[OOC Phill, every profession has its own terminology, can we establish as Watch slang? If you are amenable I will have a think about it, or just start using it when I am in conversation. Off the top of me head - pig-sticker for any blade, thuspig for a long blade and piglet for a dagger, street clearer for the crossbow, fiver or fist for a Hand, pointer for the handleader.  Dark magic practitioners - demon dancers. Your rodeo of course!]

[OOC maybe Little Sheriff for Handleader thus little, street clearer could be shortened to sweeper for crossbow. Maybe a Magus employed by the Watch could be an equaliser? ]

[OOC: I am certainly not against the idea of developing campaign-specific language (see here for an article I wrote on this very subject) and, rather than work-related slang, I would be very interested in further developing the 'Englesh' dialect mentioned. Dora, herself being a non-reading Stemian, would be well placed to be a regular and fluent speaker of the Englesh patois when speaking with other Stemians, though she would also be very aware of the proper Sorendenese terms as well through her association with the Sorendenese led and dominated Watch.

An important aspect of this setting, and one I would like to explore more with the players, is that Engle itself is an invaded country, with the Sorendenese only arriving about a century ago. The Stemian peoples, especially those that stayed in the area of Constantine, are fairly accepting of the Sorendenese rule but there would certainly be anti Sorendenese undercurrents in society, especially with the outlawing on non-Mithran religions within the city boundaries. This is particular relevant seeing that the native Stemians outnumber the Sorendenese greatly.]

[OOC so the Watch is Sorandenese dominated. Do I have information on which of the Hand are Stemian? Can people tell Dora is Stemian by her appearance or does she have to make her ethnicity known?]

[OOC: Dora's hand has the highest representation of Stemians in the Scholar's Ward watch.

• Jack Cullen, Stemian Male
• Barrus Abella, Sorian Male
• Alice Ackman, Stemian Female
• Luca Treefeller, Stemian Male

Stemians are fair skinned and tend to be shorter and more solidly built than the Sorendenese, who tend to be tall, thin and have an olive complexion. Stemians tend to have brown hair and hazel-coloured eyes while Sorendenese are more likely to have black hair and brown eyes.

I had imagined that Dora was typically Stemian, though perhaps more muscularly developed than the average Stemian woman. She is the only Stemian handleader in this ward and while she had to work hard to get to her position, there were no explicit barriers against someone of her race becoming a handleader. In fact, the fact that she has not been forced to learn how to read and write Sorendenese to gain her position could be seen as the sheriff wanting to be an equal opportunity employer.]

[OOC Is this why Barrus automatically assumes he is 2IC and why the Sheriff is on such familiar terms with him? I think Dora assists the landlord's children with their lessons - if she can't read - how? I guess she could listen to them reading or assist with maths but it would be hard. Also I am hoping that this is a recripicol arrangement - she is slowly picking up literacy but wtahcing the children practice their letters and words.]

Quote from che_ja_pa >>

[OOC Is this why Barrus automatically assumes he is 2IC and why the Sheriff is on such familiar terms with him? I think Dora assists the landlord's children with their lessons - if she can't read - how? I guess she could listen to them reading or assist with maths but it would be hard. Also I am hoping that this is a recripicol arrangement - she is slowly picking up literacy but wtahcing the children practice their letters and words.]

[OOC: While Barrus does indeed assume he is the 2IC, it need not be because he is Sorendenese. He is a long-term member of the watch, which is also likely why the sheriff is on familiar terms with him. And of course, being Sorendenese wouldn't hurt, though he wouldn't move in the same social circles as the sheriff.

Re Dora's helping the landlord's children with their studies, I believe I said something about this being difficult when you suggest this idea for this very reason. The children are also now of an age where they are beginning to work in the family business, so I think we will just have to say that Dora helped them learn their physical skills when they were a lot younger but doesn't help them much now because she can't and they are also otherwise engaged.]

[OOC Thanks Phill. I think we said that Dora still mentors the children in martial arts. So I will stick to that. Now what happens next?]

Having decided to hold off looking for a lock, Dora heads off to the local produce market looking for some fresh fruit. As it is now late in the day, there isn't a lot of fruit available at the roadside stalls Dora does her normal shopping at, but what there is is cheaper than it would be normally because the sellers aren't wanting to have to carry it home.

(Please make a Perception check for me.)

[OOC: Just to clarify things a little with regard to Dora's illiteracy: the native Stemians do not have a written language, nor do they have communal schools as we know them. There are Sorendenese schools in Constantine—temple schools—run by the Mithran temples. This is where most of the population learns to read the Sorendenese language. However, these schools are also used to convert students to the Mithran faith and so many traditional Stemian families, who do not want their children to follow the Mithran faiths, do not send their children to these schools; mandatory schooling is not enforced.

Prior to your starting to run this character it was established that Dora is not a follower of the Mithran faith and in fact has sworn oaths in Guilliame's presence in the name of Grod, a local Stemian earth spirit. So, while she might not be a religious person in her own right, her parents brought her up believing in the old gods and did not send her to the Mithran temple schools. They also could not afford private tutoring, or particularly saw the need for it because of the lower social class.

Many Stemians are in the same situation as Dora and when the Sorendenese king recently declared the worship of non-Mithran gods illegal within the bounds of the city quite a few devout Stemian families were force to leave the city because they could no longer openly worship their own gods. This happened during Dora's last tenday break and so she wasn't involved officially in some of the unrest that occurred immediately after the edict was brought down, but she would be aware that there were demonstrations against the edict held outside the entrance to the Temple Ward for a number of days.

Hope you find this interesting.]

Perception

15

Dora purchases two each of apples, oranges and peaches and pops them in her bag.

[OOC Yes interesting.]

[OOC Can you clarify whether all members of Dora's Hand are of equal rank or does Barrus hold a more senior position. I am not talking experience I am talking official pay levels and job descriptions.]

Quote from che_ja_pa >>

[OOC Can you clarify whether all members of Dora's Hand are of equal rank or does Barrus hold a more senior position. I am not talking experience I am talking official pay levels and job descriptions.]

[OOC: The other members of Dora's hand all have equal rank and get paid the same, Barrus is the longest serving member of the group, almost as long as Dora. Dora, as handleader gets paid more than the others.]

Dora successfully buys her fruit for 4 cubs, leaving her only 3 cubs in her purse. The fruit is not of the best quality but it isn't bad quality either. She then heads home and arrives with still at least a candle to pass before sunset.

Go to main house to see if anyone there to do to spend time with.

Having stored away her fruit in her room, Dora wanders into the house to see what is happening.

The smell of cooking food reaches her nose as she knocks on the back door and a voice inside says, "Is that you Dora? Come in."

Stepping into the kitchen, Dora finds her landlady preparing the family's evening meal with the help of their youngest daughter, Mary.

[OOC: The family's names are Mal and Eda Grane (husband and wife), Willy and Dougal (the two boys from older to youngest) and Mary (the youngest).]

"Good evening Eda and Mary, how was your day?"

"Hello Aunty Dora," says young Mary. "I learnt about the goddess Aieda today. Did you know that she is the one who makes babies in mummy's tummies?"

"Hello Dora," says Eda, putting down the knife she had been using to cut vegetables.. "How was your night? Busy? I heard a horse ran amuck in the middle of the Ward last night. Were you caught up with that?"

"Mmmhhh, Mary, Is that right?"

Turning to Eda, "I was right in the middle of it, Eda. It was messy and I am still not sure what exactly happened. We had to call in Healer Watson for the cart driver. The driver is good but the cart is a wreck."