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Creative Exercise: The Sovereign Dominion of Eyros
- Thread starter Mouseferatu
- Start date
Lo! What light through yonder contribution breaks!
FAR to the west, across the ocean lays another continent. This contient is called Crandora, and is home to a egalitarian society, with free elves, and a thriving dwarven culture, as major differences between it and Eyros. The only nation that contact has been made with is along the north eastern coast, and calls itself Instram. It was only recently that Eyrian explorers made contact, so trade and diplomatic ties are still being hammered out.
FAR to the west, across the ocean lays another continent. This contient is called Crandora, and is home to a egalitarian society, with free elves, and a thriving dwarven culture, as major differences between it and Eyros. The only nation that contact has been made with is along the north eastern coast, and calls itself Instram. It was only recently that Eyrian explorers made contact, so trade and diplomatic ties are still being hammered out.
Very good...
The present Immortal Emperor of Xaleris, the Jade Jaguar (Immortal Emperors guard their true names and assume a title upon achieving the throne based on one of the 60 sacred animals, and the 60 sacred substances) is rather unhappy with his present situation. When he was first selected as heir to the throne, he was of course, overjoyed to have risen to be the future ruler, but now that he's in power, he's realized that many of his decisions are being made for him by his Beloved Predecessors. Worse, familiarity with his fellow Immortal Emperors has bred contempt--he sees the younger ones as arrogant meddlers, jealous of the life they have forsaken, the older ones as distracted, slightly muddle-headed beings whose absorption with arcane matters makes them fail to see their own degeneration. Jade Jaguar is looking for some way to avoid becoming a lich--but to retain the power and infulence he has gained. He realizes that this will bring him into conflict with the Beloved Predecessors--but he's desperate enough not to care...
The present Immortal Emperor of Xaleris, the Jade Jaguar (Immortal Emperors guard their true names and assume a title upon achieving the throne based on one of the 60 sacred animals, and the 60 sacred substances) is rather unhappy with his present situation. When he was first selected as heir to the throne, he was of course, overjoyed to have risen to be the future ruler, but now that he's in power, he's realized that many of his decisions are being made for him by his Beloved Predecessors. Worse, familiarity with his fellow Immortal Emperors has bred contempt--he sees the younger ones as arrogant meddlers, jealous of the life they have forsaken, the older ones as distracted, slightly muddle-headed beings whose absorption with arcane matters makes them fail to see their own degeneration. Jade Jaguar is looking for some way to avoid becoming a lich--but to retain the power and infulence he has gained. He realizes that this will bring him into conflict with the Beloved Predecessors--but he's desperate enough not to care...
Contrib:
Agathon of the Crimson Robe who created the senate in his current incarnation was famous for his red trimmed scrolls. At the beginning of every session the scroll was read aloud with polite suggestions how the senate should vote on a certain issue. His scrolls were nearly always followed to the letter.
Agathon of the Crimson Robe who created the senate in his current incarnation was famous for his red trimmed scrolls. At the beginning of every session the scroll was read aloud with polite suggestions how the senate should vote on a certain issue. His scrolls were nearly always followed to the letter.
Khorod
First Post
Here's my thoughts on numbers:
Total Population of Eyros: ~8-12 million
Total Population of Eyredyn: ~45-55 thousand
Why? Two reasons. One, these numbers look good to me from a historical standpoint. Two, I think it fits the feel of the setting. Eyros feels like it should be massive. This world feels like multiple armies in the tens of thousands could be martialed by the major powers.
Now, if the condition of things is far more decayed than that, I'd say lets switch it to 3-4 million. That's fairly thinly spread across the landscape, but that's okay. Eyros is not just like the Roman Empire, its also like a very united Confederation. It has been repeatedly emphasized that the provincial management is largely in the hands of individual pillars. So a certain emphasis on local rule is okay. The politics in Eyredyn and foreign relations are often different than the country-man's perspective.
I like giving Eyredyn some weight to its numbers. It can be a terraced city, and it can also be expanding outwards and around the mountain. It feels like it should be a massive city. It is the culture center of the empire, and arguably of the continent.
Just because we want things to be rome-like doesn't mean having slightly off numbers can't be properly explained.
