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Add in the old New World setting, circa 2010-2014

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1. Overview
--------
Built into a large crater in the side of one of the Eastern
Mountains. The crater is the bowl of an ancient dormant volcano,
which the Gnomes use as an infinite source of Geothermal power, and
as a natural heating source. They also use it as a resource,
occasionally tapping into a magma flow for this reason or the other.
The Engineer's Guild is tasked with the sometimes interesting task
of ensuring that the volcano stays dormant - and that if it doesn't,
then that the city has no less than one week's advance notice to
evacuate or help out.
2. People
------
The population of Breech is, for the most part - quite obviously -
Gnomes. Every Gnome here, with few exceptions, is part of one of the
ruling Clans that founded the city 75 years ago. Many gnomes that live
here are old enough to remember escaping from the Alliance; 30% of any
gnomes encountered will be more than 300 years old, and will remember
escape from the Alliance. 15% will have been of adult age at the time,
and will remember actively fighting the alliance during their escape.
(Most of these people are currently working for the Gnomish Military,
but a few are in the Engineer's Guild or the Arcanists Guild). For this
reason the people of Breech take the idea of "Country", "People", etc,
far more seriously than the human kingdom to the west. Most of the gnomes
in the city view humans as (for the most part) well intentioned, but
having excessively short life and memory spans, often leading them to make
horrible choices - possibly even repeating the past. Gnomes will generally
hold their tongues around humans, however, preferring to simply ignore them
and hope that they go away (and "don't touch anything").
The few humans who have taken up residence in Breech are generally
either political refugees from the Western Kingdom, farmers who were driven
out of their holdings in the Free Frontier by advancing Alliance armies, or
intelligent humans coming to study with the various guilds in Breech. Few
humano-centric adventuring guilds exist here, and human thieves are generally
viewed as "western barbarians" by the more sophisticated Gnomish thieves in
Breech. Still, humans are welcome; gnomes aren't as aloof as the elves. Most
humans coming here have brains, as there isn't much use for brawn here. So
humans coming into breech will have little trouble.
Elves coming into Breech are viewed with some amount of suspicion. The
Gnomes have never agreed with the elitist view that the Elves take of
themselves, or the elitism related to their elven arcane arts. The few elves
in Breech are generally members of the Arcanist Guild, and are serving at
the Academy of the Arcane Arts. Elves, however, generally don't stay long in
Breech; it's simply not their kind of place.
Breech has a strict ban on any residence by any monstrous humanoids;
this includes Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs and Half Orcs. While the gnomish clan
leaders despise the elitist attitudes of the Elves, they also distrust the
collectivist immigration policy of the Western Kingdom, where anybody who
"accepts the Lord" can immigrate from the frontier. If a monstrous humanoid
approaches a Gnomish Holding Border outpost, as long as he's peaceful,
there'll be no trouble; but he'll certainly be turned away, with instructions
to head south, and look for the nearest church, at which he may seek some sort
of western kingdom citizenship. If he is hostile, monstrous humanoids in and
around breech are dealt with decisively. "We were enslaved for millennia; we
won't have it any more. And if that means I have to blow your brains, out,
well..."
While certainly not common, Dwarves do live in Breech. The activities and
technology of the gnomes are of great interest to the dwarves of Stonehold,
and unbeknownst to those not reading over my shoulder, there are tunnels
connecting the two cities. The tunnels have existed as long as Stonehold,
and are old Underdark passageways. Dwarves patrol them along with Gnomish
Recon agents, and Dwarves will often settle in Breech as a result. Many of
the dwarves in Breech are representatives of Stonehold, or prominent Dwarvish
merchants purchasing materials and technology from the Gnomes. (It is also
not uncommon - again, unbeknownst to those not reading over my shoulder -
for gnomes to settle in Stonehold, under a strict gag order about that fact.)
For the most part, the people of Breech are, by and large, quite happy
and peaceful. But as with any gathering of peoples, there are bad elements,
criminal elements. Those residents of Breech fill the ranks on both sides,
as well as those caught in the middle. But all said and done, the people
of Breech are far more united and peaceful than those of the rest of the
Western Kingdom (except for the elves, who nobody knows what the *!@#&
they're doing).
3. Notable Persons
------------------
4. Notable Locations
--------------------
4.1 [Gnomish] Academy of the Arcane Arts [at Breech]
----------------------------------------------------
A great octagonal tower complex rising out of the center of
Breech, soaring to a height of almost 900 feet at its apex. The
single publically advertised and attendable arcane school in the
entirety of the Western Kingdoms (if the elves have such
academies, they - in their elitism - are not advertising).
It is also the headquarters of the Arcanist's Guild, and the
school is currently ran by the heads of that Guild.
