Monday, July 8, 2024

I rediscovered this after a long time away

 Here is a summary of an earlier conversation:


The concept revolves around a monotheistic religion inspired by Hinduism, featuring avatars resembling saints and a structured yet flexible magic system. The populace may secretly venerate saints, diverging from the official church practices to avoid persecution. Within this setting, magi and clerics play distinct roles with unique rules and powers.

Magi serve as legal historians associated with secret societies. They possess flexible magic but risk being burned at the stake for heresy. While they provide counsel to paladins, their advice may not always be heeded. In contrast, clerics are bound by their order's rules, with most forbidden from using offensive magic. The various orders have different focuses, such as teaching or healing, and there is political strife among them.

Paladins act as judges wielding swords, dispensing justice based on divine right. If their judgment is disputed, they can be challenged by trial by combat. Paladins use "Glory" to enhance their abilities and perform good deeds. The Mother Church, modeled after the historical Roman Catholic Church, is envisioned as broader and wilder. It is pro-human but not overtly anti-elf, practicing a policy of segregation. Elves maintain their own religious practices.

The theology centers on the Divine, a force desiring peace, joy, and dominance, opposed by ancient evils and demons. Rebellious angels became demons, and other maleficent entities exist beyond the Divine's domain. Clerics and magi avoid summoning spirits, focusing instead on angelic or saintly guidance. Secret religious practices exist to avoid persecution, adding depth to the interplay of politics and religion.

This setting offers rich possibilities for stories involving religious and political conflict, secret societies, and the use of magic within defined yet flexible rules. It presents a complex, layered world where characters navigate various forms of power and belief systems, creating a dynamic and engaging narrative landscape.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Goblins

Goblins are members of the Fey world, but are the very bottom rung of Fey society. its not so much that they were allowed to stay, its that they didn't care enough to round them ALL up when they left.
Goblins sometimes kidnap children, to make changelings of them for the greatest Fey. It hasn't occurred to the goblins that this might cause some strife with Humans, who do not obey the desires of the Great Fey. Nor does it occur to them disobey they great fey. The goblins are not slaves, but have served the will of the great fey for so long that doing other wise feels odd and perverse to them.

The favorite food of goblins is mutton, which reminds them of a sheep like creature that lived on the greenskins home plane. ( the name of which roughly translates to Home)

If a tribe of goblins are VERY hungry they might raid a Human encampment and steal anything they feel they can eat or use, or is just too pretty to pass on. Sometimes they take human children just because they are pretty, these children are treated relatively well. And are cared for in the best way that goblins know to care for a human child. (which is sometimes quite poorly, and others they guess based on how elven children are treated)

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Uplanders

Every race has available 3 benifits based upon the statistic that is Improved. Uplanders: Are a folk that live high in the mountains and hills in North of Mann and Yorklnd and South West of the Wall of Cyrmyr.
Strength: The lands these folk occupy are rough and difficult terrain. Sometime you have to actually carve your place out of the rock. Rocks also feature highly in many games. Weight for height, weight for distance, who can carry the biggest rock etc, and stacking stones for height and weight. (extra points are awarded for creative arrangement) Selecting Strength as your raised attribute gives you a base +6 Strength Score once a day. Constitution: having lived in some of the rockiest places in the known world, food is sometimes scarce. Uplanders have learned to eat things that make other cultures cringe. By generations of trial and error, they have discerned everything that can yield food in thier home environment. This gives them a +5 to a nature check once per day. Charisma: When you live in a culture of people known both as warriors and poets, you can never be sure quite what the neighbors are up to. If one is out and about and wishes to make thier intentions known at a distance this can be accomplised by a system of dispays. Choosing Charisma as your raised ability allows you to make a diplomacy check every night that your camp is assumed to be visable.you are allowed to subtract any ammount from the result of this check and add it to the insight or perception check of whomever may be viewing your camp.

