MERCHANTS OF ELM IN-CHARACTER THREAD
The World http://img240.imageshack.us/my.php?image=esslaxj6.jpg
Please note: Map is not necessarily complete, and only the largest towns are marked. Assume many smaller settlements are scattered along the river and coastline.
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The Great Plain of Essla is an untamed expanse, entered only by hermits, adventurers and mad sages. It is inhabited by strange, often dangerous wildlife and there are few places where water is easily found on the surface. The north edge of the Plain fades into tundra and the slopes of the North Wall, while the south end is a baked desert. A single major river runs down the eastern boundary of the Plain, and it is this river that is the axis of most civilized settlements.
In many ways Essla is similar to Earth during the last Ice Age. Mastodons and other huge mammals roam the northern expanses, and the river that flows down from the glaciers is the life source. Civilisation is small and has come nowhere near filling up the continent. Empty land stretches in every direction; not all of it has even been mapped.
The farther south one gets in Essla the more it reminds of ancient Greece. The architectural styles and local diet are similar to those of early (Classical or Heroic Age) Greece and Egypt. Most weapons are made of bronze.
Many things are different from those real-life cultures, however, from the medieval architecture of the north to the use of coal as a fuel to the very high ratio of large predators to humans. Essla is a world characterised by untamed, perhaps untameable wilderness.
There are two large kingdoms, Karr (capital city has same name) and Maena (capital Marion). Karr lives in the heart of big game country, having access to the entire Hand of Zeus (a vast lowland surrounded by the North Wall Mountains and glaciers). Hides, ivory, abundant meat and oil, rare creatures and plenty of water make Karr prosperous. The mines that turn out coal, copper, tin, and other precious metals are also a significant part of the economy.
Maena's treasures include diverse seafood, spices, plentiful salt, olives, wine, glass and precious gems. Also, as Maena is situated on the sea it is able to spread out much more easily and comprises many unique, isolated settlements. In general, although Maena has less resources than Karr, it has a more advanced culture and its trade goods are worth more to Karr than Karr's are to Maena. As a result Karr bears the brunt of the cost of trade, paying tariffs to the Middle Kingdoms to ensure that caravans get through safely. These trade agreements are jealously guarded by Karr and are protected by military force if necessary.
The Middle Kingdoms each have their own stake in the trade game, but they ae smaller and less formidable than the two big powers. This is largely because they are disorganised, being federations of small communities more than outright kingdoms.
Humans are the predominant race in Essla, with halfling populations in some places and gnomes spotted on occasion out on the Plains. Just like Earth, Essla has tall tales of elves and dwarves but they are generally considered mere folklore. The "beast men" of the Plains are very real, however, comprising all manner of monstrous humanoids and usually working alone or in very small groups. Most beast men roam with packs of wild animals and may not have any human-level intelligence.
All of Essla is a simple land, with only basic technology and magic. In many places people still live more as herders, hunters and gatherers than as farmers or urbanites. Magic is known of, but rare. There is no such thing as time travel, resurrection, or long-range teleportation.
Elm http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=elmme2.jpg
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Elm is a warehouse town south of Karr, which has grown fat on trade with its southern counterpart, Marion. Each spring trains of yawls drift out of the Warehouse District, setting course to the riches of the south. Just as many yawls, as well as river boats and overland wagons, carry the previous year's boon out to the corners of Karr, and especially to the city of Karr itself.
Elm was once a tiny settlement, a cluster of herders living at the foot of a fortified hill. An old keep still sits on the hill, but sees little service. With the yawl trade Elm became a crossroads of merchants and merchandise, and real estate became expensive. Many rich chiefs, barons, and traders have townhouses or entire estates on the East Bank and along Elm Hill. Opposite these mansions, the West Bank with its vast warehouses and yawl yards became the settling-place of the labourers, professionals, criminals, and other companions of industry. Growing rapidly with little regulation, the West Bank became an ugly, destitute heap of huts and tenements prone to fires, plagues and crime. The resulting Shanty Town marred the view from beautiful Elm Hill, and the wealthy got together and invested in the town's wellbeing: they generously funded the construction of a one-building-deep, full-town-long arcade of beautiful stone, brick, and plaster buildings. This strip, known as the Facing, provides a pleasant riverfront appearance to cover up Shanty Town.
