Iron Age Celtic setting ideas...

[gamerprinter]

The Brehon Laws (1st draft)

Brehon Law

The primary aspect to Brehon Law is that there is no capital punishment, all misdeeds, torts, civil actions and criminal judgements are paid as restitution to the wronged party. In a society that far pre-dates coinage, restitution is paid as property, livestock, crafted items and weapons, community service or direct services to the wronged party, even indentured servitude. Restitution is predetermined for each breach of law and scaled by rank of the person in Celtic society. Those who do not or cannot pay are considered outlaw - expulsion from clan, and in some cases tribe/kingdom.

Brehon is the title of the Law-Keeper, an arbitrator and advisor to the King or clanhead (not a judge that is reserved for the King), one of the Druid Trait, requires years of training and memorization of the laws and precedents since the earliest time to present. He was entrusted to telling the truth, as he would become liable for restitution of to the King or wronged party for giving false witness in mis-interpretting the law.

Brehon Law come in two varieties, Cain and Urradas. Cain Law applied to the entire tribe, region or all under a High King. Urradas is local law. Where there is a conflict, local law takes precedence.

In reality Brehon Laws were very complex measuring all considerations when determining restitution in a given breach of the laws. One who was an orphan and now a widower and a clan member in good-standing until the breach might pay less, than a single noble without dependants. The Brehon Laws being provided for the setting and gameplay are not meant to emulate this varied and complex system of law, rather a simplification on Celtic ideas and as a Code of Conduct expected of all clan members as a social contract that define the Celtic clan concept.

First Brehon Law: Rights and Priviledges, the Division of Celtic Society

The single household, parents and children is the basic cultural unit. An extended family usually all of the same surname of several generations is called the Sept. Several Septs and their associated property renters that all count their lineage from a common ancestor is a clan. Several localized clans of common cultural connection is a tribe, which is considered the smallest political unit and led by an elected King, with an administration of druids, a warband of 27 clan warriors and artisans.

Ri - (king) tribal leader, multi-tribal overking, or regional High King is an elected individual from among the noble caste (nemedh) and chosen as the best example physically, by his judicial reason, skill at arms, science or craft. An elected tempory leader could be placed such as a warrior king during time of conflict or war that supercedes the elected Ri. If for any reason the Ri proves unworthy or loss of ability, by vote he can be removed followed by an extended election period to name a new Ri.

Even the rent-paying middle class have a vote, though higher rank clan member votes have higher value than a renter's vote. Thus a level of democracy existed in clan society under Brehon Law.

The Ri retained all his previously owned properties, as well as additional lands to support his fighting force, crafters, etc - essentially his own village, as well as property for the Burgh (hostel/hospital)

Hereditary land ownership did not exist, all properties are held to better serve the greater community, though clans maintain such properties over generations which implies a kind of general ownership.

Nemedh (priviledged or noble caste) - sometimes refered to the Flaith, include all clan warriors, members of the druid caste, and professional craftsmen: stone masons, artisan smiths, weaponsmiths. Basically all PCs in a typical Celtic or Land of Keld setting are all members of the noble caste. Though a nemedh's word and rank carry more weight in legal decisions, transgressions voted against member by many lower ranked persons can defeat his noble rights. Nemedhs can be downgraded in social rank due to atrocious crimes and transgressions, failure to pay restitution. Do to their higher social standing crimes committed have greater restitution based expectation to obeying Brehon Law as a noble. [Such actions affect Code of Conduct and the Glory rank.]

All nemedh possess extensive tracts of land, much of it is rented out to farmers and lesser craftsmen, merchants and laborers to the greater community.

Aire are rent paying freeman who own property including cattle and other movable goods, they could not "own" land, but paid rent in the form of cattle or a percentage of the harvest. An aire that accumulates enough property can be elevated to nemedh. The aire can themselves rent rented land to the ceile. The aire can participate in government (they get a vote), like the nemedh and Ri.

Ceile are free tenants. They hold little property nor rented land from the Fliath. If they accumulated enough property, they could rise aire. Also called Fiene, they formed the greater body of the populace and the farming class. Lands they worked were either common tribal land or land of the Fliath. The ceile include the farmers and herdsmen, the traders and crafters. In some cases crafters of precious metals for example could rent property and carried a higher status than other ceile.

