Letter Bee

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

@Letter Bee I can't answer for Durin, but sometimes it's best to just wait and see how these things play out. :)

@IcePezz

Ah. Another question; is Regina a lesbian? She refers to Isabeau as 'pretty' at one point.

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

@Dragoknighte, How would Durin act towards Ioannes if he learns the latter's backstory?

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

Sounds about right. Though, there should always be someone around that may be able to help you out with something if you need, and I'm not around.

@IcePezz

Thanks!

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

@Letter Bee haha he's certainly unique among the group. I'd say he might have caught Izzy off guard and in a wretched mood as she just bit Robert's head off. :p

I am EST I think that's gmt -4?
I think we're all scattered about, honestly.

@IcePezz

Ah, I live in the Philippines; it's 7:03 AM on my end. So, I'll be seeing you in my mornings and evenings, then?

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

@Letter Bee ya ta!!

I'll post a reply to you and @The Fated Fallen soon.I just want to give others a chance to post first, unless they dont mind. A couple did reply that they'd be posting soon, so hopefully by tomorrow evening, if not, I'll respond.

@IcePezz

What time zone do you live in?

Also, to you and everyone; is Ioannes' eagerness to help and general honesty fascinating?

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

Ioannes/Yahya had just arrived in the town, finding that it had barely survived an attack by demons in the previous night. So, the first thing he did was to ask the location of the local guard station, where he would then say:

"Hello there, my name is Ioannes from the Kingdom of Hellas, wanderer and...freelancer. I came here to ask if you have any work to do for me?" The head of the guard snorted, and said:

"If you're looking for payment, we don't have the coin; we need that for repairing the town." This of course caused Ioannes to nod a few times, before continuing:

"That's okay, sir, I have plenty of money from...previous adventures." It was hard to keep a straight face; it didn't help that the Mamluks encouraged honesty in him before sending him to a mission that required secrecy. "What I mean, sir, is that I can work for free - no salary needed! Well, there's loot, and treasure, but I currently have all the things I need." Yep, honest to the point of almost shooting himself in the foot.

The Guard Captain looked him in the eye, and said:

"If you're really serious about helping, I just sent one of my men to watch a group of 'adventurers' that have gathered in a nearby tavern. Do you think you can do that, boy?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Ioannes/Yahya said with polite and eager respect.

And with that, he loped off to the tavern, encountering an auburn-haired woman storming off the place, being followed by a female gnome. Both looked beautiful, but Ioannes allowed himself to be distracted only for a second, before he ran up to them and said:

"Hey! Are you guys the adventuring party mentioned by the Guard Captain? If so, I've been sent here to watch you guys and perhaps help you!" The auburn-haired woman looked to be the leader.

"So, what are you doing or going to do?"

@The Harbinger of Ferocity, @Belwicket, @Jon Y, @The Fated Fallen, @Dragoknighte, @boomlover, @KazeXDZ, @IcePezz.

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

Thanks!

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

@IcePezz, thanks! Are the group already journeying towards the mountains, or are they still preparing? If so, can Ioannes run across them during their preparations?

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

To Understand My Character

The Slavocracy of Giray

The Slavocracy of Giray is unique in that its ruling class, the bureaucracy as well as the elite battalions of its army, are made up of slaves, albeit slaves who have a higher wealth and social position than most 'freemen'. Although the 'acquisition' of said slaves includes means that are not morally defensible, those who are enslaved tend to get a gateway to the ruling classes if they are of sufficent talent. This leads to a love-hate relationship with the neighboring states, not helped or hindered by the fact that many slaves, when reaching adulthood, insist on forming links with their former homelands (IOTL, Mamluks funded the building of Churches in the Caucasus, while Jannissaries not only did the same, but sent money back to their home villages).

Either way, the Girayids are a great power, ruling over their Skyland of Asmara, as well as large tracts of ground land, and look to stay that way for a good while.

