Illusion of Gaia Prologue 4 {18 Questions Answered}
{As asked by an enterprising PC.}
>1) How do you make a character?
{Hopefully answered in the 3rd March IoG post, although you don't really *have* to go into that much detail. Especially for the newer players, a good physical / mental description would probably be enough. The beauty of play-by-e-mail is that it can build a lot more gradually than face-to-face, because of the inherent delay in feedback.}
>
>2)Can I have the physical characteristics for the races as well; ie.
>avg. height, weight, body type(fat vs. muscle), vision (etc.)
>capabilities, magick proclivity.
{All of the following are averages, NOT absolutes. Also, I've made no attempt to adjust for the fact that all races, human included, would be substantially smaller in a food-scarce environment like Arn. As long as the sizes remain accurate *relative* to each other, the game should proceed just fine.
ELVES =
Height: 4'6" - 5'6"
Weight: 80 - 130 lbs.
Typical Build: Wiry. Miniature "supermodel" builds on the women are not uncommon.
Senses: Humans whisper that the "elven devils" can see in the dark as part of their race's pact with Tyrannon [Supreme God of Evil through oppression] or The Darke One [Supreme Goddess of Evil through treachery]. They are also believed to have malformed ears, the better to locate babies crying at night so the Elves can feast on tender infant flesh.
Capabilities: Along with their uncanny night time vision, humans grudgingly accept Elves as Arn's pre-eminent hunters and trackers.
Magickal Ability: They're all in cahoots with Tyrannon, don't you know? (Seriously, the average man on the street wouldn't know a fireball from a shapeshifting spell... UNLESS one bit him.)
DWARVES =
Height: Around 4' (Males; the common townsperson has never seen a female dwarf)
Weight: Starting at 150 lbs., some are *substantially* heavier
Typical Build: Muscular, with a layer of fatty insulation and thick, almost leathery skin
Senses: Mostly unknown by the commoner, although they can and do operate underground without any known light source.
Capabilities: As a people, master craftsman and smiths. As individuals, an average, full-grown dwarven male can out-drink and out-work the vast majority of humans.
Magickal Ability: Dwarves are known for their stubborn resistance to most sorcery. No commoner remembers hearing of a Dwarven Mage in Threshold.
HALFLINGS =
Height: Around 3', slightly shorter for females
Weight: About 60 lbs., slightly lighter for women
Typical Build: Much like a human child of 9 or 10, with slightly pointed ears
Senses: Unknown to most humans, presumably roughly equivalent to most men
Capabilities: Halflings have, what appears to humans, a universal 'knack' for hitting things at a distance. Whether throwing a rock, a dagger, or even shooting a shortbow, Halflings seem to be naturals at distance combat. In forests and other woodlands, they also have an uncanny ability to hide themselves.
Magickal Ability: Much like the larger and gruffer Dwarves, Halflings do not seem to produce Mages with any regularity. (Of course, many Priests of Luathon tell their congregations to "Beware the Halfling, for it may snatch your child and go back into the daemonic woods from where it came.")
HUMANS / MAN =
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs. (a full-grown human and dwarven male typically weight nearly the same)
Typical Build: Highly variable. If a physical laborer of some kind (94-96% of the population), it will tend to be lean, tan, and somewhat scarred.
Senses: As Earth humans.
Capabilities: Of all Arn's creatures, Man may well be the most adaptable. He has found a way to live in virtually every environment on the planet, whether it be hellish desert, disease-inducing jungle, or the arid foothills of Threshold.
Magickal Ability: For 99.9%+ of the pop., none. The other tiny minority can become frighteningly powerful with the right instruction, materials, and opportunity. Still, almost no one in Threshold has actually witnessed, first-hand, a spell being cast. Indeed, many citizens of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos don't really believe True Magick exists (the infernal pacts the Elves have made not withstanding).
GNOMES =
Height: 3'6" - 4'
Weight: Around 90 lbs. (?)
Typical Build: Like a skinny Dwarf
Senses: Unknown, but they also operate underground for extended periods of time
Capabilities: Bankers, mathematicians, and merchants extraordinaire. Their bankers are called "Gemkeeps", after the Gnomes' racial fondness of jewelry.
Magickal Ability: Gnomes are rumored to have a unique brand of Magick that they use to enhance their mercantile approach to life. Specifics are sparse, however, and disinformation common.
>3)So...
>-Are your elves the "incredibly grandiose, nigh godlike beautiful
>tall statuesque" type of elves or are they the "cute cherubic
>childlike" type of elves or are they just humans with pointy ears?
{They are shy woodland creatures who appear fragile and pacifistic to most humans. They are rarely observed screaming or brawling as is common with humans in Threshold. Some of the townsfolk hate them, almost all mistrust and dislike them to some degree.}
>-Description of Dwarven men and women please. Some worlds have the
>women with beards just like the men.
