Winds and flames

"Choosing a Marcher is, of course, a studied insult."

Mistress Singua Karadragha inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement of Lady Saretta, but did not reply to her words. Her predecessor was resplendent in a gorgeously embroidered scarlet coat, quite a contrast to her own more conservative deep blue outfit. The hand resting on the stone railing, was painted with a complex and delicate webwork of crimson swirls surrounding the red half-moon tattoo in the centre. Her other hand was behind her back, and for a moment Mistress Singua considered the likelihood she was armed. She dismissed the fear. Saretta was not going to seek justice in private; it was not in her nature. She would want Singua to admit she was wrong, where people could see it. That was not something that was going to happen.

Saretta did not look at Signau; her eyes fixed on the spectacle above. Hawks of fire and crackling eagles of lightning fought and danced across the night sky. There were scattered expressions of delight, and the occasional awestruck exclamations from the crowd. Lord Kinya's birthday celebration would not soon be forgotten; the five flames knew that he had paid the wizards enough for this display.

"They destroyed Moonwater Hall." It was clear Lady Saretta had a point to make, and was not going to let Mistress Singua's obvious disinterest prevent her doing so. Was she needling her on purpose? That was unwise. "What kind of a message does it send to the merchant-families that the Empire has chosen a Marcher to speak for them?"

"I seem to recall High Lady Togene saying something almost identical before the Court last week." Singua spoke mildly, but inwardly she was seething. Lady Saretta was treading dangerously close to telling her how to discharge her duty, and she would not stand for it. Could not stand for it. There were half a dozen other people desperate for her position, and any sign of weakness would leave her open to attack. Not for the first time, she reflected that ambition was the worst kind of poison.

"High Lady Togene has good reason to speak as she does." Lady Saretta had still not looked at her, but had stiffened at the unspoken suggestion she was merely a mouthpiece for Togene. She pushed on regardless. "What has the Empire ever done for us?"

There were gasps and shouts from the crowd, but Singua was not really looking at the phantasmal forces sweeping across the sky between the crowds. They were merely something to rest her eyes on while she decided how to proceed. There was so much bitterness beneath Saretta's words. She knew from long experience that the former ambassador did not respect her, but had not until this moment realised how much her fury at being replaced by someone she considered beneath her had clearly been eating away at her spirit. Mistress Singua considered whether she should pry at the cracks in Saretta's self control; it would be a comparatively easy matter to encourage her to say something heated or do something foolish and then... justice. Denunciation. Exile for the other woman, whose own position at the Court of Five Winds was significantly more precarious than that of the Liege's favourite diplomat. It would be good to see Saretta humbled, four decades of little slights and mocking words repaid at last...

She took a firm grip on her own emotions, then. Only slightly regretfully, she put the old fantasy of seeing Saretta humbled back into its box. She didn't really need to punish Lady Saretta; she was doing that to herself. Once, she'd been one of the most influential people at the Court and now... she ran after those like Togene, parroted their words, terrified of losing her seat at the table even though it was only a shadow of what she had had before.

"Why would we expect the Empire to do anything for us, Saretta?" Singua glanced away, watching the crowd, sensing the woman next to her stiffen as she addressed her for the first time as an equal rather than a superior. "They are not Faraden. They are not our friends, and they are certainly not our family. But they are excellent customers, and they are eager to trade with us, and any merchant will tell you that when the customer is eager, that is the sound of opportunity.

Saretta opened her mouth to retort, but Mistress Singhua pretended she had not noticed and continued regardless.

"Please, Saretta. There is no reason for us to be rivals." She put just the right amount of tiredness into her voice as she spoke. "We will never be friends either, I know, but we can at least be civil to each other. You were ambassador to the Empire for two decades, you know them better than any Faraden I know. There is a letter from this new Marcher ambassador, and I would very much value your insight into what they are saying, and what they are leaving unsaid."

She looked at the woman next to her out of the corner of her eye, saw shock give way to calculation, and smiled inwardly. She had presented just enough vulnerability to convince the older woman that she might be able to seize an opportunity of her own. She reached over and delicately laid a conciliatory hand on top of Lady Saretta's; the other woman did not shake it off.

It would take careful handling, but if everything went well she would convert Saretta from an enemy, to an ally; from a threat to the Liege to an asset. Not a loyal asset, but nonetheless one that could be trusted.

But not a friend, obviously. Some things could never be forgiven.

