Whither the seed - Revision history

Twiggy at 15:03, 21 August 2025

2025-08-21T15:03:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 21 August 2025
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	Niamh's idea is elegantly simple, the Navarr Assembly can use a statement of principle to spread the word of whatever potions the nation needs throughout the Empire. Navarr [[striding\|stridings]] can purchase the potions wherever they become available... and then just drop them in at the next Broker's Chain office they pass, or else pass them on to another striding who can. It will need money to make it work of course... but it's a simple, elegant solution that would leverage the one thing the Navarr do better than anyone else - going everywhere and talking to everyone.		Niamh's idea is elegantly simple, the Navarr Assembly can use a statement of principle to spread the word of whatever potions the nation needs throughout the Empire. Navarr [[striding\|stridings]] can purchase the potions wherever they become available... and then just drop them in at the next Broker's Chain office they pass, or else pass them on to another striding who can. It will need money to make it work of course... but it's a simple, elegant solution that would leverage the one thing the Navarr do better than anyone else - going everywhere and talking to everyone.

	The Brokers Chain would require a [[Senate motion]] or a [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave\|wayleave]] to ~~authorize~~ and would require a single [[commission]] slot to build. It would need 16 wains of weirwood and cost 32 crowns but could be built in a single season. Once complete it would create a new [[Imperial title]], the ''Factor of the Broker's Chain''. This would need to be a Navarr appointment, preferably a broker for obvious reasons, but Niamh suggests that it would work best if it were a Navarr National Assembly appointment, since the position would have to work closely with the Navarr in the Synod.		The Brokers Chain would require a [[Senate motion]] or a [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave\|wayleave]] to authorise and would require a single [[commission]] slot to build. It would need 16 wains of weirwood and cost 32 crowns but could be built in a single season. Once complete it would create a new [[Imperial title]], the ''Factor of the Broker's Chain''. This would need to be a Navarr appointment, preferably a broker for obvious reasons, but Niamh suggests that it would work best if it were a Navarr National Assembly appointment, since the position would have to work closely with the Navarr in the Synod.

	Initially the Brokers Chain would allow the Factor to invest money each season to purchase one or more [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Vernal_Balm\|Vernal Balm]] potions or even a [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Talonvine Infusion\|Talonvine Infusion]] if the [[ilium]] could be found to pay for it. However if needed, the Navarr Assembly could use a [[Statement of Principle]] to encourage all the brokers connected to the Chain to look out for any chance to buy the equivalent potions that exist for the other realms. That is they could change to the equivalent potions from the [[Decoctions of Hoarfrost]], the [[Unguents of Falling Leaves]], the [[Tinctures of True Eminence]], the [[Lambent Essences]] or the [[Magnum Opus]].		Initially the Brokers Chain would allow the Factor to invest money each season to purchase one or more [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Vernal_Balm\|Vernal Balm]] potions or even a [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Talonvine Infusion\|Talonvine Infusion]] if the [[ilium]] could be found to pay for it. However if needed, the Navarr Assembly could use a [[Statement of Principle]] to encourage all the brokers connected to the Chain to look out for any chance to buy the equivalent potions that exist for the other realms. That is they could change to the equivalent potions from the [[Decoctions of Hoarfrost]], the [[Unguents of Falling Leaves]], the [[Tinctures of True Eminence]], the [[Lambent Essences]] or the [[Magnum Opus]].

Twiggy at 17:30, 5 August 2025

2025-08-05T17:30:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 5 August 2025
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	</ic>		</ic>
	==Overview==		==Overview==
	At the recent Summer Solstice, the Navarr performed the potent curse Wither the Seed on the territory of Brocéliande. The magic was used to hinder the vallorn, allowing the Empire to exploit a crucial weakness and try to claim more territory from the Navarr's ancient enemy. While the Winter ritual has succeeded in inhibiting and sapping the energy of the ~~Vallorn~~, it has taken a deadly toll on those Navarr eking out an existence in the territory. With every passing year, fewer and fewer children will be born in the territory, and it will get worse over the three decades that the curse endures.		At the recent Summer Solstice, the Navarr performed the potent curse Wither the Seed on the territory of Brocéliande. The magic was used to hinder the vallorn, allowing the Empire to exploit a crucial weakness and try to claim more territory from the Navarr's ancient enemy. While the Winter ritual has succeeded in inhibiting and sapping the energy of the vallorn, it has taken a deadly toll on those Navarr eking out an existence in the territory. With every passing year, fewer and fewer children will be born in the territory, and it will get worse over the three decades that the curse endures.

