Sample Fiefs Thread?

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Amlost
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Amlost » Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:53 pm

Thanks for the encouragement Angelman; that fief is my favorite write-up (of my personal fief write-ups). I really wanted to capture the results that were caused by the exodus caused by the Symbiot invasion. Nobles brought low through circumstances out of their control; trying anything to maintain the trappings of privilege.

On top of needing an artist I realize I need an editor. My 4th grade English teacher would be appalled by my sentence structures.

This one is far less detailed, much more straight forward. I wanted a newly raised "Imperial Noble" and another fief to be visited on the "Way to Urzenkai."



Overview: The Regency operated Gambaine Station since House Torenson handed it over five centuries ago. The strategic fort has little going for it other than as a way station for the convoy’s between Necropolis and Fort Vladimir. The strategic value is what makes the fief a site of regular action, intrigue, and infamy. Baron Ransom has managed this fief for almost a decade; having been elevated to the position upon the Emperor’s assertion.

Relations: No one outwardly challenges the regency’s estate…. Anyone who wishes to, challenges it in a subvert manner...

The Baron is outgoing and friendly. He often throws his gates open to passing nobles, of most houses. Old war wounds from his years of service in the service to Count Iomhair Hawkwoods in the Gwynneth 2nd space marines in the Criticorum Assault (4977) and the Battle of the Deathly Honors (4990) have left deep distrust of al-Malik nobles. As with most former Hawkwood officer he is also distrustful of the Decados.

Description: Located midway between Necropolis and Fort Vladimir; the Station is a major stopover point located approximately four days travel from both locals. Gambaine Station was part of extensive Regency holdings in the region is now an Imperial Barony. The station controls the high road between two shallow valleys. To the north lies the hard packed dry clay and rock characteristic of the lands south of the Rudra River. To the south the grey brown sand and rock formations are most prevalent until one reaches the outskirts of Fort Vladimir.

The keep is a stone pentagon shaped tower three stories tall. It has only a few window slits and hence is poorly suited to long term habitation. It serves mostly as a storage facility and watchtower. The baron has instead built a well appointed two story residence linked to the keeps gatehouse.

The rest of the station consists of five interlinked courtyards surrounded by outer palisades of varying stone and metal. Two of these courtyards are for civilian traffic (containing the two small inns available for rent), two for military traffic (and include barracks for local and visiting personnel), and the central city court (home to the keep and housing for the inhabitants of the station).

The lower, eastern, valley is a slowly descending field of cracked clay that descends slowly till it enters the Kharga Dry Lakebed. Four wells have been drilled into a saline reservoir that provides water for small fish hatchery’s. A number of ancient mine exploration sites have been reexamined as part of the Barons recent business investments.

The western valley is rockier and has steeply sharper ridges. It has been shaped by the high winds. The upper reaches are barren but the lower regions are home to some valleys sheltered enough for plant life. Some isolated farms are located in the region but remain few. Exploratory mining operations have yielded little but continue.

At the Western edge of the fief lies the Kavastan Lava Stream. It is believed to have erupted during the period of San Paulo’s isolation. The region is black with ash, covered with caverns, and desolate. It is however the most popular area for exploratory mining at the moment.

History: The history of the Gambaine Station is most likely ancient but largely unrecorded. According to Scaver who have scoured the region it was a well travelled agricultural region during the Second Republic. Technological finds are scattered and are generally quite small.

Established as a way station during the period of Alecto rule of this world the station has passed thru the hands of a half dozen minor houses and countless Regency Governors in the last five centuries. It has been attacked a hundred times, sacked a half dozen times, and burnt to the ground twice.

Commandant Tyke Ransom was in charge of this fief during its last trial when encircled by a band of Brown Hawk Nassari. He and his team held out for over a month until relief arrived. He was hailed a hero and immediately promoted to Major. The Emperors assignment of this fief to him has more to do with this victory.

Assets: Gambaine Station is reliant on fee’s and tolls from travelers. The strategic location of the station however allows for a significant income of nearly 20,000 firebirds annually. Baron Ransom has little use for the income other then the upkeep of his military retinue, purchase real-estate (on-world), and to invest in new industries for the fief.

The Baron has invested in a number of mining ventures, salvage surveys, and real estate investments. None of these have paid off yet but the Baron has continued more interested in developing his fief than stockpiling wealth.

Men-at-Arms: Gambaine Station maintains a standing force of 80 men and women. Most are recently retired members of the Imperial Military. His forces are manned with some of an impressive array of weaponry. Pistols, rifles, and light artillery are readily available with an ample supply of ammo for a siege. They also maintain a force of ten (two five man teams) that utilize armored all terrain petrol vehicles to patrol the outlands.

