Lerona Mere is the Concord’s beating heart of ambition; too sharp to be called soft power, too decadent to be called discipline. Its skyline may be stitched in gold, but the seams are red, and the stitchers are many. In Parliament, civility reigns. In the streets, the gutters sing with hunger, poetry, and quiet knives. And through it all, the city smiles.
Now, with spring looming, that smile tightens. The Parliament holds steady, but tension simmers behind party lines. Old power fractures, new names rise from dockside and hinterland alike. With frontier growth swelling in Mancante Terra, ghouls haunting Gafroza, and bloodshed of heresy in the Redbrick alleys, this is not a time for timidity.
Lerona Mere never truly fractures, it pirouettes through the storm, one hand clutching a wine glass and the other a dagger. The city leans forward, breath held. It remembers its promise: that from chaos, brilliance may yet be born.
The Silence of Consensus...
The Lerona Mere Parliament presides over more than a million souls and does so rather well, comparatively speaking. The winter season saw a dozen meetings held in the newly rebuilt Parliament Hall. On the whole, matters were productive and civil. The Ratscrews and the Steel Sigils fenced across the aisle over economic management, Concordian involvement, and other such trifles. Where matters did come to a vote, the Council in Coin was happy to break the tie in favour of whichever course professed sounder economic theory.
Parliamentary attention remains overwhelmingly focused on Legend City (the private passion of the Ratscrews) or on points of friction between Lerona Mere and the wider Concord (the personal white whale of the Steel Sigils). While the citizens of The Concord’s largest metropolis reap the benefits of robust governance, and the new frontiers of Mancante Terra are showered with political and material investment, the Parliament is little more than a rumour in the Madre Campo or Est Speranza. For example: recent motions saw additional support for city grocers and charitable kitchens, lowering food costs in the capital, but in doing so, they restricted the trading hours for provincial farmers trying to sell directly. Such banal matters may be Parliament’s bread and butter, but they are felt keenly by those who live under its rule. In Legend City, the lights shine bright and the wine flows freely, a place where politics plays out like a polished game of Ratscrew. But in Madre Campo, the only thing growing faster than discontent is the price of wheat.
Yet while the Parliament trundles on like a well-made cart, beneath its polished veneer lies discord. Arguments, ideological rifts, and accusations of foul character seep out of the three major parties like the Weald Pox.
The Ratscrews are undoubtedly top dogs in Lerona Mere. They’ve brought an air of celebration and success to the city, making the failures of the last Parliament feel like a distant memory. Once more, Legend City feels like the centre of the universe, with arts, commerce, and diplomacy on the rise.
But inside the party, knives are out.
Talina Van Jilentari, the soft-spoken and well-regarded poet-speaker, is expected to lead the Ratscrews into next year’s elections. Yet some accuse her of being too flippant; a sell-out in verse and velvet. Catalina De Leon, the party’s firebrand muralist of revolutionary fame, recently stated:
“Jilentari cares more for drink and being regarded as a woman who can put on a dance, more than actually bringing art into this city or people’s lives. She’s empty in the middle and trying to fill it with ale and accolades.”
Meanwhile, Jacapo De Baldonette strikes from the right flank:
“Talina has found a great boon here, in this city of cities. But her focus on all things pretty and popular blinds her to the true options we have. Lerona Mere isn’t just great because you can get drunk and well-dressed here; it’s great because our streets are strong and our buildings beautiful. If we open our mind beyond simple celebrations, we will be ever stronger.”
As her party threatens to pull her career apart from both ends, Van Jilentari needs only to gesture to the city around her to make her counter-argument. She won’t be brought down by a left-flank firebrand and a right-flank aesthete, not in her city.
The Steel Sigils smoulder like a forge. Their leader, Mario De Gardin, bristles with resentment. Once respected for his bold push for Lerona Mere’s standing within the Concord, he now finds only mockery when he extends his hand across the border. His popularity grows not among Concordians but among those who feel swindled by them; merchants who’ve lost to Valleyfolk deals and mercenaries ordered to bleed for free because “that’s what the Bordevarians are doing.” A growing bloc in the party feels more Steel than Sigil. Those close to him speak of late nights filled with tankards and fury, long knife in hand.
