John Ruskin rolls up a Character

A few years ago, I received as a gift one of the slim little Penguin Great Ideas Books; perfect slip-in-a-pocket railway reading material. It was John Ruskin's On Art and Life. This contained his piece, The Nature of Gothic - somewhat abridged.

You may well imagine the moderate joy that met me reading the following:

I believe then, that the characteristic or moral elements of Gothic are the following, placed in order of their importance:

1.  Savageness
2. Changefulness
3. Naturalism
4. Grotesqueness
5. Rigidity
6. Redundance

These characters are here expressed as belonging to the building; as belonging to the builder, they would be expressed thus:

1. Savageness or Rudeness
2. Love of Change
3. Love of Nature
4. Disturbed Imagination
5. Obstinacy
6. Generosity

This is asking to be employed as a set of character stats.

Well then, this Gothic Sextet bears some resemblance to the Strength-Dexterity-Intelligence-Wisdom-Constitution-Charisma litany well known to us. But they aren't quite the same things. However, if we think of each statistic as representing an intrinsic element to a character class, it works somewhat better.

'Savageness' speaks for itself; we might define it in this instance as the ability to commit savage acts. Further, lest we forget, we have a pre-existing savage archetype.

Gothic? Perhaps not. Savage? Definitely.

'Changefulness' brings to mind the ability of Rogues and such figures - the ability of to shift away or through trouble, to adapt and survive. The 'adapt and survive' mentality probably suits the notion of a Ranger also.  As for 'Love of Change' - have you ever known a Rogue to neglect the possibility of securing even a small quantity of loose change?

'Naturalism' brings to mind almost inevitably the figure of the Druid; it is an easy leap from there to the Cleric. But is this a good fit for Wisdom? Well, Wisdom is always a bit tough to get a handle on; witness this discussion.  But there's an element of self-knowledge about Wisdom; knowledge of one's own nature; nosce te ipsum.

'Grostequeness' by contrast seems bound to be linked to the Wizard or other Magic-User. Ruskin offers an elaboration on some of these traits. Of the Grotesque, he describes "the tendency to delight in fantastic and ludicrous, as well as in sublime images, is a universal instinct of the Gothic imagination."  The fantastic, ludicrous and sublime; the Grotesque and the Disturbed Imagination. This may not sound like Gandalf or Merlin, but it certainly sounds like Rhialto the Marvellous and his Dying Earth colleagues, or like Zagyg himself.

  Ninguable of the Seven Eyes and Sheelba of the Eyeless Face are, by contrast, grotesque wizards.
Presumably.

'Rigidity' or 'Obstinacy', if we are to cleave to the Old School race-as-class notion offers us one option.

As obstinate and rigid, indeed, as the mountains in which they dwell.

'Redundance' and 'Generosity' do not instantly point towards Charisma, or indeed towards Elves. But let us consider the notion, first, of 'generosity of nature' - which may be part of the idea of an unfeigned Charisma. As for 'Redundance', let us turn once again to Tolkien and his slowly withering, dying elder race. The world of the Elves is passing away and they will have little or no place in the new age.

On this gloomy note, let us end this little digression. I doubt Ruskin will loom terribly large upon the next occasion that you take up 3d6 and begin rolling, but for those who wish it, there is a small degree of serendipity between this and the column of figures on your character sheet!

This owes something in it's conception to Joseph Manola's If Romantic-Era Artists Ran D&D Campaigns (AKA 'a thin excuse for an image dump'), which is far more wide-ranging in scope and imagination than this. Doubtless John Ruskin would have something to say about those campaigns!

C.S. Lewis and Alignment

Today, we will be settling that most vexed of questions: Aslan - is he Lawful Good or Neutral Good?

"Chaotic Good! He isn't a tame lion....."

Ha, no. What I would like to bring up is something else entirely; an 'Allegorical Apology' first published in 1933 called The Pilgrim's Regress. 

The likeness to Bunyan's classic The Pilgrim's Progress is intentional. But where that picks a path for it's everyman, Christian, along a path with features that have some claim to universality - the City of Destruction, the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair - Lewis's latter-day variant draws a path between lands embodying philosophical impulses.

Thus, on Lewis's Mappa Mundi, we have the City of Claptrap, the Lands of Puritainia, Zeitgiesthiem and Hegeliana.

Of course, the trouble is that where the allegory of a quagmire for despair is rather good as these things go, Lewis was describing an intellectual journey "from 'popular realism' to Philosophical Idealism; from Philosophical Idealism to Pantheism; from Pantheism to Theism". A journey which, as he put it in a later introduction (written around 1942, if the comment about two powers tearing each other to pieces on the Don is anything to go by)  "I committed the same sort of blunder as one who should narrate his journey through the Gobi desert on the assumption that this route was as familiar to the British public as the line from Euston to Crewe. And this original blunder was soon aggravated by a profound change in the philosophical thought of our age."

Not every Shire on the map is visited: Aesthetica and Cerimonia speak for themselves. Golnesshire is the country of lechery (from the Anglo-Saxon gal); in Trineland one feels 'in tune with the infinite'; Wanhope is middle English for despair; Lyssnesos and Woodey are isles of insanity. 

So, what we have is a somewhat personal work attempting to make universal an intellectual journey that was in fact rather specific (if not, per se, unique) to a time, a place and an individual. Though we are told that not everything is autobiographical. It is rather an interesting juxtaposition, and that can make for a fascinating read.

But to return to alignment. Lewis has put before us something akin to the cosmic allegiances of Dungeons and Dragons. A scheme of the world divided into broad philosophical camps; the north and south as shown across the divide - both of which are menaced by military railheads conveying the forces of evil (intended to look something like claws). Lewis's everyman, called -what else?- John, is born in Puritania, so there is the temptation to refer to one end of the map as having something to do with Simplicity or Naivete. 

But this is not the great divide of The Pilgrim's Regress.  That is between North and South. Again, from that introduction: "The Northerners are men of rigid systems whether sceptical or dogmatic, Aristocrats, Stoics, Pharisees, Rigorists, signed and sealed members of highly organised 'Parties'. The Southerners are by their very nature less definable; boneless souls whose doors stand open every day to almost every visitant, but always with the readiest welcome for those, whether Maenead or Mystogogue, who offer some sort of intoxication." Lawful and Chaotic?  Perhaps the comparison could be made. 

