Re: Population

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 19:07:29 +0200
From: sander
Subject: Re: Population

On Sun, 12 Mar 2000, Marc Tizoc Gonzalez wrote:

> There is just too much to say about this thread. Thank you Gary!
>
> First, the statement was made:
> >>> > All those warhorses have to come from somewhere, and it's sure not Ket.
> Thus: herds of horses.
> <<<
>
> Actually, I suggest that civilized Bakluna be an ongoing source of excellent horseflesh from the mid 350s CY on.
>
> Sander says that a Gran March soldier's seven-year duty does not give that soldier the horse, but I suggest to Nick and company that if they want a

Well, I am not. I haven't had time to think much about the Gran March, but I am pretty sure that just as armor and arms, the horse belongs to the army, notthe soldiers 8-)

> popularly horse rich region, then after seven years surviving soldiers _do_ come to own their horse. (Of course with ownership comes taxation!
> Nerull, eat your heart out. :P )
>

Surviving should not be that hard.

> Sander also said:
> >> > Better take a look at the numbers of horses involved and the people/one horse ratio.
> [snip]
> But there was close to *NO* fighting in the Sheldomar.
> <<
>
> I've looked through both the FtA card and the '83 Guide. Will you tell us what ratio you mean? Also, that lack of fighting in the Sheldomar may have only been successful Keoghish propaganda.
>

The standing heavy and medium cavalry alone is 1000, giving us a ratio of 1/187, elven light cavalry adds 500, getting the ratio to 1/124. Now looking at the numbers of the 'Great host' there are bound to be no less than at least 500 cavalry in prvate hands, hence 2000 cavalry horses all told in service, or 1 horse per about 98 people.

And that is just the cavalry horses in service.

> I, for one, was not convinced by the protestations of inaction that Keoland's throne made. :P
>
> As for Sander's claim that the average person's per square mile is only four, I'm too lazy to check it, and anyways I need to know whether he refers to the Duchy of Ulek or the entire Sheldomar Valley. (But give the man kudos for such meticulous work regardless of which area he counted.)
>

By my claculations, the area of teh DoU is 30k+ sq. miles without the woods, and the population outside towns, discounting wood elves who live in the woods is ~ 134k, giving just slightly more than 4 persons, whetever human, elf or gnome, per a sq.km outside the towns.

> Regarding Sander's demand for an example of despotic governance over an armed populace, I'll do no more than type the letters, NAZI.
>

Doesn't match. For a lot of reasons.

> As for Sparta on its own terms, I'd like to remind everyone that Erik Satie composed three Gymnopedies, which are based upon a Spartan boys' dance.
> Those pieces of music are some of the most important (beautiful) that humanity has made.
>
> Drunk and dying with what Rasgon names nostalgia,
>
> Marc Tizoc
>
> PS - I struggle against sexism, but as long as we know that we are playing with such matters, I'm fine with limiting the Gran March draft to young men. With Ket so close and the reported sexism of civilized Bakluna (I'm remembering Wasim Qharallah's hire-toast), it seems arguable that the Gran
> March might want to protect the purity of its SOf mothers. It certainly

8-) purity of SOf mothers 8-) I would guess they are, mostly as well-mixed racially as Keolanders, if not more. Rather, who would tend to all the non-military matters if *everybody* went away for 7 years?

No offence meant to anybody.

> makes for contrast with the land of the rampant unicorn, which represents the Uleks, that haunts my dreams.
>

'Rampant Unicorn'???

Gran March Religions Document part 5

Date: Thu, 20 Jan 00 20:39PM PST
From: Nick Perch Add To Address Book Add To Junk Mail Blocker To: GREYTALK@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: [GREYTALK] Gran March Religions Document part 5 (last part)

I lied, I only split it into 5 parts. Parts 2 and 3 are somewhat large.

Nick Perch
Gran March Triad

-----Begin Part 5

The Harvest Church:
Overview:
The Harvest Church is dedicated to the worship of the Oeridian agricultural Powers. The church worships Merikka and Velnius as the primary agricultural Powers, and pays homage to Atroa, Sotillon and Wenta according to the season. (Wenta is honored in all seasons in his aspect as the god of brewing.) Telchur is not worshiped, but services to appease him, and seek a gentle winter are held every Sunsebb, and services thanking the Power for his mercy are held every Readying.

