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Much like foreign nations, relations between the Empire and the eternals are volatile and unpredictable .

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Eternal Magic

There are creatures beyond the mortal world, the inhabitants of the six realms of magic, closer than they seem, further away than can be imagined. They dabble and deal, bargain and bond, offer and take, and it's hard to predict exactly where their gifts will lead. The Empire can reach out to them through the powers of the Archmage and the Imperial Conclave, but they also reach back - the one could not exist without the other - and sometimes their touch is gentle and sometimes it is harsh.

Magical events originating closer to home are detailed in the companion piece, As it is when it was.

Thousand Eyes of the Sun and Moon (Kimus)

• She Who Watches has located the missing artefactual Paupers Key of Emperor Frederick
• A short report containing its current location will be delivered to Ignacio I Zuhri I Erigo at the Friday night Conclave session
• After the Autumn Equinox, the contents of the report will be shared with Imperial magicians

Last season the Thousand Eyes of the Sun and Moon responded to a request from the Archmage of Day by agreeing to track down one of the two items they were interested in, either the grave of Gilda Ashwine, or the Pauper's Key of Emperor Frederick. Ignacio i Zuhri i Erigo - Mistress of the Glass Parador - accepted the offer on behalf of the Celestial Arch and asked that the eternal locate the Pauper's Key. The Glass of the Heavens has turned her gaze, and sent her emissaries, to locate the missing talisman and by all accounts has located it. It is much harder to get to than the Blade of Tom Drake, however. One of her sages has prepared a short written report for Ignacio which will be delivered to them at the Friday night Conclave session.

Given Kimus' intention was that the information would be shared with the Conclave as a whole, they have prepared additional copies that will be distributed after the Autumn Equinox to scholars and sages across the Empire (OOC Note: the report will be added to the wiki after the event).

Grumpy Globbersnotch (Sadogua)

• Sadogua remains grumpy, and will not do more than the bare minimum in response to Dripping Echoes of the Fen
• He has two other boons to offer to Imperial magicians

The Globbernotch has spent the last year or so in a terrible mood following the alleged theft of part of his domain by the Circle of Zulgan Tash. His servants have indicated that while he continues to honour the agreement that underpins Dripping Echoes of the Fen, he will not bring any additional power to bear in supporting it. As he said previously, the ritual will still work - it simply won't protect anything beyond the region where it is cast. The defences and wards it summons are after all his and he is free to choose which ones to provide to Imperial magicians. (OOC Note: The ritual can be cast normally, but it provides protection only the targetted region. If the region is attacked however, its effective strength is increased and it causes casualties as normal)

With that out of the way, though, the Brother of Wizards also has two particular boons to offer to his friends in the Empire.

The Hidden Lyceum

• Sadogua offers to extend the wards currently protecting the Lyceum
• If the Conclave accepts he will work with the orders to find ways to more permanently protect the island and its college of magic

The first regards the Lyceum. The island where the Empire's first college of magic lies is currently hidden away behind potent wards that protect it from all outside. The drawback is that it also prevent anyone getting to or from the island. A few messages have emerged via particularly circuitous routes and it seems that the heralds of the Black Sloth are able to reach the island thanks in part to the Quiet Annexe but mostly thanks to the Conclave having granted him Dominion over it. As such, it is still possible for the Dean of the Lyceum to guide the magicians there in codifying rituals as the eternal is more than happy to transport arcane projections, messages, and ritual texts back and forth. Indeed, the heralds of the Wyrm King are making sure that the money spent by the Senate to pay for supplies and magical resources as part of the upkeep of the college are getting through to the magicians who need them.

However, the Father of Bats notes that the wards of mist raised about the island are due to fall some time between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. When they come down, it will be extremely difficult to raise them again. Given that the Empire is still suffering attacks from the Grendel and the rampages of the Children of Wrecks - and given both are present in Madruga where the Lyceum isle is found, and that the adjacent islands of Cazar Straits are in the hands of the Children, Sadogua makes an offer to the Conclave. He is prepared to provide a burst of power to the wards to keep them up for another year. He's absolutely confident that will keep the magicians and the libraries there safe - he'll weave a little extra "oomf" into them as he puts it. All it will take to receive this boon is a request made as part of a Declaration of Alignment (from the Archmage of Night, one of the Conclave orders, or the rogue declaration he's not fussy) and he'll make sure the college is safe until Winter 387YE. In addition, he'll look at opportunities to work with the Unfettered Mind and perhaps the Rod and Shield or Shuttered Lantern to come up with ways to permanently protect the island without leaving it cut off forever from the rest of the world.

