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Furia picked at what appeared to be a speck of dirt on her robes but the black mote obstinately refused to move. If she were one of the swamp wizards she might take the stubborn mark as a sign of an ill twist of her skein, an omen of foreboding. Since she was an acknowledged master of the arcane arts in the greatest nation in the world she decided to take it as a sign that her robes needed washing.

"Why are you here Furia?" Severus asked, his tone polite and friendly but clearly curious. They'd exchanged the traditional greetings and pleasantries, but after half-an-hour it was clear he wanted her to get to the point.

To be fair, it was a good question, one she'd asked herself twice already this morning. She was supposed to be retired. She was retired dammit. Faced with the need to climb the winding stair up to Delving the conviction that she would have to come here in person to persuade Severus to give up the scrolls had nearly cracked. Perhaps a letter by heliopticon would have sufficed after all?

It was good to see Severus though - it had been too long since the two of them had talked face-to-face. She considered telling him that, but decided she owed her old friend the truth. Enough beating around the bush, she would just have to come out and say it.

"I've come to ask you to give up the scrolls. You should put them into lore."

Severus' eye's widened with surprise, his tone hinted at his anger as he responded. "We discussed this several times Furia. My answer was no then, it's still no. I don't trust the Empire to use the spells wisely."

Furia nodded in acknowledgement of Severus' recollection of their past disagreements. She had expected no less, but she had planned for this. "You were right then Severus - I was wrong. But I'm not asking you to put the rituals into Imperial Lore. I'm asking you to consider putting them into Urizen Lore..."

Severus opened his mouth to respond, but then shut it again. It was one thing to argue that some foreign fool might anger the King Under The Mountain by abusing the rituals, it was quite another thing to claim that an Urizeni would be so unwise. Clearly unhappy with the idea, he searched for the right response.

"Why should we give up our great possession? Will other covens do the same? Those that were inclined to be generous gave up their own rituals centuries ago. Those that hung on to them... why does this change anything for them?"

"It changes everything! This is not the Empire's lore Severus - it's ours!" Furia could feel her emotions rising, rather than hold them back, she immersed herself in them, letting them shape her words and fill them with urgency. "It belongs to us and to us alone. Let the Dawnish have their armies, and the Marchers their farms. The Coast and the League can haggle with each other for coins. It is magic that makes this nation extraordinary. Our own lore is something that every Urizeni magician can take Pride in. When was the last time you felt that Pride Severus?"

"They won't value them like they should..." Severus' voice trailed off... He was not yet convinced but her words had hit home.

"No - they won't.", she replied, "They won't value them the way you do. That is true. So make them value them. Put a price on them."

"We're magicians... not merchants..." he spat, the contempt in his voice plain. Furia grinned, she had the old architect exactly where she wanted him now. His Pride was already on the line, now she just had to appeal to his professionalism.

"What was it you once said to the Conclave? We should stop grubbing in the dirt for coins and instead lift our eyes to the stars. Only then will we see what we can accomplish... Well then... lift your eyes to the stars Severus! You have something to offer... what great change could you accomplish with such a treasure?"

Overview

When the Grand Library of Canterspire was ceded to the eternal Phaleron by the Imperial Senate it signalled the creation of Urizen Lore. This special body of magical knowledge is only available to Urizen citizens. During the Autumn Equinox 383YE, nearly half a dozen rituals were entered into Urizen Lore by Imperial magicians.

As awareness of it's potential spreads, a number of groups within the nation have come forward to propose magical texts for inclusion in Urizen Lore. Adding a ritual to Urizen lore requires the ritual text to be the target of the Gift of Knowledge ritual - a ritual that is not itself part of Urizen Lore. With that in mind, the custodians of these unique ritual tomes will need to come to Anvil and find someone (ideally a fellow Urizeni) capable of working the magic required.

