The League

A street map? You need much more than a map of the streets to navigate this city my friend. There are rules to this city, break them and the Camorra will break you.

The Steel Throne, Act II, scene iv

TODOThis is a todo!

Introduction

Grand cons; high politics; mercenary Free Companies and the bitter clash of powerful Camorra. The Church of the Little Mother, feeding the orphans of countless border wars – children who might themselves become the Merchant Princes and Princesses of tomorrow. Tales of the League have been made famous by balladeers – rival theatre houses and rival gangs, savage duels across rooftops, strange secrets in the depths of canals and sunken streets that only the Merrow boatmen have mapped.

This is the League. The four great rivers that run down to the Bay of Catazar are the veins of this nation, carrying the lifeblood of trade. Its cities are its beating heart, pumping coin throughout the Empire. People of the League are city-folk through and through. Do not think them soft, however! They are a driven people, carving a realm from the floodplains that now begins to span the Empire. From the wealthiest moneylender to the loudest street bravo, they are sharp as steel, quick-witted and ready to seize the moment.

Five things to know about the League

Life is competition, and someone is always keeping score. Citizens of the League love to compete – in commerce, in entertainment, even in love.
Keep your loyalties close, like the rings on your fingers. League loyalties are fiercely held and hard to break.
Coin counts, and everything costs. In the League wealth is status, this is the land of conspicuous consumption.
Everything is on show, like a mask on your face. Performance – particularly the Facio plays – runs through the heart of the nation.
Keep your wit sharp, and your blade sharper. Citizens of the League pride themselves on their charm and intellect, but they’ll never shy from a fight.

The People

The people of the League consider themselves to be the most cultured of the Empire – they appreciate fine things, subtle schemes, skill at arms, opera, theatre, ballet and court dance. Almost everything is for sale in the cities; and everything is on show. They appreciate flair and wit. Those who wait on the table of a Merchant Princess are as likely prized for their subtle humour as their knowledge of etiquette. Every person of rank in the League is expected to be able to hold their own with verbal banter from their host and even members of their host’s household. So if the person serving your wine doesn’t make a veiled comment about your tailor it’s often considered something of an insult, as if your host didn’t think you would be sharp enough to have a ready retort.

The people are famed for their devotion to the arts, architecture and to the development of sciences and medicine. They claim to have invented theatre and literature and their constant joy in the novel and the clever has given the Empire both the printing press and the crossbow.

Important people in League society prize loyalty, but they scorn servility and everyone is expected to give as good as they receive. More than anything, however, the League is committed to the Empire. They don’t speak of it much, but the opportunities and the civilization that the Empire brings is something that many are prepared to die – or preferably kill – to preserve. Imperial rule has brought peace and prosperity but because the citizens of the League see themselves as the pre-eminent people of the Empire, they tend to view the Empire very possessively - as if the whole thing were arranged for their benefit. Given the wealth they have derived from trade inside and outside the Empire, there is some truth in this viewpoint; and provided they continue to use their stratagems against the Empire’s enemies, few see any point in correcting them.

Culture and Customs

The League is a realm where ritual is important. Every city and Camorra has its own idiosyncratic customs and they expect visitors to keep up. The more common customs practiced by the majority of League include:

“The best of everything” might as well be the League motto. The nation is a crossroads for trade in all kinds of luxury goods. Being able to set a fine table is the mark of a solid citizen, regardless of social position.
The giving of gifts is another traditional way to improve one’s social standing . The value of the gift is important, but the cleverness and appropriateness of the gift is much more vital. It is the icing on the cake for society to see you giving a grand gift to your rival, when they knows that you have ruined them – the rules of the League etiquette dictate that they will smile and bow and bite back the bile as they accept. It is the mark of a true Merchant Prince that they are as gracious in defeat as in success.
Citizens of the League like punctuality. One who cannot keep to time is a person who cannot be trusted to keep to the rules.
Formal duelling is an accepted way of settling disputes, although duelling to the death is illegal. Duelling scars are usually worn as a badge of honour. Duels usually take place with sword and dagger and public challenges are, by tradition, announced in the marketplace.
Small facemasks are a common element of fashionable attire for individuals from all walks of life. This custom sprang from the popular Facio style of masked theatre, where actors and even audience members swap characters as they swap masks. Masks also allow an individual to cultivate anonymity and the air of mystery. Some groups – military units and criminals especially – may go so far as to all wear matching masks.
The four rivers of Catazarria are central characters in the art and folklore of the Nation. All the classic literature and theatre includes them in one form or another, whether as central characters or “clowns” during the interludes. A popular game between playwrights and critics is to conceal the characters in some way and challenge the critic to locate them.

