All my magic friends

Magic friends come in a ridiculous number of shapes and sizes.

Overview

The Winds of Magic blow, and they bring with them change. Not everything is about ritual magic and the Conclave, or the unpredictable desires of the eternals. There are other forces at work in the world that all get lumped in together as magic because there is no better explanation for them. So many little things happening, all over the Empire, like embers blown from the fire, settling on an old parchment map...

Mortal Magic

The Frozen Pools of Casinea

• For the past three months a curse has hung over Casinea
• The effects of the curse continue to be felt at Anvil

Shortly after the Autumn Equinox, a terrible curse settled over Casinea, over the political heart of the Empire. The curse altered the weather across the territory, making it especially chilly and unpleasant. The magic - Winter magic - seemed to be focused around bodies of still water, causing them to ice over even when it was too warm for such a thing to happen naturally. The effect is mostly restricted to puddles and small pools, but a few entire lakes freeze over as the Winter Solstice approaches, with ice thick enough to walk on. Not that any sensible person would wish to do so.

Any living creature that looks into the mirrored ice created by this curse sees themselves and the spectres of all those they have wronged in their reflections. This can be a truly harrowing experience, especially as it is not clear how the curse chooses who the viewer has wronged.

This has led to people taking pains not to look into any reflective surfaces, while a few others have viewed the experience as an opportunity to come to terms with the skeletons in their closet. Even those with the spiritual fortitude to face their past find the experience deeply unsettling however.

As the Winter Solstice draws nearer, the curse loses its magic and begins to fade. The weather returns to normal, water stops icing over... but people still see the spectral visages of those they have wronged. It seems that while the curse is unravelling, some of the magic has slipped out of frozen pools and into other reflective surfaces.

Participation: During the first night of the summit (until time out on Friday), anyone attending Anvil might catch sight of the spectral forms of those they have wronged - living or dead - in any reflective surface. The experience is always frightening, although how one responds to that fear is down to the individual character; it may cause an involuntary shudder or send you fleeing from the scene.

The effect will have dissipated entirely by dawn on Saturday of the event.

Secrets in the Dark

• The followers of the Whisper Gallery in Highguard have been routed
• The information on three cultists will be sent to Brother Aemon at the Winter Solstice

The efforts of the inquisitors and magisters in Highguard over the past six months have borne fruit. For the most part, the magicians of Highguard are cautious in their dealings with eternals, but there are some who allow foolishness or misplaced desire overwhelm their better judgement and their virtue. As a result of the inquisition, several dozen individuals - magicians and otherwise - guilty of dealing with the Whisper Gallery have been investigated, exposed, and their information passed over to the magistrates for prosecution. For the most part these criminals' activity is petty rather than dangerous; there's little indication of idolatry, and more that they simply found the secrets the eternals offered too enticing to turn down. Still, two whole covens have been arrested, and are being investigated on possible charges of treason.

There are, however, three renowned cultists that have eluded the efforts of the Highborn. Their true identities are either concealed behind pseudonyms, or they have disappeared as if forewarned of the inquisition. To attempt to preserve a little operational security, details of these three have been gathered and prepared for Brother Aemon to give them a chance to consider how best to get each of them to Anvil where they can be dealt with publicly and effectively.

The inquisitors and the magisters both express caution; while they have shone a light into many dark corners it would lack Vigilance to assume they have caught every magician who thinks it is acceptable to imperil their virtue by dealing with enemies of the Empire. The desire to gain power, to learn the secrets of one's political opponents, or simply an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, are all known motivators for unwise behaviour. And nowhere is such behaviour more likely to bear bitter fruit than among those who visit Anvil four times a year. They urge their fellow Highborn to remain alert for the poison in their own field, and their neighbours' fields.

