Yalgraf, the City of Two Currents, is treasured as one of the Empire's southern jewels. A city founded on an island of the great Lalow River, its wealth is founded on its status as a trade port. Wealth, as it often does, attracts power. With power comes both grief and joy. Yalgraf, due to its wealth, has had both in great supply.
The nominal rulers of the City are those who sit upon the Council. Traditionaly made up of Two seats, it has over the years become Three Seats, then Five Seats, and now Six Seats. Bound by tradition and law, they are appointed to legislate and decide on issues.
Unfortunately for all, the whole of the Council has died from an outbreak of the Dancing Plague. The City of Two Currents is in anarchy, its Seats unfilled and its people in jeopardy. Even now, the Dancing Plague ravages the cityfolk, adding yet more weight to Yalgraf's yoke. Almost unprecedented, it has been decided to immediately fill all Seats and begin the task of bringing about order to the City.
Hi all, this is a bit of an experimental game. Briefly, this game is about ruling a vaguely medieval fantasy city via committee. There is no one ruler. Instead, influential officials must vote on legislation that may or may not benefit the City, and may or may not benefit themselves. I'm looking for at least THREE players with a max of SIX. The rules are described in the following spoilers.
MECHANICS The game is based around a series of Meetings, which occur throughout the year. During this time, legislation is put forward and voting takes place. Each Meeting is made up of at least 3 rounds: Introduction, Debate and Actions, Voting.
1.Introduction: possible legislation is put forward to the Council, with the Council being able to suggest further legislation. Legislation may be amended as desired, although this might not be acceptable or desired by all parties.
2. Debate and Actions: the Council debates on the merits, faults and consequences of the legislation, as well as perform actions. All actions are to be posted as secret via spoilers.
3. Voting: the Council votes in a secret ballot; all votes are to be posted as a secret via spoilers.
Should there be a tie, or if the majority of votes are abstentions, the Meeting adjourns. A special Intermission phase will then occur, during which the Council retires for a period of time, allowing time to elapse. Afterwards, the Meeting returns to the Introduction phase.
During the Debate and Actions phase, players may perform actions. Principally, these are done to acquire more information or affect the City in one way or another.
Each action is governed by at least one attribute. They are:
Diplomacy [D]: the ability to negotiate and handle people.
Prowess [P]: the ability to fight well and perform tactics.
Intrigue : the ability to scheme and manipulate.
Learning [L]: the ability to learn and investigate.
Organisation - : the ability to manage and implement systems.
Most actions have a minimum skill level required to perform, with most succeeding as long as the skill requirement is met. A player may perform as many actions as desired, if they can meet the skill requirements.
Generally, each source of skill can only be used once per round. The exception are actions marked as Missions. Missions do not automatically complete but are instead minor adventures that may take take several rounds to complete. Success is generally improved by a greater level of skill and diversity of skill employed. Note that Missions take rounds, not Meetings, to complete. As such, it may be beneficial at times to prolong Meetings in order to ensure that a Mission completes at a beneficial time.
Please see Action Types for examples on what kind actions may be performed.A player may
suggest any form of action they think possible and the GM will assign it a skill requirement. The following actions are merely suggestions, but please don't feel limited to these.
Actions have been listed under their main attribute, but may require secondary attributes.Diplomacy:
-Meet With [D]: organise a private meeting with one person or another, for one reason or another. Examples include: Meet With Aldricht the Clown to convince him to stand down, Meet With the Bakers Guildmaster to convince them to support the legislation, Meet With the mercenary commander in order to intimidate them into leaving town, etc.
-Celebration [D]: organise a celebration in order to increase one's reputation and hopefully putting in a word or two to suppport a goal.
-Send Envoy [D]: send an envoy to announce or request something from a distant person or group, or someone you do not wish to necessarily meet in person.
Prowess:
-Raid [PO]: outright war in Yalgraf would be preposterous, but some occasions are recognised as necessary or at the very least, understandable. This action involves mass killing or ransacking.
-Arrest [P]: technically, the power of arrest is only available to those of the correct offices. In practice, many officials are able to come up with some pretext for arresting someone.
