Peoples of Aerelios

[Mr. R]

A city is made up of people and so I am delineating some of the personages of the city.  Not only the movers and shakers but also some of the more street people.

 

Lets start with the two people who run this town.

 

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Mayor

Solan Oranmar

Current mayor for the last four years.  

Married with one daughter.

Campaigned on the idea of a rebuilding of the city.  Aerelios was hit hard by a combined plague of Cramlyk and the seven year drought.  Only now are water levels and crops returning to former levels.  As a result many parts of the city are deserted and many houses are uninhabited.  Also the Goblyns have been very bothersome and he would like to commission some adventurers to handle some of the problems.

 

As a personal endeavor, he has made it known that if any groups manage to get into the Old City of Tenryk (Now encircled by the Goblyn Forest) that he will pay good money for any artifacts/ art objects.

 

Deputy Mayor

Tenmor Arunson

Current Deputy Mayor for four years.

Former head of a merchant house now run by his sons.

Widower with three sons.

Supported by the crafts guilds to expand trade within the Gefting Sea and the City of Danris up river.  Believes that the money should be spent on more ships and helping to fund merchants to find raw materials to turn into finished goods.  

 

Any comments and suggestions welcomed!

 

[GDShore]

You probably need a comptroller/treasurer and possibly a city manager. 

[Mr. R]

Maybe, but I am keeping this list smaller for starting purposes.  I'll add to it after I get a campaign going!  But this is just to add some verisimilitude to the game! 

[assault]

4 hours ago, GDShore said:

You probably need a comptroller/treasurer and possibly a city manager. 

 

These titles are too modern, but the treasury function is likely.

[Cloppy Clip]

Although the players will be modern, so it might be easier for them to keep track of who does what if you use the modern titles with some waffle about them being translated from whatever language characters are speaking. Depends on their tolerance for learning vocab, I suppose, as there'll be a lot of players that will prefer more authentic titles.

 

It's a good base to work with Mr. R, and I like that you have potential plots seeded into each character. If you wanted somewhere to go next, I'd suggest rivals or obstacles to your mayor and deputy. If you work like this, building off characters you've made previously, I find you can keep better track of how everyone relates to each other, and it gives you more options for games since you have potential NPCs ready to hand when you need an idea for what to introduce next.

[Mr. R]

Guards!  Guards!

 

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Head Guard

The Head Guard is Malachor.  A no nonsense individual he likes to keep the city on an even footing.  He would love to remove the smugglers from amongst the fishing fleet, but can’t make any headway.  As a result he randomly has various fishermen detained on meaningless charges.  This has not endeared him to the dockside community and is causing some bad friction.  He also seems to favour the crafts sections and High Town with the best patrols and support.  

 

His deputy is Kamlaca Khalid.  An expat from the jungles up north, he settled in Aerelios about ten years ago and has been a guard for seven years.  He is a practitioner of Totem Magic and has many powers that aid him.  His real reason for being in town is to search for the descendants of peoples kidnapped for slavery and see if they want to return up north.  He keeps this quiet and figures he has about 3-5 more years before he leaves to go back home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cloppy Clip]

Interesting additions! Between Malachor and Tenmor, you have a bit of a theme of nautical dealings going on here: do you have any ideas in mind for major players among the smugglers? If you're looking for ideas, maybe there's an unofficial representative of the fishermen who's loudly opposed to Malachor and the guard, to serve as a red herring if players try and ferret out smugglers?

 

I was also wondering what Kamlaca's Totem Magic looks like? Do you have any mechanics in mind for it yet, or is it a bit up in the air at the moment? Either way, sorry for bombarding you with questions, but this is fascinating stuff. The jungles up north are a new development that I'd love to hear more about if you get the time.

[Mr. R]

History of the City

 

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Year 1

 

Humans enter the Gefting Sea Basin and begin to settle along its coast.  Most settlements were at rivers that empty into the Sea.  

 

Aerelios was founded at the mouth of the Kulana River as a fishing village and convenient port.  Located at the end of a finger pointing into the land, it was sheltered from the storms and led to the North and the jungle trade.

