Hello, everyone. We are back at it again with yet more Winds of Fortune for the second event of Empire LARP this year.
Empire is a LARP run by Profound Decisions here in the UK and I love it to pieces, they do however put out a lot of info before events so I have started writing up summaries for my friends who don’t have all day to read about silly news updates from a fake world.
If you find this summary useful or entertaining please can youshow your appreciation by buying my new novel, Hack & Slash which is in the very LARP appropriate genre of LitRPG. And in case that was complete gibberish to you it’s basically an entire genre where people get thrown into video game-like settings and have adventures. Here is an affiliate link to UK Amazon.
Dream to Me
We start off with the Plenipotentiaries, aka the special messages to and from the Archmages to the Eternals of their Realm of Magic. This event is a bit spicy because, at the last summit, a mandate was passed by the Synod instructing people to be careful about making deals with Eternals. Some of them have things to say about this.
Spring – Siakha – Siakha has no interest in a Parley, and she removed her protection from the Grendel because “High Priestess Shivaarn and her people earned it”, not because of a command from the Archmage. In fact, a lot of this message is all about how Siakha does what she wants and does not do things because mages tell her what to do. She once again tells the Empire to remove the order of Enmity against her so that she might send her heralds to test Imperials. And though she has no patience for the Archmage’s attempts at negotiation, she is pleased with the Empire overall, will offer boons to individuals. More info on the boons can be found in a later wind.
Summer – Eleonaris – Eleonaris declines a Parley, but will send heralds to the Hall of Worlds at 14:00 on Saturday. She wishes for the Archmage to bring members of House de Gauvain to speak with the herald about the insult their house gave Prince Hayaak. Unfortunately, some of this house are currently considered Sorcerers, which explicitly forbids them from interacting with Heralds and Eternals. So that makes things a bit tricky. Secondly, Eleonaris requests that the Knight-protector of Summer, Rhydian de Rondell, bring a specific blade that was used against Prince Hayaak when he was overthrown. If they manage to do so then they will be protecting the lands of Dawn against the beasts Hayaak will inflict upon them. Thirdly, the one known as the Lady of the Semmerlak, was once in the service of another, and has declined to join the Courts of Eleonaris, Jaheris, or Meraud at this time. Eleonaris will not carry messages to her, but perhaps one of the other Eternals of the Summer Realm might.
Winter – Wise Rangara – Wise Rangara has agreed to a limited parley at 16.30 on Saturday during the Spring Equinox, the parley will take place in a chamber reached via the Hall of Worlds and is open to the Archamge of Winter and the Throne. She proposes a quiet chat about the past, the present, and the future. The Archmage of Winter may attend if they wish, but the eternal expects Ematius to “be seen and not heard.” This time does clash with Senate, but Wise Rangara will not be insulted if Vesna misses this little chat. Ematius can find something else to do if this is the case. Wise Rangara has little to speak of the Northern Eagle army, but is not opposed to the conversation continuing. In addition, Wise Rangara has three opportunities for the Night Archmage to choose, they are all in Varushka and Urizen since they were the only segments of the Empire to not fall under the Synod’s recent statement.
- One is to give her complete control over the Hollow Stone at Marshstand Skerry, this would likely anger Arhallogen. It would then provide 5 measures of hearts blood a season instead of a mix of vis and crystal mana. This would require a Declaration of Concord from Conclave, which would give an opportunity at the next summit to realign the regio. That opportunity would likely require some kind of fight with Arhallogen.
- The second is for the Bleak Tower in Morrow, if a Declaration of Concord is made that announces the holder of the sinecure’s dedication to protecting the tower and the herb gardens of Morrow, then Wise Rangara will send a small statuette which will increase the amount of Hearts Blood produced as well as change one of the seasonal herbs produced to Bladeroot.
- The third is for the Tower of the Fall in Zenith, where a similar statuette is offered which will increase the amount of Heart’s Blood produced but decrease the number of mana crystals. Wise Rangara will also give a token to help with the tending of herb gardens. To do this, the holder of the Sinecure must raise a Declaration of Concord that asks Wise Rangara for assistance in the fight against Agramant.
Day – Sinokenon – Sinokenon has arranged a meeting between the Archmage of Day and the people of Tsark; the meeting will be reached via the Hall of Worlds at 17.30 on Saturday afternoon. The Archmage is asked to bring along an orc who shall make themselves known, up to 3 Urizeni trained in philosophy, and the Witness of Conclave.
