The Warrior's Code

The topic of Honor (as opposed to morality or chivalry) begs the question: what is expected?  What is a fair fight?  What is expected of a liege towards his vassal, and what is a vassal due his liege?  What about lying or giving your word?  How does Hospitality factor into this?  These answers are important, and as such, this post will try to address them.

First, while Honor represents "A Warrior's Code" it applies to virtually all characters of the North.  Even though values and mores differ significantly between cultures, all of them accept some common notions as honorable.  As such, every individual is held to the same standards.

Second, much of Honor is entwined with the concept of hospitality.  The Neizjet is the basis for social interaction in this society, and is essentially a formal exchange of good will that establishes a hierarchy... the giver of a gift offers sanctuary with the receiver offering obedience.  This goodwill can be avoided through the use of geld, but generally, this exchange is the basis for Honor... Honor relies on powerful warlords having the ability to have social interactions based on respect and honesty, and that they keep their words once offered.  This is the core of Honor as defined in Ubi Sunt.

As part of this code of ethics, there are certain expectations, particularly as acts of violence are concerned.  First, there is a concept of fighting dishonorably (which is a level 4 honor violation).  Violence is expected to be contained, so that the other individual knows that it is about to occur (allowing the opportunity to seek hospitality or offer some sort of submission).  Further, there are some expectations of fairness: warriors fight other warriors, for example, allowing Earls to name champions on their behalf.  A champion directly attacking an elderly noble, for example, is considered an unfair advantage.  However, once in the thick of the fight, there isn't much need for concern: one does what one needs to to win.  Violence can cross social stations or be done to "innocent" people... it's not considered unjust to kill a man who has done nothing wrong, as long as he or she is a worthy opponent and prepared for the fight.  One does not need to wait for a prone opponent to get up, rearm a disarmed foe, or hold off a killing blow who fell in the fight.

The concept of lords and vassals are somewhat different.  While a lord can expect the submission of his vassals, this submission is voluntary, and can be renounced at any time (but must be renounced before the vassal takes any steps against his or her lord.  Note that this isn't to say a lord's power over his or her vassals is without security; if a vassal renounces a lord, that lord is quickly able to turn upon the disloyal servant without any worry of hospitality... the vassal essentially states that he or she has no fear of the lord.  The lord is also expected to be generous, and realize that a vassal's property is his or her own.  An exception is land, which is (in Heorot lands) held by the King, and gifted to his Earls.

These are just some examples that clarify honor.   More questions?  That's what comments are for... 

No Knights In Lloegyr

So, questions about feudalism and chivalry have come up, and this blog gives me the perfect space to answer them.  Sometimes, the wiki isn't the best place for information, but a properly tagged blog can give you access to the "gee-whiz" information.

That said, on this specific question, your intrepid story-teller has to talk about something not on the wiki.

Namely, you won't find the word "knight" anywhere... at least nowhere in the setting information.

That's because there are no knights.  There are no fiefs, either (although there are lords and vassals).  You see no mention of feudalism.  The reason?  All of these things are anachronistic, and far more dangerous to the campaign than the pictures of castles players choose for their character's homes.

We have a lot of anachronisms in the game.  I'm generally 100% cool with these, because they don't really affect the story, and we're not going into meticulous detail on the exact time period.  In a thousand years, there might be people on a holodeck playing a game set in the 1980s... complete with iPhones and the internet.  It would hard to realize it's an anachronism.  Real quick... how many people can tell me when men started wearing wrist watches regularly?  While some might argue every vampire character who has a pocket watch should know this, but the level of detail is unnecessary (we don't want to go Diana Warrior Princess style, but that's another story).

However, while technology anachronisms don't bother me... value anachronisms do, because we're trying to emulate a specific mindset. And one sure way to undermine the setting is by adding the values of courtly love, chivalry, and "knights in shining armor."

Chivalry is a particular warrior's code, but not the one that would fit in Beowulf.  For one, Chivalry seeks to limit the knight... it is a collection of prohibitions and motivations that explain why this rich, heavily armored warrior with a small army of thugs should chastely love a lady at a tourney, as opposed to what typically happens when you have a small army of thugs and nigh invulnerability when on a battlefield.  It emphasizes obedience to your lord, for example, which fits into the monarchist world-view that looked back upon previous eras and defined "chivalry."  In actuality, the power of a king was much less than what we might think, and depended largely on his or her power or personal charisma.  So chivalry was a control... a moral code that told knights it was wrong to use their superpowers of armor and horses and money for their own personal gain.

The warrior code of the North is far different.  In this society, the characters are not superheroes, they're flawed human beings in a dangerous society, and constantly faced with choices between what is safe and comfortable, and what is dangerous and "right."

Beyond the North

The recent post about languages begs the question... what's beyond the North?