When the plight of the magicians there is mentioned, the heralds seem surprised. They're perfectly safe and healthy, and finally have time to get on with studying magic without a load of distractions. How could they be happier? Once someone manages to get them to understand that they might not want to be stuck on the island, and they convince their master, the eternal also promises to look at a way to get the right people and supplies in and out.

If the Conclave don't want to accept his boon, he'll understand but he is apparently genuinely worried about what will happen the next time the Grendel try to raid it, or what the Children of Wrecks might do to the libraries and magicians once its shores are reachable again.

The Folly of Terunael

• Sadogua offers to make magical items for the use of Navarr wizards

A few years back, the Black Wyrm made a promise to the Navarr. If they wished his aid, he would provide them at least as much support as he gave to their ancestors when they accidentally destroyed their entire Empire. He knows the Navarr are gearing up for war with the vallorn, and anticipates that when they are ready they will prevail on the Archmage of Night to arrange a plenipotentiary to discuss the matter. For now though he offers a smaller boons to the Navaar to help them prepare for the epic task ahead of them.

As he did with the Urizen a few years back, he proposes to provide the magicians and covens of Navarr with magical items that can help empower their magic: staffs, rings, covenstones, and trinkets of that nature. Many Imperial citizens have taken advantage of similar arrangements in the past. To take advantage of this offer, a coven or magician must gather those things valuable to artisans; natural materials, metals and perhaps even ilium. The items are then sent to Sadogua by casting operate portal at the Imperial regio and clearly indicating that these are intended for the eternal. One of the Toad King's invisible heralds will collect the materials, count them, and deliver them to the Globberslotch.

If they've got a particular kind of magic they need help with, they'll need to use Missive for Sadogua to let the Toad King know and he'll see what he can do (if they can't cast it themselves, someone else can do it on their behalf, but they better be sure to include their own name or it will get confusing). Once Sadogua has their message and their resources, he will transform them into useful magic items and send them back in time for the Winter Solstice. The things he makes will be fashioned from the items provided, so each coven should get assistance in proportion to what they provide. The Globberslotch suggests that it might be fun to see how powerful an item a coven might obtain if they can pile up enough materials, but he stresses that he will help any magician or coven no matter how wealthy they are provided they can give him at least ten ingots or measures of material.

OOC Note: Ideally, you should include your CID and the name of your coven on a piece of paper in the bag of resources when you perform the ritual, so that the eternal can more easily provide you with your magic item ribbons at the next event. You'll need to hand the container and materials to the referee, making it clear they're for Sadogua.

Don't Believe the Hype (Ephisis)

• Heralds of Ephisis have struggled to make contact with Flavio i Flav i Riqueza through their usual channels.
• They have therefore publicly announced their invitation to escort him to his vault, as agreed at the Summer Solstice.
• A herald of Ephisis will meet Flavio and up to three associates at the Hall of Worlds at 2200 on the Friday of the Autumn Equinox.

It is a few weeks after the summer solstice that the posters begin to appear. Golden ink on a rich parchment depicting a freeborn man with waist-length white hair blowing in the wind, a medallion the size of a dinner plate resting against his bare chest. The exact message below the portrait varies: "The Lady of the Counting House seeks Flavio i Flav i Riqueza regarding business discussed at the Summer Solstice", "Famed corsair Flavio i Flav i Riqueza sought for a discussion about an ongoing arrangement with the Sovereign Lady of the City of Gold and Lead", "Have you seen this man? His vault awaits!"

At first, they are an amusing oddity - trinkets that ritualists find hanging on the breeze around autumn regio and trade amongst themselves to see if they can collect a full set of all the variations. A week or so before the Autumn Equinox, however, the very earth below a few strong autumn regio rips open and hundreds of posters emerge, their writing becoming shakier and messages becoming markedly more difficult to follow.

One singular letter emerges from the Anvil regio. In the same golden ink, apparently sent from Keel, weigher of worth, respected herald of the Hidden Prince. Keel enquires if any of their flyers have reached the Empire? They are yet to hear back and are becoming concerned. As agreed at the Summer Solstice, Keel wishes to accompany Flavio i Flav i Riqueza to the vault he has on contract from the eternal Ephisis. The vault has been moved into a ready position in an autumn chamber and Keel is eager to learn what it is that lies inside. They will await Flavio and his associates in the Hall of Worlds shortly before 2200 on the Friday of the Autumn Equinox to provide escort to the vault. Hopefully the Civil Service can ensure this message reaches him in time.

