Merchant Guild Hall in Bloodhelm

These two buildings are three stories, beautifully built in wood and river rock and guarded round the clock.  One of the two buildings is the guild house itself.  Here guild contracts are reviewed and signed, new guild laws are discussed and customers are debated.  This is also where petitioners for work as well as contracts come to plead their case.  Though not of the noble class, these people hold a lot of sway in not only Bloodhelm, but all through out the kingdom, so the merchant guild heads act like nobles and expect everyone to treat them as thus.

The second building is a place of rest of sorts.  The merchant agents call this home when not enforcing merchant guild law or finalizing contracts in far off places.  It also is place for merchants down on their luck, as long as they are good standing of the guild.

The contracts are well guarded since so much of the money of the guild is tied up in those contracts.  There are all sorts of traps, both mechanical and magical, a thief would have to bypass to reach the contracts, not to mention the guards that are present twenty four hours a day.

Devon of noble House Ganlian in Bloodhelm

Devon is second boy, (fourth child), of the Lady Marilyn and Lord Jeffery of noble House Ganlian.  Though he is trained as a Knight, and very good at being one, he would really like to be a merchant, traveling the world, selling his goods and meeting all sorts of people around the world.  His noble House has some merchant ties and Devon loves to be part of the business when his father allows.  Jeffery, who had to work hard at learning his numbers and letters, even as a noble, doesn't understand Devon's infatuation, but with Devon running the family business the noble House has been making nearly 20% more a year for the last few years.  Devon is an average looking man, though there are women ready and willing to marry him if for no other reason to be married into a prominent family.  He is average size and has his blond hair pulled back in a small pony tail, as is the fashion amongst the nobles.

The party may meet up with Devon as part of an escort mission or maybe on the way to or from an escort mission on the road.  Devon usually is with a caravan between Bloodhelm and Weatherworn, because that is the safest route his father will allow him to be on.

Calanders for Your Campaign

Everybody, whether in the real or the make believe world, is busy.  So here is a suggestion I've found very useful in my own campaigns.  I make up a calender for my world, what ever the campaign world, and write down where the players are in time.  I also write down dates where things will get done, when they will arrive at a certain place, or perhaps when major events will happen.  In Dragonlance it was very vital to keep track of time because of the moons and their influence on player magic.  You don't want to spend ten minutes of precious game time trying to figure out where the moons are just so you know how your players' (or bad guys') magic is affected.  Some other important reasons would be for travel rations and supplies (if you are an evil DM and keep track of that :) ), when the person really has their magical armor or arms, and when curses/ill magic might wear off.  The calender doesn't have to be fancy, (excel is a wonderful thing), but just something you can put notes on and the players can consult if need be.  If you want, keep two calenders, one for you to plan events and one for the players where they don't need to see all the events!

Happy Gaming!

Sea Travel on Martapa

Traveling by sea is not something most people do.  It is dangerous because, even with mages, its hard to see underwater dangers, predict storms, or avoid pirates.  Shipping of goods from coastal cities to coastal cities, as well as from the Dwarven Islands and Ariella, has to be done by ship, but even then the profits may not outweigh the risks.  Each merchant ship usually have a crew of 20, with merchants and sometimes passengers, just depends on the size of the merchant ship.  Travel between ports takes time, but is still faster then by wagon or by horse.  Most of the major cities along the coast have at least two or three ships that belong to the House, most are for fighting pirates, though.  Merchants will take passengers, mostly to defer some of their costs, but most expect the passengers to either stay out of the way or work.  It isn't for sight seeing.  Merchants particularly like the money they can make crossing the ocean to Ariella to bring back exotic goods.

Arms and Armor in Bloodhelm

There are several armor and arms shops in Bloodhelm, but this shop is one of the oldest in Bloodhelm.  The building is well built and sturdy, a small keep in itself.  There is a solid basement, warded against magic and flood, with three floors above ground.  The top two floors are for the owner and his workers to live in, while the main floor is for displaying the arms and armor they sell.  There is a small smithy outside where speciality items are made. Most of the armor and weapons are made else where, imported from the best makers of Martapa.  The current owners, Sydney and Thera Wagonhitch bought the place twenty years before, and enjoy their jobs.  They use to be adventurers at one point in their lives and love to hear tales of adventure from others.

In terms of roleplaying, this shop has all the standard equipment available for your world, but a 20% chance of having a speciality item a player may want.  Prices are standard, but if the shop has to make something, the item will cost 30% more then list.

