Holystone - Crime and Punishment

The Laws of the City

Nobles and knights have the right to pronounce sentence on commoners. This right is not abused, as it can be removed by the Count’s decree. This has only happened once since the founding of the city. The noble in question was himself banished following the stripping of his rights.

Nobles who are accused of crimes are judged by the Count.

Knights who are accused of crimes are judged by a suitable noble, whether it is the knights liege, the Count, or the Master of the knight’s Order.

Clerics who are accused of crimes are judged by their church leader, possibly with the Archbishop and the other church leaders getting involved if the crime is serious enough.

Women are treated the same as men under the law. There are no special circumstances due to sex, with the exception of adultery.

The City Prison

The City Prison is located in The Gates district. It is run by the City Guard. Most of it is above-ground, and is used as a Guard base and to hold non-violent prisoners. There is a dungeon level for the torturers to use and for especially dangerous prisoners. A mage is stationed here to deal with arcane threats, and there is a platoon of Guardsmen here at all times.

Sir Robert Granvel (F9) is the officer in charge. He is a knight and isn’t very happy about this duty, though he performs it well.

Arister Corwell (M8) is the mage assigned here. He spends most of his time reading magic tomes, and rarely has to deal with magical problems. He gets on well with Sir Granvel.  

Ortho Nine-Fingers (T3) is the Head Torturer. He is a small, quiet man, who takes professional pride in his work. The regular Guardsmen avoid him and he doesn’t care.

Crimes and Punishment

Adultery – A fine is paid to the wronged husband by the man involved. The husband may then file for divorce. There is no penalty for a husband with a mistress. The husband may request a duel, instead of a payment, at his discretion. Special Case: If the woman involved is a powerful noble or important merchant and was wronged by her husband, she may pursue her own trysts with no fear of reprisal and will even receive support in society.

Arson – The arsonist is hanged in a public square. His assets are seized and used to pay for any damages he incurred. 

Assault upon a Noble – Commoners who assault a noble are given twenty lashes with a whip and put in the stocks in a public square for one week. This sentence can be dropped to one night in the stocks if the noble instigated a drunken brawl, or it could be increased to death by hanging if the assailant intended deadly harm with no provocation from the noble.

Assaulting a City Guardsman – The thug is fined and sentenced to three nights in the stocks in a public square. If a weapon was used in the assault, the attacker is fined, receives 20 lashes from a whip and is put in the city prison for one month. If magic was used, the criminal is charged with Sorcery. If a City Guard was killed, the attacker is charged with Murder and may be executed.

Attempting to Free a Prisoner – The criminal is fined and sentenced to twenty lashes of the whip and one month in prison.

Blasphemy – The blasphemer must pay a fine to the Church.

Brawling – Brawlers are sentenced to one night in the stocks in a public square.

Bribery – Bribers are sentenced to one night in the stocks in a public square for something minor. If the situation is serious enough, the briber could be sentenced to more time in the stocks or even death by hanging. Officials who receive a bribe are fined, and may lose their position and even be executed, depending upon the situation.

Child Abuse – Depending upon the situation, the child abuser may be sentenced to the stocks in a public square, a public whipping, or even castration followed by execution by hanging.

Cowardice in Battle – The coward is beheaded in front of his regiment.

Debtor – A person who cannot pay his debts will be indentured to whomever he owes money for the period of one year. If the debtor owes more than one person, he will serve each person for one year as part of a consecutive sentence.

Demon Worship – The cultist will be tortured to discover his accomplices and then beheaded in a public square. Noble rank will not spare the cultist.

Destruction of Merchandise, Farmland or Produce – The person involved must pay a fine equal to 150% of the value of the product destroyed.

Destruction of a Ship – Anyone who willfully brings about the destruction of a ship for financial gain is sentenced to a public hanging.

Murder of a Commoner – If the murderer is a commoner, he has his right hand removed and spends one year in the city prison. If the murderer is a noble, he pays a fine to the victim’s family. Nobles who are guilty of multiple murders may be banished or beheaded, depending upon the situation.