4.1.1 Admission
---------------
Admission is allowed twice per year, during the
Spring and Fall equinoxes. The admission is done by test;
specifically, anyone with an intelligence of less than 12
is denied entry, period. They will be tested out on a
standardized test. After that, candidates are put through a
battery of physical tests to see if their bodies will
endure the rigors and dangers of magical training; the
specifics of this test are up to the DM, but they
generally follow the same pattern - subjecting the
candidate to severe elemental stresses, endurance tests,
etc. (Nobody can complete a 24 hour chant if they can't
stand on watch for 8 hours and function normally the next
day.) After that, they are subjected to a series of mental
tests; a series of illusions and terrors meant to test
their resolve. Any failed test will instantly disqualify a
candidate, and not even the hand of an Arcanist Senior
member can save his candidacy. Once the candidate has
passed entry exams, they are allowed entry into the
academy. Academy students, for their first four years, are
required to live on the Academy grounds with their
Arcanist mentor. They are nearly severed from contact with
the outside world, steeped in study and practice,
meditation and reflection. If they successfuly maintain
their studies for the first four years, then they will have
attained 1st level magic user, and will have placed 3d3 1st
level spells into their spellbook. After the four years
have passed, they are allowed limited contact with the
outside world, but still must live on-site with their
Arcanist mentor. In another 8 years, they will achieve 2nd
level of mastery, and may begin going on expeditions with
their Arcanist mentor or other Arcanists. Once they have
achieved their 3rd level of mastery, they are free - if
they wish - to acquire their own quarters and move out of
their Mentor's quarters. They will, however, maintain
the same mentor, regardless of their location. At the 3rd
level, the student will be assigned a student of their own
to mentor - whether they still live with their mentor or
not (naturally, the student's mentor at this time will
either inform his student that he needs to get his own
quarters, or the mentor will leave on field studies).
Admission to the academy and continued study there is
dependent upon a fee paid yearly, adjusted for the level of
study of the student. The fee is equal to 25 sp to the Nth
power, per year, where N is the level of mastery that the
student is studying. So, for 1st level, the fee is 62 gp;
but 4th level will cost 39,062 gp. That fee is *per year*.
Further, the student must maintain an active membership in
the Arcanist's Guild, which carries its own costs on top of
that. If the student is unable to pay the fees, then the
student may request that their mentor - or another Guild
member - sponsor them. When this happens, the sponsor will
agree to take on the student's debt, in exchange for the
services of the student, and forfeiture of any pay for said
services, outside of that to satisfy basic needs, until
such debt is repaid. If the student cannot attain
sponsorship from any of his peers or guild members, he may
make an appeal to the school board, consisting of the 8
school heads; if they agree with his hardship, they can
form an agreement similar to that formed between mentor and
student - but with the school as the benefactor. The
various banks in Breech also offer loan programs for the
students of the Academy, but given the nature of a bank-
being more interested in finance than the furtherance of
the science -the student's Mentor must submit the
application to the school council, and it must be approved
by the council, and the student's mentor, rather than the
student itself. The bank's terms are often even worse than
those of a mentor or the school, making this option the
least interesting of all.
4.1.2 Levels and Advancement
----------------------------
If a student relies only on book study, then it will
take 4 years (per level) to attain first level, 8 for 2nd,
16 for 3rd, 32 for 4th, 64 for 5th, 128 for 6th, 256 for
7th, 512 for 8th, and 1024 for 9th. So, to attain the 9th
level of mastery through nothing but book study, the
student would have to study for 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 + 128
+ 256 + 512 + 1024 = 2048 YEARS. This means that nobody
will ever attain the true understanding of magic necessary
to use 9th level spells just from books and study at the
Academy. Generally, once someone reaches the 4th level of
mastery, if they aren't going on expeditions already, they
will. The question of "how much XP is a year at the academy
worth?" will often come up. Specifically, here is the
chart:
Level of Years XP Per Year Magic-User
Mastery Sought To Mastery of Study Level
----------------------------------------------------------
1st 4 625 2
2nd 8 937 4
3rd 16 1875 6
4th 32 1562 8
5th 64 2500 10
6th 128 6835 13
7th 256 4394 16
8th 512 1464 18
9th 1024 732 20
For every year spent at the academy, in pursuance
of a given level of mastery, the student will be taught
- in theory and practice - a number of spells of a given
level which they can scribe into their spellbook, as shown
in the table below:
Spells Per Year
Level of By Level
Mastery 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
---------------------------------------------
1 5 - - - - - - - -
2 1 3 - - - - - - -
3 - 1 1.5 - - - - - -
4 - - - .75 - - - - -
5 - - - - .33 - - - -
6 - - - - - .20 - - -
7 - - - - - - .05 - -
8 - - - - - - - .03 -
9 - - - - - - - - .01
Fractional spells per year represent that
it will take more than one year to learn a given spell of
that school just by book learning; for example, when
pursuing the 5th level of mastery, each spell takes
(1/.33 = 3.3r) 3 years to master. At the 9th level
of mastery, it takes 100 years to master the magical
energies required to cast the Wish spell, for example.
