Old Dog, New Status

[This document should be considered back-dated to 6 September, right after the reported decision of the Souffets and the response by the party that Pako should be censor of their new grant of land]

Pako the Citizen

The Souffets granted the company who captured Fort Stormbreak, né Bugeater, the right to elect a military commander (mridha), for whom they chose Sesel; and to elect a civilian commander and tax collector, or censor, to mutually command the Fort. For the latter, the company elected Pako, longtime loyal comrade of Durham of the Ringing Anvil.

This is certainly a surprise! There is no law against granting citizenship to a renyu or assigning one such a high office, it is a thing almost unheard of. There was Saint Khristof once, who was indeed even a saint, but renyu are not widely known for their intelligence or initiative. Whatever the feeling of the Souffets regarding this decision, they certainly won't deny it the heroes of the Bugeater crisis.

Therefore, with some little fanfare, Pako was duly invited to make the procession between the Long Walls from Cothon to Gadeed, to enter the Court of the Mount, escorted by Sesel, his sponsor and companion. In that palace, Pako stood first before a lesser magistrate, whose office of censor Pako would soon take on himself, to declare his answers to the four formulaic questions: 

1. What wealth do you claim?
2. Do you make any claim to rights or privileges according to the pedigree of your ancestors?
3. What is your profession?
4. Do you swear loyalty to Gadeed, to Cothon, and to their Souffets? Do you swear to keep arms, and/or to provide for the arms of your servants and/or slaves, for service to the Mother of Cities and the Ten Cities' League?

From there--assuming he answered well and without any offense to Gadeed, and did indeed swear the oath--he was escorted before the Souffets to be invested with his office of Censor of Stormbreak (as the fort was renamed) alongside Sesel being invested as Mridha of Stormbreak.

Pako's name and the date inked in lapis lazuli blue, and stamped with gold

Pako the Censor

As censor Pako is responsible for the development of the land around Fort Stormbreak into productive land, the taxes on which he can farm and will retain 10% for his own personal use. The land allotted him is a 10 mile radius around the fort, which is approximately 314 square miles.

The land is currently not well developed, except around the inn-on-the-ford, and so the land as a whole yields only a fraction of what it could if properly developed. The river is replete with fish and eels, so one might imagine fishing weirs providing one place for development; or using its current for driving a mill. One might also expect Pako to use his connections with the Was'go tribe of renyu, from among whom he was born, to perhaps develop the land in some way that renyu would be good at, like hunting or birding. Other ideas will have to be developed by Pako (and whoever might wish to help him).

As of September, Pako would have a monthly personal income of 100 dinars between taxes from the inn and the little bit of income from the land. This can be significantly increased if Pako surveys the land to see how it might be used, and invites settlers to come out to the Fort or the area around the inn and to thus start developing the land to be useful to Cothon-Gadeed.

This means that Pako has earned 400 dinars since investiture.

Pako should, of course, coordinate with Sesel on ideas about the Fort itself

The Company's Decision

Following their reported successes at Fort Bugeater, the company of that expedition was called to the Court of the Moon to report to the Souffets. Taking in all the information provided, the Souffets came to a decision regarding the reward of 150,000 dinars (gp) that they had offered for its capture. This reward was divided into three parts:

1. Eighty thousand (80,000) dinars would be awarded to the company of the expedition for personal rewards. Divided into shares, full shares to leaders and half-shares to retainers, this comes out to:
   11,428 dinars each to Sesel, Durham, Heijo, Fa Min, and Najm
   5,715 dinars each to Raoden, Pako, Demitrytus, and Fa Mei
2. Iqtadar Sesel would expand his holdings, taking up the office of mridha (castellan) of the Fort. It was requested by the company that the fort be renamed, given that "Bugeater" was the name of the Kzin who commanded it formerly. As mridha, Sesel receives thirty-five thousand (35,000) dinars for maintenance and upgrades to the fort. A force of at least 120 fighting-men must be hired and supplied, including support staff such as armorers and blacksmiths (it is suggested that perhaps Durham's Ringing Anvil get first refusal to take up this opportunity?). Sesel will hold this post for at least one solar year, with the chance to be reinvested with this authority with the accession of the next two Souffets.
3. Pako would take up the mantle of censor of the land around the Fort, acting as overseer and tax-farmer and ensuring that the land is developed for the good of Cothon and Gadeed. He will receive thirty-five thousand (35,000) dinars for the development of the land, and hold the office of censor for one lunar year, or longer if renewed during the Feasts of Investiture next year. It is expected that the Was'go take up some of this work, though certain rumors suggest that they are also engaged in their own expansion in the sea caves of the Ocean's Throat. As part of taking office as censor, Pako will also take on the mantle of citizen of Gadeed.
   This last is very unusual--a renyu citizen?! It seems clear that this is, to some extant, a thumbing of the nose at the Souffets, a deliberate following of the letter of their decision, but twisting the spirit. Many suspect that Durham, foreigner and Hansemann that he is, put the company up to this unusual choice.
   Yet, there are many who are happy to see a renyu raised to such status--after all, why should they not be allowed such status, when Bulrathi and Klackons are granted the same? Is there really anything about a renyu that should bar them from citizenship?

