The cities and the city

"Empress Varkula sadly passed over two hundred years ago. I know there are people who want her to come back-" Jemima was not expecting to be interrupted.

"It's not about wanting her to come back!" said one of the younger wise ones hotly. "The sovereigns are rising in Varushka, and if she is a sovereign then that might mean she is rising too!"

"Please. Listen to me. The Empress died. She will come back in time - most likely she has already come back - but not as some strange monster of the cursed hills and dark woods. As a human being, reborn after her time in the Labyrinth, assuming that her virtue in life did not allow her to transcend and become a paragon and we just haven't realised it yet."

One of the wise ones crossed their arms, while another adjusted his shawl. The third was having none of it.

"We are here from Varushka because while you know a lot about tending tombs, we are the people who know about sovereigns and the terrible powers they wield! And we are telling you we must be allowed into the tomb!"

The steward crossed her own arms. She made eye contact briefly with Temovich. She knew the old woman very mildly, having shared the occasional coffee and pastry with them in the park near the tomb.. The wise one shrugged her eyebrows apologetically at her companion's rash words. But her serious expression did not alter.

"I know you're concerned." Jemima was keeping her temper by remembering that these people were simply being Vigilant. They had identified a possible threat and were investigating, and she could not fault them for that. Even if they were wrong. "But you cannot enter the tomb of the Empress. Not least because there are few things more commonly associated with a sudden haunting than defilement of the resting place. Especially after all this time."

"I am telling you -"

"No I am telling you." The steward of the dead had had enough. "You are not going into the tomb today, or any other day. There is no sign whatsoever that anything untoward is happening here. Your worries are your own business until such time as you can bring me anything other than unformed conjecture to suggest that the risks of not doing so outweigh the incredible disrespect you would be causing to the Empress. There is nothing more to be said!"

He opened his mouth to say something more, but she turned away. He sputtered a little, and she heard Temovich and the man in the shawl talking quietly and soothingly to him.

"Excuse me," said a new voice. She turned slightly to find three orcs hovering a little nervously at the bottom of the steps. They were Imperial Orcs of the Sunstorm sept, here with the Winter Sun, by their dress.

"I'm sorry, yes. Can I help you?"

They exchanged glances, and their spokesman gave her a worried smile.

"We were wondering if we might be able to get into the tomb?" he said. "We've reason to believe there's a lost item of worth in there and we would like to reclaim it for the people of Skarsind, or the people of Highguard, or possibly the people of Varushka, depending on what it is?"

Jemima started to count to ten inside her head and took a deep breath.

Inspiration for the grand endeavour has been provided, the ground is being cleared, the first white granite towers begin to rise.

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Overview

The League is not the only nation with cities. The White City and the Black were old when Sarvos and the rest were open fields. Many of the concerns of city folk are the same the world over, and this season highlights those similarities. Malevolent heralds, worries about dark powers, the quest for items of worth, concern about what one's neighbours are doing. There is a commonality between the Highborn. and their siblings in the League. Nor are Imperial citizens the only builders, of course. People everywhere, of all kinds, are drawn together like filings to a magnet. Even the Druj, it seems, build communities - if the tales of the sprawling chaos that is the city of Leen are to be believed. The Valiant Pegasus fights in the Salt Flats of Sanath and urges the soldiers of Highguard, and their allies, to remember that, though they walk the road through the heartlands of the Mallum, they are here as liberators, not conquerors.

Necropolis: Worth

Heroes of the Winter Sun, long have we bled to raise up our Kin from the bonds of slavery but now we move to lift up ourselves. We march for Necropolis leaving a trail of broken chains behind us, to open our minds to the revelations of the day. As we rest and ready for the storm to come, listen to your ancestors and their guidance to seek out items of worth, reclaim our lost histories, and discover the worth of those deserving of remembrance

Skywise Rykana, General of the Winter Sun

• Inspired by Day Magic, and the conjunction of the Lock and the Key, the Winter Sun has sought out items of worth in Necropolis

Following the Summer Solstice, the Imperial Orcs of the Winter Sun march south from the Barrens to Necropolis. They are here to rest, and to ready for the coming war with the Grendel. Yet that is not their only reason for being here. A unique enchantment of Day magic has been laid upon them, designed to focus and augment the effects of Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths. It allows scouts and soldiers associated with the orc army to seek out lost items of worth and urges the soldiers to encourage other Imperial Orcs in the area to recall the presence of lost items of their own. It empowers them to find things thought lost to the nation through misadventure, death in battle, or even things they themselves did not lose but an ancestor might have had. The power seems to function at least in part thanks to the last lingering power of the astronomantic conjunction of the Lock and the Web.

