385YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune

It would be a serious challenge for any one person to keep track of everything that is happening in the Empire. Even the winds of fortune only scratch the surface.

Overview

Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the Winds of War which detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations, and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of opportunities or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune, or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip if they want to use it in character.

The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represents something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not opinion, and we're not trying to trick you.

As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.

In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations, or political bodies, to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place and very little happens in isolation.

Winds of Fortune

Back in Town (Plenipotentiary)

• Archmages and the Imperial Conclave; Enchantress Areloe Larmallevés and Marsello Givello Cellini di Sarvos; Skywise Gralka; Cassia Silkweaver, Olyva of Esther's Sanctum, Alessi Navigator, Casimir Pakkenovic Mislova, Mayra Doubek, Kastya, and Enchantress Armand Remys; Lucky Luciano; Generals of the Green Shield, Summer Storm, and Burning Falcon; Navarr vates

Each season the six archmages can send a plenipotentiary message to one of the eternals of the realm they represent (and represent the Empire to). The eternals in turn are bound to respond in some way, although exactly how they respond is up to them. They might agree to a formal parley - a meeting where they or their representatives speak with the Archmage on matters of mutual interest either in private or public. Sometimes they decline, or offer other alternatives. Responses to each archmage's plenipotentiary have been received, and arrangements made for the Autumn Equinox. Three have agreed to meetings of one kind or another, one has agreed to send emissaries to Anvil to talk to select individuals, and two have made other arrangements.

You can read about the responses of the eternals, some of whom have not presented parleys in some time, in the Back in town wind of fortune.

Restraint (Appraisal)

• Imperial Senate; the Raven's Plight coven and the Imperial Conclave; Freeborn national assembly and Brass Coast folk in general

At the Summer Solstice, the Imperial Senate requested an appraisal on "how the Empire can defend itself against raids, preferably without the construction of fortifications or the commitment of armies." In the absence of specific guidance, the Freeborn magician Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra was assigned to the task. The results of their appraisal have now been presented. The results are perhaps disappointing, in that Graciana concludes that it is not possible to appraise a way to stop all raiding, everywhere, all the time - but she is able to provide some suggestions for ways that might help in some cases - such as with the "raids" being perpetrated against the mana sites and herb gardens of the Brass Coast by the eternal Tharim...

You can read Graciana's findings, and the proposals she has been able to put forward, in the Restraint wind of fortune.

A Question of Loyalty (Appraisal)

• Urizen and the League, especially those citizens in Spiral; Imperial Senate; Loyalty Assembly; Master of the Imperial Mint

The second appraisal during the Summer solstice concerned Spiral. Naomi of Virtue's Rest was requested, and set about trying to work out "what further the League can do so that the Urizen in Spiral can remain there peacefully while preserving their culture, ideally without suffering undue financial hardship from not being in Urizen." The political situation in Spiral is already complicated by the presence of the Apulian orcs and the numbers of League citizens flocking to the new city. The instruction of the Imperial Senate is timely, and it is fortunate indeed that the Senate opted to assign the most diplomatic member of the appraisal team to this endeavour. Thanks to the mandates of the Urizen Assembly, and the endorsement of the Loyalty Assembly, the territory now simmers with open rebellion against the Empire. The appraisal is as much about trying to untangle the complicated loyalties of the Urizen, as it is about anything the League can do.

You can learn more about the appraisal, and the complicated situation in Spiral, in the A question of loyalty wind of fortune.

Landscape

• Imperial Senate; Brass Coast, especially those in Kahraman or with an interest in the Bourse; Imperial Conclave

Last summit the Imperial Military Council sent the heroes of Anvil to Redgate Pass in Kahraman. With the aid of the House of Fire and Flame - heralds of the Autumn realm - they tore open a mountain, blocking passes into Serra Damata from Jotun territory, and exposing the rich mineral wealth locked within. With the battle won and the area secured, the excitable heralds of the Bronze Artisan have been assisting the Imperial Civil Service in their assessment of the area. And, as the heralds promised, some of the rewards look very promising indeed if the Empire is able to afford to develop this new, accessible mineral wealth.

You can learn about this new source of wealth, and the challenges and opportunities it presents, in the Landscape wind of fortune.

Resonance and Mitigation

• Imperial magicians and the Imperial Conclave; the Marches, especially threshers and the National Assembly; Witness of Conclave, Imperial Censor, Warmage, Warcaster, Imperial Magus, Archmage of Day

The Imperial Conclave has upheld two declarations of Concord related to the use of Imperial enchantments. The Imperial Magus Æsa Sigeling called on magicians to investigate these awesome rituals, and see if there might be ways to mitigate their detrimental effects. Ariadne of Auric Horizon, on behalf of the Sevenfold Path, confirmed that the Conclave's commitment to working to "complete the omnihedron sequence of rituals." The Civil Service has ensured that Imperial magicians across the Empire and beyond are made aware of the Conclave's decisions. By now the entire Empire is aware of the presence of invading entities from the Day realm, servants of the Cold Sun, and the connection to the Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths ritual that has infused the entire Empire with Day magic. This raises significant debate about Imperial magicians as to whether the Conclave is right to continue to pursue this experiment. Do the benefits provided by powerful resonances of the Day realm balance out the loss of life that has ensued with the arrival of the murderous heralds?