A militia of another 100 men and women could be gathered from the local populous for a prolonged attack. Many of the townsfolk are also retired military personnel who have previous combat training.

Personas:
Baron Tyke Pierce Ransom (b. 4942): Tyke is the model stereotype for the new Imperial Lords. Appointed from the lesser nobility; serviced the Regency and the scions of House Hawkwood. He is a wise leader if not a wise landlord. He has strengthened defenses around his lands, recruited soldiers for the Imperial forces, and pays his taxes to the Emperor on time. His numerous business ventures however never seem to be able to pay off.

He has two children; his legitimate daughter Mackallia Ransom (b. 4977) is the younger more socially prominent of the pair. His elder son, Hunter Ransom was born to a local Nassari woman while Tyke served on Nowhere forty years ago.

Hunter Ransom (b. 4961): Hunter was raised for many years at the Orphanage of the Enigma in Rudra, where his mother found work after Tyke was reassigned to Tethys. As such he was raised in a strict, structured environment. He was shortly apprenticed to an engineer in Necropolis but left when his recently widowed father was knighted.

Associate Steffenne Karrett (b. 4960): The Baron Ransom has recently hired Associate Karrett to advise him on a number of his business deals. She has encouraged the transfer of the baron’s income from in-fief investments to a variety of real estate purchases. Steffenne Karrett has a hidden agenda according to all in the fief, from slave to noble lord, but all disagree to her true intent.

Adventure Idea’s:

The Gambaine Hoard: Under the western Kavastan Lava Stream miners have uncovered a 2nd Republic structure and a hoard of statuary. A number of massive lifelike sculptures have been removed and are being brought to Gambaine station to be inspected by the Baron. The PC’s, returning to Necropolis after a vist to the gargoyle, arrive a day before their scheduled arrival. One of the characters walks out to the yard, coming face to face with the subject of a vision given him/her by Urzenkai. The twelve foot tall bronze “Victory” that bears a strikingly resemblance to the PC.

Lights in the Night: Hunter Ransom has apparently been collaborating with a group of Scavers to utilize the Kharga Dry Lakebed as a landing zone for smugglers. After three months the rumors of lights appearing in the sky at night have made it to the Barons ears and he is planning to shut down the operation. Hunter, his involvement remaining unknown to his father, is trying desperately to call off the next arrival in a few days.

Amlost
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Amlost » Thu May 07, 2015 11:09 pm

Ok; to long since my (or anyone on this threads) last post. Here is are/is my interpretation of House Bourbon. I've reread parts of "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and other codex'ies of popular lore to put this together.... But I feel it needs something.

I put this together a year ago; it's not right IMHO; Please help edit.



Overview: House Bourbon has held on to this corner of the Vera Cruz system for over the last millennia. They have made a life for themselves and their subjects that can only be called “unique.” The Caverns of Ostrea Mare are one of the houses larger holdings and one of the most profitable.
Passing them on a street the inhabitants of Squire Bourbon would be viewed as alien by most Known Worlders for their odd way of speaking and pale complexion. Viewing their way of life most would see them as truly alien. Yet they have never truly been separated from the known worlds.

Relations: House Bourbon has had a thousand years of relationships with various Vera Cruz lords. They have long provided a supply of crewmen and shipyard personnel for the Hazat. These expatriates of Squire Bourbon have been a quite but constant minority within Hazat naval forces for centuries providing vital services and sending a portion of their income back to their families in orbit of Pharis. While this relationship has lasted for centuries it started from diplomatic relations between the Chaukis and the Bourbon; an agreement suspect by the ruling Hazat party’s for a millennia. Hence all direct contact at the highest levels is suspect. Instead they make acquaintances with planetbound viscounts and barons; providing one of the few opportunities for these nobles to have allies outside their own house.

Relations with the Merchant Guilds are quite divided. Local Charioteers are split between business associates and accusers of piracy. Scavers and Reeves want nothing to do with the House while the Muster, Engineers, and Prospectors work with the house often (even recruiting/apprenticing from the moons citizens). In general it is best evaluate a Vera Cruz guildsmen’s attitudes about House Bourbon before approaching them. Few guildsmen who reside outside Hazat space have any preconceptions about the house if they even recognize the minor houses name.

