O rose thou art sick

The seneschal stared dumb-founded at the entrance to the keep. It was abandoned - completely abandoned. The rotas was very clear - Geoffrey, Margritte, Ansalom, and Tris were due to be on duty this morning - they should have been here since dawn. He had dawn up the schedule and distributed it personally - nobody was in any doubt. And yet... their posts were deserted.

Melusine balled her fists in frustration. Never in all her thirteen years of service to House Anjou had she ever suffered a month as vexing as this. It had started small enough - backchat from the scullery girl who suddenly decided that emptying the grates could wait until after breakfast. Then when Melusine informed her that she would turn her out if she didn't buck up her ideas - the girl promptly threw a temper tantrum and stormed out. And from there it had gone down hill everywhere - quarrels in the kitchen - an argument with the forresters - and then a man killed in a fight on one of the outlying farms. The whole world was going mad.

But this - this was a serious matter. Dereliction of duty, abandoning your post. If the keep had been attacked by Druj while everyone was asleep in their bed then it would have been a bloody murder. It didn't matter how unlikely it was - it was the principle. They'd let themselves down, they'd let the house down but most of all they'd let their seneschal down.

Melusine grabbed her stout walking stick from the stand near the entrance and went in search of the miscreants. She patted the weight of the stick in her hand as she walked - the fury rising in her blood. She was going to make an example of these four when she found them and no mistake.

Overview

Over the last few years, the Empire has been assailed by many terrible curses. Responsibility for some of these malign magics has been placed at the door of the Dawnish House de Lusignan, but at this time it is by no means certain precisely which curses were their doing. According to rumour, a significant number of the de Lusignan nobles have apparently taken their own lives in a final act of defiance against the Empire... but their passing seems to have done little to reduce the number of maledictions plaguing the Empire.

At the heart of Dawn, something stirs restlessly. Over the last month or so, something wild has uncoiled from the eastern woodlands and spread a lazy influence over the territory of Astolat. The people of Dawn are passionate, but for the last few weeks those passions have grown surprisingly hot - and unpredictable. The tempers of rival nobles have boiled over all too easily into confrontation. Many earls are forced to impose a Test of Resolve to provide an outlet for this unfocused anger. There have been no deaths so far - but there have been a few close calls.

Yet the nobles do not seem to be the real targets of this peculiar influence. Much of the power of this curse - and the witches are certain it is a curse - goes toward inflaming resentment from the yeomanry toward the nobles. There are incidents of gross insolence, rudeness, disrespect... even a few cases of yeofolk questioning traditions that go back four hundred years. In a few places, especially around the town of Laroc, there are disorganised meetings at which resentful yeofolk discuss whether their ancestors were right to stay behind when they were given the chance to march west...

The other place the curse is having a particularly strong effect is among Dawnish soldiers whose homes are in Astolat - regardless of where in the Empire they might be. While there have been few cases of actual insubordination, orders are being questioned. Knights and yeofolk alike are slow to obey their captains. There have even been a few more serious cases of desertion and dereliction of duty. A knight leaves her post to spend three days carousing; a war-witch abandons his nobility to marry a farmer; a band of archers break ranks to steal pheasants to supplement their rations.

Significance

Any Dawnish character whose personal resource is based in Astolat experiences a roleplaying effect: they felt an urge to question anything they see as restricting their freedom, whether it is the law, the traditions of Dawn, the authority of the nobility, or a 'keep off the grass' sign. These sensations surge and recede; the longer the character spends physically away from Astolat the weaker they tend to become - except where someone is already predisposed toward questioning authority.

The exception is that any Dawnish character from Astolat who has a military unit personal resource. These characters experience the roleplaying effect througout the current summit, and it shows no sign of fading. The effect is particularly strong whenever such characters spend a hero point. In addition, the effective fighting strength of their military unit for the coming season will be slightly reduced if they take any action other than paid work, as discipline problems run rampant through their warband (they will lose a quarter of their effective fighting strength for the season).

The witches of Dawn believe that the effects are due to a curse on the territory of Astolat, almost certainly one using Night magic. One possible way to learn more would be for a magician versed in the lore of the winter realm to prepare an arcane projection which would allow an effect similar to Wisdom of the Balanced Blade to be performed at the imperial regio, targeting the affected territory, to at least get some idea of what exactly the curse is doing, and give some guidance as to how it might be removed.

