Once Upon A Time...

...There was a town called Karick's Bend.  Set at the bend of a river, just south of the Scol Mountains, it started as a few, mostly Human, fisherfolk.  Times were hard back then - for one thing, the nearby T'skrang were better at fishing.  But the good folk at Karick's Bend adapted, and the town became a kind of trading post.
  The T'skrang sold fish, and bought tools.
  The Trolls to the north bought fish, and sold materials.
  The Iopians, further to the north, bought materials, and sold tools.

  As the town grew, the Elven court of Wyrmwood to the East also joined in, adding different foods, and crafts, to the cycle.  When Throal traded with Iopos....they met in Karick's Bend.  Yet the town itself stayed relatively small, comfortable, growing fat and staying friends with everyone.

  Times darkened.  The Shadows spread.  Trading became less a luxury, and more a necessity, and Karick's Bend...did well.  They bought the secret Rites of Passage from Thera without having to break themselves as many did.  Where other towns who bought them early were soon ransacked by desperate neighbors... Karick's Bend's neighbors didn't care.  The Trolls had their pride, and scorned the Theran Rites.  The Queen of the Elves declared they had a better way.  And Iopos had their own wealth.  Oh, yes, they sent some Ork Raiders in search of slaves and goods, but the people of Karick's Bend took the scorchers in, and promised them safety where Iopos promised slavery.  And the T'skrang...well, they were going to sleep.

  The Kaer was built, and kept its name.  Indeed, it kept its river, diverting it at the very bend it was named for, to run underground and, carefully Warded, through the Kaer.
  At the last minute, many Elves had second thoughts, and came seeking refuge.  The good people of Karick's Bend - now a mix of Races already - welcomed them, and they brought many gifts.  Karick's Bend closed its doors.  And the Scourge... well, it passed.  There were a few shaky moments - times when Something was pounding at the gates, or scrabbling about the walls - but the Wards held.  The Doors held.  People may have individual quarrels here and there, but the Kaer started with a solid supply and a solid plan, and no one came in with nothing to offer.  And after a while, it came time to look outside; and from there, to open the Doors, and rebuild...outside.

  Rebuilding the actual township is still a work in progress, but it's going along nicely.  Quite frankly, it's hard to imagine life could be very much better.

  There's only one thing that might be considered an issue, and really, it's more of a historical note than anything to fret about; the Adepts are gone.  Purely as a matter of attrition, the closed life of the Kaer was hard on their kind.  Apparently, every Discipline worked on a kind of apprenticing scheme.  Unlike honest professions, however, the magical ones evidently couldn't just choose their apprentices.  One had to be born at the right time, be found by the Master, and be trained as well as could be before the Master died...and however strong the new Master was, well, that was the best the next batch of Apprentices could hope for.  Assuming there was even a `batch'.  So over the years, first one Discipline, and then another, faded away, lost to the annals of memory.  The last to go was the Elven Troubadour, Lytheria, more than a hundred years ago.

  They're not forgotten, of course!
Stout Warriors, who could glide upon the air.
Archers who could pin a bullseye from across the Kaer.
Nethermancers, dark and grim; Illusionists, full of whim.
Stalkers, hunting Horrors in their very lair.
The Smiths of Old, with armor none could ever pierce.
Masters of Beasts both tame and fierce.
Elementalists, Nature's guide; wizened Wizards, full of pride.
Raiders, strong and deadly, who engaged in no commerce.
The Swordmasters, glittering blades flashing!
The Cavalry, steeds stampeding and smashing.
Thieves against whom no door locked.
The Troubadours, whose songs and poems no one mocked...  the rhyme, although clearly written after the passing of the last Troubadour, remains popular.  They live on in story books, like Thystonius and the Troubled Troubadour.  Children's games, like Old Blind Thief, or Elemental Stones.  They're remembered in song, and Swordman's Grace remains a popular dance.

  ...But they're not needed.  Karick's Bend does just fine.  Buildings are going up, and there's talk of making contact again with their ancient neighbors - assuming any of them survived the Scourge - and starting up old trade routes again.  Or new trade routes.

And that's when the strangers ride in...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:39, Fri 10 Feb 2012.

You are all aware of a Troll named Urdon.  The good news is, he seems to think that hitting anybody but a Troll is beneath him.  The bad news is, he's...well, he's bad news, and he attracts other bad news, who have gotten to be known around the Bend as Urdon's Gang.


There's Laethwyr, a handsome Elven boy with long silvery hair; he's a jerk, but on many levels, as much Urdon's victim as anyone.  For whatever his reasons may be, he looks up to the Troll, and seems to aspire to be just like him.


An Ork Named Janin, who seems to rather resent the name Urdon's Gang, insisting he's no one's lackey.  At least, when Urdon isn't around.  Janin is vicious, and appears to feel that any debt the Orcs may have owed to Karick's Bend has been long since repayed - he likes to take what he wants, apparently as a matter of principal.