This is another reason why most people disembark for
field studies once they reach the 3rd level of mastery,
because they can acquire spells far more quickly.
HOWEVER, note that in order to gain the spells for a given
year of study, the student must be present *for the entire
year of study*. So the student does not get automatic
spells from the academy while out on field studies.
4.2 Breech Master Pentagonal Library
------------------------------------
The single most complete library in the Kingdom. Gnomes
are known for their love of writing down whatever comes to mind,
and the Breech Master Pentagonal Library is the single largest
showcase of that. The library is built - if viewed from above -
to resemble a sort of pentagram, with five "spokes" coming out
from a central "hub". Each of the spokes houses a wing, which
will cover a specific topic (or group of related topics). The
wings are (at current - they may be rearranged, but have not
been yet):
North Wing: Agricultural and Economic texts
East Wing: Engineering, General Mathematics
Southeast Wing: Arcana, Arcane Mathematics
Southwest Wing: History and Public Records
West Wing: Fiction, Art, etc
Any texts which do not fall under those topics can be
found in the central "hub" of the library. The building itself
is a full 9 stories tall, standing almost 100 feet. Gnomish
elevators and simple staircases allow for travel between floors.
Most of the books can not be checked out due to their rare
nature, but there are few restrictions on what can be viewed and
copied.
4.3 Council Home
----------------
The Council Home is the location of the Gnomish Clan
Council, and is where they hold court. The Gnomish Clan Council
holds court once per month, lasting 14 days, with each session
per day lasting 9 hours (sometimes more if circumstances permit).
The council then takes two weeks off to "be amongst the people,
and understand their affairs far better than we possibly could,
cloistered in the lavishly decorated comfort of the Council
Home." (It is, in fact, a requirement that the Gnomish Clan
Council members - each one the head of a prominent Gnomish Clan -
hold some sort of employment outside of their council duties.)
The building is made of white marble, and is in the
Athenian style - an open building surrounded by columns,
onto which the original Clan Law, to include the Knight's Old
Code handed down by the Council of Nine, is magically carved so
that it may never be eroded and forgotten. At night it glows
with a faint white light, and those who cannot see need but
touch one of the pillars, and they will hear the law spoken
in their mind. Law and lawlessness are central issues to the
Gnomish people, as they believe that only by strict adherence to
the law - with the occasional slip by a well meaning engineer's
device - can the society remain free of corruption and tyrrany.
The Council Home is carved with various Gnomish art and sayings,
but the most prominent is carved above the main entrance. With
a sword and a scales flanking the phrase, carved in the stone
(again magically to prevent erosion), it says:
"AS ABOVE - SO BELOW"
... A reference to how the law must apply equally to
all people in Breech, whether they are a Clan leader or a
beggar in the street. Walking through the main doors
of the Council Home, you are instantly placed in the
Auditorium. Stairs lead down into an open pit in the floor,
built as an Amphiteatre, where speakers present their cases
to the court. The Council sits behind the amphitheater floor,
in a semi-closed box, facing the pit and the rest of the
seats on the other side.
The people of Breech, by and large, detest the idea of
secrets - secret societies, secret meetings, secret
organizations. For that reason, all meetings of the Council
are held open to the scrutiny of the public eye and the Breech
press. In fact, one of the reasons why the clan leaders
declared their independence from the Braddock line 75 years ago
was the increasing talk of secret meetings and societies in the
ranks.
4.4 Advanced Agricultural Growth Advancement Domes
--------------------------------------------------
In the AAGDA (pronounced simply "Ag-da" by those who
speak of them frequently), the Agriculturalist's Guild
attempts to develop methods by which:
- crops that grow well only in the foothills may
be made to grow in the mountains for additional
security of the crops
- any crop can be made to grow faster, and produce
more yield per square acre of planting
The domes stretch over an area of about 20 acres at
current, with 10 separate aquaducts feeding only this site.
At any given time there will be from 10 to 100 different
experiments taking place here, with an unknown probability of
success. Most players won't go here often.
4.5 Breech Aquifer and Aquaducts
--------------------------------
The Breech Aquifer itself is located deep under the
mountain, above Breech proper, somewhere beneath the peak
of the mountain. The various stations that make up the
Gnomish Aquafier System are lined up and down the side of
the mountain, sometimes above, and sometimes below, Breech
proper - sometimes even outside of the walls.