Almost immediately it becomes clear that the majority of the items of worth in Necropolis either belong to the Highborn, or are interred in the tombs of the Black City, and belong to the dead. The ritual does not differentiate between items that might have worth for the orcs - it seems to draw attention to any object that has a long history and in Necropolis this is a truly astonishing number of items. This makes some sense to Imperial Orcs and Highborn magicians alike - the magic of the Day realm is unlikely to be able to discern the numinous quality of "worth" but in conjunction with the Imperial enchantment and the conjunction could help identify items whose history hangs heavy around them and could be read - much as the detect magic spell does.

There are also few Imperial Orcs in the territory to encourage to find items of their own - only a few dozen pilgrims visiting the tomb of Emperor Ahraz, or the more recent memorials for Imperial orc heroes interred alongside the other champions of the Empire. The stewards of the dead answer questions, and listen with a great deal of interest to stories of worth and what it means to the Imperial Orcs. For many of them this is the first time they have had an opportunity to learn about the concept, and many are fascinated, especially when talk turns to matters of the Imperial relics - the weapons and armour donated to the first legions by the Highborn. They won't provide access to burial places, however, and in all honesty few Imperial Orcs even ask. The idea of graverobbing to recover items of worth proves unpalatable.

This isn't to say the magic is wasted, not entirely. There are people in Highguard who have the kind of items of worth that would be valuable to the Imperial Orcs. A few are relics of the shameful past - reminders of the centuries that Highguard saw orcs purely as creatures to be slain or enslaved. When an orc requests the return of such items, few refuse. The inspiring words of Olyvar of Esther's Sanctum are still plain in the Highborn peoples' minds. There are also several items that have a less sorrowful history; gifts given to battlefield-allies by dying Imperial Orc soldiers. Most of these are kept as mementos by the Highborn to whom they were entrusted, a reminder of a staunch ally or friend, but in some cases they too are surrendered to the Imperial Orcs especially when the meaning of worth is explained. In each case, they are handed over with stories of how and why they came into the possession of the Highborn, further cementing their identity as items of worth.

Some of these items are given to general Rykana, but most are either kept by the soldiers who find them - eager to help build their legend and that of the object. Many are also sent back to Skarsind, to the Halls of Worth, so the oathwrights can find new champions to carry them and be inspired by them.

Participation

Ribbons will be provided to the General of the Winter Sun, the Imperial Orcs whose military units supported the army, and to the Weigher of Worth at the start of the event. Any Imperial Orc or Highborn character who was in Necropolis this season for any reason can create a story about items of worth, and interactions with members of the other nation. Any steward of the dead in particular is encouraged to read over the worth page, to get a feel for what the Imperial Orcs might have explained to them, while any Imperial Orc is encouraged to review the Necropolis page, and the explanation of the role played by the stewards of the dead.

This enchantment is the result of an arcane projection, and drew power in part from the lesser conjunction of things being hidden and revealed, as well as from the Imperial enchantment. It's unlikely that the exact same confluence of factors will come together again any time soon, so similar effects will not be possible in the future.

Necropolis: Varkula

At the request of the Imperial Necromancer and due to our shared concerns we ask Father Drakov be given access to the Tomb of the Iron Empress, Varkula." Sovereigns are rising across Varushka. In the name of Vigilance and Wisdom we must check the seals on her tomb and the veracity of rumours that she has risen.

Father Drakov, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 346-0

• The Varushkan national assembly has asked to explore the tomb of Empress Varkula
• There is no sign of anything untoward in the tomb

The Imperial orcs are not the only people interested in relics and tombs in Necropolis. During the Summer Solstice, the Varushkan National Assembly upheld a statement of principle by Father Drakov that expressed the concerns of the Imperial Necromancer that Empress Varkula might somehow have risen as a sovereign. A small delegation of Wise ones in Necropolis - some resident and some making the long trip south especially - speak with the stewards of the dead and the guardians of the tomb.