	Faced with this grim future, the people of Brocéliande appealed to the nation to find some way to lift the terrible curse. They can endure its baneful energies for long enough to allow the Navarr to press the advantage against the ~~Vallorn~~, but if the curse cannot then be lifted, they will be faced with a grim future. The idea of giving up on Brocéliande is deeply unpalatable - but so is the idea of seeing one's line wither and die. The thought of enduring that for thirty years is simply more than many of them can bear.		Faced with this grim future, the people of Brocéliande appealed to the nation to find some way to lift the terrible curse. They can endure its baneful energies for long enough to allow the Navarr to press the advantage against the vallorn, but if the curse cannot then be lifted, they will be faced with a grim future. The idea of giving up on Brocéliande is deeply unpalatable - but so is the idea of seeing one's line wither and die. The thought of enduring that for thirty years is simply more than many of them can bear.

	In response the Navarr assembly called for the vates to seek out ways that the curse might be lifted. Corey Wayfarer raised the judgement and with the backing of the greater majority of the Assembly he agreed to spread word throughout the land, urging the people of the nation to seek out ways this hideous curse might be broken.		In response the Navarr assembly called for the vates to seek out ways that the curse might be lifted. Corey Wayfarer raised the judgement and with the backing of the greater majority of the Assembly he agreed to spread word throughout the land, urging the people of the nation to seek out ways this hideous curse might be broken.
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	==Coins==		==Coins==
	* '''Commissions could be built to provide the vates with potions to help power their magic'''		* '''Commissions could be built to provide the vates with potions to help power their magic'''
	There are two obvious ways the curse ''might'' be broken, using either powerful Spring magic to try and directly counter the effects, or perversely using powerful Winter magic to try and weaken the magic enough to end it. Either is likely to require the Navarr to perform a powerful ritual, using a [[regio]] that will potentially need to be defended from the ~~Vallorn~~ and perhaps other threats as well. It's not possible to perform the ritual at [[Anvil]], since [[Brocéliande]] is not part of the Empire.		There are two obvious ways the curse ''might'' be broken, using either powerful Spring magic to try and directly counter the effects, or perversely using powerful Winter magic to try and weaken the magic enough to end it. Either is likely to require the Navarr to perform a powerful ritual, using a [[regio]] that will potentially need to be defended from the vallorn and perhaps other threats as well. It's not possible to perform the ritual at [[Anvil]], since [[Brocéliande]] is not part of the Empire.

	Getting enough [[Navarr_magical_traditions#Vates\|vates]] to be able to cast a powerful ritual is not easy task, but it is harder still if those magicians have to leave Anvil to do so. What would make it easier, potentially much easier, is if the Navarr have a good cache of powerful [[Potion\|potions]] that boost a ritualists ability to draw on the power of the appropriate realm. Such potions are not cheap but they last until they are used so if the Navarr can start acquiring them now, then they could stockpile them in readiness.		Getting enough [[Navarr_magical_traditions#Vates\|vates]] to be able to cast a powerful ritual is not easy task, but it is harder still if those magicians have to leave Anvil to do so. What would make it easier, potentially much easier, is if the Navarr have a good cache of powerful [[Potion\|potions]] that boost a ritualists ability to draw on the power of the appropriate realm. Such potions are not cheap but they last until they are used so if the Navarr can start acquiring them now, then they could stockpile them in readiness.

Twiggy at 17:45, 11 July 2025

2025-07-11T17:45:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:45, 11 July 2025
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	The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.		The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.

	The Navarr have struggled to defend Liathaven, having endured a bloody war with the Jotun for control of the territory. As of Spring 381YE, only a small handful of [[steadings]] and [[striding\|stridings]] remain in the territory and the ranging presence of the vallornspawn makes wide areas of the territory as dangerous as a vallorn heart. The Navarr still control [[Liathaven#West Ranging\|West Ranging]] and [[Liathaven#~~West Wood~~\|~~West Wood~~]] but it is questionable what they are achieving at this point.		The Navarr have struggled to defend Liathaven, having endured a bloody war with the Jotun for control of the territory. As of Spring 381YE, only a small handful of [[steadings]] and [[striding\|stridings]] remain in the territory and the ranging presence of the vallornspawn makes wide areas of the territory as dangerous as a vallorn heart. The Navarr still control [[Liathaven#West Ranging\|West Ranging]] and [[Liathaven#Westwood\|Westwood]] but it is questionable what they are achieving at this point.

	In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate		In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate

Rafferty: /* Endings */

2022-04-12T14:59:40Z

Endings

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 12 April 2022
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	In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate		In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate
	{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr to accept that while the vallorn of Liathaven is still our responsibility, the forests themselves are not.\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}		{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr to accept that while the vallorn of Liathaven is still our responsibility, the forests themselves are not.\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}
	If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.		If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory, now or in the future. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.