Church influence over House Bourbon is centered in Viscount Manuel Ostrea de Boubon’s fief and has resided here since the Second Republic. The Lady Silvia Bourbon built the massive Cathedral of Vithram the Black and donated it to the church. The Patriarch immediately appointed the Bishop of Pharis (and the inhabitants of all it’s moons) resident to Ostrea Mare. This distinction has given the fief a particularly Orthodox religious stance and may not be indicative of the rest of the world or house.
Description: Located in the Southern hemisphere of Squire Bourbon, Ostrea Mare is little over two hundred kilometers in diameter, smallish for a Bourbon fief, but littered with natural caverns and deep craters. Many of these were covered and inhabited in generations past. They are linked by shafts bore out of the regolith by great machines.

The main Ostrea Mare “Junction” (as they call city like hubs) is concentrated in the southern facing wall of Wyoh Crater. The floor of Wyoh crater is paved smooth and is surrounded by numerous starship servicing stations. The Junction itself is a bizarre array of cavernous warehouses, dusty service corridors, brilliantly clean workshops, linked by “l-complexes” (two story strips of houses & shops), and “v-complexes” (5 story shafts with walls lined with housing units). The inhabitants of the Junction hustle about in the low gravity at a surprising pace.

Vithram’s Cathedral is a four minute trip by “bi-rail” from the Junction. The cathedral is built into the far side of the dome from the Junction bi-rail station. Other stations surround the domes interior which is filled with brilliantly colored gardens of plants un-identifiable. The cathedral and attached monastic building are made to appear like most Known World churches with the obvious exception that it is built into the sidewall of the crater wall.

To the west of the cathedral lies a large strange covered crater without gravity said to be the oldest in the settlement. Known as the Vaults fifty generations of the inhabitants of the fief have been entombed in a dry, sterile, zero gravity environment.

The Core is a series of interconnected caverns located deep underneath the great lava flows. Near the Terminus station linking it to Vithrum’s and the Junction, lies the Ostrea Gates, home to the Viscounts Ostrea de Boubon. The “Gates” are not only home to the family but the security checkpoint to many key facilities. The core think machine, the reactor, vaults, emergency life support systems all reside beyond. Only two facilities reside in The Core before crossing The Gates; one nearly abandoned library and the Klaris Family Maurader Armor Factory.

Various domes and caverns contained above that I’ve covered so far are inhabited mostly by the middle and upper classes. More than sixty percent of the population live in the lesser, more poorly maintained caverns and domes. Almost a hundred “Habs” make up the Ostrea Mare. Most of the farming caverns and are dimly lit and primarily have grounds overtaken by a small to apple sized tuber known as a regolith spuds. The walls are covered by ground cherrys.

Others contain fish ponds, meal worm farms, mines, tragopan rookies, and solar farms. All they hold in common is that they are self contained and their inhabitants live a life of hard labor. Typically two to five family’s (line-marriages) live in each dome. These family’s matriarchal lines have inhabited the same dome for a millennia. They know their lands, the systems that sustain them, and the work they inherit.
The inhabitants of Squire Bourbon have some social customs and practices that are completely foreign to Known Worlders. While the strange vocabulary used by the populous may be the most outwardly visible the most foreign surrounds their marriage customs stand out as the most odd.

These line marriages usually involve between four and twelve individuals (typically equal broken up between males and females) and last from the point of marriage till death. The children of any particular union are considered the children of the whole. The lower classes typically maintain a matriarchal hierarchy (similar to the Xanithippe) while the Bourbons have a strictly patriarchal structure.

Many of the linguistic differences are based on technological terms and different social customs common to Squire Bourbon. Others include local slang, tempo, and cadence; all of which as a seasoned traveler of the Known world would find common enough. However each of these is taken to an almost artificial extreme by the locals.

History: The moon of Pharis now known as Squire Bourbon has been inhabited since the days of the First Republic. It’s paper thin atmosphere and difficult to reach mineral resources did not attract heavy mining until the days of Diaspora. Instead it became a rallying station for early colonization efforts.

The region was home to hundreds of small research facilities, mines, and supply stations during late Diaspora that supported colonization efforts on worlds farther darkside. This commerce came to have millions pass the system on the way to further destinations prior to the collapse of the First Republic.
During these days the 1st round of the permanent settlers came from asteroid and lunar colonies of the Sol Systems outer worlds. Educated and culturally diverse they arrived with ideals and social constructs well outside the norms of even those days. Technical and social concepts were implemented into the language. Line marriages quickly became the family norm. The political ideologies of self reliance and sufficiency affected everyday economic and technological trends. And it was into this environment that the infamous star pilot Vithram the Black was born and raised.