Mutinous Chattering (Lashonar)

• The Imperial Conclave voted to remove Amity from the Eternal Lashonar at the Summer Solstice
• In response The Loquacious One has had to make changes to some things in its dealings with the Empire including: the current competition regarding letters of longing, the Caucus Forum, and the ritual Summoning the Loquacious Birds

Shortly after the Autumn equinox, people across Dawn and Varushka experience a peculiar dream, a visionary dream that invades their sleeping hours and stirs powerful emotions. Dawnish and Varushkan citizens from all walks of life experience the vision, but its notable that a significant number of them are people who have spoken openly in support of the killing of the Montanians, the terrorizing of the Black Wind, or have called for the suppression of the Rahvin. Many such inviduals awaken in a cold sweat.

Lashonar's Vision

On white wings this story is told, pulling back the blackness of night to the embers of a broken house, showing a youth in the ruined lands of ossium, living in fear, torment, distrust amongst the people there. Time passes and the building effort begins, people come from all parts of the empire to aid the people there, talking endlessly of support and kind teaching. Ossium is finally built, now one of the most prosperous territories of the empire, children running through a street, never knowing the oppressive shapes and figures known in poison whispers as 'Druj', a life free of tyranny, for the future, free to choose their path.

Now, visions showing collaboration between orcs and humans, a varushkan merrow in yellow and blue, discussing with senators, all of them warning to uplift those laid low in the Mallum and denouncing those who raise their hands against any who simple wish to live in peace. The vision shimmers with images of strangers drawing together, reinforcing bonds of kinship to ensure they push though hardship together. It finishes with a firepit. Many imperials, orcs and humans, smiling telling stories around the fire, satisfied at the work that they have done and will do, constantly working for a better world. After a moment, though, the fire is suddenly extinguished by a cold wind, and a moment later the firepit is deserted, silent, the flames gone and only burnt ashes remaining.

The source of the vision becomes clear reasonably quickly; the heralds of Lashonar have been delivering these visions at the behest of Imperial magicians. A ritual known as Summoning the Loquacious Birds was cast, apparently with the intention that the eternal deliver this vision to orcs of the Mallum. Lashonar has decided not to send this vision to the orcs that suffer in Druj lands for a number of reasons. In the weeks following the delivery, his heralds visit masters of Night magic across the Empire delivering messages from the eternal.

Specifically, he will no longer support Summoning the Loquacious Birds. In the past he has gone above and beyond to deliver the messages created with it to people in distant lands specifically because he believed their sincerity. He no longer does. As such, he requests that any existing ritual text detailing the spell be returned to him - this can be done by taking the text to the Imperial regio and performing the operate portal ritual. He will provide a small boon in payment at the Winter Solstice. Regardless, he warns that he will no longer deliver messages created with Summoning the Loquacious Birds. The ritual can still be cast to send messages to him, but it has always been in his power to choose who receives those messages. Going forward, he will simply choose to deliver them to the magicians who cast the ritual, fulfilling the letter of the agreement if not the spirit.

Furthermore, Lashonar withdraws their offer to provide the Archmage of Night access to the Caucus Forum. The eternal does not bar Imperial citizens from that meeting place - nobody is barred from the Caucus Forum. They may still request it if they wish - just like anyone else can - there will simply be no special priority given to their request.

Lashonar wants to be clear that these two changes are only peripherally related to the decision of the Imperial Conclave to remove their amity, returning them to neutrality. The Chatterer has been uncertain about the Empire for a little while now, and what crystallized their decision was that fact that the declaration indicated this was done because the eternal had "endangered both the Imperial and Non Imperial citizens of Spiral", presumably by helping deliver messages on behalf of some of the spires there. The Speaker in Dreams was known to be a proponent of peace in the Barrens, and quite annoyed following recent events there and in the Salt Flats of Sanath (to put it mildly). This final attempt to restrict the communication the eternal endorses has apparently upset and angered the Conscience of Kings.

The eternal is also clear that they intend to continue speaking to Imperial magicians, and helping them communicate with others, but that such opportunities will happen on their terms rather than being something citizens of the Empire can take for granted.

