And we’re back with more winds of fortune to delight you!
Never Be Found At Home
More from the Skallahn raid! This is a pretty cool one, especially for any marchers or wintermarkers who have a fleet. Essentially, over the last few downtimes the Empire has been exploring more and more of the Gullet, a nearby watercourse that leads to an iceberg and sea monster littered sea called the Sea of Snows. Up until now, the Empire hasn’t known much about it because the Jotun have had a pretty firm grip on the area, including a massive bridge that was difficult to get past. However, last season the armada that went into Skallahn ripped said bridge apart and were able to go past and find out some of what exists on the other side.
Also, they definitely proved that some of the sea monsters exist as it turns out the Hylje have some very unpleasant relatives who live there who are Orca shapeshifters. Speaking as someone who has been on a boat that was circled by normal killer whales I would just like to say that this makes something inside me go all cold and wobbly at the thought.
Anyway, back to Empire.
There is a possibility of using a Senate Motion to encourage ship captains and cartographers to explore the seas and make a proper map of the area. Given that there is a very clear cut off point after which we know nothing any improvement would be beneficial. Getting better maps would mean that we have a tactical advantage, but also an economical one since we would know where all the good ports were and how to get there. Important stuff! Unfortunately, there is a time limit on this since the bridge is being rebuilt and while there would still be a chance for individual ships to get past there would be no more chances for a concentrated effort like what is needed. Oh, also the cost of the effort would be 50 thrones, which is a lot. But maps are cool.
Because getting into the sea from this side is difficult, only fleets from the Marches and Wintermark are going to be able to operate at full strength, everyone else will be at -1 strength. Ritual enchantments should be chosen which give bonuses for spying fleets rather than trade. Pick the “Map the Sea of Snow” choice on the downtime menu. But each standard fleet that goes will add 100 points to the total count.
There won’t be a lot of loot on this expedition, the point isn’t to get lots of stuff it is to explore after all. But everyone should get a basic 4 random ingots and 30 rings, plus more if you are upgraded or whatever.
Now for what the points will get.
Less than 2500
Not much info, just the names and general shape of the area, plus the names of whoever is in charge there.
2500 to 5000
Map the area beyond Hordalant and find a route to Faraden for trade.
5000 to 10,000
A much more detailed map will be possible, including more about the further flung areas of the Jotun lands, plus Faraden’s borders. In fact there could even be a chance to open a new port in Faraden for trade.
10,000 to 12,500
The cartographers will have even more work to do, going North up past Skallahn to the most northerly areas of the Jotun conquest.
12,500 to 17,500
Spying will be possible as smaller ships will be able to leave the armada and find out what the local landmarks are. In particular, more will be found out about the Queen of Kallsea.
17,500 to 20,000
Reach the icy lands of Tsirku where dire penguins dwell! Also more sea monsters are likely and there are myths of a magic jungle under the ice (Journey to the Centre of the Earth vibes anyone?) but people will be able to find out exactly what is there!
20,000 and up
The Thule live in the extremely far north, there might be a passage through the ice and sea monsters to them. If there is this would be a fantastic place for a new port to be built that the Empire could use to trade with their allies.
While the maps and knowledge would be invaluable, the simple fact is that with all the new ports and trade potential, the tax revenues of the regions neighbouring the Gullet would be boosted. Currently, Bregasland is under occupation, so that leaves Mitwold and Kallavesa to get that wealth until Bregasland is back.
AGAIN, this is a very time limited opportunity. By next season the Jotun will have rebuilt the bridge enough that an armada won’t be able to get through. The odd merchant ship should be fine, so future trade won’t be harmed too much. But still, this either happens now, or it doesn’t happen.
And now for something completely different!
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
So this is a complicated one. For the last in-game year or so there have been some ex-slaves from Asavaea living in the Empire. They came over after the civil war in Asavaea when their enslavers fled to the Empire and were forced to release them due to the laws of the Empire. They follow a version of the Way which has some pretty significant differences from the Imperial version. Different enough that some people in the Empire are having some very unfriendly reactions to it! However, the majority of synod mandates last event were about how they should be welcomed and listened to, rather than being lectured for their supposed “heresy”.
There are a host of different feelings on them, whether they are heretical, a bit unorthodox, or basically just normal but with bad PR. They have found work in numerous farms and personal resources of all types and have shown themselves to be hardworking and friendly.
