Poetry and prose

Ser Balian walked slowly towards the small lake, taking care to avoid treading on the verdant growth where possible. He had tarried here at the shrine too long, delaying his quest in the hope of speaking with the Lady. Three days in all and she had not appeared. He was not disappointed, those who had told him of the shrine said it was rare for Ser Guineve to appear in these times. Not unknown but rare. He had hoped that she might bless his quest, but it was not to be.

Almost unthinking, he realised he had come to the heart of the shrine, the place where Tancred De Coeurdefer had poured the true liao out to consecrate the ground. He stopped to let the feelings wash over him. The sensation was so strong it was almost unbearable. The belief that nothing could Dawn's destiny from being fulfilled, the absolute certainty that one day the Golden Sun would rise over Hope's Rest and all of the Barrens. It felt tangible, close, real - if only he would dedicate himself to it.

Unable to resist himself, the knight draw his sword, planted the tip in the ground and knelt. "I swear to you, Ser Guineve," he whispered to himself, "on my Virtue as a knight and the Virtue of all my house. I will do everything I can to make this dream real." He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the oath bind his soul. There was no one here to see it, and yet he felt witnessed none the less.

He rose, and feeling a little self-conscious, he returned his sword to his scabbard. Without looking back he set a swift pace out of the glade, pausing only to pick up his pack. He didn't bother to avoid the flowers underfoot now. They were impossible to avoid and he was sure in the knowledge that they would regrow with the morning sun no matter how many knights trampled them. It was time to return to the quest.

He marched quickly away, afraid that if he looked back, his strength might fail him and he would never leave. The serene stillness of the glade watched him depart without saying a word. A lone figure, a single tall elegant woman dressed in Dawnish robes smiled at him as he left. He didn't notice her, but nor it seemed did the fragrant blooms that filled the copse, untouched as they were by the woman's passage.

Song glory, spoken oaths.

Overview

The situation in the Barrens remains febrile but muted following recent dramatic events. The slow reality of the situation seems to be sinking into the blood-drenched soil bringing with it a kind of calm. Questions remain over the fate of the orc septs who call this land home, but one by one those questions are being answered. The process is rarely painless, but it does, at least, seem to be final.

Hour by hour, day by day, the Dawnish legacy in the Barrens takes root. As the Summer Solstice arrives, those roots begin to flower.

The Towers of Dawn

The great fortification known as the Towers of the Dawn once stood guard over the Dawnish houses that made the Barrens home. They were destroyed when the Druj betrayed the peace treaty they signed with the Senate and attacked in massive force, easily over-running the Dawnish positions. The destruction of the Towers of Dawn was one of the most desolate moments in recent Dawnish history.

For far too long the towers of Dawn have been left to lie fallow following their destruction by the Druj. No longer. In the name of glory and our great nation we must begin accepting proposals for projects to memorialize their loss. CDGV.

The Nobel Alys de Renard, Dawn, Spring Equinox 386YE, Vote: Upheld (284-0)

In the end the treachery of the Druj was for nothing. The Empire returned to the Barrens in force and this time it was the Druj that were routed. With the Barrens now firmly under Dawnish control, questions are being asked what should become of the ruins of the Towers of Dawn?

Rebuilding the towers is one option - the foundations of the great fortification are still there - but it would be expensive. In the end the Dawnish Assembly gave unanimous support to the proposal by Alys de Renard to ask architects to come forwards with ideas. People are soon eager to offer ideas of their own - the idea of being able to create something glorious to replace the Towers of Dawn holds high appeal.

