385YE Autumn Equinox interlude

The Summer Solstice brought opportunities and challenges.

Interlude

Downtime will be open shortly, allowing players to process their character's downtime choices. The Autumn Equinox winds of fortune will come out shortly before the next event. However, there are a number of significant events happening in the wake of the Summer Solstice that may affect some players' Downtime actions - primarily effects on personal resources or options for characters with military unit or fleet personal resources.

On this page we'll be outlining, and offering some context for, these various effects. In most cases, there will be further information in the Autumn Equinox Winds of Fortune. As always, these are quick OOC summaries to explain effects such as large-scale enchantments and curses. We'll cover all these and more when we start to present the Winds of Fortune for next event.

Downtime is due to close at midnight on TBC.

Warfare

Any player whose character controls a military unit can choose from a number of downtime options. Left to their own devices, a military unit defaults to paid work guaranteeing an income of herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystals. Otherwise, they may log into the downtime system and choose to support an army or fortification, or assign to a special project such as a spy network or an adventure. Players who want to support one of the Imperial armies can also read the orders issued by each general before making their decision.

As always, the guidelines around discussing military matters online can be found here.

Against Cold Sun

• Dawn and Navarr are prepared to face the onslaught of Cold Sun
• Military units from these nations may take part in an adventure to protect their people and homes from the heralds of the Day eternal
• A standard military unit receives 132 rings, and a pawn of prismatic ink in place of their normal production

Following the Summer Solstice, large numbers of heralds of the Cold Sun attack all over the Empire. The statements of the Dawn and Navarr assemblies, receiving a greater majority, are distributed to the priests of those nations in time to mount a defence against the attackers. Characters with military units from those nations can choose to take part in the fight against Cold Sun by choosing the Against Cold Sun adventure found in the independent action downtime. Instead of their normal production a standard military unit engaging in this adventure gains 132 rings and a pawn of prismatic ink; the former from grateful people protected from Cold Sun's murderous soldiers, the latter from the heralds themselves.

Kahraman Caravan Guards

• Freeborn and League military units can undertake the Kahraman Caravan Guards adventure
• A standard military unit receives 90 rings and five random metals in place of their normal production

The Senate has decided to pay for guards and mercenaries to offer short term protection to the people of Kahraman from raiders, smugglers, bandits, and accidents. Freeborn or League military units can now take the Kahraman Caravan Guards adventure. The new option will appear on the independent action dropdown. Rather than their normal production, a standard military unit will earn 90 rings and five random metals for undertaking this adventure, with an upgraded or enchanted unit gaining proportionally more. It remains available as long as the Senate continued to pay the upkeep cost.

Train the Dreamers

• Highborn and Varushkan military units can help train the orcs of the Dreamers of the Dark Forest sept
• Instead of the usual production a basic military unit receives 8 random herbs and 4 random forest resources
• The adventure is available until the start of the Summer Solstice 386YE

The Dreamers of the Dark Forest are a sept of orcs who live in Echofell in Ossium. Properly armed and armoured, they would fight to drive the remaining Druj out of the depths of the forest, and with the approval of the Imperial Senate, remove the under threat quality from the territory. The decisions of the Synod and the Senate have led to the creation of the Train the Dreamers adventure being available to Highborn and Varushkan military units. Found in the independent action dropdown menu, a basic military unit will receive 8 random herbs and 4 random forest resources from the grateful Dreamers as they are provided with spare weapons and armour and the training to use them effectively.

Imperial Guerdon

The Imperial Guerdon is a bursary set up by the Imperial Senate primarily to reward military units that support Imperial armies, spy networks, and fortifications. The value of the Imperial Guerdon is divided between each military unit and fleet that supports an army in proportion to their effective strength. The Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has the power to exclude any or all Imperial armies and navies, fortifications, or special projects (such as spy networks) from the Guerdon. If they do so, then a character who supports such an army, fortification, or special project will receive nothing for doing so.

The Guerdon stands at 350 thrones.