A Human, Chaia; she's equal parts pretty and petty, and seems to hang out with Urdon and his fellows because they let her get away with being meaner.  Those of you in her age group are well aware that she's more than happy to get right in there and hit someone with a stick; but she's also very good at convincing the adults that yeah, OK, she's not always nice, but she isn't violent...



Another Ork, Avahur, is perhaps the most approachable of the Gang - at least, if you can catch him alone.  When the others are around, he acts very surly and will get violent if you try to talk to him reasonably, but he's been known to actually apologize when he's `off the clock', and will sometimes give tips about times and places Not To Be.


And...there's the Windling.  Sithathys just...likes tweaking people bigger than him.  He's a petty thief, occasional sabateur, and has a serious knack for the cutting word.  Between being a `child' and being a Windling, he gets away with far too much.


Maestil is a T'skrang, not yet expressed into either gender, but because people aren't really comfortable calling another person `it', she's usually thought of as female in the same way Opluriko is - she seems to lean that way, anyway, and if she turns out to be male, then people will stop calling her `she'.  She's not actually part of Urdon's Gang; she's a troublemaker all on her own, considering herself to be a consummate prankster.


...In all, the Gang has, for one reason or another, picked the seven of you as their favorites.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:50, Wed 11 Sept 2019.

On The Passions of Earthdawn

 First, a little bit of how I see the Passions in a sort of general sense.  They do fill the place of a divine pantheon for Barsaive, but like a lot of fantasy tropes, the designers...tweaked it.  The Passions aren't Gods.  I describe them more as `concept elementals'.  They don't just `represent' an idea; they embody it.  They are it.  I have my ideas about what they're made of, but those aren't really important for our purposes.

 Some things that differentiate them from more traditional Deities are;
 There are no "priests" in Barsaive.  The closest you get are Questors, who are people who have devoted themselves to a single Passion - but the Passions themselves actually don't seem to encourage this, or even necessarily care.  Questors can draw certain powers from this devotion, building a stronger connection to the ideals of said Passion, but it's not really accurate to say that the Passion `gave them' these powers. (People still do, of course.)
 Likewise, the idea of temples is...not unheard of, but rare.  The Passions aren't `worshiped' in any sense.  They're sort of revered, but more as ideas and ideals than as beings.  The Passions aren't interested in competing over followers; they just sort of embody what they are.  Some of them have a focus that shifts this a little bit - Chorrolis, for instance, includes Desire in his embodiments, and he may therefor actually Desire quantities of worshipers in a way that the others wouldn't, but that's just what he is.  Upandal, as the Passion of Building, may appreciate a well-crafted Temple more than most.  But where they do exist, they're still not really a focus like a church... more just a place where people might go to think about things in a certain way.
 Most people sort of generally follow `The Passions', as circumstances dictate, but only Questors actually devote themselves to a single one.  And Questors are considered weird.  Not bad, necessarily, but weird.  Maybe the best way to suggest it is to say that Barsaivian's have belief, but not religion.
 ...Oh, and pronouns are totally a matter of convenience.  Some of the Passions have `gender-leanings', but none of them actually have a gender.  Or, for that matter, a race.

 They're similar to Gods in that they do have a physical embodiment that sometimes appears in the world, and will wander around, you know, doing what they do.  People do make offerings to them, or otherwise seek their blessing, and while there aren't temples, there are sometimes shrines.


 So, in specific, the Passions are:
 Astendar, Passion of Love, Art, and Music.
 When Astendar appears, it is normally as a powerfully built male or female of any race, wearing few garments and usually with a musical instrument.  Astendar is followed particularly by artists, and invoked by lovers everywhere.

 Chorrolis, Passion of Wealth, Trade, Jealousy, and Desire
 Generally appears as a corpulent male of any race, sometimes happy, sometimes bitter.  He's always finely dressed, and carries money and expensive objects with him.  He's followed particularly, of course, by merchants, while invoked often by their customers.  He inspires people to both clever bargains and diligent work.

 Erendis, Passion of Knowledge, Learning, and Civic Order
 Erendis's manifestations are usually of a small person, of any race, frequently bearing a contract, or at least a lot of paper.  She's looked to by bureaucrats and clerks, scholars and teachers.

 Floranuus, Passion of Revelry, Energy, Victory and Motion
 Sometimes manifests as a humanoid shape composed of fire.  Floranuus is invoked by travelers and those with something to celebrate, and carries an unrelenting sense of optimism and hope.  He has no comprehension of despair - it's the antithesis of what he is.

 Garlen, Passion of Hearth and Healing
 Usually manifests as a woman, but sometimes as a kindly, comfortable-looking man.  Garlen's Name was integral to the protections of all the Kaers, and she remains one of the most deeply revered Passions in Barsaive.  Some people think of Garlen and her Questors as weak, but then, few of even those would try to hurt those they care about.

