Put on your war paint

Isabel i Gómez i Guerra sat down with her daughter and checked her work. "Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty. Half a throne... excellent, excellent. Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty. A throne. Good."

"She's four years old Ibbie... does she really need to learn to count money at her age?" Ahraz loved his wife more than the sun or the moon, but sometimes he thought he'd married a League reckoner, rather than the Dhomiro of her own parador.

"One day all this will be hers... It's important she learns the importance of ambition. Far too many Freeborn are content with what they've got... well I'll not stand for it."

"No dear. But still... she is so young..."

Conchita looked up at her mother, her eyes shining brightly. Mum had promised her a ring from each throne if she counted every pile correctly. Eight down, two to go.

"I don't want her growing up a lazy wastrel like your feckless sister. My daughter is going to have a seat on the Bourse!"

"Yes dear - but probably not while she's still five."

"Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, half a throne. Excellent." She nodded at her daughter before continuing. "We should be the richest nation in the Empire! And maybe we will be with Conchita in charge."

"We'll never be richer than the League - all those businesses - they could pave their streets with gold if they wanted. That's how they control the Bourse..."

Isabel stopped counting, which caused Ahraz to stop in his tracks. She had the temper of a tiger and he'd catch the sharp end of her tongue if he'd made her lose count. "They've got nothing we haven't got. We would be every bit their equals if we had the ambition for it!"

"Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty. Perfect" With practised fingers Isabel split five rings from the nearest pile of eighty and handed them to her eldest daughter. "You can spend one on sweets - the others you save... understood?". Conchita nodded solemnly as she received her mother's prize.

Isabel settled back into the cushions, talking to herself as much as to him. "Estana has been inspired, we just have to hope his successor is every bit as ambitious... Now if only there was a way that we could make the Fire as profitable as the Wind... Then we could..."

Ahraz pretended to concentrate on the embroidery he was stitching but he smiled at his wife as she schemed up new ways to enrich her family and her tribe. When she was filled with ambition like this, she was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever seen. If Conchita ended up with half her looks and half her brains she'd charm every man and woman on the Coast.

Overview

In recent months the Winterfolk, Imperial Orcs, Navarr, and Varushkans have all taken steps to mould their armies to fight in ways more in keeping with their traditions, history, and ambitions from the future. During the Summer Solstice, statements of principle were raised by several other nations encouraging their own people to do the same.

Our courageous and wise kohan and hakima have passed the trials given to them by the Footfall of the Beginning for the banner of the Burning Falcons, a historical army of the Brass Coast. The National Assembly urge kohan who are so minded to show their Loyalty to aiding in the reformation of, and joining the Burning Falcons.

Hembeneth i Guerra, Statement of Principle, Freeborn National Assembly, Summer Solstice 382YE, Upheld with a Great Majority 74 - 0

Adventure and Excitement

The Burning Falcon were lost over 130 years ago, defending against a Jotun invasion of Kallavesa. Lost, but not forgotten. An army of kohan, full of the fire and fury of those passionate warriors, who communicated their zeal and enthusiasm for battle to the other Freeborn soldiers. They live on still in stories of hard-fought triumphs and bitter last stands against the enemies of the Empire. Not all the stories are joyous, it must be said. They played a grim part in the madness of Emperor Nicovar for example. Their tactics sometimes left a little to be desired - too eager to engage the foe, loathe to back down or back away from a fight. They burned their candle at both ends, it was said, and it was considered only a matter of time before they burnt out entirely. But O! What a light they gave while they were alive!

A band of hakima, the Footfall of the Beginning, were left in custody of the last major relic of the Burning Falcon - a war standard marked with iconic symbols of fire and fury. Over the last several months, Freeborn heroes have been engaged in a series of trials, set down by the nation in the months following the fall of the Burning Falcon, and won the banner back. There was some talk that rather than an army, the banner might be used to return the Burning Falcon to life in a more naval capacity. With the statement of principle of Hembeneth i Guerra it is clear that possibility has been discounted. Now, the Freeborn assembly calls for kohan everywhere to come together to raise that banner again.

Of course the first step towards raising a new army is to secure the approval of the Imperial Senate; that's a matter for the Freeborn senators to deal with.

Raising the Banner

Once Senate approval is secured, the army will need to be raised. If the Freeborn are serious about rebuilding the legend of the Burning Falcon, they will want to ensure that the core of the army is made up of passionate kohan. One way to do that would be through the National assembly.

Calling the Kohan

The banner of the Burning Falcon has been raised. The people of the Brass Coast call for warriors and kohan alike to rally to that banner, so that their fire may blaze once more. We send named priest with 50 doses of liao to rally the people of the Brass Coast in support of the Burning Falcon.