The History of Giray - Brief

The Nation of Giray holds itself to be the heir of the legendary Rumite Empire, a nation that held large portions of its native continent, then declined to be replaced by several successor states, among them Giray. Whether this is true is not important; what is true was that the Girayids were led by a series of Sultans for time immaterial, who relied on a combination of paid free troops, allied tribes, and conscripts.

It was one Sultan, Sultan Shah Rumi, who decided to institute a system not just of Slave Soldiers, trained from youth, but also Slave Bureaucrats, with the idea that as both categories were not only his property, but would be trained to be loyal to him from adolesence, they would stay faithful to him and his successors. Stayed faithful to him they did, their successors...not so much, with the last Sulatan being relegated to a ceremonial role before being disposed of, before the Slave Bureaucrats and the Mamluks (the new name for the Slave Soldiers) proclaimed that the one true head of state was the Nation of Giray itself, and that they were all slaves to an idea, not a single person (In practice, this meant that most power belonged in an oligarchy).

And so the nation of Giray began to conduct itself like any Great Power would...

The Giray Slave System

The first step, and often the most traumatic, stage in the Giray Slave System is capture, preferably capture of young boys and girls aged 6 - 13, although older slaves of considerable talent are 'allowed' into the system. These captures are done through either using a network of spies and kidnappers to detect and 'nab' children of promising talent, using pirates and privateers to raid villages, or, in cases of war, killing the parents and taking the children for themselves. Either way, the future members of the ruling class are not given much, if any, choice in the matter.

Second step, after capture, is the 'accimitization', where the new slaves are basically treated with a combination of the carrot or the stick, whichever works. Each slave is given a comfortable quarters, several luxuries, and satisfaction of most physical needs...as well as a slave collar that can be used to trigger pain at any sign of disobedience, along with various other punishments on hand, each with the intent of promoting Stockholm Syndrome among the new captures. The slave collars stay on for two years, during which, it is hoped, the slaves would grow used to their situation.

Third step is 'training', which overlaps with the latter stages of acclimitzation. Slaves are divided, according to their skills, into Slave-Bureaucrats and Mamlukes, the first being, well, Bureaucrats, and the second being Warriors. In cases of high intelligence, there is even cross-training between Bureaucrat and Fighter, so as to improve coordination between the two arms of the state. This stage lasts till the slaves are 18, where they are declared 'Official Slaves of the State'.

Fourth step is active deployment, where the Mamluks and Bureaucrats do their jobs till retirement. Deployment begins at the age of 18, and lasts for decades. During this time, it is assumed that the 'Slaves of the State' are loyal to the state above all.

Before anyone asks: No, there are no labor slaves in the Empire. There used to be, but now all labor is done by freemen or serfs.

Name: Ioannes/Yahya Abd-al-maseesh

Race: Human

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Appearance:



Replace the Shotgun with a Flintlock Musket

Clothing/Armor:



Half-plate Armor and Armored Boots underneath the Trousers.

Ioannes also carries a Giray Insignia, a bright sun, undeneath his robes and armor.

Weapons:

- A Flintlock Musket strapped into one's back, which in turn contains one shot, which can be reloaded from the man's gunpowder stores.

- A Longsword and a Flintlock Pistol at the belt, the latter carrying one shot.

- Light Crossbow with 20 Bolts, also strapped to his back.

- Ammo Cartidges, also at the belt.

Alignment: Neutral Good.

Skills/Abilities:

Scholarship - Ioannes is well-read, and while he doesn't know much of Waldenshore's history beyond the basics, he can learn a lot more.

Perception - Ioannes has not gotten where he is now via being blind to the thoughts, feelings, and machinations of others. When one is lying, bluffing, or otherwise not saying the truth, Ioannes has a chance of seeing that something is being hidden. (OOC: Call me out when I metagame, though).

Swordsmanship and Ranged Combat.

Intimidation.

Riding Horses.

Magic: Nope.