Citizens of the League consider sharing information to be a national past-time. Very often, the cities are built up rather than out – particularly in the Jewelled City of Sarvos, where space is a premium – meaning that families are, quite literally, living on top of each other. In these cramped conditions it is difficult to pretend not to know the business of ones neighbours; and most simply don’t – conversation is always about what your neighbours have done, the games that your Merchant Princes are playing amongst themselves, who owes what to whom; and which stories are being told about them. A newcomer to the City-states can learn one-hundred-and-one petty lies and three great truths by just stepping into one of the shops or spice-halls or one of the floating coffeehouses that drift gently downstream, before being punted back upstream for the next day. Fame comes quickly in the League, when everybody talks like this – from merchants to politicians to mercenaries. Most people in the League would love to be as well-known as the great inventor Maria Fortuna, who invented the printing press, or Dottore Alesseo Calvetore, who inspired his students to defend the gates of Diora university during the Riots of 387, or the famous duellist Isobella Fabia, who is captain of the City Guard in Tassato and who, it is told, has a fine network of scars across her shoulders than mirror the shifting canals of the city of Sarvos…

Most importantly to remember, however, is that talk will always; always take a back seat to action when needed – and citizens of the League have never been shy to draw a blade when the time finally comes.

History

In the troubled times before the Empire, the bay of Catazar was dominated by three great cities: Sarvos, Tassato and Verrario. The cities were ruled by Merchant Princes whose wealth and taxes raised walls and paid for Free Companies to defend them. Their reach extended beyond their walls to protect the outlying farms and settlements within their dominion although it was rare for a Prince’s will to carry further than an army could march in a day. Threats came from the other cities as often as from the barbarians and bandits that lived beyond the city walls.

Tassato was the first Catazarri city to join the Empire. Defeats in the field had led to increased taxation and from there to civil unrest. The Camorra of the city met with their Prince and pressured her into giving up their power and acknowledging Imperial authority in return for Imperial assistance. Over the following decade they were able to buy off the Free Companies, allowing them to unite the Catazarri cities into the League. Under Imperial rule the wealthiest Camorra in each city would elect a Senator to stand for them. But where before a Merchant Prince would rule their city like a fief, now their powers were limited by Imperial law. The title of Merchant Prince or Princess became the modern honorific, claimed by the heads of the Camorras to indicate their status and wealth.

In the years that followed, the Empire consolidated its control of the lands around the Bay of Catazar, driving the orcs into the wilderness. The cities of the League worked tirelessly to advance the Empire, but despite military successes the Catazarri people were unable to identify any cities that shared their enterprising approach in the lands being conquered. The Catazarri prided themselves on being first amongst equals in the Empire, but they began to whisper to each other about their loss of influence as other Nations gained new territories and senators.

At that time Temeswar was a large independent city beyond the borders of Varushka. Walled and well-defended, it was largely regarded as impregnable and with its occupants broadly tolerant towards the Empire it was not regarded as a threat. Temeswar was ruled by a council of burghers, most of whom were drawn from the prosperous merchants of the city. The Merchant Princes laid their plans and sent envoys in secret bearing gifts and bribes for the burghers of Temeswar. By the time the Imperial Senate became aware of what was happening, they were presented with a fait accompli and despite the distance, Temeswar was declared a Catazarri territory.

A decade later, Imperial forces drove the orcs from a region of pastoral land on the border of the Dawn dominated by the prosperous merchant city of Holberg. The Merchant Princes seized this opportunity and following the precedent created by Temeswar they were able to convince the Senate to declare the city to be part of Catazarria, to the fury of the knights of Dawn who had fought long and hard in the campaign. Today, when the territory surrounding Holberg is threatened by Orcs, the threat is in no small part due to the political divisions the territory still evokes. Catazarri Senators have claimed that Dawn tarry too long in offering support. The accusation is made sharper by the fact that without Holberg's control over the Scorrero river, the League would need to ship goods from Temeswar through Dawn's borders and trade their rights on the valuable pearls and treasures from the bay of Catazar in order to do so.

