INTELLIGENT PEOPLES

Pithekos

The dominant races are the tribes of the Pithekos. Pithekos are the most human-like of the Ellenidan races.

Physical Characteristics

They are warm-blooded and give live birth to single children (twins are rare). The females nurse their children with mother's milk as we do. Pithekos children mature much as humans.

In common with the other races of Ellenida their skin is much drier than ours and has more scaly characteristics. Pithekos skins come in a variety of colours but the most common is dusty pink-brown in the South. Northerners have pale skin with a silvery sheen. Most people have some delicate and subtle patterns visible on their skins. Different tribes have different patterns. “Fern leaf” and “jagged lightning” are common in the North. “Snakescale” and “diamonds” are common in the South. The patterns are often enhanced with tattoos and other decoration in primitive tribes.

These tattoos are always temporary, for Pithekos shed their skins once each year. This means that Pithekos do not wrinkle with age as we do, leading to an eternally youthful complexion. Surface scars from injuries and burns do not persist past the next year's shedding. Deep wounds can produce scar tissue under the skin that produces a permanent "tight drum-skin" effect.

Towards the end of their lives their skin gets progressively thinner and less flexible and can crack, leaving painful open sores at joints and other places where the skin flexes a lot, such as around the mouth. Sometimes old or ill Pithekos will fail to shed in a year because the body has insufficient spare resources to make a new skin. Two-year-old skin gets very thin and often cracks.

Most of the members of a given tribe of Pithekos shed their skins in the same month, but the actual month for a given tribe could be at any season. The skin-shedding is sometimes accompanied by ritual but most Pithekos feel lousy while shedding so they try to ignore the world for a few days until the unpleasant biological function is over and done with.

Pithekos eyes have a wide range of colours, with blue, grey, green and brown being the most common.

Pithekos from the Northern tribes tend to be more strongly built than those of the south, though never reaching the musculature of the strongest humans. They vary in height from five to six feet, with women being slightly shorter than men.

They have less body hair than us and only the men of a few northern tribes have facial hair (mustachios rather than beards).

Older people of both sexes go bald, sometimes as young as thirty but mostly in their late fifties. Their pattern of baldness is that the hair at the side of the head goes before the central strip. The southern tribes have less hair to start with; many have long manes in a “mohican” strip reaching down the back, sometimes as far as the top of the buttocks, instead of a full head of hair. Southerners go bald younger than northerners.

A full head of hair is a potent sign of desirability in women, but is less so for men. In tribes with facial hair, impressive moustaches are a sign of male virility.

Reproduction

Another difference from human beings is that female Pithekos do not menstruate. They are fertile all year round and remain fertile into their forties and fifties. Female Pithekos (and all the other races) have greater control over their own fertility than we do.

Ovulation can be triggered by many things, but a strong conscious effort of will can prevent it. Generally a period of a week or so of romantic wooing and regular intercourse will produce ovulation although a single sexual encounter can do so in some circumstances. Some women have more control than others. Most are able to ensure that a one night stand or rape will not lead to ovulation. Certain drugs and rare plant extracts are supposed to guarantee fertility. Others can prevent ovulation completely for a period of several weeks.

The woman will be fertile for a period of between an hour and a day after ovulation has been triggered. Some women are aware that ovulation has occurred; many are not. Hence multiple sexual encounters over a period of a week or so are the best way to bring about pregnancy (and are great fun!). If pregnancy does not occur within a few days of ovulation the egg will pass out of the woman's body with a small amount of accompanying discomfort. She will be able to ovulate again after a few days (but will probably be too sore to enjoy intercourse for the next week).

Aging

Both male and female Pithekos gradually lose their fertility through their fifties; most are sterile by sixty but there is no dramatic menopause for either sex. The maximum lifespan is seventy to eighty years (sorcerers can live longer). In most places life expectancy is much less, sixty in the best of the cities and only thirty in the poorest outlander tribes.

Gender Differences

There are fewer differences between Pithekos sexes than in humans. In general, males are slightly larger and stronger but females are quicker and have greater long-term endurance.

This means that even primitive Pithekos societies are less sexually split than ours. Nursing mothers are looked after by the tribe and groups of mothers share responsibility for supervising all the children while the others perform domestic tasks. Women with children do domestic things or grow crops.

The additional degree of conscious control that women are able to exercise over their fertility leads to increased independence even in male-dominated tribes. There are no tribes where women are treated as property.

Unmarried women can and do perform whatever function they want within society. Certain professions may be denied them by tradition in their tribe (for example, outlander nomads regard female warriors as freaks) but as a rule Pithekos society is pretty non-sexist.

Social Organisation

The Pithekos are divided into a large number of tribes and it is these tribal groups that influence philosophy, outlook and personality.

The main tribes are discussed together with their patron gods in the original world handout, but they can be divided into Northern and Southern and into civilized, nomadic and outlander groups.

Northerners are happier in the cold and damp; Southerners are more comfortable with the sweltering heat and parched atmosphere of their desert lands.

Civilized Pithekos are better educated and more prosperous but not as hardy as their nomadic cousins. Outlanders live on the margins of the Pithekos world and are very poor, often still in the stone age. Their existence is very tough and their lives correspondingly brutal (and short).

Cross-breeds

Pithekos can cross-breed with any of the other player character races but their offspring will take entirely after one side or the other and will be treated as a pure-blooded member of that race.

Marriage and Inheritance

Each tribe has its own customs regarding marriage and procreation. Pithekos are encouraged to marry outside their immediate sept or clan but within the same tribe. Interspecies marriages, which are outside the tribe by definition, are rare.

In the civilized tribes, descent is traced through both the male and female lines, with the higher status partner taking precedence- if a low status man marries a high status women they would generally go to her clan.

Descent in the nomadic tribes is traced by the mother's line because it is much easier to be sure who the child's mother is than who its father is. In addition, the females of nomadic tribes are more likely to care about permanent and domestic things to be passed down to the children; the men are more concerned with transient day-to-day living and the next hunt.

Outlander tribes are patriarchal, ruled by whoever is the strongest male. That male (or a group of such males for large clans or tribes) has sexual rights over all the women in the tribe. Any man who objects can of course fight the leader to deny him that right and that is a source of many deaths within outlander society.

Game Statistics

These game statistics should be understood to be the mythical "average" person. Not every southerner is a great plotter and not every outlander is a killing machine. The statistic bonuses and auto-trumps presented here are suggestions; use them or discard them at will. You can also ask the GM to approve reasonable alternative bonuses and penalties.

