*comment Choice of Rebels: Uprising written by Joel Havenstone, copyright 2017. *comment Using ChoiceScript (copyright 2010 by Dan Fabulich) under the terms of the ChoiceScript license: *comment http://www.choiceofgames.com/LICENSE-1.0.txt *text_image XoR_title.png center Choice of Rebels *label statsorig *if aristo or helot You are *if lname = "startinglname" *if aristo an *if helot a *if lname != "startinglname" ${fname} ${lname}, *if aristo aristocrat of the Shayard Rim. *if helot *if followers > 0 former helot to House Keriatou. *if followers > 0 *line_break - leader of the *if (rescuer = 0) or ((simon != "") or (kalt != "")) rebellion *if (rescuer > 0) and ((simon = "") and (kalt = "")) Whendward outlaws *if (int = 2) and (theurgy > 1) *line_break - self-described ${wisard} and self-taught dabbler in the arcane arts *if int = 3 *line_break - ${wisard} of the First Kyklos *if int = 4 *line_break - ${wisard} of the Second Kyklos *if int > 4 *line_break - ${wisard} of the Third Kyklos *if alias != "" *line_break You are also known by the alias ${alias}. *if (epithet != "") or (slur !="") [b]Epithets[/b] *line_break *if epithet != "" Called by your followers: *line_break *if eclect Eclect of the Angels *line_break *if liebreaker Lie-Breaker *line_break *if openhanded Open-Handed *line_break *if slur != "" Called by the Thaumatarchy: *line_break *if childkiller Child-Killer *line_break *if shameveined Shame-Veined *line_break *if filthborn Filthborn *line_break *text_image traits.png center Traits [b]Charisma:[/b] *if cha < 0 Not yet defined. *if cha = 0 You're plain-spoken and struggle to win others over. (0) *if cha = 1 You are reasonably persuasive and charming. (1) *if cha = 2 You are inspiring, eloquent, and naturally charming. (2) *line_break [b]Combat:[/b] *if com < 0 Not yet defined. *if com = 0 You're unlikely to win a fight or lead others to victory. (0) *if com = 1 You've practiced the ${weapon} and figured out some basic small-group tactics. (1) *if com = 2 You have an excellent grasp of tactics and fight very well with the ${weapon}. (2) *line_break [b]Intellect:[/b] *if int < 0 Not yet defined. *if int = 0 You're *if helot illiterate, uninformed about most *if helot topics, *if aristo topics and not very strong at reasoning. (0) *if int = 1 *if aristo You have decent reasoning skills and *if helot Though you can't read, your reason and good memory have helped you acquire basic knowledge on a range of topics. (1) *if int = 2 You're *if helot not only literate but widely read on many topics, with an excellent memory and strong reasoning skills. (2) *if hypocrite >= 0 You are popularly seen to be: *if hypocrite >= 0 *stat_chart opposed_pair ruth Ruthless Compassionate opposed_pair skep Skeptical Devout opposed_pair natl Homelander Cosmopolitan *if hypocrite < 0 *stat_chart opposed_pair ruthreal Ruthless Compassionate opposed_pair skepreal Skeptical Devout opposed_pair natlreal Homelander Cosmopolitan *if followers > 0 *text_image followers.png center Followers Your rebellion has so far drawn ${followers} *if (kids > 0) followers, including ${nonkids} adults and ${kids} *if kids > 1 children. *if kids = 1 child. *if (kids <= 0) followers. *if helcamp > 0 Of these, ${helcamp} are currently infiltrating the Rim; the rest remain in the Whendward Hills. *if (cerlota < 0) and (tagmasword) *comment Displays from Week 1-10 of bandits.txt if not in storymode *line_break *if (sa_foll+sc_foll) > 0 Of these, *if (sa_foll) > 0 ${sa_foll} adult outlaws *if (sa_foll > 0) and (sc_foll > 0) and *if (sc_foll) > 0 ${sc_foll} children *if (sa_foll+sc_foll) > 0 are too ill to care for themselves. At current rations, your band will need ${needfood} bushels of barley this week. You have ${foodstore} bushels in your stores. *line_break *if morale >= (followers+20) Morale is exceptionally strong. *if (morale < (followers+20)) and (morale > followers) Morale is strong. *if (morale > ((followers*2)/3)) and (morale <= followers) Morale is generally positive. *if (morale > (followers/2)) and (morale <= ((followers*2)/3)) Morale is struggling. *if (morale <= (followers/2)) and (morale > (followers/3)) Morale is poor. *if morale <= (followers/3) Morale is utterly dismal. *if followers > 0 *text_image resources.png center Resources *if cerlota < 0 *stat_chart text Loot *stat_chart text Wealth text Arms *if blood > 0 *stat_chart text Blood *if (cerlota >= 0) or (not(tagmasword)) *stat_chart text Mules *if (cerlota < 0) and (tagmasword) The band has ${mules} mules. Of these, ${sickmules} *if (sickmules = 0) or (sickmules > 1) are *if (sickmules = 1) is dedicated to the sick. *if freemules = 0 All of your other mules have been committed this week. *if freemules > 0 ${freemules} *if (freemules > 1) have *if (freemules = 1) has not yet been committed to other tasks this week. *if (cerlota < 0) and (tagmasword) It is week *set d2n_num week *gosub d2n of the winter. *line_break *stat_chart text Anarchy *choice #Notable members of your rebellion. *text_image notable_rebels.png center Notable Rebels *if followers = 0 Your rebellion against the Thaumatarch has yet to begin. *page_break *goto statsorig The rebels who will be remembered with you in legend include: *line_break *if (breden < 10) and (breden > 0) - Breden Reaper, charismatic and eloquent helot. *line_break *if radmar > 0 - Radmar Millstone, physically powerful