Winds of the World - Winter 223

Winds of the World Homepage

Under the baking Summer sun, Esterra rages against itself. With magic and steel, coin and deceit, the imperial powers of Southern Esterra seek to unseat eachother with bloody consequences. Weakness is beginning to show in the sword arms and hearts of the people. Nations are beginning to crumble and fall to in-fighting. The strong are beginning to buckle under the weight of their successes. All watch The Concord, eager to see if The Winds of The World will strip it of its dignity and strength.

This past season has been a difficult one for The Concord; while there have been some shining moments of heroism, by and large it has been a slow grind towards survival and victory. Many battles were fought to a standstill in favour of Concordian defenders and many endeavours yielded unexpected or poorer results than hoped for. Strange maladies, magical effects, and conflicts appeared across The Concord; a hundred petty fires in need of putting out.

But in all of this, unity can be found: Valleyfolk hold the line in Mukarrem, Bordevarian Soldiers outfitted with Iron Valley steel defend The Baronies, and Andashi Warriors spend their Summer in high mountain climbs, mercenaries from across The Concord descend on Lerona Mere to earn their keep in the criminal conflict of The Docklands War; a strange form of Concordian unity.

There are those who move against The Concord from within and without. As the rains begin to fall and life returns to the land, we all question if The Concord can continue to stand firm. The future is in your hands.

Lie and Knives in the Capital

All Characters, The Senate

Gossip abounded throughout The Concord as the events of the Summer Summit 222 gained grandeur and mystery with each retelling. Some said that more than half of The War Chamber was made up of assassins, others said that criminal gangs controlled The Exchange, even more said that the Concordian Heroes were possessed by spirits that lure them to commit acts of great violence. Regardless of truth, The Civil Service scrambled to control rumour, recruit magistrates and bring the heart of The Concord back under control.

As the Winter Summit approaches, notice after notice can be found on taverns and waystations all around the capital - new programs, new titles and new opportunities. The Civil Service is pulling all of its available tools together in an attempt to present a strong face of law and order, before the image of the Concordian Hero is irretrievably besmirched.

Firstly, the Civil Service will match wages for any Senatorial Bodyguard up to the value of Two Locks per Summit, as long as the Senator can prove that their Bodyguard has been with them throughout the Summit. Mercenaries across The Concord see the enterprise as a perfect opportunity to line their coffers, while as many more curse the increased difficulty of getting closer to a Senator.

Secondly, The Magistrates of Passage declare that they will be dispersing some of their powers during the Summit to Officers of the Passage Watch. A Captain of the Watch is to be chosen by the Magistrates by application. This Captain will receive a stipend and the dispensation to recruit deputies, investigate crimes and assist magistrates with law enforcement during the Summit.

Finally, the title of Health Guardian has been embroiled in a series of disputes due to its perceived illegitimacy. Questions from the Magistrates, Constitutional Experts and even Church have caused the title to be stricken before it enters use.

Game Information

Senators who are interested in applying to the Bodyguard stipend are instructed to attend the Hub on the first and last days of the Summit, first to register their bodyguard and then to receive the funds.

The title of Captain of the Watch has been created. Characters interested in the title will be nominated by Senators on the first night of The Summit, with Magistrates selecting the winner. The Captain of the Watch will serve a one year term and will have a wide variety of powers, including the ability to deputise Officers of the Watch.

The Health Guardian title, created at the end of last Summit, has been responsible for a considerable amount of confusion and concern from the community and Concord team due to its similarity to OOC health practices and clarity of use at game. With this in mind the Concord Team has elected to not include it in the game.

A More Mundane Missive

The Foreign Service

Not all who would visit Passage are Panoply Spirits out to balance the scales, or Concordian Heroes seeking their destiny. Passage has grown in notoriety over the last two years as The Concord in general and the Summits in particular have become more widely known.

Over the Summer a steady trickle of Dendarri ships docked in Lerona Mere, offloading goods of the far away Esterran nation, notably Bloodglass and Suns Iron, and taking on local supplies of alcohol, crystal mana and herbs. The trade was visible but not particularly notable given the overall amount of local trade through the port. More notable was the garish trireme which disgorged its armoured and alcoholic cargo onto the port.

Polemnios Agos, renowned adventurer of Kameiros has landed in Lerona Mere and made it clear that it is his intention to head to Passage and attend the Summit. Polemnios is well known up the East coast of Esterra as a colourful character prone to displays of wealth and bravado in equal measure. Regardless of the particulars of his plan, Polemnios has made it clear he intends to meet with the Ambassador to the Dendarri Nations in the afternoon of the Summit’s second day.

A small, well-garbed and well-protected delegation has made its way from Weiland township. The Concord’s premier tailoring house ‘The Cloakmakers Guild’ has sent representatives to the Summit with information they will not share with those they pass on the road. But given their speed and intensity, it is likely that they intend to arrive on the Summit's first eve. While they have kept their work close to the well-tailored chest, they have made it clear they wish meetings with the Senators of Weiland and Bolsterlee.

Game Information.

Two sets of notable mortal attendees are making their way to Passage this Summit as far as the Civil Service is aware. The listed title-holders should be prepared to receive them and any characters within interest in either The Cloakmakers Guild or the Dendarri Nations should make efforts to contact them during their time at The Summit.

The Meddling of Wizards

All Characters, The Shardcircle.

To be a mage is to wield the immense power of the arcane, but for many members of The Shardcircle it feels more like they wield the immense power of the bureaucrat. Unfortunately this Summer has been little different.

The Andashi School of Gifts, led by the outspoken Azura Del’Solis, once again delved into the art of alchemy. In the past the Spire of Alchemy has worked to create potions to treat Blasserstreit, and once again it worked to cure one of The Concord’s Ailments. ‘Leechbane’ is responsible for two things; a new defence against Illsevir Leeches based off of the common ‘Ironblood Tonic,’ and for causing a school-wide conflict over ‘Leach’ versus ‘Leech.’ Thankfully, the conflict is over before an embarrassing grammar mistake can sweep The Concord.

Meanwhile the grand powers of The Arcline have been conjured within The Greenweald. By aligning leylines across The Concord and fueling the focus through the machinations of The Arcline, The Shardcircle have empowered the leylines of Resinderholz in particular, granting the owners of these investments a great boon

Finally, Magi from across The Concord flock to Passage as the Winter Summit nears. For it has been two years since the last Shardcircle Tournament was called and The Shardcircle Cup needs new names added to its form! A chance for magi to prove their intellect, cunning and mettle, as well as make a considerable amount of money.