Monday, October 20, 2008

conversation of oct 20-21

nemoObviscae (11:24:18 PM): http://saints.sqpn.com/saintj31.htm I like this for the road order
nemoObviscae (11:24:35 PM): a lessor known fictional saint that serves our need.
rout of coyotes (11:25:12 PM): Perfect. Want that deep middle ages feel.
nemoObviscae (11:25:32 PM): and it adds a good element of repentance in the mix.
nemoObviscae (11:26:00 PM): he accidentally killed his parents
rout of coyotes (11:26:35 PM): Great story!
nemoObviscae (11:27:16 PM): and i do agree
nemoObviscae (11:27:26 PM): I do not want our game to become a written heresy
rout of coyotes (11:28:41 PM): No. Want Catholics to enjoy the similarities, not hate the innaccuracies.
nemoObviscae (11:29:13 PM): yeah, if anything I want to inspire learning
rout of coyotes (11:29:17 PM): plus I don't want to tell tales about historical figures, that put them in an undeserved light.
nemoObviscae (11:29:18 PM): not condemnation.
nemoObviscae (11:29:44 PM): so by policy we use moslty defrocked saints?
rout of coyotes (11:30:27 PM): No... just need to fictionalize the recognized ones and change names.
nemoObviscae (11:30:41 PM): ok for the court I want to use This guy
nemoObviscae (11:30:44 PM): ok
nemoObviscae (11:31:04 PM): patron saint of courtiers and difficult marriages
nemoObviscae (11:31:11 PM): lol
rout of coyotes (11:31:36 PM): So funny.
nemoObviscae (11:32:15 PM): I don't think there would be many specialty clerics of his order.
nemoObviscae (11:33:01 PM): they would be seen as an ironic testiment to the difficult marriage of church and state.
rout of coyotes (11:33:12 PM): yes.
rout of coyotes (11:33:30 PM): They would be diplomats exclusively
nemoObviscae (11:33:31 PM): and have a nice sideline as marriage counsolers.
rout of coyotes (11:33:37 PM): heh!
nemoObviscae (11:34:13 PM): Henry the 8th could have used one.
nemoObviscae (11:34:14 PM): lol
rout of coyotes (11:34:33 PM): He could of used a good kick in the ass...
rout of coyotes (11:34:57 PM): Ann Boleyn was the right woman.
rout of coyotes (11:35:30 PM): The best marriage he ever made, and he has her beheaded.
rout of coyotes (11:35:34 PM): Jackass.
nemoObviscae (11:35:59 PM): for her niece I think
rout of coyotes (11:38:02 PM): so, order for administration, good Idea.
nemoObviscae (11:38:13 PM): yeah
nemoObviscae (11:38:18 PM): Grummarus it is?
nemoObviscae (11:38:30 PM): lets leave the apostoles out if it
rout of coyotes (11:38:36 PM): I thought he was for diplomats?
nemoObviscae (11:38:44 PM): courtiers in general.
rout of coyotes (11:39:13 PM): we'll expand his story, perhaps, or add another saint to it.
nemoObviscae (11:39:25 PM): we can tack on a bit to it
nemoObviscae (11:39:32 PM): not an unprecidented act
rout of coyotes (11:39:57 PM): indeed not
nemoObviscae (11:40:04 PM): and no need to add much
nemoObviscae (11:40:27 PM): he did attempt to be dimplomatic with his wife about the servants.
rout of coyotes (11:41:20 PM): truly
nemoObviscae (11:41:47 PM): so we are just expanding slightly upon the truth
nemoObviscae (11:42:02 PM): I mean the dragon in the story of Saint George was an angry cult
rout of coyotes (11:42:03 PM): "truth"
rout of coyotes (11:42:09 PM): Really?
nemoObviscae (11:42:15 PM): yup
nemoObviscae (11:42:34 PM): they were a group that were killing Christians.
rout of coyotes (11:42:39 PM): ouch.
nemoObviscae (11:43:25 PM): most of the monsters in Bible were like that, real entities that had to be talked about in another way. At least that is what I was taught.
rout of coyotes (11:44:19 PM): Interesting perspective. Yes I believe metaphor was employed extensively, for the bible writers were mostly highly educated.
nemoObviscae (11:44:37 PM): I would have actually prefered the scaly beast, at least it is being true to its nature. The cultists were just being cruel.