and short-tempered helot. *line_break *if elery > 0 - Elery Skinner, brilliant helot tactician. *line_break *if bandlead = "Diakon Edwer" - Diakon Edwer, renegade priest and leader of your survivors. *line_break *if bandlead = "Alira" - Alira Bowyer, chief tracker and leader of your survivors. *line_break *if bandlead = "Earnn" - Earnn Gamekeep, leader of your survivors. *line_break *if bandlead = "Korszata" - Korszata, renegade Phalangite and leader of your survivors. *line_break *if zvad > 0 - Zvad of Whendward, outlaw and ex-mercenary. *line_break *if (ciels > 0) and (c_rel > 0) - Ciels Gamekeep, expert tracker and fighter. *line_break *if (kalt != "") and (k_rel > 0) - ${kalt} Swineherd, passionate and vengeful helot. *line_break *if (simon != "") and ((s_rel > 0) and (s_rel < 10)) - ${simon} de Firiac, passionate and idealistic noble. *line_break *if bleys > 9 - Bleys Meriwether, former tax collector. *line_break *line_break *if deputy != "" Your deputy is ${deputy}. *line_break *text_image fallen_rebels.png center Fallen Rebels Those who have died for the cause include: *line_break *if kuria = "the greatly mourned" Yourself, ${kuria} ${fname} ${lname}. *line_break *if (breden < 1) or (breden = 5) - Breden Reaper, charismatic *if aristo helot leader. *line_break *if radmar < 0 - Radmar Millstone, physically powerful *if aristo helot fighter. *line_break *if elery < 0 - Elery Skinner, brilliant *if aristo helot tactician *if (elery+300) < 0 and first martyr of kenon *line_break *if zvad < 0 - Zvad of Whendward, outlaw and ex-mercenary. *line_break *if c_rel < 0 - Ciels Gamekeep, expert tracker and fighter. *line_break *if k_rel < 0 - ${kalt} Swineherd, passionate and vengeful helot. *line_break *if s_rel < 0 - ${simon} de Firiac, passionate and idealistic noble. *line_break *if dead > 0 - ${dead} fallen followers who trusted in your leadership, including ${kidsdead} *if kidsdead != 1 children. *if kidsdead = 1 child. *page_break *goto statsorig #How others see you. *text_image reputation.png center Reputation *if followers = 0 At the moment, the helots, yeomen, nobility, priests, and merchants of Shayard have little reason to think of you one way or another. *page_break *goto statsorig HELOTS: *line_break *if cred_h > 299 You are on the way to becoming a helot folk hero. *line_break *if (cred_h < 300) and (cred_h > 200) Though most helots still don't trust you, your popularity and credibility as a leader are slowly growing. *line_break *if (cred_h < 201) and (cred_h > 99) *if aristo Most helots see you only as one of their traditional oppressors. It will not be easy for you to gain the credibility to lead a broad-based helot rebellion. *if helot Most of your fellow helots are afraid that your rebellion will only make life harder for them. Almost none believe that you will actually liberate them. *line_break *if (cred_h < 100) and (cred_h > 0) *if aristo Despite your struggle against the Thaumatarchy, most helots despise you and do not trust you at all. *if helot You are loathed by your fellow helots as a traitor to your own kin. *line_break *if cred_h < 1 The helots abhor you, and would like nothing more than to see the Theurges catch you and run you through a Harrower. *line_break *line_break YEOMANRY: *line_break *if cred_y > 299 You are on the way to becoming a folk hero to the yeomanry. *line_break *if (cred_y < 300) and (cred_y > 200) Though most of the rural yeomanry still don't trust you, your popularity and credibility as a leader are slowly growing. *line_break *if (cred_y < 201) and (cred_y > 129) *if aristo Most yeomen see you only as one of their traditional oppressors. It will not be easy for you to gain the credibility to lead a broad-based rural rebellion. *if helot Most of the yeomen are as afraid that a helot rebellion will end up as an orderless horde trying to take their land. They don't believe that you're on their side. *line_break *if (cred_y < 130) and (cred_y > 0) *if aristo Despite your struggle against the Thaumatarchy, most yeomen despise you and do not trust you at all. *if helot You are loathed by the yeomen for making their lives and livelihoods even more precarious. *line_break *if cred_y < 1 The yeoman use crude effigies of you for archery practice. *line_break *line_break ARISTOCRATS: *line_break *if cred_a > 299 You have sympathizers and supporters across a surprisingly broad range of dissatisfied aristocrats. *line_break *if (cred_a < 300) and (cred_a > 200) Most aristocrats *if helot scorn you as a helot and abhor your rebellion, but a handful are growing cautiously sympathetic. *line_break *if (cred_a < 201) and (cred_a > 99) *if aristo You are unpopular with your fellow aristocrats - those who have heard of your little rebellion, anyway. *if helot The aristocracy hold you in contempt as a helot upstart. *line_break *if (cred_a < 100) and (cred_a > 0) *if aristo You are loathed by your fellow aristocrats as a bloody-handed traitor to your own kin. *if helot The aristocracy despise and fear you as a rebel helot who threatens their privilege and property. *line_break *if cred_a < 1 You are the object of rabid hatred by the aristocracy, who will stop at nothing to see you hunted down and killed. *line_break *line_break PRIESTS: *line_break *if cred_p > 299 Many Shayardene priests secretly believe the Angels are on your side. *line_break *if (cred_p < 