Non-Free castes

Bathach are herdsmen, horse-handlers, other unskilled laborers and squatters of wasteland. They were the poor and depended on the good gracies of the Fliath for survival. They had almost no rights, but could bear witness against someone of higher social rank.

Saer-Fuidir are not free, but law-abiding and coming into the district voluntarily with somewhat favorable terms to getting land to live and work. They had no voice in government and could not bear witness.

Daer-Fuidir are the lowest social caste in the tribe, including captives taken from battle, escaped criminals, those accused of crimes but cannot make restitution, and slaves. The Law favors emancipation and it is possible to be elevated to Saer-Fuidir, or in rare cases even higher.

In all cases the gender of caste members in land rights, voting or bearing witness is equal. Women had as much rights as men in all things, even the right to be vote a Ri.

GP

 

[Sylrae]

Well some of the problems have been addressed. I like the ancestral power groups and the clan focus you had set up before. I would have suggested you keep one or the other, but not ditch both.

You're going a route with this material that makes it less appealing by making the class so tied to setting specific game mechanics. The more stuff you have that can be used in people's home games, possibly existing home games, the more likely it is to see use.

Someone may not have a use for a celtic setting, but if you have good content that they can use in their other PFRPG Games, there's still lots of useable stuff in it.

Example: Back when we played D&D 3.5, in our groups, even when we weren't playing Forgotten Realms, the realms books were fair game for prestige classes, spells, races, feats, and equipment. FOr races, Prestige Classes, and Feats, you'd have to show it to the DM, but very rarely did they disallow it.

Comparing that to another book: OGL Steampunk (Mongoose Press): A book I had. Nobody ever wanted to run a straight OGL Steampunk game, though I picked it up because it looked interesting. The class mechanic was drastically changed, so none of the existing material was compatible with any other D&D book.
I wanted to run a gambler class from that book once, but to do it, I had to rewrite more than half the class, even with the OGL Steampunk book in front of me for inspiration.
After that, the book became delegated to one thing, and I copied and adjusted even that so the book now just sits on my shelf. (That one thing was an equipment table for firearms, and a malfunction table for if you roll a 1-3 with the firearm). We only allowed the flintlocks on that table too, so we only used half of it, as the percussion cap firearms were too high tech for our games.

DO you get where I'm going with this? New Game options and mechanics should be able to be plugged into an existing game seamlessly. If you're going to tie it to new mechanics that are game-wide instead of just class-wide, then you should have a way to use the material in games without your new mechanics also listed.

 

[gamerprinter]

More Brehon Laws

The Second Brehon Law: Hospitality

Under Brehon Law all households had obligations to give hospitality to any free persons. The Hospitality Law requires households to offer food, drink, a place to sleep, and minimal medical care as may be provided and required to any free person who knocks on your door. This law allowed traders and travelers to move great distances in commerce and to private obligations. They are not required to offer their name, or the business on the road, however it is generally considered impolite not to share news, story or song for entertaining the household.

The appointed Ri had the responsibility to ensure the existence, support and appointment of a Briugu to ensure the tribes responsibility to hospitality in lands, herds and a built location to serve as a Burgh (hostelery). In most cases the burgh also served as a hospital of sorts. Appointment is usually a noble caste member, though sometimes
a wealthy non-noble of appropriate abilities and characteristics. The position seems to be a prized non-noble position as a means to elevate oneself to nemedh status as well as being lucrative in material terms.

The Third Brehon Law: Property Rights

The land held by a clan or tribe was divided into holdings of lesser groups (family and sept) in a basically permanent arrangement. Each smaller groups holdings was considered separate and did not interfere with any other group of the tribe.

1. The King or clan chief has mensal lands for the duration he or she holds office, meaning land set aside for additional responsibilities for rulership.

2. The portion of land held by an individual clansman or tuath.

3. The portion of clan holdings assigned to a tenant, usually 7 year contracts and could be sublet to another tenant, however the original tenant holds responsibility to the land owner.

4. The larger part of arable territory is held in trust, although subdivided between the various septs, every freeman was entitled to a share of land, though not on a fixed term and could be reassigned at any time. However individual rights were guaranteed, being allowed to stay until a predetermined termination date is set, and as long as remaining a law-abiding citizen is entitled to land elsewhere.

5. Non-arable or wasteland such as bogs, forest or mountain were considered common land. It cannot be appropriated by individuals, but was available to all free citizens for grazing, hunting, procuring food and firewood, etc. All cattle graze at will.

