Has reared himself a throne

"I don't envy the archmages," said Lutomysla, swilling the last of her soil-brown Marcher beer around in the bottom of her mug. When she was in the Hub, she drank her beer from a mug. Not from any social pressure, but because she hated tea but liked to feel part of the team."In what way?" Jorgen was busy reviewing his notes, putting them in order in preparation for writing a proper report for the Archmage of Spring. The towering mushroom had had a lot to say, and the civil servant found that parts of it were fading in and out of his memory in an unsettling way. He'd obviously gotten a bigger dose of those barely visible spores than he had thought. He idly wondered if he ought to see a physick to be on the safe side but it had been a plenipotentiary response, and he was confident that even the strangest of the eternals would not test the boundaries of that particular magic by harming those receiving its response."The ambassadors have it easy in comparison." The Varushkan prognosticator leaned her arms on the desk and watched the ebb and flow of human traffic with a detached interest. "They're dealing with people with very different assumptions, but at least they are still people. They want the same things everyone else does. Love, money, power. The usual. They are unpredictable, surely, but in a predictable way."She sipped the last of her beer. The dregs were thick enough to chew and she smacked her lips in appreciation. Jorgen shook his head. He very much did not see the appeal of that kind of Marcher beverage. He glanced a little sadly at his own mug, still three-quarters full of congealing cocoa."I think the eternals are predictable," he said darkly. "They intentionally time their responses to plenipotentiary messages for when I have just made myself a cup of the good stuff. Never fails. Every time."Lutomysla cocked an eyebrow and half a smile as her friend grumbled, but didn't respond."Oh no, no. I mean, yes. They are predictable because they are focused. You're never going to get Toad King to care about anyone who isn't a magician, for example. No matter how much love, money, or power you put on the table. It's more that the ambassadors deal with humans and orcs. That the Ambassador to the Delves could, with a little support, take the same kind of approach they use with the Bedelaar Huisbaas if they had to talk to the House of Princes. Because humans and orcs. But that doesn't work for the archmages."Jorgen shrugged. He didn't really know much about international diplomacy. It was very much not his wheelhouse. Most people, foreign or Imperial, annoyed him slightly. He wondered not for the first time if that was why he staffed this particular desk as often as he did, then put the thought aside and drank some of his cold cocoa. It was just as dreadful as he had expected it to be. Lutomysla, as she so often did, took his silence to mean she should continue on her theme."The problem is that the eternals within the realm are similar enough. The Autumn eternals on the whole like the Empire, and as long as you keep them where you can see them they'll deal with you on the same basis as they do their fellow cities. It's just how they do things. Night eternals will surprise you whenever they can, but they all love your attention and feeling clever. With Day what you see is what you get, and whatever they may say you know they care more about the thought than the physicality. Summer is all about the ego - and dealing with them is always a balancing act. Winter are watching you to see if you've learned anything, or maybe to see if they can eat you. Spring... now there's a tough one.""Tougher than dealing with people who will eat you if you get it wrong?""Much tougher. None of them actually like the Empire, and because they're Spring they don't bother to hide it. They'd all be a lot happier without all these cities, and roads, and armies and what have you - all the things that make the Empire what it is. And because they're eternals, you'll never convince them otherwise. The best you can do is try and make sure that they don't set fire to the entire village when you ask them to help you gather firewood. If you see what I mean?""I don't," said Jorgen. "But then I just take the messages so..."Very much as if they had been waiting outside the tent for their cue, a pair of black-and-green feathered creatures stepped dramatically into the tent, eyes glittering. They swept a bow to the gathering, and confidently approached the desk."Case in point," muttered Jorgen, grabbing a new stack of paper and a fresh quill. Lutomsyla rolled her eyes.

Overview

It is given to the six Imperial archmages that they might send a single plenipotentiary message to an eternal of their realm each season. In turn, the eternals are bound to respond, albeit in a way that suits them rather than the archmage. For some this will mean personal meetings, or congress with their chosen lieutenants. For others it will mean direct action, boons and banes offered and delivered, or chances to shape the mortal world so that it be more pleasing to their realm. Occasionally, they simply decline, but in so doing make their reasons plain. It is difficult to say with certainty what will arise from any given invitation to parley. It is unwise to assume that any eternal creature is tame, after all.