{As noted above, the men are generally squat, powerfully-built creatures, with dense bones and thick hides. Any Dwarf in Threshold has course, calloused hands, and is handy with at least one kind of mining implement. They speak in a strange, guttural tongue to one another, and rarely invite questions or other kinds of conversation. The Drunken Dwarf, a raucous, seedy establishment, is one of the few places where they sometimes mingle with Man.}
>
>-Gnomes and Halflings as well please.
{Gnomes are sometimes thought to be distant cousins of the Dwarves, and they do share certain attributes. Long noses and full beards begin the similarity. Both races can and do undertake mining, although Gnomes typically do it as a means to an end, whereas Dwarves may simply do it because "that's what Dwarves do". They are also suspicious, clannish people, who jealously guard their language and culture from prying eyes and ears.
The Gnomes certainly appreciate the value of a farthing, and of all the non-humans have made the most advancement in entrenching themselves into the human's economy. They likely have a native coin, used in their homeland of Riverfork, but have adapted to the farthing-based monetary system with little difficulty.
Halflings appear in Threshold primarily as weavers and cooks, hawking their wares at Market and the odd festival. Among the well-to-do, it's becoming "fashionable" to have a Halfling female as "the help". They're often seen as little more than children, and so not nearly as threatening as the average Elf would be. (Dwarves and Gnomes are far too busy building and banking, respectively, to waste their time with some silly human's laundry.) A gourmet meal, cooked by a master Halfling chef, is a treat Count Morsh (the ranking noble in Threshold) purportedly enjoys every night at his estate.}
>
>4)Is there racial diversity among the humans and other races or..is
>everyone "white" like in most fantasy worlds, and are there stranger
>colors such as green, red, iridescent?
{Although rumors abound, the only humans the good people of Threshold have contact with are Caucasian-appearing to various degrees: laborers usually have tans, scribes and artisans may be lighter, while the wives of the most successful merchants strive to emulate the Countess Morsh, who is ghostly pale.}
>5)Can races interbreed? Are there half-breeds and how are they
>regarded?
{As far as the common man knows, a human is not an Elf, and never the twain shall meet (or a Dwarf, or Gnome, or anything else). Certainly, "inter-racial" relationships don't exist in a modern sense, and any feeling of love between a human and a non-human would be reviled by the world at large.}
>6)Gender roles for each race please...or at least for the races we
>are allowed to play.
{ELVES = By far the most egalitarian of the Civilized Folk (Man, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings), Elven women are known to hold positions of authority in their "savage" religion. From a human perspective, they don't seem to understand that a woman's place is in the home, preferably either in the kitchen or in bed (you could add "pregnant" and "barefoot" and not be far off the mark). The "fairy" male Elves have even been known to cry like the women in public, further reinforcing the idea that the "daemon spawn" are totally confused as to how Luathon decrees men and women behave.
DWARVES = The men work, smith, drink, brawl, tunnel, craft, yell, raise hell, and the women do...?
HALFLINGS = While not as "confused" as the Elves, Halfling life seems to center around the family. The men willingly share some of the domestic burden, helping to clean, cook, or raise the children. The women occasionally work outside the home, usually cleaning, mending, or as a nanny to a wealthy human family. When not working, both sexes prefer to spend their time eating, drinking, talking with friends, and relaxing.
GNOMES = Almost nothing is known about Gnome females, except that they do exist, and have been seen bedizened with dazzling amounts of jewelry and silks. If the men ever behave in a fashion different from the humorless, penny-pinching way most humans are familiar with, it happens behind closed doors.
HUMANS = In the absence of Women's Sufferage, females have virtually no rights under the law. They "belong" to their fathers until marriage, at which time they become property of their husbands. Although murdering one's wife is frowned upon, formal accusations are unlikely, especially if she was caught with someone else in an "indelicate" position.
Women may not inherit property, nor represent themselves in a court of law. To do either of these, they need a male relative (preferably a father or husband, but a brother or uncle could do if neither were available).
Day-to-day, women exert a much greater covert influence, as they have through all of our own recorded history. They are typically responsible for cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, and servicing their husbands. A man cannot be charged with rape for forcing himself on his spouse, as she has a "wifely duty" to "provide for his fleshy needs".
Men, in turn, are expected to provide for their families, in whatever fashion they are best equipped. When sons are of an age to begin to learn a trade or craft, the father is usually the person to teach it. More affluent fathers may have an instructor to do so, or may even send his scion to Thyatia Prime's University.
The Church of Luathon officially discourages sex outside of Holy Matrimony, but a man will likely receive tacit consent if he's quiet about it. Nobles, of course, are expected to have a mistress on the side, possibly the same one for years. A peasant woman caught with her lover is in for a beating, or worse. A noblewoman may or may not be in trouble, depending on how well she handles the situation.