Pako's new status as citizen will be covered in a separate post.

Furthermore, the Souffets also promised a triumph and feast for the successful adventurers, in part to buoy the morale of the Cities, so long assailed by fears and disasters stemming from the Red Cloud and his horde of Kzinti, and the Stygian and the undead horrors infesting Old Tsurr al Qadim. This too will be covered in a separate post.

Hansemann Durham

 As has been noted by the rumormongers of the Dual-Cities, Telman of Tsipa, captain of the campaign against the Luwian pirates and also associate of old with Durham of the Ringing Anvil and the Survivors of the Tel (on the quest against the Denyan Akho)--this Telman of Tsipa has returned to Cothon-Gadeed because of the winter close to campaigning.

In the time since his return he has been much feted by those who frequent the Kantor Kabljauhof, asked for stories of the campaign, plans for next season, and if he is indeed going to rise to take the place of head of the Kantor, or indeed, replace Captain-General Zaytar himself. Among those often seen buying a round with Telman is Durham, and the two were often long in conversation and short in their cups, as it were, clearly discussing some business.

Well, that business is now announced by a crier in the Fischmarkt just outside the Kantor:

"Telman of Tsipa is sponsoring Durham of Geiranger for membership in the Hanse! Come for celebratory drinks in the Gatehouse after the ceremonial swearing in!"

And indeed, quite a number come into the tavern-section of the Kantor, the Gatehouse, to celebrate Durham's new status as a Hansemann. There is a great cheer from those assembled when he emerges, with smiling Telman at his side, from the back rooms of the Kantor, wearing now the sigil of the Hanse on a chain around his neck, and on a ring on one of his fingers:

In order to join the Hanse, Durham had to answer some questions and declare certain qualities:

• Who is your sponsor within the Hanse? (Telman)
• From what city do you hail? (Geiranger)
• Is it a Hanse city? If not, declare now that you are no longer a citizen of that city, but a loyal member of the Hanse.
• Are you a partisan of any Tavern other than this Kantor? If so, you must renounce that membership, and join here, and to pay the due as you would normally.
• What is your wealth?
• What is your profession? (owner of the Ringing Anvil, adventurer, engineer and architect, part-owner of the Darkwing)

These all answered to the satisfaction of a council of Hansemänner, Durham was sworn in as a member and Hansemann himself, and given the emblems of his new identity. Certain perks are now available to him because of his association.

And now--let the ale and mead flow as we celebrate Durham in his new capacity!

All hail Durham of Geiranger, Hanssemann!

To Become a Hansemann

  In the past, Durham has mentioned to the Scribes potential interest in joining the Hanse as a Hansemann. The Scribes thus present now a rubric under which one might become a member of that august body of traders and seamen, whether Durham takes them up, or they pique the interest of other barbarian-adventurers active in Cothon-Gadeed.

As a brief reminder, the Hanse is a confederation of merchants' guilds, especially northern guilds, who have banded together for mutual protection and better control of prices. They are said to have a "miraculous" ear to the waves about prices and demands in various markets, such that they are able to quickly marshal their resources to make a profit by selling exactly what people need exactly where they need it. In this way, they have come into economic competition with the Ten Cities' League, as well as other such leagues. They have guild-warehouses, called kantors, in many cities all around the coasts of Dirac's Sea, within the precincts of which their members are afforded certain rights and privileges as negotiated by the Hanse with the host city.