You can read about some of the responses of Imperial magicians, and the serious issues raised in the Marches, in the Resonance and mitigation wind of fortune.

Not To Conquer

• Dawn; Imperial Senate; Imperial Synod; Imperial Military Council; Imperial Conclave; anyone with an interest in questions of liberation, conquest, orc septs, and the Barrens

The Barrens has been contested territory between the Druj and Dawn for centuries. The orcs who live there have been caught in the middle between the two powerful nations. They have no love for the Druj, but they also have no love for Dawn. During the conquest of the Barrens, Dawnish armies embraced the words of the Imperial Synod, committing themselves to a campaign of "liberation" rather than "conquest". They went out of their way to avoid harming the orcs who call the Barrens home, and focused their attention of removing the yoke of the Druj from their necks. With the final conquest of the Barrens, the Imperial Senate assigned the territory to Dawn - a move guaranteed to spark celebration in Astolat, Semmerholm, and Weirwater, and to outrage the orcish septs of the Barrens. Last summit, the Dawnish National Assembly embraced a policy of working with the orcs rather than flooding the territory with settlers, and received the aid of the people of Highguard in making contact with the septs and discovering what steps might be taken to appease their anger.

You can learn about the extremely complex situation in the Barrens, the various septs and other factions, in the Not to conquer wind of fortune.

A Wisdom of Questions

• Urizen, especially the Sword Scholars; Imperial Synod, Imperial Senate; Highguard; Dawn

The sword scholars have continued to make waves in Urizen and the wider Empire since they reconciled with the nation in 381YE. Their work has often brought them into conflict with the Imperial Synod, most notably when they pushed for people to openly question the mandates enacted by the various assemblies. Despite these challenges, sword scholars have been invited to teach in Holberg and most recently in Laroc in Astolat.Throughout this time, questions have been repeatedly raised about Sulemaine the controversial founder of the sword scholars. The Urizen Assembly has not been shy about proclaiming Sulemaine to be the "perfect epitome of the Urizeni spirit" and Herminius of the House of the Wanderer announced their intention to consecrate her final resting place as an inspirational tomb. The reaction to that has brought renewed interest in the life of the woman who is arguably Urizen's most controversial figure, and raised questions about who should inspire the modern sword scholar movement.

You can learn about the developments around Sulemaine and the sword scholars, both in Urizen and elsewhere, in the A wisdom of questions wind of fortune.

When Spring Comes

• Marchers of all kinds; Imperial Senate; Imperial Orcs; Bloodcrow Knott, Bloodcrow Udoo, Sister Meredith, and Aliss Thorn

Sometimes, as the saying goes, the people of the Marches are their own worst enemies. Three dilemmas have sprouted up in the Marches, that may need careful handling. In Mitwold, the attack of heralds of the Day realm is complicated by savage heralds of the Maelstrom, although the outcome of these attacks is not what anyone expected. In Bregasland, the legacy of the Fishers continue to be felt, and there is avery real risk the DourFens might explode into violence at any moment. And in the Mourn the matter of the Mournwold Orcs comes to a head - less violent and disruptive than anarchic entities and simmering grudges but with much further reaching implications, perhaps.

You can learn about these three dilemmas, some which might see significant changes by the start of the new year, in the When Spring comes wind of fortune.

Other Events

There are a number of other events and situations which are noteworthy, but which for whatever reason have not led to a full Wind of Fortune in their own right.

The library at Hacynian

• The expansion of the Great Library at Hacynian is complete
• Thanks to the support of Highguard and the League, and the information recovered from Brocéliande, research into the weaknesses of the vallorn should be complete for the Summer Solstice

Despite the presence of Cold Sun's soldiers, work has been completed on the expansion of the Great Library of Hacynian. Now the work of collecting a collating every piece of information about the vallorn will begin. Thanks to the support of the League, and the scholars of Highguard, as well as the information recovered from Brocéliande, the actual research itself should be complete in time for the Summer Solstice 386YE. Of course this schedule assumes that the library is not attacked by the invading forces currently in Northpines; given the murky history of the library and it's eternal associations this is far from a given.

Participation: Any academically minded character, especially those from Navarr, the League, or Highguard, is welcome to roleplay that they are going to participate in the study of the vallorn when the research begins in earnest after the Autumn equinox.

This is a placeholder page for content that PD are actively working on.

