Various storms and saints

Neora turned the antique bottle this way and that, marvelling at the intricacy of the copper dragon stopper. She resisted the urge to shake it, but only just.

"You know I'm sure Uncle said he only had one of these," she said without looking at her companion. The herald Voormith rolled her eyes.

"And you know what he's like about things like this," she said without looking at the young naga woman. Voormith was scanning the crowd, and looked a little unhappy. A little red-scaled creature waved at her with a broad, friendly smile on its saurian face, and her unhappiness deepened a notch. "You've been with us long enough to know he doesn't see it as lying so much as... saying things that could be true and probably are somewhere."

The last was delivered in a flawless imitation of the pompous tone her Uncle liked to use when he thought he could get away with it. It made her smile. She thought back to the last time she'd been "asked" - or more truthfully "sent" - to do something like this. Hopefully it would turn out better than it had last time.

"I remember you said when we were in Zenith last that Uncle might have a few that already had things in them. Did he empty one of them out then?"

"It doesn't work like that," said Voormith. A little tersely in Neora's opinion. She started to ask a follow-up question, but the herald was only half-listening to her.

"There's something up with this crowd," said Voormith thoughtfully. "It's not like last time. There's something about them. I mean, you've met one polite Urizen magician you've met most of them but... something's different. There's a bitterness to some of them that wasn't there last time we were here. A harsh sadness maybe. I'm not sure I like it."

She looked down at Neora speculatively.

"You're technically one of them, do you not feel it?"

Neora continued to examine the tiny "model" of the ruined forge in the cut-glass bottle. This sort of conversation always made her a little uneasy.

"I don't know these people," she said. "But I think it's probably just that they're getting impatient. I know I am. Should we get started?"

Voormith grunted, and Neora took that as assent. She held up the bottle, carefully positioning it so that the ruins appeared to be resting against the side of a hill near the immense, marvellous, magical Crucible of Fate. She held her breath to keep the hand holding the bottle as steady as possible. With the other began to apply gentle pressure to the serpentine stopper, gently easing it out of the thick glass neck.

A grey mist, shot through with motes of silver and gold, began to well up out of the ground, and then between one heartbeat and the next, the ruins were in place. Damakhan's Forge - battered and beaten by successive Grendel invasions - now rested against the hill a stone's throw from the Crucible of Fate.

"Well, that's that done then," said Neora to nobody in particular. Voormith wasn't really listening, just chuckling at the assorted magicians casting divination spells to try and work out how it was done.

"A magician never reveals their tricks," said the herald under her breath.

But Neora wasn't listening either. She was watching the Urizen as well, her scaled brow ceased with the merest suggestion of a frown, and she did not choose to share what she was thinking with her companion.

The Conclave has dominion over the Empire's magic.

Overview

The Empire is a magical place. Between the magicians of the Conclave, and the creatures of the realms there is usually something happening and it's often quite loud. Here we have a roundup of various things happening, or having happened, that are connected by a tenuous thread of magic. They include information about rituals, offers from eternals, and at least one odd expedition into dark places.

Fen and Fastness

• Scholars of the Unfettered Mind have discovered which eternals empower two of the citadel-summoning rituals
• They are pulling together notes that they believe will reveal the assurances of not only these two rituals but several other rituals linked to eternals as well

The Unfettered Mind have been charged by the Imperial Conclave to investigate the ritual Dripping Echoes of the Fen to determine which eternal grants it its power, and ultimately "owns" the defences it conjures into being. They've been busy in the arcane libraries of the Lyceum and the Icy Crag, speaking to magicians all over the Empire, consulting private collections, and in one case taking a perilous trip into the depths of Lustri to consult with the spirit of an ancient tree (a herald or a ghost most likely). They have come back with an answer.

It's Sadogua. Sadogua grants power to the Dripping Echoes of the Fen.

Serendipitously, at the same time they were researching this ritual, they also found time to look into Forge the Wooden Fastness, and have uncovered the fact that it is none other than the Prince with a Thousand Foes who offers their support to the Spring magic, and from their realm that the defences spring. Which is a little more problematic perhaps as Irra Harah is regularly considered an enemy of the Empire depending on what it has done recently. It makes a certain amount of sense, as one scholar opines, that a ritual about hiding away would be tied to the eternal who urges people to run, hide, and surrender before they fight. It also could be a lot worse - the magic might have been provided by Yaw'nagrah after all.

The scholars involved in the investigation are still pulling all their notes together; they've not quite identified the specific assurances involved in the two rituals but the information they have should be enough to start negotiating for a permanent fortification in Ossium if that is what the Conclave wishes. The eternals could be asked directly, but the Unfettered Mind are confident they'll have tracked the assurances down by the Winter Solstice - and while they're at it they're investigating some quite promising avenues related to a number of other eternal rituals whose assurances have been lost, forgotten, stolen, or concealed.

A Conjunction of the Wanderer

• A peculiar conjunction of three stars is underway
• It appears significantly less disruptive than some recent conjunctions

Last season saw a major and complex conjunction of multiple constellations. Both the greater and Lesser conjunctions have now ended. The Wanderer, however, remains bright in the sky, and some astronomancers have reported a peculiar resonance between it and two other constellations - the Great Wyrm and the Door, both symbollic of change. They're a little nervous, but there doesn't seem to be any thing devastating or particularly ominous happening.