 

Year 50

Sailors from Aerelios locate a second city on the Kulana River.  Just downriver from where the Speno River empties into the Kulana and where the Fairn River empties into the Kulana, this three river city calls itself Danris.  Trade compacts between the two cities are signed and trade established.

 

Year 75

First of the Major Goblyn incursions.  Goblyns, aided by Ogres, Trolls, and Giants, stage attacks on outlying settlements of both Aerelios and Danris.  Battles flare until finally the Goblyns retreat out of the Basin area.  Aerelios expands along the coast of the Gefting Sea to the Onel Hills (West) and the Lost River and the Shattered Hills (East).

 

Year 150

Rise of Tenryk and Danris.  Tenryk, a city occupying the plains east of the Kulana River, begins organizing cities nearby into a nation.  Danris follows suit and occupies the west bank of the Kulana River down to the Onel Hills.  Aerelios is split in half.  Smuggling across the river has become a huge industry.  Other cities along the Gefting Sea establish their own ports and merchants and pirates both expand!

 

 

Year 150-300 

Rise of the City States. 

Tenryk

Danris

Rasul

Ditren

Thomar

Ixon

Kerqod

All are found along the shores of the Gefting Sea and are all near or at rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

300-400

The Compact Wars

City states get into alliances and petty wars for control of the Gefting Sea.  Aerelios begins expanding as it is one of three good anchorages on the North shore of the Sea ( the others being Koy on the Lost River and Kerqod along the Tamed River).  Smuggling between Aerelios east and Aerelios West expands and more than one secret dock is built into the hillside near the city to hide activity.

 

Aerelios attacked at least three times and sacked once.  Mayors on both sides start sharing funds for common defense and rebuilding.  

 

400-500

Rise of Tenryk Empire

After 100 years of intermittent war, Tenryk begins expanding east and west.  It begins by taking Danris and the whole Kulana River to Aerelios.  It then expands east to the Shattered Hills and south and west to the Onel Hills.

 

Aerelios is fortified as its main port on the Gefting Sea.  Over the next 100 years Tenryk expands across the basin taking cities either by force or treaty.  The last to join is Ixon and the lords of Feydor.

 

Tenryk Language is standardized across the Empire as well a Currency.  Aerelios thrives as the Major port of the Empire.

 

500-650

The Tenryk Empire sends expeditions to explore the rest of the continent.  Better communication with the K’rsondi Jungle cities are made, the Corridor leading to the Northern Plains is mapped, formal contact with the Nomads of the Forbek Steppes is made and the Tramel Highlands are recognised.

 

Aerelios became the de facto capital of the Empire due to its position on the Gefting Sea and Kulana River.  A great library is established along with a set of colleges, both mundane and magical.  The Three Paths of Magic, Metier Casting, Totem Casting, and Rune Crafting are categorized and a section of the Library is set aside for formulas and matrices.  Only Ebon Bay in Feydor has a larger collection. 

 

Goblyn attacks happen across the whole of the Empire, but rarely achieve any results.

 

650-675

Cramlyk Plague

Cramlyk starts as a small infection in North Kerq near the Wyrm Pass and quickly spreads.  Within months all of Kerq is infected.  Soon after it reaches Aerelios.  Death Rates are between 25-40%.   Many ruling houses are wiped out and in some cases whole villages /small cities disappear.  Most cities, despairing of support, break off from the Empire in self preservation.  Goblyns take advantage of the situation and take over many areas and roam at will.  The fact that they are immune to Cramlyk aids them.  Many former human cities are now dominated by goblyns/ogres/trolls/giants.

 

Tenryk was effectively destroyed and looted.  Shunned ever since, the ruins surrounded by a dense forest that grew around it.  

 

Aerelios stands behind its walls and concentrates on keeping sea and river traffic open.  Pioneers the use of independent adventures to help strike back against the Goblyns.  Soon most major cities on the Gefting Sea have Adventurers Clubs and Companies!

