Alright folks, we made it; it’s the last update before the event!
First up, the conjunctions for this event. These are events where you go through the sentinel gate much like battles, but they are much more varied and much, much smaller. The smallest this event is for six people. I am not going to go into massive detail with this, the Winds of War page on the Empire wiki has a full list which is much more efficient than anything I could put together here. The majority of them are classed as highly likely to have fighting, so if that’s your thing check out the page.
There are a few which are not under that highly likely to have fighting classification, however. Since they are a bit unusual, I’ll stick a brief description of them here.
At 8:30 on Friday night there is an opportunity for 6 people to go to Ketsov in Ossium and find out why some people are acting oddly and being very inhospitable to visitors. The Burgher of Ketsov is particularly invited to come along and see what is going on. This should last about 50 minutes.
At 11 on Friday night there is a chance for up to 50 people to go through the sentinel gate to the outskirts of Calvos in the Brass Coast where some visitors from the nation of Sumaah have been camping. They have been acting very confused over virtue, and they are possibly going to ruin the local festivities, so Sutannir and fellow entertainers are invited to come along and cheer everyone up. Also, there might be a touch of investigation involved to find out what the heck is going on. This should last about 30 minutes.
Now onto the last Winds of Fortune!
The Long Bench
There are some visitors from the Sarcophan Delves who want to trade, they will be outside the Hub at 8:3 on Friday. Apparently, they have a sack of cursed objects.
There are Heralds of Barien in Anvil between 7 and 9pm on Friday evening. They will be handing out challenge scrolls to interested parties and will be at the House Del’Toro in the Brass Coast camp. They are also looking for a new venue for their meeting at the Winter summit. They wish to speak to Gemma Brightsmith, Ivanbrok and Solene D’Alba or another representative of House Gauvain.
Jezda the Harbringer is visiting the Varushkan camp on Saturday at around 8pm and wishes to meet with Alderei the Fair. Apparently, this mysterious magician has an affinity with Winter magic, especially Whisper through the Black Gate, and wishes to speak about “all those concerned about the legacy and destiny of the Varushkan nation.”
At some point on the Friday, some priests will be coming to Anvil to talk about the virtue of looting while going on these very popular raids lately.
The Marracossan Exiles who settled in Trajadoz are coming to Anvil to trade and possibly speak about martial matters. They’ll arrive on Friday at about 10pm.
A small group of very Prosperous priests from Asavaea have plans to reach Anvil at about 3 on Saturday and will be looking to attend services.
A group of Tamazi (the orcs who used to be slaves in Axos) are coming to Anvil and wish to learn all they can about the Empire that has accepted them. Also magic, they seem to be keen on that. They’ll be reaching Anvil at 1 on Saturday.
Another group of former slaves from Axos, human this time, believe themselves to have links to Terunael and wish to talk to the Navaar about their shared history. They will be meeting at the Navaar noticeboard at 9pm on Friday.
A representative from a Principality of Jarm is coming to Anvil to talk about the trade embargoes and the docks going unused at Cargo. This will be an off-the-book meeting, apparently, but they want to speak to the Jarm Ambassador and the Prime Factor of the Pallas Docks. They’ll be at the Hub at 12:30 on Saturday.
A Grendel Master of Ceremonies is bringing a game they want to share with the Empire. The games will start at 8:20 and go on through Friday evening.
Axou traders will be selling more of their strange concoctions outside the Forge at 3:30 on Saturday until they sell out.
There has been some weirdness at the Seren Illium mine which flooded last season, some Highguard folks are coming to talk about it and they will arrive at about 8pm on Friday.
Light Upon the Water
So there was a big drought. Then the entire Empire got cursed with multiple rituals that brought torrential rain. Flooding has been terrible everywhere, but for the most part, there has been little loss of life. It has mostly been focused on economic losses. Every farm and business has suffered the loss of half its production. Every mine has lost a rank of production due to flooding or stopping mines from being flooded.
One of the rituals was an enchantment that brings hopeful rain that will raise people’s spirits and wash away old grudges. It will also bring more herbs to people with herb gardens and even farms, so that’s nice. Also, people are free to roleplay that they have let bygones be bygones on any old grudges they had.
Because things have been so wet some areas of the Empire have gained the Marsh description. In addition to this, any building work commissioned in an area with the March quality will cost a fifth more. In some places, the damage may last longer than a year.
Damage to the city of Tassato is extensive, it is believed it will take 50 thrones and three months to fix the city. Until then every business in the city will have a -1 penalty to them. It would take a full year to fix itself naturally unless Regrow the Land’s Heart is cast, in which case it will take a season less.
Strange catacombs beneath the Imperial Mint have been found. They may contain all sorts of strange treasures and someone has had the bright idea of using the pumps used for mines to pump the water out and see what is in there. it will cost 5 thrones and if it is going to be done it needs to be done soon as who knows what that damage will do to precious items.
A new supply of illium has been found in the hills about Tassato. it would cost 75 thrones to get up and running – if the guilds of Tassato sign up to help, otherwise it will cost 250. The deal is that the illium seat has to be made a League seat. There is no particular time limit for this.