Game Information

Ironblood Tonic has been replaced with Leechbane. Any character who knew Ironblood Tonic now knows Leechbane. Any other character with the Alchemist skill can learn Leechbane in the normal fashion.

The Arcline has been aligned to empower Leylines in Resinderholz to a minor amount, granting each Leyline in Resinderholz three additional Crystal Mana this season.

The Shardcircle Tournament is being held this Summit. Mages will be able to sign up for the cost of 1 Crystal Mana during the first night of the Summit inside the Shardcircle. The first event will be the following morning. There are three events in total.

In the Land of Plenty

The Tribelands/ Andash

Obregon, despite its newness and its history, truly forms the heart of the new Andashi peoples. The City of Spires is a place of plazas, switchback stairs, cafes and trading houses. A Lerona Mere of the desert, if less than half the size. The Tribelands was given for sacrifice two years ago, but it was never a question that Obregon would be held. Money from the Senate, rich merchants, well-meaning priests, and the powerful Janissaries guild have further increased the wealth of the city, despite its looming destruction and arcane maladies.

But now these maladies have been pushed from the wall. The curse of Brother Ash, the army of Sister Oak and the conquering of the Zekartaal have been cut down. For the first time in two years the entire Tribelands falls under the control of the Andashi people. Of course, this is somewhat a burden as much damage and looting has been done. But the Andashi know how to search through the ashes for something of worth; this will be no different to that. They have found opportunity in the dawn of a conquered night.

A powerful fortress of Gold rises from the sands of The Tanebar Sea. Not only does this stop Zekartaal raiders from flanking Concordian forces in the North, but also draws pilgrims up from the South. Many merchants, socialites, and ambitious hopefuls visit the Golden Fortress of Panoply from Obregon. It is only the priests that find much welcome. Those who call themselves ‘Del Panoply’ are granted a meeting with the enigmatic commander of the fortress. What transpires within is surely a boon for them and them alone.

The city is overflowing with architects, trade princeps, and magi who would see the considerable wealth stored there put to good use. Specifically, put to their good use. While this amount of competitive disagreement is good for business, it is bad for progress. Plans, proposals, perspectives and policies begin to pile up at the councils of government and The Andashi School of Gifts. None are resting on their laurels but there may be a bit of sorting to be done.

Finally, the main archaeological expedition underway, The Kodiri Temple, is being met with small breakthrough after small breakthrough. Delvers leagues across The Tribelands are gathering up any scrap of information like diamonds, fretting over maps of new chambers and trying to decode the mysteries of the Temple complex. The first deliveries of ancient artefacts are being retrieved and categorised while the next stages of excavation are looming.

If one is focused on watching the dawn and the horizon, The Tribelands is a good place to be.

Game Information

There will be a number of decisions and construction opportunities for The Tribelands at this coming Summit as large amounts of the region have only just reentered Concordian Control. These will be available for the Champion of Andash, the Senator of The Tribelands and The Headmaster of The Andashi School of Gifts

Andashi priests of Panoply will find additional information in their character bag relating to a meeting with the Commander of the Fools Gold Fortress in The Tribelands. If you decide that your character is unlikely to have attended this meeting it can be discarded.

The continued dig at Kodiri Temple has begun to yield results. Characters who assisted with the dig will receive the first parts of this bounty in their character bags in the form of minerals, magical items and information, chosen randomly with Andashi Delvers receiving additional rewards. There will be some items from Kodiri Temple available for public auction. There will be continued decisions for the Kodiri Temple excavation for the Senator of The Tribelands, The Headmaster of the Andashi School of Gifts, and any Andashi Delvers based in Tribelands.

The Black Bell Tolls For Ye

The Tribelands/ Andash

If you have the heart to look beyond the dawn, to consider the darkness to come and to fear the darkness beneath you, then you will know that all is not well in The Tribelands.

Over the Summer the sands of The Tribelands drank deep the blood of friend and foe alike. The Rivers of Blood ceremony, performed by The Bordevarian Light of Lumos sect, caused wounds of any kind within the region to bleed profusely and dangerously throughout Summer. While not impossible to treat, it was difficult. Across the battlefields both the Zekartaal and soldiers of The Concord died in greater numbers than before, with wounds impossible to staunch with limited supplies. It is likely that without this enchantment Sister Oak would have been defeated but not shattered. Her army would have fled north in good order rather than as a fractured mess.

But the hungry sands were not picky for what hearts they stopped. Construction accidents in Obregon claim more lives than ever before. Nomads scratching their arms on brambles while travelling find themselves bedridden. Delvers abandon their work wholesale as the risks are simply too great. As the enchantment fades the people of Andash question if it was worth it. Oak is defeated and her army routed, but loved ones are lost by Bordevarian magic without their consent.

Above all of this is a dark presence. A looming malevolence in the north. Hidden within the brambles and valleys of The True Wilds is a vast flat salt plain. Cruelly-formed black iron barbs the size of wagons are scattered across it, growing in number until they form an impenetrable ring of bloody spines. Within this ring stands a tower as tall as any within Obregon. Made of the same black iron, its open windows moaning in the wind as if the architecture itself laments its form. Those adventurers who have ventured to the Tower in The Wilds have trouble remembering what it looks like, what is within it, and what it did to them. This strange enchantment of unknowing has clouded the tower from sight until now. Something has shifted over the Summer and the tower, its plain and its darkening shadow, is perceivable now.

Be it the spirit of the Andashi people, the blood of the Zekartaal or perhaps the light of Lumos, it matters not. The Tower in the Wilds reaches out into the minds of some Andashi who call The Tribelands home. Dreams cloud their sleep and images of the place that cannot be remembered wedge themselves in their waking hours like a barb.Hope, blood and dreams; such is life in The Tribelands.