His co-leader, Carlo Van Eider, distances herself from Gardin’s rising extremism. She urges a more measured approach:
“Any world where Lerona Mere sparks against the Concord is no world better for the fire.”
Her voice is cooler, calmer and likely drowned out. But where Gardin shouts, Eider whispers and more ears may be turning towards the whisper.
The Council in Coin remains the smallest faction but enjoys a unique perch. With only a handful of parliamentarians, they’ve adopted a light-touch strategy: patient, precise, and pragmatic. That same light touch, however, fails to tip the scales. Yet unlike the other parties, they appear unified in their pursuit of a future where Lerona Mere’s gold wins the day — for the Concord, the City, and for the Council itself. But how long can these bankers stay out of the storm?
In the streets of Legend City, the lights are bright, and the nights are long. In Parliament, the debates are civil, and the votes are clear. But behind closed doors, the knives are out; not for the Concord, not for the people, but for each other. And in that silence, consensus becomes its own kind of danger.
Game Information
It has been a good season for the Parliament of Lerona Mere. All the parties in power have seen their goals pursued by the Concordian heroes to some greater or lesser extent and in turn they have done their best to rule with tact and civility.
The nature of the parties in power bends toward economic growth and a focus away from the possibility of Lerona Mere’s rural wealth. Investments and Enterprises based in Madre Campo and Est Speranza will find that they have produced slightly less. While investments based in Legend City will find that they have also produced random resources in addition to their standard income, reflecting the bevy of commerce in the city. Any investments in Mancante Terra will find their incomes unaffected by distant parliamentary politics as will investments in the Riverlands.
Any enterprises that are based in Legend City and are the following types will find that they have produced slightly more this past season as an economic windfall sweeps the city:
- Shipyard
- Merchant League
- Marketplace
- Syndicate
- Quarter
- Hospitality
There will be additional requests for the Senator of Lerona Mere and Mancante Terra regarding the parliament.
All three parties in power are once again throwing open their doors for heroes to be counted among their numbers and represent them at Summits. Characters who do so will be considered representatives of the party in Passage, may receive additional boons and information, but may also be asked to perform tasks for their party. To join, characters are asked to wear the party's symbol and write a letter to their respective secretaries as detailed below, using the Civil Service Post. The letter should be a convincing piece of work that details why your character should represent the party among the Heroic contingent. Multiple characters are capable of becoming representatives, although each character can only represent one party.
| Party | Symbol | Secretary |
| Ratscrews | A happy rat, ideally wearing a hat | Ventatto De Hulio, The Blackguards Grieve, Lerona Mere |
| Steel Sigils | The Concordian Sigil | Oscar Grilado, The Steel Hall, Mivara. |
| The Council in Coin | A Golden Coin | The Council Chambers, Gafroza. |
Each of the parliamentary parties is undergoing their own metamorphosis and such matters are better handled in-house than in public. The future of each party will be presented to current party members at this Summit; their decisions will alter the nature, goals, and leadership of these parties going forward.
…Becomes the Roar of Campaign Season
There is no greater predator to political function than an election season. Perhaps it's a sign of stability that Lerona Mere’s parties are speaking of elections more than a season in advance. But for those already weary of words like “parliament” or “governance,” this must surely be a test of patience.
Whether you welcome the debates or dread them, one thing is certain: the Autumn Summit of 226 will be an election summit. Heroes of Lerona Mere will cast their votes to decide which parties will guide the realm for the next two years. Some old names return. Some new ones claw their way to the table. While many platforms are still rising from the minds of madmen and misers, the shape of the season begins to form.
The Ratscrews clearly mean to return to the fold. Presumed to be led once more by poet-politician Tarina Van Jilentari, the Ratscrews are masters of ceremony, coin, and cultural spectacle. As the current holders of Parliamentary power, their tenure has brought festival, flair, and a firm push toward urban influence. Yet their grip seems shaky. While they remain the loudest voice in Legend City, some wonder if they remember that Lerona Mere is more than just the City.
“Let the others talk of discipline and duty. We know what makes a city great. It is celebration, story, and soul. We’ve gilded the towers and brought fire to the streets. Whatever else may be said, Lerona Mere may be alive, but we made it sing.” - Tarina Van Jilentari
The Steel Sigils have had too many victories to step back now. This is the party of industry and ambition, the great forge upon which Lerona Mere might stake a claim to destiny. They demand Concordian leadership, control of Mancante Terra, and a crown that reflects the city’s worth, even at the cost of political grace. Their blunt tactics and zealous drive may repel some, but for those animated by anger and aspiration, the Sigils are a natural home.