rout of coyotes (11:44:47 PM): true.
nemoObviscae (11:45:03 PM): They were demanding tribute from a village, usually a goat or something like that.
nemoObviscae (11:45:16 PM): they ran out of goats to spare and had to give a young woman.
nemoObviscae (11:45:33 PM): George showed up on his horse and challenged them.
rout of coyotes (11:45:44 PM): That is good stuff.
nemoObviscae (11:45:48 PM): Died in the process but was able to spare her.
rout of coyotes (11:45:59 PM): Oh, Perfect!
rout of coyotes (11:46:05 PM): Ideal!
nemoObviscae (11:46:26 PM): thats why he got on so well with the English knights.
nemoObviscae (11:46:35 PM): they understood him.
rout of coyotes (11:46:37 PM): He is not only the patron saint of England, but also of Russia.
rout of coyotes (11:46:46 PM): Bet you didn't know that!
nemoObviscae (11:47:00 PM): not going to say I did.
rout of coyotes (11:47:02 PM): Russian knights were pretty damn serious too.
nemoObviscae (11:47:17 PM): and they have 2 different orders also.
rout of coyotes (11:47:33 PM): Cool.
nemoObviscae (11:47:39 PM): Andrew and Peter I think.
nemoObviscae (11:47:52 PM): with the order of Peter being the highest order.
rout of coyotes (11:47:56 PM): ok.
rout of coyotes (11:48:14 PM): Back to your world, who takes care of the poor?
nemoObviscae (11:48:50 PM): do we want to fold them into the great order of saint Julian?
nemoObviscae (11:48:56 PM): he did do some of that.
nemoObviscae (11:49:05 PM): caring for leppers and all.
rout of coyotes (11:49:14 PM): ehhh...
nemoObviscae (11:49:34 PM): naa I like Jude
nemoObviscae (11:49:37 PM): We need him
rout of coyotes (11:49:43 PM): poor and orphans
nemoObviscae (11:51:14 PM): we have ophans pretty well coverd with st nick.
rout of coyotes (11:51:20 PM): oh yeah!
rout of coyotes (11:51:23 PM): forgot.
nemoObviscae (11:51:37 PM): I like there being an order of knights of saint nick
rout of coyotes (11:51:43 PM): so coed order for St. Nick?
nemoObviscae (11:51:50 PM): I think they should paint thier armor red.
nemoObviscae (11:51:58 PM): no problems there.
rout of coyotes (11:52:03 PM): Foster moms and dads
rout of coyotes (11:52:20 PM): not with eachother, just filling the roles.
rout of coyotes (11:52:57 PM): I like that.
nemoObviscae (11:53:39 PM): Nick does both actually
nemoObviscae (11:53:51 PM): he is the patron saint of pawnbrokers
rout of coyotes (11:53:57 PM): One for poor and farming?
rout of coyotes (11:54:20 PM): church run co-ops?
nemoObviscae (11:54:24 PM): hang on
nemoObviscae (11:54:34 PM): that sounds like the cistercians.
rout of coyotes (11:54:55 PM): It would be an important order.
rout of coyotes (11:55:28 PM): feed the hungry, give a place to the destitute, improve agriculture.
nemoObviscae (11:55:40 PM): that really sounds like them
rout of coyotes (11:55:46 PM): Cool!
nemoObviscae (11:55:57 PM): they were BIG into ag
nemoObviscae (11:56:07 PM): and improving ag tech
nemoObviscae (11:56:12 PM): and building things
rout of coyotes (11:56:15 PM): It would fill a huge need in this reeling society.
rout of coyotes (11:56:52 PM): what with the decimation of the populace and the economy.
rout of coyotes (11:57:11 PM): excuse me , halving of the populace.
nemoObviscae (11:57:14 PM): very true
nemoObviscae (11:57:18 PM): lol
nemoObviscae (11:57:52 PM): the cictercians were very strict with the rules
rout of coyotes (11:58:07 PM): excellent society rebuilders!
nemoObviscae (11:58:23 PM): yeah, they were sent into places of barbarism
nemoObviscae (11:58:28 PM): to re civlilze places
nemoObviscae (11:59:10 PM): thier abbys were always in remote places
nemoObviscae (11:59:15 PM): (reading the wiki)
rout of coyotes (11:59:34 PM): I can see them in your world with what are essentially agriculture schools and poorhouses combined in each earldom or duchy.
