Ffh5e NES

Organization Name: The Most Holy Merchant League of the Overlords
Organization Type: Guild Artisans/Merchants
Leader (Trait): The Most Holy High Priest of the Overlords, *unpronounceable name*, Financial
Skills: Artisantry (metalworking) , Arisantry (masonry), Insight, Persuasion, Wealth
Renown: 0
Income: +38g/turn
Treasury: 10g
Base (City): Ayelsbury
Buildings (City): Shop (Weaponsmith), Shop (Armorsmith), Shop (Blacksmith), Shop (Masoner),
Units: Agent x1

The being previously known Tilfleur was a struggling merchant along the Aylesbury coasts until one day for reasons known he found himself sleepwalking across the shoreline. As he was about to head off a cliff, a local boy yelled out to him, "Mister what are you doing?!" Dreaming and half-asleep, Tilfleur walked right off and fell into the deep ocean.

What happened next is not entirely known, but when he emerged, he was transformed into a creature of the deep. Tentacles replaced his hands and mouth his fair skin was replaced by an aquatic leathery one and his human mind was transformed into something far more alien. What the purpose of the being formerly known as Tilfleur is not known. Perhaps it's for him to use his merchant skills to support the Octopus Overlords or perhaps it is for him to start the transformation of all mankind into deep ones as well or perhaps something far worse.
 
So a few things. Like I said a couple posts above, only one building of a kind per city, so that would mean 1 shop (the shop doesn't have subtypes). Production will be produced by committing agents to use a skill in ur orders (order format will be posted once we get enough players). And your agent is only one person. It might take him awhile to build other buildings though he can produce goods and services to provide income. This NES is aiming for the players to expand exponentially, so in the future I see players with many agents at their disposal.

If you want a priest to run your organization I'd suggest picking a religious order type or the spiritual trait. A financial leader who runs a merchant organization wouldn't strike me as a priest. Also claiming yourself to be the High Priest of the Overlords wouldn't make it so, unless your leader is insane and that's what you're going for. In that case I'd suggest picking the Insane trait.


EDIT: Made some changes to the wording of the Worker, now called a Work Team, and everyone starts with one free. Most buildings need an agent or a work team to staff it. This has been added to their descriptions. Every org will have the ability to staff their buildings with the free starting units.
 
I just want to point out that you're encouraging me to take the insane trait even though that trait is listed to to the balseraph city only. I also note that getting the asylum is also listed as exclusive to the Aylesbury City only. However the person who's in charge of haven chose to get an asylum.

If these are not hard restrictions then I'd definitely want to build an arena later.

As a note what does a base mean? Does a base shop give me more benefits than a non base shop.

Fyi, my proposed character is a former merchant who finds himself has something special among the octopus overlords. Perhaps among the octopus overlords a group known to have some insane traits why would have be unusual for a merchant who knows very little about the religion to suddenly become a high priest of it even though he is not well known nor has a formal temple. My plan was that he would start out with his merchant resources and as time goes on slowly begin to purchasing other buildings including temple and start to take a more active role in the affairs of the octopus overlords. Now if you're not comfortable with that concept that's okay, I can play other things. If you wish I could alternately be my insane pirate King idea. Let me know.

Just as another note if you can only have one shop, what is the point of Artisanry. Guild leaders start with 2 of those. I want to make an overlords temple with help from my masonry shop.

Edit: as a note you took out slaves from the asylum. I'd really like to be able to get some reliably. I was planning on buying one of those earlier
 
The player you're talking about chatted with me privately and had a really coherent vision with a lot of intriguing possibilities, so I decided to soften my position on some rules and put a caveat in the ruleset saying I'm willing to consider new combinations with respect to mechanics abuse and canon. I'm perfectly ok with the prodigy archetype you gave your leader, but in my opinion Most High Priest of the Overlords implies a connection with the religion that a merchant organization wouldn't have from a lore perspective, and a position of authority in an international religion that I find overpowered from a game play perspective.

I'm sticking to one shop per city. I don't want to see shop spamming in Aylesbury. Your base is mostly from a flavor perspective, but is mechanically where new units start.

The point of skills is to give units a defined use. While this ruleset does have a few stats, it is a bit rules light in my opinion, and purposely so. I'm more interested in seeing the campaign world grow without having to define every possible player action before hand. However, I have given quite a bit of thought to the method of play.
 
