The Royal Trust of Merovia

The Merov duchies have no king, but that is not to say they're not a kingdom.  The cultural similarities are quite strong (to the point that along the borders, dialects of Vincian and Cutanian and Naevarran and mutually intelligible), and the duchies could easily be brought under one banner, should any individual duke prove strong enough.  Of course, this is unlikely to ever happen, but there do exist various common structures, such as manorialism, that exist throughout Merovia.  And one of these is the Royal Trust of Merovia.

Technically, the Royal Trust would be called a pawn-brokerage in modern terms... it simply holds collateral in trust, and while doing so, may do with it as it may.  As such, it is also a rather sophisticated trade collective, as it offers secured loans throughout Arimdom, and then profits upon the sale of the collateral.  An ancient institution that is Tiberian in origin and dates to the earliest days of the Duchies, the Royal Trust of Merovia is perhaps the richest institution outside of the Church itself, and certainly more able to utilize its varied assets.  For while so much of the Faith's wealth is tied to the land, the Royal Trust is a rare institution that deals in trade goods and even (in the South at least) gold.

And in truth, there is nothing like it.  Although they have no extensive lands of their own, they have holdings, armies, ships, even serfs of sorts.  They exist in every court in Merovia, and their presence is felt throughout the north.  While little is known of them in Lloegyr (since the island does not possess a true market economy) they are quite powerful in Vincia, where they are sure not to create a costly rivalry with the Duke that might damage business.  Still, all who know them respect them: even the most traditional Heorot lord will eventually seek to trade for something he does not have, and when he does, he would do best if the Royal Trust had not noticed him.

Beyond the North, Revisited

I've touched on what's beyond the North before here, and I know Matt's visited Ravar in his tabletop game.  However, as I was recently outwitted by a player and may be forced to flesh out more of the world, I thought I might as well share it here, for the educated players to see.

As previously mentioned, there are established names and identities for both the Merov Duchies and the lands the Kraki have conquered.  The Merov Duchies of Cutane, Naever, and Burgen all have their own identities, and it might trouble some to note that in many ways, they're more Vincian than Vincia.  Additionally, the Hess, Tets, and Thars... all conquered by the Kraki... are somewhat similar to the Kraki (and thus the Heorots and the Guth, who are all cousins), as well as their Lorn neighbors.  To provide a little details on these places, beyond simple names...

• Cutane is the Duchy that borders the Protectorate of Timber, and is thus the most heavily influenced by the Faith (and probably the most advanced, technologically).  They're also the least centralized of the Merov Duchies, with the Duke of Cutane far weaker than his peers.
• If the Duke of Vincia rules through political manipulation, the Duke of Naevar rules through force.  His power is nearly absolute, and his court is a rigidly organized bureaucracy.  However, his power is curbed by the fact that Naevar is the smallest of the the Duchies.
• The largest Merov Duchy is Burgen, which is also the most influenced by their neighbors.  Burgen is, by Merov standards, barbaric (although this still makes them far more refined than the Heorots or Kraki) due to the influence of their Rav and Tet neighbors.  They are the largest and most populated of the Duchies.
• The Hess are a conquered people of the Kraki, and dwelt in a lowland forest close to Guthlund.  They were a very war-like people, with very little central organization, and although they fought fiercely, they were easily defeated in small numbers by Rolf over the course of two years.  
• The Tets were a people much like the Kraki, heavily influenced by their Merov neighbors, who conducted trade (and raids) along the rivers of the continent.  They were the first land to be conquered by Rolf, before he turned his eyes toward the County of Pendrose in Vincia.  After Castus' intervention, Rolf looked at his other neighbors.
• A mountain-folk, the Thars were intensely hard to subjugate, and the area was in a limited rebellion up until the day Rolf died.  Because of it's geography, the trouble Rolf had with the Thars prevented further conquests.
• Protected by narrow mountain passes and high altitude, the Lorn are an isolated and strange people, early converts to the Faith of Arim, and for some time an island in that Faith.  Dedicated to maintaining their homeland, the Lorn have perhaps the strongest cultural identity in the known world.

Having given some detail on these people, I feel a bit more comfortable teasing out the other major peoples of Arimdom... What must be known is that the greatest "nation" (an anachronistic concept used carefully) is certainly the Protectorate of the Patriarch, which is centered around Tiber.  To the West and South of the Protectorate, along the sea that defines the continent, there are a collection of cultures that all speak a dialect of Albers.  The Albersians are not a people but rather a group of people who practice a more advanced sort of feudalism, and are generally continually at war either with each other. Finally, there are the Rav, who control a very large territory but have a relatively small population density... largely as they are on the edge of civilization.  Beyond Rav is the forest primeval, where dark and strange things (perhaps even stranger than in Lloegyr) lie.

