387YE Autumn Equinox winds of fortune
Overview
Over the past three months, events have taken place which are of significance to the Empire and may require a response from her champions. These are the winds of fortune, counterparts to the winds of war that detail the Empire's military campaigns. They lay out situations, and usually include things that characters can do to take advantage of opportunities or to resolve problems. In almost every case, they start with a piece of flavour text. This fiction helps introduce the wind of fortune, or draws out a particular theme or element. Often, it represents a viewpoint that one or more NPCs might have in-character. In all cases, these pieces are intended to help create an atmosphere and provide a little entertainment. Where they contain opinions, those are the opinions of the fictional people depicted - and where they contain information or rumours, the assumption is that the reader will create their own context for that information or gossip if they want to use it in character.
The body of the wind of fortune describes situations and lays out ways players can engage with them. Except where we explicitly talk about something being "rumoured" or use a phrase like "some might say..." the details of a wind of fortune are factual. They represent briefing material presented by the civil service or similar authoritative sources and represent something the average educated citizen would acknowledge as a reliable truth. Unless we specify otherwise, we're also being as thorough as possible. This information doesn't need further checking in-character. It's not an opinion, and we're not trying to trick you. As always, how much or how little of this information you choose to know in character is up to you. Part of the purpose of Winds of Fortune is to maintain the illusion of the Empire as a living, breathing place where things happen - and to make players aware of things their characters could know based on what their roleplaying says they have been doing for the past three months. It's perfectly acceptable to turn up to Empire having read only a few Winds of Fortune that directly interest your character; part of the fun on the field can come from learning about situations and opportunities in other parts of the game.
In each case, we've tried to tag the Winds of Fortune entry with the nations or political bodies to which it is most relevant. We've done this to help people who are interested only in events that are especially relevant to them. In no way are these tags intended to be exhaustive; the Empire is a complex place, and very little happens in isolation. We are also adding the dates that they were last updated (other than typos and correcting red links) in an attempt to make it easier to keep track of the newest releases.
Winds of Fortune
Has Reared Himself A Throne (Plenipotentiary)
- Archmages; Imperial Conclave; Watcher of the Semmerlak; Imperial Military Council
Each season, each of the six archmages are empowered to send a plenipotentiary message to single eternal of their realm. The eternals are bound to respond, although the exact nature of that response is up to them. Following the Spring Equinox, and as the Summer Solstice approaches, five six eternals have responded to what can only be presumed to be missives from the archmages. Two have agreed to some kind of meeting; four have chosen other ways to honour the missive they have received. One of those responses is... not quite like the others.
You can find out about the eternals, and the nature of their responses, in the Has reared himself a throne wind of fortune.
Other Events
Dusk
- For this event we are defining dusk as beginning at TBC and ending at TBC No bow or crossbow use in Anvil after TBC or on quests that start after this time
Our bow safety rules prohibit the use of bows and crossbows after "dusk". At this event we are defining that point as TBC each day. This means you cannot use a bow in Anvil after this time, or on a skirmish or quest that starts after this time.
The necromantic ritual Whispers through the Black Gate can only be performed for one hour around dusk - at this event that means the ritual can be performed at any time between TBC and TBC.
Trade Summary
- Imperial fleets can trade with ports in Axos, the Commonwealth, Faraden, the Iron Confederacy, the Sarcophan Delves, and the Sumaah Republic Production depends on the port chosen, and can be increased by upgrades and enchantments
Imperial fleets can trade with a number of foreign nations who have chosen to open some of their ports to visitors from the Empire. The assumption is that a ship trading with a foreign nation makes enough from selling their cargo to cover their running costs, crew salaries and the like, but that there is enough profit to provide the character who owns the fleet with valuable goods of interest to the folk who attend Anvil. What goods are received for visiting a port is changeable, and heavily influenced by Imperial diplomacy.
Mandates
- You can find details of the mandates, along with the rest of the Synod judgements, here.
A number of mandates were successfully upheld in the Imperial Synod last season. As long as the named priest provided sufficient liao, those mandates have been automatically enacted.
Summer Conjunctions
- Last event there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate; their known outcomes are listed here
During the Summer Solstice, there were a number of conjunctions of the Sentinel Gate identified by the Imperial prognosticators. In each case a band of Imperial heroes used that conjunction to travel to a location far from Anvil and intervene in an ongoing situation. These are the known outcomes of those conjunctions. In the case of battles, it is important to remember that the Military Council can only make use of two of the major conjunctions each summit, choosing which to take advantage of during the Muster.