Rivergate

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As you head west through Rivergate, you will eventually come to the edge of town. Past the final few buildings, you’ll see the Brigade Outpost set about 100 yards away. The outpost itself is little more than a walled courtyard roughly 25 feet wide and long. The walls rise fifteen feet with crenelations and towers at regular intervals.

To enter the outpost, you must cross through a set of reinforced oak doors and then an iron portcullis. Set in the middle of the walls is one large building that serves as barracks, armory, and stable. The relatively small size of the contingent (fifteen to twenty at any given time) uses the fortified outpost as their base as they patrol the area and collect taxes due.

Though Rivergate is on the edge of the Dominion of Kwela, the Brigade keeps an eye on Dominion interests in the region. Those interests include ensuring the safety of travelers along the road, collection of taxes, transport and delivery of tax monies to the capitol, and helping with town security when asked. The Brigade is on good terms with the Reeve Lelas in town, but at odds with the Town Council over use and disbursement of tax money.

Each cart that enters or leaves town is assessed a tax by the Kwelan guards on duty. Two scribes work at the outpost and handle the assessment and collection of taxes owed to the Dominion and the town. Carts may be charged anywhere from 5 sp for a half-full cart to 10 sp for a full cart, with additional costs for weapons shipments. Merchants delivering goods are given a parchment note indicating that taxes have been paid so they only have to be charged once.

All silvers collected are split between the town and Dominion coffers. A vault exists within the outpost that is guarded day and night. Once a month the proceeds are divided and delivered to the Town Council and the Kwelan capital of Volu.

In addition to the collection and disbursement of taxes, the Brigade patrols the roads leading from Rivergate to the crossroads about 50 miles east of the outpost. At any given time there may be one or two patrols along the road on a 3 or 4 day rotation to the inn at the crossroads – The Spinni Inn.

For a list of NPCs, see after the jump…
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Last night we started our once a week online campaign for Immortals’ Wake: Rivergate and once again, WR&M proves worthy of admiration. Concept to character in less than 5 minutes.

Unfortunately that’s as far as we went, but let me introduce the two characters… My friends Kevin and Mike are the only two players in the campaign at this point, but hopefully we’ll attract others over time.

Kevin created what he calls a “Marine” – basically a tough sailor used to doing battle at sea. Not your average sailor.

Name: Looyis (pronounced like “Lewis”), or Loo for short
Description: 5’3″, close cropped blond hair, full beard, scar from above left ear to just under left eye (sword cut)
Stats: Warrior: 5, Mage: 3, Rogue 2
Skills: Athletics (Warrior), Swords (Warrior), Awareness (Mage)
Talent: Sailor
HP: 11
Fate: 2
Mana: 6
Defense: 8
Equipment: Sword, Dagger (x2), Adventurer’s Kit, Iron Rations (2 weeks), Backpack, Torch (x5), Leather Armor
Money: 184 sp left over

And Mike created a sailing buddy who has some woodworking skills…

Name: Neb
Description: TBD
Stats: Warrior: 3, Rogue: 5, Mage: 2
Skills: Bows (Rogue), Daggers (Rogue), Acrobatics (Rogue)
Talent: Craftsman (Wood)
HP: 9
Fate: 5
Mana: 4
Defense: 8
Equipment: Adventurer’s Kit, Backpack, Woodworking Tools, 2 sets of clothing (1 normal, 1 travel), Bow, 20 Arrows, 4 Daggers, and Leather Armor
Money: 166 sp left over

These two sailors have just disembarked on the docks of Rivergate’s Docktown and are going to figure out what they’re doing next… when we meet again next week.

So there you have it. We’ve started! Let’s see if we can continue the trend and figure out what kind of trouble Loo and Neb may get into in future sessions.

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With a new online campaign about to start, I thought I’d provide a few tips and hints to get things started for my players.

