packets of Blutlehm, 25 pouches of Würzpaste, and 10 Heldenstein to be delivered to the Ambassador by the start of the Autumn Equinox (or, in Imperial, Soldier's Booze, Bloodclay, Spice Paste, and Hero Stones). She regrets that the amount of Heldenstein offered is so low, but it has direct use on the battlefield and most provisioners would rather see it used to empower soldiers than trade it for crystal mana, even if it is more versatile. This is a one-time request, it is not possible for the Ambassador to commit to arranging an exchange on a seasonal basis. To be useful, the mana needs to be received by the end of the Summer Solstice, so their generals can employ the rituals they need in the coming season.

The Civil Service note that while Militärattache Schöningen addresses this offer directly to the Ambassador, it is unlikely she would reject an offer of 200 mana from a private citizen and would likely respond with the quantities of trade goods mentioned regardless of where the crystals came from.
<div style="float:right; width: 200px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Sadogua001d.webp|caption=The Commonwealth do not entirely trust the ''[[Sadogua|Spell Glutton]]'' given his obvious favour towards their rivals in Jarm.|align=left|width=200}}</div>
==Lyceum==
* '''The Commonwealth is reassured to discover that progress has been made in finding a way to re-open the Lyceum
* '''They bear news of a magical breakthrough
For more than a year now there have been a number of Commonwealth magicians trapped on the island of [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Lyceum|the Lyceum]]. Ambassador Pridetalker has passed along the assurances of the [[Grandmaster]] of the [[Unfettered Mind]], '''Zlata Ruznikova Perenel''', that their work with the unreliable [[eternal]] [[Sadogua]] would soon bear fruit. Obviously, the Commonwealth knows better than to talk about these plans openly but both seem to have potential. Assuming the untrustworthy "''Spell Glutton''" does not betray his Imperial "friends" of course.

Despite the obvious dislike Militärattache Ludkhannah bears towards the [[eternal]] ''Father of Bats'' however, she is forced to admit that so far the beast has been true to its word in keeping magicians within the mists in touch with those without. Specifically, she mentions that some of the correspondence from the Lyceum ''zauberer'' has indicated that with nothing better to do they have spent time with their Imperial neighbours likewise trapped refining some rituals - especially the [[Rod and Shield]] and of course the Unfettered Mind. It is a rather roundabout way of doing it, but this shared research has borne surprising fruit.
===Risk and Reward===
* '''Rule of Risk and Reward now has an "additional targets" option
The magicians of the two nations have finally unlocked a puzzle that had occupied Commonwealth magicians for some time. The ritual ''Rule of Risk and Reward'' was prepared for the Unfettered Mind - an enchantment that makes the performing of experimental magic more accessible - but it required laborious casting on individual zauberer one at a time. Inspired in part by some random rubbish from a few of the [[inhabitants of the realms#Heralds|heralds]] frequenting the so-called [[Dean_of_the_Lyceum#The_Quiet Annexe|Quiet Annexe]], Imperial and Commonwealth magicians have unlocked the ability to cast it on several magicians of the same coven at the same time. The Militärattache has made sure to include details of how this can be done so whoever has the [[ritual text]] can make necessary adjustments. ('''OOC Note:''' If whoever has the ritual text brings it to GOD we can arrange a new version to be printed with the extra targets option included; the ritual on the system has already been changed).
===Alliance and Favour===
* '''Sum of the Parts no longer requires those contributing strength to take a hit of damage
A similar breakthrough has been made with the [[Autumn magic]] ritual the Empire calls [[Sum of the Parts]]. This enchantment was originally designed by the [[Varushka|Varushkan]] consort of [[Empress Lisabetta|Imperatrix Lisabetta]] and draws on the [[Autumn#Resonance|resonance]] of ''[[Autumn_magic#Bands|alliance]]'' to use the power of many to strengthen the one.

Some experienced ritualists have long suspected that the inclusion of this sacrifice was a flaw in the ritual's design, either accidental or deliberate. They believed that it was adding nothing beneficial to the spell, but of course with the research complete and the ritual text published, it was impossible to change.

To the surprise of magicians from both great nations, the researchers have discovered there is no actual requirement to draw on the strength of the many at all! The ritual works just fine if the support granted by the rest of the band is moral or inspirational. It is as effective to embrace, or show respect and support with words or symbols, as it is to actually transfer strength from one to another. Those involved are still left feeling tired or lethargic, but crucially the magic does not harm them.

This resolves one of the concerns the ''zauberer'' had with this ritual, and they're glad that working with the two [[Conclave order|Conclave orders]] they were able to clean the magic up a little. ('''OOC Note:''' We've updated the ritual on the wiki and in the system to remove the damage it does to those supporting the target - this never affected the magnitude of the effect but was being referenced regularly in arcane projections as a way to empower magic and so we decided to remove the in-character sacrifice element to try to reduce the number of players thinking this would be useful in their own arcane projections).

===Participation===
* '''Imperial magicians are free to roleplay their involvement in the changes to these two rituals
It's not actually possible for anyone to get into or out of the Lyceum at the moment thanks to the broken ward of mists, but the heralds of Sadogua are ensuring communications are carried back and forth (albeit in a haphazard way). As such any magician with either ''Rule of Risk and Reward'' or ''Sum of the Parts'' mastered, or who belongs to the Rod and Shield or the Unfettered Mind order, is free to roleplay their involvement with identifying solutions to the two ritual problems discussed here.

==Die Beurteilung==
* '''Professor Gelberg and his colleagues remain in the Empire
* '''The Senate has approved their request to be allowed to auction their services to the folk of Anvil
* '''The first auction will take place at the Summer Solstice
The news that the Imperial Senate has at the last minute changed their mind about inviting Professor Immanuel Gelberg and their colleagues to auction their expertise has been well received. During the Summer Solstice, a public auction will be held after the [[Auction of the Seats]] during which the opportunity to [[commission]] an appraisal from the Commonwealth scholars will be offered. Moneys raised will go to Professor Gelberg and ultimately to support the war against the Principalities of Jarm. It is no secret that the Professor is hoping that the offer of their expert evaluation will fetch a good price.

Similar to an [[Bearer_of_an_Imperial_Wayleave|Imperial Wayleave]], whoever wins the auction will gain the title of [[Patron of the Beurteilung]], which has the power to make a single [[Senate announcement|announcement in the Senate]] at that summit. This announcement is delivered as normal - an arrangement must be made with the office of the [[Speaker for the Senate]] during the normal window, and the nature of the appraisal must be as clear as possible, as that will be the information that is passed to Professor Gelberg.

This auction will be repeated in Autumn and Spring, after which it will be at the discretion of the Commonwealth professors whether they wish to extend their stay or not. As with any appraisal, it will be much more useful for the one who is commissioning it to identify a problem and ask for a solution, than to attempt to define a solution they want to see. In this event, it's likely Professor Gelberg - who is by all accounts a very ''self-possessed'' man - will likely ignore the proposed solution and just find the "best" way to resolve the problem.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Nathair9261.jpg||caption=Nathair Autumngale, Advisor on the Vallorn, has been hosting Professor Gelberg and colleagues at the Great Library of Hacynian|align=right|width=300}}</div>
===Sun and Gold===
* '''The University of Volkavaar is interested in acquiring a certain tablet held at the Great Library of Hacynian
At the point the news is received, the Commonwealth professors and philosophers are already in transit, travelling between [[Sarvos]] and [[Hercynia]] in the north. Along the way they make a point of visiting the cities of [[Tassato]], [[Miaren#Seren|Seren]], and [[Temeschwar]] and the bustling town of [[Skarsind#Southpine|Torfast]] along the way. They are well received at the [[Advisor_on_the_Vallorn#The_Great_Library_of_Hacynian|Great Library of Hacynian]] having been invited to visit by '''Nathair Autumngale''', the [[Advisor on the Vallorn]].

As well as the opportunity to meet with many of their Imperial peers, some of the more excitable students accompanying the group relish the opportunity to learn more about the [[vallorn]] - something they have previously encountered only through travellers' tales. There is a little concern that the Commonwealth visitors might be offended by the [[Consecration#True_Liao|true consecration]] of [[Wisdom]] that lies over the great hall of the Library, but it seems they were warned well in advance of its existence. They simply ignore the hall and avoid visiting it - and engage in spirited debate with some of their Navarr hosts about the practice of subsuming the will of mortals to an outside spiritual influence.

Of particular interest to the engineers and professors of practical subjects visiting Hacynian is a [[Report_on_Terunael_mineworkings|certain cracked tablet]], recovered from the depths of the [[Brightness long ago|northern sinkhole]], which details the practice of fashioning sungold - an alloy of orichalcum and mithril that has remarkable properties to store and transfer heat and warmth. At the invitation of the Advisor, they are able to make a cursory study of it and are delighted by the techniques it presents. Doktor Lola Kunz, a respected academic fascinated by the material sciences, in particular is interested to know if the Great Library would be prepared to part with the tablet, and if so what would they require in return? This prompts a little disagreement between the "nomad faculty" as Professor Gelberg attempts to restrain his colleague's enthusiasm pointing out they are here to raise support of the war in the east not to buy relics no matter how potentially valuable the material they describe might be.

Regardless, the Commonwealth Ambassador passes along an official request from the University of [[Foreign_ports#Volkavaar|Volkavaar]] asking what kind of price the Great Library might consider to allow them to acquire the tablet - and to formally thank the Advisor on the Vallorn and their colleagues for making the faculty so welcome.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Eska Crowspeaker.jpg|align=left|caption='''Eska Crowspeaker''', one of the Imperial signatories to the original Liberty Pact, and first [[Voice of Liberty]]|width=300}}</div>

==Liberty and Liability==
* '''The Commonwealth is asking questions about the Empire's association with the Iron Confederacy
* '''They believe that the Suranni are a slaving nation based on the status of their serfs
The presence of Professor Gelberg and his faculty may turn out to be a slightly mixed blessing. While in Madruga [[Germinating_a_city#Gisli's_Request|discharging their obligation]] to '''Gisli "Provider" Baerson''', one of the scholars came into contact with merchants from the [[Iron Confederacy]] and struck up a conversation. Since then, some of the visiting Commonwealth experts have been asking questions about who the Suranni are and what the Empire's relationship with them is like. At first, it seems this is just simple curiosity... and then Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen gets involved.