First, there are a number of requirements in order to qualify for entrance into the Hanse:

• You must have a sponsor from within the Hanse
• You must declare if you are a citizen of a Hanse city (there are many up north), or if you are a citizen of another city (e.g. Gadeed)
• If you are not a citizen of a Hanse city, you must renounce any citizenship you may hold in any other city, and swear that you will never become a citizen of such cities (again, e.g. Gadeed)
• (specific to Cothon--similar strictures apply in other cities)--you must renounce membership in any Tavern except the Kantor Kabljauhof, and must join the Kantor if not already a member (pay 100 dinars per level if that is the case)
• Declare your profession, wealth, and usefulness to the Hanse; this is mostly to ascertain where one might fit within the organization of the Hanse

Hansemänner have certain obligations and responsibilities, through the performance of which they earn the perks of being a man of the Hanse.

Perks

• Can call on the Company for material assistance; this includes the possibility of taking out a loan of up to 5000 dinars (to be repaid at an interest rate of 3%) for non-officers
• You can call on the Company for transportation or shipping to anywhere within the sphere of the Hanse, within reason
• Special trading options become available to those who are members of the Hanse
• Hansemänner enjoy legal protections in every city where the Hanse has a negotiated presence, which protects them from predation by local courts. Other than in the case of especially heinous crimes, Hansemänner are subject only to the courts of the Hanse

Responsibilities

• Hansemänner must attend Company meetings and give some service to the Hanse. This will be represented by a character spending six downtimes out of every lunar year attending to Hanse duties (these need not be consecutive)
• Likewise, Hansemänner are subject to conscription by the Company during times of extraordinary duress, .e.g. a Hansemann might be called on to serve on a galley during times of pirate raids, or pay wages for someone to stand in their stead.
• Hansemänner are also called to any Diet held by their Kantor; though these council meetings are infrequent, they decided Hanse business, and so are considered especially important. Exceptions for various circumstances are respected.
• Officers and those of higher standing within the Company are expected to perform above and beyond these mere requirements, according to the nature of their office/standing.

The Wedding Feast of Sesel and Zaida al Rashid

[rules for participation are in bold immediately following the bullet-list of gifts]

The procession begins in the harbor of Cothon, at the great tavern Cothon-Under-Star which is housed under the immense shell of a mother whelk. Drums are beaten, and tamburs clashed, and men with two-handed longswords held aloft and flaming with pitch cry out, "Sesel, Voice of the Survivors! Come forth as one dead to your life before, but alive to the new life ahead of you!"

Sesel, Voice of the Survivors, comes forth from the tavern door, accompanied by his closest companions, and submits to the procession of men wearing the sign of the Banu al Rashid, who come bearing flaming swords and clashing timbrels. And the men announce to city, in the failing light of the evening, "This one is promised to Zaida al Rashid--and as was promised, so shall be done, and we take him now to Bayt al Rashid! All those who wish well to the bride and groom may join!"

And with a cry, and another clash, the procession sets out into the night, making a great tumult through the streets of Cothon. Such things are heard now and again--carousing for this reason, or that--but tonight holds an especial place for the barbarian-adventurers who have come to Cothon-Gadeed seeking riches in the underworld of the Tel al Safina, for Sesel is one of them, and many have adventured with him, and know of his recent accession to citizenship in Gadeed, Mother of Cities. And now this wedding to one of the great tribes of that very city, mistress of the Ten-Cities League! Is this not the very apotheosis of the barbarian's dreams of wealth and glory, a shining testament to the success-that-can-be?

As this is a public wedding, all those who hear are welcome to join the procession--which is to say, all those to whom Sesel is known have reason enough to join the festivities of the wedding-feast, to offer the bride and groom a fine gift for the start of their new life, and to feast and make merry. By nature of the public procession, the Processional Way between the Long Walls that connect Cothon to Gadeed are open to those who march alongside (where otherwise the gates are blocked to those who are not citizens, or who have no proper invitation by a citizen).

All of which is a long way of saying--readers of these chronicles, whose player-characters are active in the city, feel free to join in the celebrations!