Lewis identifies his own time as Northern, and the Nazi and Soviet regimes as being Northern powers (they make an appearance the text as dwarven tribes "lots of subspecies besides the Marxomanni - Mussolimini, Swastici, Gangomanni...", all in service to a Norse "Heroic Nihilist" giant called Savage, complete with quotes from the Edda) although the Thirties also produced D.H. Lawrence and the Surrealists, who "have perhaps reached a point further 'South' than humanity ever reached before."

These extremes, it is to be noted, do not balance one another, but feed off one another: it is likened by Lewis to prohibition leading to extreme drunkenness. "Opposite evils, far from balancing, aggravate one another." The path of righteousness is between the two. This said, John and his fellow traveller Vertue are drawn by contradictory impulses, even if their goal is the same and they both must, by the end of their journey, slay a dragon dwelling at the extremes of North and South - and by this process be transformed.

There is more that could be said, but that seems enough for now. So: could one's journey through the cosmic planes involve a trip to Cruelsland and Zietgiesthiem, neighboring provinces of the realm of Lawful Evil? Would you be willing to play a campaign in which one could be a 'Northern' Good Fighter or a 'Southern' Neutral Rogue?
 

Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - A Theological Calendar

This demands some context. This was the brainchild of myself and a player - both of us with some interest and knowledge of the Anglican Rite.  That was one source of inspiration; the other is these posts doing much the same thing. 

The stars have an explanation at the bottom; the lowest two ranks are there for completeness's sake.

There is a reason for the months, deriving from an incident in gameplay. Before actually investing in a calendar for my players, the month of April grew a few extra days in the records - thereafter referred to as the first days of  Mayril. A precedent so set, it was swiftly extended to each other month.

Januaril

6^th – Feast of St. Konnor, patron of children (MR/UR) **

3^rd Sunday – Feast of the Glorious Revelation (MR/UR) **** [IE, The Sibyl of the Rocks receiving her vision. Important esp. to Priests.]

Februaril

4^th Sunday – Feast of the First Aspect (MR) **** [Light out of darkness. Quite a tangible celebration; candles, lights, Dawn Service and vigil.]

22^nd – Feast of St. Tycho, patron of fathers (MR/UR) **

Marchril

4^th – Feast of St. Ludmilla, patron of mothers (MR/UR) ***

22^nd – Feast of St. Guthram, patron of monasticism (MR/UR) ***

April

1^st Sunday – Feast of the Second Aspect (MR/UR) ***** [Somewhat Easter-like; light, colour, springtime, love. Popular with laity. Not a feast UR necessarily want to celebrate, but ingrained on the Lay Consciousness.]

19^th – Feast of St. Lassiter, patron of Knight Errantry (MR/UR) ** [Not the only ‘military’ saint, but certainly the most presentable.]

Mayril

2^nd Sunday – Start of the Octave of the Third Aspect (MR/UR) ****  [Eight Days, festival of Discipline, fasting &c. Somewhat Lent-like. More popular with priests than laity.]

Monday of the Octave of the Third Aspect – Feast of St. Tybault, Patron of Penitents (MR/UR) ***

24^th – Feast of St. Clareta, patron of maids (MR/UR) **

Juneril

6^th – Feast of St. Eulaina, patron of marriage (MR/UR) **

3^rd Sunday – Feast of the Fourth Aspect (MR) **** [Midsummer; commerce, fairs and festivities.]

Julril

2^nd Sunday – Feast of Eightfold Unity (UR) ****

14^th – Feast of St. Engarras, patron against Heresy (MR) ** [Popular with priests; thinly veiled up-yours to UR.]

Augusril

1^st Sunday – Feast of the Fifth Aspect (MR) *** [Aspect of Scholars and Gradual Work. Not a popular or relevant feast necessarily.]

17^th – Feast of St. Oderic, patron of farmers (MR/UR) ***

Septemberil

8^th  – Feast of St. Gweneth, patron of cattle (MR/UR) ***

19^th – Feast of St. Lemuel, patron of trade (MR/UR) **

Octoberil

2^nd Sunday – Feast of the Sixth Aspect (MR/UR) ***** [Post-Harvest Thanksgiving. Rural celebration concentrates on Plenty and Prosperity. The Urban emphasis somewhat reinforces ‘Obey and Look what good things you get!’; the Civilisation and Law angles of the Sixth Aspect.]

27^th – Feast of St. Roak, patron of Friars (MR/UR) ***

Novemberil

1^st Sunday – Feast of the Seventh Aspect (MR) ***

26^th – Feast of St. Godric, patron against the demonic (MR/UR) **

Decemberil

5^th – St. Vaderian, patron of Kings, the Nobility, and good government (MR/UR) ***

13^th – Feast of St. Laterus, patron of almsgiving (MR/UR) **

Final 8 days – Octave of the Eighth Aspect (MR/UR) ***** [Pseudo Christmas, Yule. Not a feast UR necessarily want to celebrate, but ingrained on Lay Consciousness.]

Star Rating Key:

***** Universal [Well, across Pseudo-Christendom] and well loved.

**** Near universal, largely popular and/or theologically necessary.

*** Generally appreciated, if not necessarily popular.

**   Potentially desirable to most people. Observed rather than celebrated per se.

* Generally for saints (or theological concepts) with a very narrow appeal – patrons of trades, patrons of nations. Not relevant to this calendar.

§  ‘White Dwarf Saints’; important to a very small number. Think of Saints that only appear in fragmented histories of one region, or are only celebrated by one town up in the hills.

Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - Tendencies in the Church

Tendencies in the Church, across both Rites, sometimes tending to heresy, decadence, radicalism and overzealousness

The Beatific Tendency. The Eightfold God is always watching (or the Divine Servants of same are watching, which comes to the same thing). It is better to look at beautiful things than ugly ones. Therefore, the faithful should make their every action a pleasing and dignified one.

In Practice – This might work very nicely in strictly enclosed orders, but for those outside it rather leads to overindulgence. Sins are committed in increasingly pleasant fashions. Everyday work is carried out in a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing manner. It has upsides (violence is ugly, or can be generally speaking, drunkenness is generally ugly), but followers of this tendency don’t stick to the straight and narrow as one would wish. This tendency emerged (and contributed) to elements of the split between the Collegiate Rite.

