Mareave and Urizen - Revision history

Twiggy at 14:57, 1 April 2026

2026-04-01T14:57:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:57, 1 April 2026
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	It's fascinating, however, to see how little we actually know about Mareave-that-was-Mahal. Very little survived [[Emperor Nicovar\|Nicovar's]] destruction of the libraries; ''Octavia of Stream's Source Spire'' has evidence that there used to be extensive records of Imperial involvement in the territory at [[Spiral#Ankarien\|Ankarien]], in [[Spiral]], but nothing survived the flames of the Mad Emperor's destruction. There are numerous references to Mahal, and later Mareave, in the Civil Service paperwork, stretching back to the foundation of the Empire, but ''Marko Siwarsbairn'' reports that much of it is tantamount to useless because it is so thoroughly stripped of context. And ''Snowstorm Henk'' tells us that there are ruins of obvious [[Urizen]] provenance in northern Mareave but that they are mute witnesses to a stretch of history we have, as an Empire, broadly forgotten.		It's fascinating, however, to see how little we actually know about Mareave-that-was-Mahal. Very little survived [[Emperor Nicovar\|Nicovar's]] destruction of the libraries; ''Octavia of Stream's Source Spire'' has evidence that there used to be extensive records of Imperial involvement in the territory at [[Spiral#Ankarien\|Ankarien]], in [[Spiral]], but nothing survived the flames of the Mad Emperor's destruction. There are numerous references to Mahal, and later Mareave, in the Civil Service paperwork, stretching back to the foundation of the Empire, but ''Marko Siwarsbairn'' reports that much of it is tantamount to useless because it is so thoroughly stripped of context. And ''Snowstorm Henk'' tells us that there are ruins of obvious [[Urizen]] provenance in northern Mareave but that they are mute witnesses to a stretch of history we have, as an Empire, broadly forgotten.

	Last season the Civil Service also [[Construct Spy Network in Mareave\|commissioned]] an extensive [[spy network]] in Mareave. With the approval of the Minister ~~for~~ Historical Research, it is the intention of the Department to prepare this preliminary overview document, and then once the intelligence-gathering operations in Mareave begin in earnest, Snowstorm Henk and perhaps Marko Siwarsbairn will compile a secondary report once we know a little more about the Urizeni ruins.		Last season the Civil Service also [[Construct Spy Network in Mareave\|commissioned]] an extensive [[spy network]] in Mareave. With the approval of the Minister of Historical Research, it is the intention of the Department to prepare this preliminary overview document, and then once the intelligence-gathering operations in Mareave begin in earnest, Snowstorm Henk and perhaps Marko Siwarsbairn will compile a secondary report once we know a little more about the Urizeni ruins.
	==Octavia Stream's Source Writes==		==Octavia Stream's Source Writes==
	===Before the Empire===		===Before the Empire===

Matt: Text replacement - "[[Imperial army" to "[[Army"

2026-01-16T09:42:54Z

Text replacement - "[[Imperial army" to "[[Army"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:42, 16 January 2026
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	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate]] and the [[Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[~~Imperial army~~\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate]] and the [[Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

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

2026-01-16T09:33:17Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:33, 16 January 2026
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	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate]] and the [[~~Military Council\|~~Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate]] and the [[Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

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

2026-01-15T22:29:57Z

Text replacement - "Senate" to "Senate"

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:29, 15 January 2026
Line 36:		Line 36:
	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[~~Senate\|~~Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

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

2026-01-15T21:28:57Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:28, 15 January 2026
Line 34:		Line 34:
	For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".		For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".

	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

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

2026-01-15T13:38:50Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:38, 15 January 2026
Line 36:		Line 36:
	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Imperial Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Imperial Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[~~Imperial~~ Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

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

2026-01-15T12:22:09Z

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

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:22, 15 January 2026
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	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Imperial Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Imperial Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[~~Imperial~~ Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].

Twiggy at 19:12, 10 September 2025

2025-09-10T19:12:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:12, 10 September 2025
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	It seems that around the same time Myfanwy was sending out messengers to speak with the nations that would eventually found the Empire, she also sent [[Navarr]] representatives to the Skourans. They rejected the invitation to come and hear the [[First Empress]] speak. They declined to become part of the grand endeavour that would become the Empire, and unlike the Urizen, they did not later reconsider.		It seems that around the same time Myfanwy was sending out messengers to speak with the nations that would eventually found the Empire, she also sent [[Navarr]] representatives to the Skourans. They rejected the invitation to come and hear the [[First Empress]] speak. They declined to become part of the grand endeavour that would become the Empire, and unlike the Urizen, they did not later reconsider.

