Oh so intricate

"THEY HAVE DONE WHAT!?"

The bellow shook trees. People froze, staring in horror toward the sound.

"RIGHT!" came the roaring voice of their master, like thunder. "I WANT EVERYONE AT THE GATE OF STONE RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"

Those who were within sound of the voice converged on the crude black stone. Some hung from twisted boughs, others lurked among the shadows, waiting. They did not have to wait long. The master surged between the trees, dwindling and shrinking as he came. Huffing and puffing he clambered atop the giant, raised trapdoor that led down down down into the deep dark below. He was red faced and radiating fury.

"I want a volunteer to go and talk to the Ghulai!" he bellowed. Without pausing he pointed straight at a figure leaning against one of the trees lazily eating a soft, fuzzy, azure fruit. He looked a bit like an orc in leather mage armour, but with massive ears like bat-wings and scales on his face and forearms. "You're it, Koth. Go and tell Blacktooth and Riventongue and any of the others you can round up that the Brother of Wizards is pissed with their entire stupid tribe and that the deal is off. I warned them not to get involved. I fucking warned them I wasn't pissing about."

"What do I say if they ask me why, boss?" asked Koth lazily, crunching the fruit-pit between his teeth.

"Tell them if they don't know why I'm pissed off, they need to sober the fuck up and work it out. Also tell then that I said to fuck them and fuck their stupid fucking forest! Have you got that? Those exact words!"

Koth saluted lazily, hefted a thorny rune-covered rod, and slouched vaguely off in the direction of... somewhere else.

"I need someone who can speak to soldiers. Imperial soldiers. Anyone?" The Boss was still raging as he glared around the clearing. There was a general shuffling of feet. Nobody was prepared to make eye contact.

"Oh for the love of... Zin. You've spoken to a general before right?"

Zin did not look happy. "Yes, but it was an Urizen general so it doesn't really count."

"Bollocks. A generals a general. Go and track down... what's his chops. The merrow. You know the one I mean. The prognosticator. Tell him the Brother of Wizards has an offer if he wants to hear it, for the military council. We're pretty sure their witches have found the green place right?"

This last was addressed to a short, dark furred creature lurking in one of the trees. It was a little like a cross between a massive rat, and a monkey, and something else entirely. It nodded its peculiar shaped head quickly and enthusiastically and hissed "yes yes yes".

"Then we go with the plan you suggested. Zin, you're to offer to nick the regio. It'll piss that sneaky little Spring twat off like nobody's business but fuck him too. Fuck them all!"

And with that he slammed his rod down on the stone, sending sparks flying in all directions, and launched himself up into the air transforming in a flurry of stretching and tearing ad fluttering pale moths into an immense black bat with burning eyes leaving the heralds to look after him, and then at each other. Nobody spoke until they were sure the Boss was out of earshot.

"What... what happened?" asked Carcanaloth, his usual hang-dog look even more pronounced.

"The Druj have set fire the Halls of Knowledge," said a herald in a matter-of-fact voice, taking a swig from a nondescript earthenware jug.

"Oh dear," said Carcanaloth.

"Exactly," said his neighbour, spilling hot buttered rum down his chin as he gulped the last of it down. "And after we went to so much effort to move the damn thing somewhere nice."

Imperial Magic

Time and the Rain

• Potent Autumn magic protects traders on the Bay of Catazar from Grendel pirates after the Spring Equinox
• During the coming season all fleets from Tassato, Sarvos, the Brass Coast, Highguard, or Urizen will suffer a 1 rank penalty to production if they engage in trade.

For much of this year, Grendel pirates have been attempting to prey on trading vessels operating out of the Bay of Catazar. Their attempts have not been successful, stymied by Imperial magic. This Autumn magic, rich with resonances of serendipity and coincidence, confounds the Grendel vessels allowing Imperial traders to easily evade their grasp. Some sailors report more obvious magical effects - it is as if the passage of time becomes elastic causing Grendel vessels and the orcs that crew them to move achingly slowly while Imperial ships and their sailors move at double speed

As with the Summer Solstice before it, however, the magic is clearly not particularly durable. Again as the Autumn Equinox approaches, ship captains report more close calls and it will soon have faded completely. They are optimistic that the magic will be used again soon, whatever its mysterious source. If it is not invoked again, then the Empire's trading ships - at least along the Bay of Catazar - will be left at the mercy of Grendel pirates.