The businesses in the Facing vary greatly in purpose and quality, but generally they provide an adventurous alternative to the cafes and wine-bars of the East Bank. The rich go there to feel young, to affect populism, or to make their shady deals. The desperately poor go there to prostitute themselves or prey on the drunk. Most of the people living, staying, or dining along the Facing, however, are travelers: merchant guards, poor traders, mercenaries, hunters, and trappers.
Two separate ferries (one at the north end of town and one at the south end) connect these disparate halves of Elm. The ferries shuttle people back and forth, bringing the rich to the poor and the poor to the rich. Elm makes no secret of its one and only purpose, and that purpose is money. The warehouses at the western end of Elm are its most desolate sector eight months out of the year, but without a doubt they are the heart and pulse of the place, the only reason why the poor put up with such conditions or why the rich bother to live there at all.
The Gods
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The major religion of Essla is centred around the pantheon of real-world ancient Greece. The gods have the same names and the myths are mostly the same except for their geographical settings. There are also some other religious paths, such as the animism favoured by druids (which is considered quite compatible with mainstream polytheism). Druidic teachings are somewhat more popular in Karr than elsewhere. Even among people who do not officially follow the druidic teachings, however, it is common to honour the spirits of trees and animals.
Many of the modern concepts about Classical religion come from Victorian scholars who tended to demonise the gods and put everything in neat hierarchies. Because this causes so many real-world misunderstandings, I thought I would post a general idea of what the priests of Essla teach. Of course, characters are free to have wildly different opinions than priests do, but it might help to know the "party line" about the gods.
First, although Zeus is nominally the leader of the Olympian gods, He is hardly the most important deity. Individual worshippers will focus on one or several gods, and generally each god's cult has some reason as to why their god is the most appropriate object of human worship. In addition, the Underworld gods are just as important as the Olympian gods, forming a second set of deities nominally led by Hades (or a third set, if you count the titans).
Second, the deities are considered to be wonderful examples of virtue. In fact, ethics are a major concern of Classical religion. The idea is that virtuous people are well-liked and well-respected, and most importantly they have a chance of becoming sages or heroes and thus becoming immortalised in song, story and human memory (accumulating a good reputation for themselves, but also giving a leg-up to their descendants). There are some Underworld gods Who are sometimes shown as judging the souls of the dead, and there are different areas of the Underworld for the particularly just or wicked, but in general people are told to be ethical for three reasons:
1) Rewards in this life, not the afterlife;
2) For the sake of the virtues themselves, which are good in their own right; and
2) the chance to become famous (and immortal in a sense).
Of course, we all know the Greek deities act with anger, vengeance, or petty jealousy in a number of myths. The religious view is to take these stories metaphorically, as lessons that teach us about human behaviour or the natural world. Each deity represents a force of nature and so (for instance) when Hades abducts the daughter of Demeter, it doesn't mean Hades is a rapist but instead paints a poetic scene about the cycle of the seasons, showing the relationship between the season of death (fall/winter) and the season of life (spring/summer). The ancient Greeks were not encouraged to take all of their myths literally and in fact many priests taught that a literal interpretation of the myths was simplistic and immature.
The last thing that should be said is that the gods do not commonly intervene in mortal affairs. Most religions, including those of Greece and Essla, teach that in times of tremendous need the gods may intervene on the side of justice. Most religions are also quick to point out that this is exceedingly rare, as the gods would rather see mortals learn to solve their own problems (and become virtuous and god-like) than fix everything. They have lived a long time and seen a great deal of war, bloodshed, and injustice committed by mortals; They have also seen that these things are always temporary and, on the grand scale of the universe, insignificant. In other words, they would rather stay in the role of advisor and good example than babysit us.
Nonetheless, when a particular mortal seeks out a relationship with the gods and proves her/his devotion and loyalty, They will make special gifts of knowledge, wisdom, luck, or power to that person. Thus it is more often the little things (an opportunity here, a stroke of luck there) that show the hands of the gods touching the world. Divine magic is, of course, among the most impressive examples of gifts from the gods, and not all priests in Essla have access to such powers (in other words, many priests are Experts, not Adepts or Clerics).
