Anomalous conjunctions - Revision history

Matt: Text replacement - "Military Council" to "Military Council"

2026-01-16T09:33:16Z

Text replacement - "Military Council" to "Military Council"

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	Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].		Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].

	''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he led a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[~~Military Council\|~~Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.		''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he led a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.

	In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.		In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Military Council" to "[[Military Council"

2026-01-15T12:25:44Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Military Council" to "[[Military Council"

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:25, 15 January 2026
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	Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].		Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].

	''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he led a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[~~Imperial~~ Military Council\|Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.		''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he led a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[Military Council\|Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.

	In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.		In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.

Dre at 09:23, 27 June 2024

2024-06-27T09:23:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:23, 27 June 2024
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	Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].		Empress Britta died in [[Skarsind]] when leading the Empire to take advantage of a [[Sentinel_Gate#Major_Conjunctions\|major conjunction]] against the [[Thule]]. The conjunction was to Skarsind where a Thule force had recently returned to [[Skarsind#Gildermark\|Gildermark]] following a failed assault on the Imperial stronghold at [[Skarsind#Solvihill\|Solvi]].

	''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he ~~lead~~ a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[Imperial Military Council\|Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.		''Dunstan Irontongue'', [[General]] of the [[Wintermark_military_concerns#The_Fist_of_the_Mountains\|Fist of the Mountains]], organised the defence of Skarsind when it was invaded by the armies of [[Otkodov]] in 373YE. His plan was to relieve pressure on the northern halls in the territory by pulling the attention of the Thule southwards. He focused his own troops on the well defended town of Solvi, in Solvihill, the base of operations for the campaign. Starting in 375YE, he led a number of smaller sorties through the Sentinel Gate, often accompanied by members of the [[Imperial Military Council\|Military Council]], [[Senator\|senators]], [[Archmage\|archmages]] and [[Cardinal\|cardinals]] as is common to this day. There was nothing unusual about these conjunctions, nothing that was noted as strange at the time or after.

	In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.		In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.

Rafferty at 15:49, 13 January 2022

2022-01-13T15:49:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:49, 13 January 2022
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	Since her death, there has been a small amount of discussion on the unique nature of the conjunction that claimed Empress Britta's life. Often the focus of that discussion is around the idea that the conjunction was ''responsible'' for her death in some way. The logic is as simplistic as it is faulty. The nature of conjunction was highly unusual - it was anomalous as some call it. Empress Britta died on the conjunction - therefore it must have been the conjunction that killed her.		Since her death, there has been a small amount of discussion on the unique nature of the conjunction that claimed Empress Britta's life. Often the focus of that discussion is around the idea that the conjunction was ''responsible'' for her death in some way. The logic is as simplistic as it is faulty. The nature of conjunction was highly unusual - it was anomalous as some call it. Empress Britta died on the conjunction - therefore it must have been the conjunction that killed her.

	Even the [[mystic\|mystics]] of the [[Kallavesa]] swamp ought to be able to see the flaw in such a theory. On the day Empress Britta died, her childhood friend, Maurika, had died just four hours earlier braving a small conjunction attempting to defeat some beast of [[~~Wendigo~~]] that was troubling the [[Sermersuaq#Suaq_Wastes\|Suaq Wastes]]. Maurika was a constant companion of Britta - always by her side. Everyone knew she would have died for her Empress in a heartbeat - and her skill with sword and shield had saved her friend on two occasions previously. Are we to imagine that Britta might have lived if Maurika had survived? Does that mean that ~~Wendigo~~ killed Empress Britta? Once you play this simple game - you can argue that every drunken hero who overslept and missed the start of the battle was responsible for her death. Every mother or father who elected to stay behind with their child was responsible. There's no end to the strands of the net that connect Britta to every node that ultimately led to her death. Picking one out, purely because it was unusual, seems pointless.		Even the [[mystic\|mystics]] of the [[Kallavesa]] swamp ought to be able to see the flaw in such a theory. On the day Empress Britta died, her childhood friend, Maurika, had died just four hours earlier braving a small conjunction attempting to defeat some beast of [[Agramant]] that was troubling the [[Sermersuaq#Suaq_Wastes\|Suaq Wastes]]. Maurika was a constant companion of Britta - always by her side. Everyone knew she would have died for her Empress in a heartbeat - and her skill with sword and shield had saved her friend on two occasions previously. Are we to imagine that Britta might have lived if Maurika had survived? Does that mean that the Howler killed Empress Britta? Once you play this simple game - you can argue that every drunken hero who overslept and missed the start of the battle was responsible for her death. Every mother or father who elected to stay behind with their child was responsible. There's no end to the strands of the net that connect Britta to every node that ultimately led to her death. Picking one out, purely because it was unusual, seems pointless.