300) and (cred_p > 200) *if anarchy > 0 In public, all Ecclesiasts revile you as a rebel and servant of Xaos. However, you *if anarchy = 0 You are known to be personally devout, which wins you a small degree of credibility with some in the priesthood. *line_break *if (cred_p < 201) and (cred_p > 99) The priests of Xthonos dislike you for your impious offenses against the Hegemony and its religion. *if (theuknown > 9) and (int > 1) In particular, your public displays of Theurgy have led them to accuse you of trafficking with dark powers. *line_break *if (cred_p < 100) and (cred_p > 0) You have made the priests of Xthonos your implacable enemies. They preach against you not just as a rebel leader, but as one of vile Xaos' foremost earthly servants. *line_break *if cred_p < 1 The Ecclesiasts consider you to be Xaos incarnate. All across the Hegemony, prayers are offered hourly for your demise. *line_break *line_break MERCHANTS: *line_break *if cred_m > 299 A growing number of merchants hope your rebellion succeeds in toppling the corrupt, extortionate Thaumatarchy. *if (cred_m < 300) and (cred_m > 200) While most merchants think your rebellion is bad for business, a few of them see opportunities in working with you. *if (cred_m < 201) and (cred_m > 99) The few merchants who have heard of your rebellion regard you as a bandit and hope the authorities take care of you quickly. *if (cred_m < 100) and (cred_m > 0) The merchants of the Hegemony loathe you for your merciless banditry. *if cred_m < 1 The Traders' Guild has offered two large chests of gold to anyone who brings in your head. *page_break *goto statsorig #World Index. Throughout your childhood and youth, you never left your rural corner of Shayard province. You didn't know much about the rest of the Karagond Hegemony—still less about the other lands beyond the Great Border Wards. But there are some general details that everyone knows in your corner of the Hegemony. *temp tick 0 *label info *if tick = 1 *line_break *line_break Do you want information about anything else? *set tick 1 *choice #Summary. The discovery four centuries ago of [b]Theurgy[/b]—magic fuelled by other people's blood—allowed the small nation of Karagon to conquer its neighboring realms and unite them under a Karagond Hegemony. The [b]Thaumatarch[/b], mightiest of the Theurges, now holds unchecked authority over a vast domain. His Theurges systematically harvest the blood of [b]helots[/b], the Hegemony's lowest caste, using extraction machines called Harrowers. Through a secret process, they then refine it into "aetherial" blood, which can be used for Theurgy. Much of it goes to fuel the nine Great Border [b]Wards[/b] that seal off the Karagond Hegemony from its external enemies. Like all four provinces of the Hegemony, your home of [b]Shayard[/b] is governed by an [b]Archon[/b] chosen by the Thaumatarch. Archon Phrygia Leilatou comes from a particularly favored Shayardene noble family, which has stayed on top for more than two decades. The provincial nobility is kept in check by institutions of the Hegemony, such as the [b]Ecclesiasts[/b] (priests who judge wrongdoers and preach submission to authority), the [b]Alastors[/b] (armed and brutal law enforcement squads), and the [b]Kryptasts[/b] (an order of Hegemonic assassin-spies who infiltrate suspected hives of sedition). The Hegemony's religion centers on the Karagond [b]Canon[/b], which spells out in great detail how people should behave. It was revealed by the Merciful [b]Angels[/b], who emanate from [b]Xthonos[/b], source of all order and purpose. [b]Xaos[/b], the Enemy of Xthonos, tries endlessly to consume Xthonos's orderly realm but cannot ultimately prevail. Anyone who speaks against the Hegemony or the Theurges is accused of serving Xaos—as you inevitably will be. *goto info #History. *text_image history.png center History Nearly four centuries ago, the philosophers and alchemists of the small dominion of Karagon perfected the art of Theurgy. Before the Theurgic Revolution, there had always been magi who shed their own blood to accomplish impossible feats—usually at the cost of their lives. But the Karagonds were the first to discover how to refine other people's blood into a fuel for magic. From that point, Theurges were no longer limited by how much of their own lifeblood they could lose. Wielding previously unimaginable power, the Theurges of Karagon began demanding tribute and territory from their neighbors. Their leader, Hera the Immortal, eventually declared herself Thaumatarch and promised to unite the whole world as one Hegemony. Over the next eighty years, her forces conquered the four realms surrounding Karagon and laid waste to another. Following the shock of Hera's assassination, however, the Karagond Hegemony turned inward. To shut out external enemies, the second Thaumatarch created the Great Wards: invisible walls through which no weapon nor magic can pass. These now surround the entire Hegemony as well as each of its five principal cities. Keeping these Wards up requires a huge supply of refined blood. The Theurges travel throughout the Hegemony's four provinces with extraction machines called Harrowers, harvesting blood from the lower classes in the name of protecting civilization from the chaos outside the Wards. This has sparked many revolts over the years, but all of them have been crushed