Standing in the sun

Josiah stood in the centre of the room letting the powerful feeling wash over him. It never ceased to amaze him, how inspiring this feeling was. The profound sense that the cause they were embarked on here was truly worthy was intoxicating. It made you feel certain that no matter the sacrifice, this would all be worth it. He breathed in deeply, almost as if he could breathe the aura into his body, drawing strength from it.

What surprised him the most was his companion's response. Vrank was stood there with a similar look of earnest appreciation writ large on his face. Someone had told Josiah that their hosts had been strongly moved by the consecrations, but still it surprised him to see how much the Yerende was affected. It was not virtuous to demean others, but Josiah had met citizens who could be remarkably dismissive of the power of auras, some of whom would then fall over themselves to get Swan's Cruel Wing cast. Such was the Way of Virtue though, some people would give up everything for the Way, and some people would cast their Pride aside for a pouch of rings.

He smiled at the orc and gestured to the far side of the room to suggest that they continue their discussion there. It was one thing to draw strength from an aura, but even a pious wayfarer knew it's not always best to conduct delicate conversations in one, at least not with someone who was not fully conversant with their effects. People could be moved to say things they regretted later... and sadly they often blamed the liao rather than face hard truths.

Vrank lingered a while longer before joining him at the table. He poured the orc a drink from the bottle of Chalcis red that they had brought with them. Time to get down to business!

"I'm interested to hear more of your Great Garden" he prompted. No point in beating about the bush, he'd already observed that the Yerende were patient, but they didn't like to waste time for all that. "My colleagues tell me there are some fascinating comparisons with our benefactors..."

The six septs of the Imperial Orcs are Ethengraw, Illarawm, Sannite, Sunstorm, Tamazi, and Yerende.

Overview

A year ago the Highborn embraced their peerless kinship with the rest of the Empire. They reached out to their sibling nations, and offered them aid, guided by the priests of the nation in question. Now they offer their peerless kinship to the youngest Imperial nation, one that in many ways is still building its identity and finding its feet, the Imperial Orcs. Ashborn Atla accepted the offer of aid on behalf of their nation, calling on them to help bring the different septs of the nation together in virtue.

The Imperial Orc nation is changing. Adjusting to the idea that there is no longer one, straightforward, way to view their connection to the Empire. They are still one people, but they speak with half-a-dozen different voices. The Sunstorm are in the majority, but they must accept that their neighbours from sometimes very different backgrounds are now their equals. The Highborn are able to offer a little advice here and there, but it's mostly an internal matter. By focusing on questions of Virtue, the Highborn avoid being drawn into the complex relationships and instead, as outsiders, focus on where they can help.

Of the six septs, the Sunstorm are the most welcoming. The Tamazi and the Yerende are the next most enthused about the Highborn, but not for the usual reasons. Members of both septs politely decline to discuss religion, being much more interested in talking on matters of building in stone and creating herb gardens respectively.

One place the Highborn are definitely able to offer aid, however, is in the matter of helping the septs "work together in virtue". The Black Forge of the Ethengraw, the Palace of Flowers of the Yerende, and the Ossuary Temple of the Illarawm are symbols of those septs' unique identity, but the Highborn are able to identify ways they could help to bring the nation and serve as symbols of unity. Likewise, there are ways the Tamazi, Sunstorm, and Sannite might bring something of their unique character to strengthen the nation - and specifically the territory of Skarsind where they now abide.

The Black Forge of Ethengraw

• The Black Forge is helping to muster the third Imperial Orc army
• Powerful Autumn magic has greatly increased the abilities of smiths across the nation
• The Ethengraw propose that the Black Forge work to support the legions across all Skarsind

The Black Forge squats in the hills above Gildenheim. It gives the Ethengraw the power to fashion their own weapons and armour for the first time in a dozen or more generations; it gives them something the Druj denied them. The Forge primarily serves the Ethengraw, but now that they are part of the Imperial Orcs it has expanded its remit to ensure that any orc who wants and needs it has good quality armaments with which to carve themselves an epic destiny. It doesn't deal in items of worth; for that an orc had best seek out the Halls of Worth. Rather it makes tools of warfare that the smiths hope will become items of worth by being wielded by brave orcs prepared to seek great deeds.

