Obsidian shards

Overview

The situation in Spiral has been slowly stabilising over the course of the last year. The last remaining pockets of Urizen rebels elected to peacefully lay down their arms and either return to their lives as regular citizens or accept the status of foreigners within Imperial lands (reliant on the Senate's recognition of their control of the region of Ankra). By the Summer Solstice, it seemed as if the only remaining questions were about how Urizen and the League could rebuild their damaged relationship and ensure a future grounded in mutual Prosperity and Pride. Some lingering questions about contact with the Grendel and the unusual hints in the declarations of Lashonar's neutrality remained, but for the most part, people's focus was on the future.

Peace is never a given in Spiral, but it seemed that for the moment at least the folk of the south-eastern Empire might finally be able to breathe a little easier.

Cracks

A renegade faction of former rebels have launched attacks into Imperial Spiral Both League and Urizen have been targetted

Everything changed when a caravan of merchants carrying weapons and armour from the forges of Holberg to the garrison at Ballaghadruh failed to arrive. Understanding the dangers of travelling through a territory under the malign gaze of the Black Plateau, a party from the garrison was dispatched to discover what befell their trading partners. The slaughtered remains of the caravan and its guards were found in a pass on the edge of Ankra and Ossuary. The armaments had been looted, but valuables and luxury goods were left. The guards and drivers of the caravan had all been brutally murdered, but there are none of the tell-tale signs that characterise the actions of those lost to the Black Plateau. It was expected to remain a mystery.

A few days later, the heliopticon lit up with messages from the Prismatic Garden, a small spire dedicated to mastery of the apothecary arts. The messages were garbled; warnings of being attacked by sentinels who arrived at the spire, forced their way inside, and began ruthlessly killing without warning or demand. The blinking lights stopped suddenly, mid-message. A plan was formed for nearby spires to send support, but by the time they arrived the Prismatic Garden was a charnel house. Their stockpiles of potions and tinctures looted, everything else ruined. The body of one of the attackers was discovered, having fallen into a nearby crevasse during the fighting. A sentinel wearing a symbol of an obsidian shard. An ominous mark, and one that nobody present can fully explain.

Shortly after this information was distributed over the heliopticon, a response came from the Spire of the Silver Flame, one of the central nodes of the recent rebellion. They recognised the symbol on the sentinel. The attackers are from another of the rebel spires; the Spire of Black Glass. The message from the Silver Flame is clear: if the Spire of Black Glas is on a killing spree, it will not end well for anyone.

Blood And Black Glass

The Spire of Black Glass are former allies with Caela's rebel faction They claim to see dark symbolism in events that others seem oblivious to

With a definite identity for the attackers, research began in earnest. A disturbing picture appeared. In the aftermath of the battle of Solen's Doubt, the decisive engagement against the Grendel in spring 362YE that awoke the Black Plateau to its current malignant state, several dozen sentinels left the Citadel Guard. They settled an abandoned spire on the border between Ankra, Cinion, Ossuary, and Screed. There, they isolated themselves from the outside world, making as little contact as possible and talking to their neighbouring spires only when necessary.

When the rebellion inspired by the concedence of Spiral to the League began, the Spire of Black Glass finally reached out. Making contact with Caela of the Silver Flame they offered to take up arms in defence of "the only reasonable people left in this Empire", a turn of phrase that prompted immediate concerns. A somewhat worrying truth emerged. The Spire of Black Glass were all afflicted with a deep suspicion of both their neighbours and other Imperial nations, convinced that when the Black Plateau was awoken its influence began spreading throughout the entire Empire. They began reading signs into every event that had occurred over the last four years, perceiving a deeper truth that was for some reason invisibile to their fellows. They saw dark and threatening symbolism in the statements of the Synod, patterns in the alignment of eternals with the Imperial Conclave, grim omens in the movements of Imperial armies, even interpreting messages from addresses by the Throne in ways that make little sense to those outside the citadel. They believed themselves to be the last true heroes of a fallen Empire; the ones who would save the world from the corruption of the Black Plateau. In their twisted world, everyone else was a servant of powers more dark and ancient than mortal minds could comprehend.

When asked why she would willingly align herself with such people, Caela is blunt: the rebellion could not afford to turn aside a single ally. She did what she had to do to keep her people safe, and she will not apologise for taking the least bad choice available to her. However, if the Spire of Black Glass has turned to open violence, she has no hesitation in disavowing them. They are killing innocents and jeopardising a fragile peace, and no follower of hers would object if the Empire were to execute these violent criminals. Word from other former rebel leaders agrees wholeheartedly with this sentiment.

