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17:10, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Customs, Calendar, and Money.

Posted by DMFor group 0
DM
GM, 41 posts
Mon 29 Mar 2021
at 21:30
  • msg #1

Customs, Calendar, and Money

Men, women, and children generally mingle freely, and there is no “dating” per se.  Rather, when a romantic interest is to be pursued, a courting process begins.  Either party can initiate the courtship by presentation of some small gift; if there is mutual interest, a courting gift is given in return.  Courtship normally continues for several years before a marriage proposal is made.  While one can only court one person, in some places there are dalliances before the betrothal (though very much frowned upon by the community aware of the courtship relationship as well as the other half of the courting couple).  Breaking a betrothal is sometimes cause for an honor challenge or honor feud.  Wedding ceremonies depend upon which temple performs the marriage although the temple of Ardruna is more popular than most others.  Courtship is broken by returning the initial gift (or exact replica); divorce is a similar simple matter.

It is common for young people to be fostered—to live and grow up with another family to cement a relationship or to start a child in an apprenticeship, but rarely cross-clan.

Trial by combat is a time-honored tradition.  A person who has felt offended may challenge the offender to a fight.  This is only fought when a serious matter of honor is at stake, and agreed beforehand to a termination point:  when one is forced out of a pre-marked area, to first blood, to incapacitating injury, or to death.

The honor challenge is presented to the Justice or a cleric of Uric who determines the legitimacy of the challenge.  If it is deemed rightful, the parties (or, with permission, a champion for one or both) fight as described.  An honor feud is declared when an entire sept considers itself to be wronged by one or more persons, again after legitimacy is determined.  A blood feud is the unresolvable dispute with open and planned hostility.

Weregeld is a customary payment after the accidental death of another equal to the amount that would have been earned in 1 year if single, or 3 years if married.  This does not apply to deaths resulting from an agreed-to honor challenge.

Funerals

The deceased are sent to their final rest with rites designed to mark their souls so that they can be found by Erin the Dark Hunter and conducted to Bragla.  People go to great lengths to make sure these proper words are said as otherwise souls not found by the Dark Hunter may be doomed to wander as ghosts or other undead entities until given proper honors.

Rites of Passage

Legal age for humans is at age 17.  However, a Coming of Age ceremony might be held any time between the ages of 12 and 17 depending on the particular clan's traditions.  This will provide a +1 modifier to any single, future saving throw.  Your character would have had the Coming of Age ceremony at some time prior to the start of the game, so each character will have that +1 modifier for a single saving throw (you may declare it after the roll, so you may hold it for a roll where that +1 is the difference between a pass and a fail).

A Rite of Adoption would be held when one is adopted into a clan other than the one of birth, invoking both the Death Crone and Ardruna to acknowledge the end of one life and passage into a new life in the adoptive clan.  This is a fairly uncommon rite, normally in the event that one marries outside one's birth  clan.

The Rite of Elevation is held when a person is officially promoted to a position of rank and responsibility.  There is a ceremonial date for this event, although field promotions may happen, they are more of an “acting [office/rank]” which remains unofficial until the formal rite is held.

Government
Trozan is divided into eight provinces and a total of nineteen districts.  A province is divided into two or three districts.  Districts are further divided into boroughs.  The boroughs are used for calculating senate representation, taxes, and the number of militia whose service is ordered to the king.  The province is ruled by a duke or duchess, the district by a count or countess, and boroughs by a baron or baroness; in the case of a region predominately the seat of a client or treaty nation, a district may be ruled by someone who has been granted the title of duke/duchess.  These nobles are judged by the standards of the people of their district and could be removed if they are unresponsive or overly bureaucratic, which is a strong check on the nobility behaving in an ignoble manner.  The Senators are the citizen's voice in the capital.  Senate-Ambassadors are appointed by the head of a client nation or treaty nation.  It should be noted, however, that while the structure of government is organized, there are considerable tracts of territory within a given district which are quite unsettled.