Murder of a Knight or Noble – If the murderer is a commoner, he is publicly tortured and then hanged. If the murderer is another noble, he may pay a large fine or be beheaded in a private setting, depending upon the situation.

Piracy – The pirate is suspended in a cage in a public square in the Docks district until dead. If the pirate was important enough, he might be given water every day to lengthen the time before he dies.

Rape of a Commoner – If the rapist is a commoner, he is castrated. If the rapist is a noble, he must pay a large fine to the victim, and will likely be ostracized by other nobles.

Rape of a Noble – If the rapist is a commoner, he is castrated, then tortured, then hung in a cage in a public square to die of exposure. If the rapist is a noble, he will have to pay a massive fine to the person raped. In addition, he will likely be banished or even executed.

Slavery – The slaver has all property and assets seized by the Count. He is then hanged in a public square.

Sorcery – Use of magic to commit evil deeds is punishable by torture, followed by being burned at the stake. The Church will oversee all such cases, with advice from the Court Mage. Examples of sorcery include: mentally controlling someone, fireballing a group of non-criminal citizens, summoning demons or other evil beings, using magic to torture someone, or becalming or sinking merchant ships or naval warships. 

Tax Avoidance – The person involved must pay a fine equal to 150% of the value of the original tax he avoided. If he cannot do so, he is considered to be a Debtor.

Theft – The thief is branded with a T on his left cheek and spends three days in the stocks in a public square. If caught again, his right hand is removed and he spends a month in the city prison. If caught a third time, he is publicly hanged.

Treason – The traitor is tortured and then hanged in a public square. This sentence includes any who would help the ratmen who live below the city or who willfully attempts to endanger the city militarily.

Holystone - Druids

Druid is a just a title for clerics that are nature-based. Many priests of Gaia call themselves druids, for example. Some of them refuse to wear metal armor as a matter of faith, but many druids will happily don plate mail before a major battle if they can.

Holystone - Religion

The Cathedral

The Cathedral is dedicated to the High Church. It is run by Archbishop Reginald Atwater (C 12), a cleric of Sol. He is in general charge of the entire Church. He got his position after the last Archbishop passed away, following a vote of the senior clerics of all three branches, which is the typical election process. He is well regarded by the Count and all three of the Bishops, though he has a friendly rivalry with the Lunar Priestess.

The High Church

The High Church was formed centuries ago, combining the worship of three powerful deities. Clerics consider themselves to be priests of the High Church and specifically clerics of one of the three gods.

Church laymen worship all three gods, with a slight bias towards the god that is most likely to help them with a specific prayer. Many pray to all three gods in the same prayer, asking Sol for rain, Luna for luck with dice, and Gaia to heal their sick relative.

Sol (The Sun)

Church Leader: Bishop Arvik Jonston (C10) is the head of the Sol Church, though he defers to the Archbishop on major decisions. He is a methodical man, and is very humble.  He gets along well with all of the nobility.

Holy Symbol: Golden disc

Cleric attire: A yellow tabard with an orange disc worn over armor. In church, priests wear yellow robes with an orange disc on the back.

Alignment: Good

Favored Weapon: Longsword

Areas of Concern: The Sun, Fire, War, Weather, Justice

Sol’s followers include nobles, clerics, halflings, monks, judges, city watchmen, soldiers, and paladins. 

Luna (The Moon)

Church Leader: Lunar Priestess Elwyn Erindor (Elf Cleric 10) has been at the Cathedral for almost 200 years, and has led the Lunar Faith for the last 150 years. She has no interest in being the Head of the Church, being much more interested in her own congregation. Elwyn is great friends with the city admiral and the pilot, but is distant with the Count. She is considered something of an anomaly by her elvish kin, as she does not follow the Faerie Lords.

Holy Symbol: Silver disc

Cleric Attire: A dark blue tabard with a silver disc worn over armor. In church, they wear dark blue robes with silver discs on the front and back.

Alignment: Neutral

Favored Weapon: Scimitar

Areas of Concern: The Moon, Prophecy, War, Luck, The Sea, Magic

The port and the lighthouses are dedicated to Luna. Her followers consist of clerics, gypsies, mages, admirals, pirates, and sailors.

