382YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune
Interlude
Downtime is now open, so that players can process their character's downtime choices. Usually this is straightforward, but there are a few things to bear in mind while deciding what to do. The Autumn Equinox winds of fortune will come out shortly before the next event (which is September 14th to September 16th). However, there are a number of significant events happening in the wake of the Spring Equinox that may affect some players' Downtime actions - primarily effects on personal resources.
As a temporary measure we'll be outlining, and offering some context for, these various effects on this page. In each case, there will be further information in the Autumn Equinox Winds of Fortune - once they're ready, they'll replace this content. As always, these are quick OOC summaries to explain effects such as large-scale enchantments and curses. We'll cover all these and more when we start to present the Winds of Fortune for next event.
Downtime is due to close at midnight on Friady 10th August - which is coincidentally also the early booking deadline for the next event.
Warfare
Any players whose character controls a military unit can choose from a number of downtime options. Left to their own devices, a military unit defaults to paid work guaranteeing an income of herbs, ingots or measures, money, or mana crystal. Otherwise, they may log into the downtime system and choose to support an army or fortification, or assign to a special project such as a spy network. By browsing the available army options, the player can read the orders issued by the general of each before making their decision.
Imperial Guerdon
The Imperial Guerdon is a bursary set up by the Imperial Senate primarily to reward military units that support Imperial armies, spy networks, and fortifications. The value of the Imperial Guerdon is divided between each military unit and fleet that supports an army in proportion to their effective strength. The Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has the power to exclude any or all navies from the Guerdon. If they do so, then a character who supports such a navy will receive nothing for doing so.
This season, the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has announced that shares of the Guerdon will be paid to captains supporting the following forces:
- Hounds of Glory
- Quiet Step
- Drakes
The Guerdon stands at 175 Thrones. If you support an army that is not on this list, or you support a fortification or spy network, you will get no Guerdon shares.
Spy Network
The Empire now has two operational spy networks that citizens can support. One is in Liathaven, and the other is the new spy network in the Mountains of the Moon to the east of Zenith. There was a third spy network in the Barrens, but it is no longer available to support - the Druj have uncovered the spy network, and are in the process of destroying it.
Suppress Asavean Uprising
Two satrapies in the Asavean Archipelago are in revolt against their government. The Nemorians are calling for Imperial mercenaries to help suppress the rebellion. Anyone with a military unit should beable to find the action "Suppress Asavean Uprising" in the paid work dropdown, You can learn more about this opportunity here.
Note that the 11 crowns (and additional 36 rings per rank of upgrade or enchantment) is in place of the random rewards for paid work, not in addition to them.
Significant Effects
A number of large-scale effects might alter what your personal resource produces; we try to summarize those effects here. Only major things are summarized, and will usually be updated in more detail once Winds of Fortune are published. These are by no means the only things happening in the Empire this season.
The Pilgrim's Path
During the Summer Solstice, the Highborn Assembly upheld a mandate encouraging radical pilgrimage. As Lilith of the Chantry begins to spread the mandate, people from all walks of life begin to put their affairs in order and take up a new role - grand pilgrimages across the Empire along the trods. As much about faith as about harming the vallorn, a fundamental change is sweeping through the nation of Highguard.
The immediate effects are ruinous, both economically and militarily. Every business and farm suffers a permanent loss of 72 rings from their income. Every military unit suffers a permanent loss equivalent to two ranks (40 strength). Taxation and the Highborn nation's ability to support Imperial armies are likewise impacted, meaning they could support no more armies than the three they have at the moment.
But it also means many tens of thousands more pilgrims walking the trods. Navarr vates estimate that it is the equivalent of adding two, maybe three, entire territories to the trod network. Instead of waiting a decade or more for another opportunity to attack the vallorn, they would have good reason to hope that another one would arise within a year or two at most.
Further, the mandate will create a new archetype in Highguard - a priest dedicated to walking the trods, reinforcing the Way across the Empire, and visiting the many places of pilgrimage that define what it means to study the seven Virtues. It's likely this archetype will appear during the Winter period after E4 - anyone who is intending to switch to it will be able to do so then. For now, its enough to roleplay that you are beginning the process of giving up your old life for new life on the trods.
