📖 Let's Read! [Let's Read] GURPS Banestorm
- Thread starter LoneWolf23
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Let's Reads are threads where one or more posters do a close reading of a book. They're one of the most fun parts of the forum ecosystem, so don't hesitate to start!
This convinces me more. The alternative is simply saying that Caithness' wizards are much more skilled, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Even the specialization thing works up to a certain point, considering you anyway have to learn prerequisites (and spend points/time for them). I am absolutely familiar with GURPS's magic system, btw.
Also, thanks to those that replied to my question. Even if I don't quote everything directly I read all with much interest.
Maybe Caithness wizard are more skilled because they spend all their time alone in their normal/high-magic towers rather than having to engage in military and social life like Megalan wizards do.
Iron as a source of magic is conceptually backwards from so much other fantasy and I love 8t.
Okay, picking up where we left off, let's look at one of the big features of Caithness.
The Civil War
The various Lordings of Caithness have been divided up in the Civil War, and out of all of them, only three have yet to pick a side. The Lords of Deerwood, Durham, Fordham, Redhall and Tacitus are on the side of King Conall VI, while the rebellion consists of the lords of Denton, Donlis, Gerrier, Oakwood, Sterling and Wallace. The Church in Photius remains officially neutral, although Archbishop Siccus favors Conall. The lordings of Blythe and Hawkwood are also neutral; the former mostly because it's ffectively destroyed, and the second one is occuped by elves. Also neutral is Simonton, who's lord has simply refused to participate in the conflict. The Elves are adamantly neutral in the war, while the dwaves of Zarak favor the king, as they respect tradition and strong authority, and consider him a good trading partner, although they've yet to offer military aid.
Even amongst the factions, however, things are not perfectly united. Only some of Conall's loyalists genuinely like him, others following him only out of principle. Meanwhile, amongst the rebels, some are following Deneral out of loyalty, while Baron Cabble of Denton is only in it to grab more territory.
The war has run hot and cold over the years, with months or even years passing in virtual truces, and at the current time, neither side has a definite advantage over the other, and both are concerned with enemies to the east and west. As a result, most conflict these days consist of small raids and plots to spy or sabotage an opposing faction. In the long term, Conall may eventually win, but not without a lot more of his kingdom being claimed by the enemy, and it's still likely Caithness could split as a nation.
Sidebox: King Conall VI
We get a solid write-up of the king of Caithness here. He's characterized as intelligent and charismatic, but faced with canny enemies, due to his few missteps. His biggest concern aside from the Civil War is his currently unrequited love for Baroness Bronwyn of Durnham, whom he met while he made her a baroness. While she was married at the time, she's since become a widow, but he's never found the right moment to make romantic overtures to her. This has kept him from accepting over possibilities for marriage (although he uses the Civl War as an excuse to reject offers), but fortunately he has a designated heir, a young cousin named Sir Bereford.
In games, Conall can be used as a romantic who wants the best for his people, and who has focused so much of himself into the kingdom that he comes off as a little dull, and needs to be shown how to loosen up; or as an emotionally constipated control freak determined to supervise every scrap of the kingdom. These views are not incompatible.
We get some notes about his build; his Independent Income advantage represents the money he receives from his various fiefdoms, aside the income received from his job as King of Caithness. He's effectively Status 7, but only has the means to support a Status 6 lifestyle, as he's fighting a Civil War taking up a lot of resources.
He also has a personal code of honor that is much like the Code of Chivalry, except that it allows/encourages him to avoid endangering himself for personal reasons; he is responsible for the entire kingdom. He will keep to the letter of his word, seek redress for insults, and will protect the weak (especially Caithnessers), but rather than fighting personally, can order his guards or a personal champion to act in his place.
His point total comes up to 303 points, and makes him a pretty well-rounded ruler.
The Royalists
These are the lordings loyal to the king.
Carrick
Castle Carrick is the traditional seat of the Kings of Caithness, across the River Conn from Carrick Town. It's a typical Caithness large holding, with a city of 20,000 supported by a few hundred thousand farmers in the surrounding countryside. It's rich from sizable farming surpluses and trade with Zarak, and this (along with Conall's martial prowess) make the lording loyal to the king. Carrick Town also houses two of Conall's greatest assets, the Silver Hand and the Order of the Stone.
Sidebox: the Knights of the Stone
King Conall I established the Order of the Knights of the Stone in 1812, the year after his coronation. He wanted to found a knightly order more focused on the ideals of knightly virtues than on acquiring land and power. He also wanted an order of knights loyal only to him. The Knights of the Stone are a non-religious knightly order with oaths of loyalty sworn directly to the King.
The titular stone the order is named after was once the cornerstone of a Megalan church, before it bame the altar-stone of the first church built in Carrick. New knights still swear their oaths upon it. Near this church is the Order's chapterhouse, named Stonehall, where knights live and train within its halls. Knights of the Stone hold no lands and gain no rewards from the crown, but their ranks soon swelled with romantic young men, especially younger sons of noble families.
The order quickly became well-accepted in Caithness, and the lines of traditional and Order knighthood have blurred; Knights of the Stone can swear fealty to a lord and become landed knights, and traditional knights who have broken with their lord can be accepted into the Order.
The Order is also broad-minded, having accepted and nonhumans into their order; one in five knights are women, and one in ten is a nonhuman (halflings and elves, a few dwarves, two goblins, and one reptile man of unassailable reputation). There are currently just under 300 Knights of the Stone.
The Order itself owns enough land near Carrick to support itself, giving its members a stipend, as well as providing for members in need, with members offering their old gear to knights who lost their armor in a fight, for example. There is a second chapter house in Simonton, servicing knights in the south.
