Wiki Updates

Overview

This is a list of significant updates to the wiki. We try to keep it as up to date as possible, in the hope it will be a more useful reference than the recent changes page which lists every spelling correction and formatting change.

By its nature this page will be regularly updated so when you visit the wiki try checking here first. However please keep in mind this is a manually updated page so at times maybe a little behind the actual updates. We tend to make an entry on this page once an update is finalised - so if something has changed and hasn't been mentioned here it's possible that the changes are not yet complete.

In early 2022, we moved all entries on this page prior to 2019 to the previous wiki updates page in the Archive namespace as detailed in Archiving wiki updates.

Conduct Overhaul

• 20/03/2022

We have rewritten the Profound Decisions conduct policy. The page on conduct defines the rules that we expect all participants to follow, reporting a conduct problem provides information on the process for reporting any issue you have, and sanctions describes the steps we can take in response. We have also updated the text for the must-avoid policy to reflect the new changes. There is a description of the key changes and some of the reasoning on our rules update 2021 page.

Sutannir

• 17/03/2022

We have added a new wiki page devoted to the sutannir, archetypal Freeborn priest who focuses on encouraging celebration and festivities. We've also updated the Brass Coast religious beliefs page with new information to complement the updates to the sutannir page.

Public Auction

• 24/02/2022

We've significantly reduced the scale and scope of the public auctions carried out by civil servants at events. From now on, the auction will be restricted to lots of bourse resources, the bourse seats themselves, and a dose of true liao. A more detailed explanation of the changes and reasoning are presented here.

Sanctioned Events

• 07/02/2022

We've made several edits to our sanctioned events page, splitting some of the information onto a separate Sanctioned event advice page aimed at organisers. The main changes are around the definitions of sanctioned event styles, and the rule that all sanctioned events take place in the same chronological order in-character that they do out-of-character.

Downtime Roleplaying and Coronavirus

• 27/01/2022

We removed the relaxed rules about online roleplaying during lockdown from the wiki, and edited references to them. The normal rules about roleplaying online and in downtime are now back in full effect.

Wind of Mundane Silence

• 26/01/2022

We've removed the idea that the Wind of Mundane Silence can only be used to affect a powerful regio. The ritual will destroy any regio it is performed at.

Fish People

• 16/01/2022

We've added a note to the Merrow page under "what they are not" to indicate that they are not fish people.

Emphasising Agramant

• 13/01/2022

We’ve made a change to the setting we want to let you know about. From this point forward, the eternal who has been primarily known by the name Wendigo will be more commonly known as Agramant. Likewise we're changing the name of the Wendigo's Bargain item to Agramant's Bargain.

We are not changing anything else about the character or tendencies of this eternal, but we are de-emphasising the name Wendigo. Agramant has always been one of Wendigo's names - so we've chosen to emphasise it as the "preferred" name for the eternal on the wiki from now on.

We've done this for several reasons. We've been aware for a while of some concerns about the origin of the name, and what that implies for our use of the eternal. We’ve reflected on that feedback and noted that while many of the other eternals make references (at variable subtlety levels) to literary, mythological, or gaming sources, Wendigo was the only one we know of with a name that is directly featured in a real-world belief system. There are no eternals called Hades, Hel, or Balor for example.

For the time being, the name Wendigo will remain one of Agramant’s less-widely used sobriquets. We'd like people to adopt this de-emphasising approach over time rather than treating this as a retcon or sudden break - for example, we know that many characters have written a lot of material about this eternal. It isn't suddenly off brief or wrong to use the original name, and there's no need to reprint IC booklets that use the name Wendigo. The name will remain one of Agramant's less widely used soubriquets. From this point forward, the eternal who has been primarily known by the name Wendigo will be more commonly known as Agramant.

Archiving Wiki Updates

• 12/02/2022

We archived wiki updates prior to 2019. The page had long since become unwieldy due to the sheer volume of entries, and in several cases the page listed updates that were out of date or superseded by later updates. Wiki updates prior to 2019 are now held on the previous wiki updates page in the Archive namespace.

Frequently Asked Questions

• 11/01/2022

We've made some edits to the General FAQ, and deleted both the obscure questions and new player FAQ pages. Most of the questions covered by those pages have been folded into the remaining sections.