The procession takes Sesel and his companions to the manor-complex of the al Rashids, a veritable palace built around a central courtyard in the midst of Gadeed, with rooftop gardens especially festooned for the nighttime celebrations with multicolored lamps of various shades, all hung with flowers of effervescent or delightfully-spiced bouquets (More traditionally, Zaida might have had a procession to Sesel's tribe-house; but the circumstances being what they are, and Sesel marrying into the Banu al Rashid, this is the nature of the night). Tables are set out with all manner of food--cheeses, skewers of the slow-roasted or fire-grilled meats of hma, hmela, or dejaja; whole fish baked in pastry, or fried in oil; grilled, smoked, or pickled ninenyelu and other fodder of the ocean; iced and cut fruits of all varieties; and wine, and beer, and palm-wine, and skooma, and liquors of all varieties!

A dais stands in the central court, upon which are set Sesel, groom and honor-guest, and his bride Zaida al Rashid, painted with henna even more extravagant and elegant than what she usually wears, dressed in the finest Klackon silks. These two preside, as "emir wa emira" for the night, lofty even above their highest ranked guests out of courtesy for the occasion.

Musicians play according to the whim of the emir wa emira, and dancers of the traditional dabke perform alternately with skillful belly-dancing by women and girls. A sword-dance is an indispensable tradition, in which two lines of dancers face off, with a belly-dancer between, and then exchange challenges of high- or folk-poetry for her affections, all of which ultimately coalesces into a mock dance-battle of men wielding walking sticks like swords. When sent aside by bride and groom, these musicians or dancers perform more privately throughout the gardens to delight guests here and there in the perfumed night.

All who come--great or small--must, of course, pay homage to the emir wa emira at least once during the night, and present to them a gift according to their means. From the lowly, a wreath of flowers is acceptable, or promise of first choice from next week's catch (from a fisherman, say). But for those of means, it is dishonorable to stint with a mean gift, especially for a wedding of such a tribe as al Rashid.

For instance, here are the gifts offered by several of the representatives of the other great tribes of Gadeed:

• the merchant tribe Banu al Luz (not forgetting their debt) offer the first fruits of their harvest of tree-nuts and other fruit, to the total value of some 2500 gold; but the giver also points out that the botanists of his tribe would be happy to assist the couple in "reinvesting" some of that value into the soil itself, to produce new orchards ...
• human servitor al Ghazali of the Bulrathi Banu Barraqi (of recent court fame) presents a pair of fine kyni-falcons, trained at the rookery in distant Nous--"Descendants of Aeon the Dread, a prince of the kyni race. May they serve you well in any hunt or venture."
• Qiyrdun the Shipwright of Banu Munqidh gifts the happy couple a fine riverboat from the tribe's holdings, the Silver Qaqtla
• Banu Urdos provides a promissory note of twenty head of hma and five of chlen-beasts
• another merchant tribe, Banu Hanbal, gifts the couple with one silver key representing the metaphorical shackles of a majordomo slave, as well as five iron keys representing same for five laborers
• Ishna of Banu al Dawr presents a fine wardrobe of Klackon silks and true-dyed textiles for the new Lady Zaida, valued at some 2000 dinars; a clever eye might notice that one of the wraps appears to be quite similar to a Klackon khipu
• Adolin ibn Dalinar, accompanied by Teleb the Bowman, both of Banu al Khalid presents the arms, armor, and accoutrements to equip 10 men-at-arms, all of superior make from the well-known armorers of their own clan
• Meridas of Banu al Saddiyas gives eighty-one head of fine hmela ("Seeing that the groom has no land or real wealth for mahr"), less the one that he brought to be sacrificed and roasted this very evening in celebration
• Txach'achit of the Fifth House of the Attine Klackons of the Great Spire arrives in the later evening leading a pomp of pale-carapaced dores and their dark-carapaced escorts bearing  black dklakolel-chitin shields; these Klackons bring greetings on behalf of the entire Spire, and offer a boon of the service of a dore-architect--"Your human assistance with the cleansing of the Sixth House was unlooked for, but appreciated. Perhaps this can lay the groundwork for a new--a separate--Accord."

