Praedia Teneris is not
a modern industrialized world. Many of the things we are
used to in our daily lives do not exist in Praedia, or if they do, they
are enjoyed
by only the rich and powerful. Other things which we can only dream of
are, if not
common, not innacessable either. Magical healing of diseases we
consider fatal is
offered by the Mithraean Church, for example. What follows is a guide
for those considering
a visit to Praedia -- a brief description of what to expect (and what not
to!).
City Life | Law and Order
| Food | Clothing
| Material Goods | Games | Vices
| Cleanliness and Privacy | Speech and Deference
In Mithraea: Life in any major city is much different than we would find today. Cities are unplanned. Houses, generally two to three stories tall, crowd together in most areas. In the north, they often overhang the street. Sometimes the streets are nearly covered over by these added-on stories! Sidewalks are non-existent, and streets are paved with cobblestone or are simple hard-packed earth. The streets are narrow -- 10 to 15 feet wide in residential areas. In the poor and middle class areas of the city, wastes are simply emptied from the house right into the street, leaving the area under the overhang the only safe place to walk. These same streets are crowded with vendors, palanquins, carriages, carts, and people and animals going to and fro. They are noisy and dirty and smell worse than we could imagine. They are also unlabeled. There are no such things as street signs, and if you do not know the city you find your way by asking passers-by where to go. The quarters where the rich live generally have wider, cleaner, well paved streets. Houses are surrounded by outer walls or have inner atria to give their dwellers private access to the out-doors. These streets are likely to be relatively well- lit at night by candles hung in lanterns from the walls of buildings. Commercial areas may be lit at night in the same way, but much of the city will be pitch-black.
Elsewhere: In Sienova and
Gallacia
and the Old Empire,<1> one is
more likely to find
magical devices such as ancient, magical street-lamps. In Sienova, the
Covenant States,
and in some Imperial cities, one may find remnants of old imperial
architecture:
sophisticated sewer and water systems, hypocausts for warming baths and
houses, functional
public baths, streets paved with large blocks of stone, etc. The
Achaean cities have
emulated these old technologies in their wealthier quarters, while
Mithraea and Gallacia,
with their smaller urban populations, have not been under the pressure
to do so.
Achaean and Imperial cities tend to be more spread-out and less
cramped. They will
be built on hills so as to provide people in close quarters with
descent views, and
to allow rain to wash the streets clean while not turning them into
seas of mud.
In Mithraea: If you are accosted in
a
city, don't bother calling for the police -- they don't exist! In most
cities, the
peace is kept by what we would think of as a "neighborhood watch." The
city will be divided into administrative districts with a small council
of elected
officials in charge of it. These men will appoint volunteers to the
watch. The watchmen
will do their best to keep an eye on the streets, but they also rely on
the residents
to "raise the hew and cry"-- i.e. sound an alarm if they notice
anything
strange. The governing council of the ward or quarter will work with
government appointed
judges to see that apprehended criminals are restrained, tried, and
sentenced. In
royal quarters, one will find something approaching a police force --
the Royal Guard,
and Guardsmen as well as the retinues of other important officials may
enforce the
laws wherever they might be (think of the Cardinal's guards in The
Three Musketeers).
If you are arrested by
these forces, you will be taken to a gaol in the city or town and held
until the next day (or the next time the judge is present in a rural
area) when they will be tried. There is no parole. Unless
you have the money to hire a lawyer and friends to go quickly do it for
you, you get no representation. Commoners accused of crimes are
generally tried by a judge, not a jury. The penalties will be
monetary (a fine) or physical (whipping, the pillory or stocks, or
execution for a felony). There is one round-a-bout
way of simulating gaol time as a punishment in rural areas. Your
hearing will simply be put off until the next time the circuit judge is
in town, generally three months, under the pretense that he doesn't
have time to hear your case on his current visit. Then the next
time, it may be put off again. When the locals think you've
suffered enough, they'll bring you to the judge, who will give you a
small fine and set you free. In general, however, there is
no official imprisonment in the countryside, as it would be too
expensive to do for everyone. In the cities, noblemen are
sometimes imprisoned for a time rather than suffering physical
punishment, and there are debtor prisons as well. If you are
imprisoned, you are responsible for providing your own linens, food,
and clothes. You can buy them from the guards at exorbitant
rates, or have friends or family supply you. If you face
execution it will be by hanging if you are a commoner, beheading if you
are a nobleman, and burning if you have been convicted of black magic
or heresy. Repentant heretics are given the mercy of being
strangled by a cord before burning. Executions are public in
almost all cases.
In the country, a
similar group of "watchmen" or "sheriff's men"
will be in charge of enforcing the laws. They will report back to the
Sheriff and
the Justice of the Peace -- both locally elected volunteers serving
with the approval
of the crown. Some noblemen in Mithrea and many in Gallacia still hold
the rights
of high justice in their territories. In this case, the men of their
personal retinue
will be responsible for enforcing the peace and trying criminals. In
other areas,
misdemeanors will be dealt with locally, and suspected felons held
until a royal
circuit judge comes by and holds the above mentioned "court of gaol
delivery." See above for how that can be manipulated.