Cursed Curios Collection

• Tharim is happy with the number of relics that were sent to him over the past six months
• The Alders-Baart family have encountered a setback and will not return to Anvil

Over the last year, the unfortunate Alders-Baart family of the Sarcophan Delves sought to rid themselves of misfortune by selling cursed objects in the Empire. During the Summer Solstice the Thrice-cursed Court made a polite request that these curios be sent to them through ritual means - a ritual that is of course illegal to cast thanks to the enmity of one of their numbers - but others were able to discover that destroying the items would go some way to freeing the Alders-Baart from their curse.

In the last six months, the number of offerings made to the Court has clearly been sufficient to please the Bound King. He is sending several doses of heart's blood to anyone who sent one of the items through the ritual. The magistrates, again, stress that this ritual is interdicted and that anyone who is found to have performed it, or who can be identified as having flouted Imperial lore by receiving these gifts, will be prosecuted appropriately.

As to the Alders-Baart, the news is not good apparently. An unfortunate outbreak of a sickness the Sarcophan call Achterkantekookt has struck down not only the family members themselves but a number of those who work for them. Their fortunes have taken a significant downwards turn and they will not be back to Anvil any time soon. It seems that their attempt to avoid the attentions of the Thrice-cursed have failed. Tharim seems to consider this business concluded.

Accursed Coronation Celebration

Accessibility
This is an opportunity for citizens of Varushka to pass through the Sentinel Gate for a mixture of roleplay, games, and performance in a somewhat sinister atmosphere. It will take place across an area of woods a couple of minutes walk from the Sentinel Gate, on flat ground.

• A long-dead village in Miekarova has risen up in celebration of a new Varushkan Throne
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 23:00 on Saturday to Wilkza, Perumaki, Miekarova
• This is a combat unlikely or contained encounter

A little over a century ago the village of Wilkza was consumed by the miasma of a plaguewulf after an attempt to ally with it against their neighbours went horribly wrong. Now, following word somehow reaching them in their barrow of the pending coronation of Vesna Borkovna Prochnost, the villagers of the long dead village in Perumaki are active once again, inviting their fellow Varushkans to enjoy their hospitality.

The neighbouring vales still hold to their old grudges - the people of Wilkza did try to ally with a plaguewulf against them after all - but worry about what might happen if the twisted hospitality of these villagers is refused, or in some way subverted. So the local boyars have called on the Varushkans who attend Anvil to attend the celebration and try to ensure that the villagers return to their barrow.

Plaguewulf Miasma

• This encounter takes place in an area with a locational roleplay effect
• The air here is thick with a foul, rotten stench. You have the creeping feeling that you are doomed to fail, and feel the urge to hide behind something more powerful.

The miasma affects anyone exposed to it who does not have the ability to overcome it. The easiest method to overcome the miasma is to receive an anointing, but particularly heroic individuals, or those in possession of certain enchantments or magic items may also be able to counteract the effect. In addition, anyone who is giving or receiving hospitality in this place can use the act as a source of spiritual strength for the purposes of resisting the location aura.

News of the Day

• An infestation of Day boggarts has been causing problems for the archivists of Casinea.

The scions of Cold Sun do not seem to be the only threat to have emerged from a day regio in Highguard last season... There have been several reports of a swarm of Day boggarts traversing Casinea. These boggarts do not seem to have any kind of link to Cold Sun itself - boggarts are typically seen more as vermin of the realms than akin to heralds of a particular eternal. Their presence is yet to indicate any kind of danger, but they are certainly... irritating.

The boggarts seem to be fascinated by a host of topics, and their lines of ceaseless questioning have seen some Highborn archivists move desks into toilets, cupboards, and other lockable spaces in order to avoid constant interruption. Although the creatures can be briefly distracted by a handful of crystal mana, which they appear to consume whole, they will not be dissuaded from their obsessive note-taking.

Furthermore, some rather strange articles have been appearing in Casinean newspapers as of late, with a few stressed editors claiming that the boggarts offered to fill out some blank spots in their issues. The articles produced are often wildly inaccurate and ramble at length on insignificant details - in one case, three paragraphs are devoted to defining the concept of a chair.