Game Information

The presence of the Rivers of Blood enchantment has supported Concordian efforts to defeat Sister Oak this season and has also done damage to The First Banner of Bordevar that fought in the region. But it has also taken its toll from the civilians of the region. While not always deadly, the enchantment is one of the most dangerous The Concord knows, leading to many surgeons having worked around the clock to save lives. Andashi surgeons based in The Tribelands tell stories of long nights in impromptu wards tending to injuries and similar maladies

Some characters who are based in The Tribelands will find that they have a traumatic wound in their character bag. The Rivers of Blood that flow under the sands of The Tribelands have made life even more dangerous this past season and these wounds reflect persistent injuries sustained during the over Summer that have been enduring in their resistance to healing, frequently reopening, returning or becoming infected. Hopefully the skilled doctors of Passage will be able to offer respite.

The presence of the Tower in the Wilds is being felt more than ever before. Previously the tower's enchantment against memory has held it shrouded in mystery, but something appears to have changed. The tower can now be spoken about openly although anyone who approaches onto the Plane of Barbs cannot remember what transpires there. Some characters based in The Tribelands will receive additional information in their character packs to reflect the influence of The Tower in the Wilds. There will be an important decision for all Andashi in regards to the Tower in the Wilds this Summit.

If the Darkness of a Thousand Suns

Mukarrem / TheIdrian Cabal

The sounds of hooves on hard-baked soil followed by the slap of sandals broke the still Summer's day. Hidalgo was always doing this, running away from the rest of the herd. Firi’s mother said that ‘He had a nomadic heart’; Firi just thought the old buck was senile. He leapt on the old goat which let out a defiant and choked ‘BRA-’ before the pair of them landed in the dirt, scrabbling for supremacy. As Firi stood a moment later, his wayward goat bundled up in his arms, he spotted a strange scene.

Ahead of him, quite a bit away, was a man in a strange sleeveless white and gold robe. He had long grey hair swirling around him in a tempest. There were strange red stones around him, nearly as tall as he was. It felt like all the wind in the world was rushing to meet him, fluttering past Firi and Hidalgo.

There was a tearing noise, like a sail splitting its seams, and a line of inky blackness spread from the figure into the sky, further than Firi could see. The wind began to rip up and into it, threatening to pull Hidalgo from Firi’s grasp. The goat continued to bleat and bleat, terrified.

Slowly the line turned, revealing itself to be an infinitely thin circle in profile, slowly revealing its massive form to the world. Firi could see clumps of earth, spare twigs and prairie mice shooting up towards it like arrows. He couldn’t hear anything, not even Hidalgo, over an all encompassing roar somewhere between a tornado and the chime of a massive bell.

The roaring disc hung in the air high above, shading the space in an eerie full-night darkness with daylight visible on the horizon all around. In its harsh darkness Firi could see glowing orbs dancing in the space and then Hidalgo, as the aged goat sped upwards and free of his arms. Crackling spiderwebs of nothingness beyond darkness crept in from the edges as the disc’s roar grew in pitch to a deafening scream. In moments the disk was purely nothing. It simply couldn’t be looked at, the land around it covered in darkness.

And then it was gone.

Colour swept back into the world, the un-darkness of the creation gone. With a bleating ‘Waaah’ Hidalgo dropped to the ground. Firi rushed to pick up the goat and see if it was alive, it was, and, aside from a twitching shudder, it appeared uninjured. The two ran as fast as their old bones and young feet could carry them. Around them colour swept across the plain. Grasses returned to their pale summer yellow, then a vibrant spring green and began to grow and twirl in on themselves, forming hands, perfect circles and words. But still they ran. The sand grew cold and frosted over in parts, before melting and sizzling off. But still they ran.

The man was gone now, along with his red stones. But there is no telling what he left behind.

In accordance with their agreement, the Idrian Cabal has completed an experiment in central Mukarrem. Rumours abound on what it accomplished, if anything, but firm answers are rare. The Idrian Cabal retains a settlement near the site where they are continuing to explore the effects of whatever they did. Wanderers who have approached the site report strange terrain where the plants shift in unfelt winds, colours appear too vibrant and strange buildings can be seen within its bounds that are there one minute and gone the next.

Game Information

None

Sunder the Binding

Andash

“We were promised an Andash where sun and moon were two sides of the same coin,

but we find a reality where the coin is all that matters.

Our homes are offered as sacrifices to foreign heretics

while Senators cannot even follow through on their promises to us.

Our shrines are given up without a fight, while our wealth flows into the cities and towns.

The Divine and the mortal were moved to save Nazafeza and The Tribelands

while our children were told to abandon their way of life.

The Concord does not care for those who wander.

So we shall care for ourselves.

We were promised an Andash where sun and moon were two sides of the same coin.

So we will melt down the coin, and sunder our moon from their sun.”

Against the backdrop of arcane experimentation, hostile invasion and high-seas adventure, the conflict between the settled Andashi and the nomadic clans of Mukarrem has worsened over the Summer. After two years of deliberation, slight and sacrifice, it appears that the nomadic clans and tribes of Mukarrem have reached the end of their patience.

Their absence was difficult to perceive at first. When no traders came to the ruins of Nazafeza it was hardly a surprise, as damaged as it was. But those few merchants who dealt with The Cattle Clans, the roving hunters, and the travelling priests, found them missing most often, and refusing to engage in trade even when found. Those few who were encountered were adorned with strange braids of deep blue and rust orange fabric. This was thought to be of little consequence; the tribes were always strange.

But things grew more concerning as Summer wore on.

The workings of The Idrian Cabal were constantly observed by what the magi called ‘Warbands of Painted Raiders’. Daubed in this same deep blue and orange, these nomadic warriors carried themselves in the style of Shesti; a discipline of combat unseen for nearly two hundred years. Painted in bright colours, carrying many weapons and lightly armoured, The Idrian Cabal was forced to hire mercenaries from the nearest settlement: Obregon. This unfortunate situation resulted in Andashi city Janissaries facing off against nomadic Shesti over the plains of Mukarrem, many priests offering prayers to Cervitas that it did not come to blows.

The situation grew worse when Concordian Prospectors were turned back by armed warriors at Mitricasa Rise. Sent by the Civil Service to catalogue the large deposits of Arcstone found in the foothills that make up the Mitricasa Rise, these prospectors were turned back at swordpoint by more Shesti. Non-Andashi were simply told to leave but those who carried the history of the sands were told to stay and questioned. Two Andashi who identified with a city-name or carried themselves with a city bearing were relieved of their goods and sent to join their companions in their smallclothes. Three who identified with a nomad-name were taken deeper into the Rise and did not rejoin their companions. None of them have been seen since.