The Tranquil Tendency One should only be moved by the will of the Eightfold God. Therefore, emotional impacts should be carefully considered as to their divine origin, and if they lack such an origin, resisted.

In Practice – Stoicism. Slow consideration. Curious aloofness, arrogance. Fairly anti-social.

 

The Academic Tendency  Teaching! Scholarship! Learning! Argument! Proper Theological Principles impressed into every congregant!

In Practice – long sermons, lots of schools founded. Not actually bad, but rather difficult to implement and rather distracts from the regular rites and charitable deeds. Can lead to argumentative laypersons. Less than practical.

Perhaps there are more tendencies that could be added to this list. Worthy of consideration.

The Question of Setting and Fantasy

In which the author indulges himself in airy speculation, which may not really add up to much of substance.

A property of speculative fiction settings is that the question gets posed: how is this world different to our own?

We answer this rather promptly; often in the first section of the chosen medium. The First Chapter has a propaganda broadcast by a dystopian regime; the First Panel illustrates a trip through time; the First Scene displays stars and star-faring vessels; Character Creation offers us the chance to play a Dwarf, Elf or Goblin.

There is a question beyond this that a certain narrative strand in some works of fiction and the mediums of video and tabletop gaming offer a manner of answering. To whit, why is this setting different?

That is to say, we get to delve into the world and not just walk through it but grasp it. To know the secrets of that cosmos and pick them apart. It’s a power fantasy in its own right. Not “I have power because I’m the biggest, meanest, toughest Son of a Bantha in twelve star systems” but “I have power because I have walked through realms without number; and I have drunk deep of the well of knowledge. My tongue speaks the language of the angels and the runes of life are carved on my bones.”

[We might think of this as the Mage-type power fantasy; the mean-tough-champion-heavyweight-of-the-known-universe is the Warrior.

We might think of one or two further, mimicking traditional RPG roles “I have power because I can get out of anything: by donning my cloak of invisibility, with a well-placed arrow, a witty quip, a cunning plan or a bout of Errol Flynn swordplay.” Call this the Rogue.

Again, “I have power because I am a beacon of (a particular, in-universe) morality and ethical practice.” Call this the Cleric.

If you know your Norse Myth, let’s say, in order as above “I want to be....Thor/Odin/Loki/Baldur.”

This is as much how one uses power as how one gains power. They feed off one another.

Mix and match or exaggerate certain elements from above the above to suit any given scenario. Paladins – and Superman – mix Warrior and Cleric. Bards, Diplomats and Con-Artists take to extremes the witty quip of the Rogue.

Just because your Cleric worships a Satan analogue doesn’t mean she isn’t a Cleric. Just because your Warrior has a given code, that doesn’t make him a Cleric; IE, even if he will only kill in a ‘fair fight’, that doesn’t mean he sees any less appeal in “crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of the women.” Just because your Mage is only an Apprentice, it doesn’t mean she isn’t a Mage and isn’t fueling that fantasy.

Just because the main character or the character you have created is a Soldier or a Spy or a Priest it doesn’t mean they aren’t playing off the Mage-Fantasy. George Smiley is a Spy, but he unearths mysteries and comes to the truth: like a Mage. A Conspiracy Thriller will frequently have a Physically Able, Combat-Ready Protagonist. Of course, the fantasy and the character can very easily align: smuggler Han Solo plays nicely as a Rogue.

Television, Literature and Cinema portrays these rather than letting you control them. It’s step away from “I want to be Thor!” but not a complete removal. In contemporary terms, James Bond is a Rogue, President Bartlet is a Cleric (Separation of Church and State?), Sherlock Holmes is a Mage and John McClane is a Warrior. ]

So: one of the primaries joys of these works of fiction is the Wizard-Joy, the Mage Fantasy. It’s the moment when Winston Smith reads On The Theory and Practice of Oligarchic Collectivism . We learn the back-story, the ins and outs. Even if in Nineteen Eighty-Four this is undercut and doubt is raised, the moment when it happens is somewhat empowering. The moment when the curtain is pulled back; when you find out what the magician has up his sleeve; a moment common to Fantasy and Horror. Indeed, even if in a RPG the available literature is rarely conclusive or definite or deliberately leaves a mystery unsolved for doubt and discussion, the fact of having all the literature on the topic available is wonderful. Gandalf doesn’t just kill people; any idiot with a sword can do that (if you will). He rarely chucks fireballs about. But he knows an awful lot.

Similarly (after a fashion), Old Ben Kenobi, Jedi Master in A New Hope. He is sparing in his application of violence. He can find his way round the Death Star without a map (whether or not this is a canon Jedi power, it certainly looks a lot like that). He can get you a ride out of here onboard the Millennium Falcon. (A crucial thing to consider, that. Kenobi doesn’t just do the in-universe equivalent of teaching Luke the Apostles’ Creed and spouting some exposition. He can handle Mos Eisley lowlifes and Sith Lords. Sometimes.)

Where to end all this? Some works feed a certain power fantasy; one such fantasy is that of the mage. I come to the realisation that the works I enjoy have an element of this about them (one of my favourite moments in role-playing was just such a moment; one of my former GM’s favourite moments was building on the background I had written, tickling my 'mage-instinct') and the works I create are created to indulge this. So if I run a tabletop game for you or send you a short story, bear this in mind!

Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - The Rites of the Church

Part of the concept of Terrae Vertebrae was the split between Elven and Dwarven influence on human cultures. This was part of the concept: the Pantheistic Elves and Shamanistic Dwarves spawning differing interpretations of human faith.

The Faith was revealed by the Sybil of the Rocks to her Fourteen Scribes. The names of the Sybil, the Rocks and many of the scribes have now been lost.  

Any discrepancies in Holy Scripture are down to the fact that the Fourteen Scribes must have used different forms of shorthand. Pointing out that this was silly will not impress anyone, let alone a Questor.

The Napeshene Collegiate Manifest Rite (MR) Emphasis on Differences of the Eightfold God. Complex ceremonies.  More Polytheistic. Sited in the Estates Immaculate, at Napesh.

The Cadencian Collegiate Unified Rite (UR) Emphasis on Unity of the Eightfold God, fewer trimmings and trappings. Touch of Pantheism and other universal creeds. Sited in the Novopolis at Cadencia.