“The world does not grant power to those who wait politely. Lerona Mere must seize what is owed, power in our hands, our rightful lands in Mancante Terra, and the respect of a Concord that was built on our shoulders. We will forge the future, or break the mold trying.” - Mario De Gardin
The Council in Coin First arrived on the 224 ticket with a platform of slow, rational economics, the Council won few seats, but have seen Lerona Mere grow wealthier all the same. Now, they present themselves as the adults in the room. In a Parliament becoming a warzone of affluence and ideology, they appeal to those who favour stability over spectacle. Their policies may not excite, but they work.
“While others raise swords and shout slogans, we balance ledgers and build legacies. Lerona Mere is richer now than it has ever been, and that is no accident. Gold is the quiet power and it will carry us farther than war ever could.” - The Third Councillor
None of the parties that failed in 224 look set to return in 226, or at least look to return in the same forms they once had.
The Frontiers League is formed from firebrands cast off by the Wargoats and those Steel Sigils who fell in love with the war-scarred frontier, the League represents the rough, determined spirit of the frontier. With Cosma Albiro as its practical leader, the party’s real power base is Mancante Terra. They speak for rural voices long ignored: sweat-soaked, sun-burned, and steel-hardened. Albiro promises not revolution, but reclamation of land, of voice, and of dignity.
“We built the farms, mined the stone, manned the watchfires. We weren’t invited to the parlours of power, we were too busy keeping the borders from burning. If the city forgets its backbone, we’ll remind it. Not with fine words, but with honest hands and steel resolve.” - Cosma Albiro
The Guttersign Assembly is a uniquely Lerona Mere creation: three self-professed capos, each maintaining their own ‘fraternities of like-minded wrongfolk’ in the Docklands, now united under one banner. They vow to cut through bureaucracy, stab their way onto the world stage, and make it very clear that Lerona Mere is not to be fucked with. Not a party for the faint of heart but for the bold, the ruthless, and the forgotten.
“People call us thieves, but we’re just collecting the back-pay for generations left behind. People call us gangsters, but at least we're honest. People call us rats, but at least we know how to bite.” - Capo Nix Brandheist
The Embersails are drawn from the old bloodlines of the Shipwrights Guild and the Free Captains Council, the Embersails are inspired by recent corsair action on the high seas. Specifically, the liberation of distant Odrigan from Artebazzani control. With salt and smoke on the wind, they promise wealth, freedom, and heroic legend, carried on Concordian sails. They seek a world remade by maritime might for the good of all free peoples.
“They called us Captains. Then we gave them a republic. They called them rebels. Then they gave them a free Odrigan. Lerona Mere has ships, has fire, and has purpose, and the sea is wide. Let’s go change the world again.” - Captain Vera Halvine
Already, the city is filled with posters and promises. Campaign slogans cling to corners like ivy. Eyes turn to the Summit. Election season is coming. Be ready.
Game Information
Autumn 226 will be an election for the Lerona Mere parliament, with every hero getting a chance to vote for parties that will attempt to lead Lerona Mere into the future.
While those parties that are already established will continue to function as they are, three new parties are looking for members as well. To join, characters are asked to wear the party's symbol and write a letter to their respective secretaries as detailed below, using the Civil Service Post. The letter should be a convincing piece of work that details why your character should represent the party among the Heroic contingent. Multiple characters are capable of becoming representatives, although each character can only represent one party. Joining one of these new parties will be a chance to make a real impact on the coming election season and shape these new power brokers.
| Party | Symbol | Secretary |
| The Frontiers League | A tree in front of a mountain. | Vincenzo Van Bloor, Loricazzo. |
| The Guttersign Assembly | A hand with the small index and middle fingers raised. | Yula the Pale, ‘Slippers End’, Dockside. |
| The Embersails | A flaming cutlass | Quartermaster Geradline Van Kisska |
Each party will begin reaching out to people in power this season with discussions and opportunities. These may be more than just Lerona Mere titleholders.