As fellow signatories of the [[Liberty Pact]], there is some concern that the Empire has not kept to the spirit of the agreement. The Iron Confederacy appears to be a slave-keeping nation, and yet the Empire seems to be trading freely with them and welcoming their merchants into their lands. The Commonwealth would obviously not ''dream'' of trying to interfere in the Empire's sphere of influence - the Senate respected their wishes over [[A_star_is_born#The_Viyerda|the Viyerda]] after all - but this is a matter of formal alliance, and they are worried that their Imperial friends have inadvertently transgressed the pact.

Militärattache Schöningen formally requests that either the ambassador, or the [[Voice of Liberty]] (if one were elected at the summit), explain what the state of affairs is, and how it can be that the "serfs" the Iron Confederacy people keep are not slaves.

==Spirits and Storms==
* '''The Ambassador has asked about orc spirituality in the Commonwealth
* '''A member of die Stahlhalle, an orc named Teo Freid, has provided a summary of what he believes
* '''Teo apparently represents a sizable sect among the Commonwealth orcs
Ambassador Pridetalker has made enquiries, apparently on behalf of some [[Imperial Orcs]], about the spiritual belief of the [[orc|orcs]] of the Commonwealth. Not an expert herself, ''Ludkhannah'' asks one of the orcs that work at die Stahlhalle with her to answer the question. ''Teo Freid'' pens a short article in response, providing a very broad overview of what he understands of orc beliefs in the nation. He is very clear from the start that the orcs of the Commonwealth share the [[Commonwealth#Religion|ultimate belief]] of their human and daeva neighbours; that it is vital to secure the greatest good for the greatest number of people. By doing this they make the world better, until ultimately all people of all kinds are united in common service to the cause. Until then, everyone who accepts the Common Good must be prepared to fight to build the future where there is no more need for war. He also stresses that, just as with humans, different communities of orcs believe different things. The Commonwealth as a whole is happy to let people believe whatever spiritual truths they wish as long as it does not interfere with their commitment to the Common Good.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Howling Abyss Symbol.png|caption=It is possible that the ''Raging Storm'' is another name for the [[Imperial_Orcs_religious_beliefs#The_Howling_Abyss|Howling Abyss]].|align=right|width=300}}
They share the belief of many orcs in the existence of what he translates into Imperial as the "Raging Storm", and that it waits for all orcs after death. Where Herr Freid's beliefs depart radically is that he believes that orcs, like humans, reincarnate after death, provided they avoid the lure of the Storm. The best way to do that is to strengthen oneself through commitment to improving the world, to the Common Good, and to pursuing a disciplined life of duty, restraint, sincerity, pride, fellowship, and self-knowledge. This path involves learning to quiet or ignore the dangerous voice of the Storm which sometimes seeks to influence the behaviour of an orc, to urge them to commit violent, foolish, self-destructive acts that strengthen its hold on the orc and through them the world. If they are unsuccessful they will be devoured by the Storm, and while different sects disagree on precisely what that means, the group Teo belongs to teaches that an orc soul that is torn apart is eventually moulded together with other such fragmented spirits and eventually reborn as a new spirit, although that may take many decades. An orc who resists the Storm will likely be born into the next generation. There is a heated argument about whether an orc that serves their community well is more likely to be reborn into that community or not, but that debate has been bubbling along for fifty years or so and there's little sign of it being resolved any time soon.

Teo finished on a hopeful note. As long as an orc resists the Raging Storm, he believes, their spirit will still exist when the perfect future is secured. Their commitment to the Greater Good is anchored in the knowledge that it is ''their'' future they are striving to secure, and that of all their friends, family, and neighbours, and that is the most wonderful thing of all.

He finishes by reiterating that there are other beliefs among the orcs of the Commonwealth, but that most of them agree on the existence of the Raging Storm, and that they hear voices that seek to influence them especially when they are moved by passion, strong emotion, or physical exertion. Hopefully this short essay is of use to the ambassador and his orc neighbours.
{{Commonwealth Links}}

Strangers when we meet

2025-07-17T22:35:28Z

Vsabo: /* Overview */

[[Category:Winds of Fortune]][[Category:387YE Summer]][[Category:Recent History]][[Category:Foreign Nations]]
<ic>There was a flutter of unseen wings as it arrived, a whisper-thin touch of something soft against her cheek as the letter plopped onto the desk, and the rush of wind as the messenger departed. It was the third such delivery of the day, the eighth this week, and despite having worked here for less than a month, Bozena had already learned to dread their contents. She used the silver letter opener to unseal the missive. She grunted in exasperation as she read it, shaking her head more than once.

"Why are people so stupid?" She only realised she had spoken out loud when a deep man's voice spoke behind her in answer.

"Because they are people," it said with weary amusement. She spun on her chair and colour rose in her cheeks as she found the Master of the Hidden Hook, Lord-Magister Anton Trescher, stood by the narrow window of her office staring out across the gardens. She had needless to say not heard him come in, or been aware of his presence, and with a guilty glance at the drawer where she kept her sherbert and cherries, she wondered how long he had been there.

"I assume given the method of delivery it is from one of the Magician-Princes," he said as if they were engaged in a casual conversation. As if she was one of his peers rather than a clerk whose main responsibility was to reply to the more inconsequential letters while passing the relevant ones to someone more important.

"It is, Lord-Magister. From -"

He cut her off with a raised finger, still not having looked at her.

"It hardly matters. I further assume it is another of those demands that I secure trade routes with the Empire of Catazar while also proposing a slightly hyperbolic fear that they are secretly sending troops to support the Commonwealth?"

She looked down then up. He was of course correct, but she felt she needed to add something.

"It's specifically concerned with sweetwater and... some sort of delicacy they make by burying vegetables in the ground. Is that a thing?"

He didn't answer her question, just made a rumbling noise in his throat and said something she didn't catch under her breath. He looked at her for the first time and she felt sweat break out on her brow. He wasn't angry, but neither was he happy, his face a carefully constructed mask that gave nothing away.

"What the House of Princes so often fails to understand is that ''wanting'' something and it being ''true'' are not the same thing. They can ''want'' trade routes re-opened and reassurances all they like but we cannot pull them out of our sleeves on command. Diplomacy requires accommodation and pragmatism and you cannot easily ''force'' people who do not fear you to compromise or be practical. Especially not people who are deafened by their own righteousness. But try telling that to the Magician-Princes who want their sweetwater and their... whatever that thing is called. It sounds dreadful."

Lord-Magister Anton continued to stare at her, and she realised he hadn't blinked the entire time he was talking. Then he turned away again.

"Still, we all serve in our way. Even I am ultimately a servant at the end of the day. Bundle the letter along with the others and I will try again. There is an old saw that the very definition of futility is doing the same thing over and over in the hope the outcome will be different. Perhaps ''this'' time the Empire will be overcome with an unprecedented level of reasonableness. Perhaps."

He swept out, and as the door closed behind him, Bozena allowed herself a brief exhalation of relief and relaxed back into her chair. She fumbled for her drawer, selected a plump cherry doused in sherbert and popped it into her mouth.

"Oh one last thing." She stiffened. Her celebration had obviously been very premature, and while she'd assumed the Lord-Magister had left her office, he had in fact paused in the doorway holding the door open a crack. "I would advise you never to let me catch you calling one of the Magician-Princes ''stupid'' again. I will allow it to pass this time as you are new, but you had best mind your manners even when you think nobody is listening. Because someone is ''always'' listening in a place like this."

With that he was gone, leaving Bozena shivering slightly and mentally deciding that she needed at least three more sherbet cherries to settle her nerves.</ic>
<div style="float:left; width: 400px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Cherries.jpg|caption=The Principalities of Jarm are an old, wealthy nation of powerful magicians and complex politics.|align=left|width=400}}</div>
==Overview==
* '''Jarm remains at peace with the Empire, but relations are extremely frosty'''
One of the six great powers, the [[Principalities of Jarm]] are no friends to the Empire. The ''magocracy'', ruled by the House of Princes resents what it claims are repeated attempts by Imperial citizens to interfere with its interests. Via the [[Liberty Pact]], the Empire is allied with Jarm's enemies, the [[Commonwealth]], and open war now rages between the two great nations. They may not be at war with the Empire, but they know that Imperial citizens and the Imperial Conclave in particular have provided significant assistance to their rivals. Communications tend to be brusque, bordering on the curt.

The Jarmish ambassador to the Empire is ''Lord-Magister Anton Trescher of the Hidden Hook'', who attends at the House of Princes. A canny and influential politician who has served the House of Princes for over forty years, he represents the Jarmish to the Empire and vice-versa. A potent master of Autumn magic, he is known for his sarcasm and dry wit, and for his commitment to the sovereignty of the Principalities he serves.
{{Nation|nation=Jarm|status=Foreigner|port=[[Principalities_of_Jarm_ports#Kavor_(Northern_Principalities_of_Jarm)|Kavor]], [[Principalities_of_Jarm_ports#Vezak_(Southern_Principalities_of_Jarm)|Vezak]], [[Principalities_of_Jarm_ports#Rigia_(Eastern_Principalities_of_Jarm)|Rigia]] (all closed)|ambassador=Damiàn i Martàn i Erigo of [[the Brass Coast]]}}

==Blocks to Trade==
* '''The Jarmish Ambassador despairs of engaging in constructive discussion with the Empire'''
After the Spring Equinox, the Ambassador to Jarm expressed their disappointment not to hear from their opposite number. Lord-Magister Anton Trescher offers a formal apology, but his words lack a certain degree of sincerity. They also mention that it can be challenging to find anything positive to say when faced with what he characterises as "a wall of refusals to engage in diplomacy" from the new Ambassador and their predecessors. Strong words from the Jarmish ambassador.