Spirits of Stone

• Some magicians casting rituals at the Imperial regio that target mines may experience a "curse" of some kind

However, magicians performing rituals that are designed to enchant or curse mines report odd sensations when they perform those rituals during twilight or at night. Some talk about a feeling of something "watching" them, in a way that makes them uneasy. These reports are much more common when the ritual is performed outside, under the open sky, or when a regio is involved. Something is going on, but nobody knows quite what. One Marcher landskeeper from the Mourn is of the opinion that what they encountered while helping locate a new vein of ore in a green iron mine a few months ago was a tulpa. One that made a spirited effort to persuade him to allow it to enter his body with offers of wealth and Prosperity. Needless to say, he declined. He does however issue a caution - if the effect is more pronounced at regio, it stands to reason that it will be even more pronounced at the Imperial regio at Anvil. So magicians hoping to take advantage of the lingering effects of the grand Day enchantment for example should be especially on guard.

Participation: During the Autumn Equinox, any coven or magician performing a ritual that targets a mine at the Imperial regio, whose performance explicitly invokes the power of the Wanderer in some way, can ask the referee for a curse. This represents... whatever the heck is going on here. There's no further details about what this involves, and there's no requirement for an entire coven to take the curse - individual contributors can ask for it without affecting their associates.

Twilight Recollections

• The peculiar option to write memories down with iridescent gloaming at the Imperial regio while casting Cast Off the Chain of Memory remains

Although the peculiar conjunction of the Lock and the Key seems finally to have reached a climax, one of the effects appears to still be lingering. The odd results some magicians report when performing Cast Off The Chain of Memory persist as the Autumn Equinox approaches. It may be that they were not actually related to the two constellations at all, or perhaps it's simply that Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths has caused the effect to persist a little longer. Either way, if a magician performs Cast Off the Chain of Memory but as part of the performance writesdown the memory one wishes to remove with iridescent gloaming in ninety-nine words or fewer, something happens. The paper folds in on itself and disappears along with the memory. Then, overnight, the memory is replaced with something else - a new, different memory.

The effect appears to be subtly different however; some magicians experimenting with the effect report that some of the memories they receive are more powerful, visceral, or immediate. The experience can influence the recipient in unexpected ways, related to the memory. These pioneers tentatively suggest that the more vivid the memory written down, the more detailed the description, the stronger the result, although that is mostly conjecture at this time. None of these discoveries makes those magicians already suspicious about what's happening here any happier and they urge even more caution as a consequence.

OOC Process: When performing Cast Off the Chain of Memory at the Imperial regio, the target can write down the memory they intend to lose in as much detail as they like, as long as it doesn't go over ninety-nine words. The ink needs to be infused with a measure of iridescent gloaming (given to the ref during the casting), and the paper needs to have the targets PID on the back. The memory recorded must be a real memory that is being removed with the ritual or nothing happens. At the completion of the ritual, if the other criteria are met, the paper disappears and takes the memory with it. Before going into play next morning, you can visit the regio again (not GOD) to receive a written description of a new memory that your character now remembers having experienced.

If you have any out of character phobias, traumatic subjects, or experiences you'd wish to avoid reading about, you can include them on the reverse of the paper along with your PID.

The Dry Patricians

• The Blight of the Great Grasses continues to slowly grow
• For the moment it is contained by the power of Imperial magic, but there is only so much Regrow the Land's Heart can achieve

The terrible desert blight that has the Great Grasses in its grasp continues to spread very slowly. Regrow the Land's Heart is helping to keep the disaster contained, but whatever has been going on there is slowly getting worse. The scholars of the Unfettered Mind were unable to find anything useful during their attempt to penetrate the blight. While Spring magic is keeping it contained, it does not seem able to actually heal the damage. Dry patricians and parched ones continue to be spotted within the blight, never leaving it themselves, and there is a very real risk that anyone who ventures within will be swarmed, sucked dry of all moisture, and return to a terrible unalive state as one of the parched ones. The hakima and their kohan continue to keep a watch on it, but there is little they can do by themselves beyond keeping foolish travelers and spectacle-seekers from venturing into its depths.

One matter that has been addressed is the worry that those exposed to the blight might somehow carry it away with them. While the horrible curses and inuries sustained by those venturing into the blight are often fatal, there's no sign that those who die in this fashion outside of the blight will rise as parched. It seems that only those consumed by thirst within the boundaries of the desert are at risk, and they do not leave the area. Concerns of an epidemic of brave souls being turned into moisture-seeking abominations prove, for the moment at least, to be unfounded. Scant comfort to those whose friends and loved ones have turned to arid dust in their arms, perhaps.

OOC Note: The blight is slowly spreading, but the Spring magic being used is slowing it down. Without the magic, the blight would definitely have consumed the entire Great Grasses by now and perhaps moved on to threaten the whole territory. Yet it's clear that Regrow the Land's Heart will not work forever. This wind of fortune does not present any opportunities; the ball is now in the players' court if they want to try and find a way to deal with the blight permanently.

