Life in the Campaign Setting (Aëthár; Soul of the Blade supplement)
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[edit] Life in the Campaign Setting
This section has details of what the world is like for those that call it home, including details of the Calendar, Economics and Law.
[edit] The Measurement of Time
Just like in our own world, the people of the Aëthár; Soul of the Blade Campaign Setting measure time by days, months and years, as well as in seconds, minutes and hours. Just like in our own world, measuring time accurately is vital in many important, and I'm sure, interesting ways.
[edit] The day
Just like in the real world, each day consists of 24 consecutive hours (that each consist of 60 minutes, each with 60 seconds), with an average of about 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light per day. Of course, as a round world, the hours of the day do vary depending on season (and occasionally magical fluctuation). On midsummer's day, the day consists of 16 hours of daylight and 8 of night.
Richer people often own watches and clocks to better tell the time of day, and more civilized cities have clock towers (much like "Big Ben" in the city of London, England in our world). Less civilized populations (much like the Aztecs) have no such timepieces, and judge time by the sun and the stars.
There are two calendars used in the Campaign Setting, the Medraëlian calendar (used in Medraël and the Underdark) and the Quetnáltitlochian Calendar, used by the uncouth Aztecs of the southern continent of Quetnáltitloch.
[edit] The Medraëlian Calendar
The Medraëlian Calendar consists of 365 days organised into 12 months; Methedrós, Enálûn, Ethedron, Maïlos, Glethûn, Aëlenah, Aëlenay, Malaïdroth, Enáliös, Melethiös, Angános, ThrAëthár.
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[edit] The Medraëlian Week
The Medraëlian Week consists of seven consecutive days; Manós, Thûenos, Threnáh, Trenû, Grithál, Glithál, Sebrún.
[edit] The Quetnáltitlochian Calendar
The Quetnáltitlochian Calendar has been criticised as "overly complicated" by non-aztec cultures. The Quetnáltitlochian Calendar officially consists of only 360 days, but ends with 5 "unlucky" days when no Aztec does anything unless they can help it, lest their actions go wrong. The Quetnáltitlochian Calendar consists of 18 months of 20 days. These months "rotate" every day, so one day it is one month, the next it is another. For some strange mathmatical reason, the year always consists of twenty differently numbered (1-20) days per month. The 20 Quetnáltitlochian months are (in order);
- Izcalli
- Atlcahualo or Xilomanaliztli
- Tlacaxipehualiztli
- Tozoztontli
- Hueytozoztli
- Toxcatl or Tepopochtli
- Etzalcualiztli
- Tecuilhuitontli
- Hueytecuilhuitl
- Tlaxochimaco or Miccailhuitontli
- Xocotlhuetzi or Hueymiccailhuitl
- Ochpaniztli
- Teotleco or Pachtontli
- Tepeilhiuitl or Hueypachtli
- Quecholli
- Panquetzaliztli
- Atemoztli
- Tititl
There is also a 260 day "ritual" calendar that consists of 20 13 day months that works in much the same fashion;
- Cipactli
- Ehecatl
- Calli
- Cuetzpalin
- Coatl
- Miquiztli
- Mazatl
- Tochtli
- Atl
- Itzcuintli
- Ozomatli
- Malinalli
- Acatl
- Ocelotl
- Quauhtli
- Cozcaquauhtli
- Ollin
- Tecpatl
- Quiahuitl
- Xochitl
[edit] The Measure of Years
Generally, years are counted from the origin of the world. The exact date of existence is under much dispute. Generally, the people of Medraël agree with the elves count of years, while the Aztecs claim that the current age began 750 years after the elven count (and measure time from there), while the people of the east claim that the world began 39 years after the elven count. As such, there are three year counts: Elven, Aztec and Eastern. Elven dates end in En, Aztec in Az and Eastern in Ea.
[edit] Economics
Money works in the same way as any other D&D Campaign Setting- 10 copper pieces to 1 silver piece, 10 silver pieces to 1 gold piece and 10 gold pieces to 1 platinum piece. However, unlike in a standard Campaign Setting, adventurers don't have to worry about how to carry around their many gold pieces, due to a cleaver magical innovation.
[edit] The Spread of Gold Pieces
The gold pieces system has spread all over the world because of it's many advantages. Unlike other currencies, like modern day pounds sterling or US dollars, gold holds it's value. No matter how much gold a country has, one gold piece is always worth one gold piece.
In addition to this, the gold system was first invented a long time ago, and as such it has spread across the world and outlasted other currencies or trade systems that have been tried.
[edit] Transporting Gold and Treasure
Thanks to a magical innovation (although it was invented thousands of years ago), character can carry around their vast hoard without any trouble. The solution is called the [???]- a magic pendant that can store an unlimited amount of money (including items with only a cash value, such as non-magical gems) within a inter-dimensional space, much like a bag og holding. Adventurers, as well as anyone wealthy enough to require one, can request a [???] from their ruler, who is obliged to provide one free of charge. For more details, see [[|here]][[<?--???-->|3.5e]].
[edit] Law
Obviously, you should assume that basic laws are in place in good-aligned societies. The guidelines below can help you decide what activities are unlawful and the general punishment for law-breaking.
[edit] Drow
Most Drow societies are chaotic-evil aligned, and as such usually have only one law: Drow are superior to all others, and to worship other deities than Lolth is heresy. Drow are willing to put "criminals" through any conceivable kind of punishment. Chaotic-Good drow generally follow the elven legal system.
[edit] Dwarves
Dwarves have a very strict legal system with punishments that can vary from imprisonment to decapitation. Dwarven punishments are unusually harsh. However, few dwarves break these laws.
[edit] Elves and Half-Elves
Elves have very basic laws, prohibiting murder (but not slaying in defense) and theft, but the elven kings and lords usually judge crimes on a case-by-case basis, and are willing to leave a potential criminal unpunished if that criminal can justify their actions ("I slew him because he was about to shoot the elfking").
[edit] "Core" Creatures in the Campaign Setting
All creatures from the "Core Rules" exist within the Aëthár; Soul of the Blade Campaign Setting, with the following exceptions:
- Fey (Nymphs, Pixies, Dryads etc.), excluding elves, 4th edition eladrins and drow.
- Elf Subraces, other than elves, 4th edition eladrins and drow.
- Genies.
These creatures do not exist within the Aëthár; Soul of the Blade Campaign Setting. The following creatures do exist, but have additional traits;
- Undead: Undead will never willingly go through, over or less than one mile under flowing water that they are aware of. Creating spawn is a supernatural disease.
- Lycanthorpes: The ability to cause others to become lycanthorpes is a supernatural disease.
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