Wiki Updates

This is a list of significant updates to the wiki which we will try and keep as up to date as possible. Hopefully this will be a more useful document than the recent changes page which lists every spelling correction and formatting change.

By it's nature this page will be regularly updated so when you visit the wiki try checking here first. However please keep in mind this is a manually updated page so at times maybe a little behind the actual updates.

Winter 2015 Rules Update

Over winter we carried out a review of the rules from the second year. As a result of that review we have changed a number of rules. We are in the process of updating the wiki to reflect these rules changes. We will continue to carry out reviews of rules each winter. The most recent updates are to magic, particularly spontaneous magic and battle magic.

Magic Item modifications

The Healer's Harness and Warcaster's Oath were rendered useless by our change to spellcasting. We have modified the effect of both, and raised the cost of the Healer's Harness to reflect these changes.

Magic standards must be carried (wording strengthened from "should"); back banners, tabards and especially flamboyant bandanas are not appropriate phys-reps for magic standards, and this was not clearly communicated by the previous wording.

Otkodov Spy Network

The Otkodov spy network was initially set up before more detailed information about how they worked was available. A single spy network cannot provide information about an entire nation, only a single territory. We have clarified this, and future reports from this spy network will focus on the Thule territory of Verthandi.

Ritual Theory

We've created a series of pages relating to ritual theory that provide background, setting and rules information for players. It is primarily of use to players who want to create new spontaneous magic effects, or explore the theories of how ritual magic work. This is somewhat of a work in progress - we intend to expand it to cover more setting-related information such as what crystal mana is or how it differs from personal mana (for example), but the information given here should serve as a good foundation for players who want to discuss magical theories in the field.

Brass Coast Army Support

Following the re-integration of Segura into the Empire, the Brass Coast now has the ability to support three armies rather than two.

Senate Commissions

We added details of three new civillian commissions available to the Imperial Senate.

• The College of Magic.
• The Runeforge.
• The Embassy.
• The Imperial navy.

Remote Navarr

We've clarified a few design concepts around the Navarr on the Remote Navarr page. To accompany this, we've made a few edits to look and feel to reflect those clarifications.

Military Council Overhaul

We have done a major redesign of the way the Imperial Military Council works. This has included clarification on the events at the muster and Council session, as well as expanded and clarified material regarding the role of a general, the Field Marshal and the civil servant role of the herald of the Council. We've also given the right of Council address to the High Exorcist and Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies.

At the same time, we've clarified and streamlined some of the factors to do with war, including the way that generals submit their orders. We've also included a campaign outcome page that details the mathematics that underlie the campaign resolution system.

Finally, we've removed the idea of keywords from armies - each imperial army now has a singular quality that reflects the way that army operates. This means that we have also overhauled all the existing armies with new abilities. The individual armies will be updated over the next day or so, but for the moment the changes are detailed on the table here.

You can find details of some of our reasons for these changes here.

Field Marshal

Following discussion with our magistrates, we have removed the idea that it is a legal requirement for the Field Marshal to address the Imperial Senate. It is still a responsibility of the role, but it is up to the Imperial Synod to deal with Field Mashalls who neglect to do so, rather than the Magistrates.

Clemency

We removed the idea that characters with Imperial Titles were given additional weight by a magistrate. This was simply not the case in practice, and undermined the idea of virtuous defence. A virtuous argument from a priest should hold more weight than a poor speech from the Throne.

Legacy of Thorns

We've clarified that the blade venoms (specifically oil of blackthorn and Redwillow Paste cannot be applied to implements).

Ritual Changes

Several rituals are receiving clarifications and tweaks.

• Whispering Shadow Courtiers no longer references the idea of providing visions of "nearby" things. It functions like Signs and Portents, drawing from a pool of visions including "important" or "relevant" secrets, no matter where in the Empire it is cast.
• Wisdom of the Balanced Blade no longer gains a bonus to penetrate magical obscuring effects. As with Bright Lantern of Ophis it must overcome the full strength of an effect designed to obscure information about a curse.
• Eyes of the Sun and Moon has been tweaked to specifically provide military information about armies and fortifications. We've also removed the "hour's notice" requirement from the ritual as the information it delivers is now prepared for each potential target territory before an event.
• The Eye of the High Places has been tweaked to clarify that it determines any large scale effects on the target territory, and to remove reference to detecting small-scale effects such as resource enchantments which were proving difficult to collate information about.
• Reading the Weave has been clarified to remove reference to information that was proving difficult to uncover in a timely fashion.
• Bright Lantern of Ophis has had its ability to divine large-scale effects from a distance removed - this is now the purview of The Eye of the High Places.
• Wisdom of the Balanced Blade no longer requires a regio to analyse an area curse, but the ritualists must be in the presence of the curse in some fashion.
• Sum of the Parts has had its magnitude increased, correcting a significant rounding error

The Brass Coast Brief

We have updated the Brass Coast brief on the Brass Coast magical traditions and the Hakima to clarify their political niche and to modify their role slightly. The Hakima are now dedicated to aiding (and meddling in the affairs of) the entire nation rather than an individual tribe. The old brief was too focused, and too limited in scope and we think these changes will help address that. We've also made a minor change to the way kohan are organised, primarily to remove the restriction that the members of a group belong to a single tribe.

