Selchi
The Selchi are a large, family-based society of hardy warriors. They are renowned for their large and bustling cities, their seafaring skill (shallow seas only), their trade and craftsmanship, and their constant warfare with one another.
Appearance
Selchi are tall, with women being around 5' 8 and men around 5' 10, and always quite thin. They are almost universally blonde, though eye color varies. Hair is worn short on men and married women - unmarried women wear long braids. They dress in stiff, hardy clothing of ornate design. Families wear their colors, the lower class wears browns and other base tones - their clothes are never dyed.
Society / Government
The society of the Selchi is dominated by the 19 families - 17 landed and two landless (see below for details). These families are really more like clans, as they include many many people in an extended line, and intermarriage is common due to the large pool.
Only members of the 17 families are permitted to own land, and only those who are members of the 19 have a last name. Everyone else is either a merchant, a craftsman, a fisherman, or a farmer - all of them live on land owned by the families. This is especially important to farmers, as they are working the land of their lords, and the lord has final rights.
At the top of the social ladder is the Lord, or Principe, of each family. He technically owns all of the land owned by members of his family, though naturally it is divided up into fiefs. He has absolute control over all family matters, over everyone in the family. He will often arrange marriages, start wars, decide policy - He is essentially the king. Internal squabbles are common, so he will often have members of his own family killed or exiled for various reasons. Exile for a set number of years is common, but a very harsh punishment is the removal of one's name, casting you (and your immediate family) out of the family and into the lower class.
Directly below the Principe are his heirs. He usually has more than one named (often five or more, sometimes into the twenties), so that he does not have to worry so much about being killed by one of his sons. He keeps his actual choice secret in a prearranged, guarded spot, to be revealed upon his death. For this reason, his heirs must all try to curry favor, whereas if there was only one they might just kill him to assume the throne. Squabbles over succession are not uncommon, but they are traditionally settled very quickly, so that the family is not devoured from the outside.
Below the heirs are the Favori, a selection of a few hundred special retainers to the Prince. All heirs are automatically Favori as well. Favori, by definition, have at least a small fief of their own. Favori have a number of special rights, including the right to use and carry spears (and by extension other polearms), and marry multiple women. They also have dispensation to kill anyone not in the family unless they are specifically ordered not to. The Favori are usually easily identified, by some special mark or other sign, depending on family. They also are the only ones who own spears.
The next class down are the rest of the family. They are generally aristocrats, artists, skilled craftsmen, professionals, and sometimes merchants. They rule the city and compose the main force of the army. They are allowed to use, own, and carry any weapons except for the spear and other polearms, which are banned to all but the Favori.
The lower class, or the Nameless (because they have no last name), are all others in the society. They are technically all free men and women, but trespassing is theoretically punishable by death, and so they are strictly regulated. They are in general peasants, fishermen, laborers, craftsmen, and merchants. They are not allowed to own weapons - when they go to war they are usually issued daggers or short swords and a shield.
Children and Immediate Family
Role of Women
Blah blah blah.
When a woman's husband dies, however, there is actually a legal and religious process, called Oltus Muti, that allows her to officially become her dead husband, though it is very seldom performed. After a complex ceremony, she ritually disfigures herself in the manner her husband died (if beheaded, she will scar around her neck - if shot with arrows, she will scar the location of the wounds). She takes on his appearance - this includes adding identifying marks, such as scars or birthmarks, adding false facial hair, and dressing in his clothes. She legally takes his name and control of his estate. If he had any other wives, she is now married to them. In the eyes of the state, the people, and the entire society, she is now her dead husband.
There are some cases of a daughter performing the Oltus Muti, but this is rarer still.
Law and Punishment
Crimes committed within a family are typically handled by the Principe, or whoever he has appointed in the city/town/area to keep order. They tend to be forgiving and fair, though some are renowned for being hotheaded and even murderous.