	The reasons the Skourans refused to join the Empire are unclear. It seems obvious that it would have been to their advantage - their position on the Broken Shore must always have been precarious - but they chose to remain independent. Even after Urizen joined the Empire, the Skourans would not. They were content to trade stone, metal, and worked goods with the people of Urizen, and welcomed Imperial merchant vessels to Oranth (~~Beoriadh~~). But on the matter of formal alliance, they remained recalcitrant.		The reasons the Skourans refused to join the Empire are unclear. It seems obvious that it would have been to their advantage - their position on the Broken Shore must always have been precarious - but they chose to remain independent. Even after Urizen joined the Empire, the Skourans would not. They were content to trade stone, metal, and worked goods with the people of Urizen, and welcomed Imperial merchant vessels to Oranth (Beoraidh). But on the matter of formal alliance, they remained recalcitrant.
	===War with Skoura===		===War with Skoura===
	For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".		For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".

Hailmur at 02:12, 19 July 2024

2024-07-19T02:12:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:12, 19 July 2024
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	As a land, Mareave is warm and dry, not dissimilar to [[the Brass Coast]], but with a significantly less hospitable coastlines. Most of the territory rests well above sea level, with vertiginous cliffs of crumbling stone making any naval approach extremely challenging if not downright impossible. It is a not especially fertile land, dry and arid, putting me very much in mind of [[Segura]]. It's not a territory with much in the way of large-scale vegetation, either, with no actual woodlands. It rises fairly steeply eastward towards the mountains, from which flow several rivers, the largest of which is probably the one that pours over the cliffs near the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Blood River Colossi\|Blood River Colossoi]].		As a land, Mareave is warm and dry, not dissimilar to [[the Brass Coast]], but with a significantly less hospitable coastlines. Most of the territory rests well above sea level, with vertiginous cliffs of crumbling stone making any naval approach extremely challenging if not downright impossible. It is a not especially fertile land, dry and arid, putting me very much in mind of [[Segura]]. It's not a territory with much in the way of large-scale vegetation, either, with no actual woodlands. It rises fairly steeply eastward towards the mountains, from which flow several rivers, the largest of which is probably the one that pours over the cliffs near the [[Bay_of_Catazar#Blood River Colossi\|Blood River Colossoi]].

	The Grendel were not especially hospitable, but the peace treaty is still holding. I was able to visit some of the Urizen ruins that our mariners spotted from the sea during the grand endeavour to [[Map the Bay of ~~Catazaar~~\|map the coastline]] of the Bay of Catazar. They are, unmistakably, Urizen spires. There are half a dozen sets of ruins I was able to visit briefly during my trip to Mareave. They are scattered across the region of Icarion, and when my colleagues speak of the Urizen in Mahal, it is of these spires they are speaking.		The Grendel were not especially hospitable, but the peace treaty is still holding. I was able to visit some of the Urizen ruins that our mariners spotted from the sea during the grand endeavour to [[Map the Bay of Catazar\|map the coastline]] of the Bay of Catazar. They are, unmistakably, Urizen spires. There are half a dozen sets of ruins I was able to visit briefly during my trip to Mareave. They are scattered across the region of Icarion, and when my colleagues speak of the Urizen in Mahal, it is of these spires they are speaking.

	Urizen sources sometimes refer to the territory as "Nadir" - contrasting the south-eastern territory with the north-western territory of "Zenith". Yet ''Nadir'' also refers to the mountainous region east of Icarion, where there are also some few Urizen ruins. The broken spires here stand in the foothills of the soaring eastern mountains, and were the first to fall to the Axou during their invasion. Little more than tumbled stones remain. These ruins seemed younger and more precarious than the ruins in Icarion, suggesting that the Urizen presence here was much more recent than it was along the western cliffs.		Urizen sources sometimes refer to the territory as "Nadir" - contrasting the south-eastern territory with the north-western territory of "Zenith". Yet ''Nadir'' also refers to the mountainous region east of Icarion, where there are also some few Urizen ruins. The broken spires here stand in the foothills of the soaring eastern mountains, and were the first to fall to the Axou during their invasion. Little more than tumbled stones remain. These ruins seemed younger and more precarious than the ruins in Icarion, suggesting that the Urizen presence here was much more recent than it was along the western cliffs.

Dre at 17:54, 29 December 2023

2023-12-29T17:54:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:54, 29 December 2023
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	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Imperial Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Imperial Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.