The final moment was reported by The Valley’s Own after departing their camps on the outskirts of Nazafeza. The Iron Valley Warriors told stories of being followed, almost escorted, from Mukarrem by a vast host of nomad warriors. Not as numerous as The Valley’s Own, even after their battles with Majiid’s forces, but a concerningly large force that did not follow them past The Salt Road. The leader of this nomad army was seen meeting with the commander of The Valley’s Own, the Huscarl known as Thorn, but what they discussed remains unknown.

Between flame, failure, fell sorcery, and fear, Mukarrem has turned to a wild frontier in the last two years. Its future rests on a knife edge and it remains to be seen if The Concord can navigate this knife edge. Recent history shows this to be unlikely.

Elsewhere in Andash deep blue and orange braids have begun to appear here and there: among the refugee nomads of The Tribelands returning to lands recently reclaimed from the Zekartaal; among the priests who will attempt to sanctify Abqala once again; among those who have lost so much. Even small numbers of Shetsi have appeared, barefoot and daubed with bright paint. There is a growing cause in Andash that threatens the nation's very heart.

Game Information

A force of Andashi Nomad Separatists have taken control of part of Mukarrem that includes the Mitricasa Rise and parts of the Priado Expanse, including the Shrine of Maloza. The group is well armed and has made multiple demonstrations of strength throughout the region, has accosted some Concordian officials, and has stifled trade leaving the region but no actual combat has been reported. Concordian hold in Mukarrem has decreased notably.

Continued disadvantage by Nomadic Andashi across The Tribelands and Mukarrem has given support to this movement, calling themselves the ‘Al’Mai’. With support shown by wearing braids of dark blue and rust orange, adorning themselves with bright paint and engaging in old nomad cultural beliefs. Characters wishing to support the Al’Mai cause can include a braid in their costume.

Any Andashi character can take the Special Downtime Action “Support the Al’Mai” in the coming season. Doing so will yield less resources than normal as supplies are given to the burgeoning separatist movement but the characters will receive additional information and opportunities from the Al’Mai. It is within the power of the Senate to declare supporting the Al’Mai treason. There will be decisions to be made by The War Chamber, Senate, Church and other Titles in regards to the Al’Mai.

The Beast Bought and Paid For

Kingdom of Bordevar/ Weiland

Across south-western Weiland the common folk are blocking their doors and lighting their lanterns, and sharpening their pitchforks; a monster prowls the fields.

Evicted from the Wolfden Woods by might or magic, the oafish monster has already ruined two silos full of barley, eaten half a herd of goats (and their juvenile shepherd) as well as assaulting the Shrine of the Silent Gathering with a club and horns. With a stony hide, gaping toothed maw and dangerous strength, locals have taken to calling the creature ‘The Wolfden Brute’.

The creature’s predations appear largely focused in the south-west of Weiland as it currently stands but it could become a considerable threat. However, the creature benefits from a strange boon; local legal custom.

Any creature of the Wolfden Woods is legally the property of The Duke of Heartsgrave unless some other agreement has been reached. A strange piece of local particulars designed to foil poachers and protect trophy hunts, the result has left this dangerous nuisance temporarily safe from interference aside from loud hooting and hollering.

Among all of this, the commandments of Duke Aylan have been heard. Support for The Concord’s wars at the cost of our own Wilderness and plans for an Academy of Martial skill. Members of the Duke’s household make their way across the region enacting this decree for good or ill.

Game Information

A notable monster is causing all sorts of nuisance in South West Weiland after emerging from the Wolfden Woods. It has damaged some investments in the area particularly belonging to the following characters:

• Alterian Viktas - Farm
• Badulf Forester - Wilderness

There will be decisions related to the creature for the Duke of Heartsgrave.

By the decree of Duke Aylan of Heartsgrave, boon has been given to Heartsgrave military investments and bane to Heartsgrave Wilderness investments. All Heartsgrave military investments will produce an additional Lock this past season if whole or will be automatically repaired if damaged, while all Wilderness investments will produce half as many measures as normal.

Tusks of the Boar

Iron Valley, Kingdom of Bordevar

The Concord continues to struggle to forge strong relations with the evasive and crude Boars Head Clan, Iron Valley descended folk living in the coldest reaches of the Steinvault Mountains. After a meeting during the Summer that failed to reach a deal, representatives of The Iron Valley and of Bordevar hoped to meet with the Boar Clan to exchange greetings and understandings.

They were left standing on a windswept hill, ignored and abandoned.

It appears that the Boars Head have little interest in engaging with The Concord beyond their current agreements. As storms and snow begin to ravage the Steinvault mountains with Winter’s arrival, none expect the Boars Head to reveal themselves. At the same time, Summiters from Heinsgraf and those daring enough to enter the Steinvaults are beginning to go missing. Those who do return report being observed by hooded figures in the snow and sleet. They tell tales of ambushes and blood-slick ice.

Meanwhile in Southern Weiland, Kings Rangers are gathering in Arbington. While the out-of-the-way settlement is often home to a considerable force of the nations Peacekeepers and Bountyhunters, they have eyes elsewhere. Wanderers and herbalists tell of the deep groves of the Wolfden Woods being logged, with whole glades being torn up. Some even report bearded and shabbily clothed men chasing them away with axes. Foreboding to say the least.

Beware the Boar.

Game Information

Attempts to parley with The Boars Head Clan have failed, although the exact reasoning of why remains unknown. Given the effect of Winter on the Steinvaults it is unlikely that the Boars Head will be seen at the Winter Summit or in the lands around their homes, giving The Concord some needed time to formulate some sort of policy in regards to these odd folk.

There will be decisions for the Reeves Council, The Champion of the Valley and The Champion of The King in regards to the Boars Head Clan this Summit.

Bear Your Soul

Iron Valley

As winter draws closer and closer it does not bode well for the Valley. Rather than a gentle blanket of snow that calmly adorns the high places like a fine wool cloak, brittle sleet and cold winds blow down from the Steinvaults. A Stormgrey winter as the elders call it and a bad omen. They say that during Stormgrey winters bears get woken from their caves and prowl the towns looking for children to eat. During these times, such stories seem painfully true.