At the moment the smiths are working overtime helping to supply the Autumn Hammers - the third Imperial Orc army. They have gained support from an unexpected direction: the Hammers of Fury have been invoked in Skarsind. The effects are felt all over the territory but are most obvious at the Black Forge, the fires infused with the flames of Shikal - the titanic volcano that serves as the smithy for Estavus herself. The Autumn magic has helped the smiths, and the Ethengraw in particular, do six months of work in barely a season. Even without further magical assistance, and assuming Bloodcrow Rasp and Irontide Flax are able to keep finding mithril, the army may well have finished mustering by the start of the Spring Equinox!

In between punishing shifts, the Ethengraw smiths talk about the future now they are helping to shoulder the burden of leadership of the Imperial Orcs. How can they help other orcs write themselves into the Epic? The Highborn priests who have come to Skarsind talk long into the night about the virtues of Ambition and Pride, drawing out the Ethengraw to speak of the limitations and obstacles that face them.

Thirsty Fires

• A Senate motion could encourage human miners to come to Skarsind and work the Imperial Orc mines
• With access to more metal the Black Forge would be well positioned to support orcs of every sept

The Black Forge is the finest set of smithies and foundries in Skarsind. Supplied with metal from the mines of Gulhule, the quality of its crafting is unparalleled. But it is limited in how much work it can do by the supply of readily available ores, both mundane and magical. The problem is that most Imperial Orcs do not work in mines; the Steward of the Mines of Gulhule ensures that there are sufficient workers and miners employed to keep the many small mines fully operational but there is only so much they can do with what is available. With a little investment, however, they could do more.

The Ethengraw need more ore - for that they need more miners working the mines, and more mines to work. Skarsind has always been a little wild, the northern regions especially. There are the old mine-workings of the Winterfolk and the Thule but there are also tracts of the mountains that have never been fully explored. With Highborn and Sunstorm advice about the Senate, the Ethengraw put forward a proposal to dramatically increase the amount of metal they have to work with.

If the Imperial Senate passes an appropriately worded motion urging miners, labourers, prospectors, and diggers from across the Empire to seek work in Skarsind they could significantly open up the amount of metal flowing through the Black Forge. The Senate would need to invest, however; 150 thrones would be required to have an appreciable effect. Over the next few months, ambitious folk from the other Imperial nations would come to Skarsind to work. Some would strike their own claims - that would be fine since those metals would still pass through Gulhule and Torfast. Most would take employment working for Imperial Orc mine owners. At the same time, prospectors and dowsers would work with the Imperial Orcs to explore the mountains on the Imperial side, looking for opportunities to establish new digs. The effect would be threefold.

Firstly, as long as the Black Forge stands and the Ethengraw remain part of the nation, any Imperial Orc in Skarsind could upgrade their military unit for one fewer wain of mithril. They would be outfitted with the finest weapons and armour the smiths can make, and inspired to write their names into the Epic by the Ethengraw.

Secondly, the Imperial Orc armies would gain access to the Forge Hammers defensive order, provided they were in Skarsind. They would be able to muster at the Black Forge, and the smiths there would work night-and-day to resupply them with the armaments they would need - whether they were veterans or new recruits.

Forge Hammers

• Can use the order to camp around the Black Forge in the hills of Skarsind above Gildenheim
• Casualties suffered by this army are increased by a fifth
• The ability of this army to defend territory is increased by three tenths
• For each wain of mithril used for emergency resupply provides an additional 5 army strength

The soldiers of the army camp around the Black Forge, which turns mithril into the finest quality weapons and armour. The smiths both repair and replace the armaments of veteran soldiers, and provide new recruits with a top-tier loadout. The army is ready to defend the territory, and inspired by the Epic of the Ethengraw, they will make the enemy fight for every inch of ground they try to claim. Only one army can use this order at a time; if more than one army uses it all armies involved instead take the heroic stand order.

Finally, the prospectors would explore the mountains and hills of northern Skarsind, seeking out new opportunities to establish mines and quarries there. If there are riches in the mountains of Skarsind which are currently untapped, then this would be the best way to find them.

The money required for this investment is a not inconsiderable amount. The Highborn advise that the Imperial Orcs could seek the assistance of an organisation with a track record for encouraging Prosperity and motivating people to seek out new wealth and new opportunities. If the Grandmaster of the Golden Pyramid were to use a declaration to urge their order to assist the prospectors, they would reduce the amount of money needed from the Senate by 50 Thrones. Diviners, recruiters, investors, and entrepreneurs from the order would visit Skarsind or support the call to arms, significantly reducing the costs to the Imperial Senate.

This opportunity is not time sensitive and remains available as long as the situation does not change. Neither the mountains nor the Black Forge are going anywhere.