We've also expanded on the material on corsairs that was originally scattered around the Brass Coast section. The new brief contains some new elements and advice on creating corsair characters and groups.

Marcher Brief

We have updated the Marcher brief on the the Marches magical traditions and Landskeepers to clarify their political niche and how they usually organize themselves. We have corrected the old text to make clear that Landskeepers make frequent use of curses against those they believe have transgressed against Marcher traditions and Marcher interests. The old brief was restricting the ability of existing Landskeepers to access the full range of magical powers at events and the previous Landskeeper political structure was too complex and fine-grained to be workable in play.

Wintermark Brief

We have updated the Wintermark brief on the good death to remove any mention of how Wintermark treats individuals who are maimed or crippled. Any form of discrimination on the grounds of disability is against our game rules on equality and diversity and does not fit the setting. Many of the heroes of the Empire come from hard lands - but the Wintermark brief stood out as none of the other briefs single out individuals who are disabled in anyway for special note. The people of the Empire do not discriminate on grounds of infirmity.

Commissions Updated

We have updated the page on commission to lay out the essential details needed for any new commission.

New Map Viewer

Racheet Dave has produced a cool new map viewer for the Empire. The maps page has been updated with a link to the new map viewer.

There are also new maps showing the tactical/political features of the Empire, and two maps showing Barbarian lands (Otkodov and the Barrens).

Senate Update

We have updated the rules for mercantile commissions, and added a page each for a sinecure, ministry, and great work. The costs to make new mercantile commissions has been altered and reduced for play balance reasons. We have increased the effective output of the Madruga Shipyard, but all other existing sinecures, ministries and great works are unaffected.

Rules Update

We have removed Spider Folds the Net from the list of available rituals. The ritual had major problems and after several attempts to fix it, we have abandoned the attempt and simply deleted it. Everyone who had the ritual now has a free slot that they can fill at any time instead. If anyone requires an IC explanation for the change, it is because recent movements of the constellations have rendered the ritual unworkable.

Rules for Battlefield Rituals written up.

Regio rules changed: using a regio does not automatically make the ritual take ten minutes. Some rituals intrinsically take ten minutes, and some rituals require a regio. There is some overlap between these groups.

Sanctioned Event Update

We have added some guidelines for using Imperial Law at sanctioned events.

Senate Pages Overhauled

We have overhauled the Senate wiki pages, mostly to improve the presentation and make the processes clearer. The overhaul includes a few changes to the political rules and powers of some positions. As with other recent updates we have included some OOC design notes about the changes and this part of the game.

Key changes or clarifications are:

• Procedural motions are eliminated, allocation and assignment are done by normal motions. Administrative motions covering minor matters by civil service remain.
• The Throne can talk in the Senate but cannot propose a motion or vote in the Senate.
• The Throne can address the senate.
• The Throne gains the Custodian of Virtue power to change a vote in the Synod.
• The Throne gains the Order of the Throne power to nominate speakers in the Conclave.
• We have removed the deadline for the Senate to appoint a national position but given the wider Senate freedom to act earlier if they choose.

Field Marshal

A page for the Field Marshal, the official name for the Field Commander chosen by the Military Council has been added to the wiki. This page expands on this position, how it works, the powers, limitations and responsibilities. It includes some OOC design notes about why the position works the way it does.

Nations and Territories

The Wintermark Territories have been extensively expanded. A note was added to Wintermark history to make it clear that the position of king or queen of Wintermark was not a hereditary position.

(09/10/14) Extensive updates to Varushka Territories; to Redoubt in Urizen; and to Tassato and Sarvos in The League (including the creation of the Keeper of the Sapphire Stair sinecure)

Ritual Corrections

The following rituals had incorrect costs listed on the wiki. These have now been corrected.

• Blood and Salt
• Revelation of the Jewel's Sparkling Heart
• Unending Cascade of Blood's Fire

The last ritual was incorrectly reduced in magnitude shortly before the last event. This error has been fixed and the original correct magnitude restored.

The following ritual had an incorrect casting time listed on the wiki. This has now been corrected.

• Rising_Roots_that_Rend_Stone

The following rituals have been overhauled to bring them into line with each other and changes to the Campaign Battles.

