The Net of the Realms

"Am I ok to write this down?" Felix wet his lips nervously, his hand holding the quill hovering over the parchment as he looked up at Elias.

"What?" Elias stared at his Urizeni colleague, his face a mixture of derision and disbelief. "Yes of course you are, don't be ridiculous. Just get on with it."

"But... he... it... it's... emnitied... Under enmity. An enemy." Felix had heard once that if the Dream of Famine's name crossed your lips that you were cursed such that your mouth would always be dry and that everything you drank would taste of ashes and only make you thirstier.

Elias rolled his eyes and signed dramatically. "Yes. Yes he is. But that's up to the Conclave. Karkovitch isn't going to arrest you just for writing down what Agramant has said."

Felix shuddered at the sound of the awful name, but he was unwilling to give up the argument completely "What if the Conclave does it though? What then?"

"Well since you're not a magician and couldn't go to Conclave even if you wanted, I'm fairly sure that even if Karkovitch has to arrest every single wizard in Conclave, he's still not going to arrest you." Elias glanced at the fading light outside, it would be dark soon and he had a thirst coming on. "Look, just write it down, and then be done with it. The sooner you're done here, the sooner we can both go. I'm gagging for a drink, so in the name of the seven virtues just write it out and send it on."

Overview

The Urizen National Assembly passed a mandate raised by Maximillian to encourage the people of Urizen to seek out opportunities to work alongside denizens of the realms. The mandate came on the back of a statement or principle raised by Galene Netherwatch that thanked the eternal Adamant for his aid and encouraged citizens to seek virtuous cooperation with the inhabitants of the realms. Now several individuals have come forwards with offers of aid.

The mandate achieved a greater majority in the Urizen Assembly which is fortuitous since otherwise opposition from the sword scholars and the Wisdom Assembly would have thwarted its intent. A similarly worded mandate raised by Galene Netherwatch in the General Assembly received massive support, but enough priests voted against rather than in favour that it failed to gain a greater majority and was thus stymied.

We must not subsume our will to inhuman forces, but nor should we fear to act where cooperation with an eternal can support a virtuous endeavour. We send Maximillian with 50 doses of liao to reassure all the people of Urizen that working with an eternal to achieve a virtuous end is not idolatry.

Maximillian, Urizen National, Autumn Equinox 383YE, Upheld (122-20)

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A Spire for Summer

• A folly could be built in Peregro and ceded to Meraud
• It would require a senate motion, 20 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, 60 crowns, and take three months to construct
• The Senate motion would need to create the title of Churnspire Adjutor as an Urizen national position
• The Adjutor would receive regalia of office each year and a regular gift of 2 golden apples each season

Megaris of Glowspire has come forward with an offer from the Lord of Summer Stars; if the Empire were to build him a tower overlooking the Churn, one of the most volatile geysers located in Peregro, then he would offer friendship and support to whomever Urizen appointed as Adjutor. The Adjutor would need to be a citizen of Urizen, but the position could be appointed by any means the wizards of Urizen determine. Meraud ask only that they appoint someone of ambition and vision such as a mage, an architect, or similar.

Regalia of the Churnspire Adjutor

Tempestuous Orb

• Form: Paraphernalia. Takes the form of a piece of ritual paraphernalia. The item must be present in the ritual to use its magical properties.
• Effect: Members of the coven who are performing a Summer ritual of magnitude 30 or higher may use orichalcum, tempest jade or green iron in place of crystal mana. Every two measures of suitable materials spent count as one crystal mana.

Staff of Storms

• Form: Weapon. Takes the form of a ritual staff. You must be holding this item in hand to use its magical properties.
• Requirement: You must have the magician skill to bond to this item.
• Effect: Gain two ranks of Summer Lore, when casting a ritual of magnitude 40 or higher subject to the normal rules for effective skill.

Mask of the Geyser

• Form: Talisman. Takes the form of a ritual focus. You must be wearing this item or holding it in hand to use its magical properties.
• Requirement: You must have the magician skill to bond to this item.
• Effect: Gain 3 ranks for the Golden Ramparts and From the Mouths of Babes rituals, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. When contributing to a performance of these rituals, you may choose to substitute orichalcum or tempest jade for crystal mana. Every 2 measures of appropriate materials spent counts as 1 crystal mana, up to the normal limit determined by your effective rank of Summer lore.

The Glowspire of Peregro previously enjoyed the patronage of the Golden Magician during the time of Empress Brannan; being called on to assist with some of the many summer rituals cast during her reign. Megaris, recently appointed as arbiter of the spire, wishes to help her nation and believes this is the best way to do so whilst navigating her spire out of its recent period of introspection brought on in part by the Druj invasion of Morrow.