4.5.1 Boiling Station
---------------------
Water collects here from the aquifer, and is brought
to a boil by a combination of copper heating elements and
magical heating effects. The Boiling Station is large
enough to hold approximately 5,000 gallons of water,
and will not release to the pumping station unless the
water has reached boiling temperatures. This is both a
general sanitation concern, as well as a security concern-
Slaadi hate hot water, and they're renown for their love of
underground, cool fresh waters, like the Aquifer below
breech. The Gnomish Defense Force and Engineer's Guild
would rather not deal with the consequences if a Slaad
somehow found its way out into the Aquaduct.
Grills above the boiling station open into a network
of massive iron pipes, which open out into natural steam
vents from the underground volcanic flows. While the
steam pipes are theoretically large enough for a full sized
Orc - or even a Troll - to fit inside of and infiltrate
the Boiling Station, the intense heat of the Boiling
Station's own steam, combined with the constant - and
occasionally violent - steam release of the underground
magma flows, it is doubtful that any creature would be
able to survive the trip.
4.5.2 Pumping Station
---------------------
Water is pumped here from the boiling station, into
the aquaducts, out into the city and out to the outlying
foothills. It consists of no less than ten (and they are
often constructing more) huge pumps the size of the average
human house (each pump is approximately 60,000 cubic feet
in size, or about 100 x 50 x 10 feet tall). The pumps
are capable of moving up to 10,000 gallons of water
per hour, though they are hardly ever used to capacity.
The extra capacity was built into the pumps so that,
if Breech ever experienced flooding, the polarity on the
pumps could be reversed, and the city's excess water level
emptied out into surrounding ravines. Here, much like the
Boiling Station, there are massive iron pipes leading out
to the city and the aquaducts. It is an extremely dangerous
place, access is highly restricted, even amongst the
Engineer's Guild members who operate the location. (For
example, just because you work for the Engineer's Guild
at the Aquifer, if you work at the Boiling Station,
or the Recovery Station, you won't be granted access to
the Pumping Station).
4.5.3 Recovery Station
----------------------
Water is collected here from both rainwater sources,
street runoff, sewer return, and aquaduct return flows. The
recovery station measures the volume of water coming in -
of each variety - and ensures that contaminated ground
water (e.g. street run off and sewage) do not mix with
fresh rain water and aquaduct return flows. Contaminated
water is sent out to the Sewage Treatment Station,
and the fresh (or mostly fresh) water is sent to the
Boiling Station. The Recovery Station is also a magical
detection point; water is taken in from the various sources
and held for five minutes in large 500 gallon storage
tanks, where Detect Magic spells are cast upon it. Any
water showing traces of magical tampering is sent to the
Sewage Treatment Station instead of the Boiling Station,
regardless of its type.
4.5.4 Sewage Treatment Station
------------------------------
Contaminated water is sent here after being separated
out from fresh water at the Recovery Station. Here it goes
through a number of cleansing and preparation steps, to
include mechanical separation of waste matter, sediment
removal, chemical antibacterial and antiviral treatments,
etc. The final step of the sewage treatment station is to
undergo a final separation; non-magical water elements get
delivered directly back into the boiling station, but
any water showing magical enchantments is separated off
into a separate holding tank where the nature of the
dweomer is determined, and Dispel Magic spells used upon it
if necessary. Any water showing magical enchantments that
cannot be dispelled, is immediately dumped into one of the
various underground magma flows under the treatment
station, thus ending any threat it may pose.
4.5.5 Secondary Pumping Station
-------------------------------
Located in the foothills at the base of the mountain,
it is the job of the Secondary Pumping Station to ensure
that any and all water coming in from the aquaducts in the
foothills, and any captured mountain rainwater, is pumped
positively back up the mountain, back to the Recovery
Station. This station is almost identical to the
Pumping Station, except that its pumps are smaller and it
has less of them. Each pump here is capable of moving only
about 2,000 gallons per hour, but with more force, to
propel the water back up the mountain. There are currently
five pumps at the facility, each measuring about 30x30x10
feet.
4.6 Gnomish Military Headquarters and Command Center
----------------------------------------------------
Built in the same area of the city as the Academy of the
Arcane Arts, the compound is walled and rises approximately 120
feet above the streets (the single tallest structure in the city
next to the Academy itself). It consists of two main structures,
one for the Headquarters and another for the Command Center.
Headquarters houses the administrative and financial branches of
the Gnomish Military and Gnomish Defense Force. Its 10 story
building is full, for the most part, of offices, and the type of
people who spend their day in an office.
The second building in the pair is the Command Center,
which also houses the Gnomish Defense Force Command Center. Few
know what goes on in this 12 story building - or in its 5 level
basement.
4.6.1 Jail
----------
Also on this site is the Gnomish Clan Holdings Center
for Administrative and Military Judicial Punishment and
Executions, or "the jail" for short. The jail here is more
technological, and much more comfortable, than the one in
Throne, which is the only known jail to which it may be
readily compared. The building itself is a 4 story
building with concertina wire surrounding it,
in addition to the stone wall already surrounding the HQ/
Command Center site. Guards patrol the wire, and are
stationed on the roof, all equipped with Gnomish Light
Rifles and short swords. Escape is difficult if not
impossible. The entire site is built on top of the
mountain's own stone floor, making tunneling - again -
difficult if not impossible.