Organization Name: Tilfleur's Merchant League
Organization Type: Guild Artisans/Merchants
Leader (Trait): Tilfleur Merchant Master of Aylesbury, Spiritual
Skills: Arisantry (masonry), Insight, Persuasion, Wealth, Spiritual
Renown: 0
Income: +19g/turn
Treasury: 20g
Base (City): Aylesbury
Buildings (City): Shop (Masoner), Carnival
Units: Agent x2, Work Team x1, Warrior x1

Tilfleur is a Merchant Master with a dominant position on the masonry trade within Aylesbury and surrounding areas. Very recently Tilfleur has had strange dark dreams and omens urging him on to promulgate the Octopus Overlords across the world. Tilfleur is not sure how these omens came to him or what he did to earn them. But, nonetheless he feels compelled to follow them; who knows where this will lead.

Alright, currently the wealth skill only goes for nobles, but I'd like to apply it to Guild Artisans / Merchants. Afterall, wealth creation is very important to them too right?

The vision I have for the moment is him perfecting his merchant craft and influencing the world while eventually him becoming a priest and later a high priest of the Overlords. This will mean building a temple later on (hopefully soon).

I welcome your thoughts on this.
 
Clan Lanthar of Radonnor (Rhoanna loyalists) led by Rochir Hachur Lenthar (Horselord)
Soldiers of Fortune
Skills: Athletics, Strategy, Survival and Animal Handling
Starting building: Stables (-100 gold)
Starting units: 1 company of 10 horseman -120 gold, 1 rabble of 10 warriors -25 gold, 1 free agent, 1 work team

Clan Lanthar

Soldiers of Fortune
Leader: Rochir Hachur Lenthar (trait: Horselord) Player: Laiders
Renown: 0
Income: +0g/turn
Treasury: 5g
Base (City): Stables
Buildings (City): none.
Units: 1 horseman, 1 warrior, 1 agent, 1 work team

Description
A more minor clan of loyalist Hippus horsemen and nobles currently fighting for their lives in the besieged city of Radonnor. They were meant to pull back and regroup with the rest of Rhoanna forces but were cut off and unable to do so. Hachur (Rochir is a title, derived from Tolkien which is derived from Saxon, meaning horse-lord literally) also wanted to stay and fight. He felt the city could have been saved. Hence he was the last to leave and got his clan trapped. They are not all entirely happy about that but he is an excellent leader generally so they’re not rebelling yet. Current short term plans are to fight and to live free as true Hippus do, following their hearts and their passion. Ideally to avoid the dying part too. Like many Hippus clans in this new world, they have taken to mercenary work, as well as loyally serving Rhoanna (her title?) in trying to preserve the cultural reforms and loose unity she has brought to the Hippus people. Historically roamed further north closer to Khazad lands (in general Khazad is described as north of Hippus main territories but will modify if altered in this interpretation) but came south about a century ago. They have something of a reputation amongst fellow humans and the Khazad, by extension Luchuirp but to a much lesser extent. They were somewhat wealthy and well financed, though the clan is obviously fully mobilised and going through a hard time at present.

OOC: Prelim sign-up. Last NES/STG I’m going to sign up for in the current proliferation of games. Immac, Decamper and others active on the Fronteir hold me to that! :p More details will follow gradually. What’s the time-scale to start? When we near threshold or higher/lower?
 
@Bill: Sounds good, though that bit with the dominant position in a trade isnt working cuz you're org, like all the others, is new. How bout Tilfleur was a master merchant with that dominant position, but he disappeared for a number of years. Thats where you can put in the religious experience, mutations, visions, what have you.Now he's back and on a mission to rise back to the top. I like your leaders name. I think it might be more interesting to have a different name for your organization, maybe something reflecting your OO influence. Send me a pm and we can chat a bit more about Tilfleur and his past.

@Laiders: Welcome! I think ur org is more of a noble house, than a knightly order because the bonds of your units are familial. Though if dont mind the bad reputation Soldiers of Fortune can fit a hippus clan quite nicely. I like the saxon influences. I know the geography doesnt fit the lore perfectly but the map works quite nicely. I'd be interested to hear Rochur Hachur reasons for favoring Rhoanna, why he is willing to outlast a siege for her, and how the rest of his clan feels about that.

I haven't come up with a hard definition for how much in game time passes between updates, but it will be measured in weeks. Before launching this nes I'd like to get at least one more player so each city has a new organization. I think I'll wait another week then start regardless.
 
OOC: I know! It's a real thorny one. If we reinterpret bad rep as a certain level of respect, fear and renown then Soldiers of Fortune works. Noble House was too non-combat oriented for a Hippus clan, at least my clan. Happy to switch to noble house or mercenaries. Would ideally like to keep the balance of two combat and two non-combat traits (so athletic for noble house and persuasion or wealth for soldiers, with survival). I picked Knights because they have a good balance and we have no firm proof that Hippus clans, especially in the new age, are bound by tight blood relations. Many larger clan/tribal structures have ancient ancestors but in truth are composed of different (on the scale of whole culture/polity dozens if not low hundreds) family units (referred to as bands) Obviously more stuff is coming pending proper sleep and other commitments. Next step was a Personae Dramatis, where I define all that stuff.

