Valiant Live Action Role-Play

What is the Valiant Campaign about...

In a world with four major peoples separated by immense natural barriers, a sort of crossroads has been re-discovered. A huge Mesa, high up in the mountains among the clouds is waiting, rich, mysterious, and unsettled. Any of the four nations would benefit greatly by settling the Mesa, having trading access to the rest of the world.

Finding a way onto the Mesa was not easy, but someone did it. Strangely, rather than opening the way for one homeland to settle the new land, they discoverers formed a company and set the terms under which all four nations could take part in a settlement expedition. The terms were essentially; equal representation, settlement run by the Expedition, no interference, and all to benefit.

 All patrons sponsoring the expedition follow a strict set of instructions as to what they may contribute and whom they may offer as a settler. Some of the strictures are known, others have been kept private. It is apparent that cooperation and a balance of power between of all of the lands is considered important to the success of the expedition.

So in short, “model settlers wanted to settle crazy dangerous mesa and tame it for their homelands. Big Rewards promised any survivors”.

The Valiant campaign will follow the story of the settlement. The challenge to our heroes is for the Community to survive. Remember; they would not be called Heroes if the odds were not stacked against them…

[The following should be considered common knowledge to all player characters, essentially a summary of the information they have received from various sources about the Expedition to the Mesa.]

The Selected.

Those permitted to join the settlement permanently are selected for their talents and are required to pass tests of some kind. Additionally each must be fluent in the High Speech. Whatever their native tongue, cant, and dialect, each must be able to clearly speak in the Old Way. The laborers who maintain the settlement’s buildings and raise food will likely only have a halting grasp of the Speech and will be limited in their ability to speak with the others who are elected.

Selected persons may be neither an officer of the Expedition itself, nor a current agent of any national power. Agents of merchant houses may not sell merchandise unless possessing a valid emblem endorsed by the Expedition. The elected [our Heroes] also may not form political or business entities among themselves within the settlement or attempt to usurp the rights of the Expedition.

All selected will register their true name, birthplace and parentage upon The Roles. These will be safeguarded and not shared. As the numbers of selected drawn from each nation are controlled, imposters attempting to appear of another nationality will dealt with severely. i.e. most likely death.

Any crimes committed prior to selection are the purview of the original national authority. Each land will arrange for the collection/extradition of those guilty of said crimes. Acceptance into the settlement does not confer immunity from past offenses.

Crimes committed within the settlement and surrounding areas are subject to the authority of the Expedition under its Charter, as signed by each of the nations collaborating. All nations forfeit right of appeal regarding their citizens in the case of violent crimes. In cases of nonviolent crimes petitions from patron nations will be heard but final judgment is the Expeditions, subject to a time consuming appeal process.

The selected may not transfer household, possessions, followers, livestock, chattel or other goods to the settlement. All possessions imported must be carried on the person or purchased after settlement. Wagons in most cases cannot survive the trip in any event.

The settlement is a free trade zone for its inhabitants. All exchange within the settlement is immune from taxation or duty. Merchants leaving the settlement are still responsible to pay any duties owed to the nations upon re entry to their destination.

What do the Selected Settlers get?

Housing and Provisions

All Selected are guaranteed quarters and ample provision from the stores donated by the patrons of the expedition. All expenses are paid for the escorted caravan to the Mesa itself. If and where possible the remains of any elected who dies en route to or at the settlement will be returned to their household at the expedition’s expense.

Organization of quarters is per Nationality and this will be strictly maintained for the first 72 hours of settlement. After this time individuals may work out amongst themselves where each will stay in the future. The national domiciles will remain and will be maintained according to their own customs. Those dwelling in the Khaldean canton will be obliged to maintain rules for addressing wardings, those among the Easterners will be respectful of their customs.

Grant

            Any household sending a member to the settlement will be given a yearly grant from their government to offset the burden of replacing the contribution of the elected. Grant is paid on the anniversary of their entrance to the settlement and each year they remain living in the settlement. This grant is naturally transferred to heirs and/or kin.

Special Provision

Those joining the first journey to the Mesa will be given access to goods set aside by the patrons of each of the Four. These goods address the great demands of reaching the settlement. Normally larger material assistance for the settlement is forbidden however as these goods will have been donated well in advance and will be controlled, no patron would be able to give their faction an undue advantage. This special store will be presented by the national guide for each land to his or her countrymen.

Trade License

All settlers are given full license to ply any trade for which they show proficiency. No new license or mark of trade is required. Likewise any livestock or crop is theirs to grow and or sell without regard to head tax, tithe, or control.

Out of Character: What is going to go on In Game?

Players in this game will play characters coming from life in their distant homelands and suddenly living among strange foreigners. Players will know little of other’s history, cultures, skills, traditions, and manners. They will be provided with lots of their own homeland’s information to work with.

Each Player Character has a trade and ties to back home; whether they have family, business, or some other personal bond.  The leaders of the Expedition were careful to exclude loners and mercenaries. To earn a spot in the Roles you had to be talented, respected, or somehow demonstrate usefulness over thousands of other applicants. When the time comes to create a character record you will pick at least one skill that counts as a Trade, of which there are many. The campaign world concept does not include a huge class of Adventurers who kill Goblins in Dungeons for gold. Wizards are likely artisans, scribes, village healers, alchemists, performers etc.

Essentially, this small village in the middle of the wilderness will become the most important place in the world, and the players will be steering where it goes. There will be dangers in the environment, old secrets coming to light, rivalries between the nations abroad as well as playing out in the settlement, and on top of that Fate.

The players will have opportunities to earn money trading amongst themselves and visiting traders at market day. Money is useful for alchemy, smithcraft, and perhaps most importantly, information. Valiant does not have in-game Maintenance Costs as the campaign begins due to the stable and safe living conditions of the village.

Mental Adjustments for This Ancient World Campaign:

There is no domesticated horse, chariot, improved roads, or fast messenger.

Horses are small and wild creatures.

There are little to no guilds or bourgeois middle class.

There is no known deep sea navy anywhere. No knowledge of other continents.

There is no printing press.

There is no feudalism; knights, peasant class, serfs.

There are no emperors, though there have been.

Books are handwritten and very rare. Most paper is rough and used in scrolls.

Literacy is widespread purely for convenience of the game.

More significantly, what does this Ancient World Setting do to Roleplay?

Name means everything. There is no welfare, social security, or charitable organizations. A person cannot escape into anonymity unless he is living in and indistinguishable from locals in one of the rare larger cities. Criminals and anyone wantonly breaking law or custom may be shunned or thrown out of a town. Without shelter and people to watch over you while you sleep you will likely die. Only crazies and monsters live out in the wilds. For this reason Outlaws band together into camps.

So, those that want to stay inside a town need to keep a good reputation with enough people that remain welcome. Relying on community so much people find ways to co exist despite stress and conflict, especially on the frontier. If a heated dispute comes to a head a killing may happen, but a killing is not the same as a murder. Murderers are usually ejected immediately by the mob or avenged by a family member or friend of the murdered person.