Turn 23: Learning the Lay of the Land
~Tradebridge Castle~
Rabble walked around the outer wall and the keep wall both, with the mason in tow pointing out this crack or that flaw. The problem was Rabble just couldn’t see them. The mason reassured him that they existed, and got indignant when Rabble suggested that one section of wall “looked exactly how a wall should look.” Regardless of the structural integrity of the castle, the people in it began to be work effectively under the restored authority. The injured were held in the temple to be examined and cared for, while the dead were promptly buried. The initiate kept muttering about how this wasn’t his job though, and the boy looked quite pale. The marketplace also got nice and clean, or as clean as a patch of dirt exposed to the elements can get. This didn’t affect the fact that nobody seemed keen on using it, but there had been a large enough fair recently that it was possible few people had wares to sell.
Orcus helped the guards oversee the prisoners. It was an uneventful way to pass the time, but he got to chat with the other guards.
Jongo was struck by inspiration and ran to the Baron’s quarters to find anything that could tell him when taxes would be collected. He found, fairly quickly, a well-worn map of the barony, which provided little new information, and a ledger which seemed to suggest taxes may come in a different form.
~Taxes on the Tradebrige Barony~
1085 – 50 copper
1086 – 50 copper
1087 – 38 copper, equivalent of 12 copper in possessions
1088 – 2 horses
1089 – A knight and footman
1090 – A knight and footman
1091 – A knight and footman
1092 – A knight and footman
1093 – A knight and footman
1094 – A knight and footman
Loyalty: Rabble Rall (Content)
Occupants: 3 Castle Staff, 1 Mason, 4 Guards, 1 Initiate, 5 Men, 10 Women and Children
Hostages/Prisoners: The Baron, 1 Guard
Food Stores: 20 Barrels of Beer, 4 Sacks of Coarse Grain, 8 Sacks of Coarse Flour, Crate of Hardtack (Ration length: Unknown)
Assets: Marketplace, Armory, Guard Barracks, Small Temple
Name: Rabble Rall
HP: 2/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d5 +2
Blocks 3
Looting I
Horsemanship I
Fortification I
Inventory:
Shoddy Short Sword [E]
Barrel-Cap Shield [E]
Leather Jerkin [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
Fine clothes
Dirty Cloth
Young Charger [M]
No money
Valor: 3
Honor: 0
Name: Orcus Pocus
HP: 3/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d6 +1
Blocks 2
Scavenging I
Looting I
Knot Tying I
Inventory:
Craftsman’s Hammer
Shoddy Maul [E]
Iron Skullcap [E]
Leather Jerkin [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
Guard’s Tunic
No money
Valor: 4
Honor: 4
Name:Jongo
HP: 3/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d6 +1
Blocks 2
Scavenging I
Tactics I
Inventory:
Shoddy Short Sword [E]
Shoddy Short Sword
Leather Jerkin [E]
Iron Skullcap [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
Map of Tradebridge
Tradebridge Ledger
No money
Rough Steaks
Valor: 2
Honor: 2
~Herfordshire~
Xaver began reading the first section of his new book. By the time he had finished, Herfordshire was upon him.
What follows here is a brief description of the forms of magick, such that a student with a particular interest or question may direct themselves to the appropriate section of this book. The student would do well to remember that this is the meanest of introductions, and should not be confused for a complete description. For the purposes of this book Ravenley’s definition of magick, “willful manipulation of nature without the consumption of natural materials,” will be used. This definition directs the inclusion and exclusion of certain practices which the reader may or may not associate with magick, but is useful in shaping the discussion of its forms. Each chapter herein thoroughly discusses the common properties of a Form, including topics such as identification, negation and counter-magicks, amplifying circumstances, and the evidence by which we have arrived at these classifications and descriptions. The student is reminded that magick, while seemingly chaotic, can be productively described only with a methodical approach.
The most accessible and least understood of all forms is that of Arcane Objects. These consist of many items which effect changes if properly activated, and were crafted in the Arcane Age. They can appear entirely mundane, such as with Molzar’s Iron Ring of Binding, or clearly magickal, as with King Romar’s Crown. Some of them are destroyed upon discharge, as is common with scrolls and wands, while others are retained. They are divided in Lesser and Greater Arcana, a classification which is far from essential but can aid in understanding the scope of the effect of an object. Identification of arcana is among the most important skill a scholar can have, and students interested are encouraged to undertake further reading on the subject. Note: Those objects effecting changes due to bound entities do not properly belong in this category.