Agency and Perspective

I had a conversation with a player recently, about how fucked they are.  I actually have a lot of these conversations, because a lot of people feel like their characters are in grave and inescapable peril (and, well, they are), but this one in particular struck me... because the player didn't seem to accept it.  From that player's perspective, they have to power to save themselves.  Which is a great thing: except for the fact that they're probably wrong.

The reason they're wrong isn't because the storyteller is rail-roading them, or refusing to let their actions.  On the contrary, the storyteller is making sure their characters have agency, and determine the story.  The trick is that the actions that matter are the months of mistakes made in the past, when the character didn't realize what they were doing, and not a last ditch, quick fix effort to avoid the consequences.

Let's say you're a farmer, and also an adventurer.  In April, you go off to court to play at intrigues, and in May you go off to war.  In June, the voice of God (in the case of Lloegyr, me) mentions you should worry about your crops, and you spend a week or two in June tilling your fields.  Then you go off on a quest in July, and spend most of August with your friends in the next city over, and then in September, when I tell everyone "famine is coming" you spend another week or two in your fields.  When October hits, the crops are going to fail, because you didn't tend to them... and I'm going to show you ever single starving peasant I can to drive home your mistake.

The trick is that you don't know what you don't know... until it bites you.  Mistakes are made over time, and the fixes aren't easy or fast.  And sometimes it's too late.  And that's by design in Lloegyr, because it's the defeats that make the victories matter, and the victories that make the final tragedy of it matter.

I once said Lloegyr is about kicking down your sandcastles.  That's only partly true.  Sometimes, I see a puppy and I have to kill it.  But more often, I watch the tide slowly creep in, and keep you distracted with that really fun game of volleyball until the waves are upon it.  And then I point to the sand castle getting washed away, and focus on your attempts to save it after it's too late.  And the best part for me is that it's usually another player who's doing it to you.  All I have to do is place the emphasis.

Heorot Inheritance Traditions

A recent question by a player made me realize how far we've come... the question was about inheritance traditions in Heorot culture, and how it works.  I found this interesting, because the original political premise of the game was based on inheritance, so I knew exactly how it works.

First, there's one rule to remember with Heorot culture: there are no rules.  There's no rule of law, there's a tradition of Honor, which essentially amounts to "say what you do, and do what you say." (Okay, it's more complicated than that, but check out older entries on the blog for more).  That said, there's three very strongly held traditions of inheritance...

1. The parents' oldest son gets everything (and if there are no sons, then it would pass to the daughters).

2. A woman retains her property, but it is managed by her husband.

3. A woman cannot be an Earl, but may make her husband an Earl as long as they are married.

The first rule is interesting, because if I get remarried after having a son from a previous marriage, that son is entitled to everything from that marriage, but nothing from my current one.  That's because my marriage is a partnership... the dowery still belongs to my current wife, and anything we gained together is ours, not mine.  Further, if I marry an Earl's daughter, I might be an Earl... but only as long as we remain married.  

This can give rise to a number of gray areas, and those areas are very gray and undefined.  For example, Castus was King of the Heorots prior to his marriage to Jenevra, Queen of the Aels.  Through that marriage, he became King of all people of Lloegyr. His son, Draught, was entitled to his Heorot title, but not the title of all of Lloegyr, as Aelia was undisputably Ala's.  Hilarity ensues.

On the Tradition of Marriage in House Two Tower

House Two Tower has a very formal marriage arrangement, which was developed to promote the health of its heirs and secure alliances, while ensuring there are never significant rival claimants to any of its holdings.

Usually, all three Earls of House Two Tower (Lothan, Senton, and Kenton) were cousins of some degree.  Two of these earls would take wives outside the house, while one of them would enter an arranged marriage with one of his cousin's sisters.  For example, Codder, the last Earl of Senton, married Odette, while his first cousin, Walder, likewise married a woman from outside the House.  However, Oswulf, Codder's second cousin, married Ethel, Codder's older sister.

Truth, Justice and all Those Dumb Things

Something I've noticed about Lloegyr... Fundamental Attribution Error is in full swing, and I love it.  As characters get drawn into conflict, the players get into wars of words, and the rhetoric starts to fly.  Most of the time, players get drawn into their own IC justifications, believing what they're saying... and that's awesome.  Really... it's how real people work: we make up rational arguments to justify our feelings.  So if you really want to be king, you argue you would be the best king, and start believing it... because you want to be king.