Now some archivists who had hoped a trip to Anvil might provide a brief respite from the pests are reporting that the sharply dressed fish-like creatures seem to have followed them on the roads.

Death, Fortune, and Sorrow In Madruga

• Tragedy in Madruga appears to have been marked by supernatural events
• The Three Sisters constellation seems particularly bright to Freeborn characters, even at Anvil
• A pair of magical figures seemingly personifying the dramaturgical concepts of Death and Fortune are loose in Madruga

With the spreading blight and the brutality visited on Siroc by the Grendel and their Asavean allies, Madruga has been through more than its share of tragedy recently. The effects that these events have had have been wide-ranging and unpredictable, but some seem even stranger than the others.

A group of hakima who were able to flee the capture of the Parador of Salt and Sand before it was stolen speak of another odd supernatural sign. In the skies above Madruga, the constellation of the Three Sisters seems to glimmer ever brighter. The peculiar portent was spotted roughly nine days before the attack on Siroc, but at the time those who observed it assumed it was a reference to the known problems - the conquest of Feroz, the scions of Cold Sun, the Jotun Lasambrians, and the spreading blight. In the weeks since the fall of Siroc, the peculiar effect has been observed in Kahraman and Segura as well. Some Freeborn are even reporting a peculiar brightness to the stars in places other than the Brass Coast, but nobody else seems to have spotted anything out of the ordinary. Given the large number of Freeborn who travel to Anvil during the summit, there is some mild concern that this peculiar pseudo-conjunction of the Three Sisters with... themselves...? might indicate a need to acknowledge the sadness and loss in the heart of the usually optimistic Freeborn. Or that it might portend greater sorrows to come, of course.

It isn't just in the heavens that odd magic is observed. Refugees from the burning of Siroc have spoken of seeing the figures of Fortune and Death abroad in the land, locked in their endless dance of courtship and rejection. Many are too exhausted to be surprised by the presence of two dramaturgical personae wandering around, particularly as they seem to be largely concerned with one another rather than the people around them. Despite this, some take the time to investigate. Their findings are garbled and sketchy by the time most people hear them, but apparently anyone who interacts with either of the figures for any extended length of time comes away with some kind of unusual curse. As word of this spreads, most people make the decision to give them a wide berth. According to the last eyewitness reports, Death and Fortune are currently travelling through the region of Torres. Anyone interested in learning more should probably speak to Dust, Flame, and Glass, the Freeborn egregore.

Participation: Any Freeborn character who looks at the night sky may choose to roleplay that they can see the stars of the Three Sisters as particularly bright, even if the sky is clouded. This creates a roleplaying effect: you are reminded of sorrowful moments from your past; loss, misfortune, and mistakes you have made. You cannot tell if there is still enough time left to come to terms with this sadness.

Ashborn Trosk and the Mysterious Prison

• Ashborn Trosk has been singled out for praise by heralds of the Lictors

Ashborn Trosk is known as a powerful and influential member of the Imperial Orcs. They've also apparently been at the heart of a complex mystery surrounding Basileus Flint, the City of Locks, Mazen, the Lictors, and the Green Iron Prison. Basileus Flint and the City of Locks remain incommunicado. Mazen appears to still be dead. The Green Iron Prison, however, appears to have re-opened its doors. Several of their heralds have visited the Empire - specifically they have visited Skarsind to observe the mustering of the Autumn Hammers. Those who have observed them say they look quite different to the common description of Lictors, being soberly dressed, and while they were armed with chains their talons were short and decorated with runes and tiny gemstones rather than jagged edges. Those who spoke to them indicate they seemed amicable, and very pleased with what they observed of the Autumn Hammers.

It is apparently the intention of the Lictors to present the Imperial Orcs with several possible contracts regarding their new army. Reading between the lines, these contracts would offer opportunities to gain specific qualities for the new army. There is talk of aid in besieging or defending cities, in empowering movement, or even just in providing resources helpful to enchant the army with useful qualities. In each case, however, the contract requires a clear acknowledgement that the boons are available only because Ashborn Trosk has specifically requested the Lictors secure such things for their nation.

