=================================================== Y e n d o r T r i u m p h a n t ! =================================================== Skulduggery, Politics and Urban Deprivation in a Fantasy City --------------- Contents --------------- The Background to the Game 2 How to Play the Game 2 Game Control 3 Game Layout 4 General Situation 4 The Guilds and Others 5 Finding Your Way About 9 Locations 9 Inns 9 Home Areas 11 Other Places 12 Sequence of Play 13 Movement Limitations 14 Staying Alive 14 Prestige 15 Gaining & Losing Prestige 15 Money 16 Personal Possessions 17 DEATH (in Capital Letters) 17 Trade Goods 18 Personal Characteristics 19 Fighting 20 Magic 23 The Laws of Yendor 23 Trade in Yendor 24 Religion in Yendor 25 Credits 27 Yendor Triumphant! is © Jim Wallman 1997 Yendorian Artwork is © Alodie Fielding 1996, 1997 =================================================== The Background to the Game =================================================== The City of Yendor has a long an illustrious tradition of being the centre of trade, a safe place in time of trouble and a model of modern urban civilisation. It is a cosmopolitan place, welcoming all species (reasonably) equally. It is a place of freedom and opportunity - freedom to starve and opportunity to die mostly - but those that don't starve or die can actually do quite well for themselves. Those of you already familiar with the works of Terry Pratchett may recognise some elements of that other famous ancient and fictional city - Ankh-Morpork. But be warned, Pratchett's city is a giant plot device (as he is himself would, I am sure, be the first to point out). It isn't a game environment. Yendor is a game environment, and so you should try to be aware that whilst I have been heavily influenced and greatly inspired by the original and you will recognise common elements between the two cities, you shouldn't assume that they are identical - particularly in the important elements of political power. Anhk-Morpork's Patrician is not the same sort of ruler as Yendor's Grand Vizier. The more so since in the previous game, the King Returned and has taken back supreme executive power over the kingdom. Magic is often much in evidence in fantasy role playing games and in common with that tradition it is present in Yendor, but in our case on a more rarefied level. The Mages here are so powerful that they rarely, if ever, magically intervene in the dull scruffy brawling on the streets of Yendor. Or in any other way either. The game is therefore essentially one of trade, politics and negotiation (well, OK and a bit of violence, if you must!). I hope you like that kind of thing. Jim Wallman Estreham Valley 1997 =================================================== How To Play The Game =================================================== In this game the players represent themselves. It is a role playing game. Each player is given a collection of resources, characteristics and prestige, and a personal briefing that outlines their background - some additional information on their role, their objectives, and some information known only to them. The game is played primarily by players talking to each other. If you don't circulate and talk, then you may very well find things going badly. Built into the game are a number of plots and scenarios. Some of these will be very obvious to everyone, some are more subtle, some are known only to one or two players. Do not expect to be able to follow up every plot line offered to you - this is an open ended game which can go in any one of a number of directions at once. Some plots and storylines will dry up, or become blocked by the actions of others - this is to be expected. Others will develop to the full, and some brand new stories will appear unexpectedly as a result of the actions of other players. Much of the fun in the game is to see how the story unfolds. But it will not do so without positive action from the players. Our advice is to get out there and do it to them, before they do it to you. News, information and additional prestige will not just turn up - you have to be proactive in this game to get the best out of it. Interacting Please try to be as civilised as possible, within the requirement to role play and act. Not everyone role plays with the same degree of enthusiasm or colour, and whilst a barbarian might, realistically, come out with a torrent of colourful abuse every time he opens his mouth, it is not strictly necessary. Also, try to use the information in your briefing. All too often it gets glanced at and forgotten. The material we have given you contains useful and relevant information, not only in developing your role, but also sometimes information that others might want. That said, it is probably not in your interests to go around showing other players the entire contents of your briefing! You must make a judgement about how much of your information to reveal and to whom. Revealing nothing can be as bad as revealing everything. Think about it. The aim has been to provide a working environment, populate it with people (you, the players), set up some basic problems and situations and then let it run. How it turns out is, in the end, up to you. =================================================== Game Control =================================================== The game is managed by a small Control Team who help players with the game system, provide some additional information, and to make sure everything runs smoothly. The Control Team is divided up by function Alchemy Control : Responsible for overseeing the experiments and rituals of the alchemists. Assassins & Thieves Control : Responsible for handling any contracts set up with either the Assassins Guild or the Thieves Guild. Government of Yendor Control : Responsible for overseeing the political and legal processes and the activities of those in he Palace Magic Control : Responsible for running the magical researches and other mysterious stuff that goes on in the WizDome. General Control : Handles problems arising during play, and circulates throughout the game generally smoothing the way. In most cases, players will refer to their local member of the control team (in the case of specialist subjects) - or the nearest General Control person. In this game, however, Game Control are not the primary source for most things. All the information needed to conduct your business in Yendor is in the possession of other