The cells are generally 10x10, have a
commode which may be flushed (rather than the simple
watered channel the ones in Throne are equipped with),
a mattress on a stone slab, a foot locker for the
holding of personal effects, a writing desk - "so that
one might study and better one's self whilst in prison,
to be a useful member of society upon one's release,
rather than yet another criminal awaiting re-entry into
a criminal world" - and, in the cases where the prisoner
is lucky enough, a reinforced glass window looking out
over various portions of the prison/city (which may or may
not be green). The rooms are also equipped with "less-than-
lethal prisoner compliance systems", which amount to a hole
in the wall through which water can be blasted at high
pressure, targeted at a troublesome prisoner, "inducing
compliance rapidly".
Those criminals unlucky enough to be assigned to a
"high risk" cell will find their stay far less enjoyable.
These prisoners are generally kept under chemical sedation
while in prison, inside their 8x8 cells with simple
stone beds - to which they may be electronically shackled.
The flushing commode has been replaced in these cells
by the simpler watered channel, "to reduce the amount of
frangible material available to a prisoner, which may be
reduced to weapon-like shards to be used against
themselves, other prisoners, or their guards". Closed-
circuit electronic/magical hybrid cameras monitor the
cells 24/7, giving the prisoners not one minute of privacy.
And if that wasn't enough, the room is equipped with not
one, but two, means of automatically doing away with a
troublesome prisoner. Inside of an armored hemisphere in
one corner of the roof rests a gnomish machine pistol on
an automated turret with a 1,000 round magical magazine
which may be controlled from the same room as the
cameras. This should be scary enough. The rooms also
have the same "less-than-lethel prisoner compliance
systems" of the simpler cells, with a rather nasty twist;
not only can they direct water into the room, but they can
also fill the room with knockout or poison gas.
Gnomish prison is not a place that anyone wants
to find themselves. The only thing that is worse than
being in a Gnomish jail, is being in Throne, with the
Church being out for your blood.
4.7 Power Generating and Recyling Station
-----------------------------------------
The PGRS is the station at which all the electrical
power is generated in Breech. The power is generated through
a collection of geothermal and biological generation methods,
to include the standard geothermal generation from magma flows,
to the production of electricity using Methane gas from
decomposing garbage as it sits in the Recycling Station,
awaiting incineration. (Sitting atop a dormant volcano, with
access to its magma flows, Breech has no problem disposing of
its garbage.) The site is a sprawling location, covering almost
150 acres of property, much of which is bare for the purpose of
separating the station from the rest of the city in case of
some sort of disaster. The power generation site is located
on the southern edge of the city just behind the walls (in case
a disaster does ever happen and a magma flow erupts from the
site, it will flow down the mountain, and not out into the
rest of the city). The plant is currently operating near
capacity, and plans are being made to expand it further, outside
the city walls, with a second site closer down towards the
foothills. The plant provides power to the entire city,
as well as the pumping station down in the foothills, and
select outposts along the mountains. Much expense is spent
policing the miles of electrical power lines stretching out into
the mountains and the foothills, against monstrous interference.
As for the location itself, it is, as has been said, ~150
acres square. The entire site is fenced off with a stone wall
and concertina wire, much as the Jail. Entry is allowed through
only one narrow gate on the eastern edge of the facility, which
is under armed guard at all times. (Guards generally carry
Short Swords and Gnomish Light Rifles with 20 rounds of
ammunition).
4.7.1 Power Generating Station
------------------------------
The facility itself is located in the center of the
150 acres, with the ground level building being only a few
thousand square feet, consisting mainly of administrative
offices. All engineering levels are below ground, closer to
the magma. The facility holds 20 geothermal power
generators, each capable of generating 120,000 killowatts
of electricity continuously. Each generator sits directly
atop a shaft that goes between 200 and 500 feet straight
down into a magma flow. There is one generator per level,
given their massive size (each generator shaft is
approximately 40 feet wide, and the generators themselves
are about 200x200x30 feet, *massive* machines). The area
around the generators is excessively hot, and excessively
tangled with a maze and mess of thick electrical wires,
carrying current out to distribution sites across the
mountains, and ultimately into gnomish holding buildings.
The entire area is plastered, quite obviously, with
signs simply illustrated. The illustration is generally of
a stick figure touching something, and exploding, or
vaporizing, or melting, or having some other similar
horrific fate visited upon them. Warnings in common,
gnomish, elven, and even in Goblin and Orcish, read:
"DANGER! EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS! INSTANT DEATH GUARANTEED!
