381YE Summer Solstice winds of fortune

Interlude

The Summer Solstice winds of fortune will come out shortly before the next event (which is 28th Jul to 30th Jul incidentally). However, there are a number of significant things arising from the Spring Equinox that may affect some players' Downtime actions - primarily effects on personal resources.

As a temporary measure we'll be outlining, and offering some context for, these various effects on this page. In each case, there will be further information in the Summer Solstice Winds of Fortune - once they're ready, they'll replace this content.

As always, these are quick OOC summaries to explain effects such as large-scale enchantments and curses. We'll cover all these and more when we start to present the Winds of Fortune for next event.

We've also posted our first Wind of Fortune for the Summer event - a formal address by Imperatrix Lisabetta to the people of the Empire.

Winds of Fortune

Down Along the Cove

• Fleet captains; the Brass Coast, the League, Highguard, and Urizen; and the Imperial Synod

Recent powerful Spring magic (not to mention all those storms) is being credited with a major boom in the population of fish and other sea creatures. An slightly risky opportunity exists from the fisherfolk of the Bay of Catazaar to fill their boats with valuable fish, whale meat, and other products of the deep water. The risk is that the Grendel see courageous fisherfolk in much the same way a hungry shark sees a drowning sailor .... You can learn about this potentially lucrative opportunity here.

In Virtue and Reason (Imperial Address)

• All Imperial citizens

The Throne, Imperatrix Lisabetta, has used her power to address the Empire to present a personal message to all Imperial citizens. You can read her message here.

Not Dark Yet

• Varushka; Navarr; the Marches; the Brass Coast; Wintermark; and the National Assemblies therof

The new Varushkan army, the Iron Helms, has been active in the field for barely six months and it is no stranger to controversy. During the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, several statements of principle were made regarding the army and it's role (or lack therof) in Imperial military strategy. These statements have lead to a series of controversial mandates which you can learn about here.

Pay in Blood

• Spring magicians, Imperial Conclave

Since the Spring Equinox, practitioners of Spring magic across the Empire have encountered problems performing certain types of rituals. It soon becomes apparent that the problem lies not in the magic, nor in the magicians, but in the regio aligned to the Spring realm. It appears to be impossible for Imperial magicians to draw power from Spring regio ... You can learn about the full effect of this magical catastrophe here.

Rocks and Gravel

• Independent military captains; Navarr, Wintermark, the Marches, and Temeschwar; the Military Council

A "natural" disaster has struck the north-western Empire. Parts of Temeschwar, Miaren, Upwold, and Hahnmark have been swallowed up by a massive sinkhole. Thanks to a timely warning by a band of Navarr vates, major loss of life has been avoided - but a great big chasm now stretches from the site where Woodhall used to stand, to the orchards of Goldglades, and from a point dangerously close to Eastern Guard deep into the wild hunting grounds of the Vardstein Vale. You can learn about this natural disaster, and its implications here.

Series of Dreams (Winds of Magic)

• Basically everyone, but especially people associated with the Freeborn Storm and the Mournwold

The Empire is an Empire of powerful magic, but not all powerful magic is of the Empire. The Winds of Magic collects a grab-bag of interesting or important effects and opportunities, including matters regarding magical castles; a burning plume of fire and shadows in Redoubt; peculiar cauldron shennanigans in the Mournwold; and the Empress of All Goats Theatre. You can learn about them here.

Shelter From the Storm

• The Brass Coast, fleet captains, the Imperial Synod, the Quartermaster of the Imperial Armies

The Isle of Zemress is home to a "lost colony" descended from the crew of the Kraken's Bane. For the last few years they have been in sporadic contact with their Freeborn cousins, but now their idyllic life of hard work and independence has been shattered. The Grendel orcs have finally discovered their island hideaway, and the clock is ticking. Without outside help, they will all end their lives in the salt mines of Dubhtraig. Will the Empire intervene? You can learn all about this dire situation here.

Under the Red Sky

• Imperial Conclave

The six archmagi of the Empire have the power to send a formal message to a single eternal each Summit. During the Spring Equinox, five such plenipotentiary messages were sent - and over the last three months each of the eternals contacted has made a public response. You can learn about these responses here.

When the Ship Comes In (Trade Winds)

• Fleet captains; congregation leaders; ambassadors

International relations continue to develop - some improve, and some decline, like the ebb and flow of the tides. You can find a quick round up of things related to the current state of affairs, with an emphasis on trading - and a digression into the state of international relations between congregations of the Way - here.

Imperial Lore

Two new rituals enter Imperial Lore: Hammers of the Brilliant Shore (held over from Winter), and the challengingly problematic curse Mountain Remembers Its Youth. Any character who is eligible to master a new ritual can master one of these rituals by the usual means, and they can be cast without being mastered using the normal rules for ritual casting.