As the Autumn Equinox approaches, there have been six messengers dispatched and six messages received that seem to have occurred in response to the words of the Archmages.

Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers

The soft spoken Architect Noether is not a stranger to the Empire. Shorn of the heavy furs they wear in the north, they are a delicate being with anthracite skin and peculiar garb reminiscent of mage armour but composed of sheets of unnaturally flexible sandstone. They bear a message from the City of Fire and Stone, responding to the plenipotentiary message of their factotum, Vossk of Zenith Ascendant.

According to Architect Noether, the proposal put forward in the missive was "clear, personal, interesting" and the Forgemistress intends to honour the request. The Architects of Iron and Stone - a faction in the fire mountain Shikal that specialise in assessment and appraisal of potential constructions and investments - are already putting together a proposal for a permanent office in Zenith from which Edmundo of Damakan's Forge, and the Empire, may conduct business with the City of Fire and Stone. It will be built at the Crucible of Fate, where the Lady of Hammers already has a not insignificant presence.

The plans themselves are straightforward enough; an edifice of white granite and mithril with a little ilium used to harness certain Autumn energies to make it easier for heralds of the City of Anvils to visit and remain in the mortal world. A title - Architect of Hammers - will be created to oversee the offices. The Bronze Artisan is unconcerned as to whether it is an Urizen title appointed by Tally of the Votes or an Imperial title appointed by declaration of Candidacy.

There are clear similarities to a fane - a type of commission codified by the Empire's architects and civil servants to try and copy techniques used by the Jotun to liaise with eternals. However, unlike a fane, the eternal has given no indication that they wish the structure to be ceded to them. This could be crucial as it means the eternal would not have dominion over the commission; that would be held by the Architect of Hammers. As a result, it would be the architect who could determine whether heralds of Estavus could continue to come and go from the Office if the Conclave declared enmity. The eternal would only gain dominion if they seized it (with soldiers) or if they were given it by the Architect of Hammers, or a suitable authority in the Empire (such as the Conclave or Senate).

What has not been established, however, is the precise purpose of the structure. The Archmage is invited to meet with representatives of the Autumn realm during the Autumn Equinox to discuss precisely which version of the structure shall be built. The meeting will take place in a chamber reached through the Hall of Worlds at TBCXX. Archmage Edmundo is invited, obviously, as this is to form part of their legacy, and may bring up to two advisors to the discussion.

Hours Breathing Faint and Low

On the last day of Summer, as the world inevitably slips into Autumn, just as night falls, the Imperial regio comes alive. Eerie phosphorescence blooms, painting the stones rust-brown and honey-ochre and bloody violet. A thin, ivory-and-salmon fungus sprouts at the centre of the ring, and over the course of an hour grows and extends until it towers nearly ten feet tall. It has neither eyes nor mouth, but it nonetheless speaks clearly in a piping high-pitched voice. This eerie creature is an emissary of the Lady of Spores, the eternal of the Spring realm concerned with fungus, rot, and decay. It comes in response to the plenipotentiary missive of Ibiss Briarheart, the Archmage of Spring. It has been three years - a blink of an eye indeed - since it was last sent to the Empire to speak with Imperial citizens.

The Rotlord would like to see the vallorn ended. Indeed, there was a time where it worked with Imperial magicians to understand that threat and how it might be dealt with. That was before the Conclave turned against it, before armies marched on its garden, before the Empire's people chose to believe half-truths and suppositions over the word of the Quiet One. In the past, it would have offered aid to the Vallornguard or the nations preparing for the fight against the blight of Terunael. There is now no path back to that position. If the Empire offers its trust, then once the net is woven, and the vallorn rises, the Promise of Life will see how it might help. But not before.

Trust

The herald's lilting voice continues to speak of trust. The Inevitable Circle is not Lord Rain, desperate for friendship. It will not accept words over actions taken, nor promises over deeds done. The Imperial Conclave has acknowledged regret for the conflict, but regret passes quickly. Fortunately, so does anger. When the Great Fungus demanded the right to ravage the farms of the Empire it was still irritated; that irritation has cooled in the eyeblink since. If Ibiss Briarheart and the Conclave wish to find a way to the place where parley is possible, if there are Imperial magicians who do not hold with what their masters have done, then it will be reasonable. When something is broken, something new can grow from its ruin. Friendship has been shattered; perhaps a new covenant may be forged from its splinters.