 

675-850

Goblyn Wars

For the next one hundred seventy five years Goblyns rampage over the Basin states.  Many smaller settlements are destroyed and most larger ones just hold on.  As the Goblyns are pushed back, a new threat emerges, the Black Wind.  Many of the dead refuse to stay buried.  Some come back as skeletons or zombies, some much worse.  The only consolation is the Goblyns hate these UN-dead as much as the humans.  Finally after many battles and skirmishes the Goblyns seem to disappear from the Basin Area.

 

850-1000

Warring States period

Basin area is divided into dozens of small states across the land.  Aerelios and Stonova extend the Steppes Road that crosses the Forbek Steppes and links through the Coastal Jomoloto Mountains to the west coast!  This gives Aerelios more access to the east west trade.  Aerelios and Stonova join in an alliance that sees them control not only the Steppes Road, but the northern part of the Hrange Forest, and part of the Onel Hills!

 

 

1000-1200

The Second Compact 

This was not the way it started, but the way it ended.  Events began when Thosque (formerly Rasul) decided it wanted to be the pre-imminent port on the Gefting Sea.  So began a hot-cold war that lasted 200 years and eventually encompassed the whole basin area.  It started with naval engagements in the western parts of the Gefting Sea.  Both sides attacked merchants of the other and blamed it all on pirates.  But then there would be a peaceful time.  Then war again.  Then It started to spread to other ports and cities and soon these other cities started to ally together to face off against the two main rivals.

 

Eventually it became a north/south conflict with only one city staying neutral to all these events.  Now armies were landed on enemy soil for fast raids to disrupt the enemy.  One Thosquan general rampaged over Aerelios for over two years, before making his way back home.  Peace came because of the return of an old enemy, the Goblyns had returned!

 

1200-1275

Though the Goblyns had returned, their effect was not as dramatic.  Most cities had decent militias, and there was no Cramlyk to aid them.  But it did result in an end to the Second Compact War, as the Goblyns were seen as the greater threat.  But Adventures based in the major cities led campaigns to blunt the effects of the return.  Many areas are still under Goblyn control though.

 

1265-1275

Drought

For seven of the last ten years a drought has plagued the Basin area and if rumors are true, extend all the way up the K’rsondi Jungles and Northern Plains.  Nomads of the Forbek Steppes are ranging farth

 

 

 

 

er to find pasturage for their herds and the Trammel Highlands are experiencing warm winters with little snow.  The Gefting Sea itself dropped four meters and many ports have to extend their docks.  Only three years ago did it break and regular rains return.  The Gefting Sea is rising back to its regular level and farm production is back to previous levels.

 

 

Such is the state of the Basin area today.

 

 

 

On this continent the Jungles are north because this is the southern hemisphere.  As such the colder, more ice bound areas are to the south.

 

As for magics, I am steal... err, borrowing it from here:

Traditional Casters

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/Metier.aspx

 

Totemic Magic

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/TotemicShamanism.aspx 

 

Runecrafting

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/runecrafting.aspx

 

Finally Clerical Magic is potion based (Called Clerical Alchemy)

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Content/PackageDeals/BasicPackages/AlchemistMaster.aspx

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/shrikeMagicItemsArtificing_Ephemeral.aspx

 

 

Sorry for the info dump!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cloppy Clip]

Not at all, it's all very interesting! This is going to be a bit of a jumble, but some thoughts that occur to me reading this are, in no particular order:

 

- When the Three Paths of Magic are formalised, you've left out Clerical Alchemy. Is that seen as less prestigious in-setting, or is it harder to come by, justifying the exclusion?

 

- Just a thought, but the Goblyn Wars take place over a long period of time, such that if everyone has human lifespans nobody from the start will live to see the end of them. I imagined there might be a lot of room for the wars to alternate between hot and cold, with periods where diplomacy is being attempted while the different factions recuperate their losses from the fighting. I have no idea if this is the direction you wanted to take it, but it got me thinking about the different factions that might have sprung up over the course of the wars as different approaches are tried and tested.

 

- The drought in recent times sounds a bit suspicious: is there something in the background of the setting that caused it, or at least made it worse? Because I can see a campaign revolving around adventurers investigating and trying to combat such an influence.

