Background
The
game is set in a rural Duchy on Decados Cadiz that borders on a
massive urban sprawl. It is seven years since the treaty of Tsaritsyn
ended aggressions with the Hawkwoods and spelled an end to the
Emperor Wars. After generations of sons claimed in an endless and
pointless war and generations of each daughter bearing a harder life
than her mother, it was the end of a legacy of sacrifice for the
people of Cadiz and the symbol of Hope’s return. But peace didn’t
lessen the burden placed on the people as Decados nobles continued to
tax heavily to rebuild their infrastructure and cities flooded with
unemployable soldiers made the lives of many more dangerous than war.
The people of Cadiz are angry, in the cities terrorists strike boldly
at nobles and deadly criminal gangs openly defy Decados rule.
Vendettas soar to record numbers as oathes made in war are not kept
in peace. It is a time of paranoia among the clergy as a church that
was immersed in war for over a hundred years now turns it's attention
to cleaning house. It is a time of great fear as the change of a new
and dreaded emperor sweeps over a planet that has suffered enough
Situation
Sokol
County has recently lost it’s head. Virtuous Graff Xander Romonov
Decados has died from a genetic malady that has plagued him all of
his life. His Heir Pitor is a boy who many believe is incapable of
the task of rulership. The Irkuz Barony’s beloved Van Gelder ruler
is reaching the end of her years with no clear heir to her lands,
some fear that Irkuz will revert to Decados Control. The County’s
new Bishop is an iconoclast with many enemies within the Church who
many believe will be powerless to effect change until she is retired.
Nobles and Guild grow more aggressive in the absence of a firm hand
to reign them in and the peasants are beginning to lose faith in
their own masters as they watch their home falling into disrepair and
chaos.
Theme
The
theme of the game is Hope, what it does to people when they’re
deprived of it and what value people place on it. A lot of the
problems in the game will be reflective of this theme. Not all of the
problems and challenges in the game involve this theme, don't assume
the terrorist wearing a bomb just needs a pep talk to restore his
faith in his fellow man. The only dictums I’m placing on character
creation is 1. You have to work together to build characters that
share a history or an allegiance that prompts them to cooperate. 2.
Your character has to have a personal struggle with hope. They could
be a war veteran struggling to return to a life of peace, or a noble
who has been disgraced by their House, or a Deacon who has lost faith
in the Pancreator. If possible your stats should have some reflection
of this hope you have but at the very least you must tell me what
your character has lost and how they’re fighting to reclaim it.
Barony of Irkuz
The
game opens in the well-developed rural Van Gelder Barony or Irkuz.
Irkuz sits over the Anyes mountain range from the vast megopolus of
Elibyrge. It is one of the largest fiefs of the valley County of
Sokol and the largest holding of House Van Gelder on the planet but
still a relatively poor Barony. While there are numerous decaying
Second Republic ruins throughout the verdant tropical valleys of the
Sokol County, they do not creep over every inch of the land as they
do just over the mountains. Irkuz is a humble barony swathed in
rainforests and verdant farmlands. Like much of the Sokol Valley, the
Barony experiences long Muggy summers and stormy wet winters. Late
Summer storms are extreme enough that they require some
reconstruction to most coastal towns. Nearly 70% of her people are
field-hands. 1-in-9 of her citizens are Hironem and most of those
live in isolated communities, but other aliens are almost unknown in
Irkuz. The Engineer’s Guild have major pharming operations growing
exotic flora that thrive in this climate for use in the manufacture
of various drugs. The Barony sits astride the regional Causeway that
runs North-South across the continent and is the origin point of the
Valley Highway, a partially paved main road that runs the span of
Sokol Valley.
The Powers that Be
Ruling Noble - Baroness Eldanna Hapsburg Van Gelder
Baroness
Eldana is the highest ranking Van Gelder on Cadiz and their de facto
ambassador. She is well regarded by her peers and superiors largely
due to her soft-spoken conservative manner and a sharpness of mind
that belies her grey years on a planet of bombastic politics. They
call her “The Wise Judgess” a poorly understood nickname from her
youth. To her close vassals and house staff she is known simply as
“mom”, a title as affectionate as it is respectful. The Baroness
is loved by her subjects and they seem to only grow fonder of her the
older she grows. The public views her as being more in-touch with the
common man than other nobles. Lady Eldana loves children but never
birthed an heir, and as she grows older tensions grow that her
passing will destabilize House Van Gelder’s power structure on
Cadiz.
Leige Lord - Graff Pitor Romonov Decados, Count of Sokol
Pitor
Romonov Decados recently assumed the mantle of Graff when his father
Xander Romonov died of natural causes. At 19, Pitor is widely
considered too young to fill his father’s shoes, and the sentiment
has backed Pitor into a position of having to be very coarse with
Nobles and Guild that disrespect him. Pitor spends a lot of his
energy looking after his two younger brothers Arkady and Gregor who
have a reputation for excess. Graff Pitor has little interest in
interfering with fief or even city matters. The Count is currently
pursuing an arranged marriage with Anette Democlav Decados and has
little time for other social pursuits.