	Kaela apparently does not require the Empire to formally [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence\|cede]] any regions, however her herald warns that followers of Kaela in Liathaven would move swiftly to claim the two regions with the assistance of her grim legions. She would, of course, expect to see no resistance to this action. The Lady of the Grim Host would take a dim view if the Navarr were to break their word in this matter. The Silent Queen's herald is at pains to stress that the Navarr should only enact this mandate if they accept that their authority in Liathaven has ended and warns that the Navarr would make a powerful enemy if they took her aid and later attempted to renew their claim to the territory in any way.		Kaela apparently does not require the Empire to formally [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence\|cede]] any regions, however her herald warns that followers of Kaela in Liathaven would move swiftly to claim the two regions with the assistance of her grim legions. She would, of course, expect to see no resistance to this action. The Lady of the Grim Host would take a dim view if the Navarr were to break their word in this matter. The Silent Queen's herald is at pains to stress that the Navarr should only enact this mandate if they accept that their authority in Liathaven has ended and warns that the Navarr would make a powerful enemy if they took her aid and later attempted to renew their claim to the territory in any way.

Rafferty: /* Endings */ clear up mandate wording error

2022-04-12T14:56:51Z

Endings: clear up mandate wording error

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:56, 12 April 2022
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	In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate		In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate
	{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr ~~dwelling there to return~~ to accept that while the vallorn of Liathaven is still our responsibility, the forests themselves are not.\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}		{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr to accept that while the vallorn of Liathaven is still our responsibility, the forests themselves are not.\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}
	If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.		If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.

Noserenda at 21:52, 9 April 2022

2022-04-09T21:52:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:52, 9 April 2022
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	''Drustan Brocs Guard'' is a middle-aged vate who travelled widely in his youth, including long periods spent travelling and studying in [[Principalities of Jarm\|Jarm]]. According to Drustan, he once stayed in [[Principalities_of_Jarm_ports#Vezak_.28Southern_Principalities_of_Jarm.29\|Vezak]] where he "encountered" a young Jarmish prince by the name of Raina Telep whose family ruled the Principality of Hordoba. Hordoba was engaged in a furious struggle with the neighbouring Principality of Garjina with each side accusing the other of cursing their territory.		''Drustan Brocs Guard'' is a middle-aged vate who travelled widely in his youth, including long periods spent travelling and studying in [[Principalities of Jarm\|Jarm]]. According to Drustan, he once stayed in [[Principalities_of_Jarm_ports#Vezak_.28Southern_Principalities_of_Jarm.29\|Vezak]] where he "encountered" a young Jarmish prince by the name of Raina Telep whose family ruled the Principality of Hordoba. Hordoba was engaged in a furious struggle with the neighbouring Principality of Garjina with each side accusing the other of cursing their territory.
	{{WingedMessenger\|address=Magician Prince Raina Telep, Principality of Hordoba}}		{{WingedMessenger\|address=Magician Prince Raina Telep, Principality of Hordoba}}
	Drustan was arrested by the Hordoba authorities on suspicion of spying for Garjina and endured months of imprisonment and painful questioning. The relevance of this sorry story is that during his interrogation, Raina Telep visited him in his cell to gloat over "his defeat". ~~Drus~~ recalls that the young prince seemed convinced that he was part of Garjina's schemes and that he had helped to create the powerful Winter curse that was afflicting Hordoba, causing misery and ''infertility''. Raina had come to boast having secured possession of a powerful Spring [[ritual text]] that she claimed was more that powerful enough to shatter Garjina's curse.		Drustan was arrested by the Hordoba authorities on suspicion of spying for Garjina and endured months of imprisonment and painful questioning. The relevance of this sorry story is that during his interrogation, Raina Telep visited him in his cell to gloat over "his defeat". Drustan recalls that the young prince seemed convinced that he was part of Garjina's schemes and that he had helped to create the powerful Winter curse that was afflicting Hordoba, causing misery and ''infertility''. Raina had come to boast having secured possession of a powerful Spring [[ritual text]] that she claimed was more that powerful enough to shatter Garjina's curse.

	~~Drus~~ was eventually released and swiftly returned to the Empire, vowing never to return to Jarm again, and hoping to forget the unpleasant memories. Now of course, the entire event suddenly seems like it could be relevant. If this Prince Raina is still alive, if she still has access to the ritual text, then her family might be persuaded to allow the Navarr to use it?		Drustan was eventually released and swiftly returned to the Empire, vowing never to return to Jarm again, and hoping to forget the unpleasant memories. Now of course, the entire event suddenly seems like it could be relevant. If this Prince Raina is still alive, if she still has access to the ritual text, then her family might be persuaded to allow the Navarr to use it?