While motivated by altruism to a point, these custodians are still Ambitious and have a concern for the Prosperity of themselves and their spires. With that in mind, most of the groups have conditions that must be met before they will share their personal lore with their fellow Urizeni. It's also worth noting that none of these magicians are interested in adding their unique rituals to Imperial lore; had they had any desire to do so they would have presented them to the Conclave already.

OOC Note

In each section we've detailed the grimoires that are being proposed to become part as Urizen lore, and the rituals they contain. Each is introduced with a few sentences of in-character text explaining the ritual and an out-of-character box that summarizes the game information about the ritual. These out-of-character boxes are essentially representing the academic details shared by the NPCs who own the books, translated into clear terms. An opportunity to look at the actual text of the rituals as it would appear on the wiki will generally exist during the event, depending on the roleplaying in the field.

In each case, it's impossible to put some of the rituals in a book into Urizen lore without including others without literally tearing pages out of these valuable tomes - something the characters who own them will not countenance under any circumstances. Likewise, none of the spires who are proposing their precious ritual texts for inclusion in Urizen lore have any interest whatsoever in sharing those rituals with the wider Empire - as the flavour text for this wind of fortune indicates they'd have already done that if there were any way to persuade them to.

Where a ritual uses the power of an eternal we've made that explicit and also included the details of the assurance that is built into the agreement with the magicians who formulated the ritual. If the assurance is broken, the ritual ceases to function. While it is certainly possible for the eternal to empower the ritual again it would require a new set of negotiations and there is no guarantee that it will work the same way it did previously.

Finally, all the rituals are listed at the end of the Wind of Fortune in a table which you can find here.

The Architects of Stone

  • The architect community at Delving in Redoubt proposes that the grimoire A Year of Perfect Stillness be added to Urizen Lore
  • They are asking the Senate to commission an appraisal on their behalf
  • The book A year of Perfect Stillness contains three rituals - Raise the Dragonsworn Cohort, Stone's Unyielding Defiance, and Vital Strength of the Earth
  • Arbiter Severus of Delving or one of their deputies will attend Anvil on Sunday morning to speak to either the Crystal Architect of the Spires or the senator for Redoubt

Arbiter Severus of Delving, a spire known for their expertise in working stone, in engineering, and in mining. Home to a number of respected architects, they are among the first to see the potential benefits of sharing some of their personal lore with their fellow Urizeni. They are also on good terms with the eternal Adamant, and have been for quite some time it appears. So far Severus has sidestepped questions as to how long, exactly, they have been on good terms with the Throne of Stone given that until recently he was believed to have been ignoring the Empire.

Regardless of the details, the architects of Delving have presented a tome of magic for inclusion in Urizen lore - A Year of Perfect Stillness - which contains three potent rituals formulated with the assistance of the Deep Dragon and his koboldi. Under normal circumstances it is unlikely they would risk offending Adamant by making the rituals more commonly available but by all accounts the eternal is in predisposed to help the people of Urizen. The creation of the Three Watchers and the public thanks issued by the Urizen assembly, as well as the mandate encouraging Urizeni to work with eternals have all apparently factored in to the architects of Delving receiving his blessing to share the magic he helped to create.

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Arbiter Severus resides in Delving, Tomari, Redoubt in the event that anyone who wishes to to contact them Call Winged Messenger following the Winter Solstice.

The Best Offence

The architects at Delving are deeply concerned about the situation in Urizen at the moment. While they see the benefits of sharing their proprietary knowledge with their fellow Urizen they are not prepared to do so without some kind of recompense - Prosperity demands nothing less. Before they will allow A Year of Perfect Stillness to be placed in Urizen Lore they want the Imperial Senate to commission an appraisal on their behalf.

The appraisal would instruct the civil service to find ideal spots in Urizen where new fortifications might be built to better protect the nation - in Spiral and Zenith where possible as well as Redoubt and Morrow. They have expressed no unified opinion on which of the three prognosticators would be engaged to oversee the appraisal - efficiency, creativity, or diplomacy are all equally acceptable.

