Send for me
The wind whipped the hanging cloth of her tagelmust back and forth, as she stood on the brow of the hill, surveying the desolation below. Hard to believe this ground had once been fertile fields full of fat yellow ears of grain. Now they were a sprawling mass of choking weeds, worthless to anybody. The sense of waste appalled her, it was just so pointless. It was one thing to be a thieving bandit, but as far as Graciana was concerned Rahab's greatest crime was his utter incompetence. Had the Grendel actually sent him here to rule Feroz or was this ruination part of their plan all along?
"Who is that?" she said pointing at a pair of figures in the distance, a man and a much younger woman, his daughter perhaps, were struggling to pull weeds from the hard ground with their hands. Their white robes looked out of place here, even soiled with dirt as they were. Surely they couldn't be Freeborn?
Her assistant looked down at his papers, rifling through them as quickly as he could. His finger stabbed at the paper as he found what he was looking for and read aloud from the sheets. "Diego i Toria i Guerra" and his daughter, "Juanita i Toria i Gurra". They own that field, and the ones between her and the river.
"They own all this land, why are they dressed like beggars?" Graciana's musing question was mostly to herself, but she spoke it aloud anyway, and her nervous assistant took it as instruction.
"It was one of the last edicts from Rahab. Anyone who couldn't pay their taxes... They were made to don white robes and forced to burn their clothes as punishment. Rahab said that paupers should wear paupers clothes. I think it was done to try and break people's resistance."
Graciana's grated her teeth together in fury, and her hand dropped to her side, but found nothing. "Yes, I understand why it was done John" she said between gritted teeth. Her anger wasn't directed at her apprehensive junior - she was imaginging what she would do if she had the hated governor at the point of her blade.
But she didn't have a blade. Not anymore. What she did have was a job that gave her an awful lot of leeway to change the world. Time to put that to work. "Get me a list of every dyers vat operational in the territory."
John looked at her with obvious confusion. They had come to this field to see if it could benefit from seeds and companion planting. Why did she want to know about dyes?
By way of response Graciana just smiled and quoted the Way. "The Virtuous inspire others to greatness they do not demean them..."
Overview
At the Autumn Equinox, the Imperial Senate requested an appraisal on "extend upon the work of the Upwold Seed Exchange to: 1) promise companion planting with other crops in other regions 2) build seed banks which will preserve cultivars that could be lost in devastated regions, and be used in territory resilience and regrowth." There was no specific researcher was requested, so Gerard La Salle, asked Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra to consider the problem. The Freeborn prognosticator is known for her unusual techniques and novel approaches to any problem.
Graciana's quickly identifies that the expertise needed for this work lies in the Marches, and she spends much of her time there, but she also sends several members of her team to Feroz to assess the damage to the territory. Ostensibly this is so that she can demonstrate the usefulness of her findings through examples of practical applications, and certainly the territory is a tragically ideal candidate, given how brutally the resources of the territory were squandered by the brutal Governor Rahab. But as a Freeborn, she brazenly admits to a strong streak of self-interest in the fate of a territory that is part of her homeland and a place she visited many times in her former life as a wealthy merchant and corsair.
Plants and Seeds
| Adapt the Breadbasket |
| Commission Type: None Needed |
| Location: Afarjasse, Feroz |
| Cost: Imperial breadbasket would no longer boost the income of farms if it was used to support a territory or a nation's armies |
| Special: Required a vote of support by the Marchers of Bregasland, Mitwold and Upwold. |
| Special: Would enable the Keeper of the Breadbasket to direct the breadbasket to support a territory in response to any ongoing emergency that involved a devasation of local farming or a hungry population creating an opportunity. |
Companion planting, the practice of planting different crops together so that their natural strenths can compliment each other is widespread throughout the Empire. As might be expected, the Marchers are experts on the subject, but they are far from the only ones. The Urizen architect, Majorian of the Verdant Tower, attempted to compile an authoritative study of every possible combination of plants into a series of almanacs during the reign of Empress Britta, but the task was so vast in scope that he died with the work half-finished. And most herb gardens now employ techniques pioneered by the Navarr before the Empire was ever born, designed to ensure the best possible harvest of every herb.