Sword Scholars in Holberg

• The controversy around the Scholars of the Sword Academy in Holberg has been resolved, at least for the moment
• The Master of Defence of the Scholars of the Sword Academy stipend has increased by a third
• The full impact of encouraging bravos to study the works of Emperor Frederick alongside the sword has yet to be felt

During the Spring Equinox, two mandates were raised in the League assembly concerning the Scholars of the Sword Academy in Holberg, but only one - that raised by Erasmo di Tassato - was upheld. The mandate encouraged the Bravos of Holberg to debate the sword scholars, seek other rival points of view and draw their own rational conclusions about the teachings of Sulemaine i Taziel and those she had inspired. It also specifically encouraged them to investigate the teachings of Emperor Frederick Ritter van Holberg, who wrote extensively on the differences between liberty, freedom, and Anarchy. Frederick is amongst the most famous people ever to have come from Holberg and many bravos will be even more interested in his life and teachings than they would be with someone like rebellious Alexander von Holberg or Urizen's Sulemaine.

Debate is absolutely what many sword scholars want, so the majority have welcomed this intervention. It has sparked enthusiasm and interest in the Academy, boosting the Master's Stipend by a third. It has also however expanded the influence of the sword scholars in Holberg, and encouraged a number of bravos to take up politics. It has also lead to the school employing other teachers alongside the sword scholars. The school is bustling - scandal and rumour attract almost as many students as fine facilities and excellent educators - but the full implications of educated bravos with a taste for philosophy have yet to be felt. At the moment, however, the main topic of conversation is the debate around the announced consecration of Sulemaine's tomb; the outcome is likely to also have an impact on this enclave of excellence within the walls of Holberg.

Powerful Rituals

• A number of powerful rituals were cast in the Empire last season

Several powerful enchantments were cast last season:

• Dripping Echoes of the Fen were summoned in TBC
• Frozen Citadel of Cathan Canae was cast in TBC
• Shrouds hang over the territories of Sarvos, Necropolis, Madruga, and Segura

Covid Restrictions
We often have players come to the make up department for help with wounds and lineage trappings when they're being the subject of Whispers Through the Black Gate. Due to covid restrictions around providing make up for players at this event we will not be able to assist with this. Players will have to do any make up themselves using their own supplies, in a space that is not our make up area.

Whispering Gate

• During the Summer Solstice it will be possible to perform Whispers through the Black Gate between 19:30-20:30
• The current Imperial Necromancer is Ser Claudia Lovelorn

The Black Gate can be opened to allow masters of Winter magic to commune with the spirits of the dead. For reasons that have never adequately been explained, the Gate can only be opened at twilight when it is neither quite day nor quite night. Imperial magicians prognosticate that this means that during the Summer Solstice the ritual can be performed between 19:30 and 20:30. This information is, of course, of particular relevance to the Imperial Necromancer given their powers and responsibilities.

Trade Summary

Rather than spread this information out around the various foreign nations, we've collected it here for ease of reference.

• Free Trade: Imperial ships trading with Commonwealth, Axos, Sumaah, or Sarcophan Delves receive a +1 rank bonus until the start of the Autumn Equinox 385YE.
• Asavean Archipelago: The port of Nemoria is closed to Imperial trading vessels.
• Axos: The Axos are continue to be furious about revelations relating to Imperial involvement in the failure of their joint venture with the Grendel into the Mountains of the Moon. Consequently Imperial fleets suffer significant penalties to trade with Axos. A fleet captain trading at the Towers of Kantor suffers a -3 rank penalty..
• Commonwealth: The ports of Leerdam and Volkavaar welcome Imperial traders.
• Principalities of Jarm: The ports of Kavor and Vezak remain closed to Imperial fleets.
• Sarcophan Delves: Imperial captains continue to be welcomed in the Delves. Fleets trading with the great port-city of Sarcophan receive an additional dose of Marrowort and an additional dose of Imperial Roseweald on top of their normal production. The new port of Betovering is newly open to Imperial fleets.
• Sumaah Republic: Fleets visiting Zemeh suffer a -2 rank penalty due to an Asavean blockade. Thanks to the actions of the Freeborn assembly, the Asavean blockade has been thwarted - for the time being - and there is no penalty to trade with Zemeh.
• Grendel: The port of Oran is closed to Imperial fleets.
• Iron Confederacy: The port of Robec is available for Imperial fleets but suffers a -2 rank penalty due to sanctions.

Mandates

• You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.

A number of mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod last season. As long as the named priest provided sufficient liao, all mandates have been automatically enacted.

Summer Conjunctions

• Last event there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate; their known outcomes are listed here

During the Summer Solstice, there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate identified by the Imperial prognosticators. In each case a band of Imperial heroes used that conjunction to travel to a location far from Anvil and intervene in a ongoing situation. These are the known outcomes of those conjunctions. In the case of battles, it is important to remember that the Military Council can only make use of two of the major conjunctions each summit, choosing which to take advantage of during the Muster.

Major Conjunctions

Location

Opportunity

Day

Link

Outcome

Normal Conjunctions

#	Location	Responsibility	Overview	Result