Intrigue:
-Sabotage
: subvert operations of a person or group. If directed at the actions of another player, their action will fail. If sabotage is directed at an action of another player, one must state which action or guess what this action is. Example: sabotage strike meetings, sabotage Metropolitan's Investigate actions, etc.
-Kidnap [IP]: kidnap a person without a public arrest.
-Spy On : spy on a group or person in order to gain information about their dealings or actions. When used on a player, reveal one of their actions.
Learning:
-Investigate [LDI]: learn more about an issue by sending agents onto the streets. Examples include: investigating a crime scene, investigating wheat prices in nearby villages, investigating peasant movement in the City.
-Research [L]: learn more about an issue through academical or scholarly learning. Examples include: researching about the stars, researching about the lives of saints, researching about fertiliser.
Organisation:
-Logistics - : organising the moving of goods, such as food or weaponry.
-Conscript - : forcing residents of the City to act as one's agents; they won't be necessarily happy.
-Hire - : hiring residents of the City to act as one's agents; usually paid in one way or another.
-Fund [OD]: call for funding for a cause.Those who have the right to a Seat at the Council are the nominal rulers of the Yalgraf. There are three Permanent Seats and three Temporary Seats. The game cannot start unless the three Permanent seats are filled. Special Rules for Temporary Seats have not been written as unlike Permanent Seats, these are more reliant on the personage's backstory.
Regardless of Seat,
all players share a common stat:
Clout [C]: a representation of one's influence and wealth, Clout is used to buy assets and agents. May also be used to increase the chance of success in some events. Each Seat starts with a different amount of Clout.
Sign-up Sheet is below.
Name:
Appearance:
Backstory:
Seat:
Seat Description: fill this only if making up a custom Seat. Include a description of your desired position and its responsibilities.
1. The Honoured Mayor: the highest-ranking official in Yalgraf, they are directly appointed (for life) by the Count Palatine of Ruvania, though the Count Palatine could revoke it if they wished to. Theoretically, they have the right to rule in the city without restriction, as long as their mandate continues. Due to historical events (most notably the Commune Movement of last century and the Flooding of the Vales in more recent years), the Mayor has similar authority to their co-councillors.
In Yalgraf's early days, the Mayor had been a more powerful position with all other offices truly subordinate to it. The Cult and Guilds, whilst always major influences in their government, lacked the ability to officially countermand or reject the Mayor's proposals. The expansion of the Cult into the daily lives of all people, and the formalisation of the Guilds, have steadily eroded the Mayor's position.
Almost always a minor noble or slave of the Count Palatine, the Mayor's role is to carry out the will of the Count Palatine. Officially, in any case.
Special Rules:
Mandate: the Mayor will occasionally receive written requests for various actions to be done by the Count Palatine. Failure to succeed will likely impact their continued employment.
Favours: the Mayor has the Favours [F] stat, which can be used to temporarily acquire agents for the remainder of the phase. Each point of Favours can be used to create 1 unit worth 1 Attribute, The Mayor has 4 Favours per Meeting.
Palatine Authority: the Mayor has access to 2 units of Palatine Staff (1Diplomacy, 1 Prowess, 1 Intrigue, 1 Learning, 1 Organisation).
2. The Worshipful Metropolitan: the highest religious authority in the City, the Metropolitan oversees the local Cult of the Faithful. Whilst traditions throughout the lands vary, Yalgraf's Metropolitan is usually elected by their peers. Occasionally, a Metropolitan is appointed by one foreign official or another, most often the Imperial Court or the Forum Pontificus. All Metropolitans must have beards, but there are various theological disputes on whether one has to always have a beard, be a man, be able to use a false beard, merely have to have grown a beard at one point, or if having a beard is a metaphor for something else.
The Cult's authority has waxed and waned over the years, but few would question its right to power. Recognising the supremacy and awe-inspiring terror of the the Hiding God, the Cult has the mission of spreading the God's worship in all lands, everywhere. Whilst other gods and divinities are recognised, these are thought to be minor manifestations of the true divine, demons, rogue angels or magical manifestations of the earth. When the Hiding God reveals itself, all of these will disappear.
