388YE Summer Solstice winds of war

Those who sit highest have the furthest to fall

Overview

Over the last three months, Imperial forces have engaged in military campaigns. Sometimes those engagements have been wide-ranging and dramatic, other times they have been more sedate. Where there has been dramatic action, or where there are opportunities, we've given a Wind of War its own page; other military actions are discussed here.

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of War and the Winds of Fortune is to make players aware of things their characters should know, based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing, and to maintain the Empire as a living, breathing place where all kinds of events take place beyond the scope of Anvil.

It should go without saying that we ask everyone to abide by the rules about online roleplaying with regard to the military campaign. It's important that the key in-character activity of the Empire world takes place at events. The game is busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Military planning and political discussions should happen at events. For this reason, we generally discourage too much downtime roleplaying between events and put strict limits on what can be done online, particularly using our forums and Facebook groups.

All that said, we now present a summary of the key military activity in the Empire - both with links to the expanded Wind of War pages and notes about other important things that have happened that didn't need a full battle campaign write-up.

Battle opportunities

Imperial prognosticators have identified three possible major conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate at the coming summit. The Military Council will muster on Friday night, and the generals will select two of them to be taken up by Imperial heroes. At the moment, the full details of these opportunities are not clear; more information will be provided nearer to the event.

All battle opportunities are Combat Highly Likely environments.

Territory	Opportunity	Location	Opposition	Day	Learn More	CS Briefing
Sarangrave	Contain the dead	Fens of Varreth, Turan Flats	Druj	Either day	Harvester of Graves	PDF Link
Forest of Ulnak	Raid the Druj	Fetid Heart, Ghul'thak Forest	Druj	Either day	Claim the Prize	PDF Link
Mareave	Open the Vaults	Ruins of Sinat, Clisearn	Grendel	Sunday	Salt and Stone	PDF Link

Nation	Force Weight
Brass Coast	16
Dawn	67
Highguard	27
Imperial Orcs	7
League	26
Marches	26
Navarr	59
Urizen	13
Varushka	18
Wintermark	65

The sides for the battles will be chosen by the generals in the Muster of the Military Council on Friday night. The battle on Saturday must have at least 162 and at most 166 force weight sent on it. The battle on Sunday must have at least 158 and at most 162 force weight sent on it.

Battle participation

If you have your own orc mask please do bring it along as we're keen to ensure we can field forces predominantly comprised of barbarian orcs. If you are unable to wear a mask, then all battle opportunities have limited roles for human barbarian combatants and low-combat roles such as healers, support mages, artisans, messengers and attendants. Player elite monster units (EMUs) are expected to monster as their barbarian orc units regardless of the battle opportunity, and should not include human combatants.

• The Forest of Ulnak opportunity involves forces composed primarily of Druj orc fighters

We ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Druj orcs as normal. If you have your own orc mask, please do bring it along as we're keen to ensure we can field a force predominantly comprised of Druj orcs. You can help by wearing leather or plate armour you have, as well as any iconic Druj weaponry, particularly swords, spears and great weapons, as well as bows of all types. You can find out more about the iconic Druj look here, but the key element for portraying the Druj is a mantle and ragged material layers that echo natural greens, browns, greys, and black, with occasional bright accent colours as their iconic look.

• The Sarangrave opportunity involves forces composed primarily of Druj orc fighters, with options for playing winter husks

We ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Druj orcs as normal. If you have your own orc mask, please do bring it along as we're keen to ensure we can field a force predominantly comprised of Druj orcs. You can help by wearing leather or plate armour you have, as well as any iconic Druj weaponry, particularly swords, spears and great weapons, as well as bows of all types. You can find out more about the iconic Druj look here, but the key element for portraying the Druj is a mantle and ragged material layers that echo natural greens, browns, greys, and black, with occasional bright accent colours as their iconic look.

Winter husks have no special requirements and can be represented by basic costume, armour, and weapons (but not thrown or ranged weapons). This could be added to with costume from any Imperial nation that has recently fought in Sarangrave. Using rags and tattered fabric can also enhance the look. Please do not wear any form of undead or zombie mask, as we are aiming to portray the recently dead soliders of Imperial armies, not long decaying or rotting corpses.

