Damming the Doubt

Overview

At the Winter Solstice, plans were raised to dam the River Doubt in Apstrus, as part of ongoing efforts to relieve the aridity of the region of Icarion in Mareave. This would be no small undertaking. Portions of the region would become a sizable reservoir for the Doubt's waters, but some of that water would still wend its way through lower Apstrus down to the city below. The River Doubt would not be redirected wholesale though it would be much reduced - but a good portion of it would be redirected to Icarion.

This is not without complications. The abandoned spire of Solen's Doubt, which sits by the river, was the site of the bloody battle in which the Black Plateau was awakened to its current state some five years ago. The woods where the battle took place are undoubtedly haunted, and, compounded with the dangers of the Black Plateau, it will require the intervention of the Towerjacks or a suitably enchanted army. Any such army will be subject to the implacable effects of the madness that lies in wait in the heart of Screed, always awake and always listening for troubled thoughts.

The Aid of the Dove

Ylenwe is prepared to offer assistance but cannot do so without amity or an Empire wide enchantment like Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths

It seems that that a plenipoteniary message has been sent to the Day Eternal Ylenwe, Zie of the Perfect Morning. This curious eternal has a somewhat chequered history with the Empire. Zir exact relationship to the Cold Sun, the eternal who attacked the Empire not so long ago, has never been entirely clear. Zie has shown a particular willingness to assist with the Empire's recovery from the destruction caused by the scions of Oblivion. Some might cynically call this the act of the guilty, but whatever the reason, the eternal seems eager to help. One of zir heralds, a pearlescent floating orb calling itself Convergent Form has approached representatives of the Imperial Conclave. The herald explains that the Dove is quite willing to assist in Spiral and will offer aid to anyone who travels there with the intent of helping with this project.

Moreover, zie will not ask for anything in return for this aid, but the task is difficult and would require a substantial effort on zir part. Unfortunately, such effort is not physically possible with neutrality alone. Zie of the Perfect Morning would require the Conclave to grant zir the benefits of amity for the duration that the aid was required in order to be able to help. Amity grants an eternal the power to use their powers freely in the Empire; without the license of the Conclave to act freely zie cannot do this.

In theory, there is one alternative; if the Empire was enchanted with Bright Eyes Gleam in the Depths or a similar enchantment of Day magic, that would also give the eternal the scope to act in this regard. Since rituals of this kind are interdicted, Convergent Form assumes this is unlikely. But the herald does add that should the Empire resume its interest in finding the perfect harmonies of the higher resonance, this is a matter on which Chimes of Water would be most interested to host a discussion - but zie will not do so while it is a prohibited matter.

Convergent Form does relay one final addendum to this offer. If the Conclave were willing to extend to Zie of the Perfect Morning the trust of friendship for a whole year - and the Dove were to continue to demonstrate zir willingness to aid those who seek a more perfect harmony in the world and in themselves - then the Perfect Morning would present plans for a fane that the Empire could construct in Spiral, with the active purpose of providing more sustainable protections for those travelling in or defending Spiral against the influence of the Black Plateau: to augment, of course, the wonderful efforts of the constructors of the Block in this regard.

A fane would enable Ylenwe to provide protection from the effects of the Black Plateau to travellers all over the territory or to a single Imperial army each season. It would also allow Zie of the Perfect Morning to study the strange chaotic maelstrom of discordance and magic that forms the Plateau's malign aura.

The Words of the Synod

While there is support for the dam in some assemblies, others are more cautious

Many soldiers from across the Empire lost their lives in the Battle of Solen's Doubt, many of whom were buried in the Fallen Valley, the ideal spot to create the new reservoir. Five nations collectively lost thousands of soldiers in the final battle against the Grendel, Urizen, the Imperial Orcs, the League, the Brass Coast, and Varushka. Would their national assemblies want to speak about a plan that involves flooding the final resting place of the brave soldiers who gave their lives trying to free Spiral?

The League's National Assembly appears to have embraced the plan wholeheartedly. Rafael Barossa d'Apulian, Grandmaster of the Sevenfold Path, has spoken of the appropriateness of this plan to flood the site of the battle, in line with Leaguish customs regarding cremation and scattering the ashes in the waters of its great rivers. Of course, the graves at Solen's Doubt do not contain cremated bodies for the most part, but the meaning is clear.

Moreover, Rafael has welcomed other nations' efforts to ensure their dead are treated with respect. The Imperial Orc and the Varushkan National Assemblies have each made clear what that respect looks like to them.

The Wards of the Restless

The Varushkan Assembly can use a mandate to urge Volhovs to create wards in Apstrus If the mandate is enacted then the dam and those working on it will not be threatened by ghosts

The Varushkan request is clear enough. They support the creation of the dam, but wish that the deeds of the dead be recognised and wardings placed on the dam itself. This is a wise plan for the land here is stalked by the ghosts, a legacy of a brutal battle in which thousands died in anguish and horror. Only the brave travel here and only when they have few other choices.