Megalan knights consider the Order of the Stone to be a joke in poor taste, considering its members less than "real" knights, and as a result, when nothing else takes precedence, champions of the Stone take great pleasure in traveling to Megalos to shame local knights in single combat.
The Former Barony of Mershall
Once Lord Deneral's lands, formerly the most northern lording in Caithness that produced a surplus of grain, timber and fame, it has since become assimilated into Carrick. Despite the returned prosperity, many of the locals resent King Conall as a conqueror who used deceit to defeat their lord.
Deerwood
A small lording, known for excellent game, and was King Morill's favorite hunting ground. To the point he had gryphons released into Deerwood forest 30 years ago, and they have become a problem ever since. Dame Lorena of Deerwood is a Knight of the Stone, a good friend of Queen Alys, and loyal to the King. Now in her 50s and unmarried, she designated a fellow Knight of the Stone named Sir Phillip as her heir, which has led to a lot of speculation (mostly untrue and unkind) about her relationship with the much-younger knight, and when he eventually assumes the lording, there won't be a smooth transition.
Durham
The most famous of Caithness' lordings, as the legendary Lord Peredur Orcslayer gained his fame driving out the last great horde of orc raiders in 1926. For more than 50 years, Durham has a reputation that has kept even Megalos from invading it directly. It's a rich land, benefitting from trade over the River Conn.
In 1989, Lord Peredur passed away at the age of 81, leaving the lording in the hands of his then 18-year old daughter, Lady Bronwyn, who's herself famous for surviving capture by an orc raiding party. Transition wasn't smooth, as some argued that the lording should revert to a male heir, but eventually Conall granted her the formal title in 1994 when it became clear he needed more allies. Some still consider this decision a calculated move (although we know his motives are more than calculated.)
Sidebox: Baroness Bronwyn
At the age of 34 (as of printing, in 2004), Baroness Bronwyn of Durham is now a major power in Caithness and the Civil War, loved and respected by her people. A capable fighter and strategist, she is loyal to the king and her lording is firmly behind Conall.
Her life has revolved around ruling Durham since her father's death, and she only got married in 1993 to a distinguished knight named Sir Wickham at the urging of her advisors. It was a cordial, if not loving marriage, and he still gave her a son before he died of cancer, two years after Bronwyn was formally made a Baroness.
Her son is now 10, and shows great promise. She's been too distracted by the Civil War to consider remarrying, and has no idea Conall is in love with her. She's not considered him in a romantic way, and his polite, but too-indirect attempts to attract her attention haven't changed that.
She also has a secret that could seriously change the future of the war, if not all of Ytarria. She's been secretly hosting a team of underground engineers in a fortified workshop in an isolated corner of her barony. She thinks gunpowder could solve a lot of her (and Caithness') problems, but also knows it could turn many loyal wizards to join the rebels out of spite. And that's not considering Megalos.
Fordham
Further northeast than any other lording, it's another rich farmland with some woods, profiting from east-west trade. It's also a favored target of Megalan invasions seeking to make their way to Carrick, and the lords of Fordham have had to rebuild many times in the past. Berd, the current lord, is loyal to the King, but won't turn his back on Megalos to participate more eagerly in the Civil War. He's also been shoring up his magical defenses with the local wizard, one Blake, who lives on a normal-mana site 10 miles outside Fordham town.
Sidebox: Niall of Fordham
So who is this Niall of Fordham? Well, he used to be Neil Shefford, from Chicago, born in 1963. In 1993, while on a hiking vacation from his job as an accountant, he got caught by a minor Banestorm and got isekai'd to Caithness. Where he arrived near thr tower of the wizard Blake, who took in the "gibbering madman" and used magic to communicate with him, inviting the Banestorm victim to remain with him for a while, and tell him about things back on Earth.
He eventually learned Anglish, and realized that while Blake covered his expenses via magical services, he didn't have a clue about business. So Neil became his treasurer and broker in exchanged for continued hospitality and protection, and adapted his first-aid training to the best medical equipment he could acquire locally.
Neil (now Niall) continues to work as Blake's accountant and business broker. He would certainly like to return to Earth, but knows this is unlikely, especially as he has no magical talent whatsoever. He sympathizes with the underground engineers, and would like to help them (or other Banestorm victims), but has learned that what could happen to him if the Ministry of Serendipity or others were to find him. He doesn't want to lose his memories, and is thankful that Blake didn't.
He's also nervous about a possible invasion from Megalos, which would involve Blake, and thus himself. And in his opinion, both sides of the Civil War should grow up and deal with more important problems.
Niall is a 131 point character, and the only example so far of a character with modern skills like Computer Operations and Driving. He's also addicted to Wazifi coffee as a 1-point quirk, which I like.
Sidebox: Deneral
For such an important character in the lore, we don't get a lot of information about the leader of the Rebels. He's a determined old man at this point, old but still energetic enough to be a major political force. His allies still call him "Baron", but whether or not he's still entitled to the title is up to debate, and effecively has Status 3 rather than 4. For decades, he wanted to rule Caithness, but is now settling for destroying Conall out of spite. He's said to be immensely persuasive, and happy to exploit his more idealistic, independence-minded allies.
The Sterling Rebels
The rebels are only loosely allied against the king, rallying behind Lord Towne of Sterling as their leader, his lording being the strongest, although Deneral is the real brains behind the rebellion.
Denton
A barony with fertile lands and pastures, as well as a well-maintained patch of forest. Despite this prosperity, the people of Denton are poor and cheerless, as Baron Cabble of Denton is a scheming man more interested in increasing his wealth at the expense of others. He's one of the main operators in the Civil War, taking opportunities to take over his neighbors, even the ones technically his allies. He will plot, intrigue and even murder to accomplish this. But he's a loving father, and can argue a plausible case for baronial liberty.