rout of coyotes (12:00:00 AM): how many counties in a larger lords domain?
nemoObviscae (12:00:11 AM): I dunno
nemoObviscae (12:00:18 AM): I have no reference for that
nemoObviscae (12:00:21 AM): say 3?
nemoObviscae (12:00:35 AM): thats a lot of land
rout of coyotes (12:01:13 AM): Well the Angles called them shires instead of Counties, but the Normans changed that.
rout of coyotes (12:01:48 AM): different governance.
nemoObviscae (12:01:56 AM): I like Duty for that nomenclature
nemoObviscae (12:02:09 AM): it is his Duty to his King and to his people
rout of coyotes (12:02:23 AM): 1county= 1duty
rout of coyotes (12:02:25 AM): ?
nemoObviscae (12:02:33 AM): 3 counties =1 duty
rout of coyotes (12:02:39 AM): Ah!
rout of coyotes (12:02:42 AM): yes.
rout of coyotes (12:02:45 AM): good.
nemoObviscae (12:03:04 AM): lets use knigts fee as a county
rout of coyotes (12:03:11 AM): ok.
nemoObviscae (12:03:11 AM): or should a night be that high up?
nemoObviscae (12:03:16 AM): a county is a lot of land
rout of coyotes (12:03:27 AM): In West Texas it sure is.
nemoObviscae (12:03:31 AM): LOL
rout of coyotes (12:03:31 AM): ;)
nemoObviscae (12:03:40 AM): But you raise a point
nemoObviscae (12:03:52 AM): I think it should be judged by the ouput and not the size
rout of coyotes (12:04:41 AM): half days ride = length of a County?
rout of coyotes (12:04:58 AM): or less,
rout of coyotes (12:05:09 AM): just need a measure.
nemoObviscae (12:05:19 AM): All of west TX could be one county and produce the same Ag output as a smaller section of land in the central areas
rout of coyotes (12:05:21 AM): half day's walk?
nemoObviscae (12:05:33 AM): well I like the idea from the magna carta
rout of coyotes (12:05:39 AM): ok, output rather than size.
nemoObviscae (12:05:47 AM): we could do it either way
rout of coyotes (12:05:48 AM): better, fairer taxation.
nemoObviscae (12:06:05 AM): but the Magna Carta stated it as being what an ox could plow in a day
nemoObviscae (12:06:22 AM): that was a section of land
rout of coyotes (12:06:52 AM): ok... couple of acres?
rout of coyotes (12:07:04 AM): fuck, I don't know.
nemoObviscae (12:07:10 AM): modern definition is something like a sqare mile.
rout of coyotes (12:07:19 AM): I can handle that.
rout of coyotes (12:07:33 AM): how many sections in a Fee?
nemoObviscae (12:07:53 AM): actually its 640 acres
nemoObviscae (12:07:57 AM): thats a lot of damn land
rout of coyotes (12:08:07 AM): square mile?
nemoObviscae (12:08:11 AM): a section
rout of coyotes (12:08:17 AM): ah.
rout of coyotes (12:08:30 AM): yeah it is.
nemoObviscae (12:08:48 AM): a section= a sqare mile
nemoObviscae (12:08:50 AM): I was right
nemoObviscae (12:08:51 AM): ok
nemoObviscae (12:09:04 AM): cuz thats about what we own out there.
rout of coyotes (12:09:11 AM): Damn.
rout of coyotes (12:09:42 AM): call that a fee?
nemoObviscae (12:09:51 AM): I am ok with that.
nemoObviscae (12:10:18 AM): the old formula used 32 fees to a township
rout of coyotes (12:10:21 AM): Ok. established A Knight's Fee is 1 square mile.
nemoObviscae (12:11:00 AM): that puts 1 lord over about 32 knights
rout of coyotes (12:11:23 AM): 1 Duty = 32 fees.
nemoObviscae (12:12:04 AM): if we do it the other way
nemoObviscae (12:12:23 AM): its an area of land that produces about 20lbs sterling per season.
rout of coyotes (12:13:04 AM): meh, the physical is more important to adventurers.
nemoObviscae (12:13:16 AM): interestingly enough
nemoObviscae (12:13:51 AM): the fee that the pesants payed to work the knights fee was about 1/5th the value of the fee.
rout of coyotes (12:14:26 AM): Responsibly administrated Feudalism works.
nemoObviscae (12:14:40 AM): okes let me post that.
rout of coyotes (12:15:02 AM): Square mile= 640 acres =Knight's Fee

