Shallows and miseries

While Imperial armies advance on Fort Braydon, Jotun champions assault the League.

Who and What

After the Winter Solstice, the Jotun send a host of warriors into Kahraman. They came not from the west, as they usually do, but from the north, out of Liathaven and into Braydon's Jasse. The garrison at Fort Braydon fought courageously, but they could not hold the orcs even with the aid of the Red Wind Corsairs, the Black Thorns, and the Quiet Step. The Jotun captured the fort, conquered the hills of the Jasse, and made serious inroads onto the Jade Range plains.

Immediately after the Spring Equinox, the Corsairs and the Step make preparations to withdraw from Kahraman, journeying north toward Upwold. The Black Thorns remain, and are joined by five new armies fresh from the liberation of Bregasland: Isaella's Dance, the Fire of the South and the newly-kindled Burning Falcon, the Fist of the Mountains, and the Drakes.

All six armies are supported by Imperial magic. The Drakes and both the Navarr armies fight with confident strategy while the Fist of the Mountains bears an enchantment that allows the large numbers of independent captains to quickly adapt to the heat and dust of the Cinnabar Hills, and to the relaxed traditions of the Freeborn army.

At first it appears the Fire of the South have taken on the aspect of the Navarr. The Freeborn soldiers are merciless in battle, taking every opportunity to cut down and kill their Jotun adversaries. Implacable and merciless, they target baggage trains, execute the fallen, and cut down anyone attempting to flee without hesitation. Cold and calculating to the point of callousness, there is none of the easy camaraderie or joy-in-battle that often accompanies a Freeborn force. At night, the campfires created by the Fire of the South burn green and blue, and provide little heat. Several soldiers in other armies look askance at this behaviour, but it soon becomes clear that the Fire of the South are under a powerful Winter enchantment, one not familiar to Imperial magicians, that makes them adept at slaughtering their enemies. It just has some side effects some Imperials might find unpalatable.

Free born, we return home once more brining the pragmatism of winter. Once more we have unwelcome visitors in Kahraman. These Jotun have claimed fort Braydon for their own. We will bloody them as we force them to leave. With our overwhelming assault we will reclaim our home. We will show them what it means to dampen the flame of the Freeborn.

Velasco i Guerra, General of the Fire of the South

My dearest Freeborn, we have begun the story of the Burning Falcon again. We return to our home, to Kahraman, to our pride to drive the Jotun from the hills. The Empire is with us. The power of Summer swells our ranks. The heralds and eyes of Janon are welcomed to witness our fire and Virtue first hand. We will be the virtuous flame that burns our enemies to the last.

Aracelis I Erigo, General of the Burning Falcon

The contrast with the normal behaviour of soldiers from the Brass Coast, and with the other Freeborn army, could not be more marked. The newest Imperial army, and it's stauch core of kohan warriors, is accompanied by a host of crimson-and-gold soldiers from the Fields of Glory. They fight under the banner of the Queen of the Pennants, and it is surely no happenstance that the majority of them bear the mien of the eagle – feathered brows, keen eyes, sharp beaks and talons. Scattered among their number are a handful of magical beastmasters who fight not only with golden spears but with trained ruby-feathered hunting hawks that strike from the open sky with pinpoint accuracy, blinding their targets before they even know they are under attack.

By themselves these magical allies would be notable enough, but the Burning Falcon are also accompanied by magical allies who are not beholden to the Lady of the Red and the Gold. At first it's hard to tell them apart from the knights of the Summer Realm, but it is soon obvious they owe allegiance to someone else. A score of warriors with midnight-blue skin and raging crimson eyes and hair battle alongside the kohan wherever the fighting is thickest. Clad in flowing scarlet robes, bound in red-iron scale, and as often as not fighting with paired swords, they are emissaries of the eternal Janon, here at the invitation of the general.

You stood with Navarr on Marcher land. You saw Imperial soldiers treated with contempt. The Marches say: All of us, or none of us. We are one Empire. Honour is inconsistent to us at Anvil, agreements clashing with Jotun priorities, and the martial traditions of the Suaq and the Kallavesi. Jotun treatment of Navarr is less complicated. We march to Kahraman. The Jotun and agents of Hayaak will hunt our Navarr siblings in the hills. Navarr are coming anyway. This is courage. Stormcrows agree, we need to discuss Honour, and who it TRULY serves. Urizen have trusted us with their vast magical prowess, we are Bound by Common Cause. See who comes..

