And the last Winds of Fortune have arrived so let’s look at them!

Colourblind

This is a really interesting Wind because it talks about the ongoing problem in Madruga, a winter magic blight on the land. The undead creatures that spread the blight are very difficult to fight as they can be downed with normal weapons and magic but they cannot be destroyed that way. There are two types of the blight creatures,

  1. The Parched are weaker and can be destroyed with the 4 magnitude Spring ritual, Turns the Circle. If they are not destroyed at this stage they can evolve into the stronger creature.
  2. The Dry Patricians are stronger and must be destroyed via The Words of Ending Winter Ritual, but at a much higher than normal magnitude of 18.

The Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice has been put in charge of running a skirmish to fight these creatures, to help with this, Ossegrahn has donated two jugs of magical water imbued with Spring Magic. This is to act as bait for the creatures as they find it nigh irresistible. The Sentinel Gate will open at 20:15 on Saturday to the Dry Patch, the Great Grasses, Madruga where the skirmish will take place. Obviously people who can cast the aforementioned spells would be most useful for this fight.

If the skirmish is successful then the main spreaders of the blight will be destroyed, but the damage will remain so work will still be needed to figure out what to do about that, but the active threat will be decreased.

Multiple castings of Spring rituals have helped to contain the blight, and might be used to destroy it completely if the Dry Patricians are destroyed.

There is no clear answer as to why and where the blight has come from, but there are the usual options for asking eternals and the Department of Historical Research for more info. However, Leviathan has already been asked and knows nothing, and Winter eternals don’t seem to be willing to talk.

Spells or rituals that desiccate or dry things will make the blight worse if they are used in the area, so don’t use them.

Anyone But You

Speaking of Winter eternals, it’s the chompy boy! Blood on the Snow “helped” (with aggressive quote marks) the people of WIntermark when they were conquered by the Jotun, of course to accept his help you have to do terrible things and to work with him is highly, highly illegal. So now that Semersuaq is back under Imperial control the repercussions of those actions are coming home to roost.

The Silent Bell were sent to investigate the area for cultists, and thanks to the various declarations and mandates that were put behind them, were very successful. There are only three groups that have gotten away, they are characterised by their leaders so let’s look at them;

  1. Kaarina White-Eye – A mage leading fellow mages and runesmiths, she unleashed a wasting curse on both Jotun and Wintermarkers alike and has carried on killing people since. She is believed to have fled west towards the Jotun border.
  2. Maarik the Golden Tongue – Was a trade mediator who flourished, but was forced to become a thrall under the Jotun. She is believed to have fled North towards the Silver Peaks where she has allies willing to shelter her.
  3. Wemba the Bloody – Was a thane of a hall that fled into the wastes, only to succumb to the cold and then to Blood on the Snow’s whispers. Agramant’s blessing renders them completely immune to the cold, and they have fled into – or at least close to – Sydanjaa.

Anyone who is a part of, or connected to, the Silent Bell may roleplay that they have encountered followers of one of these three people, but no one on the field will have met the leaders yet as they haven’t been cast from the Plot Crew. You may also not roleplay that you are a follower yourself as there is no live plot yet.

Any player who is a Wintermark priest may roleplay that they have helped someone who’s “skein was frayed” by connection to Agramant, and anyone rolling a new character may have it in their background that they are one such individual.

Numerous items were found that were boons from Blood on the Snow, they will be given to the Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern, Tyburn of House De Rondell of Dawn. Meanwhile, anyone with a regular income who has connections to the investigation can roleplay that what they have received was augmented by taking things from the cultists. 

Close to the Hot Springs at Tanikipari is a strange magical boulder of ice which bleeds 4 Winter Vis a season. The Bleeding Ice raises a conundrum, given that this was most likely created by Agramant to empower his minions is it right that the Empire should use it given it’s connections to an enemy, or is it in fact stealing from a known enemy of the Empire and then completely above board? Whatever your view, there is the possibility for it to be given to one of the conclave orders by the conclave at the next summit. Or they could interdict it and the civil service will destroy it asap.

Conjunctions

20:45 on Friday –  Recover a Boon of Blood on the Snow from the Ender of Virtue, this boon is designed to create a blight on the herb gardens of Semersuaq. The Grandmaster of the Shuttered Lantern, Tyburn of House De Rondell, is in charge of this skirmish.

