So today I have a lot of little updates for you all, plus one Wind of Fortune. There was also a comment from Profound Decisions on Facebook and we probably have less than half a dozen winds due, which is exciting but also worrying because there is a lot I want to know that surely cannot be fit into only a few posts!
Let’s start with a short update to the Chalonsio raid Wind of War. The Chalonsio raid was a massive success and there appear to be some interesting side effects for those who went along. Some of the human characters who went along have had a spiritual epiphany, they were enveloped by a spontaneous aura which made them feel that they were doing something “righteous, heroic, or courageous” in their fight against the slave trade.
Orcs on the other hand will have had a moment of clear communication with one of their ancestors, they will have urged them to fight against slavers. This voice will continue to speak to them.
Anyone who sent either a fleet or a military unit on the raid may also find a ribbon in their pack that represents a weapon which has an aura clinging to it.
Now, again with the updates to Winds of War, they have posted the details about the battle opportunities for the coming weekend. Interestingly, they have only put a single option forward for Sunday’s battle, there are plenty of theories as to why buzzing about, but we likely won’t know until afterwards. But that’s Sunday’s battle and we have to get through the info for Saturday first!
So the basic outline of the two options on Saturday are that the Empire can either fight the Jotun and Yegarrah in Kahraman or in Suaq.
The Kahraman fight is to prevent numerous wounded enemy soldiers from getting back to their armies. Depending on how the Empire then goes on to treat those soldiers on the battlefield there will be a ripple effect to how the offscreen Imperial soldiers treat any enemy that they find across the territory. The options are currently to execute them all, ransom them back to their armies which would get some of the loot they’ve taken from Kahraman, or release them. There would also be an option to kill Steven of Sarcomb, a leader of the Yegarrah, and also there is an opportunity to ask for aid from Arhallogen, but the benefit of this has yet to be made clear.
The other option is to go into the Suaq wastes and stop the Jotun from completing a ritual which would release masses of heralds from the eternal Hayaak onto a Thule encampment that is filled with higher ups in the army. There would be a thousand casualties in every Thule Army in the territory. And it would have a massive impact beyond the numbers as the people being killed are important figures like the warlocks who are the favourites of the Dragons (Thule big bosses).
Amazingly the Thule have released all of their slaves, apparently in an attempt to forestall anyone using them as a reason not to save their warriors. This is, in case you are wondering, a big flipping deal. So well done to everyone who has been working towards that goal! But it does mean that they have certain expectations that since they have done this big thing, the Empire will now be useful allies and save them. And if the Empire doesn’t do anything it will probably have a negative impact on diplomacy going forwards.
In addition to the straightforward elements of the battle (stop the ritual happening, etc) there are also some stretch goals. One is to recover the Spear of Bounty from Allok Surefoot. This is a spear that was a skirmish prize last season and is a boon from Hayaak so stealing it back from the Jotun would make us look good to him. Then there are two military leaders called Eisa Winterborn and Yanya Uranduln, if they are killed then their military units will be scuppered for a bit, but if they succeed at their mission they will become even more famous in the Jotun lands with their units growing in power because of that. Finally, there are a bunch of Thule Warlocks that need healing and rescuing. Skilled surgeons will apparently be needed and then a group to see them to the edge of the battlefield so they can get away safely.
As for Sunday, as I already said there is one option only. This makes talking about it easier.
For this we go to Zenith, which has been under the control of the Druj for some time now. However, the Duj are being beaten back and look like they are planning on attempting to flee. This Autumn Equinox the generals of numerous Druj armies are making their way to a regio in order to get enchanted with night enchantments so that they can escape more easily. The main goal of the Sunday battle is to disrupt these enchantments, each ritual will take ten minutes and there are seven generals to get through so the quicker that the imperial army can get to the regio and stop the rituals the more armies will lose out on being enchanted.
However, there are as usual some stretch goals to aim for.
First, if the army can capture one of these generals then they could use them to curse the army they are attached to. This would have lots of obvious benefits.
Secondly, if the ritualists are killed then the Druj will find it difficult to do those kind of rituals again in the future. So killing the ritualists is also on the to do list.
There will be several skirmish conjunctions which will help with this battle but they have not come out yet so I don’t know about them. It does look like, however, one of them will involve possibly smashing up some Miasma pillars and getting that taken off the field. Because, of course, this is Zenith and the Druj have made themselves at home here. So there will be a horrible miasma causing weakness and fear in people who are fighting against the Druj. Some people will be able to fight against it, but the easiest way to get around it is to be anointed so you have a spiritual boost backing you up.