The two rites split three odd centuries ago; a split more reminiscent of the divide between Catholic and Orthodox than Catholic and Protestant. The Manifest Rite is the elder. Though not entirely amicable, but the peace is kept. Popular demonstrations, skirmishes – but few wars of Faith and no Mass Crusades. Wars between nations of different rites yes; Holy Wars - no.

The split was over principally a theological issue: no central complaints about (for instance) the use of indulgences or misuses of Church funds and lands (Or rather, only as ancillary mudslinging). The structure of the Church was judged to be more-or-less acceptable in its current state by the UR – though some stream-lining and renegotiation of local/Collegiate relations occurred.  The MR does have perhaps the more ‘pragmatic’ mindset of the two, or has more options open for ‘pragmatists’, but is not as such corrupt (or at least, no more so than any organisation that accrues money, power and influence for its own ends – no matter how good those ends are).

Who is in the College of the Rite? Academics. Visionaries. Supreme Grand Masters of Religious orders. Cardinals from different nations. Representatives from international monastic orders. Representatives from national synods. Holy hermits. Questors.

  

...this is all complicated by the use of deputies, proxies &c. by those too busy/locally concerned to attend.

...plus support staff, functionaries, Clerks, guards, architects, musicians &c. Lots of Legates to be sent out with Encyclicals, &c.

The Head of a College is primus inter pares rather than a supreme authority. Not that they are devoid of power, or that they don't take a leadership role.

Churches: MR where Christian choir and altar would be, stylised house/ version of house [One period of design might have individual small icons or booths; another a large model house, Cathedrals can have a literal house inside them!] for rites. Before this, pulpit & pews. Around it, processional and smaller shrines UR similar but with altar/pedestal (can completely process around), image of the United Eight.

Acts of Faith: Reading the Scriptures. Listening to Sermons. Obeying both. Fasting and other acts of discipline. Regular worship. Crafting icons and other items of religious use. Observing Holy Feasts. Acknowledging and giving prayer to the Aspect of the Divine of that time and place.  Communion is taken, for reasons of ‘Unification of the Eight and Man’. On high occasions (and for high persons) it is taken in Eight Kinds: Water, Meat, Bread, Milk, Turf, Vegetation, Wine and Fish.

MR Vestments: Full Catholic medieval grandeur. Variations with region. UR Vestments: Ranges from Geneva gowns to High Anglican.

MR Monasticism: Yes please. Contemplative, mendicant, all the range. UR Monasticism: Yes please as before – but stricter line of division between the regular and secular clergy. “You joined X; stick with X”

MR Hierarchy: Towering, complex. Reaches up to the Collegiate, out into region specific branches, takes in knightly orders, guilds, lay brotherhoods.... Hierarchy goes up to Cardinal level in nations. Cardinals and Synods appoint some members of the College of the Faith; the College has its own representatives who look out for promising talent and can uplift some individuals without consulting the local Synod.

UR Hierarchy: Goes up to the Cadencian College; slightly more emphasis on consensus as result of break-away. Diocese level regional synods with Parish Elders, but beyond that as MR.

Female Priests  Unlike Medieval Europe, these exist; given that the Eightfold God has specifically feminine attributes, how else could it be? That said, like Medieval Europe, they are hardly the rule. Most places of worship will have not only a Priest, but a Shrinekeeper - generally a female role. Female monasticism is common and an Abbess is a personage of importance. Women are allowed into the Colleges of the Two Rites, thanks to the example of St Ysodor.

A few notes on play: The 52 Pages refers to Clerics as Prophets - the logic for which may be found here - so any given Prophet may have any kind of relationship with the Church. The logic given in the system extends into the setting: don't expect any given parish priest to be able to perform miracles of healing. They are too busy saving souls. 

Popular Mechanics: Systems Considered

For a blog rooted in tabletop gaming and role-playing, not a lot of talk has happened pertaining to the actual systems themselves. Which edition of Dungeons and Dragons do I favour? What kind of play do I prefer?

Well, I am not here to discuss the workings of the powergamer or the merits of the story game; World Building is the name of the game here - even if those worlds are explored by others through certain mechanisms. But this isn't without relevance and I would be somewhat ungrateful if I did not make reference to the system  I chose to use.

This is a personal story, not a considered review as such. It is coincidence that took me to The 52 Pages; if considered opinion kept me to it.

So I joined a gaming club and fell into the orbit of a GM who happens to have his own gaming blog - found here.  Now, I did get a chance to mess about with 4th Edition D&D; but this was, on the whole, rather stickier and clumsier a system - as I recall, on the one occasion I played with it.

As and when another circle of friends took up the dice of many sides, we gave Pathfinder a try - but again, this was over-complex. Skill after skill to be considered, multiple pages of tiny details, innumerable choices for equipment or abilities. It did not take, though other factors were at work: online play was not entirely smooth sailing.

So, when we gave it another shot face-to-face, I volunteered my services as GM, and took up The 52 Pages - which I had been making use of for perhaps two years by that point. This was easier to pick up and use - being only fifty-two pages long! - especially for character generation. Does anyone, I ask, need to know the weight of my dwarf cleric? ("How much of a simulation do you want this game to be?"  "How well, sir, are you able to simulate the behavior of the common-or-garden dragon?")

There is, perhaps a place for this. But this it is not my place, or the place of those who I had the joy of GM-ing for. Yes, The 52 Pages may not go beyond three levels in its current published form. No monster manual may be to hand. But any system demands drawing from other sources. Gaming systems or adventure modules are not things to be considered or used in isolation. Even if I am thinking only of Greyhawk or Tekumel or Middle-Earth, one's players may be thinking of Camelot, Ruritania or King Solomon's Mines in how they create characters or how they play them. Moreover, The 52 Pages more than makes up for this in its admirable simplicity.

This puts me in the position of being connected with the Old School Renaissance without having much in the way of experience of any other side of Dungeons and Dragons. It would be interesting to know for how many others this was the case; especially as this post is written in the wake of this post mapping the OSR.

My thanks, then, are due to Roger over at Roles, Rules, and Rolls. A fine mentor for the hobby and a talented GM!