Citizenship in Rome varied across the years. In most of its history, citizens were somewhat rare. That meant they were something of a middle class or better. Non-citizens were not slaves however. Many non-citizens served in the legions, (and upon completion of their hitch became citizens). Many simply served in the auxiliaries for a paycheck. Non-citizens had low-priority but remained an important element in society. There is no reason why a non-citizen might not have access to the Arcaneum. In fact, I suspect serving the Arcaneum for a few years might be a great way for someone of arcane-leanings to gain citizenship and a full wizarding license.
***
Now, there has been some confusion about Mask population numbers. That doesn't seem such a key issue to me, but I'll go ahead and 'fix' it.
Contribution:
It is part of the ancient magical heritage of the Elven people that most, with a spark of potential and the proper training, can be decent at magic. Few choose to walk this path.
Because the Praes Thanatos finds it essential to tie up all Elven spellcasters, they carefully test all Elven children by there 40th year. Out of those children with the potential to work magic particularly well are selected replacement Masks, and additional Masks as ordered by the senate in a vote held at the beginning of every century. This vote usually comes to eight, increasing the number of Masks for every Pillar, the Grand Monarch, and the Guardian Masks by one. The Praes Thanatos push to keep the numbers within reason, concerned that too much magical power should be outside their direct control- even given the amount of control they have over the Masks as a whole.
Those Elven children with some spellcasting potential but not selected to be Masked have their arcane potential sealed within them. Early experiments in simply burning it out resulted in a cancerous sickness that caused unrest amongst the Elven populace and was emotionally traumatic to the Masks.
The Arcaneum, among its other duties, is reponsible for teaching the young Elves selected for Maskhood the disciplines of proper education and log, the beginning theories of magic, the glories of the Empire, and the importance of Oaths. They swear the Oaths at the age of fifty, at which point they are not allowed to see their family again for at least 30 more years, if not forever. They then begin their training, serving as an apprentice under another Mask, an appointed teacher of the Arcaneum, and overseen discretely by a member of the Praes Thanatos.
Total Population of Eyros: ~8-12 million
Total Population of Eyredyn: ~45-55 thousand
Why? Two reasons. One, these numbers look good to me from a historical standpoint. Two, I think it fits the feel of the setting. Eyros feels like it should be massive. This world feels like multiple armies in the tens of thousands could be martialed by the major powers.
Now, if the condition of things is far more decayed than that, I'd say lets switch it to 3-4 million. That's fairly thinly spread across the landscape, but that's okay. Eyros is not just like the Roman Empire, its also like a very united Confederation. It has been repeatedly emphasized that the provincial management is largely in the hands of individual pillars. So a certain emphasis on local rule is okay. The politics in Eyredyn and foreign relations are often different than the country-man's perspective.
I like giving Eyredyn some weight to its numbers. It can be a terraced city, and it can also be expanding outwards and around the mountain. It feels like it should be a massive city. It is the culture center of the empire, and arguably of the continent.
Just because we want things to be rome-like doesn't mean having slightly off numbers can't be properly explained.
Citizenship in Rome varied across the years. In most of its history, citizens were somewhat rare. That meant they were something of a middle class or better. Non-citizens were not slaves however. Many non-citizens served in the legions, (and upon completion of their hitch became citizens). Many simply served in the auxiliaries for a paycheck. Non-citizens had low-priority but remained an important element in society. There is no reason why a non-citizen might not have access to the Arcaneum. In fact, I suspect serving the Arcaneum for a few years might be a great way for someone of arcane-leanings to gain citizenship and a full wizarding license.
***
Now, there has been some confusion about Mask population numbers. That doesn't seem such a key issue to me, but I'll go ahead and 'fix' it.
Contribution:
It is part of the ancient magical heritage of the Elven people that most, with a spark of potential and the proper training, can be decent at magic. Few choose to walk this path.