• The Mareave opportunity involves forces composed primarily of Grendel orc soldiers

We ask the majority of player volunteers to take on the roles of Grendel orcs as normal. You can help by wearing leather or plate armour you have, as well as any iconic Grendel weaponry, particularly swords, spears, and bows of all types. You can find out more about the iconic Grendel look here, and the key elements for portraying the Grendel are a light coloured base layer, with mantles, shoulder capes, wraps and other purple clothing and other bright colours as their iconic look.

IMPORTANT - we will not be reusing any orc masks to players for these battle opportunities. Our orc masks will only be used once this event and then washed ready for the next event. We are continuing the provision of battle opportunities with non-orc enemies until such a time as we have sufficient masks to run two fully orc-masked battles.

Conjunctions

The Sentinel Gate also allows smaller groups of Imperial citizens to reach locations all over the Empire where their intervention might change the course of events. Many of these conjunctions involve combat, but there are also a variety of other opportunities presented by the magic of the Gate.

For most conjunctions, the Civil Service has identified the Imperial titles that are the most appropriate to take overall responsibility for ensuring that a response is organised. Whilst the individual has been named by the Civil Service, there is no legal requirement for them to coordinate a response or travel on the conjunction. They may delegate oversight to another individual of their choosing. As always, Imperial war scouts will be on hand at the Sentinel Gate to provide further information to any citizens wanting to learn more. They can provide updates on the barbarians' goals, guidance on how to engage the enemy troops or advice on how to avoid casualties and return back to Anvil in safety.

Sometimes it is necessary for us to make small adjustments to the timing or size of encounters at the time of this publication and when an encounter runs at an event. Details for the conjunctions on Friday will be finalised on Friday afternoon of the event before time-in (18:00) whilst details for the conjunctions on Saturday will be finalised on Saturday before time-in (10:00). Please check the details of any conjunction you are interested in as soon as possible to ensure that you have the full and up-to-date information; it might also be sensible to check again shortly before the planned time of the encounter. You can check the details of a conjunction by casting Detect Magic (Discover Conjunction) on the Sentinel Gate in the presence of a referee.

It's very important to pay attention to the accessibility note for each conjunction, which covers the likelihood of combat. Further details about the accessibility of a conjunction are available both before and during the event. You can learn more about this on the accessibility page.

Friday

These times and numbers are subject to change until 18:00 on Friday

Time	People	Duration	Combat	Location	Responsibility	Overview/Link
18:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Whisperwood, Halfweir Grove	Custodian of the Fingers of the Devourer	Destroy the heralds of Surut
18:35	5	30 mins	Unlikely	Astolat, Withy, Igraine's Regio	Senator for Astolat	Find out why the regio keeps shifting back to Spring, and resolve it
18:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Maiden Stone	Champion of Prosperity	Stop Jyll Longleys from cursing the Maiden Stone
19:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, Dawnguard, Troubadour's Glade	Knight of Dawnguard	Kill Prilak Gutdredger
19:15	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Mitwold, Maiden Downs, Golden Fields	Keeper of the Golden Fields	Stop Dusty Cobb setting Golden Fields alight
19:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, Saltmarsh, The Dredging Flats	Knight-protector of Winter	Kill the Servants of the Burnt
20:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Ossium, Echofell, Burned Glade	Shadowed Torchbearer	Prevent the cursing of Ossium
21:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Therunin, Lower Tarn Valley, Rotwood Croft	Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was	Destroy the miasma pillar
21:05	5	20 mins	Unlikely	Madruga, Free Landing, Hart's Cove	Hand of Guerra	Aid the stranded ship from Sumaah
21:15	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Kroll, Slow Worm's Hill	Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path	Prevent the cursing of Sarangrave
21:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Turan Flats, The Breakteeth dais	General of the Eastern Sky	Recover the treasure