Political Leadership

The League cities are ruled by the Empire but they are run by the Camorra - sprawling organisations that are a cross between a merchant family and a trading concern. The largest are headed by a Merchant Prince or Princess - an honorific title for the most powerful individuals that harks back to pre-Imperial times. The most powerful merchants choose the League Senators but beyond this they will leave the governorship of the cities to Imperial rule, allowing them to concentrate on increasing the wealth of their Camorra.

The Camorra of the League cities are not merely a matter of blood, but of oaths and loyalties. Any man or woman may pledge their loyalty to a Camorra, though some require you to marry an existing family member to be truly regarded as one of them. Equally, it isn’t required to be part of Camorra to get ahead in the League, but it is essential not to cross them. Those who do find every door closed to them. If you cross a Bravo they’ll break your fingers; cross a Merchant Princess and she’ll ruin you. Loyalty and rules are the basis of League society. The written rules are the Imperial Laws and breaking them is considered an act of utter desperation. To reduce an enemy to the point where they are caught breaking the law to try to keep their head above water is considered by many to be the ultimate defeat that you can inflict, the final mark of shame. Assassination, theft and murder only happen if a citizen of the League has no other card left to play.

For hundreds of years the Camorra have engaged in ruthless competition with each other. It is a mistake to assume that the League is obsessed with money, wealth is simply the easiest way of keeping score. Favours are a prized commodity, more valuable than gold and every Camorra keeps a count of those who have worked against their interests in the past. It’s a bewildering system that can leave foreigners lost in the subtle play of politics and trade, the Camorra call it simply “Dead Reckoning”.

Economic Interests

The League is rich, and it has always been a centre of trade, both internally and with assorted groups of foreigners. Anyone prepared to work hard who has any level of moxie or chutzpah can amass a respectable pile of coin. That’s not to say that there are not poor people in League citiers, but there is a perception that people are poor because they “choose” to be. If they had any get-up-and-go they’d join a Camorra and make something of themselves.

The League is entrusted with the Imperial Mint for a reason. At the Empire’s birth, the League's resources in silver were sufficient that it could have come to dominate several of the other Nations – steel currency was partly a clever move on behalf of the Empire. The mint is run by the Civil Service, but defended by League troops and control of the Mint and its guards is a powerful political position. The underside of the vast wealth of the League elite is that it breeds schemes to redistribute it and not everyone is prepared to play by the rules. There is always some up and coming gang prepared to risk hiring a few Bravos to extort a little money and there are constant rumours of men and women who will do more for money than just threats and a beating. Those that want to be accepted into society make an effort to move beyond such means as quickly as possible - any Camorra worth the name will come down hard on petty crooks such as these.

If the League has no truck with violent crime they do have a love affair with confidence tricksters. Imperial law contains no protections for merchants or those who buy from them and in the League the art of the swindler is much admired. The best are called Mountebanks, after the traditional theatrical character and they are part of Catazarri folk lore, selling the fish from an empty net to a wealthy priest or persuading a Merchant Prince to part with a fortune for a worthless glass bauble. Surprisingly, such deeds are perfectly acceptable within the rules of Dead Reckoning – with one very important caveat - Never tell a living soul what you have done. A Merchant Princess will applaud your ingenuity, provided her reputation is intact, but a Mountebank who makes a fool of her in public had better have some very powerful friends.

