Celtricia

[LordVreeg]

Still no luck with the image insertion.

Which is a pain, because I started the Celtrician thing with a map I drew back in 1982.  Since then, I have used a lot of Autorealm to get all my area maps, etc, in a storeable, changeable format.

Some personalities of Igbar

Bartick Polecatcher, Master Speaker, Skald of the Frigid Song.  
Bartick is a human male, in his early forties, and balding.  He is thin and wears silver round glasses.  He is nervous in public, but confident when he takes the stage.  
Bartick spent two decades growing up in the Frigid Song Guildhall, and spent a lot of time translating the older Omwo~ songs, as well as trying to learn the Omwo~ stringed instruments well enough to play the larger pieces he was translating.  However, he ran afoul the Winfire Trading Consortium, fell behind on some payments, and needed to be bailed out by the skalds.  This put a black mark on his name, and his advancement, never speedy to begin with, slowed to a crawl.
Bartick openned his school of the Omwo~ speakers five years ago, in 890 R.O.N.  Not a booming busines, it nevertheless pays for itself and affords Bartick a nice batchelor existence.
Bartick might be found playing with the 'Elven Cats', a string ensemble he and a few elves (and one dwarf) play around town in.  They also have a gig at the Upper Crust every other GreyDay.  
Bartick is a little thick around the middle, and has a weak chin, but is on the prowl for a wife.  He might smell a story, but will be less discerning if a beautiful human or Omwo~ woman is part of the tale.
Bartick still has friends in the Frigid Song, and they send students to him on occasion.  He wears slightly worn studded red leather armor (the studs are brass, well polished), and carries a Sax dagger in town.  He has a black furlined greycloak for the winter months, and is quite facile (basic Bard L7-21%, stringed inst L5-55%) with all stringed instruments, and he has a darkwood masterwork mandolin, truenote and magically deepenned.

Brendan Kax Colishaw, Human/Black Klaxik (dwarven) halfbreed, Head of Colishaw's ironmongery
Brendan's friends are not sure if he looks like a short, wide, furry man, or a small-bearded, elongated Klaxik.  The one truth there is that he seems to be have over half of both races in him, three-quarters Klaxik and three-quarters human, as it were.  His voice is like a bassoon, ringing over the bedlam of his shop.  
And what a shop it is!  Brendan's Pa, Kedgel Colishaw, started the IronMongery back in 866, right before the plague but after the trouble with Maf's Dark Brotherhood.  It was one stall on the edge of the Steel Way.  Now, almost thirty cycles later, it has two large forges  on opposite sides of a fortyfoot long open stall, with smaller anvil fires set along the back wall where three journeymen and six apprentices bang away.  Brendan specializes in fine edged weapons, though competent at other weapons and armor (Smith L9-30%, Armorer L5-70%, Weaponsmith-L6-77%, Preciousmetalsmith L2-40%).  He was the first smith to partner with Alternative School of Magic, which gives him quick results, but he often finds himself at the short ends of supplies if the politcal power of the Collegium Arcana can make him suffer.
Players will find him open and honest, but with no compuction in puncturing a thief or liar.  At the same time, Brendan has great faith in his own work, and will generally price things at twenty points over normal market value.  He has gotten used to the profits of the war with Argus to the south, however, and holds this wealth dear.

Chamden Kaexiol-Klaxik Collected Patriarch of the Lawful Triumverate
His holiness has run the largest parish in Igbar for four years, before that he was the Voice of Justice of the Church and before that he was Second Justice in command of the outreach of Abraduxes in the Church.  He is, and will always be, a holy warrior used to smashing evil with his own hammer, and the last twenty years have taken him further and further from it.
Chamden is a tremendously energtic klaxik, just over his first century, so firmly in his middle years.  His eyes are bright beneath black bushy brows, and he still wears his warrior's tail flying everywhere from behind his head.  He wears boldly a silver circlet of 'Earth's Law'(-as staffincantus, -2 Spirit SP, -2 Earth SP, -1 Law SP) and a Staff of Control (MR5%, lesser control 2/day, Order's Lock 1/week), that glistens with a white/silver radiance even in the daylight.
His holiness is NOT a great administrator, however, and despite the size of his flock, he has trouble delegating.  He can still be found once a hawaak at weapons practice, and stops in to the satalite shrines at the strangest times.  Chamden also holds a seat in the lower House of the Unicorn, and is very active politically.  He has a great distrust for the huge growth of the merchant guilds, but despite this he has kept the Church of the Lawful Triumvirate in close allegience with the growing Platform of Trade, the Church of Ogleic the Scales.