	The civil service are able to confirm that they believe Prince Raina Telep is still alive and part of the family that rules the Principality of Hordoba. They have provided details to allow the Navarr to send a [[Call Winged Messenger\|winged message]] to her if they wish to do so. Drustan warns that the ritual text is unlikely to come cheap; he considers the Teleps to be unusually greedy, venal, and self-serving even by the standards of Jarm's corrupt magocracy - but that it is still likely to be cheaper than codifying a high level Spring ritual.		The civil service are able to confirm that they believe Prince Raina Telep is still alive and part of the family that rules the Principality of Hordoba. They have provided details to allow the Navarr to send a [[Call Winged Messenger\|winged message]] to her if they wish to do so. Drustan warns that the ritual text is unlikely to come cheap; he considers the Teleps to be unusually greedy, venal, and self-serving even by the standards of Jarm's corrupt magocracy - but that it is still likely to be cheaper than codifying a high level Spring ritual.
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	One of the magicians of the Quiet Words Striding, a notoriously solitary vate called Elin has apparently been negotiating with a herald of the [[Kaela\|Queen of Silence]] to see if she can secure her help in breaking the curse on Brocéliande. While it may seem strange to some to seek to use Winter magic to break a Winter curse that withers the seed, experienced ritual magicians understand that there is solid logic underpinning Elin's actions. According to [[ritual theory]] ending things is one of the most powerful resonances of [[Winter magic]] - and no eternal more strongly embodies this idea than the Dark Between The Stars. Her name is often evoked in rituals designed to break bonds, curses and other magics. It is one thing to invoke her name - there is power in names certainly - but what if The Lady of Oblivion could be persuaded to give her aid directly?		One of the magicians of the Quiet Words Striding, a notoriously solitary vate called Elin has apparently been negotiating with a herald of the [[Kaela\|Queen of Silence]] to see if she can secure her help in breaking the curse on Brocéliande. While it may seem strange to some to seek to use Winter magic to break a Winter curse that withers the seed, experienced ritual magicians understand that there is solid logic underpinning Elin's actions. According to [[ritual theory]] ending things is one of the most powerful resonances of [[Winter magic]] - and no eternal more strongly embodies this idea than the Dark Between The Stars. Her name is often evoked in rituals designed to break bonds, curses and other magics. It is one thing to invoke her name - there is power in names certainly - but what if The Lady of Oblivion could be persuaded to give her aid directly?

	Elin claims that she has negotiated a deal with Kaela, but she warns that the cost is terrible and may be more than the Navarr are willing to bear. The Cold-Hearted is concerned with the inevitable end of things. According to Imperial lore ''"She respects those who strive to hold back the end ... as long as they accept that the end is inevitable, that there is no hope."''. Her herald has confirmed that the Cold Hearted One honours the Navarr determination to fight for Brocéliande, but if she is to provide her aid in that quest, it must come at a price. In the end everything fails. Everything ends.		Elin claims that she has negotiated a deal with Kaela, but she warns that the cost is terrible and may be more than the Navarr are willing to bear. The Cold-Hearted is concerned with the inevitable end of things. According to Imperial lore ''"She respects those who strive to hold back the end... as long as they accept that the end is inevitable, that there is no hope."''. Her herald has confirmed that the Cold Hearted One honours the Navarr determination to fight for Brocéliande, but if she is to provide her aid in that quest, it must come at a price. In the end everything fails. Everything ends.

	The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.		The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.

Rafferty: /* Endings */ Update the mandate

2022-04-09T09:29:34Z

Endings: Update the mandate

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:29, 9 April 2022
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	In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate		In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate
	{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr dwelling there to return to the ~~Empire where their strength can better serve~~ the ~~fight against the Vallorn~~\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}		{{Mandate\|mandate=Actions have consequences. If we are to save one territory, we must accept that another is lost. Our vigil in Liathaven is ended, we send {named priest} with 50 liao to urge every Navarr dwelling there to return to accept that while the vallorn of Liathaven is still our responsibility, the forests themselves are not.\|assembly=Navarr Assembly}}
	If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.		If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.

Dre: wither the apostrophe

2022-04-08T21:27:45Z

wither the apostrophe

Responsible1: /* Endings */

2022-04-08T21:08:59Z

Endings

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:08, 8 April 2022
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	The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.		The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.

	The Navarr have struggled to defend Liathaven, having endured a bloody war with the Jotun for control of the territory. As of Spring 381YE, only a small handful of [[steadings]] and [[striding\|stridings]] remain in the territory and the ranging presence of the vallornspawn makes wide areas of the territory as dangerous as a vallorn heart. The Navarr still control[[Liathaven#West Ranging\|West Ranging]] and [[Liathaven#West Wood\|West Wood]] but it is questionable what they are achieving at this point.		The Navarr have struggled to defend Liathaven, having endured a bloody war with the Jotun for control of the territory. As of Spring 381YE, only a small handful of [[steadings]] and [[striding\|stridings]] remain in the territory and the ranging presence of the vallornspawn makes wide areas of the territory as dangerous as a vallorn heart. The Navarr still control [[Liathaven#West Ranging\|West Ranging]] and [[Liathaven#West Wood\|West Wood]] but it is questionable what they are achieving at this point.