Pithekos of the Northern Cities

Subtract 1 from starting endurance stat. Add 1 to one mental stat and improve reason or spirit code by one.

Pithekos of the Plains

Subtract 1 from initial reasoning stat.

As these plains nomads live in the saddle from an early age, they get an auto-trump when riding. However, as the nomad social code is simple, they never-trump when faced with complex legal systems or other bureaucracies.

Pithekos of the Outlands

Subtract 1 from initial spirit stat. Outlanders may not normally have a sprit code better than B because their gods are vengeful and will not allow their worshippers to call outside the pantheon. Almost all will be illiterate regardless of reason code.

These tribesman live on the savage and brutal edges of the settled world. Their lives are hard, so they must have strength and endurance of at least 4. They get auto-trump on all tasks purely related to survival- including taking damage in combat! This makes them extraordinarily difficult to kill.

Pithekos of the Southern Cities

The southern civilisations are already old and becoming decadent. The people from there are political animals. They may add 1 to any mental stat but must subtract 1 from their initial endurance stat.

They may improve any mental code by one step. They get auto-trump on any action involving long-term planning or political corruption. However, they do not deal with surprises well and so never-trump on any action involving instant reactions or improvised planning.

Pagoth

The Pagoth hail from the Northern forests and are rare on the Southern continent. They are a hybrid of Pithekos and plant. Their form is mutable and they are able to appear either totally pithekoid or totally plant-like or something in between.

The Pagoth are considered incomprehensibly alien in the great plains and deserts of the South, but in the colder Northlands they are treated with respect and live comfortably alongside some Pithekos tribes because they do not, in general, compete for the same resources.

This is because Pagoth can photosynthesise their own food. This ability, together with their longevity, gives them a longer-term and more contemplative outlook on life than the average tribesman.

Many of those encountered wandering the world are loners who love exploring but who welcome the warmth and friendship of hearth and home all the more when they return to them. They do not like excess heat and need a certain ready supply of water, but they are not bothered by cold or famine.

Physical Form(s)

When in company, they adopt their Pithekos form, usually with dark, tanned skin, fair or brown hair and green eyes. Sometimes their skin has an underlying green tinge. Alone of the intelligent races, the Pagoth do not shed their skins.

Unlike the Pithekos they can have significant body hair as a protection from the bitter Northern cold; the amount of hair is another property under the conscious control of the Pagoth.

When in intermediate form, a Pagoth’s limbs turn into branches, tendrils or fungoid forms. Individuals skilled in shapechanging can shift into numerous intermediate form to perform all sorts of tasks. The speed of shapeshifting varies but usually takes a minute or so to do properly. The transformation only affects the Pagoth’s flesh, although the Pagoth can envelop a small amount of material within his body (a couple of swords or a bow and quiver, for example). They tend to be scantily clad so as not to have to worry about clothing when changing form.

Their plant form is usually a tree although it is rumoured that fungal Pagoth exist. They are not mobile in plant form and cannot react quickly, so they adopt it only in times of famine where the full apparatus of plant-form is needed to survive.

The plant and Pithekos forms of any individual Pagoth are fixed and only a very rare Pagoth has sufficient skill with shapeshifting to disguise himself as another individual.

Tribes and Plant-forms

Members of a Pagoth clan will have the same species for their plant-form. Those of the rest of the tribe will be broadly similar: coniferous, deciduous, fruit-bearing, or fungal for example.

The most common types of Pagoth are lime, pine, silver birch, larch, maple, horevo, giant tree-fern and cycad.

Reproduction

Pagoth have far more possibilities for reproduction than the other races. In tree form, they can reproduce by budding, by cuttings, by seed either self or sexually fertilized depending on their plant form. The sexual characteristics of Pagoth in plant form is identical to that of the tree they resemble.

In intermediate and Pithekos form they can reproduce by sexual intercourse like animals; their sex in Pithekos form is fixed.

The development of the child will be strongly affected by the form of the Pagoth. Children produced purely in plant form will often be simple plants, lacking intelligence. Children produced in Pithekos form will be Pagoth (although occasionally pureblood Pithekos are produced by two Pagoth parents).

A pregnant mother or a fruiting tree has to be very careful about shifting shape so as not to affecting the offspring. For this reason many pregnant Pagoth women will remain in Pithekos form for their whole pregnancy, often seeking the shelter of a friendly Pithekos or Kemes tribe for the winter of her pregnancy. The father of the child accompanies her in order to labour in the tribe on her behalf so she is not a drain upon the hosting tribe.

Pagoth have some control over their own fertility but even in Pithekos form the cycle of the seasons drives them more strongly than it does the other races. Most Pagoth are conceived in late spring or early summer and are born at the start of the next spring. Although they are principally fertile in spring, they are sexually active all year around. Their uninhibited outlook and adventurous shapeshifting ability makes them extremely fine lovers.

Cross-breeds

They can interbreed with the Pithekos and (sometimes) Kemes. As usual the offspring tends to take on the racial characteristics of one parent or the other rather than being a hybrid. There are a few known Pagoth whose "Pithekos form" is Kemes but these are invariably sterile. Pagoth do not tend to find Kemes sexually attractive and vice versa.

The flowering plant Pagoth do seek out attractive and adventurous Pithekos partners. This is a cause of considerable friction between Pagoth and Outlander Pithekos tribes, who keep central control over reproductive rights.

Bearing a Pagoth child can be difficult for a Pithekos mother and it is rumoured that sometimes doing so transforms the woman herself into a Pagoth. The presence of the father is very important throughout a Pithekos-Pagoth pregnancy because the mother lacks the ability to control the child's shapeshifting within her. If the father is not on hand to help, the uncontrolled shifting of the child can kill mother and child both. Therefore, Pagoth fathers with Pithekos mothers are extremely attentive and protective.

Life-cycle

Pagoth are longer-lived than other races, living a few hundred years. Their lives go through recognisable stages of infant/sapling, child/young tree, wander-years, root-laying, root-resting and tree-sleeping.

The length of time a Pagoth spends in each phase is driven by his plant form species. A lime tree Pagoth will live his life at a frenetic pace that would exhaust a stately horevo Pagoth... but will likely die much younger. Typically, their wander-years will last a century or so. Maturation varies as well, with the quickest reaching maturity in seven or eight years.

Game Statistics

Once again these are guidelines. You may like to come up with bonuses and penalties for other Pagoth types.

The plant-men of the Northern ice are both empathic and intelligent, requiring both reasoning and spirit of at least 5C. They rarely wear armour so they must subtract 1 from their initial endurance code.