 Jaspree, Passion of Growth, Care of the Land, Love of the Wild
 Jaspree generally manifests as half some kind of creature, and half member of one of the Name-Giver Races, with no real affinity to either gender.  He's invoked by farmers, hunters and woodsmen, children picking flowers, and really, anybody enjoying a nice walk in the woods, to some degree or another.  Her actual followers can be rather more frightening.

 Lochost, Passion of Rebellion, Change, and Freedom
 Lochost usually manifests as a child, of any race.  He is the patron Passion of slaves, rebels, and scholars.  He's invoked by anyone who feels oppressed - so, yes, teenagers, often.  In general, he is as much opposed to conformity and social constriction as he is to active tyranny.

 Mynbruje, Passion of Justice, Compassion, Empathy, and Truth
 Mynbruje generally appears as an elderly member of any race.  She represents the best of justice - fair, balanced, seeking truth over comfort, yet tempered with caring.  He is invoked by those seeking answers, and by those accused of wrongdoing; his truest devotees are judges and lords.

 Rashamon, Passion of Leadership and Law
 Rashamon manifests as an imposing figure, often with regalia such as a crown or scepter.  It is mostly leaders who look to him - heads of state, generals, etc.; others will call on him more in hopes of giving their leaders guidance, than for personal reasons.

 Thystonius, Passion of Bravery, Conflict and Valor
 Thystonius is usually tall and muscular, but might manifest as any race and either gender.  He's called on by athletes and those facing either danger or a physical challenge - someone about to try reaching the top of a tree higher than they've gone before might ask for Thystonius's aid.  He is often invoked in battle, but in truth, it is any physical conflict or challenge that he embodies.

 Upandal, Passion of Building, Construction, and Planning
 Upandal manifests as various sorts of craftsmen, usually wearing worn and dirty work clothes.  He's invoked in any new project, from raising a barn or building a bridge, to crafting a lock or forging a sword.  Of course, carpenters, blacksmiths, and masons call on him the most.

 Vestrial, Passion of Tricksters, Laughter, and Enlightenment
 Vestrial's manifestations vary perhaps more than any, but cloaks and masks are common elements.  Vestrial might appear as any race, gender, or age.  Vestrial uses humor and trickery to teach lessons and puncture the egos of the arrogant.  She's called on most often by entertainers and practical jokers, or those who just think someone needs a little lesson in humility.  On rare occasions, someone even thinks this of themselves.


 A final note about the Passions is that, when it comes down to it, they're all essentially positive.  They don't just embody emotions, but Ideals.  Perhaps the two that come closest to the darker side of emotions are Chorrolis and Thystonius.  Chorrolis does include Jealousy and Greed in his domains, but as the Passion highlights them, they inspire people to better themselves and create great things.  Thystonius is sometimes seen as a bit of a thug, but that's largely because he's very physical.  While people might use his name when they're about to whack someone with a really big stick - and oh yes, they do - the Passion is really about courage and health and aspiration.

 Note that while few people are really devoted to a single Passion - or even actually devoted to the Passions, period - having one or two favorites is common.  If you have any questions about any of them, keep them to yoursel-- er, feel free to ask!
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:51, Sun 26 Feb 2012.

Points of Interest in Karick's Bend

 There's a small schoolhouse being built.  Apparently, the Kaer had actually had a whole university that was kind of central to the whole community - after people had a generation or so to settle in to underground living, education was actually a good way to pass the time.  Since Emerging, everyone's been too busy to keep up with it, so your generation has been somewhat slighted in this regard, but your parents all think it was a good idea, so they're trying to get it up and running again.  Currently, classes are kind of informally run in the Pavilion area - if somebody has something they want to share, they can spread the word, and if anybody's interesting in learning it, they can drop by at the right time.  That is why everybody is, for instance, literate, though.

The Trolls have a Watchtower.  It's not entirely fair to say that they have the best stonesmiths, although it wouldn't be unfair to say it either - however, they most decidedly have the only ones able to pick up a 150 pound stone and carry it up four flights of stairs.  And anyway, they were the only ones really interested in building one.  It's about five stories high, but the inside is just stairs, and then there's the top, which is open, with a roof over it.  Apart from the four corner supports for the roof, it really is just open - no, like, fence around the side, or anything silly like that.  OSHA would be appalled, but there you go.  There isn't always somebody up there - or even frequently.  But pretty often.

The T'skrang have recently opened something they call the Trisnari - it's like an inn, but it doesn't have any rooms for people to stay in.  It just serves food.  That's it; a room full of tables, where you can pay some silvers and they'll prepare and bring you food, and then you go home.  It's a bit of an odd concept, but there you go.  The T'skrang use a variety of interesting and often rather hot spices, and specialize in egg dishes. 

Near the south of the village is a Watermill, and also a Net strung across the river right where it opens up a bit.  These are taken care of by a pair of Humans named Hamilcar and Neela, who also run a small apiary and, well, almost any other little `side business' they can think of.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:06, Fri 06 Sept 2013.