Faraden

Faraden is one of the smaller nations that neighbour the Empire, a country of merchants and wizards, proud warriors and heretical priests who almost follow the Way but not quite. There is no shared border - the lands of the Jotun lie between them - yet there is still a fair amount of trade and has been for centuries. Relations between the two nations vary from year to year, warm one moment, cool the next, but there has never been open war between the two nations. The Faraden would rather trade.

Like Axos and the Iron Confederacy, however, they are quick to see disrespect in the actions of the Empire. They know they are smaller, and less powerful than their Imperial neighbours, and they hate to be reminded of that fact. There is also a long tradition of religious conflict with the Imperial Synod, with priests of both nations making efforts to convert the other to their particular view of the virtues - without success. Yet there are plenty of avenues for diplomacy between the two nations, as well as disagreement. The Imperial Conclave in particular has had many successes dealing with the wizards of Faraden. Recent developments have seen a major change of government, and an accompanying change of attitude to the Empire. The nation has turned its back on slavery to pursue better relations with the Empire, and it seems with the opening of the first Faraden port to Imperial ships that things can only improve.

The Faraden ambassador to the Empire is Mistress Singua Karadragha, a relatively recent appointment who replaced the former incumbent Lady Saretta of the Red Moon at the insistence of the Leige of the Five Winds. Mistress Singua advises the Court of the Five Winds on all diplomatic matters, not just those related to the Empire, and speaks on their behalf to foreign ambassadors. She is still relatively new to the position and her attitude to the Empire appears to be cool but professional.

Faraden

• Status: Foreigner
• Ports: Caitun
• Ambassador: Ebenezer of the Marches

A Delicate Relationship

• The Empire currently enjoys a positive relationship with the Faraden despite Asavean entreaties

In Summer 384YE, the previous leader of the Faraden was challenged and deposed in a relatively bloodless coup. Backed by a number of powerful families, repeated failures by the Court of the Five Winds to resolve the diplomatic situation with the Empire was cited as a significant motivating factor. The new Liege of the Five Winds, Tchinua Ganbatar, apparently has a keen interest in establishing better diplomatic and mercantile ties with the nation's largest neighbour.

Relations with Faraden now seem to be relatively stable, broadly positive despite a long-standing tradition of turbulence and acrimony. The destruction of Moonwater Hall in 383YE left the Faraden with some reservations over the appointment of a Marcher as the Imperial ambassador, but assurances the new ambassador would arrange for the rebuilding of the Hall have gone a long way to soothe those concerns. Even without the Hall, now that the dredging of the Westmere is complete, trade between Faraden and the Empire continues to flower.

Ripples in the Wind

• Not every Faraden family welcomes closer ties with the Empire
• There is some evidence of Asavean interference in Faraden politics

Not all of Faraden is keen to have closer links with the Empire however. High Lady Togene Altsanig of Tujahan for example has been an implacable opponent of diplomatic links with the Empire, and she continues to decry them at every opportunity. She is allegedly a great rival of the current Liege of the Five Winds and is said to have designs on the title herself. There is some evidence that the High Lady of the Altsanig family has a personal friendship or convenient alliance with merchants from Asavea and has used that to embarrass the Empire at every opportunity. It's no secret that she points to the surprise attack on Chalonsio, and their involvement in the murder of several prominent members of the Plenum, as a warning of what the Empire will do to anyone who does not obey their instructions.

Thus far, High Lady Togene has not moved hearts or minds despite her impassioned speeches. Chalonsio and Asavea are far away and very few Faraden ever attempt the dangerous journey across the Sea of Snow. However, evidence of Imperial involvement in the assassination of political leaders in other lands has made some of the High Lords and Ladies of Faraden a little nervous. War is one thing, but covert murder is another matter entirely. The embassy has done its best to reassure Faraden that these murders were a personal matter of revenge and the ambassador's counterpart has accepted that (they view vengeance or Justice as they call it as an important Virtue), but it has done nothing to silence the High Lady.

Asavean merchant ships continue to dock at Faraden ports, and is very clear that the Plenum is doing everything it can to try to extend its influence here. It is not clear what hold they have over the High Lady, or what the nature of their relationship is, but Togene and her family refuse all requests for a meeting with Imperial citizens.