They can communicate empathetically with plants (the conversations tend to be rather slow as plants don’t think very fast). They auto-trump against cold based attacks but never-trump against heat or fire-based ones.

In full plant form they have a defence of +15; in the intermediate form they have +10 but never-trump on agility or dexterity and cannot use a shield or missile weapon. Changing between forms usually takes a minute or more; agility actions may speed this up and may also be used to give fine control over the shifting; dexterity and strength actions might also be used (e.g. to pick a lock with creepers or to shatter a stone with roots).

Example tribal characteristics:

Lime Tree Pagoth

These Pagoth tend to be quick-witted and quick-acting adding 1 to dexterity stat.

Horevo Pagoth

These Pagoth tend to be stately and unhurried, but mighty as a flowing glacier. Subtract 1 from agility and dexterity stat but add 1 to strength and presence stats.

Kemes

The Kemes are a large and lusty race blessed with four rather than two arms, two on each side of their barrel-like torsos. They claim that they were bred to be the warriors of the gods, and their martial prowess and strength is certainly not rivalled by any race on the face of Ellenida. They share dominance of the Northern forests with the Pagoth. They are rare in the South.

Physical Characteristics

They have smooth skins, ranging in colour from deep red through brown to black. Their skins are tough, some even forming a hard carapace which can turn axe blows.

They shed their skins once per year as do the Pithekos and some warriors have armour made out of their own shed hides, which they claim is both effective and very frightening to one’s enemies. They have large dark eyes and lack hair completely.

Kemes tribes are sedentary rather than nomadic but their development of agriculture and technology is limited. Hunted meat and fish forms a large part of their diet. Like Pithekos, there is not much difference in the physical prowess of the Kemes sexes and unmarried women warriors are common.

Kemes child-rearing and child-birth proceeds largely as for Pithekos. Kemes and Pithekos can interbreed; Kemes cannot successfully interbreed with the other races. (Some Pagoth-Kemes crosses exist but they are sterile). The offspring of a Kemes-Pithekos union will usually be a Kemes.

Kemes society is simpler than Pithekos, with life centring around the family, then the village, then the clan, then the tribe, with social cohesion becoming looser and looser up that chain. Kemes trace inheritance and lineage through the paternal line in most tribes. When Kemes marry the woman will usually be adopted into her husband's village and clan.

Game Statistics

The Kemes are four-armed fighting machines. They require a strength of at least 5B and an endurance of at least 5D. Because of their unique musculature, they cannot wear the heaviest armour (max. B code in endurance). They are also restricted to a B max. agility and dexterity code because they cannot co-ordinate the heaviest shields and weapons. They suffer an initial penalty of -1 to reasoning and spirit stats but may add 1 to two physical stats in compensation (but not +2 to one stat).

Their immediate outlook makes it difficult for them to plan much in advance, they have no gift for it and get it as never-trump.

They get two attacks each round, which can increase to four if they use two two-weapon combos for all-out attack. Their tough skins give them a natural +3 defence, or +1 to heavier armour worn over the skin.

Svika

The Svika are a slender and graceful race from the desert valleys of the far South. They are tall and very slim of form. This gives them a fragile look. However, they are blessed with great speed and great dexterity, allied to a very quick intelligence. They have a reputation for ruthlessness and pursuit of goals with fixed determination. They are rare in the North, being ill-suited to cold climates.

They are highly feared as assassins, duellists and sorcerers though their lack of endurance makes them less suited to the life of a soldier. Only a fool crosses a Svika lightly, and gladiatorial matches between a Svika assassin and a Kemes warrior are great crowd-pullers.

Their skins are dark and dusky, sometimes even jet black. Their eyes are large and lack whites, giving them a highly disconcerting stare.

They favour loose clothing. They wear metal armour to defend their fragile limbs from shattering blows.

They have manes very similar to those of the southern Pithekos, usually yellow or white in colour, and do not have body hair.

Little is known about Svika society or reproductive habits. They are secretive and do not appear to be sexually active outside their race, although it is rumoured that they can successfully interbreed with Pithekos.

Their society is also opaque, closed to outsiders, although it is known to be matriarchal and very centralised.

Game Statistics

The slender Svika tend to physical fragility, with -2 to their initial strength and endurance. However, they get +2 agility, +2 dexterity, +1 reasoning and +1 perception.

They get an auto-trump on any action requiring speed but never-trump on actions requiring brute physical strength. They may make melee attacks based on dexterity for the "to hit" action and they trump these as normal. The damage done is based on strength plus weapon damage, as usual.

Sathros

The race of the Sathros comes from the southern plains. They are humanoid in appearance except that they have a set of mandibles like those of beetles at their mouths. They have smooth skins like the Kemes and are hairless.

The Sathros are regarded as uncouth and slovenly by the other peoples, particularly as they tend to eat a much wider variety of food including carrion and rotting matter, having a much stronger digestion than the other races.

The Sathros’ primary talents are in patience and endurance, stealth and the ability to hold themselves motionless for long periods of time. They are taciturn around other races.

They are very fond of wine and can drink the other races under the table, especially the slender Svika. Many a pub brawl has started over a crowd of Sathros ribbing a proud Svika traveller’s inability to hold his liquor!

They are known to be inter-fertile with the Pithekos but social taboos about sexual matters outside the tribe mean that cross-breeds are very rare.

Sathros tribes have intricate internal social structures, with many "super family" groupings. A single Sathros will usually belong to a dozen such groups. Much of their time is spent in social manoeuvring and internal plotting.

Sathros find social interaction much more interesting and important than physical necessities and this is why they exist at the margins, on the poverty line wherever they touch other societies. After all, with digestion like a Sathros it is easy to subsist on the stuff others have discarded, and that leaves more time for important plotting.

Triumph for most Sathros consists in becoming the head of as many family groups as possible and perhaps eventually being acknowledged as King by the majority of the tribe. What does it matter that even the King is considered to be a shabby beggar rooting through the rubbish by the other races? Sathros know what is important!

Descent is traced by mother, father, grandmothers, grandfathers and the super-family groupings of all in them in dynastic interrelations so complex that most Sathros do not understand their full place in society until they are seventeen or eighteen.

Because of this intense sociality, the only Sathros found outside their own societies are rebels who have an aberrant desire for physical comfort over social achievement. They are often intensely acquisitive and materialistic, and disdain most forms of social climbing in the outside world as the work of rank amateurs.

