Empress Mariika - Revision history

Matt: Text replacement - "Synod" to "Synod"

2026-01-16T09:38:30Z

Text replacement - "Synod" to "Synod"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:38, 16 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[~~Synod\|~~Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.
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	The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.		The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.

	Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[~~Synod\|~~Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.		Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.
	<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>		<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>

Matt: Text replacement - "Conclave" to "Conclave"

2026-01-16T09:37:10Z

Text replacement - "Conclave" to "Conclave"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:37, 16 January 2026
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	Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.		Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.

	The Synod and the [[~~Conclave\|~~Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.		The Synod and the [[Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.

	One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.		One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.

Matt: Text replacement - "Bourse" to "Bourse"

2026-01-16T09:36:49Z

Text replacement - "Bourse" to "Bourse"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:36, 16 January 2026
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	She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"		She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"

	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[~~Bourse\|~~Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

Matt: Text replacement - "Senate" to "Senate"

2026-01-15T22:25:25Z

Text replacement - "Senate" to "Senate"

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:25, 15 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[~~Senate\|~~Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Conclave" to "[[Conclave"

2026-01-15T15:48:40Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Conclave" to "[[Conclave"

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:48, 15 January 2026
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	Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.		Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.

	The Synod and the [[~~Imperial~~ Conclave\|Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.		The Synod and the [[Conclave\|Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.

	One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.		One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Synod" to "[[Synod"

2026-01-15T12:47:38Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Synod" to "[[Synod"

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:47, 15 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.
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	The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.		The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.

	Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.		Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.
	<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>		<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Bourse" to "[[Bourse"

2026-01-15T12:46:15Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Bourse" to "[[Bourse"

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:46, 15 January 2026
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	She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"		She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"

	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[~~Imperial~~ Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial Senate" to "[[Senate"

2026-01-15T12:45:56Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial Senate" to "[[Senate"

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:45, 15 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Imperial Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Imperial Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[~~Imperial~~ Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.

Twiggy at 00:31, 11 July 2025

2025-07-11T00:31:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:31, 11 July 2025
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	===Reign: ~~212 YE~~ - ~~234 YE~~===		===Reign: 212YE - 234YE===
	===Called: The Cunning===		===Called: The Cunning===
	====Early Life and Election====		====Early Life and Election====
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Imperial Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Imperial Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In ~~212 YE~~ the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.
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	After her address to the Synod, Mariika remained on the Throne for another seventeen years. She continued to encourage others to take an active part in running their Empire, campaigning tirelessly for greater understanding between the nations, and repeatedly calling for less interference by the Senate in the financial affairs of their citizens.		After her address to the Synod, Mariika remained on the Throne for another seventeen years. She continued to encourage others to take an active part in running their Empire, campaigning tirelessly for greater understanding between the nations, and repeatedly calling for less interference by the Senate in the financial affairs of their citizens.

	The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in ~~233 YE~~. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In ~~234 YE~~ she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.		The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.

	Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.		Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.

Rafferty: /* Tekupala */

2022-03-17T13:39:52Z

Tekupala

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:39, 17 March 2022
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	===Tekupala===		===Tekupala===
	The Kallavesi mystic Tekupala ~~is variously recorded as a man and a woman. An~~ accomplished practitioner of the magic of [[Night]], ~~they~~ also appeared as variously unlineaged, a [[naga]] and a [[briar]], apparently through the use of ritual magic. They maintained that the secret of their identity was key to the magic they practiced, and responded to questions regarding it with riddles.		The Kallavesi mystic Tekupala was an accomplished practitioner of the magic of Night. They were gender fluid, recorded as presenting masculine, feminine, and neutral by different historical accounts. They also appeared as variously unlineaged, a [[naga]], and a [[briar]], apparently through the use of ritual magic. They maintained that the secret of their identity was key to the magic they practiced and responded to questions regarding it with riddles.

	Tekupala served as one of the primary advisors to Empress Mariika, turning up out of the blue one evening shortly before she became Empress. For several years Tekupala served as the Archmage of Night, and made great use of the powers granted by that position to confound and disable the enemies of the Empire.		Tekupala served as one of the primary advisors to Empress Mariika, turning up out of the blue one evening shortly before she became Empress. For several years Tekupala served as the Archmage of Night, and made great use of the powers granted by that position to confound and disable the enemies of the Empire.

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:36, 16 January 2026
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	She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"		She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"

	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[~~Bourse\|~~Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:25, 15 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[~~Senate\|~~Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:48, 15 January 2026
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	Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.		Her ruthless efficiency was not restricted to the Senate. She disbanded two entire armies (the Varushkan [[Iron Helms]], and the [[Highguard_military_concerns#The_Thundering_Tide_.28Defunct.29\|Thundering Tide]] of Highguard), and slashed funding to the [[Military Council]], demanding that instead of a constant siphon on the Imperial treasury the generals find a way to do more with what they already had. She gave the Bourse control of a number of raw material surpluses, to the consternation of merchants across the Empire. Further she codified several positions that had previously been filled on an ad hoc basis, recognised the office-holders as Imperial officers, and then made them pay for their positions by again handing responsibility for filling those positions to the Bourse. All moneys raised by the Bourse in auctioning these new positions would go into the Imperial coffers, minus a small percentage to pay for the running of the Bourse. Perhaps just as importantly it was Mariika who suggested laws that restricted the way the rare material [[ilium]], vital to both the [[Crafting skills#Artisans\|crafting]] of artefacts and the performance of certain rituals, could be traded.

