Drinking song for the socially anxious

When opportunity knocks, carefully write down its details.

Overview

Since the Spring Equinox the Empire has been steeped in the power of Autumn so it should come as no surprise that those with trinkets and curiosities to sell are making their way to Anvil for the Summer Solstice. Where the powerful and the wealthy gather, there also gather those people who want their patronage or their money. The roads of Casinea are busy with merchants, traders, and peddlers of all kinds from all over the Empire and beyond.

All the Lotus of the Rainbow

• Purveyors of narcotics Evander and his colleagues are once again making the journey to Anvil from Axos
• They expect to set up shop outside the Forge at 6:30pm on Saturday

Evander Slak (the Axou one) and Hippolata of Kaban, now regulars on the roads to Anvil, are making their usual journey to the summit. They have been creating a buzz in the wayhouses they pass through about various brand new concoctions they are bringing to the Empire, along with everyone's old favourites. They say they have even been able to acquire a few more doses of Bone Dust for any who missed out last summit, or wish to once again sample this most traditional Axou recipe. They've been quite ostentatiously denying any rumours that they've been coming under pressure to stop selling directly with Imperials, and to instead share their wonderful, relaxing creations with Sarcophan Delves trading houses. In most cases, mind you, they have to tell people those rumours exist before they can deny them.

They aim to start trading outside the forge from 6:30pm on Saturday, and will also take bulk orders for direct shipment for the Autumn Equinox.

Seasoning's Greetings (Conjunctions)

• A richly-adorned dhow from Jarm has put in to Spirewood Wharf, in the docks of Elos.
• Aboard is an unassuming merchant from the Sarcophan Delves and their Jarmish 'assistants', here to trade in rare Jarmish spices.
• The Sentinel Gate will allow a small group to visit Spirewood Wharf at 7pm on Saturday.

An unexpected visitor to the Empire is the Fioletva Zorya. Smartly stained in rich colours and polished to a shimmering gleam, the Jarmish ship has been proudly moored to Spirewood Wharf in Elos for the last two weeks, standing apart from the neat rows of Urizeni fishing boats there. Making a comfortable trade in a broad variety of spices unique to the warmer climate of their homeland, they have made it well known that they seek particularly well-placed citizens of Urizen with which to trade their most precious goods.

While these merchant-magicians of Limitu Principality are careful to point out that they are merely advising their Sarcophean associate, who has commissioned the Zorya and her crew for trade, they have made it clear that these particular goods are best placed with the finest magicians of the nation. When asked why it is then that they've chosen to dock away from Urizen's more well-known trade ports, and why they have made no effort to travel to Anvil where the richest magicians are surely gathered, they only offer a smile and the excuse that "They're not much for crowds."

Prognosticators have identified a conjunction of the Sentinel Gate leading to Spirewood Wharf at seven o'clock in the evening on Saturday evening that will allow up to ten individuals to reach the Elosian Docks. Responsibility for overseeing an expedition to meet the traders from the Fioletva Zorva lies with the Quaymaster of the Elosian Docks. While the House of Princes have made trade with the Empire illegal, and the Imperial Senate has embargoed trade with Jarm, it seems that the person doing the actual trading is a Sarcophan Delves merchant and the Jarmish are merely "advisors." Neither prohibition prevents the purchase of items that originate in Jarm, only buying from Jarmish citizens.

Little Leaden Cubes

• A herald of Ephisis is coming to Anvil to give Imperial citizens a chance to play a traditional Autumn game against each other
• The herald will arrive at the Hall of Worlds on Saturday roughly after Conclave finishes
• The price for entry is 1 ingot of metal per game and there are prizes to be won

The brilliant Autumn enchantment has put many of the denizens of the Autumn realm into a good mood; so good in fact that they have decided to make the trip to Anvil to share a bit of downtime with the Empire's magicians. Not every such creature of the realms represents a powerful concern, or appears to have a complex agenda. Some of them are just looking to relax, but relaxation can take many forms for the peculiar beings of the Cities of Autumn. One such herald, an inhabitant of the City of Gold and Lead, is bringing a traditional trading game from their home, with the intent of introducing it to the Empire and giving Imperial citizens the chance to pit their wits against each other. Of course, it wouldn't be seemly to do this just for fun, so to make it interesting the herald will be bringing a sack of unusual one-off items from the Autumn realm as prizes. The cost of entry to a game is 1 ingot of any metal and the winner gets to take away one of the goodies. It's not clear what's in it for the herald, but they are expected to appear in the Hall of Worlds after Conclave on Saturday night. It's not clear if they intend to remain in the Hall or, with the assistance of Imperial magicians, pass through to Anvil but those interested in learning more about their game might do well to assume the former to avoid disappointment.

The Road From Serfdom

• A group of Thule 'business folk' have been making their way south from Otkodov
• They have been speaking to Imperial citizens about Autumn magic, the end of slavery in Thule lands and various economic topics
• They are apparently eager to talk to like minded people and get investment funds for projects back home

The effects of the recent end to slavery in Otkodov, are still being worked out in the Thule homeland. While it's true that for many Thule citizens the fact they are now free has made little material difference to how miserable their lives are under the now slightly-less-forceful boot of the warlocks, the gears of change are slowly grinding. One set of beneficiaries of these changes are a group calling themselves the Five Fang Consortium, who have spent the last year or so trading with various merchants in the Northern trade network. The Consortium is a motley bunch, made up of the Thule equivalent of business owners, as well as a few artisans, merchants, practitioners of Autumn magic, and various others. All of them have two things in common; they are economically minded, and they have limited options to get ahead in currently warlock dominated society, these two things not being unrelated in Thule territory.