Game Statistics

Sathros may add 1 to initial endurance but must subtract 1 from presence (although this only applies to non-Sathros). They are the bottom of the social heap in most societies and hence never-trump on presence actions with other races. Other races attempting to function in Sathros society suffer never-trump, must subtract 5 from their presence and every failure is counted as a fumble because the rules are so damned complicated!

Languages

The following languages are common in Ellenida. The earth language given in brackets can be used as a source of vocabulary. Languages with the same real-world language are related but not necessarily interchangeable, (like real-world English, German and Dutch).

Vorras – the common tongue of the Northern Pithekos cities (Indonesian).

Seenkeno – spoken by the outlander Pithekos tribes of the North (Croatian).

KouKoun – the language of the Pagoth from the frozen north (Croatian).

Leekeeo – the language of civilized peoples of the Southern valleys (Greek).

Sfodos – the language of the Svika (Greek).

Kemes – the language of the Kemes (Croatian).

Prepon – the church language of the southern tribes, both city and nomadic (Greek).

Agrammos – the language of the nomadic tribes that follow Kavalaress the rider (Turkish).

Lingua Immanis – the tongue of sorcerers, used to write magical tomes. It is also said that Lingua Immanis is related to the true language of demons (Latin).

Ask the GM which languages your character is most likely to know.

The City Of Golah Novak

Golah Novak is the city founded by the Red Brigade after their journey through the Hutan Mata. The following is a brief overview of the city; for a better feel for the city and its history so far, read Dreamy’s Annals. The following descriptions are written principally from the point of view of a visitor to the city.

Basic Facts

Golah Novak is situated on the shores of a lake some thirty miles inland from Rumah, up the Sungai Jalan from Teluk Pengasingan bay on the Penbajak peninsula. This wild, uncivilized region is also inhabited by barbarian tribes of Kemes and Pagoth, with one local Pithekos tribe (the Kelana) who are now under the yoke having been foolish enough to challenge the city militarily.

The city is still under heavy construction, but consists of a hilltop walled citadel used by the Brigade and the downhill, dockside and lakeside areas where most people live and work. Farming has spread out over the surrounding hills and valleys.

The city is unusually multiracial: about a third of inhabitants are Kemes and the Pithekos are drawn from all the kingdoms of the world. Many Pagoth are found in the city day-to-day though few live there permanently. Local tribesmen rub shoulders and swap dirty stories with sailors from Galadiahos and visiting scholars from Merah. Only Stavrotos, crossroads of the world, boasts as cosmopolitan an atmosphere.

Golah Novak is known to be rich in mineral wealth (particularly silver and amber), have rich soil, and produces several gourmet delights which are traded to the rich and royal throughout the world. Its navy, manned by professional sailors and marines, trained by career soldiers and sailing on ships designed by THE master shipwright, Samudera, is rightly feared by every other sea-going power. The city’s relative isolation and professional standing army presents a formidable obstacle to would-be conquerors, as does its recent alliance with Galadiahos. The city is at war with the Queendom of Ohia the Viper, but most of the other powers have decided that diplomacy is a more sensible option at this point in time, especially given the crushing defeats handed out to the Ohians in recent years.

The Buildings

The buildings in the city are principally cylindrical, the founders having a superstitious dislike of triangles and triangular structures which even extends to a dislike of rectangular buildings. (“Rectangles? Just a bunch of triangles pretending, mate. Don’t want any of them here.”) There is a surcharge tax placed on the construction of structures which do not conform. Many flimsy structures like warehouses and holding pens are now found in rectangular form, but the hilltop citadel retains its exclusive cylindrical design.

Cylindrical buildings are not trivial to construct. They begin with a foundation dug into the earth and mount a large stripped pine log into a foundation pit. This log provides the basic structural strength of the building. The walls are erected around it and second and third floors are constructed by putting cross-members through holes in the central log. The roof is laid on rafters which all converge at the top of the log, leaning against its side. The building is then capped by a small extra roof which provides a built-in chimney.

This construction method was standardised by the Brigade Engineer Rasa and the Quartermaster Rapeezo. The buildings come in three sizes (locally referred to as hovel, house and tower) and are built with standard sized bricks and roof tiles. Most of the buildings in the dockside area are hovels (for living) or houses (for business). Towers are found on the hilltop inside the citadel, and along the lakeshore where the wealthier merchants and retired company officers live. Hovels and houses have two (sometimes three) stories. Towers have three stories.

Slavery

As in all other kingdoms, slavery is practiced in Golah Novak. The treatment of slaves is relatively good and is patterned on the liberal northern city of Merah. No slaves serve in any military capacity; instead they are used as construction workers. Slaves as household servants are not particularly fashionable after a couple of high profile murders committed by the domestic help. Most slaves are held by the city and are military prisoners, although bands were bought from foreign slave markets at the start of city construction twenty years ago. All but the most hopeless of these slaves is now a free and tax-paying citizen of Golah Novak. Selling oneself or ones children into slavery is a recognised career move.

Slaves can obtain their freedom by working it off- or by purchasing it. Slaves can own things, and slaves of the city are given a small wage to keep them in beer and skittles. This is intended to be saved so they have at least a small stake when they are freed. They must be clothed, fed, watered and given shelter by their masters. Killing a slave is murder (not theft).

Once they are freed they owe no debt to their former masters. There are legal rules for how to get your manumission (including bravery in battle) and the purchase price is set by the state. In fact the city elders are quite keen that people do get themselves out of slavery and become a citizen- ten years for a manual labourer on a work-gang should see them to their freedom. Slaves who need money to start up businesses can take out loans at the end of their tenure but are forbidden from having debts before that.

There is an independent tribunal to adjudicate on the freeing of slaves. Overall, the attitude to slaves is very liberal in order to prevent unrest and because the company regards it as a recruiting exercise for the city. The fact that a fair few company brothers are ex-slaves has something to do with it too.

Captured enemies are initially “prisoners of war”, not slaves, but may be released to “normal” slavery if they are well behaved. Unlike slaves, prisoners of war have no rights: troublemakers will be executed. Prisoners may be ransomed at the Captain’s discretion.

After a year anyone still captured must legally be made a slave and then is treated like any other slave- so if your family comes along and wants to buy you out, they can do so. Prisoners of war are used as labour by the government and are used in heavy work gangs, particularly in the quarries. After the year has passed, the slaves are passed to the ownership of the city (but may then be publicly sold).

There is no differentiation between male and female slaves or between slaves of different races.

The Brigade

The army and navy of the city is the brigade and so once you're officially in the military you have to join the brigade. The rest of the city is allowed to bear arms but not inside the brigade's hilltop area- only the brigade members may bear arms there. The other citizens can be called up as a militia in time of need by the Captain or his representative.