Ruins and Bats (Sadogua)

The Brother of Wizards has Amity, and Elyssiathain would like to move Damakan's Forge from Spiral to a location next to the Crucible in Zenith.

Elyssiathain, Archmage of Night, Declaration of Alignment, Summer Solstice 385YE

• The ruins of Damakhan's Forge have been moved to Zenith with the aid of the Brother of Wizards
• The Black Sloth has an offer for the Marcher landskeepers
• Enthused by the recent powerful magics, Sadogua offers Ioseph of the Banner of the Phoenix a chance to get hold of some tools for performing Winter magic

The newly consecrated Crucible of Fate now has a companion; the ruins of Damakhan's Forge rest against a hillside less than half a mile from the great forges. True to his word, in return for a renewal of amity delivered by the Archmage of Night Elyssiathian, the Brother of Wizards has somehow moved the ancient runeforge from Spiral to Zenith. A shallow crater, gouged out of the mountainside where the forge once stood, is already filling up with water and has been christened Damakhan's Lake by the Urizen of the nearby spires. The ruins look a little forlorn, it has to be said, but some philosophers and poets believe they also present a powerful symbol - the past and the future come together in one place.

This is the second time Sadogua has moved something in this way, but this time significantly more pains were taken to ensure that there was nobody actually within the ruins when they were moved, and thus far nobody is reported as having gone missing. Apparently the effort of moving the Forge, coming as it did hot on the heels of the Suranni business, has left the Black Toad-Bat "absolutely knackered". This despite the fact that the witnesses are very much of the opinion all the hard work was actually done by a young naga woman with a magic bottle. As such, he claims, he might be a bit less commuicative than normal for a few months while he gets his strength back.

One symptom of this "exhaustion" is that he will not be running his annual competition during the Autumn Equinox. On an unrelated note he has apparently sent a message for the landskeepers of the Marches, which is apparently lodged with the Marcher egregore, detailing an exciting opportunity of some kind. He suggests they speak to the egregore about it and looks forward to hearing their response.

Also on an unrelated note, the Brother of Wizard has sent several heralds to the Empire in the last few months to congratulate the magicians involved in casting Hallow of the Green World, Bounty of the Brilliant Broker, and Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths. As his friends know, he is always keen to see powerful magic that shakes the foundations of the world being performed. He is, as previously mentioned, exhausted at the moment from all his hard work on behalf of his Imperial allies, but if Ioseph of the Banner of the Phoenix can gather "a shitload of iridescent gloaming, beggar's lye, and tempest jade" and "some nice bits of jewelry or statues of frogs and bats or what have you" put them in a sack and use the appropriate spell to send them to Sadogua, he'll see if he can't use them to whistle up a couple of tools to make casting large-scale Winter rituals a little easier.

Scales and Thrones

• Ephisis' Scales is extremely restricted during the Autumn Equinox
• Varushkan magicians cannot benefit from Before the Throne of Estavus for a period of one year
• Basileus Flint has apparently been removed as the Sovereign Lord of the City of Locks

During the Summer Solstice, both the City of Gold and Lead and the Lady of Shikal engaged in unique trades with Imperial magicians. One apparently went very well, and one went perhaps less well, but both have lingering consequences.

The experiment with different forms of commerce undertaken at the Autumn Equinox has been a success, at least from the point of view of the inhabitants of the City of Gold and Lead. As a consequence, they are currently busily restructuring the entire ritual. Not only for the Empire - for everyone. As a consequence of the extensive renovation work required, the ritual Ephisis' Scale will not function during the coming Equinox. The heralds of the Endless Market apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but are confident the disruption will be over by the Winter Solstice at the absolute latest. The sole exception is special arrangements, such as the delivery of Imperial hearts to fulfil assassination contracts, and the like. If the ritual is used for any other purpose, the goods will be returned untouched but the mana used in the ritual will still be consumed.

On the other hand, word has come from the heralds of Estavus that the Forgemistress is less than happy with certain Imperial citizens. According to their understanding, during the Autumn Equinox a cabal of Varushkan magicians may have attempted to steal one of the schema intended for the artisans of Wintermark. On the advice of the Lictors, Estavus has decreed that the no Varushkan magician will be able to benefit from the ritual Before the Throne of Estavus for a period of one year. Until the start of the Autumn Equinox 386YE, if a Varushkan magician or coven attempts to perform the ritual they will expend their mana, but their materials will be returned to them rather than being exchanged for warm ashes.

While delivering their messages, the heralds of Ephisis and Estavus cannot resist gossiping. Following an investigation into the events surrounding the destruction of the eternal Mazen, the Prince of the Black Locks has apparently been found guilty of egregious breach of contract. The Lictors have moved against the City of Locks, in fulfilment of their duties as enforcers of oaths and arbiters of obligation. There's precious little actual news news, but it seems that Basileus Flint is no longer the ruler of the city, and is instead incarcerated in the Green Iron Citadel. It's not clear who, if anyone, is in charge of the City. This may be of relevance to the Archmage of Autumn, whose pool of targets for plenipotentiary appears to be diminishing rapidly.

