The shape of things to come

"Feel that" said Carlos, pushing his tagelmust back to expose a bald patch on his head. "We were one of the first groups to go in. We found this brown cow drinking by the banks of the Scorrero. Didn't see its tail 'til it was too late. Damn thing shot quills at us like it was a Grendel crossbow. Ruined my good looks - but two inches lower and it would have been an eye out." He put his drink down on the table, daring the others to try and top the story."I got that beat. I got that beat." said Rinz as he rolled up his sleeve. "See that" he demanded. "We were wading through water in the Bayou. One minute it was round our ankles, next step I'm in up to my chest. Out of nowhere comes this eel. Blue and green and orange but flashing like light scattered off oil. Bit right through my armour. Thought I was going to lose the arm."Not to be outdone, Billiam put his foot on the table and rolled up the fabric of his trouser leg to reveal a deep scar running down the length of the calf. It was a cruel thing, a bloody streak and purple flesh gouged deep into the muscle. "Got that from a spider-pig." he said proudly. "Big brute of a thing. Eight legs and eight eyes and tusks like razors. Sliced my leg open like it was gutting a fish. Thought I was a goner for sure."This claim produced peals of laughter from the other explorers gathered round the table. Everyone who went into Crucible came out richer, but every journey left a mark. Nobody got out unchanged. Cups of syrah were raised and drained and then refilled. The drinking continued as the night got darker and the tales got taller.

Overview

Last season, the Order of the Golden Pyramid identified the potential to build a grand lodge in Mareave. Previous ideas had proposed a minor dwelling for members of the Conclave order who were visiting the territory, but those proposals had failed to excite anyone. Rather than be disheartened, or produce something more modest, members of the Order decided to do the opposite and seek to commission something much more bold. A vast undertaking, a truly grand lodge, something that could house hundreds of members of the order in comfort and provide the with facilities for their work.

When the prognosticators examined the proposals and looked at the implications, it was clear the Order was onto something. By identifying the right site and building a resplendent lodge, could create something truly transformational. It would anchor the Golden Pyramid in Mareave, it wouldn't be possible for the order to build a grand lodge elsewhere in the Empire while this one was still under Imperial control. But having so many magicians all together in one place, with shared goals and ambitions would produce a raft of unique benefits.

The civil service can't produce an easy set of guidelines on what those benefits might be, because it is clear they are dependent on the specific circumstances. An order could only ever have one grand lodge, there can only be one location that serves as the centre of an Order's focus, power and influence. But the benefits that can be obtained would be utterly dependent on where the grand lodge was and whose lodge it was. If the grand lodge in Mareave had been for Rod and Shield it would provide completely different benefits.

The Empire can build a single grand lodge for each Conclave order. Each is a huge edifice requiring at least one hundred wains, but the benefits of each lodge will always be unique depending on the location chosen and who the lodge will belong to. For those other orders that are jealously eyeing the new construction for the wealthy Golden Pyramid, the first task would be to consider what location they believe would serve them best and why.

It is a political decision as much as a magical one. There are valuable benefits accrued by the nation that hosts a grand lodge. Given the construction costs are high, a wise grandmaster would be well advised to explore what a nation might contribute to those costs.

A Tour of the Possibilities

In Winter 386YE the Imperial Conclave endowed 25 mana crystals to the Parador of the Silver Tears to enable them to draw up plans for a grand lodge. The Silver Tears are delighted by this development - the group was formed by a small group of wealthy Freeborn from Kahraman, Madruga, and Segura precisely to try to make sure that the Brass Coast would benefit from hosting the grand lodge of the Silver Chalice. This desire is not purely selfish, the Order has devoted itself to saving lives in the Brass Coast more than once in the short time since it was founded. Time to pay them back!

The Parador were unsure of where the Order would want the grand lodge to be based, or the scale of the project, so they asked the Conclave to clarify these details. In the end the Conclave opted for Madruga and instructed the Parador to build something on the scale scale as the one that is now being built for the Golden Pyramid in Mareave. Perhaps they were mindful of the costs, or maybe they wished to avoid rivalry between the two orders. For now at least, no order will be able to claim their lodge has more grandeur

The Silver Tears spend some time investigating a number of potential locations across the territory. There are a number of members who argue for Crucible or Siroc Bayou, but they are eventually discounted. There is no doubt at all that anything of scale that is built in their of these two regions might be able to draw on the immense magical riches of these new marshes... but there is a tiny chance that anything the Empire builds here might metamorphosize into something completely new, or just sink into the hungry swamp waters. The strange transformations wrought by the Night realm will eventually stabilise, but for now it is perhaps better not to build something experimental here.

Torres and the Quiet Grasses are less appealing. The truth is that it's called the Brass Coast for a reason. It is the Coast that teems with people and life, with trade and commerce. The Silver Chalice are not secluded monks, they want to be where they are needed, which is anywhere people need healing. That means the coast - and given Free Landing is currently controlled by the Children of Wrecks, that means either Lightsea or Calvos Sound.

In the end the Silver Tears decide that there is no better location than the one first identified as a great location for a lodge for the Chalice in the appraisal by Lutomysla. Some consideration was given to Calvos Sounds, but there is already a great deal of work proposed there and trying to build two great commissions in one location risks getting in each others way. The Professors' team chose Calvos rather than Quzar for their new city because of the risk posed by the Children of Wrecks, but none of these Freeborn citizens are remotely minded to let a stupid bunch of jumped-up pirates dictate their decisions. Fuck those Siakha idiots, they'll get what's coming to them soon enough.