Donlis
Located on a tributary of the River Smoke, it's marshy lands are not as rich as its neighbors, but it makes its profit transporting goods. The river passes through a swamp south of Donlistown, and the locals hire themselves as guides, the only reliable way of passing the obstacle.
Many boats are lost in the swamp every year; mostly the ones who refused to hire a guide. Locals claim that swamp demons prey on unwary boats, while merchants retort that the only predators in the swamp are river pirates, who rarely attack ships with local guides. It's public knowledge that Lord Marsden of Donlis has condoned attacks on Megalan traders, and receives a percentage of their haul.
When agents of the Silver Hand discovered this in 1999, it was one of the causes of the Civil War, and caused a drop in Megalan trade. Marsden has since changed from a scoundrel and a tax-cheat into a rebel against his king, and he's had to rather ironically crack down on the pirates; in the absense of Megalans, they were starting to prey on local shipping.
Ferrier
This barony is on the border between Caithness and the Great Desert, and as such is arid and with few resources. Despite this, it's a successful lording, thanks to underground water sources that were located by hired mages, creating a number of productive wells, supporting a lot of sheepherding.
Ferrier gets frequent raids from reptile men, although these usually only steal a few sheep, to the point that Herdsmen call it "the Lizard Tax" and let it pass. But if a human should get hurt, he shepherds will turn into a violent mob, crossing into the desert for days to get revenge. This has convinced reptile chieftains that human meat isn't worth the trouble.
Baron Nabbick of Ferrier is a gaunt old man, and has been for nearly two decades now. He's 64 years old and is greatly concerned with efficiency. He joined the rebels so he could govern as he sees best, and stop sending taxes to Carrick. He's comfortably protected by Sterling and provides limited support to the rebellion.
Oakwood
This lording has fertile lands in the central region of the country. In peacetime, it benefits from trade with Megalos, but without major waterways, it cannot compete with Durham or Simonton. But this also makes it a less tempting target for Megalan invasions.
The old lord died in 1996 of disease. Brance his nephew and only heir, had been hovering by his bedside and seemed in unusually good cheer afterwards. He'd served as lieutenant to Deneral of Mershall, and soon joined the rebellion. He's arrogant, abusive, and even a racist. He's close to being replaced in a coup by angry subjects, and even the local halflings are now royalist sympathizers secretly working against him.
Sterling
Kicated west of a large, untamed forest in central Caithness, far from the Great Desert and protected from Megalan invasions by said forest, it was a peaceful and prosperous lording before the Civil War. While it's original lord was a supporter of Conall, his death in 1997, fighting off an orc raid, handed the title over to his heir, Lord Towne, a friend of Deneral. The latter convinced him that his father should have taken the throne from Conall, and that it was his filial duty to do so in his place, becoming the first of Deneral's supporters. He is a genuine idealist, however, and is deeply suspicious of Conall's desire for personal authority.
Sterling is known for its fine beers and whiskeys, with Sterling Gold (brewed from the barley crop) being considered the best in Caithness and Western Megalos. A clear white whiskey named Sterling Silver is only slightly less famous, and both are in high demand as far as Cardiel, and even in Islamic lands, where consumption of alcohol is a crime.
Wallace
Thanks to runoff from the mountains, Wallace has more water than most Desert-bordering lordings, and as in Ferrier, allows a lot of sheepherding, but Wallace is also self-sufficient in agriculture. It also has an influx of gold from a mine a few day's march through the desert. Every few years, a new group of entrepreneurs open the mine, and make a lot of money from it before miners start disappearing. Suspects behind this situation includes dwarves (despite good relations with Zarak), or dragons, reptile men, orcs, and undead dwarves.
Lord William of Wallace had a great regard for King Conall, until 1994. This changed when Castle Defiant fell. He believes Conall did too little, too late, and used the situation to set a trap for Deneral. The Defiant refugees who live in Wallace agree with this, and have convinced others. Lord William joined the rebellion in early 2000, with the full support of his vassals.
Sidebox: Photius and the Church of Caithness
The Archdiocese of Photius is like a small kingdom itself, being subject to Church Law rather than King's Law. It's a wealthy, wooded region ruled by Archbishop Siccius, and the inhabitants are prosperous and content, paying only a tithe to the Church, as it's also their feudal lord.
The city of Photious is the most impressive in Caithness, featuring the Adseveration Cathedral, built during the early years of the Caithness Church's independence. Next to it is one of the Hospitals of the Order of St. Alyce (the other being in Calder, in Cardiel), and the Alycite sisters are known for their healing arts, both magical and mundane, as well as for a few miracles that have occured within their walls. North of the city is St. George's Keep, home of the Order of St. George of the Dragon.
Sidebox: The Order of St. George of the Dragon
The "Dragons" are a small militant religious order centered in Photius, unofficially devoted to the Archbishop of Caithness. It's members are monks as well as knights, following the Benedictine rule, and are organized much like the Hospitallers, with similar oaths, although they accept the use of magic. Women are excluded, and so far no nonhuman has asked to join.
It was founded in 1829 by Sir Galen Dragonsbane. A friend of Conall I and Archbishop Constantine, he founded the Order as soon as he was knighted and took his vows. He then went on to slay two dragons during Caithness' pioneering days, dying to a third dragon in 1853.
The Dragons deal with Caithnesser concerns, and don't go on crusades like the Templars or Hoispitallers. They remain officially neutral in the Civil War, as members of the Order have friends on both sides and they're sworn to protect all Christians. They have a long-standing friendly rivalry with Knights of the Stone, and a far less friendly one with the Hospitallers.
