A very big update for players of the LARP Empire today! There have been little slices and crumbs of the story popping up on the website all day, but now we have all the news from the war against the Cold Sun. The armies of the Cold Sun seek to destroy all thinking beings and are determined to start with the Empire. The 13,500 word Wind of War goes over what each of the armies are doing in the Empire and what has happened to them since the end of the last event. There is also a list of skirmishes at the end.
The Silence Arc – Hahnmark
Thanks to the beacons of Wintermark and the warnings of the National Assembly, the people of Hahnmark are prepared for the invasion and aremore than ready to support those who flee in front of the Cold Sun. There is no major battle in this territory this season, instead the warriors who have come to the territory protect small villages and halls from roving groups of the scions. There is confusion over what the army is doing until a skop reports that the army has started to amass around an old beacon called The Tower of the Eagle, where there is apparently a Day Regio. It is not clear what they are up to, but there are close to 3000 of them there, so it cannot be anything good.
The Silence Arc are an ongoing threat.
Blade of Skies – Karov
This season, the Blade of Skies army closed in around Delev, one of the most wealthy towns in Karov and where more than 500 refugees from other parts of the territory had fled from the Cold Sun. Their largest neighbours have been turned into nothing but town-sized circles of black glass and, while the defences of the town are very good, they couldn’t hold up against the mass of heralds on their doorstep. Then, just before the army closes in, three Imperial armies arrive. The Northern Eagle, the Iron Helms, and the Quiet Step charge for the scions encircling the walls whilst a shroud has been cast over the territory, preventing the scions from communicating.
The Cold Sun’s forces manage to break down one of the gates, the Weirwater Gate, but are not given the time to slaughter many of the people within the town. Realising that their time is short, the Archon of the Blade of Skies attempts to raise some kind of magic, one that makes a second sun rise above the spell casters, but before the Cold Sun can achieve what they seek, the second sun explodes! Everyone within a hundred yards is sent to the ground, stunned, deafened and blinded by the magic. After that the army falls apart, the Archon and their lieutenants are destroyed and their minions run into the woods. Most of the scions are hunted down, but there is a real fear that they will find another Day Regio and become empowered once more.
Duzekani has gained the sun burned quality. The Battle of the Weirwater Gate has ended the threat to Delev, which is good news for the Northern trade network. All ministries, including that of the Bargainer of the Iron Tower, have been restored to their normal states. There is also some more info on the glass circles, apparently they are not similar to the Black Plateau, and if labourers are sent to remove them they will probably just kill the labourers without much effect.
If your military unit fought with one of these armies you have until May 30th to write in to Profound Decisions and ask for a lingering traumatic wound to have when you get in character.
The Blade of Skies is a reduced threat.
Still Walkers – Skarsind
The first news of the Still Walkers in Skarsind is from the survivors of a village of Illarawm village at Westgarden in Southpine. The scions disappeared in Hercynia, so their magic has taken them quite a distance. The locals attempt to hold off the invaders, but they are slowly being ground down by the Still Walkers and would likely have faced destruction. However, just in time, the Summer Storm arrive with Summer Knights backing them up.
The Still Walkers are near defeat when they try once more to flee using magic to teleport them elsewhere. But just before they can escape, their defences are breached and their leader killed. This causes a massive magical explosion to go off, it causes the trees around them to be bleached white, while many of the humans and orcs who were fighting were injured by the blast. Anyone who sent their military unit to this fight can role play being injured by the blast, and if you want more significant injuries, you should write in to PD by the 30th of May to receive a traumatic wound in your player pack.
The Still Walkers are no longer a threat.
Exigent Span – Kallavesa
Last season, the Exigent Span was defeated and pushed back by the warriors of the Empire. They were not all destroyed, however, and instead changed their tactics to start for the Hyljehal in the North. The Hyljehal is where the seal shape shifters hold their diplomatic meetings with the people of the Mark.
Their presence burns the life from an area and they burn a straight line through the region as they make for their goal. Thanks to the warnings from the National Assembly, the locals know to steer clear and very few people are killed.
The Scions barely reach the lake upon which the Hyljehal floats before the armies that were chasing them catch up and stop them from committing further atrocities. In the end there is only minor damage to the Hyljehal and the fight to protect it has even brought the various peoples of Wintermark closer together. The Exigent Span is smashed on the banks of Rikkivesi.
Players who sent their military units along with the Green Shield will have been influenced by the presence of Summer and Night heralds fight alongside them. If you have hero points you will gain a bonus one for the duration of the Spring Equinox. Once used it disappears. If you take this option then there is a roleplaying effect, “you feel an urge to bring overwhelming force to bear against any threat, to overcome any challenge with absolute commitment of every resource at your disposal. It’s easy and satisfying to dismiss those who urge restraint or caution as fools.” It is particularly strong in nagas and changelings.
The Exigent Span is no longer a threat.
Fire Beacon – Segura
The Cold Sun army attacked the town of Sobral, despite the Imperial defenders who outnumbered them there. However, the strange quirk of this army is that they have an aura of so much heat and dryness that things will spontaneously catch fire around them, and when they approach the town, the walls themselves start to burn and crumble. The Fist of the Mountains had a plan for this, though, and every liquid that could be collected awaits the moment the buildings of the town start to steam and smoke. The locals then douse the buildings before they can turn into flames, giving their defenders time to fight back.