	In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate		In return for her aid, Kaela requires the Navarr Assembly to pass the following mandate

TimB: /* Endings */

2022-04-08T21:01:42Z

Endings

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:01, 8 April 2022
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	One of the magicians of the Quiet Words Striding, a notoriously solitary vate called Elin has apparently been negotiating with a herald of the [[Kaela\|Queen of Silence]] to see if she can secure her help in breaking the curse on Brocéliande. While it may seem strange to some to seek to use Winter magic to break a Winter curse that withers the seed, experienced ritual magicians understand that there is solid logic underpinning Elin's actions. According to [[ritual theory]] ending things is one of the most powerful resonances of [[Winter magic]] - and no eternal more strongly embodies this idea than the Dark Between The Stars. Her name is often evoked in rituals designed to break bonds, curses and other magics. It is one thing to invoke her name - there is power in names certainly - but what if The Lady of Oblivion could be persuaded to give her aid directly?		One of the magicians of the Quiet Words Striding, a notoriously solitary vate called Elin has apparently been negotiating with a herald of the [[Kaela\|Queen of Silence]] to see if she can secure her help in breaking the curse on Brocéliande. While it may seem strange to some to seek to use Winter magic to break a Winter curse that withers the seed, experienced ritual magicians understand that there is solid logic underpinning Elin's actions. According to [[ritual theory]] ending things is one of the most powerful resonances of [[Winter magic]] - and no eternal more strongly embodies this idea than the Dark Between The Stars. Her name is often evoked in rituals designed to break bonds, curses and other magics. It is one thing to invoke her name - there is power in names certainly - but what if The Lady of Oblivion could be persuaded to give her aid directly?

	Elin claims that she has negotiated a deal with Kaela, but she warns that the cost is terrible and may be more than the Navarr are willing to bear. The Cold-Hearted is concerned with the inevitable end of things. According to Imperial lore ''"She respects those who strive to hold back the end ... as long as they accept that the end is inevitable, that there is no hope."''. Her herald has confirmed that the Cold Hearted One honours the ~~Navar~~ determination to fight for Brocéliande, but if she is to provide her aid in that quest, it must come at a price. In the end everything fails. Everything ends.		Elin claims that she has negotiated a deal with Kaela, but she warns that the cost is terrible and may be more than the Navarr are willing to bear. The Cold-Hearted is concerned with the inevitable end of things. According to Imperial lore ''"She respects those who strive to hold back the end ... as long as they accept that the end is inevitable, that there is no hope."''. Her herald has confirmed that the Cold Hearted One honours the Navarr determination to fight for Brocéliande, but if she is to provide her aid in that quest, it must come at a price. In the end everything fails. Everything ends.

	The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.		The price for her aid is the territory of [[Liathaven]]. The Queen of Silence does not want the [[territory]]; she demands only that the Navarr give it up. That they acknowledge that it is gone, that their vigil there has come to end. That it has failed.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 21 August 2025
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	Niamh's idea is elegantly simple, the Navarr Assembly can use a statement of principle to spread the word of whatever potions the nation needs throughout the Empire. Navarr [[striding\|stridings]] can purchase the potions wherever they become available... and then just drop them in at the next Broker's Chain office they pass, or else pass them on to another striding who can. It will need money to make it work of course... but it's a simple, elegant solution that would leverage the one thing the Navarr do better than anyone else - going everywhere and talking to everyone.		Niamh's idea is elegantly simple, the Navarr Assembly can use a statement of principle to spread the word of whatever potions the nation needs throughout the Empire. Navarr [[striding\|stridings]] can purchase the potions wherever they become available... and then just drop them in at the next Broker's Chain office they pass, or else pass them on to another striding who can. It will need money to make it work of course... but it's a simple, elegant solution that would leverage the one thing the Navarr do better than anyone else - going everywhere and talking to everyone.