Calls and Blows

• 03/11/2021

We've added some words to Calls to make it clear that you can only make one call with each blow you strike.

Iron Qanat

• 26/10/2021

We've updated the Segura page to include the presence of the Iron Qanat; this has also required a note on the Construct Iron Qanat II senate motion that the great work is in Sobral Grasses not Yellow Chase.

Battle Safety

• 22/10/2021

We've made some edits to streamline the Battle Safety section on the Event safety page.

Heroic Skills

• 22/10/2021

We've added a line to the heroic skills overview reiterating that skills such as cleaving strike, mortal blow or mighty strikedown cannot be used with mage implements.

Illegal Orders

• 22/10/2021

We've added a short section to the general page about army orders that are in-character illegal and how they are handled.

Orders that Break the Rules

• 22/10/2021

We've added a clarification to the army orders page about what happens if a general accidentally submits a set of orders that break the rules on war.

Imperial Enchantments

• 13/10/2021

We've made some adjustments to the Imperial enchantments - Wondrous Forests of the Night, Hallow of the Green World, and Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths. The main change is to modify the effect of these rituals to better reflect how they actually operate - that they create powerful but unpredictable secondary effects as well as the more predictable effect on production of resources. We've also expanded their history a little in the description sections in the wake of the recent Urizen update.

Finalized Urizen Update

• 28/09/2021

We've finalised the Urizen update. Mostly this has meant removing the stubs from the pages but we've made a small number of changes to the content based on player feedback.

• The sword scholar section about costume has been edited to remove unnecessary references and make it clearer what kind of weapons and armour the sword scholars favour.
• We modified some of the wording on the Urizen look and feel page to hopefully make it clearer
• We updated the costume page to make the wording around less appropriate and inappropriate costume clearer.
• We clarified the rules on guy ropes in the In-Character Tents section of the costume page.
• We modified the details of the Net of Gossamer Chains ritual in the Some heavenly music wind of fortune
• We've moved the content regarding the Urizen Spring Festival to the culture and customs page.

Privateering and Piracy

• 09/09/2021

We have added a note to the box-out about the privateering action on the fleet page to remind players that they cannot use this action to commit piracy against people the Empire is not at war with due to the Civil Service observers.

Armour Coverage

• 09/09/2021

We have updated the armour rules to make clear that a full breastplate that covers the front only is sufficient to be classed as "covering the majority of the torso". This means it will provide extra hits provided your armour also covers one other location.

Urizen Politics Update

• 07/09/2021

As part of our review of Urizen, we've changed the way the nation appoints senators. You can read about the changes here and a discussion of the reasons and in-character explanation for them can be found here

Urizen Culture Update

• 07/09/2021

We've undertaken an extensive review of the Urizen pages on the wiki. Almost all the pages that form part of the Urizen brief have been updated. You can learn more about the reasoning for this and the way the changes are being handled in the Rules Update. A brief summary of the changes follows here.

• We've updated Urizen, Urizen people, Urizen culture and customs, Urizen leadership, Urizen economic interests, Urizen religious beliefs, Urizen military concerns and Urizen magical traditions
• We've greatly expanded the Urizen history page
• We've added significantly to the spire page and created a prominent spires page (which will also serve as a template for similar pages in other nations)
• We've extensively overhauled Urizen look and feel in line with our new costume guidelines
• We've added or updated pages for all the Urizen archetypes: arbiter, architect, illuminate, mage, seer, sentinel, stargazer, sword scholar, torchbearer, questor
• We've added the rituals placed into Urizen lore
• We've added a page for the historical figure Sulemaine

Some tweaks have been made (or are in the process of being made) to various pages that are connected to these changes.

Costume

• 07/09/2021

We've completed rewritten the costume page to lay out clearer guidelines for the various ways costume is used at Empire.

Vallorn Miasma

• 20/08/2021

Added a line of OOC explanation to the Vallorn miasma section of the vallorn page to make it explicit how exposure to the miasma works.

Armour

• 2/7/2021

We have changed the classification and benefits provided by armour and introduced the dreadnought skill. Please see the 2021 rules update for the explanation and reasoning behind the changes.

Others Languages

• 28/06/2021

We've added a section to languages giving guidance on languages other than those currently placed in the setting which you can find here.