Seed banks are far less common, at least on any scale. Marchers farms tend to develop their own strains of crops, but they are fiercely competitive and keep their own secrets to themselves. As a result there is a bewildeing array of different crops used in every territory in the Marches, let alone the rest of the Empire, where agriculture is less prominent. Thus, nobody has any cause or reason to worry about the diversity of plants in the Empire. What could be useful however, is a store of grains and seeds that could be used to help re-establish crop planting in territories that have been devastated by war.
In fact, the Marchers already have a network of stores that could be easily adapted to this purpose. The Breadbasket is a series of granaries, barns, warehouses, gain silos, and storage houses that are overseen by the Keeper of the Breadbasket. At present they help to boost the income of farmers in the Marches, and to support a nation's armies that are out of supply, but they could be altered to focus on supporting Imperial territories that were struggling for some reason.
Graciana is well known for her novel ideas, many of which inevitably prove to expensive to implement. So it is something of a surprise to discover that her suggestion for changing the Breadbasket won't cost anything - well not directly. Her plan involves reducing the amount of food stored in the Breadbasket but increasing stores of essential seed and other basic items needed to revitalise farming in a region where that has been devastated. Such an action wouldn't require a commission or any physical construction, but it would need a vote of suport from the local Marchers in the affected territories in Bregasland, Mitwold and Upwold, as the transformation couldn't be accomplished without their aid.
If the Marchers vote to implement Graciana's plan, then it would be possible for the Keeper of the Breadbasket to direct the stores to support any single nation's armies that were out-of-supply or a single Imperial territory that was suffering from hunger, famine or crop failure. The Keeper would not require a suitable opportunity for the latter, they could simply act in the knowledge that their actions were bound to have some beneficial effects in the area provided it met the criteria. If conditions were servere it would either alleviate them directly or create an opportunity to do so.
This would clearly help make the Empire more resilient, providing a way to send aid to devastated regions, helping a territory regrow. The cost of this would be born by local farmers - any time the Breadbasket was used to support a territory or a nation's armies, it would no longer boost the income of farms in the Marches that season.
Great Works
- Graciana believes that other great works could be adapted in a similar way to enable them to provide support if an opportunity allowed it
- They would need to have a title, appointed by Tally of the Votes, to oversee the operations and to represent the affairs of those who benefit from the great works
- The Imperial Senate could use a Senate motion to modify an existing great work to create such a title
The Breadbasket has demonstrated an invaluable ability to help the Empire cope with the problems inflicted by wars and other disasters. By storing food and supplying armies, it has helped to make the Empire more resilient. Graciana has already identified a way to make the Breadbasket more effective in this regard, inline with the goals of the appraisal. She claims her inspiration comes examining the ceaseless efforts of Lily Guildenstern, a former Keeper of the Breadbasket, who worked tirelessly to find ways that the Breadbasket could be used to do more than just boost farm incomes in the Marches. She believes that other great works could potentially benefit the Empire in the same way.
The work of Lily and other Keepers was only possible because the Empire created an Imperial title to oversee the great works and to be responsible for it. The Breadbasket is far from the only great work, so who knows what could have been attempted had other great works had a similar Imperial title overseeing their operations? It's hard to imagine how the Blood Red Roads could ever be directed to help with an Imperial problem, but if something like the Harps of Astolat had had someone to oversee them, like the Gardens of High Chalcis now do, then the civil service might have spotted a way they could have helped in other situations.
Unlike the Breadbasket, a great work could not respond to a current crisis unless the potential to do so were explicitly identified in an opportunity that was examined and reported on by the civil service. (OOC Note: A great work could only help if a wind of fortune said that was possible. The wind would explain what the effects would be.) But no prognosticators or other civil servants have been looking for such opportunities to date, because there has been almost nobody in charge of these great works.