Marriage is often an important part of the ritual of becoming fully accepted into a Camorra, to become part of the family. As such, fidelity is demanded and a member of a Camorra that begins an affair risks losing everything. Companions, however, are perfectly acceptable, provided their expectation is for a person's coin and not his loyalty. Prosperous and well to do members of a Camorra, both married and unmarried are sometimes accompanied by a Cicisbeo. At first glance a Cicisbeo is often confused for a Courtesan. Whether male or female they are expected to be an examplar of League society, quick-witted and sharp as steel. Some do provide sexual services but their primary service is to make their patron look fantastic when out and about in League society. A few provide other services, there are legendary Cicisbeo who could draw a rapier and run a man through faster than thought. The word bodyguard is a crude word in the League but some Cicisbeo carry more dueling scars than might seem entirely normal. Over time the profession has evolved to the point where there are some Camorra who will even hire a Cicisbeo who can act as a guide or skilled aide when negotiating in strange waters.

Military Concerns

The League provides only a single army to fight in the Imperial wars. It is a constant frustration for the Merchant Princes that they cannot match the military strength of nations like the Marches or the Dawn, but the structure of Imperial forces does not appeal to many here and attempts to find additional volunteers have come to nought.

Most citizens of the League who seek a military life look instead to the Free Companies and it is here that the nation excels. The Free Companies are the mercenary units for which the Bay of Catazar is famous. Threats are considered downright rude, but most Camorra still employ mercenaries; only a fool relies on the rules to protect their interests. To join a Free Company is a serious undertaking, members are expected to show the same loyalty they would to any normal Camorra, but here it is with the understanding that your loyalty might be tested on the field of battle. The League emphasis on loyalty has given the Free Companies a reputation that few foreign mercenaries can match so they are eagerly sought out by Imperial Generals looking to bolster their forces. Although Free Companies are renowned for their loyalty and discipline on the battlefield, they are equally notorious for their riotous behaviour on the streets. Not for nothing are their members called Bravos, fighting by day and drinking through the night. When two Free Companies are housed in the same city then rivalry soon spills over into violence. Brawls and duels abound and running battles in the streets are not unknown. The leaders of the Free Companies turn a blind eye as long as the bills for the damage do not mount too high. The Imperial authorities turn a blind eye provided no Bravo is reported killed.

If the League lack military numbers, they strive to make up for it with the cunning of their generals. League tacticians are a byword for brutal brilliance – men and women prepared to contemplate the unthinkable to achieve victory. The Temeswar general Anke Carsten famously stated “I am an artist, the battlefield is my canvas” when dragged before the Synod to justify the tactics she employed on the fields of Alazar. Crossbows are very much in favour with the League – everyone from wealthy merchants to street Bravos totes one of these exquisitely made devices and the Free Companies have taken them up with great enthusiasm.

Religious Beliefs

To the eyes of an outsider, religion in the League seems a little…transactional. Many religious buildings and celebrations seem to exist to take money or goods from the citizens in the most splendidly showy way possible. This certainly isn’t to say that priests here are any less fervent or devout in their beliefs than foreigners; they simply recognise that they provide a service and should be recompensed appropriately. Competition amongst priests for provision of lucrative religious services, such as the marriage of a Princess or the funeral of a wealthy merchant, is fierce. The priesthood make an effort to provide a spectacle for such events, ensuring that they earn their wage.

The League quality of competition is as strong in matters of faith and spirituality as it is in every other aspect of life. A Cardinal of the League may be as pious as any priest of Highguard, but they can also be as ruthless and mercantile as any Merchant Prince. Where the Camorra keep score with coin and favour, the Cardinals use congregations – size and notable membership – and high-profile weddings and funerals. The combination is such that, from a certain perspective, the Cardinals and their churches look a lot like Merchant Princes and Camorra, albeit in their own – virtuous and holy – right. Although these Churches preach the Imperial Religion they possess great wealth and most exhibit the same emphasis on loyalty as any true Camorra would. The most powerful include artisans, tradesman and in some cases mercenaries as well as priests and layfolk. Few are the churches that do not also have a profitable sideline to enrich and allure. By combining their faith with a complementary business interest, the churches capitalize on the trust of their patrons to develop a powerful monopolies in their niche.