A Loom Of Spells

• An entrance to the Loom of Spells has been established in Tassato
• Sanvar Isk will be attending Anvil at 14;00 on Sunday to auction the right to use the Loom for a season
• Sanvar Isk is a terrible boss

Shortly after the Summer Solstice an Autumn regio in Tassato Mestra disgorges a work gang of heralds. Carrying contracts signed by Sanvar Isk, and apparently approved by the Archmage of Autumn (although Edmundo's signature appears nowhere on any paperwork), they set about constructing a fine doorway decorated with a mural of Bridges and Chains. In no time at all they are done, and the entrance to the Loom of Spells is complete.

Shortly thereafter, advertisements are pasted up on walls all across the twin cities. Anyone who wishes to learn more about the workings of the Autumn Realm and the craft of ritual codification can be taught them for free! Absolutely free! All they have to do is come and work on the Loom of Spells for a season. League citizens rarely shy away from the chance to improve themselves, and the first day that the doorway opens there is a queue of dozens of interested parties ready to take Isk up on his offer. When they return at the end of a long day's work, they bring stories of a device of unimaginable complexity where complex and abstract concepts are spun into fine, practical ideas, before being woven by further devices, refined more and more towards something concrete. The work is hard and Sanvar Isk is a terrible boss. He constantly pushes his unpaid volunteers to do more, work harder, stay a little longer, spend less time talking and eating, and so on. Many shrug their shoulders and ignore him. He may be condescending, unprosperous, and obnoxious, but the experience is a genuinely educational crash course in ritual theory. This experience proves particularly useful to some Tassatan mountebanks, who rarely have much in the way of formal training in arcane lore.. One season of bad work in exchange for the chance at a cushy job in the Lyceum, or the Icy Crag of the Eternal Sun? Many here have done more for less.

Emboldened by this success, Isk makes a bold approach to various churches of the Little Mother to pitch an 'apprenticeship program'. He receives short shrift. The custodians and tutors take a dim view of the idea that their wards might work without pay. The adults may do as they please - their time and effort is their own - but the young and vulnerable will not be taught to work for 'experience', 'future prospects', or any other such ephemeral rewards. After attempting to bribe one of the bishops to change her mind and subsequently being run off by a crowd of excitable children armed with heavy sticks, Sanvar Isk abandons this plan as a bad investment of time.

By the end of the season the Loom produces its first codified ritual with a self-aggrandising ceremony that Sanvar Isk tries to get as many of his volunteers to attend as he can. In the aftermath of this success, Sanvar sends a message to the Civil Service. He will once again attend anvil at 14:00 on the Sunday of the Autumn Equinox. Once there, he will auction off rights to the use of the Loom for the next season. The same rules apply, the Loom will not codify any ritual larger than the tenth magnitude, but within that restriction it is open to all comers. Sanvar also indicates that he wishes to receive payment in ingots or measures - mine and forest resources only. He has no desire for any specific materials, and doesn't care what mix of these things he receives, so long as the bids are big and the competition serious.

Bound By Malediction's Chains

• Tharim continues to offer rewards for more of the curios of the Alders-Baart family
• Tharim's offer will end at the start of the Winter Solstice 385YE

Tharim of the Thrice-cursed Court continues to ward the Hall of Worlds from intrusion by heralds. As long as the Bound King continues to be a friend of the Empire, and an image of the eternal is displayed during Conclave sessions that is visible throughout the Hall of Worlds, the ward will persist. Unless they are responding to a parley, heralds will be unable to enter the Hall if their master is under enmity, and those whose master is neutral will not be able to cross the hall without an invitation from an Imperial magician.

The Bound King has other concerns. He is sending heralds to speak with Imperial citizens at the invitation of the Archmage of Winter. He continues to feast in the Brass Coast, and empower the Fire of the South with his knights, even though that has not proved universally popular with the Freeborn. He has expressed an interest in a certain regio in the Barrens. And by all accounts he remains interested in the fate of the Alders-Baart family of the Sarcophan Delves.

As recounted last season, Tharim has an interest in ensuring the Sarcophan do not "wriggle out of the consequences of their actions". A few of their cursed items have found their way into his possession - he doesn't confirm that it is through the illegal Tribute to the Thrice-Cursed Court ritual but that is the most likely explanation - but not enough for him to be able to craft a suitable punishment for the Alders-Baart. If the bulk of the curios traded in the Empire by the Sarcophan family are found and given to him, Tharim would be grateful. The window of opportunity is, however, shrinking. By the end of the Autumn Equinox, the opportunity Tharim seeks will be lost. After that, while he will be happy to receive any Alders-Baart curios, there will be no chance of a reward for giving them to him.

While there has been no word of the Alders-Baart family themselves since their visit to Anvil in Spring, there is still a counter opportunity. The ritual Words of Ending could be used on the cursed curios, shattering the curse in its entirety, denying the power to the Thrice-cursed Court, and potentially liberating the Sarcophan merchant family from their misfortunes. As long as the ritual were performed far from the Sarcophan Delves, or from any citizen of the Delves, the maledictions would simply dissipate. The Alders-Baart would no doubt be at least as grateful as Tharim if they were freed of their curse. Obviously it's impossible to be certain how many (if any) curios have already been dealt with in this manner.