The Tombs of Glory

Tombs of Glory

Commission Type: Folly

Location: Dawnguard, The Barrens

Cost: 9 white granite, 27 crowns in labour

Effect: Creates the Tombs of Glory, allowing the Dawnish Assembly to instruct House de Maravel to create a new tomb for a slain Dawnish noble whose deeds are judged glorious enough to be honoured alongside those of Rodric the Lame

• Etienne de Maravel proposes to create the Tombs of Glory requiring 9 wains of white granite and 27 crowns
• Once complete the Dawnish Assembly could use a judgement to order the construction of a new tomb for just 3 wains of white granite and 9 crowns
• The Tombs of Glory would be have their own wiki page outlining the deeds of those who had passed, like the Wintermark Chronicle of Heroes

The earl of House de Maravel is young and their house is small - just five nobles - but they are not short of Ambition. The earl's wife, Etienne de Maravel is a sculptor and architect renowned for her beautiful statues and elegant designs. She is known to have travelled widely and to have studied architecture in Holberg and sculpture in Necropolis, where she was tutored by the reclusive Highborn artist, Dinah of Sanctuary's End.

Etienne claims to have been inspired by the wondrous architecture of the Black City. She points out that thousands of glorious Dawnish folk gave their lives fighting to defend the Towers, and thousands more died to claim the Barrens for Dawn. Surely, it is past time that those heroes had some great symbol to mark their passing? Why not mark their achievements - and not just theirs - but the deeds of those who will follow them? Why not use the foundations of the towers of the Dawn to create the Tombs of Glory?

The proposal is relatively modest, at least initially. The Highborn have their tombs for the dead Thrones. She wants to create a cenotaph, an empty tomb, for Rodric the Lame. Etienne discovered that Rodric has no tomb of his own in the Necropolis, despite being such a pivotal figure in the history of Dawn. His remains rest beside his wife, the First Empress, but his legacy should not be forgotten and he deserves a monument of his own. Etienne plans to create an empty tomb for the lame king and carve a statue of him at the entrance.

That however, would just be the start. When other glorious Dawnish nobles pass away, she suggests that the Assembly of Dawn might study their record and if they find one whose deeds are worthy they could use a statement to recognise their glorious deeds. If that happens, then Etienne would be only too happy to oversee the construction of a new tomb or cenotaph as appropriate and to carve a new statue of the fallen hero to mark their achievements. What could be more glorious a final resting place than to sleep in the Tombs of Glory, next to the last monarch of Dawn.

Creating Rodric's tomb is straight forward enough - it would not even need a commission, since Etienne proposes to oversee all the work herself with the nation's blessing. It would need just 9 wains of white granite and 27 crowns for the work. In place of the Towers of Dawn, Etienne would create the Tombs of Glory. Once complete, the Assembly of Dawn could use a judgement to instruct House de Maravel to prepare a new tomb or cenotaph. Each additional tomb would require just 3 wains of white granite and 9 crowns to build. In effect the Tombs would become an institution equivalent to the Wintermark Chronicle of Heroes allowing the Dawnish Assembly to mark the glory of a hero once they have passed (Etienne is quiet insistent on that point, you can't possibly have a place in the Tombs of Glory until you are dead).

The Gates of Adventure

Gates of Adventure

Commission Type: Great Work

Location: Dawnguard, The Barrens

Cost: 25 white granite, 25 mithril, 150 crowns in labour

Effect: Raises the potential level of investment for all Dawnish military units based in the Barrens that undertake an adventure

Optional: Could create the position of Knight of the Gate to be responsible for the Gate

The Knight of the Gate

Type: Dawn national appointment

Appointment: National Assembly

Powers: Chooses which adventures actions will benefit from the effects of the Gates of Adventure

Responsibilities: To oversee the Gates of Adventure and support questing knights and knights-errant

• Christian proposes to create the Gates of Adventure requiring 25 white granite, 25 mithril and 150 crowns
• The Gates would be great work raising the level of investment of every military unit by one for purposes of undertaking an adventure
• The Senate motion could create the position the Knight of the Gate who could control which adventures benefit from the Gate

A more ambitious project is one put forward by Christian, a knight-errant associated with House du Lorn. Christian is a well-regarded knight whose life is spent questing in the Barrens. While it is true, that he has never achieved glory yet, most people agree it is only a matter of time before his deeds become renowned enough to meet the terms of his Test of Mettle - "To quest across the Barrens until his glory has marked the land itself".