The Underfolk and the Murderous Deck
In Lerona Mere, everything is a pleasant communal lie, the sort of thing you tell yourself, or your children, to make the medicine go down just a little bit sweeter. Things like: “You boys head down to the Docklands and have a good night,” or “This is the best deal you’ll get on Valleyfolk iron this side of Deorlings.”
Or that there aren’t monsters beneath your feet.
The slinking, skulking things known as the Slangs, or the Underfolk, if you’re feeling charitable, went from drunken rumour, to children’s story, to very real threat faster than anyone was prepared for. But after the actions of Concordian heroes and a decent supply of Blazesap nearly a year ago, the danger feels more distant now. Everyone knows that “It was just one nest of the bastards” fits neatly into that familiar category of pleasant lie, but no one really has the time to investigate further, not with the hustle and bustle of city life.
Sightings still occur. Though it’s likely that only one in three is genuine, with the rest likely being amorous wanderers fleeing late-night rendezvous. You’re more likely to see one of the Underfolk scrambling across a rooftop or sliding back into the sewers in the Docklands, but there’s been plenty of noise about sightings in the Crux Patricus and Redbrick districts as well. No one is tracking these encounters, and no one is confirming them, so the rumours grow like a game of ratscrew; louder, nastier, and farther from the truth with every round. Such is the way of things in Legend City.
But before it could all become a farce, bloody violence emerged.
Of those one-in-three real sightings, one in three again ends in violence; muck-stained claws and jagged teeth ripping into the pale flesh of Lerona Mere citizens. Rarely does a direct encounter leave the victim alive, and those who die are often found wedged into sewer grates or drains, their plump, pampered bodies too gaudy and girthy for such gaunt gallows. A certain amount of feasting is to be expected. But again, such is the way of things in Legend City. If it wasn’t the Slangs, it’d be a bout of sickness, a sharp knife in a blunt alley, or some other misfortune. So what if the city has added another murderous card to the deck? It was already stacked against you. The people mourn moderately, and then they move on.
The only folks truly bothered by it all are the handful of Stallian churches still present in the city. While Lerona Mere folk love their secrets like they love their children, they’re not keen on them growing up and spilling out, and so the forthright priests of the Sphere of Stars must walk a fine line. Churches are rare, and those that remain are beset. The Underfolk seem drawn to these sacred places; breaking windows in the night, absconding with icons that weren’t nailed down, and even some that were. Four priests of words and wonder have been found dead at their pulpits, every second finger gnawed off, infantile stars daubed on the flagstones with unknown ichor.
It’s a bad business. Everyone agrees on that. But what is there to be done?
It’s not like there are monsters beneath your feet.
Game Information
The cannibalistic humanoid creatures of pale skin and bloody eyes that live beneath Lerona Mere have gone from being local myth to just another danger within the City of Legends. Encounters with the beasts are rare, but not unheard of. When they are encountered, you are just as likely to have a bloody time of it, as you are to see them scamper off up to a rooftop or away into a sewer. Characters based in Legend City would have easily heard rumour of such encounters, or have a friend-of-a-friend who has had one. Such stories are eery and startling, but tinged with danger.
More than that, the following characters have had direct encounters with ‘The Underfolk’ this past season, they will receive additional information and traumatic wounds in their character packs:
- Remi Flambeur
- Diz de L’abime
- Louise Ze Orphan
- Delphine Delmare
As much as this danger is notable and interesting, it is hardly the most dangerous part of The Concord’s metropolis and has had no real effect on day-to-day living within the city. The people of Lerona Mere are durable like that. If the nature and habits of The Slangs continue as they are, it is unlikely to cause much of a fuss. But that is a hefty ‘if’.
There will be decisions regarding The Underfolk for the Senator of Lerona Mere, the High Priest of Stallia, and the Headmaster of the De Re School of Embers.
Those Who Ran Gave Way For Those Who Will Die
The heroes of Lerona Mere failed. A small thing, perhaps, to those who went. A single death, one of their own. A single spirit, freed and perhaps passed, but their memento misplaced. The gravemarker that tied their soul, unmoved and unaffected by the failures of those who came to fix it. All smiles, all laughs, and eventually, all fear.
