Holystone - Street Performers

Street Performers

Street performers are found throughout the city and in Tent City. They are considered a commoner profession, and are generally treated as good citizens. 

The performers generally pass a hat after each performance, or have it sitting in front of them. Buskers with mandolins play all the popular tunes, with troubadours singing along with them. Acrobats perform stunts and magicians perform tricks to wow the bystanders. Artists draw caricatures of people and sell the pictures. Puppeteers have a small wooden stage, and have little puppets perform stories. Dancers in costume team with musicians.

The Market and its surrounding neighborhoods are considered prime territory by street performers, as rich merchant wives tend to tip well. They set up between merchant stalls, and often make plugs for the merchants during their performances.

Further south, the pickings are much slimmer, so the performers there tend to be established at certain locations. They can get very territorial about newcomers, including getting into brawls to scare them away.

A license is required to perform on the streets of the Lord’s City. The performers are assigned locations, so as not to disturb the nobles. Mimes and skilled musicians are usually the only performers permitted. Street performers are willing to pay the license fees, because if they impress a noble, he may become their patron and give them living quarters at the noble manse. Then the performer would just play for the family and their guests, and not have to wander the streets.

Street performers in Cliffside are dwarves, who recite old dwarven poems or sing songs in dwarven. There are only a few of them, all from the Clan Blackstone.

The performers in Tent City live in the tents and wagons there. They often work with their friends, including the gypsies and some Menagerie folks. 

Prominent Performers

1. Jessica and her Improvateers are a well-established group in Tent City. Jessica asks bystanders for a noun and a verb. She then relates a wild tale using the given words, while her Improvateers perform the story she tells. They wear outlandishly bright garb, and Jessica speaks loudly in a rhyming style. Jessica is a tall, blonde human woman, and her Improvateers include humans, halflings, and elves. They have a small circle of wagons in north Tent City, right next to a gypsy family, who they are great friends with.

2. Elle the Elven Dancer performs at the northern edge of the Market. She is a gorgeous elven woman, and is famed for her dances. Many noble girls watch her, and try to learn from her. More than a few of Elle’s dances have become popular at noble parties. Elle uses a magic stone to silence everything within 15 feet of where she dances. She performs flawlessly to music she hears only in her mind. Most viewers try to get close enough to be inside the silence circle, to enhance the performance for themselves.

3. Miklos the Mime performs in Lord’s City. He is actually mute, and has taken up his profession as a way to deal with his problem. He often mimics the Count and other popular nobles. Sometimes he shows them as wise and powerful, other times as buffoons in a comedy. The Count has seen Miklos perform. He knows it makes people laugh at his expense, but lets them relieve stress, so he approves.

4. Mender Blackstone is the eldest dwarven performer in Cliffside. He is a fount of dwarven history, and is respected throughout their community. He is getting ready to retire, as he is slowly losing his voice. His mind can wander at times, as well. Mender often performs at major dwarven celebrations, with his performances worked in with the priest’s ceremonies.

5. Jerri and Jon, a puppet couple, are located near the center of the Market. They perform on a small stage, and benches are set up in front of it for children. Their adventures include fighting monsters, defeating evil cultists, and trying to bake the perfect pie. All the while they make rude jokes and hit each other with sticks. They are very popular among the fishermen and their families. Each performance advertises a merchant at the beginning and the end. The puppeteers make more money from the ads than they do the children, and are quite happy with their setup.

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Jessica and her Improvateers is based upon Rebecca Rebecca and her Improvateers, who are found in the novel "Promises to Keep" by Charles de Lint, which I highly recommend.

Holystone - opinions?

Just curious what people think of my Holystone posts. Is there anything you'd like to see covered? Just don't care about it? Anyone actually using any of it?

When did eBay start ripping off sellers over shipping?

I sold a copy of Pendragon recently. I got a decent price, and was pretty happy. I noted that eBay would only let me charge $4 for shipping FedEx Ground. Their website would NOT let me change the amount, after I tried several times to raise it.

I shipped the book today, and the actual FedEx cost was $11.83.  Needless to say, I am kinda pissed. I called eBay customer service, and they told me it was my mistake and they would not refund the difference. They said they only limited the shipping costs on certain item categories, and my item was not covered by this. I KNOW that's bullshit. I tried multiple times to adjust my costs when I posted the book.

So, needless to say, I don't think I will use them anymore. Is there any other reputable auction site out there? I know I could just use Amazon, but I'm not sure if that works out ok. Anyone tried it?

UK/US superimposed map

I just thought this was interesting. Think about how much history has happened in the UK. Now see how big it is compared to the US. I bet more than half of the US states are each bigger than all the British Isles combined.