Special Rules:
Commander of the Faithful: the Metropolitan has the final say within their see. Excommunication, baptising, cremation and all manners of other religious esotericism is theirs to control and legislate. The Metropolitan may use the Special Actions Excommunication, Sacrament, and Benediction. Only 2 Special Actions may be used per Meeting. These can be the same action .
Holy Code: as a cleric of the Cult, the Metropolitan is expected to obey the Cult's vows and values. Namely, the Vow of Obedience.
Zeal: the Metropolitan has the Zeal (Z) stat, which can be used to increase the effectiveness of actions. The Metropolitan always has 1 Zeal each Debate and Actions phase , but may gain more by taking Vows or other holy actions. Improper conduct may result in Zeal decreasing.
Metropolitan Authority: the Metropolitan has access to 1 unit of Clerics (1 Diplomacy, 3 Learning).
Special Actions:
Excommunication: suspending one of the Faithful's membership in the Cult is a severe punishment to most. Those excommunicated are publicly shunned and not allowed to enter holy places. Most without influence will have difficulty accessing basic services or goods if their status is known.
Sacrament: personally celebrating one of the Cult's sacraments for one person or another is a sure way to get into their good graces.
Benediction: a blessing of the Hiding God is transmitted through its clergy. Reduces the skill requirements of an action by 2.
Vows:
Of Obedience: you are required to obey those of a higher clerical rank within the Cult.
3. The Respected Representative of the Trades: the myriad guilds of Yalgraf are not at all united and each have their various customs and traditions. Prior to the current Council government, guilds would send representatives to plead their case to the Mayor or other officials directly. During the Commune Movement's crescendo, the Guilds were able to oust the Mayor completely, declaring Yagraf a Free City ruled wholly by its committed citizens. In the modern day, the guilds are now entitled to a representative on the Council, as their commitment to the city can no longer be denied.
The Representative is usually elected by the masters of the guilds, with elections only occurring if the seat is vacant, or if there is substantial doubt on the ability of the incumbent Representative's to carry out their duties. In most cases, the Representative is a respected elder of the Trades, though younger men and women have been appointed to the Seat.
Special Rules:
Organised Labour: the Representative can quickly organise the City's guilds into actions, should it be sufficiently justified. Be it strikes, quickened production, conscription or outright violence. If it favours the guilds, it can be done.
Wealth: the Representative has the Wealth (W) stat, which can be used interchangeably with Clout. The Representative starts with 5 Wealth, but may gain more via lucrative enterprise or lose more with financial distress . Having negative wealth would reflect poorly on the Representative and is grounds for being replaced (and public humiliation).
Trade Obligations: the Representative has access to 1 unit of Clerks (1 Intrigue, 2 Organisation) and a 1 unit of Random Guild Members (stats will change each Meeting or Intermission)
The personages that occupy the other three seats vary, although their appointments tend to be for life or at least, long periods of time. The following are some of the more common occupants:
Marshal of the City: responsible for the City's defence, the hiring of mercenaries and men-at-arms, and the conscription of the City's milita in times of war. The Marshal is often of noble rank or chosen from the City's more prosperous families, although there have been cases of the lowborn and even foreigners attaining the position.
Wizard Sheriff: the Wizardic Shrievalty of Yalgraf is only loosely related to the borders of the City of Yalgraf. Yet, the office-holder often has a seat on the Council due to the notorious hedge mage problem throughout Ruvania and the surrounding territories. Wizard Sheriffs are licensed wielders of the arcane arts who are oathsworn to both the Emperor and the influential Navassan Company of Arcanics. The latter of which, is recognised throughout the lands as the borderless authority of licensed magicians; those who lack membership or break the Company's codes are not allowed to practise magic in most realms. Wizard Sheriffs are investigator, judge and executioner in their jurisdictions and are ultimately responsible for ensuring that mages do not thoroughly disrupt society or the world at large.
High Priestess of the Trade Goddess Ilyan: According to the Cult of the Faithful's beliefs, those who serve the false gods (that are themselves not manifestations of the Hiding God) will cease to exist along with their gods, once the Hiding God reveals itself. The same, however, does not apply to occasional worshippers (at least, this is the opinion in Ruvania) and many laymen still worship the old gods as well as the Hiding God. As such, those who serve these gods, even if they are damned, are able to attain influence in life. In Yalgraf, the High Priestess (for even those of the male persuasion take on the feminine role) of Ilyan are exceedingly influential. Yalgraf's lifeblood is trade and it is considered essential that Intuition-Granting Ilyan be venerated in order for the City to remain wealthy. Ilyan's high priestess is chosen by election amongst the senior clergy after the death of the last high priestess.