(or your money back)"
The only other location of note on the surface here
is the Recycling Station and the Methane Power Generation
Station, located adjacent to it.
4.7.1 Recycling Station
-----------------------
A smaller facility added on to the side of the
generating facility at a later date, this facility is
located just by the gate on the inside of the walls.
It houses various holding tanks/rooms for garbage and
various substances. Once the room or tank is filled,
it is sealed, and a large rubber tube - measuring about
3 feet in diameter - is attached to the room, and to
an outlet in the wall next to it. The tube leads to
a great iron pipe that leads back to the Methane
power generation site.
The garbage substances are allowed to generate
the gas for some time before being released to the
recycling center proper. Some materials are reclaimed
and used again; such as precious metals (copper, aluminum,
etc). Some are milled up and used to produce other
materials (such as paper). Some are unusable and,
once they stop generating methane, are taken to
the "Dump Chute" - a 100 foot wide chute, leading straight
down into a series of magma flows.
4.7.2 Methane Power Generation Station
--------------------------------------
This is where the methane gas produced by
trash waiting recycling in the Recycling Station is
pumped to generate additional electricity. The
Methane Power Generation Station is responsible for
only about 8% of the power generated and used in the
kingdom, but it is an essential part of the equation
nonetheless. It consists of 2 large generators that
burn the gas to spin large motors which generate
electricity, which is fed back into the master
grid at the Power Generating Station (proper), to which
the MPGS is adjacently located.
5. Government and Politics
-----------------------
5.1 Ruling Body - Gnomish Clan Council
--------------------------------------
The Gnomish Clan Council consists of the family head of
each large gnomish clan. The "large" gnomish clans are the ones
that :
- Originally escaped Alliance enslavement
- Have ammassed considerable wealth, and therefore are
in a position to help (or hurt) the gnomish
holdings with their actions
- Have ammassed a large extended family size (500+) but
are not extremely wealthy
In this way, almost every segment of the population of
Breech is represented - with the notable exception of those
*who are not gnomish*. Non-gnomes can *not* sit on the
council, by its very design. This issue has only been briefly
discussed by councilmen, outside the Council Home, before.
It cannot currently be concieved why a non-gnome would want
to sit on the council; outside of influence from the Western
Kingdom's Royal Trading Company, that is. And the fairly simple
tactic of refusing non-gnomes on the council makes that easy (as
the Royal Trading Company's distrust of gnomes is well known).
Currently, there are 7 clan leaders sitting on the
Council. Presence on the Council is not voluntary; if a clan
falls within the designations above, their leaders are required
by law to be present at all council hearings to speak for their
people. It is also Gnomish law that presence on the council will
provide the person with no special powers or priveleges beyond
their normal status as clan leaders; by law, no single member of
the council has legal power. Rather, the council - acting in
majority - have the power to create, repeal, modify laws, and
manage the finances of the Gnomish Holdings at large. This policy
was created to help curb additional abuses of power seen in the
Western Kingdom at the time of the Clan Leaders' separation.
5.2 Police and Military
-----------------------
The Gnomish Military is designed around the essential
feudal system with some differences. Each Clan maintains its
own fighting force, much the way British lords did in the
olden days. Each clan is required to outfit its army on its
own, but they can petition the Council for additional funding
from the nation's coffers if necessary. When operating,
each clan's unit is under the specific command of that clan.
Therefore, unity of purpose in the Gnomish Holdings is of
ultimate importance; if they saw fit, a clan could take its army
and go home, since they do not take orders from some detached
government entity, but rather from senior clan members to whom
they are directly related.
5.2.1 Gnomish Defense Force
---------------------------
The Gnomish Defense Force is the domestic branch of
the Gnomish Military, tasked with defending Breech and the
outlying foothills. The GDF does not - in general - have
the advanced weaponry, training, and support networks that
the Gnomish Military proper does. The GDF generally
operates in pairs of 2, patrolling the streets. GDF agents
are, in general, armed with short sword and billy club,
short spear and billy club, or light crossbow and billy
club. It is not common to see GDF members operating in
teams of more than 4, and that is only in high crime
areas. The GDF does, however, have a few big guns -
specifically, they have the Machiners. (See new monster,
"The Machiner".) The GDF has a force of 10 Machiners
in reserve. They rarely operate at all, and when they
do, it's generally a terrifying thing to watch.
The Gnomihs Defense Force is the only branch of the
Gnomish Military that breaks free from the clan system;
the Council agreed early on that, in order to provide for
efficient security at home, the safety of the city at large
must take precedence over individual clan interests.
Therefore, a separate command was created - the GDF - and
troops are donated to the GDF in equal number by all clans
(to prevent one clan having an excess of troops in the GDF,
and attempting to stage a coup). The troops in the GDF
are commanded by GDF leaders, and from the council - in
majority - above them.