Torm the Druid

I don't talk much about druids in my stories, other then they are people who tend the wild places and don't like intrusions from the outside world.  These are people who tend animals and plants with more love then they would show another human, but that doesn't mean they hate or even dislike humans, per say.  They just feel more comfortable with the wilds.

That is how it is with Torm.  He never meant to be anything but a farmer, but when he saw how a local druid fixed up his father's beloved draft horse, Torm wanted nothing more then to be a druid.  When he was close to the age of majority he found the same druid and talked to him, begging him to take  him on as an apprentice.  The druid agreed, saying it was time and then spent the next four years teaching Torm what he knew.  After the training, the druid found a patch of unattended forest/farm land and let Torm watch over it.  Torm takes his responsibility very seriously, watching over not only the plants and animals, but the locals as well.  Most people don't want to harm the wilderness or animals, so Torm understands they do not do most of their harm on purpose.  He teaches them how to use properly the wilds as well as protect them.

Torm is an average sized man, wearing brown robes and plain gear.  He speaks slow and deliberate, never mincing words.  He does not put up with people who abuse the wilds, or innocent people, and will take appropriate steps to stop it.  Your adventuring party can meet him when they need help, or the druid needs help, or can be approached by him if they are abusing the wilderness.

The Life of a Mom...

No blogging this week, for which I apologize.  My oldest is at Outdoor School this week and being the loving mom I am, I'm helping out!  Barely have time for breakfast!  See you all next week!

Magical Cloaks

Like any good roleplaying/fantasy world, my world has cloaks of magical abilities.  They can be elaborately decorated to just an ordinary wool cloak.  Enchantments can range anywhere from keeping the wearer extra warm to protection against harm.  Here are some criteria for the cloaks.

1) No matter the material, the material needs to be in good repair for that material.  No holes before enchanting, nothing that needs mending.

2)  The cloak, after being made but before being enchanted, needs to be purified by moon light for three nights.  Cloudy days will interrupt this cycle and it will have to be started over again.

3)  Enchants can range widely, but the more elaborate and more complex the more money and specialized components a mage or priest will need to make it.

4)  Depending on the enchant, looked upon by mages or priests with spells up to look for such things, the item will glow lightly to brightly.  The color will give a clue to what sort of spell it might be, but unless spells to identify the enchantment are used the mage or priest will not know the exact enchantment.

Happy Gaming.

Maybell's Paints in Bloodhelm

With so many nobles, and actors, in Bloodhelm, Maybell's Paints does some good business.  Made from local roots and plants, Maybell makes all her own make-up.  She takes pride in each one she sells, guaranteeing you can't get any better pigments anywhere.  She is 6th generation in the business and wants to uphold the family name.

This small building, having one main room and a living quarters upstairs, is always full  of nobles and ordinary people during the day.  During the evening Maybell and her apprentices are busy turning roots and plants into pigments.

A good way to use this in game is to need pigments for a job or to have the mage need some pigment for their magical item/potion/scroll.

Kalesdi, Young Warrior of Bloodhelm

Many young people come to Bloodhelm and other major cities to join the warrior or mage colleges and learn a trade.  Kalesdi is no exception.  Just in to her 17th year she left her farming life to learn the way of the sword.  Her parents were fine with that, helping her by giving her sever silver eagles to make her way there that they had saved for her dowry.  She is small, but able to keep up with any boy her age and her parents figured she'd never settle down anytime in the foreseeable future.  She hopes to learn to use all sorts of weapons and perhaps be part of the city guard at some point.  She wouldn't mind adventuring, either, if it gave her experience in using weapons and protecting people.

Kalesdi is a just a little over five feet, dark hair, light skin and covered in freckles, (which she hates anyone pointing out).  Her eyes are green and she has a lovely face when she smiles.  She is likely to be found at the warrior school or a near by tavern in Bloodhelm, trying to hear war stories, but not drinking.  Her uncle drink himself to death and so she doesn't touch more then a mug in an evening, if that.

Wagon of Holding

Though gypsies do actually live in big, covered wagons, they usually just pack up their things into the wagon, after bringing it all out for dinner.  One very powerful gypsy, many years ago, got sick of having to pack and unpack so decided to have his own portable house, the size of a wagon.  Being a powerful mage, he anchored an extradimensonal place to his wagon.  Inside is a full blown house with 3 bedrooms, a living room, a working kitchen, pantry, and a small library.  The house is stocked, most of the time, and can comfortably house and feed up to ten people.  The beds are comfortable, have silk sheets and thick blankets, and there are lots of books from all over Martapa to read.  The man who made the wagon is long gone, but the wagon turns up every now and again, and is a wonderful addition to the wandering gypsy train or adventure party.