• Knights of Glory
• Quickening Cold Meat
• Clarity of the Master Strategist
• Bound by Common Cause
• Thunderous Tread of the Trees
• Forge the Wooden Fastness
• Dripping Echoes of the Fen
• Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canea

Anvil Hospital

We have added information about the Anvil Hospital & Imperial School of Medicine to the wiki. Thanks to all the players involved for creating this great institution.

Map Update

There is a new strategic-and-political map of the Empire here, and each of the Imperial (or formerly Imperial) territories now has a territory map. Over the next few days, each territory page will be overhauled and updated to include more information about regions and points of interest.

Military Council Update

We have updated the Imperial Military Council, streamlining the processes which we will use going forwards to calculate the outcomes of military campaigns, and giving player generals more freedom and control over what happens to their armies. We have also modified the upkeep costs for fortifications to ensure that powerful fortifications remain tenable. We have overhauled the presentation of the section to bring it into line with the new pages for the Imperial Conclave and added extra design notes and an explanation for the change.

Senate Update

We've reorganised several pages, as well as creating separate pages for titles such as senator. We've also done some work clarifying some of the powers of The Throne where their function was either unclear, or would work poorly.

Bourse Update

Several new Imperial Bourse titles have been added to the wiki.

• Bailiff of the Grand Market (Marcher position)
• Vizier of the Incarnadine Satchel (Freeborn position)
• Dhomiro of the Cinnabar Hills (Freeborn position)
• Mistress of the Glass Parador (Freeborn position)
• Custodian of the Assayer's Guild (League position)
• Provost of the Halls of Knowledge (Urizen position)
• Castellan of Spiral Castle (Dawn position)

The method by which national bourse positions are assigned has been updated for the Marches and the League.

Monstering

Information about monstering and making your own barbarian tribe has been added to the wiki. Everyone who is keen is welcome to join us for big kit making session on Friday before the Easter event starts. Whatever you make is yours to keep! We'll hope to find time to add more detail to these pages later in the year.

Conclave Update

Players have asked us to provide an IC explanation for the change in the Conclave rules, rather than simply retcon it, so we have done as requested.

Winter 2014 Rules Update

Over winter we carried out a review of the rules from the first year. As a result of that review we have changed a few rules. We are in the process of updating the wiki to reflect these rules changes. We will continue to carry out reviews of rules each winter, but do not envisage making many other significant changes in the future.

The rules update has been updated... please note that you need to have the relevant skill to participate in a ceremony as part of a sect.

Updates April 2014

Finally wrote up Riddle Hides the Reward.

Clarified power of The Throne to ratify constitutional votes.

Added details of a Highborn celebration to the Customs and Culture section of Highguard.

Changed Warmage again in line with constitutional note.

Clarified ability of Senator to resupply army on Casualties page

Completed motions outstanding from 377YE_Summer_Solstice_Senate_Session

Updates and maps for Semmerholm, Liathaven, Therunin, Mournwold, Brocéliande and Spiral are up, but still stubbed until I have time to check all the backgrounds in the world.

Conclave Overhaul

A number of pages have been changed to reflect changes to the way the Imperial Conclave will function at future events. You can read about the changes in more detail here

• Updated the Imperial Conclave page to lay out the new Conclave in more detail
• Created pages for the three principles of the Conclave Principle of Precedence, Principle of Proportions and Principle of Presence.
• Updated the Conclave order page with details of joining an order and the powers of membership.
• Updated the Membership of the Order section of each conclave order page, and included details of the base materials that go into their Conclave vault each season. The orders are Celestial Arch, Sevenfold Path, Shuttered Lantern, Rod and Shield, Golden Pyramid and Unfettered Mind.
• Updated detect magic with regard to Arcane Mark.
• Updated Imperial title pages for Archmage, Grandmaster, Dean of the Lyceum, Warmage and created a page for the Bursar of the Conclave.
• Updated Conclave session and created pages explaining Conclave address, declaration, gambit and amity and enmity
• Included the ritual Arcane Mark
• Updated Powers of the Senate to reference creation and dissolution of Conclave order and to remove references to Imperial Lore.

Updates March 2014

Ongoing changes to ritual text durations and targeting guidelines; most of these are just clarifications. Specific changes include:

• Rot's Rightful Claim is no longer an enchantment
• Added a section about ilium use to Mark of Ownership
• Added a section to Black Iron Blade allowing it's magnitude to be increased when cast on a single target to allow removal of protected bonds.
• Icy Maw Devours the Spark of Essence, Naeve's Twisting Blight, Winter's Ghosts and Drawing the Penumbral Veil now target a territory rather than a region
• Clarity of the Master Strategist now requires a Day regio to bring it into line with other campaign army rituals
• Transmogrification of the Soul's Echo is now clearer on who makes the changes - it is not a brainwashing ritual

Sanctioned event guidelines have been updated to give advice on how to apply Profound Decisions equality and diversity rules to your event.

Tidied up information about several Bourse seats, and linked the physical locations of the seat resources to the territory sections.