In the Marches, they were welcomed and shared lots of stories about their favourite ancestors-that-might-be-paragon-ish, and if anyone is a priest, they are also given a pamphlet on why the Freefolk believe their ancestors are paragons with citations. If you are interested in reading about this, then check out the actual wind of fortune as there are some PDFs for people to download.
As well as their slightly iffy relationship with their ancestors they have something that is unfortunately close to idolatry. They made an effigy and it gained a spontaneous hallowing of Pride, and now they keep putting money and flowers and things before it.
What is also worrying is that they have not continued in their attempts to become citizens. This is apparently because they heard about a saying while in the Marches, ““The Empire will have All of Us or None of Us.”” and now they’ve essentially unionised and are working together. This isn’t a bad thing but it has slowed down their integration and that could be seen as dodgy by some.
The lack of clear decision from the Synod is also causing problems. Every nation in the Empire is shown to have a different point of view of them and without a clear decision problems are spiralling. To try and clear things up there will be a meeting about the Freefolk outside the Hub at 1:30 on the Saturday, this will be filled with priests from all nations plus anyone who has a strong opinion.
The wind of fortune ends with the warning that if there is not a clear decision made by the Synod by the end of this summit then things are going to get worse. So the General Assembly has this last chance to put forth a definitive judgement on the matter, whether to try and integrate them into the Empire or else force them out or to silence them. It’s decision time!
More Big News!
Grown From The Revolution Seed
Onto the next Wind of Fortune now, and this one is an exciting one! The Winds of War related how many of the fleets of the Empire went to destroy the slave trading port of Asavaea, Chalonsio. Well while there the Imperial warriors managed to get the info on a massive instigator of the slave trade and now there is the option to go there and nuke the slave trade. Apparently, there is an archipelago where much of it is run from and as with any central point in a monopoly if you bring it down the entire business is going to have a bad time.
One point that has been made is that an Admiral should be put in charge to make everything work more efficiently. To do this the General Assembly needs to put a name forth in a statement of principle, if multiple ones are put forth then they will be in competition with each other and whoever gets the highest number of votes behind them will win. One of the bonuses for this would be that if any ships are captured it would be up to the Admiral to choose how they got given out, if there is no admiral then they’ll just disappear into the ether.
Currently there is no guarantee for any money for fleets and military units that go on this raid. It could be put on the Guerdon, but there are no guarantees. BUT if the raid is successful there will be the chance to raid the slave traders and take valuables and even ships from them.
Every basic fleet and military unit counts as a hundred points of force on this raid, every upgrade and enchantment will add points to that total. Here’s the numbers people will need to get.
Up to 5000
There won’t be enough power to get inside the port but it will be damaged and ships in the port will be sunk. They’ll have to rebuild their defences and operations will be shut down for a season, but aside from that things won’t change overmuch.
5,000 to 15,000
There will be sufficient damage done to the port to put it on pause for a year. The admiral will gain control of four level three boats that they will be able to give out to anyone who needs them.
15,000 to 25,000
There will be the chance to loot the temple of a cult leader and everyone on the raid will gain 4 crowns from the proceeds.
25,000 to 35,000
There is a tower of magical research at the port where the magicians of the fleet study and perform autumn rituals. If the Empire hits with enough power then they could overthrow this tower, freeing the enslaved crafters and artists held there. The loss will mean the Slave Lords will face a permanent reduction in power, they won’t dare come to the Bay of Catazar for a generation at least. In addition, every character will receive a pouch of warm ashes, a dozen items to aid autumn rituals, and the admiral will find two copies of new ritual texts, though these might not be super useful.
35,000 to 45,000
If the Empire raises this much power then the fleet will be decimated and it will take the Slave Lords five years to rebuild everything. The admiral will receive four more level three fleets and two level 5 fleets to hand out.
45,000 to 55,000
All the slave traders will be caught and killed. The slave trade will be functionally destroyed. All the slaves on the archipelago will be saved.
55,000+
At this point all the slaves have been freed so the Imperial warriors will have the opportunity to loot the treasury. A hundred wains of bourse resources will be looted and any of the characters along on the raid will have the chance to get some of it.
This is another time-limited option. The Slave Lords do not know they are vulnerable, if they are given time then they will shore up their defences, and the Empire will lose this opportunity.
So yeah, it’s a big deal.
Meanwhile the Trade Winds of Fortune has also come out.
