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Location and Arrival
Scarhawk Castle is located on an island in Dawncrsytal Lake, named for the way the morning light plays upon the water.
The lake is fed by three rivers which wend West, North toward Malgrave, and South.
The Castle occupies a superior defensive position, which puts it a long way from major overland trade routes and river crossings.
Trade moves through the rivers, but large ships have trouble navigating them. While it was a strategically critical position during the Drakorian Wars, it is far away from the rebel counties and receives less attention than it used to.
Due to its location, there are only two ways to arrive at Scarhawk Castle: By boat or by air. Boat is by far the most common, ferry fares across the lake are cheap, though travelers are likely to be questioned before they embark. Arrival by air can be either by Scrahawk, Dracosaur, or on a trade airship. The air docks are tightly controlled by soldiers, and the average traveler is treated with extreme suspicion if they arrive by air. -
Island Economy and Ecology
Sitting at the northern edge of the subtropical zone and right between a couple of Hadley cells Scarhawk Castle is subject to a few interesting weather patterns. The clash of competing wind cycles causes occasional strong hurricanes, which most of the buildings are designed for (strong window shutters, extra bracing beams, hardwood construction, etc.)
Warm rains are relatively uncommon, winters are almost never harsh, snow is rare but cold is not. Most of the local trees are softer woods, but some hardwoods can be found if one looks hard enough. This also means more than your average amount of bugges as there are plenty of places for them to hide.
The island has space for enough farming, hunting, and fishing to support a small community independently. However as the community grows the inhabitants will have to rely increasingly on trade. Wood cutting is strictly controlled on the island. Many hunters and wood cutters travel to the shores where their work is easier, and the tax on their goods is lighter.
The long growing season and abundance of fish in the warm water provides a great deal of food, and colonies of wild and trained birds provide plenty of animal labour.
Trade for items and services is just as common as using coin.
There is never a lack of work at a castle, especially one that has spent so long in disrepair. Finding work is unlikely to be a problem, brave furres who decide to begin a trade or business should find plenty of demand, depending on what they chose to do.
Unlicensed mages are not allowed to practice magic, but those approved by the guild enjoy a high demand for their services: be it water mages summoning rain, earth mages helping to quarry or till fields, wind mages putting gusts into the sails of small vessels... Magic is always in demand. -
The Market
Being a rebel town means that there is much less gold flowing through the area than there is barter. Market stalls operate on both trade as well as coin transactions across the board. This means that many furres which reside here are good at making or producing something in order to make their lives easier.
Every Sunday extra stalls are put up for ‘Market Day.’ Any furre is allowed to take an empty stall (first come first serve) to sell their wares or offer their services from. This makes for quite the atmosphere on the weekends and almost everyfurre is up early on those days to get the best vegetables, cuts of meat, and quality items first.
Others wait until the end of the day when merchants are trying to clear their tables so they have enough coin to work for the rest of the week. In essence a rope-maker for example can make their living weaving for most of the week and selling their wares at the end.
Many of the Riverfolk will show up on the Sunday Market day to take advantage of the larger amount of trade options and bring their best wares in. -
Economics 101
Conversion rates for this dream will conform with the standard.
10 coppers = 1 silver. 10 silver = 1 gold sun.
The easy way to gauge how much something would cost:
1 copper = $1-$2.
3 coppers = $5-$10.
5 coppers = $25.
1 silver = $50.
1 gold = $200.
The daily wage for a simple laborer or farmer is about 5-7 coppers.
Skilled workers earn about 8-12 coppers.
Soldiers get 1-3 silver depending on rank.
Mages end up relying on independent income most of the time.
A loaf of bread, bowl of simple soup, or other very basic items are only 1 copper.
The equivalent of a basic meal with a beer is about 2-3 coppers.
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This also goes for the quality of items purchased, as a shovel made by somefurre inexperienced (Wal-Mart) is going to be cheap (3 coppers) one made by a real craftsfurre (Home Depot/ Lowes) will be more (5 coppers).
Trade goods are valued depending on the market. Wood is plentiful around SC so very cheap (1 copper per chord), but this far from the coast or deserts glass is terribly expensive (five silver per pace by pace pane).
Living within your means or not: Your character is expected to live within the ability given to them by earning coin (even if it’s begging which gets you 2-4 copper a day) or what is given to a character.
For example: A fruit-picker from the orchards should not live in a mansion, unless they want the soldiers asking hard questions about where they’re getting all their money from. Are they spying for the King’s knights?
If your char has special circumstances please let us know before you do things that we are forced to assume are ‘financially impossible.’
Now while the chart above says how much your char earns in certain types of jobs and working in the castle is more lucrative than elsewhere we will not be counting your coppers and we don’t really expect you to either. What this means is simply use logic for what your char can purchase or acquire. A laborer can have nice things, if they save for them or work extra hours. With this in mind if a rag-collector has a bejeweled sword it’s not out of the ordinary for a soldier to think that it just might be stolen. The base pay for the jobs are factored for a char to be able to afford suitable housing for their ‘station’, food, and depending on the pay possibly support another being.