This season, the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has announced that shares of the Guerdon will be shared between military units supporting the following armies or opportunities:

• Bloodcloaks
• Gryphon's Pride
• Iron Helms
• Strong Reeds
• Summer Storm

Fleets

• Imperial fleets can trade with foreign ports and receive valuable goods
• Some ports give special bonuses or suffer special penalties
• They can also take special actions such as engaging in independent action, or embarking on an adventure

Certain trading destinations apply special effects if a fleet visits them, summarized on the Summer Solstice wind of fortune. You can also read more about the Empire's foreign relations in the recent Wild blue yonder wind of fortune.

Some fleets also have the opportunity to take part in special adventures that provide specific rewards. These options are found in the downtime menu as dropdowns. If you don't want to do something specific, your fleet will automatically participate in privateering - the default independent action available to every fleet captain.

Thwart the Blockade

• Any Freeborn corsair or Highborn with a fleet can help thwart the Asavean blockade of Sumaah ports
• In place of their normal production, a basic fleet would receive 72 rings and 2 doses of liao
• This adventure also removes penalty to trade with the port of Zemeh

In vengeance for the attack on the Isle of the Osseini and the destruction of Shantarim, the National Assembly has urged Freeborn corsairs to fight the Asaveans in Sumaah Republic coastal waters, to help thwart the blockade there. They don't have the power to break the blockade, but their efforts will be enough to allow some ships to slip through. The adventure is found in the Independent action dropdown menu called Thwart the Blockade. A standard fleet receives 72 rings and 2 doses of liao from the grateful Sumaah. It also removes the penalty to trade with the port of Zemeh. See the Questions of virtue wind of fortune, and note that this option is only available to Freeborn fleet captains with the corsair archetype or Highborn.

Other Effects

Every season sees large-scale effects impact individuals and nations. Where possible we've summarized these effects here.

Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths

• Every mine in an Imperial territory receives two additional ingots of the resource's base material

Imperial magicians have flooded the Empire with Day magic by casting the Imperial enchantment Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths. Among other effects, it adds 2 ingots of metal to every mine in an Imperial territory. Further details will be included in the Autumn Equinox Winds of Fortune.

Eye of the Fire Lord

• All four Dawnish territories have been infused with Summer magic

With the aid of the eternal Meraud, Dawnish magicians have infused Semmerholm, Weirwater, Astolat,and the Barrens with Summer magic. The exact effect is difficult to predict in advance, but at the very least it will encourage heralds of that realm to visit the people of Dawn.

Hunt the Whisper Gallery

• Every mana site in Highguard produces 1 fewer mana crystal until the start of the Winter Solstice 385YE
• Every mana site in the Marches produces 1 fewer mana crystal until the start of the Autumn Equinox 385YE

Thanks to two mandates enacted by the Highborn Assembly and the Marcher assembly, there is a hunt for agents of the Whisper Gallery underway. The disruption this causes means mana sites in both nations produce one fewer mana crystal. There was some fear that this would also result in Marcher farms with attached monoliths also producing fewer crystal mana but it appears those fears were unfounded.

Feast and Frost

• Every mana site in the Brass Coast provides one fewer mana crystal, and every herb garden loses three drams of true vervain from their production until the start of the Summer Solstice 386YE
• In return Tharim provides support to the Fire of the South
• Every mana site and farm in Dawn is losing either a crystal mana or 36 rings until the start of the Autumn Equinox
• In return Tharim will support a Dawnish army fighting in the Barrens

Following a declaration of concord by the Golden Pyramid during the 385YE Summer Solstice, the eternal Tharim, the Bound King of the Thrice-cursed Court is free to feast on mana sites and herb gardens across the Brass Coast. A terrible black frost will wither plants and drain the essence from crystals to satiate Tharim's endless hunger. All affected resources in the territory lose 1 mana crystal or 3 drams of true vervain as appropriate until the start of the Summer Solstice 386YE. In return, the Bound King will provide a cadre of steel-bound knights throughout this period to support the Fire of the South army.