In addition to the above-mentioned Powers, the Harvest Church venerates Saint Gwen, patron saint of the land and planting. The honoring of this saint is unique to the Harvest Church of Gran March, however it seems clear that this veneration is not some misguided cult, as priests who claim to follow Saint Gwen have been observed to invoke miracles in his/her name.

The Harvest Church is broadly worshipped in Gran March, encompassing a greater number of worshippers than any other single faith. This is a church of the common man, and while less politically influential than the churches of Heironeous or even Zilchus, the leaders of the Harvest Church are still well heeded by those in seats of power.

The Harvest Church was established by a group of like-minded priests in the earliest days of the settlement of Gran March. Though the idea of a multi-Power church may seem odd to outsiders, it has been a part of the fabric of Gran March for so long that it is accepted as the normal order of things. In the days when the Knights of the Watch were bringing order to Gran March, they made a decision to support and defend the Harvest Church.

This decision was based on the view that the Church would be an influence likely to avoid the petty squabbles between followers of different agricultural traditions that might otherwise have plagued the land. That alliance continues to this day, to the benefit of both parties.

Centers of Worship:

Chapels of the Harvest Church are found throughout Gran March, in villages and hamlets and towns. They are typically simple wooden structures, but adorned with a wealth of trappings to reflect each of the Powers venerated by the church. Such chapels are almost always attended by a priest, and serve both the host community and the surrounding villages. The center of the Harvest Church is the Golden Temple in Barony Bullette. This temple, constructed of yellow stone imported from quarries in the Hellfurnaces, is home to the High Harvestmaster and a large congregation. The remains of Saint Gwen are also said to be interred here.

The Temple of Merikka in Orlane is unusual in the Harvest Church, in that it is primarily devoted to a single Power. It was brought into the Harvest Church only within the last 10 years or so, and retained the trappings of a dedicated temple of Merikka until very recently. In 589 CY, the temple suffered extensive damage during a raid from the Rushmoors. While the main structure is still intact, many of the trappings (particularly the gold statues that were the pride of the church) were carted off into the Rushmoors. The temple has been partly refurbished, and there are currently negotiations between the leaders of the Harvest Church and those of the Orlane temple regarding the inclusion of the trappings of other Powers when the temple in Orlane is fully restored.

Activities of the Priesthood:

While each priest receives spells from a single Power, they consider themselves to be priests of the Harvest Church, and perform the rituals of the Harvest Church rather than of any individual Power. The priests of the Harvest Church are charged to aid those who work the land of Gran March. To this end they heal the sick, use their magics to enhance crop growth and prevent crop failure, carry news or messages as they make their rounds from village to village, and spread the word of new agricultural advances.

The priests of the Harvest Church are valued counselors as well. As with the Zilcherans and Cuthbertians, the Harvestors are frequently called upon to mediate disputes. Their advice is frequently sought by those in authority on matters concerning the common folk of Gran March. Additionally, Harvestors are considered, as a group, to be diplomats second in skill only to the Zilcherans, and priests of the Harvest Church fill not a few ambassadorial posts. As with the Zilcherans, Harvestors are frequently paired with a more military minded deputy ambassador. Reyla Hyttaska (priest 12, Merikka), the current ambassador to Keoland is one such. She is paired with deputy ambassador Lieutenant Deskar Vaggarel, (0-level human) a retired army supply officer.

Demographics:

About 24% of the adult population are members of the Harvest Church. They do not follow any single Power. The nearly exclusive majority of the members of the church are farmers or those in related jobs (such as millers or brewers). All the human races of Gran March are represented in the congregation, though a majority of the followers have Oeridian blood.

Females out number males about 11 to 9. The congregation comprises all alignments common to Gran March, as well as a significant number of Chaotic Good and Neutral Good followers.

The priesthood of the Harvest Church comprises priests of each of the Powers venerated by that church. The distribution is roughly 40% priests of Merikka, 20% priests of Velnius, 15% priests of Wenta, 10% priests of Atroa, 10% priests of Sotillon, and 5% priests of Saint Gwen. There are no priests of Telchur in the Harvest Church. All told, there are about 970 priests of the Harvest Church, and they tend to follow similar distribution patterns as the congregation.

Church Leadership:

The church is led by a High Vestry made up of nine leading priests. The nine offices of the High Vestry are each selected by different methods, and for different terms. The office of the Youngest is held by the youngest full priest in the church at the time that the office becomes open. The Youngest serves for 5 years, at which point a new Youngest is automatically selected.