Gaia (The Earth)

Church Leader: Mother Jeri Holystone (D10) is the grandmother of the current Count. She tries to stay out of city politics, finding the Church politics more than enough to deal with. She spends much of her time outside of the city making sure all the neighboring farmlands are bountiful.

Holy Symbol: Mountain inside blue circle

Cleric attire: A plain brown tabard over armor. In church, they wear brown robes with dark green sashes.

Alignment: Neutral

Favored Weapon: Staff

Areas of Concern: The Earth, Animals, Plants, Healing, Farming

Gaia's faithful gather in parks in the city and sacred groves and stone circles in the farmlands. Her followers include dwarves, halflings, druids, rangers, farmers, witch doctors, midwives, and herbalists.

Faerie lords

While not technically gods, the lords of the fae are so powerful that they can grant cleric spells just as a god would. The Faerie Lords do not have an organized religion. Their followers tend to gather in clan-sized groups instead.

Oberon (King of the Seelie Court)

Holy Symbol: Oak tree

Cleric attire: A green tabard with a brown oak tree over armor. At services, they wear green robes with a brown sash.

Alignment: Neutral

Favored Weapon: Spear

Areas of Concern: Animals, Pacts, War

Oberon’s followers include elves, drow, halflings, druids, rangers, nobles, merchants, and soldiers.  Oberon maintains no temples, though small shrines are found in the homes of his followers.

Titania (Queen of the Seelie Court)

Holy Symbol: Tiara

Cleric attire: A red tabard with a golden tiara over armor. In services, they wear sheer, very revealing, red robes.

Alignment: Neutral

Favored Weapon: Shortbow

Areas of Concern: Fertility, Plants, Love, Poetry, Song

Titania’s followers include elves, drow, halflings, lovers, poets, bards, rangers, and druids.  Services to Titania are held at ancient trees or large hills.  Mushroom circles are also favored by her.

Mabb (Queen of the Unseelie Court)

Holy Symbol: Crescent moon.

Cleric attire: A black cloak with a silver crescent moon over normal armor or clothing. During some services, they only have the cloak on, and are nude underneath it.

Alignment: Evil

Favored Weapon: Dagger

Areas of Concern: Magic, Trickery, Lust.

Mabb’s followers include elves, drow, mages, thieves, harlots, and gamblers.  Mabb does not care for temples or shrines. She has been known to place a geas on wayward followers, forcing them to complete a quest if she thinks they have been ignoring her.

Demon Cults

Demons cults are found in the city, and are always hidden from general view. All three cults are illegal, and cultists that are captured are executed. Nevertheless, unscrupulous nobles and merchants seem to be prone to joining them.

Diabolus, Lord of Hell

Holy Symbol: Forked trident

Cleric Attire: A dark red tabard with a black trident over armor or no obvious symbols. All services are held while wearing armor.

Alignment: Evil

Favored Weapon: Polearm

Areas of Concern: Pacts, Destruction, Evil, Fire, War.

Diabolus’ followers include nobles, generals, knights, merchants, and assassins. His temples are usually austere and spartan, with braziers and bonfires present.

Lilith, Queen of the Succubi

Holy Symbol: Nubile cambion woman

Cleric attire: No obvious symbols are worn while in public. The entire congregation is completely nude during normal services. Some clerics might wear a holy symbol necklace during services, but that’s it.

Alignment: Evil

Favored Weapon: Dagger

Areas of Concern: Lust, Illusion, Evil, Greed, Knowledge, Subterfuge.

Lilith’s followers include scholars, harlots, jilted lovers, ratmen, thieves, and merchants. Her temples are often houses of ill-repute or in the homes of rich merchants.

Orcus, Master of the Undead

Holy Symbol: Skull-head mace

Cleric Attire: A black tabard with a silver goat head over armor. All services are held while wearing armor.

Alignment: Evil

Favored Weapon: Mace

Areas of Concern: Chaos, Undeath, Evil, Gluttony, Wrath.