Relevant quick quote from wiki, that I personally know is relatively uncontroversial:

'A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this "ancestor" is non-human, it is referred to as a totem, which is frequently an animal. Clans can be most easily described as tribes or sub-groups of tribes. The word clan is derived from clann meaning children or progeny but not family in the Irish language and Scottish Gaelic languages'

Also note the bond between sovereign and subject can be interpreted as parental and pastoral. Not merely domination. Can expand this to a 2,500 word essay if you want! :p ;) See Foucault especially Birth of Biopolitics, Security, Territory and Population and aspects of A History of Sexuality.
 
I could get behind that version of Bad Reputation. The skills dont reflect your leader so much as training your agents receive. If you want Persuasion come up with a good reason why members of a mercenary clan would need dedicated negotiators or rabble rousers. Looking forward to your stories.

Also, I didnt address the unit size issue. Each agent is one person. Each land unit will consist of 10 men. As organizations scale through play that number might grow.
 
OOC: I get that and it writes itself as to why a newish mercenary company seeking to adopt a well-regarded position in the world of blades for hire from a people that are unpopular at best, marginalised at worst might need trained negotiators or brokers. Obviously I will actually write the damn story to justify it though! I expect no hand-waving.
 
Organization Name: Silver Pearl Holdings
Organization Type: Guild Artisans/Merchants
Leader (Trait): Tilfleur,Merchant of Aylesbury, Spiritual
Skills: Arisantry (masonry), Insight, Persuasion, Wealth, Spiritual
Renown: 0
Income: +19g/turn
Treasury: 20g
Base (City): Aylesbury
Buildings (City): Shop (Masoner), Carnival
Units: Agent x2, Work Team x1, Warrior x1

Several years ago Tilfleur was the Merchant Master of the Masonry trade within Aylesbury. No other business could effectively compete with the quality nor the price of his offerings. Mysteriously one day he noted to his assistant that he was heading out to sea and would be back later. Days and weeks passed but the master merchant never returned. Eventually his assets were seized by the city due to a lack of any heirs and sold at a discount to his competitors.

Within the past few months a new Guild has been registered with the city by a man no one knows yet seems familiar to some. Two diverse businesses have already been registered under its banner with a promise for more.

"The most precious pearls are not found clustered together but in far-reaching sectors, each with a unique glistening beauty. Just as the pearl seekers cast a wide net, so shall I. A piece of the most profitable businesses regardless of sector shall belong to me; for my benefit......and the benefit of the Overlords."

The newly returned Tilfluer, invigorated with a powerful alien energy, sat at his desk and smiled. "There is much work to be done."
 
Regarding game time passage. I suppose that's really up to you and what works best for your situation. I imagine your campaign will ebb and flow similarly. Perhaps it doesn't have to be a set time and can just be whenever you can fit it in / be inspired.
 
Ok, order format is at the end of post 3 and is nicely simple. also included how units can move to different cities next to the unit entry. Listed under the work team entry things they can build in a non-city square. In order to build something you must be granted zoning rights (read: permission) from the city's governor. Benefits and costs up tomorrow. Don't let hold your orders back since it'll take a turn to get zoning rights.
 
City: Nimharuan
Organisation Type: Guild Artisans/Merchants
Skills: Artisanry (Metalworking, Woodworking), Insight, Persuasion
Leader Traits: Industrious (+Stoneworking)

Nimharuan Craft Company
Guild Artisans/Merchants
Thuran Strunhar (Industrious, +Stoneworking Artisanry)
Income: +1.5g/turn +1d4g/turn
Treasury: 20g
Units: 3 Agents, 1 Work Team
Base: Nimharuan (Shop)
Buildings (City): Shop (Base), Herbalist
Renown:

Does income round down or up or just stay as a fraction?

Thuran Strunhar Backstory:
Spoiler :
As an ageing stoneworker, Thuran had accumulated very little of the gold that dwarves such as he desired. Though he was very skilled, and would be considered a master craftsmen by most standards, among his clan of dwarves he was considered to be at best only mediocre. In his old age, Thuran pondered and wished for that one chance to gain a name for himself, along with the riches and glory that accompany fame. But alas, there was just no opportunity for a stoneworking dwarf among dwarves, for his skills were simply commonplace.

