Adventures in Arcadayn
Ruler: Arch-Chancillor Sardalf Glimdale. (The Arch-Chancillor is Administrative Rank 6; a Chancillor [ruler of a barony] is 5.)
Capital: Threnzan (12,000).
Symbol/Arms: Ermine ground divided by a blue "Y", a black castle in the upper triangle.
Culture Level: Civilized.
Currency: copper Dirk ($.01), silver Baton ($.50) and Ring ($5), gold Torc ($25).
Divisions: 8 baronies: Almina, Arstyg, Efferdrite, Gladion, Olania, Sithothith, Tornereach, Wyck.
Government Type: Magiocracy (Confederacy).
Languages: Sivian (M/A), Daelic (hillmen, M/A), Razzak (iron dwarves, M/A).
Population: 175,000 humans (of which about 10% are "pure" Dalemen, and over 50% mixed blood); about 8,000 iron dwarves.
Racial Stock: Riversmidsters are Anidel men, descended from a mixture of Dalemen and Visalan (the latter a hybrid of Dalemen and Krithian). All are fair-skinned, with brown, red or blond hair and blue, green or gray eyes. (Most "pure" Dalemen descendants are taller and lighter in coloring.)
Geography: Riversmidst is defined by the land between the Iron and Stig Rivers to the south, and the mountains to the north (Thunderhead Peaks, Whitecrags, and Auroras). The Stig has numerous tributaries flowing from these mountains, primarily the Tornes and Olan which originate in the snowbound Whitecrags. Most settlements are located on the rivers, or on the major roads connecting the river-towns.
Climate: Warm with dry winter (except plains, which are steppe).
Agriculture & Resources: Crops: [TBD]; in Olania, add pipeweed. Animals: swine. Resources: fur, gems (chrysoberyl, garnet, smoky quartz), silver, timber.
Religions: The Elemental Faiths and Druidism are most common here, but enclaves of the Bloodletter Cult, Celestian Church and Quadralunic Cults can also be found in parts of Riversmidst. The Demon Cult of Shulkor is allowed to act semi-openly here, under the strict supervision of the state's necromancers.
Military: [TBD].
Nonhumans: Nonhumans found in Riversmidst include the iron dwarves (in or near the Thunderhead Peaks and Whitecrags); swanmays (wetlands); weredeer (woods); werebears (deep woods, and very rare!); and elfkin (also very rare).
Other Special Groups: See "The Eightfold Order of Bonded Thaumaturges", below.
History: Riversmidst began as a colony founded by Visalan pioneers and Daleman woodsmen in the second century VY (Visalan Year). The colony evolved into a confederacy of eight baronies. The Confederacy declared itself independent of Visalan rule in VY 366. Due to the difficult routes between Riversmidst and the rest of Visala--a narrow "safe" belt of forest to the north of the Blackwood, and a hazardous sea-and-land route through barbarian territory to the south--the secession was resolved peacefully. Relations between the two nations tend to remain friendly due to the numbers of Dalemen on both sides of the border.
However, intertribal conflicts among Dalemen and petty squabbles between nobles threatened to disintegrate the Confederacy by the mid-400's VY. In VY 448, the court wizards of the eight barons took power for themselves in a brief, low-casualty war now called "The Coup of the Eight." From that moment, Riversmidst has been a magiocracy, run by a bureaucratic ruling class of wizards.
The current Arch-Chancillor, Sardalf Glimdale, assumed office 16 years ago (VY 501).
Names: Most follow Krithian or Daelic patterns (a given name followed by a family name or patronymic). Mages of sufficient skill and reputation usually will acquire colorful professional names; this can be a source of friction when less competent wizards presume to adopt this practice.
The Eightfold Order of Bonded Thaumaturges (E.O.B.T.)
All children in Riversmidst are screened by E.O.B.T. diviners (using the Aura spell) before entering apprenticeship or fosterage at age 12. Anyone identified as possessing Magical Aptitude is slated for government service. Unless the child already exhibits a powerful talent (high Magery or precocious spell use), a normal (non-magical) apprenticeship is served first, then at about age 16-18, the novice enters a second term of service under a state-licensed wizard. After 3-5 years of training, further tests determine whether the apprentice will enter military service (ST 10+, HT 10+, no physical disabilities), enter civil service (if unfit for military duty or showing higher noncombat value) or be denied any form of practitioner's license.
Practitioner's licenses are issued on vellum scrolls in fine calligraphy, and bear the seal of the baronial testing administrator. (The choice of materials is designed to make forgery difficult: -4 or more to skill.) Most wizards seek to protect their scrolls with preservation and guardian spells.
Licensed practitioners are required to serve a minimum of two years in the military or five years in the civil bureaucracy. They gain Military or Administrative Rank initially equal to their Magery level, and a Duty (to superiors, 12- or more if civil, 15- if military). After serving the required term, retirement is an option, but wizards with high Magery and/or knowledge of rare spells will be considered reserves (Duty of 6-). All retirees keep at least Status 1, and ex-military retain Courtesy Rank as well.
Wizards on state business may claim food and shelter from any citizen of Riversmidst. This privilege is proprtional to Rank; higher ranks may demand better treatment, and have fewer limits on their use of this privilege. Abuse of this privilege will risk a court-martial, resulting in either disgrace (negative Status and permanent loss of license) or execution depending on the manner of abuse.
Practicing or teaching magic without a state-issued license is explicitly illegal in all eight baronies. (Apprentices are granted probationary permits.) Known wizards who have been refused licenses are secondary citizens (5-point Social Stigma), while those who practice without having served their government stint are outlaws (15-point Social Stigma and possible Enemy: EOBT [base -40 points]). Keeping Magery secret is difficult due to the large-scale screening tests, but is possible; such a mage would risk imprisonment or exile (20-point Secret).
Foreign mages are expected to visit the nearest EOBT office when they enter the Confederacy. They may be issued probationary licenses if they can produce a letter of introduction from a registered wizard. If a wizard plans to reside in the Confederacy for any significant duration (6 months or more, as a rule of thumb), he can petition for a permanent license. Until then, he has Social Stigma: foreign mage (-10 points).
Standard mage character types are described on p. M108.
Return to the Arcadayn index. | Return to the Game Room. | Return to the Lair.
This page last updated 11/5/2003 by Timothy E. Emrick. | Copyright 1998-2003 Timothy E. Emrick.