385YE Spring Equinox winds of war

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The Imperial Military Council makes the hard decisions about where Imperial armies will fight each season.

Overview

Over the last three months, Imperial forces are engaged in military campaigns against barbarian forces. Sometimes those engagements have been wide ranging and dramatic, other times they have been more sedate. Continuing the approach we took last year, we're presenting a summary of the campaign on this page. Where there's more dramatic action, or where there are opportunities, we've given a wind of war its own page. We're also continuing to provide information about the battle opportunities, listed in the theatres that they concern.

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of War and the Winds of Fortune is to make players aware of things their characters should know, based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing, and to maintain the Empire as a living, breathing place where all kinds of events take place beyond the scope of Anvil.

It should go without saying that we ask everyone to abide by the rules about online roleplaying with regard to the military campaign. It's important that the key in-character activity of the Empire world takes place at events. The game is busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Military planning and political discussions should happen at events. For this reason we generally discourage too much downtime roleplaying between events and put strict limits on what can be done online particularly using our forums and Facebook groups.

All that said we now present a summary of the key military activity in the Empire - both with links to the expanded Wind of War pages and notes about other important things that have happened that didn't need a full battle campaign write-up.

Begin Where We End

Following the Winter Solstice, the Empire is engaged in three major campaigns. One they did not choose for themselves; the Jotun orcs have invaded Kahraman from their holdings in south-eastern Liathaven. The orcs have successfully conquered Fort Braydon, and now dominate Braydon's Jasse. They are also well on their way to conquering the Jade Range. Had the Empire not anticipated this invasion, and stationed armies in the Cinnabar Hills, it is not impossible they would have captured the entire territory, You can read about this campaign in Grind.

Kahraman is not the only place the Empire is fighting the Jotun. Imperial forces have launched an invasion of their own, to liberate Bregasland from Mathilda Fisher and her orc allies. The Strong Reeds and their allies in House Greywater have been laying the groundwork since the territory fell, and now a host of Imperial soldiers have freed the Dour Fens from the invaders. Parts of Bregasland are still in Jotun hands - Ottermire and Gravenmarch - but the territory itself is once again Imperial. You can read about this campaign in Laid low.

There is also a major campaign in the Barrens against the Druj. An immense force of eleven Imperial armies, plus thousands of independent captains clashed with an equally mighty; eleven Druj armies and the terrible power of their Spring magic wards and curses. The Empire was ultimately victorious, and drove the Druj out of Bitter Strand, Saltmarsh, and the Plains of Teeth, capturing the great citadel of the Spires of Dusk in the process. Unfortunately, the cost was very high indeeed. Tens of thousands of humans and orcs died in the fighting, and during the final Battle of Twilight to take the citadel, the knights and yeofolk of the Hounds of Glory made the ultimate sacrifice. You can read about this campaign in Cost.

As always, these grand campaigns represent only a part of the Empire's battles. In Zenith, the Granite Pillar work tirelessly to clear the remaining miasma pillars that anchor the atmosphere of fear and despair over the territory. They are aided by mercenaries paid by the Imperial Senate. By all accounts the struggle against fear itself is going well, with two more pillars dealt with in the lead-up to the Spring Equinox. The opportunity to deal with the pillars was laid out in the Write your own ending Wind of Fortune.

While the Empire fares well in Zenith, there are less upbeat reports regarding not one but two of the Imperial spy networks. As expected, the Jarl of Keirheim in Skallahn has dismantled the spy network there, and rooted out the Imperial scouts operating in the territory. At the same time, there are reports coming from the south-west that something has happened in Feroz involving the unique naval operations there. It's not clear what has happened, but there is talk of an attack on the town of Shantarim, and on several other islands. It's also not clear exactly who is responsible; while it seems likely the Grendel are involved there are not definitive reports one way or another. In both cases, further information will be presented to Imperial citizens who supported those spy networks after the Winter Solstice, so those wishing to know more should seek them out.

Battle Opportunities

Imperial prognosticators have identified four possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Military Council will muster on Friday night, and the generals will select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes. At the moment the full details of these battle opportunities are not clear; more information will be provided nearer to the event.

All battle opportunities are Combat Highly Likely environments.

Location	Opportunity	Opposition	Day	Learn More
Bregasland	End the threat posed by Mathilda Fisher and her supporters	Jotun Yegarra	Saturday	TBC
Kahraman	Discover more about the gathering of champions (?)	Jotun and Jotun Yegarra	Saturday	TBC
The Barrens	Unclear, but related to Dawnguard	Druj	Sunday	TBC
The Barrens	Unclear, but related to the Heart of Peytaht	Druj	Sunday	TBC

Military Considerations

The following considerations should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Winter Solstice.

• Adamant Gate: The Adamant Gate in Semmerholm cannot be reduced below 1,000 military strength. Link
• Barrens: Any Imperial army fighting in the Barrens except those from Dawn, Varushka and Urizen suffer a one-fifth penalty to territory conquered until the start of the Summer Solstice 385YE. Link
• Barrens (Dawn): Dawnish armies fighting in the Barrens suffer a three-tenths penalty to territory conquered until the start Summer Solstice 385YE. Link.
• Barrens (Dawn and Highguard): Dawnish and Highborn armies that spent the previous season campaigning in the Barrens receive an additional 20% natural resupply if they resupply in Dawnish territory until the start of the Spring Equinox 385YE. Link
• Billeting: Any Imperial army can take the Billet order in Upwold or Mitwold. Link
• Dawn: Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
• Highguard: Highborn armies can no longer issue the Crusading Storm order; wherever they are on campaign there is a chance to generate a mandate for the Highborn assembly. Link
• The Marches: Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
• The Marches: Marcher armies fighting in Upwold, Mitwold, or Mournwold each receive an additional 1000 strength. The Strong Reeds receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Bregasland. This lasts until the start of the Winter Solstice 385YE, or until they leave Bregasland in the case of the Strong Reeds. link.
• Urizen: The Citadel Guard will begin to deteriorate again after the Summer Solstice. Link
• Varushka: Varushkan armies involved in the same campaign as an army from the Brass Coast or Wintermark generate 10% fewer victory points. If armies from both nations are present, the reduction is increased to 20%. Link.
• Wintermark: Wintermark armies can take the Fight with Honour order. Link
• Wintermark: Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun will gain 10% more victory points but inflict 20% less casualties. Link
• Zenith: Any Highborn or Urizen army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
• Morrow: Any Highborn or Urizen army that defends in Morrow against an army attacking from Zenith gains a 20% bonus to defend territory and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link