Buildings had laws dealing with loss, damage, or trespass willful or non willful was a major offense. To look into a house without invitation costs a fine of 1 cow. To cross a person's courtyard or open a door without permission costs a fine of 2 cows.

The Fourth Brehon Law: Contracts

The most common legal act is to perform a verbal contract or Cor Bel, which means "putting it to the lips". Contracts are an exchange of obligation and a matter of honor. The amount should not exceed the honor- price of both parties. If such a contract was desired, permission from kin would be required who would be responsible to pay in default.

Contracts become invalid under duress, in fear, in ignorance or while affected by drunkeness.

In cases of non-valid contracts, they can become non-valid if unfair to one of the contracting parties, contractees has 10 days to realize the non-valid issue at which time the contract may be adjusted for fairness.

A pledge is something of value given by its owner for a fixed period held in custody by another. Giving the pledge signified the giver's williness to accept the claim of another - or in the event of dispute - submit the issue to arbitration.

The Fifth Brehon Law: Arbitration by Neutral Parties

In every legal dispute from trespass to war between to tribes or tribe and a foreign nation, arbitrators may be called upon to help make a settlement and to serve as ambassadors to non-Celtic nations. These arbitrators must remain neutral parties to the conflicted parties and cannot be kin or fellow clan member to prevent collusion between one of the parties and the arbitrators.

The Sixth Brehon Law: Payment and Restitution

Cattle is the primary medium of exchange. The basic unit was the milk cow accompanied by her calf. A three year old dry heifer was half the value of a milk cow. A two year old heifer a third, a yearling heifer one fourth, a yearling bullocks one-eighth.

Cumal - which literally means "female slave", was less a means of exchange as much as a unit of measurement valued at 3 sets, 6 milk cows or 6 ounces of silver.

Set - a unit of value for honor-price. Honor-price varies with social standing, The honor-price for a clan ruler is 42 sets (21 cows), down to a female calf for a fer midboth (a youth living on his father's land). The value of a set was 1/3 a cumal, half a milk cow, or 2 ounces of silver.

[I have to try and deliniate this into a reliable economy/money system relying on cattle as a means of payment, compared to and perhaps alternately paid in silver ounces - or a silver piece rate.]

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

A note for the glory system

Deciding that glory is the providence of the noble caste (and thus all PC classes), it is a measure of one's status in the noble hierarchy and a means of elevating ones rank status even making oneself eligible for kingship. Glory is more than your reputation, it is your perceived embodiment of the clan ideal - but it must be perceived, witnessed and recognized.

Relics of Glory, an updated idea of the Weapons of Legacy concept from 3e, involve weapons and items with a series of progressive enhancements and arcance properties that level up with it's user every three levels, that require event triggers to activate powers. The Glory mechanic grants access to varying levels of power available from these magic items.

Negative Glory, or Infamy is a condition achieved through witnessed acts of treachery, blasphemy, and the breaking of taboo or the Brehon Laws, as well as not paying fines of restitution and defaulting on contracts - thus breaking your word. Attaining negative ranks of glory can lower your noble status rank in your clan to expulsion from the clan and/or tribe becoming the lowest social rank as Daer-Fuidir (an outlaw).

Social Ranks of Celtic Society
In L5R Glory is tied to the ranks of society and having a resource for Celtic social ranks, I'm inspired to try the same in a given Glory mechanic.

Ri Ruirech - High King of a region or a dozen tribes or more.
Ri Tuath - Over King of several tribes.
Ri Tuathe - King of a Celtic tribe, consisting of varying numbers of clans.
Aire Forgill - noble of superior testimony.
Aire Tuisio - noble of precedence.
Aire Ard - high noble (noble)

Since a noble cannot simply lose noble status, expulsion from clan and/or tribe is the only course which leads to Daer-Fuidir or outlaw status, this would reflect negative Glory. Infamy should count in 2 ranks, the first following expulsion (loss of clan warrior ancestral talents, etc), but in a probationary status in achieving reparations, paying fines and following the Atonement spell. The second rank would be for infamous scoundrels who continue their inglorious behavior and have the lowest possible Glory rank.

PCs begin the game as one of the available player classes which are one of the noble caste: barbarian (gestatae), bard, clan warrior, oracle, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, wizard (runemaster), or witch class. They must begin the game with the minimum amount of Glory which consists of 6 rank distinctions. Progressions between social ranks/glory ranks should become progressively more difficult, while losing glory ranks should be faster/easier than attaining ranks.