The contracts will be presented at the Spring Equinox, apparently, because as executors of certain complex legal documents, the matter of Trosk, Flint, and Mazen cannot be entirely discharged until the start of the new year. Presumably Ashborn Trosk knows more?

Eternals

Go To Sleep (Tharim)

• A herald of the Bound King wishes to speak to a Ser Claudia Lovelorn and others about their request
• The Chainsmith will arrive at the Hall of Worlds at 11:00 on Sunday

Last season a number of citizens spoke with a herald of Tharim about sovereigns. Following that discussion, the Chainsmith is being sent to discuss the matter further with Ser Claudia Lovelorn and others "who should know who they are". Others could potentially join the discussion as well, but it will ultimately be up to both the Chainsmith and Ser Claudia if they are welcome.

A Fane Fit for the King (Arhallogen)

Court of the Spider King

Commission Type: Fane

Location: Elerael, Brocéliande or Eastring, Therunin

Costs: 10 mithril, 10 ilium, 30 crowns, 3 months to build

Special: Must be ceded to Arhallogen to function

Effect: Creates the Navarr national position Huntsmaster of the Spider King

Huntsmaster of the Spider King

Type: Imperial Conclave

Appointment: Declaration of Candidacy

Powers: All expected benefits of a fane

Restrictions: This title has no powers if not held by a vate

Responsibilities: To represent Arhallogen in the Empire

Leavings of the Hunt
10 beggar's lye	4 vital honey
20 beggar's lye	7 vital honey
32 beggar's lye	10 vital honey

• Arhallogen has requested that a fane is constructed and ceded to him
• The fane would only function if it was held by a vate of Navarr

During the Autumn Equinox the Scorpion General invited a number of vates to meet with his lieutenant. During this meeting the matter of a fane was discussed. Now Brianna Black Blood, a vate with ties to Arhallogen has drawn up exactly what that would look like and how it would need to work in order for the heralds of the Quivering Mass to recognise it.

Either Elereal or Eastring would serve; Brianna, working with heralds of the Barbed Stinger, has identified suitable regios in either region. The Centipede General would no doubt prefer it to be built in lush Brocéliande - being in a territory that the Empire doesn't have dominion over is considered a plus - but would accept it being built in waterlogged Therunin.

The title would still need to be elected by declaration of candidacy in the Imperial Conclave, but the King of Poison has made it clear that they would only ever accept a Navarri vate in the position. If a citizen of any other nation were to be elected - or a Navarr who had not taken the oath of a vate, then the ministry would cease to function. (OOC Note: They would need to have the vate archetype on the system).

Coming of the Wolf Spider

• A herald of Arhallogen wants to speak to vates and thorns about a challenge
• The Wolf Spider will be arriving at the Hall of Worlds at 18:30 on Friday and will want to speak to the Navarr as soon as possible

The Wolf Spider, a herald of Arhallogen, will be visiting the Hall of Worlds on the first night of the summit to lay down something of a challenge to the thorns of Navarr. Nobody is entirely sure what this challenge might entail, nor where it might take place, but it is a certainty that it will involve some kind of "hunt".

A Discordant Singing Stone (Azoth)

• The Azoth is willing to transform the Singing Stone recovered from Brocéliande
• It would require a fundamental change in the nature of the Navarr

Following a meeting at the Summer Solstice 385YE between Rebis and the vates of Navarr there has been some amount of confusion about what was offered in the meeting. Nacht of Fothcan, one of the peculiar heralds of the Transmutation, journeys along the trods talking to as many Navarri as possible to try to explain why change is actually better than a rest in most circumstances.

It would require a fundamental change in what it means to be Navarr in order for the Singing Stone to be changed. This isn't something that the Crucible especially desires - though it is in favour of change - it is simply a requirement for the eternal to be able to help the change to happen. The nation must grow beyond how it currently exists; it must move away from some part of what it was and become something different. There are four obvious options that would empower the Great Work to act; the first step might be a statement of principle passed with a greater majority in the National Assembly of Navarr. The transfiguration of the body often begins with the transformation of the spirit, after all.

