Sound and vision
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"When Holberg and Reikos were held by our Foes, T’was Gabriel Barossa that freed ‘em, Through their army was huge, he baited the Druj, And used their own tactics to bleed ‘em!"Jonty slammed his tankard down on the table and groaned. "Not that fucking song again. Doesn't that troubadour know anything else?""What ya complaining about?" argued Dina. "It's catchy - and at least this Barossa fella's still alive. It's this or that one about the doomed lover who throws themselves in the Barren Sea five hundred years ago. This is topical. And it's about beating up the Druj. Oh, Ho! Gabriel Barossa!" the last part was shouted, as was now traditional, along with half the tavern."It's trite is what it is. It doesn't scan properly. It's doggerel.""Oh right, yeah... This from the man whose only contribution to art is finger painting crude drawings on latrine walls. Going to give up woodcutting and become a troubadour are we?" Dina grinned at her drinking partner enjoying his foul mood."Oh, Ho! Gabriel Barossa!" shouted the crowd.Jonty just scowled and mumbled to himself "Death by the Druj would be better than this... If I ever see this Barossa fella, I'll give him what-for..."

Overview
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There is magic across the Empire. In the weavings of the cabalists. In the lore of the weavers. In the craft of the witches, and the arts of artisans. There is also magic in the world itself, serendipity and spirits, constellations and confluences, in the sky and in the salt. Some magic ripples out from the workings of orcs and humans, some rains from the heavens, some rises from the earth and stone.

This season events that relate specifically to the eternals is discussed in more detail in The prettiest star wind of fortune.

Silver Earworms
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Heralds of Jaheris have been paying bards, scops, stenza, sutanir, mountebanks, troubadours, and mummers to perform 'Grinning General Gabriel' across the Empire

For reasons known only to the Unicorn Prince, the Lord of the Forest of Arden has taken it up themselves to promote a new poem extolling the apparently limitless Virtues of the General Gabriel Barossa. They are apparently determined to ensure that this piece is heard as far and wide as possible, possibly because they want to let everyone know how much they like the general or maybe just because they want his name to life in infamy, it's hard to be sure.

Bards and anyone who might be a regular performer is being asked to consider reciting the poem at any opportunity. scops, stzena, sutannir, mountebanks, troubadours and even mummers have been offered a few rings if they will add the piece to their repertoire and given free rein to change the words, set it to music or include it in a play. Provided it is performed far and wide, the servants of the Moonsilver Prince are content.

#### Participation: Performers

Anyone who plays a character who regularly performs in anyway will have been approached by servants of the Moonsilver Prince and asked to perform the poem. If you would have taken the Prince's ring, you can let the crew in GOD know and exchange the eighteen rings income for a crown when you collect your pack by visiting the lost property desk before you leave GOD. You will have been encouraged to perform the poem far and wide and given license to adapt it however you wished. The words of the poem are shown right.

If you perform the poem at Anvil during the summit in front of a substantial audience of a dozen or more people, you will receive a boon from Jaheris. You will experience a roleplaying effect. You feel joy in the power of poetry and music to entertain, bedevil and cause trouble. You feel an urge to perform disconcerting pieces at any opportunity.

In addition, you have one additional hero point for the duration of the event. You can only increase your maximum number of hero points by one in this manner, but if you have expended this hero point then it is regained whenever you perform the poem in front of a substantial audience in Anvil.

Anchoring an Artok
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Mystics of Wintermark have heeded the call of the Conclave to find a way to bind Little Icebarn Control over the artok can be extended at the cost of increasing amounts of mana crystals

Last season, Mystics from the Aviary of Ishal discovered previously unknown writings regarding the binding of Artok. An opportunity to discover the methods was presented to the Raven Seer, but the decision was made to instead seek the truth behind the animal attacks across Sermersuaq and the north-western Empire. A mystery half-solved? Not if the Empire has anything to do with it. The Grandmaster of the Silver Chalice issued a declaration to Conclave calling for interested parties to research the writings of Storm's Folly. A lateral move, but one that many Mystics speak of approvingly. There are often many routes to the same destination, and the magicians of Anvil have identified one.