Presiding Clergy - Bishop Asha D’arch , Orthodox
Bishop
D’arch is an attractive woman in her early 40’s with a reputation
for her sharp political acumen and clever wit. Also not a secret is
that the Bishop came to her office through a very unusual route.
Originally born to minor house Keddah, she served with the Knights of
Lexitus with distinction during the Emperor Wars and was advanced to
the position of Bishop over priests of equivalent rank by numerous
recommendations from the Bishophoric Council of the Universal Church.
Most believe that she’s well favored by several powerful Orthodoxy
leaders. The order is still very fond of Asha and while her station
doesn’t allow for an honor guard there are always Knights of
Lexitus around her socially. Bishop D’arch is more accomplished
than any previous predecessors to take responsibility for the Sokol
Valley largely due to her singular drive and her willingness to work
outside of the church to accomplish goals. The Bishop isn’t popular
with everyone. Many clergy who have worked under her don’t
appreciate her pragmatic approach to challenges facing the diocese.
Some have gone so far as to call her soulless.
Lord of Trade - Lord Lucaas Hendle Van Gelder, The Market Wolf.
Lucaas
is a good-natured man in his autumn years with a taste for the finest
things in life. He is credited with saving Irkuz from it’s late-war
economic crash by convincing the Baroness to open the Barony to
League enterprises. He is also a patron of the arts and noted
philanthropist. However, there are rumors of his less savory
enterprises as well.
Sherriff - Boyar Dmitri Democlav Decados
Dmitri
is an unexceptional Decados. He is a bit smarmy and unsympathetic.
He‘s indiscrete with his vices and vendettas. He is however adept
at his profession. He was “provided” to the Baroness to assist
with her crime woes and since his arrival crime has become much
better organized, which sounds terrible but crime in the hands of the
Scraver and Muster Gangs doesn’t interrupt food production, results
in less street violence and doesn’t typically target prominent
people in the Barony. Dmitri makes no bones about his loyalties. He
serves the Court of Sokol and his outspoken attitudes often put him
at odds with the Baroness.
Lord Justice of Sokol - Lady Bren Hapsburg Van Gelder
The
known worlds seems to have only two kinds of judges, diligent ethical
professionals dedicated to the aims of justice and crooked jaded
autocrats who use their position for personal gain. Lady Bren is
sadly the latter, but admittedly one of the better crooked judges in
the known worlds. Lady Bren was educated at a Reeve’s University
and is well regarded for her ability to read people and her grasp of
the law but she has a reputation for corruption and most believe that
nepotism is the only thing that keeps her on the bench, but in
reality her unpopular decisions have put her at odds with her aunt
Eldana.
Lady of Public Affairs - Lady Gretchen Hendle Van Gelder
Lady
Gretchen was appointed to her position by virtue of being the Trade
Minister’s daughter and very little has been expected of her but
she has shown herself to be a remarkably strong influence on the
Barony. She is a powerful ambassador to the Count and has led several
successful public works campaigns to strengthen community ties and
raise awareness for the unfortunate. Gretchen is easy to
underestimate. She has typically lush Van Gelder tastes but her
cultured vision for the rural Barony has been very well received.
Some whisper that this unlanded lady of court could be in line for
succession after the death of the Baroness.
Lord Chamberlain - Christian Lindscroft Van Gelder
Christian
is an elderly lord with a razor sharp mind. He’s always impeccably
polite and never forgets a name, or a date, or location. Christian
serves the court of Baroness Eldana but furthermore he sees to her
affairs, arranging travel, planning events in the city and even
running errands.
Port Boss-Muster Lieutenant Leonard Bossman
Leo
Bossman is the ranking muster at the port, a wiry wrinkled graying
bastard with little patience and a sick sense of humor. Most people
suspect that Bossman served as a merc because of his bad temper and
reputation for sadism but his service with the roustabouts is long
and filled with noted distinctions. Lieutenant Bossman replaced a
prior Lieutenant who was unable to deliver cargo on time. The port
runs much more smoothly but at a cost. Bossman’s sense of
discipline ends on the pier. His men get drunk and start fights and
sometimes more serious offenses but Bossman is able to use the
leverage of his position to get charges swept under the rug.
Project Manager - Engineer Fellow Heinricht Salt
Heiricht
is the project leader for the Engineer Pharming contract outside of
Sokol. In addition to being a man fortified in the secrecy of an
Engineer’s patent project he is a very private man. Periodically
people will see him in the city with his lovely but eerily
cyberneticly enhanced wife having a quiet dinner or visiting the
baronial castle.
Capitol city - Sokol
Regional Population 9,724 (Nobles 90, Guild 212, Church 205,
Freemen 544)
Primary Exports - Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, preserved foods.