Bronze Tech http://img249.imageshack.us/my.php?i...gearmorrx1.jpg
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In a world with Bronze Age technology, there are a few things most characters would know about metalworking.
For starters, Bronze is a broad term that included pretty much all alloys of copper. The most common bronze is copper/tin, and this is what is usually used to make weapons. Blades should have a 12% tin content; less and they are too soft. Tin is rare compared to copper and has the same price as silver (or sometimes gold, depending on price fluctuations).
A number of other alloys can also be made, including gold- or silver-based alloys. Antimony would also be used at times.
Iron, contrary to popular belief, is well known. People mining for copper or tin run into it from time to time and they understand it is another metal ore. The problem is that the Bronze Age fire and bellows technology cannot create temperatures hot enough to melt and refine iron. This means that iron is usually considered a relatively worthless ore, as it cannot be used for anything. However, from time to time a small bit of naturally pure iron is found that doesn't need to be refined. Thus, you may occasionally come across iron trinkets like a small knife or a brooch. You probably won't ever see anything larger than that made of iron, however.
Fairly long blades can be made out of bronze as long as they have a good tin content and thick ribs running down their length. Swords as big as D&D "longswords" were historically made of bronze (the real-life medieval weapons known as "longswords", however, could not be made of bronze and expected to work well). To make blades, bronze is melted down and cast into the shape of the sword. The blade is then filed and polished till it is smooth, and the cutting edges are hammered until they are extremely dense and hard. These work-hardened edges can then be sharpened. Occasionally they may have to be re-hammered to stay in good shape.
Handles are made of bone or wood, or occasionally are also solid bronze. The bronze components of the weapon are coated in beeswax to prevent corrosion or minor damage, and to keep the polished sheen of the sword. Bronze swords can be so brightly polished as to flash like golden mirrors as they are swung in battle.
Real-world historians have done tests of bronze vs. iron weapons, and shown that the bronze weapons hold up surprisingly well against iron. Work-hardening the bronze goes a long way toward making it durable against iron. The reason bronze weapons went out of use historically is probably because of tin shortages (decreasing the quality and availability of blades). Iron swords were probably not thought of as being any better than bronze swords, at least at first, and may have even been regarded as ugly or chthonic.
Most people are familiar with the basic idea of bronzeworking, and carry their currency in the form of "ring money" (gold rings, silver rings, and copper rings worth 1gp, 1sp and 1 cp respectively). Bronzeworkers, however, are professional specialists with a great deal of knowledge and training, and are very highly regarded by their communities.
Weapons: All weapons except the Bastard Sword and Great Sword are available.
Armour: See chart above.
The Yawl http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?i...ilationhl8.jpg
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Representing one of the most impressive magical devices in an otherwise low-magic world, the Yawl has been a staple of transcontinental trade for nearly two centuries. Yawls only come from one place—the Wizards of the Pit in the North Wall Mountains.
Yawls are essentially floating barns. They resemble Noah’s Arc, except that the top is almost as round as the bottom. Inside, they have a single spacious hold with a small strip of living quarters along the top. A functional yawl can float about 35 feet off the ground, more if pressed. It can move forward at an impressive 6 mph, backwards at a crawl, and not at all from side-to-side. A yawl turns slowly, and pilots must take great care to turn before reaching obstacles. For this reason yawls mostly travel by day.
Yawls can hold up to twenty-five tons of cargo, gear and passengers. Anything over that limit impairs the yawl. An impaired yawl can barely move forward, dips down toward the ground and may move erratically or drift without direction. Yawls are normally filled right up to the maximum limit, since an empty or half-full hold does little to improve performance.
The most important part of a yawl is its enchanted keel. The keel runs from prow to stern along the inside of the hull. A “false keel” can be seen outside the hull, but this is mostly to protect and reinforce the magic keel inside. These keels are made of special scented woods prayed over by wizards with knowledge of ancient magics. Although people occasionally claim to have learned the secret from the Wizards of the Pit, none of them have successfully built yawls of their own.
A yawl will continue to function as long as its magic keel is intact. Veteran merchants and labourers along the trade route tell of yawls battered by war, little more than a long wooden keel and a few rib beams, that fly into town as proud as a young puppy. But a single crack through the keel will ground a yawl forever, no matter how good the condition of the rest of the vessel.