promptly, forcefully, and (so far) successfully. The third Thaumatarch, Kleitos, has reigned for nearly a century now without any serious prospect of losing power. *goto info #Geography. *text_image geography.png center Geography In the dry, rugged heart of the Hegemony lies Karagon, smaller than its four subject provinces but far richer both economically and culturally. You've never been to the capital city, Aekos, but you've heard stories about its wonders, especially the Floating Palace of the Thaumatarch—a hovering mountain of marble connected to Aekos below it by a dozen gossamer stairways. You were born and raised in the southern province of Shayard, a temperate country of rolling, forested hills and rich farmland. To the north is frigid Nereal, to the east craggy Errets, and to the west the imposing mountains of Whendery (which you can see from your town on a clear day). At least, those are the good solid Shayardene names you grew up using. You're aware that to their natives, the other provinces are known as Nyryal, Erezza, and Wiendrj—but to most Shayardenes, those names sound and look ridiculous. There are even stranger realms beyond the Hegemony's Border Wards. Past Shayard to the south is the Abhuman Federation, a land of deserts and dense jungles inhabited by tribes of nomadic werebeasts who can adopt half-animal forms. There's an uneasy peace between the Karagonds and the Abhumans. You've heard about them visiting the Merchant's Pale in Shayard City, the small quarter where outsiders are allowed to come and trade. The Halassurq Empire in the far east, by contrast, has spent much of the past three centuries at war with Karagon. Even in times of truce, as in your childhood, there were frequent Theurgic clashes across the hotly disputed Errets-Halassur border. Elsewhere, the Wards hold back nightmares. To the west, cradling Shayard and Whendery, are the Xaos-lands, where devastating wild magic Storms perpetually wrack the land. Anyone crossing that Ward would have their soul stripped away even before their body was destroyed. And you've heard whispers of even worse in the distant north—a kingdom of the unquiet dead. *if fname = "" (In the course of your revolt, some of the key choices you face will hinge on your feelings toward other provinces and outsiders. Do you just dream about seeing your own homeland freed from the Thaumatarch's yoke, or the other kingdoms as well? Do foreigners alarm you, or are you fascinated by the wealth of unique knowledge they have to offer?) *goto info #Politics. *text_image politics.png center Politics To some extent, the Hegemony's provinces are still governed by their own local nobility. Each district has an aristarch, or foremost noble, whose family is responsible for collecting taxes and keeping order. The provincial governor, or Archon, is usually chosen by the Thaumatarch from this upper tier of loyal gentry. Once appointed, provincial governors remain in power until their death or the Thaumatarch's displeasure. The current Archon of Shayard, Phrygia Leilatou, comes from a particularly favored family; despite constant intrigues by rival aristarchs, the Leilatou have governed your home province for the past twenty-two years, through three successive Archons. The power of the provincial nobility is kept in check by institutions of the Hegemony which extend across all of the provinces. These include the Ecclesiasts (priests who judge heretics and preach submission to authority), the Alastors (armed and brutal law enforcement squads), and the Kryptasts (an order of assassin-spies who infiltrate suspected hives of sedition). Under normal circumstances, the Archon of a province is in charge of deploying its Alastors and Ecclesiasts. But the Hegemonic institutions also have separate hierarchies which can override an Archon's order. When you were twelve years old, you remember hearing that Pan Mieszk, the Archon of Whendery (the province to your west) had been stripped of his office by the Thaumatarch after repeated public clashes with the province's Archimandrite (high priest). Mieszk died in his bed soon afterward. Rumor had it he was poisoned by a Kryptast. In any legal dispute or political struggle, the Thaumatarch's word is final. You've heard talk of "the Nine," his inner council of Theurges, but their best-known responsibility is upholding the nine Border Wards. Although the Hegemony has a religiously grounded common law, the Karagond Canon, it's clear that the Thaumatarch is not bound by this or any other law. *goto info #Society. *text_image society.png center Society Karagond culture has always recognised two main classes of people: aristocrats (whose nature is to rule) and helots (whose nature is to serve). The helots are tied to the noble family that owns them, with no rights beyond their masters' whims. When the Theurges of Karagon discovered how to fuel their sorcery with other people's blood, they naturally began harvesting blood from their helots. As they conquered other nations, they imposed their caste structure there, too. In most of the provinces, the existing nobility were happy to accept the Karagond system if it spared them from the Harrowing. Like the other provinces, Shayard has lost much of its indigenous culture over the centuries. The Old Tongue, Shayarin, has been largely overtaken by the common [i]Koine[/i] dialect of