A thousand steps

"Dai is moaning that if it doesn't happen soon, it won't happen at all." Ffion grinned at her cousin. She knew how much the cantankerous old guide wound him up, and it was fun to try and wind him up.Sadly Harri could tell what she was doing and refused to take the bait. "He's gone from worrying we're moving too fast, to worrying were moving too slow. That sounds like the old man.""He could be right. He's convinced Brendan," she responded, giving it a second go."Dai Parting Ways could made Brendan think the vallorn was made of green cheese. And he would to, if it gave him something to moan about.""You're not worried then?". She was genuine this time, eager to hear what he had to say."Course I am." he said surprising even himself. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Look, we've got to trust the leaders we've got, not try and lead the bloody Striding ourself. They say they're going to pick the right time to strike... that's good enough for me. Dai would have us fighting vallorn while the Druj was stabbing us in the back. I can't think of a worse way to lose everything than that can you?"Ffion considered the question for a while. It was obviously rhetorical but the more she thought about it, the more it invited further thought. "Yes, I think I can" she answered finally. "We've got to do this now - we're committed and that's good. But we might fail - we have to be honest about that. This is no story, this isn't some scop's tale. We might do everything we can and it might not be enough. And that would be bad..."Harri moved to speak but Ffion cut him off. "You asked the question, I'm answering it. Like I said we might do everything we can and still lose. And that's bad. But if we do lose this war - if the vallorn wins, and we all die - the thing I couldn't take is knowing that we left anything on the table. That's what be worse. Losing and knowing that I didn't dare do all.""That's a fine speech Ffion, you should have been a guide. But where's the strategy? We won't beat the vallorn by talking to people.""You're wrong Harri. You're dead wrong. Talking to people is the only way we win this thing. This war won't be won in Therunin. It won't be won in Liavathen or Hercynia. It's going to be fought in the Senate. And the Council. And the Conclave. We get them on side... we win... We don't get them on side... we lose. The only way we beat the vallorn is by talking to people.""Right, so now you're a brand as well as a guide. So what do you think we should do?"Ffion grinned again, "I reckon we should go speak to some people..."

Overview

The Navarr have committed everything to fighting the vallorn, calling the stridings home and readying the nation for war. While some argued the time was not yet right, the decision has now been made, all that remains now is for the nation to find a way to make this work.

Which, as it turns out, is somewhat harder than it might have appeared. The single biggest problem remains the need to convince the other nations that this is the time to fight the vallorn. Three nations have agreed with the Navarr that the time is right - Highguard, the League, and Varushka. The other six remain broadly unconvinced despite some clear enthusiasm in Dawn for a glorious battle against long odds. Still, any idea that the right moment is just around the corner is as dangerous as it is appealing. The Empire has existed for nearly four centuries and never once in that time has there been a day when the Empire was safe and there were no more wars left to fight. Even the historians who look back on the interregnum after the reign of Emperor James must concede that there was still danger, it was just kept at a distance by the wall of stone and steel that encircled the - somewhat smaller - Empire of the day. There isn't going to be a time when the Empire is ready to fight the vallorn because the barbarians have been defeated - that day won't come in anyone's lifetime, let alone the current generation. As long as the Empire remains focussed on the threat on its borders, from the Druj, the Grendel, the Jotun, and the Thule, there will never be a political will or the military capacity to join up the vallorn hearts and begin the last war.

The Navarr desperately need more influence in the great houses of state. They need more votes in the Senate, the Military Council, and the Conclave. That would come with more Navarr senators and generals, of course, but a better way to gain support is to gain allies. Until the Navarr have powerful friends in other nations who are prepared to support them there is literally no chance of any kind that they will be able to defeat the vallorn.

But all that is long term strategy, right now, the immediate battle the nation need to win is to find a way to fund their new army. With the sacrifice of Isaella's Dance, they are down to two armies - one of which is currently commanded by the Throne. The current pace of contributions needs to increase, otherwise the army will never be finished. Its time to pick up the pace, as they used to say on the stridings...