Hold Back Frozen Hunger will keep the spirits of the dead at bay but the ritual is expensive and far too short lived to help here. Wards constructed with hearth magic are not as reliable as ritual magic, but they are cheaper and they last much longer. Once the wards are placed, only a deliberate attempt to disturb them is likely to remove their protection.

Such wards are common throughout the world, but few people have the experience and skill in creating them as the Varushkans, especially their volhovs, who are masters of the art. Their expertise with the hearth magic of wards honed over generations in response to the harsh toll imposed by their monsters that lurk beyond the circle of light. There is nobody better suited to create such wards, but for the fact that Spiral is a long way from Varushka. A successful mandate would be enough to persuade enough volhovs to make the journey.

If this mandate is enacted then those volhovs who are able to will travel to Apstrus to help create the wards needed to keep the restless spirits of the dead at bay. They can't do anything for the baleful influence of the Black Plateau, but they can make the dam safe, and they can make it safer to work on the dam. The mandate will be sufficient to ensure that the dam and the people working on it are protected from ghosts and other restless spirits.

The Bones of the Fallen

Illarawm mystagogues are travelling to Apstrus to recover the bones of the fallen League congregations can preach Loyalty to protect the mystagogues from the dangers of the Black Plateau Carving the names of the fallen on the stones used to build the dam will increase costs by 5 thrones

The Imperial Orc request is somewhat more difficult, as it emphasizes the need to collect the bones of the fallen. The Tamazi bonetenders are happy to help support that, but their work focuses on ritual magic that combines dramaturgy with veneration of the ancestors. Quite a few bonetenders are interested in discussing dramaturgy with the League, but it is the mystagogues of the Illarawm who are most eager to collect the bones of the fallen.

Such work is already underway across the Empire (with the exception of Urizen), as part of the bone pilgrimage. It is easy for those in the south who are engaged in this great work to focus their efforts for the next few seasons on Solen's Doubt. Given the overwhelming greater majority decision of the Synod they are already making preparations to do just that.

The one problem is that those collecting the bones of the Imperial Orcs ancestors usually avoid this part of the Empire, and with good reason. The pernicious influence of the Black Plateau represents a constant potentially devastating danger, especially to orc priests who can't create their own anointings to help resist the effects of the thing that lurks at the heart of the territory.

After the Spring Equinox there is an additional preaching action avaiable to League characters with congregations in Spiral - Preach Loyalty by protecting the mystagogues. This urges members of the congregation to sacrifice their time to help with the bone pilgrimage, recovering the bones of those Imperial Orcs who died at Solen's Doubt. Choosing this action means the priest is preaching Loyalty with a specific focus on encouraging their congregation to travel to Apstrus to protect the Illarawm mystagogues. This means that they will be part of the Loyalty assembly at the Spring Equinox (and will remain so until they take a different downtime preaching action next season). Any citizen who holds a title that requires them to be a member of a different Virtue assembly would automatically lose their position.

Those who choose this option are assumed be travelling to Apstrus personally, with members of their congregation. They will receive no liao from their congregation following the Spring Equinox - any liao available will be needed to provide anointings and other auras that can protect from the influence of the Black Plateau. There are currently only four League congregations in Spiral that can help; if none of them are available to help, the mystagogues and others orcs travelling to Apstrus will be in great danger.

The other request of the Imperial Orc Assembly was that the names of the fallen be carved into the stones used to build the dam. That is relatively easy to accomplish - the civil service can dig out the records of the names of those who fell and hire masons to carve their names into the stones. It will be expensive however, increasing the material costs of the work by 5 thrones. If the Empire raises a Senate motion to authorise the work then the motion should indicate if these additional costs are going to be shouldered.

The Voice of the Pensive

There is still time for the national assemblies of the Brass Coast and Urizen to speak on the matter

The two nations whose assemblies have not expressed an opinion on this matter are the Brass Coast and Urizen. The former surprises nobody. The Brass Coast regard life as a matter for the living; if there are fewer ghosts there than other lands perhaps it is because the Freeborn sail into the labyrinth with hearts full of honest passion, free from regret. Perhaps a glass or two of syrah can be raised for the dead of the Doubt... and then the living can get on with life. There is no reason why the Freeborn Assembly must concern themselves with the dead of the Doubt beyond that if they choose not to. Many of the fallen Freeborn will have been cremated after all.

The Urizen take a more balanced approach to death, on the whole. Few are sentimental about the body - the flesh is just a transient vessel for the soul on its way to enlightenment - but most think that bodies ought to be treated with respect. Only their Assembly could decide if more work is needed to ensure those Urizen who died at Solen's Doubt are appropriately interred.

But what of Solen's Doubt itself? There are none still alive from that unfortunate place... but their writings remain in the library at the spire's heart. Should those writings be preserved in some way, or is it better that the dark waters of the reservoir take them? If the National Assembly chooses to speak with a clear voice then it could guide sentiment on how much effort the nation should go to, to preserve the Spire's legacy.

Further Reading

Spiral and Mareave Million miles of water - 386YE Winter Solstice wind of fortune proposing the initial opportunity