Crimes committed by a commoner are dealt with by the owner of the fief they live on, if present. Many landowners live away from their fief, and leave a subordinate family member (a cousin or younger brother, often) to deal with the day-to-day running of things. The punishments for commoners are often brutal. Cutting off the hands of thieves is common, and for more serious crimes (such as rebellion, treason, or owning weapons) commoners are routinely boiled alive or even crucified. Some landowners are more forgiving, but many are quite cruel and can be very inventive in their executions and punishments
Crimes committed by members of one family against another are both part of and a cause of the constant state of gang warfare existing between the families. Occasionally two Principi will meet to resolve crimes between their families, but more often these crimes are a part of the ongoing blood feuds.
Warfare
Religion
The Selchi are a monotheistic society, who worship an unclear and nebulous deity they refer to as "Our Lady". She is described as good, caring, and responsible for all creation, and usually portrayed as a woman with dark hair and eyes (uncommon for a Selchi) dressed in white. It is said that she gathers the souls of the virtuous dead to her, while those who have not attained virtue are reincarnated to try again. She is credited with creating the world by making the land rise from the sea, and many geographic features are said to be her special handiwork. Whether or not she exists is unclear.
Her priests are members of the landed families. They dress in white and are all men. They serve in her temples and preside over holy days. On their time off they serve as scholars and pray a great deal. The churches have no hierarchy and specific practices vary widely between families. They are allowed exception from military duty but many of them are just as violent as their lay brethren and choose to fight anyways.
There are "nuns" as well, women of the Families who have devoted themselves to The Lady. The primary difference between them and priests is that they are not allowed to preside over rituals, and they are far less numerous.
The Selchi respect and admire the local nature spirits, but do not consider them divine, merely creations and sometimes servants of the Lady. Shrines are often erected to local spirits, usually by the landless, who want all the favor they can get. This form of animism is endorsed, if not practiced, by the main church.
The Spada are significantly more animist than the rest of the families. Most of them worship the Lady, but a great deal of their piety goes towards nature spirits. This is not universal, however, as many of them are quite devout.
To the Selchi, Proper Burial is a ritual led by priests, and ends in cremation, though occasionally heads or even entire bodies may be preserved.
Economy / Money
Skills
Craft
Societies differ in what technologies they have developed. Here is listed the normal maximum for skilled craftsmen in this society - a character coming from such a society would have no higher a modifier than this (modifier being the specialization in that division of craft).
Items whose craft DC is more than the given number +15 will be rare, potentially costing twice as much as normal, and those whose DC is the given number +20 or higher cannot be attained. This rule may be broken in trading hubs, where items have been shipped in that are not domestically produced.
A zero here means that this society has no knowledge of this type of craft.
| Division | Societal Maximum |
|---|---|
| Alchemy | 4 |
| Bowmaking | 4 |
| Calligraphy | 15 |
| Carpentry | 30 |
| Casting | 12 |
| Composition | 20 |
| Fletching | 3 |
| Forgery | 22 |
| Gemcutting | 6 |
| Glassworking | 28 |
| Leatherworking | 28 |
| Machining | 0 |
| Pottery | 8 |
| Sailmaking | 18 |
| Smithing | 12 |
| Stonework | 3 |
| Tailoring | 16 |
| Trapmaking | 12 |
| Weaving | 10 |
| Woodworking | 26 |
Heal
Due to their culture of warfare, medicine is very important to the Selchi. First Aid is of great use, as is long-term care. Knowledge of surgery is rare, and it is hardly ever used, but occasionally one may find a practitioner.
Disease is comparatively uncommon in the islands, and so the Selchi have relatively little experience dealing with it. A Selchi traveling in uncommon lands may take a penalty when dealing with diseases, at GM's discretion.
Almost all warriors of the 19 families will have at least a few ranks in Heal, often with specialization in First Aid.
Nameless that are skilled doctors are among the most respected of all non-family members.
The most skilled of all physicians in Selchi society will have no higher than the ranks listed below (the ranks being family modifier+specialization). The average value will be significantly lower.
| Division | Societal Maximum |
|---|---|
| First Aid | 20 |
| Long-Term Care | 20 |
| Surgery | 10 |
Profession
Common divisions of Profession are:
- Sailor
- Merchant
- Shipwright
Knowledge
Common divisions of Knowledge are:
- The Sea
- Trade
- Tactics
- Politics
Perform
The Selchi are great fans of Music, especially stringed instruments, the trumpet, and voice. They have most other types of instruments, but in general they are not as popular.