Sokol City is a coastal city of just under 10,000 souls lined with
crumbling maxcrete walls. It was a Second republic Naval Base in
another life and still retains many of the high-tech comforts
salvaged from its past. Those that live outside of the city walls
enjoys few if any of the same utilities. Sokol lays beside the
central North-South elevated highway that spans most of the
continent. It is a vast crumbling Second-Republic superhighway simply
referred to as “The Causeway”, and it is the city’s onramp and
off ramp to this vital trade road that make it so prosperous. Muster
Roustabouts have a large transportation hub between the two ramps for
the transfer of cargo between Haulers and cargo ships. Their fenced
port yards are stacked with cargo containers and huge cargo transport
haulers. The different neighborhoods of the city are divided by deep
trenches in the maxcrete that served some forgotten purpose. At high
tide the 10 foot deep trenches fill with sea water and at low tide
they stink of garbage. There are many footbridges across the trenches
but few vehicle crossings. Sokol’s City’s equatorial longitude
combined with the shelter of The Dirges Inlet make it one of the
continent’s largest sea ports.
Sokol’s County Castle District is in the Northern edge of
the city, an austere maxcrete dome surrounded by stonework walls and
banners flying the Democlav Sokol livery. This district is
technically not part of the Barony and is under the authority of the
Count and his council but there is very little division between the
forces of the Decados Count who rules the region and the Van Gelder
Baroness controlling the city. The castle district is also home to
the County Legislative offices and the offices of the County tax
collector. The count does not have any Royal Guardsmen assigned to
his service but many of the knights he employs keep residence in the
castle and are often seen around the castle district along with house
soldiers and militia.
-The
Mantis League – The League keeps a small administrative office in
the Legislative Hall hosted by Lady Silvia Romonov Decados. Despite
their humble operation the Mantis League is capable of filing any
formal Vendetta as well as reviewing and investigating any Vendetta
in the County it presides over. While the League doesn't advertise
for operators, it's widely rumored that assassins, antagonists and
thieves are routinely referred to register with their offices.
-The
Dungeons – Many levels under the massive dome castle of the Count
is the County Lock-up. The Dungeon houses criminals deemed too
dangerous to be held in rural jails or those that have committed
crimes against the County Throne. It is also the holding facility of
Sokol City's watch. The security of the high-tech domicile is no
joke, but in contrast to the stereotypical Decados gulag the Dungeons
are rumored to be almost luxurious, clean, and quiet.
The Northeastern corner of the city is The Bazaar. It
is an agricultural and simple crafts market that is the center of the
barony’s economy. While it bears no comparison to the planetary
Agora in Elibyrge, many rare and high tech goods can be found among
the pedlar stalls here. Most of the city’s bars and restaurants are
in this part of town and it’s a vibrant area later at night. The
Bazaar is patrolled regularly by militia and while almost anyone can
gain access to the Bazaar from outside of the city walls entrances
further into the city are guarded and people with no valid business
in the city are often turned back. The Bazaar is also where you most
commonly see Hironem in the city, buying or selling in the market or
conducting other business.
-St.
Catherine’s The Light of Hope – The small Cathedral of Saint
Catherine’s dominates the northern end of the Bazaar, settled
astride a large walled compound that serves as the Orthodoxy
headquarters for the diocese. The doors are open to the market over a
white marble bridge that leads up to the main floor of the temple.
There is also a covered walkway that leads from The Hub up into the
temple balconies for more prosperous attendees. By comparison, the
Cathedral is unimpressive with simple wood decoration and very little
art and the efforts to get the community to donate to beautifying the
massive structure seems to never end. Surrounding the Temple itself
are the residences of the dozens of clergy needed to keep the temple
running a large guest wing and the walled home of the Bishop.
-Humpalot
- Humpalot is a Skraver bar in the South Market. Despite the name
Humpalot isn’t a brothel, but just barely. The servers are
seductive, the music is loud and the rooms down below the bar have
good locks.
-Punch
Drunk – Punch Drunk is a Muster bar in the South Market. It is a
dive bar with a bare-knuckle fighting ring. While gambling is illegal
in the city this bar seems to get away with doing it openly.
-Soly’s
Gently Used Wares – Soly’s is a pawn shop in the South Market
rumored to sell illegal and stolen goods.
-The
Crossed Keys – The Crossed Keys pub is probably the nicest dining
establishment in The Bazaar, so much so that customers are unlikely
to get seated without a reservation. The pub is owned and operated by
lady Madalona Matchteld Van Gelder. The decor is lush and
comfortable. The food is remarkable and the drinks are largely
imported.
-Sokol
Engineer’s Guild – Sokol’s Engineer’s Guild is less of an
administrative center and more of a redemption shop and barracks. The
hall front is little more than a service desk for the public wanting
to contract high tech repairs or hire guild services, the back is
simple high tech redemption shop run by Engineer Entered Ellis. Ellis
keeps bunks and essential guild function facilities as part of his
contract with The Guild. Given how little representation the
Engineers have on Cadiz the shop is a bit of a scandal but it doesn't
stop customers from lining up at the counter.
The Eastern edge of the city is an urban fishing village, simply
called The Waterfront, speckled with sail boats on wooden
docks that are lashed to the old maxcrete waterfront. The waterfront
is famous for it’s brightly colored houses and relaxed living. Many
of Sokol’s more wealthy citizens have large city homes here for the
view and the local color but the neighborhood isn’t wealthy. In
fact the waterfront area has a fairly serious crime issue that the
Sherriff has struggled to control.