Basically, imagine Olde England, and you're not too far off.}
>7)Are certain races better with healing than others?
{Humans aren't very familiar with the other races' medical practices. Elves, as usual, are suspected of "daemonic aid" in some of their recoveries, and some Halfing wisewomen are actively sought by those with the money to procure their services.}
>
>8)What is the average diet? Housing? Village life/Interactions? Are
>these a people who appreciate festivals or are they repressive?
{DIET = In Threshold, mostly bread, with some cheese and vegetables thrown into the mix. Meat is usually reserved for festivals or later pregnancy (oddly enough, Man has a vague idea of prenatal care), or other special occasions. It's expensive, after all, and you only get to cook and eat the chicken or cow once.
Slightly better off folk might have access to eggs, which would help supplement their protein intake. Ale is a common drink for the working man, with mead and barley-based wine at most meals.
Their veggies consist mainly of potatoes, foraged greens, and wild onions. More enterprising and / or skillful homemakers may have cultivated a small garden to help make the foraging less time-consuming, not to mention hazardous.
HOUSING = This is usually a modest affair, with a one- or two-room thatched hut, mud floor, and coarse cloth blankets for a bed. More established families will likely have a single, large bed, in which the parents and little ones sleep (older children have to fend for themselves on the floor). A step up from that would be a multi-roomed wooden hovel, though siblings would almost certainly still have to share rooms. Only the most successful farmers or artisans could afford the luxury of each child having his or her own room.
The definitive dividing line between wealth and poverty, though, is having a stone house. Suffice it to say, only men of means have stone abodes, often with a walled courtyard or even an indoor fountain. In Threshold, only Count Morsh has what we would consider an 'estate', with hunting grounds, stone fortifications which are actually better than the humble city walls, and a private chapel.
VILLAGE LIFE = Much more so than now, Arners' lives revolve around getting enough to eat. Famine is a real and constant worry, and almost all one's daily energy goes towards mere survival. Only the privileged can worry about such trivialities as art, travel, or "culture".
However, there are three yearly bright spots to the people of Threshold; indeed, both the Duchy of Karameikos and its parent-country, Thyatia, celebrate these:
*Sunwake = The longest day of the year. Signal to prepare for the all-important Fall harvest. Arners consider a woman to be at her sexual peak during this day.
*Harvest = Actually the end of the Fall harvest, this festival marks the end of the agricultural year. To the common folk, this is a joyous day indeed, as the fruits of their hard labor throughout the rest of the year enable them to survive the coming Winter.
*Sunsleep = The shortest day of the year. A solemn festival, for this commemorates the dead as well as the living.
>
>9)How is mental illness treated? How humanistic is the populace in
>general?
{Mental illness is usually handled with the business end of a club. Luckily (?) for the mentally disturbed of Threshold, Master Gilmore sometimes takes them into his protection. However, they are no longer seen about town after this.
In general, "life is cheap" about sums it up. We're talking about a world with around 50% infant mortality, women-as-property, and a religion that's a cross between Mediaeval Catholicism and old-school Southern Baptist as the predominate moral compass.}
>
>10)What's the trading like between the races? What are the main
>exports/imports of the civilizations?
{Only a Caravan Master or Gemkeep would know the answers to these questions on a macro level. In Threshold, which has an unusually strong economy, trading is cautious but continuous. The town is, and has been for a long time, in a "boom" stage. With a steady influx of new people arriving almost every day, the township's need for goods and services is rapidly increasing. Humans laborers mine raw materials from rock quarries and mineral deposits under the watchful eye and hand of Dwarves. The Dwarves then work the materials into usable goods, such as swords, blocks of stone, or even ploughs. (Humans do much of this work as well, but the Dwarven goods are prized.) Because they are essential to the continued prosperity of his town, Count Morsh doesn't interfere with either the Dwarves or Gnomes overly much.
The Gnomes, aside from money-lending, enjoy a not-so-friendly rivalry with their Dwarven cousins in the delicate world of jewelry-craft. While Gnomes can't produce the armor or engineering feats of the Dwarves, they can and do regularly churn out fine items wrought of copper, silver, and even gold.
As mentioned before, Halfling contribute domestic work, as well as handicrafts and leatherworking. The stunning artistry displayed by some of the Elves is nearly impossible to sell in a human-dominated market.}
>
>11)What is the average life expectancy? What are the expectations
>for marriage, children, etc.?
{Somewhere around 35. If you make it to 40, you're doing well. This is one area where humans lag far behind the seemingly-immortal Elves, but their rapid breeding and pervasive aggression more than make up for it.