20:45 on Saturday – Go and fight Theodric Irontongue and stop him from delivering a sermon to the Walker’s of the Wastes. Averil Olsen is in charge.

Possibility Days

Recently the Empire has welcomed refugees from the Iron Confederacy. In the Iron Confederacy all magic is either outlawed or under the strict control of the Magician Priests. 

Currently there is no sign of a diplomatic incident occurring because of this, and there won’t be as long as no one with any political power in the empire doesn’t snitch.

The head of the Conclave Order, the Celestial Arch, put out a declaration to the wizards of Anvil to “reach out in welcome to those fleeing persecution in the Iron Confederacy, and help them establish new lives as virtuous, law-abiding citizens of the Empire.” 

However due to the society they have just fled the refugees are frightened by people wearing armour, anyone in a militia or magistrate leaning job, or who is a priest. They had to hide from and escape people like this just recently, after all.

Ironically, the people who are more at ease with the virtues and the use of liao are also more likely to belong to the cult of the Hand of Dumon who have been accused of some very nasty things indeed.

Early Saturday evening a group of refugees plan on coming to Anvil with a gift to say thank you for their welcome, they would appreciate a meeting with the Grandmaster of the Celestial Arch. Any magician can role-play that they helped with greeting the original wave of refugees, but if you wish to you should probably read the actual Wind of Fortune for more details.

The refugees all come from varying backgrounds, from those actively working against the Iron Confederacy with battle magic, to those who only know a few healing rituals or spells who have more or less been caught up in the cross fire. There is a lot of variation and you should read the Wind if you want to know more.

Both the Varushkan and Urizen national assemblies put out statements welcoming them, but bring them into the Way was also a priority. As the refugees are rarely inclined to give up their religion or pick up a new one these overtures were mostly ignored.

The Navaar assembly can offer the refugees help in finding their place in the empire, it’s part of their hearth magic as “The Great Dance”, but if a statement goes through then they will also help cultists find their feet too. Because what is finding your place to a cultist anything other than finding other cultists? A possible mandate has been put up by Brother Luke of Highguard, but it is unlikely to overcome the refugees’ fear of priests enough that they come to Highguard.

If left to their own devices the refugees will figure out places to stay, but will likely become insular and will not integrate into the empire or become citizens.

Fade Out Again

Last season the Empire was given the chance to fight back against the Vyig, they took that opportunity and this is an update on what happened.

The Vyig were running Bite out of many well-known farms and herb gardens, all to mask their ties with the Druj. The fighting is brutal and bloody all over the League and even into Varushka in some places.

However, the Vyig appear to be defeated.

Any citizen who is a member of the Anvil Militia or who sent their military unit to fight the Vyig can role-play that they were involved in any of the interactions outlined in the Wind of Fortune.

So many businesses and such were confiscated from the Vyig and those allied with them that any citizen of the league can switch their resource to a business without having to pay the usual 2 crown fee. There are also several high levelled resources in the League and Varushka that players could buy to upgrade their own resource, this will also not cost the usual 2 crowns to swap. 

Irada von Temeschwar has the deeds to a rank four business and a rank two business in Temeschwar, as well as a rank three business in Holberg which they are free to disperse as they wish.

Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti has the deeds to a rank three forest and a rank three herb garden, both in Karsk that they have the opportunity to do with as they wish.

At the same time there were many heralds of Skathe in the nearby forest of Metri, a group of magicians from the Rod and Shield, were sent in to remove them and mostly they seem to have succeeded. Like with the militia versus the vyig anyone in the Rod and Shield can roleplay that they were present for this. But the source of the problem, the Enchantrix of Metri, seems to be a herald of some kind who can create more heralds that will rebuild their forces again if they are not dealt with. There is a conjunction on Friday to try and fight this herald.

21:15 Friday – Skirmish to Metri to fight the ENchantrix of Metri, Sakari Nightscale, Grandmaster of the Rod and Shield is in charge

20:30 Saturday – Skirmish to Utterlund to retrieve the first blade bought by the Sandfishers in their new home of Misericorde that was stolen by members of the Vyig, the Merchant Prince of Misericorde Market, Jonah Yakovitch is in charge

21:30 Saturday – Skirmish to Morass to fight the vyig and druj, Irada von Temeschwar is in charge of this one

The Falling Sky

Diplomacy time! 

