General Directory
Magic
Magic is a part
of everyday life in Velitrium, it is part of the very fabric that binds
the society together. Whether it be the Arcane magic of Wizards
and
Mages, the Divine Miracles of Mitra or the mysterious Powers of the
Druids it is accepted as a part of the real world.
Because of this,
displays of magical power do not inspire the kind of mind numbing awe
that they would in more mundane worlds. That is not to say that it
doesn't garner respect and even generate fear. But this is not
some
simple superstitious dread! Aside from the obvious fear of the
destructive potential of many a spell, virtually everybody has
seen,
or knows somebody who knows somebody, who saw, a spell go bad!
Consequently,
though Mages and Wizards are highly respected and treated with great
care, much as one might treat a Kung Fu Master, having one in town is
both a curse and a blessing.
A player
creating a mage should keep this in mind, they should also be aware
that a mage is held accountable for damage done by his spells just as a
fighter is with his weapons. The Law takes a dim view of
recklessness
and the endangerment of the public. The player would be advised
to
review the section on Law and Order.
Magic Items, Buying and Selling
Most magic items
are made to order, though there is a wide variety of 'common' items
that are the bread and butter of Enchanters, the real money is in
Commission Work. Since the average customer has no idea who the
enchanters are, or how to contact them, a state that the Enchanters are
happy to maintain, special orders are placed through dealers or brokers.
Magic Dealers
There are four top flight dealers in
Velitrium, two in Velitrium City, one in Glenluce and one in Drunmore.
Glenluce
Galmar Graybeard
An ancient
Dwarf, said to be a first cousin to Velbar Stonehammer who lead the
dwarves into the valley. Galmar handles all commissions for Dwarvish
work out of Dwarfdale, not just magic but all commissions. If you
want
a magic sword you go to Galmar. If you want a suit of half plate,
even
non-magical, you go to Galmar. You need a bridge built, you go to
Galmar. No one knows what his cut on these deals is, or even if he gets
a cut. he lives and works out of a large stone townhouse near the
palace in Glenluce. The Duke�s people are constantly coming and
going
to consult with Galmar or his staff on some public work project or
similar matter. Galmar�s staff includes a dozen dwarves, all
tough and
doughty fighters as well as being skilled engineers and experts in
their various specialties. In addition to these there are ten heavily
armed human fighters stationed at various points through out the
building and at least two mages on duty at any given time.
Galmar is never
known to leave his townhouse, but he periodically is reported being
seen in or around Dwarfdale. How he accomplishes this is a
mystery.
Though Galmar
maintains a stock of minor magic items for sale and trade, most of his
business is commissioned and paid for in advance. The customer
places
the order then returns only to pick it up. The item usually
arrives,
secretly, only a day or two before the customer�s expected arrival.
Galmar will buy as well as sell, and his open inventory is
available
for trade.
Surprisingly,
Galmar handles many deals for the Elves as well as his kindred.
They
seem to trust him to handle many of their business affairs.
Drunmore
Vorll Karnoff
A middle aged,
balding man of impressive size and girth. It is easy to mistake
Vorll
for the genial buffoon that he often acts, but he is a man of shrewd
intellect, a cunning negotiator and a more than competent mage. He
speaks several languages, including all the tongues of the Desert folk,
Jhensari, Dwarfish, Elvis and Goblin.
He lives on a
Manor outside the city and is surrounded by several score servants,
retainers and bodyguards (several of which are foriegn barbarians) and
at least half a dozen huge Stahl hounds that are always lounging about
Vorll, mooching food and demanding his attention. Woe to anyone
that
seems to threaten their master!
In addition to
handling magic commissions, buying selling and trading odd items and
alchemical devices, Vorll is the principal dealer for acquiring the
powerful composite bows made by the desert tribes. He also deals
in
spices and, it is rumored, certain illegal substances.
Velitrium City
Tryllian Rorque
Tryllian
Rorque is a woman to be reckoned with, beautiful, charismatic,
graceful, rich and accomplished. She is now in her late forties
and is
becoming more reclusive, attending fewer social and court functions and
throwing fewer balls than in the past, but still with her finger very
much on the pulse of the City and Court. Rumored to have been a
frequent late night visitor to the King�s private chambers, she is
still on excellent terms with Urien and can almost always count on an
immediate audience if she desires it.
Tryllian has
several �Ladies� who always attend her, they are all accomplished spell
casters or skilled fighters. She also keeps a troop of twenty men
at
arms to guard the walled compound in which she lives and act as escorts
when she travels, which is alwys by coach and four.
Though having
both the aptitude and training of a mage, Tryllian�s main arcane
intrest was alchemy and that is still her specialty when it comes to
dealing in arcane items Whether it be potions, powders, ointments,
amulets, charms, fire arrows or such, Tryllian Rorque is the one to see.
Ollin Hart
Ollin Hart is
as far from Tryllian Rorque as one can imagine. A small, weasely
man
of dark complexion and shifty ways, he has no known address and prefers
to do business in bars and taverns through out the city. He is always
accompanied a by a tall hooded man who never speaks but seems able to
communicate at will with Ollin. In addition to this mysterious
individual, Ollin is surrounded by six battle hardened fighter of
fearsome repute.
In addition to
handling magic of all kinds, Ollin is rumoured to handle other hard to
find and or sell items. He seems to have some type of arrangement
with
the watch, in that they are NEVER anywhere near Ollin when he is
working a deal, and they NEVER appear until after he has long gone.
No one knows
where Ollin�s base is, or even if he has one. He seems to know
the
back alleys of the City like the back of his hand and can vanish in an
instant if need be.
Other Sources....
Most large towns
and certainly all the cities, have a market for the minor items and it
is not too difficult to sell or trade these without dealing with the
Big Four. Even the sale of large items can be accomodated in many
cases, especially if the deal involves the exchange of several lesser
items rather then gobs of cash. The Church, the Crown and the
Druids
are all possible buyers of unwanted items that would be of value or
interest to these organizations.
Temporary Magic
Many magic items
are made to be used only one or two times before their power is
dissipated. This is particularly true for arrows, bolts and prodd and
sling bullets. These items are good for one use (unless otherwise
specified) and hit or miss they are finished.
The advantage of
temporary items for the mage is that they are produced quickly and
cheaply and their rapid consumption ensures return customers.
Temporary Enchantments use a special
variation of the Enchant Spell. New Spells