A year ago across the Iron Valley priests were cursed by powerful magicks, their bodies shifted into half-bear monstrosities that attacked their brethren with murderous intent. Since then the ‘Cult of the Stone Bear’ has been revealed. A heretical pagan cult of Valleyfolk worshipping the ‘Stone Bear’ one of the Valley’s Old Gods. Agents of this cult have been found in both Bolsterlee and Windholme, descending from hidden valleys in these mountains, bringing with them unknown magic and a frozen desire to see the Valley throw off the Church of the Spheres.

Following maps taken from captured cultists, warriors of the Valley ascended into Valleys of the Western Steinvaults, looking for a temple below the mountain top, a place where the Great Stone Bear would be awoken by this Stormgrey Winter. The tales of those journeys are theirs alone but it appears all has not been well.

Perhaps it was hubris, perhaps it was bloodthirst, perhaps it was the savagery of piety, but something was missed in the work of The Concordian Heroes. While they felt confident they had located the Cathedral of the Great Bear, they misunderstood its plans. They were not ready for the open hand and the crushing claw that had come.

Across Bolsterlee and Windholme beasts act strangely. Deer and elk approach homesteads more readily, fish swim slowly and rabbits wander in the late afternoon rather than early evening. For a brief period of time hunters and trappers do a roaring trade as animals, seemingly dumbstruck by fate and simple prey. But just as quickly as the boon is felt it is replaced with hatred. Bears descend from their hibernation and attack cabins in a rage. Wolves pursue shepherd children in the Cildfrau foothills and foxes hunt cats on the outskirts of villages. But this too passes.

As winter draws the Valley into its embrace the cult has one last gift. Across Bolsterlee and Windholme small statues, barely larger than a chicken, of resting bears are found. Carved from high mountain stones, the statues are crude but the message is clear. Worship or we shall unleash the Valley upon you. Worship and you will be made bountiful.

Game Information

As a Stormgrey winter descends the Great Stone Bear Cult appears to have escaped the Valleyfolk’s plans. Between a vengeful bloodlust and confusion over written records, the Bear Cult has been able to bring their influence down on the Valley, high and low. Every Iron Valley investment will suffer reduced production in the Summer Summit as the Stormgrey Winter settles in. Rather than snow filled fields and calm clear nights, the Valleyfolk prepare for landslides, floods and storms.

However, each Valleyfolk investment may opt to ‘Worship the Stone Bear’, which will remove this reduction and may even provide benefit. This option may be chosen during downtime submission after the Summit but the amount of Worship will certainly have effects.

There will be decisions for the Senator of Windholme in regards to results of last Summit's investigation.

New Docks, Old Memories

Bolsterlee, The Iron Valley

In south-western Bolsterlee, not far from where the Woodswater River lets out into the Bay of Promised Gold, a new township grows. A simple place of a couple hundred inhabitants; refugees from the West, repatriated Banishedfolk, and even some first-generation Valleyfolk who have left other realms behind in exchange for the call of Iron. This strange settlement is a rarity in The Valley; a new settlement built on its own sweat and strength rather than the bones and plans of Ancestors long passed.

While the settlement is growing, there are already two locations of note;

Jutting out into the Bay of Promised Gold like spindly wooden arms are a series of docks. Barely more than jetties, these constructions are already covered in new nets, fishing poles and carpenters tools. A single Valleyfolk longship bobs contentedly, lashed to the pilings. This new settlement has given a new home to the Jarls and any other Valleyfolk who would return to the sea as they once did in the East.

Even more humbly is a small stone mural in the centre of the town's earthen gathering place. It depicts a set of surgeon's tools resting against a broken shield. Beneath it a carving reads the towns name, the year of its founding and some simple words;

“Jaalstead, Established 223 AE. Heal the wounded, protect the endangered and remember the lost. In memory of Jal’maer Feldswyn”

Game Information

The establishment of Jaalstead in Southern Bolsterlee has continued the economic growth of the region. While it remains to be seen if the new settlement will grow in size to any notable amount, it does provide new opportunities to Valleyfolk across The Concord, particularly those with interests at sea.

During the Winter Summit, any Iron Valley character may exchange their current investment for a tier 1 Naval Investment based in Bolsterlee for no cost. While the dock in Jaalstead is present, it is not capable of supporting mass trade at this point. Due to this the region does not count as containing a ‘Trade Port’ so Naval Investments based there held by non-Iron Valley characters will function at 50% reduced result.

Tears of a Slaughtered Earth

Bolsterlee, The Iron Valley, Athermers Folly

Obrin crossed his arms and scowled as he took in the expanse of land before him. The Woodswater River slowly poured through the landscape, its angry energy spent far upstream. The clear water mixed with the muddy Bolsterlee River and flowed out into the bay. It was close enough that Obrin could hear the gulls and gentle waves in the distance.

But the Woodswater was sick. Worse, it was a pox. Either side of the river for nearly twenty paces nothing was growing. The trees that were still standing were gnarled corpses, hanging over the river like the ribs of a dead man. A whole dead beaver wallowed in the mud next to his boot. It was untouched by scavengers and when he moved it with his boot it expelled a messy deluge of puss and corpse-gas.

He watched the water flow onwards, a foetid funeral procession. He looked out over the distant waves and watched fishermen haul in their first catch from the bay.

---

Something is wrong in Athermers Folly. The mine barely recovered from the attack of the Grain and Grail in the season past, but something has festered within the mine's waterlogged bowels. With the Woodswater River flowing through the mine and downstream it has carried this sickness with it. While the farthest frontier of Bolsterlee is largely uninhabited save for border guards who watch out the Illsevir, it has rendered the mine nearly abandoned. Many of the workers who didn’t fall ill to the mystery sickness have fled, returning to Strivington or Jaalstead with stories of a Plague and the sickness it brought.

Game Information

The true danger and damage of this disaster is probably still unknown. What has been seen is that border guards have had to retreat from their posts, opening territory to Illsevir raids. Athermers Folly stands abandoned, producing no Mithril. There are decisions for the Deed Holder of Athermers Folly, Bolsterlee Senator and Champion of the Valley in regards to this circumstance.

Fortress of Profitable Malady

Lerona Mere, The Church, Panoply

Across The Concord the gaze of The Spheres was felt as sharply as any ray of sun this past season. Some of this was in response to Concordian efforts - the Fortresses of Gold in The Tribelands and Lerona Mere - others appear to be entirely spontaneous. Regardless, not all of it appears to be beneficial.