But...

There's a slight problem with the rhetoric sometimes, and it causes people problems when dealing with NPCs.  It's when the rhetoric appeals to the modern Americans we are, and not the fictional Heorots and Aels and Vincians and Kraki we pretend to be.

There's a lot of people who are preaching "peace" to NPCs, and to think of the country (I stopped counting at ten PCs using this argument in the past week... so I'm not talking about you, I'm talking to everyone).  Telling a Heorot to work for peace is like telling your typical American to work for accurate and straight-forward food packaging... most will agree it's a good cause, but they just don't give a shit.  Telling an Ael to think of their country is like telling U.S. citizen to think about "North America..." no one gives a shit about their continent.  Peace and patriotism are more modern concerns, and your traditional Heorot cares about family and honor more than anything else.

I don't mind players having more modern values... I think it makes the game more tragic.  Just realize that making an argument for peace is like making an argument about calorie labels... even if you're right, the people you're talking to (i.e. the NPCs) might not care.

Rules Notes and Updates - 9 February 2013

Basic Mechanics
(added item) A draw is defined as Mental, Physical or Social when it utilizes a Mental, Physical or Social skill.  Attributes do not determine the nature of the test.  Tests that are solely attribute driven (i.e. Resolve + Composure, memory draws, Initiative, etc) are not considered Mental, Social or Physical.  If you have a skill trick or ability that applies to, for example, social skills, it only applies to draws made using a social skill.

Skill Tricks

Weapon Smith: (added text) As an option, a character may create multiple items with one Willpower expenditure, as long as the total bonus does not exceed their Fate.

(added item) Incisive Mind (Investigation) - This skill trick requires a Willpower to activate for a scene or downtime action.  It may be activated with either Just a Red Herring or Pattern Expert, or both, for one Willpower per scene or downtime action.  Note this power will not directly identify a culprit, only explain what they did or how they committed an act.

(added item) Just a Red Herring (Investigation) - This skill trick requires a Willpower to activate for a scene or downtime action.  It may be activated with either Incisive Mind or Pattern Expert, or both, for one Willpower per scene or downtime action. This power will provide one clue, or eliminate one false lead per success on an Intelligence + Investigation draw.  

(added item) Pattern Expert (Investigation) - This skill trick requires a Willpower to activate for a scene or downtime action.  It may be activated with either Incisive Mind or Just a Red Herring, or both, for one Willpower per scene or downtime action. 

(added item) Light Fingers (Larceny) - This skill trick requires a Willpower to use.  Trained Observer allows another character make an opposed test, but without any bonuses from Trained Observer.

Merits From Non-Core Books
(added item) Alternate Identity (from Immortals, first two dots only, four dots are not setting appropriate)

It's a Story

Letters are a big part of this game... it's pretty much the only way to interact, in character, without being in front of someone.  The IC/OOC divide strains because IC letters arrive as OOC email, and often, people will want to send responses quickly.  However, in nine months (wow) of game time, we've largely worked this out, with new people either inquiring as to how messages work or picking it up from IC conversations or checking the wiki.

One thing that seems to confuse some people, however, are the Greens.  They view them either as a medieval email server or as a network of spies, neither of which are entirely accurate.  Instead, I would like to use the Greens as an example of how Lloegyr works when you're not looking.

When you send a message, I assume it arrives by the Greens.  If you want to send it by some other method, you better have some other method bought and paid for on your sheets... otherwise, your message has just gotten the storytellers attention.  Not sending a message through the Greens is like refusing to use the postal service or UPS/FedEx for your mail: sure, maybe you don't want one of those organizations handling your mail, but how are you going to send it?  Unless you have a named messenger or some sort of holding that can be used for such a thing, I assume that the message travels by the Greens.

And most of the time, nothing happens.  The Greens are good at their jobs, and they hold a place in the world.

But when something happens, it's not that there's a network of spies or a plot device.  What I do is I take a character, either PC or NPC, and they do something.  There's named Greens out there... you've met some of them at game.  They have fears and desires and flaws and virtues like any other characters.  And sometimes a message ends up in their hands.

Every letter is a story, and the Greens are part of that story.  I understand that your character might not want the storyteller messing with any of his or her letters.  Understandable... but how important is it to your character?  Is it more important than that +1 to hitting something with your sword, or convincing someone that you're not lying?  Because there are characters out there who are trying to do things, and sometimes they come into conflict, and my job as a storyteller is to resolve what happens when one character comes into conflict with another, and be fair about it... not to minimize the opportunities for these conflicts and stories to occur.