Regio at Sanctioned Events

• 28/06/2021

We've added a section to the Sanctioned events guidance about regio which you can find here.

Lineage Review

• 06/05/2021

We've completed the first stage of a review of the lineage] pages. This stage has been largely cosmetic, removing bullet points and replacing them with linkable headings on the briar, cambion, changeling, draughir, merrow and naga pages.

One more significant change is that we have moved the "demeanour" trappings from the "physical trappings" section of each of the pages to the roleplaying secction. This is in line with the requirement that to have lineage you must have a physical trapping.

In the case of merrow, we have also moved blue-green hair from being a minor trapping to being an "other trapping".

Distill the Serpent's Stone

• 21/04/2021

We've corrected the magnitude on the Distill the Serpent's Stone page to match the correct magnitude on the database and in the rituals list. It should have been magnitude 100 rather than magnitude 70.

Icons and Artistry

• 01/03/2021

We've removed the "Icons and Artistry" pages for each nation, and rolled that information into the individual Culture and Customs pages. In some cases this has meant moving some information from Look and Feel as well, or altering the layout of the page (for example we've reordered the information about art and history on the Wintermark culture and customs page to create two new subsections of Scops and Riddles while moving the discussion of music to the new Icons and Artistry section).

• The Brass Coast
• Dawn
• Highguard
• Imperial Orcs
• The League
• The Marches
• Navarr
• Urizen
• Varushka
• Wintermark

Erawayugot and Skaftafell

• 23/02/2021

We've corrected an error with the regions of Otkodov where we'd erroneously labelled both a region of Verthandi and a region of Nithoggir as "Erawayugot". Bringing the wiki into line with the database, we've changed the name of the Erawayugot in Verthandi to Skaftafell and will update the maps appropriately.

Military Units, Army Orders, and Enchantments

• 17/02/2021

We've added a line to Military units to make it more obvious how their strength interacts with orders given to, and enchantments placed on, the armies they support.

Still Waters, Running Deep

• 10/02/2021

We've adjusted the magnitude of the Still Waters, Running Deep ritual to be correct as near as we can tell. We have no idea why the magnitude was recorded in error.

Burning Falcon

• 05/02/2021

We've adjusted the date of the destruction of the Burning Falcon army from 247YE to 248YE to remove a conflict with details of the campaigns of Emperor Guntherm. In-character this correction comes as result of some research performed by Freeborn scholar Bakar i Erigo (Tomas Marchington).

Duplicate Characters

• 27/10/2020

We've clarified the rules for having one character a time, to make clear that it is not appropriate for players to create duplicates of current or retired characters. We're aware that players have done this in the past to change skills or similar - but with the new rules on skill retraining there is no longer any justification for this.

Sinecure Correction

• 12/08/2020

We have corrected the production line for the 30 wain sinecure. There was an admin error with this data and the wrong numbers had been copied to the wiki. This has now been fixed (some returns for this sinecure size have increased as a result).

Toilets

• 29/6/2020

We have updated the conduct page to make clear that Profound Decisions policy is that all participants are entitled to use the toilet facilities they feel most comfortable with. This has always been our policy - but it has not been reflected on the wiki - nor communicated widely enough. That has resulted in some players being challenged on the facilities they are accessing. Challenging another player in this way is not appropriate at Profound Decisions events.

Anvil

• 14/05/2020

We have added a new page to describe the layout of Anvil and what you can find there at an event.

Sodalities

• 14/05/2020

We've overhauled the page for an Imperial sodality to make it clearer how the players can make one. We've removed some older pages to bring existing sodalities into line with the new rules.

Knight-errants and Heraldry

• 29/04/2020

We've slightly modified the Dawnish culture and customs and hearth magic pages to reflect an inconsistency with how knight-errants are allowed to wear heraldry.

Hearth Magic Update

• 25/04/2020

We've introduced a new hearth magic page and completely overhauled each of the ten national hearth magic pages.

Online Roleplaying Amnesty

• 20/04/2020

We have relaxed the rules restricting online roleplaying on our facebook groups and forums for one week only, running from the 20/04/2020 to 27/04/2020. This page describes the updated rules for online roleplaying which apply during this week only. We have taken this step so that we can encourage players and crew to create and share engaging content over the event weekend stay enthused for Empire until we can once more be in a field together. Edit We removed the rules for roleplaying online during Coronavirus on 27/01/2022.