Elsewhere: In the Covenant
States
and
in the Empire, there are government troops permanently stationed in
major cities
which act as a (small) police force. Justice is more centralized and
efficient. Both
countries use law codes dating back to ancient Imperial codes thousands
of years
old. In the Empire, nobles do not technically have many sovereign
powers,
but there is
an ancient and traditional system of accommodation between the nobles
and the crown
which allow accused a joint trial with Imperial justices and
representatives
of the relevant houses both presiding. These representatives act as a
sort of jury
to determine the facts of the case and any appropriate punishment. In
the case of
a deadlock, the Imperial ruling will take precedence.<2>
Justice in Achaea works similarly to that in Mithraea and elsewhere in
the north,
but accused criminals often find it is possible to pay monetary "fines"
to the right people in order to avoid the inconvenience of a trial.
Also true in Galacia, the Fisher Coast, and Achaea is the fact that
blood is thicker than water. The extended clans of these regions
do a lot to protect their members. The flip side of this is that the
family/clan takes a responsibility for punishing its members in order
to maintain its honor. If the clan or family finds you guilty of
what they just told the city justices you didn't do, you will probably
wish you'd been tried by the state.
Crimes that are
considered felonious in most places:
forgery and "clipping" coins, stealing over 20 shillings of someone's
property,stealing any amount of goods as a highwayman on the king's
roads, rape, murder, assault of someone of higher station than one's
self, heresy (if recuisant), black magic (fuzzily defined as whatever
the authorities say it is, but most definitely including dealing with
demons or channeling from "dark" forces), and any act considered
treasonous to the crown/sovereign authority.
Food in Mithraea is not often close to rotten. People do not spice food to hide the fact that it is going bad, they spice it to keep it from going bad. Food in the hot south tends to be much spicier than in the north, but some spices (with anti-bacterial properties) like garlic, onion, oregano, etc. are ubiquitous. As you might expect, seasonal foods like perishable fruits are rare or non-existent in the off-season. Meat is often salted or dried in order to preserve it, and because fresh meat may be hard to come by, stews, meat pies, and casseroles that make good use of preserved meats are common.
People may cook at home, but kitchens are not a part of many urban apartments -- they are too much of a fire hazard. A city neighborhood may have an out-door brick beehive-oven for communal use, and people cook what they can in their fireplaces. But in addition, there are both eat-in and take- out dining establishments in most cities. It is typical for middle and lower-class city dwellers to pick up a meat pie for dinner at the end of the day. The houses of the rich, of course, have separate kitchen buildings and a staff of one or more people to prepare food and stock the larder.
In the country, life is a bit different. Villages along a major road are likely to have a tavern, but those off the beaten path will not. Some households in the village will tend to brew ale or bake bread or make cheese for sale to both villagers and passers-by, and many of these entrepreneurs will also serve these and other foods as meals in their houses.
Knives are ubiquitous. Most people, male and female, carry a knife with a blade of from 3-6" on them at most times. Men can and do use them as weapons, but the far more common use is as an all purpose tool and utensil. It is not uncommon, if you eat out at all frequently, to carry a knife, spoon, and mug with you as well. Travellers certainly do. There are really no disposable containers. Expensive pastries might be wrapped in paper, and south of Mithraea grape leaves are used to wrap some foods for sale, but by and large, if you go to purchase prepared goods such as ale or stew, you provide the cup or bowl it is placed in (or you pay the purchase price for the bowl. Some vendors have gotten around this by providing the consumer with an edible hard-crusted bread-bowl. Forks are a relatively new invention. Individual forks (as opposed to serving forks) have only been in use a hundred years or so. They are still rare in many parts of Gallacia and the Fisher coast (not to mention the plains). On the frontiers, eating with a fork instead of your fingers is akin to ordering milk at a Wild West Saloon -- it means you are asking for ridicule at the very least, possibly ending in a brawl!Clothing styles vary widely across Mithraea -- see the culture guide for illustrations. In general, however, there are a few things that are always true: The poor wear different cloth than the rich. In the north, the poor wear wool, in the south cotton. While the rich may wear these cloths as well, they are far more likely to have under (and over) garments of linen, silk, satin, velvet, and the like. Modern conveniences like the zipper, elastic, button holes, Velcro, etc. etc. are non-existent. Some clothes button, with the button going through a loop of fabric. Others tie in place with laces and/or a belt. It generally takes even poor, unadorned people a while to get dressed, and there is a reason why the rich have body servants!
In every Praedian culture, women keep their bodies as covered or more covered than the men do. Everywhere except in the Mithraean highlands and sometimes Gallacia, it is traditional for the men to reveal their legs. The amount of leg shown may vary from the mid-thigh down in hot southern Achaea, to only the calves, as is common in Sienova and the Empire. In addition, more civilized (or cooler) places clothe the male leg in tight-fitting colored hosen -- garments which can take as long to get on as the rest of the outfit combined.<3> The exception to this are men's travelling clothes, where boots replace buckled shoes and cover up all or part of the hose.