 

- Goblyns seem quite consistently opposed to humans over the course of the timeline. I was wondering how sapient they are, for want of a better word. Are they more like demons, and a purely destructive force, or can some goblyns be reasoned and negotiated with? Come to think of it, the answer to that would have major implications for that cold war thought I had earlier.

 

- Finally, it's nice to see a setting that appreciates the importance of rivers to trade and keeping fantasy cities running. Of course, it's fantasy so you don't have to be realistic, but I'm still glad to see this all the same.

 

Thank you for sharing this setting with us; it's fun watching it develop over the course of the thread so please keep this up for as long as you're interested!

[Mr. R]

9 hours ago, Cloppy Clip said:

- Goblyns seem quite consistently opposed to humans over the course of the timeline. I was wondering how sapient they are, for want of a better word. Are they more like demons, and a purely destructive force, or can some goblyns be reasoned and negotiated with? Come to think of it, the answer to that would have major implications for that cold war thought I had earlier.

Goblyns Are more like demons.  They viscerally hate humans.  They represent the wildness and chaos and dangers of the places yet to be seen.  And Goblyns is a catch all term for:

Goblyns- your usual nasty hack and slashers.  Some make it to Lord and Mage status

Bugbears- Larger, stronger and more sneaky

Ogres- for when you want to give a serious challenge (And yes there are Ogre Mages)

Trolls- "They have a Cave Troll!"

Giants- Some are not that bright, but some are Lords and Mages and can give a whole party great challenge.

[Mr. R]

9 hours ago, Cloppy Clip said:

- Finally, it's nice to see a setting that appreciates the importance of rivers to trade and keeping fantasy cities running. Of course, it's fantasy so you don't have to be realistic, but I'm still glad to see this all the same.

 

I am using an OLD Shadow World module as an inspiration.  Image a great basin area dominated by an inland sea (Called the Gefting Sea).  It runs 250 KM east west and 100-150 north south.  It looks like a rectangle with the long side on the bottom.  Now imagine ALL the rivers flow into this basin, except one at the upper left corner.  This is the Kulana River and it flows north to eventually reach the norther jungles.  Aerelios is the city located at that corner area.  So all trade eventually funnels though it.  The city itself is actually on both sides of the river (It is a BIG RIVER as it has to handle ALL the water coming into the Basin), so there is an East Town and a West Town.

Who are the Gatekeepers?

 

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Gate Guards

There are six land gates into the city, three on the west side and three on the east.  On the east side the gates are called (from north to south) the Tenryk Gate, the Farmer’s Gate, the Fisher’s Gate.

 

Each gate has a set of guards who are usually a new traveler’s first introduction to the city.

- Tenryk Gate:  Called this because it leads to the City of Tenryk and the capital of the old Tenryk Empire.  It leads to High Town and the Main City Hall.  It doesn’t get a lot of traffic, so the guards here are those who are getting on in years and are nearing retirement.  If you are willing to listen a bit, you can get some info on goings on in the city, as well as where to stay (Yes they get a kickback) and which merchants to seek out for clothing, foods, decorations.

 

- Farmer’s Gate:  Most of the orchards and farms are outside this gate and so it gets a lot of traffic.  This leads to people trying to smuggle material in through fixed up wagons and hidden backpacks.  So these guards are known to be hard @SS’s.  They don’t really care as the punishments for letting contraband through is undesirable.

 

-Fisher’s Gate:  Called so because it is close to the dock areas where the fishing boats are located.  This is another low traffic gate, but does have one redeeming feature.  There are a number of low cost (Cheap) rest houses nearby that serve merchant ships that anchor nearby.  This is also the gate that really turns a blind eye to smuggling, (Given that the fisherman has been smuggling for decades.  The recent drought made smuggling by boat hard (river and lake depths dropped by at least three to four meters), and the families are making up for time!

 

 

 

[DShomshak]

40 minutes ago, Mr. R said:

Giants- Some are not that bright, but some are Lords and Mages and can give a whole party great challenge.

