385YE Winter Solstice winds of fortune
Overview
Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the Winds of War which detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations, and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of opportunities or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune, or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. 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 if they want to use it in character.
The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represents something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not opinion, and we're not trying to trick you.
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 could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.
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.
Winds of Fortune
A Crown in Winter
- Everyone
There is a new Throne! Empress Vesna Borkovna Prochnost was appointed during the Autumn Equinox, and will be formally crowned during the Winter Solstice. You can learn more about her, and about the upcoming coronation, in our first wind of fortune A Crown in Winter.
Begins Where It Ends (Plenipotentiary)
- Archmages; Imperial Conclave; Asenath of Felix's Watch, Nicassia of Phoenix Reach, and Iron Osric; Wintermark captains; Kingfisher; Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield, the Imperial Warmage, and the Imperial Warcaster
It's time to look once again at the etyernals contacted by the six Imperial archmages using their power of plenipotentiary. Eternals are bound by ancient compact to respond in some way to such a missive, although precisely how they respond is up to them. There might be to a formal parley, or something more informal. Or nothing at all. Responses to each archmage's plenipotentiary messages have been received, and arrangements made for the Winter Solstice. Three have agreed to meetings of one kind or another, three have refused a meeting, and a seventh eternal has taken the opportunity to as for a parley all on its own.
You can read about the responses of the eternals, some of whom have not presented parleys in some time, in the Begins where it ends wind of fortune.
A Sparrow in Spring
- Everyone, especially the Imperial Senate
The coronation marks the beginning of the reign of Empress Vesna, and immediately there are questions to be answered. What form will the Empire-wide celebrations of the new Throne take? What will be the tenor and nature of her inaugural address? What upstanding motions and title appointments will be resolved? You can learn more about these questions in the A Sparrow in Spring wind of fortune.
Other Events
There are a number of other events and situations which are noteworthy, but which for whatever reason have not led to a full Wind of Fortune in their own right.
Trade Summary
Rather than spread this information out around the various foreign nations, we've collected it here for ease of reference.
Mandates
- You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.
A number of mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod last season. As long as the named priest provided sufficient liao, those mandates have been automatically enacted.
Autumn Conjunctions
- Last event there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate; their known outcomes are listed here
During the Autumn Equinox, there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate identified by the Imperial prognosticators. In each case a band of Imperial heroes used that conjunction to travel to a location far from Anvil and intervene in an ongoing situation. These are the known outcomes of those conjunctions. In the case of battles, it is important to remember that the Military Council can only make use of two of the major conjunctions each summit, choosing which to take advantage of during the Muster.
Major Conjunctions
| Location | Opportunity | Opposition | Link | Outcome |
| Salt Flats of Sanath | Capture Sarra Grubfeast | Druj | Breaking Down | Not taken; the fate of Sarra Grubfeast is unknown |
| The Barrens | Stop the Druj and their Winter eternal ally securing magical allies | Druj | Hunger | The Well of Tears was warded and Rhul Sorrowtongue's plan foiled |
| Tromsa | Capture the Blue Eel banner and ransom Mathilda Fisher from the Jotun | Jotun and yegarra | Falling | The banner was captured and Mathilda Fisher will be delivered to the Wintermark camp at the Winter Solstice |
Normal Conjunctions
| # | Location | Responsibility | Overview | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tromsa, Tromsdalen, Nordbotn | Champion of Pride | Hold the palisade | Jotun warband driven off, preventing reinforcements reaching Oksenesfestsal |
| 2 | Morrow, Peregro, Seneca's Meadow | Churnspire Adjutor | Stop the heralds | Scions were stopped before they could unleash the destructive power of the Peregro hot springs |
| 3 | Tromsa, Rikskog, Fniskard Copse | Champion of Prosperity | Claim the Jotun cache | The cache was recovered by Imperial heroes |
| 4 | Karsk, Nitrost, Gulgisaz | Warden of the Trees and Hills | Stop the heralds | Scions were stopped, and the vale of Veresk still stands |
| 5 | Tromsa, Icewood, Grove of Einar | Grimnir of Wittal Grove | Claim Grimnir's Glass | Grimnir's Glass was recovered |
| 6 | Skarsind, Gildermark, Oathwright's Glade | Weigher of Worth | Stop the heralds | Scions were prevented from destroying the Halls of Worth |
| 7 | Bregasland, Gravenmarch, Harry's Field | Keeper of the Dour Fens | Stop the heralds | Scions claimed the Still Rock, disrupting Graven Rock, and bringing forth another magical army |
| 8 | Mournwold, Southmoor, Crowned Trees | Brother Martin Orchard | Confront Quiet Charlie | The meeting was disrupted but Quiet Charlie ultimately escaped |
| 9 | Segura, Lucksprings, Path to Cerevado | Custodian of the Cerevado Nets | Stop the heralds | Scions were able to raid the Cerevado Nets and steal a large amount of ilium |
| 10 | Sarvos, Cigno, Bertram's Square | Dramaturgists of the League | Balance the debt | The situation was resolved peacefully; those involved know more |
| 11 | Redoubt, Tomari, Magnus' Thicket | Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind | Stop the heralds | Scions gained access to the Brilliant Star, claimed a large amount of mithril, and altered the nature of the mines permanently |
| 12 | Bastion, Sybella Cross, The Broken Holt | Senator for Bastion | Stop the heralds | Scions claimed the ruins of the White Tower and constructed a fortification |
| 13 | Hercynia, Northpines, Danwyn's Coppice | Spear of the Seven | Stop the heralds | Scions ravaged the trods in Hercynia, cutting the vallorn there off from the network |
| 14 | Mournwold, Green March, Golden Hoof Farm | Bloodcrow Knott | Talk to Hap the Soft | A cordial conversation took place; those involved know more. |
| 15 | Upwold, The Heath, Tom's Dale | Bailiff of the Grand Market | Deal with the Drakes Dozen | Unknown, but Bailiff of the Grand Market expected to know more |
| 16 | Karov, Wieliczka, The Thicket of Nieshka | General of the Eastern Sky | Stop the heralds | Scions slaughtered the workers and claimed a large amount of mithril |
| 17 | Temeschwar, Vardstein Vale, Polseg Woods | Custodian of the Assayer's Guild | Deal with the Company of the Torch | The company of the Torch were brought decisively to justice |
| 18 | Hahnmark, Kronemark, White Owl Fields | Imperial Seer | Stop the heralds | Scions were prevented from slaughtering the Augurs of the Opalescent Gloaming |
| 19 | Sarangrave, Nesustak Forest, The Queen's Claim | Advisor on the Vallorn | Reclaim the Vate's Shelter | The Vate's Shelter remains in possession of the Druj ghulai |
| 20 | The Barrens, Murderdale, Hugh's Sward | Knight-protector of Spring | Slay the Lady of the Dappled Trees | The Druj and the lieutenant of Yaw'agrah escaped into Brocéliande |