382YE Autumn Equinox 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

The Arch of the Door

• Imperial Senate, Imperial Synod, Urizen; Delilah of Felix's Watch

With a heavy heart the Academy - the foremost school for the Imperial heroes of tomorrow - has decided to leave Canterspire and seek a new home closer to the heart of the Empire in Astolat. While the transfer of faculty seems to be running smoothly, there is one matter left unresolved - the specially built annexe of the Dean of Pilgrims. While grateful to the people who made it possible, Chancellor Griffinsbane has made it clear that the Academy no longer needs the Dean of Pilgrims, but has asked the Civil Service to look into ways the annexe might be repurposed. You can learn about their response here.

In the End Everything Collides (Orc Affairs)

• Advisor on Orc Affairs (all); Imperial Orcs, Wintermark, Varushka, Military Council, Senate (Thule); Navarr (Great Forest); Marches (Thralls, Grendel); Imperial Consul (Grendel).

Four powerful nations controlled by orcs border the Empire. While three make war on the Empire, one is at peace - a peace reinforced by the success of the recent treaty. There are also groups of orcs who live within the Empire - the orcs of the Great Forest, and the former Jotun thralls living in the Mournwold. You can learn about recent developments with the Thule, Great Forest, the Thralls and the Grendel, here.

The Lives You Love To Lead

• The League; the Keeper of the Imperial Menagerie; the Pride and Loyalty Assemblies

The relationships between the four cities that make up the League, built as they are in such far-flung locations, have always been a little complex. Even before the Grendel turned up on the doorstep of Sarvos this past season there has been busy. There has been the war against bite; renewed arguments about resting place of Empress Giselle; and significant building work in Holberg. You can learn about these various urban events here.

Put On Your War Paint

• Brass Coast, the Marches, Dawn, Wintermark

The Freeborn have raised the banner of the Burning Falcon, and eyes across the Brass Coast are turning to their priests and senators to see what comes next. Likewise, Dawn and the Marches have an opportunity to make fundamental choices about who they are and what that means to their armies in the campaigns that are to come Finally, the people of Wintermark have restated their commitment to heroism loud and clear, but there are still a niggling few details still to be discussed. You can learn about these four opportunities related to armies here.

Silver Clouds With Grey Linings (Trade Winds)

• Fleet captains, ambassadors, traders

International diplomacy is a deadly labyrinth strewn with pitfalls and tripwires. The Empire has nine ambassadors and an Imperial Consul who spend most of their time trying to navigate a complicated sea of demands, opportunities, and competing agendas. Diplomacy and trade all too often go hand in han d- an you can read about some of the developments regarding both of them here.

Starting At The End

• Varushka, Wintermark, the Marches, the Brass Coast; Imperial Senate; People who like roads

Nobody can deny the success of the Blood Red Roads, the Roads of Karsk, the Pilgrim's Trail and the 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 began work on a broad-scale survey of the Empire with an eye towards creating plans to build roads in places currently lacking them. You can read their report here.

Tested Again and Again

• Imperial Synod, Imperial Senate, Imperial Military Council; Imperial Conclave especially the Sevenfold Path; Auditor of Senatorial Affairs; Chaplain Consular; Imperial Inquisitor; Ambassadors and the Imperial Consul; missed opportunity for the Freeborn assembly

The Severin Sermon continues to be provoke discussion. So far there has been discussion of the value of the national assemblies, the role of the paragons and exemplars, the purpose of the virtue assembies, and the value of revocation. Now, the philosophers and theologians of the Empire turn their attention to how the Synod might help to use the principles of benevolence, inspiration, and legacy to support the other houses of power - the Senate, the Military Council, the Conclave and even the Bourse. You can learn about the wild proposals that have been raised here.

Think of the Children

• Marchers; Imperial Synod; Assembly of Ambition

Cesare Enzo di Trivento, Cardinal of Prosperity, has led the Assembly to pass a clear statement calling on the Empire to support the building of a great orphanage to house and educate the orphans of the Mournwold. The statement has been circulated by the civil service to the congregations of the Empire devoted to Prosperity and has provoked interest from some surprising quarters. You can learn about the opportunities it has presented here.

We've Been Here Forever (Plenipotentiary)

• Imperial Conclave

Six eternals have responded to plenipotentiary messages sent by the archmages during the Summer Solstice. Only four of them have agreed to formal parley. Some intend to visit - or send representatives to - the Hall of Worlds. Others are arranging to meet the archmage in specially prepared chambers between their realm and the mortal world. And one has settled on a deeply unorthodox arrangement. You can learn which eternals are keen to talk to the Empire, and what about, here.

The Wages of Sin

• Imperial Synod, Imperial Senate

The Assembly of the Nine has spoken in the strongest possible terms about the Asavean request for Imperial mercenaries to help them put down the rebellion in their northern Satrapies. The Temple of the Way in Nemoria offers a real opportunity to reach the people of the Archipelago. You can learn more about this situation here.

Words to Make Things Right

• Wintermark, the Marches; potentially the Military Council and the Imperial Consul

For the last several months, since shortly after the great sinkhole collapse at the start of last year, the people of WIntermark and the Marches have been having problems with Feni. Two distinct bands, one heading north into Hahnmark and one traveling south into Mournwold have been raising all kinds of trouble. A third band, the mysterious inhabitants of Alerly in the Mourn have gotten involved as well. Violence, diplomatic negotiations, offers of jobs, and Senate motions have all been tried but now finally it seems that the situation is coming to a head. You can learn a little more about what has been going on with the feni here.

Roundup

Mandates

Eight 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. With the destruction of the Temple of the Winds at the hands of the Druj, two of these mandates will have no immediate effect. The mandates have still been enacted however. If the region of Peregro is retaken, and the Temple of the Winds successfully completed, the mandates will have their full effect. If Peregro is liberated before the Summer Solstice 383YE, there will be no requirement for a new commission or senate motion but the construction should be begun from scratch.

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. 150 liao provided by Eska Crowspeaker	Eska Crowspeaker	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. 25 liao provided by Bartimaeus after the Summer Solstice	Bartimaeus	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. 50 liao provided by Jonah Yakovitch	Jonah Yakovitch	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. 25 liao provided by Irontide Lok after the Summer Solstice.	Irontide Lok	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. 50 Liao provided by Palladius.	Palladius	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. 150 liao provided by Galene Netherwatch.	Galene Netherwatch	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 provided 50 liao after the Summer Solstice.	Albert Fugglestone-Copperhill	Ghosts in the Greensward will be laid to rest	here

Imperial Lore

The Imperial Conclave has added the ritual Sutannir's Promise to the body of Imperial lore.