Synod Mandate, Freeborn National Assembly''

If this mandate is enacted, those kohan of the Brass Coast who feel a connection to the Burning Falcon, or who are inspired by its legacy, or who are simply seeking a challenge or a new way of life, will begin to gather wherever the army is to be raised. They will bring their own weapons and armour, and work to train new recruits as the army is being mustered.

The army will require 20 wains of mithril and 40 crowns less than normal, to raise, but if this mandate is enacted the resulting army must have the same quality as the historical army - a quality that appeals to kohan and passionate Freeborn soldiers alike.

A Heart of Fire and Glass

The banner of the Burning Falcon has been raised. We remember the grand legacy of those Freeborn who fought and died with passion and true Courage. We shall build a roaring beacon to inspire our allies, and to send a terrible warning to those who dare to be our enemies. Let them roar across the Empire like a comet, and consume the enemies of the Freeborn people in fire! We send named priest with 75 doses of liao to spark a fire that shall never be extinguished!

Synod Mandate, Freeborn National Assembly''

Alternatively, the Freeborn Assembly could pass this much more passionate mandate, honouring the legacy of the Burning Falcon and urging the wildest, most enthusiastic, bravest warriors to flock to the Burning Falcon banner. This call will attract many more kohan, but also call out to warriors across the Brass Coat who embrace the path of Courage.

As with the first mandate, this will mean that the army will cost 20 wains and 40 crowns less to raise, but rather than being simply Glorious the resulting army will have the True Conviction quality. This quality means that the Burning Falcon will be able to take the triumphant charge, final stand, forced march, and desperate reinforcement special orders - but these will be the only orders the army is able to take unless there is a special opportunity or enchantment that influences or temporarily changes their quality.

Paying the Price

Finally, the army must be paid for; commissioning an Imperial Army requires 200 wains of mithril and 50 thrones which represents a significant investment. The people of the Brass Coast, however, are prepared to put their hands in their pockets to help raise a third army. Perhaps it is anger over the destruction of the Freeborn Storm and a desire for vengeance; perhaps the words of Figaro i Ignacio i Guerra when they urged the Freeborn to consider the virtue of supporting military action. Perhaps it is relief that the Grendel and the Jotun have been decisively forced out of Kahraman coupled with an awareness that it took Marcher and Navarr armies to do it rather than Freeborn soldiers.

Regardless, the people of Serra Briante have come together with a number of mine owners and traders from Kahraman to discuss how they can help raise the banner of the Freeborn Storm. After much disagreement they have come to a decision, suggested by Loida i Drazia i Erigo of Briante. Digging into their personal reserves, they offer 20 wains of mithril toward the costs of raising the army. They are Freeborn however; they are not simply giving the metal away. Rather, they will make the mithril available to the Dhomiro of the Cinnabar Hills at the bargain price of 22 crowns for each wain. The mithril will be available for the Dhomiro - and only the Dhomiro - to buy as soon as the Senate agrees to allow the Burning Falcon to be reconstituted. The offer remains open for two years or until the army is raised, whichever comes first.

The mithril is intended specifically for the effort of raising the Burning Falcon; if any of it is purchased and the army then not raised the people of Serra Briante and the citizens of the Cinnabar Hill are likely to be extremely angry. They will demand reparations most likely, but such an epic betrayal by the Dhomiro will permanently ruin the reputation of the title. If this were to happen, the Dhomiro of the Cinnabar Hills would effectively cease to exist (it would lose all its powers, and would no longer be seen as a patron of the citizens of Kahraman).

Unlike the kohan, the wealthy citizens of Kahraman are not as concerned about the legacy of the Burning Falcon. As such, they will provide the mithril for any new Freeborn army, provided it is commissioned before the end of the Spring Equinox 383YE. After that, interest in the project will have declined to the point the mithril is put to other purposes.

(OOC Note: If the Dhomiro of the Cinnabar Hills is interested in purchasing some or all of this mithril, they should ensure they have sufficient Thrones in their inventory and e-mail plot@profounddecisions.co.uk between events. They do not need to purchase all the mithril in one go, but it is only available once a senate motion to raise the army has been approved, and the consequences of purchasing the metal without raising a new army are likely to be significant.)

Grab the Mithril

Armies require mithril, and the Burning Falcon is no exception. Mithril is expensive and in short supply. The Freeborn look to the example of the Corsairs to guide the way. Our enemies have mithril aplenty, and it is only right that we take it from them and use it to raise an army against them. We send (named priest) with 50 doses of liao to urge the soldiers of the Red Wind Corsairs and the Fire of the South to find the mithril we need to restore the Burning Falcon!