Other Curses

The stink of Tassato

A year ago, the cities of the League fell under the sway of an unpleasent magical curse. Shortly after the Spring equinox, the same unseasonable heatwave descends - but this time, only the city of Tassato is affected. After the rains and flooding of Spring, the heat raises a great stink across the city as the mud and damp caused by the high water festers. It becomes common to see Leaguers on both sides of the river covering the lower parts of their faces with brightly coloured scarves soaked in perfume. Indeed, in some places, these practical defences against the overwhelming smell of stagnant water become fashion statements. At least the city is too damp to burn... although that is also what the wags said about Sarvos.

The heat makes people surly, and brings with it a malaise that strikes the magicians in particular. Some become lethargic and restless, while others became short-tempered and aggressive. Even in its mildest form, it brings headaches, sleepless nights, and feelings of discontent and distraction.

Last year there was the threat of rioting - this year, the stink and the oppressive heat rob people of their anger. The threat of the Jotun and their conquest of the Mournwold leaves even the most belligerent bravo subdued. The malaise brings with it too much time to worry about the orc threat, and to question the untested strength of La Redotta Rezia.

As before, this oppressive heat has a more malign aspect. The decline in magical energies has also caused several weak regio to collapse completely. All the mana sources in Tassato have become weaker, and produced only half the normal crystalline mana. At least this year the curse was not so widespread that it has endangered the supply of mana across the entire League. Small mercies.

Significance

While everyone feels the heat, and has to deal with the Stink, the magicians of Tassato are particularly affected. You may wish to role-play being more short-tempered and aggressive - or more lethargic and despondent. Regardless, your personal mana is not affected. The effects are likely to be muted in Anvil, but may take some time to fade completely.

Unsurprisingly, the curse is quickly identified by League magicians as Icy Maw Devours the Spark of Essence. The worst of the effect should fade over the Summer Solstice... but until then every magician based in Tassato will suffer.

A bitter harvest in Casinea

Tassato is not the only territory labouring under an unexpected hot Spring. In Casinea, no rain falls between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The patched conditions, and the pounding heat cuts a devastating swathe through the Highborn farms. While the more vigilant farmers have laid in contingencies for such bad weather, even their resources are stretched by three months without a hint of moisture. In some parts, advisors from the Marches organise small bands of volunteers to lay in temporary irrigation systems. In others, the crops simply fail.

The heat brings other, more subtle, problems. Food spoils quickly - and the unobservent often fail to notice just how bad it has gone. There are many cases of vile food poisoning. Worse, the curse plays tricks with the mind. The shortage of water leads to thirst, but the curse obfuscated just how bad the lack of liquid has become. Between the two, there are a few fatalities - but thankfully the potent Spring magic also at work in the Empire offers a degree of protection from the worst of these effects.

With the imminent Summer Summit at Anvil, the accursed weather appears to be abating - but travelers passing through Casinea are warned to bring along full water skins, and to take extra care in the face of the malignant heat.

Significance

The production of all farms in Casinea has been halved over the past season. The worst effects of the curse - identified by magisters as Naeve's Twisting Blight - will have passed by the Summer Solstice.

War in Redoubt

There is a battle, of a sort, taking place in Redoubt. The Court of the White Fountain in Optarion is under attack from some patient, destructive force. The first signs appeared before the Spring Equinox, and they show no signs of abating. The plume of fire that gives the fortification its name is guttering, and the white stone that comprises the tower and the wall crumble and crack.

The Winter curse is not acting unopposed however. Magicians from the Spire of the Auric Horizon have brought powerful magic of their own to bear. They infuse the walls with adamant and kindle a potent Summer enchantment to preserve the fire fountain. Yet for all their hard work, they appear to be delaying the inevitable.

Significance

The curse that is attacking the Court of the White Fountain appears to be continuing to have effect, and again the integrity of the fortification is being slowly eroded. The magic of the Auric Horizon has reversed much of the damage done before the Spring Equinox, but after a respite the shadow returns and the tower continues to deteriorate.

Resolution

Each of these curses seems to have run their course, with the exception of the malign winter magic attacking the Court of the White Fountain. Again, however, powerful magic employed by the Spire of the Auric Horizon has managed to forestall the worst of the damage. Yet the decline has not been reversed.