One ritual alone remains unlikely to swing the pendulum in either direction, but if a sufficient number of items are either destroyed or offered as tribute, either the Court or the Alders-Baart are sure to show their gratitude to those involved.

Kaela

The vallorn is a significant spiritual threat to the Empire. It traps human and orc souls, dooming those who die in battle. The Winter Eternal Kaela has offered her Gift to the Empire, and it has been used to good effect by those captured by the Druj, letting them escape torment through painless death. She offers to extend that boon to those facing the horrors of the vallorn, keeping them from an eternity trapped as a husk. She will not do so unless the General assembly invite her with a greater majority, sending the message that this intervention is welcome. The Archmage of Winter and the Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path have investigated Kaela's Gift, as have many others. It is their firm view, and that of the Conclave, that accepting Kaela's Gift does not prevent one from entering the Labyrinth or crossing the Howling Abyss. We should accept her offer.

Rafael Barossa di Tassato, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 1935-249

• The General Assembly upheld a statement of principle calling for Kaela to extend her Gift to those fighting the vallorn
• The statement did not receive a greater majority, but Kaela proposes a compromise

The Gift of Kaela is well known to those fighting the Druj. An Imperial citizen fighting in the Barrens, Zenith, or the Mallum who is captured by the eastern orcs may choose to end their own lives painlessly and instantly, leaving only ashes and dust behind. Swift oblivion is in may ways preferable to slow torment by the Druj, and to the risk of being turned into an engine of destruction driven to bring suffering to everything one once loved. It is not without controversy - those who choose the gift leave neither mortal remains nor a ghost that can be contracted by any means known to Imperial magicians.

A few years ago, Kaela offered to extend that boon to Imperial citizens fighting the vallorn, but only with the explicit approval of the Imperial Synod. In the past, when Kaela has offered her gifts to Imperial citizens she has faced opposition from some priests, and so requested a statement of principle raised in the General Assembly that encouraged those in dire straits to accept her gift. Rafael Barossa di Tassato, the grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path raised such a statement during the Summer Solstice. It did not, however, achieve the greater majority the Lady of the Grim Host requires, and as such it has not been disseminated widely among Imperial priests.

However, the fact that the statement was upheld, and that it was raised by the Grandmaster of the order that seeks to "Build a bridge between the Conclave and the priests of the Synod" leaves her minded to agree a compromise. Should the Grandmaster be prepared to commit their order to speaking to Imperial priests in the months leading up to the Winter solstice, reassuring them that the gifts of Kaela - both those of oblivion and membership of the Grim Legion - are not to be feared, then she will extend the gift to those fighting in the Vallorn miasma. They would be able to choose death, and perhaps more crucially dissolution, before their bodies could be infested with the vallorn's sick version of immortality. She will also turn her thoughts to how else she might be able to help the Empire bring oblivion to those who need it.

Of course, if the Grandmaster would rather not do this, or needs to deal with more pressing matters, they can continue try for a greater majority in the General Assembly. Kaela is patient. She has all the time in the world, after all.

Staff of Iron (Barien)

• The heralds of Barien will be hosted by House Griffinsong in Dawn between 7:30pm and 9:30pm on the Friday evening of the upcoming summit
• They have challenge scrolls for the following people: Catherine Words, Blaidd Sinan, Skjal Bjornsson, Damarion Orzel, Artis Greyholm, the challengers of Gryphon's Watch, Kasimir Aurelius Theothrastus Borutastus von Temeschwar
• Others have received letters from the heralds of Barien relating to ongoing challenges or rewardings
• The heralds will return on Sunday afternoon to conduct further business if necessary

This summit has brought a new experience to the usually unflappable heralds of the Iron Duke in their visits to this little slice of the mortal realm - a last minute change of plans. While the plan at the summer solstice was to return three months hence and enjoy some Navarr hospitality, given that Dawn has made a great gift of power to the eternals of summer in their bid to defeat the bizarre denizens of of the realm of Day, it seems only fitting to reward the Dawnish. As such, the heralds of the Lord of the Crossroads have taken up the offer of Earl Arjhann of House Griffinsong and will be able to be found there between half seven and half nine on Friday evening to dispense scrolls and answer any other questions that might crop up as usual. Anyone who misses the heralds then will be able to find them again on Sunday afternoon after the battle when they return to finish any other tasks. As for rumours that Revel themselves paid a visit a few weeks ago to book the glory square on Saturday afternoon? Well, that would be telling - you'll just have to ask the Dawnish themselves about that one.