Replacing Moonwater Hall

• The Empire could build a new trade enclave in Mournwold, Mitwold, Upwold, Kahraman, Segura, Kallavesa, Hahnmark or Tassato
• Replacing Moonwater Hall would require 20 wains of white granite, 20 wains of weirwood and 120 crowns
• Once complete the Hall would raise the level of investment of businesses in the territory by one

The original Moonwater Hall was a Faraden enclave that consisted of several dozen buildings including inns, homes, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, a shrine, and a number of warehouses, as well as a large public pasture for use by oxen built near King's Stoke in Tower March. It was commissioned in Summer 381YE, with half the materials provided by the Faraden. The Hall had a troubled history and was embroiled in the conflict between the Modnos family and the Empire. It was eventually torn down in Spring 384YE, after the Senate voted to abrogate Moonwater Hall, allegedly over claims that the Hall was being used to spread the veneration of the malign spiritual presence of Vengeance.

The Faraden protested the decision to raze the Hall at the time. Restitution was eventually made to cover the Faraden losses and the matter dropped, but the appointment of a Marcher ambassador has brought the issue to the fore again. The Hall was in the Marches and though it was a Highborn senator who raised the motion to have it destroyed a Marcher senator apparently approved of it, so there are many in Faraden who blame the Marches for the loss.

The Faraden would like to see the Hall replaced. No promises were made, but there was a suggestion that the new ambassador would do what was needed to restore trust on this issue by either building a new trade enclave or some equivalent. Building a new trade enclave would help to promote Faraden trade, strengthen links between the Empire and Faraden, and mean that the matter of Moonwater Hall was dealt with one and for all. If the Hall is not rebuilt, then the Empire have been warned that Faraden merchants will openly question what it means for the relationship with the Empire if they make a Marcher their ambassador. This is exactly the sort of thing that High Lady Togene will point to when arguing that the Empire are not really friends of Faraden and are not to be trusted... unlike her Asavean allies.

Replacing the Hall would not be cheap. It would require the commission of a great work and need 20 wains of white granite, 20 wains of weirwood and 15 Thrones in labour to complete. Last time the Faraden paid for half the investment, but there is no chance of that happening again after the Empire dismantled the old Hall. It would take a season to build and could be constructed anywhere in the Brass Coast, or in Mournwold, Mitwold, Upwold, Hahnmark, Tassato, or Kallavesa (the later may have increased labour costs due to the marshy terrain). Once complete it would raise the level of investment in businesses in the territory by one as the presence of Faraden traders brought Prosperity to the territory.

Of course there is every chance that the problems that plagued the Hall last time will resurface. The Faraden recognise recognise some of the virtues, but they don't follow the Way, and they laud Vengeance alongside Pride, Loyalty, Prosperity, and Courage. If a new trade enclave is built, it will likely only be a matter of time before something happens that requires graceful diplomacy by the ambassador to Faraden.

Reinos and the Jotun Problem

• The Faraden would welcome an Imperial invasion of Reinos

The Jotun are a constant threat for the Faraden, and the Lasambrians heavily tax Faraden caravans travelling overland through Reinos to the Empire. The Faraden often complain about these taxes but they have to be careful to avoid angering the Jotun. If the Jotun believed the Faraden and the Empire were allied, they might well launch an all-out attack on Faraden. The situation is only made more complex by the fact that the Empire did send military aid to support the Faraden last time they were attacked by the Jotun, so the idea that they might do so again in the future is a threat the Faraden are careful not to dispel.

The ideal solution for the Faraden would be for the Empire to take Reinos from the Jotun, but obviously wishing for that is like wishing for the rains to fall. Even threatening the territory might help however; an expeditionary force to test the defences might put the Jotun on the defensive. If they were focused on the possibility of an attack from the Empire, they might be less interested in threatening Faraden caravans.

If the Empire could actually conquer Reinos it would open up a land route directly from Faraden to the Empire. That would make it possible for trade to flow without needing to risk the much more dangerous route through the Sea of Snow. That would likely boost taxation in every territory in the south-west of the Empire, helping to support the Imperial treasury. It would help to secure the Faraden's border and make an open alliance between the Faraden and the Empire a viable option, should the Empire wished to push the idea.

