Love and War

Sir Jory belched indecorously, barely hiding his mouth behind his hand in time. Ser Jessica winced, and rolled her eyes. Her friend and rival pretended not to notice as he settled back in his chair. Ruthlessly efficient yeofolk began to clear away the plates and platters. All along the table, glasses clinked and cutlery rattled as the murmur of conversation began to rise like a tide that threatened to drown out the music from the gallery."That was worth waiting for," said Sir Jory, his smile slightly lopsided and his eyes a little bright. He had been drinking all afternoon. He glared around him at his fellow nobles, and shook his head."When did everyone become so young?" He spoke a little plaintively. Ser Jessica sighed again."You know when," she said lightly. "When you started going grey at the temples, Jory. That's when everyone else became inexplicably young."Her tone did nothing to lift his mood."Look at them," he said, his voice louder than was necessarily politic. "A new army, made up of children who look like they've barely passed their Test. This is the new army of Dawn? Green recruits? If Sir Elegar were here -""Elegar fell in Therunin," said Ser Jessica brusquely. "Fighting with the Golden Sun.""Elegar?" Jory blinked. "But I saw him at Summer, we went fishing! What?""And now he's dead. Went down under half-a-dozen Druj during the retreat. Took most of them with him, so I hear." Jessica's voice was still a little detached, but she rested her hand on Sir Jory's for a moment. "He died gloriously."Sir Jory let out a deep sigh, his expression melancholy. He looked around the room again, noting both his fellow veterans and the absences where others might have been. So many bright faces, laughing and talking, celebrating the muster. So many empty spaces filled by people he didn't know.Jessica signalled one of the nearby yeofolk who quickly refilled both their glasses with sparkling white wine. She'd spotted the Earl standing out of the corner of her eye, and knew what was coming."To those who cannot be with us." The Earl's voice cut through the waves of conversation as they stood with their own glass raised. Their toast echoed back and forth across the banquet hall. As the echoes fell away, Sir Jory pushed himself to his feet, raised his own glass to the eastern windows, and made his own toast."To the Hounds of Glory!" he declared, and finished his wine. There was a moment of uncertainty, mostly from the younger nobles, but then the earl repeated the toast themselves, and glasses were emptied, and the answering shouts echoed from the rafters. Yet in its wake an air of melancholy swept across he banqueting hall, causing Jessica to frown. Jory had sunk back in his chair, twisting his moustches, all the good cheer that had built up during the meal threatening to ebb away entirely.Taking matters into her own hands, Ser Jessica stood up and proposed a toast of her own."TO GLORY!" she bellowed, and there was no hesitation and the roar of two hundred Dawnish nobles all shouting at once threatened to raise the roof. As the cheering began to die away someone else shouted "DEATH TO THE DRUJ!" and it too was echoed although with a certain amount of laughter, and then the toasts came think and fast. The earl's seneschal picked that moment to send the retainers round to deliver platters of cheese, biscuits, preserves, little cakes, and jugs of steaming coffee and the banquet began to thrum with laughter once more."Glory, old fool," said Jessica quietly, tilting her glass and the dregs of her wine toward her friend. He gave her a sad smile, but clinked his empty glass against hers, and five minutes later he was regaling the new soldiers of the new army with a harrowing tale of hunting Druj infiltrators in Ossium that had the newly minted officers wide-eyed and wide-mouthed, especially when he did the gestures.

Overview

The people of Dawn are in the process of raising another army in Astolat. It has taken just shy of two years, but the army is very close to completing muster. There is one final piece of business to be done, however, and that is to define the nature of the army and formally declare its name. These decisions would normally be made by the Senator who raised the original motion, but the task now falls to the newly-appointed Senator of Astolat, Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco.

Under normal circumstances, the decision would be made by informing the civil service. The egregores of Dawn have taken counsel with several troubadours and have proposed that an ideal time to announce the decision to the people of Dawn who attend Anvil might be just before the appointment of the Senator for the Barrens, due to be elected at the summit, and have proposed granting a few minutes before the appointment begins to allow Éamon to make their announcement in the Glory Square should they wish to take advantage of it. The implication is that this news, celebrated by the people of Dawn, could help raise spirits after recent events.

By Any Other Name

The new army needs a name, and the task of determining what it will be falls to the Senator for Astolat The name should not be overly tied to that of the Hounds of Glory

The new army will need a name, one that will stand the test of time and be fit to be sung alongside those of the Golden Sun, Eastern Sky, Gryphon's Pride, and the lost Hounds of Glory. The final decision as to that name lies with the Senator to Astolat, but the newly appointed Éamon Ashenmourn de Cordraco may wish to take counsel with the folk of the nation - to find something that captures the spirit of Dawn and expresses the nature of the new army.

What is still clear is that the expectation is that the army will not be called the Hounds of Glory - or anything close to that. With the loss fresh in the minds of the folk of Dawn it was clear that while the sacrifice and glory of the Hounds should be remembered - and the transformation of the Towers of Dusk into the Houndsgate has done their memory proud - the new army must stand on its own feet. To do otherwise would risk either cheapening the legacy of the Hounds, or suggesting the new army stands too deep in their shadow to have its own identity, or both.

Once the name is chosen, the weavers of Dawn will create banners and surcotes bearing suitable heraldic devices to be distributed to the soldiers; the final act of equipping the nobles and yeofolk before the army marches.