Because the Praes Thanatos finds it essential to tie up all Elven spellcasters, they carefully test all Elven children by there 40th year. Out of those children with the potential to work magic particularly well are selected replacement Masks, and additional Masks as ordered by the senate in a vote held at the beginning of every century. This vote usually comes to eight, increasing the number of Masks for every Pillar, the Grand Monarch, and the Guardian Masks by one. The Praes Thanatos push to keep the numbers within reason, concerned that too much magical power should be outside their direct control- even given the amount of control they have over the Masks as a whole.
Those Elven children with some spellcasting potential but not selected to be Masked have their arcane potential sealed within them. Early experiments in simply burning it out resulted in a cancerous sickness that caused unrest amongst the Elven populace and was emotionally traumatic to the Masks.
The Arcaneum, among its other duties, is reponsible for teaching the young Elves selected for Maskhood the disciplines of proper education and log, the beginning theories of magic, the glories of the Empire, and the importance of Oaths. They swear the Oaths at the age of fifty, at which point they are not allowed to see their family again for at least 30 more years, if not forever. They then begin their training, serving as an apprentice under another Mask, an appointed teacher of the Arcaneum, and overseen discretely by a member of the Praes Thanatos.
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Rystil Arden
First Post
Khorod, we could probably give Eyrdeyn even more people than that if it is so massive. I could see hundreds of thousands without breaking from a Romanesque feel; Rome sometimes had even more than that within its city-limits.
As for wizards, if we allow the entire population to apply for wizardry, let's go with my second estimate 400 normal Masks, 1000 PT, 2000 Enforcer Masks, 800 all other. Seems about right. Then we multiply Ark's numbers by 8 for NPC classes and 4 for PC classes and it should be about right, while maintaining our original goal of preventing large numbers of high-level PC-class locals.
As for wizards, if we allow the entire population to apply for wizardry, let's go with my second estimate 400 normal Masks, 1000 PT, 2000 Enforcer Masks, 800 all other. Seems about right. Then we multiply Ark's numbers by 8 for NPC classes and 4 for PC classes and it should be about right, while maintaining our original goal of preventing large numbers of high-level PC-class locals.
Khorod
First Post
Not much more than 200,000 I think. If its too big, the Grand Monarch actually gains more power.
I honestly don't particularly care what we do with the class-level dynamics. I never much liked that section. When it comes to magic, particularly, when it comes to magic, who says there's not simply a cap for most people around 5th level? Or 3rd? Well, I guess that's not a D&D attitude...
Other methods for creating large numbers of PC-classed locals... potent individuals might have trouble surviving once they hit the big-time. Thanatos certainly doesn't want free-willed challengers to his power. Demons might seek out powerful mortals, and so on.
I think it might add something to high level play if you are specifically sought out for death. It makes it easier to plan adventures that don't have nation-shattering consequences.
I honestly don't particularly care what we do with the class-level dynamics. I never much liked that section. When it comes to magic, particularly, when it comes to magic, who says there's not simply a cap for most people around 5th level? Or 3rd? Well, I guess that's not a D&D attitude...
Other methods for creating large numbers of PC-classed locals... potent individuals might have trouble surviving once they hit the big-time. Thanatos certainly doesn't want free-willed challengers to his power. Demons might seek out powerful mortals, and so on.
I think it might add something to high level play if you are specifically sought out for death. It makes it easier to plan adventures that don't have nation-shattering consequences.
Rystil Arden
First Post
Well yes, but then we get the problem of our designers clashing with each other about it. If most of us think that there are only 2000 wizards in Eyros and then someone posts "House Malarn has a secret army of 50,000 wizards hiding under the library" this could be a problem. Also, the fact that you and I had such drastically different views about how many wizards were in Eyros is what I think partially led to your getting so mad about my Arcaneum clarification post, since I had thought that 20 wizards was a powerful number, and it seems like you were thinking that there were upper hundreds of them in the Arcaneum alone, since there were many thousands (tens of thousands?) throughout Eyros. Its always good when you can have harmony and prevent bad feelings like that, and that's what this understanding will do. In the end, we don't have to even write this down anywhere in the final PDF, allowing the DM to come to their own decision about specifics, but it is a useful tool for us to have in mind. Certainly it is good if everyone knows that Eyros's population lies in the low millions, rather than say, billions like modern-day China, since this could lead us to have dissonance in our perception of the world.