As to any gifts from player-characters--those who provide gifts at the feast will receive xp equal to the gp amount spent on such a gift, up to twice the level of the player-character. Such gifts as are commissioned, but require time to produce, will provide the xp assuming that the "receipt" is provided as the "gift" now, and the bride and groom receive it in full due when it is finished; also, though it is considered gauche in our society to declare volubly the "monetary value" of a gift, in this society of Cothon-Gadeed, the greater a gift's price/value, the greater the honor of the giver (and also, how else are the scribes to value it for xp??), so only be secretive with the value if you desire neither honor, nor xp.

But there is one gift that supersedes all others, and it is granted around midnight, after most gifts have already been given. Khusra al Arasqiy, the second Souffet herself is a guest (her counterpart, unfortunately, was detained elsewhere by City-business), and as the night draws on she approaches to offer both bride and groom horns of wine. But before they drink, she forestalls them, and says, "These cups hold not merely wine, but also obligation. I gift them to you, but you are free to take them up, and drink of both--OR pour them out, and let the wine and the land lie fallow, and I will furnish as gift the rest of the barrel of wine, and other such fruits. But if you drink and accept, the Iqta' of the North Cliffs is yours, with all its wants, and all its provisions. It is a gift; take it up, or not, as you will."

There is a great hurrah from the crowd. The mothers, cousins, &c. of al Rashid look on expectantly, seeing their hard bargaining with the Souffets so close to fruition. And the celebrations will continue into the next day, regardless of the couple's choice. It is assumed the outcome ... Zaida herself touches horn to lips, ready to drink, looking deeply into her groom's eyes ... but it is not the place the of scribes to ascribe choices to what is chronicled here, only to record, and so we will let Sesel respond as he will, while the festivities continue joyously around him. In either case, truly, great wealth is coming to him; and in both also, great cares and responsibilities!

But enough of such worries! Drink now, and be merry!

Citizen Sesel

 After the flurry of activity at the Ringing Anvil and the rumors that flew about as the tower of the windmill was raised, there was only a short lull before a new curiosity caught the attention of the myriad tongues that wag and wander incessantly through the harbor of Cothon--the rumor that Sesel, Voice of the Survivors, was seeking citizenship of Gadeed, Mother of Cities! Sponsored by no lessers than the great tribe Banu al Rashid!

Much has been supposed in the last few months, as word of Zaida al Rashid's accompaniment of the expeditions into the Attine Spire wended through the city, but all was confirmed this week as Sesel was called before the magistrates of the Court of the Mount in Gadeed herself. Entering into Court with his sponsor, Khaled "the Stammerer" al Rashid (incidentally, the rhetor who argued on behalf of the Survivors of the Tel in their case v. the Barcidae), Sesel stood before the magistrates and gave answer to the questioned formulate of the magistrates of the City:

1. What wealth do you claim? (the better to establish your class as Citizen)
2. Do you make any claims to rights or pedigrees according to your ancestors? (i.e. now is the time to declare and argue for any presumption on your part of nobility)
3. What is your profession? (again to establish class; "man-at-arms" being an acceptable "noble" profession)
4. Do you swear loyalty to Gadeed, to Cothon, and to the Souffets? To keep arms and/or to provide for the arms of your servants or slaves, all in greater service to the Mother of Cities and the Ten Cities' League? (this last being especially emphasized, given the recent lawlessness and rioting)

Though his answers are, of course, his to know, and the magistrates' to keep, nevertheless he was afforded this certificate of Citizenry (and the particulars of his class will be worked out according to his answers and to his situation as-sponsored by the Bani al Rashid):

Written in an older liturgical version of the current tongue, this document certifies that Sesel is indeed a citizen, on this day, [30 July]. The red wax overlaying name and date do somewhat to make the reading difficult in this format, but they are written out as per the formulae. From this date, Sesel is a citizen of Gadeed, granted full rights to the City and her Courts, and to marriage with her other citizens ... and there is rumor that just such a marriage may in fact be in the works?!

For there is a great deal of activity in the household of the al Rashids bespeaking a great feast, of many hmela bought to be sacrificed, and dancers and musicians sought after and paid, and many amphorae of wine. So wagging tongues have yet a little more to talk about before the next curiosity, which is a rumor that the Souffets will soon upend and replace the current tax-farming procedures.