Telmarine Names

I recently finished a re-read of the Chronicles of Narnia. Any thoughts I have can wait until another time - suffice it to say I felt them worthy of a re-read, and that I had them to hand- but I did sit down and create a list of Telmarine names. The Telmarines struck me as the most explicit piece of world-building by Lewis; at least a little different from the Calormens; the other big human nation - in that they didn't appear in reading to have quite the same correspondence as the Calormen to any given real-world group. Though they do seem to adapt the more-or-less European characteristics of Narnia, both culturally and in appearance.

(The 2008 film, which was to me a somewhat boring adaptation, made them visually reminiscent of Golden Age Spain, with morion helmets and what I can only describe as Evil Empire Masks with Van Dyck beards. A trip to Wikipedia reveals that the actors involved were Italian, Spanish, Mexican or Serb - apart from an English Caspian!)

Miraz without helmet.....

...his troops with. How many do you bet have beards underneath as well?

Anyway, the names, together with other information as relevant.

Caspian (Prince, named for his forefathers, esp. The First, the Conqueror)

Miraz (the Usurper)

Prunaprismia (wife of the Usurper)

Glozelle (confederate of the Usurper)

Sopespian (confederate of the Usurper)

Belisar (dead or lost loyalist)

Uvilas (dead or lost loyalist)

The Passarids (dead or lost loyalist family)

Arilan (dead or lost loyalist)

Erimon (dead or lost loyalist)

Rilian (subject to the Silver Chair)

Drinian (Captain of the Dawn Treader)

Revilian (Lost Lord)

Bern (Lost Lord)

Argoz (Lost Lord)

Mavramorn (Lost Lord)

Octesian (Lost Lord)

Restimar (Lost Lord)

Rhoop (Lost Lord)

Rynelf (Sailor)

Tirian (at The Last Battle) [Incidentally, trivia fans, Peter Dinklage played the cynical dwarf Trumpkin!]

Cornelius (half-dwarf capable of passing among Telmarines)

One notes the preponderance of aristocratic male names. Perhaps not a surprise given the subject of the books, but it makes building up a real picture of Telmarine culture and language a little difficult. This aside, some of these are super names for a character; Octesian or Sopespian are names crying out to become high-ranking mages, and Glozelle and Uvilas definitely sound sneaky.

Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - Saints

So, any suitable Pseudo-Christian medieval Europe is going to have saints and devotees thereof. For completeness's sake, some of these should be without direct relevance to the adventuring way of life - IE, not just for smiting evil. Most people do not make their living clearing out dungeons, nor are dungeons necessarily a relevant element of the faith of your common-or-garden believer. 

Some of this makes reference to divisions in the Faith. This will be explained!

Saints are mentioned with the area they are a Patron of, perhaps some of their most notable deeds and what, if any, specific theological connection they have to an aspect of the Divine.

St Lemuel, Patron Merchants, Ships Fourth Aspect

St Bernard Finisterre, Preached the Sermon at World’s End; patron travellers Fourth Aspect

St Rhadegunt de Sanglier, Tamed a wild boar, Preached.

St Ophelia the Bloodyminded, Folk Saint, recent, uncanonised, fought Heretics who killed family

St Frankesca de la Drake Tamed Dragon; fought barbarians

St Guthrum Patron Monastics. Cf. St Benedict

St Gweneth Patron Cattle

St Clovis Patron music

St Tybault Patron Penitents. Reformed rake and notorious sinner.

St Oderic patron Farmers

St Edwin Patron Weavers

St Vaderian Patron Kings and Nobles (the Fallen King in Agatheburg) Cf. Charlemagne Sixth Aspect

St Abriel Patron Elves. First converted elf.

St Justina Helena Patron Mages

St Engarras Patron against Heresy. Uncovered secret order of proto-Cadencians.

St Roak Patron Hermits and Friars. Cf. St Francis. Third Aspect

St Ysodor Patron Female Clergy. First female appointee to the Napeshene College.

St Tycho Patron Fathers Third Aspect

St Tankred Patron ‘Teutonic Knights’. Holy Warrior; had vision, founded order. Seventh Aspect

St Ottoline Patron Mystics. First notable practitioner of magic & miracles. Fifth Aspect

St Ludmilla Patron Mothers Second Aspect

St Castrum patron Crusades. Decapitated during a crusade in Punth; rose again to fight.

St Eulaina Patron Marriage

St Oswalt Patron Elderly Eighth Aspect

St Godric Patron against Demons. Fought demons.

St Clareta Patron Maidens First Aspect

St Konnor Patron Children First Aspect

St Torus Patron Scholars Fifth Aspect

St Laterus Patron Beggars

St Lassiter Patron Knight Errantry

St Paradox Patron Divine Mystery. 

St Berengaria Patron Exploration, Cross species contact. Wrote the Book of Other Kinds.

St Dimitri Talliz. Paul Bunyan-esque tall tales. Former shepherd. Muscular.

St Severian Patron Inquisition. Responsible for suppression of the Haruspex Cult.  Seventh Aspect

St Tercio Patron Soldiers. Nervanite Legate who converted v. Early on. Seventh Aspect

St Gervaise Patron Hospitality. Offered even to the infidel; roasted on spit by wicked men – offered them the choicest cuts. Eighth Aspect

St Juhani Patron Sylmunnion

St. John of the Oxen Torwick native saint; stout but muscular pastor. Exorcised and killed a pair of demonically possessed oxen in the midst of a famine to feed the starving peasantry. 

St Pequod Patron fishermen; curiously similar to folk figure Old Man of the Sea, the Ancient Mariner.....

St Albia Domnia. Shrinekeeper of a Torwick fishing port who quelled a mighty storm by her faith. Pictured in flowing robes with trident. Touted by the Church as an alternative to the suspect St Pequod.

St. Marie DeLutra Patron rivers, otters, haddock, pilots. Folk Saint. Deeply unofficial.

Reference to these:  http://rolesrules.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/saints-gods-and-pretty-pictures.html  http://rolesrules.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/folk-saints-introduction.html is nigh on compulsory.

Terrae Vertebrae: The Faith of the Eight - Scripture

The Faith of the Eight is the resident semi-Christian substitute in Terrae Vertebrae. Eight Aspects of one Divinity; different sects have a different emphasis (something for the next post). 

This was written before working it into a (somewhat) Late Medieval world; perhaps it doesn't quite work in such a setting - but perhaps it fits just as well as the Old Testament in Fourteenth Century Europe.

