388YE Summer Solstice interlude

Overview

Downtime following the Spring Equinox is now open. It allows players to process their character's downtime choices. Not all resources allow a player to make a choice about how they operate between events, but we've provided information about new opportunities for congregation, fleet, and military unit owners in particular, as well as a reminder about existing opportunities created at earlier events.

On this page, we've outlined and offered some context for various effects and events. As always, these include quick summaries, mostly out of character, to explain effects such as large-scale enchantments and curses.

In some cases, there may be further developments around the events listed here in the Spring Equinox winds of fortune. They may also be handled with a Resolution entry on the appropriate Wind, or a note in the Other Events section of next events Winds of Fortune page.

The deadline for Downtime submissions is midnight on Tuesday the 23 of June

Choices

Each summit the Senate raises and votes on motions, the Conclave debates declarations, the assemblies of the Synod discuss judgements, and the generals of the Military Council issue orders to their armies. You can find details of these many decisions here:

The Civil Service is responsible for ensuring that these motions, judgements, declarations, and orders are public knowledge. Not everything is widely distributed across the Empire, but any character who attends Anvil can easily find out details of what went on in the houses of power during the event.

Imperial Guerdon

The Imperial Guerdon is a bursary set up by the Imperial Senate primarily to reward military units that support Imperial armies, spy networks, and fortifications. The value of the Imperial Guerdon is divided between each military unit and fleet that supports an army in proportion to their effective strength. The Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has the power to exclude any or all Imperial armies and navies, fortifications, or special projects (such as spy networks) from the Guerdon. If they do so, then a character who supports such an army, fortification, or special project will receive nothing for doing so.

The Guerdon was announced at 350 Thrones.

This season, the Quartermaster General of the Imperial Armies has announced that shares of the Guerdon will be shared between military units supporting the following armies and action:

No other armies, or actions by military units or fleets, will receive shares of the Guerdon.

Military Units

Any player whose character controls a military unit can choose from several downtime options by logging into the downtime system. They may choose to support an army, defend a fortification, or support a spy network. They can also choose one of the many ventures. Left to their own devices, a military unit defaults to mercenary work, guaranteeing an income of money along with a random chance of herbs, more money, mana crystals, ingots or measures.

Players who want to support one of the Imperial armies can also read the orders issued by each general before making their decision. These orders are a matter of public record within the Empire and also available on the 387YE Winter Solstice Military Council orders page. This new page makes it easier for players to read all the orders before making a decision; previously the only way to do this was to painstakingly click every army in turn. It's also possible for players without military units to see the orders, without waiting for the Winds of War (assuming the orders related to an area that produced a full write-up).

As per the the guidelines around discussing military matters, you must not post statements encouraging people where to send their military units and fleets in downtime.

Support Earthquake Drummers

Tathenon the Gyre is pleased by the number of Imperial captains who supported the Earthquake Drummers army in the attack against the Mallum. A continued invitation has been made, with the same details as last season; any military unit is welcome to support the Earthquake Drummers and a standard military unit will be rewarded with 7 mana crystals, with an upgraded or enchanted military unit receiving proportionally more.

Map the City Below

The eternal, Sung, is seeking help to map the passageways and sewers beneath the city of Apulian. If the total effective military strength of all the military units assigned to Map the City Below is 3000 or more, then the operation will be a success. However, the attempt to Rescue the Merchant Prince will undermine efforts - every military unit working to rescue Prince duSesna subtracts their military strength from those attempting to Map the City Below. Sung is utterly incapable of articulating what that will mean or entail and traditional attempts at divination with day or night magic have proven essentially useless. The rewards are a single brightly coloured rainbow feather with no magical powers taken from Sung's wings and a single piece of crystal fire.

Rescue the Merchant Prince

The duSesna Guild are seeking to find their merchant prince, Teodore duSesna who they believe has been disappeared for opposing the machinations of Sung. If the total effective military strength of all the military units assigned to Rescue the Merchant Prince is 3000 or more, then the merchant prince will be found, either alive or dead, as the case may be. However, the attempt to Rescue the Merchant Prince will undermine efforts - every military unit working to rescue Prince duSesna subtracts their military strength from those attempting to Map the City Below. There are no rewards publicly available for anyone taking this option.

Scout the Tsirku Scouting Network

The vast territory of Tsirku, is so inhospitable that it represents a huge challenge to scouts. Rather than exploring the entire territory in one go, each season the scouting network will explore a single region. If the scouts are successful, the Imperial Spymaster will be able to choose where to explore next. Only once the entire territory has been scouted will a map suitable for scrying be created. There are no rewards publicly available for anyone taking this option.

