All I want for Christmas is more cabal restructuring. Not that there are any realy glaring problems with the way things are now, but just because I like change. If anything, I think the current cabal structure hurts only battle (too few enemies) and scion (too many enemies). Anyways here goes. With the rapid growth of the empire, imperial soldiers take over all of the protected cities, and the tribunal becomes a sub-sect of empire (sorry, Drunsthol). The combined might of the empire and tribunal magistrates as well as conscripts from all of the cities destroy the fortress. Maran becomes a religion again, and not a cabal. The acolytes become even more pacifistic in nature and retreat further into the mountains. The sylvan's recognizing the threat that the empire presents grow and change in focus so that instead of being about protecting the wilds, they are more about rebelling against the empire.

The empire allows lawful neutral or lawful evil members of the tribunal sect, but only provincial magistrates and above are allowed into the inner halls of the palace (inner guardians)

This should leave us with six cabals - neo sylvan, empire, acolytes, battle, scion, and heralds only four actively at war:
neo-Sylvan vs. Empire
Battle vs. Scion

Heralds being mostly rogues and drunks however, provide a sort of underground railroad resource to those that fight the empire and secretly ally with neo-sylvan for the most part.

The two problems I have with this right off. First, an underground resistance type thing is fine in a story setting, in game, the players(chars) will know, and you essentially take a pure rp cabal and make it one at war.

Second, Maran. I love when it was just a religion too, no cabal ties, and the freedom to roam and bash evil without needing to defend anything. But, a lot went into it becoming a cabal from both the die hard shokai followers(yes I know not only shokai followers are in the cabal), shokai, and other imms. I love the cabal, and don't want to see it go away any time soon(read: ever).

Not really keen on the other ideas either. I think it'd make for a neat story line, just don't see it working well in game.

And I realize it was only a personal wishlist, but you posted it, so I figured you were looking for feedback.

That it's a better story line than actually working within the confines of game mechanics and OOC knowledge. Maybe I'll just have to start writing that CF novel that has been floating around in the back of my head for a while.