players rather than Game Control. So if you want to find something or learn something, before going to a member of the Control Team, ask yourself "who can I ask among the players?". Often the answer will be obvious after a little thought. =================================================== Game Layout =================================================== [DIAGRAM] =================================================== General Situation =================================================== The City The city of Yendor is the capital of the Kingdom of Yendor, which is middle-sized and unremarkable as these sorts of kingdoms go. The City is the main centre of population for the kingdom, and an important trade centre. Merchants and adventurers pass through the city on their way to many exotic places. The merchants and traders of Yendor make an honest living from this passing trade, as well as dealing in the various products of the city itself. Recent History The Old King died many years ago and his heir went missing as a baby, assumed dead. The Grand Vizier stepped into the power vacuum and ruled in the name of the King (On His Return). Fortunately, the King was not lost. Reared by nomads in a distant land, the young king grew into a mighty warrior, and travelled the world and had many hair-raising adventures. It was as 'Martin the Swordslinger' that the King was eventually found fighting in far-off Estreham Valley by Yendorian monarchists and informed of his birthright. On his return to Yendor, Martin managed to prove his lineage and resumed the throne with relatively little bloodshed. The Vizier retained his job and his head, and his sound management and administration continue under the restored king. The Guilds and Other Groupings Guilds The Assassin's Guild. Masters of the arts of stealth and invisibility, able to kill in a thousand ways, most of them invisible and stealthy (and usually relying on the victim being asleep or having their back turned). Contract killing is their province, and they take unkindly to anyone attempting to muscle in on their business. In the game they are not represented by players, but Assassins can still be hired for specific contracts., via a member of the Control Team Thieves Guild. Since thieving is impossible to stop, the authorities of Yendor have long since licensed it to the Guild, who have quotas of thieving and robbery which must not be exceeded. It all works out as a sort of indirect taxation, and being self-regulating means that the local police force (the Watch) don't have to be numerous or waste time trying to catch licensed thieves. Not actively played - but thieves might be employed for some special contracts, via a member of the Control Team. Beggars Guild. Again, begging is licensed, and the guild make sure that the proper standards of begging are maintained. Although smelly and scruffy, high grade beggars actually have considerable prestige in Yendor. In addition, beggars can be a useful source of information since they wander everywhere. Guild of Alchemists. A bunch of prototype mad scientists, shunned by the magic users (and anyone else who wants to avoid the inevitable explosions and strange smells that emanate from the guild headquarters. Only they know (or care) what they get up to. That said, the alchemists sometimes accidentally come up with something useful. Guild of Merchants. Vital grouping of the big businessmen of the city, who control (or is it facilitate) the major trading activities. Unlike the other guilds, however, the merchant's guild has found it impossible to control all trading activity in a place like Yendor - so tend to concentrate on developing a monopoly in the most lucrative areas. This tends to be a loose association since they can rarely agree on anything. Guild of Gamblers. The gamblers are expert in organising games of chance and uncertainty. Any gambling in Yendor has to be with their approval. In the absence of gambler players, this is handled by a member of the Control Team. Other Groups Innkeepers. Vital individuals to the commerce and social life of Yendor - the various inns provide entertainment, education, and a place of business for many - in short Yendor couldn't function without them. The innkeepers do not have a Guild, but act for their own interests, and for the interests of their customers (to a point). [In this game, Innkeepers also have a few game functions that are strictly outside their role as Innkeeper - they will keep these functions separate, in the interests of game balance.] The City Watch. A fine body of humans and other species responsible for 'keeping the peace'. They have a vital role in ensuring that the curfew is enforced and that game laws are obeyed. They even get involved in a little detective work now and again. The King's Guard. A bunch of heavily armed guards, mainly based around the Palace. Jolly smart uniforms and all that. How tough are they? Well, take a swing at one and find out! The Guards perform essential escort duties and ultimately defend Yendor against external threats in time of war (which, fortunately, hasn't been necessary for several generations). The Yendor University of Wisdom. The WizDome - this is the popular name for the University of Wisdom's famous Dome and Four Towers of their main university building. This cannot be entered unless at the invitation of the Mages therein. This is an academic place of study and enlightenment for Mages and potential Mages. Like similar institutions throughout the ages it is rife with status-conscious paranoid academics whose main concerns relate to their place in the university hierarchy and making the other Mages look small. Oh, yes, and they sometimes see the odd student too. The Mages have, for many centuries, studied and researched the inner mysteries of the magical art in the UOW. There are other eminent and illustrious universities in the world (most notable the Universal School of Wisdom at Elvenopolis, run by the Master Elves of Lore) but the UOW in Yendor is the foremost human-run seat of magical learning in the known world. Potential Acolytes from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Yendor to attempt to gain admission. There are only two ways of joining the university: First, after careful vetting, only one pilgrim in a hundred is permitted to take the feared Rite Of The First Initiation. Only one in a hundred that takes this awful Rite, survives to pass it and are allowed to