Severus - or more likely a deputy given the arbiter's age - will be bringing A Year of Perfect Stillness to Anvil on Sunday morning to be entered into Urizen lore, assuming the Senate has commissioned the appraisal. They have asked to meet with the Crystal Architect of the Spires, or (should the title not have been appointed) with Andronikos of the Lighthouse at Nikephoros the Senator for Redoubt. The expectation is that whoever they meet with will have secured an Urizen magician able to cast Gift of Knowledge although they are prepared to provide the mana and weltsilver themselves.

A Year of Perfect Stillness

The scrolls that encompass A Year of Perfect Stillness contain a trio of magical rituals. Two of the rituals Raise the Dragonsworn Cohort and Stone's Unyielding Defiance - draw directly on the eternal's power while the third Vital Strength of the Earth - was formulated with the assistance of his koboldi but uses only mortal magic.


Click Expand to see details of the rituals.

Hall of the Newborn Sun

  • The questor and illuminate community from the Hall of the Newborn Sun propose the Book of the Restless Spirit be added to Urizen Lore
  • They are asking the Imperial Synod to uphold a statement of principle on their behalf
  • Their grimore contains four rituals: Silence of the Bronze Bell, Resolution of Falling Stars, A Light that Moves, and Net of Gossamer Chains
  • If the statement has been upheld Arbiter Aphrodias will attend Anvil on Sunday morning with the grimoire to speak to the priests of the Urizen assembly

Before it was overrun by the Druj the Hall of the Risen Sun in Zenith Occursion, was a grand cathedral dedicated to the virtues of Pride and Ambition. Since the reign of Emperor Walter they had been somewhat reticent about involving themselves in politics beyond the borders of Zenith but in recent years they had been paying close attention to affairs of the Synod and Senate once more. When the orcs came, some of the inhabitants were able to flee with the aid of the Highborn armies but many of the most devout were captured attempting to rescue the centuries of philosophical texts held in the cathedral library. Nothing further was heard from these unfortunate souls until the Spring Equinox 383YE and the desperate rescue launched into the conquered territory. Among those rescued were two dozen illuminates and questors from the Hall of the Risen Sun - some of whom had managed to conceal a handful of valuable tomes from the hateful eyes of the Druj.

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Arbiter Aphroiasresides in the Hall of the Newborn Sun, Caeli, Morrow should anyone wish to send a Winged Messenger after the Winter Solstice.

Now united with their fellows, and with the encouragement of the Imperial Synod and the support of their erstwhile hosts at the temple of Weave, the priests plan to found a new spire - the Hall of the Newborn Sun - in the mountains of south-eastern Morrow, not far from the Three Watchers. They new arbiter, Aphrodias of the Newborn Sun, has proposed that one of the grimoires recovered from Zenith, the Book of the Restless Spirit, be included in Urizen lore as a way to ensure that the contents are not lost again.

Seeking Reassurances

The priests of Hall of the Newborn Sun consider the book to be priceless but it's inclusion in Urizen lore - and by extension in the library of Phaleron - would ensure that it is not lost to the vagaries of fate. There is some disagreement among the priests of the new temple as to the wisdom (and Wisdom) of this course of action. As a consequence of this, and with an eye to recent events, they have asked the priests of Urizen to raise and pass a statement of principle in the General Assembly with the following wording.

The Imperial Synod recognises that it is neither heresy nor blasphemy to teach that auras may impede passage through the Labyrinthe by imposing virtuous choices rather than allowing a pilgrim to come to them through reason and free will.

Aphrodias of the Spire of the Risen Sun, Statement of Principle Wording

The priests of the Hall of the Newborn Sun do not require it to reach a greater majority, but if the priests of Urizen cannot secure enough support to have it pass, or it is not raised, then they will not allow the Book of the Restless Spirit to be placed into Urizen lore.