Citizens have a number of obligations and privileges.
Military service:  for two years between the ages of 17 and 27, male citizens are obliged to serve in the army; during peacetime one may select when that two year period is, but anyone in this age bracket can be drafted into service if he has not already fulfilled the obligation.  Female citizens and members of client-nations or treaty-nations may also volunteer.
During peacetime, citizens are assessed a flat 10% tax on a household basis; this may be increased during war or other exceptional circumstances
As friends of the clan chief are treated as honored guests, so citizens are expected to give aid to soldiers, senators, and other representatives of the government
citizens may select their own representative to the senate based on who is acceptable to clansmen and elders and eligible per rank and ability, or community elders if in a city outside clan territories
protection from external dangers by the government military, aid in time of disaster, and the right to a hearing if accused of a crime

Client-nations
A client-nation pays tax based on the wealth of the nation, with a representative in the senate.  Client-nations have their own government and enforce their own laws among their people.  They may also contribute to the military of Trozan individually or as entire units that come under the control of Trozan if the client-nation is endangered.  Their legal practices are reviewed and cannot include practices forbidden by Trozan law, but may otherwise differ from the laws of Trozan.

Treaty Nations
A few nations prior to the union of Trozan retained a treaty status, rather than being absorbed into Trozan.  Legal practices may differ within the treaty-nation's territory and are not subject to review by the Trozan authorities; unless the individual is quite high ranking, it is unlikely that Trozan citizenship can be called upon to change any outcome. The treaty nation has no vote in the government, but is represented by a Senate-Ambassador.  Tariffs may be imposed if not offset by tribute paid to the king of Trozan.

Legal System
The legal system has been codified and ensures a hearing for everyone accused of a crime and guarantees punishment if the accused is found guilty.  There is very little leeway in sentencing and punishment; while some of the non-human citizens resent the laws, the military power of Trozan will enforce these laws.

The trial is overseen by a judge who received training from the temple of Uric or a cleric of the temple of Uric, although the accused may request a tribunal of three judges if the death penalty is a possible outcome.  Judges conduct their own questioning and anyone with pertinent evidence may present it.  A clan chief, town elder, or other community authority may pass judgment on a misdemeanor or civil offense.  Justices are based in the capitals of provinces.  There is no legal assumption of either innocence or guilt prior to the trial.  Clerical magic can (and will) be used to get to the truth (although there may be rival clerical magics used to obscure the truth).  Once accused, a person is either taken into custody or allowed to stay free depending on reputation and known degree of honor.

Once the trial begins, the judge hears the evidence and reviews the evidence; he may also employ clerical magic to produce evidence and verify statements.  Para-legal judges (such as clan chiefs and town elders) have a reputation for trending more lenient than the temple-trained judges who adhere as closely to the written law as possible.  Punishment is swift, sentences carried out immediately.

Bondservice is a voluntary servitude to pay off the legal debt or work off a sentence.  Three conditions must apply: a justice chooses to allow the option and if the guilty party volunteers for bondservice when sentence is passed.  The bondservant wears an iron collar for the duration of the sentence, and is given a contract which s/he is entitled to keep with him/her stating the length and terms of the bondservitude.

Military Service

All male citizens are required to give two years of service, and many women also volunteer.  Many are sent directly to a district or provincial military headquarters for the training and service.  Recruits report for duty in the late fall (after harvest, with winter to learn military skills needed).  The common footsoldier makes 2gp per month and is further provided clothing, food, and shelter.   Special units and leaders earn a greater pay, in addition to still being provided clothing, food, and shelter.
DM
GM, 42 posts
Mon 29 Mar 2021
at 21:31
  • msg #2

Calendar

The calendar consists of twelve months of thirty days.  A week is six days.

The months are, in order:  New Month, Month of Snow, Earth Month, Spring, King's Month, Mid-Year, Summer, Month of Chivalry, Harvest Month, Month of the Bear, Hunter's Month, and Winter.

The  days of the week are as follows:  Firsday, Seconday, Thirday, Forday, Fiftday, Sixtday.
DM
GM, 43 posts
Mon 29 Mar 2021
at 21:32
  • msg #3

Money

Coins are varying in size based on the metal content, but in general 100 coins equal one pound.

Copper (commonly called a “freeholder”) has a plowman on one side and a stylized sunburst on the other

Silver (commonly called a shop-bit) is equal to 10cp.  One side is a rose-like blossom with flowering thorn and the other a wagon piled with trade goods

Electrum (commonly called a rider) is equal to 10sp.  One side is a mounted warrior, the other two lances, crossed

Gold (commonly called a king) is equal to 20sp.  One side is the face, in profile, of the king, the other is his coat of arms

Platinum (commonly called a dragon) is equal to 5gp.  It features a dragon on one side and the king's coat of arms on the other.

Castlin (called an elf star) is worth 10pp.  This is a very rare coin, the metal mined by the treaty nation of the elves of Alondith, and has a circle of stars on one side and a hippogriff on the other.
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