The South
The final three lordings here are the ones that have been sitting out of the Civil War for one reason or another.
Blythe
A narrow strip of arable land between the Great Forest and the Great Desert, it's also prone to droughts and was one of the biggest casualties of the Civil War, as it received no aid when it fell to the reptile men in 2001, due to the Civil War distracting the crown. There had been decades of conflict between the citizens of Blythe and the reptile men, and the latter saw an opportunity for invasion when the Civil War started. Many towns have been burned down, scouting expeditions often finding looting reptile men or fleeing human refugees hiding in the fringes of the Great Forest. A solid military effort could drive out the reptile men and re-colonize Blythe, but at this point nobody can spare the manpower.
Harkwood
Fun fact, this Barony was the subject of one of the first big GURPS adventure sourcebook back during first edition.
Harkwood sits on the edge of the Great Forest, also relatively close to the Great Desert, but not enough to be a tempting target. It's known for woodwork and furs, and has rich fields. Baron Fenmarc, now 59, technically rules it, but it's now partially occupied by nonhumans. Elves in this case.
When the rebellion began, Fenmarc sent many of his forces north to aid the king. They passed through Simonton without incident, but where ambushed and massacred in Denton by Baron Cabble's men, leaving Fenmarc in a weakened position, worsened by the fall of Blythe.
In early 2002, a group of 50 elven archers and swordsmen marched out of the Great Forest and into Harkwood Town, "to help defend Harkwood and the human lands from reptile men and orcs." They claimed to be from a settlement in the forest called Sylvilara, and were led by an elf woman named Lleroflyn. They helped against several raids, but in recent years more and more elves have come, and are now part of the lording's power structure. Lleroflyn herself is now Fenmarc's chief advisor, and may soon become his wife.
If this marriage happens and produces an heir, it will be a major political disruption, as currently the heirs are Fenmarc's daughter Lady Aylara and her husband Sir Darrek. The elves refuse to get involved in the Civil War, but their presence in Harkwood is an amazing elven involvement in human affairs.
Simonton
The last stop for westbound trade on the Smoke, with fair soil for agriculture. It's southern Caithness' major trade center, and one can find dwarven weapons and tools, elven silks and crafts, and Megalan gems and spices in its markets. This market-town is one of the few places in the Southlands where goblin traders are common.
Lord Walton of Simonton is keen-witted and impatient, refusing to join the rebellion out of personal dislike for Cabble of Denton, while also being dubious about Conall's motives and methods. He remains neutral in the war, but is courted by both sides.
Sidebox: The Great Forest
This is the largest forest in Ytarria, larger than even the Blackwoods. In fact, it is said that before the Banestorm, the Great Forest and the Blackwoods were part of a single forest that covered central Ytarrria, and that the Blackwoods' alarming growth is an attempt to reunite with the Great Forest.
The forest contains many kinds of life, both natural and fantastic. Bears, deer, elk, and boars are common, and gryphons, wolves, and even unicorns dwell in its depths. And mixtures of pines and deciduous trees make up the forest itself.
Many elves dwell within, as well as at least one community of dwarves in the mountain that bisect it. A society of gnomes live in the southern foothills, west of God\s Fence, and bands of hobgoblins prowl the edges of the forest, preying on hunters and human villages.
To most humans, the Great Forest is a place of mystery, as even the boldest hunters never venture more than 10 miles in, and it is over 200 miles wide by 600 miles long. Adventures may seek gold in the mountains, the hides and furs of rare animals, or a new trade route to al-Haz. It's also the only way to reach the fantastic Land of the Djinn without sailing through the Maelstrom, crossing the Great Desert, or eluding Hazi guards while crossing hundreds of miles of mountains.
Sidenote: and personally, if ever the Elves of Ytarria were to organize into a vast nation, rivaling the human kingdoms, the Great Forest would be the perfect spot for it.
And this concludes our look at Caithness. A land of knights and chivalry, more medieval-focused, and generally lower magic than Megalos. Wizards are fewer and more eccentric, but no less powerful when encountered.
Now, one campaign concept that I've considered for an Ytarrian campaign involving both Caithness and Megalos, is adapting an idea from an old Ken Hite Suppressed Transmission article, "Justinian and Arthur: Historical High Fantasy", which involved combining the legendary King Arthur with the Historical Emperor Justinian of Bysanztium (or at least the apocryphal Demon Emperor version of him from the Anekdota), creating a high fantasy campaign of heroic knights of Camelot fighting against the schemes of the Demon Emperor of Constantinople.
This is a concept that could easily be adapted to Ytarria, where King Conall VI, after finally unifying Caithness under one rule, now has to deal with another Megalan invasion, this one motivated by the machinations of the demonic Emperor Diophrates.
Anyways, this concludes out look at the primarily Christian nations of Ytarria (Cardiel being more multicultural). Next time, we begin our look at the Islamic kingdoms, with al-Haz, land of the Holy City.
The Civil War
The various Lordings of Caithness have been divided up in the Civil War, and out of all of them, only three have yet to pick a side. The Lords of Deerwood, Durham, Fordham, Redhall and Tacitus are on the side of King Conall VI, while the rebellion consists of the lords of Denton, Donlis, Gerrier, Oakwood, Sterling and Wallace. The Church in Photius remains officially neutral, although Archbishop Siccus favors Conall. The lordings of Blythe and Hawkwood are also neutral; the former mostly because it's ffectively destroyed, and the second one is occuped by elves. Also neutral is Simonton, who's lord has simply refused to participate in the conflict. The Elves are adamantly neutral in the war, while the dwaves of Zarak favor the king, as they respect tradition and strong authority, and consider him a good trading partner, although they've yet to offer military aid.
