Famous Richichi Adventurers
While adventurers are rare among the richichi, they are not unknown. Below are two of the more famous ones:
Babila Makika Thintail (Bard)
Even as a small child, Babila loved to travel. Her parents were a rare kind of richichi: traders who earned their living traveling from one market fair to another, trading in various rare and imported curios along the way. Home for her was small caravan wagon pulled by the family’s two ponies.
Babila has continued her parents’ footloose ways, only her stock-in-trade are songs and stories. She has a minor aptitude for magics, small spells to make everyday life on the road more comfortable. Her collection is also her profession: Bablia collects songs and stories from the lands she passes through, carefully recording them to preserve them for future generations. Her many friends say she has one other collection: languages. She learns languages quickly and easily and is always eager to practice what she knows.
She considers herself a pacifist and would rather talk her way out of situation, but if push comes to shove, she is quite capable of defending herself. She carries a short sword (small sized) and a short bow as well as her favorite instrument, a lap harp.
Kakio Shakka Blackfur (Knight)
Few richichi adventure. Even fewer of these become warriors. Still fewer achieve any renown for it. Only one has ever been knighted. Many legends talk of Kakio Shakka Blackfur, the man who saved the life of a prince.
The Blackfur family has traditionally served as valets, stewards, ladies-in-waiting, and companions of several families in House Kotish. While growing up, Kakio showed an early and unusual (for a richichi) interest in weapons and warfare. His mother, Shakka Malika Blackfur was steward of House Kotish at the time and thus in a position to indulge her only son. Kakio was allowed to train with the younger sons of House Kotish and soon showed great skill with a wide variety of weapons.
During that training, Kakio became friends with Katsir, the youngest son of the then Lord Kotish, Shatim, and baby brother of the Kotish heir, Klimia. As the youngest child with five brothers and one sister in-line for the throne well ahead of him, Katsir was left to do pretty much as he wished. As a teenager, he set his mind on exploring the world and seeing all the marvelous things in it. Despite extensive arms training, Katsir wasn’t as skilled a warrior as he thought, so Kakio went with him, acting as a bodyguard. Kakio was a reluctant explorer, but he swore to do all he could to protect Lady Klimia’s favorite brother.
One evening, in a tavern far from Kotish lands, Katsir found himself the target of a drunk’s insults. To save face, Katsir demanded satisfaction via a duel. Kakio, knowing that the drunk was a fighter of much greater skill than Katsir, offered to fight in his friend’s place (“He’s not worthy of your attentions, my lord. Let me take care of him for you…”). Katsir agreed. The actual duel was long and grueling and nearly killed Kakio. He survived and defeated his opponent, but lost his left eye in the process. He refused to have it restored, saying it was a reminder to himself not to be so rash in the future.
The story of the duel spread, eventually reaching Lady Klimia, who’d just succeeded her father to the Seat of Leadership. She was impressed by how Kakio had not only saved Katsir’s life, but his honor as well. She knighted the young richichi for his bravery and loyalty.
Kakio finally retired from his adventures in his late 40’s — well advanced in years for a richichi. By that point, in addition to his eye, he also lost half of one ear and gained many battle-scars, giving him the look of a grizzled warrior in his later years. He lived to the almost unheard of age of 51 (average lifespan of a richichi is 35-40 years). His only child, a son named Taktako, now serves as Lady Kotish’s personal assistant. Kakio was pleased at his son’s choice of profession and the honor it brought to the family, saying that he was happy his son had more sense than he did.
After Kakio’s death, his body was given a place of honor with the Kotish family crypt.
Other Richichi Posts
- Introducing the Richichi: A New player Race
- Richichi Adventure Seeds
- Richichi Town Life
- Richichi as Adventurers
- Of Squirrels and Men: Richichi and Other Races
Dangerous Servants II: The Moot of Harbingers, pt. 2
Welcome to part two of our survey of Guang Keshar’s main governing council, the Moot of Harbingers. Part One covered the Imperial Seat as well as the Seats of Wisdom, Leadership and Tradition. Today we’re covering the Seats of Faith, Battles, Sorcery, and finally, Means. House Kukuri, who holds the Seat of Means, is the subject of the first adventure set in Guang Kesahar. It will be available in the next month to everyone who signs up (or has already signed up) for the Guang Keshar newsletter.