If the Imperial Senate identified a great work they think could provide help in the case of a disaster or emergency, they could use a Senate motion to create an Imperial title to oversee the great work and be responsible for it. Graciana suggests that the Senate look for those great works which have a clear sense of industry and purpose and have people involved in their operation who could reasonably be given new instructions. The title would need to have the ability to supervise the great works and the power to make a single announcement in the Imperial Senate if they were responding to an opportunity.
One drawback in this arrangement is that the great works would not provide the normal benefits to the local economy, boosting the output of resources in the territory, while it was being directed elsewhere. Given it's role, the Constitutional Court have confirmed that such a title would need to be appointed by Tally of the Votes, to ensure that it was responsive to the people whose interests it represented.
State of Feroz
- Feroz has suffered terribly under the rule of Governor Rahab and his crooks
- Graciana has some proposals for how the Empire could begin to address the problems
The impact of Governor Rahab's cruel regime can not be overstated. The territory has been economically devastated by years under the inept, short-sighted, and tyrannical rule of Rahab. Feroz was once a wealthy territory where trade and commerce ran like rivers across the plains. Now it is ravaged, leaving it lawless and impoverished.
This is not the only problem facing the territory. The urging for the citizens of Feroz to leave by the Freeborn Assembly in 383YE, caused those who could to flee the territory, taking whatever worldly goods they could carry with them. The exodus infuriated Rahab causing him to tighten his grip on those who remained, which leads to enslavement and worse for any who showed the slightest resistance. The result is that every part of the territory has been left abandoned with entire villages vacated and towns and cities decimated.
As a result of the appraisal she has conducted, Graciana is able to offer a few proposals for how the Empire could begin to deal with these issues.
Impoverished
- Every region of Feroz has the Impoverished quality
- Each region with the Impoverished quality slows the recovery of the territory
- Any civilian commission built solely in regions with the Impoverished quality has labour costs of only one crown per wain
- The abandoned quality cannot be removed from a region that is impoverished
Feroz has been ruined by Rahab's tyrannical rule. After the vast majority of Freeborn left the territory, Governor Rahab was forced to loot and sell much of the wealth and assets of the territory to fund buying slaves. Those slaves in regions of Feroz held by the Empire have all been freed, but the plundered wealth is gone - taken across the Bay of Catazar to the Broken Shore.
The losses have been exacerbated by the ongoing war. When the Freeborn moved the ilium from the Scorrero Nets, they took one of the few remaining sources of income in the territory. It ruined Rahab, but it did so by ruining Feroz. Such is the price of war.
Being impoverished does make it cheaper to build new civilian commissions here. People are desperate for paid work, anything that might earn them enough to feed themselves and their families. Any civilian commission that is built solely in a region or regions that are impoverished will cost only one crown per wain, rather than the usual three. This does not just apply to the opportunities presented in this wind of fortune. Any civilian commission, including those linked to an Imperial position, benefits from this.
This impoverished state is a major hindrance to the restoration of Feroz. Those who fled the territory are in no hurry to return anyway - they have created new lives for themselves elsewhere in the Brass Coast. But very few people could ever be persuaded to move to Feroz given the hunger and poverty that are endemic here. This means that the Empire cannot remove the abandoned quality of any region that remains impoverished.
Abandoned
- Every region of Feroz has the Abandoned quality
- It costs nothing for Freeborn characters to move a personal resource to Feroz while any region is abandoned
- No mandate will affect the territory, while any region is abandoned
There are still people living in Feroz, but there are far fewer inhabitants remaining than once called this bustling territory their home. Urged on by the Synod, those who could fled when the opportunity presented itself. Those who stayed behind were either the poorest and most desperate who lacked the means to flee, or they were those least inclined to listen to the voices of the Assembly.
The territory has been abandoned by those who once lived there. As a result of the lack of people and the stubborn spirit amongst those who do still reside here, no mandate enacted by the Imperial Synod will affect Feroz. Every region of the territory has the abandoned quality - the Empire will need to find ways to motivate virtuous citizens to return to a region if they are to address the problem there.
