Beat of your drum

The stew was surprisingly nice, mused Roget. He found it a little surprising given there was no meat in it. This worzelpaste or whatever they called it was very effective. His companion sensed his approval and the League merchant spotted the tiny twitch of the lip that he had come to identify as the orc smiling at him."Anyway, what it comes down to is this," continued the orc seriously. They had been discussing the relative merits of Imperial and Commonwealth attitudes, and it had become a little intense. "Altmann asked... you know who Altmann is yes?"Roget nodded. "He was the philosopher who founded your nation?"The orc - Manno - winced slightly. "It is a little more complicated than that but yes, he laid the foundations for our nation. Anyway, Altmann asked 'do the ends justify the means'?""We ask that question in the Empire as well," said Roget. "Have you got an answer?"Manno shook his head and ate another massive spoonful of vegetable stew."No, no. Altmann said there is no answer. Or rather than there are a lot of answers, and that it is up to each person to decide what that answer is. The important thing is that once you have decided, then you can't act against that knowledge. Or you mustn't, rather. You have to know what is true and then act, you see? A little like your Imperial virtues but more... rational. Reasoned? So the best we've been able to come up with as an answer to the paradox is "sometimes" or "maybe". You see?""I see," said Roget. But the orc hadn't finished. His eyes glowing with passionate intensity, Manno leaned across the table."But! While it started with Altmann it doesn't end there. Once of the philosophers who came after him - Hinzel I think it was - said that the real question Altmann was asking was 'If the ends are important enough, does that mean that a good person should use every means at their disposal to achieve them?'""Ah, we have a similar argument in the Empire. People often argue whether the pursuit of one Virtue trumps the others. It comes up rather a lot when discussing the nature of Ambition..."The orc nodded enthusiastically."Yes. Exactly! If the ends you seek are a perfect world where nobody need ever suffer again, what does it mean if you decide some action is too terrible for you to take it? Are you not selifshly putting your own good - your own feeling - ahead of the good of the world? Pushing the perfect future further away meaning more people suffer before it is achieved? You see?""Yes, quite," said Roget, just a little nervous at the orc's fervor. "And what did Hinzel say was the answer?"The orc barked a short laugh and subsided back into his seat. "He had no idea. Wrote six volumes debating it with himself and died halfway through the seventh. People have been arguing about it ever since. I'm just a simple farmer, mind. It's possible an actual philosopher might have a good answer for you but... I wonder sometimes. What I would sacrifice if I knew I could bring the perfect world a little closer, if I might cut even a day of suffering off of the long march to the Greatest Good?"Roget smiled and nodded, but he felt a shiver go up his spine and was secretly relived when the others came back to the table and the subject turned to less esoteric matters.

Overview

Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the Senate and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate ambassador that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response.

The Commonwealth are a militaristic nation committed to the idea of ensuring the greatest good to the greatest number of people. They are perhaps the closest allies the Empire has among the great powers of the known world. This is in no small part due to their membership of the Liberty Pact, dedicated to destroying the abhorrent practice of slavery across the world. Both nations are dedicated to extending their influence over the whole world, and know that only one of them can fulfil their grand ambition, but for now their rivalry with the Empire remains amicable. The Empire shared their mastery of magic with the magicians of the Commonwealth, and Commonwealth soldiers fought and died alongside the Freeborn in the fall of Siroc.

At present, the Commonwealth remains locked in a bitter war with Principalities of Jarm, over what appear to be irreconcilable differences. The proximate cause is the nation of Lantir, a tiny landlocked country surrounded by the two rival great powers. The Commonwealth took sides in a civil war in the nation causing the Jarmish to back the rival faction. The war continues to rage without any sign of burning out and it remains the key focus of the Commonwealth's Military Council, distracting them from other business.

The Commonwealth ambassador to the Empire is Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen, of die Stahlhalle in the port-city of Volkavaar, a veteran soldier who reports to the generals who hold the reins of political power in their nation. An old campaigner, they generally speak plainly and as honestly as any politician can when dealing with their Imperial counterpart.