32 Knight's Fees = 1 Duty.
nemoObviscae (12:16:08 AM): ok
rout of coyotes (12:16:12 AM): Btw, can't find your blog info
rout of coyotes (12:16:23 AM): I'll copy it down this time.
nemoObviscae (12:16:32 AM): http://samwyz.blogspot.com/
nemoObviscae (12:16:40 AM): just bookmark it.
nemoObviscae (12:16:47 AM): thats what I did
nemoObviscae (12:17:11 AM): oh, to edit, its my email address and the password is s3renity.
rout of coyotes (12:17:40 AM): that's what I was looking for.
rout of coyotes (12:18:40 AM): ok.
nemoObviscae (12:20:17 AM): extrapolating out.
nemoObviscae (12:20:42 AM): if each pesant pays 1/5 a nights fee per season then it takes about 5 families to work a fee.
rout of coyotes (12:21:04 AM): yes.
nemoObviscae (12:21:31 AM): unless they have lots of productive members of the family.
rout of coyotes (12:21:41 AM): 5 sets of 8 people including at least one invalid?
rout of coyotes (12:22:01 AM): or just oldster?
nemoObviscae (12:22:10 AM): I would think that a family of 8 would be kind smallish.
nemoObviscae (12:22:17 AM): with 15 being big
rout of coyotes (12:22:26 AM): Well, disease, Sam.
nemoObviscae (12:22:35 AM): and poligamists having about 20
nemoObviscae (12:22:40 AM): or more.
rout of coyotes (12:22:43 AM): headpalm
nemoObviscae (12:22:49 AM): ?
nemoObviscae (12:23:05 AM): oh
rout of coyotes (12:23:07 AM): polygamy? really Sam?
rout of coyotes (12:23:28 AM): ok. just kinda anachronistic.
nemoObviscae (12:23:53 AM): right, I mean it was fine and good religous practice well after Christ came.
nemoObviscae (12:24:27 AM): for Jews anyway.
rout of coyotes (12:24:46 AM): Given. Only Elders and Deaconi needed to be the husband of just one wife
nemoObviscae (12:25:16 AM): but most families don't work that way.
rout of coyotes (12:25:26 AM): Yeah.
nemoObviscae (12:25:35 AM): and I think that the church would kinda look the other way when things worked out that way.
rout of coyotes (12:25:47 AM): So rare but not unheard of.
nemoObviscae (12:26:01 AM): and perhaps send them a priest of Saint G.
rout of coyotes (12:26:16 AM): to the township at least.
nemoObviscae (12:26:21 AM): yeah
nemoObviscae (12:26:32 AM): you know that there are going to be some real hens in that place.
nemoObviscae (12:26:33 AM): lol
rout of coyotes (12:26:46 AM): good practice to have one each township.
rout of coyotes (12:26:53 AM): just because.
nemoObviscae (12:27:02 AM): true, but not many to go around
nemoObviscae (12:27:14 AM): would not be supprised to see them travel.
rout of coyotes (12:27:21 AM): They would be the ones to perform the marriages.
nemoObviscae (12:27:45 AM): every cleric can marry, its the afterwards that they care about.
rout of coyotes (12:28:13 AM): ok. but the duties of the position may make that more rare.
nemoObviscae (12:29:23 AM): I would tend to think that a lecture from SG would be manditory for every aspairant.
rout of coyotes (12:29:44 AM): they would have a circuit of townships, and take on up to two acolytes.