	The Brokers Chain would require a [[Senate motion]] or a [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave\|wayleave]] to ~~authorize~~ and would require a single [[commission]] slot to build. It would need 16 wains of weirwood and cost 32 crowns but could be built in a single season. Once complete it would create a new [[Imperial title]], the ''Factor of the Broker's Chain''. This would need to be a Navarr appointment, preferably a broker for obvious reasons, but Niamh suggests that it would work best if it were a Navarr National Assembly appointment, since the position would have to work closely with the Navarr in the Synod.		The Brokers Chain would require a [[Senate motion]] or a [[Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave\|wayleave]] to authorise and would require a single [[commission]] slot to build. It would need 16 wains of weirwood and cost 32 crowns but could be built in a single season. Once complete it would create a new [[Imperial title]], the ''Factor of the Broker's Chain''. This would need to be a Navarr appointment, preferably a broker for obvious reasons, but Niamh suggests that it would work best if it were a Navarr National Assembly appointment, since the position would have to work closely with the Navarr in the Synod.

	Initially the Brokers Chain would allow the Factor to invest money each season to purchase one or more [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Vernal_Balm\|Vernal Balm]] potions or even a [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Talonvine Infusion\|Talonvine Infusion]] if the [[ilium]] could be found to pay for it. However if needed, the Navarr Assembly could use a [[Statement of Principle]] to encourage all the brokers connected to the Chain to look out for any chance to buy the equivalent potions that exist for the other realms. That is they could change to the equivalent potions from the [[Decoctions of Hoarfrost]], the [[Unguents of Falling Leaves]], the [[Tinctures of True Eminence]], the [[Lambent Essences]] or the [[Magnum Opus]].		Initially the Brokers Chain would allow the Factor to invest money each season to purchase one or more [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Vernal_Balm\|Vernal Balm]] potions or even a [[Balms_of_the_Fountainhead#Talonvine Infusion\|Talonvine Infusion]] if the [[ilium]] could be found to pay for it. However if needed, the Navarr Assembly could use a [[Statement of Principle]] to encourage all the brokers connected to the Chain to look out for any chance to buy the equivalent potions that exist for the other realms. That is they could change to the equivalent potions from the [[Decoctions of Hoarfrost]], the [[Unguents of Falling Leaves]], the [[Tinctures of True Eminence]], the [[Lambent Essences]] or the [[Magnum Opus]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:27, 8 April 2022
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	"There is no other way" the creature responded, its flat lifeless tones scraping at her nerves. "If you would have the Dark Between the Stars come to your aid - then you must meet the price."		"There is no other way" the creature responded, its flat lifeless tones scraping at her nerves. "If you would have the Dark Between the Stars come to your aid - then you must meet the price."

	"I can't... I can't take this offer to the ~~Steadings~~, the ~~Stridings~~." she protested, feeling the bile rise in her throat. "It can't end like this. It just can't".		"I can't... I can't take this offer to the steadings, the stridings." she protested, feeling the bile rise in her throat. "It can't end like this. It just can't".

	For a long time the creature said nothing. Just stood, lifeless as stone, staring at her. There was no hate in its eyes... there was nothing there at all. The gaze was cold and lifeless, its eyes as flat and dead and the voice it used. She remembered a Highborn magister claiming once that all eternals were evil - but the Winter realm was the only one that never pretended otherwise. Finally it spoke - one more sentence - just three more words.		For a long time the creature said nothing. Just stood, lifeless as stone, staring at her. There was no hate in its eyes... there was nothing there at all. The gaze was cold and lifeless, its eyes as flat and dead and the voice it used. She remembered a Highborn magister claiming once that all eternals were evil - but the Winter realm was the only one that never pretended otherwise. Finally it spoke - one more sentence - just three more words.
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	At the recent Summer Solstice, the Navarr performed the potent curse Wither the Seed on the territory of Brocéliande. The magic was used to hinder the vallorn, allowing the Empire to exploit a crucial weakness and try to claim more territory from the Navarr's ancient enemy. While the Winter ritual has succeeded in inhibiting and sapping the energy of the Vallorn, it has taken a deadly toll on those Navarr eking out an existence in the territory. With every passing year, fewer and fewer children will be born in the territory, and it will get worse over the three decades that the curse endures.		At the recent Summer Solstice, the Navarr performed the potent curse Wither the Seed on the territory of Brocéliande. The magic was used to hinder the vallorn, allowing the Empire to exploit a crucial weakness and try to claim more territory from the Navarr's ancient enemy. While the Winter ritual has succeeded in inhibiting and sapping the energy of the Vallorn, it has taken a deadly toll on those Navarr eking out an existence in the territory. With every passing year, fewer and fewer children will be born in the territory, and it will get worse over the three decades that the curse endures.

	Faced with this grim future, the people of Brocéliande appealed to the nation to find some way to lift the terrible curse. They can endure ~~it's~~ baneful energies for long enough to allow the Navarr to press the advantage against the Vallorn, but if the curse cannot then be lifted, they will be faced with a grim future. The idea of giving up on Brocéliande is deeply unpalatable - but so is the idea of seeing one's line wither and die. The thought of enduring that for thirty years is simply more than many of them can bear.		Faced with this grim future, the people of Brocéliande appealed to the nation to find some way to lift the terrible curse. They can endure its baneful energies for long enough to allow the Navarr to press the advantage against the Vallorn, but if the curse cannot then be lifted, they will be faced with a grim future. The idea of giving up on Brocéliande is deeply unpalatable - but so is the idea of seeing one's line wither and die. The thought of enduring that for thirty years is simply more than many of them can bear.