During the Autumn Equinox, Imperial magicians may raise the Hallow of the Green World across the Empire (and it is clear that like the rest of the Spring eternals, Llofir has no concern about the legality or lack thereof of such an act). Llofir will take the invitation it offers. For three months, it will tend to the ruined and the broken, much as it did in Reikos. At the Winter Solstice, it will consider the matter of its garden put to rest - provided the magicians of the Empire show that they are prepared to be vulnerable, to risk betrayal. There is a kind of strength that grows from weakness, and only through this vulnerability can the Empire and Llofir find their way back to trust.

Obviously, Llofir lies under enmity, and the Hallow of the Green World is an indiscriminate enchantment. If it were cast as things stand now, it would be more likely that Shacklebreaker and Venomfang would be the only eternals to respond in any meaningful way. The Conclave could simply provide Llofir amity which would allow it free reign during the enchantment, but that would no doubt require a level of trust that has not been earned.

However, the herald speaks of an alternative. The Conclave's wards hold sway only so long as Imperial citizens do not offer a clear invitation. As the Green Mother did in Winter, Llofir offers a way to twist the Hallow to open a door for its heralds to touch the Empire. In a similar vein, during the Autumn Equinox, any Imperial magician can perform the Spring ritual Madyn's Gift but include up to five measures of beggar's lye alongside the realmsroot. For each pair of realmsroot and beggar's lye, the casters will receive a dose of whisperspore. Any leftover realmsroot or beggar's lye will be returned untouched.

Like the donahorti of the Green Mother, Llofir's vast garden in the Spring Realm is a pharmacopeia of fungus and stranger things not quite plant and not quite animal. Many of them have unique properties of interest to the Rotlord and those who deal with it. Whisperspore is a relatively benign substance, a soft powder that can be inhaled to empower an adept of Spring lore to work their magic more easily, especially Spring magic that causes rot and renewal such as Turns the Circle. Or, in this specific case, the Hallow of the Green World. If at least one dose of whisperspore is used to support a casting of Hallow the Green World during the Autumn Equinox, it will allow Llofir's servants to bypass the warding provided by enmity, letting them walk freely within Imperial bounds.

If the Archmage truly wishes a relationship with Llofir, either on their own behalf or on behalf of the Conclave, then they must take the first step by opening the door, and trusting that the Rotlord will not abuse that trust. If they cannot bring themselves to do so, then so be it. Llofir will not consider parley in response to any future plenipotentiary message from the Archmage until after the war against the vallorn begins in earnest.

Obviously, just as with the boons of the Green Mother, the acceptance, creation, or use of whisperspore would be a crime while Llofir is under the enmity of the Conclave. Furthermore, the Conclave has interdicted the performance of all Imperial enchantments - so performing Hallow of the Green World would be a crime in and of itself.

Message delivered, the mushroom herald shrinks back down leaving only a patch of dead grass behind. By the dawn the odd phosphorescence has faded entirely.

Resignedly Beneath the Sky

Two feathered heralds of Lashonar arrive at the Imperial Regio at the start of Autumn. They are an odd contrast to some of their cousins who have visited Anvil before. Their feathers are richly coloured, but the hues are sombre - midnight blue and deepest sea green - and their garb subdued. They both seem to know where they are going, and while they return greetings with a smile and a nod of the head they uncharacteristically do not stop to chatter with passers by. They bear a response to the Archmage of Night and take it in turns to explain.

They offer respect and greetings to Bella Vicente d'Apulian but apologise that at this time free access to the Caucus Forum is not available. The 'Forum is a magical locale under the control of Lashonar which allows strangers to meet and speak together safely. Given it withdrew the power of the Archmage to call the Caucus Forum, it is hardly inclined to create an entirely different position with the authority to do so. As they said a year ago, they intend to continue speaking to Imperial magicians, and helping them communicate with others, but that such opportunities will happen on their terms rather than being something citizens of the Empire can take for granted.

Caucus Forum

Still, the Loquacious One does not ban the Empire from its 'Forum - that would defeat the point. With that in mind, the heralds are pleased to announce that the Forum shall be made available to the Imperial Conclave, at the forthcoming summit, if they wish to make use of it. However, Lashonar has determined three groups or individuals they are prepared to invite to the Forum to speak with representatives of the Empire.