become a Student Acolyte of the Low Order, and allowed to enter the University. After a couple of decades of cleaning latrines, scrubbing walls and food tasting, a surviving SAOTLO might then, after a fantastically difficult written and oral test of brains and wit, be accepted as a Student In Ordinary, and actually be taught anything about magic. And then there is the Assisted Places Scheme for Gifted Students With An Exceptionally Large Chest Of Gold - which is usually a little quicker and easier than the first route. The Dwarf Quarter Dwarves are a species of normal-sized handsome beings. Their specialities lie in the manipulation of materials and related things such as mining. No species matches dwarves for mining and metalworking. Dwarves are also relatively long-lived, 400 being a reasonable old age. The Love of Gold : Much is made of the so-called Love of Gold that is said to be exhibited by dwarves. This is in fact a slur on dwarfish civilisation. True, gold is a material much used by our craftsmen, is much in demand as a raw material, a means of exchange and a thing of beauty in itself. It is also true that a dwarf's social standing is almost totally defined by how much gold he has. And gold is used as a vital component in all forms of dwarfish religious practice (the details of which are far too complicated to go into here). But apart from that, dwarves to not have an unhealthy interest in gold. They regard a total obsessive interest in gold as being very healthy indeed. The Love of Gold is, in fact the mainstay of the Dwarfish Religion. `Prayer' consists entirely of composing and singing songs about gold. Any dwarf that actually composes a new song about gold (other than the old favourite "Gold, Gold, Gold!") might find additional Prestige coming their way. Dwarves are important to the economy of Yendor. They own and run many factories that make all manner of useful things, not just those made of gold. The Nobles of Yendor. The 'Nobility' of Yendor are comprised of the oldest families. In the past they have kept very much to themselves, but now that Yendor is a full monarchy again, they expect to be restored to their pre-eminent position as key and important people. The Nobles usually have lands in the hinterland of Yendor, and as such are not always resident in the city. The recreation of a royal court has encouraged a number of them to return to the city for longer periods. The Nobles also have access to feudal troops, armed followers and retainers essential for the maintenance or order and guarding of the borderlands. Obviously, there is no need for them to bring their troops into the city, because law and order is under complete control inside the city walls. At least that's what it says here in the travel brochure. Honest Citizens. Obviously, there are quite a few people who don't fit into guilds or any other obvious group. These are the honest citizenry of Yendor. The term 'honest' has a specific meaning in Yendor, generally taken to be interchangeable with the term 'alive', and not be construed as a value-judgement as to their actual...er...honesty. The Free Folk (or 'Orcs' as they are commonly known). The other species of the world have often called the Free Folk, Orcs. This is another of those cultural misunderstandings since the word Orc merely means `kill' in the folk's language. Generally, FreeFolk Chiefs chant "Orc, Orc, Orc, Orc!" as they go into battle. Hence the name. Free folk are quite common in Yendor. Attracted by the easy living, the strange customs, the wine, the ale and the gaudy colourful streets - many young Folk have traded in their traditional outdoor nomadic traditional life and become cosmopolitan city dwellers. Well, they live in the city, anyway. In recent times, the Folk of the City help the King to hide from his enemies and supported his claim to the throne, and as such they must be more popular now, mustn't they? Traditionally, the Folk have a history of bloody conflict with both humans and Elves - especially with Elves. Of course, the Free Folk in Yendor are 'civilised' and wouldn't go into a Blood Frenzy at the mere sight of an elf in the street. Would they? Virtually all Orcs live in the Orc Quarter - a seedy ghetto with a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Or is it a maze of little twisty passages? I forget. Anyway, this part of town if famous for being somewhere a being could get lost with no questions asked - and in this game it is a place to hide where you cannot easily be tracked down and arrested or assassinated. =================================================== Finding Your Way About =================================================== The main locations in the city are fairly well known, and even a stranger can find his way about fairly easily by asking a friendly and helpful citizen (or failing that, threatening a surly and unhelpful one with physical violence). Locations There are a number of locations represented in the game. These form two main types, Inns, and Home Areas. In most cases, an Inn has a corresponding home area. The Inns are the normal places of business and activity. The Home Areas represent the living and working spaces of citizens of Yendor. Only players allocated to a home area can enter it, or those specifically invited by the inhabitants. Inns As in real life, in this game, the key locations where all really important business takes place are the Inns, and each Inn is controlled by an Innkeeper. Innkeepers are key individuals who can be safely treated as honest brokers, reliable holders of messages, stake monies etc. They are also notoriously hard to intimidate or rob. In game terms they are not umpires, however, and are therefore not necessarily required to be impartial or fair in all their dealings with the other players (although in certain things they have no choice). In principle an Inn is a public place where anyone can go - unless, of course, they have been barred by the innkeeper. The main inns represented in Yendor Triumphant are: The Mended Drum - just inside the city, a normal first port of call for newcomers to the city (and the natural starting point for Barbarians, invading hordes and visiting tourists). It is a known haunt of the City Watch in their rare off duty moments. The King's Arms - the pub just outside the palace. This salubrious establishment is often frequented by the colourful members of the King's Guard - a fine body of highly trained