Sleeping clothes, when used at all, are fairly uniform across Praedia. Men and women both where night-gowns or sleep shirts. Men's shirts come down to around the knee, unbelted, while a woman's would come down to the floor or at least to her ankles. The poor would use this same shirt as the undershirt that the wore day-to-day.
No clothes are
available "off the rack" unless they are cast-offs or hand-me-downs.
There are people who specialize in repairing and selling the used and
discarded clothes of the wealthy. The rich have clothing made
for them by a tailor or seamstress. In general, the poor make their own
clothes or, when they can, buy the cast-offs of the upper classes. The
only thing
you are likely to be able to buy pre-made and new would be a cloak,
hat, belt,
or other accessory.
One exception to this is Achaea, especially southern Achaea. Here, very
large urban
populations combined with the loose, unfitted (Greco-Roman) clothing
has made forrrays
into pre-made clothing a profitable venture.
These would be most similar to modern furnishings in Sienova or the Empire. In all places, however, most seats are benches with no arms and often no backs. Only the well-to-do have chairs with arms and backs, not to mention padded cushions. Such things are a sign of status as well as wealth in many places. Tables are simple as well, often being plain trestle tables.
Desks, bookcases, wardrobes, chests-of-drawers and the like exist but are uncommon in most places. The most common kind of all-purpose furnishing is the top-opening chest or trunk. These usually can be locked, and are used to hold clothing, linens, books, food, money and valuables, and everything else you could imagine. They are also used as tables and chairs as well.
Beds consist of square frames (either elevated on legs or on the ground) over which are interwoven leather straps. The mattress (straw for the poorer, down for the richer) lies on top of this. It is not hard-sided, but rather something more like a modern comforter. The poor often have only the mattress and no frame, and it will not be baffled to keep the filling in place (as a rich man's would be). The number of sheets and blankets used depends on the climate, season, wealth of the people involved, and the number of warm bodies sharing the bed. In middle and upper class households, the bed of the master of the house is often curtained to give him and his wife more privacy.
The rich decorate their walls with paintings and tapestries and their floors with rugs and furs. The poor make do with a simple rug or two to cover the shuttered windows.<4>
Lighting is provided
by candles, oil lamps, and fireplaces. In Gallacia, Sienova,
Achaea, and the Empire it is possible to find magical lights in the
homes of the
nobility and great public buildings. Lighting in most public buildings
such as theaters
is provided by multi-candle "candleiers" which are lowered on chains to
be lit and then raised back up towards the ceiling/ Candles are too
expensive for
the lowest (laborer, farmer) classes to waste, so they tend to go to
sleep not long
after the sun sets (or go out to a tavern or other public space). Those
who can afford
lighting, however, often stay up well into the night.
Board
Games: People play many
games, often
wagering on the outcome. As far as games of skill go, there are a few
chess variants,
all based off of an ancient and highly respected Gallacian game.
Several Backgammon-like games
exist too. Either the Chess games or the Backgammon games may be
called
"Tables" because they are, well, played on a
special table.
Backgammon is "Achaean Tables,"
Chess is sometimes called "Old Tables."
Some versions of chess have more pieces: up to 28. These are
arranged
in up to three rows on each side of the board (the board being 11x11)
and include: the King, Princes, Ships, Priests, Knights, Castles, War
wagons or Chariots, Cannons, and Pawns. Chess is the only game
not typically
wagered on (by mortals). Well, not money at least.
Sometimes a lot
more can ride on a chess game.
Draughts or Eights are versions
of checkers, some with
squares (i.e. the same table as chess), but many with points connected
by vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines to all the other points on
the board. Toss
is a game also played with a chess board, where
draughts pieces are flipped, tossed, or snapped onto the board and bets
are taken as to whether they will land on a black or white
square. Tafl is an old
sea-raider game where the offensive player controls a king
in the center of the board. The king is very powerful and the
goal of
the defensive player is to keep him trapped while fending off the rest
of the offensive player's pieces (which are near the
edges). Lastly, Go
is a a difficult game with simple rules, this game is played generally
only by the Elves. They also have very complex games played with
tiles
rather than cards.
Other Games:
Card games combining skill and luck are all the rage from Mithraea
(where the church
futilely protests against the evils of gambling) to southern Achaea.
Games include
the rather rough-and-ready Staves (vaguely similar to hearts but with a
dice component
as well!), rough equivalents of Earth poker, and trick-taking games
like whist. Dice games relying mostly on pure luck are also
played. Different throws will be winning
or
losing, sometimes either, depending on what stage in the game they
occur. Hazard is
a popular dice game. In
gambling houses
you can find intricate games such as table-top "bowling" and
roulette-type games. Lawn bowling
and tennis are popular playing field games (though the "field" in
tennis
is actually an indoor court where bouncing the ball off of the
overhanging eves is
a valid strategy). People often fence with training swords as well --
both to improve
their skill and for the enjoyment and challenge of a competitive
match. In addition, hunting, wrestling,
dueling, penny tossing, and just about
anything else you can think of are wagered on in most Praedian
countries.
