| Age | Stats | Points | |||
| Strength | Dexterity | Intelligence | Health | ||
| 10-11 | 7 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
-55 |
| 12-13 | 8 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
-35 |
| 14 | 9 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
-20 |
| 15+ | 10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
The game starts in the year 662 AN, with the Festival of Nonesday (Feb 29th). The custom of the villiage of Harion is that the first Nonesday after your 11th birthday, you are to be apprenticed. Nonesday is marked by contests, games and celebrations, trials of adulthood, marriages and similar such things. This year there is a record turn-out from all arround the countryside and the nearby villiages. The Markets of Nonesweek have done remarkably well, and all are pleased. The previous aprentices are graduating, and all is joyous. There are even a few unusual arrivals in Harion, wilderness people, the lord of the land and a group of warriors from the Hegemonic Army. The last of these groups appears to be highly unusual in that they are apparently being mustered out of the military, and have been granted land in the area of the Village, after returning victorious from the War of Thunder against the Orcish Underlords far to the south. It promises to be an interrsting time.
The characters are young adults, looking to be apprenticed. There is fierce competition, for those left behind will be forced to remain with their parents for another four years. Many parents are trying whatever means possible to influence the masters of professions to apprentice their children. Some are already arranged, with much money changing hands to finalize deals, while some others are looking for promising youth, not money.
Characters are built on 40 points to start, and may be any age from a advanced 10 to a late 14. They may take 30 points of disadvantages and 5 quirks, in addition to the points they get from their age. For example, a player takes a 12 year old, and has (40+30 dis+5 quirks+35 age) 105 points to spend in total, with the base stats listed above.
The second portion of the game will occur 2 years later at the great fair at the start of the year 664. The characters will get 40 points to spend, but most of it will go towards buying off the age disadvantage. For example, the character above must spend 15 points on buying off age, and has 25 more to spend. They get str and hth +1 from its previous level.
The third portion fo the game occurs at graduation, 2 years later, on Nonesday 666. The players get another 40 points to add, and may also take an extra 10 points of disadvantages. Continuing the above example, 20 points must be spent on to reach adulthood, 10 points of disadvantages gained, leaving 30 points to spend. The character gains Dex and Str +1. The final points level (excluding experience) should be 120 (+40+5=165 points to spend in total)
The points costs above are not including family or racial background. Thus, if you are playing a gnome, you get all the gnome advantages and disadvantages on top of these points. You also get your family advantages and disadvantages for free. Some people will end up with many more points than others... tough. :) They will pay for it in other ways.
Player Notes for the Village of Harion
The village is at the edge of the Forest, and is at the southern most tip of the Human Country of Malia in the Hegemony. To the south and west is the Forest, expansive and Elven. To the far north are the Dwarven Hills. There are a few halfling shires in the forest edge, as well as a (large) number of gnomes.
Harion has been around for about three hundred years as a human settlement. It has been mostly uninvolved in the big wars of the last three centuries. In the year 422, while the Second Venging War was raging, a goblin and gnomish force were driven south from the main conflicts and took to hiding in the forest and raiding the countryside around for food. Harion enlisted Elvish aid and hunted down the raiders. Many were slain, and others fled deeper into the forest. The Gnomes surrendered and took up residence in the area, working off the debts they incurred by their invasion. They are now (mostly) respected members of the community.
In the year 626, during the Dwarfish Homeland war, Harion had a threat of a different kind. Wolves in hordes came from the deep forest, killing many foresters and farmers. Harion gathered its Militia and hunted down these wolves, only to discover they were led by something far worse. A Zoanthrope had come into their area. After much loss of life, the Zoanthrope�s wolven army was destroyed, and the leader fled into the forest. Two months later, fourteen of the villager were killed, and two others were discovered to have been infected with lycanthropy. The plague was finally ended, and the bodies all burned by the actions of Lady Perdue, the then Baroness of Harion. Her second son, Joseph took over her position after these events, since her nerves have never been up to ruling since. This is an unusual turn of events in Malia, where daughters normally rule, but Joseph�s elder sister is widely regarded as a half-wit. Joseph still is Baron today, at the age of 62, with his wife and seven children.
The People of Harion
The ruling family is the Perdues, who can trace their lineage back to the founding of the town and back even to the Monarchs of Malia. They have recently married badly (in the social sense) and are considered rustic backwater lords by the society in the nearest city (Perlion).