The Liberty Pact

Axos have decided to boycott the unofficial meeting set for this season at Anvil, the other members of the Liberty Pact are willing to postpone the meeting until next season to hopefully give the Empire time to iron this out and get them back on board.

Rachensgrab

The Commonwealth has claimed the old slave trading ports, there are slavers left here only freed slaves. They are welcoming donations of wains of building resources to build the islands into something new and happier.

Axos

The Axos are very upset with the Empire, they have also been attacked by the Grendel, and the various trade deals they have in place through ministries have been reduced in productivity.

Asavaea

There are rumours of an attack by the Asavaean Navy, but nothing is watertight. But they are at war with us, though we haven’t said it back yet.

Sarcohpan Delves

They like us! There may be an option to open up further ports to their trade.

Diplomatic Endeavours

An NPC is offering to get ambassador letters to their opposite numbers in other countries. To do so, just email it to PD after an event, and they must stick to the same rules as Winged Messenger.

You Can’t Count On Me

This is the Winds of Magic

Mortal Stuff

  1. The Imperial Crown is still interdicted, someone should probably undo that or else the magistrates are going to work with a player coven to destroy it. To fix this the conclave must un-interdict this as quickly as possible. Also, anyone who wants to get the work of destroying weird stuff should speak to the magistrates.
  2. A Summer enchantment has fallen over the Mourn, apparently from Barien. People are granted inspiration for crafting and the arts and pride in what they create. Anyone who visits the Mourn should roleplay that they saw and ate wonderful things. Anyone whose resource is in the Mourn at the beginning of the Spring Equinox can switch around their character’s skills for free. And every business in the Mourn will have a bonus of 36 rings in the season after the summit.
  3. There was some confusion over who should have control over a seat, the Custodian of the Lost, the civil service have determined that it should go to Hammare “Meathammer” Stenning.
  4. There is a possible endowment to go with the title, part of the estate of the late Harad of the High path, but conclave must use their powers to connect the two. If this is done then a possible commission opportunity will come up in the future to make it even better.
  5. The Seventh Mist are continuing to cause problems by wanting to set up shop in a working mine, you may role-play that they have written to you if you are a Bourse seat holder or conclave title holder, or if you are from Urizen or if you do a lot of day magic. They have sent a thank you gift to the Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind for trying to help them, 12 weltsilver.
  6. There is a conjunction at 23:00 on Friday to the Mourn to rough music some ghosts to persuade them to move on, this should be about 50 people and will need some folks who can do exorcisms. 
  7. Magical fortifications have been raised in Kallavesa, Mournwold, Ossium, and Zenith and there are shrouds over the territories of the Barrens, Necropolis, Madruga, Sarvos, Segura, and Zenith
  8. Twilight will be 21:30 to 22:30 for the use of Whispers Through the Black Gate

Eternal Stuff

  1. Tharim has put a ward over the Hall of Worlds protecting it from eternals under enmity, there needs to be an image of him in the Hall at all times for this to work.
  2. A Herald of Lashonar offers opportunities to have penpals with people of similar minority religions, aka heretics, so if you are curious go to the region with a letter with a little bird drawn on it to send them to the person who will be best suited to answer.
  3. A herald of Barien, will be holding office hours at House du Lac in Dawn, go there if you are expecting a challenge scroll or want to inquire about getting one.
  4. After a large amount of dragon bone was given to Sorin he has decided to gift the Archmage of WInter with an interesting ritual. 
  5. The attempts to get a Dawnish army favoured by various Summer eternals continues to go well, and Dawn in general can gain Cathan Canae’s favour if they pass a particular mandate that she has put forward. This mandate would make it so that the generals of Dawn cannot issue the Give Ground or Solid Defence order, essentially they would only be able to go on the offensive.
  6. A year ago Surut gave people a challenge to see who could make the Archmage of Winter miserable, an agent of Surut (who won’t be a herald) will be Imperial Regio at 19:30 on Saturday to hear from those who undertook this challenge
  7. Zakalwe has a challenge for various Dawnish strategists, those who are in the know should attend the Hall of Worlds at 21:00 on Friday to meet with a herald, named Agon, and then be ushered into a chamber to begin the challenge.

And aside from a few bits and pieces under the big list of Winds that is it, I am done and now I have to go through all of this and make my own notes.

Good luck and I hope to see you on the field this weekend,

K