• To reject cruelty and turn away from the idea that the ends justify the means; to move beyond the idea that fear is a suitable weapon for the battlefield.
• To reject the use of venom and poison, not just as a tool to use but as a form of warfare. The vallornspawn are a dangerous threat but there must be another way of dealing with them.
• To eschew the wilds and urge the steadings to abandon living in the vallorn itself. The Navarr would leave Brocéliande and instead favour settlements in the more civilised areas of Miaren, Hercynia, and Therunin.
• To fully abandon Liathaven and formally accept that the nation no longer has a claim on it. The territory is a place where the vallorn exists, but the vallorn is a problem for the whole Empire.

There are bound to be others, say the heralds cheerfully. The main thing is that they need to be significant, and they need to be lasting, and the Navarr need to be different afterwards.

Sanvar Isk is (Definitely) Not A Slaver

• Sanvar Isk will be attending Anvil at 18:30 on Friday to speak with Bishops of the League about matters of Prosperity
• He intends to return at 14:00 on Sunday to auction this season's access to the Loom of Spells at the regio.
• Sanvar Isk is very upset about certain allegations that have apparently been made against him.

The regio that opens to the Loom of Spells, a strange device in the Autumn realm that functions somewhat like a college of magic, opened recently in Tassato to some fanfare. Sanvar Isk, a herald of Callidus who is the current operator of the Loom, put out a call for volunteers to help run the Loom. A number of local mountebanks, lured in by the promise of learning useful skills which could later be translated into actual paying work, took Isk up on his offer. Some stayed, some did not, and the Loom of Spells rapidly lost its novelty.

That is, until large broadsheets were posted all around the area of the Loom's regio, boldly proclaiming the words "SANVAR ISK IS NOT A SLAVER". Apparently, Sanvar Isk is very upset about any allegations that he may have been using slave labour to operate the Loom, and is determined to set the record straight. Sadly for him, these bold words have raised in many people's minds the worries they were intended to quell. Gossip spreads fast, and before long lurid stories about secretive work gangs abducting the poor and desperate from the streets begin to spread among those with a taste for drama. The chances of such a thing happening without the knowledge of the militia are almost non-existent, but the salons and taverns of Tassato are hungry for entertainment, and a good story beats a boring truth every time. Isk is, according to anyone who has had any contact with him, utterly furious.

With this in mind, word spreads quickly: Sanvar Isk intends to attend Anvil twice in this coming summit. He will arrive in the Hall of Worlds at 18:30 on Friday, and proceed from there to the League camp, where he intends to speak with any bishops he can find in order to resolve this matter once and for all. Assuming that all goes well, he will then return at 14:00 on Sunday to once again auction access to the Loom for this season. The rules remain the same, he will take bids in quantities of mine and forest materials only and does not care what combinations of materials are bid so long as there are plenty of them.

Should anyone be interested in discerning the truth of what is happening at the Loom of Spells they may ask Isk, or else seek out any Tassatan mountebanks they know as they may be able to shed more light on the situation.

Banners of the Fated (Kaela)

• Kaela has issued a challenge to the banners of the Imperial Orcs and Wintermark
• Her grim legion will visit the Tree of Names at 21:00 on the first night of the summit to bind banners to the challenge for a year

The Lady of the Grim Host has laid down a challenge to the banner-bearers of the Imperial Orcs and Wintermark. Both of the nations demonstrate an acceptance of what it means to face the inevitable, and she is intrigued by the good death. At the Winter Solstice she will send some of her legionnaires to the Tree of Names in the Wintermark camp to meet with those who bear the standards of banners from those two nations. Her heralds will offer to place an enchantment on the standards presented - nothing that strengthens the bearer nor that is similar to those magic items known to the artisans of the Empire. This simply serves to bind them to a challenge. To live, fight, and strive under the banner for the year to come. And at the end of the year there will be a call for tales of those who fought and died whilst fighting beneath the banners.