Naming Names (Sung)

• Sung has extended the opportunity to solve the mystery of a herald's name, which started at the Summer Solstice
• One of her heralds will attend the Arcane Colloqium to hear any final guesses, at 5:45pm on Saturday in the Hall of Worlds

As part of her plenipotentiary at the Summer Solstice, The Rainbow Serpent sent one of her heralds to dance through “the great pool of visions” that can be experienced through the Signs and Portents ritual. She offered a special boon to any who are able to identify this herald, and discern its name from the riddling images it created. It is not known whether anyone managed to crack this mystery, but either way Sung has chosen to extend this opportunity by another season. She has suggested that the herald's appearance is something of a "red" herring; that its name has more to do with what it can be seen doing or holding, and "how many meanings can become one."

One of her heralds will make a brief appearance in the Hall of Worlds shortly before the Grandmaster Elections, at 5:45pm on Saturday of the Autumn Equinox. Anyone who wishes to make a guess may whisper it in the herald's ear, or hand it to them on a piece of paper. The herald will have up to 5 boons to hand to the first "correct enough" answers given.

Struggles (Irra Harah)

• Irra Harah has invited “anyone with a struggle” to lend a small item to him for a night
• These items will be returned on Sunday afternoon with a minor enchantment related to struggle and freedom
• The items must be small in size, and can only be sent through the imperial regio with the operate portal spell, between 10am and 10pm on Saturday

As Summer wanes, word spreads from the wild and unseen places of an offer from Irra Harah. From 10am to 10pm on Saturday of the coming Autumn Equinox it will be possible to send him an item by casting operate portal at the Imperial Regio. The item must be placed in a small pouch (no more than 10cm x 15cm) along with a note of no more than 12 words explaining its significance to a personal struggle.

Each of these trinkets and totems will be handed to one of the heralds under his protection to keep for the night - clasped tightly to their chest or stowed away in a favoured hiding place. The Prince with a thousand foes hopes his wards may learn something from the owner’s struggles that allows them to better survive the savagery of the Spring realm. In return, some of the realm’s resonances of Vitality and Chaos will be left on the item itself, leaving behind a minor enchantment to assist the owner in their mortal struggles. This will not affect the strength or skill of the bearer (out-of-character: it will not have any mechanical effect) but should help them keep focused on their goals and what it will take to achieve them.

Irra Harrah will be sending some of his friends to Anvil on Sunday afternoon to return the newly-enchanted items. They will be at the Varushkan Hearth Fire around 1pm, then heading to the Tree of Names in Wintermark for 2pm.

Accessibility: If you cannot reach the Varushkan Hearth or Tree of Names for access reasons, please also include in the pouch a note saying where you can be found between 2pm - 2:30pm on a Sunday. One of Irra Harrah’s agents will aim to visit you during that time.

Out-of-character Information: Everything sent to Irra Harrah through the regio must meet the following requirements:

• Fit in a pouch no larger than 15cm tall x 10cm wide (you may provide your own, or take one from the regio desk)
• Include a note with your CID, character name, and up to 12 words explaining its significance in-character
• Someone must spend a point of mana to cast operate portal, but it does not have to be the owner of the item
• This must be done between 10am and 10pm on Saturday

Any items which are not collected from the NPCs on Sunday afternoon will be taken to lost property, with their ribbons still attached. They will be available for collection from the lost property desk at GOD from 3pm on Sunday. It can be assumed that the item is returned to your character some time over the coming season.

Even with our best efforts, there is an unavoidable risk that somewhere along the line your item will get lost, or end up in another character’s possession. Please be careful about using anything particularly precious or valuable.

Breached Deal (Zakalwe)

• The Polemarch of Highwatch no longer receiving Pearls of Manush

The title of Polemarch of Highwatch was created three years ago following a proposal by the Master Strategist. One of the boons provided was access to the Pearls of Manush. Taken from a cove in the Day realm, where all manner of exotic shells are found, they allowed a powerful Day magician to more easily perform the Clarity of the Master Strategist ritual. However, as part of the agreement with Zakalwe, these Pearls were only to be used in the Empire's war against the Druj. It was agreed at the time that if ever a Pearl was used to enchant an army facing any other enemy, the heralds resident at Highwatch Citadel would abandon their chambers and no further Pearls would be forthcoming.