Keeping order is a function of the brigade and is done in rotation to avoid corruption. There is no dedicated military or civilian police force. The Sergeant Politicos is responsible for order in the city and seconds brigade members as required to keep the peace.

Trade Rights in the city

Trade is free, and anyone who can afford the land can set up shop. Businesses are zoned, permission is granted by the quartermaster or his designated inferiors although the Engineer (or the Captain) can overrule these decisions on military grounds if they feel it necessary.

This is in fact a general principle- a military reason given by the Captain or the command structure of the brigade overrules common practice, tradition and written law if necessary.

Tax

There is a tax on individuals payable once a year at harvest time. It is paid by all free people in the city and it is universal. It can be paid in goods and the independent tribunal who decides on slave prices decides the monetary exchange values year by year.

People can pay by working as well- two weeks is the equivalent. It has to be done by the next time the tax is due and lots are drawn to decide who works when; the company can set the distribution of lots to match its needs.

There is no payment in advance for future years but it can be paid in advance for this year (e.g. for people on foreign missions). Late payment incurs a penalty- you have to pay twice the rate. Friends many pay on behalf of absentees. Strictly speaking, brigade members do not have to pay the tax but in fact most cough up under the steely gaze of the sergeant.

A great fair and autumn market has grown up around the tax payment for the year. If you settle in the city or stay in the city overnight you have to pay for this year. Some markets and nomad encampments are outside the city, but most people just pay up as two weeks wages is no big deal for the year. You can ask for a token for proof of payment if you're going to be leaving the city (e.g. merchants) but it isn't issued to most people, it must be specially requested and a small extra charge made to cover its cost.

The other taxation is covered by a 2% sales tax (usually taken as 2% of the goods if divisible). Perishables are used to feed slaves (and the brigade). Other stuff is sold periodically by the quartermaster as he needs it and the quartermasters market is a big event- there is usually one on poll tax day.

The city also charges portage, storage and unloading charges- the cost of storage is covered by this plus a little.

The penalty for tax evasion is double whatever it is worth and must be paid in labour, so cheating merchants are frequently hauled off to the docks to caulk and scrape ship hulls or put to work in the sewers to make an example of them.

Inheritance

The company quartermaster politicos and chaplain are jointly responsible for administering wills. Inheritance is left to the person making the will to split up as he or she wishes; no taxes are levied on inheritance and the will service for a nominally small donation to cover cost of paper etc.. The company is trying quite hard to encourage a system whereby all the land owned by a person is inherited by a single heir, in order to avoid fragmentation of farmland and businesses. People making their wills are encouraged to make provisions for their “excess” sons and daughters to take up trades and professions instead, perhaps by setting aside a trust to pay for their education and apprenticeship or to construct a small workshop for them.

Land rights

Anyone with the money can buy land. All land initially belongs to the company, you pay the company for the land. Every original company member got enough to build a house on to begin with, but subsequently company brothers must pay for land like everyone else. Of course, if you’re in the company you can always live in barracks and you don’t have to worry about feeding yourself.

Classes of citizen

1) Slaves

2) Noncompany

3) Company. The main benefits- living in the citadel, bearing arms in the citadel.

Legal System

You don't know which judge you're going to get until the start of the case. Drawn lots decide who does what at court that day. Minor cases are tried by a single judge; such civil courts can impose fines and corporal punishment but cannot banish, imprison, enslave or execute. For major crimes a jury court must be convened, presided over by a single judge but with a jury of five people picked by lot from the volunteers that day (volunteering for court means you get a free lunch so is quite popular amongst retired company members).

The jury is responsible for deciding guilt or innocence and setting sentence. Guilt is decided by a secret vote at the end of the day’s proceedings; the judge must then advance a possible punishment. The jury decides to accept or decline that penalty; this carries on until they agree to something the judge has proposed. No trial is allowed to exceed a single day and judges have the power to penalise long-winded lawyers.

Company members are in a special position- they cannot support an outsider against the interests of a brother. Therefore, despite some legal wriggling, only brothers may sit in judgement on other brothers and most company justice is done by military discipline. The company works very hard to be seen to be hard on infringement of non-company citizens’ rights by the courts but the accusations of privilege nonetheless persist.

Aurora

The goddess Aurora is newly arrived in Ellenida. See the chronicles of Kanela for the story of her arrival. The centre of her worship is the city of Golah Novak, although she appears to be recognized as one of the Nine Deaths in the Kingdom of Galadiahos, possibly as a result of Captain Dreamy’s ascension to the throne of the that ancient land. It is also rumoured that she has worshippers in the valley of the Sungai Hutan, west of Merah.

In Golah Novak, Aurora was worshipped as the patron of the Red Brigade, a bunch of mercenaries who have somehow stuck together since their ancient forefathers were chucked out of the royal guard of Galadiahos for causing the death of most of the royal family. Her worship was mysterious even to insiders, and impenetrable to outsiders. No sacrifices were required, no rites were mandatory, each worshipper was told at initiation to worship the goddess in his own prayers, in his own way. Each follower would gradually progress and gain more knowledge and insight as he worshipped, until he became a true initiate of Aurora the Martial Goddess, patron of soldiers.

The followers of Aurora are known as the Children of the Dawn, although there seems to be some special significance attached to that name which has not been made public.

Despite the militaristic, hierarchical nature of Golah Novak’s culture, there did not appear to be any formal structure to the cult. Pretty much anyone who wanted to be a priest of Aurora suddenly found that he was. Central authority appeared to be vested in the officers of the Red Brigade, with the Chaplain appearing as the main theological authority and the Captain of the brigade as the main secular authority.

Aurora is also unusual in making no demands upon the loyalty of her worshippers. An official statement by the chaplain has made it clear that the worship of Aurora is inclusive, and anyone who wishes to honour her may do so, regardless of his personal religion. Even worshippers of Ohia the Viper, whose priests have declared a holy war upon Golah Novak, are permitted to honour Ohia and join the worship of Aurora as well. (Needless to say the secular authorities keep a close eye on their less religious activities!)

There was always something of a problem with the power structure. The Lieutenant Zeleea, a woman known as Ajal or Dreamy, seems to have a personal relationship with Aurora verging on the indecent. The stories of this woman’s exploits with Aurora at her side have spread like ripples from a meteor strike in the centre of the Great Sea, spreading far and wide and growing in the telling to a tidal wave of unprecedented proportions. In the south she is considered an insanely dangerous heretic, for is she not distracting the gods from their sacred task? There is considerable unease amongst the devout of Galadiahos that this lunatic is now their queen, and many whisper of secret blood sacrifices in the sanctum sanctorum of Ohros the Pale to bind the gods and the King to her pagan ways. The priests of Ohia the viper have declared holy war on the Children of the Dawn. The priesthood of Ohros the pale is riven to the core by doctrinal disputes, some claiming that Aurora is the ninth death, adopted by Ohros, while others claim the whole business to be madness born of heresy.