These are the parameters for my Glory rank system.

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

@ Sylrae

Sylrae, my dissertation thus far, especially on Celtic Law as a Code of Conduct is not a specific game mechanic yet - I'm only thinking out loud, to help determine the best way to go with it.

However, regarding the Glory mechanic, I am very much considering this an Optional Rule, rather than a necessary mechanic tied to a new base class.

An optional Honor mechanic was provided for 3.0 Oriental Adventures/Rokugan and was almost never implemented by most groups playing that setting. I feel it should and probably would be the same for anyone using this class and the setting's flavor options for a Celtic game outside the intended setting.

Do not think Glory is intrinsically bound to the Clan Warrior class, it is merely a tool to allow DMs to bring greater verisimilitude to a more Celtic flavored setting and theme.

I've already removed the Celtic name from the weapons as they are listed in the class stats. I will definitely include them with a proper weapons list, but I've tried my best to otherwise remove the class from required setting mechanics. In what other way, am I still too tied to the setting?

Last point, nothing locked in stone, I may yet tie the Ancestor talents back into Ancestral groupings again. I'm just trying to generalize the build more, so its more usable overall.

GP

 

[Sylrae]

It seemed like it was getting more heavily steeped into the honor system.

The only thing I'm thinking may be a bit too setting dependent would be the fey step/path sensing. I'm thinking that should be maybe some sort of optional bonus feat, or maybe just include a sidebar of a "If your game/setting doesn't have these things, use these two abilities instead".

I'd like to see a twist on this applied to other ancient cultures, as I mentioned before. Much of it could remain the same, you switch up the weapon list, maybe replace a feat list, add a couple more non-celtic themed abilities. Put them in different packages though. So in celtic places you use the celtic build, if you come from say greece, you get lots of javelings and spears, and breastplates are ok, etc. Even if your setting mainly makes use of the Celtic one, when you introduce your city state countries, there could be a clan warrior type that isnt celtic. Some places have traditional fighters, others have these guys.

Just thinking, and trying to add helpful suggestions.

 

[gamerprinter]

Ancestral Lineage Talents (draft 4)

The following is a work in progress, trying to divide the Ancestral Talents from the previous build into usable themed groupings once again. I have created seven below, which should be enough. Making new groups is not the problem, but filling them with usable Talents and Advanced Talents is the issue. One goal is to provide more talents than can be selected thus options given.

Champion - one of your ancestors was clan champion during a time of great need.
Skill Focus: Intimidation
Skill Focus: Perception
Skill Focus: Craft (weaponsmithy)
Skill Focus: Craft (armor smithy)
Talent: Animal Companion (limited to horse, hunting dog, war dog)
Talent: Battle Cry (+1 morale bonus to attacks for clan warrior and all allies in 30', lasts for 2 rounds per level of clan warrior, up to 3+ CHA mod per day, increase this bonus +1 for every four levels of clan warrior.)
Talent: Combat Trick
Talent: Intimidating Prowess (as a free bonus feat)
Talent: Taunt (as described previously)
Advanced Talent: Mark Opponent (opponent gains -2 attack rolls versus anyone else, but you).
Advanced Talent: Opponent's Bane (after 2 rounds of study in combat, as an immediate action bypass opponent's AC for your next attack.)
Advanced Talent: Champion's Strike (automatically confirm critical hits)

Civilized - one of your recent ancestors was a Ceran citizen and not a Celt.
Bonus Skills: Knowledge (Ceran history), Profession (sailor), Linguistics (Ceran), Use Magic Device
Skill Focus: Linguistics (Ceran)
Skill Focus: Perception
SKill Focus: Knowledge (Ceran history)
Skill Focus: Use Magic Device
Talent: Armor allowance (breastplate)
Talent: Forced March (50% more distance covered/day when fully armored)
Talent: Ceran Economics (understand the value and accounting of coinage)
Talent: Signalling - long distance communications with smoke or flags.
Talent: Right of Passage document (allows legal entry into empire of Cer)
Advanced Talent: Weapon Training 1 (as per Fighter class feature)
Advanced Talent: Weapon Training 2 (as per Fighter class feature)
Advanced Talent: Weapon Training 3 (as per Fighter class feature)