Boon of the Deadwood Knight

• The Deadwood Knight has been defeated
• Their boon provides a small amount of bladeroot to Dawnish herb gardens

The Deadwood Knight was defeated, and for some reason their curse has not fallen on Karov. Every herb garden in Weirwater however will produce an additional dose of bladeroot in the coming season as a consequence of their boon.

Dho'uala's Tithe

• Fleets from Dawn, Varushka, and Holberg are temporarily freed from the 1 rank penalty to production
• The Custodian of the Ivarsgard Docks has had some of the prices for their ministries increased
• The Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak has had some of the prices for their weirwood ministry increased and lost access to their ilium ministry

The rise of the sovereign Dho'uala in the Semmerlak has been impeding fleets based in Dawn, Varushka, and Holberg reducing their production by one rank. After the Summer Solstice, however, there is a significant reduction in harassment of fleets, meaning that for this season at least the penalty is in abeyance. Dawnish, Varushkan, or Holberg characters are still free to create their own eerie tales of brushes with the terror of the Semmerlak.

Imperial titles related to ports on the Semmerlak, however, are still experiencing the same penalties. The Sarcophan captains dealing with the Custodian of Ivarsgard Docks have increased the price for Cerulean Mazzarine by a fifth. Thanks to changes in the law, the Harbourmaster of the Semmerlak will find not only that the price of weirwood has gone up but that there is no ilium available to buy.

Power of Faith

• Highborn congregations receive an additional liao, 2 extra votes, and a crown of additional income
• League congregations preaching Ambition receive an additional liao and two additional votes in the synod

This season there are several circumstances that affect the production of congregations in the Empire. The Birthplace of the Way means that Highguard congregations gain an additional dose of liao, two additional votes in the Synod, and a crown of income until the end of the Winter Solstice 385YE as detailed in Full of sacred sound.

At the same time, congregations run by a League citizen preaching Ambition receive an additional liao and two additional votes in the Imperial Synod until the end of the Winter Solstice 385YE. This is explored in more depth in the Don't blame me wind of fortune.

Free Folk Tutelage

• Every business in Highguard experiences a -1 rank penalty to production for the rest of the year

The Free Folk seek tutelage in the use of liao to perform the ceremonies Imperial priests take for granted, The national assembly of Highguard has urged the benefactors of their nation to help support these would-be priests, providing scholarships and bursaries. Every business in Highguard takes a -1 penalty to production until the end of the Winter Solstice 385YE. This situation is discussed in more detail in the Folklore wind of fortune.

Visiting Armada

• Grendel merchants are enthusiastically trading with businesses in Necropolis

The mandate enacted by Wildfyre means that Highborn business owners in Necropolis are encouraged to deal with Grendel traders visiting Necropolis. Every business in the territory will produce an additional 2 crowns each season.

Everything Costs

• Businesses in the League cost one less wain to upgrade until the start of the Winter Solstice 385YE

Upgrading a business personal resource costs one less wain of white granite than usual as part of a grand competition. This effect is detailed in the The money goes round wind of fortune.

Atalaya Harbour

• Fleets in Madruga cost one less wain to upgrade

Upgrading a fleet personal resource costs one less wain of weirwood for as long as the Atalaya Harbour remains and the Freeborn do not control Feroz. This effect is detailed in the The power behind our moves wind of fortune.

Mandates

• You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.

Seven mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod. All mandates have automatically been enacted as long as the named priest has sufficient liao in their inventory before downtime opens.

Imperial Lore

A ritual was put forward for inclusion in Imperial Lore during the Summer Solstice by the Dean of the Lyceum - Stag Knight's Glory - and the funds provided by the Dawnish witch Alexander.

Urizen Lore

No new rituals were added to Urizen lore during the Summer Solstice.

Runesmith's Law

Three new schema were presented for inclusion in Runesmith's Law at Runegrott.

• Eagles Talon
• Icewalker's Anvil
• Kingfisher's Promise