Autumn – Estavus – Estavus declines to have a parley with the Archmage, there are several offers available for the Empire but they will be found in a separate Wind of Fortune.
Night – Lashonar – Lashonar has offered a Conjunction opportunity to go and prevent the Fire Beacon from being able to reform in Segura. The Sentinel Gate will open for 50 people, at 23:00 on Friday to The Ring of Dust and Glass, Burnish, Segura. This is a combat unlikely or contained encounter. A coven would need to go on the conjunction in order to realign a regio to Night, to prevent the Cold Sun Army from being able to use it. This would also have the effect of attracting the scions nearby to it, where they could be destroyed by Imperial Warriors. Some creatures around the Regio have been badly affected by the Cold Sun and will need to be returned to normal, Lashonar believes this can be done by bringing a large number of creatively skilled individuals (like poets and musicians) to shock them back into being themselves. This conjunction will be under the control of the Night Archmage.
Hurricane Party
This Wind of Fortune contains offers from Siakha, Eternal of Spring, after the Archmage used their plenipotentiary power to speak to her. Taking any of these boons is highly illegal and treasonous, as she is currently under enmity. The only way to make taking these boons legal would be to give Siakha amity again, which would allow her to send heralds to attack the Empire at will. Again.
Siakha offers to empower the Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea and Thunderous Deluge rituals, she must be named and her help must be requested during the ritual, blood must also be shed, and a ring of illium used in the ritual. The ritual must still be cast at a Regio. Both of these rituals cause massive damage to territories that are coastal, marshy, or which contain large bodies of water. Most types of different personal resources will be damaged and have reduced production, Mana sites will produce Warm Honey in place of some of their mana. These rituals would likely flood the chosen territory, and casualties would be likely, even if warnings were sent ahead of the storms.
If both these rituals were cast on a single territory, the amount of damage that would be caused would be very difficult to anticipate. But the territory would be marked permanently by the damage.
If this is done, then boons such as special rituals may be gifted to the covens. There are also boons for specific territories,
- “For each Urizen territory struck by Thunderous Deluge or Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea empowered by her boons, she will give the people of the Marches a boon to help them fight the Jotun.
- For each Marcher territory struck by one of these empowered rituals she will give the people of Urizen a boon to help them empower their destructive magic.
- For each territory where the Thule abide struck with one of these empowered rituals she will give the people of that nation a boon that will help them embrace the savagery in their hearts, to fight and kill their enemies, to take their possessions, and to destroy their castles and cities.
- Likewise, if the Barrens are struck with one of these devastating curses, she will reward the enchanters of Dawn with a destructive boon.”
Additionally, during the Spring Equinox, both the Merciless Wrath of the Reaver and Blood and Salt enchantments can be empowered with the magic of Siakha. People will be able to tell who has had these cast upon them by using the Detect Magic Spell. Only one fo these enchantments can be cast on an individual at once. Anyone who then raids or privateers (depending on which they have cast on them) will then have a +2 level increase in their fleet’s productivity. They will also have the opportunity to go on a special downtime mission, though the benefits are unclear at this time. If more than a dozen characters take this, “Slaughter the Weak” downtime action then this will make the Sentinel Gate spawn similar skirmishes next season. These conjunctions may have the possibility to provide players with mithril, weirwood or white granite.
During the Spring Equinox ritualists can empower the Call Down Lightning’s Wrath ritual, a target with the battle mage skill gains an additional ability to repel their foes in addition to the ability to strike them down, and a rank of endurance while wearing mage armour. Those with the ritual cast on them will also have the roleplaying effect, “you feel a strong desire to use the abilities granted by this enchantment anything that startles or threatens you. When you defeat an opponent it is easy to give in to the urge to execute them immediately; mercy or forbearance are very difficult for you.”
Siakha will know who has used her boons, but won’t snitch on them to the authorities given her pro chaos stance.
An Angry Blade
The Imperial Senate has instructed Graciana i Lòpez i Guerra to appraise options to deploy Imperial Fleet captains to disrupt enemy naval and logistical operations in the Bay of Catazar.