Chief of Trolls: Trolls have always lived in Ruvania, often in the mountainous vales of the south. Their conversion to the Cult several centuries ago integrated them into the Imperial system. Usually left alone beyond the occasional tax assessor, the Flooding of the Vales decades ago saw a mass exodus to the lowlands. For many reasons (particularly the accommodating gestures of a previous Metropolitan), many trolls came to live in Yalgraf. Seen as uncough by many, there has been tensions between the them and the greater populace for decades. The Chief of Trolls, who claims leadership over the City's trolls, is sometimes chosen as a Seat holder. Usually the strongest or wisest of the trolls, they are publicly acclaimed by the community.
Dual Steward of Roen and Tiraf: Despite the wealth of Yalgraf, its authority barely extends beyond the island. Besides a few outposts, Yalgraf is quite small. On the western and eastern banks of the river, both opposite of Yalgraf, are the towns of Roen and Tiraf. Both are (tenuously) owned by the von Bonn family, a baronial family of some prestige. Despite this, they are effectively suburbs of Yalgraf, supplying the city with food and workers. They are run by their own administrations, both appointed by the current barons of both titles. Recognising the interrelated nature of all three territories, the von Bonn's usually appoint a Dual Steward to organise both towns and to facilitate its connections with Yalgraf. They often have a Seat on the Council due to the desire to maintain good relations between Yalgraf and its neighbours, but are also distrusted by the populace. Too many of the commons still remember that it was the armies of the von Bonns that led the sacking of Yalgraf at the height of the Commune Movement.
Speaker of the Waters: Before the city of Yalgraf, there was the island of Durna. In that time, there had already been a small community there; the old druids of the land. Those old rites have long been abandoned by most, but the Water-Listeners are recognised as the direct descendants of the old ways. Personal priests of the Water spirits, especially of Father Lalow, they are respected and feared by the populace. Speakers are chosen immediately after the retirement or passing of the previous office-holder. Those interested in the position submit themselves to the Embrace of Lalow. That is, a mass drowning in the island's sacred spring. The one that survives the Embrace is chosen as Speaker. According to the order, and the histories, there has always only been one survivor.
Magister of Elves: Elves have always lived in Ruvania, lurking in the forests in the natural way. Long before the age of men, they warred with the trolls over clearing and pasture. Whilst some still live in the forests, many left their ancestral homes two centuries ago during the Dancing Plague. To most it was merely a catastrophic disease that quickly killed. To the elves, it was much worse. Some elves who caught the disease did not succumb to the usual dancing and buboes, but instead changed. Becoming abominations of savage persuasion, they proved too difficult to kill. Many who did or succumb came to Yalgraf. Most chose not to reside in the City, finding it unnatural. Instead, many chose the wandering life. Taking on horse and building for themselves wagons, many elves now wander the roads of Ruvania and are often distrusted by the more settled populace. The Magister, chosen by a process the elves refuse to discuss, is the elven representative to the city and military commander of the Yalgraf-focused clans. According to the old treaty, the elven clans supply horseelves and wagons to Yalgraf in times of war.
Primate of Royal Grave University: Founded two centuries ago, Yalgraf's local university is famed as the region's foremost place of learning. Bearing Yalgraf's old name, the university brings in hundreds of students and professors yearly, seeking lectures or research in its hallowed halls. The Primate of the university is analguous to the chancellor of other institutions. Historically, the university was founded by heretics who believed that the 'Mind' of the Hiding God was an independent personality but identical person to the Body of God. The university was a hotbed for heresy and learning with its leader being the presiding cleric of the heresy in the region. While the heresy has been officially 'quashed', the leader of the university is still called a primate. That said, there is still sympathy for the heresy within the halls of the university.
Of course, others have been known to fill the Seats (i.e. you can make up your own position).
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Topic: Yalgraf: The City of Two Currents (Read 1012 times)