The legend of Vithram the Black states that he was born and raised on Turpiz, as Squire Bourbon was then known. He was an unsettled and wild youth whose well to do and attentive family tried unsuccessfully to control the youth. His wild ways eventually led him to extensive drug abuse and criminal activities. Exiled off world he eventually became a pilot until was converted by the Prophet in 2840. He quickly grasped onto the teachings of the upstart religion evangelizing about it wherever he travelled. He made a voyage home in these years and introduced his family to his newfound religion.

Eventually he met the Prophet a second time on Manitou from where they took off to their tragic end at the Apshai Jumpgate. In the aftermath of this event and thru the subsequent Ukari War the inhabitants of the moon converted to the newly formed Universal Church.

Diaspora saw the colony set up a government known as the Bourbon Collective that was controlled by a privileged class of political families. Competition with the inhabitants of Hanbar for the resources of Pharis’s minor satellites gave plenty of political capital enough to seize control of the world by 3100. In 3266 the Chauki relinquished its last claims to the moon to the Collective, who immediately renamed the world Squire Bourbon.

The fall of the Republic and the early Dark Ages saw the moon retreat from society. They made only nominal diplomatic overtures with the upstart House Hazat. For nearly four hundred years they barred entry to Squire Bourbon to all but the Universal Church. They are said to have been a close ally of numerous Jacobean Patriarchs, however if this is true they apparently benefited only marginally from this association.

In recent years House Bourbon has routinely been under suspicion for aiding pirates in Hazat space. While it may be true that many of the moons outcast inhabitants end up taking up pirating no evidence of House Bourbon involvement has been brought forward.

Assets: Squire Bourbon is a poor house with few resources and income. Minor tech factory’s and remittances from Hazat crewmen provide most of the houses taxable income. Meanwhile the maintenance of the fief in a hostile environment is economically taxing. Oststrea Mare’s significant naval force adds significantly to these expenses. As such the Viscount can only count on a disposable income of 1300-1800 firebirds a year.

Small tech factory’s in his fief produce Marauders’ Armored Spacesuits, pressurized lunar rovers, a well known brand of welding goggles, and low tech electronics devices (fuses, breakers, switches) sold mostly to Hazat and other Bourbon fiefs. (800-1100 FB)

Minor mining operations used to extract remaining deposits from the slag left by Second Republic miners bring in 300 to 650 Firebirds a year. Remaining deposits include the occasional praseodymium, neodymium, and promethium.

The recent installation of an industrial scale distillery at Baron Cesdiule’s Mount Lahire has provided an added source of revenue for the House; however the Ostrea Mare sells only a few tons of regolith spuds to this distillery every cycle. (200-250 FB)

Men-at-Arms: Viscount Manuel maintains a small fleet of ships to protect the interests of his fief. One frigate, two gunships, and four armored boarding vessels assist in the defense of Squire Bourbon from outside forces. A five hundred strong navel force, 200 support personnel, and 180 Marines are maintained at all times. These forces are well armed and trained to defend the fief.
A house guard of twenty is maintained to protect the Viscount and his direct relations. Also well armed they are mostly drawn from close relations to the family and are fiercely loyal.
A local militia of 1,000 could also be brought to bear on any invader. They would be poorly armed, being able only to bring to bear local farming and manufacturing instruments.

Personas:

Viscount Manuel Ostrea de Boubon (b. 4931): Viscount Manuel Ostrea de Boubon kept his family holdings safe and secure throughout the Emperor Wars thru carefully balancing his allegiances to various Hazat lords and his own kin. Now an old man his mechanizations in Vera Cruz system politics have recently begun backfiring. Without the constant warfare in surrounding systems he has seen thousands of residents of his fief return home and remittances dry up. He has become desperately searching for alternative incomes for his fief.

Bishop Toni Bramell (b. 4943): Bishop Toni Bramell is Squire Bourbon’s primary representative with the church. Born in Yintrai prior to the Decados plague bombing of the city Bramell was selected by the Church to minister to House Bourbons populous due to his open and accepting attitudes towards local cultural differences.

Adventure Idea’s:
Viscount Manuel as a patron: The Baron has been at odds with various Sutek lords since the Emperor Wars have ended. Numerous Hazat lords on Aragon would be pleased to see Baron Manual humbled. Baron Sanchez Castenda de Hazat in particular has been digging into the Viscounts affairs. The PC’s are brought in to assist in thwarting an information exchange on a luxury liner passing thru the Holy Terra system on a sanctioned.

Viscount Manuel as an adversary: Viscount Manuel has been approached by a mysterious third party to become involved in the raiding of the Pandora system. He has begun mobilizing his ships for incursions into that system in hopes of extracting tech that will assist his fief. These mobilizations have raised the suspicions of one of his enemies within the Hazat who are keen to catch him in the act. They must be careful not to raise the interest of church officials however.