Families tend to be large, as children are a source of labor, particularly as they get older, and they are expected to take care of their parents when mom and dad become infirm. As many as a dozen children from the same mother isn't uncommon, remembering that typically nearly half will die from disease, starvation, accidents, or violence before they attain adulthood.
Marriage pressure begins shortly after a woman has her first Moonblood, or even before. Many women are married by 13 or 14, and bearing children shortly thereafter. If possible, men will select brides younger than themselves, to stand a better chance of enough children for a good "retirement plan".}
>
>12)Do women hold any position in the Church?
{Perhaps surprisingly, yes. Within Threshold's Cloister, a tiny Sanctuary (a woman-only space) is known to exist. How many females there are exactly, and what their position is relative to their male counterparts, only the Acolytes and Vicars of Luathon know.}
>
>13)Please expand on the Lights.
{Again, as most characters have never been beyond a day's journey of their home (if that far), this answer must confine itself to life in the town.
10th Light - This one's been with Threshold from its founding. It teaches that only Man has an immortal soul, and that Luathon's Light would surely burn away the "daemon spawn" that is the Elven race. Acolytes of the 10th Light are the most likely to be encountered while wandering, as they feel it is their holy duty to bring the word of the Lord of Light to all the benighted corners of Arn.
5th Light - A relative newcomer to Threshold. Its chief split with the other Lights is the tenet that allows women to divorce their husbands on the grounds of "spiritual and moral turpitude". This Light encourages women, especially mothers, to be the "guardians of virtue" in their households.
>
>14)Are there societies outside of Arn? You know...and the man came
>from beyond the mountains at the Edge of the World!
{"Arn" is the name for the entire world, so no. However, there are (surprise, surprise) *rumors* of entire other strange civilizations, and even wild, horrible tales of a vast Elven kingdom.
I'll cover geography in-depth in a later entry.}
>
>15)Is there an ongoing militant or warlike atmosphere or has peace
>been known for decades? What is the pervading attitude towards
>violence?
{With Goblin raids, the virulent Black Eagle Barony to the southwest, and even occasional Dragon sightings, "peace" is not a word most associate with the Duchy. However, despite this (or perhaps because of it), Threshold has thrived.
Violence is a way of life, from a man beating a mouthy wife, to the strongest child taking food and what toys there are from the weaker ones. That's not to say that *everyone* is violent, just that cultural norms are more like they were for us a thousand years ago.}
>
>16) CAN I GET A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF NORTHAK?
{I'll set that in a separate entry, as I'm about to get kicked out of the library. :) (Can you believe I've been typing at this for nearly three hours?)}
>
>I wasn't sure if you were gonna read til the end so I made it all in
>caps.
>
>Love,
>
>[Enterprising Player]
>
>16)What is the average skill level with weapons? Is everyone armed
>or only the nobles/people who can afford it?
{From the PC perspective, high enough to die from! Seriously, this various tremendously, though it's rare to hear about so-and-so being "a master" (not to mention dangerous for the person claiming such an exalted martial status...). Everyday, "light" weaponry, such as paring knives, stout walking sticks, and even short bows used for hunting (which will be relatively crude) will be in common circulation. Heavier, professional-class weapons are usually only in the hands of mercenaries or nobility, leaving townsfolk vulnerable and dependant on whatever largesse Count Morsh feels like doling out to the ill-equipped militia. Individual exceptions exist, of course.
Please note that less "rough-and-ready" towns, like most of the cities of the Thyatian Empire, have strict laws against carrying arms, though most of the PC's will have little first-hand experience with this.}
>
>17)How does the slavery system work?
{In Threshold, few citizens are wealthy enough to own a slave, let alone a plantation. However, to the nobility, owning slaves is a powerful status symbol (the more the better). Healthy males and women of child-bearing age fetch the best price. Women with a pleasing enough appearance have the privilege (?) of being harem candidates, which is a separate world again from either freedom or "regular" slavery.
Although technically illegal, freemen (and women) are rumored to be snatched by slavers in some of the seedier cities of Arn (although never, of course, in the utopia that is Threshold...).}
>
>18)Are there any institutions of higher learning or centers of Art
>or learning? Are women allowed in?
>
{In Threshold, not many. The Gnomes have some kind of academic society that passes on their advanced systems of accounting. The Temple of Luathon, Tenth Light has lovely stained-glass windows, and some pieces of statuary inside that approach exquisite. The Morsh estate is known to have an extensive library, although only visiting dignitaries (or Master Gilmore, if he deigned to use the Count's facilities for some odd reason) have free access to it.
In the Duchy's parent country, Thyatia, a handful of Colleges exist, notably the College of Mysteries and the College of Diplomacy. These are almost certainly beyond the scope of most Threshold townsfolk. In no case can any Thresholder ever remember hearing about a woman attending these places. To most the idea would seem absurd.}
>1) How do you make a character?