Karagond. The Karagond terms "kuria" and "kurios" have almost completely replaced the old "milady" and "milord." Some Shayardene nobles have made a point of keeping traditional family names and clothes, others have enthusiastically assimilated to Karagond "high" culture—especially those who were not noble before the Karagond Conquest but were rewarded with aristocrat status for joining the invaders. Not everyone in the Hegemony is a noble or helot. There is a significant tradesfolk class of merchants and artisans, as well as smallholder farmers (called yeomen in Shayard and [i]kleroi[/i] in Karagon). But the merchants' wealth and power are limited by high taxes and restrictions on how much land they can own. You've heard the tradesfolk of your town grumble that all the rules and quotas of their Guilds are designed to make sure the Karagonds stay richer than anyone from their subject nations. For many girls and boys from this class, becoming a priest or Alastor is their best hope of advancement. Gender is the only aspect of Karagond society that is relatively egalitarian. Over centuries of domination by Theurges, differences in average physical strength between the sexes have lost any political significance. Real power stems from Theurgy, priesthood, and connections to those sources of authority. *goto info #Religion. *text_image religion.png center Religion The religion of Karagon venerates Xthonos, That Which Is—a detached, impersonal, and omnipotent deity which is the source of all order and purpose. Xaos, the Enemy of Xthonos, tries endlessly to consume Its orderly realm but cannot ultimately prevail. Xthonos's emanations include the Merciful Angels, benevolent entities who elevated humanity above the other earthy beasts by forming human souls from the elements of air and fire. The Angels are the personal benefactors of humanity: delivering revelations, rewarding order, punishing chaos, responding to prayer. The Codex of Liturgy, which the Ecclesiasts claim is the authoritative revelation from the Angels, spells out in great detail the Canon of Laws by which all humans should behave. The religions of the other provinces were suppressed centuries ago, to the point where only traces of their memories remain. This does not mean that all the provinces have fully accepted the Ecclesiasts' dogma, however. The northern province of Nereal is notoriously full of skeptics, who argue that the world shows no signs of an overarching Order or Divinity. Many Whends still secretly revere the Forgotten Gods. In your home province, many people still whisper that before the Karagond conquest, the Angels gave their true revelation in Shayard. According to this seditious tradition, the Karagond Ecclesiasts had to rewrite the original Canon of Xthonos three times to justify Hegemonic rule and Theurgic bloodletting. Documents claiming to be the original, more compassionate "Shayardene Codex" occasionally surface, but anyone found with a copy faces execution. *if fname = "" (In the course of your revolt, some of the key choices you face will hinge on your relationship to the Karagond religion you were raised with. Like the Nere skeptics, have you come to see it as a fraud that just helps keep frightened people in line and justify Karagond atrocities? Or are you a devout believer in Xthonos, but one who thinks that the true will of the merciful Angels has been distorted by the Ecclesiasts?) *goto info #Magic. *text_image magic.png center Magic Theurgy is a mystery. According to the Ecclesiasts, it is a gift of power from the Blessed Angels to especially worthy individuals who can be trusted to defend Xthonos's sacred Order. For anyone not chosen by the Angels, attempting Theurgy is a grave sin. There's an old-fashioned word, "goete," for a black magician who consorts with Xaos-demons to duplicate the results of Theurgy; "the Abomination of Goety" is one of the worst crimes listed in the Karagond Canon. The one thing everyone knows about Theurgy is that it requires blood. Harrowers yield rarefied "aetherial" blood, which is particularly potent. The reasons for its potency are rumored to be both sacrificial (drawing power from the anguish of the victims) and alchemical (involving a closely guarded refinement process). Theurges generally keep bandoliers equipped with dozens of small phials, which they pour or break into their hands to fuel their powers. As long as their blood supply holds out, Theurges can move people or objects, heal illness, fly, turn people to dust, conjure immense fireballs out of oil of vitriol, and a wide range of other marvels. Most of the Theurgy you've heard of is fleeting, quickly consuming the blood that fuels it. Some spells have permanent effects; the Hegemony's Plektoi shock troops are Theurgically altered giants with leathery skin and stone-hard bones. But making Changes of that sort is supposed to require much more blood. It's almost impossible to imagine the quantities required to maintain a massive enchantment like the Border Wards or the Floating Palace of the Thaumatarch. You wouldn't have thought there was that much blood in the entire population of the Hegemony. *goto info #Glossary - A-E. *text_image glossary.png center Glossary [b]Abhumans[/b]: the nomadic werebeasts who live in the jungles and deserts to the south of Shayard. They have a loose federation, rather than any centralized