In a recent missive, the Ambassador to Jarm apparently suggested that the primary roadblock in securing trade ties between the Empire and the Principalities lies with Imperial membership the [[Liberty Pact]]. While the Principalities of Jarm remain signatory to the "Freedom Accords" and continue the practice of slavery, any trade between the great powers is seemingly impossible.

After some consideration of this claim, the Lord-Magister has responded with a refutation. From the version of the Liberty Pact that Trescher has seen, the [[Voice_of_Liberty#Principles|principles]] of the Pact require that "''The signatory nations... place economic or trade sanctions '''of their own choosing''' on nations defined as slaving nations.''" Certainly the Pact has since been [[Voice_of_Liberty#Summer_384YE_Amendments|amended]] to specifically call for a [[Tariffs#Embargo|trade embargo]] on the Principalities, but the Jarmish ambassador cynically suggests that this is simply a sign the [[Commonwealth]] are throwing their weight around as they are wont to do. Why are no other embargoes enshrined in the Pact? What is it about the Jarmish that the Liberty Pact finds so much more threatening than, say, the Asaveans or the Grendel? This embargo against Jarm is not in the Empire's interests, says the Lord-Magister, and is being forced on them by their so-called allies, the warmongering militocracy to the south.

Furthermore, the ambassador stressing that it is the Jarmish membership of the "Liberty Pact" that causes problems is easily interpreted, yet again, as the Empire desperately wanting to involve itself in matters of nations beyond their borders. What does it matter to the Empire that the Jarmish feel they have more in common with those targeted by the Liberty Pact members than with those who practically refuse to talk to them? Who constantly try to disrupt and upend their culture and society because it does not match the arbitrary mores of the Empire?

In short, Lord-Magister Trescher restates that the House of Princes could be persuaded to re-open their ports to the Empire at almost any time, but that the bare minimum requirement would be removal of the unjust embargo the Imperial Senate has in place against trade with their nation. An embargo that serves no purpose save to deny the Empire access to Jarmish goods and the opportunity for its citizens to engage in lucrative trade due to the unrelenting zealotry and jealousy of the Commonwealth who clearly want to make the Liberty Pact into a weapon of their own.

==Lore and Law==
* '''The House of Princes remains interested in Imperial Lore'''
* '''They are reticent to offer access to Jarmish rituals in return due to the "compromised" nature of Imperial Lore and trade issues'''
* '''They are potentially interested in a discussion of Urizen Lore'''
The Ambassador points out that "Imperial military units will not be deployed to support the Commonwealth just as Imperial Conclave have not authorised ritual text disbursement to Jarm". Lord-Magister Anton stresses again that this has gone some way to reassure the House of Princes that they have made the right decision withdrawing their support from the Grendel... but it is also a little disingenuous. The Conclave, after all, makes the whole of their Imperial Lore available to Commonwealth magicians and yet will not extend the same courtesy to the Jarmish.

It is the understanding of Lord-Magister Trescher that the Commonwealth secured their unfettered access to Imperial Lore by making gifts of their own ritual texts to the Empire. The Jarmish Ambassador wishes to point out that as a centuries-old magocracy, the Jarmish have significantly more rituals - and more diverse rituals - than the Commonwealth with their singular focus on war and oppression do. The ambassador expresses regret that the Principalities cannot share their ritual lore with the Empire even if they wanted to. While the embargo specifically applies to ships visiting Imperial ports, the ''spirit'' of the tariffs seems to suggest the Empire does not desire ''any'' trade from the Principalities. Worse, any ritual texts the Jarmish House of Princes arranged to be shared with the Empire would then immediately become available to their enemies. A thorny conundrum.
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Yet there is still interest in some parts of the Principalities in exploring the Empire's ritual lore. While the Magician-Princes are proud of their mastery of ritual magic, there are few so foolish to imagine they know everything there is to know. With the best will in the world, though, Lord-Magister Anton stresses that access to Imperial Lore is significantly less valuable a boon to the Jarmish than it was to the Commonwealth. Certainly access to rituals such as [[Brotherhood of Tian]] are valuable, but hardly as significant a deal as granting the Commonwealth access to powerful military enchantments has proven.

Right now this is all theoretical anyway, with the existing embargo and the Ambassador's apparent lack of interest in resuming trade between the two nations. But if the matter of the embargo were resolved, then Lord-Magister Anton has been authorised to discuss trading a selection of Jarmish rituals to the Empire in return for a degree of access for magicians from the Principalities to Imperial Lore... on the understanding that these rituals would become part of [[Urizen lore]] rather than be subject to the will of the Conclave itself. It is the understanding of the Jarmish Ambassador that the [[eternal]] ''[[Phaleron|Värelev Arhiiv]]'' is involved in some fashion and might be persuaded to oversee such an arrangement. Perhaps the Ambassador, the [[Imperial Conclave]] itself, or the people of [[Urizen]] would like to discuss the matter?

==War in the East==
* '''The decision not to allow mercenaries to fight with the Commonwealth continues to please the House of Princes'''
All of that said, Lord-Magister Anton continues to be satisfied that Imperial involvement remains minimal in the "war in the east" between Jarm and the Commonwealth. He is surprisingly candid in that he presumes the Empire is offering some aid - the Commonwealth are their allies after all - and it is to be expected. At the same time, Jarm has allies of its own who are providing their own limited degree of assistance. The forbearance of the Senate continues to be viewed favourably by the House of Princes.

The Jarmish Ambassador presumes the Empire is kept appraised of the situation along the shores of the Sea of Steel by their "friends" but for what it's worth shares the news that in his opinion victory for the Principalities is inevitable. They are not the aggressor in this war, after all, having been asked to protect their allies in Lantir when the Commonwealth invaded the country and overthrew its rulers. Regardless, though, Anton believes that a peace treaty is inevitable. Both nations have just as many concerns and threats both internal and external as the Empire no doubt does - a war of annihilation is a phantasm for xenophobes and fantasists. The war will continue until it stops, and then the diplomats will move in and find a way to return to the uneasy peace that existed before, and is the natural status quo. The childish generals of the Commonwealth may want an eternal "just" war, but the Principalities of Jarm are adults used to dealing in the reality of what war actually means to civilised people.

So while the House of Princes is prepared to re-open proper diplomatic ties with the Empire, to engage in trade (limited as it is likely to be by the [[tariffs]] both sides would impose), they are content for the Empire to simply... stay out of things. Just as the Jarmish continue to stay out of the Empire's affairs. At least until the current war ends, and everyone has to pick up the pieces.

As he has said before, though, in the unlikely event that Imperial mercenaries ''do'' turn up in battles between Jarmish and Commonwealth forces, the House of Princes will view it as a declaration of war by the Empire and respond appropriately. Their aid to the Grendel for example was more symbolic than anything else and more about appeasing the Asaveans than any particular rancour; that would change significantly if the Empire became involved in the war in the east.
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==Spiritual Matters==
* '''Lord-Magister Anton declines to become engaged in spiritual discussion at this time
* '''He does pass on a "warning" from some of the Jarmish astrologers
The Freeborn Ambassador raises the possibility for a productive conversation around "shared faith" and, with a somewhat weary air, Lord-Magister Anton Trescher repeats what he has apparently said a number of times. Jarm and the Empire do not have a "shared faith" because unlike the Empire the Principalities embrace religious freedom. Spiritual beliefs are relevant only to the individual and it is equally acceptable to remain indifferent to religious matters as it is to wholeheartedly embrace the tenets of one creed or another, or anything in between. If the Empire wishes to learn more about how Sumaah efforts to convert the people of Jarm are going, then it should probably ask the Sumaah Republic.

Obviously there is some middle-ground - Lord-Magister Trescher makes a reference to the ill-starred [[Limitu Principality House of the Way]] - but suggests that Jarmish followers of the Way probably want to minimize any connection between themselves and "pilgrims" in the Empire or the Republic given the way the current political winds seem set on blowing.

There is one spiritual matter that may be relevant however, although the Jarmish Ambassador considers it an amusing anecdote rather than anything of pressing diplomatic business. In the last few weeks no fewer than three astrologers of the Ministerial class have contacted him about "dire portents" related to the Empire. Their divinations suggest that there is "something untoward" growing in or near the Empire that threatens doom to one of the nations there - although when pressed for details they are infuriatingly vague as astrologers so often are. They can't even be certain that it is an Imperial nation that is threatened or one of the nations that fall in its "sphere of influence"; they aren't even agreed on whether this is a singular threat or a general air of catastrophe. But it was apparently clear enough that they felt they should let the ambassador to the Empire know what their divinations have "revealed." An amused Trescher suggests the Ambassador may wish to consult their own astrologers with regards to this matter.

The Civil Service notes that the Ambassador must be aware of the distinct difference between an ''astrologer'' in the Jarmish sense - one who divines the future and provides advice by studying the stars - and an [[astronomancy|astronomancer]] who uses that magical tradition to work rituals. Lord-Magister Anton is referring to the former - a class of professional diviners who provide advice to their clients that their clients then either follow or ignore depending largely on whether it aligns with what they were planning to do in the first place or not. Still, given some of the recent [[Statement of Principle|statements of the Synod]], [[declaration|declarations of the Conclave]], and [[387YE_Spring_Equinox_Senate_sessions#Appraise_Building_Lighthouses|oddly worded appraisals]] there may be more to this than just Lord-Magister Trescher trying to be amusing.