	A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and ~~lead~~ to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].		A treaty was inevitable. Negotiations at [[Anvil]] ensued, and led to an agreement that guaranteed the safety of the spires of "Icarion and Nadir" - my colleague will write of this later I believe - but focused primarily on the establishment of trade between the Brass Coast, League, and Skourans focused around Mahal. Another Senate document details a "white granite docks" build in Mahal that would allow trade of [[weirwood]] for white granite and mithril, and an uneasy peace settled over the eastern Broken Shore until the reign of [[Emperor Barabbas]].
	===In Summary===		===In Summary===
	The history of Mahal is the history of the Skourans, but there are repeated references to Urizen spires in the territory. Pulling all the disparate threads together, there are interesting parallels between the Urizen in Mahal and the Dawnish in the Barrens - if one allows for the fact the Skourans were slightly more amenable neighbours than the orcs of the east. An enclave of Urizen, living in a foreign territory, occasionally threatened by developments in the larger political picture. occasionally expanding their influence but always eventually dying back to where they started.		The history of Mahal is the history of the Skourans, but there are repeated references to Urizen spires in the territory. Pulling all the disparate threads together, there are interesting parallels between the Urizen in Mahal and the Dawnish in the Barrens - if one allows for the fact the Skourans were slightly more amenable neighbours than the orcs of the east. An enclave of Urizen, living in a foreign territory, occasionally threatened by developments in the larger political picture. occasionally expanding their influence but always eventually dying back to where they started.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:28, 15 January 2026
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	For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".		For the first hundred years or so, relations with Skoura followed a relatively friendly course. There were occasional spats of course, but their position of the south-eastern borders of the Empire meant that relations were actually reasonably peaceful. Skouran merchants from Oranth (Beoraidh) visited [[Sarvos]] and [[Madruga#Siroc\|Siroc]], but they are not mentioned as being a particularly maritime nation. A lovingly prepared letter held by Diora Univeristy - coincidentally preserved as part of a demonstration of a technique involving sealing parchment between thin sheets of ambergelt that never really caught on - talks of the ships of Mahal as "blocky and ungainly, like someone had stuck a sail on an ox-cart." The [[the Brass Coast\|Freeborn]] writing of their experiences in Oranth goes on to expound on this unflattering simile, describing the people of Mahal as "like their boats - blocky and ungainly".

	There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[~~Imperial~~ Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."		There's again mention of Skouran mercenaries fighting alongside Imperial armies, but not in great numbers. The majority of their military interest is focused on conflict in the south, in Ayereed, fighting the earliest iteration of what would in time become the Grendel nation. There are slightly more records of the [[Synod]] - especially in the time of [[Empress Teleri]] - urging [[Highguard_religious_beliefs#Wayfarers\|wayfarers]] to go to Mahal, to bring the way to the "[[Religious_crime#Blasphemy\|blasphemous]] Skourans". There's no indication of what inspired this enthusiasm beyond a few references to them "denying [[the Doctrines of the Faith]]", and again reading between the lines it seems reasonably clear that the Skourans rejected these missionaries. There is a marginal note in a history of the time that talks about a Senate project to establish a temple in Icarion, from which Imperial priests would head south to "carry the waters of [[Wisdom]] and [[Pride]] into the parched desert of Mahal."

	These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.		These disputes are relatively minor until the reign of Empress Aenea. Under the Builder, the [[Senate\|Senate]] and the [[Military Council\|Military Council]] sought to expand the borders of the Empire. This included an effort to expand into Mahal. The Senate sought to press slightly dubious Urizeni claims in the territory, but there is documentary support that what the conflict with the Skourans was ''really'' about was stone. Marble, granite, and [[white granite]] from the mountains, was in demand to slake Empress Aenea's boundless thirst for construction, and Skouran merchants had responded to this by raising their prices to eye-watering levels. There was a great deal of sabre rattling, leading to three [[Imperial army\|armies]] being dispatched south from Spiral into Mahal. The fighting seems to have been resolved in a little more than a year. Imperial military forces were very stretched during the reign of Highborn Aenea - defending from [[Jotun]], [[Druj]], and [[Thule]] aggression and contending with [[Faraden]] and the [[Iron Confederacy]] in the west, meant that they were able to commit only token forces to the fight with the Skourans in Mahal. The invasion ended in stalemate before the walls of Oranth (Beoraidh) - the Skourans had built the small city up into a formidable [[fortification\|fortress]]. By all accounts, the Empire's armies inflicted significant damage on the castle, but were ultimately unable to breach it. The Skourans (with laudable practicality) bedevilled the Imperial forces by ruthlessly attacking their supply lines, and one admittedly embroidered account suggests that the dry land and hot Summer weather killed as many Imperial soldiers as the soldiers of Oranth.