The Empire has been warned by Sung and Sadogua that Concilium of the Perjured Throne will try to hire military units to thwart efforts to scout the wastes. Every military unit that takes the venture to Conceal the Northern Lights will count its military strength against the total strength of those trying to explore Tsirku.

Conceal the Northern Lights

The Whisper Gallery is determined to prevent Imperial scouts from destroying the secrets of Tsirku by exposing them to the sterile light of day. The Court of the Shadowed Oracle have made an offer to those steinr poets, offering crystal fire and luxury goods to anyone who will help them try to thwart the efforts of the scouts by creating false trails, spoiling supplies and otherwise sabotaging the efforts to discover more. Every military unit working to Conceal the Northern Lights subtracts their military strength from those attempting to scout Tsirku.

Only characters with a military unit that have had contact with the Whisper Gallery can take this action. A starting military unit will receive two pieces of crystal fire and luxury goods worth 72 rings for their help; an upgraded military unit will gain proportionately more.

Spy on the Thule

Last season, the Karass put forward an offer to help the Empire spy on any attempts by the Thule to claim a black lotus plant. The Imperial Spymaster, Rahmah i Darwisj i Erigo, made an announcement supporting the action during the Spring Equinox. Military units assigned to the action would collaborate with Karass scouts, who would help cover their tracks while they spied on the Thule. If two thousand points of total strength are assigned to the action, then the Empire will become aware if the Thule managed to claim a Black Lotus plant. If four thousand strength is assigned to the action, then the Empire will have a chance to employ the Sentinel Gate to prevent that from happening.

There is no possibility that the Thule will discover their presence of scouts in the Forest of Ulnak. The Thule could only get an inkling of what was going on if the Karass betrayed them, if they were informed by the Ambassador to Otkodov, or if the Empire badly botched a military raid of some kind.

Fleets

Any player whose character controls a fleet can choose from several downtime options by logging into the downtime system. They may choose to trade with a foreign port, engage in raiding barbarians, quest in search of glory or renown, scout either to support a smugglers cove or as part of another stealthy option, or commit to guarding a convoy of other ships.

Left to their own devices, a fleet defaults to maritime escort, guaranteeing an income of money along with a random chance of herbs, more money, mana crystals, ingots or measures.

Raid Leen - Rescue Slaves

Freeborn fleet captains are able to travel to Leen Rarckan in the Salt Flats of Sanath to take part in a raid on Leen to free slaves. The total effective strength assigned to the opportunity will determine the outcome. If the effective military strength is less than a thousand, then the raid will be botched, few if any slaves will be freed, and the raiders will be lucky to get away with their lives.

A standard fleet taking this raiding voyage will receive six random herbs and four random resources. A fleet that is enchanted or upgraded receives more, and may also acquire some Druj Potions as part of their loot, usually representing a captured potion or two useful to warriors. Whatever happens, the raid won't impact the Druj's ability to fight the Empire.

Support the Wings of Kobol

After the Spring Equinox, any Freeborn fleet can support the Wings of Kobol navy. The Suranni offer no additional incentive to take part beyond the chance for retribution, and the chance to recover some of the wealth lost to the Grendel and the Children of Wrecks. If at least 4000 military strength supports the Wings of Kobol, then whether the Suranni are victorious or not, the mariners of the Brass Coast will be able to reach the ruins of Atalaya, where the Brass Coast began. This town was at one point a treasure trove of historical relics that reminded the Freeborn of where they came from and why their nation exists. The Suranni will not stop the Freeborn taking back as many of these items as they can find - not after the Spring Equinox at least.

A standard fleet that takes this action will receive 72 rings worth of valuable items and six random resources in loot. This might mean additional money, or even mana crystals, and represents goods recovered from the Children of Wrecks and the ruins of Free Landing.

Support the Wreckers

A Grendel windlord who hates the Iron Conderacy, has made arrangements for some Imperial fleets to help the Children of Wrecks try to fight off the Wings of Kobol. This action is highly illegal, but the total chaos of a battle between Iron Confederacy forces and the Wreckers will make it impossible for the Iron Confederacy to know what that the Empire played a role in the battle or indeed who. The only information the Empire will receive is which nations were represented among those forces fighting.

Only characters with a fleet that have had contact with the windlord can take this action. There are no rewards publicly available for anyone taking this option.