Definitely Weirwood and Maybe Metal

• Faraden would be interested in the prospect of purchasing weirwood from the Empire if negotiations open at two thrones a wain
• The ambassador can complete an immediate sale of weirwood by passing the goods to the civil service and confirming the amounts by letter to their counterpart

Ambassador Ebenezer invited Lord Nyamzul Ganbatar of the Red Monarch Trading House to Anvil to continue discussions about outstanding business. Nyamzul is known as a relatively minor noble from the family of the Liege of Five Winds, but Mistress Karadragha conveys their apology and the news that they are unable to travel to the Empire at this time but that they look forward to continuing their good relations with the Marcher ambassador.

The Red Monarchs are far from the only mercantile operation in Faraden, however. Following inquiries from the Imperial Ambassador, Mistress Singua indicates that there are several groups who would be very interested in the trade of strategic resources - mithril, weirwood, and white granite - with the Empire. Indeed, there is a great deal of interest in purchasing weirwood from Imperial forests, assuming the price was low enough for it to be profitable for them to move it back to Faraden.

She is concerned however that Faraden will not be able to afford Imperial prices. Weirwood, mithril, and white granite have become notoriously expensive in Imperial markets over the last decade. There is no way the Faraden could afford to pay such rates. Any Faraden trading house that was looking to buy weirwood would be unable to turn a profit if they paid much more than two thrones a wain. If the ambassador confirms that the Empire would be keen to negotiate with Faraden merchants looking to buy weirwood at those kinds of rates then Mistress Singua will find the group most able to pay and ask them to approach the Empire at the Autumn Equinox.

Indeed, there is an immediate opportunity to trade weirwood if the Imperial ambassador wishes to embrace it. The High Lord of Pelabuhan, and the Tchemetzi family they lead, are prepared to offer 50 Thrones for 25 wains of weirwood, to be used to improve farms across their territory. They are keen to take possession of the wains immediately, and have already made overtures to the Imperial civil service to assist in the trade. (OOC note If the ambassador wishes to take advantage of this they would ensure the wains are in their inventory and indicate in their ambassadorial letter that they wish to take advantage of the deal).

A winged messenger sent to High Lord Mukhali Tchemetzi, the Palace at Caitun, Pelabuhan, Menendram, Faraden is likely to be gladly received if the sender is interested in selling weirwood to the Faraden..

Even if the Ambassador does not wish to take advantage of this trade, there is nothing to stop individual Imperial citizens making contact with High Lord Mukhali Tchemetzi at his palace in Caitun and either offering to provide the materials, or initiating their own potential trade with the wizardly family. After the good work done by the Celestial Arch and the Assembly of Pride last Summer, the Faraden High Lord is unlikely to reject such advances.

The Imperial Ambassador also mentioned that they might be able to secure trade in valuable magical metals - green iron and orichalcum are of particular interest to the warrior families of Faraden for obvious reasons. However without an idea of the kind of price the Empire will charge, it is difficult for Mistress Singua to arrange anything. She is happy to pass on any deal the Ambassador - or indeed a private Imperial citizen - is prepared to offer that involves selling these valuable metals to Faraden the appropriate families.

Silken Butterflies

• The Blue Silken Scarf is interested in purchasing a bulk order of iridescent gloaming and has made an arrangement with Ephisis to support it
• The ambassador can complete the sale by passing the goods to the civil service and confirming the amounts by letter to their counterpart

As the continued profitability of the Gloaming Road indicates, there's still interest in purchasing iridescent gloaming from Imperial forests. The drought of fine dyes that attended the iridescent butterfly drought some years ago has obviously subsided, but the Faraden will always want more. Indeed, given the Imperial Ambassador's interest in trade not only of strategic resources but also for other materials, Mistress Singua presents a request from the Blue Silken Scarf guild of tailors, dressmakers, and silk-weaving wizards.

The guild is very interested in securing a large amount of iridescent gloaming. Rather than come to the Empire speculatively they have asked if the Ambassador might be able to arrange a shipment of no more than 150 iridescent gloaming during the Summer Solstice. They are prepared to pay either 15 rings a measure for such a shipment, or one crystal mana for every three measures, depending on the Ambassador. If the full amount can be provided in one go, they will be very interested in discussing further trade with the Empire - and perhaps visiting their Imperial counterparts to discuss matters of cloth-making and fashion. (OOC Note: If the Ambassador wishes to take advantage of this opportunity, either on their own behalf or as a broker, they need to ensure the iridescent gloaming is in their inventory at the end of the event and confirm in their ambassadorial letter their intent to trade, how much, and whether they expect money or mana in return).

Further Reading

• Faraden
• On Faraden faith
• Ambassador to Faraden
• Faraden ports