There are seven other major families, all free, and several hundred indentured servants. The human families are the Heilenswrath, the Shayren, the Smythson, and the Faeywrath. The Faeywrath family are rumored to have some Elven blood, and most live in or near the forest, while the others are more towns people and crafts workers. Family names follow the female line, and tend to be matriarchal. Joseph (the Baron) married into the Heilenswrath family, and so the ruling name at the moment is Heilenswrath, but the real upper class are the Perdue family. Some in the Heilenswrath family have ambitions, and have taken it upon themselves to train their children into the church or knighthood.
The Halfling families of Raggert and Beltain are the other major families, and own large portions of land. They are farmers, tanners, milliners and butchers, and a vital part of the community. They appear to have no ambitions save ones of comfort. The Gnome family of Rangsban have also become quite noteworthy as jewelers and bankers.
There are some dwarves in the area, mostly to the north, and some elves of the southern forest show up to every Nonesday markets.
Humans
Note: All races below are dark skinned, with variations of hair and eye color very frequent.
Halflings
Dexterous and tough, but small and physically weak, the halfling race seem largely unconcerned with status or power. They do have a great desire for comfort. Dex +2, Hth +1, Str -3, -1 move, 2 feet shorter than their strength would indicate, and weigh 50 lb. less. There are two major halfling families with influence upon the town.
Gnomes
When they first came into the area the Gnomes were enemies, but over the last two hundred years, they have become valued members of the community. They work hard, and seem to catch onto ideas quickly. Shorter and thinner than humans, and much less stocky than dwarves. Str-1, Int +1, Hth +1, Eidetic memory, Social stigma 1, move -1, Night vision. They are 1 foot shorter than their strength would indicate. There is one major family, and many other less important farmers families.
Hill Dwarves
Strong and tough, the hill dwarves are renowned for their jealous guarding of their secrets and treasure, as well as their hatred of the orcish race. The Kingdom of Petrath is primarily a hill dwarfish domain. Str +1, Hth +3, toughness 1, Miserly, Move -1, intolerant, orcs. Height 1 1/2 foot shorter than their strength would indicate, and weight 100 lb. heavier. There are a few dwarves in the area of the village
Mountain Dwarves
Exiles from the kingdom of Trogorth, they have taken up residence in Petrath and wherever else they could find homes. There are only a few of this taller, thinner race left in the world. Int +2, Hth +1, Maths ability, Eidetic Memory, -1 move, intolerant, orcs, obsessed with lost kingdom. Height is 1 foot shorter than their strength would indicate, weight the same as humans. Never seen in area.
Forest Elves
Secretive and little seen, the elves have a great kingdom deep in the forest, but little is known about them. Their hatred of the orcs is legendary. Thinner than humans, but same height and build for strength. Str -1, Int +1, Dex +1, longevity, immunity to disease, intolerant, orcs, ORH secretive -1, Combat reflexes, Magic Savant 1, Attractive, rep -2.
Allowed Advantages:
Absolute Direction 5, Absolute Timing 5, Acute Hearing 2/lvl, Acute Taste/Smell 2/lvl, Acute Vision 2/lvl, Alertness 5/lvl, Ambidexterity 10, Animal Empathy 5, Appearance 5/15/25, Charisma 5/lvl, Combat Reflexes 15, Danger Sense 15, Double Jointed 5, Eidetic Memory lvl 1 30/ lvl 2 60, Empathy 15, High Pain Threshold 10, Immune to Disease 10, Language Talent 2/lvl, Lightning Calculator 5, Literacy 10, Magic Resistance 2/lvl, Magic Savant 10/lvl, Maths Ability 10, Musical Ability 1/lvl, Luck 15/30, Military Rank 5/lvl, Night Vision 10, Reputation 5/lvl, Sorcery 20/60, Social Status 5/lvl, Strong Will 4/lvl, Toughness 5/lvl, Voice 10, Wealth 10/20/30
Allowed Skills at Start:
Acting, Animal Handling, Area Know, Malia, Artist, Bard, Boating, Brawling, Climbing, Carousing, Cooking, Dancing, Diplomacy, Dwarvish, Elvish, First Aid, Fishing, Gambling, Hegemonic (free), Holdout, Jumping, Leadership, Northern tongue, Riding, horse, Running, Sex appeal, Singing, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival, Forest, Swimming, Throwing, Underling Tongue.