The Ossuary Temple

• The Ossuary Temple of the Illarawm is in Southpines
• An opportunity exists to bring the bones of orc ancestors home

The Ossuary Temple of the Illarawm is tied fundamentally to their spiritual beliefs about the Howling Abyss and the ancestors. Their mystagogues are cautious about speaking with the Highborn, while being enthusiastic about sharing their understanding of the orc soul with their fellow Imperial Orcs. The Ossuary Temple is where the bones of their ancestors, brought all the way from Ossium, and hidden for centuries from the Druj, are interred. They invite the orcs of every other sept to bring their own honoured dead and place them alongside the skull of the First Mystagogue, creating a spiritual connection and binding the nation together.

Some of their teachings are of particular interest to the stewards of the dead who have travelled north. There has been some discussion in the past about gathering the bones of the ancestors of the Sunstorm sept from across the Empire. Bloodcrow Udoo in particular was at the forefront of this discussion, as have the Varushkan Assembly. There was also the recent trip to the Necropolis by the Winter Sun to recover items of worth. The Illarawm are keen to see the other septs place their dead alongside their own.

The Bone Pilgrimage

There's little need to convince most Imperial Orcs that this is a good idea. Unfortunately, the places they would want to visit are invariably in the other nations. The General Assembly could support their ambitions however with the following mandate:

Thousands of orcs lived and died in thrall to the Imperial nations. Only the Brass Coast decried the practice of enslaving orcs. It is time for the bones of these forgotten ancestors to rest beside the remains of their new welcomed siblings. We send (named priest) with 75 doses of liao to urge every priest to offer aid to the Imperial Orcs as they seek out the resting places of their dead, unearth them with all due reverence, and bring them home to Skarsind.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, it will create an adventure for Imperial Orcs with a military unit: The Bone Pilgrimage. This adventure involves travelling across the Empire and beyond to recover the bones of Imperial Orc ancestors and return them to the Ossuary Temple in Skarsind. A standard military unit will receive 90 rings, 7 random herbs, and a dose of liao (with upgraded or enchanted military units receiving proportionately more). The adventure represents not only pilgrimages across the Empire seeking the ancestors of the Sunstorm orcs, but might also include dangerous trips into the Mallum seeking ancestors of the Ethengraw, Illarawm, and Yerende, as well as stealthy trips to Axos or the Broken Shore in pursuit of bones left behind by the Tamazi and the Sannite.

Note that this mandate can only provide opportunities to explore Varushka and Urizen if it achieves a greater majority, something that is of especial concern to the Sunstorm, many of whose ancestors still rest in Varushka.

Highborn Support

The Highborn also have an opportunity to support the Bone Pilgrimage themselves. They could pass the following mandate in their own assembly:

The stewards of the dead are dedicated to all the heroes of the Empire, not only those who rest in Necropolis. We are guardians and guides, and we walk the path of death without fear. Our kinfolk among the Imperial Orcs undertake a grim pilgrimage, one that might still end in joy. The Ossuary Temple in Skarsind is to the Imperial Orcs what the Necropolis is to the Highborn. We send (named priest) with 50 doses of liao to urge our peers to support the Imperial Orcs in their Bone Pilgrimage.

Synod Mandate, Highborn Assembly

The mandate would only take effect if the General Assembly mandate is also passed. If it is enacted it would encourage the Highborn to work with Imperial Orcs to recover the bones of their ancestors and return them to Skarsind. It would also provide occasional opportunities to unearth Imperial heroes, and bring them back to the Necropolis. The effect would be to allow Highborn military units to also undertake the Bone Pilgrimage adventure supporting the Imperial orcs. It would also mark a widening of the stewards of the dead's calling to recover heroes for the Necropolis. If this mandate is passed but the General Assembly mandate is not, then it will not be enacted and no liao will be taken.

Varushkan Support

Thanks to the partner of greatness, and the statement of principle by Yevanshka in Winter 383YE, there is an opportunity for Varushka to address the concerns of the Imperial Orcs whose ancestors lie in Varushka.

The Imperial Orcs intend to undertake a bone pilgrimage, to restore the bones of their ancestors to their ossuary in Skarsind. We should support them in this endeavour, offering whatever aid or access they need. If the act of disturbing the dead rouses dark powers, we accept that consequence. We send (named priest) with 50 doses of liao to urge the people of Varushka to support the Imperial Orcs in their Bone Pilgrimage.