The Amphitheater of Vandez

Vandez, though rival to Bloodhelm, is a center of culture and of the arts for Martapa.  So much so, that Vandez built a large amphitheater to the north side of town to house over a thousand people, enabling them to watch plays, listen to speeches, even watch epic one on one battles.  The seating is stair stepped, curving around the wooden stage in a semi-circle.  The seats are stone in the lower sections, but there are higher level ones made of wood and boxes made for the rich and noble so they can be catered to in style.  A troop of actors permanently makes Vandez their home and put on plays every weekend, and small skits during the week.  Music can usually be heard floating from the amphitheater when not in use, as musicians like to practice here.  Most events take money to get into, but some speeches and plays are given for free.  Many nobles use this as a place to make private deals right out in public.

Jessum, the Traveling Merchant

Most major roads in Martapa have nice inns to stay in about a day a part.  Usually they are well stocked with food and those little things that just need to be picked up.  Boots, cloaks, rations, saddle straps, the like.  For these inns to keep supplied they rely on the traveling merchants that simply go from one major city to another, supplying not only inns but travelers as well.

One such merchant is Jessum Thunderhead.  He works the major road between Calabay and Eton.  He has three wagons, each pulled by a team of draft horses.  (He saved up long to get horses over mules.)  He has three guards and a cook, which he pays well.  He isn't rich, but the people who he supplies keep him well fed and able to pay his team on time and what they are owed.  Jessum is honest enough, though like all good merchants he tries to get the best deal.  He is a major life line between Eton and Calabay so even the patrols know him by name and give him aid if need be.

Though Jessum likes the life of a merchant, he also helps the crown as well.  In the time of the High King's Sword he is part of the Society of the King.  Because the northern Houses desperately want a new High King, they are always searching, though not openly.  Calabay and Eton, especially, are trying to find the King and work closely with each other to find clues.  Jessum lets them pass such information back and forth easily.

In game you can use Jessum to get your players involved with the Society of the King or you can use him as an information source, or even a source of employment.

The Bad Guys Are...

So every good roleplaying campaign, as well as story, needs a well thought out bad guy.  Oh, you are going to have those bad guys you just throw in, the thugs, the bandits, etc.  But to make a campaign come alive, and a book, for that matter, you need a good protagonist.  Here are some ideas that might help you.

1)  Flesh the main bad guy out.  Not just the main bad guy, but some of his henchmen, as well.  Where did he or she grow up?  What is his motivation?  Did he yearn to be Knight, but was scorned because of his low upbringing?  Give him or her some depth.

2)  Think of a good name.  You do not want your bad guy named George, (no offense to those of you named George).  In the Princess Bride, Wesley makes the point that no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Wesley.  The name is very important.  It should drive fear into your players, or at least get them to sit up and take notice.

3)  Description.  You don't have to make him or her look creepy, but the description can give a clue or two about the protagonist.  Does he limp?  Carry a sword?  Walk with a staff?  And some bad guys are going to carry something to fool their enemies.  Who would believe a wizard walks around in chainmail?

4) Think out when you want to bring the main bad guy in.  He might make a cameo appearance at the beginning, but afterwards may not show up for awhile, but instead send out his minions.  Does he always seem to be one step ahead of the party or taunting them from near by?

Happy Gaming!

Ancient Books in Bloodhelm

This small, out of the way place holds some great treasures.  The building is a single story wood structure, with shuttered windows, steep roof and some river rock to trim the bottom of the building.  The front steps are carved stone and there are carvings etched into the wooden door.  A little sign with a book hangs above the doorway, swaying in the breeze.  The owner, Jack Canard, spends very little time helping his customers, which are few, but lets his apprentice, Tracy, do all the talking.  Jack prefers to spend his time reading or copying tomes he found in his youth or others have found.  Ancient Books is a good place to find ancient, and not so ancient, history of Martapa, along with old maps, treaties, and other sorts of paperwork.  They are not cataloged well, and will add a good week to research if there is a certain amount of time a person has to spend to find their information in game play.  Jack charges 2 gold ducats a day to research and 100 ducats to have a book copied.  (Treaties and wills and the like cost 10 gold to be copied.)