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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Angelman » Wed May 13, 2015 1:52 pm

I’ve had a look at this now, and I quite enjoy your Caverns of the Ostrea Mare. Actually, there is nothing here that I do not like, although as a sample fief write-up, the piece suffers from an overabundance of detail. What you outline in this sample fief, could easily be a starting point for a 10-12 ages long article, complete with maps and artwork. That said, I really enjoy this place, it is right up my alley.

Loving the piece, I find it hard to critique without being bogged down into editorial level details… so I’ll do that :p

I would have pointed out that this is set on a moon (I read it printed out and without out access to the books, so it took me a while to figure out what this place was about – for a while I thought it might be an asteroid). The description section is huge, and covers some historic details, but everything is logical and inspiring. I would like to know what “bi-rails” are though. You actually touch upon a format issue with the sample fiefs, as the last few paragraphs of your description section details culture and society, and we should have had a separate “Local Culture” section.

And finally, a very small language matter came to mind when I read this. I don’t like repeat use of words in the same or adjacent sentences, like: “Ostrea Mare’s significant naval force adds significantly to these expenses.” Or “A local militia of 1,000 could also be brought to bear on any invader. They would be poorly armed, able only to bring to bear…” In addition, the piece could do with more commas to make it an easier read. I counted 36 commas, which is very few for a 2182 word text, and out of these only about 10 were ‘grammatical’ commas (i.e. not parts of a list of things). But that’s just something to look out for when you write.

All in all, this is one of my favorite fiefs, and I would love to use it in my game. Oh! And while I remember it, your division of “Assets” into various sub-assets was very clever. I think this work would be better fit for a proper location article than the sample fief formula :) Well done, Amlost!
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Holz
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Holz » Sun Oct 04, 2015 12:14 pm

What type of fiefs we do have so far?
So we don't overlap with each other!
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Amlost » Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:13 pm

Holtz;

I'd happily submit the rest of "The Way to Urzenkai" started in the "Of Bastards and Exiles "thread as a submission to your publication if you think it would fit. Currently about 12 pages should end up at an even 15 (See my hint that I shouldn't be recruited for editing. :ugeek: ).

As for what we have.... Well let's see;

The Halite Barony: Baron Ramish Halite Keddah's fief on Grail is a poor rural outpost best known for quality salt. It is a fief at risk with few rightful heirs apparent and lying between fellow noblemen and church lands who would eagerly engulf the fief. - Angleman

The Haramathaim Earldom: Countess Jozefina has become a powerful industry magnate; turning her four city blocks into an industrial powerhouse in the urban environment of Sangreal, capital city of Grail. - Angleman

Deep Core 104 Sector 42: A Justinian fief in Deep Core 104, part of the once great urban complex set deep into the ground on the Southern Follari continent Hawkwood controlled Ravenna. Nominally ruled by the Baron and Baroness Tochiro Justinian - Bertjammin ((Brilliant))

Khree’Khree Barony A rare House Keddah fief in that the Lord of the Realm is an Etyri Baron Kite. Baron Kite was adopted into House Keddah in 4995 in recognition for his extraordinary service to that house; he has since turned the formerly unihabited islands he was gifted into a productive, if not civil fiefdom on seas of Grail. - Angleman

Ka’nense Valley Barony Home to the Illustrious Barons Rhodes; this small Juandaastas fief on Kordeth is the oldest independent barony on the world. It acts as an Ukari crossroads between the Ukari Holy City to the north and small guild owned mining to the south. - AmLost

The Mistlands of Nunaat: Baronet Izyaslav Barchet Decados serves as vassal to Countess Elena Romanov Decados in the large rural fief located in the wastes of northern Nuunat, Malignatus. - AmLost

Deep Core 104 “The Midden Barony”: One of the many barony's to establish in the great deep core cities of Ravenna . Located amidst Hawkwood, Church, and Guild fiefs this barony is owned by the Justinian Lady Helena Midden Justinian and her husband General Anthony Masseri Justinian. - Bertjammin ((Again Brilliant; Really enjoy the deep core cities; scifi meets fantasy.))

Monteret’s Gap: A rural hunting estate in the southern reaches of the New Rockies on Aylon . Owned by the Count Seron al Malik he has appointed Sir Othan II Anazeh al Malik it's Gamekeeper and Protector. - AmLost

The Retreat of St Deimos: In orbit of twin gas giants in the Ravenna system is a monastic colony inhabitted by Eskatonic and Via Epistimic (Mendicant) monks. Much more lies on the surface of this small moon than you would expect. - Bertjammin

Cesall : An urban Hawkwood owned by Baron Ferdus Hawkwood fiefdom located in the Anschok City Region on Delphi. The fief is home to the Gamma Prime Substation, a critical junction in the power network of the continent. The Supreme Order of Engineers hold considerable power here. - Juergen Hubert ((I love this concept of an urban fief.))