This Fire Burns (Janon)

• Janon is still open to sponsoring a title in Conclave

Last season, the Imperial Conclave saw fit to grant Amity to Janon, the Night Sword. Since then the Shadowed Flame has been settling into its role as a friend to the Empire, with his heralds becoming a more common sight. Some of them have been invited to assist the Empire in a martial capacity, with warbands fighting alongside the Red Wind Corsairs, the Burning Falcon, the Green Shield, and the Summer Storm. Others have sought out places in the Empire where passions burn brightly, such as the Azure Chorus, Laroc Cathedral, the Skarsind College of Pitfighting, and the Arbor of the Twin Roses. Wherever they go they do their best to raise the spirits of those they encounter, encouraging them to ever greater heights of passion.

Every so often, one of them will mention the offer that the Muse of Fire made last season to sponsor a Conclave position. The Torchbearer appreciates that there was some confusion around the initial offer, but is glad that they were able to sort things out with the archmage. Now that it is clear that Kahendrin Wordsmith's favour in the eyes of the Voice of Zorech is entirely independent of the endorsement of any Imperial body; the Conclave may choose to accept or reject the Blazing Blade's offer as they wish.

All it will take is a suitably worded declaration of concord, or perhaps one of alignment, reaffirming the friendship between the Scribe of Burning Names and the Empire, and asking her to present the details to the civil service. Should this be done, there will be an opportunity to accept this proposal and elect someone to this position. The eternal trusts that the friendships and rivalries formed in pursuit of such a title would be fierce.

The Crossroad Under The Stars (Barien)

OOC Note
We want to make clear that the restriction on casting Challenge the Iron Duke is not part of some plot. It isn't something that can be fixed by characters. With Empire having doubled in size since the game began we are increasingly struggling to cope with the demand for this unique ritual. We are looking at what can be done to redesign the ritual so that it is workable but it will not be possible to perform it until that happens. We apologise for this issue; if any player wishes to drop the mastered ritual for free they may do so at the event by asking in GOD or by emailing admin after the event.

• For reasons that are not clear it is currently not possible to cast the ritual Challenge the Iron Duke
• Barien's heralds have made this clear that this is not due to any action of the Empire or anyone else, but an odd magical event they are trying to work through
• Any challenges that are already ongoing will carry on as normal
• Barien's heralds will be attending as usual on Friday evening, at 18:30 at the Nabarr, in Navarr
• They wish to speak to Aldwyn Wyldrose of Dawn and both Ishka and Jaska of Wintermark
• They have challenge scrolls for Tristan Ackerman, Archmage Luke, Rillian de Gauvain, Areloe Larmallevés and Branwyn Forrester

A few days before the Winter Solstice, a changeling-like figure in blue and white robes appears in the Hall of Worlds seeking the civil servants who staff the Empire's capital year round. The message is polite, yet to the point; due to an unexpected and esoteric magical event, for the foreseeable future mages of the Empire will not be able to make use of the ritual Challenge the Iron Duke. When questioned the herald is evasive on the specifics of what has happened exactly, but is eager to stress that the Empire has not done anything to cause this to happen, nor is it in the power of the Empire's magicians to aid Barien in fixing the problem. It is also evidently not the action of some enemy action or foreign meddling.

Indeed, the herald remarks that the ritual is currently unavailable to anyone in the mortal realm, not just the Empire, though the herald says it is his lord's hope that the issue can be resolved soon perhaps - definitely not before the end of this summit, though. Crucially the challenge may well take a different form if it does return. When asked what or why, the heralds simply shrug and say that their lord the Iron Duke has changed how the challenges work before, and will likely do so again if he needs to. So it goes.