Megaris' plans involve a spire with a foundation of white granite, a smaller turret for the eternal projecting out and overlooking the geyser. One of Meraud's requirements is that the Senate motion or wayleave used to commission the tower must explicitly state the the tower is to be taller than Pakannan's Tower. It turns out nobody is quite sure how tall that tower was; since it disappeared from Pakaanan's Pass it has become tricky to remember exact details regarding it. Megaris assures people that their design will meet with Meraud's approval, it just needs a statement in the Senate to make the requirement public.

The only way to access the turret would be through a corridor inlaid with mithril which the Lord of the Lake would undoubtedly "enhance" with magic. The rest of the spire would be dedicated to luxurious apartments for whoever was appointed to oversee the structure, the Churnspire Adjutor. The Adjutor would receive a regular gift from Meraud of 2 golden apples each season. A formal set of regalia would also be provided one each year on the anniversary of the tower's completion, the Tempestuous Orb, the Staff of Storms, and the Mask of the Geyser.

The Fire Mage would continue to provide the vis and the regalia providing the tower remained intact. If the Imperial Conclave were to ever pass a Declaration of Enmity against Meraud then the door to his tower would be permanently sealed to mortals and provide nothing more to the Adjutor.

A Citadel for Strategy

• The citadel of Highwatch could be expanded to include chambers for heralds of Zakalwe
• It would require either a senate motion or Imperial Wayleave, 20 wains of white granite, 5 thrones, and take three months to construct
• Once completed Zakalwe would provide resources to support the fight against the Druj

Valeria of the Citadel of Highwatch reveals that her citadel has been negotiating with a herald of the Master Strategist for a number of seasons. These negotiations were spurred by the herald Agon, Polemarch of Clarity approaching the citadel and offering support against the Druj. Highwatch, as a citadel that focuses on military science and leadership, had caught the attention of the herald during their travels of Urizen.

If the Citadel of Highwatch were to be expanded then the Polemarch would provide valuable resources that the magicians of Urizen could use against the eastern barbarians. the Polemarch proposes that whoever commissions the chambers also create an Imperial title, the Strategos of Highwatch. They imagine this would be an Urizeni national appointment by the Senate, so that the senators can choose a suitable candidate. The Polemarch will provide the Strategos with three doses of Effulgent Primessence each season, for use as they need, as well as a single Pearl of Manush.

Each Pearl is taken from a cove in the Day realm, where all manner of exotic shells are found. The waters of Manush are clotted with thoughts that drift on the whispering tides. Sometimes one of these thoughts will be caught inside the flesh of one of the great clams that dwells there and as the years go by the idea is coated with ever more layers of mother of pearl. A powerful Day magician can drain the power of a pearl of Manush by invoking it while performing the ritual Clarity of the Master Strategist. The pearl provides up to five additional ranks of Day lore for the magician using it, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. It also counts as up to ten mana crystals used by the magician that invokes the Pearl. Once used the pearl's power is spent.

Valeria does want to make one thing explicitly clear before she will agree to allow the expansion of her citadel; the Pearls of Manush are only to be used in the Empire's war on the Druj. If the boon was used to enchant an army facing the Jotun, or any other enemy the Empire was at war with, then the Polemarch and the other heralds would abandon their chambers. Likewise if the Imperial Conclave were to ever pass a Declaration of Enmity against Zakalwe the heralds would have no choice but to return to the realm of Day.

Update: The expansion to Highwatch CItadel was commissioned by the Legion Engineer in Summer 384YE. The title was ultimately named Polemarch of Highwatch.

A Market for Trading

• Prospero has made arrangements to enable Urizen to build a trading enclave in Willstone to permit direct trade with the Autumn realm
• It would require either a senate motion or Imperial Wayleave, 25 wains of mithril, 15 wains of white granite, 10 thrones, and take three months to construct
• Prospero is prepared to extend these arrangements to up to three other nations selected by Urizen senators

Cost	Benefits
8 crowns	4 warm ashes
18 crowns	8 warm ashes
30 crowns	12 warm ashes

Balbus of the Spire of Willstone, following on from the declaration of the Conclave calling for the investigation into embassies for eternals, has called in a favour to secure a meeting with a herald of the Golden Prince to discuss how such a thing might work and how it could be constructed. They report that Prospero is interested in the possibilities, but they question what such an embassy might achieve. The Reckoner of Ebony and Bone can see advantages, but there are also clear risks to the Realm of Iron and Ash. They note however that many of the embassies that the Empire has built have serve as a hub for trade between Imperial citizens and a foreign nation. Trade is of huge value to the Golden Prince and their fellow eternals and the Prince of Ties is quick to make a counter proposal.