Opposite of the poorer furres needing to watch what they buy so do the rich. Just because you have good income doesn’t mean you can buy whatever you want whenever you want. Some items and services are rare to the area, or there might be a shortage due to problems with distribution, weather, transportation of goods, etc. Those things will be on the forums posted for all to see and if you feel an adjustment needs to be made, or are uncertain about anything feel free to contact us. -
Residents
Mages♔ “But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium. A wizard's power of Changing and Summoning can shake the balance of the world. It is dangerous, that power...It must follow knowledge, and serve need.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
With a tower there’s not a large amount of mages for the tower itself, but for the region there is a slight excess. It being a ‘rebel’ camp many of the mages which are here opted not to be near major cities for one reason or another. The mages are considered to be pretty high on the totem pole of ‘authority’ here mainly due to the fact that they have a tower in town. In order to make sure that they do more than cloister themselves into the libraries and labs they are required to put in four hours of service to the town using their magic every week they reside there. This could be bolstering crops, strengthening defenses, cleaning up debris, repairing homes or businesses, basically anything that is considered helping the community as a whole.
Scarhawk Riders♔"It never gets easier, you just go faster."
- Greg LeMond
Most of which are rebels to the core, others at least somewhat malcontent with the King. The rebellion is not in a position to turn down many recruits at the moment. All of which at least demonstrate a modicum of skill with fighting from the back of a Scarhawk as well as on their own.
Rebel Knights♔A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.
-Philip Sidney
Some of these are little more than mercenaries, while others hold to their hearts the spirit of the rebellion. All are generally warriors or tacticians of some degree, though through need of bodies lower candidates have been accepted. Regardless of rank or level of nobility all riders are required to perform one patrol or scouting mission every other day as long as they and their mounts are fit to do so. This can be substituted by also using their scarhawk to move supplies or materials around.
Servants♔People who care about each other enjoy doing things for one another. They don't consider it servitude.
-Ann Landers
With all of the riders, mages, knights, soldiers, and other furres in need of services and products made, gear repaired, etc, a large amount of ‘common’ furres and trades furres make their homes here, because that’s where their livelihood is. This includes Scarhawk groomers, farmers, craftsfurres, males-at-arms, blacksmiths, tinkers, hunters, etc. They are expected to or have to (for financial reasons) perform their jobs six days a week and about eight to ten hours a day.
Soldiers♔Bones Heal. Chicks Dig Scars. Pain is Temporary. Glory is Forever.
-Patrick Aanstoots
Well, somefurre has to go on patrol, man the walls, watch the streets, and act as the town guard as well. These are ones who have sworn to the rebel cause who are expected to repel any attack from within, or without. Due to the nature of the situation soldiers tend to be gruff, more likely to make an arrest when in question. It is safer to throw a furre in jail and apologize later than to apologize to a family after one of them is dead. Soldiers are expected to patrol either inside or outside the city at least three days a week and train for at least two days a week. They are given basic arms and armor from the city itself, though are free to carry other gear as long as it is approved by that soldier’s Captain.
Riverfolk♔The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
-Richard Bach
The lake attaches to three rivers which goes past enough towns of note that a small population has sprung up alongside the rivers of furres. They are called Riverfolk, ones that are not used to socializing with much anyfurre else. As such they have gotten their own customs and ways of doing things. They provide fish, crab, shrimp, and other bounties of the river and some of the surrounding woods including their own brand of woodsfurres brandy. While solitary in their family groups when at home they become far more sociable when they get back to populated areas. Eager to sell their wares, or trade furres out of anything they might be able to use out on the river they also craft excellent canoes.
While they are not above messing with the ‘civilized’ furres when they’re found out in the woods they usually bring them back to town safe and sound. Most of them are willing to act as guides for hunting or scouting parties… for a fee or trade. The same goes for safe transit downriver or up it.
About The Castle
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Laws for Every Furre
Law is enforced by the town Constable, who is a member of the Scarhawk Castle military. There is no separation between soldiers and law enforcement.
In Scarhawk Castle it is unlawful to perform any of the following:- The ending of the life of another furre or being without just cause.
- The theft of the property of anyfurre or the Keep.
NOTE: Natural resources on the island: trees, stone, wildlife, etc. are considered property of the keep. Gathering them without permission is theft.
- To cause harm to anyfurre in any way with ill intent.
- Speaking for the King in any manner, or acting in any manner for the King.
- To endanger any group of beings that are loyal to the Rebellion and Scarhawk Castle.
- To shirk duty in a time of need, either emergency or defense lest you are incapable of helping physically.
Punishment.
If one of these laws are breached then the offender will be restrained in irons until justice can be meted out by officials and the damaged furres. Narsuun has leave to pardon or sentence anyfurre he has need to without question.
To perform a sentence that would end the life of a furre requires a signature from Narsuun, or his Regent in his absence. - The ending of the life of another furre or being without just cause.