Druidic - one of your ancestors was Clan or Tribal Druid
New Skill: Heal
Skill Focus: Heal
Skill Focus: Knowledge (clans)
Skill Focus: Knowledge (nature)
Skill Focus: Knowledge (fey)
Talent: Clan Lore (as Legend Lore)
Talent: Lay on Hands (as Paladin of equal level)
Talent: Minor Mercies
Talent: Star Navigation
Talent: Weather Sense
Advanced Talent: Find Locus (ley lines power source)
Advanced Talent: Major Mercies
Advanced Talent: Aura of Neutrality - gain DR 5/good and DR 5/evil

Easterling - one of your ancestors was Saxon or Dane
Skill Focus: Profession (sailor)
Skill Focus: Craft (weaponsmith)
Skill Focus: Craft (armorsmith)
Skill Focus: Knowledge (geography)
Talent: Combat Trick
Talent: Diehard - as a bonus feat
Talent: Raging Sot - after 8 flagons of ale or mead (1 wine skin equals six flagons), make a Fort check DC 10 + 1 for every additional flagon consumed, on a failed check subject becomes enraged taking temporary damage: 1d4 Dex, 1d4 Wis and gains temporary bonus: 1d4 Str, 1d4 Con for 5 + BAB in rounds, and is conferred the Exhausted condition at the end of the rage, 1 time per day. Easterlings drink heavily before going to battle
Talent: Thor's Hammer - +1 attacks using a warhammer, +1 for every 4 levels.
Advanced Talent: Blessing of Valhalla - Nordic prayer is chanted, Fort DC 15, removes the exhausted and fatigued conditions to self only.
Advanced Talent: Drink You Under - doubles duration of Raging Sot, twice per day if exhausted condition is removed, however falls unconscious for 1d8 hours at end of the second use.
Advanced Talent: Loki's Luck - as an immediate action, if an opponent succeeds on any Save while engaging in combat with you, they must reroll using the results of the second roll only, 3 + CHA modifier per day

Fey-Marked - you have fey blood in your ancestry
New Bonus Skill: Diplomacy
Skill Focus: Perception
Skill Focus: Knowledge (nature).
Skill Focus: Knowledge (fey)
Skill Focus: Diplomacy
Talent: Detect Glamour
Talent: Fey-Marking
Talent: Resist Nature's Lure
Talent: Laughing Touch (Su) - as per Sorcerer ability
Talent: Fleeting Glance (Su) - as per Sorcerer ability
Advanced Talent: Find Fey Path
Advanced Talent: Find Fey Portal
Advanced Talent: Fey Magic (Su) - as per Sorcerer ability

Raider - one of your ancestors was a famous raider.
Skill Focus: Acrobatics
Skill Focus: Climb
Skill Focus: Perception
Skill Focus: Stealth
Talent: Combat Trick
Talent: Fast Stealth (as rogue talent)
Talent: Sneak Attack (may be selected up to 5 times, effects stack)
Talent: Treasure Spotter
Talent: Wind Stance (as a bonus feat)
Advanced Talent: Hide in Plain Sight
Advanced Talent: Improved Evasion
Advanced Talent: Lightening Stance (as a bonus feat)

Roan - you have Sealwere blood in your ancestry
Bonus Skills: Diplomacy, Profession (sailor)
Skill Focus: Diplomacy
Skill Focus: Knowledge (nature)
Skill Focus: Profession (sailor)
Skill Focus: Swim
Talent: Deep Vision
Talent: Direction Sense
Talent: Seal Stride
Talent: Resist Cold (swim in icy cold water with no detrimental effects)
Talent: Water-Marked - hold your breath for Con modifier x4 in rounds
Advanced Talent: Arms of Lyrr
Advanced Talent: Breath of Lyrr
Advanced Talent: Wild Shape (any small or medium marine mammal)

Worg - you have lycanthropic blood in your ancestry
Bonus Skill: Diplomacy
Skill Focus: Animal Handling
Skill Focus: Diplomacy
Skill Focus: Knowledge (nature)
Skill Focus: Survival
Talent: Animal Companion (as Hunter's Bond - ranger class feature)
Talent: Animal Trick (teach one unusual action with animal companion)
Talent: Ride Exotic Mount (see exotic mount list)
Talent: Wild Empathy (as druid class feature)
Talent: Woodland Stride (as druid class feature)
Advanced Talent: Call of the Wild
Advanced Talent: Companion's Eyes
Advanced Talent: Wild Shape (as per druid class feature)