Interestingly, the Selchi have almost no theatre tradition to speak of. They do formal, stlyized reenactments of battles on occasion, and they have storytelling sometimes accompanied with actors in masks, but overall it is unknown.
Common divisions of Perform are:
- Lute
- Cello
- Flute
- Voice
- Long Trumpet
Other
The Selchi are primarily seafaring people - they have few animals and are actually afraid of horses. Thus Handle Animal is a very rare skill for them, and ride even rarer.
On the other hand, they are all good swimmers - all but the most indolent will have several ranks in Athletics (Swim).
Magic
The Selchi are a rather nonmagical people. They have no official understanding of it and do not have any formal system of magical instruction. There are no normal people who are simply mages in Selchi society. Occasional magic-users (usually Mages or Adepts) that do arise tend to be quite weak, by global standards, and tend to cause quite a stir.
The most common place to find magic is in greatly talented warriors, who gain supernatural abilities through the intensity of their training. They usually do not recognize it as magic, and think of it merely as part of their skill.
History
19 Families
Family Relations
With a few exceptions, all of the landed families are at war with each other all the time. Certain families are allies, but this is the vast exception.
The families do, however, band together against external threats. Whenever they are invaded they gleefully put aside their differences to crush the foreigners - their numbers make it rather easy. Once the threat is gone, however, it's back to business as usual.
Landed
Bianki Selchi
Principe: Alfonso Bianki
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members: 15,000
Favori:
The Bianki, or "Whites", are one of the most prominent of the 17 families. Though they are a small family, they control the second most land of all of the families, making them very influential. Their color, unsurprisingly, is white, and their emblem is a white circle, usually on a very dark blue background, which is said to represent the sea.
Despite their small numbers, the Bianki manage to be so powerful due to the large population of Nameless they rule, the large Nameless army they keep standing (and happy), and their powerful navy, which protects their ports and makes them a considerable trading power.
Their sworn enemy is the Rossi family, problematic because they share several cities.
Rossi Selchi
Principe: Duilio Rossi
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members: 80,000
Favori:
The Rossi, or the "Reds" are a major family that shares several cities with the Bianki, their enemies. While the two have been known to work together, they more often prefer constant, low-level warfare.
They are one of the poorer families, but are powerful because of their land holdings and extensive family of around 80,000 people. Their color is red and their emblem is a red stripe. Red bands or ribbons are often worn tied to the clothing or in the hair of family members. The Favori wear red scarves around their necks and red pennants on their spears. The family also favors wearing black and dark brown, but this is not an official family color.
Colombi Selchi
Their Color is Yellow and their symbol is a Yellow Tower.
Capaci Selchi
T
Vita Selchi
T
Inzerro Selchi
T
Aranci Selchi
Their color is orange and their emblem is an orange spider.
Aranella Selchi
T
Denaro Selchi
The Denaro are a family of bankers. They tend to avoid warfare but are not entirely unproficient. They have small land holdings, acquiring most of their power via their money and resulting influence. Breaking the normal rules, they are rarely at war, and all other families let them pass freely, as they use and usually require their banking services. Their colors are brown and gold, and their emblem is a set of brown scales covered in gold vines.
Muxari Selchi
Principe: Vincenzo Muxari
Notable Heirs & Family Members: General Gervasio Muxari
Members:
Favori:
The Muxari are a family renowned for their tactical knowledge and battlefield prowess. They have in their capital city a great school of military learning, and have trained most of the great leaders of past eras. Their generals are occasionally hired out to other families during wars, and few dare to oppose them. Their army is small but elite and they rarely lose campaigns. Their color is silver and their emblem is a silver rook.
The Muxari Favori are all hardened veterans. They carry a long, silver dagger, and often paint their spear shafts silver as well.