In Lerona Mere a Keep of Gold arose from the soil north-east of the city along the road to Mivara. The intent of the priests that summoned it was to match the fortress in The Tribelands; to defend Lerona Mere against The Shark alongside the twin fleets sailing up the Fiorenza River. But the fortress summoned in Lerona Mere was deeply odd.

Somehow, the golden fortress rusted in the Summer sun. Its brass guardians spent as much time waylaying merchants travelling between Mivara and the city,, as they do battling the forces of the Illsevir. When the rusted ramparts of gold fell from the high walls they melted into mercury and poisoned the wells nearby. At night the Fortress produced a strange green glow that could be seen for miles around. When Autumn finally approached and the fortress faded away, effects persist in the lands it stood that were malady for travellers. Merchant wagons passing along that road cracked axles spontaneously near the area of the old fortress. Locks magically reverted to Keys (not always at correct conversion rates), and businesses as far as Mivara reported that their work had been disrupted by phantom bookings made in the name of long-dead heroes. It appears a prosperity haunting took root in western Lerona Mere.

Rumours abound that this haunting had done more than just disadvantage the merchants of Lerona Mere. A being had been seen across western Lerona Mere, reported as far west as Andashi merchant camps in The Gap. Hooded and cloaked, wrapped in a smoke of rust and blood, bearing a golden mask and divine powers. This being appeared in taverns, merchant combines, or simply in town squares across the region and demanded that those who had debts were brought before it. Through divine inquisition it reckons these deals, and curses those with outstanding credit, with favours owed or with escaped bounties.

Gruesome rumours followed of chronic defaulters wracked with painful spasms on tavern floors before its golden visage, their corpses buried with their outstanding debts. Then the being was gone as soon as it arrived. Over the Summer the creature gained a following; followers of Panoply and bankers who herald the creature as a balancing of the scales. They have dubbed the being ‘The Dead Reckoner’ and flock as quickly as they can to where it has been seen. It has proven difficult to track the being, but all agree it draws nearer to Passage with each passing day.

Game Information

While the Fools Gold Fortress in Lerona Mere served its role in defending from The Shark, its ill-fated summoning had numerous negative effects. It remains unclear if these effects are temporary or if they have become part of the land itself. It is likely that the High Priest of Panoply will have decisions in regards to this.

Due to this prosperity-haunting, businesses in Lerona Mere will find that they have produced less in this past season. Characters who operate businesses in Lerona Mere may have tales of strange economic happenings, such as unexplained spikes in costs, phantom bookings appearing in the names of the dead, streaks of bad luck, and being fined by the brass soldiers of the phantom citadel.

The being known as The Dead Reckoner draws closer to Passage and its appearance at the Summit is almost certain. Those who are owed actions, words or funds may find it beneficial to seek out the creature, so that they might use its power to balance their scales. Those who find themselves owing might seek the Reckoners clemency to buy more time. Priests of Panoply in particular have to tackle with the question either to either support the Reckoner as a manifestation of Panoply or to oppose the creature. But beware treating the Reckoner with flippancy or disregard; as it has killed before.

High Tides

Lerona Mere

‘The Docklands War’

A phrase known across The Concord but the conflict’s truth and its perception are wildly different. The phrase conjures up images of a district aflame, of ships sinking at dock, and of heartless cutthroats shaking down orphans on street corners for their looted goodies.

In reality The Docklands War is a multi-layered conflict of loyalty, morality, and greed. Protection rackets slamming into each other over turf, but buildings left untouched (it’s bad for business). Ships loading stolen cargo with completed ledgers and signed off customs seals (forged of course). It is a conflict that surely is taking lives, but to think it an open slaughter is incorrect.

At least for now.

There is pressure growing in The Docklands. The lines in the sand have not shifted overmuch since the conflict began with the battles along The Promenade. Surely some of the gang leaders would have fallen by now? Surely we would be inches closer to an end to things?

It appears not. While The Docklands continue to intensify, this pattern of events has been noticed outside Lerona Mere. The growing national embarrassment that is The Docklands War is a very different experience for Lerona Mere heroes who have to face the scorn of nations with less cutthroat culture, let alone standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some that might be perpetuating it.

As Winter draws near the knives are beginning to shine in the darkness and in the hearts of Lerona Mere. The warriors of The Docklands are unsated by the lack of bloodshed. The citizens of the wider nation are unsated by the lack of justice. The Concord is watching.

Will the Docklands War grow larger? Will a bloody crackdown sweep the city? Or has it proven its usefulness?

Game Information

The Docklands War continues to wage in Lerona Mere, a violent criminal conflict between local gangs and fighters. Lerona Mere Warbands will be given the option to partake, with a dossier being delivered to them early in the Summit.

There will be opportunities to increase the scale of the Docklands War (resulting in greater rewards but also greater risk) or crack down on the Docklands War (attempting to force its end), this Summit. These opportunities will be available to the Warbands involved in the Docklands War, The Champion of the Revolution and The Senator of Lerona Mere.

Where There is No Vision

Lerona Mere

“Liro told me this would let me see Khalina again. He said that he saw his mother after she died,” rambled the boy. The room was dark and reeked of stale smoke and the sea at low tide. In the distance one could hear gulls and the shouts of deckhands.

“I’m not telling you it’ll show you shit boy,” snarled the Voyager, his chapped lips spitting out the final word as he turned around. The brass dish clattered to the table between them, its rim caked with a pink-brown residue not unlike salt.

“I’m telling you that the storm will show you what it has inside it. It’ll show you flashes of light so bright they’ll burn your eyes from your damned skull. It’ll show you the dead and how they rot beneath the waves.” The man with the storm-grey eyes leaned forward over the smaller form of his would-be customer.

“It’ll show you the end of the fuckin’ world.”

The boy fumbled for his keys and the Voyager smiled a whaler's smile, all broken teeth and bloodlust. He filled the dish with the sweet-smelling alchemical mixture and the larger crystals of mana. Together they would walk the waves. Together they would know the storm. Starting a journey that grows with more wind every time you board.

They would become Voyagers together.