Even amongst the factions, however, things are not perfectly united. Only some of Conall's loyalists genuinely like him, others following him only out of principle. Meanwhile, amongst the rebels, some are following Deneral out of loyalty, while Baron Cabble of Denton is only in it to grab more territory.
The war has run hot and cold over the years, with months or even years passing in virtual truces, and at the current time, neither side has a definite advantage over the other, and both are concerned with enemies to the east and west. As a result, most conflict these days consist of small raids and plots to spy or sabotage an opposing faction. In the long term, Conall may eventually win, but not without a lot more of his kingdom being claimed by the enemy, and it's still likely Caithness could split as a nation.
Sidebox: King Conall VI
We get a solid write-up of the king of Caithness here. He's characterized as intelligent and charismatic, but faced with canny enemies, due to his few missteps. His biggest concern aside from the Civil War is his currently unrequited love for Baroness Bronwyn of Durnham, whom he met while he made her a baroness. While she was married at the time, she's since become a widow, but he's never found the right moment to make romantic overtures to her. This has kept him from accepting over possibilities for marriage (although he uses the Civl War as an excuse to reject offers), but fortunately he has a designated heir, a young cousin named Sir Bereford.
In games, Conall can be used as a romantic who wants the best for his people, and who has focused so much of himself into the kingdom that he comes off as a little dull, and needs to be shown how to loosen up; or as an emotionally constipated control freak determined to supervise every scrap of the kingdom. These views are not incompatible.
We get some notes about his build; his Independent Income advantage represents the money he receives from his various fiefdoms, aside the income received from his job as King of Caithness. He's effectively Status 7, but only has the means to support a Status 6 lifestyle, as he's fighting a Civil War taking up a lot of resources.
He also has a personal code of honor that is much like the Code of Chivalry, except that it allows/encourages him to avoid endangering himself for personal reasons; he is responsible for the entire kingdom. He will keep to the letter of his word, seek redress for insults, and will protect the weak (especially Caithnessers), but rather than fighting personally, can order his guards or a personal champion to act in his place.
His point total comes up to 303 points, and makes him a pretty well-rounded ruler.
The Royalists
These are the lordings loyal to the king.
Carrick
Castle Carrick is the traditional seat of the Kings of Caithness, across the River Conn from Carrick Town. It's a typical Caithness large holding, with a city of 20,000 supported by a few hundred thousand farmers in the surrounding countryside. It's rich from sizable farming surpluses and trade with Zarak, and this (along with Conall's martial prowess) make the lording loyal to the king. Carrick Town also houses two of Conall's greatest assets, the Silver Hand and the Order of the Stone.
Sidebox: the Knights of the Stone
King Conall I established the Order of the Knights of the Stone in 1812, the year after his coronation. He wanted to found a knightly order more focused on the ideals of knightly virtues than on acquiring land and power. He also wanted an order of knights loyal only to him. The Knights of the Stone are a non-religious knightly order with oaths of loyalty sworn directly to the King.
The titular stone the order is named after was once the cornerstone of a Megalan church, before it bame the altar-stone of the first church built in Carrick. New knights still swear their oaths upon it. Near this church is the Order's chapterhouse, named Stonehall, where knights live and train within its halls. Knights of the Stone hold no lands and gain no rewards from the crown, but their ranks soon swelled with romantic young men, especially younger sons of noble families.
The order quickly became well-accepted in Caithness, and the lines of traditional and Order knighthood have blurred; Knights of the Stone can swear fealty to a lord and become landed knights, and traditional knights who have broken with their lord can be accepted into the Order.
The Order is also broad-minded, having accepted and nonhumans into their order; one in five knights are women, and one in ten is a nonhuman (halflings and elves, a few dwarves, two goblins, and one reptile man of unassailable reputation). There are currently just under 300 Knights of the Stone.
The Order itself owns enough land near Carrick to support itself, giving its members a stipend, as well as providing for members in need, with members offering their old gear to knights who lost their armor in a fight, for example. There is a second chapter house in Simonton, servicing knights in the south.
Megalan knights consider the Order of the Stone to be a joke in poor taste, considering its members less than "real" knights, and as a result, when nothing else takes precedence, champions of the Stone take great pleasure in traveling to Megalos to shame local knights in single combat.
The Former Barony of Mershall
Once Lord Deneral's lands, formerly the most northern lording in Caithness that produced a surplus of grain, timber and fame, it has since become assimilated into Carrick. Despite the returned prosperity, many of the locals resent King Conall as a conqueror who used deceit to defeat their lord.
Deerwood
A small lording, known for excellent game, and was King Morill's favorite hunting ground. To the point he had gryphons released into Deerwood forest 30 years ago, and they have become a problem ever since. Dame Lorena of Deerwood is a Knight of the Stone, a good friend of Queen Alys, and loyal to the King. Now in her 50s and unmarried, she designated a fellow Knight of the Stone named Sir Phillip as her heir, which has led to a lot of speculation (mostly untrue and unkind) about her relationship with the much-younger knight, and when he eventually assumes the lording, there won't be a smooth transition.
Durham
The most famous of Caithness' lordings, as the legendary Lord Peredur Orcslayer gained his fame driving out the last great horde of orc raiders in 1926. For more than 50 years, Durham has a reputation that has kept even Megalos from invading it directly. It's a rich land, benefitting from trade over the River Conn.
In 1989, Lord Peredur passed away at the age of 81, leaving the lording in the hands of his then 18-year old daughter, Lady Bronwyn, who's herself famous for surviving capture by an orc raiding party. Transition wasn't smooth, as some argued that the lording should revert to a male heir, but eventually Conall granted her the formal title in 1994 when it became clear he needed more allies. Some still consider this decision a calculated move (although we know his motives are more than calculated.)