*click for bigger image*

Craig Ferguson's lost Doctor Who dance

Holystone - Haldred's Emporium

Haldred’s Emporium

Haldred’s Emporium is located in the center  of the Market. The two story building is on the west side of the center square. A large sign above the door uses magically glowing letters to advertise its presence. The store is set up as an open room with a balcony for the second floor. Shelves are packed in everywhere, making the bottom floor something of a maze. Many a shopper has wandered the aisles lost in confusion or wonder, before finding their way out.

A stuffed white dragon hangs from the ceiling, suspended by chains. It is the first thing most people see as they walk in, and has caused more than one first-time shopper to fall back in fear before realizing that the creature is not alive. 

Haldred (cambion M9) runs the shop. He looks human, though he has yellow eyes. He always has a smile on his face, and talks in grand phrases and uses sweeping gestures, similar to a travelling mountebank.

The Emporium specializes in magic potions, fancy dresses, herbal remedies, strange and exotic pets, and the occasional magic weapon or suit of armor. Haldred will happily pay adventurers for items they acquire during adventures, as long as the items look impressive. He will attempt to haggle the price down, as he finds haggling to be a fun process. He has even hired adventurers to obtain items that he hears about, if the items seem interesting enough. 

Items in the store are not cheap, and most of the clientele are nobles or merchants who want to show off their wealth. The store is magically protected, and a few thieves have disappeared over the years, after thinking they could steal from the place.

Adventure Hooks

1. A dragon has heard about Haldred’s Emporium. It is quite angry about the stuffed dragon, and will use agents to kill the mage or burn down the shop. 

2. A magical box has been placed on sale. Unknown to Haldred, it is cursed. A spirit comes out of it at night and damages items in the store. Haldred may hire the adventurers to find out what is causing the problem.

3. A mystical orb of unknown magic is rumored to be in a ruin two days journey to the east. Haldred hires the adventurers to retrieve it.

4. A paladin comes to the store, determined to slay Haldred based only upon his demonic heritage. The adventurers arrive as the confrontation begins.

5. A demon has infiltrated the store. It seeks to corrupt any powerful-looking nobles or adventurers it spies wandering the store. 

6. A pair of rare talking parrots has been stolen from the store. Haldred is not sure how the thief got past his wards. He hires the adventurers to find the thief, recover the parrots, and determine the weakness in his defenses.

Holystone - Lucky Lara's

Lucky Lara’s

Lucky Lara’s is a gambling hall and tavern on the border of The Triangle and South Harbor. It is run by a retired adventurer named Lara Deepburrow (Halfling T7). The building interior is extravagant, and is decorated like a very gaudy temple to Luna. The serving girls are dressed scantily, and have bits of Lunar regalia included in their costumes. Lunar clerics view the establishment with amusement.

There is a large open area with tables and a floor-length bar. There are also smaller rooms for nobles or wealthy merchants to play against each other. 

Lara’s is busy every night of the week. It contains a mix of young nobles, commoners hoping to get lucky and desperate souls out of the Triangle. 

Lara keeps a large staff of waitresses, bartenders, and guards. There are no prostitutes working in the hall. Lara does not approve of them. Rumor is she had been forced into prostitution in her youth.

Lara’s old adventuring partner, Arthos (Dwarf F6) is in charge of security, and wanders the hall dressed in chainmail and carrying an axe. He is friendly with the regulars, but makes no bones about keeping an eye on any newcomers who look like trouble. Both Lara and Arthos are Knights of the Rose, and visiting nobles treat them with respect.

Nobles bring their own guards, who keep the riff-raff away from the private rooms. Arthos talks with them, and makes sure they don’t cause any unnecessary issues with the commoners.

The city watch also checks in every night, in an effort to keep the peace and maybe make a little coin on the side. Lara makes sure they get a free drink before they go. 

Adventure Hooks

1. Lara’s old pimp is a powerful man in the Triangle. She will happily hire adventurers to find him and kill him. The man is well protected by guards and traps. She doesn’t want it leading back to her, though, as then the Triangle gangs would cause trouble.

2. One of the dealers was using magic to cheat the tables and has pocketed a valuable item used as collateral by a noble. The noble has returned with money to buy his item back, but the dealer and the item have vanished. Lara wants the crook and the item recovered. She is worried that her reputation could be damaged, and that she might lose customers.

3. An old enemy of Lara and Arthos is in town. Nevin the Black (C9 of Orcus) attacks the hall on a night when the PCs are there. He has a cadre that includes wights, zombies, and skeletons. 

4. A group of adventurers show up, looking for Lara. Apparently she is wanted in a neighboring city for stealing some valuable items from its ruler. She may or may not be guilty.

