382YE Summer Solstice winds of fortune

Overview

Over the past three months, several events have occurred which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. You can also read about the progress of the Empire's military campaigns here.

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.

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 'should' know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months.

Many winds of fortune open with a short section of in-character text. 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. They're mostly just a bit of fun and they tend not to contain anything vital to the understanding of the wind of Fortune.

Winds of Fortune

Blood and Gold

• Navarr; General Assembly; Urizen national assembly

With an opportunity to fight the vallorn in Liathaven, the Navarr people have had to make hard choices. Their National Assembly has helped to guide some of those choices, with mixed results, but some good may have come out of it. You can learn about the situation, and some of the suggested solutions, here.

Both Cut Alike (Conjunctions)

• Imperial Heroes

The Sentinel Gate is a true wonder of the world, allowing Imperial heroes to visit places all around the Empire and deal with threats to the safety of their people. Some of those conjunctions can be determined well in advance, and the fact of their existence made public knowledge. You can learn about some of these conjunctions here.

Bury the Hatchet (Plenipotentiary)

• Imperial Conclave

Six eternals have apparently responded to plenipotentiary messages sent by the archmages during the Spring Equinox. Furthermore, all six have agreed to formal parley. Some intend to visit - or send representatives to - the Hall of Worlds, while others are arranging to meet the archmage and a few guests in specially prepared chambers. You can learn which eternals are keen to talk to the Empire, and what about, here.

A Civil Tongue (Trade Winds)

• Fleet captains, ambassadors, traders

The Empire does not exist in isolation; with four fractious neighbours and five great powers overseas, international trade and diplomacy is an ever shifting sea of opportunity and obstacle. You can read about current Imperial relations with foreign powers here.

Easy Come, Worth Less

• Highguard; Highborn assembly; Possibly Navarr and Urizen; General Assembly

Four statements of principle from the Highborn National Assembly were upheld with a greater majority during the Spring Equinox. They dealt with such diverse matters as supporting the Highborn armies, opposing the vallorn, welcoming refugees, and dealing with spider jars. You can learn about how these statements were received here.

Fight with Monsters

• Wintermark

During the Spring Equinox, Gunnbrand Ironwill passed a mandate urging the warriors of Wintermark to fight heroically. Coupled with the consecration of the marshes of Kallavesa, this has lead to opportunities for the generals of the Fist of the Mountain and the Green Shields, and permanent changes to the way Wintermark makes war. You can learn about these opportunities and changes here.

Fit and Proper

• Imperial Conclave; Imperial Senate; Militia

Thanks to the recent controversy around the use of a forbidden curse, some magicians - the sort who generally don't attend Anvil - are deeply concerned. Has the Imperial Conclave fatally undermined its own moral authority to oversee the use of magic in the Empire? What does it mean to say "this ritual is interdicted... except when we say it isn't”? Whether you think it is one compromise too many, or merely acknowledgement of the realities of modern Imperial politics, you can learn about their concerns and a suggestion for addressing the issues here.

Good Apples

• The Marches, Prosperity assembly

Good Walder is a paragon of Prosperity beloved across the Empire. There are recent stories that Good Walder themselves - or maybe someone who looked like them - or maybe something else entirely the stories are confused - came to Anvil last season. The Marchers probably know more. One of the repercussions of that visit involves the fate of a small stand of apple trees, that by all accounts are producing miraculous apples. You can learn about this apple-themed occurrence here.

Home from the Wars

• The Marches; General assembly

Since the fall of Overton, and the razing of Orchard's Watch the Greensward has been beset by hauntings. Tens of thousands of humans and orcs died fighting here, and these deaths have soured the earth. Only friars and ghosts remain in any numbers. With Honour's Rest as a base of operation, the friars have begun working with liao to lay as many of the ghosts as possible to rest. The task of dealing with the ghosts stretches the resources of the Marcher priests, however, and they have acknowleged that they need help to deal with the sheer number of angry spirits. You can learn about the response here.