Sidebox: Baroness Bronwyn
At the age of 34 (as of printing, in 2004), Baroness Bronwyn of Durham is now a major power in Caithness and the Civil War, loved and respected by her people. A capable fighter and strategist, she is loyal to the king and her lording is firmly behind Conall.
Her life has revolved around ruling Durham since her father's death, and she only got married in 1993 to a distinguished knight named Sir Wickham at the urging of her advisors. It was a cordial, if not loving marriage, and he still gave her a son before he died of cancer, two years after Bronwyn was formally made a Baroness.
Her son is now 10, and shows great promise. She's been too distracted by the Civil War to consider remarrying, and has no idea Conall is in love with her. She's not considered him in a romantic way, and his polite, but too-indirect attempts to attract her attention haven't changed that.
She also has a secret that could seriously change the future of the war, if not all of Ytarria. She's been secretly hosting a team of underground engineers in a fortified workshop in an isolated corner of her barony. She thinks gunpowder could solve a lot of her (and Caithness') problems, but also knows it could turn many loyal wizards to join the rebels out of spite. And that's not considering Megalos.
Fordham
Further northeast than any other lording, it's another rich farmland with some woods, profiting from east-west trade. It's also a favored target of Megalan invasions seeking to make their way to Carrick, and the lords of Fordham have had to rebuild many times in the past. Berd, the current lord, is loyal to the King, but won't turn his back on Megalos to participate more eagerly in the Civil War. He's also been shoring up his magical defenses with the local wizard, one Blake, who lives on a normal-mana site 10 miles outside Fordham town.
Sidebox: Niall of Fordham
So who is this Niall of Fordham? Well, he used to be Neil Shefford, from Chicago, born in 1963. In 1993, while on a hiking vacation from his job as an accountant, he got caught by a minor Banestorm and got isekai'd to Caithness. Where he arrived near thr tower of the wizard Blake, who took in the "gibbering madman" and used magic to communicate with him, inviting the Banestorm victim to remain with him for a while, and tell him about things back on Earth.
He eventually learned Anglish, and realized that while Blake covered his expenses via magical services, he didn't have a clue about business. So Neil became his treasurer and broker in exchanged for continued hospitality and protection, and adapted his first-aid training to the best medical equipment he could acquire locally.
Neil (now Niall) continues to work as Blake's accountant and business broker. He would certainly like to return to Earth, but knows this is unlikely, especially as he has no magical talent whatsoever. He sympathizes with the underground engineers, and would like to help them (or other Banestorm victims), but has learned that what could happen to him if the Ministry of Serendipity or others were to find him. He doesn't want to lose his memories, and is thankful that Blake didn't.
He's also nervous about a possible invasion from Megalos, which would involve Blake, and thus himself. And in his opinion, both sides of the Civil War should grow up and deal with more important problems.
Niall is a 131 point character, and the only example so far of a character with modern skills like Computer Operations and Driving. He's also addicted to Wazifi coffee as a 1-point quirk, which I like.
Sidebox: Deneral
For such an important character in the lore, we don't get a lot of information about the leader of the Rebels. He's a determined old man at this point, old but still energetic enough to be a major political force. His allies still call him "Baron", but whether or not he's still entitled to the title is up to debate, and effecively has Status 3 rather than 4. For decades, he wanted to rule Caithness, but is now settling for destroying Conall out of spite. He's said to be immensely persuasive, and happy to exploit his more idealistic, independence-minded allies.
The Sterling Rebels
The rebels are only loosely allied against the king, rallying behind Lord Towne of Sterling as their leader, his lording being the strongest, although Deneral is the real brains behind the rebellion.
Denton
A barony with fertile lands and pastures, as well as a well-maintained patch of forest. Despite this prosperity, the people of Denton are poor and cheerless, as Baron Cabble of Denton is a scheming man more interested in increasing his wealth at the expense of others. He's one of the main operators in the Civil War, taking opportunities to take over his neighbors, even the ones technically his allies. He will plot, intrigue and even murder to accomplish this. But he's a loving father, and can argue a plausible case for baronial liberty.
Donlis
Located on a tributary of the River Smoke, it's marshy lands are not as rich as its neighbors, but it makes its profit transporting goods. The river passes through a swamp south of Donlistown, and the locals hire themselves as guides, the only reliable way of passing the obstacle.
Many boats are lost in the swamp every year; mostly the ones who refused to hire a guide. Locals claim that swamp demons prey on unwary boats, while merchants retort that the only predators in the swamp are river pirates, who rarely attack ships with local guides. It's public knowledge that Lord Marsden of Donlis has condoned attacks on Megalan traders, and receives a percentage of their haul.
When agents of the Silver Hand discovered this in 1999, it was one of the causes of the Civil War, and caused a drop in Megalan trade. Marsden has since changed from a scoundrel and a tax-cheat into a rebel against his king, and he's had to rather ironically crack down on the pirates; in the absense of Megalans, they were starting to prey on local shipping.
Ferrier
This barony is on the border between Caithness and the Great Desert, and as such is arid and with few resources. Despite this, it's a successful lording, thanks to underground water sources that were located by hired mages, creating a number of productive wells, supporting a lot of sheepherding.
Ferrier gets frequent raids from reptile men, although these usually only steal a few sheep, to the point that Herdsmen call it "the Lizard Tax" and let it pass. But if a human should get hurt, he shepherds will turn into a violent mob, crossing into the desert for days to get revenge. This has convinced reptile chieftains that human meat isn't worth the trouble.
Baron Nabbick of Ferrier is a gaunt old man, and has been for nearly two decades now. He's 64 years old and is greatly concerned with efficiency. He joined the rebels so he could govern as he sees best, and stop sending taxes to Carrick. He's comfortably protected by Sterling and provides limited support to the rebellion.