5. Gang members from the Triangle start a brawl with the PCs in the hall. The guards jump in, not discriminating about who started the fight.

6. Ratmen have infiltrated the basement. They plan on using poison to kill as many people as possible. The PCs find out about it not long before the attack happens, and must race to save everyone.

Science Fiction Roleplaying - Great time for it!

Just an observation that those who like science fiction roleplaying have it made for the last couple years. For most of the 90's and early 2000's, there wasn't much of anything easily available, other than second-hand copies of Traveller and fringe games like Fading Suns.

Now there's Mongoose Traveller, with it's supplements, and then there's all the Warhammer 40k lines. Both are very popular, and selling quite well. I am willing to bet the 40k rpgs have been a gateway drug for the mini gamers.

I didn't expect Mongoose Traveller to be nearly as well done as it is. I am really glad that they did such a great job with it. I wonder how many old-school gamers have picked up these books and restarted gaming. I'm betting at least a few guys have. If nothing else, for the nostalgia trip. And the game is good enough that I wouldn't be surprised if it continues chugging along for years. Though the way the treadmill is running, sooner or later the sales will stop and Mongoose will either dump the game with no warning or have a new edition, that would likely screw stuff up. I personally would love it if Traveller became an evergreen product. Unfortunately, there are no successful rpg lines that don't change editions every few years. Too much looking at quarterly profits to allow it.

I also like Dark Heresy, though I think it was  a mistake for the game to not be about full Inquisitors right off the bat. You can do it with the Ascension book now, so I bet they realized their mistake. I like Rogue Trader as well. It feels like running a standard Traveller campaign in the 40k universe, which is perfectly awesome to me. I haven't picked up Deathwatch yet. I'm waiting for the second printing to kill errata. It does look cool. 40k's biggest problem at the moment is their refusal to publish a big "Races" book. They've covered Chaos very well, and touched on some of the other races in various supplements. But I'd love to have a book with Eldar, Necrons, Dark Eldar, Orks, Tyranids, and all the rest, along with entries for all the major Army List types.I also think it would be a HUGE seller for FFG, so it's really odd that they haven't done it. Maybe it's some crap coming from Games Workshop preventing this. I wouldn't be surprised.

In any case, I think having the choice of either of these game just shows that scifi gamers have it made nowadays.

Holystone - Adventuring Company Charters

Adventuring Company Charters

Adventurers can get sanctioned by the Count, by applying for and receiving a charter. The city guard has an office at the prison to take care of this. 

Prospective adventurers must pay a fee of 500 gold pieces for the charter. The charter must be renewed every year, for the same fee. They must prove their intentions to benefit the city, as well. Many adventuring groups acquire a noble patron to smooth over this process. Some groups have a noble in the party, which will almost guarantee approval. 

Groups that are predominately thieves, or that have evil clerics or mages in them, will not be given a charter, unless they avoid detection. This rule is absolute. A city guard mage will cast detect alignment on the whole group as insurance for this. 

Adventuring companies must maintain an up-to-date listing of members and hirelings at the city guard office. Members not on the list are not protected by the charter, and have none of the rights included with it.

Benefits of an Adventuring Company Charter

The members of the group may go about the city armed and armored. 

The group may be required to go on specific missions for the city, and will be bound to secrecy on delicate or potentially unpopular missions.

The group will be treated as honorary city guardsmen. They are honor-bound to report any criminal activities they encounter, and may arrest or kill groups such as cultists or necromancers. They do not have the right to do basic everyday law enforcement, such as tax collection.

The group may have a small company of hirelings in their employ, including mercenaries and spellcasters.

Holystone - Taxes

Taxes

The City Guard has a team of tax collectors, usually stationed at the various gates. Taxes at the gates must be paid in coin. Taxes on other things may be paid in coin, services, or goods.

The Count has a mint set up in South Point. It is heavily guarded by both soldiers and mages, with a permanent garrison.

The following is a list of the standard taxes:

High Road Gate: 1 sp per person, 2 sp per mount or wagon or carriage

Low Road Gate: 1 cp per person, 1 sp per mount or wagon or carriage

North Ward Gate: 1 sp per person, 5 cp per mount or wagon or carriage

Cliffside to Hilltown Gate: 1 cp per person, 1 sp per mount. No wagons or carriages.

Stall in the Markets: 5 sp per day

Merchant or Craft Store: 5 gp per month

House within City: varies: 1 sp per month for poor housing, 25 gp per month for a manor

Stable: 1 cp per mount per day (in addition to the stable’s fees)

Ship Dockage: 5 gp per day

Boat Dockage: 2 cp per day

Money Changing: 10% of value (includes old or foreign coins)

Treasure: 10% of value (includes all magical items and jewelry and gems imported by adventurers)