Synod Mandate, Varushkan Assembly

Provided this mandate achieves a greater majority, the Varushkan people will support the Imperial Orcs in seeking out the resting places of their ancestors in Varushka. It will not allow them to take part directly in the Bone Pilgrimage. Rather any military units that want to support them will do so through the Adventure in Varushka, dealing with any dark forces raised by disturbing the cursed soil of Varushka. If this mandate is not passed, then the Imperial Orcs will still seek the remains of the dead in Varushka but they will receive little support from the people of the vales in raking over the past, which may cause problems in the future.

A Question of Ceremonies

• The Illarawm are very concerned about the ceremony of exorcism
• They would like the Senate to make it illegal to exorcise orc ghosts

While speaking with the Highborn the Illarawm become aware of a practice that Imperial humans take for granted but that the eastern sept had never encountered before: the ceremony of exorcism. Many are initially mystified, but they ask various follow-up questions with growing horror. They have no concern about this rite being used on the lingering spirits of dead humans; but they are aghast at the idea that someone might do it to an orc ghost.

Many of the mystagogues believe that if an orc lingers as a ghost it is because something is preventing them passing into death, something whose resolution might be the final step they need to find the bridge across the Abyss. It is an example of the way living orcs are connected to the dead, and by helping the ghost resolve its anchors the living give it the strength it needs to find a way through death. To unceremoniously hurl the spirit into the unknown in the way the exorcism ceremony seems to do is abhorrent. A number of the Tamazi are also concerned; they have mixed attitudes to human ghosts but feel that orc ghosts represent an opportunity to learn, or perhaps even a sign of the dead reaching out for aid from the Howling Abyss.

Some stewards of the dead share the concerns of the mystagogues, viewing the ceremony as a weapon of last resort. There are certainly those who believe that when a spirit is exorcised without first addressing its reasons for remaining in or returning to the world, those reasons may impede its progress through the Labyrinth.

As such the Illarawm ask that the Highborn Assembly and the Imperial Orc Assembly bring the matter to the Imperial Synod, and together petition the Imperial Senate to enact a law making it illegal to use the ceremony of exorcism on orc ghosts (which would require a Senate motion, just as when they created the Law of Desecration).

There is some debate about the ethics of such a law, but the Sunstorm preachers point out that a priest who felt they had no choice but to exorcise a dangerous orc ghost to protect others would be able to prepare a virtuous clemency defence - just as with any other religious crime.

Yerende

Ruach

Delk

Stiv

The Palace of Flowers

• The Yerende Palace of Flowers is in Solvihill
• An opportunity exists to spread the Yerende expertise in cultivating realmsroot

The Yerende Palace of Flowers is a beautiful garden, but it also serves a practical purpose, giving them a place to practice their consummate herb lore. There has already been some exchange between the Yerende and the orcs who maintain the Red Blade Memorial, and with the sept joining the Imperial Orcs that friendship deepens. One advantage of this closeness has been the aid the Fellowship of the Red Blade have been able to offer in helping the Yerende adjust to their new home. Alpine Skarsind, a cold land of fir forests and mountain peaks, is very different to the warm, wet marshes, damp grasslands, and dripping forests of Ossium. Indeed, so close has the association become that some of the Fellowship have already taken the bold step of joining the Yerende as fellow sept-mates.

The Highborn are themselves no strangers to raising herbs in difficult situations, especially medicinal herbs. Some of the gardeners from High Chalcis answer the call to establish the peerless kinship, and engage in long, relaxed conversations with orc herbalists from all sects about the Palace of Flowers - which has the potential to rival the Gardens of High Chalcis themselves given time. They take the opportunity to share the principles of the benefactors with the Yerende who are equally loquacious about the ideals of the Great Garden.

The two groups quickly bond over there similar ideologies and with their host's blessing, the Highborn create two distinct consecrations of Loyalty and Prosperity in the palace. The Yerende are very familiar with auras, from their time in the Druj dominion in Ossium, but they've rarely encountered auras that uplift and inspire before. Working together, the two groups identify a way for the Yerende to aid the nation.

The Feldspar Distillary

Commission Type: Sinecure

Location: Solvihill, Skarsind

Cost: 12 weirwood and 36 crowns

Effect: Creates the title of Wise Arborist Allows Imperial Orc herb gardens to choose realmsroot when they upgrade.

Wise Arborist

Type: Imperial Orc National

Appointment: Any

Powers: 3 realmsroot and 3 of each regular herb

Responsibilities: To aid Imperial Orc herbalists and apothecaries and help them prosper.