The heroes of Lerona Mere panicked. They were fought off by the creatures of the night. Prowling beasts, ghouls, led by one of their own who displayed keen command and intelligence. Did this thing let them live? Let the heroes leave? Or were they strong enough to escape all their own? These heroes tell the tale the way they wish, but deep down that fear, that uncertainty, will taint them.
The heroes of Lerona Mere faltered. And, even despite the death of one who came to Summit to show their spirit and strength, they would not be the ones who suffer the consequences of their failure. No. That suffering would be for the people of Gafroza alone.
First, it was nothing but an animal. A stray dog. A household cat. A wandering goat, then sheep, then cow. Worrying, but perhaps the result of a pack of violent beasts, rather than something more sinister. After all, thought the people of Gafroza, surely the gravemarker and spirits were dealt with by the heroes? Surely, victory was claimed by their stoic hearts and minds.
It was the loss of a child when panic began to spread. This was no savage beast, claiming a kill in order to feed. No. This was something foul, many things rancid, that killed for the fear that would seep into the very souls of the people of Gafroza. Nothing could be caught, the town militia hopeless in the face of things that crept through the dark like it were a part of their very being. Whatever stalked Gafroza did so, unstoppable for so long as the attacks were indirect.
How many more needed to die? No answer would be forthcoming, for no one would ask the question. It had no point. No purpose. Is it fair to blame the heroes for their loss? Is the expectation set upon their shoulders far too weighty? Or is it not enough, and the weight must crush them so that they may learn. It matters not. The heroes will believe what they must, telling lies and truths as deemed fit for their own psyches.
In the month of August, near its end, the ghoulish threats on the town of Gafroza would come to a head with the burning of a single, important building. The Tyrant’s Curse, The Concord’s only active spy network, would be the true target of this leading thing of darkness and death. Its infrastructure would be damaged, members of its staff slain, and countless papers and documents stolen.
The Hangman had struck. It must be answered in kind.
Game Information
The Tyrant’s Curse, hidden in plain sight in Gafroza many years prior, has been damaged by an overt attack. The culprit, discovered to be an intelligent ghoul naming himself The Hangman, along with his band of less sentient but no less dead followers, are known, however briefly, to the heroes of Lerona Mere. They had been foiled by him just this past Summit.
The people and militia of Gafroza, let alone any number of heroes who reside there, would have tried to stop the ghouls from harassing the town. These efforts would fail, scenes of carnage found but no culprits, until the burning of the spy network itself. Characters from Gafroza who may have been present during this time are encouraged to tell stories of grim terror and lamentations at an inability to prevent them.
But not all is lost. The Tyrant’s Curse have dealt with ghouls before, and survivors manage to track down The Hangman in the short time it still dwells near Gafroza.
There will be a Skirmish sized Conflux at the coming Summit, led by The Spymaster of The Tyrant’s Curse, to attempt to slay The Hangman. Details will be revealed to The Spymaster at the coming Summit, including how many Souls may attend, but it can be expected that a number of these must be Lerona Mereian.
No investments are damaged, despite the acts of terror, representing the care and specificity arranged by The Hangman in doing so.
It must be Loricazzo. That place that borders Lake Isabella. That place that stood tall, across the shoreline, out of reach for so long to the young realm that claimed it from afar. That place where the lonely shadows flit across the streets and hide amongst the corners and cracks. It must be Loricazzo, for nowhere else in Mancante Terra could be so fitting for Lerona Mere to populate.
Under the word of the Senator of Mancante Terra, Jacques d’Zisseau, Lerona Mere was given permission to settle Loricazzo once more. To create it as the new capital, or at least the new beginning. The focus of civilian effort. The place to be, and to be made a home. Close to the old home, but firmly seated within a territory many have never set foot in. Grand in its own, unique way. Full of mystery, heart, and the room for Lerona Mere to give it new memories.
At first, the trickle of new settlers was slow. The eager few who had dreamt of stepping foot here for years. Those who smelled a new opportunity, or a new life, waiting in the warren of vertical streets. Some who just simply thought it interesting and strange. But as time passed, and no monsters appeared from the streets to eat the new settlers, more began to flood in.
In a matter of a short few months, Loricazzo had a population half the size of Mivara, and the number would simply keep rising the more time passed. Houses and dwellings would be claimed or passed out. Merchants, butchers, tanners, dock workers and yet more professions would find the space to perform their works. The Civil Service would set up offices, and even the Political Parties in power would find the time to make their presence felt in some permanent way. The first plot of farmland was tilled and the first seed planted.