A wide variety of magicks fall under the category of Inspirational Magicks. This form is united by the necessity of a state of mind called Flow, and the change originating from the magick user. This common form takes many different shapes, from the subtle spell singing Bards of Mernoth to the dramatic displays of the Earthmovers of Ern. This will be the practiced form most commonly understood to be magick. Many classification systems have been promoted, but none are featured in this work due to a general inability to identify traits essential to one subclass while absent in others.
Implorative Magick relies on an external entity to actually perform the act of will. It is commonly divided into Divine and Daemonic Magicks, but while we will present this division briefly, we will ultimately forgo its use. A wide variety of entities may be implored, and the variety will be explored only insofar as it relates to our discussion of the general forms. Those seeking a more encyclopedic tome on the subject are encouraged to read an appropriate compendium, of which a few are listed at the end of this introduction.
Despite Lesser Alchemy being treated as mundane by Ravenley’s definition, Greater Alchemy is considered magickal by virtue of the fact that the ingredients alone, when utilized by one untrained in alchemy, do not seem to instigate the desired effect. That is to say, it is not in the consumption of the resultant potion at which magick takes place, but in its preparation. This is indeed the very distinction between Lesser and Greater Alchemies.
Finally, mixed and unclassified magicks are introduced to whatever degree discussion of the topic can be productive. Rituals, bound entities, planewalking, and runic magick are the primary examples, though other notable cases will be mentioned.
The hope is that through study of this book a student will become proficient in the identification of magickal objects, creatures, and practices. However, proficiency in that ability demands more than the mere reading of a book. To that end a challenge is provided.
Further reading
Nature of magick-
Ravenley’s Essays on the Nature of Magick – The reader should note Ravenley uses the word essay here in the ancient sense of attempt. Not all of these essays are of equal merit to the scholar.
Magick Entities -
Herma’s The Greatest Pantheon – An attempt to unify divine and daemonic beings into a limited number of archetypes. Similarly limited success, but thorough in the number of beings considered.
Ermoth’s Beings of Natural Magicks – A summary of entities not normally classified as divine or daemonic. Chapter on natural worship is particularly interesting, as it is instructive not only on the creatures involved but also the natures of those engaged in the worship.
Author Unknown The Black Brood – Identification of many daemons. Questionable ethics.
Loyalty: Unknown
Food Stores: Unknown
Assets: Unknown
Name: Xaver Dunik
HP: 1/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d5+1
Blocks 1
Inventory:
Shoddy Short Sword [E]
Leather Jerkin [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
The Forms of Magick
No money
Valor: 1
Honor: 1
~Waybridge~
Cortis scoured the village for anything that looked like a marketplace, but the best he could find was a village green, which surely must be used for gatherings of any sort. He did see a blacksmith at work nearby though.
Lork casually walked in to a nearby tavern and began listening for any indication of the state of the town, and picked up a few useful tidbits.
Man 1: “I don’t know how my wife and I are gon’ make it this winter. Foods been scarce, what with the Baron taking all we’ve got.”
Man 2: “We’ve had rough’uns before, this ain’t different. Just different cause.”
Man 1: “Yeah well, to top it off, my wife’s been saying she’s preganant. Don’t know if I’m certain, she doesn’t seem to be gettin bigger ‘round, but women know these things.
Man 3: “I heard there was a man run through here complaining the barony was under attack. By peasants.”
Man 4: “I hate hangings. The way the men jerk as they die. Mighty creepy if you ask me. And that’s all that’ll come of that.”
Man 3: “Naw, they could do it. Baron has been short on guards. Things could change.”
Man 4: “Bah. There ain’t food. Changing who sits in the castle ain’t gonna bring food. And that’s that.”
Loyalty: Unknown
Food Stores: Unknown
Assets: Blacksmith, Unknown?
Name: Cortis McGornly
HP: 2/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d5 -1
Blocks 0
Acrobatics I
Inventory:
Bow +0 [Range] [E]
5x Dull Wooden Arrows [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
No money
Valor: 1
Honor: 1
Name: Lork Pedelbum
HP: 3/3 [-2]
Skills&Stats:
Attacks at 1d5 +1
Blocks 0
Lucid Dreaming I
Inventory:
Shoddy Long Knife [E]
Peasant clothes [E]
Nice Boots [E]
Cloth Coinpurse (18 copper)
Cloth Coinpurse (20 coppers)
Valor: 2
Honor: 2
I'm travelling right now, so the map isn't necessarily the permanent format. Just the easiest one for me to through together. It has good parts and bad parts to it.
Poll
2 (14.3%)
Author
Topic: Simple Folk of Erioth Stage III: Improving the Barreny: Turn 47 (Read 68549 times)