It is not simply a desire to stick two fingers up at the crazy pirate people. It's not even the fact that Quzar is a bustling settlement. What is crucial is that the town serves as the annual meeting place for the Hakima. Having some of the foremost practitioners of the magic in the Brass Coast come there once a year to meet up is simply too valuable a benefit to pass up. Only some of them will be interested in healing, but all of them are interested in serving the interests of the nation, rather than personal or family loyalty. That would seem to make them ideal allies - at least when it comes to helping the Brass Coast.

Almost as importantly, the Hakima benefit from the protect provided by the kohan who are sworn to defend them. Basing the grand lodge here should mean that the order can call on the kohan for aid when they need to, making it easier for them to travel to dangerous locations without fear for their lives. Quzar is a bustling trade port, but it isn't rich in ores like Mareave, and there's no handy fortress for them to adapt to the order's needs. But it is rich in people, and rich in life.

It's hard to visit the Coast and not be swept away by the sights, the sounds, the passion with which the people here lead their lives. The Silver Chalice exists to remind Conclave of the value of life, nobody demonstrates that better than the people of Quzar.

The Well of Life

On the outskirts of Quzar is the abandoned Jayyani Caravanserai. This attractive, fortified wayside inn was once home to the Jayyani family. It used to do thriving business with the many trade wagons travelling up and down the coast road, but the real secret of its success was the deep well bored into the rock. It produced cool, sparkling fresh water and never seemed to run dry no matter what drought came to Madruga. It was claimed the well had healing properties and baths were built to let people bathe in the refreshing waters. It was all superstition mostly, but it was good for business and the Jayyani Caravanserai eventually grew to become one of the largest of its kind in the region.

Then in 342YE disaster struck, the owner of the caravanserai, Carlos i Jayyani i Erigo fell afoul of the Hungry Wolf. The eternal cursed the dhomiro to teach him the meaning of thirst. The curse caused the waters of the well to run dry and nothing the hakima could do would break the curse. Without a dependable source of drinking water the parador was ruined and within ten years the family were forced to close up the caravanserai and move closer to Quzar.

The buildings have stood empty ever since, a symbol of what happens to those who would seek the help of the Devourer-of-Hope. Yet when the Silver Tears investigate the site, they discover that the great well once again contains a limitless supply of clear, fresh water. This minor miracle produces a lot of excitement, there is a suggestion that Cupbearer might be responsible, or perhaps some grand conjunction. A few people try to suggest it could be an act of fate, not unlike the magic of the Sentinel Gate. The more prosaic explanation is that the Tomb King's curse ended years ago and nobody thought to check.

Whatever the reason, it is taken as a sign that the Caravanserai would be the perfect location for the new grand lodge. There are buildings here already and what exists could be easily adapted to create a wonderful hospital with enough room to treat scores of wounded and sick patients. Somewhat poetically, one of the Silver Tears nicknames the site the Well of Life and the moniker soon catches on.

The grand lodge would provide a number of significant benefits. It would boost the mana funnelled into the Conclave's vaults, but moving arrangements in place to fund the order to the Well of Life would reduce costs and allow the grandmaster to purchase vital honey recovered from Crucible and Siroc Bayou. Grateful residents of Madruga would provide members of the order with a dose of True Vervain each season for the next year, as payment for the healing able at the Well. The presence of so many skilled magicians and apothecaries would provide a huge benefit to herb gardens raising the level of investment by one to boost production of true vervain and Cerulean Mazzarine. Some of the ilium recovered from the Bay would end up in the Order's vaults each season, in gratitude for the healing provided to local fisherfolk.

Perhaps most importantly, the caravanserai would incorporate a large well furbished hospital, by far the biggest anywhere in the Empire. More importantly, the presence of hundreds of dedicated healers operating from the caravanseri would provide invaluable support for any Imperial armies fighting in the Brass Coast (albeit only Madruga, Kahraman, Segura, or Feroz). The location of the Caravanserai is perfect to allow members of the Order to use the roads to move quickly around the nation to go where the fighting is fiercest. Such benefits are not something that could be achieved by any other means, it is a unique advantage that only a grand lodge of the Silver Chalice could accomplish. Once complete, it would mean that any Imperial armies fighting in one of the four territories, would reduce the casualties suffered by a tenth each season.

In addition, there is a large group of hakima and kohan here and the latter in particular are often in need of healing magic. There are moves to explore Crucible and Siroc Bayou - the enigmatic magics that have transformed these regions are bound to have created many valuable opportunities, but it is dangerous for groups to enter unless they are well-armed and well-provisioned. The completion of the grand lodge would enable the Brass Coast to elect someone to liaise with the magicians living there. Provided they were a hakima, then they would be able to buy healing potions from visitors to the caravanserai. If they were also a member of the Silver Chalice then they would receive a donation of potions of elixir vitae each season.

The Hakima of the Rippling Marshes would be expected to use their bounty to support Freeborn characters going into danger, especially those looking to explore Crucible and Siroc Bayou.

Each in Order

The plans put forward by the Silver Tears have aroused the interests of members of the other orders. Might not they too benefit from just such arrangements? Unfortunately planning for a grand lodge requires a huge amount of work and preparation, much of which must be done by the civil servants who support Imperial magicians in the Conclave. There are only so many things they can work on at once.

The Conclave could use a declaration of concord to request the civil service look for the ideal location for a grand lodge for a different order, but only once all the building work on either the Well of Life or the grand lodge being built for the Golden Pyramid in Mareave (which really needs a better name) is complete. Any declaration would have to explicitly state who the lodge was for and what territory it should be in. Ideally the declaration would include more precise information such as the region or specific location for the lodge. However, it is important to note that a given territory can only support a single grand lodge.

Only once the next grand lodge is complete, would the Conclave have the capacity to try and make plans for a new one. It might be possible for the Empire to build grand lodges for all the orders eventually, but it is clear that it is going to take time. The Conclave won't be able to request new proposals for a grand lodge at any time while there are two proposals outstanding.

Further Reading

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