To take advantage of this opportunity, a declaration of acceptance must be passed indicating which one of the three options the Conclave wishes to converse with. The magician who raises the successful declaration will be invited to such a meeting, and may bring up to three others of their choice. If the Conclave chooses to accept during the Friday session, the meeting will take place on Saturday via the Hall of Worlds at TBC. If they accept during the Saturday session the meeting will take place at the Winter Solstice. If they do not accept... then that is their right and there will be no hard feelings.

In each case, the Voice in the Void has identified a group or an individual who would be happy to speak with the Empire. Such representatives will be the most moderate of their colleagues, the most favourably inclined to the Empire from their faction. While the eternal could try to arrange a meeting with a more representative representative, there is no guarantee that such an individual will accept the offer. Identifying the most receptive individual or group, allows the Loquacious One to be certain of success.

This offer to attend the Caucus Forum is only made at the Autumn equinox and is only applicable to the equinox. This is how the Caucus Forum will work for the time being - the Archmage of Night may use the power of plenipotentiary to ask for it - and may name some of the folk they wish to speak to - but the final decision will be made by the Conclave from a short-list prepared by the Muse of Connection. The Conclave, after all, chose to end their friendship - which is their right, of course. But the lack of communication before or after this was done does not suggest that the magicians of the Empire want a close association with the Keeper of the Gates of Wisdom right now and it is not one to force such things. So it shall treat with them as it does with others who are not pursuing friendship.

As the conversation comes to an end the heralds regretfully ask why it is that the Eater-of-Silence does not seem to have had the ritual text for Summoning the Loquacious Birds returned to them? They felt they had made it clear they would like it back, and provided a method for whoever currently holds it to return it. They have not changed their mind about the ritual; they would be interested to hear why their request does not seem to have been honoured? Perhaps those who currently hold the text might use it to send a message to the Speaker of Dreams to explain their reticence?

Just before they leave, they touch on the matter of Sarangrave the archmage raises. They are apparently a little nonplussed. The Conscience of Kings is doing what it always does; encouraging people to communicate with each other. To call that a "grand plan" is perhaps a little hyperbolic? Unless this is about the rescue of Decius Frostspire? The only "grand plan" there was that the herald was delivering a message Imperial magicians had asked to be delivered.

Melancholy Waters Lie

With Autumn well underway, a knight-magician of the Court of the Forest presents themselves at the Hub to speak on behalf of the Silver Prince. They are striking to look upon - clad in azure and alabaster, their skin a delicate shade of eggshell blue, a curling horn-nub extending no larger than a thumb between their brows, a mane of silver hair. They have the restless agitation of a creature not much used to standing still. It is noted that their muscular legs end not in booted feet but in cloven hooves shod with moonsilver. When they speak their voice is surprisingly deep and resonant for their slight frame.

They get straight to the point. The Archmage of Summer has asked for the Unicorn Lord to arrange a meeting with the dreadful entity that lurks in the Semmerlak. Unfortunately, Silverbow would have no idea where to start. Has the Archmage considered standing on the shore and bellowing? It is clearly meant to be a joke, but the delivery is very flat as if the messenger doesn't quite understand the humour.

On a more serious and constructive note however, the Shadowed King may have some understanding of dark powers but that particular creature is as alien to the realm of Summer and the Forest of Arden as it is to Imperial citizens. It is the kind of thing Jaheris would have been able to offer aid to fight or contain, but can't really help Imperial citizens speak to. Not easily, at any rate. Now if the Archmage had asked for the Cunning Wolf to offer patronage to the magicians who patrol the borders of the Semmerlak with the support of the Watcher, or to the Blades of the Semmerlak (had that order actually been formed), that would be something he would be very enthusiastic about...

The Summer realm is not without its influence in the vicinity of the Semmerlak however. Among others, there is a potent witch-knight - a former courtier of the disgraced Griffon Prince - who has dwelled in the southern Semmerlak for centuries. She certainly has some kind of relationship with the creature. It is however perhaps not the relationship that the Archmage is looking for; if the Lord of Moonmanse finds the entity distasteful, the Lady of the Semmerlak positively loathes it!