==An Elephant in the Room==
* '''In a candid moment Lord-Magister Trescher expresses some of his frustration with the Empire
There is one matter that Lord-Magister Anton is keen for the new Ambassador to understand. The one thing that is not going to change any time soon is the use of slaves in the Principalities to do all the work too dirty or degrading or wasteful for the Landfolk. Unlike some of the other nations however, the Imperial perception of Jarm as some benighted den of savagery is extremely simplistic. Their slave class arguably has more rights than the so-called "serfs" of their good friends in the [[Iron Confederacy]] do. It remains illegal to shed the blood of Jarm even if it belongs to someone who has been a slave all their life. There are opportunities for slaves to advance their class, primarily in the army, but they exist. Something that is also not true of the Suranni, for example.

Jarm is not changing its attitude to slavery. The Empire has certainly helped cripple the international slave trade with their [[Burning#Rachensgrab|destruction of Rachensgrab]], and the Jarmish Ambassador is not shy about acknowledging its impact. But the only thing that can cause a change of this magnitude in Jarm is for the Magician-Princes to decide it is what is best for them and for their nation. Something that is simply not going to happen soon - and will ''never'' happen as a result of outsiders demanding it. The Jarmish are at least as Proud as Imperials are and have been a unified nation (albeit for a given value of "unified" admittedly) longer than the Empire has existed, longer than the Commonwealth, Sumaah Republic, or the Sarcophan Delves. Is it any wonder they see common cause with the Asaveans who are the only people on the "world stage" that have been around as long as they have. Even though beyond their longevity the two nations do not actually have all that much in common, neither side tries to force their values on the other.

Most of the principalities have a slightly unsophisticated attitude to [[orc|orcs]] that both the Empire and the Commonwealth find distasteful. But Lord-Magister Anton reminds the Empire that up until very recently their allies in the Sumaah Republic simply executed any orcs that they didn't kill in battle. Most Jarmish have no more information about the Empire that the Empire has about them, and many are entirely unaware (and unconcerned) that the Imperial orcs or the Apulian orcs exist. In the past there were guidelines in place to accommodate orc visitors to the ports of Vezak and Kavor, but the Grendel have done more to convince the Magician-Princes that their blanket attitude to orcs always being slaves should change, than the Empire has in recent years. Indeed, suggests the Jarmish Ambassador, its been less than a century since the ''Empire'' treated orcs as anything other than enemies to be killed or property to be enslaved; how can it appoint itself an authority on the best way to deal with them?

It may not be ideal from the point of view of an Imperial citizen, but it works. The first step towards any actual diplomatic discussion with Jarm - a discussion that might allow the Empire to help shift Jarmish attitudes toward orcs at least, or improve the situation of slaves under the law - is to stop trying to change the nation by force. If the Empire genuinely want to have an open discourse around the lowest caste of Jarmish society, they can only do so by talking to the people of the nation rather than shutting themselves off behind a wall of embargo, or shouting at the Principalities about how wicked they are.

==Lost Opportunities==
* '''The opportunity to gain the artefact-relic Measure has been lost, potentially permanently'''
* '''The Jarmish no longer possess the artefact-relic Measure'''
The offer from the House of Princes regarding ''Measure'' - the original [[Pilgrim's Shield]] of [[Wisdom]] gifted the Seven Pilgrims by ''Ezkiah the Benefactor'' - has well and truly expired. As [[Authority_and_acceptance#Shield_Against_Folly|mentioned]] in Autumn last year, the window for the Empire to secure the shield has closed, potentially permanently. The Jarmish ambassador does not elaborate with regards to what has happened to it, beyond noting that it is something of a shame to see the tradition of arming the Champion of Wisdom with this storied tool has come to an end. It is ''extremely'' unlikely any Imperial citizen will ever see it again. Indeed, Lord-Magister Trescher doubts even ''[[Kimus|Silm Taevas]]'' will be able to find it.

Likewise the interest from the ''Circle of Six'' in acquiring Imperial ritual tools has declined, with the artificers looking elsewhere for the goods they desired. Even a [[Authority_and_acceptance#Artificers|compromise]] in the kind of tools they were looking for was insufficient to arrange a trade which is unfortunate. The Imperial Artisan's Guild no doubt has plenty of other potential customers but it is a shame no arrangement could be reached for direct trade. On the other hand, there are other less reliable ways to secure good quality Imperial merchandise and the magicians of Jarm will simply have to get used to doing their business through the ''[[Ephisis|Beskonechnyy Rynok]]'' in future.
{{Jarm Links}}

Root and branch

2025-07-15T12:37:16Z

Vsabo: /* God in the Lake */

[[Category:Recent History]] [[Category:387YE Summer]] [[Category:Military Council]]
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==Golden Sun and Blue Skies==
Spring turns toward Summer in [[the Barrens]]. It is, and has always been, a wild territory and the stewardship of [[Dawn]] is unlikely to change that any time soon. It can be a little disconcerting how beautiful the place can be, given the history of this vast tract of land that has been torn between Empire and [[the Mallum]] for centuries. For all the death, all the blood spilled and all the sorrow, it is still a living, vibrant place. Flowers explode across [[The_Barrens#Dawnguard|Dawnguard]], [[The_Barrens#Murderdale|Murderdale]], and the [[The_Barrens#The_Carmine_Fields|Carmine Fields]]. [[Farm|Farms]] well-established and newly carved out burgeon with grain across the western Barrens, under the bright sun and the dark blue skies. Further east, there are hunters in the woods and the high hills - [[yeofolk of Dawn|yeofolk]] after deer and boars, nobles after more deadly prey.

In the north, the [[Not_to_conquer#Rahvin|Rahvin]] are in command of the [[The_Barrens#Bitter_Strand|Bitter Strand]]. They do not welcome visitors - save for those who fought alongside them and helped their sept survive the violence unleashed by the [[Gryphon's Pride]]. Even those who risked their lives to help them are not truly welcome, but they at least are not turned away. That much trust they have earned, paid for in blood. Perhaps, in time, this might widen into a wider accommodation. They are too busy for trade anyway; harvesting wood and stone to build homes, forging mithril and iron into weapons and shields for their [[Imperial army|army]].

In the south, along the borders with benighted Therunin, the [[Great Forest Orcs]] have finished restoring their settlement - and building an odd [[weirwood]] [[fortification]] to protect it. By all accounts they and their Navarr allies are preparing for the horror to come as the [[vallorn]] spreads through the [[Druj]] controlled territory.

There are Navarr spread across the Barrens now, establishing small settlements here and there near their [[orc]] allies or near [[Keeper_of_the_Last_Battle#Last_Battle_Wayhouse|Last Battle Wayhouse]] in [[The Barrens#The Bleaks|the Bleaks]]. The [[Not to conquer#Karass|Karass]] do not welcome them, not even a little bit, and glare at their backs when they think they are not looking. Yet for now at least they restrict themselves to glares, and the odd griping comment to anyone who will listen. They rarely come out and say it but they seem to resent the [[wayhouse]] more, perhaps, than they have ever openly resented the Dawnish conquest of their homes.

In the east, Dawn keeps the garrison at [[The Barrens#Houndsgate|Houndsgate]] well supplied and well stocked with arms and armour. The challenges of traversing the Bleaks and the [[The Barrens#Untrod Groves|Untrod Groves]], in the absence of an easier route through the Bitter Strand, means that maintaining the connection between the east and the west Barrens can sometimes become a little tenuous. Not that anyone gives the five Imperial armies marching through the Barrens any trouble, of course.
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==From the West==
Five armies, fresh from their reverie at the [[Golden_magicians_fayre#Lion_and_Bear|Golden Magicians fayre]] in [[Astolat]], marching through the Barrens. The [[Granite Pillar]] and the [[Eastern Sky]] lead the way alongside the new-mustered [[Lions of Adelmar]]. More controversially, both the Gryphon’s Pride and the [[Northern Eagle]] are here. The last time the [[Varushka|Varushkan]] army was here it was to [[Ripples_and_shadows#Hope's_Rest|destroy the Montanians]]. The last time the ‘Pride were here… well everyone knows [[By northern shores|that story]] no doubt. Not that there is any trouble - why would there be with the Rahvin safely at Bitter Strand and the Great Forest Orcs in their new homes? But their presence is a reminder of the past - it can be difficult to shake off the clinging shadow of your past.

Most of the denizens of the Barrens that the armies see are Karass [[orc|orcs]], and not even that many of those. Neither the Untrod Groves nor the Bleaks are particularly hospitable - these are wild woodlands where entire armies could get lost and never be seen again. There is darkness under the trees, the kind of darkness that makes the Varushkans at least feel at home in a way the bright blue skies and golden sun of the farmlands does not. Yet those shadows cannot hope to hold much menace, not with the ''other'' force that marches through the Barrens with the Empire.

Here we do not talk of Imperial captains - although there are more than enough of them, mostly fighting with the Northern Eagle - but with the shining knights of the [[Realms#Summer|Summer realm]]. True to her words, the ''[[Eleonaris|Lady of Pennants]]'' has sent her finest warriors to battle beside the armies of the Empire who took part in the grand tourneys and feasting in Astolat last season. More than ten thousand [[Knights of Glory|knights]] called from the Fields of Glory to accompany Imperial soldiers into the Mallum.