All those who have already cast the ritual and thus been bound to the Lord of the Crossroads will still receive their challenge in accordance with the implicit terms of the bargain with the eternal - and their reward, if successful. Those who are due to be rewarded receive letters directly to them from Barien's heralds themselves; for those whose challenge is yet to begin Revel and Bellows make it known that they desire to speak to seven citizens. Ishka, Jaska, Tristan Ackerman, Archmage Luke, Rillian de Gauvain, Areloe Larmallevés and Branwyn Forrester are all mentioned by name and should find the Iron Duke's heralds at the Nabarr in the woods of the Navarr camp between the hours of 18:30 and 20:30 on Friday of the upcoming summit in order to take the next step on their challenges. As usual, anyone else is free to discuss matters with whichever of the Iron Duke's agents makes the trip, though queries about new challenges are not likely to get much of an answer at this time.

Best in the World (Jaheris)

• Jaheris wishes to recruit four Imperials to demonstrate the greatness of the Empire
• Heralds of Jaheris will visit Anvil at 21:00 on the second night of the summit to search for four champions

The Lord of the Forest of Arden and the Queen of the Fields of Glory are once again arguing. This time, Jaheris is championing the noble qualities that the Empire represents. Conversely, Eleonaris has made a strong stance that Imperial citizens lack a "special quality" that prevents them from being able to achieve true greatness. They have agreed to settle the matter with a contest of words at the Summer Solstice but have agreed on recruiting mortal champions to do battle on their behalves.

So, the Moonsilver Prince is looking for four Imperial citizens who each have a reasonable claim to be the best in the world at something. This could be in grand deeds like combat, songwriting, and ritual magic, or in the subtler arts of baking, juggling, and bureaucracy. The topic itself isn't so important, so long as the would-be champion can speak on it with conviction and nobility. Once these people have been chosen then the Lion of Summer will select eight champions of her own from across the known world to match them in debate. At the Spring Equinox the heralds of the Unicorn Prince will return, to select four more champions who are suitable to argue on the topics Eleonaris has chosen, then at the Summer Solstice the champions will meet in fierce debate.

The heralds of Jaheris will also be looking to recruit someone willing to keep the Lord of Despite appraised of the Empire's efforts.

How to Get Ahead

• A different herald of Jaheris is journeying to Anvil to talk to representatives of House de Gauvain and Thanàte Sangwine
• Scringol the Hunter will arrive at the Hall of Worlds at 19:00 on Friday and will make their way to the Dawnish camp

One week before the Winter Solstice there is a commotion at the Imperial Regio. Scringol the Hunter, a wild-eyed herald of Jaheris, has arrived in the Empire. Though a week too early. The civil servants who take note of the comings and goings of the denizens of the realms try to offer their condolences but that only seems to make the foul-mouthed herald more upset. After extracting a promise from the nearby Highborn that they would never breathe a word of this to anyone Scringol explained that they were here to speak to a "few Dawnish and maybe another Dawnish."

After some coaxing - and promises of a nice coffee when he returned a week later - he finally explained that he was after talking to representatives of House de Gauvain and Thanàte Sangwine about two completely different subjects. Then, with a haughty stare whose gravitas was quite brought down by tripping over a piece of wood, he stalked back into the Hall of Worlds to presumably sulk in the Forest of Arden.

A Fitting Gift (Tharim Again)

• A herald of Tharim will be visiting Anvil to present an offer to the Throne
• They will arrive at the Hall of Worlds at 20:00 on Saturday and go first to the Varushkan camp

It is not only delegates from the mortal realm that have gifts and offers to make of the new Throne, Vesna Borkovna Prochnost. The Bound King has dispatched one of his heralds to make an offer to his fellow potentate; it is unknown what exactly Tharim might want but it will ultimately be up to the one who was "crowned in thunder" to decide.

What is being offered is fairly common knowledge though. The black-clad knights of Tharim have been active in the Empire for some time: they fought alongside Dawn in their conquest of the Barrens, they have marched alongside the Freeborn and even now rest in Sarvos. This legion of cold-hearted, ruthless warriors have caused trouble almost everywhere they have gone. But they are another force that can help the Empire defeat its enemies... if Emperor Vesna chooses to accept the cost.