-Angels
on the Waterfront - Angels is less a restaurant and more of a
district unto itself. The establishment sits on the north most point
of The Waterfront separated from the rest of the district by the
trenches that surround it and high latticework walls. Within are the
restaurant’s lush gardens and members only pier. Seating is
engineered with little grottos to give the feel of intimacy in the
open air, as if diners were alone in the establishment.
-Sokol
Fish Market - The fish market on the waterfront gives the illusion of
being chaotic but it runs with a ruthless efficiency. Fish caught
fresh and still breathing are arrayed in boxes of ice, sold to locals
or packed and sent uptown to the cannery. Over a ton of fish move
through the market every day and very little is wasted.
-The
Big One- The Big One is a deceptively small bar built into the wharf
of the fishing marina. It is a working man’s watering hole with
watery beer and terrible food. The place is empty most of the
afternoon but it’s hard to find standing room in the tiny bar at
night.
-The
Irkuz Cannery - A large industrial campus on the Southernmost tip of
the waterfront. The cannery is a Skraver food preserving enterprise
that struggled through horrible misfortunes during the war and was
even temporarily taken over by House Decados until they realized they
didn’t have the temperament to make it run correctly and begged the
Skravers to take control once more. The cannery is currently run by
Skraver Boss Simone Calder. The cannery floors and tables are slick
with fish guts and the place stinks of rotting fish but the product
they can is sold all over the planet and in some cases exported.
Industrial accidents aren’t uncommon in the cannery and a serious
accident has recently caused the closure of the cannery, leaving many
of it's workers desperate for money.
The central city is known as The Hub. It is a mish mash of
residential buildings and small industrial concerns, mostly cottage
craftsmanship and simple machining. The Hub represents the bulk of
Sokol City’s homes and is heavily patrolled by the city militia.
The major Guilds of the League keep small guildhalls here that are
little more than shop fronts. The streets have electric light and are
kept clean by civic volunteers.
-Sokol
Charioteer’s guild – Behind the fabulous gilded sign of the
Charioreer’s guild is a simply single-clerk counter that never
seems to have a line. The Charioteer guildhall is little more than a
closet with a tiny bunk room in the back. It’s unclear how the
“guildhall” communicates with the rest of the planet. However the
Charioreer’s Guild hall does manage to function, scheduling
infrequent commercial flitter and shuttle service to the town.
-Chiseled
Brewery – The Hub is home to the Chiseled brewery, a local brewer
that is known across Cadiz and even off world. Chiseled is a major
employer in the city as well as an economic bulwark.
-Van
Gelder family’s weapons shop – More than anything Sokol city is
famous for being the site of the factory where the house’s infamous
quality firearms are made. The Shop isn’t a retail location, they
keep several of those on planet, but it is the original workshop and
the location where most of the advanced design work is done. However,
the Van Gelder family often permits private showings of their wares
in the Shop to VIPs and major customers.
-Odd
Books – A crowded old book store tucked away in an alley off of the
market street. Odd Books is run by a bright young noblewoman named
Amanda Radir Decados. Much broken from the mold she is a friendly and
excitable lover of books and a collector and transcriber of some of
the most rare tomes on the continent.
-Proper
Tea – Proper Tea is quaint white-gable-windowed tea shop that looks
strangely at home among the Dutch Baroque architecture of the Van
Gelders, however the shop is anything but at home. The shop is run by
expatriot Baroness Adele Mountbatten Hawkwood, a charming matron and
a stickler for manners. The shop is closed every few weeks from one
vandalism or another but Lady Adele stubbornly persists serving
Hawkwood fashioned tea and cakes deep in Decados Space.
-The
Reeve’s Bank - Sokol’s Reeve’s Bank is little more than a
highly guarded clerk’s counter with adjoining advocate offices,
smaller than many of the shop fronts in town but much much busier
-Redemption
- Redemption is the unofficial Skraver’s Guild of Sokol County,
located in the South end of The Hub. The repair shop is a fenced lot
scattered with stripped vehicles and machinery wreathed around a
simple two bay garage. The business is steadfastly honest but the
deals that are done in it’s yard are less so. Redemption is owned
by Scraver Boss Wade Roelof, a low level manager in regular
communication with the Guild in Elibyrge.
The South of the city is dominated by The Port. Stretching
from the Causeway ramps to the massive maxcrete pier that runs a
kilometer out into the bay, the port stakes out the largest portion
of Sokol City. It is lined with livestock pens, warehouses and
barracks houses. It is the largest but also the least densely
populated area of the city. Most of it’s activity is muscle powered
using beast-drawn rail cars and winch-powered loading cranes. The
only automation is a pair of loading cranes that roll along the pier
and a few guild trucks that transport small goods and personnel. The
Port is Muster dominated and it’s security is handled by the guild.