The Grendel have at least 4 navies, whereas the Empire has none. If they wish to take the fight to the Grendel in a more organised way then they will need to create one, which requires large up front costs to not only build the navy itself, but also a shipyard to maintain it.
Elos
She has offered opportunities for building at Elos in Redoubt. The shipyard would be close enough to the Penumbral Watcher that they could raise magical shrouds over the shipyard to protect and hide it from the Grendel. Building this shipyard at Elos would cost 10 white granite, 10 weirwood, 60 crowns, and take three months to construct. Building new cranes at the docks would also be an opportunity, which would cost 25 mithril, 75 crowns, and take three months to construct, and it would become Great Work, giving all businesses in Redoubt the equivalent of a level increase in productivity. There is also the opportunity to build a new port on the Nostos, which would require 18 wains of white granite and 54 crowns. That would create a sinecure, the Architect of the Conscious River, that would benefit from 10 Tempest Jade and 5 Green Iron each season. It would also raise the output at Canterspire to 26 wains of weirwood a season. The wood is crucial for building fleets and navies, so if all three commissions were built, the combined benefits would be sufficient to enable Urizen to support a single navy alongside the Citadel Guard. Each of the three commissions would require a commission slot, but they could all be built independently at any time.
Free Landing
There is also the opportunity to build a fortification that could be supported by fleets instead of armies in Free Landing. It would require 50 wains of white granite, 50 wains of weirwood, 300 crowns and take a year to construct.
Smuggler’s Coves
The Senate could start commissioning Smuggler’s Coves to help with spying on enemy nations. It would require a commission slot and take 10 wains of white granite and 30 thirty crowns. It could only be commissioned in a territory with a coastline the Empire’s fleets could reach. Alternatively, the Senate could give the Imperial Spymaster the option to build a Smuggler’s Cove rather than a spy ring.
Red Wind Corsairs
There is also a proposal to upgrade the Red Wind Corsairs so that the General can issue an order and over the course of a season the army will turn into a navy. It would need 80 weirwood and 240 crowns and take six months to complete.
Parched Earth
The Imperial Senate has asked Lutomysla Niegoslava to undertake an appraisal of the Dry Patrician problem in Madruga.
Three Dry Patricians are moving towards the borders of the Blightheart, they must be destroyed or else they will expand the Blight. It takes a magnitude 18 Words of Ending to destroy a Dry Patrician. There are several conjunctions available for heroes of the Empire to take, every Dry Patrician that is destroyed will mean that one of the neighbouring regions is safe from becoming Blighted for a year. All of these conjunctions still need to have their timings determined, so check the list of conjunctions closer to the event.
Sobral Grasses
The Yoorn-marked Patrician threatens the Sobral Grasses in Segura, there is also a magician who has become lost in the area and needs saving. However, the magician is strong enough to cast the Words of Ending ritual themselves, they just need protecting while doing so. The Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind is responsible for arranging this skirmish, which is a combat highly likely encounter.
Jade Range
The Irremais-marked Patrician is threatening the Jade Range in Kahraman, there is also a Lasambrian champion poking around who has been injured by the Dry Patrician. There is also the problem that the Dry Patrician is coming very close to the Dust Parador, and if they are not stopped the holder Dust Parador will be able to buy no more than 12 wains of mithril following the Spring Equinox. If the blight takes hold, that amount will drop by 3 wains every season until no mithril is available. The Mistress of the Dust Parador is responsible for arranging this skirmish, which is a combat highly likely encounter.
Lucksprings
The Naeve-marked Patrician threatens the Lucksprings in Segura, if it is not stopped then it will have a bad effect on the production of the Cervado nets. In addition, the Azoth has requested that some of the dust that is produced when the Patrician is destroyed be saved and sent to them. This is so that they can study the dust and hopefully learn more about the magic involved. Bakar i Riqueza is in charge of this skirmish, and it is also a combat highly likely encounter.
Preparations
Ash Walkers may be destroyed with the Turns the Circle ritual, this only requires 4 magnitude in Spring, so it should be possible for an individual to cast relatively easily. It can be used at higher magnitudes to destroy more of them if they are close enough together.
It is harder to destroy the Dry Patricians as the ritual Words of Ending must be cast and this is magnitude 18. There are some magical items and artefacts that can be used to make this easier, the Night Archmage would be a good person to ask for advice and for their Winter focused magical artefacts.