Restriction This sinecure will only function if the title holder is a Yerende.

Herbsheart

• An opportunity exists to create the Wise Arborist to spread knowledge of how to grow realmsroot among Imperial Orcs
• Once the Imperial Orcs can grow realmsroot, the Yerende will teach them how to use it
• An opportunity exists to share the ability to grow realmsroot with the Highborn

The Yerende are highly skilled herbalists, who have brought a number of precious cuttings with them to Skarsind, including several orcsroot plants, more commonly known as realmsroot in the Empire. The herb is notoriously difficult to cultivate, but the Yerende have mastered the arts centuries ago. To do it, they employ a special recipe of chalkstone and feldspar which is carefully prepared according to a set of closely guarded techniques to produce a deep pink-purple liquid the Yerende call "herbsheart" which can be added to the soil-bed before watering the plants to help them grow. With the right training the Yerende can teach people how to create herbsheart and thereby cultivate the plant.

To make that work, the Highborn propose creating a new Imperial title, the Wise Arborist, who could oversee a small school attached to the Palace of Flowers. It would require 12 wains of weirwood and 36 crowns to build the schoolroom, but once complete it would allow Imperial Orc herbalists to study with the Yerende who would teach them how to prepare the dilution needed to cultivate orcsroot. If that happens, then every Imperial Orc herb garden will gain the ability to choose one orcsroot when they upgrade their herb garden, instead of two regular herbs.

The school will benefit the Wise Arborist in other ways. Students can pay for their lessons with the fruit of their work, providing a regular income for the Wise Arborist of three of each type of herb (including realmsroot) each season. Of course, the Wise Arborist would need to be a Yerende, since they would need to know the secret Yerende techniques to be able to teach them effectively. At this stage, the Yerende don't mind how the position is appointed; they don't feel they understand Imperial law well enough to understand the significance of the different approaches at present. They make it clear however that the title should have a clear responsibility to work tirelessly at the Great Garden to help the herbalists of Skarsind prosper, so that everyone knows what is expected of the post and knows where to go when seeking help.

The Yerende are aware that the Empire does not have many uses for orcsroot at this time, but they claim that is a reflection of the lack of supply. They assure the Highborn that the herb can be invaluable in the right circumstances, especially when applied in the right way. They have always planned to share their orcsroot-specific potions with their fellow Imperial Orcs; teaching them how to grow the root is simply the first step. However, they say there are uses for the precious herb that they believe would benefit the whole Empire which they will also share once they have had time to share their lore with their fellow orcs.

Inevitably one of the visiting Highborn herbalists asks if the Yerende might share the secrets of the herb's cultivation with them? There is some embarrassment on the part of the Highborn, they are here to offer help after all, not ask for aid, but the question is asked in the spirit of friendship. After some discussion among themselves, the Yerende are clear that they will not share the special techniques used to create herbsheart at this time, however they might be prepared to provide High Chalcis with a regular supply of it, if their fellow orcs feel this is best. To achieve this, the Imperial Orc Assembly could pass the following mandate:

All that is worthwhile is shared with those who deserve it. We send {named Yerende} with two liao to ask the sept to provide High Chalcis with herbsheart so that they might prosper. Let us show them our peerless kinship!

Synod Mandate, Imperial Orc Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, the Yerende will commit to provide the Gardens of Chalcis with a small supply of herbsheart each season, raising the level of investment in herb gardens by one in Reikos providing every herb garden with one realmsroot each season. However the Yerende will only acknowledge the mandate if the character named in it is a Yerende. It need not be a priest, but ultimately they will not give up their closely-guarded secrets without a clear lead from one of their own and the backing of the Imperial Orcs.

Before they take such a step, the Yerende urge their fellow orcs to think carefully. The more people who possess a secret, the less valuable it becomes. This is the immutable law of life. They don't mind helping the Highborn to cultivate their own supply of orcsroot, but doing so will diminish the value of the herb the Imperial Orcs produce. Only the nation can decide if that loss is offset by the benefits gained from helping the Highborn.

The Walls of Gildenheim

• The Tamazi are keen to see Gildenheim take its place among the cities of the Empire
• They are interested in seeing a set of suitably impressive citadel walls around it

The majority of the Tamazi have settled in Gildenheim. They are a people used to walls and floors, and many of them become unsettled when too far away from worked stone. Since they moved in they have been refurbishing, restoring, and adapting buildings all over the city. They are skilled stonemasons and sculptors, and take a quiet pride in such work. Yet there is always more to be done, especially for a people who know the importance of leaving a lasting legacy. What they want is an Imperial Orc college of magic, but they know how difficult that would be to achieve. In the meantime...