rout of coyotes (12:30:00 AM): maybe three, for theme's sake.
nemoObviscae (12:30:02 AM): lol and they would bring some poor bastard and his wife with them
nemoObviscae (12:30:22 AM): sorta like a chacelry play version of jerry springer.
rout of coyotes (12:30:38 AM): you are a sick man. I like it.
nemoObviscae (12:31:07 AM): the would seek out the most mismatched couple and prod them into it.
nemoObviscae (12:31:09 AM): lol
rout of coyotes (12:31:51 AM): ha! and provide free counseling as repayment, and set someone to watch their interests for the duration of the tour.
rout of coyotes (12:32:13 AM): sorry, donation free counseling.
nemoObviscae (12:32:36 AM): exactly
nemoObviscae (12:32:49 AM): but they would always be willing to accept from the crowd
rout of coyotes (12:33:01 AM): It's live punch and judy!
nemoObviscae (12:33:07 AM): exactly
nemoObviscae (12:33:08 AM): lol
nemoObviscae (12:33:16 AM): and church to boot
rout of coyotes (12:33:25 AM): medieval audiences would eat it up with both hands!
rout of coyotes (12:33:43 AM): Padded boffer bats!
nemoObviscae (12:33:43 AM): too true
rout of coyotes (12:34:09 AM): no, pillows!
nemoObviscae (12:34:19 AM): you would have to have some guard on hand to make sure they don't kill each other.
rout of coyotes (12:34:45 AM): like stuffed bags of mown grass
nemoObviscae (12:35:05 AM): Ow hay.
nemoObviscae (12:35:12 AM): hay is kinda sharp dude.
rout of coyotes (12:35:25 AM): something non lethal, at least...
nemoObviscae (12:35:30 AM): well down pillows
nemoObviscae (12:35:39 AM): or bags of sawdust
nemoObviscae (12:35:44 AM): its dusty but non leathal
nemoObviscae (12:35:50 AM): and cheap to produce
rout of coyotes (12:35:51 AM): expensive stuff, dude the down.
nemoObviscae (12:35:56 AM): yeah
rout of coyotes (12:36:15 AM): or powdered chalk!
nemoObviscae (12:36:27 AM): that can get very heavy but yes
rout of coyotes (12:36:28 AM): big clouds, funny white spots!
nemoObviscae (12:37:00 AM): well yeah, but I think this is going a bit too far from the cautionary tale to just plain slapstick.
rout of coyotes (12:37:24 AM): sorry. just not much difference to a medieval audience.
nemoObviscae (12:37:34 AM): true
rout of coyotes (12:37:49 AM): little bags.
nemoObviscae (12:37:53 AM): ok
rout of coyotes (12:39:22 AM): As a starter of the show, message about how to handle your spouse, then the boffing, and ends with application of the message.
rout of coyotes (12:40:00 AM): And a blessing of the married couples who remain for the entire service.
nemoObviscae (12:40:51 AM): I would start with a cautionary tale of woe about how suffering a bad marriage is a form of contrition ect
nemoObviscae (12:41:28 AM): then the exhibit with questions from the audience.
rout of coyotes (12:42:05 AM): we can write up more detail for that in a section devoted to religious life.
nemoObviscae (12:42:10 AM): I am.
nemoObviscae (12:42:15 AM): its called mother church and you.