government. The Karagonds call them half-demon servants of Xaos, but still trade with them. [b]Acron[/b]: "Edge" or "Rim" in Karagond—the name given by the Hegemony to the district of the Outer Rim. [b]Aekos[/b]: the Hegemony's capital, in the northeast of the realm of Karagon. [b]Alastor[/b]: "avenger," a law enforcer with powers to carry out summary punishments (up to and including execution) for violations of Karagond law. Most Alastors are garrisoned in cities, towns, and along major trade routes. Notorious for extortion and corruption. [b]Angels[/b]: in Karagond religion, the celestial benefactors of humanity, who help humans resist Xaos and live up to their best nature. [b]Archimandrite[/b]: a provincial high priest. [b]Architelone[/b]: A Hegemonic High Tax Collector. [b]Archon[/b]: a provincial governor appointed by the Thaumatarch. [b]Aristarch[/b]: the foremost noble of a district, whose family is responsible for tax collection and keeping order. [b]Bonetree[/b]: a scaffold in each provincial capital where the remains of rebels, blasphemers, and other grave criminals are displayed for the edification of the populace. [b]Canon[/b]: the rules of Xthonos's sacred order, as delivered by Angels, written in the Codex of Liturgy, and authoritatively interpreted by the Ecclesiasts. The Karagond Canon guides all human behavior in great detail, and is enforced by Alastors. [b]Cleruchy[/b]: a colony city of Karagon, where Karagond settlers dominate and the entire indigenous population has been reduced to the status of helots and drudges. Reserved for areas where the native ruling class refused to accept Karagond rule. [b]Codex of Liturgy[/b]: the primary Karagond Scripture, in which the Canon of Xthonos is written down. [b]Conte[/b]: how traditional Shayardenes sometimes refer to their Archon (based on calling the province a Conty/Archonty, after the Karagond "archontia"). [b]Decadrachm[/b]: a ten-drachem silver coin. [b]Diakon[/b]: low-level priest, who administers the sacraments of the Angels to helots and drudges. [b]Drachem[/b]: a silver coin, roughly equivalent to a day's wage. [b]Drudges[/b]: helots or captured slaves put to work in factories or mines. Less likely than rural helots to face Harrowing, but more likely to be worked to death. [b]Ecclesiast[/b]: a priest of Xthonos and the Blessed Angels. Responsible for teaching the Canon, judging heretics, and leading community ceremonies, including Harrowings. Addressed as "hieros/hiera," or Holiness. [b]Eclect[/b]: the Chosen of the Angels. In Karagond religion, "the Eclectoi" are the Thaumatarch and the Nine Ennearchs, who have been given a special calling and authority by the Angels to sustain the Order of Xthonos. [b]Elysia[/b]: in Karagond religion, the celestial home of the Angels, where the obedient will be revived to enjoy a joyous afterlife. [b]Ennearch[/b]: one of the Nine, the Thaumatarch's inner council of Theurges. Each is responsible for one of the nine great Border Wards. [b]Errets/Erezza[/b]: the eastern province of the Hegemony. Its people are known as Erretsins in Shayard, and call themselves Erezziano. *goto info #Glossary - F-O. *text_image glossary.png center Glossary [b]Forgotten Gods[/b]: the deities worshipped by the Whends before the Karagond conquest. [b]Goete[/b]: a practitioner of dark magic; according to the Ecclesiasts, one who tries to engage in Theurgy without the blessing of the Angels, and thus has to consort with Xaotic powers. [b]Grand Shayard[/b]: the capital city of Shayard, also called Shayard City. [b]Halassur[/b]: the great rival Empire to the east, bordering Errets/Erezza. [b]Hegemony[/b]: the area controlled by the Thaumatarch, currently comprising Karagon and the four provinces of Nyryal, Whendery, Shayard, and Erezza. [b]Harrowing[/b]: the regular harvest of helot blood by Theurges. [b]Helots[/b]: the largest and lowest class of people in the Karagond Hegemony. According to Karagond ideology, their nature is to serve, and their primary ethical duty is self-sacrifice. [b]Helsday[/b]: the first day of the week, on which Ecclesiasts hold communal rites of reverence for Xthonos and Its Angels. See "Week." [b]Hiera/hieros[/b]: the form of address for an Ecclesiast. [b]Imprest books[/b]: books made with a press, which allows rapid production of hundreds of identical copies. A [i]techne[/i] permitted only in Karagon itself. [b]Jongler[/b]: a Shayardene traveling storyteller and minstrel. [b]Karagon[/b]: the small, wealthy country at the heart of the Karagond Hegemony. [b]Karagond Canon[/b]: the religious and moral laws of the Hegemony, interpreted by the Ecclesiasts and enforced by the Alastors. [b]Kentarch[/b]: a Phalangite rank. Captain of roughly 100 soldiers. [b]Kenon[/b]: emptiness, void, the absence of matter. A Karagond philosophical concept. [b]Koine[/b]: the common tongue of the Hegemony—a simplified version of the Karagond language, incorporating many loan-words from its subject nations. [b]Kryptast[/b]: an assassin-spy of the Hegemony who infiltrates groups suspected of sedition (particularly among nobles). [b]Kyklos[/b]: "circle," the system of rank used by most guilds/syntechnia, starting at First Kyklos for novices and continuing to Fourth Kyklos for the masters. Criteria for rising a circle vary from guild to guild. [b]Laconniers[/b]: a secret order of Shayardene nobles, reputed to be