-Sokol
Muster’s Guildhall - The Muster’s Guildhall is proper Guild
bunker made of maxcrete and under guard day and night. The Hall
offers full guild services and comfortable dormitory room as well as
a shooting range, classroom, and exercise facilities. The Guild even
has a company store open only the Muster where the roustabouts secure
exotic imports from around the planet at fair prices.
Other Locations of Note
Castle
Hapsburg - Nearly a mile to the South of the city residing high
up on the bluffs above the Dirges Straights resides the ancestral
home of the Van Gelder line on Cadiz. The old castle shows strong
Decados influence in high forbidding spires and high austere walls.
The Baronial home is open to the people of the Barony whenever
possible and most persons of any status have attended a party or
feast in the massive estate. Rumors about the ancient castle are
never-ending, recently a more popular one is that her dungeons are
being used to house war criminals that the Van Gelders are reluctant
to put in the custody of the Decados.
Radio
Lake - In the foothills of the Anyes, nearly a mile from any
serviceable road is a two-mile-wide lake that is nearly perfectly
circular. Long ago the site was an ancient FTL Radio facility that
broadcast transmissions through the jump gate. Now the technology has
been lost to flooding and neglect and it is a dark green pool banked
by a vast ring of maxcrete. The local monastery keeps the lake
thriving with fish, and rumored a sea monster.
Greenspire
Monastery - Greenspire is an isolated monastery built upon the
dish of an ancient FTL radio transmission station. From afar it looks
like a small walled town with a massive green tower suspended over
Radio Lake by huge and ancient suspension stantions. The monastery is
only accessible by walking out over the ancient and rickety
scaffolding that runs along the stantions or by a system of winches
and pulleys used to lift boats up off the lake. The surrounding
villages treat the monks of Greenspire like mystics for their
encyclopedic knowledge of agriculture and animal husbandry. It is
rumored that their Hescient faith requires a vow of silence of all of
their clergy.
Rukovich
Manor, The Engineer Pharm - Rukovich is a storied estate deep in
the valley not far off of the valley highway. It is the secretive
site of the Engineer pharming project. It’s rugged wrought-iron
gates barring any visitors. Originally built by Baron Triston
Rukovich Decados, it was the site of his insane vengeance on his
family line, gathering them to celebrate the birth of his daughter
and having his soldiers murder each and every noble of the Rukovich
line. Rukovich himself committed suicide to avoid trial for regicide.
Many claim that his ghost still haunts the halls. The Manor was
infrequently owned by lesser lords who struggled with one misfortune
or another before it was donated to the military as a hospital for
returning veterans, earning it the nickname Shellshock Keep. In the
final years of the Emperor wars casualties had mounted to the point
that the hospital couldn’t keep it’s doors open and the
Engineer’s Guild, looking for an olive branch to offer the Van
Gelder, offered to lease the lands for their experimentation. Now the
aged and crumbling manor is surrounded with strange semi-opaque
plastic tents and queer high-tech machinery as a handful of Engineer
workers conduct their works in secrecy.
Chapman
Keep - Chapman Keep is a redeemed second republic industrial
tower, a mighty white spire of maxcrete that pushes out of the canopy
of the thick jungles of the valley. The Keep is the militia training
grounds where most of the County sends volunteers and conscripts to
learn soldiering and law enforcement. The Keep is run by Lord Gayre
Polson Van Gelder, a house military captain who is struggling to
leave the war behind him.
Lawton
- Lawton is a quiet freeman village in the Anyes foothills. It
was founded by the first veterans to return from the Emperor Wars and
has since become a haven for soldiers looking for a quieter life. The
population is mostly prosperous and elderly, many drawing stipend
from House Decados for honors or patents. Many Guild members choose
Lawton to retire to because of it’s amenities and relaxed pace of
life. More so than other small villages Lawton does not care for
those that do not belong there and will take great aims to encourage
them to move along.
Powerful Factions
House
Decados
Naturally the planetary House has a great deal of influence even in a
fief ruled by another Noble House. But as Irkuz is the County seat
the Decados have a lot of privileges within the fief. The Decados
also hold of lot of business interests withing Sokol City and the
surrounding fief, giving them reason to be concerned with anything
that seems overly disruptive to Irkuz. The Mantis League keeps an
administrative office in the city and both the Alchemists Cartel and
Tutor's Cartel maintain shops in the Hub. While it's not so easily
confirmed, rumors of Jakovian spies infiltrating the port or the
Baronial Castle are not in short supply.
Knights
of the Blue Glove
The
Barony of Irkuz and the string of lesser fiefs that string along the
base of the Anyes mountains are under the protection of an order of
knights sponsored by Lord Henning Van Gelder. They are few in number
and they are not wealthy but even a few dozen of mounted soldiers
skilled with high tech weaponry makes a formidable force to support
the local militias. The knights are a polarizing force in the region.
The Van Gelder lords are very generous in their support and political
defense of the order but the Decados are on the verge of issuing
warrants for their arrest because of their brash actions through the
valley. They don’t have a very positive reputation among commoners
as they are largely unchecked by any ruling authority and can be
insistent. It is rumored that the order keeps caches of war weaponry
to defend the House in the should war come to the valley.