What Christian would like, and what he argues would be an asset for many Dawnish knights-errant in a similar position to himself, is some aid to make their adventures more glorious. Now that the Barrens are Dawnish, there is little need of a great fortification at the entrance to the Barrens - instead what is needed is a glorious archway, a gate - something inspiring that everyone arriving in the Barrens could march through.

Thus he proposes that Dawn commission the Gates of Adventure - a vast arch designed to inspire questing knights and knights-errant. It would serve to raise the spirits of those setting out on a quest in the Barrens, but the arch could be supplemented with smithies, workshops and other artisans who could help to ensure that glorious knights had everything they needed to support them.

It would require a suitable commission, but the Towers of Dawn could be rebuilt to create the Gates of Adventure, a triumphant archway that would inspire knights and their retinues. Once complete, it would serve as a great work raising the level of investment of every military unit by one for purposes of undertaking an adventure.

In addition, there Christian proposes that when the Senate authorise the commission, the motion include the creation of the Knight of the Gate, a national position appointed by the Assembly of Dawn. Christian's idea is that the Assembly pick an experienced knight or troubadour who could oversee the Gates, providing advice and direction to any knights passing through - pointing them in the direction of glory. The Knight would be responsible for the Gate, which allow them to decide which adventures available to Dawnish heroes should benefit from the effects of the Gate - and to decide any decisions that came up regarding the Gate.

The Towers of Enchantment

Towers of Enchantment

Commission Type: College of Magic

Location: Dawnguard, The Barrens

Cost: 60 white granite, 60 mithril, 60 weirwood and 540 crowns in labour

Upkeep: Standard

Effect: Creates a college of magic dedicated to Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter

Issue: Two of the proposed eternal patrons are currently under enmity

Special: Includes palatial apartments for the four Knight-protectors and adds a triumphant blade to their regalia

Enchantress of Dawnguard

Type: Dawn national position

Appointment: Senate appointment

Powers: Choose which rituals are codified by the Towers of Enchantment

Responsibilities: To oversee the Towers and treat with the eternal patrons of the Towers

• Josephine du Lune seeks to raise the Towers of Enchantment raising 60 white granite, 60 mithril, 60 weirwood and 540 crowns
• The Towers would be a college of magic patronised by four eternals; Llofir, Meraud, Prospero, and Skathe
• Two of these eternals are currently under enmity

Famously, when the Towers of the Dawn still stood, there were four massive white granite towers-keeps. They're gone now, but Josephine, the enchantress of House du Lune seeks to raise them up once more. However her idea is not to rebuild the towers as a fortification. She wants them recreated as a new college of magic.

It is a disgrace says Josephine, that Dawn has no college of magic. Urizen has the Doyen of the Spires, Varushka has the Icy Crag and the Brass Coast have the Lyceum (or will do when it emerges from the misty wards protecting it). Dawn's magical traditions are as strong as any nation - if not stronger. Why then is no college of magic in Dawn? Rebuilding the Towers of the Dawn is the perfect moment to rectify this omission which is long overdue to be attended to.

In Josephine's proposal, each tower-keep would be dedicated to the study of one of the four "main" realms, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter (in her view the two "lesser" realms don't merit inclusion since they are inherently less glorious than the main realms). The college would be set up, so that it could focus efforts to research new magic on the study of a single realm at a time. The idea being that it would research a Spring ritual with the help of its patron from the Spring realm. Once a ritual is completed, it would then research a Summer ritual with the help of its Summer patron, then an Autumn ritual and so on all the way back to Spring again after the fourth ritual was completed. When the Towers are directing research towards a project that is part of the current realm, the work would proceed at the rate of 15 ranks of magnitude each season, rather than the normal 10.

So far, so good. There are some... challenges with Josephine's plan, however. She claims to enjoy excellent relations with the "great wizards of the four realms" each of whom she says stands ready to be a patron of the Towers of Enchantment. Certainly some eternal patron would be beneficial - and if the Towers are to be specialised in all four realms, it would need a patron from each realm. And it does make sense to pick the eternal most interested in ritual magic from each realm.