Eight Thousand Ingots

The nation needs every wain and every ingot and measure they can find to pay for the new army'

After initially denying the Navarr the right to muster another forcce, the Imperial Senate eventually relented and has now passed a motion allowing the nation to commission a new army. Unfortunately that army (and any others the Navarr may wish to build) must be paid for. As the Imperial treasury appears to be empty, there is no money available for the nation and that means the army will only get built if the Navarr pay for it themselves.

One of the unique opportunities granted by the return of the stridings, to create armies capable of defeating the vallorn, has been taken. The army being raised in Hercynia can be paid for with wains of mithril as usual or with ingots or measures of weltsilver, orichalcum, green iron, tempest jade, beggar's lye or iridescent gloaming. This could be a very effective way to pay for the army - given that measures and ingots are generally easier to lay ones hands on than wains - but only if the nation can actually find the materials.

Dig for Victory

The Navarr have over a hundred and fifty military units Ever basic military unit assigned to Lorenzo's Deep Pockets would yield mana crystals and six ingots a season Feast of Heroes, a simple Summer ritual could boost that production still further Three Navarr artisans from Treji have provided three ritual foci that would make the ritual easier to cast

The simplest way to get all the resources needed might to just go and get them. The nation has precious few forests and mines - at least among those who come to anvil Anvil each season - certainly nowhere near enough to produce the volume of materials needed. But there are more than a hundred and fifty Navarr among those who regularly attends the quarterly summits who possess military units. Those units will be crucial when the time comes for taking the fight to the vallorn, but they could also be serving the nation right now.

Lorenzo's Deep Pockets is a vast sinkhole located on the edge of Miaren. The current Delver of the Depths is in fact a Navarr themselves - 'Rhys Nighthaven. They can secure an amount of materials themselves of course, but there is also an apparently limitless supply of tempest jade and weltsilver to be claimed from the depths of the sinkhole, just waiting for the Navarr to send their military units in to get it. If every warband belonging to a Navarr who came to Anvil went down Lorenzo's hole, they'd produce more than 900 ingots in a single season.

If those military units could be enchanted - and a trip into the sinkhole also provides small amounts of mana - then the returns would be even better. The Summer magic ritual Feast of Heroes would increase the returns significantly, potentially providing up to eight additional ingots per adventurer. That is potentially another 1200 ingots.

The problem would be finding a way to persuade as many owners of Navarr military units as possible to actually explore the depths and then seeing how many of them could be enchanted. The ritual is magnitude ten to enchant a single warband which, if mastered, only requires five ranks of Summer lore to cast (or four at the [[Regio#Imperial Regio|Imperial Regio). Each additional captain from the same banner only increases the magnitude by eight - meaning that casting the ritual on multiple people paradoxically makes it harder to cast but reduces the cost for each individual. A little help could make the ritual much easier to cast.

To try to support such efforts a trio of artisans from Treji, three brothers called Aedan, Dradan and Tomas, from the Quiet Forge have agreed a boon with The Bronze Artisan. The eternal has shown them how to create a simple ritual mask, not unlike the Straw Mask favoured by the Marches. This "Heroes Helm" provides one additional effective rank when casting Feast of Heroes and Golden Voyage. It is a small benefit, but it might be just enough to allow a skilled Summer mage to perform the ritual by themselves. Or better yet, a coven could use the masks to help perform the ritual on multiple targets making it cheaper and quicker to perform.

The brothers have created three of the masks and provided them to the Navarr Egregore and asked that they be deliered to the vates at Anvil. If the benefit they provide proves useful, the brothers plan to make more masks next season.

Shared Sacrifice

Wintermark and the Imperial Orcs could sacrifice their own benefits to reduce the cost of the army by several hundred ingots Nations other than the Navarr with the capacity to build a runeforge, could use a mandate to commit those artisans to support the army Any nation that does this will sacrifice their capacity to build a runeforge for a year and reduce the cost of the army by 10 wains

There are two nations that the Navarr have already identified that could help considerably with the efforts to raise the new Navarr army. The Wintermark artisans at the Runegrott and the Ethengraw smiths at the Black Forge could both have sacrificed their own position to help the Navarr. The civil service have confirmed that either national assembly could still enact the appropriate mandate. It may be that neither of these nations is prepared to support the fight against the vallorn. The Wintermark assembly has upheld statements that suggest they believe the war against the vallorn is ill-timed and a low priority for an Empire already struggling. This is a pity, because the aid of either group would be a huge asset to the Navarr.