Kindra Sure-footed, General of the Fist of the Mountains

Across the Jade Range

Almost immediately it is obvious that the Empire's armies are not here to defend Kahraman, but to drive the Jotun out and relcaim the land they have conquered. The Burning Falcon charge triumphantly into the Jade Range, ably supported by the Fist of the Mountains. The latter army fight heroically, and with honour, as they have done in every engagement against the Jotun since the people of Wintermark chose to eschew slaughter in favour of glorious battle against the western orcs. These armies do the bulk of the fighting to reclaim Jade Range, and while neither the orcs nor their human opponents offer much quarter to their enemies, neither do they seek opportunities for bloodshed – this is a war of conquest not slaughter.

They are also backed by the Fire of the South, and they do seek to slaughter the Jotun wherever possible, overwhelming their defences and putting anyone they can catch to the sword. No parley is accepted, no retreat allowed. The orcs seem almost taken aback by this shift in strategy from the Freeborn – it must be obvious to them that something has changed.

They expect the Navarr to use whatever means are necessary to end their lives – and while the Black Thorns are more focused on claiming the Jade Range Isaella's Dance more than makes up for them in terms of bloodlust. Using their mastery of Spring magic and the apothecary arts, the thorns of Isaella's Dance kill their foes quickly and efficiently.

Finally there are the Drakes, who form a steady foundation to the Imperial strategy, balancing their desire to engage the Jotun with the need to ensure that none are left behind to strike against poorly protected flanks or rear. Many of the soldiers clearly wish they were in the north, finishing the conquest of Bregasland, but they also understand the importance of helping their allies – and securing their own borders. “You can throw a stone from the top of Fort Braydon and hit Sarcombe Town Hall,” as one Marcher puts it. Somewhat prophetically, as it turns out.

Against them are bands of Jotun defenders; but the Jotun strategy has changed. They are no longer pushing to conquer Kahraman. Indeed, they are barely fighting to hold what they have already taken. Wherever possible – and where the merciless bloodthirst of the Fire of the South allows – they retreat back towards the Jasse hills. None of the familiar banners of the Jotun heroes are spotted; indeed there are few enough standards of the Jotun armies on display.

A ripple of unease goes through the Imperial armies, especially those enchanted with an appreciation of wider strategy. Something is amiss. Could this be related to events at Braydon's Jasse during the Spring Equinox?

Eisa Winterborn, daughter of Fisk, She who bears the banner of the Walrus. The omens are clear that you should continue in your journey and show the southern Empire what the people of Skallahn can bring to them. The banner obscured the fish and the apple tree surmounted the unnamed whilst the rest were lost. I saw an eagle decline to hunt a hare but instead take a gull. Demonstrate your honour and claim the wealth of the Sapphire Stair and offer the Choice to the people of Cevia. Take only your warband and then regroup with the armies. Do this and the ancestors will smile upon you.

Omen of the Walrus

Meanwhile in Tassato

At the same time the Imperial armies are liberating Jade Range, a large force of Jotun raiders strikes east from Braydon's Jasse into Tassato. They move under the walrus banner of the draughir hero Eisa Winterborn, the yegarra champion, far from their northern home. Eisa is one of those who helped bring down the western end of Pakaanan's Pass last year, and her successes in Sermersuaq have seen her warband grow mighty indeed.

Their target is not Tassato itself; the walrus banner is mighty but not mighty enough to threaten an entire city. Divided as it so often is, striking against one side or the other would immediately unite the entire populace against the outsider, at least for as long as the threat remained. Instead, they launch a lightning raid into Cascatas, targetting the rich town of Cevia, and the marvellous locks of the Sapphire Stair.

There is only a small garrison at Cevia, and even with the support of local militia and guards employed by merchants, the town is quickly overwhelmed. Most of the raiders set to work stripping the town of any easily portable valuables – and offering the Choice to anyone unable to flee. Perhaps a hundred and fifty Imperial citizens are taken as thralls. They are primarily from the League, but some traders from other nations are also captured.

While this is going on Eisa Winterborn herself turns her attention to the Sapphire Stair. The masterwork locks are almost as old as the Empire itself, having been constructed under the auspices of the Tassatan engineer Marco di Paraiso for Emperor Giovanni himself. They have stood for nearly four centuries, but Eisa undoes the work of the League engineers in less than a day.

At her command, Jotun siege engineers turn loose their wrath against the lock gates. With block and chain, with fire, with picks and axes, and with brute force, the balance of the locks is undone. The water starts to flow freely, aiding the Jotun's ruinous design. They continue their wreckers work through the night, lit by great bonfires made of wood torn from the town of Cevia itself.

