The Summer Solstice Arrives and Other News Around Orm

 The streets of Orm are buzzing. The adventurers out of the Drinking Crow have slain another dragon and the Summer Solstice has arrived?!? Here are the items the adventuring community of Orm gabbing about along with the Solstice Events:

The retainer Lirazel is spreading word around Orm that she and her employer, the magician Phasmo, are looking for adventurers interested in joining them in taking on the cause of defeating the Eye of Terror. While the pair desiring launch a longer-term campaign, in the short term they are looking to mount a raid seeking to depose the Eye-aligned shaman Attik from his position of leadership among the Children of Peroma.

The Midnight Marauders have been reinstated. Surviving member of the adventuring company Souz'awn, is operating once again under their languishing charter once again. Other members bolstering their ranks include the Living Harness Ferris, former 111th Company member Many-Faced Gene, Shelby the Sibling Snail, and the Child of Peroma Macara. Souz'awn says that rates for hiring the Midnight Marauders and terms for joint operations with the company will be coming soon.

The Marauders join the likes of the 111th Company, the Illustrious Company of Khourau, the Phantomorans, and the shipwrecked crew of the Purple Rose in the field of groups offering to work with other adventurers in dungeon delves into 'The Complex'.

The Summer Solstice

The start of every summer marks the peak of the Sun's enthusiasm for continued existence. Over the coarse of the year, the dying old orb sputters out light. At first, in those gloomy days of winter it only manages short durations as it fights off death. But as the summer approaches, as life flourishes across the world, the Sun is reminded of why it continues on by the beauty of the place its light nurtures. The Solstice marks the Sun's peak health when it is able to be most active before having to rest in its old age.

The peoples of Orm mark this longest day by spending the day only in the light of the Sun. This is a show of respect that no light is more brilliant. As a result, all candles are snuffed. All forges are cold. All ovens are unfired. Most of the work of Orm must go undone and the people celebrate. They bath in the Sun's rays. They raise toasts to the Sun's greatness. They sing songs to its gifts.

A main feature of the celebrations is the efforts of the Keepers of the Watch. Members of that faith in the area gather to make an art installation devoted to the Sun. As the Sun finally brings itself to rest on this, the longest of days, members from the local Lamplighters Guild ceremoniously light the installation on fire. The flames dying out with the setting of the Sun. 

To participate, spend your next downtime and PC Level x 25gp per PC on donations to the Order of the Watch and on festival revelries to earn PC Level x 100xp. This gains you a d12 roll on the table below as well. In addition, make a Save vs Poison.

