Difference between revisions of "Island Culture"
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'''Religion''': The biggest temple on the island is the Temple of the Goddess of the Forge, situated in the mountainside above Amoris. There is also a significant temple to Aeron, the God of Love and Healing, a bacchic cult that believes true healing occurs in the act of caring and sharing with the afflicted. There is also a temple to Okeanos, the god of the sea, and Jaksan, a multifaceted god of stone but also of nature. Obviously, the worship of many lesser deities is very common throughout the central isles.<br> | '''Religion''': The biggest temple on the island is the Temple of the Goddess of the Forge, situated in the mountainside above Amoris. There is also a significant temple to Aeron, the God of Love and Healing, a bacchic cult that believes true healing occurs in the act of caring and sharing with the afflicted. There is also a temple to Okeanos, the god of the sea, and Jaksan, a multifaceted god of stone but also of nature. Obviously, the worship of many lesser deities is very common throughout the central isles.<br> | ||
'''Economy''': Caminus is one of the biggest trade centers in the central isles. As such, there is much business in the moving, selling, and reselling of goods. Obviously, support industries for traders, merchants, and their staff are huge as well. The quality of Caminean manufactured goods is also legendary, so this is a close second (it was first, until fairly recently). A third industry that has grown with trade, and which Cimon has done his best to control, is the black market: as a hub for the surrounding islands, many crime syndicates and operations make their home on Caminus. Finally, the Aristocracy of Caminus (including the incredibly rich members of the merchant council), their purses grown fat from the flourishing island, represent a unique but very profitable market for entertainment, luxury goods, and soldiers/mercenaries. | '''Economy''': Caminus is one of the biggest trade centers in the central isles. As such, there is much business in the moving, selling, and reselling of goods. Obviously, support industries for traders, merchants, and their staff are huge as well. The quality of Caminean manufactured goods is also legendary, so this is a close second (it was first, until fairly recently). A third industry that has grown with trade, and which Cimon has done his best to control, is the black market: as a hub for the surrounding islands, many crime syndicates and operations make their home on Caminus. Finally, the Aristocracy of Caminus (including the incredibly rich members of the merchant council), their purses grown fat from the flourishing island, represent a unique but very profitable market for entertainment, luxury goods, and soldiers/mercenaries. | ||
| − | '''Military''': Caminus has a small naval fleet of what are essentially triremes: low profile oar/sailboats that use ramming and boarding actions as their major mode of attack (like most boats in this age). The island's land forces are essentially feudal: lords, accompanied by knights, accompanied by men at arms. However, with the rise of blood elf | + | '''Military''': Caminus has a small naval fleet of what are essentially triremes: low profile oar/sailboats that use ramming and boarding actions as their major mode of attack (like most boats in this age). The island's land forces are essentially feudal: lords, accompanied by knights, accompanied by men at arms. However, with the rise of blood elf in the last 50 years, and the growth of the underworld, a formal navy has been implemented, and a militia formed that doubles as reserves for the sheriff and his goons. |
| − | '''Magic''': It is clear that Caminus is a | + | '''Magic''': It is clear that Caminus is a nexus for magical energy, and as such, it draws a disproportionate number of magic users. Perhaps a dozen skilled magic users, not including the faeries (spellcasters, witches/warlocks, and druids) each with one apprentice apiece, on average, make the island their home. This number (probably 10 fold higher than most places) is due to the draw from surrounding islands to Caminus as a base of operations for such folk. |
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| + | '''Demographics''': The island has about 5% of its population as foreigners at any given time, due to the high number of traders that come through the island. Of the natives, there are about 1,000 nonhumans, or about 3-5% of the total population. This is a pretty even smattering of the races, although Elves other than Blood Elves are poorly represented.<br> | ||
| + | The nobility consists of about 30 nobles, or about .1% of the population. Each has perhaps 5 retainers, who form the knights, and each knight has, on average, 5 men at arms, for a standing armed force of about 750 men on Caminus. These men double as police/militia/farmers/tax collectors in the country, and as servants, bodyguards, errand boys, or whatever, in the city. In times of peace, roughly 300 men, some of them men at arms and some not, serve as paid police/militia.<br> | ||
| + | There are 10 full fledged healers on the island: 3 of them serve the nobility exclusively, 4 are assigned to the city, and 3 typically travel around the island. <br> | ||
| + | There are 3 significant libraries on the island: One on the Cimon estates, a "reading room" essentially, one in the holdings of the charcoal burners, and one in the small and obscure, but nevertheless well endowed temple of Ismaen, a spirit or demigod of wisdom. Because of the surprising wealth of knowledge, supplemented by several good book shops and the copious number of magic users, there is talk of starting a formal school or university on the island, although the nobility has yet to show any interest in the notion.<br> | ||
| + | Of the 15,000 people who do not live in the city, probably 60% are farmers, 25% are fishermen, 10% are woodsmen, and 5% are smiths or other support personnel.<br> | ||
| + | In the city, breakdown between different sectors is pretty even (trade, service industry, etc).<br> | ||
| + | as far as characters go, a healer is a very rare and respected career. a templar is unheard of, and tithe is the only one on the island: to most people, he is just a mercenary (although I don't doubt this mistake irks him). Faeries are rare outside of the deep woods: Matt's character is a slightly scary oddity, while Ed's character, a full fledged faerie spellcaster, is something that has never before graced Amoris, at least not since before the time of Tom the Fool, and never without people running screaming (times have changed, its a very metropolitan city). Woodsmen are quite common, and prejudice against blood elves is pretty minimal in Amoris, even with the prevalence of raids. If Gabe makes an assassin, there are more in Amoris than an honest man would like to know, perhaps 5 skilled blades. | ||
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| + | '''Caminulus''': A small island to the west of Caminus. Contains small villages and hosts a market, as well as a well known practitioner of hag magic, Gwendolyn. | ||
Latest revision as of 01:03, 16 May 2009
Politics/History
Religion: The biggest temple on the island is the Temple of the Goddess of the Forge, situated in the mountainside above Amoris. There is also a significant temple to Aeron, the God of Love and Healing, a bacchic cult that believes true healing occurs in the act of caring and sharing with the afflicted. There is also a temple to Okeanos, the god of the sea, and Jaksan, a multifaceted god of stone but also of nature. Obviously, the worship of many lesser deities is very common throughout the central isles.