While many knights have fought alongside the Empire in the recent past, this season Eleonaris sends five of her Lords of the Pennants and their cohorts to fight with the Empire. Some of the Imperial armies have history with these particular nobles. The Eastern Sky are [[Glass_and_flame#The_Rains_of_Cerevado|reunited]] with the heroes under the command of ''Dindrayne'', the proud feather-browed war-witch with a staff of adamant. ''Ser Gaspare'', wrapped in her great white bearskin cloak over her crimson plate once again joins the Northern Eagle, her proud golden-eyed [[schlacta]] ready to lock their unbreakable shields into a bulwark of adamant against the cruel spears and barbed arrows of the Druj. For their very first battle, the Lions of Adelmar are joined by ''Lady Moriamis'', a golden-eyed warrior-poet and a cohort of warsingers, inspiring their fellow knights with both their words and their deeds to acts of heroism and glory even in the face of the grim realities of war against the Druj. With the Granite Pillar, the rune-armoured hammersmiths of the herald ''Elodian'', whose discipline matches that of the Highborn soldiers and whose thunderous hammer blows send any foe foolish enough come within their reach sprawling back into the mud. Few rise again. And with the Gryphon's Pride marches ''Kore'', the lion-maned warlord in scarlet armour, with his battalion of swift-footed knights with the lower bodies of great cats. All told, ten thousand Knights of Glory, who despise the cowardly, treacherous Druj even more than the Empire does.

The armies - mortal and eldritch alike - stop briefly at the Last Battle Wayhouse. A sea of Imperial troops spread out through the trees of the Untrod Groves. The wayhouse cannot provide enough hospitality for even a fraction of the soldiers here but they do their best to welcome their allies nonetheless. Campfires burn like earthbound stars through the woods and if the Karass are unhappy about it, they keep their concerns to themselves. Perhaps just as well - the lords of Eleonaris’ court seem to have little affection for the orcs of these dense forests. Two days they remain here, before starting to move again. This time, they are accompanied by a dozen land-wise Navarr pathfinders from the Last Battle striding. They have made it their business to get to know the border between the Barrens and Sarangrave, to scout out the best places to cross over into [[Sarangrave#Nesustak Forest|Nesustak Forest]] and the [[Sarangrave#Turan_Flats|Turan Flats]]. The latter is the target of the Imperial march, and as the sun rises on the last day of spring, the host of the Empire enters the Mallum.

==Those Already There==
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There are, of course, already Imperial forces in the Sarangrave but they are far away from the Turan Flats. At the start of the year, four Imperial armies - the [[Citadel Guard]], the [[Winter Sun]], the [[Towerjacks]] and the [[Golden Axe]] - marched up through the night-haunted forests of [[Zenith#Lustri|Lustri]] and into [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marsh|Bloodwater Marsh]]. They faced down the Druj armies here to lick their wounds and resupply. As the year grew older they pressed further north to the shores of the [[Dredgemaster of Feverwater#Dredging the Feverwater|Feverwater]], pushing the Druj defenders back step by step.

Almost immediately after the Spring Equinox, the Towerjacks quit Sarangrave, retracing their steps beneath the [[Zenith#The_Stork's_Gaze|Stork’s Gaze]] into Zenith proper and from there into [[Morrow]]. They have their tools with them, ready to help their allies complete the [[citadel]] they are [[386YE_Winter_Solstice_Senate_sessions#Construct_Citadel_in_Peregro|building]] in [[Morrow#Peregro|Peregro]]. Along the shore of some of the hot springs the Towerjacks meet the [[Navarr]] of the [[Quiet Step]], who have come down from [[Reikos]] at the command of [[The Throne#Defender of the Empire|the Throne]] to join the fight in Sarangrave. The mud-spattered soldiers of [[the League]] spend a night camped alongside the [[thorn|thorns]] of Navarr, sharing news of the campaign against the Druj on one hand and that of the Empire on the other. One leaving the Mallum to recover in Morrow, the other leaving the Empire to fight in Sarangrave.

They make good time, the Quiet Step, barely pausing on their long hike through Lustri to the edges of the Bloodwater Marsh, and if their hearts yearn to look upon Therunin instead… well hearts can be silenced and every Navarr knows the value of sacrifice.
==Dark Clouds==
Summer in Sarangrave, and the heat swiftly makes anything it touches sticky and unpleasant. Some mud dries, cracking like old tiles; some thickens into a glutinous quagmire that seems eager to suck an unsuspecting boot from a foot or in some cases to swallow an unwary traveller whole. When the golden sun is at its highest, even the wasps and biting flies seem too tired to fly and sting and bite. Those baking hours provide little respite, though. Supplies of clean water run low, and if not for the [[Rivers of Life]] sending health and healing through the entire territory it might prove a challenge for the soldiers of the Empire to quench their thirsts and clear the sweat from their eyes.

In a way, the brightness is at odds with the [[Druj miasma]] that smothers the Sarangrave. Those who've never encountered it before are particularly unprepared. When unspoken dread suddenly ambushed a soldier walking along a darkened path in the [[Forest of Ulnak]], it is half expected. When existential terror surges through someone under cloudless cerulean skies in the middle of the day with the golden sun shining... that's a different matter. The Knights of Glory, as they have several times before, are often on hand with a reassuring pat on the shoulder or a rousing comment about the death of the Druj, but even their presence only helps muffle the symptoms. At night, when the temperature is barely any cooler, and the nocturnal beasts of the marshes and the forest come out to feast on the blood of Imperial soldiers, it is not uncommon to hear sobs, or a voice quietly praying that the paragons make this campaign swift, and sometimes perhaps that voice is your own.
==Bloodwater Marsh==
At the start of the year, three Imperial armies swept through the woodlands of [[Zenith#Lustri|Lustri]], out of [[Urizen]] and into [[the Mallum]]. They [[Unlock thy hidden gate|faced down]] the forces of the [[Druj]], and slowly but surely made headway toward conquering the [[Sarangrave#Bloodwater Marshes|Bloodwater Marshes]]. As the year grows older, they continue to press against the barbarian forces in the Sarangrave. They, too, are bolstered by cohorts of golden knights from the Fields of Glory - another six thousand knights in gold and scarlet armour, eager to fight the orcs of the Mallum and their twisted allies.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj2.jpg|align=right|width=200}}
They are still joined in battle against the [[Druj armies#Hidden Widow|Hidden Widow]], the [[Druj armies#Red Lizard|Red Lizard]], and the [[Druj armies#White Lion|White Lion]]. The latter are clearly taking the lead in defending Sarangrave; the banners of the pale ant hang over the defenders, perhaps the most disciplined of the Druj armies. It almost seems at some points that along with the garrison of the [[Sarangrave#Tower of the Skink|Tower of the Skink]] they are holding the line against the Empire all by themselves.

It’s an illusion, though. The other two armies are simply better at attacking from ambush, of fading back into the marshes after a swift strike, of striking from a distance and then immediately retreating in the vain hope of drawing over-zealous Imperials into a trap. In the absence of the Towerjacks, the Druj begin to gain the upper hand, push the Empire back a few miles, and for a time seem to think that they may have the measure of the Empire.

News filters down from the north that the [[Druj armies#Black Wind|Black Wind]] are on the move, that they have left Therunin and come to the defence of the Sarangrave. It’s doubtful they are doing this for any particular love of the septs here. It seems most likely they are drawn by the presence of the Golden Axe. After the Dawnish, the former siblings of the Rahvin hate the Varushkans most of all. Fortunately, before they can reach the southern regions, the Quiet Step arrive to reinforce the Imperial line.

The [[Rivers of Life]] flow through the Sarangrave - the Druj have conjured that verdant power to bolster their own defences but the indiscriminate effects protect Imperial soldiers as well as the warriors of the Mallum. Even in the marshes, where disease and infection are a constant concern, no wound that is not in itself fatal will claim the life of anyone who survives the mortal blow, provided they take a few mouthfuls of water. And the water of the marshes is as wholesome, right now, as that taken from the freshest spring in the highest mountains of Zenith.

None of the Druj armies themselves seem to bear enchantments, but nonetheless they have odd supernatural allies of their own. There are comparatively few sightings of eight-legged crocodiles or other terrors that were encountered last season, but rather attacks from black-feathered bird-like creatures with the faces of cats. They sing melodiously, their music causing discord and confusion in the minds of those who hear them, scrambling their perception of who they are. Fortunately, both those [[Cambion|crowned with horns]] by the [[Realms#Autumn|Autumn realm]] prove remarkably resistant to this torturous music; and the [[orc|orcs]] of the Winter Sun prove equally capable of ignoring the confusion that might otherwise cause them to fail their allies. The feathered beasts soon learn to fear the arrows loosed from Imperial bows.

It is clear to the [[Citadel Guard]] that there is a powerful conjured ward of [[Night magic]] somewhere in the territory - something like those [[Dripping Echoes of the Fen|misty forts]] the Empire borrows from the ''[[Sadogua|Brother of Wizards]]'' from time to time. All they can say with certainty is that it is not here in Bloodwater Marsh.

Nor is it the only such magical structure, and that causes a little confusion of its own when the effects become clear. There is a [[Forge the Wooden Fastness|Wooden Fastness]] in the Nesustak Forest, it seems, yet it is not aiding the Druj. Nor for that matter is it aiding the Empire. Instead, it seems to serve as the stronghold of an unknown number of allies of the [[Irra Harah|Shacklebreaker]], that Spring eternal who teaches the lost to hide, and the scared to run, and the furious to fight. If the Citadel Guard know more about its presence - and some of the Urizen magicians allow themselves a certain self-possessed smile when the matter is raised, as of one who knows they have done a difficult thing well - they do not elaborate.

But we’ll come to that later, perhaps.
<div style="float:right; width: 400px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Regions of Sarangrave.png|caption=Sarangrave is mapped, but parts of the territory remain unknown.|align=right|width=400}}</div>

==The Shears of Fate==
The battle in the south is almost balanced; between the Druj armies and the garrison of their great fortress and their conjured fort and the four Imperial armies and the summoned knights the defenders of the Mallum may even have the upper hand - especially as their tactics favour defence more than the Empire’s more cautious tactics favour conquest. Bolstered by the Black Wind, it seems that they might not only deny the Imperial advance but also drive them back a step or twelve. Then the ''rest'' of the Empire attacks the Turan Flats and everything changes, changes completely.