Welcome, New Ambassador

The Commonwealth greets the new ambassador and wishes the old one well They are disappointed in delays completing the diplomatenschloss but understand The Militärattache provides prior warning that the Commonwealth will be discontinuing the practice of allowing merchants to offer bribes to ambassadors

The first order of business is for Militärattache Schöningen to welcome the new ambassador Finn Pridetalker of Wintermark. Schöningen has nothing but praise for the former ambassador Lucia Sanguineo Rezia di Tassato, but understands the Empire's interest in remaining flexible and ensuring a number of viewpoints are represented in international relations. She hopes she will be able to cultivate as good a working relationship with the Winterfolk ambassador as with the long-serving League predecessor

Obviously Ludkhannah is a little disappointed to hear that work on the diplomatenschloss has had to slow while new construction materials are secured. It is understandable though - the Commonwealth always appreciates the problems that being at war on multiple fronts can cause. She hopes that the work can nonetheless be completed soon, but also shares the concerns raised by Ingenieurin Hellebrant relating to Jarmish and Commonwealth ships both traversing the river Couros. She looks forward to hearing how the Ambassador intends to address these challenges, and is mostly joking when she suggests that the simplest solution would be to decommission the Jarmish Embassy in Cargo.

On the subject of the diplomatenschloss, Militärattache Ludkhannah raises the matter of mercantile support. There is a tradition that Imperial ambassadors traditionally benefit personally from involvement with a foreign nation. Generally merchants who engage in trade between the Empire and the nation in question visit the embassy to curry favour with the ambassador and their staff for various reasons. Often these "lobbyists" make a portion of the items they buy and sell available to the ambassador at favourable prices. The implication is that as long as the ambassador benefits from trade with a nation, they will be more likely to act to smooth over obstacles and maintain a good relation - to the direct profit of the merchants involved.

There is obviously no Commonwealth embassy at the moment but once the diplomatenschloss is completed, the Militärattache will be actively discouraging this kind of behaviour. Recent policy shifts require merchants trading in foreign ports to remember they are ambassadors of the nation, and this practice of offering "special deals" demeans the reputation of the Commonwealth. It smacks of underhand corruption and bribery. Instead the Ambassador from the Commonwealth is arranging for some small cultural tokens of appreciation to be sent to the embassy each season as recognition of the fine relations between the two nations - which will not require the ambassador to put their hand in their pockets to buy "special deals." Militärattache Schöningen has noted the ambassador's interest in Soldatentrunk and Kriegsamulett, and intends to bear that in mind.

On the wider scale, Militärattache Schöningen has distributed the information that the Empire finds certain products more appealing than others, but notes that the goods being offered in Volkavaar and Leerdahm are as much about what is available in the locality as anything else. It is up to the individual merchants to decide what they do with this information but it is still useful to know.

War in the East

The decision not to allow mercenaries to fight with the Commonwealth has been accepted

The Lantir War continues to rage between the Commonwealth and the Principalities of Jarm. There are a few moments in the official correspondence where it is clear Militärattache Schöningen may be a little disappointed by the Senate's refusal to allow Imperial troops to support Commonwealth armies, but she understands the Empire is fighting wars of its own just as the Sumaah Republic are.

She wishes to pass on that they have made good use of some of the battlefield rituals shared with them by the Imperial Conclave both on the strategic and tactical scales. The Commonwealth will never be able to out-perform the Jarmish ritualists, but the Empire's assistance is helping to redress the imbalance.

The Militärattache is frank that at present the Commonwealth are struggling - they are being pushed back by the the flashy magical power the Jarmish rely on, but she remains confident that the Commonwealth will eventually triumph. Their methods are more sustainable and more considered and ultimately the Jarmish will run out of mana to power their rituals. Once that happens, the Jarmish will start trying to sue for peace. Although they are not the aggressor in this war, having been asked to protect their allies in Lantir from the corrupting influence of the Jarmish princes, Ludkhannah is hopeful that once Jarm's magical resources are exhausted and Lantir is secure, then the Commonwealth will be able to attack Jarm directly.

She is concerned however that some are already talking of a possible peace treaty. The Commonwealth have as many other concerns and threats both internal and external as the Empire no doubt does. The strain of all out war with the Jarmish is taxing the Commonwealth and there is talk that negotiation may be needed to allow the Commonwealth time to recover - once Lantir is secure obviously.