Synod Mandate, Freeborn National Assembly''

This third mandate is separate to the two listed above. It focuses less on the Burning Falcon and more on the need to provide mithril to muster the army. If it is enacted, for the next year the Freeborn armies will be on the look-out for any opportunity to acquire mithril. During that period the general of the Fire of the South will be able to issue the plunder order in addition to the normal orders they can issue. If they do use this order, or if the Red Wind Corsairs use their daring raid order, they are likely to see a small increase in the amount of resources they take and they will be significantly more likely to acquire mithril rather than either weirwood or white granite as part of the spoils they receive.

Special Opportunities

This opportunity includes three mandates. The first and second mandates are considered to be competing; if both are raised the one that passes with the greatest margin will be the one that takes effect. The third mandate is separate, and can be enacted freely with either or none of the first two. Unlike most mandates, the Freeborn assembly does not need to enact any of these mandates during the Autumn Equinox. They remain available until the end of the Spring Equinox 383YE. However, be aware that none of these mandates will have any game effect until a successful Senate motion authorising the mustering of the Burning Falcon passes in the Senate.

Inspired by the Drakes and the Marcher army's commitment to not giving ground, we, the Marcher national assembly implore our armies to find ways to wage war in a method suited to this most Marcher of endeavours. We encourage our fellows to bring forth strategies that allow them to defend and without drownin' it in blood, friend or foe. Remember our Jack, who died for his neighbours and his land.

Albert Fugglestone-Copperhill, Statement of Principle, Marcher National Assembly, Summer Solstice 382YE, Upheld with a Great Majority 90 - 0

Deep Roots and Long Memories

The Marcher armies will not give ground. Over the last years, the generals of the Marches have been fighting tirelessly not only to liberate the Mournwold, and then deal with the threat of feni raiders, but to drive back the vallorn and protect Bregasland; round up the last Grendel soldiers in Madruga and still find time to battle the Jotun in defence of Sermersuaq and Kahraman. All this without giving an inch of ground. The people of the Marches may be critical of the Military Council, but they love their generals. Children all over the Marches are being named for these practical heroes: a whole new crop of Wills, Jacks, Other Jacks, and Mariuses.

We are Marchers. Our blood and bone are in the soil, and we neither forget nor forgive. We are not murderers, but we will fight to defend what is ours, and we will fight to protect our friends. We send named priest with 50 doses of liao to remind our people of the Marches of their deep roots, and to urge our yeomen to find new ways to fight that neither scorn our history nor threaten our future.

Synod Mandate, Marcher Assembly

If the Marcher assembly enacts this mandate, then it will remind the yeomanry of where they come from and of what makes them great. During the Winter Solstice, some or all of the generals of the Marches will receive an opportunity to update the quality of their army to better reflect the truths their people cleave to, with a special emphasis on ways of fighting and defending their land that do not "drown it in blood."

The Dawnish Assembly commends the magicians of Dawn for their contribution to the Imperial war effort and urges witches and weavers to forge their legends with the Dawnish armies.

Pelleas Thorne, Statement of Principle, Dawn National Assembly, Summer Solstice 382YE, Upheld with a Great Majority 156 - 0

Glorious in Victory, Proud in Defeat

The armies of Dawn go from victory to victory. After defeating the Druj invasion of Semmerholm, they turned their attention north and with the power of the Golden Causeway launched a bold surprise attack into the Mallum itself. The value of Dawnish magic is nowhere more obvious than in the magical bridge, in powerful allies secured from the Summer Realm, and in the magical citadels raised by Summer Dawning Relentless to protect far-flung territories of the Empire. The National Assembly urges witches and weavers to "forge their legends with the Dawnish armies", but this call has little impact. Weavers and witches alike are already supporting the armies, either directly by seeking glory in battle or less obviously by weaving glorious magic to strengthen and support the warriors of Dawn.

Rather, the bold actions of the four armies - the Golden Sun, the Eastern Sky, the Hounds of Glory, and the Gryphon's Pride - and of the generals who lead them - is what inspires the people of Dawn. Bold, courageous, proud... above all glorious. What the defence of Semmerholm initiated, the invasion of Ossium has cemented. The people of Dawn, noble and yeofolk alike, see the armies and the generals who lead them - Tancred de Rondell, Zoran Orzel, Vincent Vexille, and Garravaine de Rondell - as the very exemplar of the splendour and indomitable spirit of Dawn. Nobody else has so consistently wielded the hammer of justice against the vile spawn of the Mallum, after all.