	Meaningful correlations are a consequence not of physical causation but of personal motivation. It's more reasonable to blame Britta's political rivals - whose hostility to her goals drove her to push herself harder and harder in every battle, than it is to blame the Gate. While it might be harsh to say they wanted her dead - there were more than one senator who regretted her election and probably didn't weep when she died. They wanted to bring her down - and through their bloody provocations they led to her death.		Meaningful correlations are a consequence not of physical causation but of personal motivation. It's more reasonable to blame Britta's political rivals - whose hostility to her goals drove her to push herself harder and harder in every battle, than it is to blame the Gate. While it might be harsh to say they wanted her dead - there were more than one senator who regretted her election and probably didn't weep when she died. They wanted to bring her down - and through their bloody provocations they led to her death.

Hastur: /* The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress */

2021-02-11T12:44:00Z

The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:44, 11 February 2021
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	The heroes of Anvil are tasked with attempting the following objectives:		The heroes of Anvil are tasked with attempting the following objectives:

	Kill the Warlock generals of the Talons of the Wind and the Cry of the ~~Hightest~~, looting any winged missive from the Dragons that they have received.		Kill the Warlock generals of the Talons of the Wind and the Cry of the Highest, looting any winged missive from the Dragons that they have received.

	Retrieve any loot the Black Maggots might have taken from the recent campaign.		Retrieve any loot the Black Maggots might have taken from the recent campaign.

Rafferty: /* The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress */

2019-10-06T15:17:45Z

The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:17, 6 October 2019
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	Push the Thule out of the woods and hold the gate for an hour, allowing the slaves within a chance to escape.</quote>		Push the Thule out of the woods and hold the gate for an hour, allowing the slaves within a chance to escape.</quote>
	<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=WandererIllustrationInk.JPG\|~~title~~=[[The Wanderer]] crowns the Sentinel Gate and is often ~~involved~~ when peculiar conjunctions become available.\|align=right\|width=450}}</div>		<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=WandererIllustrationInk.JPG\|caption=[[The Wanderer]] crowns the Sentinel Gate and is often prominent in the night sky when peculiar conjunctions become available.\|align=right\|width=450}}</div>

	==The Nature of the Conjunction==		==The Nature of the Conjunction==
	''This section demonstrates some bias by the writer of the original historical research report''		''This section demonstrates some bias by the writer of the original historical research report''

Rafferty at 15:17, 6 October 2019

2019-10-06T15:17:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:17, 6 October 2019
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	Push the Thule out of the woods and hold the gate for an hour, allowing the slaves within a chance to escape.</quote>		Push the Thule out of the woods and hold the gate for an hour, allowing the slaves within a chance to escape.</quote>
			<div style="float:right; width: 450px; clear: right;">{{CaptionedImage\|file=WandererIllustrationInk.JPG\|title=[[The Wanderer]] crowns the Sentinel Gate and is often involved when peculiar conjunctions become available.\|align=right\|width=450}}</div>
	==The Nature of the Conjunction==		==The Nature of the Conjunction==
	''This section demonstrates some bias by the writer of the original historical research report''		''This section demonstrates some bias by the writer of the original historical research report''

Rafferty at 15:15, 6 October 2019

2019-10-06T15:15:49Z

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	There are some things that are known about the Gate. One of the things that is especially interesting is how resistant it is to magical interference. The Gate does what it does, and it appears that no mortal or eternal force can change that. The potential that could be realized if conjunctions could be created, moved, or enlarged are enormous. There are magicians who have devoted their entire life to the attempt but there have never been any credible reports of success. There are a few claims from [[eternal\|eternals]] that they have been able to influence the Gate - the creature [[Mazen]] has claimed on at least three prior occasions to have a power over the Gate for example - but none of these claims have ever been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The opinion of most wise magicians is that the eternals are no more able to influence the Gate than they are - at best they might conceivably have the occasional awareness of an existing and hitherto unnoticed conjunction closely tied to their interests.		There are some things that are known about the Gate. One of the things that is especially interesting is how resistant it is to magical interference. The Gate does what it does, and it appears that no mortal or eternal force can change that. The potential that could be realized if conjunctions could be created, moved, or enlarged are enormous. There are magicians who have devoted their entire life to the attempt but there have never been any credible reports of success. There are a few claims from [[eternal\|eternals]] that they have been able to influence the Gate - the creature [[Mazen]] has claimed on at least three prior occasions to have a power over the Gate for example - but none of these claims have ever been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The opinion of most wise magicians is that the eternals are no more able to influence the Gate than they are - at best they might conceivably have the occasional awareness of an existing and hitherto unnoticed conjunction closely tied to their interests.