Feniar Reisir Fwean, Omwo~EyeTri of the Searing Eye
Feniar has tried, in the past to play the straight and narrow.  Sort of. But somehow, he always ends up back on the Searing side of the Igbarian Eye, the not-so legal part of that well known and feared band.
Feniar is a hair short of six and a half feet tall, and is slightly stooped.  He has the slightly lined face of an OMwo~ approaching his third century, and seems a littl resigned to his general fate.
Feniar know people in the Scarlet Pilums, the guards of Igbar.  Even officiers sometimes like to gamble, and one of his two operations is specifically a 'second chance' version, where gamplers who have been barred from the more legitimate outlets can still whet their appetite for the stones or the Wello Board.
Feniar spends a lot of time near his two houses, which are both in the dock areas, which puts him under the Dockmaster of the Igbar Eye.  Feniar has an old Grudge against him, and will gladly listen to anyone who has nasty stories about him, but he is too scared to ever jump ship.  Feniar also has a few connections into the 'Padisha' thieves group, so he is often sent as an intermediary between the two guilds.
Feniar wears a Grey silk tunic most often, over his Black leather armor.  He has a Gladius of Bloodletting, as he is a worshipper of Hewecar, and is an accomplished sneak(basic Sneak L6-23%, Hide L3-40%, Move Silent l3-42%).  
Players might meet him at the Parshan House of Chance or the Wello House of Adornment.  Despite his unpreposessing appearance, he can kill (HP L3-10, Basic Sword L4-12%)

Glammies Herriot, Omwo~ Red Sash, Green Robe in Collegium Arcana
Glammies is a fabulous, confident, incandesent figure on the Igbar social scene.  not even seventy yet, he has already moved up the ladder in the notoriously slow moving Collegium Arcana, already holding a posting just below a national level.  His talk is peppered with gossip from the rest of Trabler (particularly Recum, close to the Bright Lands), and from the Heshiantaower, the mastertower in Orbi.  Of average height, he slightly dyes his blonde hair with silver highlights, in imitate the look of a Vanir Omwo~.  Though slightly foppish, do not underestimate the brain inside the dyed head: he has rocketted up the ranks (Spirit Spell L7-35, House of Air L5-20, House of Fire L5-21, Artificer L5-19, Mentalist L4-14), and has friends throught the lower House of the Unicorn, particularly in the Vissipee and Teque trading families.  Though nominally a member of the Church of the Hunt, he has been seen in the Meeting halls of Woerter, the God of the Hosting lately.
Glammies actually, despite showing up for parades and every city event, hates this 'backwater outpost', and would be thrilled if the place burnt down.  He has been taking bribes from the Church of the Green mother to keep the collegium neutral in the Herb Lands affair.
PLayers of social rank will run into him regularly, especially if they spend time at 'The Grounds of Dismissal', the coffee house that has, over the last fifty years, become the meeting place for all Trading Guilds of Igbar.  Glammies has almost never been in combat, and while he has friends, he will wilt if cornered.  Just don't ever turn your back on him afterwards.


 

[Tybalt]

You have a gift for names, from the funny to the grim. I like "Grounds for Dismissal" and "Scarlet Pilums".

One thing I like again is how the guilds are name dropped into so much--these NPCs are faction leaders as much as anything else, and are very clear personalities that would be useful to a dm trying to run your setting. Also cool that you include how the pcs would be likely to meet them, I'll have to try that.

Btw...you mean 'gamblers' not 'gamplers' right?

Out of curiousity, how does the Collegium Arcana grant assignments? Clearly influence and such is built, but on what basis are these placements done?

[LordVreeg]

The Collegium Arcana---
Collegium Arcana

   The Collegium Arcana did not, contrary to the official position of that group; begin cleanly with a single origination point.  Back in the Middle Celtrician Interregnum, Many countries had some variation of an official mage's guild.  They did come together into a few different groups, but contrary to the Guild's official stance, they have not been one unified group for 2100 years.