For instance, one church specializes in moving hard currency between cities while another operates several of the more important bridges in Tassato. The most famous example is the Church of The Little Mother in Catazarria, the matron of children and orphans. The “Little Mother’s Church” takes in those children orphaned or abandoned, ensuring that they receive a chance in life. Children are taught basic numeracy and literacy before being apprenticed to a master in the city. The Church sustains itself with donations made by former beneficiares and is well respected by the Imperial authorities and Catazarri people. The Church was founded by priests of the Holy Prophet, Aldones di Catazarri, after the Second Council of Casinea declared him to be the living embodiment of the Great Virtue of Pride. So the legend goes, Aldones di Catazzari started life with nothing and through fierce competition, skill and swordsmanship, created the first Camorra and declared himself a Merchant Prince. There are countless tales of the bargains he struck that left wealthy princes grateful for the rags they had left, the mighty duels he won, but above all else the great love he bore for the land of his birth and the great acts he performed to prosper her. And are not the cities named for his children; Savros, Tassato and Verrario? Many of the Prophet’s teachings are the words of wisdom that Aldones passed to his offspring before he died.

Magical Attitudes

Theatre is a vital part of League society, and theatrical groups called Troupes are common. From the most bombastic performances in lavish theatre houses to the simplest productions performed in the streets themselves – the Catazarri in particular love spectacle and little is more spectacular than Catazarri theatre. In part this is due to the common use of magic by a Troupe’s performers. Most of this magic is simple stage tricks, but skilled performers use expensive magical powders to produce a flash of smoke or a burst of sound; and the best can weave quite literally enchanting performances. Quite how many members of a Troupe can perform actual magic is a closely kept secret. A Troupe demands every bit as much loyalty as any other Camorra and discretion about the abilities of the members is considered just another part of the rules. Whether producing a performance of Scillio’s "The Fallen Herald" or attempting a dangerous ritual by command of a Merchant Prince, every member of a Troupe will usually play a part.

To the League, magic is a commodity like any other. Although Orison lays claim to the secrets of grand power and treat it with great dignity, in the League it is a rich man or woman’s money that pays for that dignity. As such, the show a Troupe put on is as important to their reputation as the results they produce. The performers weave knots in time as well as space, drawing influences from the past to spread their patron’s influence in the future. They must make a show of invoking symbols of plenty and prosperity, as much because a Merchant Princess enjoys watching a bravura performance as because it’s important to the ritual. A troupe will guard their Facio masks carefully. It is well known that masks have power - when one knots the ties on a mask in order to perform enchantment, one does not simply wear a piece of cloth or leather or paper, one is wearing the combined weight of all the stories told about that character; and all the stories than can yet be told. Many mages know this; and the notion of taking on a character for the purposes of ritual is well established. The most famous masks in Catazarria are in the Facio Hall, in the Armetto Theatre house, on Sarvos. These masks are old and in some cases, nothing special to look at, but they are exceptionally potent in the hands of a skilled performer.

Rivalry between theatre troupes is famously intense as every troup is forced to compete for the patronage of the most powerful Camorra. Feuds are commonplace and performers have been murdered for changing troupe or even for a bad performance. Open violence is usually restrained but public duels between performers are the norm when an opening night is approaching. Such matches always draw a fine crowd as performers are expected to retort and riposte at the same time.

The numerous troupes of the League cities would have you believe that there is no other traditions of magic in the cities, but this is far from true. There is an underclass of street-mage known as Dilettantes - a derogatory term first used by the Troupes that many of these street mages have reclaimed for themselves as a badge of pride. Their rough magic is more immediate and improvised, with neither troupe or patron, performed on street corners; and most Dilettantes are part conjurer, part con-artist, with a widely-held reputation for being crooks and scoundrels - or so the Troupes would have you believe. Then, at the top of the social pyramid, there are the Mage-Princes who weave their knots in formal dance. Not every League mage is a born performer, but most can learn a few simple steps; and the courtly dances have a power all of their own, weaving knots of people, binding the magic into them, following patterns danced in the same way for hundreds of years. The storyteller Julio Martinette once hinted that the ruin of the drowned streets of Caricomare was brought about by a dance - although quite how, he never elaborated.

Egregore

Arlechinno, the Egregore of the League is a richly-dressed figure wearing a mask. It generally wears a mask recognisable as belonging to one of the traditional theatrical characters; Bobinati; Vassa; Scorrero or Gancio. By observing the mask Arlechinno wears when the Egregore appears, a citizen can get some insight as to what is concerning it and what sort of personality traits Arlechinno might display. In whatever form Arlechinno appears, it has a particular fondness and boundless tolerance for the antics of children.