Mournwold and Hahnmark
For the last several months, the Marchers and the Winterfolk have been having problems with reclusive human barbarians known as the Feni. During the Summer Solstice there were several opportunities for Imperial heroes to interact with these hunters. These interactions did not quite how the Feni were expecting, perhaps. Efforts are being made to reach a non-violent solution to the problem of the Feni raids in Mournwold and Hahnmark. This hasn't stopped the raids - the Feni are desperate - but they are being more cautious and less destructive in their attacks. This has reduced the expected penalty, such that every business and farm in the two affected territories is losing 18 rings of production this downtime, and every herb garden is losing one herb (selected at random).
Grendel Raids on Trading Ships
Grendel piracy continues to be stymied by magical means. Ships trading from ports along the Bay of Catazar continue to do so without penalty.
Ministries
We're currently overhauling the way we do titles, and this means some of the newer ministries are not yet on the system. Please bear with us while we sort this out; you should be able to use your ministry to make your purchases by Sunday at the latest.
Mandates
TBC mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod. You can find the details of all the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here. As always, these mandates only have an effect if the named priest provides the appropriate amount of liao and emails Profound Decisions.
Some of these mandates will have an effect this downtime; we'll update this page and adjust the Facebook and forum posts to reflect this once we have confirmation a mandate is happening.
| Assembly | Mandate | Priest | Outcome | WoF |
| General | The institution of slavery is a dark stain on the soul that will never wash clean. Every citizen should take arms in defence of those who fight against slavery against any who threaten it. We send Eska Crowspeaker with 150 doses of liao to tell every citizen of the Empire to reach out to help those who have been enslaved - all that is worthwhile is shared with those who deserve it. | Eska Crowspeaker | With 150 liao, encourages Imperial citizens to reject slavery | here |
| Highborn | Virtuous people set prices for things which are fair, and buy and sell them accordingly. To do otherwise, to invoke market forces and economic factors, is to subsume human destiny and will to an impartial, immoral, and unvirtuous force. We send Bartimaeus with 25 doses of liao to urge those Highborn citizens in possession of white granite to deal through the Cinderpath Exchange rather than to indulge their greed. | Bartimaeus | With 25 liao, encourages Highborn citizens to seek virtuous markets for white granite. | here |
| General | The Way unites humanity through the Seven Virtues. The people of Asavea will more readily accept the teachings of the Way from their own people; creating Asavean priests will help to spread the faith. Yet only those who show a true commitment to the doctrines of the faith should receive training in the use of liao. We send Jonah Yakovitch with 50 doses of liao to support the training of new priests from among those judged most sincere in their devotion to the Way. | Jonah Yakovitch | With 50 liao, the Temple of the Way in Nemoria will begin to train devout Asavean priests | here. |
| Highborn | The monstrous infestation that is the vallorn is a danger beyond any other that now faces us. There is no sacrifice so great that we cannot meet it to defeat this terror. We send Lilith of the Chantry with 500 liao to urge every Highborn citizen to consider if they could assist in defeating this threat by undertaking an extended pilgrimage to walk the trods. 500 Liao provided by Lilith of the Chantry. |
Lilith of the Chantry | The Highborn will begin to undertake radical pilgrimages | here |
| Imperial Orcs | The Legions are the Heart and Soul of the Imperial Orc nation. They fight for the Empire and to crush its enemies. All Orcs must serve either in or to support the Legions. We send Irontide Lok with 25 doses of Liao to urge everyone to welcome any orc who is willing to serve our Legions, our nation and the Empire unstintingly. | Irontide Lok | With 25 liao, the Imperial Orcs will begin to build a new martial nation in Skarsind. | here |
| Urizen | Those who seek to teach others should first be challenged to prove their own Wisdom. We send Palladius with 50 doses of liao to urge potential students to study at the Temple of the Winds so that it may be swiftly restored. | Palladius | With 50 liao, any future mandate without a greater majority will be ineffective in Urizen. | here |
| Wisdom | The example of the sword scholars of Urizen should inspire all those who follow the path of Wisdom. We must all test what we learn; only fools accept hearsay as truth. We send Galene Netherwatch with 150 doses of liao to urge everyone to despise folly and chastise the fool that spreads it, especially when it is done by those close to you. | Galene Netherwatch | With 150 liao, any future mandate that does not reach a Greater Majority will be ineffective | here. |
| Marches | The ghosts of the Greensward require careful handling. It is not enough simply to exorcise these fallen warriors - first we must attempt to offer them comfort and acknowledge their sacrifice. We send Albert Fugglestone-Copperhill with 50 doses of liao to help the spirits that haunt the ruins of Overton to pass on to the Labyrinth, or to find their way across the Howling Abyss. | Albert Fugglestone-Copperhill | With 50 liao, ghosts in the Greensward will be laid to rest | here |