If Mr. R doesn't mind me adding a bit of clarification based on his past design work on this setting...

 

See the Norse myth about Thor and Loki visiting the giant Utgard-Loki. Or the arch-rakshasa Ravana from Hindu myth. Okay, these are titans who challenge gods; but scale them appropriately, and they can still be models for giants who are as terrifying for their magic and their cunning as for their physical strength.

 

Dean Shomshak

On 6/16/2023 at 1:25 PM, Mr. R said:

A city is made up of people and so I am delineating some of the personages of the city.  Not only the movers and shakers but also some of the more street people.

 

Lets start with the two people who run this town.

 

 

Any comments and suggestions welcomed!

 

What did Solan Oranmar do before becoming mayor? Presumably he was already a person of some local prominence. Probably a fair bit of money, too, if he can sponsor private expeditions to salvage art treasures from a ruined city.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

 

[Mr. R]

3 hours ago, DShomshak said:

What did Solan Oranmar do before becoming mayor? Presumably he was already a person of some local prominence. Probably a fair bit of money, too, if he can sponsor private expeditions to salvage art treasures from a ruined city.

 

 

 

Noted.  I'll add that in!

[Mr. R]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:21 AM, Cloppy Clip said:

When the Three Paths of Magic are formalised, you've left out Clerical Alchemy. Is that seen as less prestigious in-setting, or is it harder to come by, justifying the exclusion?

When I was developing my ideas, I wanted a varieties of magics.  AND I wanted concept that were easy to grasp by people who may not be familiar with Hero System.

Metier was the traditional caster type but it is easy to grasp and easy to expand.  I teach at a high school and I explained it to a few of my D&D playing students and they got it pretty fast (One really liked the Invisible effect style).

Totemic magics was that more primitive magic type, but again easy to implement.

Runecrafting was for a) a more proactive type, with a time constraint and b) a source for all those wonderful toy...er magic items.

 

But I had deities in the mix, and I wanted to make them different yet again.  I tried at least two types of magics, and then I remembered an OLD Bard Games supplement with alchemy being from two traditions, one of which was called Force of Will.  So I mashed it together, calling it Clerical Alchemy.

 

Clerics use the Alchemy rules provided, with the Power Skill based on EGO not INT.  Add a few KS based on knowledge of your temple's lore and history, and certain rituals, and I have a package deal.  Also this gives a rational for why all those potions (you know that D&D staple) are around.  Ther may not be a lot of clerics who can do the proper rituals, but there are more than enough to keep the campaign supplied.

[Mr. R]

More Gates!

 

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On the west side are also three gates called (from north to south) the Danris Gate, the Steppes Gate, the Forest Gate.

 

- Danris Gate: Called because it follows the river north toward the City of Danris.  This gate used to have more traffic, but the recent events in Danris and the political fall out there, as well as the new city at the other end of the Kulana River as it flows into the northern jungle bays, has disrupted the trade networks that used to exist.  Many merchants hope that the end of the drought will open relations.

 

- Steppes Gate:  This Gate leads to the Steppes Road, which leads eventually to the Nomad Riders (I really need to get them a better name), and eventually to the Jomoloto Mountains and the Western Coast.  This is one of the main trade arteries of Aerelios, and so many merchant caravans have rest areas here as well as supply houses preparing to send or receive a caravan.  As a result the guards here are extremely diligent, and any disputes are quick to be resolved.  However it is an open secret that merchants / caravan masters will get preferential treatment!

 

- Forest Gate:  The LOWEST traffic gate in Arelios.  It basically leads towards the Hrange Forest, and other than some farms and orchards, not much comes through here.  So the guards are bored.  But like the Tenryk Gate, it is where guards nearing retirement are placed and they, also, like to gossip!

 

 

 

 

[Cloppy Clip]

The gates look like a nice mix of prompts for a game; do you have a particular one in mind for players to start off nearby, or are you open to letting them choose and/or move around? I was also wondering, given the references to smuggling, what the main resources being smuggled into the city are. Have you decided what Aerelios's principle imports/exports are, or is this not much of a concern at this stage?