A Game of Swords (Zakalwe)

• There is another opportunity to participate in a strategy game prepared by Zakalwe
• Zakalwe will be sending his heralds, Agon and the Opening Gambit to Wintermark at 7:00pm on Friday evening to collect the competitors

Following the trials of the Dawnish competitors during the Spring Equinox, Zakalwe has presented another test of strategy to the people of Wintermark. As with the first game of grand strategy, the second part of the game will test the Winterfolk's acumen and challenge them to overcome the odds in a recreation of a historical Imperial military campaign. Will they do as well as the strategists of Dawn? Now is the opportunity to find out! The Battle-wise intends to send his trusted herald Agon out to collect the Winterfolk challenges at 7:00pm on Friday evening, to escort them to the magical chamber where the game will take place. The competitors were selected during the Summer Solstice, and Agon will be equipped to ensure that even the most mundane champion will be able to reach the chamber,

A Dance of Spears (Janon)

• Janon's heralds fight alongside the Green Shield, and the Summer Storm
• In conjunction with a statement of principle from the Freeborn National Assembly, Janon offers to help transform the Burning Falcon

The Shadowed Flame' is holding parley with the Archmage of Night this season, but the quixotic eternal is never one to put all its eggs in one basket. As well as meeting a number of people in a chamber, Janon has sent numerous martial heralds out to support three of the Imperial armies - the Burning Falcon, the Green Shield, and the Summer Storm - whose generals called on his aid during the last season's campaigning.

Zeal, Heroism, and Worth

• For the next year any military unit that supports the Green Shield, or the Summer Sun on campaign will be inspired

As the Empire moved forces into Tromsa, and began the conquest of the Jotun lands, two generals called on Janon's heralds to join them in the battle. Wild warriors burning with singular passion aided the Green Shield and the Summer Sun, filling Wintermark and Imperial Orc soldiers with passion and zeal. Individually they did little to influence the tide of battle, but their presence still heartened and inspired the soldiers of the armies. Janon is very much an exception to the rule that the eternals of the Night realm eschew direct violence; he apparently loves nothing more than to see heroic, glorious, impassioned warriors pushing themselves to the limit to achieve victory.

Until the start of the Spring Equinox 386YE, these heralds will return to fight alongside the two armies. Their presence will certainly inspire any warband that chooses to fight with the army. The captain of any military unit from Wintermark assigned to support the Green Shields, or Imperial Orcs military unit assigned to support the Summer Storm, whether they are actively engaged by the enemy or not, will find themselves inspired. At the next event the character attends, they will gain an additional hero point for the duration of the summit, even if they do not have the hero skill themselves. The bonus hero point lasts until the start of the next event, and is restored as normal alongside other hero points. There may also be other benefits, depending on the situation the army finds itself in.

Unfortunately, during this time, the two armies will be unable to enact the Give Ground or Cautious Advance orders. If they do try to give these orders, the army will default to Solid Defence or Balanced Attack respectively.

The only way to remove this effect before the start of the Autumn Equinox 386YE would be for the general to include in their orders specific instructions to their soldiers to drive away any heralds of Janon who tried to fight alongside them, or for the army to be enchanted with Day magic or Autumn magic - the rational and disciplined nature of such enchantments would be anathema to these zealous heralds of Janon. Either of these effects would remove the benefit as well as the restriction, and would likely see Janon become quite offended.

A spark, from family hearth and pyre. Carried by voice on wind to kohan's fire. Becoming flame. Burning honest to everything they will ever be. Terrifying, splendid, incandescent, free. A thousand words a thousand thoughts writhing grasping struggle forth to bind an inferno to form it can never take. Until embers. A memory where fires shone. Warmth for those who linger on. Hotter still than what was gone. And finally, ash. Ash a claw for jealous throats, ash a scent to linger with the loved, ash a new voice carried on the wind. Let Janon's true conviction inspire the kohan to burn as Falcons ever brighter Sparks, flames, embers, and ash..

Luca i Taziel i Riqueza, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 186-16

Falcons Ever Brighter

True Conviction

• Can only use the triumphant charge or forced march order when attacking
• Can only use the final stand or desperate reinforcement order when defending.

An army with True Conviction is filled with passionate intensity and zeal. During battle the soldiers fight to the absolute best of their ability, and while resting they embrace everything life has to offer knowing that they may die in their next battle. They are utterly committed to the act of war, able to traverse the Empire like a blazing comet, smashing into the enemies of the Freeborn people with unquenchable fury.

However, this quality means that the general is only able to issue the triumphant charge, final stand, forced march, and desperate reinforcement orders. They cannot use any of the standard orders normally available to a general. The only thing that will allow them to take a different order is a special opportunity or an enchantment that influences or temporarily changes their quality.

• Janon's heralds have been agitating for the Burning Falcon to let their passions blaze like the sun

General Aracelis of the Burning Falcon was unable to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by Janon during the Summer Solstice, but the National Assembly of the Brass Coast made it clear the Freeborn are still interested in Janon's assitance in helping the newest army to burn with the flame of True Conviction. Janon is known to have an intense interest in the Imperial Synod, and what motivates Imperial priests. He loves to see people burn with Virtuous passion, especially Courage, Ambition, Loyalty, and Pride. The eternal was by all accounts moved by the powerful poetry of Luca i Taziel i Riqueza and immediately dispatched its heralds to speak to the priests of the Brass Coast.

