Bring you jewels
The two orcs stood on a low rise, gazing down towards the new fortress. The white granite of the aqueduct gleamed in the noonday sun. Gada swiped a sandfly away from their face and let out a long-suffering sigh.
"Inda, really? Really?" Gada shook their head. "It's a castle, Inda. An actual castle. The Grendel never built a castle here. But you're complaining because it isn't the right shape of castle?"
Their companion sputtered a little.
"It's just that if they were really planning to stay, they would have built a city, wouldn't they? Not just a fort. Anyone can build a fort, especially on their frontier. Even the Beoraidhi have a fort!"
"I love you, but I genuinely despair of you sometimes," said Gada, turning away. "It's a bloody castle, Inda. It's got a few thousand Unshackled armed to the teeth, ready to fight all comers, and there are armies down south fighting the damn Grendel as we speak, and you are genuinely complaining that it doesn't have streets? Honestly, there's no pleasing you sometimes."
Overview
The Unshackled territory of Mareave continues to prosper despite the best efforts of the Grendel. Their attempt to recapture the arid lands have faltered and been driven back. Imperial armies clash with the warriors of the Broken Shore, and it is clear that the Empire has the upper hand. This victory, along with some egregious mishandling of the former Grendel orcs in the territory, has gone a long way towards reassuring some of the more uncooperative septs that the Unshackled can deliver on their promises to build Mareave up into a jewel of the Empire.
Mareave is thriving. The grand aqueduct is complete, and Ruicraic's Redoubt proudly protects both it and the ruins of Eoradahl. The enigmatic mountain-folk of Skoura seem keen to secure closer ties with their western neighbours. The independent city-state of Beoraidh still prizes its neutrality, but is clearly facing up to the realities of living in an Imperial territory under "new management". The magicians of the Golden Pyramid have completed their Grand Lodge, and with it their year of investigations and investments looking for more opportunities to improve the prosperity of both the Unshackled and their own order.
Golden Curtain Call
- The Golden Pyramid have completed its Grand Lodge
- The Lodge brings prestige to the region of Clisearn
- They have also completed their year of searching for opportunities in Mareave
The Grand Lodge of the Golden Pyramid has been completed. Despite some initial nervousness caused by the approach of Grendel armies, it stands strong in Clisearn, bringing many advantages to both the Imperial Orcs and the Golden Pyramid order itself. There is no doubt that this is a prestigious building - the heart of an entire Conclave order has been built in Clisearn - and this has the knock-on effect of granting prestige to the families of former Grendel that live nearby. There has been no open movement yet, but magicians of the Lodge recount informal approaches from all three of the major Clisearn families wishing to discuss opportunities for trade and advancement. Clisearn has consequently lost the uncooperative quality. The orcs here are not friends of the Empire or the Unshackled, but neither are they openly opposing them.
The completion of the Grand Lodge also marks the end of the year members have spent talking to inhabitants from across Mareave in search of ways that both the prosperity of the territory and the Order could be improved. They have finished their investigations of the rich hills of Mareave and are, for the most part, looking forward to a rest not under threat from the Grendel. Assuming that the armies still in Fleisardh can be dealt with of course.
What's Mine is Mine
| Expansion of Marr's Mine |
| Commission Type: Edifice |
| Location: Nadir, Mareave |
| Cost: 8 wains of weirwood, 8 wains of white granite, 6 thrones, three months |
| Availability: One year |
Effect:
|
| Patron of Nadir |
| Type: Imperial Orcs National |
| Appointment: Tally of the Votes |
| Powers: Can purchase ingots and mithril from the orcs of Nadir |
Responsibilities:
|
| Wealth of the Hills | |
| 10 crowns | 16 random ingots |
| 20 crowns | 24 random ingots |
| 45 crowns | 24 random ingots and one wain of mithril |
- The mine of a local orc could be expanded, and the excess ingots purchased
The magicians of the Golden Pyramid have been exploring potential business deals with the orcs of the Broken Shore who have remained, and struck upon a potential agreement with a respected orc named Savurn Marr. Savurn and his family have lived in the hills of northern Mareave for generations, and few can match their understanding of the terrain and its hidden wealth. The Marr are a little suspicious of the Imperial Orcs, but they have so far simply accepted that dominion over Mareave has shifted from Grendel to Unshackled, and broadly got on with their lives. Now, though, there is a lucrative opportunity for mutual enrichment and Savrun is singing a very different tune.
With the help of Golden Pyramid diviners, a rich untapped vein of metal has been uncovered in Savurn's own mine. If it can be opened up, there is significant potential for profit - there are even small deposits of mithril that could be mined here with enough investment. The mine belongs to Savurn, but if the Empire is willing to fund the expansion, they will provide an agreement for the Imperial Orcs to buy the additional output from him at heavily discounted rates. Furthermore, if there is sufficient investment, he will make a bequeathment of one vial of prismatic ink each season to the Golden Pyramid, in thanks to the order for helping him find the lucrative new vein in the first place. Where he is getting the ink from is presumably a question for another time.