There is absolutely no evidence of anything untoward around the tomb. It is as sealed as it ever was, and since the mild disturbances in Spring 382YE, there has been nothing else to raise any concern among the stewards. Requests to break open the tomb are met with polite refusal. The idea that an Imperial Empress might turn out to be some kind of awful unliving horror akin to the Charnel Lord or Dho'uala is viewed by several of the stewards as quite offensive. Furthermore, even if for some reason a malevolent entity were to arise in the tomb, there are precautions to provide warnings of such an event.

Without significant evidence that some serious threat resides inside the tomb, the stewards absolutely have no interest in allowing anyone to disturb the rest of the Throne interred within. They thank the wise ones for their concern, but reassure them that if anything does happen at the tomb they will be the first to seek out the expertise of their Varushkan siblings in addressing that threat.

OOC Note: There is no sign of any threat from Empress Varkula's tomb; attempts to gain access will not lead to opportunities. This includes statements of principle: the stewards of the dead will refuse any suggestion from their own assembly that the tombs be broken into. Breaking into one of the tombs at the Necropolis would be seen as a shocking trespass by the people of Highguard, and indeed by many other Imperial nations, even if the Imperial Senate were to command it. If there was an active plot regarding Empress Varkula - or anyone else interred in the Necropolis - then opportunities would be presented to interact with it, but right now that is not the case.

Necropolis: Espionage

• The Grendel espionage network in Necropolis has been broken
• Grendel plans have been examined, revealing a threat to the Necropolis itself
• Highborn businesses in Necropolis no longer receive additional money from the visiting Grendel Armada

The Highborn national assembly appeals to the citizens of Necropolis. We call citizens to come forward to tell the Seventh Wave and accompanying priests what information was given to the Grendel. We need to know the level of danger we are in. The National Assembly want to assure the people they will be treated fairly and in accordance to Imperial law. Some Highborn priests will accompany the army to ensure this loyalty to your siblings is worth more than coin in your pocket. There is a path for redemption for unvirtuous deeds though recognising your loyalties.

Abraham, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 695-0

Vigilance teaches us to seek out falsehood and reveal the truth. We send Isaac of the Silent Tide with 50 doses of liao to urge the unconquered and the priests of our nation to help the Seventh Wave root out the poison in our fields.

Mandate, Isaac of the Silent Tide, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 834-0

We act in Vigilance, but let us remember our loyalties. While the bulk of our force resupplies, our unconquered act to quietly wrap up the Grendel's Espionage ring. A number of our citizens will be called to interview, with neither tea nor biscuits. Some, perhaps unknowingly, are traitors. But only some. And those that are, may yet find their honour to repent and redeem themselves

Barachel of Adina's Charge, General of the Seventh Wave

The Vigilance of the Seventh Wave has been rewarded by the revelation of an espionage ring in Necropolis. The Highborn national assembly sent Isaac of the Silent Tide to support the army in rooting out the spies with as little disruption as possible. The power of the Imperial enchantment currently infusing the Empire provides subtle assistance as well, particularly when it comes to uncovering hidden evidence or securing documents the spies might rather see destroyed.

It becomes clear that there are precious few Highborn who have intentionally sold secrets to the Grendel. Most of those who have provided information to the barbarians are doing so unwittingly, or without due consideration of the consequences. With Isaac urging people to consider the behaviour of their friends and enemies, and the assurance that those who have misstepped will not be punished, and the vigilant unconquered following up the leads they uncovered last season, the espionage ring is rolled up.

The Grendel involved are ejected from Highguard, and the magistrates work with the Highborn to differentiate those who have committed treason from those who have made mistakes. There is comparatively little disruption in the territory as a consequence, although it does put an end to the trade arrangements between Highborn merchants and Grendel originally endorsed by the assembly. Highborn businesses no longer receive additional trade.

In the process of rolling up the espionage ring in Necropolis, there are several opportunities to actually capture information that might prove of use. The most obvious thing discovered by the soldiers and priests is that the Grendel spymasters are apparently in turmoil. None of them saw the betrayal of the Apulian orcs coming. The Council of the Salt Lords must now face the fact that one of their own has defected to the Imperial side - someone who was privy to many of their plans for the coming war with the Empire. They are now having to change those plans... or not. According to some of the documents recovered before the Grendel spies could destroy them, some of the Salt Lords are arguing that changing the plan is exactly what the Empire would expect - that the attack on Sarvos should go ahead as planned and catch Imperial armies by surprise. In the end it is clear that they have not yet made up their mind what they are going to do: an attack is coming, but the Council of Salt Lords have not yet chosen a target.