Josephine has spent years on this plan and has an agreement in principle with four eternals who agreed not just to accept patronage of a Dawnish college of magic, but just as importantly to accept each other. Unfortunately much time has elapsed since then and two of those eternals have since fallen under the emnity of the Imperial Conclave. Meraud, the Summer Enchanter and Prospero, the Golden Prince could serve as patrons of a college, but it would not be legal to accept the help of Llofir, the Rotlord, the Lady of Spores or Skathe, the Hag Queen.

In theory the college could be commissioned with the understanding that the Enchantress of Dawnguard would not draw on the power of any one of the patron eternals while they are under enmity. The college would still serve, but it wouldn't gain any benefit when working on a ritual of an enmitied realm. Of course if the Conclave changed the alignment of the Quiet One or the Bitter Tear, then the Enchantress would be free to call on their aid from that season onwards.

The alternative would be for the enchanters of Dawn to find a way to reopen the negotiations - looking for an alternative patron for Spring and Winter that would both agree to help and be acceptable to the other patrons. That is complex and challenging, especially if the enchanters hope to swap both of these eternals for a more suitable replacement. Josephine du Lune warns against assuming that any eternal will do. She claims that each of these eternals has a grudging respect for the others - they acknowledge each other's mastery of magic. Any alternative would have to be equally palatable to them all.

The proposed towers are expensive, but aid is on hand from one source. The weavers of Weirwater are excited about the prospect of the Towers of Enchantment being built and they suggest that each of the four towers would make an excellent residence for one of Dawn's knights-protector. Josephine is happy to include their ideas in her proposal - which would mean that each of the knights-protector would benefit from their own palatial rooms in the towers, in keeping with their status. In addition the weavers would provide the knight-protector with a Triumphant Blade each year so that they have a weapon befitting their position.

The Spires of Dusk

The Assembly of Ambition seeks to consecrate the Towers of Dusk to Ambition, as an effort to restructure them after the Druj occupation, using a dose of true liao.

Serrusto Caeli Rezia di Tassato, Assembly of Ambition, Spring Equinox 386YE, Vote: Greater Majority (326-16)

• Serrusto Caeli Rezia di Tassato, a citizen of the League has raised the idea of consecrating the Spires of Dusk once more
• The Spires were in a poor state of repair, with a grim and foreboding demeanour, but they have since been remodelled

A year ago Darien Numbers raised a judgement in the Dawnish Assembly calling for true liao to be used to consecrate the Spires of Dusk. At the time, it was felt that the Spires might be a poor site to consecrate. They were in a poor state of repair, and they were constructed to project Druj power across the Barrens, to send a clear signal to intimidate everyone who saw them, to remind people of what happens to those who dare to raise a hand against the rightful rulers of the Barrens. Every part of them resonated with cruelty, misery and despair.

Fortunately, at the same time that the Synod were passing a judgement calling for the fortification to be consecrated, the Senate were approving a plan to completely remodel the fortification. The Druj traps have now been torn out and the last traces of their power swept clean. In their place, beautiful gardens have been planted which will soon be filled with black roses. A number of statues are being carved to commemorate the Hounds who fell taking the fortification, the motion stopped short of renaming the fortification but every vestige of the Druj's power in the Spires is now gone.

With the work entirely paid for by the Castellan of Spiral Castle, the Spires of Dusk are now a lasting memorial to the glory of the lost army and a durable symbol of Dawn's determination to rule the Barrens. They have become an imposing symbol of Imperial rule sending a clear signal to everyone in the Barrens, that the territory is Dawnish, now and for the future.

With the work complete, the fortification could now become a fitting site for a consecration to Ambition. It would help to boost Dawnish morale in the Barrens and beyond - and secure their dominion over these lands in perpetuity.

Nothing is beyond our reach. We send {named priest} with a dose of true liao to consecrate the rebuilt Spires of Dusk to Ambition. Where they have sown fear, we will make flowers bloom.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, the Dawnish, especially those Dawnish who dwell in the Barrens will be inspired, their spirits exalted and uplifted. They will be encouraged to seek our new challenges wherever they can find them, and those who take the time to visit the Spires will be filled with a profound sense of destiny. Seeing the symbol of Druj power replaced will make them truly believe that nothing is beyond their reach.