Currently, however, they do enjoy a position that only a few Churches can claim, and without the competition.  The Collegium Arcana has offices in every major city In Northern Celtricia, as well as in most towns.  They have a seat in the government of Orbi, a council seat in the Theocracy of Gorntar, and a council seat in the Grey March, as well.  They control commerce in many areas, and are wealthy beyond the reach of kings.

   Players who join up with this group will never be in need of finding aid in any civilized location.  And the guild rewards loyalty, though it does not accept split loyalties.

The Central office of the Collegium has been in Orbi for over 150 years (back in 739 RON).  Archmage Hier Effen moved it from the ancient quarters in Stenron at the invitation of The Arcanic Table of Orbi.  There had been a Guild of Magic in the Stenron location long before the Interegnum, so this move was historic.

There are also many different divisions in the Guild of Mages. There are research divisions, combat divisions, political divisions, as well as different Orders ,such as the Order of Flame, the Order of Water, and more like that.

Every guild locality has a Head Warlock, who runs it.  The bigger the populaltion center, the more prestigeous the appointment.  Think of them almost as fiefdoms of a secret kingdom, with the HeshianTower as the Capitol.  Larger guilds also come with the headache of having Ambassador postings, sub-nantional and national level postings that were originally in place to smooth the bumps and make friends with the local governments, while the the Head Warlock runs the show.  Every Head Warlock knows, however, that they are also their to send back reports to the HeshianTower.

Complicating this are the sperate Orders within the Collegium Arcana, like the Order of Water, and the Order of Flame.  These are almost fraternities, and since they are usually joined early in a mages career, you see some nepotism here.  there is a lot of the 'Good Old Boys' netwrok currently in the Collegium Arcana

Approximately thirty percent of the Collegium's membership is 'homegrown'.  The guild's mission to find talented children and take them in to give them a comfortable life befitting their talent (and fostering fanatical loyalty) is one of the three precepts of the Collegium.  These 'homegrown' members tend to give their entire lives to the cause.

Teens or adults who join the guild later need to be sponsored, and the sponoring member is responsible for them for a full cycle, but also gains bonusses based on how their sponsored fledglings perform later in their career.

Everyone except the domestics in a particular local tower will be a guildmember.  The do not hire mercanaries, rather, they depend on recruits within their own guild to learn the rudimets of combat and the Swords Arcanic is a prestigeous group within the guild.

[Tybalt]

Interesting..so in other words if you want to do business as a mage then you'd better make sure you belong to this organization?

One question by the way--I love the names but why "Blue Turtle Knighthood"?

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Tybalt the Illuminated]Interesting..so in other words if you want to do business as a mage then you'd better make sure you belong to this organization [/blockquote]
Yes and no.
In many smaller towns, yes.  They are the main magic gig in town, and will not help outsiders in any way.  They have little direct powers of persecution, however, just indirect ones.
Towns often have other spell using guild, though rarely in the same class as the Collegium for the abilities they can teach(they have very high BXPMODS, compared to most) and will have a much better assortment of spells to choose from.

The Alternative School of Magic
In Igbar, the Alternative School of Magic was begun in 2-31-889, where Palimar, Air mage of Devens and Priest of Madrak and his wife, Samria, sage of the Steel Libram, decided to rebel against the Collegium in this small, border city.  
During the troubles, when the Unicorn King, Trabler Aptor dissapeared, Palimar was already on the Lower House of the Unicorn,  Palimar and his friends were instrumental in guiding the city during that dark time, and Palimar was one of the group that discovered HighHand Coomi, ranking member of the Great House of the Unicorn and Venerate of Nebler, was actually a spy for the Argussian Confederation.
[note]Palimar is actually a PC still remotely playing his old character.  These sessions were played 1986-1990. [/note]
Palimar was voted by the lower House of trhe Unicorn into the Great House, and at that time, to spite the Collegium Arcan that had always impeded his work, used his popularity to create the Alternative school of Magic.  Currently, 9 instructors and 29 students study in their halls, and an astonishing 52 other people have memberships and do their spell learning there.