The Dry Patricians can cast mass weakness and anyone going on the skirmishes should be prepared to counter that, potentially through the use of herbs or potions.
And finally, anyone who goes on the skirmishes should make sure that they are checked over by healers once they return to Anvil as some of the attacks may not look not look as deadly as they truly are.
Ending the Threat
The only way to stop the Blight is to find its source and destroy it. Much of the evidence that has been found suggests that the Aldea di Tutamen family are somehow to blame. The Unfettered Mind and the Silent Bell have been asked to investigate.
Anyone in the Unfettered Mind may write in to request a traumatic wound before the 22:00 on the 8th of June to reflect the danger of their mission. Likewise anyone from the order may roleplay that they were somehow involved with the investigation.
Healing the Land
A member of the Unfettered Mind has created an arcane projection that will cause the Scorrero River to break its banks and pour into the surrounding land. This Spring ritual would be 140 in magnitude and would have the further downside of flooding ALL neighbouring regions and destroying many of the bridges and other buildings. It would hopefully wash the Blightheart clean of the Blight, but this must be done AFTER the source of the Blight is destroyed as mixing both the magics would surely end badly. This ritual would have to be cast when the river is at its highest, so Summer. It would not return the area to the grassy plain that it was previously, but it should at least make it liveable again.
Lutomysala also recommends that the Conclave speak to Ossegrahn about this plan, since he is the Eternal most tied to healing rains and water.
Grand Lodge
The Silver Chalice has the opportunity to build a Lodge in order to have a place to congregate and study. It would require a commission and need 20 wains of white granite, 20 wains of mithril and 120 crowns and take three months to complete.
It would have numerous benefits, including housing and research space for the Grandmaster. There would also be an increase of 15 mana into the Conclave Font every season. It would also allow the Grandmaster to issue a command to their Order through a Declaration in Conclave, on whatever they wished to ask for, rather than having to wait for opportunities to come up through the civil service (aka Winds of Fortune).
There are three options for where to build the Lodge.
Madruga – Placing it here would ensure that the Silver Chalice would focus on dealing with magical catastrophes. Due to the number of warriors around it the Order would not have to arrange separate security when they went on missions.
Reikos – Placing it here would make the Silver Chalice focus on healing the scars of war. The Grandmaster would also have a greater opportunity to buy magical herbs.
Hahnmark – Placing it here would make the Silver Chalice focus dealing with natural disasters. The Grandmaster would have the opportunity to buy magical items every season.
Long Shadows
Last summit members of the Imperial Orcs, the Imperial Senate, and the Golden Pyramid Conclave Order announced their intention to thoroughly investigate the territory of Skarsind for valuable deposits.
Each member of the Golden Pyramid will receive an extra 2 crowns in their character pack, however if you do not believe your character would have participated then you can just hand the money back into GOD. During the Spring event the Grandmaster may direct their order to investigate another territory. This will cost 20 mana crystals. They must name the territory and, if Conclave agrees, then prospecting will commence after the summit. For this to be truly effective the Order must choose a territory with large amounts of unsearched lands where resources might be found.
Businesses in Skarsind will be able to diversify for free for the foreseeable future.
The Cracking Void
There is an opportunity to reopen a mine at the Cracking Void. It will need to be comissioned, and it would need 7 wains of weirwood, 7 wains of mithril, and 42 crowns in labour. The work would be finished in three months, and once complete, would create a new Imperial title of the Fugelman of the Cracking Void who would receive an income of 15 ingots of tempest jade each season.
In addition, the Golden Pyramid would receive 8 ingots of tempest jade a season for their vault.
Crimson Peak Mining
Crimson Peak Mine has been overrun by Trogoni, the Imperial Orcs and Golden Pyramid can send their military units to clear them out. If the military strength of the force reaches at least 500 then they will clear the mine completely and it will be able to open once more.
If that happens then the Steward of the Mines of Gulhule will be able to buy orichalcum directly from the newly operational mines, giving them a new set of purchase options in addition to their regular choices. Furthermore, the grateful miners will arrange for 3 ingots of orichalcum to be sent to the Golden Pyramid Conclave vault each season, as long as Crimson Peak Mining remained operational.