Here is a more
complete list of the popular card games:
| Ace: 11 | Two: 12 | Three: 9 | Four: 8 |
| Five: 10 | Six: 6 | Seven: 7 | Court cards: 10 |
Other forms of
entertainment include the theater. In Mithraea, for many years,
this meant religious morality plays re-enacting the stories of Lugh and
his champions. Such plays, when put on by local crafts guilds (or
"Mysteries") are, of course, called "Mystery Plays." In recent decades,
however, secular (and often bawdy) Achaean street
plays have been
catching on in more northern countries. These plays maybe very crude,
put on on an
improvised street-corner stage, or they may be more elaborate and held
in a theater
with a decorated stage and fancy costumes (think Shakespeare's Globe).
Some of these
theaters are even completely enclosed and lit -- for night
performances. A similar
entertainment is the puppet show. These are popular with both children
and adults,
and their ribald humor often conceals biting social commentary. Troops
of jugglers
and acrobats are also welcomed in most of Praedia, as are wandering
minstrels. The
Bards, of Gallacia are not, however, to be confused with the former.
Although they
are adept at music, Bard are more like combinations
priest/historians/adjudicators,
inviolate in Gallacian society.
While not on the
"Approved Sports" list, Blood Sports are somewhat common in Praedia,
especially in Achaea. Wrestling, boxing, and gladiatorial games
for show between professionals (occasionally women!) are common
throughout Achaea and parts of Galacia too (particularly the boxing and
other shows of strength and pain tolerance. Professional
Gladiators use weapons designed to inflict pain without much risk
of death -- weapons like cesti with ground glass on the
backs. Illicit gladiatorial games to the death or with
non-professionals (often slaves) can also be found in Southern Achaea
in particular. These are well hidden from the authorities, but
warriors or duelists known for their skill might get a secret
invitation... Other non human blood sports such as cock fights,
dog fights, and bear bating are common throughout both the northern and
southern continents, even in pious Mithraea (where the Church frowns
upon them too, of course!).
On the gentler side of
things, Music is a common leisure time activity in Praedia. The
middling and upper classes both attend performances and perform
themselves. Musical instruments
include, among other things, violin-like instruments -- the
tiny rebec, smaller than a viola and most common on the Fisher coast,
and the Viele,
a violin held like a small Cello -- with the full spike at the end
resting on a thigh-strap.
Lap harps, the vihuela (12 stringed guitar-like instrument), mandolins,
dulcimers, and the
lute make up
the remainder of the stringed instruments. Bagpipes are common in many
cultures,
as are simple wooden flutes and woodwinds with reeds similar to a
clarinet. Drums,
of course, can be found in every culture on the planet. The most
recently invented
instrument is the radically different harpsichord -- the first keyed
instrument.
This is very popular among the aristocracy of the Empire, Sienova, and
Mithraea. Music is what we on Earth would call "Renaissance" in
the Marches and Mithraea, and "Baroque" in the Empire. Galacian
music is more along the lines of folk ballads, as is Achaean (albeit
with a different sound) Sienova enjoys the best of all worlds with
musicians skilled in numerous modes. Regardless of country of
birth, it is common for men and women of the upper (and even middle)
classes to learn at least one instrument as children.
Sex:
While the mores of most societies dictate that the proper place for
sexual intercourse is within the confines of legitimate marriage, there
are none the less many other options for obtaining it in Praedia.
This is true even in conservative, religious states like Mithraea.
• Street-walkers:
in every city or moderate sized town, there are unfortunate young women
with no good trade who turn to selling their bodies for the money to
survive. They may have a poor room some place where they take
clients, but many entertain their ‘guests' in the alley-ways and
stables of their city. These girls are the bottom of the sexual
hierarchy. They generally have pimp who dominates them and coordinates
their actions, protecting them from other criminals in exchange for a
cut of their earnings.
• Stews:
brothels of the lowest sort. These are ubiquitous from S. Achaea on to
Mithraea. These places are unhygienic, packing girls into tiny rooms
with no sanitation and little food or rest. A girl here is more
closely monitored by the House Mother than a street girl by her pimp,
but she can stay out of the weather and have a little comfort. On
the other hand, she may have to see ten men a night. The House
mother is generally a retired girl who showed managerial promise.
The Achaeans prefer Stews to single streetwalkers. They will
arrest girls out on their own, in fact. This is because the Stews
are easier to regulate for profit than individual girls. The
House is generally owned by some wealthy businessman under a shadow
company, and the state will often may back his control of the industry
because he is generally one of the ruling classes.
The word "stew" is also used for a public toilet.
• Bawdy Houses:
These are ubiquitous from S. Achaea on to Mithraea. These are a
step up from the stews. They are generally cleaner, and provide
other entertainment besides the women (a bar, gambling). The
entertainment is not particularly refined, but the cost for much of it
is low. The main income of the house will come from rigged games
and the women's services. These places are rather rowdy, with
occasional violence and a reputation for dishonesty (at least in the
gaming). Women here are generally tough, and have a bit of
education. They can't discuss philosophy, but may know how to
balance the books, or sing a common ballad. They are paid a
little more, but have to pay for their clothes, rooms, and more.