The office of the Eldest is fairly self-explanatory. The remaining 6 offices are undefined at this time. The office of the High Priest is held for 10 years at a time, and the office holder is selected during the Richfest celebrations every ten years by voting among all Harvest Church priests. The current High Priest, who began her second term in 590 CY is Gabriella Consannis (priest 14, Merikka). Gabriella is currently using her office to smooth the integration of refugees into Gran March society and the Harvest Church. She is well respected and heeded by those in authority, and her counsel is valued even by Magnus Vridanian, Commandant of the March and a priest of Heironeous. She splits her time between the Golden Temple attending to the business of the church, and Hookhill where she makes sure the concerns of the common folk are respected.

Relationships with other Faiths:

The Harvest Church gets along well with its fellow churches in Gran March. The Church has an extremely close relationship with the churches of Phyton and St. Cuthbert, and the priests of the Harvest Church will usually not hesitate to help a follower of Phyton or St. Cuthbert in need. This warmth is reciprocated, and the three churches enjoy an informal alliance to serve the needs of the people of Gran March.

The priests of the Harvest Church are on cordial but distant terms with the Zilcherans. They are suspicious of the Pholtites, whom they regard as slightly dangerous zealots, and because of the extremely strained relationships between the Pholtites and both the Cutbertians and the followers of Phyton. They are suspicious of the followers of the Shalm, but largely ignore them, and they have a rapidly cooling relationship with the Heironean church, as a result of the proselytizing currently in progress.

The Church has a friendly but distant relationship with the church of Fharlanghn.

-----End Part 5 - This is the last part. There is no part 6.

Gran March Request for Volunteers

Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 08:54:07 EST
From: Nick Perch
Subject: Gran March Request for Volunteers

Hi all,

We're building a country, and could use some help. If you're interested, let us know. Also, comments on the document itself welcomed. First part is information we've put together to date. Second part is a suggested format for further development.

Nick Perch
-Gran March (NC/SC, USA) Triad Member for Living World of Greyhawk

****************************************************************************=
Gran March has 10 Baronies and 2 Marches. They are briefly described in this document. Population for the regions refers to population other than that in towns or villages mentioned in the text. Possible industries are listed in approximate order of importance, but may be changed to suit the vision of
future developers.

The Dim March comprises the Dim Forest east of the Realstream. The seat of the Marcher Lord is a fort on the road from Buxton's Crossing to Hochoch, in the middle of the forest. Non-military population is about 1000 humans, plus about 8800 elves and 1500 humanoids.

The Rush March comprises the Rushmoors. The seat of the Marcher Lord is a fort about 45 miles south and 45 miles west of Shiboleth, near the border of the swamp. Population is about 1500 humans, mostly near the fort and in the regions of the swamp between Orlane and the Javan. There are also about 1500
humanoids in this area.

Barony Gorgon comprises the southern Lorridges. A line that runs due east from the point where the Realstream enters the northern reaches of the Dim Forest sets the northern border. The capital (pop 600) is on a road that winds from Hookhill to the capital of Barony Peryton to the east.
Pop: 13200, 600 dwarves.
Electors: 3
Possible industries: Shepherding, agriculture (winemaking), mining (copper, gems).

Barony Peryton comprises the Lortmills to the extent that they have been claimed. The northern border is the same as that for Barony Gorgon. A line that runs due north from the source of the Lort River sets the eastern border. The capital (pop 300) is in the southern part of the barony, on a road that runs in a loop from Hookhill to Buxton's Crossing.
Pop: 3500, 1200 dwarves, about 1000 humanoids.
Electors: 2
Possible industries: Mining, building stone, smelting, smithing.

Barony Owlbear comprises the lands between the Dim forest and Rushmoors, east of the Realstream. It includes a small strip of the Oytwood, north of the Javan, the town of Hochoch (pop 5500), and an area of about 5 miles radius about Hochoch. The capital is Orlane (see module N1), current population 300.
Pop: 12100.
Electors: 4
Possible Industries: Agriculture, timber, rushes.

Barony Basilisk is bounded on the west by the Rushmoors. The northern border is a line running due east from the northernmost point of the Rushmoors. The eastern border is a line running north-south 15 miles east of Shiboleth. The southern border is the Sheldomar, and a line straight west from the source of the Sheldomar to the Rushmoors. The capital is Shiboleth (pop 5900) which sits on the road from Niole Dra to Thornward, a major trade route.
Pop: 30800.
Electors: 10
Possible Industries: Trade, agriculture, cloth.