Saturday

These times and numbers are subject to change until 10:00 on Saturday

Time	People	Duration	Combat	Location	Responsibility	Overview/Link
14:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, Bitter Strand, Saltshore	Merchant of the Fangs	Answer General Utmar's call for aid
15:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Madruga, The Crucible, Talpses Plat	Champion of Vigilance	Claim the Snapping Face
15:15	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, Carmine Fields, Trading Way	Rhydian de Rondell	Remove the failed knights-errant of House Courcillion as a threat
15:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Necropolis, Coursmouth, The Veiled Garden	Guardian of Britta's Memorial	Spill the waters of Siakha
15:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, The Untrod Groves, Glade of the Good Knight	Knight-protector of Winter	Thwart the schemes of Ser Gawain Amboise
15:50	TBC	30 mins	Unlikely	Mareave, Fleisardh, Spring Regio near Golden Wind's Encampment	Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice	Poison the Grendel
16:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Tassato, Cascatas, Campo Verdenta	Keeper of the Sapphire Stair	Kill the heralds of Siakha
17:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Spiral, Apstrus, Alba's Lea	Custodian of the Legacy	Intercept the mercenaries pay
17:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Reikos, Haros Water, Couros Field	Nekoda of the Shattered Tower	Save Professor Gelberg from Grendel assassins
18:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Redoubt, Naris, Isaac's End	Telemachus of the Lighthouse-That-Was	Leave no more than a dozen Grendel alive
18:15	12	45 mins	Unlikely	Kallavesa, West Marsh, The Meeting Place	Erlend	Consecrate the Meeting Place
18:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Kallavesa, Wittal Grove, Frithstan's Fen	Grimnir of Wittal Grove	Defeat the Grendel (and potentially rescue the Iontach)
20:15	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Forest of Ulnak, Grimfen Mire, Moss End	Warmage	Take advantage of a recent scouting discovery
20:30	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Eastern Ward	Theodora	Cast the permanent ward
20:45	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	The Barrens, Saltmarsh, Gardenway	Envoy to the Karass	Prevent Druj raiders from kidnapping Lenna Karass
21:00	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Bloodwater Marsh, Western Ward	Spear of the Seven	Cast the permanent ward
21:15	TBC	20 mins	Highly Likely	Forest of Ulnak, Gloomsea, Islet of Calm	Archmage of Day	Prevent the Eyes of the Dragon from using a boon of Kimus
21:30	TBC	30 mins	Highly Likely	Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio	Warmage	Drive the vallorn from the regio
21:40	TBC	20 mins	Possible	Sarangrave, Bendol, Spring Regio	Archmage of Spring	Cast Dance of Navarr and Thorn
23:00	5	20 mins	Unlikely	Sarangrave, the Whisperwood, Depths of the Hungry Earth	Counsel of the Sun Chamber	Investigate the Hungry Earth
23:05	40	20 mins	Unlikely	Volodmartz, Livardz, Sumisev Peegel	Auntie Armand Mariyavich Remislav	Destroy the Sumisev Peegel

A Vow (The Barrens)

• A Druj het is threatening the settlements of Dawnguard
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Knight of Dawnguard is responsible for killing Prilak Gutdredger
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

The Druj thrive on bringing fear and destruction, especially to those who least expect it. As the days grow longer, a band of Druj burst from Brocéliande. A malicious het Prilak Gutdredger, who led their band into the lush forests, has made a bargain with heralds of the Burning Steward. Heralds of Surut will accompany the Druj as they burn Dawnguard, and the heralds will claim the ashes as their prize. The pact is between the heralds and the het; killing the het will end the agreement.

The incumbent Knight of Dawnguard, Caladain de Renard, is responsible for killing Prilak Gutdredger. If the het survives, they will attack Dawnguard and withdraw, reducing the Reeve of Drycastle's income by 10 crowns a season until it can be repaired. If the het is killed, then a band of knights-errant, the "The Deepest Vintage", who have been training in Dawnguard, will swear their banner to whomever the Knight of Dawnguard nominates, upgrading their starting military unit to level three.

A Call to Stand (The Barrens)

• A group of Surut heralds are being accompanied by a band of Druj out of the Barrens
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• The Knight-protector of Winter is responsible for killing the Servants of the Burnt
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

Shortly before the summit, a cowled and caped figure visits the Castle of Thorns with a request. The figure introduces itself as the Sublime Enchantrix, a herald of the Hag Queen, who has a demand request for the Knight-protector of Winter. Not all the Druj in the Barrens are working to kill Imperials; some of them are attempting to escort their allies out of the territory so that they can kill Imperials later. The Servants of the Burnt, soldiers of the Charred Prince, are being accompanied by a band of Druj in Saltmarsh.