Power and Responsibility

An opportunity exists to send 200 crystal mana to the Commonwealth to aid in strategic goals In return the Ambassador would receive an amount of Commonwealth consumables

According to Militärattache Schöningen, the Imperial Ambassador proposed sending a significant amount of crystal mana to the Commonwealth for use in the war. In return, the Commonwealth would provide large amounts of Soldatentrunk, Blutlehm, Würzpaste and Heldenstein. After discussion with military procurers and quartermasters, the Commonwealth Ambassador responds with a proposal of their own. If Finn Pridetalker can arrange for 200 crystal mana to be delivered to her office by Ethereal Courier by the end of the Summer Solstice, she can arrange for 25 bottles of Soldatentrunk, 25 packets of Blutlehm, 25 pouches of Würzpaste, and 10 Heldenstein to be delivered to the Ambassador by the start of the Autumn Equinox (or, in Imperial, Soldier's Booze, Bloodclay, Spice Paste, and Hero Stones). She regrets that the amount of Heldenstein offered is so low, but it has direct use on the battlefield and most provisioners would rather see it used to empower soldiers than trade it for crystal mana, even if it is more versatile. This is a one-time request, it is not possible for the Ambassador to commit to arranging an exchange on a seasonal basis. To be useful, the mana needs to be received by the end of the Summer Solstice, so their generals can employ the rituals they need in the coming season.

The Civil Service note that while Militärattache Schöningen addresses this offer directly to the Ambassador, it is unlikely she would reject an offer of 200 mana from a private citizen and would likely respond with the quantities of trade goods mentioned regardless of where the crystals came from.

Lyceum

The Commonwealth is reassured to discover that progress has been made in finding a way to re-open the Lyceum They bear news of a magical breakthrough

For more than a year now there have been a number of Commonwealth magicians trapped on the island of the Lyceum. Ambassador Pridetalker has passed along the assurances of the Grandmaster of the Unfettered Mind, Zlata Ruznikova Perenel, that their work with the unreliable eternal Sadogua would soon bear fruit. Obviously, the Commonwealth knows better than to talk about these plans openly but both seem to have potential. Assuming the untrustworthy "Spell Glutton" does not betray his Imperial "friends" of course.

Despite the obvious dislike Militärattache Ludkhannah bears towards the eternal Father of Bats however, she is forced to admit that so far the beast has been true to its word in keeping magicians within the mists in touch with those without. Specifically, she mentions that some of the correspondence from the Lyceum zauberer has indicated that with nothing better to do they have spent time with their Imperial neighbours likewise trapped refining some rituals - especially the Rod and Shield and of course the Unfettered Mind. It is a rather roundabout way of doing it, but this shared research has bourne surprising fruit.

Risk and Reward

Rule of Risk and Reward now has an "additional targets" option

The magicians of the two nations have finally unlocked a puzzle that had occupied Commonwealth magicians for some time. The ritual Rule of Risk and Reward was prepared for the Unfettered Mind - an enchantment that makes the performing of experimental magic more accessible - but it required laborious casting on individual zauberer one at a time. Inspired in part by some random rubbish from a few of the heralds frequenting the so-called Quiet Annexe, Imperial and Commonwealth magicians have unlocked the ability to cast it on several magicians of the same coven at the same time. The Militärattache has made sure to include details of how this can be done so whoever has the ritual text can make necessary adjustments. (OOC Note: If whoever has the ritual text brings it to GOD we can arrange a new version to be printed with the extra targets option included; the ritual on the system has already been changed).

Alliance and Favour

Sum of the Parts no longer requires those contributing strength to take a hit of damage

A similar breakthrough has been made with the Autumn magic ritual the Empire calls Sum of the Parts. This enchantment was originally designed by the Varushkan consort of Imperatrix Lisabetta and draws on the resonance of alliance to use the power of many to strengthen the one.

Some experienced ritualists have long suspected that the inclusion of this sacrifice was a flaw in the ritual's design, either accidental or deliberate. They believed that it was adding nothing beneficial to the spell, but of course with the research complete and the ritual text published, it was impossible to change.

To the surprise of magicians from both great nations, the researchers have discovered there is no actual requirement to draw on the strength of the many at all! The ritual works just fine if the support granted by the rest of the band is moral or inspirational. It is as effective to embrace, or show respect and support with words or symbols, as it is to actually transfer strength from one to another. Those involved are still left feeling tired or lethargic, but crucially the magic does not harm them.