protecting the bloodline of the old Sovereigns of Shayard (through the last known prince, Coram de Syrnon, who vanished into the Forest of Laconne). [b]Lykeion[/b]: the Thaumatarch's school of Theurgy in Aekos. [b]Merchant's Pale[/b]: the small area in each border city or provincial capital where traders from outside the Hegemony are allowed to reside and trade. Traffic between the Merchants' Pales is tightly controlled and heavily taxed. [b]Mullow[/b]: a herb, commonplace in Shayard, which is known to sedate the homunculi in both male and female seed and thus prevent conception. Forbidden to helots. [b]Mystikon[/b]: the headquarters of the Kryptasts in Aekos. An institution about which much is rumored and almost nothing known. [b]Naos[/b]: temple or shrine. Most villages will have a Naos Xthonos of some size. [b]Nereal/Nyryal[/b]: the northern province of the Hegemony. Its people are known as Neres in Shayard and call themselves the Nyr. [b]Old Tongue[/b]: see "Shayarin." [b]Omphalos[/b]: literally, navel. The symbol of the Karagond Hegemony, which considers itself the navel or center of the world. Most simply drawn as a black crossed circle, though in more elaborate versions, additional crosses and a spiral may be added. *goto info #Glossary - P-Z. *text_image glossary.png center Glossary [b]Pandocheion[/b]: A Hegemonic fortified inn, found in wilderness stretches of the major trade routes, where caravans can pay to spend the night under Alastor protection. [b]Phalangites[/b]: the Hegemonic army, garrisoned along the borders and in the major cities. Generally drawn from the nobility, unlike the Alastors who tend to be common-born. Most are deployed in the east to battle the Halassurq Empire; the garrisons in other provinces are only called on to defend the Hegemony in extreme circumstances. [b]Plektoi[/b]: "the Twisted," Hegemonic shock troops whose bodies have been altered by Theurgy. [b]Pygmachia[/b]: "fist-fighting," a Karagond unarmed martial art which (in refined form) is now practiced by nobles throughout the Hegemony. [b]Rhupos[/b]: the Koine word for filth, literally "earwax." Used by the ${nere}s as an oath, rather than swearing by Xthonos. [b]Rimmersford[/b]: a small city that serves as administrative center of the Shayard Rim. Several days' journey from Rim Square, your own home town. [b]Shayard[/b]: your home province, the southernmost in the Hegemony. Its regions include the Rim (on the border with Whendery and the Xaos-lands), the fertile Westriding and prosperous Southriding, the Coast in the east, and the Reach in the north. Its capital is Grand Shayard, also known as Shayard City. [b]Shayardene Codex[/b]: a document purporting to be the original revelation of Xthonos's Order by the Angels, before the Karagonds supposedly edited it into their pro-Hegemonic, pro-Harrowing Codex of Liturgy. Any copy found is destroyed and its owner executed for blasphemy and sedition. [b]Shayarin[/b]: the traditional language of Shayard. Largely but not entirely displaced by the Karagond Koine or common tongue. [b]Stater[/b]: a gold coin worth one hundred drachems. [b]Strategos[/b]: a Phalangite rank. A general commanding an army of several thousand soldiers. A province's Alastor commander will also have the rank of Strategos. [b]Syntechnia[/b]: guild. Most major trades in the Karagond Hegemony have a syntechnia and try to restrict any practice of that trade by non-guild-members. [b]Tagmatarch[/b]: a Phalangite rank. Commander of roughly 300 soldiers. [b]Talismans[/b]: a handful of immensely sacred, near-mythical objects that allow a Theurge to wield Angelic power without shedding blood. Used by some Eclect heroes in the stories of the Codex, and reportedly by the Thaumatarch and some Ennearchs today. [b]Taratur[/b]: in Karagond religion, the infernal domain of Xaos, where the wicked and rebellious will be tormented after death before being consumed by the void. [b]Techne[/b]: a machine-assisted process that accomplishes a task more quickly, reliably, and/or at greater scale than merely human effort could do. Generally powered by Theurgy, and much more common in Karagon than elsewhere in the Hegemony. Examples include Harrowers and the presses used to make imprest books. Every techne is believed to have been revealed by the Angels. [b]Telone[/b]: tax collector. They live in the rural towns, keeping an eye on harvests, trade, and the houses of the nobility, and advise the traveling Architelone on the appropriate tax amounts. Widely loathed as spies. [b]Telos[/b]: purpose, final end. A critical concept in Karagond philosophy. [b]Thaumatarch[/b]: the absolute ruler of the Karagond Hegemony. [b]Theurgy[/b]: magic fuelled by blood. An art perfected by the Karagonds, though there are also quite a few non-Karagond Theurges. See "Magic" for more details. [b]Turmarch[/b]: a Phalangite rank. Commander of a tourma, or brigade, of roughly 2,000 soldiers. [b]Ward[/b]: Theurgy used to repel or protect. The Great Border Wards (or, in Karagond, the [i]Paradeisos[/i]) are invisible walls along the Hegemonic border and around all the major cities, which do not permit weapons or magic to pass. [b]Week[/b]: the Karagond seven-day week has been adopted across the Hegemony. In Shayard, the days are known as Helsday, Selday, Astreday, Bronday, Thalsday, Petreday, and Pyreday. [b]Whendery/Wiendrj[/b]: the western