Honey off a Thorn

• Imperial Orcs; Imperial Orcs Assembly

The Imperial Orcs are fast approaching a crossroads. They have two fundamental questions, and they cannot avoid answering them for too much longer. Namely, who are they? And what do they want? You can learn a little about these questions, and some potential answers, here.

An Ideal for Living

• Urizen; Imperial Synod

The Urizen National Assembly continues to endorse the so-called Sword scholar movement. Apparently an old heretical sect of Wisdom devotees who follow a proscribed paragon named Sulemaine, they are now gathering in the foothills of Morrow. The possibility exists to reconcile their highly rational - and ruthless - take on the virtue of Wisdom, which you can learn about here.

Judged by Their Company

• Imperial Synod; Franco i Erigo

Far to the west of the Empire, in the ancient Asavean city of Nemoria, stands a Temple of the Seven Virtues. The Imperial priests who support the temple slowly spread understanding of the Way to the Asavean idolators, and it has remained crisis free for nearly nine months. Now though, Ressia i Afanera i Guerra has been approached by Asaveans who want to be ordained and master the liao ceremonies Imperial priests of the Way take for granted. Ressia is not keen to make a potentially contentious decision himself, and is looking to the Imperial Synod and the Liaison to the Temple for guidance. You can learn about this situation - and about some other religious matters related to the upcoming inquisition of the Asavan Architect and a scurrilous, possibly blasphemous - pamphlet here.

Leaves and Fruit

• Highguard

A very old saying suggests that Highguard is built on white granite. To a nation looking for a little stability in the wake of schism and heresy, such a saying might bring a little comfort. Three opportunities to build with white granite toward a greater virtue. Roads to carry pilgrims, and virtuous merchants. A new start for an old meeting hall, and a return to tradition. A chance to practice what the benefactors preach. You can learn about these opportunities here.

Make Good Use

• The Marches, Wintermark

Feni raiding in Hahnmark, raiding in the Mournwold, and allegedly living secretly in the forest of Alderly getting up to who-knows-what. Something should be done, before they steal every perishable good they can get their hands on in Wintermark and the Marches! You can learn about the problem, and some possible solutions, here.

Mean What You Say (Winds of Magic)

• Imperial Conclave, Imperial Synod, Fleet captains

The Empire is a place of logistics, money, hard work, art, and savage politics. It is also a place of magic. The magicians of the Conclave work simple cantrips, weave potent enchantments, bestow terrible curses, wield immense cosmic power, and engage in savage politics. You can learn about some of the magics woven, and some of the savage politics here.

More Work

• Imperial Synod, Imperial Senate; Highguard

The encyclical of Severin von Holberg continues to be discussed. Whilst initial reactions focused on the problems caused by the National assemblies and the nature of the paragons and exemplars, now that a few months have passed ecclesiastical scholars are looking at what it has to say about virtue. "It is the Seven Virtues than unite us, not divide us" said Severin - and by mandating him to send out his address, the Imperial Synod tacitly agreed with him. You can hear some of the suggestions made by theologians and constitutional scholars here.

The Same Bed

• The Brass Coast

The Brass Coast has faced more than its fair share of violence and disruption of late, invaded by not one but two barbarian orc tribes. Yet the spirit of the Freeborn is nothing if not resilient. In the paradours, and around the wells, and under the shade of the orange trees, gossip and rumour dance as enthusaistically as they have ever done. Whether it is firey displays in the skies over Madruga, earthquakes in Segura, plans to defend the City of a Thousand Sails, or just an argument about the role of charity in the lives of the Freeborn, you can learn about it here.

Set in Stone

• The Marches

The Mournwold is broadly looking up, but news has reached the landskeepers of certain developments during the Spring Equinox that have many of them spitting teeth - and have fuelled Mournwolder concerns about the future. You can learn about these developments, and what is being proposed by the Mourn, here.

Stings Like The Truth

• Imperial Conclave; Imperial Senate; Imperial Synod; Militia; Livia Cascade

The Empire has several bodies dedicated to uncovering and sharing knowledge. The Department of Historical Research; the Anvil Library; the office of the Seer of the Gateway; and several others. These scholars and truthseekers are not without their enemies, however, both supernatural and mundane. The Whisper Gallery, Sung, and a chapter of Highborn are all looking at the Empire's current laissez faire attitude to scholarship... and not liking what they see. You can learn about this, and potential solutions, here.