-====-

The alchemical concoction known as ‘Stormseeker’ has found a home in Lerona Mere, indeed within The Concord as a whole. No other import from The Twinblade Confederacy has been so firmly accepted within Legend City, but Stormseeker itself has begun to raise some interesting questions and worrying concerns.

A growing population of alchemists within Lerona Mere have become known as ‘Voyagers’, dedicated to the creation of Stormseeker and the visions that it produces. Recognised by the sigil of a hand clutching lightning bolts with a stylised V on the back. These Voyagers are part narcotics dealer, part trip-sitter, part cult. They are spreading the belief that ‘The Storm’ is an entity in itself that grants the visions of Stormseeker. Over time repeated exposure darkens the eyes like storm clouds and produces violent tempers but reported produces more and more vivid and extensive visions. These Voyagers are temperamental people perhaps spreading a dangerous concoction or perhaps a much needed tool.

Meanwhile The Church is worriedly examining history and rhetoric with concerned expressions. For centuries the magic of prophecy has been the domain of Stallia. Within the Artebazzani Empire it is not uncommon for those who practise faux-prophecy such as card readings to be stoned by The Church for Heresy. While it is unlikely- but not impossible - that The Concordian Church would be so violent, there is concern that the actions of the Voyagers and their creations may be breaking any number of religious laws.

Regardless, it appears that Stormseeker has become part of Lerona Mere for now. It remains to be seen what way the winds will blow.

Game Information

The adoption of Stormseeker by the heroes of Lerona Mere reflects a similar enjoyment of the Twinblade narcotic among the people of Legend City. Lerona Mere alchemists will now be able to learn Stormseeker as they would any other potion. Characters who have made Stormseeker in the past will find an additional potion card in their character packs to reflect their early-adopter status.

The question of the ‘Voyagers’, their role in Lerona Mere moving forward, their possible heresy or blasphemy and the nature of ‘The Storm’ will be present in a number of decisions this Summit for The Senator of Lerona Mere, The Head Surgeon of the Passage Field Hospital and the High Priest of Stallia. If left to its current trajectory it is likely that the Voyagers will remain a niche group. If embraced it is possible that more could be learned from them. It would require a clear motion from the Church or the Senate in regards to Stormseeker and its use to reduce, remove, or encourage its use.

Bark and Bite

The Greenweald Baronies/ Resinderholz

The Greenweald is a hungry place that is more than happy to eat its own corpses. The death creatures, folk, and settlements are quickly consumed by the creeping moss and vines of the living wood. But every now and then something will be left aside. Sometimes it will be a bear's skeleton, bleached white in the sun of a glade. Other times it might be a shed by a stream allowed to collapse slowly. The greatest of all these are the Carrionwoods. Those massive trees, often Ash, Spruce and Fir, that die and are not reformed into the larger wood but rather become grey-white pillars of death in the forest.

Carrionwood is a superstitious thing; it is said that any deal struck over a carrionwood table is bound in a bond greater than blood, and any person buried in a carrionwood casket will never return. But it appears the Wealders are not the only ones who have learned to master it.

Brother Ash, the High Shaman of the Zekartaal brought with his invasion into Resinderholz the art of ‘Harbringer Stands’. By adorning a standing Carrionwood with heretical symbols, sacrifice and Zekartaal magics, these corpse-trees became Harbringer Stands which acted as powerful focuses of future Zekartaal magic. Reports from the fighting near Krezenburg and Eisen had tales of these Stands luring in dangerous monsters, bringing forth fire and lightning, corrupting the minds of nearby villages, and even weakening the powers of priests.

Needless to say Harbringer Stands were responsible for some of the most vicious fighting over the Summer. But beginning to understand these foul creations has brought little hope to the Houndspriests and Wealdsages tasked with their destruction.

It appears that The Ravensreach Wilds have become lousy with Harbringer Stands, with small cabals of Ash’s shamans spreading throughout the region during the fighting. This perhaps explains High-Shamans reluctance to face open battle. The proliferation of these dangerous focuses of power is certainly a concern for the Baronies.

It would be possible to sweep the Wilds in an attempt to eradicate them, albeit an expensive one. Through the judicial application of armies, funds, and flame, they could be cauterised. Some argue that The Ravensreach is already dangerous - so what if it is more so? Even fewer argue that we should look to Ash’s weapons for lessons on how to defeat him.

Game Information

The presence of Harbringer Stands in the Ravensreach Wilds is a growing danger in the Weald. While not currently dangerous, there are concerns that in time they will either become dangers on their own or will become focuses for dangerous Zekartaal magic.

The decision of what to do largely falls on the shoulders of the Baroness of Resinderholz and the Champion of The Baronies, although it is likely that any active decision will require widespread support from The Greenweald, The Warchamber, The Senate, The Shardcircle or a combination of the above.

Until We Meet Again

The Greenweald Baronies

The man was odd, but no one in town could put their finger on it. He was standing outside ‘The Charming Dog’ and asking if anyone had seen his cousin Liva. No one had of course - no one named Liva had lived in West Halmut for at least one hundred years. He was clad in a long green robe of fine wool with golden trim. Wealder in make, surely, but off. Perhaps too old? Like he had pulled them freshly tailored from a tomb. He said his name was Tollenhauer and that he was from Verlorenherz.

Verlorenherz? No one is ‘from’ Verlorenherz these days, at least no one who wants to say so. Burghermeister Wendle was fed up; they were going to have a stern discussion with this man in the inn and he was going to tell them who he was or things were going to get aggravated.

The Volten Twins grabbed ‘Tollenhauer’ by either arm and the man had begun to scream and shout. Didn’t they understand? What are they doing?! Unhand me at once! His calls echoed across the town square as people stood by silently. Hamlet justice was a decidedly different thing this far out in The Weald.

The door of the Dog was thrown open and the warmth of the large central hearth flared out into the night. The two large twins dragged the man kicking and hollering forward into the room towards the Bugerhmeister and the town's Houndspriest. As the warmth flooded over the man’s robes, they changed.

The robes faded from view and the man's cries turned to squeals, then screams. A white-grey mould covered his limbs and the hands of the twins who dropped him to the mud on the precipice. The half-graymold, half-Tollenhauer scrambled into the muddy square like a dying spider, making the most dreadful ‘ehkk-hkk-hhhk’ noise. It disappeared into the night with a scuttling half gait.