The First we Name is the Dawn-Lady; shining, new and fierce. Hers is the steel; hers is the strength of light and forthright clarity. She is fire, hot and purging. She is faith that knows no hold. She is virginal, fresh, strong in her unchallenged state. Her Time is the First of the Morning, when all is cold clarity. Her Colours are red, white and shining silver. Her Places are the atriums and solemn places of homes, the towers and spires of the cities and the peaks of the mountains. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Second we Name is the Celestial Woman; stretched taut above us. Hers is the healing wind, the soothing rain, the shifting, accommodating cloud.  Hers is love, love both gentle and demanding. She seeks, she compromises and is willing. She holds and comforts; she pushes and coaxes. Her Time is the Last of the Day, when all is calm and rested and the mysterious night encroaches. Her Colours are sky-blue, soft yellow and indigo. Her Places are the bedchamber, the gardens of the people and the glades of the forest. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Third we Name is the Earth Lord, solid below us. His is the weave, warp and weft, the gnarl and root of life. He inspires and teaches. He forces roles upon us that we must bow to. He is not soft, but is not unkind. He is father and teacher, commander and lord. He is grit, boulder and mountain. His Time is the late morning, when the bulk of work is left to be done. His Colours are Yew-Green, crimson and brown. His Places are the Study, Shrine and chest of the Home, the gates of the cities and the paths of the hills. His Blessings are manifold.

The Fourth we Name is the Talker and Shifter, between us and among us. His is the chatter, the dealing, the intrigue and the movement. He is merchant, messenger, conspirator. He is ceaseless, ease less activity. He is confiding, gossiping, twisting, cunning. His Time is the fever of Noon, when men buzz like flies. His Colours are Scarlet, Orange, florid purple. His Places are the parlour of the home, the market and the lakeside where beasts gather. His Blessings are manifold.

The Fifth we Name is the Oceanic Damsel, flowing beside us. Hers is the slow work of the currents, the iteration of the tides, the scholastic grind of the seas. Hers is discovery, effort, application, stamina. She is scholar, clerk, councillor. Her Time is the early night when the long deeds continue. Her Colours are Dark blue, parchment white and pearl grey.  Her places are the bookshelf, the libraries and sidestreets of the towns and the rivers of the plains. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Sixth we Name is the Lawgiver, the Limited. She is the dance with steps, the game with rules, the cup with a bottom, the Arrow with a target. She is restraint and joy in restraint. She is order and joy in order. She follows the path. She is civilisation and its fruits. Her Time is the early evening, with joy to come and completed work. Her Colours are fresh green, wine-red and black. Her Places are the halls of houses, the courts of the cities and the plains of earth. Her Blessings are manifold.

The Seventh we Name is the Striker, the Edge. His is force and power upon a point. His is sword and armour. He is the spear for the hunter, the sword for the soldier. He is just. He is justice. He is the single cut that serves the need. He is the divider. His Time is the early afternoon, when a full morning hangs over the remains of the days. His Colours are iron grey, petal yellow and bright bronze. His Places are the kitchen of the home, the walls of the town and the shores of the seas. His Blessings are Manifold.

The Eighth we Name is the Complete, the Full. He is the end of life, drawing to a close. He is the path that leads to the destination. He is the inn at the end of the road. He is generous and prosperous. His is the laden table and the open door. He is the delights of the new realm and the changed world. His Time is the middle of the night, when all things are changed. His Colours are ruddy gold, the dry leaf and charcoal. His Places are the dining room, the graveyard and the caves. His Blessings are Manifold.

The Greater Canon

The Books of the Prophets

The Book of the Dawn

The Book of the Eastern Prophetess

The Book of the Mountain

The Book of the Herald

The Book of Eddan the Scholar and Naddan the Navigator

The Book of Keruba, Poet and Judge

The Book of the Two Swords

The Book of the Feast

The Books of the Scholars (the nature of the divine, how to worship, ethics, codes)

The Book of Names

The Book of The Eight

The Book of the Divine

The Book of Powers

The Book of Worship

The Book of Codes

The Second Book of Codes

The Western Book of Codes [Region-particular]

The Catalogue of the Faithful [Region-particular]

The Books of History (as it says on tin. Of who the prophets were, how the word was spread)

The Book of Prophets

The Book of The Chiefs

The Book of The Lords

The Book of The Kings [Region-particular]

The Book of The Teachers [Region-particular]

The Books of Other Lands (how else the faith of the Eight is taught) [Region-particular]

The Book of the East

The Book of the West

The Book of the South

The Book of the North

The Book from Across the Water

The Book of Other Kinds

Other Projects

Other than Terrae Vertebrae, what am I looking to display here?

Firstly, it would be worth putting into the public eye some of the thoughts and fiction myself and a few close friends have put into an initially tongue-in-cheek idea called Fallout: Home Counties.

This is exactly what it says on the tin. The Fallout universe drawing on British Speculative fiction and culture of the 1950s.

Secondly - and this leads a lot of finessing - something called (at least mentally) White Hot Sparks from the Crucible of the Enlightenment. That is, all the scientific theories and off-kilter ideas and misdirected energies of the Enlightenment that didn't last or were disproved - but placed in a world of magic as well as proto-scientific notions. Such a world would see the competition between arcane researchers become quite heated - quite apart from concerns of national pride.

This draws from history, yes (reading Richard Holmes's The Age of Wonder contributes a bit) but also the narrative and manner of experimentation of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Laputa from Swift's Gulliver's Travels is also directly relevant.

More details may come.

Terrae Vertebrae: The Talliz Confederacy

The Talliz Confederacy. Set low on the Eastern Coast of the mountains, as the plains stretch far away from the peaks. Reminiscent of Slavic Europe.  Division between older settlements near the mountains and the frontier.

Borders roamed by hordes/warrior brethren. Run by Voivodes. Remnant of nomadic lifestyle. Can be temporary part of life, young man’s game. Older members if not in strategic position get Quartermaster logistic roles or pensioned off as village constables, tavern owners &c. Numbers kept up by glamour of job; also folk tradition that Bastard’s not a Bastard in the Hordes (By extension, dalliances with Horde member common enough – happy accidents are easy enough to pass on) some ancestry within hordes, but few family groups. More adoption/ apprenticeships. Semi-nomadic, Cossack like, defenders against the infidel. Sometimes with heavy Church sponsorship (esp. Psuedo-Hussites). Raiding parties across border.  Different Voivodeships have different techniques – Winged Hussars, Lancers, Horse archers, Hussite War wagons – but all meant to be quick response, flexible. 