	In response the Navarr assembly called for the vates to seek out ways that the curse might be lifted. Corey Wayfarer raised the judgement and with the backing of the greater majority of the Assembly he agreed to spread word throughout the land, urging the people of the nation to seek out ways this hideous curse might be broken.		In response the Navarr assembly called for the vates to seek out ways that the curse might be lifted. Corey Wayfarer raised the judgement and with the backing of the greater majority of the Assembly he agreed to spread word throughout the land, urging the people of the nation to seek out ways this hideous curse might be broken.
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	==Stars==		==Stars==
	* '''A potent enchantment using priceless ilium might unmake the curse'''		* '''A potent enchantment using priceless ilium might unmake the curse'''
	What magic has wrought, magic can undo, it is only ever a matter of cost. So says Gethin, a vate who dwells at Stars End Striding in ~~Miaran~~. The problem is that the price to undo some acts can be immeasurably higher than the cost to perform the action in the first place. Gethin likes to demonstrate this principle with a simple lesson for his students, where he takes a cheap clay vase, shatters it with a single blow of his cudgel, and then challenges his pupils to use magic to put it back together. It is so much easier to change your mind than it is to change your actions.		What magic has wrought, magic can undo, it is only ever a matter of cost. So says Gethin, a vate who dwells at Stars End Striding in Miaren. The problem is that the price to undo some acts can be immeasurably higher than the cost to perform the action in the first place. Gethin likes to demonstrate this principle with a simple lesson for his students, where he takes a cheap clay vase, shatters it with a single blow of his cudgel, and then challenges his pupils to use magic to put it back together. It is so much easier to change your mind than it is to change your actions.

	Still - it can be done - It can always be done. Provided you are prepared to foot the bill. Gethin has spent years studying the power of [[ilium]], the priceless star metal that provides near limitless power to magic when used in enchantments. Drawing on his long years of experience, he has created a Spring arcane projection that would directly counter the power of the curse in Brocéliande. The enchantment is surprisingly low level - it is only magnitude 30 - but it employs some simple Spring magics designed to boost fertility in an area.		Still - it can be done - It can always be done. Provided you are prepared to foot the bill. Gethin has spent years studying the power of [[ilium]], the priceless star metal that provides near limitless power to magic when used in enchantments. Drawing on his long years of experience, he has created a Spring arcane projection that would directly counter the power of the curse in Brocéliande. The enchantment is surprisingly low level - it is only magnitude 30 - but it employs some simple Spring magics designed to boost fertility in an area.

	Normally such a ritual would have no chance of overcoming the power of a potent Winter curse like Wither the Seed. But Gethin has designed their arcane projection to work explicitly in Brocéliande, to account for the current conditions there, and to counter them... A Spring effect that would provide a permanent boost to the ~~fertitility~~ in the region, but using star metal to give it a power the Winter curse could not overcome. For as long as the Winter curse endured, the ilium bound enchantment would be a match for it.		Normally such a ritual would have no chance of overcoming the power of a potent Winter curse like Wither the Seed. But Gethin has designed their arcane projection to work explicitly in Brocéliande, to account for the current conditions there, and to counter them... A Spring effect that would provide a permanent boost to the fertility in the region, but using star metal to give it a power the Winter curse could not overcome. For as long as the Winter curse endured, the ilium bound enchantment would be a match for it.

	And therein lies the cost. Gethin's arcane projection could easily be performed, it seems difficult to imagine that the Navarr could not find a coven able to perform a Spring ritual of magnitude 30, even unmastered. They would have to wait until an opportunity arose to perform the ritual in the territory of ~~couse~~, but more importantly they would need to foot the bill. Gethin's arcane projection requires a king's ransom, needing 90 rings of ilium to perform.		And therein lies the cost. Gethin's arcane projection could easily be performed, it seems difficult to imagine that the Navarr could not find a coven able to perform a Spring ritual of magnitude 30, even unmastered. They would have to wait until an opportunity arose to perform the ritual in the territory of course, but more importantly they would need to foot the bill. Gethin's arcane projection requires a king's ransom, needing 90 rings of ilium to perform.