Trade Summary

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.

Congregations

During downtime, the owner of a congregation can choose to take a preaching action. Normally, these actions are used to preach one of the Imperial virtues, or the general teachings of the Way, allowing a Synod member to change which of the virtue assemblies they belong to.

After the Spring Equinox, there are three lectures available.

Preach Pride - Support Marcher Orcs

At the Winter Solstice, the Marcher Assembly voted to uphold a judgement raised by Brother Luke with a greater majority. The statement of principle called on the Marches to defend the Marcher orcs if it came to it. This has been met with acceptance across the Marches, though some are still uncertain, and those who agree with the assembly have been looking at ways they can help support the message.

Priests who take this action are assumed to be making use of the liao they receive to inspire congregants to travel across the Marches and support the Marcher orcs. It's small, but "Pride in small things" as the famous saying starts. Rather than receiving any liao, the congregation will receive money from orcs grateful for their work.

Foretell the Coming of the Second Age of Virtue

Following on from the highest calling of the Highborn Assembly, the congregations of the Empire can preach the good news of the Second Age of Virtue. The more congregations that took part each season, the greater the benefits would be. The individual effects would be tiny, but a thousand raindrops can quickly turn into a flood. Virtuous citizens would make a pilgrimage to Bastion, to volunteer to help with the work of completing the Grand Inspiration, working to raise the monument to the heavens - doing their part to support the Grand Inspiration and ushering in a new era. They may not be builders, but they believe in the dream to be given form. Children, the elderly, all united by faith to add even a single brick and know they were part of this momentous occasion in the history of mortal ascension.

Encourage Pilgrimage to Hacynian

Priests who take this option are assumed to be making use of the liao they receive to inspire congregants to make the difficult journey to the Great Library. After those who are brave enough to make the journey experience the awe-inspiring power of the true aura in the shrine, they will return home inspired to embrace Wisdom and pursue it in the certain belief that inaction is the only true mistake.

A congregation that preaches this special action will receive three fewer liao each season (assumed to have been spent on creating auras or used to provide patronage), but four additional votes in the Synod (representing the swelling of their congregations). The priest leading the congregation will become part of the Wisdom Assembly if they were not already.

Arcane Projections

The deadline for submitting an arcane projection is now the close of downtime. This is a significantly shorter window than previously. We've made this change to improve our ability to process arcane projections - an earlier deadline means that the game team have more time to consider each arcane projection, which will allow us to be more detailed and consistent in our responses.

As detailed in the The moth for the star wind of fortune, it is not currently possible to create an arcane projection that involves a curse directed at a character.

Colleges and Forges

It is important for characters responsible for a college of magic or runeforge to remember that the deadline for submitting rituals for codification, or instructions to the runeforge, is also the point that downtime closes. You must use let us know how you plan to use your college or forge by this point, otherwise it will not be possible to submit anything and the season will be lost.

We've also made a small change there; the e-mail address to which such instructions should be sent is now plot@profounddecisions.co.uk rather than rules. The rules decisions about an arcane projection that is being codified, or a new item, have already been made, and it is the plot team who deal with the creation of ritual texts, unique items, or schema.

Artefacts

Artisans can use ilium to make a permanent artefact version of any magic item they can create. These powerful items retain their properties indefinitely, are readily identifiable as unique named items, and can exert powerful roleplaying effects over anyone bonded to them.

Anyone wanting to create an artefact should email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk before downtime closes with their CID and what magic item they want to be an artefact. They should also include what name they want the artefact to have and the desired roleplaying effect. With roleplaying effects, it is best to avoid anything with religious themes; that is the purview of the hallow ceremony. It is best to avoid naming specific concepts: a roleplaying effect of "You feel an urge to protect Urizen lore" would be returned as "You feel an urge to preserve the magical secrets of your people". It can be interpreted as the same for someone in Urizen, but it would encourage someone in Wintermark to protect Runesmith's Law, or a magician-prince of Jarm to protect their own collection of ritual texts.

As with hallow, comedic names or names which are obviously taken from existing works of fiction are not appropriate for item names in Empire and will be rejected when identified.

Miscellaneous Effects

Every season sees large-scale effects impact individuals and nations. Some arise as the result of Synod judgements, Senate motions or Conclave declarations. Others are the results of winds of fortune or war, or magical effects such as enchantments or curses. Each such effect is mentioned in your downtime if it affects your personal resource, along with a brief summary of what is going on. This list provides more detail, and is also useful for knowing what is going on in the wider Empire.