There's also some disturbing notes that talk about an agreement with the Asavean Plenum. It's an open secret that the Asaveans are offering support to the Grendel in their upcoming war with the Empire - and equally an open secret that the Plenum wants revenge for the raid on Chalonsio. The Asaveans are demanding the destruction of an Imperial city as the only way to regain their pride, and propitiate their bitter gods. The most likely targets are Sarvos, obviously, but also Siroc - and there are plenty of hints in the recovered documents that the Grendel would prefer to sacrifice Siroc to the Asaveans' bloodlust and take Sarvos for themselves - but if push comes to shove, and their alliance is on the line, who knows which way the Grendel will jump?

The majority of the intelligence recovered, however, hints at the Grendel plans for Necropolis. They have been mapping military targets and defensible locations - they definitely have a map of the territory that could be used for scrying and know the details of any army that has been stationed here in the last three years up until the start of the Autumn Equinox. The main target of any attack on the territory, however, will be the Necropolis itself. The Grendel are itching to despoil the tombs of the dead Thrones and the heroes of the Empire, and the general consensus is that such an attack would be a serious blow against the morale not only of Highguard but of the Empire as a whole. Raiding most likely wouldn't be sufficient - a Grendel army would need to occupy the region of Coursmouth to have the time and access needed to break into the tombs. If they did, they would potentially leave the city ruined: hundreds of memorials defaced, grave goods stolen, and at least some of the bodies taken away. There's still no explanation as to what the Grendel wanted with the body of Empress Giselle, for example. While the League were able to move her corpse far north, and inter her in the garish new tomb in Temeschwar, there is no chance whatsoever that the other tombs of the Thrones could be relocated - never mind the mausoleums, cenotaphs, and memorials inhabited by the Empire's heroes.

The Grendel spies have identified that if they want to raid the Necropolis they will need to take and hold either Sanctuary Sands or Naris in Redoubt. Obviously Reumah's Rest protects Sanctuary Sands, so it will be no easy task. The Grendel must also be aware that an Imperial counterattack against a weak holding in one of these regions might leave their army trapped in Coursmouth - although that will be scant comfort to the people of Necropolis - or the Empire.

A Second Ring

The substance known as blue lotus or Ocean's Caress, which prevents the user from using liao, is being produce in Asavea. They are using the proceeds from the sale of this drug to fund their war on the Empire and their slaving practices. We call on the virtuous to not purchase it. Do not let our Prosperity fund our enemies.

Eskae Crowspeaker, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: 1200-12

• Thanks to a tip-off from unnamed agents, a major smuggling ring has been ended

While the major focus of the Seventh Wave is on the Grendel spies, there is another ring at work in Necropolis it seems. During the Summer Solstice, heroes from Anvil apparently used the Sentinel Gate to investigate a well-secured smuggling ring operating out of Crown's Quay. A group of Freeborn corsairs, acting on behalf of a Madrugan magistrate, apparently identified a pivotal Grendel smuggler and their Imperial accomplices, and provided a thorough package of evidence which was used not only to arrest the smugglers in Necropolis, but also to deal with several agents in Siroc. The Grendel in Necropolis was further implicated in a fire at a local tavern, and if not for the quick thinking of a second group of Imperial heroes several historic dockside buildings might have been gutted.

With the aid of the Seventh Wave, there's no doubt that the smugglers have been dealt with, but there is still a matter of mild concern. Along with traditional small items that could be moved easily, the Grendel were also selling shipments of an Asavean narcotic called Ocean's Caress into the Empire. The substance itself is not illegal - but bringing it into the Empire without paying the appropriate tariffs - which are not insignificant when they involve trade with slavers such as the Grendel and the Asaveans - certainly is! People are being urged to be on the look-out for the substance - a thick blue liquid that causes feelings of relaxation and peculiar dreams - and if they have any suspicion that it has been brought into the Empire illegally, report those suspicions to a magistrate. By all accounts, concerns about this particular narcotic have also been raised by Eska Crowspeaker the Voice of Liberty, although at this time the greater majority of the General Assembly were not moved to support the judgement.

Sarvos: Agents

Our bravos have done what none have done before by "conquering" Spiral in a single season. We have fought ourselves to bloody tatters in the east and it's time to cut loose and celebrate. Let the bravos off the chain to blow off steam in the docks and bordellos with a raucous piss-up that will go down in legend, ready for any foolish enough to try and break it up.