The Green Flame
The Green flame is currently the alchemic branch of the Eye, the local branch of the Thieve's guild centered in far-away Stenron.  They Green Flame was actually an independent group of alchemists some 40 years before, squashed by Maf's Dark Brotherhood, and then reincarnated nine years ago by the Eye.  They are partially thieves, but skilled makers, able to create poisons and potions and decent scrolls, as well as some minor magical item enchantments.  They cannot teach all the spell types well, but have a decent assortment.  The do well in Artificer, Fire and Water spell points.

The Steel Libram
The Built in 488 RON, the Steel Library originally came as a branch of the Library of the Orb.  The first keeper was Aslow Ostombar.  The second keeper was secretly from the Collegium Arcana, Og Antit Antioper, but the son of the first Keeper and a few of the younger members found him out and imprisoned him in the lowest level.  This was Alim Vic Ostombar.  He and his group took the name Seeker of the Unknown, and many books of knowledge of that time period bear that name.  He died in 525RON.

The current Keeper is Pacae Letsos, a Klaxik Sage.  He feels beleagured on all sides.  His school currently has 24 members, with a healthy 13 being students.  His head of scrolls is Vesaart ol Emptos, a gnomic sage.  

The teach Mentalist and Artificer well, and have some passing ability in Order magic as well as chaos magic.  They teach the scholar skill set better than any in Igbar.


Those are probably the three best.  The bard schools teach some, especially mentalist (all the bard spells come from mentalist), and their are a few other poison making alchemsits, as well as the Red Witches outside of town.

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Tybalt]One question by the way--I love the names but why "Blue Turtle Knighthood"?[/blockquote]
The Blue Turtles
The Blue Turtles are the name of an order of knighthood founded to combat the Daemonically sponsored Order of the Red Circle.  The originated in the Omwo~ kingdome of the Silverwood, almost 400 years before.  They have never gone inactive, but during the War between the Blue/white confederation and the Stenronian Alliance recently, the Blue Turtle Shell has been barely able to keep up with the applications.  
They have a strong belief in very heavy armor, and a tremndous practicality.  They are allied strongly with the Order of Stenron right now.
Hatchlings, lower level brothers, are never sent out on their own, but always in pairs.  Shell swords, shellwatchers, and shell wardens are ranks that the Blue Turtles Aspire to.  The Horn Misister of local Ocodig, the town to the North of Igabr, is also a Grand Tortoise.

[note=disclaimer]Now, where did the name come from?  Tybalt, I canna tell ye.  It was a very early Samurai-style guid of warriors I created over twenty years ago.  But at least i am consistent.  At least 11 PC's off the top of my head were Blue Turtles.[/note]  
 

[Tybalt]

Very cool military order--I can see why people would want to be in it. How does someone apply to join? Do you have a basic prerequisite list for people to look at for organizations that are pc friendly?

What organizations have your pcs generally favoured over others?

Also a question about animals--are they ordinary animals in your world or are there unusual mounts and so on?

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Tybalt]What organizations have your pcs generally favoured over others?[/blockquote]

34 players.  141 PCs.
Some serious note searching going on here.
(Jenn has run 11 characters, Jim M had 11, they are tied for the record.

I am trying to figure out if I should include Factions joined upon creation, or factions joined later, as well.

Character creation involves social class rolls, and between that and attributes, that decides what factions you qualify for.  Fronm there, you can choose one or 2 to join, but you can take less skills if you choose more than one school.

LAter, it is a more in-game thing.  Kafka, a Fighter trained by Jon Of Miston, a remnant of the old Marcher Army after the Giants took over that town, later was a Knight of the Order of Stenron, a Justicar of the Tristonian Knights, an Honorary Grey Lord, and a Neophyte Priest of the Lawful Triumverate.  

I think the most Popular upon creation have been The Blue Turtle Samurai, the Collegium Arcana, The Searing Eye (of Miston, or Stenron, or Igbar...), but a lot of that has to do with the fact those schools are multi-national, and have branches all over the place.