After three hours of battle the Fire Beacon changes tactic, their archons start to giv off even more heat, so much so that the ground under them starts to crack. But the Fist of the Mountains had a plan for this too, anyone who can use a sling is brought forward and they start hurling flasks of oil and ox dung, which ignite when they hit an archon. The Cold Sun’s scions may be immune to their own burning, but it turns out when you add other flammable materials that stick to them they are not so immune.
Once the archons are defeated, the army falls into disarray under the continued Imperial attacks, some fleeing but most failing to escape the Imperial warriors. The Fire Beacon as an army is destroyed and they can no longer burn everything around them with just their presence. They may be able to regroup if they find a strong enough Day regio, but for now, they are a much-reduced threat.
Players who sent their military units with the Fist of the Mountains is encouraged to phys rep severe burns.
The Fire Beacon is a reduced threat.
Empty Hands – Miaren
The Empty Hands cause the trees and plants they pass by to calcify, turning into horrible statues of their past beauty. The Empty Hands are prevented from attacking Goldglades thanks to a powerful Spring ritual which has been cast on the area. They next march along the Blood Red Roads, making their way to the city of Seren. But when they arrive, it is to find that there are two armies of the Empire awaiting them, the Granite Pillar and the Valiant Pegasus, plus thousands from military units and even some orcs from the Great Forest Sept who are there to help their Navaar neighbours.
The defenders prevail, pushing the Empty Hands back along the roads whence they came. Half the Cold Sun army has been destroyed, but they are still a threat and appear focused on attacking Rhonwen’s Fall. There are trees all over Miaren which have been permanently affected by the calcifying radiance, and the Oakways, in particular, have been badly hit by this.
The Empty Hands are an ongoing threat.
Winnowers – Bastion
The Winnowers have taken over a tower known as the White Tower and defend it against the combined forces of the Blackthorns and the Gryphon’s Pride, occasionally sending out small raiding parties to target nearby chapters. But, while the Empire is able to keep the army contained, the effect they have on the weather is not being contained at all. Winds are blowing from the tower that kill plant life, and, in particular, the medical herbs used by the Empire. At night affected herb gardens glow a baleful blue-green until they have been purified with clean water or fire.
Then, after weeks of this siege, things change. The defenders seem to explode in that same blue-green light that ruins herbs, and then a tornado formed around the tower. The wind is strong enough to lift the dead from the ground and worse, it is a cursed wind that causes the flesh of those who come too close to burn. Meanwhile it appears that this has been a distraction, there are around a hundred scions to the East and West of the tower who appear to have gotten away while the attention of the Empire was elsewhere. Worse, it is determined that the winds around the tower are only speeding up, and once they reach their maximum velocity they will explode, sending cursed winds all over the territory of Bastion.
Thanks to the famine-wind, every herb garden in Bastion has produced 3 fewer true vervain and 1 fewer marrowort this season. In it’s place, each character who owns such a herb garden receives a pouch of poisoned soil. This substance is infused with some of the power of the Winnowers and can be used as three crystals of mana in any Day magic ritual (much like a dose of vis). Unfortunately, anyone who uses a dose of the substance will become subject to VENOM at the completion of the ritual as the unwholesome power on the Winnowers corrupts their bodies.
The army is a reduced threat, but the famine-tornado is an ongoing threat.
Shepherds of Ash – Volodmartz
The Shepherds of Ash were funnelled into a trap, magical fortresses were raised behind them, and temptation in the form of the Star Caves dangled in front. The scions killed up to 50 people as they made their way to the Caves at the Northern End of Alderei’s Run, however when they entered those caves they appear to have been swallowed up by some sort of Varushkan horror. By the time morning comes there is no sign of the army. Just the Vales burned to ashes, which they left in their wake.
The entrance to the mines at Berislav’s Rest have also been walled off, a carving of the current holder of the sinecure has appeared on the wall as if to commemorate their decision. The sinecure holder will no longer receive income from the mines.
The region of Murupa is now described as “Ruined.”
The Shepherds of Ash are no longer a threat.
Conjunctions
There are three conjunctions currently available that have connections to this WInd of War. There are no dates or times for the skirmishes yet.
Winds Rising (Bastion)
The Knight-protector of Spring is responsible for arranging for a coven to go through the Sentinel Gate to Bastion in order to cast “Regrow the Land’s Heart” ritual to prevent the spread of the famine winds. The coven will need to be protected as the skirmish will be a combat highly likely encounter.
Doorways (Skarsind)
The Storm Shaman has been asked to arrange a party to go after a group of scions seeking to control the storms above Pakaanan’s Pass to unleash them upon the people of Skarsind. This is a combat highly likely encounter.
Hammer Blows (Karov)
The remnants of the Blade of Skies are travelling to a pilgrimage site dedicated to Courage, their obvious goal is to destroy an important symbol to the Empire. There is also a chance that some refugees may be nearby. The Champion of Courage has been asked to protect the site and any pilgrims and stop the scions from escaping. This is a combat highly likely encounter.
And that is it for this Wind of War! The original was 13,500 or so words and this one should come in at somewhere around 2300, so that should be a wee bit more digestible.
If you find this useful, please like, share, and leave a comment! And if you really found it useful can I point you in the direction of my brand new novel? Here is the amazon.co.uk link
Anyway, we are slowly getting closer and closer to E2 and I cannot wait! All this drama seems to promise a really exciting event!
See you when the next Wind of Fortune or War drops!
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