Aphrodias intends to attend the Anvil summit on Sunday morning. They will have the Book of the Restless Spirit and have indicated that they will also be bringing some transcripts of the contents for perusal by anyone who is prepared to make a small donation towards the construction of the new temple. They are expecting to meet with representatives of the Urizen Assembly, ideally including a priest who can perform the Gift of Knowledge, and will be bringing their own crystal mana and weltsilver.

Book of the Restless Spirit

According to Aphrodias, the book contains several rituals relating to matters of faith and the spirit along with short essays compiled over several centuries by the questors and illuminates of the Hall of the Newborn Sun as each faction engaged in friendly rivalry and sought to convince the other of the merits of their particular philosophy of the spirit. In addition to the selected essays the book contains four rituals: Silence of the Bronze Bell, Resolution of Falling Stars, A Light that Moves, and Net of Gossamer Chains. Each was formulated at the Halls of Knowledge either by Provosts from the Hall of the Risen Sun or at the behest of the priests - something that makes its potential inclusion in Urizen lore even more poignant given the destruction of that magical college.


Click Expand to see details of the rituals.

Beneath a Bleak Spire

  • The herbalists and healers of the Bleak Tower propose an old book of Spring magic called The Well of Nine Stars be included in Urizen Lore
  • They are asking for the Silver Chalice Conclave order to amend their manifesto in return
  • The book contains four rituals - Fountain's Bounty, Woven Strands of Life, Wellspring of the High Peak, and A Goblet of Stars
  • The arbiter of Bleak Tower and the holder of the book plan to attend Anvil on Sunday morning to meet with the Custodian of the Bleak Tower

The Bleak Tower is a relatively new arcane spire founded after the Spring Equinox 382YE. Inhabited by refugees from the Gardens of Pallas in Zenith and by healers from the Gardens of Morrow that once stood on the slopes of Caeli in Morrow. Both were burned by the Druj, their people scattered, but given new hope when the Senate commissioned a unique arboretum in north-west Ravion. The spire is relatively new but already securing its reputation as a place of healing and herb lore. While it is built around a Winter regio it is also known for its masters of Spring magic especially that magic that related to herbs an has attracted practitioners of green lore from across Urizen eager to study at the arboretum.

One of these newcomers is Cassirra Greenwell, a refugee from Spiral. She and her surviving spiremates brought with them an old book given to the founders of their spire when they established Fountainhome Spire in the reign of Empress Richilde. Called The Well of Nine Stars it has been handed down from generation to generation containing a wealth of Spring lore relating to green growing plants. The survivors of Fountainhome Spire have proposed that the book be entered into lore as much to reconnect their fellow Urizeni with their pasts as to swell their understanding of the realm of Spring. Arbiter Cyrus of the Bleak Spire agrees and is working with Cassirra and her fellows to facilitate this outcome.

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Both Arbiter Cyrus and Cassirra Greenwell can be contacted at the Bleak Tower, Ravion, Morrow through use of the Call Winged Messenger ritual following the Winter Solstice.

Focusing the Chalice

As with the other groups who have rituals to propose for Urizen lore, however, The Well of Nine Stars does not come without complications. In their case the request is somewhat esoteric. As a requirement before the book can become part of Urizen lore, Cassirra Greenwell and the members of Bleak Tower spire want the newly formed Silver Chalice Conclave order to make a significant change to it's manifesto.

Specifically they want it to officially remove the statement that it exists to "Look into supporting long term efforts to aid the infrastructure (and foundations) of the Empire." Such a change would require a Senate motion under the rules covering formation of Conclave Orders but it would not be Constitutional in nature.

Both Cassirra Greenwell and arbiter Cyrus are quick to make clear that they and their spiremates bear the Order no ill-will. On the contrary, they are concerned that the Silver Chalice has erred by choosing four goals rather than the traditional three. Three is an ideal number, claims Cassirra Greenwell; more than three and the order risks becoming unfocused - especially with a goal that is so open ended as to be functionally meaningless. For the order to be truly successful it must have focus.

