386YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune

News spreads through word of mouth as fast as it does through broadsheets and posters, and is sometimes more reliable. Or at least, unreliable in more amusing ways...

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

Signal Fire

• Imperial citizens

In previous seasons Throne, Emperor Vesna, has used their power to address the Empire to present a personal message to all Imperial citizens. This season, however, she has chosen to allow someone else to make that address on their behalf - Rane Shard-Bearer, the Senator for Kallavesa.

The message has been distributed across the Empire by the civil service, and you can read it in the Signal fire wind of fortune.

The Fayre Fight

• Dawn, especially those who completed all four stages of the Grand Tour

The Knight of Roses has invited all those who have completed the Grand Tour to take part in a special tourney to be held at Anvil, in the heart of the Empire. The Reeve has gone further, proposing that the nation present a fayre at Anvil, to celebrate all that is best in Dawnish life, and to show the other nations the splendor and glory of their nation. Two other tourneys are also due to take place - to detertmine the new knight-protector of Autumn, and as part of the selection of the Challenger in Waiting - and there are interesting developments with both those titles that might add extra frisson to the autumn fayre.

You can read about the fayre and the tourneys, and the various opportunities related to each, in the The fayre fight wind of fortune.

Beneath Mithril Spires

• Ambassador to the Commonwealth; Imperial Senate; Dean of the Lyceum; Voice of Lierty; Imperial fleet captains

The Commonwealth is perhaps the closest thing to an ally the Empire has among the six great powers of the known world. Committed to the principles of the greater good, they disagree with the Empire on any number of things but actively seem to seek points of agreement and common ground over dissent and difference. One day the two nations will fight - it is inevitable given both seek to bring the entire world under the aegis of what the believe is right - but for now there is space for discourse and even cooperation.

You can learn about diplomatic relations and political complications relating to the Commonwealth, as well as several opportunities, in the Beneath mithril spires wind of fortune.

Hyenas and Herbs

• Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves; Imperial Senate; Custodian on the Concordium Docks; High Herbalist of Sybella; Master of the Root and Stem; WIntermark farmers; Imperial fleet captains

The Bedelaar Huisbaas of the Sarcophan Delves always seek to maintain a level of neutrality, the better to ensure their ships are welcome at every port. They are enthusiastic trade partners, both with the Empire and the Empire's enemies. Their refusal to pick a side between the nations that make up the Liberty Pact and the so-called "Freedom Accord" is being tested however, thanks to the Asaean Plenum. Yet they're not ready to give up on the Empire just yet, and indeed some of them seem interested in increasing their investment in Imperial markets - conflict breeds opportunity after all.

You can learn about the state of diplomatic relations with the Delves, as well as a couple of opportunities to trade with them, in the Hyenas and herbs wind of fortune.

Houses of Silence

• Sarvosans, especially the Chamber of Commerce; Imperial Synod; Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves; Artists; Anyone with an interest in recreational narcotics or the law

Three years ago the Imperial Senate ceded the Alivetti estates near Sarvos to the Sarcophan Delves, so that they could create a trading enclave. Under the sponsorship of the powerful Vandersaar family, that enclave has flourished; but not always in ways palatable to every Imperial citizen. As the Autumn Equinox approaches, the matter of the Alivetti estates receives additional scrutiny - not only because of concerns about the Sarcophan enforcing their own laws there, but of plans to build a blasphemous cathedral on what was until recently Imperial soil. At the same time, the Vandersaar are looking to invest further in Sarvos, setting the stage of a great deal of discussion about the presence of the 'Delves merchants on the southern border of the Empire.

You can read about the controversy, and a rare opportunity for the Sarvosan Chamber of Commerce, in the Houses of Silence wind of fortune.

Victory and Unity

• Ambassador to Axos; Regarrio Dossier; Assembly of Nine; Shuttered Lantern, Celestial Arch, and Sevenfold Path; Imperial Synod

The Empire and Axos have never been friends, and are at best allies of convenience perhaps. The only signatory to the Liberty Pact that is not a Great Power, Axos seeks to make it's mark on the world stage - even though it covers less land than many Imperial nations. Relations are always a little volatile - the Axou are prickly at best - but there is talk of a rising movement that seeks to secure the legacy of the sorcerer-kings in a way that is making some observers a little nervous.

You can learn about the current situation, and a few opportunities to engage with the unpredictable Axou, in the Victory and unity wind of fortune.

Trade Summary

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

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

• Asavean Archipelago: The port of Nemoria is closed to Imperial trading vessels.
• Axos: The Axos continue to be annoyed 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 penalties to trade with Axos. A fleet captain trading at the Towers of Kantor suffers a -2 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 port of Betovering is open to Imperial fleets.
• Sumaah Republic: There is no penalty to trade with Zemeh and Imperial fleets are welcomed. Be aware that the amount of liao offered has been reduced as per the Guide the spirit wind of fortune.
• Grendel: The port of Oran is closed to Imperial fleets.
• Iron Confederacy: The port of Robec is available for Imperial fleets but suffers a -1 rank penalty due to sanctions from the Suranni.
• Faraden: The port of Caitun is available for Imperial fleets. Fleets from the Marches and Wintermark benefit from a +1 rank bonus due to close proximity.

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, those 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 an 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	Opposition	Link	Outcome
Therunin, Lower Tarn Valley, Tarn Bend	Prevent the Slaughter	Druj	Ashes	Field Marshal was Lofyn Blood-cloak of Wintermark; the Druj advance was slowed; the concoctions within Sephals Cauldron was unleashed on Lower Tarn Valley.
Madruga, Siroc Plains, Sabadellano	Assassinate Governor Rahab	Grendel	Below the thunders	Field Marshal was Zoran De Orzel of Dawn; Governor Rahab was assassinated; the Asavean plan was discovered and foiled; the Dùthcha-Éadrom was recovered; the Star of Attar was claimed; the fate of Maistir Rígbarddán Dubh is unclear.
Bregasland, Gravenmarch, Rock Foot Wood	Stop the Burhfæst	Jotun	Only forward	Not taken; the Burhfæst has been established in Gravenmarch; Svynna of Ldansk still lives.