Gossamer threads
"Praise be!" echoed the congregation, enthusiastically.
"Praise to the most high, to Suran who is the Queen of Heaven, whose wisdom guides the Council of Dukes, whose life-giving rays exalt and preserve us, who shines upon each victory, and who promises us all a glorious future. Praise also to her consort, to Kavol of the Veils, the King, whose silver eyes watch us all and see the strength and weakness in our hearts."
"Praise Suran! Praise Kavol!" While the gathering was exuberant in their honouring of Suran, their praise of Kavol was a little more subdued.
"Praise also to the four maidens. To the eldest, Arav, who judges the dead and the living and allows the righteous to enter the palaces of heaven, and casts the unrighteous down to be devoured by dogs. Praise to Kobol, his sister, whose sword and shield shelter us and whose fury brings destruction to those who dare stand against us. Praise to Evra of the Hammers, who shapes the world on her forge, who intercedes with her brother to ensure that the greatest warriors among us are reborn to serve our people when they are most needed. Praise at last to the youngest, to Farod the herald, whose horn calls in the Spring, whose wings send the gentle rains that ensure the fine harvest, who teaches us to love one another and the gods in their heavens."
A storm of praise exploded across the temple. Dozens of voices raised in honour of the four maidens, some calling out particularly for the favour of one over the others. The priest raised their hands before them with a beatific smile, letting the waves of sound wash over them. Then, as the tide started to subside, they lowered their arms slowly, their expression changing to a dour frown, and the noise faded away as they did so.
"Accursed be the liar, the father of wickedness, who seeks to steal the gifts the gods give us from their palaces, who is cast out of the celestial heavens and skulks in dark places among the vermin. Let him be cursed for the poison he drips into the ears of lesser peoples, urging them to oppose the will of the Queen of Heaven. Pity for those who are corrupted by his lies, but no mercy for them that embrace his spite."
If the cheering had been a tide, the outpouring of anger and hate directed at Dumon the liar was a tidal wave. Faces twisted, everyone trying to outdo their neighbour in their denunciation of the Liar, yellow-eyed Dumon, in the house of the celestial heavens. The priest nodded their head approvingly, let the anger blow itself out and then spread their arms again.
"Now, then, in the sight of the six, let us speak of the service each of us owes to the Sun Queen, and to the Dukes who strive tirelessly on her behalf to bring order to a world corrupted with chaos. But first let us raise our voices one final time, in praise of Farod, as we sing together the paean of the new year dawning."
The music began, simple and powerful, and throats ragged from shouting raised their voices in rough harmony as the sun rose above the horizon.
Overview
- The Iron Confederacy remains at peace with the Empire
- They have recently moved a major military force into the islands off the coast of Feroz and are planning further moves along the Brass Coast
The Iron Confederacy - the lands of the Suranni people - lie directly to the south of the Empire. A secretive nation, they do not welcome visitors from the Empire except in carefully watched enclaves such as the port of Robec. They are bound up in tradition and suspicion, and while they are currently at peace with the Empire, they are by no means allies. Like the Faraden, they have been caught between the Liberty Pact and the pro-slavery Freedom Accord. Unlike the eastern nation, the Dukes who rule the Iron Confederacy are prepared to play Imperial and Asavean interests off against each other openly. They have made some concessions to the Liberty Pact - "redefining" their slaves as "serfs" - but they make no effort to sever their ties with the Asavean Archipelago.
After the Autumn Equinox, the Suranni moved a major military force into the territory of Feroz, attacking and defeating the Children of Wrecks. They have seized the Cazar Straits - islands that are a traditional home of the corsair families. Their ambassador has been clear both that they intend to go further and that they have no intention of conceding the islands to the Empire.
The Iron Confederacy
- Status: Foreigner
- Ports: Robec
- Ambassador: Tethros i Zuhri i Erigo
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 Veroigne. A noble naga, she replaced the significantly more dogmatic Jeanne de Hibernat, a High Priestess of the Suranni god 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.
Dumon the Liar
Baroness Katerine informs the Empire that the Hand of Dumon remain a serious threat, especially in the territory of Kalino (the area of the former Lasambrian Hills that the Iron Confederacy calls Arbonne). The Baroness is confident that the Suranni are close to dealing with the problem decisively, and is pleased to hear from Ambassador Tethros that the Empire is investigating claims that Imperial citizens are supporting the Hand in their campaign of terror. After wise counsel, the Duke of Arbonne has instructed those Suranni lawkeepers who work with the magistrates to redouble their efforts to root out supporters of Dumon in the Empire, focusing their efforts on tracking down any lead that might expose sympathisers or finally put to rest the murmured accusations.