These fires that serve as beacons for the defenders of Tassato, for the soldiers from La Redotta Rezia in the city itself. Unfortunately, they arrive just a few hours too late. Eisa and her warriors are already retreating west, and even as the first League soldiers reach Cevia, the last gates of the Sapphire Stair are overwhelmed, and a wave of unleashed river water cascades down the Vassa toward the sea.

The final insult – on top of the destruction of the locks, on top of the theft, on top of the kidnap of Imperial citizens into slavery – is that while the Jotun did their work some of their number went up to the Red Rock. The wall of red stone is visible to all in the town, and all travelling along the Vassa near Tassato. Previously it held a mural commissioned by the Gilded Horn Carta, celebrating what it meant to be a Tassatan. Now, it has been completely defaced. The rock is gouged and daubed with white and red paint, and in place of the inspirational art, there is a crude depiction of a walrus and the Rune of Victory.

Yanya Uranduin, child of Veerkarsa, They who bear the banner of the Howling Bear. The omens are clear that you should prove yourself as greater than the hero of Fisk. The scythe touched the swords as the road led to the eagle while I saw five ravens slay a boar, beaks dripping with the blood of the fallen beast. Strike deep into the rich heartlands of the Mourn. Remind the people who abandoned their oaths that we came and that we will come again. Claim the mithril from the Singing Caves and offer the Choice to the people of Sarcombe. Take only your warband and then regroup with the armies. Do this and the ancestors will smile upon you.

Omen of the Bear

Meanwhile in Mournwold

While Eisa Winterborn raids east, her bosom ally and bitter rival Yanya Uranduin, strikes north into the Mournwold. Under the banner of the Howling Bear, a force of over a thousand Jotun spill across the peaceful grasslands of the Greensward. They seem to be intent on two things; raiding the wealth of the Mourn and carrying away it's people as thralls.

The main group strides northward, clearly intent on attacking the Singing Caves. Most avoid the ruins of Overton, but by all accounts a small group of warriors and ghodi travelling with the warband split off here to visit the burial mound and apple trees near the site of the climactic battle that took place at Overton during the liberation of the Mournwold.

The rest travel with such speed that the warning of their presence has barely reached Sarcombe before they hit the Singing Caves. Shortly before dusk they attack, and if they imagined it would be an easy matter to claim the mines they have failed to take into account the bone-deep stubborness of the Marches. To their credit, the miners refuse to cede the mines to the orc attackers, fighting bitterly to hold the orcs at bay. They are joined by labourers busy building Lowther's Lift – the mine elevator recently commissioned by the Senate to allow deeper veins of mithril ore to be reached.

The fight is desperate and vicious; the Jotun have the weight of numbers but the miners and labourers are able to use the confined tunnels and narrow galleries of the mine to their advantage. The Druj might simply have collapsed the mine-workings or flooded the place; the Jotun are more interested in claiming the mithril than committing an atrocity.

The Marchers refuse to bow down to bullies, especially those that target their neighbours.

As the first soldiers from the garrison at Farstrider's Watch arrive, the Jotun under the Howling Bear banner turn their full attention to the soldiers, revelling in the chance for an open fight rather than a battle in the rat runs of the mine. They don't hold long; now that the Marchers know the danger more and more soldiers arrive to protect the Singing Caves.

The Jotun quickly retreat, only partially successful in their goals. While they are only able to claim a portion of the mithril that has already been mined, the ingots and ore waiting to be transported east toward Tassato, they do not penetrate far into the mine itself. They're also unable to claim any thralls; everyone they might have wished to take retreated into the mine at the first sign of their approach. Unfortunately, they are able to steal the weirwood that had been brought here to build Lowther's Lift. Only a portion was already in place, but what there was they were able to steal.

While the bulk of Yanya Uranduin's forces attempts to capture the Singing Caves, the rest range across the Greensward and into Southmoor, attacking farms, villages, and caravans wherever they can. They seem to know the area well; indeed there are indications that some of them have been equipped with crudely drawn maps, possibly provided by the traitor Little Robbie Erskine.

They don't attack the market town itself, and as news of their attacks spreads, human Marchers and former orc thralls alike seek the safey of it's walls. Not everyone is fortunate enough to live within reach of Sarcombe, however.