The Collegium Tortoris has been a favorite lately.  The Guild of Torturers and Executioners started around 188 Reckoning of Nebler, in Winterloo (Later to become Stenron).  UNknown to all, they were in possession of The School of Shade Spell.   in 221 RON Winterloo had a backlash, and invaded their fortress on trhe Corpusmount, on the edge of the Necropolis.  By 225 RON, Venolisia, the sole surviving Master of Pain gathered a few suporters, and in the eaves of the Miston wood, between the evolving State of Winter and the new coastal settlements of the expanding Venolvian empire.  He imparted the ramparts with the power of Shade, so the fortress was not seen unless looked for.  Being a full Hawaak's ride from the edge of the State of Winter, it was well secluded.
Over the next century, the trade road grew up to pass the Collegium, and a small community of inns and settlemets grew ther, which would become Miston.  Due to the magic of Shade, only a few leaders were even aware of teh Collegium existing on the edge of their growing forest settlement.  At this same time, enough old patrons had been contacted so that many nobles had started to hire one of the masked, felt-cloaked Torturers for their court, as they were trained in diplomacy and strategy, as well as Poisons and the Arts of Truth and Pain.
In 412 RON, Teffud Kartig IV, the Kartig Host Lord of the Northern Ambrell Court, whose Klaxik clan had employed Torturers for 3 court-generations, suffered a grave assassination attempt.  The 3 assasins had gotten within the inner court, and thus had few and mainly ceremonial guards to deal with.  They threw off their peaxceful disguises, robes from Om, and with black-smeared scimitars dispatched the wide-eyed Ambrell Axemen, whirling to the Seat and Dias, and an axe flashed down onto the unarmored, upraised arm of Teffus Kartig II.
To be stopped noisily mere inches from that arm by a thick, three foot rune-carved sword, spinning from under a black-felt robe, mere feet away.  None had even seen the Torturer, Hiram, Steward of Pain, standing feet away, in his Black cloak and mask.  "Now you will know Pain.", came from behind the mask.
The Assasins were Masters, and responded from their mistake quickly.  And spun away then back into battle, turning and darting, working a triangle around the long cloak and mask that almost floated in front of them.  Swords and daggers flashed, blades met and clashed.  The Kartig Host Lord's deep voice roared for aid over the dim, and the lord, unarmed had to stand back as his single defender discharged well his commision.  
In less than a moment, it was over.  Hiram bled from both arms where he had bben sliced by the envenomed blades, but two of the Master assasins had been chopped expertly by the wide-bladed executioners weapon.  The last Asassin gulped in air, as he had also been slightly injured.  "Feel your blood boil, fool.  Feel the heat that will burn your blood away in seconds", he hissed through clenched teeth.  "Black Sugar is in your blood, we took no chances."  Teffud KArtig IV gasped from behinf Hiram at the name of the very rare poison made from Black Dragon Acid.
Hiram looked down and as he put weight forward he said, "I dined on your child's toy nightly by my 10th year, amateur."
and Hiram buried the thick blade in the Master Assassin's chest, as fast as thought.

Well, you can imagine, once that story was spread, every High Warlock, every noble, every high priest, wanted a toturerer.  For the next two centuries, every Assassin guild's worst enemy became the court torturer.  Advisor, bodyguard, and extractor of Truth, all in one.

Yet suddenly, in 640, jsut as they were reaching a peak of influence, almost all the court toturers were called back to the Ramparts of the Executioner.   The chapter Houses shut their doors, and no messenger could even find them to deliver messages.

Now, centuries later, Venolisi, Master of Pain, has once again taken sent a torturer out into the world.  The invasion of the Giants into Miston has convinced him to unlimber the Bridge of Shade, and quietly, to no fanfare, The Guild of Torturer and Execution has rejoined the world.

[Tybalt]

Wow, that's a nicely grim tale...and it would also hugely add to the fame of the kingdom itself to deal so savagely with an assassination attempt I expect. So is poison immunity a feat/skill you can buy in your setting then?