Election Elgibility and Changing Nation

• 10/03/2020

We've clarified that the restriction on eligibility to vote do not apply when a character changes nation. A character who moves from Wintermark to Navarr, for example, is eligible to vote in a Navarr senatorial election regardless of whether they were eligible to vote in a Wintermark senatorial election during the previous year.

Arrows and Bow Safety

• 26/03/2020

We have updated the requirements for arrowheads at all Profound Decisions events for 2020 onwards to improve the safety standards for all participants. To try and ensure the least possible impact for our players, we'll have an amnesty for any arrows that do not pass under the new rules but would have passed under the previously published rules. Bring them to GOD and we'll swap them for £6 of credit on your PD account, usable against any PD event.

In addition to these changes we have brought in additional restrictions preventing the use of bows after dusk.

The Stork

• 03/03/2020

We corrected the text talking about the number of stars that make up the Stork astronomantic constellation. The text claimed there were nine, but the images make it clear there are actually twelve stars in the Stork.

Conscience and Proxies

• 23/01/2020

We've added some notes to the Conscience of the Senate page regarding their appointment of a proxy.

Rewarding

• 12/12/2019

We've changed how the Synod judgement of Rewarding works in the event that two or more judgements are tied and there is insufficient resources available for all successful judgements. Rather than being based on the order in which the judgements were submitted, it now uses the same rules for competing mandates (the judgement with the greatest margin between votes in favour and against takes precedence). Part of the reasoning for this is discussed here.

Night Pouch

• 11/12/2019

We have updated the night pouch spell - and by extension the Secrets for the Shadow Courier ritual - regarding what happens to items in the pouch when the spell expires. These items are lost - not destroyed - and should be handed in to the Ref desk at GOD. Such items may well come back into play again via unexpected methods.

Commissions

• 12/10/2019

We have updated the mechanism for commissions - previously you needed to email PD to assign resources or money to a Senate commission. There is now an option for you to do this automatically using the website. You can access this option from your character's inventory.

Adjutants

• 10/10/2019

We added a section to the discussion of how a general can appoint an adjutant to more explicitly call out the benefits of having an adjutant appointed who does not go into a dangerous situation alongside their general.

Treaty

• 08/10/2019

We've added a section to the ambassador power to prepare a treaty to make it clear that the negotiations around such a document do not have to take place face-to-face in the field. Opportunities presented in an ambassador briefing, or a Wind of Fortune, can also be included as they are assumed to represent agreements that the foreign power has confirmed it is happy to make.

Lineage and Twilight Masquerade

• 08/10/2019

We've edited all six lineage pages, and the main lineage page itself, to better present the "boons" that each lineage receives. A boon is a special ability that characters with that lineage enjoy, sucha s the ability of a changeling to fly into a rage when afraid or uncertain. We've likewise updated The Twilight Masquerade ritual to make it explicit that characters do not gain or lose boons while under the ritual enchantment.

Highguard Elections

• 26/09/2019

We'e made explicit that when it comes to appointing a senator for a Highborn territory, if there is only one candidate put forward there is no election - as soon as it is clear there is no contest the sole candidate becomes senator.

Removing Lineage

• 25/09/2019

We've updated the rules and guidelines around lineage, especially as regards removing lineage once a character has been played. It is very difficult to remove lineage in-character, and if you are unable to phys-rep your lineage you may need to retire the character.

Whispers through the Black Gate Timing

• 23/09/2019

We've made a slight edit to the timing of Whispers through the Black Gate, indicating that you should speak to the main referee desk in GOD, and widening the margin to two hours rather than one hour.

Army Orders

• 09/09/2019

We've updated the rules on issuing defending orders to make explicit that an Imperial general can only issue a defensive order for a region that is controlled by the Empire. This has always been the case - but it was not explicitly spelled out on the wiki.

Arcane Projections

• 04/09/2019

We've adjusted the deadline for contributing arcane projections to just before the late booking deadline.

Member of the Senate

• 26/08/2019

We're added the ruling that giving a title the member of the Senate power requires a constitutional majority and ratification by the Throne.

Braydon's Jasse

• 21/08/2019

We noticed we'd left the hills quality off Braydon's Jasse. We've now made it explicit that this region has that quality.

