Mystic scrolls of Estavus

Estavus is known to lend her servitors - both those drawn to her service and those she crafts herself - to magicians who gain her favour.

Overview

During the Summer Solstice 384YE, in response to a plenipotentiary from the Archmage of Autumn, Edmundo of Damakan's forge, Estavus made a quartet of mystic scrolls available to Imperial magicians - assuming they were prepared to pay for them. These scrolls were temporary texts, similar to a ritual text, that allowed up to a dozen magicians to master a specific ritual drawing on Estavus' power. They were only potent for the Summer Solstice, but any magician who used one to master the magic they contained retained that knowledge just as they would any other mastered ritual.

The scrolls made available included Ramparts of Ashlar, Hammers of Fury, Machines of Destruction, and Accoutrements of War.

These rituals are not part of Imperial lore. However as long as one of the contributors has mastered one of these rituals, their coven may attempt to perform that ritual as if it were part of Imperial lore (bearing in mind that only those who have mastered the ritual would be able to double the mana they contribute).

There is no practical way for the Conclave to add one of these rituals to Imperial lore, and no way to get them into Imperial lore. Either or both would only be possible as a consequence of a further bargain with Estavus. It is also not possible to use an arcane projection to share ritual lore - new magicians will only be able to master these rituals as a result of some kind of deal with the Forgemistress.

Each of these rituals draws directly on the power of the Prince of Shikal. Should the eternal ever be subject to Enmity by the Imperial Conclave the rituals would still function, but would be illegal to perform. Each also comes with an assurance - a restriction that Estavus has placed on the ritual. If this restriction is transgressed, the eternal will withdraw her power and the ritual will become useless from that point onwards.

Ritual	Explanation	Magnitude
Accoutrements of War	Enchants a military unit with additional strength when supporting an army or production when taking paid work.	20
Hammers of Fury	Enchants a territory to allow an army to muster faster, and changes the production of mines.	80
Machines of Destruction	Allows an army to take the storm the walls order in place of existing special order.	135
Ramparts of Ashlar	Enchants a fortification to greatly increase its strength.	150

This Conclave agrees to seek the approval of the Bronze Artisan and implore them to bestow upon us such accoutrements of war as she sees fit to grant.

Declaration of Concord, Summer Solstice, 221YE

Accoutrements of War

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. This ritual targets a military unit. The character who controls the target personal resource must be present throughout.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Paid work and independent action
Note that the additional production only applies to a military unit specifically taking the paid work action, not to every action under the independent action dropdown.

Effects

Calls forth heralds from the Towers of Calx and Coom bearing arms and armour fashioned in the heart of a volcano to equip a military unit. The military unit gains a significant bonus to its effectiveness when it is assigned to support a campaign army. This temporary bonus increases the effective fighting force of the unit by 100, the equivalent of 5 normal upgrades. If instead, the unit takes the paid work action (from the independent action dropdown), they will receive twelve random ingots of metal in addition to their normal returns. Note that paid work is a specific type of independent action - the ritual does not apply this income to every independent action.

The character who controls the military unit experiences a short-lived roleplaying effect: they are encouraged to seek out the best possible equipment for themselves and their followers. The effect persists for at least ten minutes after the ritual is complete.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Additional Targets

This ritual can affect additional military units controlled by members of the same banner. Each additional military unit increases the magnitude by 15. The character who controls each unit must be present throughout the ritual.

Assurance

The ritual loses all power and becomes useless if the Empire ever breaches the terms of a parley with an Autumn eternal.

Description

Calls forth heralds from the Towers of Calx and Coom bearing arms and armour fashioned in the heart of a volcano. These heralds take the form of humanoid figures with skin the colour of old iron, and blazing crimson hair, who effortlessly lift great weights that would cause a mortal to bend under the strain. The brass armaments they deliver gleam with an inner fire, providing a potent boost to any soldiers who wield them. Despite being made of brass, they are as flexible and durable as weapons and armour forged from the finest mithril alloys. Unfortunately they only retain their inner fire for a single season, after which they become as lead - dull, heavy, and relatively fragile - and must be discarded.