Walls of Magic

• Magical citadels have been raised in the marshes of Holberg and Kallavesa; in the forests of Semmerholm; and in the hills and mountains of Redoubt, Kahraman, Spiral, Morrow, Hahnmark, Semmerholm.

There are three potent enchantments known to Imperial magicians that draw magic from the eternal realms to create powerful fortifications in the mortal realm. Rarely have so many been conjured so effectively in so short a time. The Sussivari Frost Coven weave mists over Kallavesa and Holberg as is their wont, while the Sherard Hunters infuse the forests of Axmure with vibrant Spring magic. Half a dozen frozen castles of stone and ice are raised across the Empire by the Summer Dawning Relentless (who conjure no less than four citadels from the Ice Queen's frigid realm), the Blazing Sun, and the Eternal Family.

The citadels fade with the coming of the Autumn Equinox, but while they stand they protect the lands where they are summoned and provide safe haven for defenders and travelers alike.

Black Stars Ride

• The stars are missing in Semmerholm, the Barrens, and Zenith
• The penumbral veil has been drawn over Otkodov, and over the Imperial territories of Necropolis, Redoubt, Sarvos, Madruga, Feroz, Temeschwar, and Morrow

For most of 381, the stars were absent from the night skies over most of the Empire, and over Liathaven and the Barrens. They returned - for the most part - shortly before the Winter Solstice 381YE. They remain absent from the Barrens and Semmerholm. Shortly before the Spring Equinox, the stars over Zenith likewise disappeared from the night sky.

Rituals such as Eyes of the Sun and Moon, Eye of the High Places, and Dreams in the Witch House performed on one of these territories are impeded. A detect magic incantation in Semmerholm confirms that the shroud there maintains its current potency - a Night effect of magnitude fifty, meaning any attempt to scry the territory must at least equal that magnitude or no information can be discovered. The strength of the shrouds over the Barrens, and Zenith are assumed to be comparable, but there is no widespread information about whether that is the case.

Magical scholars suggest that if these shrouds are similar to those that cloaked the entire Empire, and to those created by Drawing the Penumbral Veil the first two will last until shortly before the Winter Solstice 382YE, the third over Zenith until the start of the Spring Equinox 383YE. Assuming, of course, that they are not removed prematurely - or reinforced, by the Druj who have almost certainly created them.

Naga influence

As is expected by now, any naga who has spent significant time in any of the four territories where the stars are still hidden experiences the following roleplaying effect; your natural urge toward subtlety and secretiveness is greatly strengthened. Naga in general relish being mysterious and secretive, but while experiencing this potent roleplaying effect you may need to make a significant effort of will to answer direct questions or be honest about your intentions.

The roleplaying effect is significantly lessened at Anvil - indeed the longer one stays out of a territory where it applies the less pressing the urge to secrecy and subtlety becomes - but a naga with a strong lineage who has spent time in the Barrens, Zenith, Morrow, or Semmerholm will still experience the roleplaying effect at least until Saturday morning.

Penumbral Veils

A handful of merchants and pedlars report that more traditional magic - the ritual known as Drawing the Penumbral Veil - has been worked over Urdur in Otkodov. It is still not clear at this time if the same veil lies over Nithoggir, Sküld, or Verthandi and difficult to determine without using scrying magic to examine the territories in question.

Likewise, it appears that ritual shrouds have been drawn over Necropolis, Redoubt, Sarvos, and Madruga. During the Summer Solstice, the Penumbral Veil was also drawn over Feroz, Temeschwar, and Morrow. In each of these territories, the stars are warped into a shroud that interferes with magical scrying. In each case, these shrouds have a particular resonance to them that means both territories are also prone to heavy, dark fog, and the altered stars are often hidden behind inky black clouds.

There is on additional interesting effect; on a moonless night shortly after the Summer Solstice the stars in Morrow quiver and begin to fade. After a double-handful of minutes, however, the darkness that appears to be consuming them breaks apart and the stars return brighter than ever before. Magicians in Morrow theorise that the same magicians who have stolen the stars in the Barrens, Zenith, an Semmerholm attempted to do the same here - but that their magic was not powerful enough to overcome the veil already drawn by Urizen magicians.