The one positive is that there are countless abandoned farms, mines, businesses and likewise scattered across the territory. As a result, any Freeborn character who chooses to move their personal resource to Feroz will not pay the standard fee of two crowns while any region remains abandoned.
Lawless
- Morajasse and the Cazar Straits have the Lawless quality
- The taxation provided by Feroz will not increase naturally while any region is lawless
Bandits are a ubiquitous problem across the Empire, but the magistrates deal with them where they can. As a result, they rarely grow to the point where they threaten an entire region. Rahab largely abandoned trying to keep discipline in his lands as he desperately tried to fend off the increasing threat from the Empire. As a result, a number of large bandit groups have established themselves in Morajasse, while the Cazar Straits has become a wretched hive of scum and villainy under the control of the Children of Wrecks. As a result, both regions have gained the "lawless" quality.
Lawlessness is a problem for everyone - the threat of banditry is a terrible danger for any law-abiding citizen in the territory who cannot defend themselves from the bandits' depredations. It also impacts the Imperial treasury - the taxation provided by Feroz will not increase naturally while any region remains lawless. That reflects the impact thieves, bandits, and pirates have on local businesses and resources, as well as the tendency of more established criminal groups to attack tax collectors directly.
Underpopulated
- Afarjasse, the Cazar Straits, and Morajasse have the Underpopulated quality
- These regions will not contribute to Freeborn supply until the quality is removed
There are simply too few Freeborn in Afarjasse to count towards supply. Those remaining in the territory will move to the coast, where the fishing is still good and trade is a possibility. In Morajasse, there are few Imperials left; there is an area around Mora's Rock that is under the tight control of Gallum Fiersach but elsewhere, it is lawless. Those Imperials who were in Cazar Straits when the Children of Wrecks claimed the region either fled, were slaughtered as part of some idolatrous ceremony, or abandoned their oaths and joined the fledgeling nation.
Restoring Feroz
Each of the opportunities available to commission until the end of the Autumn Equinox 387YE at the earliest. If matters change - if, for example, Oran were to be destroyed by the Children of Wrecks - the status of the opportunity will be addressed in the relevant wind of war or wind of fortune. Graciana wishes to make it clear that the road to recovery for Feroz is a long one, but the measures and propositions she has made could help.
Fields of Bramar
| Golden Fields of Bramar |
| Commission Type: None |
| Location: Fontargenta, Feroz |
| Cost: Requires the aid of the Breadbasket for two seasons |
- The fertile land around Bramar has been abandoned and the region is impoverished
- If the Breadbasket is adapted to support a territory, it could be used to restart the farming in Fontargenta over two seasons
The land around the port of Bramar was once renowned for its fertile farms; its bountiful cornfields competed with Marcher grain across the southern Empire, and the vineyards were justly famous as one of the cornerstones of the Imperial wine trade. These fertile lands were abandoned when people fled the territory to escape from Rahab and the rule of the Grendel. What crops that were left were torn up under the destructive direction of Quartermaster Maeve; a wealthy Grendel who purchased the land from Rahab for a song. Rather than try to plant a new harvest, Maeve took whatever she could harvest and left the rest to rot. Vines were ripped out by the roots, fields were left untilled and have grown thick with weeds. The golden fields of Bramar have been ruined.
A drive to reinvigorate Fontargenta could be centred on the fields around Bramar using the Imperial Breadbasket. Masssive shipments of seeds and grains would be needed to replant fields and vinyards while food supplies would be essential to feed farm workers until new crops could be established. It wouldn't cost anything, not directly anyway, but it would need the Breadbasket to support the region for two seasons. Once that was done, the fields would be re-established and Fontargenta would cease to be abandoned and impoverished. The Breadbasket would need to be adapted to allow that to happen, so it would require a successful vote by Marcher farm owners, followed by a suitable announcement by the Keeper, but no investment would be needed.