The
NLO
The
Natas Lakoto Orta are a militant Hironem organization dedicated to
the safety of Hironem communes. Outwardly they are just a community
militia but there are rumors of the NLO engaging in insurgent actions
or even plotting terrorist attacks. The NLO’s only goal is to
prevent harm to Hironen communities and defend it’s cultural
practices from outsiders but to this end there are many differing
opinions of how this goal should be attained. Most NLO members are
retired Hironem soldiers or hunters armed with legal hunting and
melee weapons but within the group are radicals armed with less legal
weaponry and even explosives. The NLO often has confrontations with
militias or even the Count’s soldiers but these are almost always
stand-offs that result in peaceful resolutions.
The
Goquaine Cartel
Sokol
has a fairly serious narcotics problem for a small city. It’s humid
hot environment paired with a transportation hub make it an ideal
space to distill Erythroxyline. Soldiers and militia routinely hunt
down Demigoqua fields and burn them or seize very large shipments of
Goquaine at the port and the Sheriff is sure there is more than one
production lab in the city. Most suspect that one of the major
Skraver families is in charge of Goquaine smuggling in the region,
but others suspect the Engineers and their secretive pharming
operations. Few are eager to tangle with whoever is behind the
operation as those that poke their noses into the wrong business
often vanish or worse they’re made an example of.
Posjednik
The
Posjednik are much like many crime families that have carved out a
section of Outer Elibyrge. However, they have business interests in
Irkuz and are often seen there on business or vacation. The Posjednik
make their money mostly in human trafficking, gambling, and
extortion. They are professional criminals, loyal unto death and
discrete in their trade. They are also completely obedient to the
Decados, trading their services to be permitted to conduct their
enterprise without interference so long as it doesn’t cross
interests with the House.
Goings on
The
Winter Tournament Tour & The Peasant Triathlon
Sokol
County’s Tournament schedule is in late winter while the fields are
idle and before the planetary circuit begins for the year. Cadiz
Tournaments typically features events popular with knights like
singles fencing, the joust, mounted pistol marksmanship and team
skirmishing. The rural tournaments often feature crowd pleaser events
like archery and wrestling. The Tournament in Sokol city has many of
these events as well as a large peasant triathlon that attracts
competitors from across the county. The Triathlon is a 10 mile run
from the Causeway exit at Loskov Pass into the city, then a swim in
rough water out to a barge 200 meters from the shore, then lastly
down a grueling obstacle course meant to crush the hoard of exhausted
competitors. Every year there are handful of deaths in the 200-odd
competitors. The winner brings home accolades and a trophy for his
lord and the top 33 finishers win the right to compete in The Running
of the Deer and the Wolves.
The
Running of the Deer and Wolves
The
County of Sokol on Cadiz holds a fairly unique race every spring
following the winter Tourneys and the Peasant's Triathalon. It is a
race where nobles hunt serfs for sport. The original Wolves Tourney
was a tradition started near the beginning of the Emperor wars by
Count Gregor where a lottery of peasants were hunted through the
Count's hunting lands to bolster the skills of knights in tracking
infiltrators in the region. When the church caught wind of the
practice they quickly brought the tradition to an end in an unpopular
blockade of the County. Over time Gregor's heir Xander came to see
that not only had his knights become unruly but his Serfs had been
robbed of the their more robust stock by his father's tradition. He
approached the Archbishop of Sabtah and proposed that it would be for
the betterment of all if the hunts could continue but with more
restraint. What came to follow was known as the Running of the Deer
and the Wolves.
The
contest is simple. The top 33 runners of the Peasant's Triathalon are
purchased from their lords at a fair premium by the Count and allowed
to run. Their journey begins in Sokol City on the Western shores of
Sabtah and ends 3500 Miles of coastal jungle away at Fort Volchav,
across the Vernes straits from the Baria Peninsula. Serf's that
Arrive at Fort Volchav are given their freedom and a 100 FB prize.
Serf's that are caught become the property of the lord who's hunters
bring them in, who in turn win a Serf of remarkable stock. Hunters
must purchase a limited number of Wolve's licences from the Count at
50 FB, licences are limited to 3 per fiefdom which with the small
agricultural fiefs of the County puts up to 51 hunters in the run.
Hunters are not permitted to break the law in the hunt but serfs may
do what they must to survive and often local lords will permit their
own serf's to lend support to the runners as a populist gesture.
Hunters who kill a Serf in the run must pay the count steep fines for
the loss of his serf, hunters that wound a serf often find themselves
facing charges from a newly emancipated Freeman. So hunters are very
cautious and often employ high tech non-lethal weaponry. Serf's are
given motivation to pursue physical excellence, local knights and
games keepers develop legendary skills, County businesses have the
boon of a popular tourney event and it generates taxes, Serf's that
win their freedom go on to become celebrated citizens from the
Barony.