• Fancy Houses:
These are more common in Sienova and Achaea than farther north.
The principle is the same as the bawdy house: provide company,
entertainment, food, drink and sex to your customers. The "Front
Room" entertainment is likely to be a discussion of the last elections
or songs played on a harpsichord. Food is good, and a range of
quality alcohols are provided. It is not unknown for patrons to
pay only for the "Front room" entertainments on some
nights. The girls at these houses tend to have regular
‘guests," and often entertain them exclusively for a night every week
or two. They will write secret love letters to their ‘beau,' and
vice versa, all to maintain the illusion that the relationship is
personal rather than professional. These girls are reasonably
well educated. They can read and write, know the popular
literature, can play multiple instruments, dance, etc. They will
owe their house a substantial sum after their training is
complete. They must also pay for their room and some food
(breakfast) at the house, and must meet certain minimums in terms of
the money they bring in. This doesn't necessarily equate to a
large number of men a night, as these men want to spend more time with
their educated ‘hostesses' and are willing to pay for it.
• Courtesans:
These ladies of the evening are the cream of the crop, so to
speak. Sometimes they are women of status who have fallen on hard
times (father or husband attainted for treason, for example). Often
they are the children of courtesans, or talented orphans taken in by
one as her apprentice. They are skilled in providing sexual
pleasures of all sorts. They are also highly talented singers,
speakers, players of music, and artists who can discuss ‘male' oriented
domains (like politics, war, strategy, how to govern, drama, festivals,
theology, and more) with knowledge and insight. While these
women may start off beholden to their patron or mistress, they
generally buy independence early on. These women are reasonably
socially acceptable, depending on what city and what the woman's
reputation is. Like the girls at the fancy houses, the
courtesan can afford disease cures, herbs to end unwanted pregnancies,
and so on.
• Same-sex
relationships: in no country are the penalties for same-sex
relationships as harsh as on earth. Some countries (the Covenant states
and the Empire) are very tolerant of
such relationships as long as they remain discrete and the participants
have also done their duty with their respective spouses to produce
legitimate children for the family or state. In fact, in the
Empire, a private same-sex affair is far preferable to a heterosexual
affair, as the former carries no risk of producing bastards. Public
same-sex relationships are accepted in Achaea. Generally same-sex
relationships are not organized commercial endeavors, except again in
Achaea where prostitution involves both sexes. Males involved in
this trade are almost always teens or pre-teens. The few
exceptions have been very flamboyant cross-dressers with a
near-celebrity status.
• All the larger cities have "red light" districts
such as the Tenderloin in Kingston. Guidebooks
are published, mostly in Achaea and Sienova, to all these
districts. They come out yearly and reccommend different ladies
for their services. They also tell the adventurous traveller what
other sorts of entertainment are available in those districts and how
to look for a guide to the ins and outs of the place. Yes, the
Church disapproves of this too!
Drugs:
Absinthe, or La fata verde (La signora
verde): This liquor of wormwood and anise is not imbibed
straight as it is too bitter. Most people drink it by adding it
to their ale, mead, cider, or even wine. In he Empire they have
another way of enjoying the bitter tonic. They fill a glass 1/5 of the
way full with it. A slotted spoon is placed over the glass, and a
lump of compacted sugar placed on the spoon. Cool or cold water is
poured over the sugar, dissolving it. The absinthe solution below
becomes cloudy. In the winter, it is sometimes mixed with crushed
ice or snow and honey. The working classes in areas where
wormwood grows, often compound the leaves with ale, making wormwood
ale. Effects of absinthe are mildly euphoric and
hallucinogenic. Too much absinthe can cause convulsions and
madness.
Haoma: a fragrant, green, woody
shrub of the hills around the S. Achaean deserts, this herb has
perception-altering properties. It is prepared by crushing the
stems and diluting their juices in water or alcohol. In the
rituals of the hill peoples, three cups are drunk by the spiritual
journeyer after ritual purification. This will put him or her in
a trance that will last 5-7 days, during which the soul will (according
to belief) leave the body and journey to heaven or hell or elsewhere in
the cosmos, being enlightened. The drug can be lethal. It
is also found in some Achaean Bawdy houses and bars and the like as an
expensive high. Here, less would be taken – enough for a 12-24
hour long "trip."