province of the Hegemony. Its people are known as Whends in Shayard and call themselves Wiends. [b]Xaos[/b]: in Karagond religion, the force of destruction and unmaking, personified as the Enemy of Xthonos. [b]Xaos-lands[/b]: the wilderness across the Hegemony's western borders, wracked by wild magic storms which destroy or transform everything in their path. One of the major reasons for the Great Border Wards is to keep Xaos-storms from breaking into the civilized realms. [b]Xthonos[/b]: the One Deity worshiped by the Karagonds. "That Which Is": an impersonal, irresistible Force which is the source of all Order and Purpose. *goto info #Back to stats. *goto statsorig #Content warnings. While not all content will appear on any single playthrough, [i]Choice of Rebels[/i] includes detailed descriptions of violence, non-graphic sexual content, parental abuse, violent death of children, sexual coercion, traumatic animal death, and suicide, as well as offensive language. *page_break *goto statsorig *label d2n *set display_numb "" *set thousands 0 *set hundreds 0 *set tens 0 *set single 0 *if d2n_num = 0 *set display_numb "zero" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num < 0 *set display_numb "${d2n_num}" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num > 999 *set display_numb "${d2n_num}" *goto finish_d2n *if (d2n_num modulo 1) > 0 *set display_numb "${d2n_num}" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num < 10 *set single d2n_num *goto single_digit *label thousands_digit_addition_repeat *comment leaving this here in case we want to switch the thousands back on *if d2n_num > 999 *set d2n_num -1000 *set thousands +1 *goto thousands_digit_addition_repeat *label hundreds_digit_addition_repeat *if d2n_num > 99 *set d2n_num -100 *set hundreds +1 *goto hundreds_digit_addition_repeat *if (d2n_num > 9) and (d2n_num < 20) *goto skip_tens_and_singles *label tens_digit_addition_repeat *if d2n_num > 9 *set d2n_num - 10 *set tens + 1 *goto tens_digit_addition_repeat *set single d2n_num *label skip_tens_and_singles *if thousands = 1 *set display_numb "one thousand" *if thousands = 2 *set display_numb "two thousand" *if thousands = 3 *set display_numb "three thousand" *if thousands = 4 *set display_numb "four thousand" *if thousands = 5 *set display_numb "five thousand" *if thousands = 6 *set display_numb "six thousand" *if thousands = 7 *set display_numb "seven thousand" *if thousands = 8 *set display_numb "eight thousand" *if thousands = 9 *set display_numb "nine thousand" *if ((thousands > 0) and ((tens > 0) or (single > 0))) and ((hundreds < 1) and (d2n_num < 10)) *set display_numb &" and" *goto tens_digit *if ((thousands > 0) and (d2n_num > 9)) and (((hundreds < 1) and (tens < 1)) and (single < 1)) *set display_numb &" and" *goto tens_digit *if ((thousands > 0) and ((tens > 1) and (single > 0))) and (hundreds < 1) *set display_numb &" and" *goto tens_digit *if (thousands > 0) and ((hundreds > 0) and ((tens > 0) or ((single > 0) or (d2n_num > 9)))) *set display_numb &"," *if (thousands > 0) *set display_numb &" " *if hundreds = 1 *set display_numb &"one hundred" *if hundreds = 2 *set display_numb &"two hundred" *if hundreds = 3 *set display_numb &"three hundred" *if hundreds = 4 *set display_numb &"four hundred" *if hundreds = 5 *set display_numb &"five hundred" *if hundreds = 6 *set display_numb &"six hundred" *if hundreds = 7 *set display_numb &"seven hundred" *if hundreds = 8 *set display_numb &"eight hundred" *if hundreds = 9 *set display_numb &"nine hundred" *if ((hundreds > 0) and (tens < 1)) and ((single > 0) or (d2n_num > 9)) *set display_numb &" and" *label tens_digit *if (hundreds > 0) *set display_numb &" " *label teens *if d2n_num = 10 *set display_numb &"ten" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 11 *set display_numb &"eleven" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 12 *set display_numb &"twelve" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 13 *set display_numb &"thirteen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 14 *set display_numb &"fourteen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 15 *set display_numb &"fifteen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 16 *set display_numb &"sixteen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 17 *set display_numb &"seventeen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 18 *set display_numb &"eighteen" *goto finish_d2n *if d2n_num = 19 *set display_numb &"nineteen" *goto finish_d2n *if tens = 1 *bug Should not be reachable *if tens = 2 *set display_numb &"twenty" *if tens = 3 *set display_numb &"thirty" *if tens = 4 *set display_numb &"forty" *if tens = 5 *set display_numb &"fifty" *if tens = 6 *set display_numb &"sixty" *if tens = 7 *set display_numb &"seventy" *if tens = 8 *set display_numb &"eighty" *if tens = 9 *set display_numb &"ninety" *if (single > 0) and (tens > 0) *set display_numb &"-" *label single_digit *if single = 1 *set display_numb &"one" *if single = 2 *set display_numb &"two" *if single = 3 *set display_numb &"three" *if single = 4 *set display_numb &"four" *if single = 5 *set display_numb &"five" *if single = 6 *set display_numb &"six" *if single = 7 *set display_numb &"seven" *if single = 8 *set display_numb &"eight" *if single = 9 *set display_numb &"nine" *label finish_d2n *if not(np) ${display_numb} *set np false *return