Now this woman is Captain of one of the most feared fighting forces in the world and Queen of one the oldest Kingdoms of the South. She dwells in a fortified city rich with Silver, Amber and other trade goods which flow south in the great fighting ships designed by the genius shipwright Samudera, stolen from Merah as a girl.

At Dreamy’s ascension to the Captaincy, Aurora manifested and swore the brigade’s oath with her brothers and sisters of the Red Brigade. Every living member of the Brigade was present, and dark rumours persist the souls of dead brothers were dragged screaming from their graves to attend.

No-one really knows what to make of Aurora, Dreamy and the Children of the Dawn. Time will tell.

Character Generation

The campaign will use a variant on the DragonLance 5th Age (DL5A) system.

As always, character generation will be rather give-and-take. I’d much rather you ended up with a character who’s fun to play than make sure you stick faithfully to "the rules".

I have found that it is useful to be able to redesign the character’s stats to suit the way he has evolved during the first couple of sessions of play.

You therefore have my permission to jigger about with things on the character sheet for the first few sessions until you are happy. In particular, your character’s role and skills should be revised after a few sessions of play.

The races and religions available for player characters have already been described and the relevant game statistics are given the earlier chapters; please refer back for details.

Adult Characters

Step One: Draw a hand of 12 cards

If you don’t like it (for example, it doesn’t suit the character you were thinking of), you can discard it and draw a new hand.

Step Two: Personality

Choose a card to act for your character’s demeanour and nature as per DL5A.

You do not have to do this and you certainly don't have to stick to the entries on the cards. You may instead pick a nature (what your character is like deep down) and a demeanour (the public face that the character presents to the world) and throw away your two worst cards.

Step Three: Quests and Reputation

Decide how many quests your character has performed as per DL5A.

Step Four: Special Abilities

You may choose to put a card into an area of special competence for your character.

Special abilities are intended to be something extraordinary. Few NPCs have any and it is not necessary for a PC to have one either. If you do not choose to play any card for a special ability you may throw a poor card away.

You may also choose to be particularly bad at something rather than good- that can make interesting characters too. Talk to the GM about that.

The following list of examples should give you some ideas. In general, you will need to play a seven or better to get reasonable benefits from the ability. Remember that a special ability is really special, often supernatural, and the character is usually born with it. Anything learnt would more usually be taken as a role or a skill autotrump- see later.

If you are desperate to take more than one special ability, you may do so. However, this will leave you with not enough cards to go around so you end up with one stat at 1X, the worst it can be. You may not use nature or demeanour cards to plug up the hole; if you have more than one special ability you will have 1X stats as compensation.

Suggested Special Abilities

Luck or Blessing

A lucky or blessed character gets to change his hand “for free” once (7-8) or twice (9) or thrice(10) per session. A character with bad luck (1-3) can never change his hand, even with rest.

Animal or Plant Empathy

The character can understand and to some extent communicate with animals or plants. A low score might indicate that animals hate the character or that he is violently and possibly fatally allergic to certain plants, etc.

Wealth

A 7-8 would indicate that the character is never going to have to worry overmuch about money. 9 would mean that the character is independently wealthy and owes no obedience to family etc.. 10 would make you one of the richest people in the country.

A low rating indicates that you are a slave.

Power

The character has some position of secular power and influence. A 7-8 could mean you are a minor noble with a few guardsmen at your service, or a guild master. A 9 could mean you have large estates or head of a small guild. A 10 would mean you are royalty or the head of a very powerful mercantile house.

Rapid Healing

The character can regain one (7-8) two (9) or three (10) cards suffered as wounds after a few hours rest. The rapid healing is a one-off recovery regardless of how many wounds were suffered and a second rapid healing will not happen until the character has fully healed any remaining damage by the usual period of rest.

Renaissance Man

Normally a character will have just one auto-trump ability from his role. This character has one (7-8) two (9) or three (10) roles which he somehow manages to maintain simultaneously.

He gets the auto-trump ability of all of them but also gets the never-trump penalties unless he can come up with a good reason why he should not.

Craftsman

The character has a skill that ranks amongst the best in the world. Any character might be a sculptor; a character with this special ability at 7-8 will be able to craft statues so beautiful and so emotionally charged as to reduce people to tears. A craftsman with a 9 could cause wars over his works. A craftsman with a 10 is likely to revolutionize his whole field during his lifetime and will be remembered as one of the greatest geniuses.

Intuition

An intuitive character has the gift of being able to follow his feelings and end up right. If the player is uncertain what to do, he may tell the GM that the character will follow his intuition. The GM will resolve an action in secret, using the rating of the intuition ability, with spirit as trumps. The chance of the action being correct is dependent on the result of the action but also on the situation and the character's nature and demeanour.

The GM will then announce what action the character takes. If the action is pretty instant (like loosing an arrow) the player has no opportunity to rescind it. If the action takes longer (like running away or starting a plot against the throne) the player may override the intuition by making a reasoning action.

The GM will obviously do his best to make the action sensible for the character, but if you allow the character to trust to intuition, he will end up doing strange things as a result. There is no limit to the number of times a character can follow his intuition, except that you can't try it twice for the same situation having overridden it the first time.

Gifted Linguist

The character is able to speak all the common tongues of Ellenida and can speak 1(7-8), 2 (9) or 3(10) highly obscure tongues such as Rakhokalia, Yilani or ancient demonic.

Common Sense

(Also known as "Spot Bleeding Obvious" - thanks Mark!). The character is known to be a pragmatic, level-headed chap. Any time the GM thinks the character is trying to do something seriously counter to common sense he will make a spirit action in secret, using the value of the special ability. If successful he will warn the player that his character is thinking twice before doing this.

Resistant to Sorcery

The character is resistant to sorcery. Add the value of the special ability to the character's resistance against all sorcerous attacks.

Musical Maestro

The character is a very gifted musician with perfect pitch. Think of this as a musical "craftsman".

Berserker

The character sometimes goes berserk in battle and may add the value of his special ability to the damage inflicted upon foes in battle. Player and GM agree some parameters on what causes the berserker rage.