In the event that the Archmage of Summer would find a meeting with the Lady of the Semmerlak to be useful however, the Honeyed Tongue could arrange such a thing. All it would require would be a formal request - a successful declaration of acceptance at the Autumn Equinox asking Jaheris to speak to the Lady on behalf of the Empire. The herald is confident that a meeting could take place at the Winter Solstice. And once the matter of who the Lady of the Semmerlak owes allegiance to is settled, then Jaheris would be able to arrange a parley with the creature of the deeper waters.

There is a matter of some mild concern; it's known that the "Lady of the Semmerlak" is no longer part of Hayaak's court, and exists in a nebulously uncertain place between the spheres of Jaheris, Eleonaris, and Meraud who all have a theoretical claim on her allegiance. Obviously, a request of this nature from the Empire would provide an opportunity for Jaheris to woo the Lady towards his own court, especially if the Archmage of Summer or the Conclave supported the Hunter in Moonlight. Something Jaheris is very likely to expect in return for his aid in this matter, however success could easily drag the Empire into the politics of the Summer realm. It seems likely t this is part of Jaheris' plan, and why he has chosen to respond to the plenipotentiary in this way. Resolving the allegiance of the Lady of the Semmerlak is effectively his price for arranging the meeting with Dho'uala.

With their duty discharged, the herald canters back to the Imperial Regio and slips back through the invisible gates to the Forest of Arden.

No Ripples Curl

"What does it mean," asks the herald without preamble, "to be a liberator?" They appear at the Hub a month after the start of Autumn, a serious individual in a bronze breastplate, archaic helm, and a wickedly practical-looking bident. They glow with faint luminosity in the dark tent, and bring with them the scent of saltwater and sun-baked sand. A captain under the command of Weaponwise, this is apparently their first time visiting the Empire. They bear a response to the Archmage of Day's plenipotentiary.

After the initial flurry of questions, the herald gets to the meat of the matter, beginning almost apologetically. The General of Day does not wish to appear cruel, but it feels like the Archmage has not actually asked him for anything. He has teased out some implied requests from the plenipotentiary, but surely it is always easier to be direct than indirect?

Conquest and Liberation

Skywise Gralka has spoken at length of her desire, and that of the Empire apparently, to liberate the people of the Mallum. But to avoid the kinds of events that followed after similar attempts in the Barrens. What, asks the Commander in Coral and Glass, does that mean? The strategies and tactics of the conqueror and the liberator are fundamentally different, both on the battlefield and off it. So are the ultimate outcomes. A conqueror ultimately fights to keep what they take; a liberator gives it away. While the Archmage might wish that to be the case, why does the Imperial Military Council fight this war in the east? What are the Empire going to do once they have defeated the Druj? With the best will in the world, in the Barrens a significant faction claimed they were there as "liberators" but it is notable that the land is now part of Dawn with little enclaves for the two surviving factions of the people whose claim to the place depends on centuries of inhabitation. Three of the septs that once dwelled there are no more due to Imperial action in one form or another.

In essence, while Skywise Gralka may be committed to liberation rather than conquest... are they speaking for the Empire? The Beacon of Dawn sees that the generals of the Empire favour a direct, overwhelming attack in the eastern theatre. They rely on the might of the Summer realm to deal with their foes and that is a strategy that seems to be working. Any intervention by the General of Day is unlikely to mix well with the power of the Lady of the Pennants. To be clear though, if the Military Council is in agreement with the Archmage of Day, then the Master Strategist could offer their support.

Day magic is adept at helping focus on objectives and helping folk to master their intentions. The Scribe of Blades could prepare a set of arcane projections that could be used or codified to help Imperial armies focus on the matter of liberation rather than conquest. The enchantment would be comparable to Clarity of the Master Strategist - but they would help the army focus entirely on liberating those oppressed by the Druj in the Mallum, arming and supplying them, helping them to fight back on their own terms. What land an enchanted army took - and the impact of the enchantment would be half that normally provided by Clarity - would be claimed not by the Empire but by the inhabitants of the Mallum who were not Druj.

If the Military Council wants this support, they already have a method they can use to determine if a consensus exists - the simple vote. If the Council is committed to liberation over conquest, and they are prepared to accept the aid of Zakalwe, then they can request that the Herald of the Council raise the matter and take a vote on it. If they don't want Zakalwe's interference, or are not set on a strategy of liberation such as the Archmage has described, then that is fine and the Master Strategist would expect nothing less.