The Sweetest of Songs
The Empire trades with loads of nations all over the world. Some of which we are friendlier with than others. The Liberty Pact is a deal we have with other non-slave trading nations to support one another and now we also have a free trade deal with them.
The Thule
The Thule have released their slaves and want to be rewarded for it. For starters removing the trade sanctions, but also they want support in saving their warlocks (as outlined in a previous post). It is unclear if the lives of those who were once enslaved under the Thule have really improved massively, but all with a link to the Empire will be released on Imperial land soon.
The Thule are also pissed about the floods, this is going to put a crimp in the mining they have going on. They would like some recompense for that, thank you very much.
Thule settlers on previously Varushkan land would like to trade with their new neighbours.
Faraden
Faraden have also decided to try and get on the Liberty Pact’s good side by changing how they run slavery, it’s mostly gone but now if you are caught doing crimes you will be put under penal servitude and expected to pay off your debt. Anyone with a link to the Empire is getting special treatment to send them back as speedily as possible. Any orcs without a tie to the Empire have been handed over to the Jotun. The Faraden would like to be treated nicely because of this, again removing the trade sanctions would be a nice start.
The problems with the Modnos family have apparently been mostly cleared up, and restitution has been made to the merchants upset by the closure of the Moonwater Hall trading enclave.
There is an opportunity for a senate motion to change the Gloaming Road into a Bourse position, though this would mean incurring the costs for the bit that is inside the Empire. But this would give the opportunity for cheaper mithril/better prices for iridescent gloaming.
Sarcophan Delves
The Sarcophan Delves would like to get in on that free trade thing, ta muchly. To coax it along they have offered to open up one of their other ports to trade with the Empire. There are three options, one will provide herbs and potions, one sells lots of luxury goods like crystal mana and weltsilver and art. And then the final one is a “a wretched hive of, you know, villains” which deals with narcotics.
Bregasland
Mathilda Fisher is coming to Anvil on Saturday and will be visiting the Senate at 7 in the evening. She wants to talk about setting up Bregasland as a protectorate of the Jotun and how if this is not agreed to then the Jotun will sadly just have to go around invading other places in order to ensure Bregasland is safe.
Just FYI from the various Marcher Discords I’m in the odds are not so much on whether she is going to have a nice time, but whether or not there is going to be time to curse her before she gets assassinated. Personally, I just hope that she gets cursed like 18 times as she walks through Anvil and “Free Bregas” has to use their entire mana budget on getting their leader to stop dropping things and getting lost.
The Iron Confederacy
The ambassador for the Iron Confederacy is coming to talk with their counterpart about the whole Hand of Dumon thing, and also possibly to get an unfortunate curse placed on him removed. At the moment things are going pretty badly for a lot of people in the Confederacy, the fight against the Hand of Dumon is also hoovering up a lot of people who don’t belong to the cult. And the Empire may have made nice noises about accepting refugees, but they haven’t actually done much at all to help them escape. There is more about this in one of the Plenopotentiaries if you care to look.
Grendel
Governor Rahaab is furious and rapidly running out of money thanks to his having to buy new slaves to run everything. Salt Lord Kalliact thinks this is hilarious and seems to be getting on reasonably well with the people of Spiral. She has had two new fortresses built with help from magicians from the Principalities of Jarm.
Principalities of Jarm
The Imperial Senate has embargoed all trade with the Principalities of Jarm, they have likewise cut ties with the Empire. Things are getting bad there, apparently they are not very impressed with their ambassador since he persuaded them to keep the door open, only for the Empire to be the one to kick it closed.
Asavaea
So there was the big raid on Asavaea this downtime, one would think that they would be sending a lot of letters about it to complain. But they haven’t. They haven’t sent anything. By the looks of things they have decided on the silent treatment. At least to start with.
And that’s it for the Winds of Fortune so far. There have been a couple of updates that were not considered big enough for their own Winds, however, and here they are.
Hylje
The Hylje are warming up to the Empire slightly, these seal shapeshifters have set up a place for letters to be sent by the Mediator of the Hyljehal. They don’t want to hear too much from the Empire but it is there for the times that it is needed.
Axos
Axos is still grumpy with the Empire over the Tamazi evacuation that happened a wee while ago. This will have a negative effect on trade. But they are getting over it.
And that is that. At least for now, given what they have said about the numbers of winds we should be expecting, I think we’ll maybe get one or two more. So nothing too bad for me to deal with!
See you next time,
K