Orcus’ followers include berserkers, ratmen, necromancers, and psychopaths. His temples are often in out of the way places like sewers, swamps or the darkest forests.

Holystone - The Lord's Keep

The Lord's Keep
This impressive keep is situated on a hill within the city. It has a large well, granaries, a smithy, barracks, and everything that would be needed to last a siege.

The Count and his court

Count Alfred Holystone (F4) – The Count’s family has ruled the city since its founding, 200 years ago.  Alfred assumed control of the city ten years ago, when his father passed away. He has been trained as a knight, and has participated in jousts and even directed a battle, but has not been in a life or death melee. He’s quite happy with this, as he is a better administrator than a knight.

Countess Shanna Holystone (M3) – The Countess is the daughter of a neighboring Count, and married Alfred to help cement an alliance. She actually does care deeply for him. She has dabbled in the arcane arts, and prefers divination to fireballs.

Viscount Mark Holystone – Mark is the 8 year old son of the Count, and is heir to the city. He is rambunctious and very interested in the knights. 

Kerabu the Conjurer (M13) – Wizard of the Court. Kerabu is a very dark-skinned man from the south who has served the last three Counts. He likes to study old tomes and is a master of weather magic. Strange magical servants are found within his tower at the Keep.

Baron Jon Thistlewood (F9) – Captain of the Guard and Master of the Order of the Iron Sails, the knighthood dedicated to protecting the city. He is a gruff man who is not convinced that Alfred is a good leader. He does his work with honesty and efficiency.

Castellan Benjan Holystone (T5) – Alfred’s uncle who is far more comfortable with a ledger than he is with a sword. He is proud of his nephew and often offers unsolicited advice.

Arys (T10) – Spymaster for the Count. He keeps tabs on what happens within the city and among its allies and enemies. He is very nondescript and few know his true role.

Holystone - Brief descriptions of the neighborhoods

Lord's Keep - The Count and his family live here. The Keep is can withstand a six month siege based upon current supplies.
Barracks - The Army and City Guard are based here. Training grounds and the jousting fields are located here, as well.
Naval Yard - The counts few warships are based here. One pier is reserved for nobles and their personal vessels.
Harbor Isle - A small naval contingent and the harbor Pilot are based here. The occasional privateer docks here, as well.
North Point - The oldest noble families have estates here. Many have their own personal guards act as police.
Lord's City - Noble manses throughout. Patrolled heavily by the City Guard and personal retinues.
The Cathedral - The local pontiff is based here. The cathedral is a beautiful ancient building that has seen multiple miracles. Local paladins also train here.
Merchant Quarter - The richest merchants and guild leaders live here. Heavily patrolled by the City Guard.
North Ward - Merchants and master tradesmen live here. It's a safe neighborhood, with fairly regular City Guard patrols.
Market - A large plaza. Many stalls and tents are set up around more permanent stores.
The Gates - A City Guard barracks is here, as well as many merchant stalls, inns, and taverns.
Docks - Merchant ships dock here. Warehouses and taverns are the main features of the area.
The Wharf - The local fishermen live and work here. The Fish Market is also based here.
Fishtown - A low to middle income residential area. Most occupants are connected to the fishing industry.
South Harbor - A middle to high income residential area. Merchants, craftsmen, adventurers, sea captains, and similar folk live here.
The Triangle - A low income residential area. There are many dead-end allies and run-down buildings. Races such as goblins, nephilim, drow, wildfolk, or cambions live here. Street gangs are the law. The Triangle is periodically swept by the City Guard if the neighboring areas have problems.
South Point - Tanneries, smithies, charcoalers, and other industries are all located here.
Cliffside - Lots of dwarves and halflings live here. There is a sandstone quarry along the cliff edge.
Hilltown - Halflings have a small town outside the city walls. Local human farmers also live here.
Tent City - An ever-changing tent city, home to caravans, gypsies, and other travelers.

Ratmen live in the sewers, and occasionally cause problems with the normal citizenry. A bounty is offered for their ears.

Holystone - City Map

Click on map to get bigger version.