Although the lawkeepers have no legal power in the Empire, the Dumonist treaty guarantees cooperation between the law enforcement operations of the two nations on this matter. The magistrates are confident they can prevent the Suranni from overstepping their bounds, and are, after all, engaged in their own investigations into this criminal society. Their main concern is that the longer this active hunt for the presence of Hand of Dumon sympathisers goes on, the greater the chance that concrete proof will be found of the Empire's involvement three years ago in spiriting large numbers of Suranni wizards out of the Iron Confederacy. Such as, for example, discovering one of the Suranni enclaves living peacefully as foreigners in Imperial territories. The chief magistrates have no real advice to offer on how to avoid this beyond bringing the investigation to a decisive end one way or another, or renegotiating cooperation between magistrates and lawkeepers.
Portal Ajar
- The Suranni Dukes are open to discussing a treaty regarding the Brass Coast once the Children of Wrecks are dealt with
Last season Baroness Katerine confirmed that the Suranni are interested in negotiating a treaty once the Children of Wrecks are finally beaten. There has clearly been some discussion on the matter between Ambassador Tethros and their Suranni counterpart. The Baroness is certainly prepared to talk about how the current peaceful relationship between the Confederacy and the Empire might continue.
One element Baroness Katerine seizes on is a mention of smoothing travel for merchants from the Iron Confederacy into the larger Empire. The magical transformation of south-western Madruga, coupled with the wildness of the Scorrero, impedes Suranni caravans wishing to venture into Imperial heartlands. Securing more prosperous trade would certainly be a worthwhile topic for discussion - perhaps the Dukes might even be persuaded to offer assistance to any project to bridge the Scorrero in Oranseri. They have large reserves of white granite and mithril after all.
The Baroness advises that the Dukes will not be interested in exchanging land they have conquered themselves for an "enclave" gifted to them by the Empire. This is not to say that they are entirely disinterested in the offer of trade premises; one of the impediments to trade with the corrupt Empire is the need for their citizens to rub shoulders with heretics, blasphemers, and those who serve Dumon (knowingly or unknowingly). The ceding of land around their embassy in Sarvos, or perhaps a prestigious and accessible location like the Temple of Balo and the Black Bull in Oran might be a matter worth discussing.
Having explored matters in more detail, the civil service has some good news at least. Fears they might be able to cut Feroz off from the Bay of Catazar prove unfounded. The Bay of Oran, which stretches between Oranseri and Siroc Bayou secures Freeborn access to the Bay and the wider world. Still, the Suranni could conceivably make life difficult for the Brass Coast sailors. As long as the Bay of Oran remains in Imperial hands, however, they have a slight advantage. Free Landing and the Cazar Straits are not contiguous. The Empire does have the potential to cause trouble for the Suranni, who will certainly want to move ships back and forth between Free Landing and Cazar Straits. Closing the Bay of Oran would not cut them off entirely, but would certainly make it difficult for them to maintain a military presence on Free Landing for an extended period. If the Suranni were to invade Oranseri, however, the matter would be very different. The ships of Feroz would be entirely isolated, with very significant consequences for the slow rebuilding of that territory.
Wings of Blood and Foam
- The Iron Confederacy has smashed the Children of Wrecks in Feroz
- Suranni forces have claimed the Cazar Straits for the Iron Confederacy
- The Dukes intend to attack Free Landing after the Spring Equinox
- While no treaty has been agreed, Freeborn citizens are free to leave the islands, and ships from Feroz can pass through the waters
After the Autumn Equinox, the Iron Confederacy attacked the Children of Wrecks in the Cazar Straits of Feroz. The Wings of Kobol navy brought two Suranni armies across the border from Kalino (the former Lasambrian territory the Suranni call Arbonne). They handily defeated the Wreckers, executing any who did not flee or fall in battle. A number of pirate vessels fled north to Free Landing, but many also chose to quit the Bay of Catazar altogether. The Cazar Straits remain now under the control of the Iron Confederacy.
Baroness Katerine confirms that the Dukes intend this state of affairs to continue. They have no interest in surrendering the islands they have seized from the Children of Wrecks and their wicked Dumonist allies. Priests dedicated to the service of Ezra the Smith are already exploring ways that the islands can be made hospitable after two years under the control of the ruinous Wreckers.