The effects on the Dawnish people of the Barrens will be electrifying. The conquest of the Barrens has been the greatest triumph the Dawnish nation has known in centuries, but Ambition demands they do more. People will immediately set their sights on the Druj territories that surround the Barrens, the Forest of Ulnak, the Salt Flats of Sanath, and the Sarangrave. The Druj have been beaten in the Barrens - and the Dawnish drove them from Ossium - but why stop there? Dawn and the Druj have been locked in warfare with each other for longer than either nation can remember.

The resulting surge in enthusiasm will immediately increase the number of armies that Dawn can support by one - it will remain raised for as long as the Spires of Dusk remain in Dawnish hands. In addition if any new Dawnish army is raised at the Spires of Dusk, then the soldiers will be uplifted by the ambitious aura. They will believe that nothing is beyond their reach - they will be eager to take the fight to the Druj, to see the nation destroyed once and for all, and for the rest of the Mallum to be liberated just as the Barrens has been. (OOC note: any army raised here will have an option for a powerful quality that supports a conquest of the Mallum).

The Chapel Perilous

Guineve's Dream

Commission Type: Folly

Location: Hope's Rest, The Barrens

Cost: 12 white granite, 36 crowns in labour

Effect: Strengthens the ambitious influence of the true aura of ambition at Hope's Rest encouraging Dawn to claim the Barrens for themselves

• A year ago, the Dawnish travelled to the Barrens to consecrate the Shrine of Hope to Ambition
• The shrine has seen a regular stream of visitors since then, but its influence has been limited by the ongoing conflict and its unassuming physical presence
• The Empire could commission a large structure to enhance the impact of the true aura present
• This opportunity supersedes that offered in Dog Days are Over

A year ago, the Dawnish took advantage of a large conjunction to travel to the shrine of Ser Guineve. The stories say that this knight was once Ser Galahad, and that they were one of Queen Igraine's four husbands. They took up the mantle of Ser Guineve after their Queen died and they became the first questing knight to seek glory in the Barrens. They were buried at the Shrine of Hope and their ghost haunts the site still. It is said that they can never rest until all the Barrens is finally Dawnish.

The site has always been a regular spot for pilgrimages and a stopping point for knights questing in the Barrens. The shrine has held many consecrations over the years, at one point or another it has benefitted variously from the consecration of Ambition, Courage, Vigilance, Loyalty or Wisdom. Now the aura is true - fixed and permanent, powerful and subtle in its influence. By all accounts it was Tancred de Coeurdefer who carried out the consecration, placing a true aura of Ambition at the site

The flowers that Darian Numbers dreamed of, grow in great abundance here now. Wild purple iris, interspersed with peonies, lilies, and windflowers of every imaginable colour. There is no order to the flowers, nobody tends the beds in which they grow, yet they prosper here still, creating a site that soothes the most troubled spirit, inspires the weary, and brings hope to those who have lost the will to go on. Brilliant red crocosmia grows next to variegated dahlias and even more exotic blooms to stir even the hardest of hearts.

"Pride exalts and uplifts those who have been laid low by the wicked; we come to the Barrens not to conquer, but to liberate and restore those who have been trod underfoot by the Druj."

But currently it is one of the best kept secrets in the Barrens. If more people knew of the shrine, if more people visited it, then its impact would be more widely felt. That could be achieved, relatively easily, by building a chapel, a place of sanctuary where people could rest and prepare for their onward journey. It doesn't have to be some grand church or cathedral, that is something that the Assembly could use a judgement to request if they wanted a more ambitious housing for the aura. But a simple folly would suffice - it would turn the trickle of visitors into a flood, as people came to experience the serene beauty of the location and experience the ambitious aura.