Top Ten Things to Know About Rivergate

  1. Rivergate is divided into two major sections by a 20 ft high seawall simply known as “The Wall.” West of the Wall lies Docktown, sometimes called the Darkside because some areas are in perpetual shadow. East of the Wall lies Uptown, which comes to life with the sunrise.
  2. The Open Market is open sunrise to sunset every day above the Wall but not every merchant may be available every day in the maze of stalls.
  3. Somehow, the Reeves, the Goons of Docktown, or the sisters at the Temple of the Mother probably know what’s going on or who to ask.
  4. The Magus will offer you knowledge and/or magic items at a price, but may choose not to help you.
  5. In case of emergency, the warning bells throughout Rivergate will ring. Bell ringers are stationed throughout the town and will relay the alarm until it is heard Uptown and Docktown.
  6. The Drunken Demon is Uptown’s least reputable establishment.
  7. “The Pearly Gale” recently docked and several sailors and passengers disembarked with wild tales of Secundus, the new colony far to the northwest. Some appear haunted by their experiences.
  8. Uptown, the Rebus Crew has laid claim to a rash of recent burglaries. Reeve Lelas seeks any information that will lead to their eventual arrest.
  9. Dockmaster Dyn seeks independent help with a small matter of disappearances along the docks.
  10. Talk of Demons recently has gained the attention of a small contingent of the Order of St. Greggor rumored to be on their way from the Grand Basilica of the Mother in Belan’si far to the southeast.

Beyond that, make sure you grab the main rule book for Warrior, Rogue & Mage from the Stargazer Games site.

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The Church of the Mother operates all over the continent, but not all holy places can be as grand as the Grand Basilica. As such, many smaller temples and shrines have been built and maintained throughout cities, towns, and villages across the lands.

In Rivergate, you will find a small Temple of the Mother’s Grace. Though small, every sermon and ceremony is packed wall to wall to hear Abbess Amrin speak the words of the goddess and the Maker. Amrin rules the Temple with an iron fist, but an open heart. She will put up with no foolishness beneath her roof but will move heaven and earth if you earn her trust and love. As old as she is, you’d probably wonder if she *was* the Mother’s sister in her childhood, but her eyes still radiate a warmth and love nobody can deny.

Her sermons draw folks from all walks of life – laborers, merchants, artists, sailors, and anyone else seeking a bit of salvation. Though well schooled in the scriptures, the Abbess often uses humor and local events to drive her points home.

Most nights she can be found giving those who need it a helping hand, a bit of bread, or a sympathetic ear. And those who don’t live up to her expectations are likely to get an earful and forcefully set back on the path.

But if you’re hurt, whether emotionally or physically, you should find your way to the temple. The Abbess and her helpers will do their best to fix you up and set you on your way.

The Temple itself seems simple from the outside, though taller than many other buildings in town. Two giant doors lead into the main hall. To the right of the doors is the bell used to call worshippers to service and sound the alarm when needed. A series of bells are located throughout Rivergate and bell ringers are always nearby to ring messages from the gates to the docks. Two statues – St. Samrak and St. Issal – stand on either side of the door signifying the church philosophies of hope and healing. A series of gargoyles around the domed roof announces to all that no evil is welcome within these walls and that the rules MUST be obeyed.

Inside, the doors open into the main hall with the inside of the dome painted to represent the four phases of the Mother’s life at the cardinal points of the room. East is discovering her faith (with the rising sun). South represents her journey to spread the word. And west represents her final journey to the Maker’s paradise (with the setting sun). Several pews all align towards the east and a raised dais. It is there where the Abbess and her helpers give their sermons.

Through the southern doors is a small area where the sisters sleep and eat. Separated by a cloth divider when needed, half of their living space becomes a hospital with several temporary cots.

If you are seeking shelter or just need to talk, the Temple of the Mother’s Grace is there to help and set you back on your path.

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In my last post, I chatted about some of the difficulties I was having with Divine magic and how rituals fit into the mix.

Warrior, Rogue, & Mage has a few different parts to the magic system. You have Mana, which is the magical energy a caster can use to create a magical effect. You have a personal spellbook containing spells from the various Circles of magic. Each higher Circle basically provides a bit more gusto for your effects. Add to that the concept of Enhancements, which are basically Mana-fueled power-ups, and Rituals, which allows a single caster to cast higher level spells when in a group.

Pentagram with a circle around it
Image via Wikipedia

Seems pretty reasonable doesn’t it?

However, as per usual, I seem to have painted myself into a box and created artificial boundaries. I was so happy that I found WR&M that I used it to build a new set of walls around myself. The rules are great, but I found myself wondering how to shoehorn a few things in.

Today I was reminded by Corvus that you have to take a risk sometimes – or as he put it – “No guts, no glory.” :)

As a result of this FACEPALM moment, it came about that perhaps these aren’t walls at all, but doors instead. And maybe it’s time for a little remodeling. The upshot is that for Divine spells of the priesthood I’ll end up with three or four Circles of spells and a 5th Circle of ritual-only spells that can’t be cast by a single caster. I won’t know for sure that’s going to be the final approach I’ll take for Divine magic, but it’s a start. And with a little playtesting, I ought to see any kinks that show up.