Due to the ongoing issue with the constellations, territory-scale magic performed at the Spring Equinox is much more likely to have additional, unlooked-for effects.

Rivers Run Clear (Mareave)

The Imperial territory of Mareave has had Rivers of Life woven over it. This potent magic preserves life, healing all save the most grievous wounds overnight and infusing water across the territory with restorative powers. As well as the typical effect of reducing losses to any armies fighting in the territory, the magic has other, more narrative effects. Wounds heal, animals and plants are healthy and fertile, and people find it easier to start or expand their families.

Fens, Forests, and Frost

Myriad Market (Spiral)

During the Winter Solstice, Goldentongue, herald of the Sovereign-Lord of the City of Chains, hosted an auction in the Hall of Worlds. One of the lots available was the "key to the Myriad Market"; a boon from Ephisis that has been used to open a door in Apulian to a chamber of the City of Gold and Lead. Business owners in the territory are able to make use of the market and can diversify for free and can diversify to receive a single pouch of warm ashes each season. This diversification into warm ashes can only be taken once ever.

Hammers of Fury (Hercynia and Tassato)

Over the coming months, the power of the Autumn realm is focused on the League territory of Tassato and the Navarr territory of Hercynia. The Lyktan coven has invoked the Hammers of Fury to speed the mustering of a new army in both territories. This magical service provided by the City of Fire and Stone enchants the forges, foundries, and smithies throughout the territory, infusing them with the heat of Shikal's forges to help them forge arms and armour with supernatural speed. It also sends traders from the Fire Mountain to acquire more resources, meaning that mines throughout the territory will see their production of metals reduced by two ingots, but in their place the mine owners each gain one pawn of warm ashes - Autumn vis.

Hammers of Industry (Madruga)

During the Spring Equinox, an arcane projection was performed targeting the Freeborn territory of Madruga. The ritual has seen logistics in the territory enhanced; granting confidence in craftsmanship, easing travel, clarifying communication, and reducing waste.

As a result, construction on the Municipal Docks in Calvos Sound has advanced, and the great work is expected to be completed by the start of the Autumn Equinox 388YE.

Connect the Lands Heart (Sarangave)

During the Spring Equinox, an arcane projection was performed targeting the Urizen territory of Sarangrave. The ritual focused on the resonances of bands and binding, and the effects are unknown.

Behold the Upward Spiral (Spiral)

During the Spring Equinox, an arcane projection was performed targeting the League territory of Spiral. The night sky over Spiral remains clear and the stars exceptionally bright. Those living there have nightly dreams of the various works done to restore and improve the territory, which end with a final image of the Dreaming Spire on the slopes of Mount Cinnius. Those who experience these dreams most keenly are often left with a drive to change or reshape the world, and waning enthusiasm for ambitious goals may be revitalised.

Note that magic of this nature is indiscriminate; it will encourage citizens of the League and citizens of Urizen alike to celebrate the successes their nations have made toward restoring Spiral. While the enchantment persists, encounters with the Night realm will be more common. People are more likely to encounter Night regio and may in some cases find existing Night regio have increased in potency. Heralds of Night eternals, especially those with an interest in inspiration and grand projects, are likely to be encountered more often.

Greatest Military Force

During the Spring Equinox, two mandates were enacted; one in the Dawnish Assembly by Ser Decimus of House de Bastion and one in the Winterfolk Assembly by Yrkja Riansson Sigeing. These mandates encourage the people in their respective nations to support efforts to embrace their national traditions and support the Empire's wars.

Stirring the Pot

During the Winter Solstice, two mandates were enacted; one in the Marcher Assembly by Richard Conscience and one in the League Assembly by Frideswide Adelaar van Holberg. These mandates encourage the people in their respective nations to support efforts to embrace their national traditions and support the Imperial economy. They also create a groundswell of support for League and Marchers looking to improve their resources.

Completion of the Omphalos

With the completion of the Dreaming Spire, Urizen characters can take a new personal resource in Spiral before the end of downtime by emailing admin@profounddecisions.co.uk.

Wayhouse in Holberg

With the completion of the Splintered House, Navarr characters can take a new personal resource in Holberg before the end of downtime by emailing admin@profounddecisions.co.uk.

Magical Lore

During the Spring Equinox, one magic item was added to Runesmith's Law, one ritual was added to Urizen lore, and one ritual was put forward for inclusion in Imperial Lore:

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