Exotic Mount List: aurochs, bison, elothere, irish elk, mastodon, and wooly rhino. (stats yet to be generated for new dire animals of setting)

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

Trait: Druid and Keld Law

Trait: Druid

Category: Social
Requirement: Keld setting, sanctioned member of the Druid caste, which include all clan bards, oracles, sorcerers, witches and wizards.
Description: You are a clan noble, and after years of training and testing have been given official sanction into the Druid caste. As part of the intelligencia, you serve the Ri (King or clan chief) as a neutral advisor and arbitrator for your specialty among the other clan druid caste members. You are the historians, law-keepers, scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, and masters of the arcane arts.
Benefits: +1 bonus to Knowledge (clans) checks, Knowledge (clans) becomes a class skill. Keld Law prohibits the willful harm or slaying of any member of the Druid caste. Druid caste members are forbidden to directly participate in inter clan conflicts, although they can prepare warriors with enhancements prior to combat and aid them afterwards. Keld Law requires Druid caste members to remain neutral to Keld clan politics, and may only participate as arbitrators, unless they are one of the parties in dispute.

Keld Law: (Draft 1)

Using the Brehon Laws as a reference, but requiring a simpler code of conduct for Keld society this is my first attempt. (Note until further notice, the setting is now called Keld - Iron Age Celtic Clans setting)

First Law - Restitution for all Infractions: capital punishment for crimes and infractions is prohibited, the law requires review by neutral arbitrators and judgement by king or clan chief with payment of restitution in the form of cattle and property called Honor-Price to the wronged party, based on status and levels of material wealth.

[A table of offenses and restitution scaled to social rank will eventually be created.]

Second Law - Trial by Combat: Arbitration and judgement can be set aside if both parties in a legal dispute agree to a trial by combat, between chosen champions or themselves fighting until pre-agreed terms of defeat have been achieved. While most disputes arise between two individuals, trial by combat can escalate to clan versus clan feuds which still technically qualify as trial by combat. Feuds by tribes and regions are considered wars and also fall under this category. In any case, neutral arbitrators can interceed at any time for a temporary truce to try and achieve equitable settlement between disputed parties.

Third Law - Clan Division, Rights and Priviledges: all clans of Keld from top to bottom are divided between rulers, nobility, landowners, commoners, the poor, immigrants, slaves and criminals and have varying degrees of rights and priviledges due based on clan status and levels of material wealth, as well as additional unique rights granted by the Ri.

King or Clan Chief (Ri) - as an elected leader of the clan or tribe, the Ri is the final judge on all matters. Through majority vote by the nobility and landowners, the Ri can be removed from office if considered unworthy for any reason. The Ri is entitled to lands and property to support his governorship in addition to his own material wealth, granted a warband of clan warriors, and a support staff of druids, artisans and servants.

Nobles (Nemedh) - priviledged members and their immediate families of clan society are the primary landholders and wealthy property owners who serve official offices as members of the court of the Ri. All clan warrior's of the warband, all members of the druid caste, wardens (rangers) and scouts (rogues), as well as the most skilled and wealthiest clan artisans comprise the noble caste. Through majority vote by the Ri, noble caste members and landowners, a noble caste member can be downgraded to lower status or removed from clan altogether due to acts of infamy or failure to pay restitution and considered an outlaw. The nobles are entitled to their own land and properties, a vote in government.

Upper Middle Class (Aire) - wealthy non-noble landowners including rich farmers, herders or fisherman with more than a one ship - almost consider lesser nobles have many of the rights and priviledges of the noble caste, though less material wealth. With the acquisition of enough wealth, the aire are the only non-noble social caste that can be elevated to noble status, conversely with the loss of enough wealth due to circumstance, restitution or fortune aire can be downgraded to Ceile or lower status. The aire have a vote in government and can bear witness against the Ri and the noble caste.

Middle Class (Ceile) - comprised of rent-paying land holders, skilled craftsmen, farmers, herders, tradesmen - the bulk of clan society. The ceile do not have a vote in government, but can bear witness against someone higher rank than their own. Like the aire through gains and loss of fortune, their status can move one caste level up or down, unless failure to pay restitution which relegates all to criminal status.