The old walls of the city were shattered by the Thule, and that makes many Tamazi almost as nervous as the idea of being stranded in a trackless forest. Having lived in the citadels of Axos for generations, they're used to cities having massive walls. Those who have visited Temeschwar and Holberg are especially galvanised by the need to see Gildenheim protected by suitable fortifications.

Skarsind already has one Imperial castle - the Will - which was built by the Winterfolk. It stands in Skogei Glens, intended to protect against potential aggression from Otkodov. The Thule have a fortification of their own in Skarsind, built up in the mountains at Crow's Ridge, constructed from the ruins of the old Crow's Keep. The Tamazi do not mean to cast any shade on the Will, but they'd be a lot happier if the place they see as the heart of Skarsind - of the Imperial Orcs nation - was properly defended.

Warded Walls

• Two proposals have been created to provide walls for Gildenheim incorporating Tamazi know-how
• There is an opportunity to ward the walls of Gildenheim against supernatural creatures
• The Tamazi propose amending the Legion Engineer to allow them to build fortifications; in return they will cover the labour costs of the Walls of Gildenheim and offer expertise to create special fortifications

There's nothing to stop the Imperial Orcs just building a normal fortification, but one of the more experienced Tamazi stonemasons, Ketus Stonewalk, has a more ambitious plan. Actually, he has two. The first, inspired by Holberg and Ipotavo, is clearly impractical. Working with Highborn engineers - themselves adept at working with stone for preference over any other material - they eventually put together designs that may be less impressive, but are a lot more achievable. Between the veteran orc engineers, the Tamazi masonry know-how, the long experience of the Highborn in working stone, and the inspiration of the Silent Sentinel, something impressive could be built up, to rival the walls of Temeschwar.

The Walls of Gildenheim would be a fortification. Using the plans drawn up by Ketus Stonewalk they would require 60 wains of white granite, 180 crowns in labour costs, and take a year to complete. At the end of that time, however, the walls would be a standard fortification encircling the entire city, with four great stone-and-iron gates. Ketus also has plans for much more extensive defences - vaulted ramparts and the like - which would be significantly more impressive but require 140 wains of white granite, 420 crowns, still only take a year to complete, and would result in a rank two fortification. The two sets of plans are exclusive; only one of them could be commissioned.

Regardless of which version is selected, they wouldn't be especially tall but they would be thick - thick enough to conceal any number of passages and hidden chambers within them, after the style of the walls of Ipotavo, reminiscent of some of the structures built into the walls of Cargo by Axou engineers. Some of these passages would conceal traps, others would protect hidden sally ports used to bedevil any enemy foolish enough to attempt a siege. All casualties inflicted by the fortification during an attack on Gildenmarch would be increased by a fifth.

Furthermore, if the Senate wished to commission some proper defences, the Tamazi would be prepared to share some of their understanding of warding magic. By working mithril runes into the walls themselves, the fortification could be protected from certain kinds of malign magic. This would increase the cost of the fortification by 20 wains of mithril, add 60 crowns of labour costs, but the fortification would take half the normal damage from magical attacks such as Thunderous Tread of the Trees.

There's one other option here. The Tamazi are magicians, but they're also very big fans of fortifications. After talking with the Highborn, they have a proposal. If the Imperial Senate is prepared to amend the powers of the Legion Engineer to allow them to commission fortifications, and they commission the walls themselves, they will cover the entire labour cost of the project to build the walls of Gildenheim.

Once they're complete, then as long as the Legion Engineer has the ability to build fortifications they'll offer their expertise allowing the title to incorporate either traps-and-doors (increasing casualties) or warding sigils (protecting against direct magical attacks) into any new fortification they construct, albeit at an increased cost.

There's no rush on this - the city isn't going anywhere - but as everyone knows you build castles in times of peace because it is significantly trickier to do so after the enemy invades.