 

Thank you for the explanation on Clerical Alchemy and the different magic systems, by the way. It's always helpful to see what somebody was thinking about when deciding these things, as it can sometimes feel a bit intimidating with all the potential options available in HERO!

[Mr. R]

5 hours ago, Cloppy Clip said:

The gates look like a nice mix of prompts for a game; do you have a particular one in mind for players to start off nearby, or are you open to letting them choose and/or move around? I was also wondering, given the references to smuggling, what the main resources being smuggled into the city are. Have you decided what Aerelios's principle imports/exports are, or is this not much of a concern at this stage?

The supplement has suggestions in it, so I'll go off that.  But also the Aerelios is a trade hub.  Its like that story about Harrods (that store in London) where someone goes to its pet department.

Client "I'd like to buy an elephant!"

Salesperson "African or Asian?"

 

5 hours ago, Cloppy Clip said:

Thank you for the explanation on Clerical Alchemy and the different magic systems, by the way. It's always helpful to see what somebody was thinking about when deciding these things, as it can sometimes feel a bit intimidating with all the potential options available in HERO!

 

 

This has been a learning experience to be sure.  It has certainly opened my eyes to what goes into a good supplement (and also what they SHOULD NOT do or insert)

[Mr. R]

On 6/19/2023 at 6:54 PM, Mr. R said:

I am using an OLD Shadow World module as an inspiration.  Image a great basin area dominated by an inland sea (Called the Gefting Sea).  It runs 250 KM east west and 100-150 north south.  It looks like a rectangle with the long side on the bottom. 

 

 

Sorry I gave the wrong dimensions.  

East-West 700 Miles (1120 KM) 

North-South 150 Miles at the Narrowest (240 KM) and 250 Miles  at the Widest (400 KM)

[Mr. R]

Where to stay!

 

 

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Accommodation near Gates

 

Tenryk Gate has some of the nicer spots because of the route to a former great city.  

Dalon’s Place has the most affordable rooms but no food.  

Haroon’s is small (5 rooms) but they are all beautifully furnished.

In addition Torgon Holuar will rent out an actual house (He owns three) for a steep price.  

 

Farmer’s Gate has some affordable places both inside and outside the walls.  These are usually taken by farmers or herders who have to stay overnight due to longer travel distances.  Tarbona and Calonta both own a nice establishment with about 10 rooms and include food served in a small common room.

 

Fisher’s Gate has mostly bars that happen to have a few rooms.  These are very cheap, verging on almost unlivable.  Most are used by sailors and fisherman who need a place to crash after a bender before heading back out.  But also they ask no questions and keep their mouths shut!

 

 

[Mr. R]

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Danris Gate and the Steppes’s Gate have some of the best affordable accommodations in town.  Mostly they serve the caravan masters and their men.  But will lend out a few rooms if they have the space.

 

The Forest Gate has the fewest places.  As the least popular gate, it does not get a lot of traffic.  But there are a few places where one can get a cheap room, no questions asked.  Some wonder how these places stay in business with so few customers!

 

[Mr. R]

Some people found near the Gates

 

Tenryk Gate

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Jushoa is a teenager who knows almost the entire city, and where certain buildings are located (City Knowledge 18-).  For a small fee he will take you wherever you want.  For a small fee he will also carry messages for you (he can’t read, so messages will need to be written for him).  He uses the money to care for his mother and younger sister (she is showing promise as a seamstress)

 

Marlindia is obviously from the north as she has dark skin and very short dark hair.  She calls herself a humble painter, but has visitors from all over the city, especially some mages.  (She’s actually trained in Glorious Lotus and is trying to get a school going).  Her desire is to join an expedition to see Old Tenryk.

 

 

Farmer's Gate

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Old Soren is a regular at the Farmer’s Gate.  Every day he comes into town from his farm and sells his produce from a stall run by his daughter.  Unfortunately at least once a week, he’ll drink down all the profits.  At times like this his daughter will get people to take him home the next morning.  But he knows everyone in the Farms outside of town and who to talk to.  