and efficient soldiery. The Retort - The tavern outside the Alchemists Guild Hall. Famous for its colourful aroma, and heavily armoured doors and windows. A favourite watering hole for Alchemists. The Pointed Hat - The tavern outside the University of Wisdom, and one in which the senior staff of the University are know to appear for their refreshment after a prolonged seminar, or working lunch. The Empty Bowl - outside the beggar's hall. Licensed begging is a difficult task, especially for the higher ranks of beggar. Nevertheless, they have to relax sometime, and the Bowl is their regular relaxation spot. The Jolly Aardvark - outside the Jester's guild hall. As any Jester will tell you, "Aard-Vark never did anyone any harm.", and this is true of this inn. If you like good stand-up humour, you are advised to move to another city, because there's nothing humorous about Yendor. Home Areas The Palace - The place where the King, the Grand Vizier and their staff live. Normal citizens can't get in here unless the guards let them. Home Area to: King, Grand Vizier, Treasurer, Tax Inspector, Secretary, Bodyguards and Guards and anyone else permanently attached to the King's household. The Watch House - The base for the City Watch. Contains some serious and uncomfortable holding cells. Home Area to: Members of the City Watch The Orc Quarter - a seedy ghetto with a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Or is it a maze of little twisty passages? I forget. Anyway, this part of town is famous for being somewhere a being could get lost with no questions asked - and in this game it is a place to hide where you cannot easily be tracked down and arrested or assassinated. Unfortunately, you can't do very much of interest while you are here either, unless you are friendly with Orcs. Home Area to: All Free Folk (Orcs) The WizDome - this is the popular name for the University of Wisdom's famous Dome and Four Towers of their main university building. This cannot be entered unless at the invitation of the Mages therein. Home Area to: All Mages or Magic Students. The Dwarf Quarter - The place the dwarves have their factories. Dwarves do not normally like other folk wandering around their factories - mainly due to the series of dull thuds and cries of pain as the visitors continually bang their heads on the ceiling. Home Area to: All Dwarves. Alchemists' Valley - the place where many interesting experiments are conducted into the new scientific mysteries of the world. Also a place known for its exotic mixture of smells and vapours - and the occasional very loud explosion. Home Area to: All Alchemists Merchant's Quarter : The homes and warehouses of the many merchants and traders in Yendor. Home Area to: All merchants and free traders. Poor Quarter : The hovels and slums of the poorest in Yendor. Not really on the main tourist routes through the city. Home Area to: All Beggars. Noble Quarter : The great houses and mansions of the nobility of Yendor. A little in disrepair, since the Nobles have tended not to spend much time in the city in recent years. Home Area to: All Yendorian Nobles. Other Places The Market Square An open meeting place that can be visited during the movement phase. It is where the free traders conduct their business - it is also a useful neutral meeting place and, obviously, where the weekly market takes place. The Docks - Amazingly, this is the main place that ships come in and out of Yendor. Merchants frequent the docks to conduct business, and the docks are where many visitors get to see the splendour that is Yendor for the first time. No players are based here, but this will be an important gathering place, especially when one of the large trading ships comes into port. These trading ships bring a variety of interesting and valuable goods into the city - as well as exotic visitors from foreign climes. =================================================== Sequence of Play =================================================== Each game 'day' takes 20 minutes of real time to play, and the moves are tracked by the clock, time moving on whether players are ready or not. The Game Day is divided up arbitrarily into two phases, known as Day and Night, each of 10 minutes real time. The Day Phase: is also known as the Movement Phase; in this phase players can move about the hall freely, visiting other players, changing locations, generally hanging out wherever they fancy (provided they are permitted to do so by the appropriate Yendorian authority). In The Night Phase, players must stop moving about and must locate themselves in a fixed location for the night. This cannot include the Market Square. Normally only the City Watch and the Vizier's Guard are permitted movement at night. Any player moving around at night will be intercepted by the Watch and arrested as a vagrant. 1100 Game Start 1100-1120 Monday 29th of Aestival 1120-1140 Tuesday 30th of Aestival 1140-1200 Wednesday 1st of Bright 1200-1220 Thursday 2nd of Bright MARKET DAY 1220-1240 Friday 3rd of Bright 1240-1300 Saturday 4th of Bright 1300-1320 Sunday 5th of Bright 1320-1340 Monday 6th of Bright 1340-1400 Tuesday 7th of Bright 1400-1420 Wednesday 8th of Bright 1420-1440 Thursday 9th of Bright MARKET DAY 1440-1500 Friday 10th of Bright 1500-1520 Saturday 11th of Bright 1520-1540 Sunday 12th of Bright - The King's Birthday 1540-1600 Monday 13th of Bright 1600-1620 Tuesday 14th of Bright 1620-1640 Wednesday 15th of Bright 1640-1700 Thursday 16th Bright MARKET DAY 1700-1720 Friday 17th of Bright * 1720-1740 Saturday 18th Bright * 1740-1800 Sunday 19th Bright * [* optional days - we may not necessarily play these days.] =================================================== Movement Limitations =================================================== Players can move freely into and out of areas they are permitted to enter during the movement phase of each turn. They must remain in the Inn of their choice or their Home Area at the end of the movement phase. If barred by the Innkeeper, they must immediately go to their Home Area or nearest Inn at which they are not barred. If they can't find a place to go, they will be arrested by the City Watch as vagrants. Staying Alive In order to stay alive, all the denizens of Yendor must eat and drink. This must be done once per day, and at least one meal must be consumed, and at least one drink. Once a meal is consumed a sticker (available from Innkeepers and Game Control) is