Hungry Winds

• The Icy Maw Devours the Spark of Essence has been unleashed in Segura

Following the earthquake that recently shook Segura, a chill wind sweeps across the territory during the Summer Solstice. The weather worsens, leading to one of the dampest Summers the western Brass Coast has seen in recent memory. Not only is the weather unpleasant, but something about it drives magicians in the territory to distraction. They find it difficult to concentrate, and in some cases experience bouts of gloominess and lethargy. Others on the other hand become exuberantly short tempered and aggressive - a combination that is far from ideal. Worse, that same glum slothfulness or passionate irritability extends to magical beasts of all types - luckily rare in Segura but nonetheless dangerous on the rare occasions that they are encountered.

The Freeborn hakima are quick to realise what has happened. The curse known sometimes on the Coast as the Bitter Wind has been unleashed against Segura. Sure enough, in the months that follow the Summer Solstice the production of every mana site in Segura is halved. Crystals are malformed and weak, and crumble into dust when touched by magical hands.

A few minor regio are seriously damaged by the curse, losing their properties permanently. The other main effect, however, is that the magical disruption that had rolled across Segura in the wake of the earthquake and the mysterious damage to Ghita's Veils is entirely smoothed over.

By the time of the Autumn Equinox, the situation has largely returned to normal - not only has the curse faded but the magical disturbances have completely subsided. There are no more peculiar dreams.

Eternal Magic

A Challenge of Battlemagic

• Meraud has issued a challenge to Imperial magicians to perform spectacular battlefield magic.
• He will determine the outcome of the contest during the Spring Equinox along with a panel of hand-picked fellow judges.

As he announced during the plenipotentiary meeting last season, Meraud issues a challenge to the Empire. It is a time of war, and a time for the magicians of the Empire to show their mastery of battle magic.

Beginning at the Autumn Equinox, the Summer Mage Meraud challenges the magicians of the Empire to take their magic to war. The contest will continue until the start of the Spring Equinox next year, and during the months that it runs he wishes to see the most powerful, most effective us of magic in battles. During the Spring Equinox, he will convene a group of judges and hear from Imperial magicians of the magic they have woven that has turned the tide of battle, saved the lives of their fellows, slaughtered their enemies, and granted succour to the Empire.

Each magical feat will be judged as to its effectiveness, its raw power, its cleverness, its majesty, and its uniqueness. The heralds of Meraud warn that it will not be enough simply to say that one "healed many allies" unless those allies are physically present and prepared to attest to the fact their lives were saved by magic alone; it is not enough to say that one "devastated the enemy with shattering power" unless there are trophies and a chorus of voices prepared to attest to the splendour of your deeds.

The magic need not have taken place on a battlefield, but the Summer Mage will look particularly favourably on magic wielded by those who were risking their lives to face their foes directly.

In conjunction with a group of other judges - he plans to invite the Archmage of Summer, the Warmage, the Master of Ice and Darkness, the Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield and at least one other yet to be revealed to join him in judging this contest - Meraud will award trophies to the three magicians whose acts of battle magic have most impressed him. He does understand however if one or more of the people he is planning to ask to judge the contest wish to decline the offer so that they can take part!

An Unusual Spotlight

• Kimus is looking for volunteers to take part in an experiment.

Sashes of office are a common sight around the Castle of Thorns, but less expected are young wearers of sashes of office - in this case an ivory sash with a golden rune of Ophis marked upon it - turning up flanked by floating heralds. Quickly recognised as representatives of the Eternal Kimus, the young orc scholar and their heralds were shown into a side chamber and asked to explain the intentions of The Celestial Eye in sending such a delegation.

As far as the civil service could glean it consists of a simple offer to Imperial Citizens. The Seer clad in Veils of Light wishes to deepen her understanding of the perception of emotion, and more specifically, how that emotion is transmitted in music, song, or artistic speech. She is inviting those Imperial Citizens that would be prepared to undertake the journey to a chamber of Day to perform or listen to a short performance to make themselves known to her, for an experience that will take place at the Winter Solstice.

Farik, the orc explains that the plan is to use a procedure that other Eternals have employed to good effect. A receptacle will be placed in the Hall of Worlds on Friday evening of the Equinox to collect slips of paper on which the following should be written: Name, Group and Nation of interested party; where in Anvil they are most commonly found; if they remain in Anvil during battle or not and whether they are most likely to want to perform or to be audience. This can be placed by someone else on behalf of the participant or by the participant themselves.