As she said last season, while there was some discussion at Anvil during the Autumn Equinox, after careful consideration the Dukes chose instead to take decisive action against the Children of Wrecks. The time to formalise a treaty will come when the Children of Wrecks are no more. With that in mind, Baroness Katerine reminds her opposite number in the Empire that the Wings of Kobol will be moving north into Free Landing after the Spring Equinox. When they are victorious, the islands will be free of the taint of Dumon, but as with the Cazar Straits, they will be part of the Iron Confederacy. The Suranni gave the Empire a chance to deal with the problem themselves, and to seal the gaping maw of Dumon that lies in the waters near the islands, but they declined to do so. The Dukes will not tolerate the ongoing threat of Dumon to their holdings in Feroz, and to the territory of Arbonne.
The Dukes will deal with any Freeborn trapped on the islands of Free Landing as they did with those of Cazar Straits. Any Imperial citizen that was trapped in the Cazar Straits when they were conquered by the Grendel, and then seized by the Pirates of Dumon, is absolutely free to leave. They are encouraged to depart, in fact, and Suranni ships stand ready to repatriate them to the mainland. There will be no bar to Freeborn vessels that wish to come collect their countryfolk after the inevitable defeat of the Children of Wrecks.
Spears of Retribution
- The Suranni invite the Freeborn to take part in their upcoming assault on Free Landing
- Freeborn fleets have an opportunity to support the Wings of Kobol navy after the Spring Equinox
- If sufficient force is applied, it will be possible to recover historical relics from Atalaya
On the advice of certain priests of Kobol, the maiden of war, the Duke of Arbonne has convinced his fellow Dukes to offer a hand of friendship to the Brass Coast. The Freeborn suffered most at the hands of the Children of Wrecks, especially the corsairs driven from their island homes. The Suranni and the Freeborn have been neighbours for some time, and now that Feroz has finally been liberated from the orcs of the Broken Shore, there is some hope that they become closer still. With that in mind, Baroness Katerine communicates an invitation to the mariners of the Brass Coast, especially the corsairs.
Any Freeborn fleet is welcomed to join the Wings of Kobol in their coming assault against Free Landing. Suranni strategists do not anticipate any more problems conquering the islands than they encountered in Cazar Straits. Rather, this offer has been made to allow the Freeborn to claim a measure of righteous retribution against the Wreckers who slaughtered and enslaved their people, as well as a final chance to reclaim some of the treasures lost with the fall of storied Atalaya. She warns that the navy itself will sail with the blessing of Kobol herself, and no insult to the gods will be tolerated among those who choose to accept the invitation.
After the Spring Equinox, any Freeborn fleet will have the option to support the Wings of Kobol navy. This is a standard campaigning action, and rituals that empower campaigning will have full effect. The Suranni offer no additional incentive to take part beyond the chance for retribution, and the chance to recover some of the wealth lost to the Grendel and the Children of Wrecks. The Senate could choose to apply the Imperial Guerdon to this military action. Without it, a standard fleet that takes this action will receive 72 rings worth of valuable items and six random resources in loot. This might mean additional money, or even mana crystals, and represents goods recovered from the Children of Wrecks and the ruins of Free Landing. A fleet that is upgraded or enchanted receives proportionally more.
If at least 4000 military strength supports the Wings of Kobol, then whether the Suranni are victorious or not, the mariners of the Brass Coast will be able to reach the ruins of Atalaya, where the Brass Coast began. This town was at one point a treasure trove of historical relics that reminded the Freeborn of where they came from and why their nation exists. The Suranni will not stop the Freeborn taking back as many of these items as they can find - not after the Spring Equinox at least. After that, assuming the Suranni are victorious, those items will fall into their possession along with the islands themselves.
The civil service believe that the Dukes genuinely do not think they need any support from the Freeborn to conquer the Children of Wrecks. The priests of Kobol seem to be making the offer out of a devout belief in the importance of striking back at those who have wronged you, and take the opportunity to show the superiority of their faith over that of the Empire. The Duke of Arbonne appears to see the value in allowing the Freeborn to recover a portion of the lost wealth of the corsairs. The likely explanation is that he is hoping that this concession will mollify the people of the Brass Coast when it comes to upcoming treaty negotiations.
Break the Glass of Fury
- By taking advantage of the unique situation in Free Islands, a Freeborn hakima believes the Suranni conquest of the region could be delayed
- A carefully performed Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea curse could exploit the presence of the Maw of Siakha in the region
- The curse would have serious implications for coastal regions of Madruga
In the wake of the Suranni invitation, a very different possibility has done the rounds in some parts of Madruga. The Iron Confederacy is not wrong that Free Landing is where the Brass Coast began, and the idea of the southern nation claiming it sticks in people's craws. Normally the proposal of Indira "Stormdancer" i Guerra would be given short shrift, but enough people are discussing it to bring it to the ears of the hakima. Indira is a magician of no fixed allegiance who masters the magic of Spring. She has looked at certain destructive boons offered by Siakha two years ago. She believes that the magicians of the Brass Coast could harness or unleash the destructive power of the Maelstrom without actually taking a boon from the eternal.