{Hopefully answered in the 3rd March IoG post, although you don't really *have* to go into that much detail. Especially for the newer players, a good physical / mental description would probably be enough. The beauty of play-by-e-mail is that it can build a lot more gradually than face-to-face, because of the inherent delay in feedback.}
>
>2)Can I have the physical characteristics for the races as well; ie.
>avg. height, weight, body type(fat vs. muscle), vision (etc.)
>capabilities, magick proclivity.
{All of the following are averages, NOT absolutes. Also, I've made no attempt to adjust for the fact that all races, human included, would be substantially smaller in a food-scarce environment like Arn. As long as the sizes remain accurate *relative* to each other, the game should proceed just fine.
ELVES =
Height: 4'6" - 5'6"
Weight: 80 - 130 lbs.
Typical Build: Wiry. Miniature "supermodel" builds on the women are not uncommon.
Senses: Humans whisper that the "elven devils" can see in the dark as part of their race's pact with Tyrannon [Supreme God of Evil through oppression] or The Darke One [Supreme Goddess of Evil through treachery]. They are also believed to have malformed ears, the better to locate babies crying at night so the Elves can feast on tender infant flesh.
Capabilities: Along with their uncanny night time vision, humans grudgingly accept Elves as Arn's pre-eminent hunters and trackers.
Magickal Ability: They're all in cahoots with Tyrannon, don't you know? (Seriously, the average man on the street wouldn't know a fireball from a shapeshifting spell... UNLESS one bit him.)
DWARVES =
Height: Around 4' (Males; the common townsperson has never seen a female dwarf)
Weight: Starting at 150 lbs., some are *substantially* heavier
Typical Build: Muscular, with a layer of fatty insulation and thick, almost leathery skin
Senses: Mostly unknown by the commoner, although they can and do operate underground without any known light source.
Capabilities: As a people, master craftsman and smiths. As individuals, an average, full-grown dwarven male can out-drink and out-work the vast majority of humans.
Magickal Ability: Dwarves are known for their stubborn resistance to most sorcery. No commoner remembers hearing of a Dwarven Mage in Threshold.
HALFLINGS =
Height: Around 3', slightly shorter for females
Weight: About 60 lbs., slightly lighter for women
Typical Build: Much like a human child of 9 or 10, with slightly pointed ears
Senses: Unknown to most humans, presumably roughly equivalent to most men
Capabilities: Halflings have, what appears to humans, a universal 'knack' for hitting things at a distance. Whether throwing a rock, a dagger, or even shooting a shortbow, Halflings seem to be naturals at distance combat. In forests and other woodlands, they also have an uncanny ability to hide themselves.
Magickal Ability: Much like the larger and gruffer Dwarves, Halflings do not seem to produce Mages with any regularity. (Of course, many Priests of Luathon tell their congregations to "Beware the Halfling, for it may snatch your child and go back into the daemonic woods from where it came.")
HUMANS / MAN =
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs. (a full-grown human and dwarven male typically weight nearly the same)
Typical Build: Highly variable. If a physical laborer of some kind (94-96% of the population), it will tend to be lean, tan, and somewhat scarred.
Senses: As Earth humans.
Capabilities: Of all Arn's creatures, Man may well be the most adaptable. He has found a way to live in virtually every environment on the planet, whether it be hellish desert, disease-inducing jungle, or the arid foothills of Threshold.
Magickal Ability: For 99.9%+ of the pop., none. The other tiny minority can become frighteningly powerful with the right instruction, materials, and opportunity. Still, almost no one in Threshold has actually witnessed, first-hand, a spell being cast. Indeed, many citizens of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos don't really believe True Magick exists (the infernal pacts the Elves have made not withstanding).
GNOMES =
Height: 3'6" - 4'
Weight: Around 90 lbs. (?)
Typical Build: Like a skinny Dwarf
Senses: Unknown, but they also operate underground for extended periods of time
Capabilities: Bankers, mathematicians, and merchants extraordinaire. Their bankers are called "Gemkeeps", after the Gnomes' racial fondness of jewelry.
Magickal Ability: Gnomes are rumored to have a unique brand of Magick that they use to enhance their mercantile approach to life. Specifics are sparse, however, and disinformation common.
>3)So...
>-Are your elves the "incredibly grandiose, nigh godlike beautiful
>tall statuesque" type of elves or are they the "cute cherubic
>childlike" type of elves or are they just humans with pointy ears?
{They are shy woodland creatures who appear fragile and pacifistic to most humans. They are rarely observed screaming or brawling as is common with humans in Threshold. Some of the townsfolk hate them, almost all mistrust and dislike them to some degree.}
>-Description of Dwarven men and women please. Some worlds have the
>women with beards just like the men.