Huuma-sieni or Red Humma and the
Button Mushroom: Huuma-Sieni or Red Humma is a bright red
mushroom (some species are covered with white, raised bumps as well)
that is found growing in the forests on both the northern and southern
sides of the Northern Plains. It also grows in the Fisher Coast
and Northern Mithraea. If eaten in large amounts (as for a side
dish at a meal), it is toxic. The lethal symptoms include:
If only one mushroom is swallowed (after being dried), or if several
are soaked in distilled alcohol and the alcohol imbibed, then the user
feels euphoria and has vivid hallucinations of traveling outside his
body. The medicine men of the northern tribes often use this
mushroom to induce visions. The effects last for several
hours. Other mushrooms around praedia have similar effects, and
local healers and priests always know there names. The most
commercialized would be the Button mushroom of the arid mountains
around S. Achaea. It is a popular hallucinogen in the drug dens
of the Achaean cities, but tends to make its users nauseous after they
"come down" from their trips. The native healers of the
southern tribes disapprove of the harvesting of the button mushroom for
commercial purposes and the tribes will not hesitate to kill those who
take the mushroom for the wrong reason.
Mandragora or God-Seed: The
Mandragora is a common plant throughout the central rolling hills and
forests of the Northern continent (Mithraea, Sienova, and
Galacia). It grows in rocky or stony places.
Mandragora can be used as an anesthetic for surgery. The root is
boiled in wine and the resulting concoction placed in a sponge or cloth
held over the patient's face. It causes horrific dreams, however, and
the patient usually awakens terrified, sometimes screaming. If
imbibed directly, the extraction will cause vivid hallucinations, and
induce a soporific and suggestible state. It also stimulates
sexual interest and is used as an aphrodisiac. Too much of the
substance will cause coma and death, however. Mandragora is often
used as a minor ingredient in the dream potions made by the Galacian
priesthoods, but it is not used alone by wise practitioners for fear of
it's toxic effects and the dark visions it stimulates. Mandragora
is said by the Gaels to grow wherever the blood or semen of an executed
criminal has fallen, and they trace its creation back to a vague
ancient legend about the God of mysteries killing his twin brother
(whose remains bore the first mandragora). Needless ot say,
Mithraeans attribute it to demonic influence and will not use it at
all.
Poppy juice/tar: The resin of
the poppy bulb is collected, hardened and smoked. The results are
a feeling of euphoria and sometimes mild hallucinations. The
juice may be diluted and used in a water pipe or other
instrument. It can also be made into a drink (laudanum) used to
calm hysterical women or lunatics, reduce pain, allow for surgery, and
ease the suffering of the dying.
The juice or resin is very addictive regardless of how it is
consumed. Poppy addicts seldom break their addition.
cannabis / hashish
Belladona and henbane
coca leaf
Teben (Achaean) or Veloxus (Imperial):
A stimulant that has an effect somewhere between that of caffeine and
cocaine. It produces an alert state, and feeling of increased
confidence. It also diminishes the user's need for sleep, and can
— if taken too often or in too high a dose — produce feelings of
nervousness, aggression, gastric distress and nausea, and irritation of
the mucus membranes of the mouth and throat. The substance is
physically addictive. Withdrawal symptoms include fatigue,
irritability, headaches, tremors , and loss of appetite. The drug
is quite popular in Achaea, and is used both for increased productivity
and the heightened feeling of confidence and well-being it produces.
Teben is produced by processing the bean of a plant
similar to the coffee plant. This plant grows in more variable
climates, however, and was first cultivated by Achaean merchants hoping
to find a substance that could compete with Imperial coffee in the
market place. Native peoples of the Imperial mainland and the
"Gap" region would chew the seeds or a paste made from boiling the
seeds in order to enjoy the stimulant effects. Teben seeds were
found to be too bitter to be widely marketable, however, so the
Achaeans experimented to find ways to get the pleasant and invigorating
side effects without drinking the bitter brew. They further
refined bean-paste by making an extraction with dwarven whiskey.
The resulting solution is saturated with sugar. Flavorings
such as cinnamon and clove oils are then added and the solution is
allowed to evaporate/crystalize. Users imbibe the drug by letting
a crystal or two dissolve in the mouth, and the flavorings conceal what
is left of the drug's bitter taste. This less crude version of
Teben tastes better and is more socially acceptable, not staining the
teeth brown or causing excess salivation, like chewing the unrefined
paste. It is also several times more expensive, but still common
throughout Achaea and the Imperium.
Vinum Sanguinum (Blood Wine):
This drink is made from the Coravitium (heart vine) plant. The
plant is a vine with dark red, somewhat heart shaped berries. The
berries are smooth and shiny, and become nearly black when fully
ripe. They are about the size of a blueberry. The leaves of
the vine are blade-shaped and jagged edged, and the vine grows both
along the ground and in trees. The vine is found in the cool
highland forests of the Imperial mainland — the same ecosystem that
produces coveted Imperial coffee. It will grow in cool greenhouse
environments, however, so plants may well exist in Achaea. It is
the unripe berries of the plant that are toxic. The toxins break
down in the fully ripe berry, leaving only a mildly poisonous substance
that causes a tingling of the mouth and throat (or other mucus
membranes) and a mild euphoria. It is for these effects that the
ripe berry is made into Blood Wine, an expensive and popular liquor in
the Empire (so called because of its dark red color).
Occasionally accidental poisonings occur from drinking improperly made
Vinum Sanguinum.