Obviously it is very unlikely to pass without the support of the order itself. Taking inspiration from the founding of Bleak Tower spire and from recent events surrounding Uphold Wayhouse, arbiter Cyrus has a proposal. He suggests that if Urizen wishes to convince the Silver Chalice to make this change the Imperial Synod might raise a statement of principle proposing that the citizens of Urizen offer their support to the Silver Chalice and it's good works - either in the National Assembly or the General Assembly. If it passes with a greater majority Cyrus believes a mandate to secure material support for the newly founded order - most likely in the form of bequests from herb gardens to the order vault - would be a likely consequence.

One or both of arbiter Cyrus and Cassirra Greenwell intends to bring The Well of Nine Stars to Anvil during the Winter Solstice. They hope to meet with the Custodian of the Bleak Tower Staurakios, who will hopefully be able to secure someone to perform the Gift of Knowledge; they will be providing the mana and weltsilver of course as it is the least they can do. Arbiter Cyrus cautions however that the ritual will only go ahead if the Senate has already passed the motion to amend the manifesto of the Silver Chalice. Otherwise the book will remain available only to the magicians of the Bleak Tower.

The Well of Nine Stars

The ritual text being offered by Cassira Greenwell and the Bleak Tower contains some old lore and a number of archaic poems on the topic of plants and the natural world. It also contains four Spring rituals: Fountain's Bounty, Woven Strands of Life, Wellspring of the High Peak, and A Goblet of Stars. One of the four - Wellspring of the High Peaks deals with the eternal Ossegrahn and Cassira is quick to offer assurances that it has not been performed since the reign of Emperor Giovanni - often before anyone asks for such reassurances.


Click Expand to see details of the rituals.

Sent from the Temple of Swords

  • The sword scholar Helos of the Moonfall Blade offers a collection of scrolls called A Single Strike for inclusion in Urizen Lore
  • They are asking for fifty doses of liao before they will allow the scrolls to be included
  • The scrolls A Single Strike contains three rituals - Chastise the Foolish, The Certainty of Doubt, and Blade of Clear Sight
  • Helos and several other sword scholars are planning to attend Anvil on Saturday evening with the scrolls to speak to the Envoy to the Disciples of the Tempest Jade Maiden

History recounts that the sword scholars have not always been as welcome among the Urizeni, or among Imperial citizens, as they are today. At times vilified and persecuted, several of their temples were forced to go underground to survive. While they are warrior-priests first and foremost they are still Urizen, and some of the treasures they took with them into their long internal exile took the form of magical lore. So it is with the grimoire known as A Single Strike

Enthused by the support that the Urizen Assembly and the Assembly of Wisdom have both shown for the creed of the sword scholar, Helos of the Moonfall Blade has proposed to use one of those hidden grimoires as an addition to Urizen lore. The collected scrolls record details of the sword scholar philosophy compiled by the Moonfall Blade temple but also include the texts for three rituals that have hitherto been carefully guarded by Helos' sect.

Bounty of Liao

Not all the sword scholars view such largesse with equimanity however. Some of them still hold a grudge against their fellows - blaming them in part for the massacre at the Temple of the Winds. As an internal compromise, Helos has secured the approval of at least some of their peers by promising to secure a bounty of liao before they will allow the book to become part of lore. The liao will be distributed between several of the sword scholar sects and used to create auras in keeping with the wider goal of spreading the teachings of Sulemaine throughout Urizen and - with the support of the Assembly of Wisdom - across the rest of the Empire. At least fifty doses should be sufficient.