placed on your personal character stand, in the appropriate box for the day. Eating for the week is not permitted. Failing to eat or drink results in hit points damage as follows: Failing to eat -10% of maximum hit points per day Failing to drink -20% of maximum hit points per day. (in other words after 10 days without food, you starve, after 5 days without drink you die of thirst, or after 4 days without either, you've had it!). Definitions: A Meal is defined as: One Inn Meal as sold by the Innkeepers (eaten at the Inn or taken home to eat) Attendance at a banquet * One of Mr Parker's 'Meat' Pies A Drink is defined as: One Flagon of Ale, as sold in an Inn One Bottle of 'fine' Yendorian Wine One Measure of Yendorian Brandy Note that the water in the River (or anywhere else in or near Yendor) is not fit to drink. * A banquet requires the organiser to buy enough food for at least one meal per attendee, preferably much more - it is a feature of banquets that there is more food than necessary for survival. =================================================== Prestige =================================================== One of the most important things that most people are worried about is their status as citizens of Yendor. In this game we therefore have a system of Prestige Points. These are gained or lost in accordance with a number of criteria. Some are specific to your personal role briefing, some are more generally known. Your total Prestige is not a secret - after all, that's the whole point of having Prestige. In order to add some colour to the system, the totals of Prestige have names: 0-10 Scum 11-20 Lower Order 21-50 Ordinary Citizen 51-100 Worthy 101-200 Notable 201-400 Worshipful 401-600 Grand 601-1000 Eminent 1001-2000 Illustrious 2001+ Celebrated You cannot have less than 0 Prestige. The Prestige ranking will come into the game in other ways too. Prestige is represented by tangible coloured counters as follows: Green Counter = 1 Prestige Point Yellow Counter = 5 Prestige Points Blue Counter = 20 Prestige Points Red Counter = 100 Prestige Points To prove your standing you will have a badge showing your current prestige. These are obtained by trading in the appropriate number of Prestige Points for the Prestige Badge. Should your prestige drop, you must trade in your badge for a lower Rank and change. Innkeepers hold the 'bank' of Prestige Point Counters, and will issue them in accordance with the rules only. This is not part of their role playing as an Innkeeper. =================================================== Gaining And Losing Prestige =================================================== This an important part of the briefing that you will need to understand fully. Prestige can be gained and lost as a result of independent action, and it can be traded between players. The trade of Prestige is one of the ways those of high rank can influence those of lowly rank, and reward them for actions, support etc. during the game. Money is the other way. Players will have other ways of gaining and losing Prestige specified in their personal role briefing. Prestigious Actions: Conspicuous spending on trappings of importance : Spend half your current prestige value in Kopins to gain 1 (one) Prestige Point. Winning a fight against a superior fighter : Gain 3 Prestige Points. Attacking an Innkeeper : Lose half your Prestige or 100 points whichever is greater. Buying a round in the Inn (that's for everyone present): Gain 1 Prestige Point per person present with a Prestige of your own level or higher (and who accepts the offer). You can be handed Prestige by someone of a higher Rank than you. They get a 'tax break' for doing this, in that for every 2 points of theirs they give you, they get 1 point back. Anything else Game Control thinks up on the spur of the moment. =================================================== Money =================================================== The unit of exchange in Yendor is the Kopin (represented by a gold-coloured coin) Small Gold Piece = 1 Kopin Large Gold Piece = 10 Kopins Large Oval Gold Ingot = 100 Kopins Costs of Things: A Drink for one person 2 Kopins Food for one person 2 Kopins Parker's Meat Pies 2 Kopins (and I'm cuttin' me own froat). A sword, or basic weapon 25 Kopins Alchemical Items Varies, but usually about 5-10 Kopins for most items. Magic Potion About 20-25 Kopins Bottle of Wine 2+ Kopins Equipment etc. Depends where you buy and what you buy. Purchases are usually from a merchant, or perhaps this bloke you met in the pub. =================================================== Personal Possessions =================================================== In order to keep track of what people are actually carrying around in contrast to what they actually own, players are given a Tray and an Envelope. These represent Ready Use (tray) and Safe Keeping (envelope). Ready Use : You can only have 10 items in Ready Use at any one time, not including Kopins (any quantity can be carried) and Prestige Points (which are a metaphysical representation of a rhetorical concept). Any or all items in Ready Use can be used as necessary during the phase and carried about with you wherever you go. Item can be 'stolen' by a licensed thief, may be looted if you are KO'd in a fight, or confiscated by the Watch if you are arrested. If 'searched' all your Ready Use stuff is found ("oh no..not the old 'Kopin In The Boot' trick...."). Ultimately, if you can't talk your way out of it, the only way to avoid a search is to fight. Challenges: Players and game control can challenge this limit. If you think someone is carrying too much you may challenge them to prove otherwise. If you are right, they must give you sufficient items from their tray to make their holding legal. If you can't carry all the items involved then you must hand over items to Game Control. If your challenge was unfounded, then you must give up 10 Kopins or one item from your ready use tray (your choice). Safe Keeping : Any quantity of anything can be stored here. BUT. Items can only be transferred from Safe Keeping to Ready Use (or vice versa) on the turn of the phase (i.e. on the transition from day/night or night/day phases). You will only be allowed a minute to do this. Items in Safe Keeping are not completely safe, in that a Thief might break in and steal some (or even all) of the contents. This is, fortunately, a fairly rare occurrence. Safe Keeping Envelopes should normally