A lot goes on with the Greens, and with letters in general.  It's no so hard to keep a particular message from falling into the wrong hands... reserve that effort for when it's important, and when it's not, enjoy the story.

Orders of Arim, Part III - Specialized Orders

The Faith of Arim is a massive organization, and most priests are quite different from the stereotypical white-robed preacher seeing to the masses.  A tremendous number of different duties maintain, promote and facilitate the functioning of the largest religion in the world.  In Tiber, the Faith resembles a far more advanced organization, with a bureaucracy that dwarves even the most complex Merovian structures, and this bureaucracy is reflected by the specialized orders that make up the bulk of the Faith's clergy.

A specialized order exists because the Faith needed it.  The Golds exist because the Faith needed soldiers, while the Greens exist because the Faith needed messengers.  Gradually, their roles expand or contract, but in all cases, a specialized order consists of priests who serve the faith in some world manner.  This is not to say they are not faithful, nor to dismiss the sacraments they offer.  However, to a Green priest, the primary duty is not to see to the sacraments, but to deliver messages securely.  Their vows ensure their loyalty and allow them to see to each other's sparks.  But their training is vastly different than a White or a Blue's.

A priest of a specialized order only administers sacraments to others of his or her order.  A Drab priest, for example, has no right or ability to see to the penance of a Black priest, or even a commoner.  Their vows vary, but generally there is not a prohibition against marriage or property, as much as there simply is no time for it: a messenger has no time for a spouse, and if they did, they would likely not rise up through the ranks of the messengers.  Further, they resemble priests less than others of their profession... a gold appears to be a warrior, a yellow, a Wahlan noble.

The most numerous of the specialized orders are Order of the Broke Sword, also called the Golds.  The Golds were founded far to the east in the early days of the Faith, before it had been consolidated around Timber, and its founder, St Benjamin, is still the matter of much conjecture and legend.  To hear the Golds speak of him, he was a contemporary of the original three Archons, but most scholars assert he was a warlord (probably from Ravar) who led a small kingdom in the early days of the Faith.  That kingdom fell, but his soldiers travelled to Timber, and have guarded the holy places ever since.  There are many legends of him and St Sylvia the Black, and they may have been contemporaries, but even the most stubborn scholar will admit there are things the Faith does not know about its past.

Today, the Golds serve as the martial arm of the Faith.  They are purely defensive in nature, as most kings and nobles become very uncomfortable about a standing army in their midsts.  The golds are the most diverse of all the priesthoods, as they take nearly anyone who is willing to arm a post.  They also are a refuge for criminals, as taking a mantle absolves one of previous sins.  However, the peasantry form the single largest recruiting source for the order... they are always well fed and live in warm cathedrals, so it is an attractive life for a strong youth who doesn't want to work the fields from sunrise to sundown.

The other commonly encountered specialized order is the Order of the Wooden Road, or the Greens, which was founded by a Kraki priest named Krunna.  St Krunna was something of a thug but also an excellent rider... legend has it that she was also quite cunning and something of a trickster.  Very early, she fell in with Blue priests who had came to the Kraki, and started serving them as a guide and a messenger.  Her skill with words is legendary in Kraki lands, who consider her their patron saint, but most famously, she recruited others of her country to help her coordinate between the warring Kraki tribes of the time.  Her organization was so useful it spread to Merovia and later to Lloegyr, until it proved so vital that event the Tiberians had to concede the use of this distinctively Northern order.

The Greens were originally messengers of the church, but early on they realized the value of reliable messengers protected by the Faith.  They are the singular reason correspondence is so prevalent in the North (and that correspondence has had a dramatic effect on the demographics of the region over the centuries).  Anyone can use a Green, who are sworn never to reveal the contents of any of their messages.  Still, they are just men and women, and rumors of corruption occasionally bubble up.  This doesn't damage their utility: they are the only messenger service in existence: if you don't have your own messenger, then you simply have to use a Green.

The Order of the Last Retreat is a silent order, known as the Drabs, who were muted charcoal cloaks and are sworn never to speak to the living, except for each other.  The disciples of St Thomas, they are full of secrets and no one knows their origins (although they are believed to be Tiberian, and centuries old).  They exist for one purpose: they see to funerary rites amongst the Faithful.  They collect and prepare bodies for cremation, in silent vigil, whispering to the flesh as they check to make sure the spark is let out and no lingering elements of corruption remain.  While occasional rumors of necromancy invariably circulate, there is little founding to them... sometimes having secrets and mystery is merely a side-effect of unwavering devotion and a little too much time spent around dead bodies.