With that in mind, an opportunity to turn this approbation into concrete benefits presents itself, provided the troubadours are prepared to embrace it.

The people of Dawn applaud the great triumphs that our generals and our armies have wrought. Now let us embrace glory, claim victory and seize the prize. We send (named priest) with 50 doses of liao to urge every Dawnish soldier to commit themselves body and soul to glory in the service of Dawn.

Synod Mandate, Dawn National Assembly

If the Dawn national assembly enacts this mandate, the effect will be twofold. First, the armies of Dawn will be filled with zeal for conquest and glorious war. The effect of this will be that for the next year no Dawnish general will be able to issue the Give Ground or Cautious Advance orders.

Second, the knights, war-witches, and yeofolk soldiers of the Dawnish armies will look to their heritage and to the pursuit of glory for opportunities to refine their strategies and tactics. During the Winter Solstice, the generals of Dawn will have opportunities to alter or improve the qualities of their armies in a similar manner to the opportunities presented to Wintermark, Varushka, and the Imperial Orcs over the last year.

However if even one of the generals takes advantage of one of these opportunities, the first effect will become permanent for every Dawnish army. They will never again be able to give ground before a foe, or use cautious inglorious tactics.

The Witches of Dawn

The troubadour Pelleas Thorne has suggested an alternate wording for this mandate.

The people of Dawn applaud the great triumphs of our armies, witches, and generals. Now let us embrace glory, claim victory and seize the prize. Let our glory be immortalised in witch-woven banners so that all who fight with Dawn will strive for even greater deeds. We send (named priest) with (50) doses of liao to hallow these banners that inspire our soldiers to commit their body and soul to the service of Dawn with blade and wand in the pursuit of glory.

Synod Mandate, Dawn National Assembly

If the Dawn national assembly enacts this mandate, it will have all the same effects as the earlier mandate but the opportunities to refine their tactics and strategies will focus on integrating the magical traditions of Dawn - enchanters, guisers, witch-weavers, war-witches - and the magical practice of heraldic magic. (OOC Note: As with previous opportunities, this will create new qualities or alterations to existing qualities, it will not give the option to gain an existing quality. Explicitly, it will not give a Dawnish army the option to gain the magic quality.)

This mandate competes with the earlier mandate - if both are raised the usual rules about competing mandates apply.

Cold Cannot Compromise

During the Autumn Equinox, the generals of the Green Shield and the Fist of the Mountain received opportunities to embrace the heroic legacy of the people of Wintermark. Atte Arrow-Tongue Metsastajason embraced the mystics of the Runebound hall, causing the Fist of the Mountain to become farsighted. Iron Osric reclaimed the mantle of heroism for the Green Shield, causing them to become truly heroic once more.

Furthermore, the new spirit of heroism in the nation allowed wider changes to the strategies of the Wintermark generals. In addition to their commitment to fight the Jotun with honour, the soldiers of Wintermark embraced a new duty to ensure that those who fight beside them do not tarnish them with foul tactics. A hero's tale ends with a good death; it is hard to ensure a good death when one fights beside maggots, murderers, and torturers. This last has raised some questions however. While theft, slaughter, and gratuitous cruelty are clearly against the ideals of heroism, there are other tactics embraced by Imperial armies which are just as suspect - the use of poisons, and the wholesale embrace of tactics more suited to the Druj than to heroic Imperial soldiers.

Attacking foes from ambush, slaying their healers, and poisoning their blood are all tactics unworthy of heroes or those who would claim to be their allies. Such strategies breed only more enemies for the people of the Empire. As such, the Wintermark assembly condemns such tactics as strongly as they condemn looting, wholesale slaughter, and cruel torture. We send named priest with 25 doses of liao to remind our people that a true hero does not strike their opponents from behind with envenomed blades

Synod Mandate, Wintermark National Assembly

If the Wintermark assembly enacts this mandate, the effects of the fight with honour order will be expanded to also include allied armies employing the whatever it takes or fire in the blood orders.

The heroes of Wintermark do not seek to make war more brutal than it already is. Slaying healers and poisoning their blood steals from our foes the opportunity for a good death, inflicting cruelty more fitting of the Druj than any Imperial hero or their ally. The Wintermark assembly condemns such tactics as strongly as they condemn looting, wholesale slaughter, and cruel torture. We send named priest with 25 doses of liao to remind our people that a true hero does not strike their opponents with envenomed blades.

Gunnbrand Ironwill

The mandate above has been provided by Gunnbrand Ironwill. The civil service calculate it would have the same impact as the first mandate if passed by the Wintermark Assembly.

This mandate competed with the earlier mandate - if both are raised the usual rules about competing mandates apply.