{As noted above, the men are generally squat, powerfully-built creatures, with dense bones and thick hides. Any Dwarf in Threshold has course, calloused hands, and is handy with at least one kind of mining implement. They speak in a strange, guttural tongue to one another, and rarely invite questions or other kinds of conversation. The Drunken Dwarf, a raucous, seedy establishment, is one of the few places where they sometimes mingle with Man.}
>
>-Gnomes and Halflings as well please.
{Gnomes are sometimes thought to be distant cousins of the Dwarves, and they do share certain attributes. Long noses and full beards begin the similarity. Both races can and do undertake mining, although Gnomes typically do it as a means to an end, whereas Dwarves may simply do it because "that's what Dwarves do". They are also suspicious, clannish people, who jealously guard their language and culture from prying eyes and ears.
The Gnomes certainly appreciate the value of a farthing, and of all the non-humans have made the most advancement in entrenching themselves into the human's economy. They likely have a native coin, used in their homeland of Riverfork, but have adapted to the farthing-based monetary system with little difficulty.
Halflings appear in Threshold primarily as weavers and cooks, hawking their wares at Market and the odd festival. Among the well-to-do, it's becoming "fashionable" to have a Halfling female as "the help". They're often seen as little more than children, and so not nearly as threatening as the average Elf would be. (Dwarves and Gnomes are far too busy building and banking, respectively, to waste their time with some silly human's laundry.) A gourmet meal, cooked by a master Halfling chef, is a treat Count Morsh (the ranking noble in Threshold) purportedly enjoys every night at his estate.}
>
>4)Is there racial diversity among the humans and other races or..is
>everyone "white" like in most fantasy worlds, and are there stranger
>colors such as green, red, iridescent?
{Although rumors abound, the only humans the good people of Threshold have contact with are Caucasian-appearing to various degrees: laborers usually have tans, scribes and artisans may be lighter, while the wives of the most successful merchants strive to emulate the Countess Morsh, who is ghostly pale.}
>5)Can races interbreed? Are there half-breeds and how are they
>regarded?
{As far as the common man knows, a human is not an Elf, and never the twain shall meet (or a Dwarf, or Gnome, or anything else). Certainly, "inter-racial" relationships don't exist in a modern sense, and any feeling of love between a human and a non-human would be reviled by the world at large.}
>6)Gender roles for each race please...or at least for the races we
>are allowed to play.
{ELVES = By far the most egalitarian of the Civilized Folk (Man, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings), Elven women are known to hold positions of authority in their "savage" religion. From a human perspective, they don't seem to understand that a woman's place is in the home, preferably either in the kitchen or in bed (you could add "pregnant" and "barefoot" and not be far off the mark). The "fairy" male Elves have even been known to cry like the women in public, further reinforcing the idea that the "daemon spawn" are totally confused as to how Luathon decrees men and women behave.
DWARVES = The men work, smith, drink, brawl, tunnel, craft, yell, raise hell, and the women do...?
HALFLINGS = While not as "confused" as the Elves, Halfling life seems to center around the family. The men willingly share some of the domestic burden, helping to clean, cook, or raise the children. The women occasionally work outside the home, usually cleaning, mending, or as a nanny to a wealthy human family. When not working, both sexes prefer to spend their time eating, drinking, talking with friends, and relaxing.
GNOMES = Almost nothing is known about Gnome females, except that they do exist, and have been seen bedizened with dazzling amounts of jewelry and silks. If the men ever behave in a fashion different from the humorless, penny-pinching way most humans are familiar with, it happens behind closed doors.
HUMANS = In the absence of Women's Sufferage, females have virtually no rights under the law. They "belong" to their fathers until marriage, at which time they become property of their husbands. Although murdering one's wife is frowned upon, formal accusations are unlikely, especially if she was caught with someone else in an "indelicate" position.
Women may not inherit property, nor represent themselves in a court of law. To do either of these, they need a male relative (preferably a father or husband, but a brother or uncle could do if neither were available).
Day-to-day, women exert a much greater covert influence, as they have through all of our own recorded history. They are typically responsible for cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, and servicing their husbands. A man cannot be charged with rape for forcing himself on his spouse, as she has a "wifely duty" to "provide for his fleshy needs".
Men, in turn, are expected to provide for their families, in whatever fashion they are best equipped. When sons are of an age to begin to learn a trade or craft, the father is usually the person to teach it. More affluent fathers may have an instructor to do so, or may even send his scion to Thyatia Prime's University.
The Church of Luathon officially discourages sex outside of Holy Matrimony, but a man will likely receive tacit consent if he's quiet about it. Nobles, of course, are expected to have a mistress on the side, possibly the same one for years. A peasant woman caught with her lover is in for a beating, or worse. A noblewoman may or may not be in trouble, depending on how well she handles the situation.