If the Chapel of Hope was built, then it would extend the influence of the true aura to Dawnish citizens across the territory. Visitors, guided by the ghost of Ser Guineve, would be encouraged to expand out across the Barrens, looking to settle those lands that are unclaimed; Hopes Rest, the Carmine Fields, and Murderdale, as well as those parts of the Bleaks not claimed by the Karass. New Dawnish settlements would be established enriching the territory and the Imperial coffers in the process.

Now that the matter of Dawn's control of the Barrens is settled, there need be no conflict with the septs. The Barrens is a vast open wilderness, waiting to be tamed, there is plenty of room for everyone now that the Black Wind have left and the Vendarri are gone. Out of respect for their neighbours feelings, the Dawnish would avoid the forests of Peytaht and stay well away from the Fangs for the time being. But that still leaves a rich land that could be home to new Dawnish houses.

OOC Note: This opportunity supersedes that presented in the Dog days are over wind of fortune.

The Orc Septs

• Much of the Black Wind sept have departed the Barrens, those who remain have settled at the Fangs
• There is no word from the Karass or the Rahvin at this time
• The Great Forest Orcs have been given reassurances by the judgements of the Navarr

With each passing day the situation in the Barrens grows clearer. The Black Wind have used the time and freedom granted them by the Dawnish generals to gather their people and what belongings they can carry and flee the Barrens. Not all the Black Wind are gone; a small number of them chose to join the Rahvin at the Fangs rather than suffer the rule of the Druj. Last time the septs negotiated with the Senate, they had no idea what the outcome of those deliberations was. This time the Great Forest Orcs, many of whom are still walking the trods alongside the Navarr, pass on every detail to keep them all well informed of what has taken place.

Rahvin and Black Wind

• The Rahvin are jubilant to hear the motion for their treaty passed... and devastated to hear it was vetoed

The Rahvin are downcast by the failure to pass the treaty they had arranged with Imperial diplomats. There is great disappointment, but little surprise. Their allies at Anvil had repeatedly warned them that the Imperial Senate would not pass a treaty recognising the Black Wind as foreigners and ceding their regions where they dwelt to them. They pressed their allies to try anyway, claiming they were prepared to accept the bitter pain of failure, but could not accept the hopelessness of failing to try. Even forewarned, to see their families, relations, and friends condemned to a life of servitude to the Druj in the darkness of the Mallum is a bitter pill to swallow. The Rahvin gave everything they had to find another way - and it was not enough. While the Senate passed the treaty, the Throne chose to veto it at the last moment.

Not all the Black Wind have left - some have joined the Rahvin, swelling their numbers considerably. The Rahvin welcome them like returning heroes - they may have saved only a tiny fraction of those they sought to rescue from the Druj's tyranny, but every soul is precious. Together the two groups are frantically trying to arm themselves with what little mithril the mine can produce. They are convinced now that it is only a matter of time before the Empire turns on them - and if somehow that fate is averted then they will certainly be wiped out once the Druj reclaim the Barrens. Their only hope is to prepare for a war they have tried again and again to avert.

Great Forest Orcs

For our Empire to offer sanctuary only to those we find convenient is to pretend at compassion while concealing the heart of a coward. We send Brynmor Rootround with 50 doses of liao to encourage Navarr to reach out to all who call Peytaht their home, swearing to protect orc and human alike regardless of their beliefs.

Morwenna Witheredrose, Navarr Assembly, Spring Equinox 386YE, Vote: Upheld (190-154)

We have lived alongside the Great Forest Orcs and we consider them family. We will continue to work with them while the Navarr still live and breathe and we send Brynmor Rootround with 50 doses of liao to ask Navarr to look to their Loyalty and swear an oath to protect the Great Forest Orcs as though they were our family. Strength to the Navarr, Strength to the Great Forest Orcs.

Brynn Tendfallen, Navarr Assembly, Spring Equinox 386YE, Vote: Upheld (252-58

The Montanians and the Great Forest Orcs are not one and the same. The assurances we extend to the Great Forest Orcs are not appropriate to the Montanians. However the Montainians are dear to our friends and their destruction will not benefit the Empire in Virtue or in pragmatism. We will not stand idly by if they are threatened.