Sannite

• There is no defining structure for the Sannite, many of whom feel they have something to prove
• The Sannite have a number of ways they could pursue their ambitions
• There's some interest in establishing a great fighting pit in Gildenheim

Unlike the Yerende, the Illarawm, the Ethengraw, and the Sunstorm, there's no grand monument in Skarsind dedicated to the Sannite sept. Many orcs of the sept feel they have something to prove. There's a feeling among many of them that what they need to do is come up with something themselves and then find allies to help them get it built, to show that they're the equal of the other septs in their Ambition and Pride. A statement of principle might be helpful, but at the end of the day there's nothing to stop them commissioning a grand folly or great work that encapsulates what it means to be Sannite. Probably in the forested hills of Estermark where a lot of them have established their homes.

Fighting Pits

• A grand fighting pit could be commissioned that would give the Sannite an opportunity to compete with the other septs

On the other hand, there's one thing the Sannite feel the lack of in Skarsind and that's a grand fighting pit. The Skarsind College of Pit Fighting is fine, but its a little modest in scale. Almost every group of Sannite orcs maintain their own pit, and seek spiritual communion with their ancestors at the same time as they hone their fighting style. But what would be nice would be a place specifically dedicated to testing themselves against pit fighters and aspirants from other septs. Nobody quite puts it into words, but while the colosseum of Beoraidh was obviously a bad place where many of them were enslaved... it was also damn impressive. There's few things to get an orcs blood pumping like the cheering of a thousand other orcs at a particularly brutal or elegant strike.

As such, some basic plans have been put together for a fighting pit to be built somewhere in Skarsind. There's a strong argument that it should go in Gildenheim - it's less about the Sannites themselves and more about the chance to compete against the other septs directly. The Highborn speaking with the Sannite have some difficulty coming to terms with the idea that it is not a place for entertainment, but for communing with the ancestors. Once they finally understand, they wholeheartedly support the suggestion to build it near the Legion's Rookery.

The structure would be built as a great work that would require need 20 wains of white granite and 20 wains of weirwood, 120 crowns, and take three months to complete. Whoever commissioned it would have a say over its exact form, but some of the older Sannite express a vested interest in ensuring that there are sculptures representing Rucraic, Dubhtraig, and Sheanduir placed prominently in the structure. Other ancestors might be presented as well, but they want those three in pride of place watching over the orcs who contend in the pit. There is some concern from the Highborn that this might be problematic, but the Sannite broadly dismiss those concerns. If the commission specifically includes these prominent sculptures, then the sept will build the damn thing themselves, providing all the labour required (reducing the cost in crowns to zero).

Once complete, it would not provide any bonuses to personal resources. Rather, it would raise the level of investment for any military unit belonging to an Imperial orc based in the territory that undertook independent action - reaving. They would gain rewards as if they were a rank higher than they actually are.

Obviously, this might be a hard sell in a nation where reavers are often seen as lacking dedication to the nation or commitment, or of being selfish and concerned with their own ambitions, and so on and so forth. But if it was easy, it'd not be a challenge.

Sunstorm

• The exemplar Thrace ultimately inspired the founding of the Imperial Orc nation
• There is no inspirational location connected with them

Nearly six years ago, the Imperial Synod recognised Thrace as an exemplar of Ambition. The Sunstorm sept look to him as the founder of their nation, even though he did not live to see it. He is not heard as an ancestor and nobody knows where his bones lie, but in some ways the Imperial Orcs are part of his enduring legacy. Yet there is no memorial to arguably the most influential and best-known Imperial Orc exemplar, no place of pilgrimage for the virtuous to visit.

A memorial dedicated to the memory of Thrace, consecrated with true liao, would form a truly inspirational location. The Legion's Rookery already serves as a focal point for the preachers of the Imperial Orcs, but there is little there to draw pilgrims from other parts of the Empire. Yet there is space to create a memorial to Thrace, and to the orcs who fought alongside him. Some of the Highborn wax lyrical about the parallels with Atuman, who founded their own nation, and of the beautiful tomb that stands high on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Catazar.

The decision as to whether there should be a true consecrated memorial or not actually lies with the Ambition assembly. A suitably worded statement of principle from the Imperial Orcs assembly might encourage them, but it couldn't create the writ by itself. It could be used as a guide as to what form the memorial should take however, and where exactly it should be placed.

A dose of true liao would need to be secured. There's some discussion about whether any Imperial Orc has ever received a dose of true liao from the gatekeepers and none of the priests or preachers seem able to say for sure one way or another. Certainly, there are rumours of Gralka having received a dose before it was so widely recorded. The other problem which would need to be discussed relates to who exactly would consecrate the inspirational location?

