Cultural Elements

Clan/Cultural Profile

• Economic Specialty - The service or good your clan provides.
• Temples and Shrines - This represents the investment your clan has made in temples and shrines. The importance of this is determined by your clan's Economics: Magic and Piety, as compared to your highest other Economics value.
• Patron Deity
• Territory Size - How much land is possessed by the clan. A clan of average rank will possess around 25,000 acres.
• Land Use - How the territory is used for economic purposes. Expressed as a ration between agriculture, livestock (grazing), and hunting (open).
• Population - Your median population is determined by your land use: cattle production supports 4 people per 100 acres, cultivation 8 people per 100 acres, and hunting 2 people per 100 acres. This is reduced by certain events, or increased by high values of your economic specialty.
• Warriors - This is the number of fulltime, professional warriors your clan maintains. Peaceful clans have fewer than those with the Goal of Conquest, or whose economic speciality is Tribute.
• Slaves - This is your slave population, if your clan has a tradition of taking them.

Fyrd Your fyrd is the group of able-bodied farmers - mostly men, with perhaps a few Vingan, Maran Gor or Babeester Gor warriors for good measure - able to support the weaponthanes in combat, as foot soldiers. They are lightly equipped and armored. As with weaponthanes, the size of the fyrd depend on the relative values of your Peace and Conquest Goals.

Goals Note that it is possible for a clan to have seemingly contradictory goals. This indicates that your clan is divided into opposing factions. To determine the relative strength of the two factions, add the two ratings. Then work out which percentage of the total each separate goal represents.

The Aranwyth clan's top three virtues include Anti-Lunar and Pro-Lunar. Anti-Lunar has a rating of 4; Pro-Lunar is 2. 4/6, expressed as a percentage, is 66%. 2/6 is 33%. One-third of the clan supports the Lunars; two-thirds oppose them.

Values The clan's three highest values are listed in order. Contradictory goals also mean that the clan is factionalized. Other, lesser Values are listed with their ratings in brackets.

• Acceptance: "Whatever the current situation, we can deal with it. It is easier to adapt than to change things."
• Authority: "Someone strong should be in charge and run things. If we are strong, we should be that authority. If we are weak, we don't deserve to be."
• Caution: "It's better to be safe than sorry. Risk is bad."
• Courage: "It is better to die as a hero than live as a coward."
• Generosity: "An Orlanthi measures his greatness by what he can give away."
• Honor: "A good name is more important than anything, and must be earned through righteous action."
• Loyalty: "When you pledge an oath to support someone, you must do so, no matter what the cost."
• Novelty: "New things are good. All the famous leaders of history are remembered for their new innovations."
• Piety: "We are a people of the gods. We must behave as the gods decree."
• Shrewdness: "You can win more with a silver tongue than a bronze sword. Think before you act."
• Tradition: "The old ways are best. If it was good enough for our ancestors, it's good enough for us."
• Vengeance: "If someone wrongs you, make them pay. Take personal action; do not let the lawspeakers deprive you of retribution."

Community Ratings The four ratings described below determine what kind of crises the clan is apt to face in the triggered episodes of your series. See the "Story Arc" chapter for their application. If a player character does something to increase one of these clan ratings during a game session, he can spend 1 plot point to improve its value, just as if he were improving one of his own abilities.

• Wealth Rating - This rating measures your vulnerability to an economic crisis. For most clans, this is related to Goals: Prosperity - Goals: Conquest. If the specialty is Tribute, this is reversed to Goals: Conquest - Goals: Prosperity.
• Threat Rating - This rating tells you how potential enemies see your clan. A high target number means that you are an inviting target for attack. A low target number means that enemies are afraid to deal with you. High values of Economics: Tribute, Goals: Conquest, and Values: Courage increase this rating; Economics: Livestock, Goals: Prosperity, and Values: Acceptance reduce it.
• Morale Rating - The morale rating measures the general mood of clan members. High target numbers mean poor morale; the people will complain to the ring members and seek an improvement in their conditions, or better adherence to the clan's traditional values. When morale is poor, it is hard for the player characters to convince clan members to go along with their plans. Low target numbers mean good morale; the people are content with their leaders and willing to do as they suggest. The clan's morale rating will change frequently during play, increasing when things go well for the clan, and dropping when events turn against them.
• Magic Rating - The significance of the clan magic rating is explained in the magic chapter of the Orlanthi Players Guide