	Of course once the Winter curse faded the permanent enchantment would have to be dealt with - but that would be three decades hence. Plenty of time to find a solution to that problem.		Of course once the Winter curse faded the permanent enchantment would have to be dealt with - but that would be three decades hence. Plenty of time to find a solution to that problem.
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	Fortunately both of those goals could be achieved in a single stroke by one of the nations of the Empire. The Urizen army possess a unique quality, it has so many magicians that it can act as a focal point for Imperial magic, allowing the Empire to cast rituals from Anvil on any territory where it is present. If Urizen would agree to move the [[Citadel Guard]] to Brocéliande in advance of the summit where the Navarr were ready to perform their ritual, then the magic could be done at Anvil, at a time of the Navarr's choosing.		Fortunately both of those goals could be achieved in a single stroke by one of the nations of the Empire. The Urizen army possess a unique quality, it has so many magicians that it can act as a focal point for Imperial magic, allowing the Empire to cast rituals from Anvil on any territory where it is present. If Urizen would agree to move the [[Citadel Guard]] to Brocéliande in advance of the summit where the Navarr were ready to perform their ritual, then the magic could be done at Anvil, at a time of the Navarr's choosing.

	Sadly the Citadel Guard is in great demand, partly for ~~it's~~ unique quality, but mostly to defend the Urizen homeland from the depredations of the Druj and the Grendel. Urizen has struggled to repel not one but two invasions in recent years, one from the South and one from the East. As a result it has lost territory on two fronts, first Zenith fell to the Druj, and then the Senate ceded Spiral in a peace treaty to the Grendel. As a result the very existence of the Citadel Guard remains in doubt, as the Urizen struggle to support their army having lost so much territory.		Sadly the Citadel Guard is in great demand, partly for its unique quality, but mostly to defend the Urizen homeland from the depredations of the Druj and the Grendel. Urizen has struggled to repel not one but two invasions in recent years, one from the South and one from the East. As a result it has lost territory on two fronts, first Zenith fell to the Druj, and then the Senate ceded Spiral in a peace treaty to the Grendel. As a result the very existence of the Citadel Guard remains in doubt, as the Urizen struggle to support their army having lost so much territory.

	What price might the Urizeni require in return for their aid in breaking the curse on Brocéliande?		What price might the Urizeni require in return for their aid in breaking the curse on Brocéliande?
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	If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.		If this mandate is passed then the majority of Navarr will accept that Liathaven is no longer a Navarr territory. Every Navarr resource in the territory would then be [[Resource#Resources_in_other_Nations\|in a foreign territory]]. The Imperial treasury would receive no taxation from the territory but would no longer have to pay any costs up maintain it.

	Kaela apparently does not require the Empire to formally [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence\|cede]] any regions, however her herald warns that followers of Kaela in Liathaven would move swiftly to claim the two regions with the assistance of her grim legions. She would, of course, expect to see no resistance to this action. The Lady of the Grim Host would take a dim view if the Navarr were to break their word in this matter. The Silent Queen's herald is at pains to stress that the Navarr should only enact this mandate if they accept that their authority in ~~Liavathen~~ has ended and warns that the Navarr would make a powerful enemy if they took her aid and later attempted to renew their claim to the territory in any way.		Kaela apparently does not require the Empire to formally [[Powers_of_the_Imperial_Senate#Concedence\|cede]] any regions, however her herald warns that followers of Kaela in Liathaven would move swiftly to claim the two regions with the assistance of her grim legions. She would, of course, expect to see no resistance to this action. The Lady of the Grim Host would take a dim view if the Navarr were to break their word in this matter. The Silent Queen's herald is at pains to stress that the Navarr should only enact this mandate if they accept that their authority in Liathaven has ended and warns that the Navarr would make a powerful enemy if they took her aid and later attempted to renew their claim to the territory in any way.

	In return for this terrible price Kaela would provide the Navarr with the things they need to break the curse. Elin is not specific about what form that aid might take, but she is adamant that such a thing is within Kaela's power. She is said to be able to end anything that exists - even another eternal. There is no doubt at all that Kaela could provide the means to end this mortal magic were she minded to do so.		In return for this terrible price Kaela would provide the Navarr with the things they need to break the curse. Elin is not specific about what form that aid might take, but she is adamant that such a thing is within Kaela's power. She is said to be able to end anything that exists - even another eternal. There is no doubt at all that Kaela could provide the means to end this mortal magic were she minded to do so.

	Elin would like it noted that she and her family were born in Liathaven and that she only joined the Quiet Words Striding after she was forced to flee when her home was destroyed by the Jotun. It would break her heart to give up all hope of every reclaiming Liathaven she says... but she is prepared to pay that price to save Brocéliande.		Elin would like it noted that she and her family were born in Liathaven and that she only joined the Quiet Words Striding after she was forced to flee when her home was destroyed by the Jotun. It would break her heart to give up all hope of every reclaiming Liathaven, she says... but she is prepared to pay that price to save Brocéliande.