During the Winter Solstice, Helos plans to come to Anvil in the company of several of his peers who wish to protect the scrolls and ensure they are treated with appropriate respect. They anticipate collecting the bounty of liao from the Envoy to the Disciples of the Tempest Jade Maiden Aspar. They further anticipate that assuming the liao is forthcoming Aspar will have secured a suitable expert to perform the Gift of Knowledge on their scrolls, ideally in the presence of any other sword scholars who have made the long trip to Anvil this season. Unfortunately Helos will not be able to provide the mana or weltsilver needed to perform the ritual but they have expressed hope that this will not present much of an obstacle to the accomplished Envoy.

A Single Strike

These scrolls apparently represent something of a primer on their beliefs, exploring the teachings of Sulemaine and her successors, and offering guidance to followers of the Moonfall temple. It also contains three rituals: Chastise the Foolish, The Certainty of Doubt, and Blade of Clear Sight that until recently have been solely available to the sword scholar sects.


Click Expand to see details of the rituals.

Sentinels Stand Watch

  • The sentinel Lutia of Willstone has been chosen to present The Guardian Gate for inclusion in Urizen Lore
  • No payment is required; only a magician to cast Gift of Knowledge on the book
  • The sentinels have asked that a statement of principle in the General Assembly be made to support the restoration of Zenith.
  • The Guardian Gate contains four rituals - Guardian Gate, Irresistible Stance of Force and Focus, Peregrine and Ichimos, and Arete and the Fields of War
  • Lutia intends to bring the book to Anvil on Saturday evening to meet with the general of the Citadel Guard and their fellow sentinels

The Court of the White Fountain in Redoubt guards the western end of the Onyx Path into Spiral. Over the last few seasons it has seen an influx of refugees from the east, leaving their homes in the wake of the peace treaty that cedes Ankra, Cinion and Ateri to the Grendel. The Court is once again on the front-line between Urizen and the barbarians - for all that they may be foreigners for the time being.

With an eye to the defence of their nation in the wake of harsh political decisions, several arbiters of citadels in various parts of Urizen have met at the Court to discuss the challenges of protecting their nation. One of the outcomes of that meeting was a decision to offer The Guardian Gate for inclusion in Urizen lore. The meeting appointed arbiter Lutia of Willstone to be responsible for overseeing this process, not least because they are a descendant of the original author.

OOC Note: Any sentinel character is welcome to roleplay that they attended the meeting at the Court of the White Fountain and engaged in nearly a week of planning, discussion, and argument about how best to secure the borders of Redoubt and Morrow, shore up the Citadel Guard, and how to reclaim Zenith from the Druj. The outcome of this meeting, apart from the decision to present the magical tome to Urizen, is obviously beneath the abstraction layer.

True Strength

Lutia of Willstone is bringing The Guardian Gate to Anvil on Saturday evening. They are hoping to meet with the general of the Citadel Guard - currently Nicassia of Phoenix Reach - and with their fellow sentinels. They expect that the general will be able to find an Urizen capable of casting the Gift of Knowledge and will be bringing the required material components with them. Unlike the representatives of other groups who have grimoires to include in Urizen lore, Lutia and her fellow sentinels want no particular payment. They are offering these rituals freely and without any strings attached because, as the gathering at the Citadel of the White Flame ultimately agreed, it is the correct thing to do.

However.

The Druj are the greatest threat to Urizen, and should be driven from Zenith.

Pallidius of Highwatch, Statement of Principle, Urizen Assembly, Autumn Equinox, Upheld (130-0)

Many of the prominent sentinels of Urizen are in agreement that something needs to be done about the Citadel Guard. The army is in decline - the loss of Zenith and Spiral means that the nation simply cannot support it. Even before the loss of the remaining territory in Spiral the army was in trouble. Now, with both Zenith and Spiral in barbarian hands, the situation is truly dire. While the Keeper of the Breadbasket can help delay the inevitable, the Guard will continue to haemorrhage soldiers and supplies. Wisdom, Vigilance, and Prosperity all say that something must be done - the Empire cannot afford to keep expending resources to keep the Guard's head above water. The future does not look good for the unique, irreplaceable Urizen army.

