Fallen Empire Campaign Elements Part Eleven: Wintertime in Port

Wintertime in Port

Autumn ends upon the last day of the yearly Shipping Season, when the merchant ships who call Port home return in gay sublimity. Wintertime commences with the Winter Festival, upon the next week’s ending days. This be a holy festival as well, where all within the town do celebrate another year of weal and offer up to God their voice in treaty to His ear, to bring the weal again upon them in the next turn of this dismal Globe.

In many years, a young man’s fancy finds the comfort of a pretty maid, and finds he marked to wed when summer’s bloom breathes out her aromatic swell. For these young men (and many maids these days, for Custom doth not tarry in the grip of these grim days of dire Modernity,) it is in Wintertime whence Fate shall pluck upon their hearts and dizzy them to chuse a family for their part.

If a man’s not yet been civilized, this season’s festival is one where he discover whether dalliance would lead his heart to bend his knee and offer up a ring to wife upon the pretty altar be.

1.      Unmarried characters roll once a year on Table 7: Marriage to see if they become married.

And if they marry up and cleave unto a spouse, perhaps then God will visit thereupon that bride a newly babe to bring the family to full and father up to fully pride.

Children born are often born to die; it is a pity but no shame. Souls are scarce and precious and each child bears within himself but one. And should his star be crossed, then woulds’t that soul be take’d back to our Lord forever will it be, until it bid forth to our Realm again to animate another child in some other time and place.

Only few, those lucky few, who downupon Gay Fortune dost she smile, do advance to age of their majority: that fifteen Summertimes, whence they be raised to take care of themselves and make another generation come to them as time emorial should shew and see.

2.      Characters with a wife or mistress roll once a year in Winter for each partner to see if they become pregnant. If no mistress, roll once and if there is a child, they have a mistress. Female characters may choose to attempt to become pregnant by the same method, sired upon buy but one suitor per year, and at the same risk.

Note that these are the costs associated with an idle spouse, and not to be paid to female adventurers. Tiens!

Animal Companions: Roll for each war horse, monster companion, etc., to determine if they make it through the winter.

4.      Each year the character’s liege lord, religious order or Guildmaster will award him a gift. Roll on the following table. No gift will be given twice. If a subsequent roll is the same choose one of the latter gifts instead.

5.      Then throw against the Rumor tables. You may decide to pursue your rumor.

(Rumor tables)

6.      Then throw against Haven’s Hazard.

7.      Finally, we turn the page to mark the start of Springtime in the city known as Port. The season starts upon the Veneralia Aphilis. Another year has passed and every person adds a furlong-mark to life and wrinkle to his face.

Age up 1 year.