Solstice Celebration
D12 Roll	Result	Successful Poison Save	Failed Poison Save
1.	Legendary Run- You spend wildly on the festivities as you partied a level Orm will talk about for years. Spend an additional 1d4x100gp, taking out a loan. Roll a d4 to see who the loan is with: 1-2.) the Loan Bank 3.) The Crooked Hand 4.) The Rashers	Earn additional XP equal to the amount you spent.	You start your next session hung over gaining a -2 to attack, damage, and saves until you roll a successful attack or save.
2.	Tour Guide- You lead around one of the newer arrivals to Orm, showing them the ropes of the Solstice celebration. Roll 1d6 to determine who you guided through the festivities: 1.) Mixus the boldly horned Child of Peroma, 2.) the brother One-Arm, 3.) Ferris the Living Suit of Armor, 4.) Lady-in-Paisely, a crew member of the Purple Rose, 5.) Dwerleiro the Research for the Impe rial Mother, 6.) the Phantomorian Kalamoro	Open a relationship with your party companion at the first Tick: Acquaintances as if you had done a Cultivate Relationship Downtime activity.	Lost in your own revelaries, you proved a poor guide careening your protege into a diasterious time. Gain -1 to Reaction Rolls with them or the group they belong.
3.	Partied with the Wastrels- You lived it up with a gang of wastrels in the ruins of the Subtle Chateau.	Make a free Gather Intelligence roll to hear some juicy rumor as if you were engaged in the Gather Intelligence downtime.	Number the items on your character sheet. Roll a die corresponding to the number of items on your character. The item matching the number rolled was stolen from you during your celebrating.
4.	At the feet of the Sphinxes- You attended a celebratory feast put on by the followers of the Sphinxes that reside at the Shrine of Danu	The next Gather Intelligence or Non-magical Research downtime roll you fail, you may re-roll keeping the new result.	You crossed a boundary of one of the sphinxes and are down 1HD of HP (minimum of 1) to show for it at the start of your next session.
5.	Culinary Tour- You marked the day with sampling the myriad of special foods offered up for the festivities.	Your adventurous eating earns you an additional 100xp.	A bad bout of food poisoning cut your celebrating short. You earn only 1/2 of the XP you normally would for participating in the Solstice festivities.
6.	Rituals in the Sacred Wood- You joined members of the Society of the Coruscating Seal in an ancient ritual in the Copse of Burnt Trees on the day of the year where the power of the Twilight Court is its weakest.	Gain a d4 that you may add to any one roll during your next session.	You accidentally desecrated a sacred tree during your visit. You automatically fail your next saving throw.
7.	Renewal of the Drinking Crow- You added Gabby, the proprietor of the Drinking Crow, in the dwarfin tradition of a sacred day of maintenance on his tavern.	Your next Carousing downtime will cost you no gold. The drinks are on Gabby.	Your inability to hold your drink caused an accident while working. You are banned from drinking at the Drinking Crow until Gabby cools down. The costs for your next carousing downtime are doubled as being cut off from the Crow forces you to visit more expensive and less legal establishments.
8-9.	Soaking in the Rays- You spent the holiday relaxing in the long light of the Sun while you enjoyed food and drink. Nothing remarkable happened.
10.	Tourney of the Bronze Dragon- You bet  on the tournament organized by the Order of the Dragon. You put up 1d6 x 100gp (capped at 100gp x PC Level) in wagers. You took out a loan if it was more than what you have. Roll a d4 to see who the loan is with: 1-2.) the Loan Bank 3.) The Crooked Hand 4.) The Rashers	Earn double back on well placed bets.	You lost all you bet on poorly placed wagers.
11.	You watched the Watchers- You spent the holiday celebrating as you took in clerics of the Order of the Watch creating their art installation.	You again +2 to attack rolls and saves due to the clarity of mind brought on by watching the ritual art project in action. This lasts until your first failed roll.	You were too distracted to really take anything in. You gain no additional benefit.
12.	Visions of the Black Pyramid- In your celebratory revelaries, you began to see visions of the Black Pyramid more vivid than any had before.	Mark on your character sheet that you know a Secret of the Black Pyramid.	The experience filled you with a deep, existential terror robbing you of gaining any experience from the Solstice celebrations.

The Summer Convening of the Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts

The Summer Solstice is not only marked by celebration but the wizardly enclave known as the Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts uses it to mark one of their bi-annual meetings. All members must either attend this meeting or the later Winter Solstice session to remain in good standing (i.e. be allowed to continue their pursuits in practicing magic). At these gatherings, the magic-users of the order discuss readings of the Aureate Precepts, debate new bi-laws, present results from new research, and enjoy a decadent feast. Those that attend must contribute 100gp x their Level in the Congress towards this feast and other amenities during the session. They earn their Level x 100xp from the insights gleamed from their time there. In addition, they must roll on the below table and make a 3d6 Intelligence check. Treat your Intelligence score as 1 higher for each new spell you have created in the last six months:

Meeting of the Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts
D8 Roll	Result	Successful Int Check	Failed Int Check
1.	Promising Theory- In social discussion, you shared magic theories with a member of the Transcendental Congress. Roll a d4 to see with whom: 1.) Lyth of the Illustrious Company of Khourau, 2.) Clarienne, 3.) Horbit, 4.) Shrune the Weaver	Your fellow Congress member is impressed by your ideas. They decided to ride your coattails and gain some of the credit for your work by paying for half of the costs of your next magical research downtime.	Your ideas draw the envy of the Congress member you discuss it with. You don’t catch that the advice they feed you is bad, increasing the chance of failure on your next magical research downtime by 10%.
2.	Bold Stance- During the debates on the Aureate Precepts, you are maneuvered into taking a conversational stance on one of the principles.	The view is seen as an exciting innovation. Your Intelligence will be treated as 1 higher at the next Transcendental Congress meeting you attend.	Your take is viewed as a crackpot take on the subject. Until the next meeting you attend, you have a Reaction Roll Penalty of -1 until you can prove yourself at the next Transcendental Congress meeting.
3.	Mentorship- the Archmage asks you to take a Neophyte under your wing over the course of the meeting. Roll a d4 to see which magic-user it is: 1.) Murphy the Chaos Magician, 2.) Valtropis the Librarian, 3.) Tomenia the Revealer, 4.) Ferd the Third	The Neophyte is impressed with your understanding of the Precepts and your takes on magical concepts. Open a Relationship clock a 1 Tick: Acquaintance as if you had spent the downtime Cultivating a Relationship.	Report of your unimpressive performance makes its way around the Neophyte members of the Congress. Until the net meeting, none of them will work for you as a hireling and again a -1 to Reaction Rolls with them as association with you appears to be career suicide.
4.	Tales of Adventure- You spend as much your time at the meeting as you can regaling your fellow members with tales of your adventures.	Your tales impress a high ranking member. You can automatically make a Find the Right Buyer downtime result a “Noteworthy Success” once during the next six months. Roll a d4 to determine who the impressed member is: 1.) Shrune the Weaver the Enchanter, 2.) Horbit the Enchanter, 3.) The Enchantress the Wizard, 4.) Clarion the Mage	You catch on too late to the fact that your fellow Congress members do not approve of everything going on within the adventuring community in Orm. You have until the next Solstice to capture and deliver to the Congress one of these non-seat holding magic-users the adventurers have encountered. If you do not, you will be cursed and stripped of one of your Levels within the Congress by the Golden Accessor.
5.	Quite Observer- You quietly took in the events of this meeting.	Your mind was focused on astute observation of the proceedings. Earn an additional 100xp from this meeting.	You displayed a lack of focused attention over the course of the meeting with your attention drifting to with the follow of your thoughts rather than keeping up with the proceedings. You earn 1/2 the XP you normally would from this meeting.
6.	Unremarkable Performance- You managed to fade into the background of this session of the Congress. While you did nothing to stand out, you also avoided any trouble.
7.	Notable Performance- You conduct yourself in such a way as to create buzz among the Congress.	Your actions reflected positively on your mentor. Advance the relationship clock with your Mentor 1 Tick. If you do not have one, roll a d4 to see who you now have a 1 Tick Mentee relationship with: 1.) The Enchantress the Wizard, 2.) Clarion the Mage, 3.) Clarienne the Mage, 4.) Bortabee the Master Wizard	Your conduct has embarrassed your mentor. Any tests on that relationship incur a -1 until you do something that brings them prestige (i.e. such as creating a new spell). If you don’t have an established mentor, you gain a -1 Reaction Bonus in attempts to do so.
8.	The Watchful Eye of the Archmage- The Archmage of the Congress has taken notice of you.	Impressed with your performance at the meeting, the Archmage gifts you with a magic scroll to aid you in your endeavors. Roll a d20 on the “X’ percentage chart to determine how many arcane spells are on the scroll. Roll a d6 on the “B” column to determine the level(s) of the spell(s) on the scroll.	The Archmage found how you conducted yourself distasteful. He desires to see you correct the course by proving yourself by instructing other members of the Congress to observe a moratorium on mentorship of your advancement until the next meeting.