[LordVreeg]

Hestimiak Kartikol-OverHierophant of The Hosting (Woerter), and SHell-sword of the Blue Turtles
Towns have cycles, and the religions that try to serve the populations within each place are cycles within the cycles.  The worship of Woerter was all but gone a decade before, and the Hosting God had never had a shrine, let alone a temple, in Igbar.  Hestimiak still has a gentle and humble bearing, as befits woerter's image of the proper host.  However, much of it also comes from his fall and unexpected rise.
Yet the times change, and Hestimiak is the bringer of that change.  A Klaxik from OM in his middle years, He was sent away, almost as an exile, to make a start in the uncultured north countries of the Stenronian Alliance.  A decade in Igbar has given him a great appreciation for the less subdued and hierarchal nature of the Northern Lands.  
Hestimiak has many connections in the Harou tea houses and eateries of the Omnian section of town.  He has become great friends with Harisian of the SmokeDragon Tea house, and players might meet him there.
Woerter's worship has grown to the point that Hestimiak is moving to a small, abandoned temple on a side street of the Unicorn Vex, the main road that bisects Igbar.  This is a huge move up from their small shrine near the walls, in the weaver's section of Igbar.  
Hestimiak has copper-red hair touched with silver.  He generally wears Blue-washed Turtle Chain Armor under the Off-white robes of the Hosting, and has a silvery Falchion (Mithril +10/+2 Falchion, of Grace (+10% social CC)) covered with Old Omnian Runes.  He is soft spoken for a Klaxik, but confident.  He is always warm, but, sweating a little at all times.  
PLayers might find him supervising the building, in the Harou sections of town, or at the Shell of the Blue Turtles.

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Tybalt ] Posted:  Wed Jun 20 2007, 09:49AM
Wow, that's a nicely grim tale...and it would also hugely add to the fame of the kingdom itself to deal so savagely with an assassination attempt I expect. So is poison immunity a feat/skill you can buy in your setting then?[/blockquote]

Yes.  Under 'Mind' skills, the base skill is 'Basic Meditate', with one of the subskills of that being 'Resist'.  The subskills of 'resist' are 'Resist Poison, 'Resist Control', and Resist Magic'.  

3 characters have qualified for the collegium Tortoris so far, and another joined afterwards.  It has a good story to it, one that attracts players.  I just have to convince one of them to stop practising on small forest animals.


[blockquote=Tybalt]Also a question about animals--are they ordinary animals in your world or are there unusual mounts and so on?[/blockquote]

Both.  Giant creatures are a little rare, but generally pack with their normal sized brethren.  The odds are, however, if you run into a pack of deer with more than 20 members, you can expect to see one larger Deer.  
The Ambrellians and Omnians regular use Domediak Lizrds, 15' tall, thick lizards, to pull their wains.  Wyvern riders are extremely rare, but hippogryph and pegais exist in any town.  I know that Igbar has exaxctly 6 military Hippogryphs, and 10 private ones.

[Tybalt]

Good npc, I like the description of his origins and the ways he might be met. I also find it interesting that there is an immediate physical impression of him.

However you didn't answer my earlier question!

[LordVreeg]

How about now?

[Tybalt]

heheh, thanks :)

[LordVreeg]

Not that it is of great import, but just as another assist to the general flavor of Celtricia,
I'm going to post a few notes about the new characters rolled up by some of the Igbarians.
Just the guilds and a few random thoughts.

One rolled up a Bard from the Martial School of Song.  They are somewhat average bards, with some small mentalist spell ability, but who prefer to fight close up, without the protection of armor.  He decided to worship Woerter, the God of the Hosting.

The next rolled up a Mysteriarch of Lathe, a martial school that uses clws and armor...though this one decided to use no armor. He took decent thieveing and sneaking skills, but dumped no experience in spells.  Mysteriarchs have the highest damage bonus skill, so even as a near beginning character, he has a 20% chance of getting some extra damage after his dividing die with his claws.

The third rolled up a Neophyte in the Alternative School of Magic, and specialized in Chaos, Fire, and Mentalist spell points.  He is also a worshipper of Jubilex of Chaos, Balck Prince of Irony.

The next rolled a Member of the Karin Machination, the strong arm of the Eye.  Also, she chose to be a priestess of Lucky Ishma.  The Machination are the Assasins of the Thieve's Guild known as the eye.  Interestingly, she chose some Chaos and atrificer spell points.

The last rolled up a KNight of the Armor of Trade, the warriors who serve the Platform of Trade, which is the Church of Ogleic.  Ogleic's aspects include trade, a fair dedal, the scales, and building an honest relationship.  Rolling tremendously, he will be able to use the Knighthoods proclivity for a big flail to devastating effect.  He aslo took a bit of restorative and necromantic spell ability.