Yet even so the Jotun don't have things entirely their own way. The stewards of the larger farms welcome those who seek shelter from them. Knots of yeoman soldiers form across the southern Mournwold, prepared to sell their lives to protect their kin and their neighbours. This includes the Mournwold orcs as well – the magician Casta the Black in particular welcomes human and orc alike to the relative safety of Black Hill Mine. The vast majority of the orcs won't fight themselves of course – they still adhere to their peculiar pacifist philosophy – but there are stories in the wake of the Jotun attack of a few younger orcs fighting alongside the human defenders. The Jotun raiders for their part seem very surprised indeed by the fact that not only do their former thralls not welcome their return, they actively support the Marchers fighting against them in the same way they once supported their Jotun rules - with herbs, and with magic.

As the defenders of the Mournwold gather – the garrisons at Farstrider's Watch and Bulwark, the forces of the Bailiff of the Downs, and the yeomanry itself – the Jotun pull back westwards. Within a week or so of their first attack, the majority of Yanya Uranduin's raiders have retreated back into the forests of Liathaven, taking with them a fair amount of Marcher wealth but only a few score Marcher thralls. Not that that is much consolation to those who have been carried away to thralldom, or to the families they have left behind.

Stephen, son of Sarcombe, He who bears the standard of the Burning Oak. The omens are clear that you should demonstrate your prowess once again. The crossroads led to the lion and the fang as the torrent straddled them all. I saw a rock fall down a scree, and uproot an oak. Strike south into the wealthy lands of the Freeborn. Destroy the Spider's Dream bridge and cut off the people of the Brass Coast from the rest of their Empire. Offer the Choice to the people of Calvos. Take only your warband and then regroup with the armies. Do this and the ancestors will smile upon you.

Omen of the Burning Oak

Meanwhile in Madruga

A third Jotun warband strikes south from Braydon's Jasse into Madruga. This band of yegarra raids under the burning oak banner of Stephen of Sarcombe, the hated traitor to the Marches. Over a thousand strong, it's perhaps surprising that the man born in the Mournwold isn't overseeing the attack against his former home. Or perhaps not; perhaps even the Jotun realise that it might be a mistake to send Stephen into the Mournwold and expect him to keep his head.

As it is, the primarily human force wastes comparatively little time actually raiding after they enter the rugged Torres plains. They move quickly and with purpose, arrow-straight toward the Vassa, and the great bridge that crosses its tumultuous flow. There are a few orcs fighting alongside them, but reports suggest as many as a dozen much larger shapes; ice giants loyal to the Queen of Ice and Darkness.

They reach the Spider's Dream at around the same time that news of their raid reaches the Salt Guard in southern Siroc and Our Lady of Pride in Sarvos.

A few raiders press across to attack Trivento on the other side of the Vassa, while others capture Freeborn and League caravans looking to cross the bridge. Fortunately the limited garrison there is able to turn the raiders back – but not before they have inflicted some damage, raided a number of businesses, and taken a score or more of League citizens as thralls, dragging them back across the Bridge into Madruga.

Sarvos is not their ambition, however. Rather it is the bridge itself. The attack on Trivento turns out to have been a feint as much as anything else, tricking the League defenders into imagining a much larger force is imminently due. This gives Stephen much-needed time to secure the bridge.

The Spider's Dream is unique, linking the Brass Coast and the League, and both nations are called upon to defend it from Stephen of Sarcombe.

Well ware that it is only a matter of time before Imperial garrisons rally to stop him, Stephen sets lose the ice giants while his own yegarra attack the surprisingly robust cables that support the spiderweb-like structure.

This is the second time in recent memory that barbarian forces have attacked the bridge – the Grendel tried to destroy it five years ago but were prevented by Imperial heroes. This time, though, the Mournwold betrayer's plan is both less ambitious and more successful. Rather than collapse the entire bridge, Stephen seems to want to ruin only part of it – the cables and supports that hold up the western half.

The former Mournwold yegarra have demonstrated their cleverness when it comes to ruining the roads and bridges of the Empire in the past – Stephen was behind the devastating attacks in Kahraman that saw the three northern regions of the Cinnabar Hills isolated from one another. It takes him a little over a day to send the middle-west span of the Spider's Dream plunging into the Vassa, and weaken the supports holding the remaining sections on the Madrugan shore.

If he had more time, or a larger force, he could perhaps do much more damage but as soon as the first cables snap and the bridge starts to break, his banner bearers sound the retreat. The raiders sniping at Trivento hare back across the bridge, with League soldiers in hot pursuit. Some are caught in the collapse; most are able to see what is happening and get back across the bridge before the section falls. A small number of both soldiers and yegarra are unfortunate enough to be trapped on the wrong side, and both are made short work of by their enemies.