Oakwood
This lording has fertile lands in the central region of the country. In peacetime, it benefits from trade with Megalos, but without major waterways, it cannot compete with Durham or Simonton. But this also makes it a less tempting target for Megalan invasions.
The old lord died in 1996 of disease. Brance his nephew and only heir, had been hovering by his bedside and seemed in unusually good cheer afterwards. He'd served as lieutenant to Deneral of Mershall, and soon joined the rebellion. He's arrogant, abusive, and even a racist. He's close to being replaced in a coup by angry subjects, and even the local halflings are now royalist sympathizers secretly working against him.
Sterling
Kicated west of a large, untamed forest in central Caithness, far from the Great Desert and protected from Megalan invasions by said forest, it was a peaceful and prosperous lording before the Civil War. While it's original lord was a supporter of Conall, his death in 1997, fighting off an orc raid, handed the title over to his heir, Lord Towne, a friend of Deneral. The latter convinced him that his father should have taken the throne from Conall, and that it was his filial duty to do so in his place, becoming the first of Deneral's supporters. He is a genuine idealist, however, and is deeply suspicious of Conall's desire for personal authority.
Sterling is known for its fine beers and whiskeys, with Sterling Gold (brewed from the barley crop) being considered the best in Caithness and Western Megalos. A clear white whiskey named Sterling Silver is only slightly less famous, and both are in high demand as far as Cardiel, and even in Islamic lands, where consumption of alcohol is a crime.
Wallace
Thanks to runoff from the mountains, Wallace has more water than most Desert-bordering lordings, and as in Ferrier, allows a lot of sheepherding, but Wallace is also self-sufficient in agriculture. It also has an influx of gold from a mine a few day's march through the desert. Every few years, a new group of entrepreneurs open the mine, and make a lot of money from it before miners start disappearing. Suspects behind this situation includes dwarves (despite good relations with Zarak), or dragons, reptile men, orcs, and undead dwarves.
Lord William of Wallace had a great regard for King Conall, until 1994. This changed when Castle Defiant fell. He believes Conall did too little, too late, and used the situation to set a trap for Deneral. The Defiant refugees who live in Wallace agree with this, and have convinced others. Lord William joined the rebellion in early 2000, with the full support of his vassals.
Sidebox: Photius and the Church of Caithness
The Archdiocese of Photius is like a small kingdom itself, being subject to Church Law rather than King's Law. It's a wealthy, wooded region ruled by Archbishop Siccius, and the inhabitants are prosperous and content, paying only a tithe to the Church, as it's also their feudal lord.
The city of Photious is the most impressive in Caithness, featuring the Adseveration Cathedral, built during the early years of the Caithness Church's independence. Next to it is one of the Hospitals of the Order of St. Alyce (the other being in Calder, in Cardiel), and the Alycite sisters are known for their healing arts, both magical and mundane, as well as for a few miracles that have occured within their walls. North of the city is St. George's Keep, home of the Order of St. George of the Dragon.
Sidebox: The Order of St. George of the Dragon
The "Dragons" are a small militant religious order centered in Photius, unofficially devoted to the Archbishop of Caithness. It's members are monks as well as knights, following the Benedictine rule, and are organized much like the Hospitallers, with similar oaths, although they accept the use of magic. Women are excluded, and so far no nonhuman has asked to join.
It was founded in 1829 by Sir Galen Dragonsbane. A friend of Conall I and Archbishop Constantine, he founded the Order as soon as he was knighted and took his vows. He then went on to slay two dragons during Caithness' pioneering days, dying to a third dragon in 1853.
The Dragons deal with Caithnesser concerns, and don't go on crusades like the Templars or Hoispitallers. They remain officially neutral in the Civil War, as members of the Order have friends on both sides and they're sworn to protect all Christians. They have a long-standing friendly rivalry with Knights of the Stone, and a far less friendly one with the Hospitallers.
The South
The final three lordings here are the ones that have been sitting out of the Civil War for one reason or another.
Blythe
A narrow strip of arable land between the Great Forest and the Great Desert, it's also prone to droughts and was one of the biggest casualties of the Civil War, as it received no aid when it fell to the reptile men in 2001, due to the Civil War distracting the crown. There had been decades of conflict between the citizens of Blythe and the reptile men, and the latter saw an opportunity for invasion when the Civil War started. Many towns have been burned down, scouting expeditions often finding looting reptile men or fleeing human refugees hiding in the fringes of the Great Forest. A solid military effort could drive out the reptile men and re-colonize Blythe, but at this point nobody can spare the manpower.
Harkwood
Fun fact, this Barony was the subject of one of the first big GURPS adventure sourcebook back during first edition.
Harkwood sits on the edge of the Great Forest, also relatively close to the Great Desert, but not enough to be a tempting target. It's known for woodwork and furs, and has rich fields. Baron Fenmarc, now 59, technically rules it, but it's now partially occupied by nonhumans. Elves in this case.
When the rebellion began, Fenmarc sent many of his forces north to aid the king. They passed through Simonton without incident, but where ambushed and massacred in Denton by Baron Cabble's men, leaving Fenmarc in a weakened position, worsened by the fall of Blythe.
In early 2002, a group of 50 elven archers and swordsmen marched out of the Great Forest and into Harkwood Town, "to help defend Harkwood and the human lands from reptile men and orcs." They claimed to be from a settlement in the forest called Sylvilara, and were led by an elf woman named Lleroflyn. They helped against several raids, but in recent years more and more elves have come, and are now part of the lording's power structure. Lleroflyn herself is now Fenmarc's chief advisor, and may soon become his wife.