The Maw of the Maelstrom - the roaring whirlpool that now gapes where the Shining Pillar once stood - is at the core of this opportunity, as is the current unprecedented conjunction of the constellations (the Claw in particular). Indira believes that if the Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea were called down in Madruga at the Spring Equinox, it could be "encouraged" to resonate with the Maw, and bring truly devastating storms to bear on the islands, bringing ruin on the Iron Confederacy navies if they go ahead with their intentions. The procedure Indira has laid down is to perform the ritual with a clear invocation of the Claw. The casters should focus the energy on Free Landing (the ritual requires a coastal quality to take effect at all, so this is already included in the ritual). Crucially, they would include five rings of ilium, in a similar manner to which Siakha's boons required ilium to gather their full power. If that happens, then the curse will begin to form as usual, but the addition of the ilium and the current conjunctions will make the resulting storms many times more dangerous.
In addition to its normal effects, the curse will cause the Maw of Siakha to gape even wider. Heralds of Siakha will pour through, making it significantly more dangerous than the Iron Confederacy are expecting. Indira predicts the Maw will be twice as effective in turning away the Confederacy navies - as well as inflicting 750 additional casualties spread between the forces there, making it harder for them to keep at their attack in the future. It's unlikely the Suranni will bring to bear enough force to deal with this additional challenge - so as long as they don't receive significant aid from Freeborn fleets, the invasion should fail.
There will be obvious consequences - every fleet based in Madruga will suffer a three-rank penalty to their production after the Spring Equinox. In addition, a total of 750 casualties are spread out evenly over all navies in the territory. Farms and gardens will be flattened - every farm will produce 72 fewer rings and every herb garden will produce 3 fewer true vervain in the coming season as the spring planting is ruined.
As always with a territory curse, there will be other unpredictable effects. Madruga now contains extensive marsh regions and a large river, and is likely to experience extensive flooding. Structures and settlements are likely to suffer damage, especially those along the coast. Work on the municipal docks currently underway in Calvos Sound will have to cease entirely for the months following the Equinox - the efforts of the builders and the people of Calvos will go toward ensuring that the work already done is not damaged. This will mean the project - which has been completely funded by Gisli "Provider" Baerson - will not complete on schedule but will be finished in time for the Spring Equinox 389YE. Likewise, work on the Well of Life underway in Lightsea will also be delayed by three months. It's also likely to add further damage to that already suffered by the town of Atalaya.
Indira's proposal is not an evocation of Siakha's power, nor whatever it was the followers of the Falconer were doing. It is simply taking advantage of the unique conditions in Free Landing. She's also pretty sure that unless the Ambassador goes out of their way to tell them, the Iron Confederacy will assume this is the work of the Children of Wrecks and the Hand of Dumon rather than Imperial citizens. She recommends, however, that anyone considering this should definitely seek the endorsement of the Conclave - or else have the Courage to do what they know is right and damn the consequences.
The Western Hills
- Reports indicate the Iron Confederacy has launched an attack into southern Reinos
- Details of their campaign are not public knowledge
Shortly after the Winter Solstice, a significant force of Suranni troops passed from north-western Arbonne into the Lasambrian hills. The territory of Reinos is the homeland of the armies of the Hierro and the Corazón, the Lasambrian Jotun. It seems likely they have begun their conquest by attacking Chaveiro, the flat plains that rise into the hills to the west. Unfortunately, even that is just speculation based on the geography of the Lasambrian Hills. While there was a spy network in Reinos, it was decommissioned by Bernard Dugdale, as the Imperial Spymaster some time ago.
Unlike the attack on Free Landing, there is no invitation to Imperial troops to join the attack on Reinos. Some historians remember that the Iron Confederacy conquered Kalino with remarkable speed, slaughtering the Lasambrians and very nearly wiping out the Naguerro sept entirely. Only the intervention of the Grendel allowed the third of the Lasambrian kin to escape destruction. There is some speculation if Reinos is about to meet the same fate, given the rest of the Jotun's attention is resolutely focused elsewhere. Everything will depend on how much of their military strength the Suranni are prepared to commit to this assault.