Alcohol (beer, wine, fortified wine, mead, distilled alcohols, kvas, )
Natara (from natare, to float or
natarus, glassy eyed): Rare, and generally only used
in the Imperium. The substance is produced form the seeds of a
wild-flower that grows in the jungles of the Southern Imperial
mainland. The flower has sky blue cup-shaped flowers that bloom
in the early summer. The seed pods grow throughout the summer,
and are ready to harvest about a month after the summer rains
end. Harvesting and possession of the plant is observed and to
some extent regulated by the Imperial government, which confiscates the
plant from anyone not approved to harvest and process it. Even in
the Imperium it is uncommon and expensive. The seeds of the plant are
ground and smoked by the tribal natives of the Imperial mainland, but
they have significant unpleasant side effects such as nausea, vomiting,
and hallucinations. The refined drug used elsewhere is a heavy,
smoky liquid made from extracting key chemicals from the seed
pods. The liquid can be evaporated into a light grey,
concentrated paste. This processed version of Natara can be
ingested or smoked. It is bitter, but not overly so, the taste
being similar to quinine. For a more intense and
rapid "high," extreme users will often slice a shallow cut (an inch or
two long) into their forearm or thigh and rub the liquid or the paste
into the cut. This type of use is associated with the "Counter
Culture" found in the Undercity of the Imperial capital and elsewhere.
This substance acts as a narcotic and sedative. The drug produces
a feeling of euphoria, floating sensations, giddiness, sleepiness, loss
of balance and coordination, and reduced reflexes. An overdose
will further slow the heart beat and lead to serious loss of muscle
power, respiratory distress, hypotension, unconsciousness, coma, and
eventual death (after 6-12 hours) from respiratory failure. The
user's eyes will have contracted pupils. One interesting side
effect is that Natara makes the casting of magic extremely difficult
(-100). Onset of symptoms will be within a minute or two if the
substance is introduced under the skin. Ingestion or inhalation
causes symptoms to appear in 10-20 minutes, and is generally more
controllable in effect and dose than injection. The substance is
highly addictive, both physically and psychologically. Physical
withdrawal symptoms include the shakes, fever, sweating, aggression and
disorientation, heightened blood pressure, and arrhythmic heart
beats. The psychological addiction is due to the euphoria.
Not as addictive as opium, however, it is possible (thought perhaps not
likely ) to be an "occasional" user.
Journey-leaf:
used in spirit walking, shamanistic journeys. plains/galacian
Stumble weed (like
jimson – very hazardous!)
Tobacco
Fugu – Elven
Dwarven spices: mostly
brief indigestion, occasionally other effects. Signs that one has eaten
enough Dwarven food for it to become dnagerous are: severe nausea and
vomiting and
severe, colicky abdominal pain. You might also be feverish. This
is often mis-diagnosed as food-poisoning. Eating extreme amounts
of Dwarven spices (in quantities not normally found in food (this
rarely occurs) may cause convulsions, irregualr heart beat, and blood
in the urine. If a human eats a lot of Dwarven food regularly
over a month or two, they may see additional symptoms. These
include hair loss, dry, scaly skin, weakness, trouble walking, pain in
the lower limbs, resting tremors, convulsions and eventually coma and
death.
Blue Lotus: This is a
water flower that grows in the rivers and deltas of S. Achaea. It
is sometimes considered sacred to the water deities worshipped by the
Achaean lower classes. This may be an ancient memory from the
days of the so-called God Kings. The plant is an aphrodisiac and
produces a feeling of euphoria and well being without sedation.
At high doses, it is mildly hallucinogenic. The Achaeans soak
the flowers (dried or fresh) in wine or mead for a few days to extract
their chemical properties. Now that distilled alcohols are
becoming more readily available, they are sometimes used to extract the
flower essence as well. The flowers can also be dried and
smoked, but there is less effect that way. The heat seems to
destroy some of the properties of the plant. Blue Lotus
plants or wine are traditional Achaean wedding presents.
Chocolate
Caffeine – tea and coffee
Noble Rot – late harvest wines with fungus – usually just enhances
flavor, but you NEVER know....
Fey plants – ??? Ivy w/ little white berries. 6 hr orgasm –
amazing sensations, likely you pine away and die afterwards...
Vision-Bringer (skin
salve)
Privacy: What's that? The only places you are likely to encounter anything like modern standards of privacy are in the Empire and in the homes of the wealthy. Most people live in fairly cramped quarters. It is not uncommon for one or two generations with in a family of farmers or laborers to all share one sleeping room. Even among the artisan and merchant class, all the children in a family may share the same room and one, or perhaps two, beds. In the "boonies" of Gallacia and the Fisher coast, big-houses where much of the clan sleeps in one large room (often sub-divided into bays/alcoves) are common.
Travellers face much the same situation. Only if you are willing to pay many times the standard rate can you get a room or even a bed to yourself. Most inns sleep people two or three to a bed, whether they are companions or strangers. This practice is accepted -- no one thinks twice about it, unless perhaps they are from the Empire.