Shortly before the Autumn Equinox, Agon, Polemarch of Clarity regretfully delivers a message to the garrison at Highwatch. During the Winter Solstice, one of the Pearls of Manush was used to enchant two armies who then engaged the Grendel in Mareave. Agon expresses his sorrow, but the arrangement between the Empire and Tidehunter was quite clear. As such, the Polemarch of Highwatch will receive no further Pearls. They will still receive infusions of Day, but that is all.

And Finally (Tharim)

• A thousand Ashen Knights of the Thrice-cursed Court, loyal to Tharim, are camped near Quzar in Madruga

Ematius of Urizen, as Archmage of Winter, politely declined the offer of the Bound King to send his Bleak Knights to fight with another Imperial army. For the past year, Tharim's soldiers had accompanied the Fire of the South, supporting the army and the Freeborn warriors. During the Spring Equinox, Tharim offered a new deal, but wanted significantly more in return for his continued aid. Perhaps the obvious expectation was that when the agreement ended, the knights would simply return to the Winter realm... but that is not what has happened.

When the Fire of the South left Madruga to fight against the Grendel in Feroz, Tharim's knights stayed behind. They are now camped in Lightsea and show no sign of going anywhere. The only time any of them have moved was to go out and look at the destruction caused by the rising of the Scorrero which they apparently found very entertaining. They're not keeping Imperial citizens out of their camp, but very few people actually want to go and see what is happening there. For all their smiles, the awful knights give a horrible and unsettling aura of people waiting for something. That said, many people find it uncomfortable to spend time around the heralds of the Thrice-cursed Court at the best of times, so maybe there's nothing sinister happening here.

Regardless, the citizens of Quzar are a bit worried about a thousand very-hard-to-kill wickedly-cruel knights of the Winter realm being camped worryingly close to their town. They'd quite like someone to either get them to move, or reassure them that they're not in danger.

But Wait, There's More! (Agramant)

Taste of Solitude (Holberg)

Seek out falsehood and expose the truth! We send Kanute Adelaar van Holberg (Custodian of the Bloody Great Sausage) with 25 doses of liao to root out the conspiracy of murder and abomination that hides beneath the surface of Holberg.

Lia Adelaar van Holberg, League Assembly, 386YE Summer Solstice, Vote: Greater Majority (376-0)

• The Feasters of Marrow are trying to perform a profane ritual connected to the cannibalism across Holberg
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
• Custodian of the Bloody Great Sausage is responsible for killing the Feasters of Marrow

Last season the League Assembly upheld a mandate raised by Lia Adelaar van Holberg to call on citizens of Holberg to root out the conspiracy of death and cannibalism that hides beneath the civilisation of Holberg. The mandate, enacted by Kanute Adelaar van Holberg, served well as a beacon of action for the mercenary companies of the League, hunting down and delivering Imperial justice to followers of Old Bloody Mouth. This strident action has led to just a single group remaining in Holberg, the Feasters of Marrow; a group of Pawns who have managed to luck their way into a position of strength and power.

The Feasters of Marrow are meeting in broad daylight, in the Wunderkind Woods, to make use of the Deadened Wheel; a Winter region. There they plan to unleash some profane ritual empowered by the Wastewalker that will have disastrous consequences for Holberg, affecting those who have taken part in cannibalism recently. Given that Kanute Adelaar van Holberg enacted the mandate it is his responsibility to kill the Feasters of Marrow.

Gifts (Astolat)

We call all citizens to be vigilant to the machinations of the eternal Agramant and his wicked followers. We send Jared, the Champion of Vigilance with 75 doses of liao to root out all those who embrace this unspeakable act and bring them to justice.

Jared of the Silent Tower, Vigilance Assembly, 386YE Summer Solstice, Vote: Upheld (260-0)

• The Speakers of Famine have retreated to their last refuge
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified
• Jared of the Silent Tower is responsible for killing the Speakers of Famine

Last season the Vigilance Assembly upheld a mandate raised by Jared of the Silent Tower to call on all citizens to exercise vigilance against Agramant and his followers. Jared, who also enacted the mandate, was sent to seek out those who had embraced the Hunter in the Wastes and bring them to justice. The followers of vigilance were able to uncover half a dozen different cults across the Empire, made up of all types of cultists. Finally the last of those uncovered, the Speakers of Famine from Temeschwar, have been followed to their last refuge in Astolat.

The Speakers of Famine are blessed by He Who Calls the Lost to Feast; each one of the dozen or so bears a boon in return for terrible acts of service. If they are not stopped here then they will flee again, this time deeper in to the Empire and be lost.