be left with Innkeepers during the phase and not carried around with you. Innkeepers are honest in this regard and are not permitted to access safe keeping envelopes. =================================================== DEATH (in Capital Letters) =================================================== When you die, you lose all Prestige and Money (you can't take it with you, no matter how you try). What happens next is for DEATH to know and you to find out. Your good works and a positive karmic record might very well influence life after death. =================================================== Trade Goods =================================================== Since much of the activity in Yendor centres around trade of some sort (and not just of blows either), the next section gives some information on the sorts of goods that are in common currency on our city streets. You should note that prices are, of course, subject to variations in the market trends. Magic Potions There is a regular trade in potions that alter reality in some way (in addition to the perfectly normal reality-altering effects of the local ale). These are coloured liquids, and their effect is not always well known. Generally speaking, a Mage will be able to identify the nature of a potion. A basic potion bringing good health could be expected to fetch around 10-15 Kopins. Wine There is an active market in vintage wine. This takes the form of bottles with a particular pedigree and date. The current year is Year 96 of the Era of the Aardvark in the Yendorian calendar. The older the wine the more valuable. Obviously, once drunk, its value decreases somewhat. The various pedigrees, in order of value, are: Wine Pedigree Suggested 96 Price per bottle Estreham Shining Grape 20 Saxland Red 12 The Grape of Roth 6 White Iris 4 Yendor Splendour 2 In assessing the value of a particular bottle, both the pedigree and the year must be taken into account, leaving some grey areas of value. So, while a bottle of Roth 93 is definitely more valuable than a bottle of Iris 93, it might not fetch a higher price than an Iris 90 for example. Based on the above guidelines, merchants and traders will charge what the market will bear. Obviously, in the event of a shortage, prices will go up. Weapons For some reason there are sad, lonely, individuals who are obsessed with collecting weapons. Obviously everyone has access to a basic sword or knife, but the real collectors are looking for both the rare example of craftspersonship and a bit of history. Or they might want the more esoteric (a Saxlander Humming Whip-Axe for example). Magical items fetch high prices, usually. As before, the value of such things are variable, as the market will determine what they can be sold for. A really exotic weapon might reach prices of upwards of 1000 Kopins. There are famous weaponsmiths, and weapons crafted by them have extra value: They are, in order of Prestige: Weaponsmith Price of a Typical Sword (i.g.c) Cruppe the Elder 100 Vicar Strongarm 75 Leigh In the Field 50 Radway the Green 35 Hawker Sid Lee 30 Witt and Pratney 25 =================================================== Personal Characteristics =================================================== As is traditional with fantasy role playing games, each player has a list of personal characteristics. MUSCLE How strong they are. BUILD How well built they are, and how much they can drink without falling over. ACCURACY How good they are at darts, quoits, shoveha'penny etc. SPEED How quickly they can get out the door when the trouble starts. Other characteristics, such as fighting ability, brains, good looks, intuition etc. are down to the player's own abilities and attributes. Tough eh? Each characteristic is based on 2d6 die rolls, in the traditional matter. For those not familiar with the tradition, this means your roll 2d6 and score under the rating to succeed in a particular area. Hit Points : The hit points for a character is MUSCLE + BUILD x 10 =================================================== Fighting =================================================== Since the emphasis in this game is on interaction and discussion, with only the occasional recourse to violence - the combat system is centred on personal one-to-one fights. There is a 2-Tier system, depending on the sort of fight you want to indulge in. Stage 1 : Non-Lethal Brawling It may be that a disagreement breaks out between people that cannot be solved by negotiation or reason, and they come to blows. It is not necessarily good to go straight to Mortal Combat, so the most common type of fight is the Brawl. The fight is done on a simple paper-stones-scissors system. In case you are not already aware of how this works, each participant puts a hand behind their back and on a signal reveals his choice as Fist = Stone (stone blunts scissors) Open Hand = Paper (paper covers stone) Two fingers = Scissors (scissors cut paper) A success inflicts the MUSCLE score of the winner in Hit points When one or other's hit points are down to zero, they are unconscious. The hit points are recovered when they awake, 1d6 minutes (real time) later. The brawl can stop by mutual consent. Either protagonist may, instead of taking a round of Brawling, announce they intend to 'up the ante' by drawing a lethal weapon and going to Stage 2: Stage 2 : Mortal Combat In this sort of fighting, hit points are lost for longer and they are harder to recover from. Each player has a number of fighting cards, which represent the moves they have learnt to use in combat. More experienced fighters may have more cards to choose from. Precisely which cards they have from the total set is not always revealed. Similarly, some cards can only be used with certain weapons. The combat matrix below is for adjudicating the effect of the most common cards. Some special rare cards are not included, but their effects are listed on the card itself. The Game Control team will adjudicate in the case of some special weapons. The Cards Card/Action Weapons allowed Effects Parry Knife, swords, spear Deflects an attack and permits a counter attack next move. Block All weapons except knife Deflects an attack, but cannot counter attack next move. Dodge All Avoids most attacks - can counter-attack next move. Jump back All Avoids some attacks - except the most aggressive Thrust Not axes Standard attack Cut to body Not spear or small swords Standard attack Cut to head Not spear, knife or