Common Elements

The ritual should include an evocation of Estavus, the great fire mountain of Shikal, and the Towers of Calx and Coom which are believed to be home to some of Estavus' finest warsmiths. Other elements that seem to resonate with the ritual include the rune Tykonus, Lann, and Pallas, the constellation of the Great Wyrm (which represents the transformation that imbues these accoutrements with warlike potence), the dramaturgical elements of the Captain, the Battlefield,and the Blade, and the heraldic magic figure of the fire dragon that seems to have a sympathy for any of Estavus' rituals that deal with creation and destruction.

Beware the gifts of the Forgemistress, for the hammers of her fury can destroy as easily as they create. Her anger is a terrible furnace that is slow to cool once it is fired.

Swithulf, Runesmith, Archmage of Autumn 184-187YE

Hammers of Fury

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. If the ritual is cast using the Imperial Regio it requires at least 5 minutes of roleplaying instead.

During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Autumn regio. This ritual targets a territory, and must be performed at a regio in that territory. If the ritual is used to target an Imperial territory, it may instead be performed at the Imperial regio at Anvil.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

Enchants the forges, foundries, and smithies throughout a territory. These sites are infused with the heat of Shikal's forges, and able to forge the arms and armour needed to equip an army with supernatural speed. This reduces the time needed to muster an army in the territory by one season.

Mines throughout the territory will see their production of metals reduced by two ingots, but will each gain one pouch of Warm Ashes in their place.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Assurance

The ritual loses all power and becomes useless if the Empire ever does not have a working runeforge.

Description

This ritual draws power from the volcanic forges of the mountain of Shikal to empower the foundries and smithies throughout a territory. These sites are infused with the power to create great numbers of arms and armour, allowing a new army to be equipped with supernatural speed. The materials needed to craft these fine accoutrements is drawn from mines throughout the enchanted area, but the power of Estavus pays for whatever the ritual takes. As such, mines throughout that territory see some of the metals drawn from their depths replaced with pouches of ash, warm from the forge, infused with the power of Autumn magic.

Common Elements

The ritual should include an evocation of Estavus, the great fire mountain of Shikal, and the endless forges, smithies, and foundries that turn the great volcanic city into such a hive of productivity. Other elements that seem to resonate with the ritual include the rune Pallas (which has a strong affinity for crafting items), the constellation of the Mountain (both as an image of Shikal, and in the context of overcoming it perhaps with the aid of the Chain), the dramaturgical elements of the Captain, the Prince,and the Coin, and the heraldic magic figure of the fire dragon that seems to have a sympathy for any of Estavus' rituals that deal with creation and destruction.

The Realm of Autumn is dissonant with destruction, but the forges of the Prince of Shikal know no such limits. They churn out the machineries of devastation, each one destined for a distant war where they bring death and ruin in equal measures.

The Vate's Path, by Gwendolyn Seekers Run

Machines of Destruction

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. If the ritual is cast using the Imperial Regio it requires at least 5 minutes of roleplaying instead.

This ritual targets an Imperial army. The general responsible for the army (or the egregore if the general is not at Anvil) must be present throughout.

During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Autumn regio.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

Calls the minotaurs of Shikal to emerge from the Autumn realm dragging immense siege weapons; bronze onagers and trebuchets, brass battering rams and siege towers and mithril ladders. The minotaurs will fight alongside an army on campaign allowing them to issue the storm the walls order. However, while the magic persists they lose any existing army quality - they cannot use any special orders or passive abilities granted by those qualities.

While the enchantment persists, the general responsible for the army experiences a roleplaying effect: you find it easy to evaluate everyone around you as if they were obstacles that might need to be overcome, searching for weaknesses you can exploit to destroy them should it prove necessary.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Assurance

The ritual loses all power and becomes useless if Estavus is ever subject to enmity by the Imperial Conclave. Technically, the magic of this ritual is sufficient to summon heralds of Estavus even if the Imperial Conclave has declared enmity, but the assurance makes this moot.