Jean d'Apulian, General of the Wolves of War

• With the aid of the Wolves of War, the Shuttered Lantern have located an espionage network in Sarvos
• Rolling up the espionage ring still represents a challenge

Conclave asks the Shuttered Lantern to tear the veil and reveal the hidden hand of the Grendel and any other threat to the Empire in the territory of Sarvos. We will expose the espionage rings, spy networks, and other information gathering tools of our enemies. Where possible we hope to neutralise the threat.

Grandmaster Tyburn Weaver of the Shuttered Lantern

Where there is one espionage ring, there are likely others. The Shuttered Lantern, with the support of the Imperial Conclave, have set themselves the task of tracking down espionage agents in the city of Sarvos. Again supported by the Imperial enchantment, they are able to carefully track down a number of individuals who have connections with the Grendel, observe them, and begin to get a feel for the orcs' operations in the territory. They are also helped by the fact the Wolves of War are resting and recuperating in the city. Members of the Shuttered Lantern work with soldiers from the army, taking advantage of their knowledge of the city and the surrounding terrain, their military experience, and their willingness to work with others especially if there is money on the table.

There is indeed an espionage ring at work here, but there's no sign it is connected to the one in Necropolis, or organised in the same way. It seems the Grendel spymasters are maintaining separation between their various operations, meaning that even if one is identified and rolled up, the others will not be compromised. What they are able to do however is confirm that there are definitely espionage rings in Madruga, Redoubt, Tassato, and Spiral. The theoretical is now certain.

Much as with the Necropolis espionage ring, however, the majority of the agents here are humans rather than orcs. Most of the "agents" are League citizens providing what seems to them to be slightly dubious or criminal information in return for coin. The Grendel are not barbarians after all, and until recently there were plenty of people who assumed the peace treaty would continue for years to come. Not every agent is an Imperial, however. A key piece of intelligence gathered by the Shuttered Lantern comes when an Apulian Orc identifies an apparent bravo on the docks who they recognise from Vorlach as a vassal of Salt Lord Moorvain. They were carousing with off-duty soldiers from the Wolves of War, wheedling their way into their confidence by spending coin freely to buy drink and drugs. This leads to a group of other humans who, while pretending to be Sarvosans, are actually disguised agents of the Salt Lords.

By the Autumn Equinox, the Shuttered Lantern has a rough map of the web of agents in Boche, Cigno, and Uccelini. This presents an obvious problem - the best way to deal with the espionage ring would be to move against agents in each of the three regions simultaneously, but that might prove a challenge for the Shuttered Lantern alone.

Lanterns

• A Declaration of Concord could be used to commit the Shuttered Lantern to dealing with the espionage ring
• The resources required would cost the Imperial Conclave 60 crystal mana from next seasons' font

The Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern could use a Declaration of Concord to ask the Conclave to support them in dealing with the espionage ring in Sarvos themselves. This would require a commitment of mana - the magicians in Sarvos estimate it will take 60 crystal mana in addition to their own resources. It will not be necessary to do a separate Endowment - the resources will come directly from the font for Winter Solstice, provided the Conclave supports the Shuttered Lantern's operations.

If they take the lead, the Shuttered Lantern will roll up the espionage ring in Sarvos before the Winter Solstice the Grandmaster will receive some information about what the espionage network was working on, along with a portion of the wealth the Grendel were using to pay their informants and a single magic item taken from the spies. Some some of the agents may escape - coordinating the operation will be extremely challenging - but the threat will be removed.

Wolves

• The Wolves of War can use the Guard the Gates order to destroy the spy network

The Wolves of War are on furlough in Sarvos as the Shuttered Lantern operation unrolls. League magicians from the order are able to call on friends who serve in the army for additional aid, and that means that a number of competent soldiers and officers have inside information about the espionage ring as well. As such, the Wolves of War could clean house in the League territory themselves. The general would need to remain in Sarvos and use their mercenary connections to take the Guard the Gates order. If they do so, whatever else happens, the espionage ring will be shattered, multiple agents arrested and interrogated, and some of their accumulated wealth will be seized and delivered to the General along with additional information about what the network was working on. The army has the capacity to ensure that very few of the agents will be able to slip through the net, and the threat of agents operating in Sarvos will be removed. Note: While the army used the Guard the Gates order in Spring, the ability to select mercenary options "refreshes" in Autumn when the general is appointed.