Orcs cannot use liao, true or otherwise. Some of the Tamazi wizards cautiously suggest that a suitable arcane projection could be created that functioned a little like the Chamber of Delights - albeit much more virtuous in theme - and made permanent with ilium… but that raises all sorts of unsettling theological questions that might be enough to prevent the place being seen as a true place of pilgrimage.

On the other hand, as an old orc preacher who works at the Rookery points out, the final stage of creating an inspirational location requires a mandate in the General Assembly - if an orc raised that judgement they could pick a human who has helped the orcs get where they are today and who might understand and appreciate the honour being done for them.

Highborn Aid

• Direct Highborn aid will likely require action at Anvil

The orcs have not really needed Highguard's assistance to integrate the septs. Where the Highborn have been able to offer assistance is in spreading understanding of the Way - although the septs have their own spiritual beliefs that really don't interact with the Way too much, none of them deny the value of the virtues. They've also been able to offer some support to the orcs in building their own nation. Alongside the Sunstorm, they've also been able to offer insight into how the Empire works to the septs least familiar with it.

There's some talk about what they can practically do to help. The easiest way to do that is to support the Imperial Orcs in the Synod, where they have never had much direct influence. They could encourage their efforts to build in Skarsind, continuing to place their indelible stamp on the territory and turn it into their own nation. Unfortunately until the Grand Inspiration of the Way is complete there's little chance that a statement of principle encouraging the Highborn to directly support building efforts in Skarsind would lead to a mandate. Yet there's nothing to stop virtuous benefactors choosing to invest in the Pride and Ambition of the young nation. For example, the Brilliant Shore in Skarsind is currently owned by a Highborn citizen; perhaps they could be prevailed on to support the orcs?

They could also support them in the Senate. The Imperial Orcs have only a single senator; the Advisor on Orc Affairs can participate in debates but can neither raise a motion nor vote. There are several Senate motions here; Highborn senators could certainly raise some of those motions on behalf of their youngest sibling.

Resolution

Ethengraw
The Imperial Senate paid 100 thrones to send prospectors and miners to Skarsind, supported by declaration of the Grand Master of the Golden Pyramid. All Imperial Orc military units can now upgrade their military unit for one fewer wain of mithril and a single Imperial Orc army defending the Black Forge can benefit from improved emergency resupply, while the Black Forge remains standing. Prospectors also identified some opportunities for further investment described in the Long shadows Wind of Fortune.

Illarawm
Memory Keeper Ikahn was charged by the General Assembly to spread word of the Bone Pilgrimage across the Empire. The mandate did not get a greater majority in the Assmbly, so neither Varushka nor Urizen were affected, but the Varushkan Assembly chose to address the issue directly asking Yevanshka to persuade Varushkans to support the Pilgrimage. As a result, apart from Urizen, orcs seeking the bones of their ancestors are now welcome everywhere in the Empire.

The Highborn Assembly also opted to support the Bone Pigrimage directly, asking Silas of the Cenotaph to spread word of what was needed. As a result of these mandates, Imperial Orc and Highborn miltiary units may now undertake the Bone Pilgrimage.

The Imperial Senate did not decide to make it illegal to use exorcism on orc ghosts as the Illarawm had requested. The question of exorcism and what it means for orc ghosts remains unanswered, at least for now.

Yerende
The Empire did not order the Feldspar Distillary, but they could do so at any point in the future. Likewise the Imperial Orcs did not choose to share the secrets of cultivating realms root with the Highborn at this time.

Tamazi
The Empire did not commision any of the fortification options that the Tamazi requested, but they did chose to amend the powers of the Legion Engineer to grant them the ability to raise new fortifications and to upgrade existing ones. As a result the Tamazi will provide all the labour needed to fortify Gildenheim at any point, if that project is commissioned. If that were built, then the Tamazi would share their expertise with the Empire allowing the Legion Engineer to incorporate either traps-and-doors (increasing casualties) or warding sigils (protecting against direct magical attacks) into any new fortification they construct.

Sannites
The Empire did not commission a grand fighting pit as a folly for the Sannites, nor did the Sept put forward a judgement on what they might prefer in its place if anything. The possibility to do either remains open for the forseeable future.

Sunstorm
The Amibtion Assembly have put forward a Writ of Consecration for Thrace, with a view to finding a suitable location in Skarsind at the end of his journey, or in Varushka, at its start. This is described in the Tombstones against the sky Wind of Fortune.

Further Reading

• Sept
• Ethengraw
• Illarawm
• Sannite
• Sunstorm
• Tamazi
• Yerende