Your yawl’s keel looks as bright and smooth as if it was buffed yesterday. The rest of its woodwork is worm-eaten, splitting, and even broken off in places. The hold smells vaguely of pickles and the sleeping quarters of urine.
The so-called “rod” of the yawl is located at the back, but not everyone has the knack for controlling it. Those who do can use the rod, which is built into the keel, to control and steer the vehicle. A skilled helmsman can often leave the rod and walk freely about the ship, maintaining control through a light trance wherever she goes.
Steering the Darn Thing
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In general a yawl requires a Use Magic Device check to pilot; however, not everyone is capable of piloting a yawl. Roughly one in three people have the knack; for these people, a simple DC7 Use MD check will suffice in good weather. The DC rapidly escalates in any number of conditions, whether fighting winds, overloaded with cargo, suffering from keel damage, or trying to push the yawl beyond its normal capabilities (such as in a battle). In these conditions the helmsman's presence and complete concentration is required at the rod, and continuing to pilot the yawl provokes AoO's unless he or she succeeds on a Concentration check. Maintaining control of a yawl can be quite a strain, and may actually hurt the helmsman beyond a certain point.
Under normal conditions, however, the helmsman can often pay very little attention to the rod, even leaving its immediate vicinity to wander about the ship. The farther he or she goes from the rod, the higher the UMD DC is. generally, the DC at the rod must be beaten by 5 or more to be able to control it remotely (so in good conditions, rolling a 7 allows control and rolling a 12 allows remote control).
Any change in course requires a new roll. If a roll is failed, a yawl will usually continue its previous bearing; in stressful conditions, however, it may begin to fly erratically on a failed check.
Strong winds are the single most common threat to stable flight, with yawl-versus-yawl combat being an occasional second. Battle yawls have become rare because of their slowness and general vulnerability; in wartime they are mostly just used as troop transports.
People without the knack for yawl flight can attempt to pilot one anyway, but it is very difficult (+20 to the DC).
False Physics
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The state of scientific knowledge in Essla is, as might be expected of a low-technology world, limited. In many ways it is similar to the level of knowledge that was available in the Classical world (which is nothing to sneeze at: miniature steam engines, automated theatre-in-a-box, electroplating and water clocks are all possible). Some accurate and inaccurate notions are worth mentioning because they pertain to yawls.
Scholars have figured out that objects of different weights fall at the same speed (a 1 lb. weight and a 50 lb weight dropped together will hit the ground together). They also figured out that air-resistance is the reason this doesn't always appear true: a feather falls slower than a lead weight because the feather "catches" on the air and floats down. (These concepts are sound physics).
They have used this principle to explain the behaviour of yawls. An empty yawl and a yawl with 25 tonnes of cargo both travel a 6 mph. This is obviously because weight has no bearing on moving through air. (Modern physics would not support this idea).
Of course, yawls no longer fly at 6 mph when they are loaded with more than 25 tonnes of cargo. Scholars reason this represents the limited strength of a yawl. Just as a person can run equally fast with or without a piece of paper in his hand, a yawl can handle a certain load just fine. But a person with a pig on their back or a yawl with 30 tonnes of cargo faulter and move slowly and clumsily. (This is a distortion of actual physics.)
Most importantly, scholars have noted that a yawl with a 40 mph tail wind moves at the same speed as a yawl flying into a 40 mph head wind. They reason this is again due to wind resistance: the yawl is aerodynamic and so its speed is unaffected by winds. It bearing is affected, however, because only the front and back are aerodynamic; the sides aren't. This, they reason, is why storms can buffet and wreck yawls but not speed or slow them. (This is a gross misunderstanding of aerodynamics.)
Since only the most powerful wizards can construct yawls and all yawls behave consistently with one another, it is generally accepted that yawls, although slow and vulnerable, represent the absolute pinnacle of magical flight technology. In such a low-magic world, this is probably true. The physics outlined above are taught at all reputable schools and colleges, and yawls are held in great esteem and awe by the population at large (much like biplanes and zeppelins were in the early 20th century).