And now onto the lonely Wind of Fortune
The City Asleep
So because the Empire has been doing a lot of adventurous stuff lately (the Skallahn raid, the Chalonsio raid, the whole business with the Bloody Big Hole) Rhianos (Summer Eternal) has been really impressed and wants to do a big flashy adventure with us. They have a magic cauldron that creates food that has various effects, but the important one is that it makes you immune to poison and venom and stuff. Given that trying to fight the Vallorn is massively impeded by the presence of a giant poisonous gas cloud, spores, and venomous bugs and reptiles, they think this is the perfect time for a big fight into the centre of the ruins of Terunael. The time on the cauldron is running out so it can only be used this once, but there are a tonne of benefits if the Empire follows through on this raid.
Next downtime there will be an option for people with Military Units to go Explore the Heart of Terunael, this will be the one you want to go for and not one of the others which has an unfortunately similar name. Because this is an independent action you also need to make sure that the enchantments you use are ones that would mesh with that, rather than ones for joining up with an army.
Instead of the usual stuff that military units get when doing independent actions they will get four random measures of forest resources and six random herbs. For every additional 5000 points of fighting force that the Imperials bring with them each military unit will get an extra herb and forest resource. Also if the numbers get really high more and more weirwood and illium will be added to a pool which will be shared out between the players who signed up. Also, also, relics may become available depending on how deep the army gets into the Vallorn.
But here are the number thresholds for bonus stuff.
Up to 5000 – The Empire doesn’t get very far, there is some fighting, but only the basic reward is given.
Over 10,000 – The Empire gets rid of some Druj hanging about, routes between steadings are made safe and secure, and ten relics from long lost Imperial warriors will be found and handed out at random to players.
10,000 to 20,000 – The adventurers will find the abandoned lair of the Heirs of Terunael, apparently there is a beasty of some sort there that needs killing, but once that is done the adventurers will be able to loot the place. Lots of info on the HoT will be found plus another ten relics that once belonged to them. In addition, thanks to all the info found the Great Library that is studying the Vallorn for a way to destroy it will have three months knocked off the study time.
20,000 to 30,000 – The adventurers will reach the “Gardens of Abomination”, everyone will get a weird magic fruit to take home. Some 20 characters will get an extra one.
30,000 to 40,000 – The adventurers will reach a hidden grove of weirwood trees where they will be safe for a while from the Vallorn. Apparently there is an artefact here called a singing stone which has important information.
40,000 to 50,000 – The adventurers will reach the walls of Terunael and be able to have a look about the place. There will be another ten relics shared amongst the characters who went on the adventure and the info found on ancient Terunael will give the study on the Vallorn an extra 3 months off the total amount of two years.
Over 50,000 – They will reach the heart of the Vallorn and be able to tell the tale. This is a big deal since there has only been one Vallorn defeated and that was 350 years ago. Unfortunately, the heart is too well defended to be hurt at this time and the adventurers will be driven out, but still, it’s a big deal.
So that is the basic idea, send a bunch of warriors and player characters into this giant, eldritch plant monster and have a look around. Archaeology plus gardening times a thousand. As per usual there are a few ways to shave some of those numbers down a pinch. Here they are.
First, there is a synod mandate the Navaar Assembly could put forth that would encourage any Navaar with a military unit to go to on the raid. If this mandate won enough support then it would give a -2 penalty to any Navaar who sent an MU to a different fight this downtime.
Secondly, the Great Forest Orcs are up for joining in, but they must first be invited by either the Senator for Therunin or the Imperial Consul. This would add 1000 points to the numbers going. They have also asked once again for access to the Imperial Rituals List, if they are given access to this then they will put all their effort behind the raid giving another 500 points. Also since they are really good with weirwood if they come along then every 5 weirwood the empire would get normally will have another 2 added to it.
Next, the Highborn. There are a pair of competing mandates, depending on which one wins then the Highborn will be sacrificing some of their liao and votes to help out. One is for 1000 points, the other is 2000 points.
Finally, the Dawnish. There is another option for Dawnish adventurers to go fight in the Vallorn, this note is mostly a reminder to them to make sure that they pick the right choice in the downtime menu. BUT there is also the news that any Dawnish military unit that goes on this particular fight will have a +1 bonus to their fighting strength.
The enchantments that will be needed for this opportunity will be Shroud of Mist and Shadow or Merciless Wrath of the Reaver, which are Night and Spring rituals of 10 and 8 magnitude.
And OK, as of right now that is everything that PD have said! I’m still waiting for some news about the Marches but it’s OK, I can be patient.
See you next time,
K