Basically, imagine Olde England, and you're not too far off.}
>7)Are certain races better with healing than others?
{Humans aren't very familiar with the other races' medical practices. Elves, as usual, are suspected of "daemonic aid" in some of their recoveries, and some Halfing wisewomen are actively sought by those with the money to procure their services.}
>
>8)What is the average diet? Housing? Village life/Interactions? Are
>these a people who appreciate festivals or are they repressive?
{DIET = In Threshold, mostly bread, with some cheese and vegetables thrown into the mix. Meat is usually reserved for festivals or later pregnancy (oddly enough, Man has a vague idea of prenatal care), or other special occasions. It's expensive, after all, and you only get to cook and eat the chicken or cow once.
Slightly better off folk might have access to eggs, which would help supplement their protein intake. Ale is a common drink for the working man, with mead and barley-based wine at most meals.
Their veggies consist mainly of potatoes, foraged greens, and wild onions. More enterprising and / or skillful homemakers may have cultivated a small garden to help make the foraging less time-consuming, not to mention hazardous.
HOUSING = This is usually a modest affair, with a one- or two-room thatched hut, mud floor, and coarse cloth blankets for a bed. More established families will likely have a single, large bed, in which the parents and little ones sleep (older children have to fend for themselves on the floor). A step up from that would be a multi-roomed wooden hovel, though siblings would almost certainly still have to share rooms. Only the most successful farmers or artisans could afford the luxury of each child having his or her own room.
The definitive dividing line between wealth and poverty, though, is having a stone house. Suffice it to say, only men of means have stone abodes, often with a walled courtyard or even an indoor fountain. In Threshold, only Count Morsh has what we would consider an 'estate', with hunting grounds, stone fortifications which are actually better than the humble city walls, and a private chapel.
VILLAGE LIFE = Much more so than now, Arners' lives revolve around getting enough to eat. Famine is a real and constant worry, and almost all one's daily energy goes towards mere survival. Only the privileged can worry about such trivialities as art, travel, or "culture".
However, there are three yearly bright spots to the people of Threshold; indeed, both the Duchy of Karameikos and its parent-country, Thyatia, celebrate these:
*Sunwake = The longest day of the year. Signal to prepare for the all-important Fall harvest. Arners consider a woman to be at her sexual peak during this day.
*Harvest = Actually the end of the Fall harvest, this festival marks the end of the agricultural year. To the common folk, this is a joyous day indeed, as the fruits of their hard labor throughout the rest of the year enable them to survive the coming Winter.
*Sunsleep = The shortest day of the year. A solemn festival, for this commemorates the dead as well as the living.
>
>9)How is mental illness treated? How humanistic is the populace in
>general?
{Mental illness is usually handled with the business end of a club. Luckily (?) for the mentally disturbed of Threshold, Master Gilmore sometimes takes them into his protection. However, they are no longer seen about town after this.
In general, "life is cheap" about sums it up. We're talking about a world with around 50% infant mortality, women-as-property, and a religion that's a cross between Mediaeval Catholicism and old-school Southern Baptist as the predominate moral compass.}
>
>10)What's the trading like between the races? What are the main
>exports/imports of the civilizations?
{Only a Caravan Master or Gemkeep would know the answers to these questions on a macro level. In Threshold, which has an unusually strong economy, trading is cautious but continuous. The town is, and has been for a long time, in a "boom" stage. With a steady influx of new people arriving almost every day, the township's need for goods and services is rapidly increasing. Humans laborers mine raw materials from rock quarries and mineral deposits under the watchful eye and hand of Dwarves. The Dwarves then work the materials into usable goods, such as swords, blocks of stone, or even ploughs. (Humans do much of this work as well, but the Dwarven goods are prized.) Because they are essential to the continued prosperity of his town, Count Morsh doesn't interfere with either the Dwarves or Gnomes overly much.
The Gnomes, aside from money-lending, enjoy a not-so-friendly rivalry with their Dwarven cousins in the delicate world of jewelry-craft. While Gnomes can't produce the armor or engineering feats of the Dwarves, they can and do regularly churn out fine items wrought of copper, silver, and even gold.
As mentioned before, Halfling contribute domestic work, as well as handicrafts and leatherworking. The stunning artistry displayed by some of the Elves is nearly impossible to sell in a human-dominated market.}
>
>11)What is the average life expectancy? What are the expectations
>for marriage, children, etc.?
{Somewhere around 35. If you make it to 40, you're doing well. This is one area where humans lag far behind the seemingly-immortal Elves, but their rapid breeding and pervasive aggression more than make up for it.