Stranger Friends

• Imperial Conclave; Imperial Synod

The Hand of Dumon are a cabal of magicians from the Iron Confederacy who seek the overthrow of the Suranni through a combination of forbidden magic and forbidden spirituality. With the approval of the general assembly behind them, they are keen to gain the support of the Empire in their endeavours. You can learn about what they want, and what they have to offer, here.

Talk Softly (Orc Affairs)

• Navarr; Marchers; Ambassador to Otkodov; Military council

There are four powerful nations that border the Empire inhabited by orcs. A state of war persists with three, but one is at peace. For now. There are also orcs within the Empire - the Great Forest Orcs and the former Jotun thralls in the Marches. You can learn about developments with the orc nations, and with the foreign orcs settled in the Empire, here.

Toil and Weep

• Military unit owners

It's been brewing for a little while now, but war has come to the Asavean Archipelago. Two of their provinces have risen in armed rebellion against the Plenum, apparently supported by agitators from the Sumaah Republic. The Ministry for Military Procurement is keen to employ foreign mercenaries - soldiers with no connection to any of the disgruntled territories - and is reaching out to the Empire with a potentially lucrative opportunity. You can learn about the details of the war, and the offer from the Asavean government, here.

Weak and Idle Theme

• Freeborn, especially the Brass Coast Assembly; Imperial Synod

The brutal attack by the Iron Confederacy against the Suranni rebels sheltering in Feroz last season has caused significant concern across the Brass Coast. At first these concerns were expressed by the descendants of the Freeborn paragon Zemress in Segura, but in the face of two competing mandates issued by the Imperial Synod, interest in the issue is beginning to spread and more and more Freeborn are questioning the situation. You can learn about the situation here.

Ongoing Situations and Outcomes

In this section, we'll summarize situations that are potentially of interest to players, but which at this time we've decided not to explore with a full Wind of Fortune.

Bite in the League

During the Spring Equinox, the Imperial Senate declared the drug bite to be illegal. It is a crime to possess, sell, or create the drug anywhere in the Empire. The magistrates and the militia have engaged in a number of operations against known bite suppliers; it is now very difficult to get hold of the narcotic anywhere in the League, which may cause a problem for those who have developed a taste for it. The drug is still being produced, however, and is still available on the black market. Anyone with information relating to bite, known dealers or users, or its production may wish to speak to a magistrate or member of the militia.

Residue of Storms

At the tail end of last year, a mighty storm swept through northern Varushka leading to the revelation of a number of sites in the mountains. These included an old ossuary containing the bones of many pre-Imperial Varushkan warriors; a possibly haunted cave deep in the mountains of Brez; an ancient Terunael orichalcum mine; and the remains of castle foundations for a great stronghold apparently intended to protect Varushka from the Thule.

These opportunities were not by their nature time sensitive, but in the weeks leading up to the Summer Solstice, scouts keeping a watch on the so-called Travelers secret report that there are signs that a Thule adventuring party have visited the site. They did not remain long, but it now seems likely the dragons are aware of the orichalcum mine.

Roads

Nobody can deny the success of the Blood Red Roads, the Roads of Karsk, and the new South-west Road network. After several queries, and bearing in mind the interest in the White Roads of Highguard, the civil service have begun work on a broad-scale survey of the Empire with an eye towards creating plans for territories currently without new road networks. They expect to deliver their report shortly before the Autumn Equinox. The resolution of these deliberations can be found here.

Roundup

Mandates

Only one mandate was successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod during the Spring Equinox. You can find the details of all the Synod judgements raised last season here.

Assembly	Mandate	Priest	Outcome
Wintermark	We do not compromise even with ourselves. The mantle of the hero is not easily shrugged on and off again, it is a quality of the soul that endures beyond life. We send Gunnbrand Ironwill with 50 doses of liao to remind all the people of Wintermark of the path that we all walk.	Gunnbrand Ironwill	permanent change in tactics for Wintermark armies, plus opportunites.