Backstory:

Ioannes/Yahya was born as Ioannes, the son of two travelling merchants from one of the kingdoms near to Giray. His early life was a series of travels and education aboard his parents' ship, as he learned the tips and tricks of being a merchant.Of course, when near or in Giray, he was instructed to hide his talents, lest he be taken away from his parents. They needn't have bothered, because when he turned thirteen, a band of pirates attacked his family's small merchant ship, killing said parents and putting him in chains to be sold to the Girayind Bureaucracy.

In-Universe Flashback

"Boy," said the bearded, mustachioed man in silken robes who was now apprising his newly-clothed form with an apprising eye, "what is your name?"

"Ioannes, sir," said the child, still afraid. "Can you please take off my collar? I promise I'll be good." He pointed to the slave collar stuck to his neck. Then, realizing that he might have drawn his master's ire, Ioannes continued:

"I have nowhere to go anyway, if I run away, I'll just end up on the streets. So you don't need to collar me." This much was the truth.

"Ioannes, that's Yahya in our tounge," the slavemaster continued. "That settles it, your name shall be Yahya, Yayha." His face then turned grim.

"One job of a 'Slave of the State' is not to show favoritism to those who haven't merited it yet. Even then, I will not put you above your fellow slaves. Do you understand, Yahya?" He was now using Yayha's new name, in order to mark the boy as property now, able to express his own opinions only because his owner wished it, a wish that can be taken back.

"I understand," said Yahya meekly. "What other things things am I not permitted to do?"

"You are not to shirk your training. You are not to disobey the orders of your superiors. You are to be subject to regular review from your superiors. And finally, if you have any Gods or Goddesses, you are to abandon them until you are 18, during which you can worship whatever Diety you choose. Am I clear, Yayha?"

"I am clear," Yayha mumbled.

"Speak more clearly!" the slavemaster howled.

"Yes, sir!" Yahya shouted.

Reason for coming into Waldenshore: The legal trade with Waldenshore is profitable, so is the illegal, black-market trade in orphans created by the turmoil. Not merely that, but the prosect of an infernalist/diabolist as a ruler of the island is dangerous to Giray in the long run, and so an agent has to be sent to monitor the situation. Of course, as Giray has a bad reputation in neighboring kingdoms for obvious reasons, the agent has to be sent there in disguise.

Private Goals: Find an alternative to the Slave System that would allow Giray to have the best people without taking them from their families.

Additional Notes: Giray is religiously diverse, but Mamluks and Slave Bureaucrats are not permitted to worship anyone until they're 18, during which they can choose whoever God or Goddess they want. This is because the Girayids believe that if they force their slaves to renounce their faith in their training stage, then if the slaves get killed trying to escape, they would not have an afterlife to go to.

Thoughts on Ioannes

Thoughts on Ioannes

Hmm, basically, to get to the roots of Ioannes' psyche, one has to know/remember that the Giray System combines the brutality of enslavement and harsh military training, but justifies itself by saying that the slaves live better lives and have more power than freemen. A friend of mine objected to slaves having money and power, but that was because he believed that I was trying to export Ioannes out of a High Fantasy setting. In a High Fantasy setting, however, an oligarchy of nominal slaves, who rule over lower ranks of actual slaves whose job is to replace them once they die, is possible.

What I want with Ioannes

My disjointed thoughts:

- My main inspiration for Ioannes came from the fact that IRL, the Mamluks funded churches in the Caucasus, while Janissaries sent aid back to their home villages, while keeping many Christian customs (that last part isn't as important as the first).

- Ioannes sees his enslavement as justified, because it meant that once he was 18, he can reclaim his name, his diety (or choose a new one) and furthermore, send money and aid back to whatever relatives he has left, should they accept it (they did).

- Ioannes' main relative is an Aunt in the Kingdom of Hellas; she's a kind person who accepted Ioannes despite the fact that Giray is sort of an enemy (though not to the extent of the IRL Turkish-Greek hate).