Now we return you to our regularly scheduled program:
5. Thumun: Seat of Faith. Current Harbinger: Batsenmen of Thumun. Heir: Maritha of Thumun
To Thumun fall all of the religious duties for the Empire. As Heirophant, Batsenmen possesses considerable power and (at least in theory) can override the Emperor on affairs of the Spirit, though this has never happened — at least not in living memory. Batsenmen is known as a religious fanatic who regularly communes with Huang Ti Herself. Bad blood exists between Thumun and Ling, as Thumun believes that sorcery and magic, being a gift from Huang Ti, rather than resting in the “secular” hands of House Ling. Batsenmen’s eldest daughter and heir, Maritha, is best friends with the to-be Lady Ling, so this state of affairs may change once that marriage is consumated and Maritha replaces her father.
House colors: orange and brown.
6. Hoten: Seat of Battles. Current Harbinger: Benali of Hoten. Current Acting Harbinger: Tiber of Gishma.
Tiber holds the Seat of Battles in regent for Benali of Hoten, the underage eldest of son of the previous Lord Hoten, Lord Hoteni Hoten. Lord Hoteni died nine months ago while fighting House Kukuri when the two Houses blood feud broke into outright violence. Tiber is a cautious and capable warrior who places the welfare of his men before his own. He is now considered the premier warrior of Keshar, though his daughter, Ganiri of Gishma (the fiance of Benali) awaits the day when she can disprove it. Tiber’s affection for his charge and student, Benali, is well-known; his animosity to Melani of the Seafarers, the Lady Hoten and Benali’s mother, is equally well-known. Tiber has made is clear that he is eager and ready to turn over the Seat as soon as Benali is of age.
House colors: midnight blue and black.
7. Ling/Guagim: Seat of Sorcery. Current Harbinger: Rishana of Guagim/Kenlo of Ling. Heir: None named.
Ling was the original Harbinger of Sorcery, but he left Guang Keshar for reasons unknown, having named no heir. Ballads claim he left for Kagalen Kesharim (literally “other realms”, the Keshari term for other continents). The empty Seat lead to a bloody conflict as Ling’s descendants fought for the right to rule the House of Sorcery.
Rathim of Ling eventually claimed the seat, but then proceeded to betray the Council to an invasion force from Kagalen Kesharim. The Empire fought back and eventually drove off the would-be invaders, but the battle was a long and bloody one. In punishment for Rathim’s actions, House Ling was stricken from the Council and the Seat of Sorcery was given to the leading Major House under Ling’s rule: Guagim. Guagim has held the Seat now for many centuries while the Ling lands have grown wild and inhospitable. The House Ling gradually fell into the status of legend.
Recently, though, things have gotten complicated. The Seafarer’s Guild brought a man before the Council who claimed to be the direct descendant of Ling. Sorcery verified the man (named Rathin the Second) was indeed who he said he was and the Ling lands were restored to him, though the Seat of Sorcery was not. Rathin II never gave up fighting to have the Seat of Sorcery returned to House Ling, leading to much strife and conflict among the members of the Council, who chose one side or another.
An agreement was reached where Rathin II’s only son, Kenlo of Ling was to wed the eldest daughter of House Guagim, uniting both Houses into one. For multiple reasons [which will be covered in the history of House Ling. Watch for it sometime in 2010. --Jade], Rathin II broke that promise and married his son to House Tsalim’s oldest daughter. This has caused hard feelings between the House Guagim and alienated Ling from some of the other Houses, most noticably, House Thumun. However, the Council has upheald that Ling Kenlo will inherit the Council Seat.
Technically, then the Seat belongs to Kenlo Ling, but until recently, he as been underage. So Rishana of Guagim has continued to function as Harbinger of Sorcery until Kenlo actually claims his Seat.
Colors: Guagim — blue and green; Ling — cream and wine.
8. Kukuri: House of Means. Current Harbinger: Hashayan of Kukuri. Heir: None named
This Seat controls the Empire’s Exchequer. All money matters fall under the purview of House Kukuri. Kukuri wasn’t among the original Harbingers, but when Atum was elevated about the Seven, it left an empty Seat and, well … money talks. Before House Kukuri’s elevation to the status of Great House, it was an independent Major house, answering only to the Emperor himslf, and has always held the Empire’s purse strings. The current Lord, Hashayan of Kukuri is a likeable young rogue with a penchant for getting into trouble.