While enraged he is very dangerous and will attack anyone who gets in his way. Furthermore, all non-offensive actions are never-trump while the rage lasts: including the reasoning action to get out of the rage! Other characters may attempt to defuse rage but run a big risk of being attacked.

Passion/Devotion/Fanatic

A Passion or conviction is something that the character believes in or is devoted to at the very core of his being. He could be devoted to a religion, a person, his family or tribe, an honour code or an ideal. He could also be a pathological coward, womaniser, drunkard or be fuelled by hatred.

Taking this special ability guarantees that the character will never, ever go against the passion even if ensorcelled and compelled by a dozen deities.

Furthermore, if the character is placed in a situation where his passion is seriously challenged, he may add his special ability to all pertinent actions. For example, a coward would get the bonus if cornered like a rat and would carry on getting the bonus until he escaped. The drawback is that the character will be incapable of even considering anything other than his passion; nothing else exists for him while the passion is in control.

Priesthood

The character is an initiate priest and member of a temple. His special ability card will be used to determine his position in the religious hierarchy- see the religion section of the original world handout for more details. Note that Aurora does not have consecrated priests but buying this ability will allow followers of Aurora to call on other, associated gods as a friendly worshipper of the same pantheon.

Sorcery

The character has some knowledge of sorcery. His Reasoning code will determine how many sorts of magic he can cast and his Reasoning stat determines the chance of casting spells. His special ability card will determine how many spell points he has to spend (square the number).

Other Bright Ideas

Please think up other special things for your character to have!

Step 4A: Random sorcery

If you did not allocate a card to be a sorcerer, the GM will determine your sorcery stat at random by secretly drawing three cards from the deck and taking the lowest of the three. This will determine your sorcerous potential should you ever get the opportunity to be instructed.

Remember that your reason scores are used to resolve spell casting but your spell points are taken from the extra sorcery stat.

Step Five: Ability Scores.

Allocate your remaining cards to your various stats as per DL5A.

Step Six: Ability Codes.

Some of these are a bit different from DL5A, and some of the ability codes have more than one effect.

Agility

Ag	Useable Shields
A	Any Shield
B	All but very heavy
C	Very Light, Light, Medium
D	Light, Very Light
X	Very Light only

Dexterity

Dx	Useable Missile Weapons
A	Any
B	All but very heavy
C	Very Light, Light, Medium
D	Light, Very Light
X	Very Light only

Endurance

En	Useable Armour
A	Any Armour
B	All but very heavy
C	Very Light, Light, Medium
D	Light, Very Light
X	Very Light only

Strength

St	Useable Weapons/ Combinations
A	Any
B	Two of 2h, 2 weapon, weapon & shield
C	One of 2h, 2 weapon, weapon & shield
D	Light or very light weapon (and shield if desired) only
X	Very Light weapons only

The weapon combinations are two-handed, two weapons, weapon and shield.

Characters using two weapon combo can choose to attack twice per round by forgoing their defence, attack and defend using the damage of their on-hand weapon for their attack and using the damage of their off-hand weapon as defence, or fight purely defensively as per Heroes of Steel.

The GM will advise on what is reasonable for a character to use in a two weapon combo, depending on your character’s strength.

Reasoning

Re	Languages
A	Literate, Four foreign languages
B	Literate, two foreign languages
C	Literate, one foreign language
D	Illiterate, native language only
X	Illiterate, command of native language is limited

For a list of available languages, see the "races" chapter.

Re	Education
A	Merah Scholarly or Galadiahan academic education, finishes at age 17-20. Two extra knowledge skills.
B	Grammaticus education. Finishes at age 13 or 14. One extra knowledge skill.
C	Privatus education (private tutor, usually for many pupils). Finishes at age 10 or 11.
D	Only education is parental. May only choose one knowledge-based skill.
X	Only education is own experience; may not choose knowledge-based skills.

See later for details on skills.

For Sorcerers only

Re	Spheres
A	4
B	2
C	1
D	0
X	0

Perception

Pe	Senses
A	Two Acute or unusual senses
B	One Acute or unusual sense
C	Normal
D	One Diminished sense
X	Two diminished or one missing sense

Examples of unusual senses would be a sensitivity to magic, the ability to sense illusions, the ability to spot a priest, a talent for sniffing out poison, the ability to tell when people are lying or to guess at what they are thinking, etc.. Unusual senses can allow you to spot things that no normal person would get a chance at.

An acute sense would be something like very sensitive hearing or smell, or very sharp eyesight. This makes all perception with that sense one level of difficulty easier.

A diminished sense would mean being a bit hard-of-hearing or short-sighted, or being colour-blind. It incurs an extra difficulty level of penalty when trying to use that sense.

A missing sense is totally absent- blindness, deafness, no ability to smell at all, etc..

Spirit

Sp	Relation with the gods
A	Can call on any god of any pantheon
B	Can call on friendly gods (own pantheon)
C	Can call on own god only
D	Can call upon one avatar of your own god only
X	Cannot call on the gods at all

Sp	Religious Education
A	Extensive knowledge of own and other religions
B	Very knowledgeable of own religion, some knowledge of others
C	Familiar with own religion
D	Knows the rudiments of own religion
X	Totally ignorant about religions

Characters with a spirit code of B or better may choose to be lay preachers of their religion. This gives an increased chance of being able to call upon their god.

Any character with a code of D or better can call upon their god in extremis but it is easier for lay preachers and easier still for initiated priests. See the religion section for how this works for the various religions.

Presence

Pr	Leadership Ability
A	Excellent
B	Good
C	Average
D	Poor
X	None

Step Seven: Race

You should pick a race for your character; you may have to modify your stats and ability codes accordingly. See the races chapter for details.

Step Eight: Role and Skills

You need to come up with your character’s role in consultation with the GM and decide on his auto-trump ability or abilities and his never-trumps and other disadvantages or restrictions.

You will get auto-trump ability in one broad area (like swordplay, thieving or illusions) and one never-trump in a similarly broad category.

In certain instances it might be better to have three narrower areas to customise your character. If you want more detailed guidelines, look at the SAGA rules companion.

You should also choose some skills for your character- you get one per card you hold in your hand. Skills should be narrow and generally not combat orientated. You may get some extra knowledge-based skills if you have a good reason code.

Example skills include but are by no means limited to:

poetry, singing, sculpture, storytelling, music, carving, painting, calligraphy, map-making, jewellery, smithing, cookery, leather-working, wood-working, pottery, glass-working, boat building, drinking, clothes design, fashion sense, seduction, flirting, streetwise, acting, disguise, carpentry, stone masonry, siege engineering, irrigation, farming, sailing, navigation, etc.