Imperial culture is just quite different. People in the Empire do not share beds (and if they have a choice, rooms) with others unless all involved are very young children, a child and his or her mother, or two adults in an intimate relationship. Only extreme poverty will force people to crowd together and even the poor would rather string a hammock up in the corner or sleep on the floor rather than sleep in the same bed with a stranger.
Waking privacy is much like sleeping privacy -- rare. Shops and work-spaces open directly out onto the street, children and animals commonly race in and out. A typical house or apartment will have one common area for eating, working, talking, and often sleeping as well. In both the city and the country water wells, bread ovens, troughs for washing clothes, and many other places are communal and not private. Again, the rich can expect to have these facilities themselves, or to pay servants to go out into the community to do such work.
Cleanliness: This is not as bad as you might think. Granted, no one in Mithraea bathes daily unless they are seriously neurotic, but it is customary to bath every few days --perhaps once a week or at least every fortnight, even if you are poor. In Achaea and the Empire, public baths abound and are open to all (although men and women have different facilities or use the baths at different times of the day. Here, many people bathe daily, and the baths are a place to "see and be seen" -- to meet clients, shmooze with one's patron, make contacts, etc. This is one thing that the Empire and Achaea have in common, though they don't like to admit to it! Baths are currently becoming something of a fashion in Sienova too, where the first public bath was recently completed in the capitol. It is still really a just novelty, visited by those most active in Sienovese social life and not by the rank and file.
To keep down hygiene
problems between bath visits, people in more urban areas
sprinkle themselves with perfumed powder (ground herbs, talc, etc.).
This both covers
up bodily odors and discourages vermin. And of course, those
wealthy urbane residents, particularly of Achaea and Sienova, will buy
devices which clean the body instantly and magically (ping!).
Almost every culture has a formal language of deference. There are specific titles and forms of address for each rank in the aristocracy (see table). In the Kingdom, for example, knights are addressed as "sir,"and women of the same rank as "dame." Aristocrats above this are called "lord" or "lady" up to the rank of Duke/Duchess, where the form of direct address is "your Grace." Other members of the royalty may also be called "your Grace," as are the upper most echelons of the Mithraean religious hierarchy. Royals may also be called "your highness (prince or princess)" or "your majesty (king or queen)." Those who are below the nobility but still gentle-born will be called "master" or "mistress," especially if they own land or are skilled craftsmen. Not to give someone their proper form of address is considered very insulting.
There are also subtle ways of declaring degrees of allegiance. To call someone "your lordship" does not indicate direct service to that lord as would calling them "my lord," and the former is a touch less respectful.
In addition, there are more or less formal ways of speaking to others. For example, in Mithraea, you (nominitive) and ye (accusative) are formal ways of referring to another. Thou (nominitive) and thee (accusative) are informal, and typically used between intimate and equal partners or from parent to child. For one adult to call another of similar rank "thou" is very insulting. It assumes that the person so spoken to is not gentle-born.
| Main Systems of Peerage in Praedia Teneris | |||||||
|
Sienovese |
Empire |
Old Empire |
Kingdom |
Marches |
Gallacia |
Achaea |
Status |
|
Prince* |
Princeps* |
Princeps* |
Prince* |
[ ] |
Prince* |
Prince* |
Royalty |
|
Duke* |
Dux* |
Dux* |
Duke** |
[ ] |
Diuc** |
Duke/Doge |
" " |
|
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Marquess |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Lord*** |
Upper Nobility |
|
Earl/Conte |
Comes |
Earl/Comes |
Earl/Count |
Earl/Baron |
Lord/ |
Lord*** |
" " |
|
[ ] |
Viscomes |
(Vicecomes) |
Viscount |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Lord*** |
" " |
|
Baron |
Baro |
Baro |
Baron |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Lord*** |
" " |
|
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Baronet |
Baronet |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Lower Nobility |
|
[ ] |
[ ] |
(Thane) |
Thane/ |
Thegn |
Iarla |
[ ] |
" " |
|
Knight |
Eques |
Eques |
Knight |
Ritter |
Ridire |
Knight |
" " |
<1>Though in Gallacia, cities of any size are very rare! Gallacia is even more rural than her neighbors.
<2> A similar situation in our world might be where the lawyers for the defense and the prosecution get together with the judge in her chambers and hammer out a plea bargain or immunity in return for testimony, etc.
<3>In this pre-spandex age, hose are held snug by "points and laces" -- as many as 24 per leg. The points are small ivory or leather buttons that are pulled through loops in the ends of the laces, the lattter being attached to a sort of "garter belt." Makes the cod piece seem down-right sensible as you could hardly undo all that every time nature called. Cod pieces are primarily worn in Mithraea, men of other countries perfering some sort of trousers or not wearing leg coverings at all. Cod pieces are sometimes padded and often adapted for use as purses -- hence the phrase "family jewels."
<4>Most windows will be glazed, although the glass consists of small, tinted, bubbly panes. Only shop windows, which often double as the shop counter, castle windows in very remote and rural areas, the windows of the very poor, and those of people living in hot southern Achaea will not be glazed.