Amalgamation of Silver and Gold

• 19/07/2019

We've added Amalgamation of Silver and Gold to the list of rituals benefited by a Mask of Gold and Lead.

Malign Spiritual Presences

• 10/07/2019

We've corrected an error on the malign spiritual presences page that said exorcism was the only skill for dealing with malign spiritual presences. This was left over from previous iteration before we changed how the ceremonial skills worked.

Great Works

• 08/07/2019

We've updated the wiki to make clear that any remainder from a great work is held over to next time.

Feni

• 08/07/2019

We've updated the description of the Feni to make clear that they use bows where they can get them and javelins only rarely.

Ministry Purchase Lists

• 03/07/2019

We've made a slight tweak to the default purchase prices for ministries. Some of the maths was incorrect leading to an odd diminishing returns curve. We will be adjusting existing ministries based on this progression.

Great Works and Fleets

• 26/06/2019

We've removed the ability to create great works that benefit fleets, bringing them into line with military units. At the time the great work rules were initially written, fleets had no military implications. With the creation of the Imperial navy rules, and the changes to the way privateering works, this is no longer the case. We have also removed the great port quality from shipyards - they are now explicitly only for creating and protecting Imperial navies.

Mandates

• 10/06/2019

We have changed the process for implementing a mandate. Rather than e-mailing Profound Decisions to alert us to your intention to enact a mandate, you now need to ensure the liao is handed in to GOD at the end of the event. Before downtime opens we will check every mandate, remove liao if it is present, and enact the mandate. This allows us to improve our responsiveness to mandates.

Military Units and Fleets

• 10/06/02019

We've edited the fleet and military unit pages to make the various downtime options a little clearer and more streamlined. We've also edited Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea to make it clear that the reduction to fleets applies to both supporting a navy and taking part in a special opportunity. We plan to make more edits to specific rituals and effects to make it clearer how they work with the new wording, replacing references to "effective strength" and similar with "military strength" wherever possible.

Hand of the Maker

• 09/06/2019

We have clarified that Hand of the Maker will reveal the creator of an arcane projection.

Draughir

• 07/06/2019

In response to a query we added "cannibals" to the list of things that draughir are not.

The Conclave Font

• 30/05/2019

The free mana being provided to the Conclave font is being phased out over the rest of this year. From even 4 onwards the font will consist of just the mana collected from previous Conclave sessions. There is an IC and OOC explanation for the update on the rules update 2019 page.

Sanctions and Commissions

• 28/05/2019

Ahead of the explanatory Wind of Fortune, we've adjusted all the commissions (ministries and great works) affected by the imposition of sanctions on the "slaving nations". Titles effected include: Prime Factor of the Pallas Docks, Steward of the Tassato Mana Exchange, Jarmish Embassy, Overseer of the Cavabianca Dock, Asavean Embassy, Temple of Balo and the Black Bull, Temple of the Way in Nemoria, Bonesetter of Torfast Trading Post, Broker of Treji Wayhouse, Northbound Trademaster, Overseer of the Westward Road, Thule Embassy, Moonwater Hall, Towers of Anduz, Gloaming Road, Faraden Embassy, Suranni Ambassador.

Judgements

• 13/05/2019

We've added some details to the majority section, related to the way that the actual numerical outcome may have an impact on how a judgement is received.

Statement of Principle

• 09/05/2019

We have (finally) updated the statement of principle page to reflect recent changes to the influence of statements raised by the Assembly of the Nine.

Army Enchantments

• 18/04/2019

We have updated the rules for targeting armies with rituals to allow the casters to use the egregore as the target of the ritual if the general is not present at Anvil. There is an explanation for the change on the rules update page.

Imperial Address

• 17/04/2019

We've removed the requirement for the Throne to make an announcement to use the address the Empire, and the ability of the Imperial Synod to veto it.

Tariffs

• 09/04/2019

We have added a new power to control tariffs to the powers of the Imperial Senate. There is more detail on the rules update 2019 explaining why we've added this new power and the IC reason why it has appeared.

Appraisal

• 07/04/2019

We have added the new power of appraisal to the powers of the Imperial Senate. There is more detail on the rules update 2019 explaining why we've added this new power and the IC reason why it has appeared.