The opportunity to use magic and ilium has passed with the conjunction, but there is still a way to inspire the Burning Falcon. Janon proposes that the priests of the Brass Coast collect mithril, to be used in the creation of braziers and torches that will burn with eternal flames kindled in each of the Freeborn territories. These fires will be broadly mundane, but their symbolism as the Fires of the Freeborn Spirit will be undeniable. The priests can hallow them, or create consecrations or other auras that urge the soldiers to embrace their own passions in pursuit of their goals, and create an army that never ceases in its zeal to fight. Janon believes 50 wains of mithril will be sufficient; once the material is gathered the National Assembly should enact a mandate:

A spark, from family, hearth, and pyre, carried by voice on wind to kohan's fire! Arise, Burning Falcon, and blaze across the sky like a comet bright as the sun-at-night! We send (named priest) with 50 wains of mithril and 50 doses of liao to bring everburning flames from Madruga, Segura, Kahraman, and Feroz, to inspire our soldiers with a burning passion like none ever seen before!

Synod Mandate, Brass Coast National Assembly

If this mandate is enacted, then over the course of a season, and with the aid of Janon, the quality of the Burning Falcon will change from Glorious to True Conviction. Unlike a normal mandate, this one can be enacted at the Autumn Equinox, the Winter Solstice, or the Spring Equinox. After that the impetus for change will have faded, and the chance to gain True Conviction will be permanently lost.

While the transformation will be supported by Janon, the eternal seeks no dominion over the army. It will not place the soldiers or the general in his thrall, and it won't be lost if the eternal is placed under enmity. While heralds of the Shadowed Flame would seek to fight alongside the Burning Falcon whenever possible, and would support the army and pay particular attention to its fortunes, it would be in a similar vein to which the Spider King supports and watches over some of the Navarr armies rather than the way the Summer eternals serve as direct patrons of the Eastern Sky.

Beneath the Dagger (Conjunction)

• Quiet Charlie is meeting with a number of heralds and cultists near a Night chamber
• The Sentinel Gate will open at 21:15 on Friday to Crowned Trees, Southmoor, Mournwold
• This skirmish is a combat highly likely encounter
• Brother Martin Orchard is responsible for confronting Quiet Charlie

Over the past season threshers, spurred on by the mandate enacted by Brother Martin Orchard, have been hunting high and low for agents of the Whisper Gallery active in the Marches. Those citizens that have shown an interest in secrets before have received a visit or two from the threshers willing to go beyond the law to get results and deliver a blow to the Shadow Courtiers. There have been a number of notable cultists turned up; a circle of landskeepers that were blackmailing local stewards, a friar using secrets in order to further extend their influence, and a beater who fed secrets to a herald in exchange for boons.

Those discovered are executed, on the orders of the magistrate Briar Bridget after careful investigation, but at least one major cultist remains; Quiet Charlie. Quiet Charlie is an elusive figure - expected considering their patron - but the threshers investigating around Sarcombe have uncovered that they will be meeting with a number of other cultists and heralds near a Night chamber in Southmoor. Given that this results from the mandate enacted by Brother Martin Orchard it is his responsibility to confront Quiet Charlie.

Lictors Calling (Conjunction)

• The Sentinel Gate will open at 23:00 on Friday to Bertram's Square, Cigno, Sarvos
• This skirmish is a combat unlikely or contained encounter

Accessibility This encounter is not intended to feature fighting and is classed combat unlikely or contained. This is an opportunity for citizens of the League, especially dramatrugists and musicians, to pass through the Sentinel Gate for a mixture of performance and roleplay in a somewhat sinister atmosphere. It will take place across an area of woods a couple of minutes walk from the Sentinel Gate, on flat ground.

Drums in the Counting House Anyone taking part in this conjunction will experience the following location aura: While in this place you feel you are about to suffer a terrible punishment for a debt you owe someone - either real or imagined. You feel the urge to save yourself by giving up power and revealing secrets. (This can be resisted with any source of spiritual strength. In addition, while you can hear music other than the drumming of the Lictors this grants a source of spiritual strength for the purposes of resisting the location aura.)

An odd tale spreads across the League after the Summer Solstice. It speaks of a gang of mountebanks reckless enough to sign magical contracts while guising as the dramaturgical personae, and the Callidus herald foolish enough to believe they were who they were pretending to be. Nobody can say for sure where they first heard the tale, but it does the rounds of bars, salons, and green rooms for months, As the Autumn Equinox approaches, it gradually dawns on people that this actually happened. The Sovereign Lord of the City of Chains has apparently made very clear that such a trick will not be allowed to succeed twice. The herald who originally offered the contracts has disappeared - presumably struck from the Iron Ledger.

More pressingly, agents of the Lictors have appeared at Bertram's Square in Sarvos to demand the debts outstanding be paid in full. Now that a reckoning is demanded, the mountebanks are, of course, nowhere to be found, as is the nature of such people. These Lictors have not brought the green iron claws and chains they're famous for instead they have brought drums, beating out a sinister rhythm that evokes the dramaturgical Throne of the Counting House, creating a sinister aura. For those without a source of spiritual strength this aura can be resisted if the Lictors' drumming is drowned out by another source of music evoking a different Throne.