During the rest of the Equinox agents of Kimus, will visit all the interested, and explain the experience that Kimus has planned for the Winter Solstice to them, asking them if they wish to pledge to participate. They will also, naturally, be interested to hear what individuals themselves have to say about the nature and perception of performance. They will NOT consider any requests for boons from Kimus. Those same agents will also begin to make arrangements with Autumn covens, so that the experience need not be limited to those with the mage skill. From around 2pm on the Sunday of the Equinox, Agents will station themselves in the Hub, in the Hall of Worlds, at the Bitterbark teahouse and in Lumi's Teahouse, so that any who they have not managed to speak to so far may find them easily.

Kimus promises no harm will come to participants, requests that they take part freely, expecting the experience itself to be its own reward, not a path to further bounty, and looks forward to seeing the Empire's interest in this.

OOC Note: The experience at E1-2019 will be in an Encounter tent, with good seating and wheelchair accessibility. It will have unusual sensory elements (eg total darkness, bright light, draping participants with fabrics, heat and cold and rough and smooth sensations applied to hands) alongside the performances. If you need accommodations to any of these, please ask and we will make changes to individual elements and ensure there are always IC opt out routes available, but do note that "strange sensory experience" is a primary goal of the encounters.

The Lake Dwellers

• Leviathan has offered to help Tarqeq Icetongue speak to the mysterious Lake Folk in Sermersuaq

Before the fall of Sermersuaq, some mysterious power was observed stirring in the territory. Drowned corpses, some long dead, emerged from the lakes and attacked the living. The WInterfolk fought them back, but there was never any satisfactory explanation for what had happened. The Sussivari sought counsel with the eternal Leviathan but achieved little satisfaction. The attacks ceased - but its not clear if that is because the mysterious entities behind them achieved their goal or the presence of the Jotun made them rethink their strategy. It is possible that the recent rising of the dead in Sermersuaq may be connected to them - whoever they are.

Shortly before the Autumn Equinox, a message is received by the Conclave civil servants from The Deep One. It requests that Tarqeq Icetongue and no more than two other Icewalkers meet with a herald of the Abyssal Lord at half past nine on Friday night. As he promised, Leviathan has managed to arrange a meeting with one of the people he refers to as the Lake Dwellers in a chamber tied to the Day realm. Leviathan further promises that he will ensure the safety of Tarqeq and his companions, assuming that Tarqeq promises not to harm any of the Lake Dwellers during their meeting.

Thorns and Broken Chains

• The eternal Irra Harah has placed a bounty on Imperial citizens

Shortly before the Spring Equinox, the Spring eternal Irra Harah placed a bounty on the heads - or rather the hearts - of the Zadkiel de Coeurdefer of Dawn, Chiara i Zayden i Riqueza of the Brass Coast, and Henry Ward of Upwold. The Imperial Conclave responded by placing Irra Harah under enmity - but that does not seem to have slaked the eternals thirst for hearts.

Shortly after the Summer Solstice, a briar child delivers a message to the Conclave civil servants, ostensibly from Papa Otec. Apparently, Henry Ward of Upwold has paid the price for his wickedness, but Irra Harah still wants the hearts of the other two. Anyone who slays them and cuts out their hearts, brings them to the Imperial regio, and uses operate portal to cast them through it for the Shackle Smasher to see their work will receive a boon. The child also reiterates that if all three are dead by the end of the Spring Equinox, Irra Harah will meet with the Spring archmage to discuss a boon to be granted to the Imperial Conclave.

To the surprise of the Civil Servant, the child further mentions in a casual sing-song voice that if the Empire succeeds at freeing at least five hundred slaves from the orcs of the Broken Shore during the coming season, then Thorn of the Ancestors will offer aid in helping to support, feed, and clothe those slaves - provided the Conclave removes the enmity they have placed upon him.

She then reportedly gave the Conclave civil servant a big hug and ran off laughing to play in the rain.

The Brother of Wizards

• Sadogua plans to visit the Hall of Worlds on Friday night, and has numerous boons and offers to discuss.

