Legacy
Overview
The Legacy is located in Ossuary in the League territory of Spiral. Custodianship of the Legacy granted an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable mithril.
The Resource
This vast mine complex was one of the last places in Spiral to fall to the Grendel. The mine is mostly played out, but still managed to produce a reasonable quantity of mithril for the Seat holder. When the seat was held by Urizen, the mithril was used to improve the mana sites of the magicians of the nation. As with many places that delve into the rock of the mountains of Ossuary, workers here occasionally uncovered the bones of giant creatures, buried in the deep rock - these curious finds were often considered collector's items.
When Spiral was lost to the Grendel in 331YE, it required significant military force and the focused attention of the most powerful Urizen magic to keep the Legacy from falling into the hands of the barbarians. The garrisons there managed to retain control of the region until the disastrous Grendel offensive in Summer 379YE. The orc forces struck north from their positions south of Screed, and took the defenders by surprise. They quickly overwhelmed the Urizen force, and by the time reinforcements reached them, it is already too late. The sentinels were able to retreat, rescuing a few survivors and escorting them north into Zenith while the Grendel troops were occupied plundering the Legacy.
According to legend, the Legacy was part of a great gift to the Urizen people - but who gave it to them, and why, are details lost to time. The earliest stories go back to the time of Terunael, and despite the best efforts of Urizeni scholarship, no solid evidence one way or another has been uncovered. The more fanciful tales suggest the Legacy was a gift from an eternal power associated with the deep earth. Another story, more popular with historians, speaks of a vanished people that once lived the mountains above Ossuary and left the Legacy as a bequest when they departed Spiral for parts unknown. Many simply assume that both stories are fanciful, and that the Legacy takes its name from its intended role as a gift to future generations of Urizeni as yet unborn - the magicians who will eventually inherit the powerful mana sites that the mithril helps create.
The liberation of the Legacy was obviously a matter of some concern for the Urizen people. It was eventually liberated by a heroic assault via the Sentinel Gate during Summer 380YE. Despite some concern however that the Senate might choose to allocate it as an Imperial resource, they instead chose to reaffirm it as a national resource in control of Urizen.
Less than a year later, the Legacy was again captured during a major Grendel push that saw Imperial forces driven back to Cinion. Then, shortly before the Spring Equinox 382YE it was again liberated by the Empire. Given the events following its capture, it is likely it will remain in Imperial hands for a while at least, as the Grendel are very much in disarray in Spiral. It was duly allocated as an Urizen National Bourse position during the Spring Equinox summit.
With the malign force currently dominating Spiral, however, there have been significant consequences for the Legacy. The mithril in the Legacy appears to shield the workers there somewhat from the influence of the awoken Black Plateau, but there are few workers prepared to make the trip to Ossuary given the recent history of the mithril mine and the constant threats. As a consequence the upkeep of the Legacy has been doubled for the foreseeable future.
The Legacy was again captured by barbarian forces when the Druj invaded northern Spiral during the Spring Equinox 383YE. At some point during the peace treaty with the Grendel it was claimed from the Druj by the forces of the Broken Shore. When Spiral joined the League the Senate voted to allocate the Legacy as a national Bourse seat.
The Bourse Seat
Responsibilities
The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of mithril which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Legacy were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Seat to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the Legacy, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Seat on the Bourse
Custodianship of the Legacy comes with a seat on the Imperial Bourse. For the most part, this Seat comes with no additional responsibilities. It is an Imperial title that grants the right to participate on the rare occasion when the Imperial Bourse as a body is required to make a decision.
Bounty of mithril
The Seat has control of a source of mithril and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 22 Imperial wains of mithril every season.
Appointment
As with all mithril Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Autumn Equinox. Control of the Legacy is assigned by open auction at the Autumn Equinox each year.
Custodianship of the Legacy is retained for a year, or until the citizen holding the seat dies, or steps down. An Imperial Bourse seat cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.
| Summit | Elected | Bid |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Equinox 386YE | Otmar van Holberg | 80 thrones |
| Autumn Equinox 385YE | Taskel Di Apulian | 240 thrones |
| Autumn Equinox 382YE | Thalia | |
| Summer Solstice 382YE | Thalia | |
| Autumn Equinox 380YE | Marcus of Endsmeet | |
| Autumn Equinox 378YE | Sibella of Phoenix Reach | |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | Marcus of Endsmeet | |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | Valerian of Phoenix Reach |
Recent Elections
This title is currently held by Otmar van Holberg; it will be reelected at Autumn Equinox 387YE. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.