It is not a flood of scholars who arrive at the isolated Hall in Suaq Fount. More like a trickle, a thin rivulet of curious people, all Winterfolk. This is not the might of a directed order, but a few interested parties. The people of the Empire know very well the power of a small but determined band of experts with time on their hands. And sure enough, just before the Summer Solstice, the researchers present their findings. They have no formal presentation, no context, no historical research. They have gone through the ancient writings and identified only those parts that related to their goal, ignoring everything else. The story of Storm's Folly and their place in the wider history of the artoks will be for others to research, should they be of a mind. But their methods? Those are now in the Empire's hands.

Artoks are strange and unpredictable beings, guided by some mysterious force that the Empire does not know. The same methods will not work on all of them, and worse they become more difficult over time, as the artok's urge to resume its original path grows stronger. But Little Icebarn, it seems, is susceptible to this control. The researchers are confident that they could use twenty mana crystals to bind the artok to work at the Pride of Ikka's Tears for another year. This is not even a one-off thing - the process could be repeated, albeit at greater cost. To bind Little Icebarn for a second year would cost 40 mana crystals, then 80 for a third year, 160 for a fourth, and so on. The required quantity would double every time so Little Icebarn could never be bound forever, but the only limits are the mana crystals available.

All it would take is for the Custodian of the Pride of Ikka's Tears, currently Æðelric Dagursson, to acquire the mana crystals and have them delivered to the mine for use (OOC Note: The Custodian of the Pride of Ikka's Tears should hand-in mana crystals at the end of the event and email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk before downtime closes.)

A Mountain Rises (Zenith)
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Mount Polus has risen to be the tallest mountain in the Empire Urizen could build an edifice to found a new spire on the mountain

Last season, Meraud provided the Golden Chalice with an arcane projection in recognition of their aid in his restoration. The Hands that Shake the Heavens was performed during the summit by the Ashen Flame coven of Urizen, targeting Occursion in Zenith. The first of the tremors was felt shortly after the equinox, with subjects of the Lord of the Silver Tower visiting spires to warn them before the earthquake that followed. One of the mountains of Occursion, Mount Polus, began to rise as the tremors continued. Shortly before the summit, the last of the tremors is felt, and the region seems to breathe a sigh of relief. Just one day later, an overwhelming crunch is heard as far away as the Storm Vault. A crevasse has opened near the base of Mount Polus, which seems to beckon for adventure.

It is too soon to know for sure what might be found in the crevasse, but local spires and citadels are incredibly interested in what might be uncovered in this new unknown. The Citadel of the Empty Sword, sentinels who maintain a watch over the southern pass into Spiral, have suggested that an army could be used to explore the crevasse... once the Druj are pushed from the territory, of course. The Narwhal's Spear, the Seventh Wave, or the Wolves of War (hiring the appropriate mercenaries), or an Imperial army enchanted with Bound by Common Cause could take a defensive order to fully explore the crevasse. The general would likely receive a sample of what might be found in the crevasse, and the civil service would publish a report of what was uncovered, and how best it might be exploited for the Empire.

Of course, impossibly tall mountains whose peak is way above the clouds could be the perfect place to found a new spire. Just as the proposal for the Omphalos in Spiral, the nation would need to commission an edifice to serve as the focal point of the Dreaming Spire. It would need at least ten white granite, but it could be bigger than that if there was sufficient desire to ensure the new spire had sufficient grandeur to meet the moment.

The problem here would be how on earth to drag the materials all the way up the side of the tallest mountain in the Empire. Regular ushabti are not designed for that work, so the labour costs would be ten times the normal rates, 300 crowns for a ten wain edifice, more if the territory decided to build something bigger. What is needed are specialist ushabti built just for this purpose - with the right constructs, the costs could return to normal (30 crowns for a ten wain edifice).

Fortunately Zenith is the home of the Crucible of Fate, the extraordinary foundry, with accompany forges and workshops that allow the Architect of the Crucible to oversee the creation of specialised Ushabti. Currently the focus of that work is on the specialist ushabti needed to maximise producti