Step Nine: Arms and Armour.

The basic technology at the start of the campaign is bronze age, so the choice is rather restricted. 2h= two handed. *= throwable.

Weapon Class Dam

Knife * VL +1

Dagger * VL +2

Short Sword L +3

Scimitar M +4

Cosh/Sap VL +1

Stick VL +2

Bludgeon L +3

Cudgel L +4

Mitre M +5

Mace H +6

Adze VL +1

Hand Axe * VL +2

Sickle L +3

Scythe L +4

Pick M +5

Epsilon Axe H +6

Great Axe(2h) VH +7

Poleaxe(2h) VH +7

Staff L +3

Javelin * L +3

Dart * VL +2

Light Spear * M +4

Long Spear * H +5

Pike * VH +7

Self Bow L +2

Rider’s Bow M +4

Long Bow H +6

Great Bow VH +7

Blowgun VL +1

Sling L +2

Staff sling M +4

Armour Class Def

Padding VL -1

Hardened Linen L -2

Leather L -2

Cuir Bolli M -3

Thin Bronze Plate M -3

Scale H -4

Thick Bronze Plate H -4

Shield Class Def

Buckler VL -1

Small hide shield L -2

Large hide shield M -3

Small bronze shield M -3

Large bronze shield H -4

Step Ten: Finishing Touches.

At this stage you can also outline a bit about the character’s life, what he might have on him on a typical day, what he’s doing for a living at the moment, how he knows the other characters... and his name!

Sorcerers must now choose their magical spheres- see separate handout.

Priests must choose their god- see the world handout- and perhaps which avatar or aspect of their god is their personal patron.

Character Development, Experience and Training

Whenever you get a quest, you may try to improve one stat. Draw a card from the fate deck. If it exceeds the value of your stat, your stat improves by one. If the card is the nine of the correct suit, your stat code increases by one step.

The other way to increase your stat code is by training. It takes three months of intensive training to raise an ability code by one step. This assumes that the character is pursuing his training full-time. The time can be spread out if necessary.

Healing and Wounds

First aid can return a single card of wounds if successful.

Wounds heal naturally at the rate of one per week of rest; if the character is active he only recovers if a random draw from the fate deck is less than or equal to his endurance. If he is very active he cannot heal.

Note that magical healing is both rare AND TEMPORARY. Characters will of necessity have to rest and recover.

Combat is intentionally dangerous, so do everything you can to turn the odds in your favour. Fighting dirty is the only safe option!

True Names

True names are the name you were given at birth, together with the site and time of your birth. All characters have a true name but few who have any knowledge of sorcery choose to use this openly, so you should write down the character’s common name as well as his true name.

Generating children

Start off by generating an adult as above. Think of this as the adult your character would turn out to be if things went reasonably to plan during childhood. You must then “regress” the character to the correct age.

You must subtract three points from your stats for every year below 16. Three points will be gained per year until age 16 assuming your character is reasonably fed, fit, free and healthy. These points gained as your character matures need not go on to the stats they came off during character generation: you can put them anywhere as long as the GM agrees you have had opportunity. No stat may go below one (you have to start reducing other stats). If all stats get down to 1 you are effectively starting off as a helpless infant. No stat can rise above 9 without the GM's permission.

You must subtract two levels from your codes (A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, X=1) for every year below 16. Again no code can go below X, you need to subtract from some other code instead. You will get these back at up to two per year as your character matures and may again go back onto any stat assuming that he or she has opportunity to learn relevant skills- if you are a gutter kid you probably won't get to develop reasoning, for example; if you are really poor and have spent all your time surviving you may not get to increase any codes at all!

The number of cards in your hand at the start is limited by your youth and inexperience.

Age Card Quests

Age < 10 2 1

Age 10-13 3 2-3

Age 13-15 4 4-6

If you put a higher card in for number of quests the extra is wasted. Quests will be gained as normal but note that it is pretty tough for a child to do enough to qualify for a whole quest, so you should only expect a couple in your teens even if you live a dangerous and exciting life.

Parents

If you are only ten years old, your parents will have a great deal of effect on your lives. You should work out something about them, in particular their occupations and positions in the community. You can also work out siblings, etc. in any level of detail that suits you.

Education

Most children are educated at home for the first six or seven years of their lives. After that comes education done by professional educators. Those parents rich enough to do so then send their children to the Grammaticus, a school master who instructs the children in the finer points of reading, writing, science, military theory, history and whatever else the Grammaticus cares to teach. Even the poorest free citizens try hard to have their children learn with a Grammaticus for at least three or four years, and the children of many slaves are allowed to attend the lessons with their master’s offspring.

Most Grammatici teach a small band of ten or a dozen children, usually alternating between the homes of their patrons. The best have their own school houses or act as private tutors to rich brats (although this is generally considered unhealthy by the Golah Novans).

The first stage of this education is general education lasting until the child is ten or eleven. This will cover the basics that every citizen should know and is referred to as a “Privatus” education. Some children leave after the Privatus stage of their education; those who can afford to enrol with the Grammaticus for a proper education, called a “Grammaticus” education.

This second stage of education may well be with a different teacher. Children enrolled with a craftsman as an apprentice will usually be put through a Grammaticus education first, the cost being shared by the parents and the future master. In exchange the child is expected to work for the master first as an apprentice and then as a journeyman, the term of service customarily running to their twentieth year.

A Grammaticus education finishes when the student is ready (according to the Grammaticus) or the parents can no longer pay, or the child hates it so much they run away. Most people graduate from their Grammaticus somewhere between ages twelve and fifteen, depending on the brilliance of the student, the harshness of the teacher, the richness of the parents and the age at which the education started.

It is considered perfectly honourable for people of deprived backgrounds to enter Grammaticus education to better themselves no matter what their age. There are many Grammatici in the city specialising in educating ex-slaves, and graduating is occasion for a huge celebration. A Grammaticus education is considered the mark of quality in a person; no-one can truly regard himself as a citizen without graduating.

After the Grammaticus, most children enter apprenticeship to a craftsman, join the family business, or start training for military service. Military training is done by the brigade and is free except that each student must provide his own equipment and pay for his own food and housing.

This final phase usually lasts until the child becomes an adult at age sixteen. Many then stay on to train to become journeymen or soldiers or to take full part in the family business. Those whose apprenticeship has been financed in part by their masters will be tied to a contract, usually until they are twenty.

Further scholarly education is possible but most who wish to follow an academic career travel to the academy in Galadiahos or the University in Merah to study.