	The best theory that the Imperial magicians have is that the Gate does not create conjunctions - it only provides the means to access them. There are many theories on what creates the conjunctions, [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] ~~astrologers~~ have extensive star charts proving that the conjunctions can be shown, in retrospect at least, to be linked to the nature and movement of the stars. The [[Kallavesi]] shamans scoff at that, insisting that it is the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Skein\|skein]] of the heroes themselves that creates the conjunctions. I once met a [[the League\|League]] [[mountebank]] who absolutely insisted that the conjunctions were a consequence of the four great rivers of the Empire, carrying the twists of fate across the land, creating links all along the way. It was a pretty theory - but there's little evidence for it.		The best theory that the Imperial magicians have is that the Gate does not create conjunctions - it only provides the means to access them. There are many theories on what creates the conjunctions, [[Urizen\|Urizeni]] [[astronomancy\|astronomancers]] have extensive star charts proving that the conjunctions can be shown, in retrospect at least, to be linked to the nature and movement of the stars. The [[Kallavesi]] shamans scoff at that, insisting that it is the [[Wintermark_culture_and_customs#Skein\|skein]] of the heroes themselves that creates the conjunctions. I once met a [[the League\|League]] [[mountebank]] who absolutely insisted that the conjunctions were a consequence of the four great rivers of the Empire, carrying the twists of fate across the land, creating links all along the way. It was a pretty theory - but there's little evidence for it.

	==The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress==		==The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress==

Noserenda: /* The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress */

2019-10-06T15:11:54Z

The Final Conjunction of The Young Empress

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:11, 6 October 2019
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	In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.		In the weeks leading up to the Autumn Equinox of 376YE, it became apparent that a very unusual conjunction has occurred. As [[the Door]] became ascendant the Imperial prognosticators identified a huge conjunction, the largest they had ever found, big enough to take the entire assembled host of the Anvil heroes to Solvi. What was particularly notable was that it was the only major conjunction that took place during that summit; there are usually a number to choose from, but in this case the prognosticators were clear that this was the only one they could find.

	Imperial strategists didn't ~~hestiate~~ to seize the opportunity and seek to maximise the potential benefits. The normal debates of the Military Council during the [[Muster]] over which conjunctions to take were not needed. All the survivors of the summit confirm that there was only one, as a result the question of whether or not to take the conjunction was simply never considered. This caused some considerable grumbling in the Council; there were generals who felt that fate had cheated the Empire by not giving them the conjunction they personally wanted.		Imperial strategists didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity and seek to maximise the potential benefits. The normal debates of the Military Council during the [[Muster]] over which conjunctions to take were not needed. All the survivors of the summit confirm that there was only one, as a result the question of whether or not to take the conjunction was simply never considered. This caused some considerable grumbling in the Council; there were generals who felt that fate had cheated the Empire by not giving them the conjunction they personally wanted.

	Empress Britta was named field marshal for the battle, as was common at that time. A number of her ~~advisors~~ had suggested that the place for a successful [[the Throne\|Throne]] is sitting on the Throne, not leading from the front. General ''Shank Ironhide'' in particular, was especially forthright, repeatedly arguing that the Empress should not be risking herself by her regular forays through the gate. But she was nothing it not impetuous and she heeded them not.		Empress Britta was named field marshal for the battle, as was common at that time. A number of her advisers had suggested that the place for a successful [[the Throne\|Throne]] is sitting on the Throne, not leading from the front. General ''Shank Ironhide'' in particular, was especially forthright, repeatedly arguing that the Empress should not be risking herself by her regular forays through the gate. But she was nothing it not impetuous and she heeded them not.

	The opportunity to strike into [[Skarsind#Gildenheim\|Gildenheim]], held the potential, to kill the command of two Thule armies that were stationed there. If successful, the strike would have thrown the two armies into disarray for a season, leaving them open to an assault in the coming season. This was a chance to potentially begin the reclamation of Skarsind, put the Thule on the back-foot. It should be pointed out that historians who have studied Britta's tragically short life claim that the battle was the really a chance to deliver a crushing blow to those who had repeatedly refused to back her in the various political houses of the Empire.		The opportunity to strike into [[Skarsind#Gildenheim\|Gildenheim]], held the potential, to kill the command of two Thule armies that were stationed there. If successful, the strike would have thrown the two armies into disarray for a season, leaving them open to an assault in the coming season. This was a chance to potentially begin the reclamation of Skarsind, put the Thule on the back-foot. It should be pointed out that historians who have studied Britta's tragically short life claim that the battle was the really a chance to deliver a crushing blow to those who had repeatedly refused to back her in the various political houses of the Empire.

Rafferty: /* The Nature of the Conjunction */

2019-10-06T15:10:25Z

The Nature of the Conjunction

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 6 October 2019
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	In the end the only thing we can really conclude about the nature of conjunctions is that there is nothing we can conclude about the nature of conjunctions. Just when you think you know what is going to happen - it will surprise you. And - like Britta - that can sometimes be terrible - and it can sometimes be wonderful. Have a care and plan as best you can is the advice I always give any who attempt it.		In the end the only thing we can really conclude about the nature of conjunctions is that there is nothing we can conclude about the nature of conjunctions. Just when you think you know what is going to happen - it will surprise you. And - like Britta - that can sometimes be terrible - and it can sometimes be wonderful. Have a care and plan as best you can is the advice I always give any who attempt it.
			==Further Reading==
			* [[Sentinel Gate]] - in-character details of the Sentinel Gate.
			* [[Sentinel Gate design]] - a longer explanation of some of the out-of-character design philosophy for the Gate.
			* [[Conjunctions]] - advice for preparing for conjunctions