- Ioannes, despite seeing his own enslavement as justified, wants to find another way, because he's realized from the stories of his fellow slaves that being taken away from one's parents is traumatic, and thus, if another way is found, then that would be a moot point.

- Because Giray Slaves are bound by a pain-inducing slave collar for the first two years of training, Ioannes would see stuff around his neck, even something as innocent as scarves or necklaces, as a trigger for trauma (assuming I'm using PTSD).

- The oligarchy wants the Mamlukes and Slave-Bureaucrats to see each other as a team, to be loyal to each other, because the slaves would one day replace the masters, and once that happens, they need to work together instead of being at odds. While 'weakness' isn't tolerated, slaves are expected to look after each other's needs outside of training or battle. When they are sick, other slaves are expected to take part in taking care of them; same for hunger and thirst and even other needs. To encourage this, the slavemasters do not directly help the slaves, except to give them instructions and the approrpiate supplies; they may watch the slaves to prevent them from escaping, but cannot interfere unless one is on the verge of death.

- Slave training is harsh, back-breaking (not literally) and demanding. One has to master multiple weapons, fight as both Infantry and Cavalry, and also be proficient a number of scholarly subjects (history, engineering, and medicine are 'recommendations'). Not merely that, but acts of kindness from the trainers are rare, and mostly kept hidden and subtle, to be revealed only once the training is over.

- Giray, despite being a slavocracy, does have redeeming, even laudable qualities that the slaves are frequently reminded of. Basically, Giray is a multifaith, multiethnic, and multicultural state that works, and it's because of the Mamluks and Slave-Bureaucrats. While the rest of the world is divided in petty, self-destructive divisions, Giray is diverse but united, and the Slave System is justified because it protects this diverse unity (that last part is exaggeration and propaganda).

- Any slave found to have kept the 'weak' emotions of kindness and empathy, or exhibit the capability to fake them, are assigned to Public Relations, Diplomatic Offices, or various missions requiring interaction with others. Ioannes is one of those slaves.

More Thoughts on Ioannes (And Giray)

More Thoughts on Ioannes (And Giray)

Giray is a morally grey state that pays for every good thing it has with immoral actions and the dislike of other nations. And by that, Giray is (or, less charitably, sells itself as) a multicultural, multiracial, and multi-faith nation united in the belief that every other land is a mess of racial, religious, and magical persecution, as well as labor slavery. Considering the backstories of other PCs like Isabeau, this might even be right.

How does this affect Ioannes? Simple: Another reason that Ioannes views his specific enslavement as justified is because he sees racial, religious, and magical persecution as worse than slavery, and Giray is, to him, free from those (note that this might be wrong). This in turn, governs his view of the outside world. So, should Durin vent his contempt at Ioannes at the latter, Ioannes' response would be that Giray is one of the few nations free from [Insert Stuff Here], while even Waldenshore (he's going to ignore the justifications) is prejudiced against Magi.

And, yes, there is the fact that Ioannes was forced to renounce his faith at 13, not to be regained until 18. But that is rationalized by the fact that 1.) that applied only to Mamluks and Slave-Bureaucrats, 2.) Giray civilians are not bound by such resolutions, and 3.) the fact that that had a practical purpose, to prevent slaves from running away by denying them an afterlife should they die trying to escape (this might not be an accurate belief).

One Last Thing about Giray (That I will post here)

Ioannes believes that he gave up his freedom so that others can be free.

In Giray, or so Ioannes has been taught, Elves and Dwarves can marry, as well as Elves and Men and Halflings and Dwarves, and their children live unmolested. Even Witches are judged by the content of their character and not by, you know, being witches. Not merely that, but Giray civilians can believe or disbelieve whatever they want, work without fear of being denied equal pay because of their gender or race, and, well, let's just say that Giray is a good place to be a civilian, as long as you're willing to endorse and fund the Slave System that keeps you all safe.

