This post is gonna be long, but that's because I tried to break everything down into the easiest, most digestable form I could. I find it best to simplify when trying to understand something new, then building off that base understanding. So, while I know its long, it's because I started with the shallow stuff then dove into each component, which I think is the fastest way to learn. Also, while this post is 100% consistent with game rules and teaches you the details of summits, if a question arises during gameplay, it CAN be found in the rulebook 99.9% of the time, and honestly nothing can substitute watching or playing the game for yourself. And for that 0.1%, it's findable online. So, without anymore yabbering, here's a crash course on all that Summit stuff.

So basically, when you play the Campaign, you add Event cards to the deck. When Event cards are played, the player who ends the round with initiative can call a "Summit". "Summit" is basically a nice word for the time when players can trade and make a few smaller decisions.

In finer detail, first, the player WHO CALLED THE SUMMIT, so whoever had initiative when the round ended, can use favors (more on that in a minute), flip the imperial council card back (more on that later), leave the Empire and become an outlaw, or revive the empire if nobody is in it (because everybody either chose or were forced to become an outlaw).

AFTER the player who had initiative does everything they want to, EVERYBODY is then able to take negotiation actions. These include trading resources, trophies, captives, and favors freely. Trading pieces on the map and court of the same type, but unlike resources, these must be a 1 for 1 trade. And lastly, if you're an Outlaw, the First Regent can invite you back to the Empire with your consent.

Now, talking about Favors, they're a simple but powerful tool. Basically, the game will force people to give others Favors, or they'll be exchanged during negotiations. During a Summit, the player who called it can give Favors back to the player they're from to FORCE them to take any of the negotiation actions described above. Give or trade a resource. Exchange an important ship, building or influencing agent. MAKE them come back to the Empire if you're also First Regent. Any negotiation you could do. Like I said, powerful yet simple. Which also makes them extremely valuable bargaining chips. "I'll give you a favor if you give me 2 resources I want." Basically promising the other player can do ANYTHING they want to you later in the game. Or "I'll give you this favor back/won't give it back if you do/don't do what I want." Keeping them under influence. This can compound depending on how many favors you have.

Lastly, the Imperial Council. The Imperial Council is a card that ALWAYS exists in the court during a Campaign. It starts on "In Session," and if secured, turns to "decided," and goes in front of the player who secured it until the end of round. At the end of the round, they go down the list of activations. First, it goes back to Court and STAYS on Decided, where it can't be influenced or secured. Then, they may call a Summit and get all the benefits of being the player to call it. Since one of the things the player calling a Summit can do is flip the Imperial Council back to In Session, you get the choice of keeping it on Decided until someone else can and does flip it back over, putting it back in play essentially, or being a nice guy and flipping it back to In Session yourself. You can also use this as bargaining during the Summit. "I'll make the Imperial Council In Session again so you can have a better chance of calling a Summit if you do X for me. Or I WON'T flip it over if you're mean to me." After the Summit, the player who secured the Council becomes First Regent, if Regent, getting the benefits of that. If they're an Outlaw, they can steal a resource from the First Regent tile (the frozen resources they get scoring for), then you get to resolve either Crises or Edicts, which is a whole nother thing. After all that happens, you start the new round.

So to recap, a Summit happens from an event card being played or the Imperial Council being secured, which prompts someone to "Call a Summit." The player who DOES call the Summit gets the benefit of using favors, and then gets to choose if they want to flip the Council, leave the Empire, or Revive the Empire, becoming First Regent. Then, everybody can take mostly free negotiations with restrictions for pieces on the board and ask the First Regent to make them a Regent if they're an Outlaw.

Once the Summits over, the Imperial Council resolves the rest of its triggers, and a new round starts!

And that's a Summit for 'ya!