The
competition is several weeks of unpredictable fun through the County
and tends to punctuate the end of the doldrums of winter for the
rural fiefs with a bit of excitement. Recent years of seen the
Running of the Deer and Wolves become popular outside of Sabtah,
attracting spectators from across the planet and hunters from other
worlds. The last 5 competitions have seen an increasing number of
hunters wired with remote cameras so that fans can watch the action
from the comfort of luxurious lodges. Hunting is not restricted to
Nobles but generally only Knights have a reason to compete. It is not
unheard of for a local lord to hire an Ashtati as a ringer to prove a
point in the competition. Of course the competition attracts a lot of
gambling and often that outside pressure can influence hunters to
break the rules or intentionally fail their pursuit. Every year has
problems with Serf's or Hunters that damage property or injure
themselves or others but it doesn't overshadow the popularity of the
event.
Candlemas
Once
per year at the zenith of summer the city of Sokol engages in an ages
tradition that was practiced throughout the Van Gelder cities but now
is observed in a handful of corners of the known worlds. The
celebration of Candlemas is a gift-giving celebration meant to
sponsor goodwill and closeness within the community. Celebrants take
to the streets at sundown and walk through the city carrying paper
lanterns joining in groups to sing and drink. On their trek through
the city celebrants leave a few small gifts at the doors of
strangers, usually food or drink or tokens of good cheer. The holiday
is celebrated with lush dinners before friends go out in groups.
Often the poor will leave notes of thanks in place of gifts. The
Orthodox Church celebrates this holiday as if it were one of their
own because of it’s fortuitous iconography and celebration of
community. The darker side is that like many events where workers are
expected to sleep in the next day the revelry can be excessive. With
so many people out of their house for the evening Candlemas is a ripe
opportunity for burglary. Perhaps saddest is that a celebration of
community often results in elitist groups finding ways to
disenfranchise others. Still the warmth of the summer night
celebration endears the city to it in spite of the unpleasantries
that seem to be unavoidable in it’s celebration.
Bier
Veiring
In
Late-October The Hub of Sokol City comes alive with a celebration of
beer and it’s many virtues. The streets are lined with little
market stands and the parks are filled with tent taverns where
brewers from all over the planet come to promote their brews to
connoisseurs and businessmen that flock to the festival of beers. In
addition to alcohol the festival shows off amazing foods cooked with
beer and products made with brewers materials, bards and other
entertainers flood into the city for a long day and night of
celebration in honor of the simple beverage.
Allies for Sale
Bar
Owner - Scraver Genin Ivanna Pukev - Ivanna is the owner of
Humpalot, a loud bawdy bar and inn in Sokol’s Bazaar. She is
generous with friends who help her business. In addition to free
drinks and access to her considerable arsenal of gossip, Ivanna is
happy to provide a place to stay and meetings with those that sell
illegal goods. Ivanna will quickly lose patience with anyone that
draws too much attention into her illegal dealings. 5pts, Status 2
Skraver, Carousing-18, Streetwise-16, Current Affairs-15.
Cab
Driver – Freemen Jenny Sparks - Jenny runs one of a very few
independent autowagon taxi’s in Sokol. She hears and sees a lot of
what happens around the city. Jenny isn’t above giving friends a
free ride if it’s on her way and she’ll cut her better customers
a deal for trips out along The Causeway or along the valley roads.
Jenny won’t do anything that might jeopardize her business. 3pts,
Streetwise-13, Current Affairs-14, Driving-15.
Militia
Investigator - Ivan Krakow - Krakow is one of two militia
investigators in a sleepy seaside town with a lot of crime and he’s
not the crooked one. He will pay for tips about criminal activity and
is willing to share a lot of the politics of the sheriff’s offices.
If his friends are accused of a crime and he doesn’t believe they
are guilty he would be willing to stymie the investigation to buy
them time. However, Ivan will not be party to criminal activity or
disloyal to the Sherriff. 3pts, Rank 1 Decados, Streetwise-12,
Criminology-15 Interrogation-13.
Hescient
Monk - Brother Barthus - Barthus is a warm-hearted man with a
chummy heart. Barthus is one of two monks from the Greenspire
monastery who haven’t taken vows of silence. He works as the face
of the monastery, traveling to Irkuz to sell and buy wares. He is not
wealthy or politically connected but he and his brotherhood have a
collection of useful skills and a remote abbey to shelter friends of
the order. Barthus will not support actions that oppose the teachings
of Zebulon or that threaten the monastery. 5pts, Status 1 Hescient,
Physic-14, Surgery-14, Alchemy-13, Theology-12.
Local
Fence – Charioteer Soly Barrelhead - Soly is a greasy pawn
broker in Sokol’s Bazaar. Most people know he’s less than
diligent in asking about where his merchandise comes from. Those he
trusts know that he can occasionally sells black market goods out of
the back of his shop. Soly knows a good deal about what goes on the
street and when he’s your friend not much will threaten that. 3pts,
Status 0 Freeman, Merchant-17, Streetwise-15.
Thug
– Freeman Iron Miko - Miko is a freeman prize fighter renown
for her easily underestimated build but Miko can take a brutal
pounding and can kick like a mule. She often rents herself out as an
enforcer or petty bodyguard for people she trusts and would be
willing to teach unarmed combat for a reasonable price. Miko doesn’t
like questions about her past and doesn’t like hurting innocent
people. 5pts, Status 0 Freeman, Karate-16, Judo-12, Intimidation-11.