If this marriage happens and produces an heir, it will be a major political disruption, as currently the heirs are Fenmarc's daughter Lady Aylara and her husband Sir Darrek. The elves refuse to get involved in the Civil War, but their presence in Harkwood is an amazing elven involvement in human affairs.
Simonton
The last stop for westbound trade on the Smoke, with fair soil for agriculture. It's southern Caithness' major trade center, and one can find dwarven weapons and tools, elven silks and crafts, and Megalan gems and spices in its markets. This market-town is one of the few places in the Southlands where goblin traders are common.
Lord Walton of Simonton is keen-witted and impatient, refusing to join the rebellion out of personal dislike for Cabble of Denton, while also being dubious about Conall's motives and methods. He remains neutral in the war, but is courted by both sides.
Sidebox: The Great Forest
This is the largest forest in Ytarria, larger than even the Blackwoods. In fact, it is said that before the Banestorm, the Great Forest and the Blackwoods were part of a single forest that covered central Ytarrria, and that the Blackwoods' alarming growth is an attempt to reunite with the Great Forest.
The forest contains many kinds of life, both natural and fantastic. Bears, deer, elk, and boars are common, and gryphons, wolves, and even unicorns dwell in its depths. And mixtures of pines and deciduous trees make up the forest itself.
Many elves dwell within, as well as at least one community of dwarves in the mountain that bisect it. A society of gnomes live in the southern foothills, west of God\s Fence, and bands of hobgoblins prowl the edges of the forest, preying on hunters and human villages.
To most humans, the Great Forest is a place of mystery, as even the boldest hunters never venture more than 10 miles in, and it is over 200 miles wide by 600 miles long. Adventures may seek gold in the mountains, the hides and furs of rare animals, or a new trade route to al-Haz. It's also the only way to reach the fantastic Land of the Djinn without sailing through the Maelstrom, crossing the Great Desert, or eluding Hazi guards while crossing hundreds of miles of mountains.
Sidenote: and personally, if ever the Elves of Ytarria were to organize into a vast nation, rivaling the human kingdoms, the Great Forest would be the perfect spot for it.
And this concludes our look at Caithness. A land of knights and chivalry, more medieval-focused, and generally lower magic than Megalos. Wizards are fewer and more eccentric, but no less powerful when encountered.
Now, one campaign concept that I've considered for an Ytarrian campaign involving both Caithness and Megalos, is adapting an idea from an old Ken Hite Suppressed Transmission article, "Justinian and Arthur: Historical High Fantasy", which involved combining the legendary King Arthur with the Historical Emperor Justinian of Bysanztium (or at least the apocryphal Demon Emperor version of him from the Anekdota), creating a high fantasy campaign of heroic knights of Camelot fighting against the schemes of the Demon Emperor of Constantinople.
This is a concept that could easily be adapted to Ytarria, where King Conall VI, after finally unifying Caithness under one rule, now has to deal with another Megalan invasion, this one motivated by the machinations of the demonic Emperor Diophrates.
Anyways, this concludes out look at the primarily Christian nations of Ytarria (Cardiel being more multicultural). Next time, we begin our look at the Islamic kingdoms, with al-Haz, land of the Holy City.
And they've done a good job of making it an immediately different adventuring environment than Megalos.
You know, I can't help thinking that it is somewhat unfortunate that GURPS Banestorm was published this early in the GURPS 4E development cycle.
"Low Mana" with -5 on all spell skills is very harsh for mages, and it ensures that characters optimized for Low Mana and characters optimized for Normal Mana will lose effectiveness when crossing into other realms. But, as pointed out earlier, ways of mitigating these penalties like they were published later in GURPS Thaumatology would have reduced this problem while still making these realms very different environments for mages.
And then there are all the other possibilities for magical powers published in later supplements - if some more of them had been integrated into the setting, it could have been made more interesting.
"Low Mana" with -5 on all spell skills is very harsh for mages, and it ensures that characters optimized for Low Mana and characters optimized for Normal Mana will lose effectiveness when crossing into other realms. But, as pointed out earlier, ways of mitigating these penalties like they were published later in GURPS Thaumatology would have reduced this problem while still making these realms very different environments for mages.
And then there are all the other possibilities for magical powers published in later supplements - if some more of them had been integrated into the setting, it could have been made more interesting.
Once I'm done with my read-through, I'm planning a "Rebuilding GURPS Banestorm from Scratch" project. Which will involve such things as:
-using GURPS Dungeon Fantasy's rules as a framework
-adding more continents to Yrth
-adding more nations, based on various GURPS Fantasy+Historical sourcebooks I have
-adding a wider range of magical systems
-making the "human" nations more racially diverse in terms of nonhuman populations
-more gender equality all around.
-basically "Eberronificating" Yrth, because artificers, warforged and magical airships are why Eberron is so much cooler than the Forgotten Realms
Thanks for the series, LoneWorld23. I'm a fan of the Banestorm setting, and am happy to see it get more attention on the webs (and at gaming tables).
For anyone wanting more reading, here's a link to a few articles on my site that discuss or at least mention Banestorm:
https://www.gamesdiner.com/?s=Banestorm
That includes one "Let's Read" article like your thread here, thought with only a fraction of your detail!
I look forward to more in your posts, especially the upcoming "Rebuilding GURPS Banestorm from Scratch".
For anyone wanting more reading, here's a link to a few articles on my site that discuss or at least mention Banestorm:
https://www.gamesdiner.com/?s=Banestorm
That includes one "Let's Read" article like your thread here, thought with only a fraction of your detail!
I look forward to more in your posts, especially the upcoming "Rebuilding GURPS Banestorm from Scratch".