Herds of Afar
| Herds of Afar |
| Commission Type: Sinecure |
| Location: Afarjasse, Feroz |
| Cost: 300 crowns |
| Effect: Creates the title of Dhomiro of Afar to allow trade of cattle to the Suranni |
| Effect: Removes the impoversihed quality from Afarjasse |
| Special: Each cattle-bond from the cattle markets of the Marchers counts as 30 rings towards the cost. |
| Dhomiro of Afar |
| Type: Brass Coast National |
| Appointment: Tally of the Votes |
| Powers: Receives an income of 160 rings each season from cattle sales with the Surrani while trade with the Iron Confederacy remains possible |
| Responsibilities: To represent the interests of Afar, and ensure that cattle trade with the Suranni on the other side of the border is trouble free |
- The herds of Afar have been ruined by Maistir Fionnula through mismanagement and trade with the Suranni
- If they are restored then it will contribute towards the wealth of the region
- The motion to reestablish the herds could also create a title that trades cattle for goods from Arbonne
Though the herds of Afar were never as celebrated as the great herd of Skarsind, they were still part of Feroz. Established centuries ago by canny trade with the Marches and the southern cities of the League, they were carefully raised to thrive in the hot and humid weather of the south. Governor Rahab took the largest and most refined herds shortly after the Grendel claimed the territory. Rahab then sold the herds - and the right to trade cattle with the Suranni - to an up-and-coming maistir.
Maistir Fionnula, managed the herds well, at first, selling a portion of the herd to the Suranni across the border in Arbonne but always keeping enough for the herd to remain healthy and strong. That changed when the situation in Feroz deteoriated and she opted to cash in on her investment selling off the entire herd and fleeing the territory back to the Broken Shore.
Reestablishing the herds will be costly, but Graciana has looked at the plans proposed for Maraeve and sees no reason why a similar scheme could not work here. The details in Graciana's plan are similar, but the prospects are different here, due to the presence of the Suranni. Graciana has confirmed that Baron de Hauteville - a minor noble of northern Arbonne - is eager to continue the trade started by Maistir Fionnula. If the herds of Afar were restored it would create a title, Dhomiro of Afar perhaps, who would be responsible for trading with the Suranni of northern Arbonne; sending cattle south. This would also create a further boon for the region as it would also involve hiring drovers to lead the cattle south and guards to escort them. Re-establishing the herds and appointing a citizen to oversee rearing and selling of cattle would remove the impoverished quality from Afarjasse.
The costs are not cheap, Graciana calculates that 300 crowns are needed to procure enough cattle to rebuild the herd. However, if the motion to create Shepherd of the Southern Herd is passed, and the farm owners of Mitwold and Upwold choose to drive their cattle to market, then there will be an opportunity to purchase cattle-bonds from the farm owners who attend Anvil. Any number of cattle-bonds could be used in funding the reestablishing the herds of Afar - they would reduce the costs needed by 30 rings for each bond.
(The Shepherd of the Southern Herd is described in more detail in the companion wind of fortune Million miles of water which details developments in Mareave.)
Inkworks of Joharra
| Inkworks of Joharra |
| Commission Type: Great Work |
| Location: Oranseri, Feroz |
| Cost: 60 white granite and 60 crowns |
Effects:
|
| Scrivener of the Inkworks |
| Type: Brass Coast National |
| Appointment: Tally of the Votes or Senate |
Powers:
|
| Responsibilities: To direct the inkworks as needed, to support the scriveners of Feroz, and to ensure contracts are being kept in the Brass Coast |
| Restriction This title will only receive a Therasia's Chain if the holder is a scrivener |
- The bustling industry of Joharra was ruined by an attack from Isidore i Boyaga
- An inkworks could be built in Oranseri to aid and assist businesses in Feroz
- The inkworks would remove the impoverished quality from the region
- It would also boost the seasonal income of scriveners by 22 rings for a year once completed
Joharra was once famous throughout the Empire for its cloth and dye-work, and indeed was called the Rainbow by coastal sailors who marked their progress on the coast by the first sight of the great billowing cloths hung out to dry along the low cliffs. The dyeing vats and tall wooden frames were broken by the Children of Wrecks during their split from the Grendel here. But if they are rebuilt, a grand inkworks could be established, that would be a source of well-paid work for the Freeborn in the area, especially scriveners. Oranserai would no longer be impoverished once the inkworks was established.