Venza, Sister of Vetch'doran

In my last book of the High King's Sword, Vetch'doran goes back, at the behest of Elly, to his people to ask his people to side with the light and help stop Kahalla from returning to the mortal and immortal realms.  During his visit he is with his brother-in-law, who married his sister Venza.  Her husband is a blacksmith and she is a warrior, like her brother.  She fights with two battle axes and wears chainmail with links as fine as any elven chain.  Though not as strong as her brother, she is just as bright and leads a small force of her own.  When not fighting, this red furred woman likes to dress in flashy clothing, fitting of a swashbuckler and drink all her male friends under the table.  She loves her husband, Thervan, who is one of the best blacksmiths in the area and adores her older brother.

She would be encountered if the group traveled east of the Tsalagi Mountains, and probably as the leader of a mercenary group guarding a caravan.

Divisions of Labor

I try to make Martapa an equal opportunity world, where men and women are looked upon as equal in most circles, (even if economic situations are not), but there is some different expectations for both sexes like there are in this world.

1) Woman are expected to be keepers of the house and children.  They bake the food, clean, sew, raise the children and, in rural areas, keep small kitchen gardens.  Laundry and gathering of berries and fruit also rank up there.

2) Men are expected to be the farmers, the wood gathers, the hunters.  They build the houses to keep their families in, make the tools their women and themselves might need, and train their sons to do a trade.

3) Both men and women can purpose, but usually it is the men that do so.  Women can hold trades, but usually the men are the "bread winners".  And lastly, sometimes the men take care of the children, but most often it is the women that do so.

Transportation of Martapa

I know I've talked about mounts earlier in this blog, but there are other modes of transportation used through out Martapa.  Let's discuss them from most used to least used.

1) Walking.  This is everybody's form of transportation.  Most people do not have mounts or carriages so must rely upon their own two feet.

2) Carts, Wagons and Carriages.  Farmers do have carts, but usually this is to haul goods, crops or other items to and from markets as well as around their farms.  Wagons are used by merchants, armies and some of the bigger farmers.  Carriages are used by the rich, hired coaches, message and passenger coaches between cities and for state funerals.

3) Mounts.  Mainly the rich use mounts, along with the army, but adventurers, merchants, and independent mercenaries often have mounts.

4) Translocation.  The ability of magic to move people and items are very limited.  It drains the user and isn't always that accurate.  People only use this if they feel it's a real emergency.

5) Transportation circles.  Introduced sometime after the time of the Chosen, these circles made permanent magical translocation spots that didn't drain the user and could move lots of people or equipment at one time.  They still had to be maintained and directed by someone, but the enchanted circle took the strain of the magic, not the person.  These are no longer in use in the time of the High King's Sword, unfortunately.

Happy Gaming!

Homegrown Spices in Bloodhelm

Spices are a big deal in Medieval times (personally I won't cook without them in this day and age) and thus were worth a lot of money.  On my world, spices will travel long distances and cost lots of money, so Homegrown Spices tries hard to grow spices from around the world right in Bloodhelm.  Tandy and Garrett Spice have small "greenhouses" on the second floor of their building.  They've modified the roof so they have the ability to build it back up when the weather gets too cold and warm the inside with magic.  Because of this they can grow small quantities of rare spices from around the world.  Mostly the manor of Bloodhelm and other minor nobles buy the spices, but sometimes the merchant class can afford such things.  They don't live at the building and don't hire guards.  They do have magic locks upon the doors and window, though.

John, the Beer Man

There are these "lovely" taverns through out Bloodhelm and Martapa, but where do they get all that beer?  Near Bloodhelm is a small hops farm run by a man named John Hops.  His family has been growing grain and hops for years, as well as brewing beer for the local taverns and personal consummation of nearby farmers.  The small brewery is running as often as they have materials to make beer and even the house smells like brewing beer, (even though the house and the brewery are over three hundred feet apart).  John is a rounded man, with a good sense of humor that only gets better with more beer, (which he can drink a lot of before feeling even remotely tipsy).  He has a wife, Maggie, and five children, the boys helping him with the brewery now that they are old enough.  He ships a wagon load of beer at a time, picking up what he needs for the brew when he does so. 

He can be used as an NPC if the the players are planning a party, looking for certain ingredients or even as small job on their way to a larger one.  (Maybe just to get them headed in the right direction!)