5.2.2 Gnomish Military Proper
-----------------------------
Generally speaking, the gnomish military is too busy
on the frontier - and other places - to be bothered with
policing Breech itself, and prefer to leave that to the
Gnomish Defense Force. That, however, shouldn't be taken to
believe that the gnomish military never operates
domestically - just that it's extremely rare.
The Gnomish Military headquarters, however, is here
in Breech, as well as the Gnomish Command Center. (Head-
quarters is the administrative branch of command, while the
GCC is the active branch that actually controls troops in
the field). For this reason, there is - in reserve and
on standby - one company of Gnomish Reconnaisance
operatives in Breech (about 200 men), under the direct
command of the GCC. They are only given out to the GDF in
*extremely* dire circumstances; they generally are kept to
protect the Military HQ and the GCC itself in case of
attack. The only activity that the gnomish recon here
in Breech actively engage in on a routine basis is the
patrol and policing of the magma flows (yes, magma flows)
beneath the city to ensure that they are not somehow
being magically penetrated by denizens of the underdark.
The same applies to the various caverns underneath
and around Breech. Naturally, "GCC Duty" for gnomish
recon is not sneezed at - not just anybody has the big
iron balls to go patrolling a magma flow.
6. Economy
----------
Breech has an economy that could be labeled as "sufficient".
There are a few wealthy people in Breech, but for the most part,
everyone is "comfortable". There are various programs ran by the Clan
Council to provide low cost health care, copyright and trademark
protection of valuable assets and products, and all the economic
trappings expected of a high technology / high magic society; yes,
including crooked banks.
6.1 Agriculture in Breech
-------------------------
Little Agricultural activities are performed in Breech
proper outside of the Domes. The city has no soil to speak of,
making agriculture mostly impossible. What little agriculture is
done in breech revolves around research and the herding of
mountain goats/sheep for food stuffs, wool, horn, etc.
6.2 Imports and Exports
-----------------------
The single biggest export of Breech is gnomish weaponry
and engineering devices to Stonehold. They trade with Stonehold
far more than they do with any other nation, and are the only
nation with which Stonehold will trade. Medicines and various
technology are exported to wealthy people and governments in the
Western Kingdom, mostly King Braddock in Throne, and those in
Mast. Beyond that, information and personnel are the largest
export from Breech. Many troops leave from here to join up,
under Clan leadership, with various Western Kingdom armies on
the Frontier. Gnomish Engineers often leave and hire out in the
larger cities of the Western Kingdom, and sometimes work pro-bono
in smaller villages throughout the Kingdom. Gnomish Arcanists
will sometimes - though rarely - be invited to come and visit
with the Elven Archmages in the Elven Protectorate.
The other lesser known exports of Breech are the precious
stones and metals turned up by Dwarves using Gnomish mining
techniques. The dwarves are able to mine so quickly using gnomish
engineering, that the Gnomes worked out an agreement; the Dwarves
purchase gnomish mining equipment at a reduced price in return
for a small cut of whatever is produced from the mines. (This
allows dwarven miners who are down on their luck to purchase
equipment, get back on their feet, and provide additional
continuing revenue to Breech all at the same time. It's a win-win
situation.) Most of the results of this agreement are used here
by the various Guilds, but many of them are exported down towards
Mast and Throne for a hefty profit.
6.3 Domestic Markets in Breech
------------------------------
Breech doesn't have markets like most people think of them;
gone is the Bazaar of Mast. Most needs are filled by a few large
"shopping centers" where a single merchant guild member will
contract the service of various artisans to work and stock the
various "departments" of their stores with the goods they need.
Food is bought in bulk from the farmers in the foothills, and
some in the free frontier, and presented in the "grocery"
department of these stores. Some food is even magically preserved
and smuggled through customs in the Western Kingdom to provide
fresh seafood in Breech, to those willing to pay for it. Many
of these "shopping centers" are open 24 hours per day, seven
days per week, providing a continuously operating economy.
6.4 Currency and Banking in Breech
----------------------------------
The standard currency of Breech, and the entire Gnomish
Holdings, is the standard Gold Piece. On one side, it is graven
with the seal of the Western Kingdom; on the other, the seal of
the Clan Council. "Thus shall it always be recognised, by all
who do business with us, that we are eternally connected to, and
hold respect for, our brethren in the West; while also displaying
obviously and proudly that the Gnomish Holdings are a free and
sovereign entity." The currency of the Western Kingdom proper is
also accepted, but the use of Breech currency is encouraged by
those who intend to reside here long.