As mentioned previously, the Emperor of All Boars (as he is now styling himself) intends to visit the Hall of the Worlds with his entourage at around ten o clock on Friday night to meet with his friends in the Conclave, and express his appreciation for their renewed good relationship. During his visit he is, as always, keen to speak to Imperial magicians about whatever takes their fancy (although he promises nothing). He is however extremely keen to talk to Marcus of Endsmeet, Gemma Brightsmith of the Summer Star, and "the three cleverest magicians of the Marches whoever they happen to be" - ideally early in the night before everyone gets too cheerful. He would like the five of them to come together, to discuss "a private matter". Whatever that's about.

The first sign of that renewed friendship has already become evident. During the Summer Solstice, the Brother of Wizards wished to mark the fact he was once again friends with the Empire by making a bequest to one of the Conclave orders. He charged the Archmage of Night to select which order it would be. Elyssiathain of Endsmeet has apparently selected the Shuttered Lantern; the Grandmaster of the order will receive three pieces of crystal fire each season , to last as long as his amity does.

The Boon of Sadogua
Sadogua's boon to the magicians of Urizen and Highguard requires a magician to go to the Anvil Regio before midnight on the Friday of the summit. They need to mark the rune Diras on their hand, and affirm their friendship with him with at least thirty seconds of appropriate roleplaying. it must be obvious to everyone nearby what you are doing.

Once the roleplaying is complete, their personal mana is increased by 2 points. This effect lasts until the end of the Autumn Equinox, or until they no longer bear the rune of Diras on their hand. This is an increase to both current and maximum mana for the duration of the event . It does not require the assistance of a referee; only the appropriate, obvious roleplaying and the mark of the rune.

Please remember that you can only take advantage of this opportunity on Friday night, and only if you are an Urizen or Highborn character with the magician skill.

However, it appears that the Globbersnotch is not quite as calm and relaxed as he has been in the past. The night after the destruction of the Halls of Knowledge, a furious herald of Sadogua appears at Anvil. She races to find the nearest Civil Servant, and breathlessly delivers a message. The Druj, says the Toad King, were already on thin ice and now they have gone too far. He offers what limited aid he can to the magicians of the Empire. Now that he has his amity restored to him, his ability to help is commensurately greater.

Firstly, he offers a small boon to the magicians of Urizen. When he and his heralds come to the Hall of the Worlds on Friday night, any magician of Urizen may bring along a pouch, pot, or basket containing any combination of Dragonbone, Iridescent Gloaming, and Tempest Jade. Sadogua will take whatever they bring, and spend the night after the end of the party feverishly forging a boon from each offering for the magician who brought it to him to be delivered with the aid of Menos, the Urizen egregore, the next morning before the Sentinel Gate opens.

Secondly, he has called in several favours from... well, from people who owe him favours... and extends his power to the Empire. On Friday night, any magician of Urizen or Highguard may come to the Imperial Regio and receive his aid. They will need to mark one of their hands with the rune Diras - which is his favoured rune - and verbally affirm their friendship with him. If they do so before midnight, they will be able to partake a little of his essence. For the duration of the Autumn Equinox, their reserves of personal mana will be increased. It is his hope that they will use this magic to bring devastation to the Druj. He wishes he could offer this power to others - but his strength stretches only so far and so he chooses to aid those who have suffered the most at the hands of the Druj, and those who have stood as their defenders.

Finally, he offers a boon to Nicassia, the General of the Citadel Guard. He has thought long and hard about this, and conferred with several magicians he trusts, and wishes to offer a unique opportunity. It will not come free - what he intends to offer will deplete his strength greatly and much as he loves the Urizen he will harm himself to help them. If Nicassia brings him ten rings of ilium before midnight on Friday, when he and his heralds are in the Hall of Worlds, he will devour one sixth of the Cyclic Magic that coils and twists around the Citadel Guard. If Nicassia brings him twenty rings, he will eat two. The only one he cannot eat is the one that lies on the army during the Equinox. Make no mistake - once he has consumed them they will be lost forever. The cycle will speed up, but the techniques he consumes will be never be recovered. He knows that any number of priests, senators, and military fellows will have an opinion on this but all he cares about is what Nicassia wishes. This offer, he cautions, is available only while he is in the Hall of Worlds on Friday night. In all honestly, the herald confides, the Brother of Wizards appears quite nervous about this offer - as if even he is not entirely sure what it might do to the pair of them.