Barony Nereid is bounded by the Lort on the East, and the Sheldomar on the south. The northern border is the same as that for Barony Basilisk, while the western border is the eastern border of Barony Basilisk. This is a rich agricultural area, and prosperous from trade across the Lort and down the Sheldomar. The capital is Lortenford (pop 2000), which sits at the juncture of the Lort and Sheldomar rivers.
Pop: 42900.
Electors: 15
Possible Industries: Trade, agriculture, cloth (silk?).

Barony Manticore sits between Barony Peryton to the north and Barony Nereid to the south. The western border is an extension of the western border of Barony Peryton south until it intersects the northern border of Barony Nereid. The eastern border is the Lort, or a line running due north from the source of the Lort. The capital (pop 1000) sits near the source of the Lort River.
Pop: 31900.
Electors: 12
Possible Industries: Other than agriculture, we've given it no thought. But I'm sure all those folks do something productive. Make it up.

Barony Chimera is bounded on the north by Barony Gorgon, on the east by Barony Manticore, on the south by Baronies Basilisk and Nereid, and on the west by a line running due south from the southeasternmost point of the Lorridges. The capital sits on the road from Buxton's Crossing to the capital of Barony Peryton. The population of the capital is about 900. This is a rich farming area.
Pop: 29700
Electors: 10
Possible Industries: Agriculture, horses, cotton.

Barony Griffon is the richest largest in Gran March, in terms of population. It is bounded on the south by the Rushmoors and Barony Basilisk, on the north by a line running due west from the southeasternmost corner of the Lorridges, on the east by Barony Chimera, and on the west by a line running due north from the easternmost point of the Dim Forest. The capital is Buxton's Crossing (pop 3000), situated at the intersection of the road from Niole Dra to Thornward, and the road running from the capital of Barony Peryton to Hochoch and points west. This is the industrial heart of Gran March, and much of the military production (armor, weapons, clothing) takes place here. While the farmland is rich, and agriculture is potentially very profitable here, a large percentage of the population is involved in crafts.
Pop: 47300
Electors: 17
Possible Industries: Weaving, smithing, horses, agriculture, leatherworking, cattle ranching.

Barony Bullette is the largest barony in terms of area, with the Dim Forest as the western border, the same northern border as Barony Gorgon, and an eastern border corresponding to the western border of Barony Griffon extended north to the border with Bissel. This barony produces most of the horses and cattle for Gran March. The capital (pop 1100) is thirty miles due west of Hookhill.
Pop: 16500
Electors: 11
Possible Industries: Horses, cattle ranching, leatherworking, agriculture.

Barony Dragon is bounded by Baronies Bullette, Griffon, and Gorgon, and the northern border is the same as that for Barony Gorgon. This is the capital barony, and in addition to the Baron, the Commandant rules here. The capital of both the barony and the country is Hookhill (pop 7500) which sits astride the road from Niole Dra to Thornward. A smaller trade road runs west to the capital of Barony Bullette and east to the capital of Barony Gorgon.
Pop: 33000
Electors: 16
Possible Industries: Agriculture, trade, smithing, and horses.
****************************************************************************=
The following should serve as a guide to the type of information that should be developed. By no means, allow this to limit your creativity. Note in some cases that the information has been provided for you. Feel free to use this as a springboard. As your assigned editor, I will be available to answer any questions you may have and to review any information you have created. Once again, thanks for assisting us to make a great campaign.

Information Needed
General Information
Location
Population
Major Roads
General geography
Political information
Current Baron(ess)
Current Electors
Current Events

Economic Information
Major Industries
Natural Resources
Major Crops

Historical and Social Information
Major Historical Events
Local Holidays
Local Legends

Capital
Size and population
Architectural style
Major Temples
Fortifications
Troop contingents
Other Major Buildings
Major Organizations
Leadership

Other Places of Interest
Villages
Towns
Ruins
Castles
Major Landmarks

Major NPCs
Baron(ess)
Personality
Family History
Line of Succession
General Competence
Popularity
Enemies
Electors
Names
Seats
Any items of note
Any Other NPCs of note

Of course, feel free to develop beyond these guidelines. Thanks, I look forward to your submission.