So, a cornerstone of Ioannes' worldview/morality/whatever is that he does value freedom, but he also believes that his own is the price to pay for so many others to be free, and not just Girayid civilians, but also his own Hellene Relatives. Basically, The Needs of the Many outweigh his specific needs.

Giray Worldbuilding

More Giray Worldbuilding

Giray was not part of The War

Giray's Millet System

Waeldeshore 1.0 [CONCLUDED]

Name: Ioannes/Yahya Abd-al-maseesh

Race: Human

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Appearance:



Replace the Shotgun with a Flintlock Musket

Clothing/Armor:



Half-plate Armor and Armored Boots underneath the Trousers.

Ioannes also carries a Giray Insignia, a bright sun, undeneath his robes and armor.

Weapons:

- A Flintlock Musket strapped into one's back, which in turn contains one shot, which can be reloaded from the man's gunpowder stores.

- A Longsword and a Flintlock Pistol at the belt, the latter carrying one shot.

- Light Crossbow with 20 Bolts, also strapped to his back.

- Ammo Cartidges, also at the belt.

Alignment: Neutral Good.

Skills/Abilities:

Scholarship - Ioannes is well-read, and while he doesn't know much of Waldenshore's history beyond the basics, he can learn a lot more.

Perception - Ioannes has not gotten where he is now via being blind to the thoughts, feelings, and machinations of others. When one is lying, bluffing, or otherwise not saying the truth, Ioannes has a chance of seeing that something is being hidden. (OOC: Call me out when I metagame, though).

Swordsmanship and Ranged Combat.

Intimidation.

Riding Horses.

Magic: Nope.

Backstory:

Ioannes/Yahya was born as Ioannes, the son of two travelling merchants from one of the kingdoms near to Giray. His early life was a series of travels and education aboard his parents' airship, as he learned the tips and tricks of being a merchant.Of course, when near or in Giray, he was instructed to hide his talents, lest he be taken away from his parents. They needn't have bothered, because when he turned thirteen, a band of pirates attacked his family's small merchant ship, killing said parents and putting him in chains to be sold to the Girayind Bureaucracy.

In-Universe Flashback

"Boy," said the bearded, mustachioed man in silken robes who was now apprising his newly-clothed form with an apprising eye, "what is your name?"

"Ioannes, sir," said the child, still afraid. "Can you please take off my collar? I promise I'll be good." He pointed to the slave collar stuck to his neck. Then, realizing that he might have drawn his master's ire, Ioannes continued:

"I have nowhere to go anyway, if I run away, I'll just end up on the streets. So you don't need to collar me." This much was the truth.

"Ioannes, that's Yahya in our tounge," the slavemaster continued. "That settles it, your name shall be Yahya, Yayha." His face then turned grim.

"One job of a 'Slave of the State' is not to show favoritism to those who haven't merited it yet. Even then, I will not put you above your fellow slaves. Do you understand, Yahya?" He was now using Yayha's new name, in order to mark the boy as property now, able to express his own opinions only because his owner wished it, a wish that can be taken back.

"I understand," said Yahya meekly. "What other things things am I not permitted to do?"

"You are not to shirk your training. You are not to disobey the orders of your superiors. You are to be subject to regular review from your superiors. And finally, if you have any Gods or Goddesses, you are to abandon them until you are 18, during which you can worship whatever Diety you choose. Am I clear, Yayha?"

"I am clear," Yayha mumbled.

"Speak more clearly!" the slavemaster howled.

"Yes, sir!" Yahya shouted.

Reason for coming into Waldenshore: The legal trade with Waldenshore is profitable, so is the illegal, black-market trade in orphans created by the turmoil. Not merely that, but the prosect of an infernalist/diabolist as a ruler of the island is dangerous to Giray in the long run, and so an agent has to be sent to monitor the situation. Of course, as Giray has a bad reputation in neighboring kingdoms for obvious reasons, the agent has to be sent there in disguise.

Private Goals: Find an alternative to the Slave System that would allow Giray to have the best people without taking them from their families.

@IcePezz