This resolves one of the concerns the zauberer had with this ritual, and they're glad that working with the two Conclave orders they were able to clean the magic up a little. (OOC Note: We've updated the ritual on the wiki and in the system to remove the damage it does to those supporting the target - this never effected the magnitude of the effect but was being referenced regularly in arcane projections as a way to empower magic and so we decided to remove the in-character sacrifice element to try to reduce the number of players thinking this would be useful in their own arcane projections).

Participation

Imperial magicians are free to roleplay their involvement in the changes to these two rituals

It's not actually possible for anyone to get into or out of the Lyceum at the moment thanks to the broken ward of mists, but the heralds of Sadogua are ensuring communications are carried back and forth (albeit in a haphazard way). As such any magician with either Rule of Risk and Reward or Sum of the Parts mastered, or who belongs to the Rod and Shield or the Unfettered Mind order, is free to roleplay their involvement with identifying solutions to the two ritual problems discussed here.

Die Beurteilung

Professor Gelberg and his colleagues remain in the Empire The Senate has approved their request to be allowed to auction their services to the folk of Anvil The first auction will take place at the Summer Solstice

The news that the Imperial Senate has at the last minute changed their mind about inviting Professor Immanuel Gelberg and their colleagues to auction their expertise has been well received. During the Summer Solstice, a public auction will be held after the Auction of the Seats during which the opportunity to commission an appraisal from the Commonwealth scholars will be offered. Moneys raised will go to Professor Gelberg and ultimately to support the war against the Principalities of Jarm. It is no secret that the Professor is hoping that the offer of their expert evaluation will fetch a good price.

Somewhat like an Imperial Wayleave, whoever wins the auction will be granted the ability to make a single announcement in the Senate at that summit. This announcement is delivered as normal - an arrangement must be made with the office of the Speaker for the Senate during the normal window and the nature of the appraisal must be as clear as possible as that will be the information that is passed to Professor Gelberg.

This auction will be repeated in Autumn and Spring, after which it will be at the discretion of the Commonwealth professors whether they wish to extend their stay or not. As with any appraisal, it will be much more useful for the one who is commissioning it to identify a problem and ask for a solution, than to attempt to define a solution they want to see. In this event, it's likely Professor Gelberg - who is by all accounts a very self possessed man - will likely ignore the proposed solution and just find the "best" way to resolve the problem.

Sun and Gold

The Unviersity of Volkavaar is interested in acquiring a certain tablet held at the Great Library of Hacynian

At the point the news is received, the Commonwealth professors and philosophers are already in transit, travelling between Sarvos and Hercynia in the north. Along the way they make a point of visiting the cities of Tassato, Seren, and Temeschwar and the bustling town of Torfast along the way. They are well received at the Great Library of Hacynian having been invited to visit by Nathair Autumngale, the Advisor on the Vallorn.

As well as the opportunity to meet with many of their Imperial peers, some of the more excitable students accompanying the group relish the opportunity to learn more about the vallorn - something they have previously encountered only through travellers' tales. There is a little concern that the Commonwealth visitors might be offended by the true consecration of Wisdom that lies over the great hall of the Library, but it seems they were warned well in advance of its existance. They simple ignore the hall and avoid visiting it - and engage in spirited debate with some of their Navarr hosts about the practice of subsuming the will of mortals to an outside spiritual influence.

Of particular interest to the engineers and professors of practical subjects visiting Hacynian is a certain cracked tablet, recovered from the depths of the northern sinkhole, which details the practice of fashioning sungold - an alloy of orichalcum and mithril that has remarkable properties to store and transfer heat and warmth. At the invitation of the Adisor, they are able to make a cursory study of it and are delighted by the techniques it presents. Doktor Lola Kunz, a respected academic fascinated by the material sciences, in particular is interested to know if the Great Library would be prepared to part with the tablet, and if so what would they require in return? This prompts a little disagreement between the "nomad faculty" as Professor Gelberg attempts to restrain his colleague's enthusiasm pointing out they are here to raise support of the war in the east not to buy relics no matter how potentially valuable the material they describe might be.