small swords Standard attack Charge All Aggressive attack - cannot attack other than charge next move Cut to legs Not spear, knife or small swords Standard attack Friendship Move All No attack or defence, but attempt to end fight peacefully. Finishing Move All Killing a defenceless opponent. Results Table : The terms Attacker and Defender are arbitrary and are defined at the start of the combat. A player remains either attacker or defender throughout the fight, whatever action he or she takes. Defender Attacker \/ Parry Block Dodge Jump Back Thrust CTH CTB CTL Charge Parry ne ne ne ne ne Ah ne Ah Ah Block ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne Dodge ne ne ne ne ne Ah Ah ne Jump Back ne ne ne ne Ah ne ne ne Ah Thrust ne ne ne Dh Ah/Dh Dh Ah Ah Dh CTH Dh ne ne ne Ah 50/50 Ah/Dh Ah/Dh Dh CTB ne ne Dh ne Dh Ah/Dh 50/50 50/50 Ah CTL Dh ne Dh ne Dh Ah/Dh 50/50 50/50 Ah Charge Dh ne ne Dh Ah Ah Dh Dh BC Key Ah Attacker hit Dh Defender hit 50/50 Either may be hit - roll 1d6: 1,2 = Ah 3,4 = ne 5,6 = Dh BC Body Check -roll against BUILD to test for falling over. Damage Inflicted per hit is as follows: Small Sword 20 2-Handed Sword 40 Spear 30 Knife 10 Club MUSCLE + 20 Fists/Feet MUSCLE of fighter 1-Handed Axe 30 2-Handed Axe 50 Exotic Weapon As marked on card. Multiple Combats For both Brawling and Mortal Combat the same approach is taken. Outnumbering cannot be by more than 3-1. The outnumbering combatants may never confer as to their choice of card/action. The outnumbered combatant chooses one action/card, and this is compared with all the opponents. If the outnumbered combatant wins any of the comparisons, he or she has scored a hit. Only one hit is possible per combatant, per round. Armour Armour is rated on the basis on the number of hit points of damage from each attack that can be ignored. Light Armour -8 Armour -15 Full Armour -20 Horses Whilst there are some wealthy souls that have war-horses, the streets of Yendor are not really suited to cavalry tactics. For this reason, all combats are deemed to be on foot. =================================================== Magic =================================================== "Meddle not in the ways of Mages, for they are Subtle and Quick to Anger" Norton the Wise "Mages are useless fat old coves in dresses with beards you could lose a badger in." Mad Jake the Insane (deceased) "...and don't take the piss out of them either..." Norton the Very Wise In this game, Magic is entirely the province of the Mages of the University of Wisdom. Alchemists are mere technicians, and not to be confused with seekers after the way of power. So far as most citizens of Yendor are concerned, magic is something that (hopefully) happens to other people. The Mages may very well appear on the streets from time to time. By long tradition, and a sense of personal preservation, they are usually treated by the other citizens with the greatest respect and deference. =================================================== The Laws of Yendor =================================================== In many ways, law and order are flexible concepts in Yendor, as the guilds are, theoretically, responsible for policing themselves. However, there are some generally accepted ground rules that most folk go along with. A body of Case Law may well develop during the game as a result of legislation passed and promulgated by the King. It is therefore important to listen out carefully for Royal proclamations. Death Gratuitously killing people is frowned upon in Yendor. Killing anyone of Worthy status or higher is regarded as a seriously anti-social act, and the Watch will make an effort to bring the perpetrator to justice. Obviously, killing in self-defence, or with a pretty good reason is regarded as justified. Assassins generally do not get caught - but also generally kill for very good reasons (money, for example). The Legal System The Grand Vizier is responsible for running the legal system on behalf of the Crown. He has the final say in many legal matters, and citizens of Yendor might wish to make representations to him over disputes, problems or the interpretation of the law (such as it is). There is no court of appeal as such, although aggrieved citizens might try to appeal direct to the King. Punishments can be in terms of a loss of Prestige, fines or being banged up in the dungeon for a time. New Laws The King has the power to make new laws concerning Yendor, and he is also responsible for ensuring that they are enforced by the Guard and the Watch. New laws must be widely promulgated. =================================================== Trade In Yendor =================================================== Goods and services are exchanges at all times in Yendor, it is the very life-blood of the city. The main goods imported to the city are food and ale. These come in via two routes: 1. The Market. Each Thursday there is a market day, in which the farmers from the hinterland of the city come in and sell their goods. At this point anyone can buy food, although here are substantial reductions for those that can buy in bulk. Similarly, various products such as ale and wine can be purchased. Local traders also use the market day to sell their wares to the farmers and anyone else that might be passing through. 2. The Docks. Every so often (about every 3-4 days) a ship is likely to arrive carrying good. The goods on a ship are much more varied and exotic, although they may carry basic food and drink stuffs. Trading with ship's captains is normally the business of merchants and free traders and not the general public. Traders and merchants will have first refusal on goods arriving at the docks, and may negotiate prices. If they do not purchase that day, then the unsold goods go into warehouses and may be bought by anyone at a fixed price. =================================================== Religion In Yendor =================================================== Background Is is said that there are 1 billion religions in the World. Well, that may be true, but as far as the city of Yendor is concerned, only a few have had any real impact. There are two key things that you must understand about religion first of all. 1. There are no Atheists. Every player must align with one of the religions described. 