Once I get Divine and Superstitious spells fleshed out a bit, I’ll need to do some serious playtesting anyway.

So that brings me to the second part of this ramble. Would anyone be interested in a WR&M campaign online in an IRC chat one night a week? I’m thinking with one session for a couple of hours a week, we could explore the port town of Rivergate and see how the rules work in the setting.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

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Anywhere along the docks of Riverport, if you hear the name Dyn it’s probably accompanied by a swear word. Though he lost the use of his legs years ago, he still manages to know everything going on in his domain.

A sailor by trade, he was carried off a ship twenty years ago and hasn’t walked since. The twin masted Black Pride was coming back from Saesi to the southwest across the Oathys when a wicked storm came upon them. Captain Black tried to outrun it and was caught from behind. Though the ship limped into port, it was missing its captain and several deckhands when all was said and done. Dyn was caught in the rigging when the main mast snapped like a toothpick, but was among the battered survivors.

Dyn’s father, Ro, worked the docks as an old seaman himself, helping keep track of incoming and outgoing vessels. The shipbuilder Cardoori built him a wheelchair of sorts so that Dyn had mobility. Never one to sit still, he helped his father on the docks once he was mobile. He quickly found his way into the illicit world of the smuggler’s trade and found methods to merge the illegal and legal operations more smoothly for all involved.

These days the dockmaster and undisputed ruler of Docktown, Dyn, now seems content providing services for negotiable fees. Shrewd but fair, he and his goons on the docks are much less prone to following the letter of the law if there may be a few gold in it. But there are rumors of lines even Dyn won’t cross, so people tread lightly when transporting certain goods.

Nothing happens in Docktown without Dyn knowing about it. And when you’d least expect it, you can find him in the strangest places hiding in the shadows, watching, and listening. Depending on who you ask, his chair is rumored to fly, levitate, or teleport wherever he wants to go.

Today, Dyn still makes his rounds as often as he can. But as he gets older, his heir apparent – Isami – can be seen as much if not more than Dyn around the docks. Isami serves not only as Dyn’s right-hand man, but is the leader of the group of Goons who have their fingers in every area – loading and unloading, ship crew, boat repair, storage, and so on.

Isami himself has a bit of a checkered past as one of the Siyada tribe of savages from the islands of Saesi. Lost as a child in one of the great storms the Oathys sometimes whips up, he was picked up by a trade vessel in the area. Though he spoke little of the common tongue, whenever asked a question he would nod and say “Is a me,” thus the creation of his name. After a skirmish on board, Isami was kicked off the ship in Riverport and found work among the Goons, advancing quickly after gaining the attention of Dyn.

(The following NPCs are described using WR&M terms)

Dyn

Attributes: Warrior 3, Rogue 5, Mage 2
HP: 9, Fate: 5, Mana: 4, Defense: 8
Skills: Daggers, Lore, Awareness
Talents: Leadership, Henchman
Trappings: Wheelchair, old dagger, dock ledger

Isami

Attributes: Warrior 5, Rogue 4, Mage 1
HP: 11, Fate: 4, Mana, 2, Defense: 8
Skills: Swords, Awareness, Athletics
Talents: Sailing, Leadership, Tough as Nails
Trappings: Scimitar, shark tooth necklace

Typical Goon

Attributes: Warrior 3, Rogue 5, Mage 2
HP: 9, Fate: 5, Mana: 4, Defense: 9
Skills: Daggers, Thievery, Thrown
Talents: Sailing
Trappings: Hooded cloak, dagger, 1d6 throwing stars

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Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been reading the Warrior, Rogue, and Mage supplements and trying to see how I can fit the Immortals’ Wake world and additional rules bits into it. And I’m delighted to say that it really has been pretty easy to integrate the few bits and pieces into the whole.

As I work on the book, I’ve decided to make this an open process. That means I’ll be posting as I get bits written, including chunks of the book on the blog and hoping for some feedback wherever possible. The goal is to, within a few months, have a book ready to put some finishing touches on and get out there for folks to play with.

The title at this point is: Immortals’ Wake: Rivergate. It may change a bit as I continue writing, but I’m using Rivergate as the starting point. I don’t need to take the world as a whole and cover it all in one book. Instead, I’ll focus on a bit at a time revealing tidbits here and there and adding to the tapestry.

I hope you can be involved in that process. If I write something that just sounds like crap – tell me! If I write something that gets you excited – tell me! I’m just one guy at this point, but I’m hoping that a community can form and help this village idiot get to the finish line. :)

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback you provide and I’ll do my best to stay on track with regular posts along the way.

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