Clarified military unit downtime options relating to assigning to Imperial armies or special projects and the production from doing so.

Overhauled and updated Skarsind page, with smaller updates elsewhere especially to Miekarova and Hercynia territory pages

Overhauled and updated Reikos page, with smaller updates elsewhere

Updated the Titles Autumn 377 page to indicate who has what title as of the end of 2013

Overhauled and updated Hercynia page, with smaller updates elsewhere

Made some changes to the with reference to operate portal and detect magic

Several changes to enchantment effects, as well as a slight change to the way an enchantment made permanent with ilium can be removed

Changed duration of Mark of Ownership to "as long as the item lasts"

Minor updates

Corrected an error where Enfeebling Echo was referred to as Hand of Time on the staffs category page, and corrected an error in the materials (it costs seven beggar's lye, not seven beggar's lye and seven green iron. Matt to change on database.

Clarified the way that Witness works for priests in the Imperial Conclave.

Updates February 2014

The senate powers to create new Imperial titles have been overhauled with additional content and clarification.

Update about changing a resource

LaTeX download added to runes

Update to Spider's Tollkeep and Advisor on orc affairs to correct error in who can hold these titles; as National positions, they can be held only by characters from those nations.

Slight change to Vallorn interconnectivity; Vallorn are not believed to be interconnected, allowing more plot options.

Ongoing changes to ritual text durations and targetting guidelines; most of these are just clarifications. Specific changes include:

• Touch of Vile Humours has changed to bring it into line with the new rules on Day duration enchantments
• Forge the Wooden Fastness, Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae and similar rituals are undergoing a revision to bring them into line with out rules on fortifications. Watch this space.

Changed the election process for Keeper of the Spice Gardens has been adjusted to bring it into line with the section on the appointment of titles; added a page about the Keeper title; made some edits to the Feroz section about the gardens.

Rules about what happens with personal resources in conquered territories added here.

Change to orc rules about liao and religious skills, to make the situation very clear

Additional page Languages added to wiki

Details of the Eternals Sung and Janon laid out.

Minor updates

Recordings of songs added for Brass Coast (Lost Segura, Wagon Song, Without You) and Marches (Marcher Battle Song, Apple Wassail).

An option to retire a character using Sift the Dreamscape's Sands added

Updates January 2014

More details added to the sanctioned events page including rules.

The Play one, Crew one rule added to the Battles page

Traders page updated

Events page updated with details of 2014 events

Facebook and Forums page with links for the various social media resources that exist for Empire.

PD management team page updated to show Alison and Matt's current event roles.

Minor additions

A new minor trapping added to the Naga page.

New song "For Once I Was A Young Man" added to Highguard music

New costume diary added to costume advice - high status Marchers doublet.

Updates after Event 4, Sept 2013

Synod Results, Autumn Summit, 377 YE

Updates between Event 3 and Event 4 2013

All updates up to Event 4 are grouped here under appropriate heading.

Details of event 4 Autumn Equinox 2013

Ring of Triumph

An error on the summary page for the Ring of Triumph has been corrected. The correct materials for this item are include six ingots of green iron not six ingots of tempest jade

Rules and OOC info

Update on the FAQ

• Question added - Can I email a longer background?
• Clarification about using using a one handed spear as a two handed pole weapon.
• Clarification about using hero skills at range.

A section added to playing the game about stealing IC items and what to do with the phys reps.

Traders info updated with details of Jolly Dicey, Twisted Flax, Grimm & Grizzly and a new website for Mandala Studios.

World information

A current affairs page added to pull together various reports including elections, senate and synod decisions from the first three events. This page and the various other pages it leads to should be updated each event. There is also a page which details the planned elections at E4 .

Addition of Damaris of Cantiarch's Hold as a examplar

Pages about Trogoni and Plaguewulf added.

The section on Madruga has been updated to show the current situation with the now repaired Spider's Dream bridge and the Imperial title Spider's Tollkeep which is funded from the tolls is now available for election again.

Section on criminal offences updated with more links to the religious crimes section. New crime of desecration added. Several new Imperial titles have been created they will be added to the Current Imperial Titles list in due course.

More information added to some foreign nations including a new page on Iron Confederacy

Updated information on the Imperial Bourse about elections and titles.

More Eternals detailed

Details added about Fortifications and existing ones added to relevant territory pages.

On going - Details of senate decisions and the resulting actions being added as the scribes have time, check the Senate sessions for details.

Magic

• Ritual Cold Water from the Mountain changed from Spring to Day
• Autumn ritual Sum of the Parts added.

Updates to Dean of the Lyceum and Conclave session about adding new rituals available to Imperial citizens.

Music

Highguard Go To War added to Highguard music

Extra information about music added to Urizen including three new songs.

Also a whole bunch of song pdfs have been updated.