Charioteer Agora: A Charioteer port surrounded by Hazat Lords. Located in the City of Los Aztecha on Vera Cruz. It is run by Free Trader Maximus to great effect; for here lies one of the most tech savvy markets of the Hazat worlds.- AusJeb

St. Aster Hermitage: An Almalthean fief granted to the sect by the Van Gelder. Run by it lies in Northern Sabtah; in the great wastes of Cadiz - AmLost

The Downslope Barony - : An old barony on Nowhere that lies outside Pampana on the main southern route to visit the Gargoyle. Inherited in the last decade by Baroness Millicent Salvadiori of the minor house Valleniado. A fief that plays host to many walking the path that leads to the Wisperer of San Paulo. - AmLost

Gambaine Station: A newly formed Imperial Fief on Nowhere . Recently granted to the Viscount Manuel Ostrea de Bourbon. A fief that plays host to many walking the path that leads to the Screamer of Nowhere. - AmLost

Caverns of the Ostrea Mare: A fief set on the moon Squire Bourbon in the Vera Cruz system. Run by Viscount Manuel Ostrea de Bourbon a member of House Bourbon. - AmLost

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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Holz » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:56 pm

Good work Amlost! The Urzenkai mini-source book you are writing looks awesome!

Hum... lots of fiefs in Grail.
Mine is in Grail as well... doing the finishing touches.

Any suggestions on next fief?
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Holz » Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:41 pm

Hope it is nicely written and gives some ideas.
Next one will be on the garden worlds.

Name: Green Cape
Overview:

Located on a Cape about 250km from Sangreal (capital of Grail), it is the one of the few Decados fief on the planet - if not the only one. Run by Marquis Alexei Decados, it is considered by most Decados as a frontier world fief, a military outpost, to be forgotten on.

Its name comes from the green waters that surround the shore of the fief and the moss that covers the rocks from top to bottom. The location is known to have only one entrance/exit. But there is a rumor that under the manor, there is a path that leads into the lower sections of the house. Tough the gunboats make sure no one gets near enough.

Relations:

Amalthea parish – near the fief there is a small parish of Amalthea worshippers. The parish itself is on the hills, about a day walk from the fief. From there, a small village of humans and Etyri’s live a simple life. They don’t trust the people of Green Cape fief, they’ll keep away, doing only the minimum for them not to die, and send them back.

Kaabaran Fief - a rural fief, with its main income coming from food, sugar and timber. The ruler is an old man – Count Nazar Yusuf Havryil, married to his young wife Tatiana Aurelia. The Count does not care much about politics and gains profit from selling food and timber to the Decados. The fief main hub is about 70km from Green Cape.

Description:

The fief is relatively small. With only 7 kilometers long and 1.5 wide, it´s main feature is the green color on the sea and cliffs – where the name comes from. The sea is not rough (waves get 2 meters tall on high tide), only when storms hit the coast things become more serious for any boat near the cape. The surroundings of the fief are covered with woods, but the cape itself has no vegetation other than the garden near the manor.

Climate is Mediterranean, with hot and dry summers and cold and wet (rainy) winters. During autumn, the view of the cape is nice, since the foliage around it turns all brown in the contrast of the cape, all green.

History:

Green Cape is a recent addition to the Decados. The cape was a profitable mine, but the value and amount of the vein dropped significantly. The owner was in debt with some local lords due to a game of poker, and a Decados offered a good price for the cape – thus paying his debt. In the Decados administration, it went from mining village to military outpost, and in the last years under the ruler ship of the Marquis, it got improved.

The location does not do any good for the Decados, since it is too far from any major city or trade hub. The Marquis was sent to oversee the fief, but many believe he was sent to become a prisoner of his own success.

The Keddah keep an eye on the fief, but never get good intel as the small villa in the fief is under constant vigilance and peasants won’t talk much from fear of being caught and executed.

Assets:

The main asset on the cape is a mine of chromo-copper. It does not yield as much metal as it once did, but gives a regular income to the fief. The tunnels go down several meters down and inland, where the vein is still mined by some miners. The entrance is hidden in one of the houses in the village. The Decados does not want people to know that they are mining from the Keddah. They hope to find a deposit of keddite.