Palladius has already gained the support of the national assembly with their judgement during the Autumn Equinox - but it's not clear to the sentinels what more the Urizen can do. They ask that a statement of principle be raised in the General Assembly of the Synod calling for citizens of every nation to come together to take Zenith back from the Druj. If this is upheld with a greater majority, and worded clearly and strongly, then it will hopefully lead to a mandate that will provide constructive opportunities to support the war effort in the eastern Empire. Assuming the sword scholars do not interfere with it of course.

The Guardian Gate

The Guardian Gate was written during the reign of Empress Varkula by Atallanna of Willstone. An experienced battle mage, Atallanna was a proud sentinel for much of her life before eventually retiring to expand her arete through the study of ritual magic. A self-confessed middling-magician she nonetheless rose to become one of the first Provosts of the Halls of Knowledge. During her tenure she worked almost exclusively on rituals with military applications; her experience as a sentinel and events during the assimilation of Zenith established a life-long commitment to using magic to support the defenders of Urizen. The Guardian Gate is a short book of advice for magicians who support sentinels that also contains four of the rituals she devised as Provost.

The book contains four rituals: Guardian Gate (for which the whole collection is named), Irresistable Stance of Force and Focus, Peregrine and Ichimos and Arete and the Fields of War.


Click Expand to see details of the rituals.

The Limits of Power

These three rituals - Mirror of Perfection, Flame and the Flood, and An Echo of Songs - rely not only on the qualities of ilium that allow magic to be made a permanent part of the world but also on the unique magical properties of mana sites, forests, and mines. There are no rituals to do anything similar with other personal resources and any arcane projection attempting it will fail - a business, congregation, military unit or similar all lack the innate spark of magic that is required for a ritual such as this to work.

Song, Mirror and Flame

  • The stargazer named Olic the Wanderer is custodian of an old grimoire called Concordance of Earthbound Stars
  • They will bring the tome to Anvil for inclusion in Urizen lore if the Empire is enchanted with Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths before the end of Autumn Equinox 384YE
  • The book contains four rituals - Mirror of Perfection, Flame and the Flood, An Echo of Songs, and The Stargazer's Astrolabe
  • Olic will visit Anvil as soon as possible after the requisite ritual is cast but will need someone to perform Gift of Knowledge (and cannot supply the materials to do so themselves)

Many stargazers would be among the first to admit that they can come across as a little peculiar. Olic the Wanderer is no exception. A philosopher of magical theory known for their cheerful disposition, the peripatetic naga flouts Urizeni tradition by calling no particular spire their home. "I am a citizen of Urizen," as they frequently put it. "Magic doesn't tie itself down - why should I?" For the past three decades they have moved from spire to spire around Morrow relying largely on charity and the modest income from five books of arcane lore published by Spider's Vantage Spire in Redoubt. The books are considered "trashy" at best - much like the author - and more popular outside the borders of Urizen than within.

So it came as something of a surprise when Olic turned up at the Grand Library of Canterspire in possession of a grimoire of powerful magical rituals, some of them using hithertofore unknown magical techniques. The stargazer is reticent to enter into any discussion of where the book came from, merely offering enthusiastic reassurances that everything is above board and that they are the trusted custodian of the magic contained within. After asking a number of very precise questions about how precisely Urizen lore differs from Imperial lore they have expressed a keen interest in sharing the contents with the rest of the nation.

Quid Pro Quo

While they are keen to share the contents of the Concodrance of Earthbound Stars, Olic wants something in return. After what are described as "extensive discussions with my talented peers", Olic is interested in "harmonizing the omniherdron" as they put it. Specifically they want a coven to perform the ritual Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths. Both Hallow of the Green World and Wondrous Forests of the Night have been cast already, and the "missing" rituals are still not codified, but Bright Eyes has not been performed in living memory. If nothing else, they're interested to see what happens given how the castings of the previous two rituals have shaken out.