With the sudden changing of hands in regards to Nimharuan, Thuran saw his chance. He quickly packed up some of his finest wares, tools, what little money he did have and gathered his three apprentices to head off for Nimharuan. Arriving there he realised that he'd been right and that the gods had blessed him this day. For he found a small city (so small he'd argue it was simply a village) but its citizens were full of hope and ambition. Thuran set to work, purchasing a small piece of land upon which he setup a shop from which to sell his wares and a herbalist from which he could sell some of the dwarven herbal medicines for a hefty price in a village without much in the way of doctors. Whilst Thuran would have most desired to setup a Dwarven Smithy, he lacked the funds, but believed that in time he would construct a fine smithy rivalling the largest forges of the Dwarf lords. But for now, he set his sights upon the construction work that would undoubtedly bring his craftsmen much work and money.


I'll just post these orders publicly for now, as I feel like it won't really matter for now and it will be easier for mistakes and stuff to be pointed out and edited without lots of PMs.

Orders:
Spoiler :
Agent 1 (Nimharuan): Using Persuasion. Manning the Herbalist, trying to make money from the colonists, as there is a distinct lack of quality medical supplies etc.
Agent 2 (Nimharuan): Using Artisanry (Metalworking). Manning the shop trying to sell goods in this up and coming city.
Agent 3 (Nimharuan): Using Artisanry (Stoneworking). Manning the shop as well, pretty much doing what Agent 2 is.
Work Team (Nimharuan): Just staffing the shop as well, just there to assist with maintenance and movement of products.


Diplomacy:
Spoiler :
To: The Governer of Nimharuan
From: Nimharuan Craft Company


We at the craft company believe that with our assistance we can help this city to grow much faster than it currently is. We seek the rights to improve areas around the city. We are specialised in woodworking, stoneworking and metalworking and will thus be more than suitable to construct any construction. We would be happy to seek your view on what project you would like completed and only seek a small payment or priority to use the building or perhaps simply the assistance of more workers for our craft company.

Best regards,
Thuran Strunhar, Leader of the Nimharuan Craft Company.
 
Orders sent for the orphanage.
 
Organization Name: Silver Pearl Holdings
Organization Type: Crime Syndicate
Leader (Trait): Tilfleur,Merchant of Aylesbury, Charismatic
Skills: Deception, Forgery, Stealth, Thievery, Persuasion
Renown: 0
Income: +19g/turn
Treasury: 20g
Base (City): Aylesbury
Buildings (City): Shop (Masoner), Carnival
Units: Agent x3, Work Team x1

Spoiler Background :
Several years ago Tilfleur was the Merchant Master of the Masonry trade within Aylesbury. No other business could effectively compete with the quality nor the price of his offerings. Mysteriously one day he noted to his assistant that he was heading out to sea and would be back later. Days and weeks passed but the master merchant never returned. Eventually his assets were seized by the city due to a lack of any heirs and sold at a discount to his competitors.

Within the past few months a new Guild has been registered with the city by a man no one knows yet seems familiar to some. Two diverse businesses have already been registered under its banner with a promise for more.

"The most precious pearls are not found clustered together but in far-reaching sectors, each with a unique glistening beauty. Just as the pearl seekers cast a wide net, so shall I. A piece of the most profitable businesses regardless of sector shall belong to me; for my benefit......and the benefit of the Overlords."

The newly returned Tilfluer, invigorated with a powerful alien energy, sat at his desk and smiled. "There is much work to be done.

[SPOILER="Work Orders (No Players!)]

Agent 1 (Aylesbury):

Run the Masonry Shop. Use Persuasion and Wealth and Artisanry to gain more clients and income. Secretly contact dwarves and use Deception and Persuasion to see if they're interested in building a temple of Kilmorph within the city. Agent will display forged documents indicating that the Governor of Aylesbury is grating permission for a non-state religion temple to be erected as well and that he hopes that their allies the Khazad will take advantage of this to spread their culture to Aylesbury. Additional documents will display zoning has been approved. Agent will portray himself as working for another masonry guild and will take great pains not to connect his actions to Silver Pearl Holdings.

Agent 2 (Aylesbury): Run the Carnival. Use Persuasion and Wealth and Artisanry to gain more clients and income. Secretly contact Balseraph performers and use Persuasion and Deception to convince them to travel to Aylesbury to perform in the Carnival. Use forged documents to indicate that the govenments of Aylesbury and Coombe View will be secretly signing a peace treaty and the Balseraph performers will celebrate the occasion. Agent will portray himself as working for another carnival and will take great pains not to connect his actions to Silver Pearl Holdings.

Agent 3 (Aylesbury): Use Persuasion to ingratiate Tilfleur to Aylesbury Temples of the Overlords and the High Priests. If agent 1 is successful, will note that he's heard that the Governor has gone soft and will start allowing other religions to make temples in Aylesbury. Will work as an additional agent for Masonry Shop or Carnival (whichever gets benefits).

Work Team 1 (Aylesbury): Build a Quarry to help support the Masonry Shop.


[/SPOILER]
 
Top Bottom