Families tend to be large, as children are a source of labor, particularly as they get older, and they are expected to take care of their parents when mom and dad become infirm. As many as a dozen children from the same mother isn't uncommon, remembering that typically nearly half will die from disease, starvation, accidents, or violence before they attain adulthood.
Marriage pressure begins shortly after a woman has her first Moonblood, or even before. Many women are married by 13 or 14, and bearing children shortly thereafter. If possible, men will select brides younger than themselves, to stand a better chance of enough children for a good "retirement plan".}
>
>12)Do women hold any position in the Church?
{Perhaps surprisingly, yes. Within Threshold's Cloister, a tiny Sanctuary (a woman-only space) is known to exist. How many females there are exactly, and what their position is relative to their male counterparts, only the Acolytes and Vicars of Luathon know.}
>
>13)Please expand on the Lights.
{Again, as most characters have never been beyond a day's journey of their home (if that far), this answer must confine itself to life in the town.
10th Light - This one's been with Threshold from its founding. It teaches that only Man has an immortal soul, and that Luathon's Light would surely burn away the "daemon spawn" that is the Elven race. Acolytes of the 10th Light are the most likely to be encountered while wandering, as they feel it is their holy duty to bring the word of the Lord of Light to all the benighted corners of Arn.
5th Light - A relative newcomer to Threshold. Its chief split with the other Lights is the tenet that allows women to divorce their husbands on the grounds of "spiritual and moral turpitude". This Light encourages women, especially mothers, to be the "guardians of virtue" in their households.
>
>14)Are there societies outside of Arn? You know...and the man came
>from beyond the mountains at the Edge of the World!
{"Arn" is the name for the entire world, so no. However, there are (surprise, surprise) *rumors* of entire other strange civilizations, and even wild, horrible tales of a vast Elven kingdom.
I'll cover geography in-depth in a later entry.}
>
>15)Is there an ongoing militant or warlike atmosphere or has peace
>been known for decades? What is the pervading attitude towards
>violence?
{With Goblin raids, the virulent Black Eagle Barony to the southwest, and even occasional Dragon sightings, "peace" is not a word most associate with the Duchy. However, despite this (or perhaps because of it), Threshold has thrived.
Violence is a way of life, from a man beating a mouthy wife, to the strongest child taking food and what toys there are from the weaker ones. That's not to say that *everyone* is violent, just that cultural norms are more like they were for us a thousand years ago.}
>
>16) CAN I GET A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF NORTHAK?
{I'll set that in a separate entry, as I'm about to get kicked out of the library. :) (Can you believe I've been typing at this for nearly three hours?)}
>
>I wasn't sure if you were gonna read til the end so I made it all in
>caps.
>
>Love,
>
>[Enterprising Player]
>
>16)What is the average skill level with weapons? Is everyone armed
>or only the nobles/people who can afford it?
{From the PC perspective, high enough to die from! Seriously, this various tremendously, though it's rare to hear about so-and-so being "a master" (not to mention dangerous for the person claiming such an exalted martial status...). Everyday, "light" weaponry, such as paring knives, stout walking sticks, and even short bows used for hunting (which will be relatively crude) will be in common circulation. Heavier, professional-class weapons are usually only in the hands of mercenaries or nobility, leaving townsfolk vulnerable and dependant on whatever largesse Count Morsh feels like doling out to the ill-equipped militia. Individual exceptions exist, of course.
Please note that less "rough-and-ready" towns, like most of the cities of the Thyatian Empire, have strict laws against carrying arms, though most of the PC's will have little first-hand experience with this.}
>
>17)How does the slavery system work?
{In Threshold, few citizens are wealthy enough to own a slave, let alone a plantation. However, to the nobility, owning slaves is a powerful status symbol (the more the better). Healthy males and women of child-bearing age fetch the best price. Women with a pleasing enough appearance have the privilege (?) of being harem candidates, which is a separate world again from either freedom or "regular" slavery.
Although technically illegal, freemen (and women) are rumored to be snatched by slavers in some of the seedier cities of Arn (although never, of course, in the utopia that is Threshold...).}
>
>18)Are there any institutions of higher learning or centers of Art
>or learning? Are women allowed in?
>
{In Threshold, not many. The Gnomes have some kind of academic society that passes on their advanced systems of accounting. The Temple of Luathon, Tenth Light has lovely stained-glass windows, and some pieces of statuary inside that approach exquisite. The Morsh estate is known to have an extensive library, although only visiting dignitaries (or Master Gilmore, if he deigned to use the Count's facilities for some odd reason) have free access to it.
In the Duchy's parent country, Thyatia, a handful of Colleges exist, notably the College of Mysteries and the College of Diplomacy. These are almost certainly beyond the scope of most Threshold townsfolk. In no case can any Thresholder ever remember hearing about a woman attending these places. To most the idea would seem absurd.}