The last specialized order known to Lloegyr is only a decade old, known as the Order of the Western Sun, or the Yellows.  They are Wahlan in nature, and known to follow St Nella... which is, coincidentally, the name of the founder of the Onellon clan.  Their purpose is seemingly to advise other Wahlan nobles, and they occupy a particular place in their nobility... slowly becoming more and more involved in politics as the Faith of Arim takes hold in that nation.  But there is one notable element about them: rumors (mostly unfounded) say that every yellow priest has some capability for magic.  

Orders of Arim, Part II - Cloistered Orders

While most common folk will encounter a member of the Open Orders, and these are by far the most numerous, the cloistered orders probably form the spiritual core of the Faith.  Whereas the Open Orders deal only with administering the sacraments, and the Specialized Orders focus on particular tasks, the Cloistered Orders maintain the theology of the Faith, essentially defining what it means to be part of the Faith of Arim, and how the Faith functions in the world.

A Cloistered Order is defined as an order who can administer sacraments to any Mantled priest (but not Brethren or common folk).  They also forsake personal property and relations.  However, they are best known for their lifestyles: they generally live with others of their Order, devoted to a particular purpose, and often have little or no contact with the outside world.  Instead, they focus on their studies, researching and investigating esoteric knowledge, and offering vital insight to the Faith as a whole.

The single most important Cloistered Order, and also the the least likely to be encountered, is the Order of the Ancient Tome, also called the Browns.  Founded by St Barnabas, one of the original three Archons, they are (along with with the Whites and the Blues) one of the three oldest Orders of the Faith.  It is said that when Gregor, Jomar, and Barnabas brought the Faith to Timber, it was Barnabas' idea, for he was the one who wanted access the ancient libraries of that city to write his canon.  This canon is known to all the Faithful, for St Barnabas is the author of the Book of Names... it is he who collected all the ancient and holy gospels and legends, and created the first holy tome in the history of the Faith.

Today, the Browns are a small order, but their place remains vital.  They are the ones who produce the actual Books of Names, dutifully copying the tome over and over again.  However, they are also the experts on canon law and dogma, and the authoritative sources on what is or is not heretical.  They live lives in small monasteries, far away from the corrupt world, and are rarely visited, except by other priests, and the occasional Green who comes to pick up some new copies of the Book of Names.

In contrast, the Order of the Hidden Names (the Blacks) are much better known, by the nature of their duty.  Whereas the Browns focus on ancient legends and histories, the Blacks focus on the occult, and strange phenomenon found throughout the world.  They seek to understand the work of the Daemurg and demons and other supernatural events, so that they can both reconcile them with the Faith, and learn to combat them in the future.  While they often keep to their libraries, they also do field work, and are often known for their investigative abilities.

The Blacks were founded by St Sylvia, who was one of the first priests to convert the Tets and Burgens in ancient days.  Predating what we now consider Merovia, the Blacks were long associated with the four Dukedoms, as St Sylvia was known as a counselor to kings, and her counsel was highly valued for her insight into pagan practices.  The highest concentration of Blacks is still in Merovia (particularly in Burgen and Naever), but their dark reputation has spread far and wide, and they are often valued as advisors due to the belief they know some bits of folklore and magic that could give ruler an edge over his or her rivals.  St Sylvia herself was believed to be martyred on a mission to Ravar... it would be hundreds of years before that area would convert.

While the Blacks are well-known, in the North, the most commonly encountered Cloistered Order are the Order of the Sacred Cup, the Purples.  Their purpose is a bit strange... they trace their founding back to St Adrian the King, who was an ancient king of a hall that is between Vexspar and Krakspar in what is now Kraki.  Adrian founded the Order after abandoning the crown to his son, and vowing to keep the ways of his people alive in this new faith.  As such, the stated purpose is the preservation of the Dragon Relics... remains of the ancient faith of the North.  However, in practice, the order has a far more particular purpose: the practice of medicine.

The Dragon Relics allow the Purples to practice alchemy, along with a number of other academic studies, which have proven valuable for healing, and over the centuries their purpose has shifted toward healing, with the preservation of the relics being secondary.  They are also probably the least centralized of the Cloistered Orders, preferring personal exchanges of knowledge in a network of priests, as opposed to centering their studies around strongholds.  This is, of course, due to the nature of their niche: they need to be where the sick are.