The Empire could construct a Market of Iron and Ash that would enable trade with the Autumn realm. Balbus, an architect, has studied Prospero's proposal and believes that the market could be constructed in the region of Willstone. The market would have an expansive chamber set aside to enable direct trade with representatives from all the Cities of Iron and Ash. This would allow citizens, and whoever was appointed to manage the market for the Empire, an opportunity to purchase warm ashes, valuable vis that can be used to cast potent Autumn rituals.

Prospero proposes that the Empire commission this market with a Senate motion and create a new Imperial title, the Agent of Ash and Iron with the ability to make an announcement in the Senate. The position would need to be an Urizen national appointment, but Prospero is interested to see how Urizen might prefer to appoint it.

Once the Market of Iron and Ash was complete, then the Agent could use their Senate announcement to request that Prospero change the type of vis available through Imperial markets. According to Prospero, trade is the lifeblood of the Autumn realm so the Market could be quickly switched to provide vis of a different realm in response to the Agent's announcement.

Prospero is aware of the fact that Galene Netherwatch's mandate urging cooperation with the eternals narrowly failed, so he further suggests that Urizen might select up to three other nations in the Empire who could benefit from trade with the Autumn realm. Each market could be built with a Senate motion and would have a Factor of Ash and Iron to oversee it who would buy vis at the same rates as the Agent. Regrettably Prospero is not in a position to make all the markets operate independently, so whatever vis was announced in the Senate by the Agent of Ash and Iron would be the option available to every market.

Prospero's deal is primarily with Urizen, so none of the markets would function unless the Market in Urizen is completed and is in good working order. The Golden Prince is also keen to ensure that some of the benefits of any additional markets also flow to Urizen - to ensure that happens he is imposing one additional restriction, that none of these markets can be constructed unless the Senate motion to commission them is raised or seconded by an Urizen senator.

An Aerie for the Watchers

• A spy network could be built around Oblivion's Edge in Spiral to keep watch over the Black Plateau
• The spy network will have no upkeep for the treasury if is made to Sung's specifications, which include ceding it to her
• The other requirement is that Cato of Scarlet Guard gift the Night Arbour to her
• If her conditions are met then both the spy network and the spire will be shrouded from the eyes of enemies

The spire of Oblivion's Edge in Screed was created to watch over the Black Plateau, to monitor its dangers and its phenomena. It was ruined when Spiral fell to the Grendel in 331YE, and remained vacant for nearly fifty years. It has been rebuilt since, during one of the periods where Spiral was part of the Empire, but it's location made it uninhabitable once the dark powers of Screed were roused to wakefulness. Only the power of the Block makes it possible to live so close to that dark presence. Below the spire lies the Night Arbour, a series of carefully carved pits dug into a rock terrace where occult geometries and arcane tending cause the strong magic running through the region to coalesce into a mysterious crystal tree and harvestable mana.

Perhaps it was the statement of principle from the Virtue inquisitor Lochias - themselves a resident of Oblivion's Edge - that brought the spire to the attention of the Everflowing River. Perhaps it was the recent plenipotentiary of the Archmage of Night. Regardless of the reason, the Rainbow Serpent has offered to collaborate with the residents of the spire to help them watch over the Black Plateau, and over Spiral as a whole.

Her proposal is intricate; first the Imperial Senate or the Imperial Spymaster would need to commission a spy network in Spiral based at the spire of Oblivion's Edge. Rather than requiring a bounty of weirwood however, Sung's proposal involves making a unique set of lanterns for a special heliopticon tower to be built at Oblivion's Edge, with smaller lanterns intended for use by cambion spies and scouts who would operate in the territory. The spy network would cost 10 wains of mithril, 20 crowns, and take three months to complete, and control of it must be ceded to Sung's control as part of the commission.

At the same time, Cato of Scarlet Guard, the current custodian of the Night Arbour (or their representative), would raise a Declaration of Concord in the Imperial Conclave asking Sung to shroud Oblivion's Edge from all enemies and gifting the Night Arbour to her. If the Conclave agrees, then Sung will consume the Night Arbour to enfold Oblivion's Edge in an impenetrable glamour that will conceal it and its Heliopticon lamps from the eyes of enemies.

Enfolded by Sung, and powered by the weaves of magic coalescing at the Night Arbour, the spy network would have no upkeep to the Imperial treasury. It would otherwise function as a normal spy network does except that it would not be discoverable by anything short of the direct intervention of another eternal or a very specific, very potent divination.

The spy network - and the protective ward around the spire of Oblivion's Edge - would persist as long as Sung were not placed under enmity by the Conclave. If she were made subject to enmity, the shroud would collapse along with the spy network, and the Night Arbour would remain lost.