The Druj orcs are suddenly caught between the mountains and a sea of Imperial steel. Five fresh armies, eight thousand Knights of Glory, pushing into the Turan Flats and the Druj defences focused in the south. The Black Wind immediately abandon the defence of the Bloodwater Marsh, racing north to face the Gryphon’s Pride and the Eastern Sky. They take half the garrison of the Tower of the Skink with them, and most of the healers and apothecaries of the Red Lizard. That leaves the White Lion - whose disciplined defence is proving quite effective - and the Hidden Widow who, for a change, are more focused on slowing and diverting the Empire than they are on poisoning them.

The Druj are vicious when cornered but they are also outnumbered and outplayed. The intelligence gathered by the Last Battle striding, and the support of the wayhouse and the Navarr makes all the difference in the Turan Flats. By the time the Black Wind and the garrison of the Tower are in position to try and slow them they are already laying siege to the settlement of Turan. The notoriously cruel [[Druj_champion#Het|het]] of the Banded Snakes who rule there - Trakaa, known for his insatiable hunger for tormenting Imperial prisoners - rallies the warriors of his sept. Unfortunately the majority of his warriors fight under the banner of the [[Druj armies#Hidden Snake|Hidden Snake]] and they are far from the marshes of Sarangrave right now. Yet Turan is by no means defenceless - a cadre of [[Druj lore#Tortured Souls|tortured souls]] are bound to Trakaa it seems. Former heroes of Dawn and Urizen, taken by the Druj and twisted into monstrous unliving warriors whose love for their Imperial siblings has been transformed into the darkest hate. They do not stay dead, and their former prowess now serves the dark will of the het.

When they arrive, the garrison of the Tower bolsters the defences of Turan, but the Black Wind are more interested in trying to kill as many Dawnish warriors as they can - and the healing power of Spring that flows through the territory must be particularly frustrating to them.

Just as frustrating, no doubt, is the presence of the Lions of Adelmar. The army is untested, and has been hurled into the hurricane indeed with its first campaign being in the Mallum. Yet they are stalwart, standing strong against the threat of the Druj and the terrible miasma that hangs over Sarangrave. They fight to defend not only themselves but their allies, creating a barrier of Dawnish steel against the enemy. The war-witches versed in healing magic and the yeofolk physicks both work tirelessly to ensure that anyone who falls and can be saved, is saved. The Black Wind focus much of their attention on the new army, but the rest of the Empire - especially the Eastern Sky and the Gryphon’s Pride - are as swift to come to their aid as they are to support the rest of the Imperial force.

The fighting is bloody, even in spite of the Spring healing, but in the end Turan falls to the Empire. The Banded Snake are forced to scatter - some to their holdings in the strangely enchanted Nesustak Forest others to the dubious sanctuary of the Marshlizard sept or the ghulai of the Palace of the Sleepers.
{{CaptionedImage|file=Druj4.jpg|align=right|width=200}}

==Across the River, Into the Woods==
The northern force doesn’t delay; as soon as they have secured Turan they begin to plan the crossing of the slow-moving river that flows south through [[Sarangrave#Bendol|Bendol]] to the Feverwater. The Druj have built no bridges, preferring to rely on boats and rafts it appears. The Empire secures as many of the Turan boats as they can but they have also made their own preparations. After all, they knew they would need to cross the river and so wagonloads of lumber gathered in the Barrens and collected in Astolat are broken out. A bridge of pontoons is put together, quickly reaching across the river and allowing the Empire to begin the assault into the weird marshes of [[Sarangrave#Kroll|Kroll]].

Further south, the Druj defence is in disarray with the attack from the north and the rapid departure of two of the defensive armies. The White Lion fight like cornered rats but the writing is on the wall. The Empire pushes, the Druj collapse like a house of cards, retreating in confusion toward the [[Sarangrave#Whisperwood|Whisperwood]] and the palace of the Thornwasp sect at Uklead. The Empire quickly secures the Bloodwater Marsh and follows after them.

At first they are especially cautious, worried about the threat of a supernatural ward on the Whisperwood but soon discover no such magic is in place. There are, however, a surprising number of traps and deadfalls.

(And while the Bloodwater is secured, there are no sign of the [[Make_it_happen#The_Bloodwater_Spears|Bloodwater Spears]] - the sept that Prognosticator Graciana had identified [[Make it happen|three years ago]] that might be persuaded to fight against the Druj were they suitably armed and armoured. Their homes are abandoned, but with a kind of ordered chaos that suggests to the Winter Sun that they left of their own volition rather than taking disordered flight. The only clues as to what might have happened is a recent carving on the lintel of one of the village shacks that, if one squint, might seem to be an image of a rabbit or hare with curling horns).

Further to the north, the other Imperial force has bridged the sluggish, muddy river but the crossing is no less perilous. The Druj defenders of Sarangrave pepper them with arrows, launching frenzied attacks when the armies are at their most vulnerable. They have reckoned without the Lions of Adelmar, first across the river, who hold the southern bank while their allies make the crossing. After a tense hour or so of effectively taking the brunt of the enemy attack against their shields, enough Imperial soldiers are on the shores of Kroll to turn the tide and force the Druj to retreat.

As the southern expeditionary force begins to move through Whisperwood, the northern expeditionary force takes its first steps toward conquest of the marshes of Kroll. And then the news of an unlooked for development comes from the south…
{{CaptionedImage|file=RegionsofZenith.png|caption=Zenith will fight|align=right|width=400}}

==Dark Beneath the Boughs==
It is perhaps six weeks before the Summer Solstice that the curtain of darkness begins to fall over the woods of Lustri. A smothering veil of night seeps down from the north-west. There are few spires in Lustri these days, but the lamps of the [[Urizen_culture_and_customs#The_Heliopticon|heliopticon]] explode with light. The Druj are coming, down out of Therunin along the shores of the Feverwater. A host of orcs moving through the woods, striking south and east. It seems that almost all the armies that recently ravaged the Navarr marshes have attacked out of [[Therunin#East Ashes|East Ashes]] into Zenith.

Perhaps they hoped that by delaying they would achieve a surprise attack, but those hopes are dashed. The vigilance of the people of Urizen, supported by Synod [[386YE_Autumn_Equinox_Synod_judgements#Judgement_14|mandate]] and inspired by the [[sword scholar|sword scholars]] of the [[Urizen groups#Temple of the Wanderer|House of the Wanderer]] catches the Druj a little off guard. The alarm is raised, and word spreads across Lustri and more importantly beyond. Defenders take up arms to slow or hold the advance of the Mallum orcs, and the garrison of Stork’s Gaze marches west. Yet almost from the start, the Urizen are forced to retreat. The size of the force arrayed against them is simply too great.

The defence very nearly ends in disaster before it even gets started. A second force of Druj - the bulk of those under the banners of the [[Druj armies#Hunting Scorpion|Hunting Scorpion]] - have claimed boats from the [[Therunin#The_Docks_at_Feverwater|docks at Feverwater]]. Supplemented with hastily constructed rafts, the orcs of the Mallum seek to trap the soldiers protecting Zenith between them in a terrible pincer movement. There is just enough warning from the vigilant patrols - a single sighting of a boat moving stealthily to shore swiftly communicated to the sentinels of the Gaze - and many of the soldiers marching from Stork’s Gaze are able to react swiftly enough to pull south. Sadly several hundred are still taken by surprise and mercilessly butchered by the warriors of that displaced Amber Scorpion sept who once held Ossium in their cruel grip.

Sometimes the Druj act carefully, with subtle malice. This is not one of those times. The Druj waste no time at all, an overwhelming assault against the north-eastern Urizen territory they once held. With the [[Druj armies#Thorn Born|Thorn Born]] at the head under the brambled-banners, they spread quickly through the woods. They seem less interested in securing the spires here than they are in launching an assault against the fortification that watches the borders with Sarangrave but any spires that fall into their hands - any that are not [[Vale of Shadows|hidden away]] with [[Night magic]] - are swiftly, brutally, smashed apart.

The sentinels of Stork’s Gaze rally with the virtuous defenders, a desperate fight to hold the borders against the Druj. They hold for three days; the last heliopticon message from the fortification is a simple “remember us”. The Stork’s Gaze burns. Yet those brave sentinels do not die alone - one of the copper spiders of the [[Prospero|City of Bridges]] escapes the destruction and speaks of the courage of the garrison, of the forest around the fortress scattered hip-deep in the bodies of the Druj before the gates were breached and the towers broken.

With the fortification broken, the Druj armies split into two forces. The first, largest force with the Thorn Born at their head, spread out through Lustri to deal with the remaining defenders and finish claiming the region for themselves. They are met at every turn by [[magical skills#Battle mage|battle mages]] and warriors and [[magical skills#magicians|magicians]] from further south. They eventually claim the region but they must fight every step and thanks to the perseverance, to the watchfulness, of the Urizen the invasion is almost entirely contained in Lustri.

The second, smaller group of invading orcs, remains in the ruins of the Stork’s Gaze to ensure that the border with the Sarangrave remains strong. Reports suggest the [[Druj armies#Tainted Basilisk|Tainted Basilisk]] are here, something that should be enough to raise concern against any Imperial strategist. The Druj are free to rain curses or raise defences of their own across Zenith again.

There is little panic, if that is what the Druj hoped for. The magicians of Zenith lost everything the last time the orcs of the Mallum came to their territory. They will not be laid low so easily again... whatever vile sorcery the corrupt ghulai of the Tainted Basilisk might be planning.
{{CaptionedImage|file=mantle.jpg|width=300|align=right}}
==Desperation==
The four armies in the south are now cut off from the rest of the Empire by Druj to the south and east, vallorn to the north, and the hungry Feverwater lake to the west. When the news of their predicament finally reaches them it adds a new desperation to the fighting in the Whisperwood, a new urgency to the fight to join up with the northern forces.