Description

Minotaurs are great, muscled humanoids with bull-like heads who often serve as soldiers and mercenaries in the Autumn realm. Those who issue from the City of Stone and Flame bear armour and weapons of brass and bronze that protect and harm with the same potency as if they were made of fine steel or mithril. They are cunning, disciplined soldiers, adept in the arts of war. Those summoned by the Machines of Destruction are especially versed in the arts of the siege - in smashing walls and breaching gates. They bring with them their own weapons of destruction - devastating machines forged in the fires of Shikal, and wield their own flaming hammers against which no wall can stand for long.

When the effect of the enchantment ends, they return to the Autumn realm with their dead and their engines, ready to be called forth to serve again.

Common Elements

The ritual should include an evocation of Estavus, the great fire mountain of Shikal, and the strength of the bronze minotaurs. Other elements that seem to resonate with the ritual include the runes Verys, Mawrig, and Lann (representing strength, destruction, and the bargain that binds the heralds to serve). The dramaturgical icons of the Prince, the Coin, and the Battlefield also have a potent affinity for this ritual.

The herald shared with me a vision of Ashlar and I saw a citadel of brass and granite, burning with sigils of power. It dwarfed anything I have ever seen before or since. A fortress of stone and metal that dominated the eastern slopes of the fire mountain, and I realised that it was but one of four. I shudder still to think of the scale of those forges that must have built it and its three sisters.

Owain Telamon, Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield, 106YE

Ramparts of Ashlar

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 10 minutes of roleplaying. If the ritual is cast using the Imperial Regio it requires at least 5 minutes of roleplaying instead.

During the ritual the casters must be in a strong Autumn regio. This ritual targets a fortification, and must be performed in a strong Autumn regio in the territory containing the fortification. If the territory is part of the Empire, then it may instead be performed from the Imperial regio.

This ritual is an enchantment. A target may only be under one enchantment effect at a time.

Effects

The target fortification gains an additional 3,000 strength. The garrison is supplemented with bronze constructs drawn from the Autumn realm, while the walls themselves are bound with peculiar brass sigils evoking concepts of stone, strength, and fire.

The effect lasts until the start of the next Profound Decisions Empire event.

Assurance

The magic of this ritual is sufficient to summon heralds of Estavus even if the Imperial Conclave has declared enmity with the eternal but doing so not only has legal implications but is likely to anger the Forgemistress.

The ritual loses all power and becomes useless if the Empire ever refuses a lawful demand of the Brass Magistrates (the Lictors). The ritual's power might be restored by renegotiation with Estavus but it is by no means certain it would function the same way.

Description

This enchantment draws power from the great bastion of Ashlar which dominates the eastern face of the mountain of Shikal. The walls of the fortification are bound with brass sigils that embody the mystic powers of stone, strength, and fire. These sigils glow faintly throughout, as if they had just been taken from the heat of a forge, and can sear the flesh of those who accidentally touch one causing serious burns. These are not runes as mortal magicians understand them - rather they are complex curling shapes that nonetheless seem to communicate the concept they represent directly to anyone who gazes on them. At the same time the walls are being reinforced, the garrison will be supplemented with bronze constructs drawn from Estavus' realm, who protect the walls and relentlessly engage anyone who attempts to lay siege to the fortress.

Regardless of exterior conditions, the interior of the enchanted fortification is always warm - even swelteringly hot in places - and the air is sharp with the tang of smoke and molten metal. The garrison, and any warband assigned to defend the fortification will often report hearing the sounds of industry somewhere in the depths of the castle - great hammers striking metal and the hiss of hot blades being quenched.

Common Elements

The ritual should include an evocation of Estavus, the great fire mountain of Shikal, and the bronze bastion of Ashlar. Other elements that seem to resonate with the ritual include the rune Verys, the constellation of the Oak (albeit in a more metallic aspect than magicians are traditionally familiar with), the Captain and the Blade, and the heraldic magic figure of the fire dragon.