Caoimhe Tendfallen, Navarr Assembly, Spring Equinox 386YE, Vote: Upheld (236-20

• The Navarr had unequivocally sworn their support for the Great Forest Orcs, supported by the Loyalty assembly
• A group of Great Forest Orcs including Chief Vallack plans to attend Anvil, due to arrive at 8pm on Friday evening
• They have invited two named Imperial citizens to meet with them, but are not interested in meeting with Imperial citizens who are not Navarr

The Rahvin and the Black Wind were not the only septs with concerns. The slaughter of their closest allies, the Montanians, had convinced the Great Forest Orcs that the Empire could not be trusted. The Montanians weren't signatories to the peace treaty with the Empire, but they were explicitly identified in the prologue of the treaty, and that hadn't saved them. The Empire had turned on them and slaughtered them without warning the moment it suited them - why would it be any different for the Great Forest Orcs?

In desperation they sought reassurances from the Navarr that they were not to be next. They are familiar with the hearth magic of oaths and aware of how much importance the Navarr place on them. A solemn oath to protect them would reassure them that they are not about to suffer the same fate as their allies the Vendarri, the Montanians, and the Black Wind.

The Navarr Assembly chose to endorse the mandate presented by Brynn Tendfallen that encouraged the Navarr to swear an oath to protect the Great Forest Orcs as if they were family. Another mandate that would have gone further and explicitly encouraged the Navarr to also swear to protect the surviving Montanians passed but with a smaller margin and was not enacted. Instead the Assembly passed a different statement defining the Navarr's relationship with the Montanians. The mandate has spread quickly through the Navarr, especially those who dwell near the Great Forest Orcs. Solemn oaths have been sworn, with many choosing the very wording that Corey Wayfarer proposed for the mandate, declaring that the Navarr will work with them while the Navarr still live and breathe.

If any Navarr had any doubts about the Wisdom of swearing an oath to protect the Great Forest Orcs, those doubts are dispelled by the decision of the Loyalty Assembly to enact the mandate. Kellin Embercast employed the Eyes of Loyalty to encourage the entire nation to swear the oath. Once that happens, more and more Navarr embrace the oath, many choosing to mark it with a tattoo or a brand as is common in the Navarr. By the time of the Summer Solstice, most of the nation have sworn some form of the oath encouraged by Brynn Tendfallen.

It is a powerful oath, and a dangerous one. Oaths are potent and ancient hearth magic; breaking them can have terrible consequences. To swear a oath on your life and on the breath in your body is not something to take lightly. The Great Forest Orcs are reassured - the Empire might break their treaties, but only a fool would break an oath like that. The Great Forest Orcs abandon any plans to flee the Empire, and instead a number of them plan to remain in the Holt of the Oak, and the Thimble, and continue to build up the steadings some of their youths have built near the Golden Trees of Seren, the Heartwood of the Great Vale. Such plans have reckoned without the Druj however. Perhaps the enemy have not forgotten or forgiven the Great Forest Orcs for their support of the Empire. The invasion of Therunin is not the first time they have attempted to strike back, to show the world what happens to those who leave the "protection" of the Druj. Much more likely this is an attack on the Empire, an attempt to take revenge for the loss of the Barrens by taking Therunin and claiming the valuable resources found there. There's little evidence that they even knew for sure that the Great Forest Orcs were here until they encountered them in battle.

Kellin Embercast

The Great Forest Orcs are desperate to discuss the situation with their Navarr allies. Their warriors have fought to delay the Druj, but they have been overwhelmed. Now they are falling back with the Druj hot on their heels. They have sent word that Chief Vallack and his companions intend to visit the Navarr camp around eight o'clock on Friday evening. Still they have much to discuss with their oathbound allies following the invasion of Therunin and events within the Barrens. They also intend to stay and participate in Songs & Stories that evening.

They have made it extremely clear that they only wish to talk to the Navarr, with two exceptions. Kennett the Mummer and Hazelelponi of the Shattered Tower are welcome to meet with Vallack and his companions if they wish. It's not entirely clear why the two individuals have been singled out, but the Great Forest Orcs will be aware of the statement of principle authored by Hazelelponi and by Kennett.