Thug
– Freeman Enola “Catsnake” Tomochen - Enola is a
mean-spirited underfed freeman teen with an illegal pistol and few
prospects. In addition to being a cheap gun-for-hire she has some
decent street smarts. She’ll do nearly anything for better
prospects in her life but she isn’t blindly trusting and doesn’t
want to end up in the Count’s dungeons or dead. 5pts, Status 0
Freeman, Streetwise-14, Guns (Pistol)-12, Pickpocket-15.
Lord
Chamberlain - Christian Lindscroft Van Gelder - Christian is an
understatedly powerful figure in the fief. He’s well connected to
society and business as well as the Baroness. He has no problem
getting friends tickets to events in Elibyrge or reservations to the
best restaurant in town. If he feels it’s in the best interest of
the barony he would help a friend get an appointment with anyone in
court. Christian won’t take an action that would offend any of the
lords in the city. 10pts, Status 3 Van Gelder, Savior Faire-21,
Current Affairs-18, Diplomacy-15.
Neighboring
Baron - Andre Democlav Decados - Andre rules the Harden Peak
Barony to the North of Irkuz. He is wealthy, old, and a bit reckless.
He has a strained political relationship with Baroness Eldana and
takes some pride in being a thorn in her side. He is game for
anything that provokes the Baroness and her court without backlash.
He will provide shelter from Irkuz Militia and Van Gelder forces but
he will not cross Count Pitor or back any action that could spoil his
relationships with other Decados. 10pts, Status 4 Decados,
Politics-17, Current Affairs- 14, Savior Faire-14.
Weaponsmith
- Lady Hildi Sanderson Van Gelder - Hildi is an accomplished
artist working in the House’s weapon shop in Sokol. She is able to
repair and modify weapons quickly and with nearly peerless skill. She
also has the connections needed to obtain firearm licenses up to LC 3
despite her low social rank and can arrange the sale of any weapon
made by the Van Gelder family. Larger favors require a bit of
flattery. She will keep away from anything she feels will anger the
Decados. 5pts, Status 2 Van Gelder, Artist (Metalwork)-18, Armory
(Small Arms)-17, Current Affairs - 13.
Enemies for sale
The
Demons – Lords Arkady and Gregor Romonov Decados - Ullustrious
Brothers of young Count Pitor and party demons who are largely above
the law. The ways to end up on their bad side are legion but the
quickest way is to embarrass either of the publicly. The duo are very
dangerous if only for the bodyguards they travel with but neither is
brave enough to get hurt, more than likely they will seek to
embarrass their enemies or cause them legal troubles. -20pts, Two
more-powerful enemies, rivals.
Knight
Marshal Gunther Henning Van Gelder- Younger brother of Banner
Henning, the Master of the Knights of the Blue Glove. Gunther is a
militant and the hardliner of the order, both deadly and politically
savy. Gunther is not above killing his enemies if he believes he can
get away with it. Becoming Gunther’s enemy is not hard holds a
strong hatred for anyone who he perceives as an obstacle for the
success of the order and prone to Decados-like retribution against
those that harm his knights. -10pts, One more-powerful enemy, rival.
Boyar
Kryden Democlav Decados - Kryden is a loose cannon that the
Decodos claim they have no control over, a knight too accustomed to
war, unhappy in peace, a drug addict, madman, and a sadist. It’s
actually more difficult not to have a reason to have Kryden as an
enemy. He could fear the PC is making advances on his wife, or
undermining his reputation or the could have simply angered one of
the many Decados that push Kryden’s buttons. Kryden isn’t a fool
but he would prefer his enemies dead or crippled and humiliated. He’s
not a brilliant tactician, but a PC with Kryden will have to be
careful about behaving in a way that would open them up to a duel or
even advertising plans to be alone. -10pts, One powerful enemy,
hunter.
Muster
Sergeant Sean Sullivan - Sully is a big bastard of a man with a
short temper and a long memory for grudges. Sullivan is one of
Irkuz’s few Mercs, managing security for the Port. He has a handful
of his boys who are loyal to a fault who will back him up. Sullivan
has little political power, even at the Port, but he can obstruct
traffic through the city or draw down the attention of the Sheriff
on his enemies or simply pound your face like a tough steak. Sullivan
isn’t a genius but nor is he a killer. He’s happy to be a thorn
in the side of his enemies or cause them some bruises but he’s seen
enough killing in the war. -10pts, Medium-Sized Group, Rival.
Militia
Investigator Ivan Krakow - Ivan is the closest thing to a good
cop that the city has and he’s as tenacious as he is honorable.
Ivan makes a good enemy of anyone who gives him reason to be
suspicious of them, whether then are unsavory criminal types or just
people who are overly suspicious. Ivan is very careful not to exceed
his preview as investigator but feels completely within his right to
surveil and dig into the affairs of anyone he doesn’t like. -3pts,
One person of equal power, watcher.