In the north, the news likewise inspires the other Imperial armies to push forward into the eerie marshes of Kroll. Here the Druj warriors are reinforced by the militia of the Marshlizards - who barely raised a finger to help Het Trakaa but now welcome those fighters fleeing Turan. Not as allies so much as a fleshy buffer between them and the Empire.

Yet the Marshizards only control parts of Kroll. The Sept of Masks also hold territory here, surrounding the [[Sarangrave#Palace_of_the_Sleepers|Palace of the Sleepers]] along the shore of the deep, dark lake that laps along the base of the odd conical hill on which it is built. These are the same ghulai that were encountered exploring the outskirts of [[Sarangrave#Béantal_Dol|Béantal Dol]], the same allies of the Thornwasp sept who march with the Tainted Basilisk. At first they do not seem to be any great threat; they are ritual magicians rather than [[Arkad#Vikari|vikari]].

The Red Lizard army fights with particular ferocity, while the herb masters among their number fight to ensure that the Empire kills as few of the Druj defenders as possible. The Black Wind continue to seek to face and slaughter Dawnish soldiers, and several times it is clear that they favour that strategy over defending their Marshlizard “allies”. The sept has taken its own precautions, though. [[Night magic]] infuses the marsh here, a potent enchantment that grants succour to the Druj, that grants supernatural advantage to their ability to sneak and hide, that turns the wetlands themselves against the invaders. The most apparent symptom of the magic is that the marsh octopus - the vicious little predators with their venomous beaks and delicious meat - seem to be on the verge of frenzy. The smaller ones swarm like piranha or rats, slipping through the thick mud to ambush sentries or most horribly of all emerge from swampy ground within army camps when the night is at its darkest. By themselves they would be horrible enough, but there are also much larger examples of this peculiar breed. While most marsh octopus found in Zenith are barely the size of a person’s head with arms to match, those are clearly newborns. The adults and elders are a significantly greater threat. There are reports of a band of Northern Eagle scouts being ambushed by a cephalapoid terror with a body the size of an ox-cart and awful meaty limbs of proportional length and muscular strength.

As time ticks away, as the Empire’s advance appears unstoppable, more and more warriors from the Tower of the Skink desert the defence of the Whisperwood and come north, leaving the Thornwasp to look after themselves, much more motivated to keep their own sept lands safe.

It is both enough, and not enough. The Empire presses through the Whisperwood slowly, but makes significantly greater gains in the north. Things might have been a little different if the Druj had followed their usual strategy of creating many magical wards and fortifications across the territory, but as it is the Imperial forces in Kroll close inexorably on the Palace of the Sleepers.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=IrrahHurrah002.png|align=right|width=300}}</div>

==First They Must Catch You==
Empire and Druj and Empire, and along the northern borders of Zenith, Druj again. Yet there is another force active in Sarangrave this season, that seems to owe allegiance to neither side. The Bloodwater Spears are not the only orcs that simply seem to be… missing. As the fighting rages in Turan Flats, in Kroll, in Whisperwood and along the shores of the Feverwater, there are signs of this other force if one knows how to look.

Labour camps deserted, their guards slain not by Imperial swords and arrows but by blunt instruments and improvised weapons. To the Citadel Guard and the Granite Pillar alike it is clear the attack has come from within the camp rather than without. The slaves who might have been penned there are simply gone, any tracks they might have left lost in the marshes.

Farms, likewise, abandoned, derelict. No sign of any farm worker, no sign of their tools, perhaps most significantly, no signs of the stores of rice and grain. Even the herds of hardy marsh-dwelling goats tended in some of these places are gone, the eel and octopus traps emptied. Not everyone has disappeared, but enough. The Winter Sun investigate as best they can but find the former slaves they speak with closed mouthed, frightened, uncommunicative. The Golden Axe and the Northern Eagle have a little more success loosening the tongues of Druj prisoners, who seem equally baffled by what is happening, but also cocky and sneering confident that once the Empire is defeated and driven out they will hunt these traitorous slaves down and make an example of them. Again, the Citadel Guard simply nod, and change the subject when the matter is brought up.

Eventually, some of the Winter Sun are able to convince a former slave to speak to them. Those who are fleeing, in the north and the south, are doing so with the aid of the ''Reedleaper'' - a spirit of the deep marshes that helps the victims of the Druj survive their wickedness. Sometimes ''Reedleaper'' helps them flee, sometimes it helps them hide, and sometimes it helps a few fight, although that usually ends the same tragic way. The spirit teaches secrets - how to break the chains and spears of the hated guards, how to sing away the pain and torment of those who have been tormented by the slave masters, how to mend broken bones and endure the cruel lash of whips. Sometimes it teaches even greater secrets, to those with the will and wit to listen. But always it reminds them that this is not the way the world is meant to be and that they must never accept the lies of the Druj that tell them they are nothing.

''Reedleaper'' is familiar to the [[Sunstorm]] sept at least. There are stories of similar aid offered to the [[orc|orcs]] during the [[The Orc Rebellion|Orc rebellion]]. It seems [[Irra Harah]] is in the Sarangrave, but that the extent of his influence is degrees of magnitude greater this season than it has been before. The former slave admits that there is something happening in the Nesustak Forest, but what it is and what it means they will not say. Two nights later, that talkative orc has vanished along with their entire family from the Winter Sun camp.
{{CaptionedImage|file=ChainIllustrationInk.JPG|align=right|width=300}}

==The Glass Vice==
The Druj are caught between the four armies in the south and the five in the north, but that is only the start of their troubles. The Citadel Guard, you see, have a strategy. As they advance, they weave Autumn magic around themselves and around the soldiers of the other three armies. Even the news that they are cut off from their home does not trouble their poise. They weave their magic, and at several points they drive tall spikes of green iron into the marsh topped with clear, bright lightstones. They invoke the constellation of the Chain, and the Web, and the Lock. They call on the seventy-two secret names of the Lictors of the Autumn Realm. They wield the [[Highest_discipline#Technique_of_the_Coiling_Chain|Technique of the Coiling Chain]] and all across Sarangrave their magic takes hold.

The Druj armies are distracted, fighting on two fronts and unaware of the danger until it is too late. [[Autumn magic]] wielded with consummate expertise, catches them like rats in a trap. The marsh twists beneath the boots of the Black Wind and the Red Lizard. The sticky Summer air seems to thicken around the Hidden Widow and the White Lion.

They are caught now, trapped in invisible amber, wound in incorporeal chains. They may be able to flee Sarangrave but they will not get far. The inescapable curse of the Glass Labyrinth has them and none can walk its twisting paths with surety.
<div style="float:right; width: 300px; clear: left;">{{CaptionedImage|file=Octopus sculpture.jpg|align=right|width=300}}</div>
==The God in the Lake==
But there are other magicians in Sarangrave than those of the Citadel Guard and it would be dangerous to become overconfident. In Kroll, the Empire closes in on the Palace of Sleepers, despite the best efforts of the Druj armies, and the garrison of the great fortification in [[Sarangrave#Thornfen|Thornfen]] and the magically empowered marsh and octopus. It is an unsettling sight, this so-called [[college of magic]]. The parts of the structure visible above the ground is a mishmash of walls and roofs, and stubby towers like fingers reaching hungrily toward the sky. The peculiar, almost conical hill it is built atop and within is shrouded in twisted trees that claw toward the Summer sky, and a shroud of thick mist that never seems to dissipate. It stands on the edge of a great dark watered lake, avoided by everyone save the ghulai who squat in the twisted palace.

The scouts who first explored the Sarangrave spoke of an odd statue of a giant multi-armed horror slumped next to the hill, right on the edge of the black lake. It is here that the ghulai of the Sept of Masks seem to have chosen to begin their stand against the Empire. Everyone is mud-spattered and exhausted on both sides, save the magicians. They stand arrogantly in heavy woollen robes of clashing green and purple that must be sweltering in the Summer heat, their faces completely hidden behind oversized wooden masks gaudily painted with snarling, howling, laughing, weeping expressions that are deeply unsettling to gaze on for too long. Even the Black Wind seem to give them a wide berth, for some reason.

As the Dawnish and Varushkan forces draw up, a warning murmur spreads from the Granite Pillar. Something is not right. There is, in the midst of the Druj, a wooden cage. A scarred Highborn captain wordlessly passes her spyglass to the other commanders. The cage contains a score of humans and orcs - several still wearing scraps of their soldiers’ surcote or tabard. All show signs of torment, wounds received in battle, and fear. One of them tries to inspire the others to join him in the Battle Hymn of the Empire but is brutally struck down by one of the Druj. What new horror have the Black Wind prepared?

Yet it becomes clear that it is not the Black Wind that are in charge here. With a terrible cry, the ghulai of the Sept of Masks begin a mad, desperate, whirling dance. Ripples of uncertainty go through the Imperial ranks and the orders are swiftly given to cautiously advance. Before anyone can take more than seven steps, the magicians all tear away their wooden masks and fling them into the waters of the lake. Beneath they wear a ‘’second’’ mask, a much tighter mask, of mottled green that fits more snugly to their heads, fringed with drooping tentacles, and a single yellow-painted eye in the middle of their forehead.

"''Ya, Kroll!''" they cry. "''Come to us oh you God of the Lake! Feed upon these who would invade your home and slaughter your children!''"

At this sign, the cage full of Imperial captives is pushed unceremoniously into the lake. It sinks mercifully swiftly, but it is certain that those poor people contained within are drowned before the Empire’s soldiers can do much but voice their fury and outrage. The front lines of the Druj and the Imperials clash, blood flows, screams of orc and human mingle together and then…

The [[Army_orders#Cautious_Advance|cautious]] Highborn [[Highguard_military_concerns|cataphracts]] and [[Highguard_military_concerns#Guardians|guardians]] sound the alarm again. Something is rising in the great black lake. The waters surge upward, breaking their banks and washing knee deep along the shores. The Druj begin to fall back, swiftly, clearly something they had planned. Something is rising in the waters.