 

Coldar is the chief guard at the gate.  He is very serious about his job and will look at EVERY bag, box, and wagon.  He is hoping to rise up the ranks soon as his wife is pregnant again and he could use the extra money.  Some worry that this could be used to put pressure on him to look the other way, and then fall out if he doesn’t comply!

 

 

Fisher's Gate 

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Olinia is the new guardian of the Shrine of Selan (Moon, Night, Dark, Navigation) and still trying to find his way around the dock area.  What he has made VERY clear is that the Shrine is neutral territory.  Since his can supply potions and talismans to make life easier, the locals take this seriously.

 

Sarren runs a boarding house/ inn for people coming in through the Fisher’s Gate.  Though it looks run down, It actually has decent food (Sarren has cooking at 16-) and the prices are reasonable.  (Note that Sarren has two rooms that can’t be seen from looking at the building.  These he rents out to those trying to lie low OR want to meet people without drawing suspicion.  Yes there are people in the Guard who know this, but they are told to ignore it)

 

 

 

Danris Gate 

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Garvin is a know it all.  He has been everywhere in the Basin Area and has knowledge of every major city, local customs and even a few esoteric professions.  And all he wants is to find out more.  Right now he’s making his way as a tailor at a caravansery near the Danris Gate.  He really is quite good (Tailor 15-) and will happily create a special outfit for those who need a nice outfit for just that occasion

 

The Steppes Gate

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Kuldhara is a warrior from the Steppes.  Trained in riding, spear, bow, sword, tracking, and survival, he hires on to caravans heading to the steppes.  He will then use his expertise and knowledge to facilitate travel and relations.  Recently picking has been slim and he needs some extra money.  He is considering joining a group who are heading that way as extra muscle.  For a small fee he will give any information about the steppes to people heading that way.

 

 

The Forest Gate

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Chandara is a new member of the city.  She recently opened a small drinking establishment near the forest gate.  She carries a small selection of decent drinks (some are non alcoholic) and an even smaller selection of excellent quality (Brewing at 14-).  She will also make a special brew for certain occasions.  It is an open secret that she is a dedicant to Olea (parties, brewing and thieves) and she tends a small shrine nearby.  Also an open secret is she has two male admirers and one female (all farmer’s from outside of town) and wonder how long she can juggle all this!

 

 

 

 

[DShomshak]

On 7/6/2023 at 2:49 PM, Mr. R said:

Some worry that this could be used to put pressure on him to look the other way, and then fall out if he doesn’t comply!

A good selection of useful NPCs, but I'd like to call out this bit:

 

Who are these "some"? How do they know, and why do they even care? Or, "some think." Who thinks? I recommend avoiding these disembodied opinions. Even if this is written just for your own reference, I suggest specify ingpeople who hold the opinions of other NPCs and can pass them to the PCs. Or even just something more concrete such as "local gossips." Note that NPCs who offer opinions or information about other NPCs may be mistaken!

 

Dean Shomshak

[Mr. R]

10 minutes ago, DShomshak said:

A good selection of useful NPCs, but I'd like to call out this bit:

 

Who are these "some"? How do they know, and why do they even care? Or, "some think." Who thinks? I recommend avoiding these disembodied opinions. Even if this is written just for your own reference, I suggest specify ingpeople who hold the opinions of other NPCs and can pass them to the PCs. Or even just something more concrete such as "local gossips." Note that NPCs who offer opinions or information about other NPCs may be mistaken!

 

Dean Shomshak

Point taken.  Thank you,

 

I will fix this and re-present it!

[Mr. R]

6 hours ago, DShomshak said:

Who are these "some"? How do they know, and why do they even care? Or, "some think." Who thinks? I recommend avoiding these disembodied opinions.

So a fix!

 

 

 

Coldar is the chief guard at the gate.  He is very serious about his job and will look at EVERY bag, box, and wagon.  He is hoping to rise up the ranks soon as his wife is pregnant again and he could use the extra money.  Some other guards worry that this could be used to put pressure on him to look the other way, and then fall out if he doesn’t comply!

[DShomshak]

Admirably honest guards!

 

Dean Shomshak