The Knight-protector of Winter, Lady Aletheia of the Twisted Rose, is charged by the Sublime Enchantrix, with the authority of the Queen of the Wasteland, to kill the Servants of the Burnt before they can escape the Barrens. If they are defeated, then the Dread-Queen will provide a boon to Lady Aletheia before the Autumn Equinox. If they manage to escape, however, then Skathe will do what she can to see Lady Aletheia cursed.

After the Taint (Therunin)

• One of the Druj's miasma pillars has been located
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was is responsible for destroying the pillar
• This conjunction is against barbarians; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

Information gleaned from the seers rescued during the battle at Mantifent's Bier has revealed the location of a miasma pillar the Druj have recently raised in eastern Therunin. If the pillar remains in place in Lower Tarn Valley, then the area will come under the pall of the miasma, stymying any advance Imperial forces wish to make in a future liberation of the region. The threat of the pillar can be resolved through several means: the Day ritual Chimes of Annulment will break its power, the Winter ritual Dreadful Ending would destroy the physical form that anchors the miasma, whilst a powerful consecration of strength 15 would remove the aura of dread that spreads out across the area.

Andronikos of the Lighthouse-That-Was, as the Field Marshal at Mantifent's Bier, is tasked with dealing with the miasma pillar and the Druj forces that protect it. Destroying the pillar will prevent its miasma forming in the Lower Tarn Valley.

Military Considerations

This is a placeholder page for content that PD are actively working on.

Several territory pages now contain details of strategic obstacles presented or advantages provided by movement through or fighting in those lands. There are also several fortifications that follow different rules. Several armies or nations have special rules or opportunities related to the orders they can issue, which should be borne in mind when discussing military strategies during the Winter Solstice.

• Billeting: Any Imperial army can take the Billet order in Mitwold, Mournwold, or Upwold. Link
• Dawn:
  • Dawnish armies cannot take the Cautious Advance order or the Give Ground order. Link
  • The borders of the Barrens are patrolled by citizens of the territory as a result of the mandate enacted by Ser Tunic. The Druj require 25 victory points to claim a beachhead in the Barrens.
• Highguard
  • Highborn armies can take the Protect the Innocent order. Link
  • Highborn armies enchanted with rituals or targeted by a boon that calls an eternal to send heralds to fight alongside the army will lose a thousand effective strength until the end of the Spring Equinox 389YE as a result of a mandate enacted by Frater Pontius of Adoniram's Testament
  • Any Highborn army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
• Imperial Orcs
  • An Imperial Orc army can take the Forge Hammers order whilst in Skarsind. Link
• The Marches:
  • Marcher armies cannot take the Give Ground order. Link
  • The Strong Reeds receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Bregasland. Link
  • The Tusks receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mournwold. Link
  • The Drakes receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Mitwold. Link
  • The Bounders receive an additional 1000 strength when fighting in Upwold. Link
• Urizen:
  • The borders of Morrow and Zenith are patrolled by citizens of the territory as a result of the mandate enacted by Herminius of the House of the Wanderer. The Druj require 25 victory points to claim a beachhead in Morrow and Zenith.
  • Any Urizen army attacking into Zenith from Morrow gains a 20% bonus to any territory captured and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link
• Varushka:
  • The borders of Ossium are patrolled by citizens of the territory as a result of the mandate enacted by Velko Perunovich Razorasza. The Druj require 25 victory points to claim a beachhead in Ossium.
  • Varushkan armies can take the Hospitality of the Boyars order whilst in Ossium. Link.
• Wintermark:
  • Wintermark armies can take the Fight with Honour order. Link.
  • Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun will gain 10% more victory points but inflict 20% less casualties. Link
  • Wintermark armies fighting against the Jotun have their casualties taken reduced by 10%. This effect continues as long as the Winterfolk continue to fight honourably. Link

Click Expand to see military considerations that are less relevant at the current time but are still active.

• Morrow: Any Highborn or Urizen army that defends in Morrow against an army attacking from Zenith gains a 20% bonus to defend territory and suffers a 10% reduction in casualties inflicted. Link