Civilisation was coming to The City of Lonely Shadows for the first time in half a decade. And it was a beautiful, exciting thing.
Loricazzo is a large place. A city built upon a city, built upon a city. Like a warren of wood and stone, with houses and buildings built atop one another like foundations to a fortress wall. Rope and wood bridges connect the higher levels across the streets below, forming strange streets all their own, and layering the city with a verticality perfectly unique and perfectly difficult for newcomers to navigate. Pulleys and ladders, stairs and simple handholds, these are but a few of the creative ways that Lerona Mere traverses what soon came to be called Burrows.
It was unknown whether it was a play on the warren-like feeling of the city layout, or if it was a clever remark on the culture of their neighbours in The Iron Valley, but the name came about and was adopted far too quickly. Just as Legend City has districts all its own, the verticality of Loricazzo led to a layered system of Burrows. Almost like a building with many storeys, the city itself became divided into floors and levels, categorised by the growing local populace. No official name for each Burrow, nor a classified map, has been produced and likely will be produced until the population boom settles, but the concept sparks joy to its inhabitants all the same.
Of course, Loricazzo is not without secrets of its own. It was always deemed a strange place, and as its hidden places become known to the new locals, these hidden shadows have some light shed on them at last. As is the way of Lerona Mere, many of these are kept hidden but for a cost, or become a new secret to be kept from the prying eyes of others. Still, with such winding streets and staggering height, at its tallest reaching five storeys or Burrows, there was bound to be something to find somewhere. Most eerie, reported across a number of settled homes, was the penchant for a small shadow to form in the corners of rooms, no matter how well lit it was.
A small thing, and easily ignored for most.
Knowing now that Mandrianos, a truly cursed city, exists with its tainted and foul inhabitants, it was easy to simply ignore a shadow that did not move with the light. An eerie thing, sure, but there was plenty more to focus on and plenty more to be passionate and excited about. There were signs to make, structures to fix and rebuild, new neighbours to meet and greet. There was a city to be rebuilt, not entirely in terms of construction, but more so in terms of a people to inhabit it.
The people of Lerona Mere are nothing if not stubborn and up for a challenge. Loricazzo, at least, presents a challenge of a whole new kind. One far more enjoyable, exciting and utterly life-changing. Now, it just remains to be seen if this home can be held against those that would drag it back beneath the waves.
Game Information
Loricazzo is chosen as the current capital city of Mancante Terra by its Senator, and the people of Lerona Mere, and perhaps beyond, are heavily encouraged to move to it. Setting up a new life, and bringing a new life to the city itself. This is met with massive positivity, and the city gains new inhabitants almost every day. While still not settled enough to be called a truly full city, in just a Season or two more it is likely that it will contain more souls than Gafroza.
It is small, but Loricazzo begins to generate a small amount of tax income, reflecting its civilian population moving in and starting new lives.
Any Character wishing to exchange their current Investment for a new Tier 1 Investment within Marepato, the territory which Loricazzo is located within, may do so at the Exchange for a fee of 1 Lock this Summit, rather than the usual 2 Locks. It is important to remember that the only Investments that can be ‘moved’ without affecting Tier, are Military and Naval Investments.
There will be further decisions regarding Loricazzo for the Senator of Mancante Terra, and perhaps other Titleholders in addition.
I Burn for thee, Sweet Liberty
It began with quiet postings on temple doors and magistrate halls: the Council of Six had spoken. The Divine Church of Anarchia, self-proclaimed spiritual insurgents of Lerona Mere, had been declared heretical and blasphemous, the magistrates of Legend City instructed to act. And so came the knives of justice.
By decree, no case of Heresy or Blasphemy may proceed without ecclesiastic inquisition. This might have blunted the Magistrates’ blades, if not for the priests of Panoply, ever eager to rise to the moment. Their inquisition warrants now flutter on doors and lampposts across Redbrick, parchment tombstones bearing the names of those proud, or foolish, enough to be known as Anarchians to their neighbours and comrades. The priests of Anarch, by contrast, shrink from the task, their silence a quiet uncertainty about their own celestial allegiance for it had been the High Priestess of Panoply, A Lerona Mere by the name of Frances, who had penned this declaration for the Council of Six, no the High Priest of Anarch. This would be a charge of coinkissers against wayward flames.