The Banking system in breech is above and beyond anything
in the Western Kingdom, and would make the bankers in Throne and
Mast wet their pants. There are 2 or 3 large banks in Breech,
each having large gnomish safes inside. All the banks in the city
are electronically connected, and many of the "shopping centers"
are electronically connected to the banks (which often own the
centers...) in turn. Often money changes hands in Breech without
any coin or chits being present; many locations have small
plates on which a customer can reference their bank account
and transfer money into the account of the shopping center, thus
reducing the amount of cash actually carried on a person. Most
residents of Breech - specifically the more wealthy ones - have
welcomed this system, while many others - Dwarves and low income
gnomish clans specifically - have rejected the system and
refuse to work within it, instead opening traditional banks and
spending money in traditional ways. Even in Breech, and even in
the financial sector, there is still often a divide drawn - when
everyone begins to ponder just how much technology is too much.
7. Notable Non-Government Bodies
--------------------------------
7.1 Thieve's Guilds
-------------------
7.1.1 Gnomish Guild
-----------------
The Gnomish Guild in Breech is part thieves guild,
part separatist organization. They maintain a firm stance
that non-gnomish thieves should not be allowed to operate
inside of Breech, and that when caught they should be dealt
with swiftly - before the law has a chance to swoop in and
save their sorry hides. Non-gnomish thieves don't have the
finesse of a gnomish thief, they don't understand the
technology, and they don't understand the risks inherent
in the city's operations. They just wind up using the same
tactics that work back home where torches and swords are
your biggest problems, and most locks can be defeated with
simple picks, or a prybar. All they do is bring down the
heat on the Gnomish thieves when their idiocy gets them
caught. When the Gnomish Guild catches a non-gnomish thief
operating in the city, they send a simple warning - a
rat skewered on a long knife, delivered in a black box.
"Get out" is the meaning of the warning. If they don't
clear out within a week, the Guild will generally eliminate
them by whatever means are expedient.
Aside from their separatist leanings, the Gnomish
Guild is extremely efficient and is highly wanted by the
Gnomish Defense Force. They live amongst and apart from the
people, using the shadows of the city, the technology and
the magic, to make off with the most choice valuables.
Purses of coin and a rare vase are above the Gnomish Guild
thief; magic items, engineering plans, equipment, all these
are their aims. They will use their catch for their own
ends, or sell it to the highest bidder on open markets.
But even the Gnomish Guild, consisting of some very old
Gnomish Thieves, understands the nature of the situation
at large; anyone caught dealing with monstrous races
is dealt with decisively. Stealing from your neighbors
is one thing, but giving your neighbor's enemy a weapon
against them, is entirely another. The Gnomish Guild has
a strict honor code to which they adhere, despite their
roguish appearance outside. In fact, many Gnomish Thieve's
Guild members are ex-gnomish Recon operatives who decided
this life was much more exciting than going straight.
Much to the surprise of most players, the alignment of the
average thief in the Gnomish Guild is Lawful Neutral.
7.1.2 Other Guilds
------------------
Other guilds will pop up from time to time,
consisting mostly of non-gnomish thieves, due to the
Gnomish guild's separatist leanings. Occasionally there
will be a gnome amongst them; sometimes they are genuinely
interested in working with the others, often times they are
a plant sent there by the Gnomish Guild to bring this new
upstart "mongreloid" guild down from the inside. Non-
gnomish guilds don't generally last more than a year,
and even then they generally aren't all that successful.
7.2 Arcanist Guild
------------------
Not much is known about the Arcanist Guild, other than
that they run the Academy of the Arcane Arts. They're not a
secret society per-se, but most people simply don't have an
interest in what they do. And besides, most of what they do
pertains to arcane research, which is - by necessity - secret.
For the most part, the hierarchy and operations of the Arcanist
Guild is the hierarchy and operations of the Academy.
7.3 Engineering Guild
---------------------
The Engineering Guild serves an obvious purpose; it
provides support to engineering workers in Breech, as well as
providing uniform testing and certification criteria for various
occupations. It also provides legal support to any engineer whose
trademark gnomish careless zeal has resulted in some form of
accident or other legal liability. The Engineering Guild is a
perfectly respectable organization, whose headquarters are
located just outside the Aquifer Pumping Station.
7.4 Merchant's Guild
--------------------
The Merchant's Guild is actually populated, mostly, by
bankers. It is not so much a guild, as a lobbying entity; those
in it have money, and firmly believe that the council should be
doing more for them, to ensure that they get more money.
7.5 Argicultural Guild
-------------------------
The Agricultural Guild is composed entirely of
agriculturalists from the surrounding foothills and countryside,
and is both a lobbying entity and a guild. The agricultural guild
runs its own bank, the First Farmer's Bank of Breech, with
offices scattered across the countryside to assist village
farmers who are having difficulties. It also works to ensure
that those members of the Council who are not actively engaged
in agriculture, are certain of how important agriculture is,
and that they do not rule against agriculture in their court
proceedings. The Agricultural Guild also runs experiments at
the Domes with the cooperation of the Engineers Guild.