Other forms of income are fishing and trade, since the fief is highly dependent on external sources, especially food.

Men-at-arms:

For a small fief, it is very well guarded. Over 2,000 men and women are on the guard, all well-armed and trained. The external wall has massive starship grade cannons and it is 12 meters high. The secondary wall has anti-air cannons and it is 8 meters tall. It is known to have at least 2 helicopters, 4 gunboats and 2 landing pads for landers and/or assault ships.
Many consider the fief very well armed for a small and frontier fief.

Personas:

Marquis Alexei S. Decados - a famous explorer from house Decados. After years on deep space mission, exploring and finding new assets and riches, he returns and is given the Green Cape fief. For years he improved relations with the locals, while improving the defenses and personnel. But for the past six months he does not show up, nor did he left.

Alexia A. Decados - Daughter to the Marquis she is a loyal and intelligent. She does all for her father. Extremely sexy, she uses her "assets" and pheromones to size trust (or more) from any sex and race! Since her father disapeard, she is trying to hold the fief together and making sure their allies and enemies (whomever they are) don't find out about his disappearance.

Baron Ivan Petrovich - Right arm of the Marquis, he went in most expeditions with him. He has a strong military nature and is secretly in love with Alexia. He will do many things to keep the fief safe, but many more just to try and mary her and make him the next marquis.
To hell with information, ammunition is ammunition.

If brute for ain't working you ain't using enough.

Fan site of the FS Universe: https://fadingsunsbr.wordpress.com/portal/

Leviathan of Maddoc
Posts: 163
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:33 pm
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Leviathan of Maddoc » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:36 pm



Overview
On Rampart, in the seemingly endless ruins outside of Carllion, a massive carnival is erected nightly and broken down and secreted away by dawn. The hundreds of workers who keep it running dorm themselves in the more stable ruins living and working in troupes. The local authorities raid the carnival every other month but it still returns. Many have claimed to find the hiding place of the Carnivals tents and frames but they never stay in once place for long. It is as much an floating island of sin as it is a culture of it's own.
Relations
The Carnival is a parasitic town living off the moral conservatism of Carllion. Its no shock that the Li Halan Nobility publicly call for the carnival to be hunted down but their outrage is muted compared to the merchants of the region that already chafe under the strong moral restriction of the wares they can display and sell. Oddly the carnival is given political and Ecconomic shelter from Al-malik and Decados ex-patriots on Rampart. Of course the Legue is a strong supporter of the Carnival as it is a virtual river of Firebirds.
Description
The Carnival is a sea of brightly-colored lantern-lit tents surrounding a large fighting arena. Carnival workers wear brightly colored, exciting costumes, each troupe trying to outbid the other for spectacle. If you are well connected enough to be informed of where the carnival will be pitching it's tents for the night you'll find blood sports, imported alcohols, rich foods illegal drugs and forbidden technology and an immeasurable amount of prostitution. in excess of the forbidden pleasures of the carnival is the spectacle, as each troupe struggles to win the attention of crowds of revelers. Each tent competes with exotic acts and rare arts, exotic dancers from other worlds, lavish costumes, remarkable feats of skill and instinct. There are dozens of different locations in the maxicrete jungle where the carnival forms up and new places cropping up constantly but most are close to potable water and about a mile to a mail and a half from one of Carllion's City gates,
If it could even be imagined The Lost Carnival has a darker side. Unteathered from the guidance of the church and the moral restraint of House Li-Halan, the carnival has become a refuge to aliens and psychics and even the changed. Chainers have been known to lead those that would not be missed off into the wilderness drunk, drugged or unconscious. While every troupe strives to be above board in their business the Carnival attracts hustlers and con artists who take advantage of the unwary revelers. Rumors of much worse stir about as well.
History
The Carnival began early in the emperor wars, allegedly when an Overzealous Count Zhuo had all of the gamblers and whores pushed off of the walls of the city into the bombed-out ruins of the second republic structures outside. The outcasts gathered under any shelter they were able and began to and continued their trade outside of the city. As the popularity of these forbidden camps grew they Count sent out knights to break up their shanty sin dens and they adapted by building their businesses into autowagons and tents that could be packed up at a moment's notice. in 4945 a Muster Sgt named Paul Mortimer approached the Carnival about opening a fighting ring. With the combination of violence and guild promotion the Carnival was soon attracting customers from across the planet. By 4952 the Skraver's Guild had bought out most of the troupes and the largely-freeman population of The Carnival was soon replaced with debt-slaves and hungry Nobodies.
While it can be strange to think of a travelling show as a Fief, The Carnival represents a significant guild interest, generating a greater annual income than most of the Baronies on Rampart. It is also the permanent residence of over a thousand people, offering child care, education, and essential government services to all of them.
Men-at-Arms
The security force of The Carnival are called "Handlers" they were distinctive black clothing with a single white vertical stripe and are armed with frap sticks. They rarely if ever interfere in conflicts in the Carnival. They are there primarily to protect the money and equipment of the carnival, guests and entertainers are expected to look after their own security. Additionally most of the troupes contract with independent Skraver gangs that mix in among the guests. The gangs too don't tend to interfere, however if a guest misbehaves they often find their drink has made them sleepy and wake up naked in the wastes with a warning carved in their belly.
Personas (a short list of one-paragraph write-ups on each of the principle characters within the fief + one paragraph each on using the local lord as either a patron or adversary in a game).