Regardless, the Commonwealth Ambassador passes along an official request from the University of Volkavaar asking what kind of price the Great Library might consider to allow them to acquire the tablet - and to formally thank the Advisor on the Vallorn and their colleagues for making the faculty so welcome.

Liberty and Liability

The Commonwealth is asking questions about the Empire's association with the Iron Confederacy They believe that the Suranni are a slaving nation based on the status of their serfs

The presence of Professor Gelberg and his faculty may turn out to be a slightly mixed blessing. While in Madruga discharging their obligation to Gisli Bearson, one of the scholars came into contact with merchants from the Iron Confederacy and struck up a conversation. Since then, some of the visiting Commonwealth experts have been asking questions about who the Suranni are and what the Empire's relationship with them is like. At first it seems this is just simple curiosity... and then Militärattache Ludkhannah Schöningen gets involved.

As fellow signatories of the Liberty Pact, there is some concern that the Empire has not kept to the spirit of the agreement. The Iron Confederacy appears to be a slave-keeping nation, and yet the Empire seems to be trading freely with them and welcoming their merchants into their lands. The Commonwealth would obviously not dream of trying to interfere in the Empire's sphere of influence - the Senate respected their wishes over the Viyerda after all - but this is a matter of formal alliance and they are worried that their Imperial friends have inadvertently transgressed the pact.

Militärattache Schöningen formally requests that either the ambassador, or the Voice of Liberty, explain what the state of affairs is, and how it can be that the "serfs" the Iron Confederacy people keep are not slaves.

Spirits and Storms

The Ambassador has asked about orc spirituality in the Commonwealth A member of die Stahlhalle, an orc named Teo Freid, has provided a summary of what he believes Teo apparently represents a sizable sect among the Commonwealth orcs

Ambassador Pridetalker has made enquiries, apparently on behalf of some Imperial Orcs, about the spiritual belief of the orcs of the Commonwealth. Not an expert herself, Ludkhannah asks one of the orcs that work at die Stahlhalle with her to answer the question. Teo Freid pens a short article in response, providing a very broad overview of what he understands of orc beliefs in the nation. He is very clear from the start that the orcs of the Commonwealth share the ultimate belief of their human and daeva neighbours; that it is vital to secure the greatest good for the greatest number of people. By doing this they make the world better, until ultimately all people of all kinds are united in common service to the cause. Until then, everyone who accepts the Common Good must be prepared to fight to build the future where there is no more need for war. He also stresses that, just as with humans, different communities of orcs believe different things. The Commonwealth as a whole is happy to let people believe what they wish as long as it does not interfere with their commitment to the Common Good.

They share the belief of many orcs in the existence of what he translates into Imperial as the "Raging Storm", and that it waits for all orcs after death. Where Herr Freid's believes depart radically is that he believes that orcs, like humans, reincarnate after death provided they avoid the lure of the Storm. The best way to do that is to strengthen oneself through commitment to improving the world, to the Common Good, and to pursuing a disciplined life of duty, restraint, sincerity, pride, fellowship, and self-knowledge. This path involves learning to quiet or ignore the dangerous voice of the Storm which sometimes seeks to influence the behaviour of an orc, to urge them to commit violent, foolish, self-destructive acts that strengthen its hold on the orc and through them the world. If they are unsuccessful they will be devoured by the Storm, and while different sects disagree on precisely what that means, the group Teo belongs to teaches that an orc soul that is torn apart is eventually molded together with other such fragmented spirits and eventually reborn as a new spirit although that may take many decades. An orc who resists the Storm will likely be born into the next generation. There is a heated argument about whether an orc that serves their community well is more likely to be reborn into that community or not, but that debate has been bubbling along for fifty years or so and there's little sign of it being resolved any time soon.

Teo finished on a hopeful note. As long as an orc resists the Raging Storm, he believes, their spirit will still exist when the perfect future is secured. Their commitment to the Greater Good is anchored in the knowledge that it is their future they are striving to secure, and that of all their friends, family, and neighbours, and that is the most wonderful thing of all.

He finishes by reiterating that there are other beliefs among the orcs of the Commonwealth, but that most of them agree on the existence of the Raging Storm, and that they hear voices that seek to influence them especially when they are moved by passion, strong emotion, or physical exertion. Hopefully this short essay is of use to the ambassador and his orc neighbours.