Some of their number have decided to make the trip all the way to Casinea to talk matters further with interested Imperials, especially anyone from the northern territories that border the Thule. It's not clear when they'll arrive, but word on the roads is they are looking for seed capital for some ventures up north and think Anvil is a good place to drum it up. There's a rumour that some of the members are former slaves, who have seized the chance to improve their lot. It seems likely that's not all they're here for - there are rich people a lot further north than Anvil after all - but it seems like any deeper discussions will have to wait till the upcoming summit; they're expected to arrive at some point during the Summer Solstice but precisely when is not clear.

The Rising Tide

• The Rising Tide are a would-be sodality keen to improve the general Prosperity of the Empire
• Their founder is due to arrive at the Hub at 11:00 Sunday morning to talk about how this might be achieved

Word has slowly been spreading over the last few months of a small would-be sodality. A group of mid-level merchants from different nations led by a Navarri called Gethyn Blood-and-Sweat have begun to organise themselves under the name The Rising Tide. Inspired by judgements written by Heilyn Bronwen's Rest, they seek to improve the general Prosperity of the Empire in order that all citizens might benefit rather than just the richest and most successful. Such things are not uncommon, the Empire being full of small groups with big ambitions, but Gethyn is apparently confident enough in his connections to make his way to Anvil.

Apparently he intends to visit the Hub at 11am on Sunday, where he hopes to speak to either Heilyn Bronwen's Rest themselves or someone who can speak on their behalf. The intention is that the two of them can talk to "the holder of whichever bourse seat Heilyn recommends," and possibly "clear up some confusion around their discussions of the Inquisitorial Court." The two have apparently been corresponding for some time - anyone looking for more details should probably ask Heilyn Bronwen's Rest.

A visiting hunter

• The herald Venator is visiting the Hall of Worlds to talk to the de Gauvains
• Venator will be arriving in Anvil at around 18:00 on Friday

Venator, who was last seen in the Jade Range terrorising Dawnish yeofolk, is once again planning on engaging with residents of Dawn. This time it is to talk to the de Gauvains rather than trying to hunt down and kill the yeofolk of House Perigord.

Venator, along with a number of other heralds of Eleonaris, is looking to enter the Hall of Worlds at 18:00 to speak to Cecilia De Gauvain and due to the restrictions on heralds entering the Hall of Worlds will require a citizen of the Empire to invite them in.

Apulian Visitors

• A contingent of Apulian Orcs will be camping with the League during the Summer Summit
• In addition a number of individual Apulian Orcs are visiting Anvil for their own reasons

There will be some Apulian orcs camping in The League all weekend. They will be keen to discuss all manner of things relating to their territory, The League and the wider politics of The Empire. They will also be playing host to others from their city who may be coming and going with more specific business.

Ceremony

Merchant Prince Mahiri Kaliact di Apulian, formerly the Salt Lord of Spiral, will be leading a procession of notables into Anvil at three in the afternoon on Saturday during the summit. If the people of the League are ready to accept them, she intends to to publicly swear an oath to the egregore and be the first of her people to take on the bonds of citizenship. She invites the people she is sure will soon be her fellow citizens to come and celebrate in whatever way they see fit. Her party will be there for around an hour, before many of them must leave to attend to other business in Outer Anvil.

Questions

Questioner Graime de Apulian, a priest and advisor to Merchant Prince Kaliact, is interested in speaking with bishops of the League about the practicalities of religious integration. Naturally, the process of bringing an entire territory into orthodox alignment takes time, but the people of Apulian are adaptable, and Questioner Graime has many thoughts about how to achieve synergy quickly, and with a minimum of… unpleasantness. He is particularly keen to discuss the social role played by bishops in the League. Questioners are as much political figures as they are priests, and he wants to know what power a bishop can wield that a common preacher does not. He will be arriving along with Merchant Prince Kaliact at three in the afternoon on Saturday and will stay around for a time afterwards to discuss matters of faith.

Fashion

Odhrán Larnach Von Apulian, an enterprising orc with an eye for fashion, will be visiting her countryfolk in The League Camp on Friday Night. She is particularly interested to speak with the publishers of The Looking Glass, and any others with “influence in the sphere of fashion.” She hopes to establish the ‘Apulian Look’ as the new trend for the season, and is keen to consult with luminaries of League aesthetics on the topic. She will be available from around seven in the evening on Friday, in the Apulian Quarter of the League camp. She will receive visitors on this matter for around an hour, before other business may call her elsewhere.

A Testing Situation

Beitris d'Apulian and Comhnall von Apulian are two of the Apulian orcs keen to join the League. They were somewhat surprised to learn that their children would be expected to take a test to become citizens themselves. Both are ambitious, and have high hopes for their children's futures in the League, so they have come to Anvil to speak with the students at The Academy and discuss ways in which their children might have greater chances of success. They plan to attend the Academy between half-past three and half-past four on Saturday, and are keen to speak both with students yet to sit their Test of Citizenship, and with those young citizens who have recently passed the test.