If the Lictors cannot be satisfied that the debts are settled there could be major ramifications for the practice of Dramaturgy in the League, at least in the short term. It's not clear what power the Lictors have to enforce bargains of this nature, but their appearance in Sarvos is very different to the ways they have interacted with the Empire in the past. Perhaps the stories of change at the City of Bars have substance to them? It is hoped that just as dramaturgy caused this problem, so it can also be the solution. If a group of people could guise as the personae and visit the lictors they should be able to settle the debts. The actual nature of the debts is not widely known, but they are believed to be relatively subjective and ephemeral - the lictors will not be demanding stacks of coin or mana. The League egregores should know more, but a conjunction of the Sentinel Gate that will reach Bertram's Square has been identified at 23:00 on Friday, that will allow up to 50 people to visit the area. it appears that whatever is going on there, the Sentinel Gate at least thinks it will require a large number of people.

The current Guardian of the Maze of Zoria, and the bearer of the Staff of Zoria, intends to pilgrimage to the Cave of Zoria in the Opascari Mountains. We believe the staff was taken by the Thule from this cave. They are returning to the cave to investigate the stone tablet contained within where the staff could yield more information on the paragon of Wisdom to the benefit of all who follow the Way..

Illya Nikovitch Volkovt, Summer Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 288-0

The Cave of Zoria

Finally, a little story about one of the oldest known sorcerers, although in her day the term had a very different meaning. During the Summer Solstice, the Varushkan national assembly expressed an interest in arranging an expedition to the Zoria's Cave, a grotto in the Opascari mountains. The cave was one of those places considered for consecration as aninspirational location for the paragon Zoria. The Synod eventually settled on the Maze of Zoria in Miekarova instead. Found at the foot of Black Hill, a peak so small it is barely considered a mountain at all. Some say it is black because of the rock of which the hill is made, others that it is dark because the surrounding mountains are so high that the sun can never fall on Black Hill, while others tell darker stories about how it got its name. The cave was once, apparently, the final resting place of either Zoria or her belongings, but it was looted by a Thule raiding party over a century ago.

The cave which leads deep into the mountain where it opens out into a set of winding twisting caves. This is no true labyrinth, just a long twisting passage that will occasionally open out into a majestic cavern filled with strange purple and blue columns that rise up to the ceiling. It is arduous going but relatively easy to find your way through the cave to the heart of the mountain. The centre is unmistakable, a vast cavern, hundreds of feet across. Here the stalagmites have grown so thick and twisted that passage between is difficult and the traveller must pick their way with care lest they are forced to turn back and find another route. At the centre is a great stone tablet carved with hundreds of Wintermark runes.

Or rather... that's how the cave used to be. The expedition that went to the foothills of the five peaks found something very different. No sign of the purple and blue columns, no sign of a great stone rune tablet. Instead, the place was full of darkness. Not the mere absence of light, but a darkness like ebon velvet, like the darkest treacle that spreads and flows. A hungry, jealous darkness, that gives way only grudgingly to illumination, and seems to feast on light. Torches and lanterns brought by the visitors lasted around half as long; even lightstones began to flicker and grow dim after even a short exposure to the cave's interior.

During the exploration, some of those who made that long trip to the mountains reported seeing shapes in the dark. Things moving. Sometimes people they recognised, sometimes strangers, sometimes... other things. And then the disappearances started. Usually someone who had reported seeing movement in the dark, but not always. Half a dozen folk just... vanished... before the expedition decided that it would be wise to leave the foothills and return to the relative safety of the Hunt of Alderei the Fair. Two more people disappeared before the group reached the weirwood grove, but nobody else has vanished since.

Participation and the Bats of Sleep

Any Varushkan character is free to roleplay that they were part of the expedition to Zoria's Cave. The place was empty - crushingly so - and anyone who ventured into the cave proper will have experienced a terrible sensation of being swallowed by darkness, and might report the kind of phenomenon one would experience in a haunted house. Anyone who wants to can mark their character dead and say they are one of those who vanished - or use a visit to the cave as an explanation for why their character suddenly disappears during the event. Go to GOD, mark your character as dead, and start a new character without explanation. Nobody who is taken by the darkness that now claims the cave will ever be seen again except in bad dreams or out of the corner of one's eyes in a dark place.

Anyone who visited the cave who is a dedicate of Wisdom may choose to have experienced peculiar dreams both while they were there and on the journey back. These dreams invariably involve a conversation with a great furry bat, a black-feathered goose with golden eyes, or a massive but solicitous spider. These imaginary messengers tell stories of an entity they call The Dark, or occasionally The Devouring Dark, The Hungry Dark, The Lonely, Light Eater, Brol Akaan', Sunfoe. It is a sovereign tied somehow to the mountains in the north of Varushka, which embodies the fear of the dark, of being alone, of forgetfulness, of ignorance. It is a powerful and terrible creature whose servants are either dreadful living shadows that spirit its victims away, or seemingly friendly folk filled with the alien blackness that pools beneath the hills and mountains. As with the other great sovereigns - Dho'uala, the Charnel Lord,and the Howling Queen, it is testing the strength of its bounds and woe betide anyone who falls into its grasp or gives it a foothold in their souls. It has claimed Zoria's Cave, say the bats, and the geese, and the weasels, and whatever may once have been found there will never be seen again. Much like anyone who insists on venturing into the depths of the caves in search of it.