An inkworks wouldn't only serve to help the dyers of Oranseri - though giving them easier access to the materials necessary for their work would clearly help the region - it would also serve as a central point for scriveners of the entire nation. Scriveners would visit to train, learn new techniques, and they would be encouraged to ply their trade in the paradors of the town.
Impressed by the arrangements with the Breadbasket, Graciana recommends the Imperial Senate create an Imperial title to oversee the works. If an opportunity explicitly identified a way in which the inkworks might help with an ongoing problem, then the Scrivener of the Inkworks would have the power to make an announcement in the Senate indicating whether they would be committed to that course of action or not. It might help with the readiness of the Empire to deal with future crisis. That would mean that the benefits to local businesses provided by the great work would be lost for a season or more, but it would give the Empire new ways to react to developments.
The Oath at Sunset, a group of hakima from Cerevado are keen to support this proposal. If it is comissioned and built, they are offering to provide the Scrivener of the Inkworks with a Therasia's Chain each year, provided the incumbent is a reputable scrivener. From discussion with the Oath at Sunset, Graciana believes that the Therasia's Chain is a ritual focus that enhances a ritualist's realm lore when performing the Scrivener's Bloodmark and Traitor's Fate rituals.
The Scrivener of the Inkworks would also be expected to represent the interests of scriveners living in Feroz. There would be a boost to the income of scriveners living in Feroz for a year following the completion of the great works.
Wharfage of Oran
| Oran Wharfage |
| Commission Type: Sinecure |
| Location: Oranseri, Feroz |
| Cost: 15 weirwood and 15 crowns |
Effects:
|
| Special: Could be expanded to be a shipyard for 15 weirwood, 20 white granite, and 105 crowns |
| Corsair of Oran |
| Type: Brass Coast National |
| Appointment: Tally of the Votes |
Powers:
|
| Responsibilities: To represent the interests of Oran and the corsairs of Feroz. |
| Restriction This title will only function if the holder is a corsair |
- The town of Oran was remarkably well maintained under the rule of Governor Rahab
- A wharfage could be built in Oran to benefit and encourage fleets in Feroz
- A wharfage built in Oran would remove the lawless quality from the Cazar Straits
Graciana has uncovered some evidence that Rahab started - and then abandoned - plans to create a shipyard in Feroz. A shipyard could be built in Oran - though as a military commission it would have the standard labour costs - but the former corsair has drawn up plans for a wharfage that takes advantage of the foundations established by the Grendel. A wharfage built in such a prime location would encourage corsairs to dock here and provide facilities to repair their ships and help them unload their cargos.
The Oran Wharfage would inevitably attract corsairs to the area and encourage them to ply their trade in these dangerous waters. Once complete, the Cazar Straits would cease to be lawless - even if they were still controlled by the Children of Wrecks - as the corsairs would contend with the pirates for control of the waters, protecting merchants and traders from their depredations.
The Corsair of Oran, if held by a reputable corsair, could direct the shipwrights of the wharfage to upgrade a standard starting fleet once each year in the season they were elected, at no cost. They would also receive an income of 216 rings each season, drawn from docking fees, a portion of rewards from claimed bounties, and gifts from grateful traders.
Most importantly, according to Graciana, it would also allow Oran to once again offer cheaper dock fees than elsewhere on the Bay of Catazar, encouraging more foreign traders to visit and trade in Feroz. Graciana, a native of Madruga, is intent on making sure that Oran is restored to its former glory so that the friendly rivalry between the town and Siroc can soon be resumed.