Eventually, the Matter of Vincia will likely affect the heroes of Lloegyr, and the Duchies of Cutane, Naever and Burgen will be of note.  Similarly, the Kraki might have to deal with their (incomplete) subjugation of the Hess, Tets and Thars, as well as their unfriendly Lom neighbors.  But this is a tale of the North, and after those barbarian tribes and the Merov duchies, there's going to be little focus on what's beyond.

That's not to say it isn't there.  Obviously, Tiber, with its fallen empire, obviously affects the North.  Your intrepid storyteller would love to run (or play!) in a game, either tabletop or larp, set in the Kingdom of Ravar (this world's homage to the Kingdom of Moravia).  Such a game would be stark contrast to a Northern game, with a focus on a fully Faithful nation frightened of monsters in the woods while try to attain some degree of civilization.  And there has to be something going on in this world's version of Iberia, even if no one has any idea of what is going on there.

But again, those are stories for another time, for this story is the Matter of Lloegyr, and a tale of the North. 

Languages of Lloegyr

Perhaps the most important setting element of Lloegyr are the languages... while your intrepid ST is no linguist like Tolkien, he still considers language to be the center of the story (and really, this is a tale of languages displacing other tongues, and diverging).  While no one would suggest an actual study of linguistics in Anglo-Saxon England, a general awareness of the similarity in, say, the Kraki and Heorot tongue (or the Heorot, Kraki and Guth languages in general) would be noted by someone with the Well-Travelled merit.

All of this begs the question... what are the languages of Lloegyr?  Further, how do they relate?  A brief discussion might reveal clues as to the history of the island and the metaplot.

First and foremost, there are four languages spoken as native tongues: Heorot, Aelic, Wahlan and Vendol.  Vendol is a language of no relation to the others, while Aelic and Wahlan is closely related.  While Heorot has some similarities to Aelic and Wahlan (suggesting that the Aels are not in fact native to Lloegyr, but migrated from the mainland themselves in pre-historic times), it is far closer to the Northern Tongues (the Tiberians call them the Barbarian Tongues) of the Kraki and Guth.

It is of note that there are dozens of Barbarian Tongues, and its difficult to keep an accurate count.  Kraki and Guth, due to their geographic proximity and history of trade, are almost mutually intelligible: they share most of the same vocabulary, and the same basic grammar.  Indeed, a native Kraki speaker might able to muddle through a Guth text with some labor.  However, the spoken words would be very difficult to comprehend: the accents are virtual incomprehensible. The same situation exists with the smaller tribes that the Kraki have absorbed: really, Hessan, Thar, and Tet are collections of similar dialects than easily categorized languages.  However, if one groups the predominant dialects: Heorot, Kraki, and Guth, as well as Hessan, That, Tet, and Lom, one has covered most Northern languages, save Burgess.

Burgess is an interesting case, because it straddles the divide between the Tiberian languages (which include all dialects of Merovian) and the Northern Languages.  The Merovian dialects are close enough you can muddle through them if you are a native speaker of one, at least in writing, but only the most skilled linguist could converse in, say Cutanian if you speak Vincian.  The exception is Burgess, which has a lost several grammatical elements and a gained a significant number of Northern loanwords, such that Burgess is a relatively unique language.

In any case, every northern language uses the Tiberian alphabet, for literacy was an invention of the Tiberians (as far as the North is concerned), and virtually everyone who learns their letters learns them first in Tiberian, and then in their native (or adopted tongues), essentially transliterating sounds into the Tiberian alphabet.

So, to catalogue the languages of Lloegyr, there are:

One unusual language: Vendol
Two tongues of Lloegyr: Aelic and Wahlan
Seven Northern languages: Guth, Heorot, Hessan, Kraki, Tet, Thar, and Lom
Four Merovian Dialects: Burgess, Cutanian, Naevic, and Vincian
A single literate language: Tiberian

Fate and NPCs

Player Characters start at Fate 3, they receive this for free.  To me as a storyteller, Fate is a sign of dramatic "weight;" it is how important a character is to the story we're telling, and how much of an impact they've had so far.

Which begs the question: how important are the Heroes?  How do they compare to other Fated NPCs? And just how many Fated NPCs are there?

The following is not a complete list, nor is it intended to be.  Some PCs require an air of mystery, and to allow everyone to know their mechanics might undermine the character.  But to give players a sense of what Fate means, and how rare a given level is.

The following list are Storyteller guidelines for NPCs and Fate (at least those that can be publicly shared).  While some players might not wish to have access to this information, it is included because it does give an idea of where the heroes stand (which is pretty high up in the hierarchy).

Fate 7: There's one (and only one) Fate 7 NPC.  There will probably only ever be one as well.

• Angus, Lion of the Aels - The Greatest Warrior Lloegyr has ever known.

Fate 6: There's only a handful of Fate 6 NPCs, they are exceedingly rare, and generally culture heroes. Note that not every culture has a paragon of their culture, and while this list may be incomplete, you're almost certain to have heard of a Fate 6 NPC.