The Spider's Dream teeters and groans for the next three days and there is significant concern it will collapse entirely. Several more cables snap. A wave of water unleashed by the destruction of the Sapphire Stair threatens to wash away one of the supports, but the stout white granite pillars hold.

By the time the yegarra of the Burning Oak have returned to Braydon's Jasse, the bridge has settled down. The majority of the structure still holds, but the central section is gone rendering it useless for traders – or for armies seeking to enter the Brass Coast.

I know little of omens, but I know what while Freeborn eyes are on the Jasse, there is an opportunity for us to strike elsewhere. Few know the mountains like we do, and if we ignore what fortune has offered us, our ancestors will mock us when we die. Go west, I say, and let us seize whatever we can holr!

Geht Aran, to the warriors of the Red Mountain

Meanwhile in Kahraman

One final series of attacks takes place while the Empire and the Jotun clash in Kahraman. The orcs under the mountain banner of the Kahraman Peaks, who fight for the warlord Geht Aran, seem to have more in common with the Lasambrians that with their Jotun cousins from Narkyst and Kallsea. They are quick-moving raiders, first and foremost. Last season they raided the mines of Serra Briante and the caravans out of Serra Damata, but their main focus was on supporting their Jotun allies. Not so in the wake of the Spring Equinox. Geht Aran, it seems, is off the chain.

The orcs under the mountain warbanner are primarily made up of former brigands and bandits who haunted the high peaks above Kahraman before being recruited by the Jotun. They know the northern hills well, and they know how to move across them safely even with the damage caused by Stephen of Sarcombe. They also know where many of the richest targets are to be found.

Fortunately for the Freeborn of the Cinnabar Hills, steps have been taken to counter such underhand tactics. The magicians of the DelTorro family have woven a complex shawl of Autumn magic and laid it over the territory. This is not the first time the Hand of the Dhomiro – or an effect like it – has been brought to bear in the Brass Coast. It's magic is subtle, shifting probability and coincidence in pursuit of protecting the wealth and fortune of a territory's citizens from thieves. Those who try to flee from or travel across Kahraman find their paths eased, while those who try to steal or rob from others find all kinds of little annoyances placed in their way. The main thrust of the magic is to defend against a plundering army but it is still able to stymie most of the the efforts of Geht Aran and his warriors.

Unfortunately, the subtle magic is not enough to stop the mountain banner attacking the caravans transporting mithril and white granite from the Great Mine of Briante and the Damatian Cliff. As the orcs move west, they attack first one and then the other, seizing the valuable Bourse materials. Obviously the Freeborn do not give up their valuables without a fight, but they can't hold back the orcs by themselves.

Work is well under way rebuilding the roads and providing the essential defences that will protect caravans in Kahraman in the furture, but in the short term the orcs are able to attack western Kahraman with relative impunity.

They are only interested in immediate benefits themselves, however, and unlike the other raiders, they seem disinterested in claiming thralls – they don't offer the Choice preferring to simply ignore anyone who doesn't actively stand against them. They strike, seize what they can, and continue westward. As the Battle for Fort Braydon begins, the orcs of the mountain banner leave Kahraman for Liathaven, passing through Redgate Pass.

Drakes, we have liberated Bregasland and while fisher has escaped justice, the war goes on. Other Marcher armies will continue the liberation. But our strength is needed in the south. Our freeborn allies have been attacked. They have helped us now we will demonstrate our loyalty and come to their aid.

Hal Talbot, General of the Drakes

Join me, your new general of Isaella's Dance, in annointing our poison thorns as we move to Kahraman and fight with the warriors of the Fist of the Mountains against the Jotun. The Brass Coast military units, and our fellow Black Thorns aid us in our endevour. Remember your oaths, remember your training and give the Jotun the "good Death" the seek.

Ioan Longshadow, General of Isaella's Dance

Black Thorns! Once more I ask you to fight for Kahraman, we move to Braydon's Jasse in steady conquest to drive back the Jotun forces. Seek them out, find their weak points and strike! Take back the land that they have no rights to.

Karrow Strangers Song, General of the Black Thorns

The Flames of Fort Braydon

With raiders striking out in all four cardinal directions, the Imperial armies push into Braydon's Jasse. There they discover the truth; the Jotun have almost entirely abandoned Kahraman. The great armies that swept out of Liaven's Glen have retreated the way they came, in good order. Perhaps this was always their intention; perhaps it is news of the invasion far to the north that has caused them to abandon their ambitions in the Cinnabar Hills. Either way, the majority of the orc forces have already left the territory.