Things Hold Together

The sentinels of the Spire of Black Glass intend to attack the Block, and kill a ground of researchers in Screed

Knowing the identity of the attackers begins a flurry of activity. An armed scouting party is dispatched to locate the spire itself, but returns only with news that it is abandoned. Nothing left behind indicates the whereabouts of the sentinels, nor what their next step might be. No single group could hope to unravel this mystery before it is too late. But inspired by the words of the Synod around cooperation, Leaguish and Urizen alike begin to work together to uncover the truth. Members of an enterprising Free company hired to scout a pass in Cinion on its suitability bring word of a group of armed figures. An insightful seer begins a project to coordinate multiple castings of Signs and Portents, then gathers puzzle-solvers to filter through the results.

Eventually, a picture begins to emerge. The spire, fallen to the influence of the Black Plateau, is convinced that a terrible conspiracy is afoot in the Empire. As a result, they are moving to destroy what they perceive as the heart of the rot. They do not, it seems, intend to do anything that would arouse the Plateau itself - indeed they seem to believe it is already as roused as it is ever likely to come and already influencing events across the Empire. Instead, they have their eyes set on two targets: the Block that restrains the power at the heart of Spiral; and a group of researchers in the shelter of the Black Plateau itself. The Block inhibits the power of the Black Plateau, and the researchers are simply trying to understand elements of the malignant heart of the territory. In the twisted world of the Spire of Black Glass, they are actively spreading its malign influence. What the spire believes will happen if they succeed at their goals is uncertain, but in reality, it will certainly result in the loss of innocent lives.

The mystery of why the Spire of Black Glass has waited nearly five years to take such precipitous action, and why they have chosen to act in the way they have, will need to wait for another day. For now, the threat they present needs to be addressed directly.

The Long Arm Of The Law (Conjunctions)

Imperial heroes can intervene before the Spire of Black Glass sentinels can enact their destructive schemes Two opportunities exist to prevent the Spire of Black Glass from damaging their targets. Anyone fighting on these conjunctions will be subject to the malign influence of the Black Plateau.

Incomprehensibly conspiratorial ravings and mystical curses aside, the Spire of Black Glass are murderers. Magistrates begin deputising warriors to intercept these rogue sentinels before they can wreak destruction on some of the most valuable assets in the territory. There are over a hundred deputised citizens ready to contain those affected by the Black Plateau. The Spire of Black Glass' numbers are unknown, but estimates place them at no more than a few dozen. No matter their strength, there is no way that they will be able to fully destroy the Block before Imperial justice reaches them, though they may well be able to slaughter the researchers. There is some perfunctory talk of what might be done to restrain them if any are captured, but nobody truly takes this seriously. By all accounts, these sentinels would die before they allowed themselves to be taken by enemies they believe to be utterly, implacably evil. It is a harsh truth, but one that must be accepted.

Another harsh truth is that no matter how fast they move, it is unlikely that this force will arrive in time to prevent any damage being done. The Block is made of solid mithril, but determined blades can wreak terrible harm in a short space of time. Any damage done will need to be repaired, and it will likely be costly and time-consuming. The researchers, on the other hand, have been caught out of position by the erratic movements of their attackers and run the risk of being massacred if the Spire of Black Glass is not stopped.

In the case of both conjunctions, all of the attacking sentinels must be killed to prevent them from achieving their goals. Based on all the knowledge the Empire has, they will never attempt to retreat or surrender, meaning that the heroes of the Empire should be prepared for a fight to the death.

Bowl of Winds

A group of sentinels are seeking to damage the Block. This is a combat highly likely encounter. The Senator for Spiral is responsible for protecting the Block. There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

Arbiter Principius of the Spire of Black Glass is leading a group of sentinels to assault the Block that inhibits the power of the Black Plateau. Principius served for four terms with the Citadel Guard, and was the driving force behind the spire's formation. They earned a reputation as a brilliant tactical thinker during their military service, and while the corrosive influence of the Black Plateau may have damaged their reason, it is unlikely that they have forgotten the skills they worked their whole life to hone.

The people of Spiral are deeply worried about this development, and have asked the Senator for Spiral, Genoveva Barossa d'Apulian, to take responsibility for protecting them from these dangers. If the sentinels are not stopped, they will damage the Block before reinforcements arrive.

Blades

A group of sentinels are hunting researchers of the Black Plateau. This is a combat highly likely encounter. The Oblivion Sentinel is responsible for stopping the Spire of Black Glass. There are no innocents present on this conjunction; magistrates advise that lethal force is fully justified

First Sentinel Heracleonas was a controversial figure during their military service, at least within their units of the Citadel Guard. They repeatedly pushed for harsher and harsher tactics in the war against the Grendel, arguing that, in order to win, the Empire could not show mercy to their enemies. Their ruthless dedication to defeating their enemies at any cost has now been twisted and turned against the Empire as they hunt those who attempt to glean insight into the Black Plateau.

The Spire of Black Glass are very clearly broken ones drawn to the Black Plateau. The Oblivion Sentinel, Floria Sunshaper, is responsible for stopping the spire and delivering justice to the sentinels. If the sentinels are not stopped, they will slaughter the researchers.

Further Reading

Spiral