One might posit a “Scythian Horsewomen” Horde also - rejecting masculine Talliz society.

Emphasis on Heroic figures within the Church as Folk Saints; ‘Hercules’ and Russian heroes, not St Francis. UR faith; peasantry/uninterested nobles/priests catering to same barely know of/mention the aspects.

 Hetmen run towns, villages; dislike having to pay/cater for rowdy bachelor soldiery. Hetman as Mayor, Civilian leader.  Kremlins as place of refuge. Mining by the mountains, trade with Dwarves; farming on plains – discourse with elves.  

Land owned by aristocracy – Boyars. Split between local administration, duties to king and military duties – often farmed off to younger sons in Voivode. Have armed retainers- but not as competent/dashing as hordes.  King has own territory-control guards: infantry, Strelets (Think also the Black Army of Matthias Corvinus).

Trade: plenty of caravan goods – lots of lovely curiosities, rarities, &c. Fine porcelain. Tea. ‘Silk Road’ ends here; forks to go north to Fahflund/through the pass to the Novopolis. When’s there’s not a war on.  Even when there is. Trade pacts possible on high holy days....which tend to coincide, due to old pagan festivals falling near to/being replaced by modern traditions.

Hereditary Monarchy, but ‘King and Highest of All Talliz Peoples’ not ‘King of Talliz’. Competency and ferocity is most heavily desirable. Lot of pressure for the more popular Voivode’s to take the throne. Several have in the past. Many more were adopted into the Royal Family in order to curb or redirect their power- with limited success.  (UR) [King Wenceslas IV Falconis]

Again, not quite so linked to national epics. Still hopefully adequately nuanced. 

Terrae Vertebrae: The Empire

There always was going to be an empire. Rome, Italy, Byzantium and Iberia layer upon one another. This truly has stepped away from the national epic; it would be difficult to have Aeneas or Achilles coexisting with Lancelot, Roland and Eric the Red. That said, nothing should stop our heroic band of adventurers from venturing into the dungeons of fallen pseudo-Troy.

The Nirvanite Imperium.  Set on the broad plains below Nicquardy, as they spread away from the mountains of the Spine, and down to the mountain boundaries of the desert and the a

Rome/Byzantium with an edge of China. Mortuary ancestor cult modeled on Spanish Easter Week procession with death masks.  

 Nestorians vs. Monophysites. The Works of Procopius. Marco Polo in the Court of Kublai Khan. The Pillow Book. Definite edge of decay. Costume-early modern leading edge fashion or weird old ceremonial costume. Classical ruins- both city centres where the old forum still stands but also old Troy/Mycenae like hill top forts. 

(Home of Both Rites. Coexistence as controlled by Emperor. Population tend to MR) [The Emperor. Renounces name on Coronation. Not given formal name until death, based on deeds during life – Crusader V, Fleetmaster II, Lawgiver VI. Those that die without great deeds to their name – Heir X. Wicked  - Tyrant VII. Last Emperor: Architect III. Senate, courtiers, bureaucrats, layer on layer of formality and etiquette]

The Novopolis – The 'New Cities' of the Nirvanite Imperium. Less Imperial presence. Trade, art. Italian city states. Fantasy Venice, &c. The Lies of Locke Lamora-esque ‘alchemist’s Paradise?’ Separatist rumblings. Lots of ‘In the Emperor’s Name’ ironic jests. 

Home of the Unified Rite.

[Dukes and Burghers. Some populist Dukes recently proclaimed due to Merchant success; more Doge Like]

The Estates Immaculate – The Imperial City, Pleasure Grounds, Centre of the Manifest Rite.

Surrounded by The Pylons of Macrobius. Boundary markers.  Gets weird inside. Ancient dynasties of seneschals, ancient rituals. Very Gormenghast.  

Inspirations include Virconium. Julie Taymor’s Titus - a city set about by ruins and ancient customs, where the past overwhelms the present.  Marco Polo in the Court of Kublai Khan. The Pillow Book. An edge of Warhammer 40K or The Book of the New Sun would not be inappropriate.

Ancient religious elements still exist. Rumours of infidel cults. Imperial Cults, &c. exist – spun off from ancient, less than entirely Church approved beliefs.

Kapelleron – The Frontier Region. Spanish-like climate, fauna, flora. The Reconquista. Think also Guerrilla warfare.  Also an angle of Mormon & other Wild West settler (but esp. the weirdness of the Latter-Day Saints)/Boer frontier faith (doesn’t abandon 'Spanish' ‘catholic’ rosaries, saintly cults. &c., but has that degree of isolated fundamentalist development) – complete with growing separatist sentiment against uncaring/sinful imperial cities. Crusades. Arid hills. Monument Valley.  Hemingway. Heavy anti-heresy, infidel as response to neighbors. 

[Ruled by a Duke, with a certain degree of autonomy from the Imperial Court. His subjects can be just as autonomous.]

The Trade Cities  The bits that aren’t the Novopolis on the Coast/borders. Dramatically more cosmopolitan. Lankhmar-esque. Sizable non-Pseudo-European population – even as aristocrats and officials. Manueline architecture? Variety of leaders. Compare with Portugal, Cadiz, Aragon.

Really called “Lameravis”.

Everywhere else:  Sleepy, prosperous, loyal towns. Not quite flyover country; local interests are bitterly guarded. The lords and merchants hear news of the Novopolis and its doings, or have relatives in Kapalleron and can fall under the sway of one or the other.

Terrae Vertebrae: Northern Kingdoms

The nations of Terrae Vertebrae have their basis in real-world national epics: not directly copies, but filtered copies, responding to literature and the ideals therein. Beyond that, one element of the world building was that most nations of Pseudo-Europe (Vertebrea) were prinicpally influenced by one of the elder races - Elves or Dwarves. This accounts for a cultural difference and a religious divide - if not to the extremes of, say, the Reformation or the Cold War.