Both or Neither

• If both the Shuttered Lantern and the Wolves of War cooperate the espionage ring will be smashed but there may be unexpected outcomes
• If the espionage ring is left in place either the Shuttered Lantern or the Wolves of War might deal with the threat later provided the situation does not change significantly in the meantime

Obviously the Shuttered Lantern and the Wolves of War might cooperate to smash the espionage ring together, If they do so, they will complement each others' approaches wherever possible. Both the Grandmaster and the General will receive a portion of the wealth the Grendel agents have accumulated, Both will receive information about what the network was working on. The espionage ring will be absolutely devastated; nobody will escape.

Of course there's no requirement for anyone to do anything here. The Shuttered Lantern may want to move on to start locating the Grendel agents in other territories; the Wolves of War might wish to do the same or have obligations that make it impossible to focus on cleaning up the spies in Sarvos. Either the order or the army can come back at a later date and deal with the espionage ring here - as long as nothing major changes in the meantime.

Leaving the ring in place is somewhat risky however. While the espionage ring is primarily used for information gathering it is sophisticated enough, and well hidden enough, that it could take covert action in support of any Grendel attack here that would go beyond just gathering information.

Bastion: the Grand Endeavour

We the Nine received nineteen entries to design Bastion anew We celebrate all these visions. We instruct architects to use the design of Millward Cowley for the structure of the city, and the art of Skywise Gralka for its beauty and inspiration. We urge the civil service to display the entries received in the civil service records.

Viviane de Coeurdefer, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 7-1

• Two inspirational pieces of art have been selected by the Assembly of Nine to serve as the basis of the grand inspiration of the Way to be built in Bastion
• Work has finally begun on the project with gifts of white granite and money from private individuals and entire nations
• The presence of Cold Sun in the territory is making more than a few people very nervous

Work is ready to begin on the sacred city, to be built in Bastion. The challenge of finding a piece of suitably numinous art that can help the architects and engineers of the Empire build something that will echo down the ages has been completed. The contest of imagination has ended - the Assembly of Nine selected two winners. One, by the Marcher Millward Cowley, is a truly Ambitious piece that lays out the basic design of the city - a central cathedral and seven encircling temples each dedicated to one of the seven virtues, surrounded by gardens. The other is from the Imperial Orc Skywise Gralka, a gorgeous piece of conceptual art capturing the idea of soaring towers and pealing bells. These two pieces of art have been used to draw up the awe-inspiring structure that now begins to rise in Bastion. Assuming that everything goes according to plan, and sufficient resources are available each season, it should be completed shortly before the Autumn Equinox 388YE.

The Wayfarer's Guide

• The Wayfarer's Guide, the prize offered by the chapter of Pharos' Water, will be delivered to the civil service on Saturday morning
• Skywise Gralka and Millward Cowley must decide between them who will receive it

When Elian Sweetwater proposed that Imperial artists work with the Assembly of Nine to find a suitable inspiration, members of the Pharos' Water chapter proposed that a competition was the only virtuous way to choose these designs. The chapter's benefactors committed to providing the winning artist with the Wayfarers Guide - an artefact Dragonbone Symbol originally created for Emperor James but never delivered.

The Assembly of Nine, however, has chosen two victors in the contest. The Exarch of the Pharos' Water chapter cannot break the Wayfarer's Guide in half, and committed to provide a single gift to one winning artist. As such, they propose to leave the decision as to who receives Emperor Frederick's Dragonbone Symbol to Millward and Gralka. The talisman will be delivered to the Tribune of the Synod on Saturday morning; they ask that Gralka and Millward bring their decision as to who will receive the item to them at the Hub when they are ready.

Progress

• Work on the Grand Inspiration begins following the Summer Solstice
• Materials for constructing the grand inspiration have been provided by both wealthy individuals and the nations of Highguard, the Brass Coast, and the Marches

The project requires 1000 white granite and 250 Thrones. So far, three nations have committed their support. Eli of the Cenotaph urged the Highborn to offer whatever they could to the make this dream a reality. Friar John of the Mourn urged the people of the Marches to contribute whatever they could, while the Freeborn, and Sufyan i Zuhri i Erigo did the same for their own nation. Between them the three nations are contributing 53 wains of white granite, and 106 crowns each season. Highguard will continue to do so until the project is complete, while the Marches and Brass coast will do so until the start of the Summer Solstice 386YE. Such devotion is costly. Everything those nations can spare will be devoted to support the extraordinary project - there will be no resources available for other plans. As a result it will be impossible to use a mandate to urge the people of the nation to support another commission or similar project that needed help. Any mandate in the Imperial Synod that urged citizens to provide financial support to a different commission or cause would fail to have any effect and any statement of principle that asked the nation for their support in this way would fail to produce a mandate.