Many Hands
| Stallion's Reward |
| Commission Type: Sinecure |
| Location: Clisearn, Mareave |
| Cost: 20 wains of mithril, 60 crowns, three months |
| Availability: One year |
Effect:
|
| Celestial Stable Hand |
| Type: Conclave |
| Appointment: Declaration of Candidacy |
Powers:
|
| Responsibilities: Should the Stallion's Reward ever come under threat, the Celestial Stable Hand would be in charge of its defence. |
Specials:
|
- Members of the order have drawn up a design to take advantage of the natural flows of magic in the territory
Over the last year, some of the more theoretically minded magicians of the Order have noticed something... decidedly odd about the eddies and currents of magical power that flow across the territory. Whether something ancient or something new, these flows of natural magic appear to correspond - more or less - with the constellation of the Stallion. With enough investment of mithril and a steady hand to keep a run of the things, the Golden Pyramid believe these energies could be focused into a confluence in Clisearn that would make it produce mana crystals as normal. However, because of the peculiar shape of the flows, it will also produce an amount of vis, the kind depending on the season.
The members of the order are happy to support the work necessary, but are insistent that the resulting title be appointed by Declaration of Candidacy. The good work of the grand lodge in Clisearn has ingratiated the order with the locals; if the title holder is a member of the Golden Pyramid, then they will receive an income of four crowns each season, from the ongoing relations with the orcs in the area.
Build a Tower for Tomorrow
| Tower of the Immovable |
| Commission Type: Edifice |
| Location: Eoradal, Mareave |
| Cost: 40 wains of white granite, 10 rings of ilium, three months |
Effect:
|
- Rucraic's Redoubt has been completed in Eoradal
- It is not possible to build another fortification in Eoradal
- Vranitas, herald of Cathan Canae, has suggested building a great tower to show they will not abandon the region
- It will be infused with adamant from the Summer realm
The fortification of Rucraic's Redoubt has been completed, and a sturdy garrison recruited and armed. It now stands proudly at the Mareave end of the grand aqueduct, offering a place of sanctuary for the northern citizens of Mareave, and soldiers to protect the people all the way to the southern border. There is some discussion that the new fortification could serve as an excellent site for a embassy with Skoura if they could be persuaded to agree to such a thing.
The Redoubt is impressive, but it is not the same as creating a fortified town. Doing so was the original plan proposed by Elian Sweetwater and the Tamazi for reassuring the septs of Eoradal that the Imperial Orcs were here to stay. They are surely impressed, but there are still a number who think that the fortress is a good start, but nowhere near sufficient to convince them that the Unshackled are serious about maintaining their dominion. There may, however, still be a way to get the advantages of both opportunities.
The Imperial Conclave, on behalf of the Imperial Orcs, accept the offer of Cathan Canae to send her heralds to Eoradal in Mareave to investigate a Summer fortification to the fortified town to be built there
Guineve du Couronne, on behalf of the Archmage of SummerOne way to achieve that would be to upgrade the existing fortification to incorporate the original plans for a walled settlement - but that would clearly be expensive. A different opportunity has presented itself in the form of Vranitas, a herald of The Immovable One. For the last few months, they have been knocking around Mareave, talking to both Imperial and local orcs, standing on hillsides looking moody, and kicking rocks and piles of sand. Their presence has gone unremarked until a trio of Golden Pyramid orcs literally bump into them in the ruins of Eoradal. According to the voluble Vranitas, they are here on the orders of their mistress to get a feel for Mareave and see how she might offer aid to the Imperial Orcs.
After discussion with the Golden Pyramid, Vranitas has suggested building a mighty tower at Ruicraic's Redoubt, something truly majestic that can be seen for miles. They believe this would demonstrate the intent of the Unshcakled to remain in a way that was tangible and visible to everyone in Eoradal - and that as a unique landmark it would serve naturally to draw people to the area. Both local orcs and Unshackled would come to the Redoubt, not only for water but also for companionship and the sense of security the castle brings. Vranitas has even offered to remain in the tower, providing his mistress' guidance, sparring with anyone who wishes to visit, and from the point of view of the Golden Pyramid providing a sign that the Immovable One supports the Unshackled intent to remain here.
If the proposed tower is built, then, over time, a new settlement will be established around Rucraic's Redoubt. It won't be a walled town, as originally planned, but rather a sprawling conurbation that might eventually grow to the size of a city. Rucraic's Redoubt could shelter people if the area was attacked and the landmark tower would give people confidence and certainty to settle here. Completing the Tower of the Immovable would remove the uncooperative quality from Eoradal.
Finally, the people drawn to the Tower and the Redoubt would provide funds to support the Unshackled nation, and especially the Strategos of the Imperial Orcs. The Strategos is a figure whose duties plainly involve protecting Imperial Orcs lands - and the people who live on them. The tower would secure an income of 216 rings each season from donations, for as long as it remained standing and the region of Eoradal was controlled by the Imperial Orcs.