Holystone - City Setting

I'm going to be doing a series of posts on a port city that I'm making, since I need a project or I won't have anything to write about. This will be largely system-generic, though I will notate an NPC as a Fighter 4, for example.

I will be using parts of Sword & Board in this city, especially the sample religion, which I'll probably repost here as part of the series.


Note for the curious: a holystone is a piece of sandstone used by sailors to sand wooden decks. 

Holystone
Independent City ruled by Count Alfred Holystone
Major Port and Trade Hub

Population: approximately 25,000 (can increase to 40,000 during trade season)
70% human
15% halfling
8% elf
4% dwarf
3% other (cambions, drow, nephilim, goblins, wildfolk, etc.)

Religion: The High Church (Sol, Luna, Gaia). The Faerie Lords (Oberon, Titania, Mabb). The Demon Cults of Diabolus, Lilith, and Orcus are present but illegal.

Trade: The city exports grain, wool, sandstone, and linens. The city imports metals. The city is largely self-sufficient in other products.

Fast Talking

Just an idea I've had since I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who. He always seems to talk himself out of trouble, and I think it would be interesting if characters could try it.

Fast Talking: When characters encounter monsters, they can attempt to adjust the reaction roll. They must be able to speak to the monster in a language that it understands. Normal rules about whether the monster can even have a positive reaction apply (i.e. Fast Talking doesn't work on zombies, etc.).

If used, Fast Talking gives the character a +1 bonus to the Reaction Roll, in addition to their Charisma modifier.

Halflings, elves, and thieves gain an additional +1 modifier to the Reaction Roll (race and class do not stack).

Elf and Wizard Diaries

I would think elves and magic-users of all stripes would keep daily diaries. They might include some research notes, material components that need picked up from the local alchemist, theories on why magic works the way it does, and that the new girl apprentice is smoking hot.

While one day's entry could be personal stuff like how they'd love to date the princess, the next day's entry might have magical data like the fact that iron filings mixed with silver filings in a summoning circle help bind demons better.

To make diaries interesting mechanics-wise, when a magic-user or elf finds a mage's diary and reads it, he gains 100 XP based on the magical notes in the book. I would not include any full spells in such a book, just tidbits of stuff that might give a PC mage a "eureka" moment.

The Royal Wedding

The adventurers ride into a new city after having completed some dungeoneering or other adventurous activity. Upon entering the city, the find all the streets decorated with ribbons and garlands. They are even given a tax holiday from the local collectors. Upon asking around, they find that the local prince is getting married to the daughter of the neighboring duke.

The following day, crowds gather near the city keep, and all the roads near it are shut down by the city guard. The wedding is held in the Great Cathedral next to the keep. Upon the completion of the marriage, the prince and his new wife appear to the populace and give their first married kiss. Bells ring throughout the city, and the crowds go wild.

A parade is then completed in the area, with the local nobles in carriages and surrounded by mounted cavalry in their finest equipment. All of the rich merchants and nearby nobility are in attendance, and participate in the parade. The parade goes to a rich mansion located nearby, where all the rich and famous mingle in a great party.

Adventure opportunities:
1. Assassins attempt to kill a member of the wedding party, whether it's the king, the duke, or the bride or groom. The PC's may be implicated, or might be in a position to stop the assassins.
2. Nobles hire the PC's to act as guards.
3. A jealous baroness hires the PC's to cause a scene with the bride, that will make her look bad, preferably without being implicated themselves.
4. An evil sorcerer tries to curse the bride, and the PC's must stop him.
5. Evil cultists attempt to poison the wedding party, and the PC's find out about it only hours before the wedding.
6. Ratmen from the sewers plot to kidnap the Duke or King, and the PC's have recently discovered their lair.
7. A dragon picks that day to try to burn down the city and the city guard is completely unprepared because of the wedding. The PC's must jump into action.
8. The bride knows the PC's from her own city, whether as heroes or villains, and will let her groom know about them if they attend the wedding.
9. The PC's are local heroes and are guests of honor. The local nobles try to use them to further their own plans.
10. The PC's are wanted for a crime they may or may not have committed. If they attend the wedding or the parade, they will be recognized and the city guard will attempt to arrest them.