Rites of Battle

The Archmage also apparently speaks of an inability to persuade sufficient practitioners of martial magic, versed in the lore of Day, to perform five castings of Piercing Light of Revelation on a battlefield. The Master Strategist is surprised that this is the case. The Empire has years and years of experience with the Sentinel Gate and the way magic can be used directly to secure military advantage. The Empire clearly has powerful magicians - they can cast Clarity of the Master Strategist after-all.

Is there some reason that magicians prefer not to take advantage of these opportunities. If that is the case, then that is not something that Zakalwe can fix - rather it is a deficit the Empire must find a way to address themselves. Perhaps the Rod and Shield, the Conclave, or some other body of state could find a way to incentivise magicians to make themselves available to fight for the Empire? The Master Strategist can help support and empower such magicians if they urgent need such help, but without them there is nothing the eternal can do to help.

What Hunter of Tides cannot now do, is find a new opportunity for Imperial heroes to catch Het Trakaa of the Banded Snakes. There was an opportunity in Summer, but now it is clear that fate does not bend the eye of the Sentinel Gate in their direction again during Autumn. Zakalwe can offer a little help to locate and destroy some of the worst of the tortured souls that the Het has created, but the mastermind himself is beyond the reach of the Master Strategist at this time.

And on the matter of Cassad Ûln, the massive fortress in the north of the Forest of Ulnak? The Archmage has answered her own question. The Druj built their immense fortification to protect their borders, and the size of the castle gives some indication of how afraid they are that that force might defeat them just as the Empire is doing.

Tempt the Waters From Their Bed

A week ago, as people are beginning to set up their tents and stalls in preparation for the Autumn summit, two figures emerge from the Imperial Regio without fuss. They walk directly to the Hub. It might be easy for observers to mistake them for Highborn pilgrims, or perhaps Marcher monks or friars of a particularly austere humour. They wear dark woollen cloth. The taller of the two is entirely shrouded, hood raised to hide their features, their only accoutrement a leaden bell on their hip hanging from their belt of thick rope. The other wears their robe open, revealing an old tunic crusted with salt, occluding whatever faded chapter-sign or livery-mark may have been displayed there. An observer would note that their solemn tread never falters, and that those who might otherwise pass to close to them seem almost instinctively to swerve away without really noticing what they have done.

When they reach their destination, the taller of the two does not speak. All communication comes from the shorter figure in their open black robe and crusted garb. They come as emissaries of Salt-in-my-lungs and Dark that Drowns. The Archmage of Winter, Ematius Icebreaker, has laid an offering of names before the throne of Foretold-by-Bells and they find this tribute pleasing. There will be parley in the Hall of Worlds at midnight on Saturday. The Archmage shall attend, of course, and they may choose who among the Empire will speak as is tradition. No harm will befall any there save that they seek it themselves.

Before the meeting, the Archmage's "passengers" - the six they spoke of - can speak of one fear they have that they would see discussed during the parley. One specific fear each. The heralds leave a small stack of papers for the Archmage - six pieces of ragged parchment. The passengers can write their fear on the parchment and then bring it to the Imperial regio and through the key to all doors throw it into the darkness with an invocation of one of those names offered by the Archmage. This must be done before midnight on Friday; these fears will form a skeleton for the parley to come. Six different passengers, six different fears. Each passenger will be called on to speak of their fear to the Deep Drowned.

The parley itself will involve a place claimed by the Harbinger, brought to the Hall by the power of the plenipotentiary, and none shall come within three paces of it lest the waters claim them. As the Sunken Rope draws near, the hall shall fall into darkness. Let those who would attend in audience bring their own lights if they so wish, but see that they are not too bright. Once the lights have fully fallen and the sea has come, there will be time for talk. There will be talk of lessons. There will be talk of fear. There will be talk of bells.

This extremely cryptic message leaves the civil servants none the wiser; they clarify again that this is the result of a plenipotentiary from an Archmage, and the hitherto silent figure in the hooded robe inclines its head once before striking the leaden bell with a long, broken, and splintered fingernail. The timbre of that single dull note rings through the Hub, giving all present a moment of absolutely wrenching terror that leaves them paralysed for several seconds, and when the effect fades, the messengers are gone.

Timetable

There are comparatively few meetings taking place during this summit. The times, the locations, and the eternals involved, are summarised here.

Playback Speed