Leviathan of Maddoc
Posts: 163
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Leviathan of Maddoc » Fri Dec 18, 2015 3:20 pm


Personas
The Lost Carnival is over 1000 souls working living and struggling for a sense of normalcy. The bulk of them are Skraver Nobodies working difficult and demeaning jobs as prostitutes or entertainers, but there are Courtesans, Carnivaliers, Engineers, Muster and even clergy. The Carnival employs roustabouts skilled chefs, medical personnel, bookkeepers and everything else a huge entertainment complex needs.
Skraver Jonin Nicholas Fines, Master of the Carnival - Jonin Fines is a gaunt man in his autumn years who favors black clothing due to his color blindness. He is a quiet man with a grim sense of humor. Fines takes a hands-off approach to managing the Carnival. He is primarily involved in co-coordinating troupe leaders, financing the operation and managing enforcement of bylaws. When he appears at the Carnival he blends in with the other revelers. It's only when managers within the carnival point him out that anyone knows he runs the show. Even within his own guildhall few know what he does. His detachment is a necessity as he often interacts with the Guild and other factions within the city walls.
Courtesan Manager Madam M. - M is the manager of one of the largest prostitution troupes in the Carnival. She wields considerable financial influence inside of the carnival and she's widely respected for her skills in keeping her troupe in line and productive. M Started as a Slave in the carnival and like many she used her looks and whiles to earn enough money to pay for her freedom. Unlike most who escape their circus whore chains, M chose to join the courtesans rather than accept position in the Skravers and she began to buy out the debts of other girls that she saw potential in. Now in her middle years M is a mother figure to dozens of young girls and encourages those who work their way out of slavery to join the Courtesans and continue to work under her tent.
Muster Sgt Kira Tamatsu, Pitt boss - Kamatsu is a dour woman of imposing build with visible scars and a legendary right hook. She runs the Carnival's fighting pit, the largest and most profitable attraction of the carnival. She scouts new talent, arranges matches, promotes the fights and coordinates with bookmakers. She is almost certainly the hardest working person in the Lost Carnival and rarely lets anyone forget about it. She is deliberately closed-mouthed about her past and speculating about what she did before coming to the Carnival is one of the most popular pastimes among the carnivaliers.
Skraver Genin Redsnake, Gang Boss - Redsnake is an illustrious character employed by Nicholas to keep unruly carnival workers in line. He's a thug with a knife and a unique gift for intimidation who manages the Skraver gangers who protect the Carnival. He is the collector when troupes fall behind in their dues and he' executes punishments when carnival workers step out of line. The stories of his sadism and deadly prowess with the knife can't all be true but the mystery of what he's capable of is more effective than the truth.
Sanctuary Aeon Kavi Langston - The Amalthean Kavi is a young and exceptionally handsome man, soft spoken and very visible in his vestments. Langston is an odd duck in the roving city of sin. While the Orthodoxy calls for the destruction of the Carnival his own order isn't required to take a position on it's activities. His tent is a simple Amalthean shrine. He and his initiates tend to the spiritual health of the carnival workers as well as their physical ailments. Kavi Langston's outlook is that the Carnival is no less a force of nature than a radiated wasteland or a toxic sea. He doesn't support the professions and vices of those who come to it but he tends to their well-being as his vows demand.

Amlost
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Re: Sample Fiefs Thread?

Postby Amlost » Mon Dec 21, 2015 9:41 pm

Nice write-up Leviathan!! You made it work as a fief as well; I wouldn't have thought of it as a fief; but it works. Good to see a fief from the Li Halon worlds; we've been missing that.

The idea of a roving set of carnival/burlesque acts moving around with black-marketplace in tow has a lot to offer other GM's visiting Rampart. You could add endless shady entrepreneurs and enterprises to Lost Carnival.


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