Songs of Love and War

The time has come to choose a special quality for the army The responsibility falls to the Senator for Astolat The civil service has presented three possibilities, and a fourth possibility has been presented by the nobles of Spiral Castle

Each Imperial army has a quality that defines it. The Eastern Sky are beloved of the people, and favoured by the eternals of Summer. The Golden Sun are true dreadnaughts on the battlefield, an implacable force grinds their foes into the dust as they march. The Gryphon's Pride are conquerors, ambitious soldiers who focus first and foremost on seizing the lands of their enemies. The new army will stand beside these three armies in embodying the Dawnish flavour of warfare.

At the moment, like any newly-mustered army, the newest Dawnish cohort has the Green quality (they can't take any special orders or actions - but are ripe to gain a new quality once they are battle-hardened). As always, the civil service has consulted with the soldiers, with the troubadours and priests, with the nobles and even the yeofolk of Dawn, and prepared a list of possible qualities the new army could possess. Of course, there is nothing to prevent the new army being transformed at a later date - much as the Eastern Sky did with the aid of the enchanters - but once chosen, the quality will help define the nature of the army and will not change easily.

The civil service have three suggestions, and to the surprise of many, a fourth possibility was raised by the nobles of House deCassilon, the regents of Spiral Castle. The first three qualities come at no extra cost - the nature of the army easily turns to embrace them - but the fourth requires additional work.

Glory

The new Dawnish army could be Glorious Choosing this quality has no additional costs Eleonaris will provide the general of a glorious new army with a triumphant blade each year as a symbol of their support

The Hounds of Glory are gone but they are not forgotten. Their legacy lives on, in the fact that the Barrens is at last part of Dawn where it belongs. Their inspiration is still felt by nobles and yeofolk alike. It would be impossible to replace the Hounds, but it would be entirely appropriate for the new Dawnish army to hold to their example.

The new Dawnish army could be Glorious, ensuring it is feared by its enemies and beloved by its allies. An army of shining armour and bold pennants, upholding the highest aspirations of the people of Dawn wherever it fought. The general of a glorious army can command the soldiers to make a triumphant charge while attacking, or a final stand when defending.

Love

The new Dawnish army could have the Guardian quality Choosing this quality has no additional costs

Dawn is a land that understands love as much as it understands glory. Not just the true love that flowers from romance, but all the other forms of love as well - the love of friends, of family, of battle-comrades. The troubadours know a great deal about love, and it's cousins Loyalty, Courage, and Pride. Embracing this ideal, and the glory that comes with selflessness and courage, could see the new army put great stock in protecting and supporting other armies, eschewing risk and reckless behaviour, and looking to preserve the lives of companions and fellow soldiers. This would give the army the Guardian quality, and allow the general to issue the Steel Roses order.

Challenge

The new Dawnish army could have the Vanguard quality Choosing this quality has no additional costs

It is a simple fact that it was Dawnish armies, alongside their Varushkan allies, that first took the fight to the Mallum and almost single-handedly captured Ossium, the first crack in the seemingly impenetrable facade of the Druj armies. Most recently, they have claimed the Barrens, and yet there are always more lands to be conquered. The knights of Dawn are eager for the chance to prove themselves against the challenge of barbarian lands, to push back the borders of the Empire once again until the entire world acknowledges its sovereignty. It would be an easy matter to capitalise on this enthusiasm for conquest and liberation, and raise an army with the Vanguard quality, allowing its general to issue the First to the Fray attacking order.

Witchery

The magicians of Spiral Castle believe that the army could have the Magic quality This would require an additional commission, a circle of the war-witch be built in Weirwater It would remove the ability of Dawn to support a college of magic

While these qualities are being mulled over, a fourth opportunity is put on the table by the scions of House deCassilon, the custodians of Spiral Castle in Weirwater. Over the course of the last few years, it seems, the yeofolk of the house have been securing excellent contacts with the artisans of Astolat, especially those who specialise in the creation of rods, staves, and suits of mage armour. The orchards and the weirwood grove of Spiral Castle are rich in fine woods, and the reeves and retainers have parleyed this into a remarkable number of tools related to the arts of the war-witches. Inspired by the magical aura that blankets Dawn in the run-up to the Spring Equinox, they suggest that it might be time to try and harness the arcane majesty of Dawnish magicians.

To do this, they propose that a Circle of the War-witch be constructed in Wickmoor, in the vale below the castle. This would serve as a place for the mistresses of war-magic, those pre-eminent practitioners of battle magic, to gather, teach, and perfect their skills. Spiral Castle would provide hospitality, and maintain the circle, but any curriculum would be up to the war-witches themselves. All that would be needed to establish the circle would be a large open-air duelling and training ground, a circle of stone bounded by a dozen carved monoliths. This proposal is an edifice that will require 25 wains of white granite and 75 crowns to construct, but would take only a single season to complete.

Obviously, the need to complete the commission would mean that there would be an inevitable delay of at least a season before the army gained its new quality. Once it were built, however, the war-witches of Dawn would flock to the army, alongside other martially minded magicians, and the army would gain the magic quality without further delay.

Once the edifice was complete, the new army would gain the rare Magic quality. The soldiers would be trained to fight alongside Dawn's witches, whose skills would be in great demand. Enchanters from across Dawn would be invited to contribute their expertise in ritual magic to the support of the army, and even some of the yeofolk guisers would be given a place as scouts and infiltrators alongside the more glorious members of the army.

There is one additional cost however; there are only so many magicians in a nation even one as steeped in arcane traditions as Dawn. drawing on the witches, enchanters, and guisers in this way would mean that it would become impossible to build a college of magic in Dawn without an exceptional opportunity.

If the army gained the magic quality, it would allow the general to issue the defending order of Arcane Consolidation, but it would also allow Imperial magicians to use the army in place of a suitable regio when they need to cast spells on things that cannot be reached from the Imperial regio.