At first, the process was swift. The low-hanging fruit of Anarchia; the loud believers, the visible sympathisers, the unfurtive faithful, were gathered and judged. Punishments ranged from fines and beatings to street floggings, doled out by cudgel and cord upon the stained stones of Redbrick. These were Blasphemers; those who had attended Anarchian sermons or held texts for themselves, and were punished as civil agitators. But true heresy, the communication and proselytisation of Anarchian beliefs, held darker punishment.
The first true heretic was Lucille De Voit, a former mage of the De Re School, now a wide-eyed revolutionary and priestess of the faith. When brought to trial, she spat sermons through clenched teeth. She named the Artebazzani Church “lie-belching ichor-cloaked bastards of the highest order” , and “Anarchia the only truth left to the people of Lerona Mere in a Concord that hates us”. For her defiance, her tongue was removed by a surgeon, her neck tattooed with the word HERETIC by a Priest of the Needle. Her home and writings were seized. Now, she wanders the Docklands, a mute ghost of conviction, her eyes sharp as flint but not a friend or ally to her name. Such is the punishment for Spheric heresy.
But the true heart of the fire still beats.
The De’Rosa twins, Lyam and Alexis, remain at large. The Second Anarchic, Alexis, has vanished. Some say she is beneath the city, others that she’s fled to the warfront. She has not been seen since the Autumn Summit. Her brother, Lyam De’Rosa, the First Anarchic, lingered longer. He gave a few final sermons then vanished, leaving his lieutenants to take the cudgel's bite. For weeks, it was assumed he had fled with Alexis. But now it seems the flame walks with purpose: he was seen on the road to Passage, bound not for hiding but for confrontation.
It appears Lyam means to stand trial at the Concordian Summit, to bring this heresy into the light, to bleed on the carpets of the Council of Six. Perhaps he believes the Council will flinch when forced to see the blood they drew. Or perhaps, like all true prophets, he cannot help but walk the gallows steps with a smile.
The final ember is still aglow. And everyone in the city knows: a little wind is all it takes to start a conflagration or warm the heart.
Game Information
Following the declarations by the Council of Six, the Church of Anarchia has been ‘legally disembowelled’, which is to say its numbers have been massively arrested, restricted, and punished.
Blasphemers (those who admit to believing Anarchian ideals, attending Anarchian events, and holding Anarchian texts) have been punished through physical beatings, floggings, and fines. These fines have not been insignificant and have raised 1 Vault, 10 locks for the Church coffers. At this stage there are none in Legend City that still wear their Anarchian flaming eye in public, but this may not be the case among the celebrity Heroes of Lerona Mere.
Heretics have been harder to wrangle. While the declaration supports the actions of the Magistrates, it lacks the impressive power of a Grand Inquest. As such the Magistrates arrest who they can but must treat their resources as a finite resource. Punishments of heretics are rare, but extreme. The takings from the confiscated resources of the Heretics have gained the Council of Six another vault in wealth.
The punishment of Heretics and Blasphemers has seen public speaking, recruitment, sermons, and mention of the Church of Anarchia drop to zero. While it is likely that a few hardcore believers and those lieutenants of Lyam De Rosa are still speaking privately in basements and cellars, only a Grand Inquest (costing 3 Vaults) will likely dig them out. It is unclear if these people will become a threat in the future (particularly given how wounded they are) but increased extremism through subjugation is not unheard of.
Alexis De Rosa is missing and has been for some time. A Grand Inquest into her location would be widespread and difficult as she could feasibly be anywhere within The Concord. Seeking Alexis De Rosa through Grand Inquest would cost 5 Vaults if her vague location cannot be ascertained. If the Senate can learn what region she is in, it would cost 3 Vaults. If they can learn what Territory she is in, it would cost 2 Vaults.
Lyam De Rosa is making things somewhat easier by simply presenting himself for punishment. The First Anarchic will be arriving at the Summit at some point, likely to preach and confront the Council of Six. If he is to be arrested and punished, he will need to be inquisitioned first. Any priest is invited to pen a motion of Inquisition for Lyam De Rosa.