Those who remain are camped around Fort Braydon, and it becomes clear they do not intend to surrender without a fight. They fight under empty red banners – no designs on them – and they neither offer nor ask for quarter. There is absolutely no chance that they can win, but they don't seem to care. They seem intent on forcing the Empire to buy every inch of the Jasse hills with blood – whether orc or human it matters not.

Against the lone garrison of the formerly Imperial fortification, the Imperial armies strike like a thunderous hammer. There is no seige – the gates of the fortification have barely been repaired and fall almost immediately. The fighting inside the tower is twice as bloody as it was when the Jotun took the place less than three months ago. The bloodthirsty magic laid over the Fire of the South means that even if their allies were minded to do so, they cannot be stopped from putting every Jotun defender to the sword. The triumphant and overwhelming assault of the Fire, the Fist, and the Falcon sees the walls teeter and break. The ramparts are shattered, the towers burn. Almost all the serious casualties suffered by the Empire are taken in the Battle of Fort Braydon. The defenders are wiped out almost to the last orc.

It's here a portion of the truth becomes apparent. These orcs – many of them grizzled veterans – are some of those who fought the Empire in the Mournwold, who survived the battle of Orchard's Watch four years ago. This band have been handpicked from amongst those who survived that terrible battle. Some Wintermarkers recall the echo of the Jarl of Keirheim's words, that the Jotun have been fundamentally shamed by their inability to protect the thralls from the magic of the twin curses that ravaged the Mournwold, and that war would never end until every one of those who failed in their sacred task was dead. It seems the garrison of Fort Braydon knew that only death awaited them, and chose it on their own terms.

The Glass Miracle

The tower itself has seen generations of Jotun and Lasambrian raids and attacks, often the only defender against the orcs of the west. Now it teeters on the brink of destruction... in fact it is not clear why it is still standing. Between the attack of the Jotun last season, and the overwhelming assault of the Imperial forces it should by right have been reduced to rubble. Yet it still stands – battered but not yet ruined. Damaged, but still somehow, miraculously, unfallen.

At first it seems apparent that there is a magical explanation for this wonder. The stones thrum with the echo of Summer magic; while the wood and the tile burned and broke the stones themselves cannot even be cracked. Perhaps predicting the potential outcome of the Imperial attack into Braydon's Jasse, the hakima of the Glass Mantle coven have placed the Stalwart Stand on Solid Ground over Fort Braydon. It is almost impossible for a fortification protected by this enchantment to fall; only a force strong enough to completely break the defenders can completely destroy it.

Unfortunately... that is exactly what has happened here. The force brought against the citadel is so overwhelming that it is way beyond the power of even the most powerful magic conceivable to preserve the stone edifice. And yet somehow the tower still stands. It is as if some kind of miracle has taken place.

Astonishing as this wonder is, it will not last long. In part, Fort Braydon is hanging only only by dint of the hakima's magic and that force is fading. Technically it is not even a fortification any more; when the last rays of sun touch it on the last day of the Summer Solstice, the last fragments of magic still infusing it will fade and the old castle will be no more. Even a miracle will not save it then.

Yet it seems there may still be an opportunity to prevent that, if the Empire's heroes can move quickly enough. Perhaps Fort Braydon might be saved after all.

The Dust Settles

The raiders who have struck Kahraman and its neighbours retreat back into Jotun lands; in some cases there are lingering warbands but the majority have already crossed the borders into Liathaven. Kahraman has been liberated, although not without cost. Perhaps as many as a thousand Jotun died, mostly in the defence of Fort Braydon, but no more than two hundred Imperial soldiers have fallen. The castle itself teeters on the edge of oblivion; the damage it has suffered will claim the ultime toll soon if the Empire cannot avert this fate.

But the Empire is victorious. The Jotun are gone, Kahraman is once again Imperial, the people are once again safe from the barbarian orcs. For now, at least.

Game Information

The territory of Kahraman is entirely Imperial again. Fort Braydon is technically destroyed – it cannot be targetted by enchantments or other effects that work on fortifications such as Hammers of the Brilliant Shore. However, by some miracle, the last fading echoes of the magic used to preserve it still remain and there is an opportunity for Imperial heroes to prevent it's fall, should the Military Council wish to take it.

The Singing Caves, Great Mine of Briante, and Damatian Cliffs have been raided and precious Bourse materials stolen, but they are themselves undamaged. Unfortunately a portion of the weirwood contributed to the construction of Lowther's Lift in Mournwold has also been stolen, delaying completion of the project. The weirwood will need to be replaced.