	The Synod and the [[~~Imperial~~ Conclave\|Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.		The Synod and the [[Conclave\|Conclave]] mostly avoided her reforms, but they did not escape her scathing tongue. She roundly criticised the cardinals and the archmages for letting the Empire get into the state it found itself in. Both magicians and priests had a responsibility to use their powers in the service not of The Throne, but of the people of the Empire, and if they would not do so then perhaps it was time for them to step aside and make way for people who would.

	One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.		One of the new positions she created made her unpopular in the Marches to this day; it was Mariika who came up with the idea to offer Imperial charters to settlements in the Marches, giving them the status of [[Market town\|market towns]]. She offered similar considerations to other nations but only in the Marches was the offer taken up, to the consternation and outrage of many [[Steward\|stewards]] who tried to prove that the move was unconstitutional.

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:47, 15 January 2026
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	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.

	With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.		With the support of a large number of merchants, guildmasters, Freeborn, [[The League\|League]] [[The_League_leadership\|merchant princes]], Urizen architects and Varushkan senators, as well and the majority of the Imperial Bourse, Mariika presented a counter-suggestion. If she were made Empress, she would improve the Empire's finances within five years. She did not win the Senate over with wild promises; rather she presented them with solid economic facts and projections, furnished by the Civil Service. She warned the Senate that the single best way to save the Empire was not to start robbing its citizens, but to let the people who understood money do what they did best. She was elected by a narrow majority.
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	The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.		The first clear signs of the illness that would later claim her surfaced in 233YE. but she had been unwell for some time. She had concealed the wasting disease that was slowly killing her from all save her closest friends. In 234YE she returned to Sermersuaq to look upon her homeland for the last time and abdicated the Throne. As Winter gathered, she set off on a final pilgrimage into the eternal ice storm of [[Sermersuaq#Sydanjaa\|Sydanjaa]], accompanied only by Tekupala. Her reign is memorialised by a trio of white granite pillars in the [[Necropolis]]. Four times a year, a market is held in the plaza where the pillars stand. It is a reasonably busy affair (for Necropolis), specialising in relics and souvenirs, and in religious paraphernalia including [[:Category:Vestments\|vestments]] and [[:Category:Icons\|icons]] useful to priests.

	Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.		Mariika was not universally popular of course. Many Varushkans and Marchers felt that they bore the brunt of many of her reforms, and there were elements in the [[Synod\|Synod]] who whispered darkly that as a [[cambion]] she would surely go as mad as Nicovar before her had. Even some of her own people disliked her; she refused to show favouritism towards Wintermark, and when challenged by the drunken [[Skarsind]] Senator she bitterly pointed out that her heritage had taught her not to put any part of her people above the others - and that as Empress, her people were all the folk of the Empire.
	<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>		<ic>"I am born of Suaq and of a land of three peoples as one. If I look beyond the borders of Wintermark and count all the Empire as my people, am I diminished or exalted?"</ic>

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:46, 15 January 2026
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	She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"		She was not a charismatic woman, but possessed apparently bottomless reserves of practicality, good sense and cunning. The quiet, observant girl grew into a confident, gregarious woman who loved to talk with strangers and engage in verbal sparring for the sheer joy of it. She quickly gained a reputation for honesty that rivalled that of the [[The Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] traders with whom she dealt, but could be as stubborn as a [[Varushka\|Varushkan]] mine-owner or as cautious as an [[Urizen]] [[Urizen economic interests#Architects\|architect]]. Many of her writings survive to this day, and whenever she wrote on matters of trade and economy she repeatedly highlighted the importance of understanding the people you were trading with. You did not need to like them, but to make the best deal it was important to be able to think like them. Her writings on business and warfare were collected after her death into a volume called "''The Good Deal.''"

	She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[~~Imperial~~ Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.		She became a regular presence at the quarterly meetings at [[Casinea#Anvil\|Anvil]], first in the company of her parents and then as the leader of a group of Wintermark merchants in her own right. A regular at the [[Bourse\|Bourse]], she served on two separate occasions as Senator for [[Sermersuaq]]. When it was clear that Emperor Nicovar was descending into madness, she became one of his outspoken critics. She was not a demagogue, but she repeatedly pointed out that the paranoia and suspicion flourishing under his reign was driving the nations of the Empire apart. While she did not take a direct stand against the Emperor, she certainly used her Senatorial position to oppose many of the more extreme measures he tried to instigate in the last years of his reign.

	After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.		After the disastrous end to Nicovar's reign, the Empire went without a presence on the Throne for three years. Recriminations, internal disputes and bickering marked the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Synod\|Synod]]. The mad emperor's obsession with book-keeping and minutiae has placed crippling burdens on the civil service; coming on the heels of [[Emperor Barabbas]]' maritime spending and the military expansion of [[Empress Varkula]] the Empire was on the verge of economic collapse. In 212YE the Senate prepared to attempt to pass a motion that would levy additional taxes on the richest members of society, a move that was as unconstitutional as it was potentially disastrous for the Empire.