Some weird stuff has been found on the beaches of the Semmerlak, some of it might be cursed though so there are some mandates going up in both the Varushkan and Dawnish assemblies to tell people to hold back from collecting it. If the assemblies do not go through with these mandates then each business in an area that borders the Semmerlak will gain some money and metal. If one of the assemblies does so but the other one doesn’t then the one with access to the flotsam will get twice the money.
The Marcher Threshers are upset. They would like the Assembly to find the names of who done it and announce them so that they can be kept an eye on.
In Meade, there has been so much flooding that people have started talking about building a massive canal. This would bring a huge amount of money into the Marches, in businesses in both Mitwold and Mournwold, in mines in the Mourn, and farms in Mitwold. It would take nine months and be horribly expensive, 60 wains of white granite, 40 wains weirwood, 200 Crowns in labour costs. However, the Mournwold orcs are really impressed with the idea and if it is commissioned in the next six months they’ll pay half the labour costs.
There is some more news from the mine that flooded last event, Syrene’s Wisdom. The locals were helped by the Silver Chalice and want to send back two vials of magic water that helps with winter magic in thanks. But for the most part, the mine and the villages around it are still in a very, very bad way. They would appreciate Regrow the Land’s Heart being cast on them since they got missed off it when it was cast this past summit. Also because the mine hasn’t been fixed up from when it was flooded the price for keeping it going has risen to 15 thrones a season.
In the rush to rescue things from the floods a dose of True Liao was stolen and now the Gatekeepers of Virtue are going to have to work out what to do with one less than usual.
And Finally
A Yellow Star Hung
Magical fortifications have been raised in Ossium, Operus, Kahraman and Zenith
There are shrouds over the territories of Madruga, Kahraman, Ossium, Zenith, and the Barrens
The trods in Zenith were fixed up last event after the Druj smashed them up. They also received some benefit from Regrow the Land’s Heart, but since war is still going on there is only so much this ritual can do. There has also been a curse set on the herb gardens there.
The Barrens were also struck by magical storms, though different magical storms from the Empire.
This event Whispers Through the Black Gate time is 7-8 in the evening.
Everyone in Weirwater who is even vaguely interested in horses has been having dreams about them. They do not learn anything new from the dreams, but they awake feeling exhilerated and full of wonder. There are some theories that these dreams might be connected to the weird flotsam washing up on the shore of the Semmerlak.
Anyone who works with visual art will have had some weird dreams that leave them inspired to create art. “Three more things are said to be the same among all the dreamers. First, they are all already artists. Not one of them has been heard to imagine themselves taking up a new medium in this dream or starting to create where they did not before. Second, they all wake from the dream with a truth in their heart. Art can do this. It can bridge gaps and ease misunderstandings, and this is a truth that they yearn to discuss with others who know it too. Third, there is a name whispered light as a feather that stays with them on waking. That name is Farren Silver Streams.” Anyone who makes some form of visual art is welcome to roleplay that they have had these dreams.
There is some astronomancy stuff going on with the Key and the Lock constellations.
“Once per day, while standing at the Imperial regio, any character with the Magician skill may evoke the constellation of the Lock to perform detect magic without expending any personal mana. If they do so, they experience the following roleplaying effect: You feel a strong urge to apply yourself – to use what makes you unique in the service of overcoming ignorance and secrecy. This effect lasts for an hour, or until overcome in the usual way.
Furthermore, anyone ritualst who evokes the Key while performing a divination ritual or performing detect magic at the Imperial regio may choose to experience the following roleplaying effect: Gaps in your understanding are opportunities to discover and reveal. You experience a powerful sense of achievement when you discover – or help others discover – new things. Once experienced, the effect will remain until the start of the Winter Solstice, but can be overcome in all the usual ways. Once overcome, however, it will not return.”
The eternal Zakalwe invites his champions from the Icy Crag tournament to a meeting on Friday at 10pm. This will be accessed by going through the Hall of Worlds and is open to the champions and their advisors.
Some new magic rituals have been added to the Urizen private magical lore library.
“During the Summer Solstice, Olic the Wanderer promised that if the Empire was ravaged by what he referred to as “an Imperial curse” then he would place the Concordance of Earthbound Stars into Urizen lore. With almost the entire Empire ravaged by storms, he has proved to be as good as his word. A week ago, four new rituals became available to Urizen ritual magicians: Mirror of Perfection, Flame and the Flood, An Echo of Songs, and The Stargazer’s Astrolabe can now all be mastered and performed by those with access to Urizen lore.
Three days before the Autumn Equinox, another ritual becomes part of Urizen Lore. It is called Treacher’s Quill, and it apparently comes from a book entitled Ceremonies of the Black Drop Society. It allows anyone with even a rudimentary grasp of Winter magic and a knife to send a special missive to the eternal Agramant.”
And it looks like that’s that! I am really looking forward to seeing loads of you at the event this weekend!
See you soon,
K