Another option might be to try appeal to those nations who also have artisans who could help. Varushka, the Marches, and Dawn all have enough artisans to support the creation of a new runeforge in their nation. These skilled craftsfolk could devote their time to helping raise the new Hercynian army instead, if the Navarr can persuade them to do so. Accessing this support would need a mandate to be passed by the national Assembly of Dawn, Varushka or the Marches.

The Virtuous build up their fellows. We send (named priest) with 25 doses of liao to urge artisans to support the Navarr's war against the vallorn. Loyalty is not displayed by words or deeds alone, but by the unity of both.Synod Mandate, Dawn, Marcher and Varushkan National Assembly

If a nation enacts this mandate then artisans of that nation will go to work creating weapons and armour for the new army. Each nation that enacts this mandate will provide the equivalent of 10 wains of mithril towards the cost of raising the new army. The problem is that it will commit their artisans to working in support of the Navarr for the best part of a year. Even if the work of mustering the army is finished before then, those artisans will need time to clear the backlog of their own work. As a result any nation that enacts this mandate will not be able to begin work on a rune forge in that nation for the next four seasons.

Of course the Navarr have many artisans of their own, but they are already committed to helping construct the new army, so they cannot be of further assistance in this way. Any other nation that currently has the ability to create a runeforge could enact the mandate, but only by giving up their ability to build a new runeforge for a year.

Simple Exchange

The Navarr could sell herbs to citizens of other nations to raise funds for the army If other nations won't buy herbs, they can sell marrowort to the City of Lead and Gold For every sixty marrowort placed in an Ephisis Box with the rune Bravash, the City will provide one wain toward the new army The deal is only on available at the Summer Solstice 387YE

The Navarr produce significantly more herbs than any other nation in the Empire. In fact, the nation produces more herbs than Highguard, the Imperial Orcs, the League, the Marches, Urizen and Varushka combined. The nation can't pay for their army with herbs, but are there people in these nations who would buy herbs if they were offered them at the right price. There could be potential markets for the nation's herbs and potions in every nation outside the Navarr. Ingots or measures can all be used to fund the army - wains of mithril are better still - but cold hard cash is almost as valuable. Enough money and you can buy anything in the Empire (particularly if the rumours of a crash in the price of mithril are correct).

Of course it's no good selling goods to each other - the Navarr need to sell whatever they can to citizens from the other nine nations - that is the only way they can bring in the additional funds they need. The brokers can lead the way with this but they will need help from everyone who can offer it. There are fifty brokers attending the next summit - and nearly four thousand potential customers! The only way they're going to be able to hawk those herbs around everyone who might buy them is if they get some help.

One of the problems with this approach is that many people believe that herbs should be provided for free to heal those who are injured. While some might argue that this approach has a lot to recommend this in normal times, the nation is faced with a blunt truth. The Navarr are the acknowledged masters of herbcraft in the Empire but if they continue to give those herbs away to people who need them then the nation may never have the funds they need to pay for their army (or any more important projects). The Urizeni were able to pay for their army from the Autumn realm with three hundred mithril in a single season. Perhaps if herbs sold as well as mana crystals do, the Navarr might now be in a similar position?

If the Navarr can't convince the other nations to pay for their herbs, then there is another option. The inhabitants of the Autumn realm are voracious merchants - they will buy anything at the right price and they are known to pay a good price for herbs. Ffion, a vate from Parting Ways in Miaren has recently made several profitable deals with a rather excitable herald called Crown from the City of Gold and Lead. This weird little creature claims to have been involved in the deal for the Urizen army and, flushed with success, has arranged a deal for the Navarr.