The Houndspriest slid her dagger back into its scabbard and opened a blank scroll, dipping her quill into an inkpot with a sigh.

----

Across Resinderholz there were rumours. Rumours of strange figures arriving and asking for long lost siblings, business partners or comrades. Unsettling, but not dangerous in its own right. But when exposed to the light of a Hearth they unmade themselves. Shapechangers and form shifters are a bad omen in the Weald, but then again what isn't? This particular type is commonly called ‘Shadura’ or ‘Moldwalkers,’ and hadn’t been seen in Resinderholz for nearly ninety years.

Just as quickly as the rumours of incidents began, they ended. Perhaps the Shadura got what they were looking for? Or perhaps it is a prelude for something greater?

Game Information

A particularly uncommon form of shapeshifting creature known as Shadura have been uncovered across Resinderholz over the Summer, although it is possible that a number of them went unnoticed. The creatures are unable to approach a Greenweald Hearthfire while wearing another form, giving a simple method of discovering them.

All Greenweald Characters may choose to be affected by the following Roleplay prompt: ‘I won’t trust anyone who won’t stand in thelight of my Hearthfire’

There will be decisions related to the Shadura for the Champion of the Baronies, the Baroness of Resinderholz and Resinderholz Wealdsages.

A Matter of Pride

Kingdom of Bordevar / The Greenweald Baronies

“I think you’ll find that this is our bridge, you bunch of Royal Wankers!” shouted Frida, her arms wrapped around a basket of mana shards.

“And this is our bridge, stupid Zekshaggers!” claimed the Bordevarian man as he thundered along the wide oak bridge towards the small island.

The small island was barely fifteen paces wide but was considerably longer. Scattered around the lightly grassed up-jumped sandbar were peculiar fern-like plants curled in on themselves in autumn's growing harshness. On the western side of the island was a slim but sturdy Greenwealder bridge made of flagstones, while the eastern side held a wide bridge of solid Weiland Oak. Frida’s two sons joined her at the base of the Greenwealder bridge, each clutching their own basket of sheds while the quartet of heavy-breathing Bordevarians arrived on the island, the two groups staring daggers at each other.

“Our bridge is bigger and better, so the Island’s ours. Go elope with a tree or something.” barked the Bordevarian - Frida was fairly sure his name was Oscar. The other two made rude hand gestures at the woman and her sons.

“Our bridge is older, wheat-for-brains. So stuff off, I’m sure a noble is waiting to use you as a table or a privy." Frida snapped back.

“A WHAT?” boomed Oscar, and Frida couldn’t help but smile. Bordevarians are all proud, sometimes the layfolk most of all. She didn’t smile as hard when the wheat-for-brains on the left punched her youngest son in the mouth. For the fifth time that month, the tiny island of Rickons Tier turned into a rolling fistfight, the magistrate of Carningsfield being called to break it up some two hours later.

---

A small island near where the River Eisen spills out into Lake Ladure has continued to be the site of local conflict as Greenwealders from the west-bank brawl with Weilanders from the east-bank, particularly the town of Carningsfield. The local civil service and magistrate have had enough, escalating the problem to Concordian concerns.

Rickons Tier is a thin strip of sand and grass nestled in a fast-flowing section of the Eisen River that is home to a number of Enchanters Ferns. Strange arcane plants, Enchanters Ferns blossom open in the summer, producing fronds that can mimic powerful alchemical ingredients. In the winter the plants seal themselves off from the cold and wind, but in doing so produce a fine blue sap that crystallises into mana.

Exhausted with the constant law-breaking, violence and parochial rhetoric, The Civil Service has resigned to officiate the law-breaking, violence parochial rhetoric within The Concordian system.

Game Information

To address a local conflict between Weiland and Resinderholz, The Civil Service has created the title ‘Groundskeeper of Rickons Tier’. The title grants control over the island of the same name, a strange location that produces Herbs in Summer and Crystal Mana in Winter. This is not an investment and as such does not replace the character's held investment

The local conflict has created a particularly violent set of traditions that the Civil Service is trying to honour. With this in mind, the Groundskeeper of Rickons Tier will be granted to the winner of a strange martial tournament held during the Winter Summit. The Civil Service invites a team of five Bordevarian Commonfolk and five Greenwealders to register their interest with their Egos for the tourney being held on the morning of the Summit’s third day. The winning team will name one of their number to be the Groundskeeper of Rickons Tier and their local region will be slightly enriched, while the losing team will be robbed of the isle’s profits for a year.

The Other Steel War

Artisans, Mines

“Can’t do it mate, just can’t do it.” The Bravo looked crestfallen. “I do not understand, you said it was available in my size?!” the foppish mercenary shouted at the smith. “I did, I did. But that was until the navy offered to pay double if we melted it down for nails. It's hard to get good forgesteel right now.,” consoled the smith. “Well how about Sun’s Iron?” pleaded the Bravo. “Mate, you’d have an easier time getting a suit of mithril armour than Suns Iron right now.”

Across the Concord smiths’ forges are growing cold. Shortages of Forgesteel and Sun Iron are crippling industry in every direction, with old supplies being melted down to meet newly-inflated prices. Bloodglass and Essencite are also barely available despite previously being present in all markets of The Concord.

Some are blaming the Illsevir in the High Valley, crippling the Valleyfolks ability to meet levels of export that they were previously famous for. Others point to the recent invasions in The Tribelands, Lerona Mere, and Resinderholz, disrupting those region’s minor, but essential mining industries. Others simply lament the state of it all.

Those mine owners who are still in business are finding themselves in a seller’s market. Even owners of relatively minor mines are making keys hand-over-fist. Competition is irrelevant as demand vastly outstrips supply of all artisan minerals with the average price of a measure skyrocketing.

Artisans from across The Concord are reaching out to their leaders with solutions and calls for aid. Some ask for investment in new mining practices, others call for relaxing laws and tariffs on mines while even others are calling for raids into hostile territory looking to sate The Concord’s hunger for metals.

Game Information

A mineral shortage grips The Concord, with no signs of abating. Players should not expect to see any minerals on the Public Auction.

Any characters with a Mine Investment will find that their investment has also functioned as a business of the same tier this past season, reflecting the ease and wealth of business that they have experienced.

There will be decisions related to this for Deed Holders, Senators, Champions and National Councils

Winds Winter 223 PDF