Other nations may still choose to offer their support - unlike normal mandates those urging people to support the ambitious endeavour can be proposed at any time unless the situation changes. Even the League could do so, in spite of their National Assembly previously having supported a statement by Fabio Costas de Sarvos, denouncing the entire scheme as unvirtuous as they chose not to raise the resultant mandate.

Peril

• Cold Sun is in Bastion

There is one major cause for concern in Bastion. The forces of the destructive eternal Cold Sun have gathered in Bastion. These wicked heralds have already destroyed the Unbound Steel Hall of Lost Chapters in Reikos, and assaulted a number of targets in Highguard including the Physician's Hall in Sybela. Most worrying of all, however, is the news that a major force of these heralds is gathered at Woodbury - a force of some three thousand supernatural entities with barely understood powers.

There is a great deal of white granite being gathered at Bastion, and the construction work leaves many workers, architects, engineers, and the people of the White City itself vulnerable. The attackers would need to pass through Stoneside to threaten the city directly, but they could certainly raid the caravans bringing white granite from the western nations. Worse, they have demonstrated both a committed hatred of things that exalt the spirit, and an ability to put themselves in a position to try and destroy those things. Finally, of course, there are no fortifications in Bastion whose garrison might slow them down. The people of the White City are nervous, to put it mildly.

But nowhere near as nervous as the people of Woodbury. Unlike the chapters of the northern and eastern regions, those of Bastion - and those of Woodbury in particular - tend to be less fortified and more concerned with agriculture and the virtues of Prosperity. They have no capacity to protect themselves from the depredations of Cold Sun, and if they are forced to flee they will also be forced to leave their harvests behind, along with many of their treasures. While folk in Bastion are concerned about what is going to happen with Cold Sun, the chapters of Woodbury are beside themselves with worry.

Leen : A Road to Liberation

• This season the Valiant Pegasus is part of the advance into the Salt Flats of Sanath against the Druj
• This has created an opportunity for a number of National Assemblies to find out more about the disposition of the enemy forces there

Only one Highborn army is actively engaged with a military campaign this season, the Valiant Pegasus who are part of the Imperial advance into the Slat Flats of Sanath. It is a Courageous attack on the Druj heartlands, that draws the full attention of the Imperial Synod due to the crusading nature of Highguard's armies. Some question the Wisdom of such a headlong plunge into enemy territory without any idea of what is there, but others point to the presence of the Citadel Guard and their unique ability to carry out enlightened scrying in a territory. But if more knowledge is what is required, why don't the Assemblies help the generals gather it?

As a result of the inspirational attack by the Valiant Pegasus last season, any of the four national assemblies whose armies are present in Sanath could choose to encourage their soldiers to reach out to the local orcs with the following mandate.

Let every word you speak carry meaning. We send {named priest} with 25 doses of liao to persuade the soldiers of the Citadel Guard/Iron Helms/Valiant Pegasus/Gryphons Pride to seek out orc septs oppressed by the Druj. Together we will find the right question.

Synod Mandate, Urizen/Varushkan/Highborn/Dawnish Assembly

If this mandate is enacted by a nation then the soldiers of that army will adopt the approach pioneered by the Dawnish in the conquest of the Barrens, striving to minimise casualties and thus open channels of communication. Each army that is affected would suffer a twenty-five percent penalty to territory captured, but they would gain information about a single sept present in the territory, get an impression of how they view the Empire and gain a winged messenger contact for that sept. Each Assembly can only influence the soldiers of their own nation who were present there last season, armies that were not present in Sanath before the summit cannot be affected.

This mandate will only affect Urizen or Varushka if their Assembly pass it with a greater majority due to both those nations questioning of Synod mandates. Due to the nature of this opportunity it is not possible to submit an alternate mandate on this topic.

None of these mandates will have any effect if the Iron Helms, or any other Imperial army, carry out a merciless assault against Druj inhabitants of the Salt Flats of Sanath this coming season. It is not possible to open diplomatic channels of communication whilst engaging in brutal tactics designed to terrorize them. If any army undertakes a merciless assault then all the mandates will automatically fail and no liao will be taken.