The Sapphire Stair in Tassato has been all but destroyed. The Keeper of the Sapphire Stair no longer receives tolls from merchants using the locks; indeed any citizen from Tassato with a fleet will suffer a -1 penalty to production until the locks are replaced. Doing so is relatively straightforward; the project is a sinecure requiring 10 wains each of white granite, weirwood, and mithril, 60 crowns in labour, and taking three months to complete. The damage to the Red Rock can be dealt with by the Keeper as part of their normal duties; even though the stairs are gone, they do not automatically lose their title and would resume custodianship if the locks were replaced.

The damage to the Spider's Dream is more significant however. Until it is repaired, the Spider's Tollkeep receives no money from merchants passing between the Brass Coast and the League. More importantly, the damage presents significant difficulties to campaign armies trying to move between Madruga and either Tassato or Sarvos (or vice versa).Any army that does so much immediately stop in the other territory, even if they still have movement remaining. Repairing the Spider's Tollkeep is not as straightforward as restoring the Sapphire Stair; the Senate will need an appraisal to determine how best to replicate the genius of the suspension bridge's original architect without damaging its integrity.

Participation : Raids

Any character from Kahraman, Madruga, Sarvos, Tassato, or Mournwold, or who was visiting those territories, may have been impacted by the raids. No personal resources are effected thanks to a combination of enchantments, local garrisons, and the focused intent of the raiders. However it is entirely possible that friends or family members might have been taken by those raids interested in capturing thralls – essentially all those except the raid into western Kahraman.

It's also appropriate for anyone from those territories, especially with a link to the areas attacked, to have been involved in trying to fight against the raids. The titles mentioned in particular might given some thought as to how they were involved in the fight. Any character from the four target territories, or who holds a title associated with one of the areas attacked such as Bailiff of the Downs, Keeper of the Sapphire Stair, Spider's Tollkeep, or holder of one of the Bourse seats attacked, can email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk and begin play with a lingering traumatic would incurred while trying to defend against the raiders. Stories created should be in line with those mentioned in the text.

Participation : Armies

Any character whose military unit was assigned to fight alongside the Burning Falcon this downtime may choose to have been impacted by the experience of battling in close proximity to heralds of both Eleonaris and Janon. If you possess hero points, you may choose to gain an additional temporary hero point which, once spent, is permanently gone. It will have faded entirely by the end of the Summer Solstice regardless.

The cruel Winter magic on the Fire of the South will have faded by the start of the Summer Solstice, but a faint echo might remain. Any character whose military unit supported the army may choose to be effected by a roleplaying effect: they become cold and calculating to the point of callousness, and value only results as opposed to methods. This effect is particularly strong on any character of the draughir lineage.

Battle Opportunities

Imperial prognosticators have identified a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate during the coming Solstice leading to Braydon's Jasse that they believe will offer an opportunity to prevent the destruction of the fortress there. A full report will be presented closed to the Summer Solstice. A second Major Conjunction has been located in the far west of Kahraman, which may offer a chance to close the Red Gate, preventing Jotun forces entering the Cinnabar Hills from the west.

Conjunctions

Can get text from Steve

Leavetaking (Conjunction)

• Eisa Winterborn's warband has withdrawn from Tassato but her champion remains
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 20:30 on Friday to Duarte's Repose, Enterio, Tassato
• The Custodian of the Arratan Gamble is responsible for slaying Magnus Ironarm

A group of Eisa Winterborn's warriors have broken away from the rest of her war band. Instead of fleeing back to the relative safety of Liathaven with their ill-gotten gains, they have pressed on. They have been seen marching east, past Tassato. Eventually it becomes clear that they are aiming for the Arratan Gamble. It is near certain that they are planning to raid the Gamble, seeking to take as much white granite and thralls as they can before they are forced to retreat.

The group is led by one Eisa's champions, Magnus Ironarm, recognised by many of the Jotun as being favoured by Cathan Canae. Why Magnus and his followers have split from the rest of Eisa's warband is unknown. He might have broken with Eisa and be acting against her wishes, or he may simply be the boldest and bravest of her champions - the one to whom she entrusts this incredibly risky venture. His retinue is made up of a combined force of Raoljost, Ulvenwar, and Skjaldir.

Given that this represents a direct threat to the Arratan Gamble it is responsibility of the Custodian of the Arratan Gamble; Silvio de Tassato, to slay Magnus Ironarm and the rest of his retinue. If Magnus and the rest of his retinue are not driven back then they will seize part of the white granite, and likely a number of thralls, from the Gamble and withdraw back to the safety of Jotun lines.