Conclave Procedure

• 05/04/2019

We've presented a few changes to the way Conclave sessions are run, following discussions with the Grandmasters at the Autumn Equinox 382YE. Firstly we've changed how speaking in Conclave works to allow a magician to spend mana to discuss matters with the person who raised the address or declaration under consideration. Secondly, we've changed the session order so that all Declarations of Candidacy are presented after addresses and before other declarations. This has required a slight tweak to the Veil of Night power possessed by Grandmasters.

We've adjusted the language on the secion about participation in the Imperial Conclave to make it clearer, and to remove some erroneous implications about who can speak and how speaking takes place.

Finally, we removed the prohibition that a person cannot be nominated twice on the same debate from Principle of Precedence.

Love and Marriage in Dawn

• 04/04/2019

We have updated the page on marriage in Dawn to bring it into line with our guidelines for equality and diversity and to add an option for Dawnish characters to dissolve their marriage (albeit at great cost for the nobility). We have added an accompanying page on love in Dawn that outlines the vital role that love plays in Dawnish society.

Common Attitudes

• 04/04/2019

We've added a new page detailing common attitudes towards matters of age, race, sexuality and gender throughout the setting. These cultural norms are designed to reflect the rules for conduct for the game; except where noted they are not optional. Thanks to Dark Millennium LRP for some inspiration for this page).

Conduct

• 04/04/2019

We have updated the guidelines on equality and diversity to make clearer that discrimination on real world characterisations is not acceptable at Empire and to be explicit about the behaviour we expect from players when roleplaying around matters of romance and love.

We have also added a section making clear that Empire is a PvP game in which we expect PCs to come into conflict with each other - and make explicit that it is never acceptable to direct out-of-character criticism at players for choices they have made in-character.

General Appointments

• 13/03/2019

We've made a slight alteration to the process for informing the civil service when a new general is appointed. Instead of misleadingly suggesting any' member of the civil service can be approached with the details, we've made it clear that it needs to be the Overseer of Imperial Elections (currently Merlot/Paul Wilder).

Espionage Estimates

• 13/03/2019

We've added a paragraph to the description of Eyes of the Sun and Moon and the scouting quality explaining the meaning behind the army and fortification fighting strength estimates.

Dawn Election and the Grand Tourneys

• 27/02/2019

We have expanded on the changes to the Dawnish senatorial election that began last year. There is now significantly more detail about how the new system works, and the nature of the special favours involved. We've also implemented a system whereby Dawnish characters can correctly register whether they are nobles or yeofolk as part of these changes. e've also made a small edit to the hearth magic section to make it clear that these new favours are of a specific kind; they do not replace the ability of Dawnish nobles to create other favours as they see fit.

In addition, we have created (or in-character, bought back to prominence) four seasonal Grand Tourneys. These tourneys replace the Senatorial tourneys of the past with a grand melee open to any noble (and to knights-errant) who compete for the title of Knight-protector of the season.

You can learn more about these changes, and the in-character rationale here.

Diversification

• 18/02/2019

We've changed the cost to diversify a personal resource. Rather than requiring two wains, the cost to change some of the production of a business, farm, mine, or forest to something different is now standardised at one throne each time it is done.

Emergency Resupply and Repair

• 18/02/2019

We've updated the rules regarding emergency resupply to make it more explicit how it works. When a motion (or similar power) is used to announce resupply, any Imperial citizen can provide resources to aid that resupply. The same rules apply to the emergency repair of fortifications. We've also updated the powers of the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies to make it explicit that their power to resupply an army is governed by the same rules as the Senate motion it duplicates.

Senate Motions Sodality Added

• 15/02/2019

We have added a page for Senate Motions, the Imperial sodality that meets in the Senate at 11:00pm on Saturday at each summit to organize dance lessons for all attendees.

Brass Coast Review

• 17/01/2019

As part of our overhaul of the Brass Coast, we've added a significant amount of information about the history of the Freeborn. We've also removed the matrilinearity concept from the Brass Coast. You can read about the change, and the reasons for it, in this Rules update. As pat of the changes, we're editing many existing Brass Coast pages on the wiki to remove references to matrilineal descent, and to foreground the philosophies of the three tribes as a core element of the Freeborn character.

Three particular areas where we have made changes are in the area of marriages and relationships, in family, and to expand slightly the information on magical traditions.