2. The Religions are Real. They are not to be regarded as superstition or mumbo-jumbo. Everyone takes their own religion seriously, and there are game mechanisms that will encourage this (see later - under Prayer). A Summary Of The Main Religions THIS LIST IS NOT IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE OR PRECEDENCE. The Followers of the Great Mad God Clewg (Clewgists) This is one of the major monotheistic religions. Has many followers, particularly amongst the peasantry of Estreham Valley. The Mad God is believed to have created all of reality as it is perceived, and therefore knowing or understanding the true nature of anything is virtually impossible. There is a diffuse wandering priesthood, known in the local dialect as Ampyres. Mostly the daily religious observances are conducted within families or by village elders. Much of the theology of Clewgists is based around the natural world of trees and animals and the changing seasons - making it attractive to pastoral folk. The priesthood of Clewg meet about every two weeks in large wooden buildings, usually on hills, known as Lodges and generally named after a holy tree or shrub (e.g. The Willow Lodge). The nearest active Lodge is a long way from Yendor and is rumoured to have become derelict. Elf-Worshippers (Elvists) The fair, wise and immortal Elves are, by some, believed to be gods, demi-gods and angels - sent to the World to make sure everything is working properly and that the forces of chaos and evil do not take over. Generally a minority religion, it is widespread throughout the world, although for some reason it exists exclusively among Humans. Elvists collect Elf artefacts, memorabilia, portraits of famous elves etc. These they regard as holy and place in prominent positions within their homes. They meet together regularly (generally in their own homes) to pray to the Elves and to discuss elves, elvish things, look at each other's collections of elf-things and swap items of small value. There is no priesthood as such, but there are a small number of elvists whose collections and knowledge is held in such high esteem that they fulfil many of the ritual functions of a priesthood. They are known as Hexberts to the elvists. Callers to the Other World This is a small and highly devout sect who believe that there are other worlds like ours, right alongside us but separated by a barrier of thought. Often regarded as harmless cranks by the other religions, they constantly attempt to contact 'the other side' by long and complicated Rituals Of Calling. It is hard to say whether they are successful, since they are a highly secretive group and hostile to outsiders. Fortunately, they are few in number and rarely advertise their presence since local communities tend to misinterpret their practices (particularly the ritual sacrifice parts). Servants of the Old Ones (Oldies) This group believe that the World was crafted by a Triumvirate of Old Gods called Guygacs, Qunz and Jakssun. These Old Ones were imprisoned in a demonic Workshop by Raggnir the World Eater who is responsible for making the world such an expensive, miserable and unnecessarily complicated place. The Servants believe that by the power of prayer they can free the Old Ones so that they can finish making the world into the free, happy paradise it was meant to be. Followers of the Spirits (Spiritists) This is a fairly common religion, resting on ancestor worship and a belief that everything is inhabited by its own natural spirit. The followers have great respect for living things. Again this is a religion embraced mainly by peasantry. It has an itinerant priesthood, and a number of small shrines and temples. Most popular are the regular Spirit Festivals, involving much feasting, drinking, dancing and making merry. Followers of the Goddess Iris This is a small sect, limited to a mountain valley far away. All are strict vegetarians, and the Monks of Iris are reputed to be unusually wise and keepers of Great Secrets. There are very few, if any, Followers of Iris in Yendor. The Orc Religion No, you don't really want to know about this. Really you don't. Honest. Are you sure? Well, all I'll say is it involves a lot of blood and entrails and strange rituals at the dead of night and...ulp....I think I'm going to be sick!........ You don't need to know much about this unless you find you are spending too much time in the Orc Quarter of Yendor, in which case you may find out rather more than you hoped. Rumour has it that the Orc 'priesthood' is composed entirely of..er..ulp......w***n! The Dwarf Religion (Gold. Gold. Gold.) Singing songs about Gold is the nearest thing to prayer that the dwarves have in their culture. Whilst Dwarves do sometimes embrace the other religions, more than 95% of dwarves worship Gold. The Religion of the Elder Folk (Elves) This is a private matter for elves. No non-elf has ever witnessed elf religious practices, and following the elf religion is not open to non-elves. Elves have been known to embrace other religions at times. Prayer Every player must align themselves with a religion. Players may indulge in prayer whenever they want. However, while praying they may not move or fight or engage in negotiations. For every complete five minutes that two or more co-religionists pray to their God(s), they get 5 Prestige Points which may be accumulated. If they pray with the help of a genuine Priest of their Religion, they double that. If they pray at a genuine shrine of their religion 2 extra points If they pray in a genuine temple they get 10 extra points. If they change religion, they lose 100 Prestige Points and must start again. In addition, actions that are deemed by Game Control to be exceptionally good in the eyes of their God(s) will be rewarded by Karma Points. The value and use of Karma Points is deliberately not made clear here. Suffice it to say that an accumulation of good karma can only be useful. =================================================== Credits =================================================== Game Design & Production Jim Wallman Artwork Alodie Fielding Essential Help with the Magic Peter Howland Essential Help with the Alchemy John Rutherford Encouragement from Brian Cameron, Terry Martin, and Mukul Patel Yendor Triumphant! Game Handbook =================================================== This text document is released free of charge onto the internet, for personal use etc. It remains the intellectual property of and copyright to Jim Wallman 1997, and may not be reused without attribution. Thanks. ===================================================