Non Free Castes:

Bathach (poor, unskilled, wasteland squatters) - having almost no material wealth, they survive at the good graces of the upper castes for employment. Having almost no rights, like the Ceile they can bear witness against those with higher rank than themselves. Though difficult to achieve the bathach can achieve Ceile status with the acquisition of enough wealth or aquiring more skills.

Saer-Fuirdir (immigrants) - immigrants, both non-local Keld tribe members and non-Keld have come to the territory voluntarily and on general good terms with the authorities may pay rents for land to provide work and a place to live. They have no voice in government and cannot bear witness. With enough acquisition of wealth saer-fuidir can elevate themselves to near ceile status, but cannot gain the rights to bear witness at any time.

Daer-Fuirdir (criminals and slaves) - criminals (those who fail to pay restitution for offenses committed) and slaves (war captives) cannot hold material wealth, have no voice in government, cannot bear witness and live at the good graces of their jailers and owners. Emancipation is the goal of Keld Law and through restitution payment, proven skill and trust can be elevated to Ceile status. Outlaws (those ousted from clan and/or tribal membership for gravest offenses and lack of restitution payment) and escaped criminals are considered the lowest members of society. Only through extreme circumstance and atonement can they return to clan society, at ceile or higher status.

[A table describing levels of wealth and corresponding social rank will be created.]

[PCs in a typical campaign are all members of the Nemedh noble caste, the lower caste levels serve as the bulk of the clan NPCs, or as a lowered status placed onto PCs due to misfortune and circumstance. Non standard campaigns can begin at any level of clan society as appropriate.]

Fourth Law - Druid caste guarantees: as neutral advisors, educators and arbitrators, druid caste members are proscribed from taking sides in a dispute, unless if they are one of the parties in dispute, and must remain neutral to arbitrate disputes when appropriate, doing so for all clan issues, and with the best interest of both parties. If their arbitration proves false, contrived or with prejudice, they are liable for the restitution of the offense. They cannot participate in non-druid challenges, combat or agression between parties, though they can prepare warriors for combat and aid them afterward. This applies to disputes between Keld clan members, clans, tribes and nations (Keld and foreign).

[This means that druids can adventure and fight monsters, fey and natural beasts, but cannot direct participate in combat between members of Keld society, rather they can buff their allies and debuff opponents prior to the start of combat, but cannot otherwise engage in combat directly.]

Consequently members of Keld society are proscribed from willfully harming or slaying a member of the Druid caste under any circumstance. Under extreme circumstances such as a druid's assault on an innocent, the Ri or directly, illegally participating in combat between two Keld parties, may be prevented (even killed) by another druid caste member only - though restitution will still be required for the harm, loss or death of that individual.

Fifth Law - your word is your contract: in a society without written contracts, oral contracts are binding as long as conditions of duress, fear, ignorance or drunkeness between two agreeing parties do not exist. Contract discrepancies have a 10 day grace period to make alterations for unfair agreements made, after which is binding and irreverseable. Failure to transact the contract by either party may be subject to arbitration and penalties for contract default with restitution paid to the wronged party. A person's only point of honor is their word, and giving false witness (lying) is considered the most despicable breach of social conduct, and grounds for expulsion from clan and tribe.

Honor-Price is your value in material wealth to your rank position in clan society (a table of wealth by rank will be provided). Normally you can only make contractural obligations up to your honor-price. Agreements in excess to your honor-price must be agreed with kin paying the difference in case of default.

[A table containing incomes by profession and clan rank will be provided.]

[Note: exageration is considered poetic and not giving false witness.]

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

My Hibernia analog map...

Although I'm not quite at the point that I need a map for my setting, I decided to create my Ireland (Hibernia) analog for the setting. Of course I intend to create a full British Isles analog, as well as Spain and Gaul, but I'm not developing that yet. I thought creating the Irish island was worth it for an early version of the map.

This is just the basic terrain, I have to add forests, the background water, then heraldric knots and symbols on round or rectangular Celtic shields as kingdom labels with their names beneath, then dozens of tribal names scattered about. I will place at least 4 towns and several important sites, but individual clanholds and villages will be for regional maps, rather than "country maps" like this one. The dashed line regions on the north and west side of the map, and at the mouth of the southwest river are marshland or moors.

Enjoy!

GP

EDIT: third time's a charm, this is the final version of my Isle of Hybreni map - here's a link to a larger version:

http://www.gamer-printshop.com/cbg/hybrenia-new.jpg

 

[Sylrae]

that is a gorgeous map.