Lucca Selchi
T
Notta Selchi
Principe: Serafino Notta
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members: 20,000
Favori:
The Notta are one of the more insidious families. They are a small family of only 20,000 and they hold little land, but they are feared by everyone. This is due to their reputation as cunning and invisible warriors. Their Favori specialize in being unseen and in the use of poison and similar techniques. In the lands they rule, the common people and even lower members of the family are constantly afraid for their safety due to the widespread use of secret police. Their colors are black and dark purple and their emblem is an eye & a candle.
Favara Selchi
Principe: Stefano Favora
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members:
Favori:
According to legend and popular belief, the Favara are the descendants of the original Favori (see History). As such they theoretically have the right to rule all the other families, and this gives them a lot of political clout. They also have a very, very well-trained army and control of some of the most major cities.
Their colors are violet and gold and their symbol is a gold crown on a violet background. Their Principe and his heirs often wear crowns, or laurel wreaths.
Ciana Selchi
T
Naro Selchi
T
Fadali Selchi
T
Montevago Selchi
Principe: Cosimo Montevago
Notable Heirs & Family Members: Savio Montevago (Heir), Sesto Montevago (Heir)
Members:
Favori:
The Montevago are a rich and prosperous family. They are among the least warlike of the Selchi, preferring to pursue and support the arts, especially music. Their cities are known for being sprawling and surrounded by high walls for protection. Their colors are black and white, usually together in thin vertical stripes, and their emblem is a black-and-white lute.
Though they are not known for war, they are still considered to be highly dangerous, as their Principe, Cosimo Montevago, is a obsessive and clever schemer. He is 32 years old and has three wives. He is not a fighter himself but he is known as one of the most clever Selchi currently living. His plots and skill with intrigue has brought his family much power while only rarely needing to engage on the battlefield.
Landless
Early in Selchi history, two of the nineteen families lost their holdings, and were forbidden forevermore to own any land. Because they remained families, however, they adapted and now fill important roles in the society.
Spada Selchi
Principe: None
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members:
Favori:
The Spada are a mercenary family, divided up into many bands and devoted to combat. It is the only family not to have a Principe. Each band has a number of Favori, who run their own business, so that often Spada will end up fighting each other. Despite this, all Spada regard each other as brothers and work closely together even between bands. Their colors are green and bronze. Their symbol is a bronze sword on a green background.
Unlike the other families, the Spada are more renowned for their swordsmanship than for their spearwork.
They are nomadic by nature, but are allowed by all the landed families to pass freely - all the other families hire them, and so it is best to stay in their good favors. Because they are not tied down, they wander even all over the world, fighting in strange, faraway lands for foreign princes.
Ponti Selchi
Principe: Fabrizio Ponti
Notable Heirs & Family Members:
Members:
Favori:
The Ponti are referred to as Bridgebuilders, and they fulfill a very special role in Selchi society. They provide a necessary infrastructure of bridges, causeways, canals, and ferries that are used to move between the islands. They generally collect tolls, which provides them with money and helps to keep the nameless class from moving around.
The Ponti primarily live in large flotillas of sailing ships, and are generally nomadic, moving around the islands to repair and oversee their infrastructure. They also are quite commonly merchants.
They do not go to war and none of the other families dare to oppose them, as in the few cases when they have been angered they have shut down all travel between islands, blockaded ports, and generally made life unlivable.
Their colors are tan and dark grey and their symbol is a tan signpost.
Foreign Relations
Due to a number of factors, including their inability to sail on the open sea, their xenophobia, and to be quite frank their intense racism, the Selchi have no relation with the outside world. They occasionally allow wanderers through their lands, and occasionally individuals will go exploring, but this is uncommon. The typical response to large groups of foreigners is to gleefully arm up and then hack them all to bits with no abandon.
Foreigners are considered less than Nameless under Selchi society, and so consequently have no legal protection at all. Travelers in their lands are well advised to ally themselves with a Family, as there is precedence of the families hiring outside experts and mercenaries - especially magic users.
As is usual, the big exception are the Spada, who often travel the world (so far as they can) and hold much less prejudice against foreigners.