Olic appreciates that it is no easy matter to perform a ritual of this magnitude at short notice, and has announced intentions to take a sabbatical to visit Casinea for a year or so. They'll be on hand if someone completes the ritual and will head to Anvil as soon as possible, grimoire in hand, to have it added to Urizen lore by the coven who performed the ritual. If the ritual hasn't been cast by the end of Autumn 383YE, their offer is withdrawn. Incidentally, Olic will need someone to provide the mana, weltsilver, and mastery to perform the Gift of Knowledge - outside of being custodian of a fabulous magical grimoire, their funds are very limited indeed.

Concordance of Earthbound Stars

The book contains three unique rituals that make extensive use of astronomantic power - Mirror of Perfection, Flame and the Flood, and An Echo of Songs - and one ritual that grants improved ability to examine magical effects - The Stargazer's Astrolabe. Olic claims that the book is very old, handed down from stargazer to stargazer since the rituals were first codified - allegedly as a result of cooperation between legendary Varushkan magician Pakaanan and a trio of ancient stargazers.

Details of these rituals are available below - click Expand to see them.

Bibliography

This table summarizes the rituals, realms, and which book they are contained in.

RitualExplanationRealmMag.Book
Raise the Dragonsworn CohortTransforms a mine into a powerful military unit for a seasonSummer20A Year of Perfect Stillness
Stone's Unyielding DefianceEnchants a fortification, repairing it and increasing the combat strength by 1,500 for a seasonSummer90A Year of Perfect Stillness
Vital Strength of the EarthGrants additional power to uses of the unstoppable and relentless skillsSummer28A Year of Perfect Stillness
Silence of the Bronze BellGrants a character with the dedicate skill the ability to remove auras with additional potenceWinter12Book of the Restless Spirit
Resolution of Falling StarsGrants a magician the ability to overcome roleplaying effects by spending personal manaDay6Book of the Restless Spirit
A Light that MovesEnchants a congregation for a season so that it provides additional votes and liao at the next summitDay18Book of the Restless Spirit
Net of Gossamer ChainsEnchants a congregation to produce Autumn vis for a seasonAutumn12Book of the Restless Spirit
Fountain's BountyEnchants a mana site to produce herbs, forest material, and moneySpring12Well of Nine Stars
Woven Strands of LifeTransforms a mana site into a herb garden for a season that receives additional productionSpring14Well of Nine Stars
Wellspring of the High PeakTrades measures of ambergelt with an eternal to produce Spring visSpring6Well of Nine Stars
A Goblet of StarsEnchants a physick with the ability to use any healing herb as if it were true vervainSpring8Well of Nine Stars
Chastise the FoolishCurses a target to be unable to use religious skills for a yearWinter20A Single Strike
The Certainty of DoubtCurses a character so that any congregation they control provides half as much liao and votes for a yearNight16A Single Strike
Blades of Clear SightEnchants a character who has the Weapon master skill to call IMPALE twice per dayDay14A Single Strike
Guardian GateEnchants a fortification to gather information about a territory and impede spy networksDay80The Guardian Gate
Irresistible Stance of Force and FocusEnchants a magician to allow them to cast REPEL four times a dayDay14The Guardian Gate
Peregrine and IchimosEnchants a military unit to grant additional strength when supporting an army or defending a fortificationDay10The Guardian Gate
Arete and the Fields of WarEnchants a warrior with various abilities dependent on weapons and armourDay16The Guardian Gate
Mirror of PerfectionUpgrade a mana site with iliumNight30Earthbound Stars
Flame and the FloodUpgrade a forest with iliumNight30Earthbound Stars
An Echo of SongsUpgrade a mine with iliumNight30Earthbound Stars
The Stargazer's AstrolabeLets you cast Detect Magic loads of times but makes you see funny stuffNight8Earthbound Stars