Thus, we have the Unified Rite of the faith, and the Manifest Rite (UR and MR; theological differences and creeds can be thrashed out in a different post). This is quite apart from the remnants of the Old Faith.

To keep this a good readable length, this section will only deal with the nations of the northern half of the continent.

These notes were originally fairly stream-of-consciousness. I have tidied them up a little for ease of use.

So, with that out of the way....

Torwick: an island to the North-West this is Arthurian, touch-of-fairy Albion/Logres/Britain-complete with Orkney clan stirring up trouble, old grudges &c. Think Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  Fairy gates. Superstitious peasantry; questing knights into fairy land. Belle dame sans merci. Goblin Market. Wild Hunt contrasts with Chivalry.

There is a High King (Ættar Penvern); he is quite recent to the Throne 

[A touch of Shakespeare’s Henry V also; a young King, yet a canny one. Plenty of Plantagenet drive. Certainly an Arthur; but just as certainly a Pendragon – Looking at you, Uther. See also King Arnthor in Wolfe’s The Wizard Knight] 

There are plenty of Underkings and Princelings and a Wittangamot to be placated. (UR; Plenty of Old Faith- part of ongoing conflict.)

There is an ‘Ambrosian Order’ of Merlin-a-likes. Mysterious, infuriating. Not quite Church approved....

Everything looks a bit like this: http://gilgalahad.tumblr.com/tagged/lyonesse Seriously, you can’t escape it. It’s getting to be a problem [I, for one, blame the Fairy Folk!]

Nicquardy:  set on the Western coast, below Sylmunnion. Carolingian (fictional matter-of-France) France. The Song of Roland. Plenty of rising movement of Daughters of the Nobility Joans-of-Arc [This got turned into an adventure hook...]. This has many Royal patrons. Serfdom. Yaaaay. Ongoing hatred of Torwick. Peninsula with UR faith being suppressed.  (MR) 

[King Olivier IV. Medieval France; powerful nobles, regional parliaments]

Plays the ‘Heartland of the West’ card a lot – generally prosperous, stable, chivalric – without the weirdness of Sylmunnion, the hidden cracks under Torwick, Nirvanite corruption, the distance of Trygvir, the horror of Hurdamark, the commercialism of Fahflund or the semi-barbarism of the Talliz.

Sylmunnion: High up the Vertebraen continent to the North, on the western side of the moutnains. Finland. Touch of Kiev Rus in cities. Magic, Mystery, Trees. The Kalevala. Giant Pikes. GIANT Capercaillies. Reindeer. Crossbows. Magic as very well integrated into society vs. Guilds and careful negotiation of ‘Civilised’ Realms. Not entirely good or bad; fewer disagreements, more uses of magic for Common Good; more magical accidents, wars over magical resources [Cf. Sampo]

(UR, technically) [‘King’- courtesy title for foreign relations. Really Prince of Prince or Chief of Chiefs. Referred to as ‘Dux Coronal’ by Church. Not meant to meddle too much domestically.  Last century title falls to Dukes of Kuulajarvi. Regency currently; Queen Kaarina {Finnish Catherine} has 13 year old son; Prince Tapani {Finnish Stephen} ]

Finnish Names http://1d8.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/random-name-generators.html

The Trygvir Isles: a group of islands high to the north and east. Iceland. 'Farmers have feuds'. The Sagas. The Althing. Definitively NOT Thor-and-Odin beards-and-axes Vikings - or rather, I would prefer to play down that angle, similar (perhaps) to way that The Banner Saga does it.

Hurdamark is their main trade partner; a missionary effort is ongoing.  Some isolated folk in the backwaters regard anything further than Fahflund as semi-mythical.

(No set faith) [The Althing. Magnates within it as suitable.]

There is also the remains of an Atlantis-analogue as run by Giants. Half Giants remain in Trygvir (Eight foot or so tall, some hooves, horns, bone spurs, immensely strong; slow of speech but not foolish. Touch also of Shadowrun trolls. Pseudo-Atlantis was a fairly cosmopolitan place.) remain, a shadow of what has gone before. Ancient and mysterious ruins; one might contemplate Nephilim references? See Tim Powers, The Stress of her Regard, Declare &c. [Rules for the 52 Pages to come]

I am also very tempted to start working in the Selkie. Possibly with an aspect of the Hrossa from Out of the Silent Planet about them.

Hurdamark.  East coast. Northerly, but not as northerly as Sylmunnion. Prussian (geographically), wild Germany. Alexander Nevsky, an edge of medieval Russia. Teutonic Knights. Pine forests. Touch of Brothers Grimm lurking-in-the-woods stuff; not quite Hammer Horror. Sincere faith and religious terror (but still quite can be cute, charming, homely in a rural Germanic sort of way, so long as the sun is shining). Baltic-type trade- furs, amber, salt fish.(UR) [King Godric IV Mindaugas]

It is suggested that the Order of St. Tankred’s extensive private property and seemingly ubiquitous presence is in some way suspicious. This is, of course, mere slander. They kill monsters for us. They are heaven-sent to guard us.

There are internal divisions in the Order of St. Tankred; traditional monster-slayers vs. Mercantile state-building sorts. Trade in Hurdamark has been reinforced and enabled by Tankredian banking – but resources to protect villages can be stretched by this.

Fahflund. East coast, below Hurdamark. The river valley reaches deep into the mountains. Netherlands, Rhineland, Bavaria, Vienna. Happy Germany. Lederhosen and Dirndls in the forests; trade, wine, mining on the river. Hanseatic League. Plenty of university towns and scholarly-slanted monasteries (St Hildegard of Bingen).

Conflict: Burghers vs. Stadtholders. Regional assemblies based on cities; must include prominent landowners and burghers. Both tend to resent the power of the other. Everyone else invited (Prominent Priests, by courtesy, wizards, Scholars) resent the deadlock and do the best they can. Elective monarchy- but tend to return candidate of same family.(MR) [King Bertholdt II]

The border city of Agatheburg is pseudo-Geneva; a Palatinate, run by the Prince-Bishop. Has Tomb of Fallen King, St. Vaderian; site of border squabbles, contention w/ Nicquardy. Cf. Alsace-Lorraine?

These last two respond more to historically based images of Germany, rather than any given fictional work. This became a theme, not least because I'm less aware of any urban-based epic poems and Dungeons and Dragons does like to have a few cities about.