Therefore, people who question either the value of yawls or the mechanics by which they work will be met with doubt, mockery, and frustration. People who challenge yawls or widely accepted physics are treated much like real-life conspiracy theorists or people who believe in Bigfoot; maybe they can't actually be disproved, but they certainly are not taken seriously.
The Route
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The Trade Route mostly follows the Great River, and thus passes many towns along the way. If all goes well, a yawl traveling at full speed during caravan season can make the 4,300 mile trip in just under seventy two days. The return trip takes just as long, but since the caravan season only lasts about four months many merchants opt to wait till the following year for the return trip. This eats into profits but reduces the chance of encountering treacherous weather.
At many places the Route departs from the river, keeping a straight path instead of following the long bends of the watercourse. Most of these departures are short-lived, meeting back up with the river in a day or so. Age-old markers dot the landscape to show yawl-flyers the way.
There is one place where the Route divides. As merchants approach the Thrust Mountains, they have a choice: follow the river west of the mountains, staying close to civilization; or fly over the forested foothills east of the mountains. The forest is wild, but since most weather comes from the west there is little risk of encountering dangerous winds. Both routes take about the same amount of time—if nothing untoward happens.
Caravan season runs from May 15 to September 15, give or take depending on conditions. Flying a yawl any earlier than that risks being caught in a freezing rain, late blizzard or massive wind off the Plain. Continuing any later comes with the chance that a break-down or delay will leave one trapped in the winter weather, with no hope of help till spring.
Family History
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Generation 1: Granddad (Andromedos) and Grandma (Achyllea)
Granddad was a bright and adventurous man in his youth. He rose from a poor flyer to a self-made merchant and founder of Asterix Co. (which he always billed as “Asterix Company, Merchants of Elm”). His company struggled for the first two years of operation, but took off after he met his match in Achyllea. Grandma and Grandpa roamed over the expanses of plain, along the coast, and to the far north – even going to the Pit itself. Both were wild-spirited and cunning, and neither was particularly faithful to the other (although they seemed to sincerely love each other). After accumulating a string of legitimate and illegitimate children Granddad died at age 35 on an expedition in the Hand of Zeus, allegedly by making ill-advised modifications to his yawl and trying to cross large bodies of water. Grandma lived on another 5 years before wasting away and succumbing to a long illness.
Generation 2: Saker, Dad (Orikedes) + Mom (Achangea), a sister and her husband, a sister who died young, two acknowledged bastard brothers and who knows how many other bastards as well. Orikedes was the oldest.
Orikedes inherited the family business, which he was well-trained to do. His gambling cost him money but, at least at first, he had enough of it to spare. The whole family tends to drink heartily, but not usually to excess; as business turned sour, however, he turned more and more to alcohol as his medicine. By the time his older kids were reaching puberty he was a distant, bitter, sullen alcoholic. Never particularly abusive, he mostly just disappointed his wife and children time after time.
Achangea is the younger daughter of a baroness and her marriage to Orikedes was a contract between the two families: money for the baroness, prestige for the merchant. Achangea was a dutiful, if wistful wife and took care of her children, doing her best to shield them from the reality of father and finances. Mom exemplified aristocratic manners on the one hand, with an almost juvenile sense of humour on the other. He jokes were not well received by her husband.
Despite their differences, Mom and Dad seemed to be faithful to each other. Orikedes was always angered by his parent’s flagrant affairs, especially his father’s, and did not want to be like him. Whether Achangea was similarly virtuous or simply afraid of her husband is unclear.
Orikedes died of alcohol poisoning just over a year ago and was found alone in his study, sprawled on the floor with soiled pants and a stained shirt. Details were not disclosed to the public.
Unlike most of the family Achangea has managed to live past age 40. However, within a few weeks of her husband’s death her family arrived to take her away. She made a show of wanting to stay with her children but the general consensus is that she was relieved to get away. Her marriage contract was tampered with by her family lawyers so that she is not accountable for the debts of her late husband. This was probably arranged by her mother, who never liked Orikedes and seems mildly sickened by his children.
Mom still writes from time to time, but it is clear that she is being kept at a distance from the disgraceful Kite family.
Generation 3: PC’s other than Saker, all between ages 15 and 22.