It is not year clear if they intend to discuss the issue of the treaty that the Great Forest Orcs feel the Empire has broken, or the reparations it promised. On the other hand, those of Dawn and Varushka are particularly warned to keep their distance.

Participation : Navarr

• Any Navarr character could roleplay having taken the oath to protect the Great Forest Orcs as if they were family

Any Navarr character is free to roleplay that they have personally sworn the oath to treat the Great Forest Orcs as if they were family. Marking the oath with a new tattoo or brand would be an excellent way to bring this decision into play. Alternatively, you may plan to make the oath during the Summer Solstice, perhaps in the presence of Chief Vallack and his companions. The wording of the oath is up to the individual, as always, but there are suggestions here as to what it might include. It'd also be an excellent time to seek out a dedication, anointing, or hallow of Loyalty - or to ask the guidance of a guide as to whether you should swear the oath or not. Dedication dreams might be an excellent way to explore this in character.

Bear in mind, though, that if you swear this oath in character and later break it, you would expect it to have a profound effect on your character. Oaths of such power are not to be entered into lightly. The hearth magic of tattoos has some notes on what might happen if you become foresworn.

Imperial Legal Advice

• Official legal advice is that the Empire may not have broken the terms of their treaty with the Great Forest Orcs
• There is no outside arbitration - the Great Forest Orcs feel the treaty was broken - but the law does not deal with feelings
• It is a matter for the politicians whether the treaty was violated

In 381YE the Empire signed a peace treaty with the Great Forest Orcs. The terms of the treaty forbid attacks on each other and the very first line of the treaty states that the treaty is "understood to incorporate the orcs of the Great Forest formerly resident in the Barrens, together with the humans that the Great Forest recognise as members of their nation." The Great Forest Orcs and the Montanians always believed that the treaty covered them both equally - and they walked the trods together. The Montanians understood that their religious embrace of the false Virtue of Freedom was not accepted in the Empire, and they took care not to speak of it where Imperial citizens could overhear. It seemed to the Great Forest Orcs that they - and their human allies - had a treaty with the Empire that would protect them both equally.

Those assumptions proved groundless and when the two groups returned to the Barrens, the Empire sent an army to attack the Montanians. They weren't taken by surprise, they got warning from somewhere, but it was only enough for a few hundred of their number to escape - the elderly and the youngest ran for the safety of the Great Forest, while the rest gave their lives in a heroic final stand to give them time to get away. This is the context in which the Great Forest Orcs believe the treaty has been breached.

However, official legal advice of the Constitutional Court points out that the treaty identifies the Montanians only in so much as it describes them as "the humans that the Great Forest recognise as members of their nation". That could be interpreted to mean that the Montanians were protected, so long as they lived with the Great Forest Orcs as part of their sept. Once they came back to the Barrens to return to their old homes in Hope's Rest, they were clearly a different group - distinct and apart from the Great Forest Orcs. They were no longer "members of their (the Great Forest Orcs) nation". As such... they were not covered by the treaty and it was perfectly legal to attack them. From the point of view of the Imperial law, that interpretation is consistent with the Senate's decision to declare them barbarians.

The Great Forest Orcs are unlikely to be receptive to this legal analysis. Their fears that they would be next have been laid to rest by the oaths the Navarr swore; now the Empire must decide, what - if anything - to do about their feelings that the Empire has betrayed the terms of the treaty. Ultimately, that is not something the magistrates can advise on; it is a political matter, not a legal one.

Further Reading

• The Barrens
• Conflict in the Barrens
• Ashes - 386YE Summer Wind of War concerning the situation in the Barrens and the invasion of Therunin
• All those moments - 386YE Spring Wind of Fortune detailing events in the Barrens
• Not to conquer - 385YE Autumn wind of fortune detailing the Barrens factions
• The silent page - 384YE Winter wind of fortune
• A curious reprise -384YE Winter battle opportunity involving the Rahvin at the Fangs