At first it seems to be a small island or perhaps a ship, upside down breaching the surface and bobbing. But it continues to rise, out of the waves, up into the sky. It is immense - its size hard to grasp. A behemoth that surely, surely could not have fit within even the depths of this great lake. A single baleful, impossible eye stares down at the soldiers beneath that conical hill, in the shadow of that college of magic. A great rounded bulk, water sleeting down its sides, the eye burning with hate and hunger.

The alarm has been sounded just in time, the Imperial strategy defensive and careful, and most of the soldiers are able to react swiftly enough to avoid the two immense arms, tens of feet long, that rise from the water and sweep across the banks of the nameless lake scattering sticky dark venom in their wake.

Three, four, six more shorter arms rip through the air, and this unspeakable horror, this titanic one-eyed marsh octopus, unleashes a roar from its hidden maw that shakes the ground.

There is no hope of fighting this creature - if it is a creature. It is real, certainly, not some kind of glamour. Even the armies of the Mallum give it a wide berth - only the Sept of Masks seem prepared to risk its terrible attention. It cannot leave the lake, thank the paragons. Unlike its tiny kin, it does not seem to have the power to move through the marsh mud. Retreat is the only option - but that does not stop some of the Dawnish taking a stand, egged on by the knights of Summer, striking at its huge muscular arms, launching a surprise attack of their own against the Druj magicians and while most of them die in the process there can be little doubt they die ''[[glory|gloriously]]''.

The terrible booming foghorn roar of the god in the lake, the immense octopus from who the hell knows where, continue to echo across the marshes of Kroll… and then it is the Summer Solstice.

==Game Information==
===Sarangrave===
* '''There are two Imperial forces and one Druj force in Sarangrave
* '''The Empire controls Turan Flats and Bloodwater Marsh, the Druj control the rest of the territory apart from Bendol
* '''The territory has been under the effect of Rivers of Life and there were two magical forts conjured there - but only one seems to have supported the Druj
* '''The Druj armies here have been caught by the Glass Labyrinth reducing their ability to move
* '''Of the armies fighting in Sarangrave, only the Northern Eagle provided shares of the Imperial Guerdon
There are two separate Imperial forces in the Sarangrave. The southern force made up of the Citadel Guard, Winter Sun, Golden Axe, and Quiet Step, have conquered the Bloodwater Marshes and are perhaps halfway toward taking the Whisperwood and the weirwood grove there. They struggled a little with the [[Druj miasma]] that made it harder to claim territory here. They are in serious difficulty due to the invasion of Zenith.

The northern force made up of the Gryphon’s Pride, Eastern Sky, Lions of Adelmar, Northern Eagle, and Granite Pillar, have claimed Turan Flats are just over four-fifths of the way toward taking the region of Kroll. The only significant structure remaining outside their control is the Palace of the Sleepers. They benefited from the Under Threat quality provided by the Last Battle Wayhouse in the Barrens, but they also found it a little more difficult to conquer territory due to the presence of the powerful Druj miasma.

The Druj armies are caught between them, and have been ensnared in the Glass Labyrinth. Even if they can break through the Imperial lines they cannot move more than one territory in the coming season.

There were by all accounts two magical forts in Sarangrave - one raised by the Druj in Kroll, the other of unknown provenance in Nesustak Forest. That latter ward appears to have aided ''neither'' side in the battle of Sarangrave, and it is very much not clear what was going on with it.

===Zenith===
* '''The Druj have claimed Lustri and destroyed the fortification of Stork's Gaze
* '''They were unable to make much additional headway due to the virtuous resistance of the people of Zenith
* '''Their control of Lustri cuts the Imperial armies in southern Sarangrave off from their supply lines
A major force of Druj has poured south out of Therunin into Zenith. They have captured the region of Lustri, and destroyed the Stork’s Gaze fortification. They are about a tenth of the way toward claiming the marshes of Proceris. The Druj encountered stiff resistance from the spires of Zenith, thanks to the mandate of the Urizen Assembly.

The Tainted Basilisk are believed to be in Lustri, the magic army able to focus rituals into the territory.

===God in the Lake===
* '''Shortly before the Summer Solstice the ghulai of the Sept of Masks have called up a behemoth marsh octopus from the lake below the Palace of the Sleeper
* '''It is not clear what this thing is, what its capabilities are, or what it presages for the battle in the Sarangrave
In response to the Imperial invasion of Kroll, the ghulai of the Sept of Masks have roused something big and horrible in the lake below their college of magic. The soldiers on the ground have not had much time to do anything other than retreat quickly, but it appears to be an immense one-eyed marsh octopus that is almost certainly not an inhabitant of the mortal world. It’s possible that diviners in Anvil may be able to discover more about what exactly it is and what it portends for the conquest of Kroll.

Any character whose military unit supported one of the northern armies may have been at the battle below the Palace of the Sleeper and seen the God in the Lake. It is very, very big - perhaps even as large as a kraken - and it is absolutely terrifying in its size and destructive power. It is a thing that will require armies to defeat, not something that can be slain by even a quite large group of Imperial heroes. Fortunately, it seems to be restricted to the lake… but that might not present much comfort to anyone involved in taking the rest of the region.
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==Participation : Knights of Glory==
* '''Characters whose military unit supported the Eastern Sky, Granite Pillar, or Northern Eagle receive an additional boon
During the [[Golden magicians fayre|Golden Magician's Fayre]], the ''[[Eleonaris|Mistress of Pennants]]'' offered a boon to certain armies that had joined her soldiers in revelry. Any character whose [[military unit]] supported the Eastern Sky, Granite Pillar, or Northern Eagle receives a single [[vis#Golden Apple|golden apple]] that Eleonaris hopes will help encourage the captain to seek an [[enchantment]] for themselves or the soldiers under their command.

These armies, along with the Citadel Guard, Golden Axe, and Winter Sun, have also benefitted a little from the inspiration offered by the Knights of Glory - encouraged to pursue heroic and glorious actions in battle, to destroy the rulers of the Druj, and to endure the hardships of all this marsh fighting with a roar of defiance. Characters whose military unit supported one of these armies are encouraged to create stories about fighting alongside these enthusiastic elfin warriors.

==Strategic Considerations==
===Being Cut Off===
* '''Four Imperial armies in southern Sarangrave are cut off from their supply lines and will begin to degrade
* '''The Druj armies in Zenith are likewise separated from their supply lines due to the loss of Turan Flats and Bloodwater Marshes
* '''The Druj in Sarangrave face a similar fate if they lose control of Kroll
The breakdown of what's happened in Sarangrave and the adjoining territories creates a unique situation. Four Imperial armies are in south west Sarangrave. The Druj control the regions east and west (Thornfen, and Lustri in Zenith respectively). Bendol to the North is controlled by the vallorn, the Feverwater is not traversable by armies, and Tsark to the south is not open to the Empire either.

As these four armies have no supply route back to Imperial held territory, they are now In Trouble. If they are not able to draw a line back to Imperial Territory this season, they will begin to decay as if they were out of supply. This is not something which can be alleviated by the [[Keeper of the Breadbasket|Imperial Breadbasket]], as indeed those supplies are no more able to get through than support from the home nations.

The Druj risk being caught in a similar situation. There are six Druj armies in Eastern Zenith, controlling Lustri. They control Therunin and Nesustak Forest in Sarangrave, but none of the armies are able to receive supply from their [[Druj armies|patron septs]] and so are in a similar position to the Imperial armies in southern Sarangrave. Should the Druj lose control of Kroll, most of the Druj armies in Sarangrave would also be in dire straits.

===Between Zenith and Sarangrave===
* '''The situation in Zenith and southern Sarangrave has strategic implications for the campaign after the Summer Solstice
If Imperial forces in Sarangrave attack over the border into Zenith and Druj Forces in Zenith attack over the border into Sarangrave during this season, then that combat will be factored into any conflict that takes place in Sarangrave. This will not also apply to any Imperial Forces attacking from the west into Zenith, though taking Lustri from behind the Druj may have a detrimental effect ''if'' the Druj attack in that direction.

===The Night Option===
* '''There may be magical ways for armies to escape Sarangrave if they need to
The Empire has in the past used magic to use [[Night magic]] to shroud armies and let them pass undetected. Should such magic be utilised, it would be possible for any such army to ignore the above problems and sneak past the Druj forces in Zenith undetected. The Druj have demonstrated in the past that they are equally capable of taking this kind of action themselves of course.

One of the rituals that might allow escape from Sarangrave is the ''Host of Shadows'' which is not in Imperial lore. As discussed in the recent wiki update, however, that ritual has been substantially changed. Anyone who has mastered the ritual will need to check the details. If the player with the ritual text can contact a referee, or email {{plot}}, we can arrange to swap the existing text for an updated version.
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==Battle Opportunity : Pillars of Night==
The Imperial prognosticators have identified a [[Sentinel Gate#Major Conjunctions|major conjunction]] of the [[Sentinel Gate]] to the marshes of Kroll near the Palace of the Sleeper. They believe there may be a possibility here to interfere with the Sept of Masks magic this season.

==Battle of Opportunity : Rites of Spring==
The Imperial prognosticators have also identified a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate that seems to lead to northern Proceris in Zenith. They are still examining the situation but believe it may have something to do with Druj intentions towards the Golden Cascade.

==Further Reading==
* [[Sarangrave]]
* [[Zenith]]

* [[Unlock thy hidden gate]] - 387YE Spring Wind of Fortune about the start of the battle for Sarangrave