Listen to the wind (Conjunction)

• A force of Jotun are still in the territory and moving towards Trajadoz
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 21:00 on Friday to Fondre's Rest, Torres, Madruga
• The Marracossa Sendito is responsible for stopping the Jotun

The force of Jotun who journeyed across the Spider's Dream bridge to attack into Sarvos are still active in Madruga. Scattered reports from across the settlements of Torres report them as moving towards the town of Trajadoz; the home of the Maracossan exiles. The inhabitants are simply not strong enough to protect themselves from this threat; if the Jotun are not stopped then they will take much wealth, and many artisans, from the people there. If at least half of the force are not killed then the ministry available to the Marracossa Sendito will prices increase by at least two-fifths.

The force of Jotun is made up of a combined force of Raoljost, Ulvenwar, and Skjaldir. Given that this represents a direct threat to Trajadoz it is the responsibility of the Marracossa Sendito; Karg i Estrico i Erigo, to stop the Jotun. Although the responsibility for the conjunction belongs to the Sendito it is likely that the Spider's Tollkeep, Marguerita Serafini di Sarvos, will wish to be involved too.

Choices (Conjunction)

• Jarl Haakon is working in Southmoor to create a network of supplies for future Jotun invasions
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 21:30 on Friday to Maggie's Croft, Southmoor, Mournwold
• The Bailiff of the Downs is responsible stopping the Jarl and the rest of the warband

Some years ago, Jarl Haakon was a force to be reckoned with in the Mournwold. A young but powerful Jotun leader, he ruled much of the lands in Southmoor. He was notorious for his hatred of the Feni - he led his warband into Alderly forest on three separate occasions, seeking to find and crush the heart of Feni power, but was never successful. He was a wise and just ruler by his own people at least, someone who ruled without favour or prejudice and he was considered to have a promising future. He was forced to flee when the Mournwold fell, leaving his estates and his thralls behind, a failure that has gnawed at him ever since.

Now the Jarl and a small warband have returned in secrecy. Haakon and his Jotun are deep in Southmoor working to establish stores of food, caches of weapons, and makeshift palisades ready for when the armies of the Jotun once again invade the Mourn. A number of scattered settlements of Mournwold thralls have sent word of the warband and have sent word to Sarcombe to asked for the aid of the Bailiff of the Downs. They believe that if Jarl Haakon is not stopped then the region of Southmoor will be considered under threat by the Jotun.

Jarl Haakon's band is made up of a combined force of Raoljost, Ulvenwar, and Skjaldir. Given that this is a direct request to the Bailiff of the Downs, and that if Haakon's plan is completed it would result in a direct threat to the thralls of the Mourn, it is the responsibility of the Bailiff of the Downs, Hob Cullach, to stop Jarl Haakon and the rest of the warband.

Dust on the wind (Conjunction)

• The warband of Geht Aran has passed on one of their prizes to the inhabitants of Beatriz's Field
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 16:00 on Saturday to Beatriz's Field, Bastasor, Reinos
• The General of the Red Wind Corsairs is responsible for retrieving the Overflowing Platter

One of the places looted by the orcs of the Kahraman Peaks was a small congregation overseen by the reclusive Adriana i Alayza i Guerra; a priest dedicated to Prosperity who mostly retired from Anvil shortly after he was ousted as Cardinal of Prosperity in 353YE. Adriana refused to allow the orcs to take the many relics that he had collected over the years and so was killed by the raiders. One of his few surviving niblings, Antoni, discovered the corpse of their uncle and the ransacked church. Whilst most of the "relics" were simply trinkets that Adriana had collected over the years of visiting Anvil one piece in particular stood out; an "Overflowing Platter" believed to have belonged to, or at least used by, Zemress herself.

Antoni has asked for the aid of the Red Wind Corsairs in recovering this relic. They don't want an heirloom of the Blade of the Isles to be abandoned to the orcs of Reinos; to be mishandled and lost to trade. The young sutannir asks for help from the General in recovering the relic, and suggests that they might be able to acquire for themselves a chance to turn a profit from the orcs of Reinos.

The Jotun inhabitants of Beatriz's Field is made up of a combined force of Raoljost, Ulvenwar, and Skjaldir. Given that this is a direct request to the Red Wind Corsairs it is the responsibility of the General; Delora i Sol-Devorador i Erigo, to recover the Overflowing Platter and pass it on to one of Dust, Glass, or Flame.