Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Maurian Encounters (The Maurians Part II)

While moving about Mauriatown ‘on official business’ can be relatively safe and easy, moving about Mauriatown while ‘not on official business’ isn’t. The area is heavily patrolled, not only to keep out invading monsters and humanoids, but also to suppress the work of spies from rival settlements, (especially Helltowne) as well as to keep down any pesky gnomish uprisings.

ZONES
Mauriatown has a variety of area types to which the locals refer to as ‘Zones’. Though their land is often characterized as being dominated by ‘militaristic humans bent on killing all other races, each area demonstrates its own local flavor of that stereotype.

Mighty One Trail
The main thoroughfare of the Vale and therefore Mauriatown, many still travel this age old path, just as the Ancients did in centuries past. Though folk may no longer hurtle down the roads in their magic drive-cars, it remains a good trade route and method for adventurers to get to other lands quickly, even if it is only now via horse and foot.

1d8
1-3. 1d10 Foreigners from (roll 1d12):  1. Middlechest (a feudal monarchy), 2. Stephania (an amazon matriarchy), 3. Strass Hill (viking warbands), 4. Columba Furnace (dwarf miners and smiths), 5. Fjord Vallee (human noble savages), 6. Caelum Mount (Olympian human magocracy), 7. Monjaksen (undead-overrun society), 8. Narquay (Frankish nationalists), 9. Timber Fell (Celtic hamlet), 10. Madisonburg (cosmopolitan duchy), 11-12. Other (per Referee). Wherever they may hail from, foreigners have a base 85% chance of traveling on ‘‘official business’. (Helltowners are arrested on site, though they sometimes pose as folk from other lands while spying on Mauriatown- a 10% chance of any Foreigner encounter actually being the case)

4-7. Maurians (roll 1d12): 1-2. 1d4 Greyshirt Scouts, 3-5. 2d6 Greyshirt Farmers or Workers, 6-7. 3d6 Blueshirt Soldiers, 8-9. 3d4 Leader Scouts, 10-11. 1d4 Black Hat Constables, 12. 1d2 Secret Police (Black Hats disguised as other types of Maurians or Travelers)

8. Weather change or Notable view (per Referee)

Elder Pike and other roads that wind through Mauriatown
Use the following encounter matrix instead:

1d8
1. Foreigners
2-7. Maurians
8. Weather Change or Notable View

  
Farmlands
Despite being a major industrial power (at least for the Vale during this period of history), much of Mauriatown remains farmland.

1d6
1-2. Empty field (10% chance of Nature spirit, Ancestral spirit, or other being is present)
3-4. 1d10 Greyshirt farmers at work
5-6. 3d12 Gnome slaves with 1d4 Maurians supervising them

Clutch Houses
Following in the teachings of the Great Philosopher Plat, the Maurians do not have families per se. Instead, they are grouped together, based on the dictates of the Maurian Wizards, never really knowing who their real parents are. Such an arrangement certainly helps solidify citizens’ loyalty to Mauriatown, but also gives them somewhat of a sense of loss for never knowing a nuclear family. Children then forge close bonds with their clutch mates that include the same Caste (Greyshirts, Blueshirts, or Black Hats), as well as others they meet in the Leader Scouts that come from any Maurian Caste,

1d6
1-4. Greyshirt Clutch House (1d20 residents present)
4-5. Blueshirt Clutch House (1d20 residents present)
6. Black Hat Clutch House (1d10 residents present)

Town Holds
Including Old Mauriatown in the south, Brookstown further north, and Exitia to the west of that, these hamlets give Mauriatown the appearance of having a similar arrangement to other lands, though they are mainly locales for the manufacture of Maurian arms and other equipment, as well as fronts for the Maurian Secret Police, rather than being any actual social entities of their own.

1d6
1. Tavern
2. General Store
3. Smithy
4. Carpenter
5. Hopeful Mother (courtesan licensed to breed with fitting fathers)
6. Other (per Referee)

(Secret Bases)
Though they officially aren’t supposed to exist, a number of secret bases are rumored to be found throughout Mauriatown, offering anything from keeping their land on the cutting edge of arms, working their strange magic, and especially keeping their gnomish slaves in check. How else will they keep their society together?

1d6
1. Weapon development
2. Maurian Wizard Temple
3. The Leader’s Headquarters (one of many)
4. Secret Weapon (too secret to even describe)
5. Other (per Referee)
6. Gnomish torture black site (don’t ask!)

Coliseum Park
Once a great reserve of the Ancients, the Maurians have converted the place to a spectacle of blood and valor. Here the various castes of Maurian society can compete for the privilege of having the Leader wear their color as his uniform for a time (if he is so inclined, of course) not to mention practice using the more unusual Maurian weapons on each other. Rebellious gnomes can even attempt to win greater (temporary) rights in gladiatorial combat- a true extravaganza to behold..

1d6
1. Jousting with tank barded horses (yes)
2. Maurian dive-glider competition
3. Repeating crossbow ‘tag’
4. Foot race
5. Wrestling match
6. Gnomish Gladiatorial combat!