Advantages can only be bought with ease at the begining, but some can be bought by aging (eg Com reflexes, reputation etc). This means that if you want an advantage you are much better off to buy it at the start than hope to get it later. Some advantages are not explained (eg Sorcery, Magic Savant). This means that you are buying without knowing what you get. Sorry. I will only say that Sorcery has a social stigma attached, and magic is quite rare. Also, magic is different to normal GURPS in that it is not dependant upon Intelligence. Here are a couple more advantages allowed:
Flux Sense 5
The Sight (includes empathy, danger sense, Flux Sense, Aura sight) 30
Character points for background:
Written backgrounds are encouraged, and should include a list of relevant family members and the relationship that exists. The town of Harion is quite small, and you should feel free to make up further individuals than out lined here, but keep in mind other Pcs and the existant NPCs. In writing your characters you do not have to pay points for Social status, wealth or family rep, or even in fact for your race. Merely write the character as a human of the appropriate age, and Include the background and family, and I will do the rest. This means that some characters will start with more points than others.
Points for Background: Bonus
Family Tree / list of relationships +2
Written History (500 words or more) +6
Extras (Coat of Arms / character picture / house map / etc) +2 each
Bonus for combined background with other PC (relatives, etc) +1 per PC
Keeping a log of each session (50 words / session) +1/2 per session
As the game continues you will be allowed to take extra disadvantages as time continues, for character development purposes. When the Pcs finally become adults I expect them to be between 150 and 200 points with 50 points of disadvantages.
Possible masters, apprenticeships and jobs
Title |
positions open | No of applicants | |
| Jacob Smythson | Master Forge |
2 |
25 |
| Sandra Fayewrath | Fletcher |
1 |
2 |
| Lloyd Shayren | Master Carpenter |
5 |
7 |
| Karla Rangsban | Master Jeweler |
1 |
8 |
| Sherry Raggert | Master Navigator |
1 |
4 |
| Daniel Raggert | Tanner |
3 |
2 |
| Graneth Durengor | Master Stonemason | 3 |
12 |
| Sheila Shayren | Shipwright |
4 |
6 |
| Floyd Smythson | Tailor |
1 |
2 |
| Nweton Rangsban | Merchant Guild |
3 |
15 |
| Justice Andarra Perdue | Judge |
1 |
4 |
| Sir David Perdue | Sheriff |
2 |
3 |
| Hon Mark Heilenswrath | Bishop |
3 |
9 |
| Lady Anren Perdue | Captain in Hegemonic Army | 5 |
2 |
| Dirk Garlion | Bard |
1 |
0 |
| Sir Isaac Stonecraft | Battlemage in Hegemonic Army | 1 |
24 |
| Baron Joseph Heilenswrath | Baron of Harion |
2 |
35 |
| Fallow | Forester |
1 |
0 |
| Lady Shelly Stein | Farmer |
4 |
4 |
| Lilly Fayewrath | Farmer |
2 |
2 |
| James Fayewrath | Fisher |
2 |
2 |
| Mathew Heilenswrath | Farmer |
8 |
8 |
| Shay Beltain | Farmer |
2 |
2 |
| Jenny Smythson | Farmer |
3 |
3 |
There are 62 positions open. There are 60 other youths 11-17 all looking to get the best positions from the area around, and 500 people have come to the fair, with an extra 100 younger children. A youth may put their name upon three lists, and if they get left out of each will have to take any position left over, or wait four years.... Children of the nobles or rich families have the advantage that positions can be made for them, in their parent�s house. Most nobles will try to get at least one child to become a squire (aprentice to the Baron).
Background note: Lady Anren Perdue, Sir Isaac Stonecraft, and several other NPCs not listed in the first notes are not normal members of the town, but have received land in the area from their mustering out of the Hegemonic army. You should not be related to them, or if you are, you must come from another portion of the lands, and have come with them to settle in this area. Fallow is the first Elf seen in the town since the last Nonesday, and is this a rarity, as are all elves.
Nonesweek Events
The Oliphant circus generally comes to town every two years, spending every Nonesday in Harion. They are well received, if not respected (Soc status -1). The circus has illusion & magic shows, Wild animals (always a new one each visit), Trained animals, Acrobats and Clowns. All up, the circus consists of 30 people in 15 wagons. They also act as traders and are known to provide goods that the Merchants guild does not sanction, as well as providing competition to the guild.
Decision about candidates:
These are based on a variety of tests that each potential master has thought up for each position. Some are more arduous than others, dependant upon the number of children that are trying for each postion. The test vary also upon the type of position asked for. For example, The Navigator made up a treasure hunt around the villiage, and Master Stonecraft frightened off most of the children with a flashy show of terrorizing magic... and the ones that remained behind he judged by potential.
Contests:
Judge and sponser Prizes (coins/event)