Economy: Caminus is one of the biggest trade centers in the central isles. As such, there is much business in the moving, selling, and reselling of goods. Obviously, support industries for traders, merchants, and their staff are huge as well. The quality of Caminean manufactured goods is also legendary, so this is a close second (it was first, until fairly recently). A third industry that has grown with trade, and which Cimon has done his best to control, is the black market: as a hub for the surrounding islands, many crime syndicates and operations make their home on Caminus. Finally, the Aristocracy of Caminus (including the incredibly rich members of the merchant council), their purses grown fat from the flourishing island, represent a unique but very profitable market for entertainment, luxury goods, and soldiers/mercenaries.
Military: Caminus has a small naval fleet of what are essentially triremes: low profile oar/sailboats that use ramming and boarding actions as their major mode of attack (like most boats in this age). The island's land forces are essentially feudal: lords, accompanied by knights, accompanied by men at arms. However, with the rise of blood elf in the last 50 years, and the growth of the underworld, a formal navy has been implemented, and a militia formed that doubles as reserves for the sheriff and his goons.
Magic: It is clear that Caminus is a nexus for magical energy, and as such, it draws a disproportionate number of magic users. Perhaps a dozen skilled magic users, not including the faeries (spellcasters, witches/warlocks, and druids) each with one apprentice apiece, on average, make the island their home. This number (probably 10 fold higher than most places) is due to the draw from surrounding islands to Caminus as a base of operations for such folk.
Demographics: The island has about 5% of its population as foreigners at any given time, due to the high number of traders that come through the island. Of the natives, there are about 1,000 nonhumans, or about 3-5% of the total population. This is a pretty even smattering of the races, although Elves other than Blood Elves are poorly represented.
The nobility consists of about 30 nobles, or about .1% of the population. Each has perhaps 5 retainers, who form the knights, and each knight has, on average, 5 men at arms, for a standing armed force of about 750 men on Caminus. These men double as police/militia/farmers/tax collectors in the country, and as servants, bodyguards, errand boys, or whatever, in the city. In times of peace, roughly 300 men, some of them men at arms and some not, serve as paid police/militia.
There are 10 full fledged healers on the island: 3 of them serve the nobility exclusively, 4 are assigned to the city, and 3 typically travel around the island.
There are 3 significant libraries on the island: One on the Cimon estates, a "reading room" essentially, one in the holdings of the charcoal burners, and one in the small and obscure, but nevertheless well endowed temple of Ismaen, a spirit or demigod of wisdom. Because of the surprising wealth of knowledge, supplemented by several good book shops and the copious number of magic users, there is talk of starting a formal school or university on the island, although the nobility has yet to show any interest in the notion.
Of the 15,000 people who do not live in the city, probably 60% are farmers, 25% are fishermen, 10% are woodsmen, and 5% are smiths or other support personnel.
In the city, breakdown between different sectors is pretty even (trade, service industry, etc).
as far as characters go, a healer is a very rare and respected career. a templar is unheard of, and tithe is the only one on the island: to most people, he is just a mercenary (although I don't doubt this mistake irks him). Faeries are rare outside of the deep woods: Matt's character is a slightly scary oddity, while Ed's character, a full fledged faerie spellcaster, is something that has never before graced Amoris, at least not since before the time of Tom the Fool, and never without people running screaming (times have changed, its a very metropolitan city). Woodsmen are quite common, and prejudice against blood elves is pretty minimal in Amoris, even with the prevalence of raids. If Gabe makes an assassin, there are more in Amoris than an honest man would like to know, perhaps 5 skilled blades.
Caminulus: A small island to the west of Caminus. Contains small villages and hosts a market, as well as a well known practitioner of hag magic, Gwendolyn.