• Castus the Unconquered - The King of the Heorots is a legend in his own time, and his story is sure to endure to the end of time.
• Odvar the Invincible - The Kraki Champion, the slayer of monsters, and perhaps the single most important reason for the current might of the Kraki.

Fate 5: Only the noteworthy, powerful, and dramatic individuals become Fate 5.  Their accomplishments are known throughout kingdoms, and their stories are the most essential stories of the North.

• Guilhelm, the Duke of Vincia - A politician without equal, known for his gentle demeanor and unassailable calm, as well as the vicious effectiveness of his politics.
• Jenevra, Fallen Queen of the Aels - Traitor, savior, priestess, or Queen... no one has done more to shape the current landscape of Lloegyr than Jenevra of Clan Onellon, now in exile.
• Raagar of Vexspar - The grim uncle to King Rolf, the former Kraki champion, and lion in winter.

Fate 4: These NPCs are amongst the movers and shakers of the setting... you know of them and of their formidable abilities.

• Augda, Primate of Lloegyr
• Dannis, the Earl of Lamark
• Finn, Earl of Farpont
• Mark, the King's Chancellor
• Pryd, Prince of Wahla
• Rolf, King of the Kraki

Fate 3: Generally speaking, this level of Fate is reserved for the characters of players, and include well-established or promising individuals.

Fate 2: Most of the "named" NPCs you meet are considered Fate 2 (generally, this is the default Fate for an NPC who could be "promoted" to NPC status.  

Rules Notes and Updates - 1 Oct 12

Some rules notes:

Fighting Style Errata: There is errata for Fighting Style: Aggressive Light Blades (referred to as Fencing in Armory).  The following if official CCP errata:

• The "Riposte" maneuver granted by the third dot of the Fighting Style: Fencing merit costs a Willpower point, which the player must spend as soon as he decides his character will apply twice his Defense to an incoming enemy attack

A clarification: since we so often use Dodge with Rapidity, this rule will requires clarification.  If a character is dodging, he or she must simply declare that they spend the Willpower point before the incoming attack to use Riposte.  The attack from Riposte is considered reflexive and occurs immediately after the attack that triggers it.  All subsequent attacks are not penalized by a character's Defense.

Longevity XP: With our first character deaths, we have our first questions about Longevity Experience Points.  While Longevity is used in some games to reduce the negative effects of character death (and meaningful character death is a desirably thing), it is not appropriate to a game such as Ubi Sunt.  Instead, we will increase the starting XP for all characters, to maintain a minimum baseline.

Currently, starting XP is set at 75 + (total XP award)/2.  As of 1 October, 2012, the total XP award (the sum of all XP awards by the storyteller) is 33.  This includes both game XP and additional XP awards for items such as using the proper format for character... such one time awards are no longer in play.  A starting character can have 92 starting XP (117 with a proper background). Characters with less than 92 XP (117 with background) gain XP to bring the total XP to that number.  Do not include Vassal/Lord XP or XP from lower Honor in this calculation.

Right Versus Honorable

Of all the mechanics in the Storyteller System, Morality is arguably the most important and most problematic.  Every template (included Lloegyr's heroic template) changes the morality system, as characters are judged by different ethic criteria than your typical human being.

Importantly, Honor sets the Fated hero of Lloegyr apart from mere mortals.  The Heroes of Lloegyr aren't held to a standard of right or wrong, but rather how well an individual adheres to his or her culture's moral code.  While they might seem similar, and often are, there is an important difference - in Lloegyr, your Honor depends on what everyone else expects of you, as opposed to what your heart or conscience tell you.

It's best to think of Honor as an overarching sense of integrity: above all else, you must keep your word... even if you didn't have a say in your original promise.  Just being born into a particular culture comes with responsibilities: you have particular gods to worship, kings to obey, and parents to honor, and you don't necessary get a say in the matter.  Add on top of that obligations one actually takes upon him or herself, and you a hero will have a number of actions they must undertake and avoid.

It is one thing to kill a person, or to take his or her things, but it is another to rob them, or ambush them, for in doing so, one attacks the social order that keeps the cultures of North functioning.  This is why it is such a bad thing to be known as craven... it means you have a disregard for the social order that supports every one's way of life.  There are times when a person must do an evil act... but that evil act is a stain upon the hero's own conscience.  There are others when a person must do a dishonorable act, and that act is a crime against a hero's own people.

This sense of "wrong" versus "dishonorable" is at the heart of the setting, and exploring it is very important to the themes of the story.  To a modern American, raised on rugged individualism, we might admire the craven who follows his or her own principles while suffering the condemnation of an entire culture.  However, as a storyteller, I have to demonstrate the consequences of these decisions, and make clear that being an individualist and following one's heart can be a dishonorable act.  And if it is a dishonorable act, I have to make sure there are negative repercussions.

One recurring theme of Ubi Sunt is "nothing in this world is free."  Players will hear it over and over, and Honor is part of what enforces theme.  In Lloegyr, everything has a price, even (perhaps especially) doing the right thing.