A Bat out of Hell

• Sadogua offers to aid the covens of Urizen
• Any Urizeni coven can use Operate Portal to send ingots, measures and rings of ilium to Sadogua at the next summit
• Any Urizeni coven who uses a coven ritual slot to perform Missive to Sadogua, can let him know what magic or task they would like help with
• Sadogua will send one or more magical items, fasioned from the resources provided, and designed to help Urizen magicians perform magic in response

Symeon of Visten, a ritualist well versed in Night lore, has spoken with representatives of the Brother of Wizards and they report that the Glutton is always happy to provide support and assistance to the wizards of Urizen.

In the interest of making such help easily and quickly available to any who might need it, the Globberslotch proposes an arrangement that avoids waste time with Imperial politics, he proposes that the covens or Urizen gather what resources they can spare and they send them to him. In return the Eater of Secrets will provide them with magical items that can help empower their magic, staffs, rings, and trinkets of that nature. Many Urizen have taken advantage of similar arrangements in the past, and he is sure they remember how they work, or can explain them to their less familiar colleagues.

To take advantage of this offer, a coven will need to gather those things valuable to artisans; natural materials, metals and perhaps even ilium. They would then send them to Sadogua by casting operate portal at the Imperial regio. One of the Toad King's invisble heralds will collect the materials, count them, and deliver them to the Globberslotch.

The coven must then gather together to collectively perform the ritual Missive for Sadogua, to send the Brother of Wizards a simple message telling him what they would like help with. Once the Toad King has their message and their resources, he will use his limitless magical powers to transform them into valuable magical items and send them back to the coven by the quickest possible route, perhaps a spectral messenger or giant bee of some kind. Sadogua stresses that doing this will need one of a coven's daily ritual slots, so he advises each coven to send all the materials they have spare in one go, so that they need perform the ritual only once.

He asks that each coven that wants his aid send their materials separately, and perform the ritual separately, so that he is aware of their existence and of their needs. The things he makes will be fashioned from the items provided, so each coven should get assistance in proportion to what they provide. The Globberslotch suggests that it might be fun to see how powerful an item a coven might obtain if they can pile up enough materials, but he stresses that he will help any coven of two or more wizards no matter how wealthy they are.

OOC Note: A coven taking advantage of this opportunity will need to tell a referee that they are performing Missive for Sadogua in conjunction with it, and remember that doing so counts as a ritual for the entire coven even if one of their members can solo-cast it.

A Plague on Both Your Houses

• A winter eternal has offered to bring famine to the enemies of Urizen

Zeno of the Citadel of the Walled Mount has been speaking with heralds of Tomb King in an attempt to have him provide assistance to Urizen, but thus far the Hungry Wolf has refused to help. According to the Empty One, the eternal lords of the Winter realm are concerned that Urizen has given up too much strength in support of the Empire and has not looked enough to its own fortunes. The Devourer-of-Hope points out that Varushka is almost twice the size and power that it was less than a decade ago, while Urizen has lost half its territory. The Tomb King is candid that they believe this is the inevitable result for any nation that puts the best interests of the Empire before the needs of its own citizens.

According to Zeno the Hungry Wolf sees only doom in Urizen's future. Sadly such is the nature of the eternals of the realm of Winter, that such an end interests many of them... but their enthusiasm is more to hasten its decline than to slow its fall. Such things are impossible to confirm of course, but the heralds who have spoken with Zeno believe that the other winter eternals are even now circling the nation like Sorin's wolves, each eager to sate their endless appetites on its destruction.

However it appears that the Master of Whelps is not completely correct. There is, almost inevitably, one Winter eternal who offers their "help". A being who is guaranteed to appear whenever trouble brews with a charming smile and an offer to make things worse. Zeno is at pains to make clear that he has never attempted to contact The Hunter in the Wastes, but a week after the failure of his negotiations with Sorin's heralds, a winged messenger brings him a piece of bloody hide, scraped and raw, containing a hastily scrawled message. Uncertain of the legality of their actions, Zeno is merely passing on news of the message, so that those who understand things better might decide how to deal with the matter.

Children of the High Places, I hear your call for aid, and I offer you a great boon. If your Conclave will declare in concord that they would see The Dream of Famine come, then they must only name a single territory and I will travel there. I will consume their food, and leave only dust on their plates. I will take their warmth, and leave only ice in their veins. I will take their dreams and leave only nightmares in their sleep. Those who ask for my aid will never be refused.

The Whisperer

Limited Timings

The Bat out of Hell and A Plague on Both Your Houses opportunities are only available during the Winter solstice, The other opportunities described in this Wind of Fortune are available until the end of the Spring Equinox 384YE.

Resolution

While declarations of neutrality for Agramant and acceptance of the eternal's offer were presented to the Conclave, they were both withdrawn without being discussed or voted on.