Syethiss Society
Perristus created the Syethiss to guard her egg, so they have instincts to guard that area, and these will have played a large part in shaping their society. They worship in the temple, and they worship the great dragon who created them. They do not know what the temple contains, and so protect it more as a ritual site than anything else. Thus, the top echelon are the priests, all crested Syethiss. Now, are all crested Syethiss priests, as well? Probably, since they would see that as a mark of Perristus's favour. How many of the buggers are down there? 500: it has to be enough to form a viable society. 25 crested, 475 uncrested. Or make it 24 and 476 to give me a nice sex split. There are one hundred warriors, leaving 376. That includes the children. Need lifespan. Not human length: say 25 years, with range from 20 to 35. Childhood lasts 5 years, so there are 100 children. 276 left. 76 craftsfolk, and the rest are hunters and farmers in the labyrinth of caves, gathering the food for the folk. About 100 of them could fight in an emergency.
Priests
All the priests have some kind of magical ability, and all are regarded with great awe and reverence by the other Syethiss. Their primary purpose is guarding the temple, and they are (on the whole) assigned jobs that they can best perform to that end. In theory, all the priests are equal, and decide policies and judgement for the rest of the Syethiss by a majority vote. In practice, there are two factions with effective leaders. One faction thinks that more contact with the outside world would be a good thing, and the other does not. The first faction wins a vote just before Eleanor meets them for the first time.
The contact faction is led by Pokerris, while the isolation faction is led by Teffania. Pokerris is 25 years old, and will probably die soon, while Teffania is only 15. Pokerris has Divination, while Teffania has Entrancement.
Warriors
The warriors have a very rigid hierarchy, being led by the Nenelik. The current Nenelik is Farostess, now 20 years old but still fully capable of holding his own in the field (or tunnel). Below the Nenelik are the two Pelina (one Pelin). One of these is in charge of the scouts who guard the upper tunnels, and the other is in charge of the guards on duty within the temple. The emphasis differs: while scouts must be able to fight, they must also be very fast and alert, but the guards in the temple need only to be able to hit hard and fast if anyone violates the place. Under each Pelin there are five Kitapi (one Kitap), each commanding nine or ten ordinary Falless. The Scout Pelin, Chetal, will accompany the Syethiss who goes to greet Eleanor.
Scout
Per +3, Scan +3, Alertness +4
Sword 1st +5 Atk +6 Dam +14
Fat +2 Def +4 Soak +10 Body Levels OK, -1, -3, -5, Incap.
Guard
Per +1, Alertness +1
Sword 1st +7 Atk +9 Dam +18
Fat +4 Def +7 Soak +13 Body Levels OK, -1, -3, -5, Incap.
Crafters
The crafts are passed on from master to apprentice, in jealously guarded traditions. Most of their craftwork is done with acid on stone, since they only have one other hand. There are a number of traditions, even so. Weapon crafters are a very important one, as are the artists who decorate the temple, and other areas. Miners are a very skilled profession, as they must get rock that can be crafted properly, no mean feat. Furniture makers are also around, and can be very skilled. Mechanics make the hinged chests and even more complex mechanisms, and are undoubtedly the most skilled group of crafters. There are only 6 mechanics, 15 Weapon Crafters, 12 artists, 25 miners, 18 furniture makers. Skills vary, but can range very high indeed.
Hunters and Farmers
The Syethiss hunt bats, lizards, and other creatures of the darkness, and farm fungi which they grow on detritus brought down from the surface. Occasionally, they go and hunt rabbits and the like on the surface, but usually only at night, because otherwise the bright light disorientates them. They are the working class of the Syethiss, but the Hunters could fight if necessary.
Hunter
Per +2 Alertness +4
Sword 1st +8 Atk +10 Dam +10
Fat 0 Def +2 Soak +7 Body Levels OK, -1, -3, -5, Incap.
Children
Syethiss children are brought up to respect the temple, and are trained for whatever task they are most suited for. There is some favouritism, except in the priestly profession, and a tendency for jobs to run in families. Nevertheless, there is rather more mobility among the Syethiss than among humans. And the priests take everyone with a crest, regardless of where they are born.
Player Characters
Normal character generation, with starting Str +1, Int -1. Buy stats from there, with +/- 5 from the base as the general rule. Cannot be magi, as none of them are capable of learning Hermetic magic. If the character has a magical Virtue, he or she must be a priest, and has a crest. Aging begins at fifteen, and you add one to the aging roll for every four years of life. Longevity potions can be made, but the Arts are InAn, of course.
Copyright David Chart 1995-1998