Rings and Wains
- A small delegation from the Duke of Arbonne plans to visit Anvil during the Spring Equinox
- They are expected at 15:00 on Saturday and will make their way to the Senate building
- They wish to discuss aid against the Hand of Dumon and support for Suranni armies in Reinos
Recent developments in Feroz have turned the mind of Duke Guiscard of Arbonne towards mercantile possibilities with their northern neighbour. He intends to send one of his family (accompanied by a priest, of course) to Anvil in order to pursue two particular bargains with the Empire. He trusts that they will be met by the Ambassador to the Iron Confederacy or their representative and shown all appropriate welcome due to visiting nobility.
First, the continued curses laid by the agents of Dumon on Arbonne need to be addressed. The visitors are hopeful that Ambassador Tethros will be able to provide an introduction to merchants willing to discuss the purchase of a quantity of ilium. It seems there is an opportunity for the Duke to construct a specially engineered temple that, with sufficient ilium, will help protect the lands from malignant curses. On the surface it appears to be a project along similar lines to the protective Marcher dolmens discussed by the eternal Adamant last season. Obviously, the provenance of this plan is unlikely to be an inhabitant of the realms, but it's certainly not impossible that the Iron Confederacy architects have come up with the idea on their own like those designed by Richard of Holberg almost six years ago.
Second, Duke Guiscard of Arbonne has convinced his fellow Dukes of the need for a minor treaty with the Imperial Senate. The Suranni invasion of Reinos is underway, but unfortunately there are problems with the terrain of western Arbonne that make it more difficult to travel than usual. The curses of the Hand of Dumon have exacerbated an already frustrating situation, and the Duke of Arbonne seeks an alternative route to support the invasion of Reinos. If the Empire is willing to let Confederacy supply lines pass through Segura, they are willing to offer some wains of mithril to the holder of Kabalai Palace. In return, the master of the Kabalai Palace will serve as a mediator if any problems ensue.
The civil service note that agreeing to this treaty would enable the Empire to glean more information about the Suranni military forces than they have in many years, by deploying an army in Segura with the ability to guard the gates. The downside would be that Suranni military personnel would be able to get a first-hand view of the territory. Anduz and Segura are no strangers to Suranni traders, but there is a difference between a merchant and a general when it comes to what they see when they look at a territory.
The Perils of Marko Siwarsbairn (Conjunction)
- Marko Siwarsbairn has left the Iron Confederacy to return to the Empire
- They have not successfully reached their destination
- It's believed they still have the historical research document they have prepared on their person
- A conjunction of the Sentinel Gate has been identified that will help the researcher and their research get to the Empire
- The Minister of Historical Research is in charge of sorting this situation out
- There may be innocent people present on this conjunction; magistrates advise caution must be taken to avoid innocent casualties
Baroness Katerine wishes to reassure the Empire that the unfortunate misunderstanding between the scholars of the Iron Confederacy and Marko Siwarsbairn of the Department of Historical Research has been resolved. She anticipates that the Wintermark researcher will likely have reached Feroz before the missive announcing his return. The only fear she has is that Marko will need to pass through Arbonne (what was once Kalino), and those lands are currently a battleground between the true Suranni and the wicked servants of Dumon.
She is sure Marko will not be impeded; surely the Hand of Dumon have no reason to want to harm him or strike at the Empire? Obviously, if he were attacked it would risk damaging good relations with the Empire; as a consequence she has sent a contingent of her personal knights to ensure he reaches Bramar safely. Unfortunately, it appears that the Baroness' confidence that the travails of the historical researcher were complete may have been a little optimistic.
A panicked message from one of the knights sent to accompany Marko reaches Bramar shortly after the missive from Baroness Katerine arrives. Siwarsbairn has been taken by the Hand of Dumon and they are planning to sacrifice the researcher to the Wicked One. It is the responsibility of the Minister of Historical Research, Watt Lambrook, to rescue Marko Siwarsbairn, and their research from the Hand of Dumon.
Further Reading
- Soldiers of Suran - Historical Research into the military history of the Suranni and a travelogue
Winds of Fortune
- Red skies - 387YE Winter wind of war detailing the Suranni attack on the Children of Wrecks
- Bedight in veils - 387YE Autumn wind of fortune relating to Suranni diplomacy
- I wish you would - 387YE Summer wind of fortune about relations with the Suranni
- High hopes - 387YE Spring wind of fortune detailing the cattle aspirations of Baron de Hauteville
- Keep talking - 387YE Spring wind of fortune mentioning Iron Confederacy politics
- Bitter and absolute - 386YE Winter wind of fortune about diplomatic relations
- The price of peace - 386YE Summer wind of fortune summarising Suranni diplomatic matters
Suranni Related Titles
Click Expand to see a summary of various pages related to the Iron Confederacy.