Crown is apparently prepared to buy Marrowort from the Navarr in return for materials to support their new army. The costs are high, but if an Imperial citizen sends an Ephisis Box containing just Marrowort and anything with the Bravash rune on it then the empty box will be available for collection from the hall of worlds at the usual time and the brokers of the City will instead provide one wain of mithril directly to the new army. Crown is very clear that the City is prepared to fund the entire army if they receive enough herbs - the nation would just need to find... 12,000 marrowort. Obviously even the Navarr probably don't have that much marrowort lying around. But if the deal is a good one, then any amount of Marrowort (in bundles of 60) will help.

Crucially while some people baulk at paying for herbs, there are estimated to be more than four hundred herbalists across the Empire attending Anvil at the Summer Solstice and only a third of them are in the Navarr. That means every herbalist, every apothecary, every broker, could be trading the herbs the Navarr do have with herbalists from other nations. If those herbalists are carrying stocks of marrowort, in addition to whatever they have just acquired, then the nation could raise thousands of marrowort before the City of Gold and Lead stops accepting magical boxes (at midnight on Saturday).

However, Crown has clearly stuck his neck out a little, and cautions the Navarr that this deal is only available during the Summer Solstice. He has suggested that if the Navarr do intend to take advantage of this offer, then they should tie their marrowort up in bundles of 60. That will make it much easier for them to count what they have and much easier for the City to just weigh the bundles rather than counting every individual herb. Helping the City get the best out of the deal is the best way to make more such deals likely in the future.

A Little Beneficiary

Catrin, a Navarr broker from Brocéliande extols the virtue of just asking every citizen at Anvil to help

Catrin, a broker from Brocéliande is of the view that all these ideas of trade are really missing the mark. She argues the nation should just ask for help. It might hurt the Navarr's Pride to go begging from camp to camp, but Catrin is having none of it. "There are plenty who are too proud to beg, but none are too proud to starve" she says.

There are huge meetings in Conclave and Senate as well as the Bourse auction where people could go and simply ask for support. Navarr is a nation rich in talent and creativity - Catrin suggests they could go abroad singing songs and telling stories of the vallorn. If they can make people understand that this is essential for future of the whole Empire, the future of the Way given the vallorn is the greatest spiritual threat that has ever been faced, then some might be prepared to help. Of course they will get told no a lot which is dispiriting but there is always someone else to talk to during the summits.

There are around four thousand people expected at Anvil. If every citizen donated 2 ingots then the army would be funded in a single season. That is a lot to ask, but most nations have one or more large meetings during the normal business of a summit. Catrin suggests that the Navarr could try to address people there and ask for their aid. The Hub, the Dawnish Glory Square, the Wintermark Moot, the Marcher muster - anywhere people are gathering! If the nation could find a way to publicly thank the nations that give the most then perhaps they could play on their Pride. Holberg claims to be the greatest City in the World, surely they won't pass up another opportunity to prove they're richer and more generous than the other cities of the League?

There are people at Empire who are famed for their wealth. The benefactors of Highguard, the boyars of Varushka, the merchant-princes of the League and (of course) the Bourse Seat holders. Catrin says the Navarr should be aiming to turn up anywhere groups are meeting, and just straight up petition them for aid. Ask for donations, but if that doesn't work then offer them trades, offer to sing their praises, to put up judgements of their beneficence in Synod, to come for their enemies in turn. Offer them anything to get them to put their hand in their pocket. It will require a huge amount of effort and enthusiasm, but what does the nation have to lose?

The Bourse is in crisis, with the price of wains dropping. And yet Catrin points out that the wealthy cartels of Urizen still had three hundred wains of mithril to pay for their army in a single season. To Catrin's way of thinking, people who have three hundred wains of mithril don't only have three hundred wains of mithril. Likewise, the wealthy vales of Varushka were able to fund their own army just as quick. Catrin is urging her fellow Navarr to find these people and find a way to persuade them to support the nation's cause. And then, when the current army is built, to do it again until all the armies Navarr will need to fight the vallorn are mustered.