Wells of Janon
The Wells of Janon have been reclaimed by their eternal patron and hidden in a powerful shroud of Night magic, the Golden Pyramid suggest someone could talk to Janon about them. Apparently, the people currently occupying the mine are spending their time dancing, drinking moonshine, hunting, and occasionally doing a bit of mining.
The Sorrowful Tunnels
A network of caves and tunnels have been found that are filled with troll runes and mithril. The mines would produce 18 wains of mithril a season, but if the miners were protected from the sorrowful auras with anointings, then they could produce more. It would require a senate commission and would cost 20 wains of weirwood and 60 crowns to build.
However turning it into a mine would destroy all the archaeological information within the tunnels. Instead, the Senate of the Minister for Historical Research could commission a study of the tunnels. This study would take a year.
Cities of the Iron Labyrinth
This Wind of Fortune is an update on what’s happening in the Autumn Realm.
Estavus
Estavus is still angry with the Varushkans and so the year long ban on them using the ritual, Before the Throne of Estavus, is still in effect.
Imperials once again have the chance to buy mystical scrolls bearing the instructions for various rituals. The price has gone up, however, from the last tiem they were available. To get access to these rituals you must cast the Before the Throne of Estavus Ritual and mark the container with the Rune Lann.
- Accoutrements of War – 20 Mag Autumn ritual which gives a 5 level boost to military units. Costs 100 measures of dragonbone.
- Ramparts of Ashlar – 150 Mag Autumn ritual which increases the strength of a fortification by 3000. Costs 350 weltsilver.
- Hammers of Fury – 80 Mag Autumn ritual which reduces the number of seasons it takes to muster an army in a territory by 1 season. Mines also receive a pouch of warm ashes instead of 2 of their usual production. Costs 360 ingots of orichalcum
These mystical scrolls can only teach up to 12 magicians how to cast the rituals and will only be usable at the Spring Equinox event.
Metal and Stone
The Autumn Archmage may put a Declaration of Concord or Alignment through Conclave directing the Architects of Iron Stone to investigate one (or more) of the mithril or white granite seats of the Empire, they will then assess them for defensive improvements and for improvements in production. The architects require 150 ingots or measures of precious materials for the first resource, an additional 200 for the second, a further 250 for the third and so on, with the costs adding together. For example, if 3 places were chosen then the cost would be 900 ingots. The ingots should be given to the civil servants at the end of the second conclave session.
Recognition of Technique
A herald of Estavus is offering magical items for sale through the use of the ritual, Before the Throne of Estavus, there is a list of available items with the civil service (or on the original Wind). Only 10 of each item will be available, once they are gone people will be given pouches of warm ashes instead. The ritual must be cast at the Anvil regio and please make sure that you have an appropriate phys rep with you. You must also give a note dictating which of the items you wish to buy, and please be aware that the ritual Before the Thrones of Estavus will increase in magnitude as you increase the number of ingots being sent with it.
Reveal the Knowledge
Casting the ritual, Hand of the Maker is cheaper and easier to perform if done with Warm Ashes this event. Any performance of Hand of the Maker at the Imperial regio that is performed using a measure of warm ashes is magnitude six rather than the normal magnitude eight.
Ephisis
Rates and Returns
Those who can cast the Ritual, Ephisis’ Scales may be able to take advantage of the current market prices. The city has too much mana and mithril, so they are selling it cheap, while they are lacking in beggarwood and tempest jade, so they will spend more to buy it.
Lictors
Cities of Lock and Bond
The City of Locks remains in turmoil after whatever happened with Basileus Flint and Mazen. Things are apparently “quite grim” according to a herald of Ephisis.
The heralds coming from the Lictors are also quite different in dress and demeanour. However, they are now moving to fulfil a second part of their contract with Ashborn Trosk. The Wind has not yet given a time for the representatives of Ashborn Trosk to meet them at the Hall of Worlds, but that will presumably be decided closer to the event.
Alright folks, that is it for this evening. More will come out over the weekend, but I wanted to stop here because we are already well over 4000 words, and I need to stop somewhere.
If you found this helpful, please let me know in the comments; likewise, if I have made any mistakes, that is where you can drop a line.
I have a novel out! It’s about a Scottish woman thrown into a virtual reality after the end of the world who is getting hunted by monsters. Check it out here at Amazon if that sounds cool! Link to Hack & Slash
Stay safe out there,
K
Leave a Reply