House colors: cream and gold
Have fun with this. Go play in my world. I’d love to see the NPCs people create. Please feel free to leave comments about how great (or awful) this product is and give us a taste of how’re you using it in your game (if you are).
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Dangerous Servants: The Moot of Harbingers
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
– George Washington
The Moot of Harbingers (also called The Council of Seven or The Great Moot) rules Guang Keshar during the Emperor’s incapacity. Comprised of the Lords of each of the Seven Great Houses, it makes the decisions of great importance, including creating peace treaties and declaring war, settling disputes between Houses of all ranks, ratifying new legislation, setting tax rates and much, much more. Everything a government would normally deal with passes through the hands of the Great Moot.
House Atum and the first three member Houses of the Moot are described below (in descending order of current political clout). Here’s details on the other four Houses.
- Atum: The Emperor. Heir:None.Hotashen Atum, is the last of his line. His only child, Balatsin, died in a hunting accident seven years ago. Hotashen has also been ailing a long time and the Moot effectively rules Guang Keshar in his absence. Technically, Atum sits above the Moot and isn’t officially part of it. However, Atum has a seat in the Moot chamber and the Emperor has both tie-breaking and veto power, although he cannot legally vote on Moot matters. Atum isn’t counted among the current Harbingers, though Atum (the actual person), is listed first of the original Harbingers.
House colors: black and gold. - Guashim: Seat of Wisdom. Current Harbinger: Guashim of Guashim. Heir: None.As the Seat of Wisdom, Guashim penetrates the deepest secrets of Creation and acts as the “voice of reason” on the Moot. Unlike many Harbingers who thrive on the attention and deference their position brings them, Guashim seems content to remain in the shadows, dispensing advice and teaching the brightest of Guang Keshar’s younger generations. He takes little interest in political games, unless they threaten Guashim or Guang Keshar as a whole. Then he is like a mother bear protecting her young and none want to be in his way. He has named no heir and his only child, Lia, is missing, presumed dead. Rumor abounds, however, that Guashim is grooming Tsalim of House Kukuri to take his place.
House colors: white and gold. - Kotish: Seat of Leadership. Current Harbinger:Klimia of Kotish. Heir: Bikan of Kotish.Originally the Seat of Battles, Kotish was elevated to the Seat of Leadership when Atum, the original Seat holder, was placed above the Moot. Once a Great House in its own right, it’s now a sub-house of Atum. Which means it’s in the strange position of being both a Great House and a Major House at the same time. Lady Klimia’s heir is her eldest son, Bikan of Kotish. The Moot hopes Klimia’s rule is long, as Bikan has shown himself young, arrogant, and foolish.
House colors: green and gold. - Tsamin: Seat of Tradition. Current Harbinger: Manin of Tsamin. Heir: Mishya of Tsamin.Manin of Tsamin has been missing for several years and his heir, Mishya, is not yet of age to take the Seat himself. In his place, the Council has appointed Manin’s half-brother, Gyatsin, as Tsamin’s regent until Manin returns or Mishya comes of age. Tsamin records and keeps the secular laws, customs, and traditions of Guang Keshar and to them fall the interpretation of law and the execution of the Empire’s justice for all levels of society. Only the Emperor’s own court outranks the courts of Tsamin.
House colors: blue and silver.
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Ruling Passion: The Emperor and the Harbingers
- Image via Wikipedia
The ruling passion, be it what it will. The ruling passion conquers reason still.
— Alexander Pope
In secular matters, Guang Keshar’s Emperor is considered the ultimate authority. However, he doesn’t make any major decisions without consulting the ruling council, the Moot of Harbingers. Officially, these are considered descendants of the original Harbingers created by Huang Ti (though not all of them are) and have the power to overrule imperial decisions by unanimous vote.
Among the Houses and populous of Guang Keshar, everything official requires the Moot’s ratification, including marriages, treaties, disposal of Imperial property, etc. Only the naming of heirs remains solely the purview of each house. The Moot even has the right to select the next Emperor, should the current one die without naming an heir. The current Emperor, Hotashen, is ailing and unable to rule, leaving the Moot as the current ruling body. As Emperor Hotashen has no heir and is the last living member of House Atum. When he finally passes on, it will be up to the Moot to choose the first Emperor not of House Atum. A murky line of succession exists, but Emperor Hotashen’s death will likely leave a bloody legacy in it’s wake before a clear successor is named.
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