One of the richest groups regularly in attendance at Anvil is the Council of Benefactors in Highbuard. They have ten wains each season that they could use to support any civilian commission. Currently it's focused on the construction of the Grand Inspiration of the Way, but Catrin is sure the vallorn will have destroyed the Navarr nation long before that colossal commission is finished. Those wains could be a big help... if they can be used.

The big problem with this approach is that one thing the Council can't do is support raising an army... the donations they direct are limited in what they can be used to support because the benefactors aim to boost investment in infrastructure. So they can't support this project directly, but they could support a different civilian project and the wains that were due to be spent on that project could in turn be diverted to the army. After-all where there is a will... there is the Way.

Or perhaps the alternative might be to see if the Council of Benefactors would be prepared to support the City of Dreams... It won't help the war directly but it might provide the kind of boost to morale the nation dearly needs right now.

A Great Dance for Seren (Conjunction)

Building work on the great temple in Seren seems to have disturbed some restless ghosts. The hauntings are slowing the pace of construction, but local exorcists believe that helping the ghosts celebrate an ancient festival will allow them to move into the labyrinth. There is a combat unlikely/contained conjunction to the Sere Temple Building Site at 22:45 on the Friday of the Summer Solstice for XX people. The Eternal Flame of Miraen, Tanwen, is responsible for this conjunction.

On the subject of the City of Dreams... a few months ago, labourers working on the site of the great endeavour in Seren started reporting strange occurrences after dark - tools gone missing, the idea of a song just on the edge of hearing, occasional movement spotted among nearby Terunael ruins but nobody to be seen whenever someone was sent to check.

At first, most assumed that there was nothing more to these rumours than a bit of fun to keep the work interesting and the novices busy - but Marged Tumbled Jade, a scholar specialising in ancient Terunael civislisation happened to be visiting the area from the Great Library of Hacynian, and volunteered to camp within the foundations of the temple for a night to investigate the goings on for herself.

As the sun set on the building site, a great cacophany erupted. The beat of a monstrous heart or fifty drums in unison echoed around the growing city. Out of the corners of their eyes, passersby claimed to see licks of flame like from a great pyre - but one that disappeared as soon as they turned their heads for a proper look. And through the gaps in the partially-built walls, wavering figures could be made out twisting and rocking to an otherworldly reel. The first shift of workers to arrive onsite the next morning found it in chaos: strange substances stained white granite shipments, tools and equipment lay across the area in disarray and the workers themselves fled the area in a racket. Some never returned to Seren. Others now go by different names, take different jobs, live different lives. At least one left Navarr itself.

Marged emerged in silence. Two days later, never addressing exactly what she witnessed that night, she began to speak. She suggests that the ghosts originate from the Terunael city predating Seren's current form, and suspects they are acting out some form of ancient celebration or festival. After consulting with local exorcists, she has reached the conclusion that if people were to help the ghosts celebrate their tradition one final time, drawing on the idea of the great dance as well as the ghost's own festivities, they will likely be able to find their ways into the Labyrinth.

The Civil Service has identified a conjunction to the Seren Temple Building Site, Serenael, Miraen, Navarr at quarter to eleven on the Friday of the Summer Solstice for tBc people. As an individual with responsibility over a nearby Terunael artefact, they have made Tanwen, The Eternal Flame of Miraen responsible for the conjunction. Marged has suggested that the group should include musicians and dancers - as the ghosts seem drawn to dance and anyone losing themselves in music.

There is another peculiarity of the site... Whenever blood is spilled in the area all obvious ghostly activity ceases. Even bringing a weapon into the area seems to cause problems for the ghosts. After Marged accidentally cut herself while peeling an apple, a few days later a great rumbling shakes the earth under the temple, causing portions of the in-progress structure to collapse. In addition, given Magred's own experience, it seems the person who brought the weapon or drew the blood suffers some terrible misfortunate event - though the specific nature of what might be is hard to say. Marged offers a possible reasoning behind this: that the site was once used for an extremely large blood magic ritual which has left its own consequences on the site. She recommends all weapons be left at Anvil.