Icons and Images

The League flag is a red wolf on white crest above three coins, one for each of the three great cities that formed the Imperial Nation of the League of Catazarria at the creation of the Empire. Citizens of the League love flags and emblems, especially ones that use riddles and puns encoded within the symbols. Every Camorra has a symbol of their own including the Free Companies, Churches and Troupes.

In the League, people wear rings to demonstrate their allegiances, wearing one ring for each major loyalty they owe. The giving of rings is an invitation to commit oneself to the givers’ allegiance, and the casting away of rings is a clear sign that an association is over. It is rare for members of Camorra to wear matched rings, though that in itself would tell you something about them. Each ring worn by a citizen of the League has a story associated with it, and the rings often bear symbols or are made of materials that have a deep significance for the wearer or the target of the allegiance. Sharing the true story of a ring with someone – explaining the correspondences and symbols – is a sign of trust and confidence. More than a few openly wear rings that represent hidden allegiances. If you think you know who a citizen of the League is loyal to, but they are wearing more rings than you can trade loyalties, it may be that they have a hidden loyalty, or that they felt a loyalty to someone or something in the past (an ex-lover, for example, or the memory of a dead friend). Stealing rings is a dreadful insult – it implies an attempt to sever the target from their allegiances and loyalties. Citizens of the League expect to be buried with their rings, and robbing the rings of the dead is said to bring about a dreadful curse – there are plenty of folk tales of “cursed rings” taken from the dead. The five ring piece shows a hand wearing five rings, and it is widely believed to represent the hand of Stratocanthus, the first Master of the Imperial Mint. According to legend his rings represented his loyalty to his Camorra, the city of Tassato, the (new formed) Nation of the League Catazarria, the Empire and, depending on who one listens to, his wife or his mistress. Only one of the rings was enchanted, and there is a lot of debate among historians as to which of the rings bore the enchantment, as Stratocanthus is known to have commented in an unguarded moment that it was “the most important one.”

Fashion is a rapidly changing force in the League - the current trend is for doublets with pinking and slashing and simple breeches, or a fine trimmed robe for warmth. In the cities, one sends a message with what one wears - and a Citizen will display their status and wealth in the choice of trim or the quality of the cloth from which garments are cut - "What you wear is who you are." Flamboyance is calculated; extra trim here, a subtly patterned fabric there; each addition and change to reflect aspirations and status.

Lineage and Species Attitudes

The Cambions’ innate cunning and ambition mean that many of them find a sort of spiritual home in the League – and most especially the priesthood. It is considered a particular honour to have a Cambion priest for one’s wedding ceremony and the most successful often follow the fashion of capping their horns with gold.

Only the Merrow challenge the Cambion to be the most commonly-seen lineage in League cities. The boatmen of the great rivers are almost entirely Merrow and have done much to establish the position of their lineage in League society. They work the rivers, canals and the Bay of Catazar, and without their flat-bottomed boats, the dredging of the ruins of Caricomare would be much slower. Most League citizens expect that any Merrow they meet will have the latest and most salacious gossip and this suits the Merrow desire for truth and secrets very well indeed.

If all the lineages are respected and welcomed in the League, the same can not be said for orcs. For most citizens of the League, Imperial Orcs represent the worst of both worlds; they constantly remind the citizenry of the barbarian threat and they often meddle in local schemes on behalf of their Imperial masters. Few Orcs are interested in deals or profit and thus there is little common ground between them and the average citizen of the League.

Territories

The League is small in terms of landmass compared to some other nations, but it still manages to have a sizable population. The land around the Bay of Catazar is lush and fertile, with low flood-plains; olive farms and prime grazing lands fed by the waters of four rivers – the lazy Bobinati, curling from the west where the barbarians raise their mighty horde; the furious Vassa flowing down from the northwest through the Delecian Hills to Tassato; the broad-banked Scorrero, solid and well-defended, carrying goods from Temeswar and Holberg through the heart of the forest; and the flighty Gancio, whose capricious nature has drowned many an unwary river captain. Together they flow down to the Bay of Catazar, whose deep waters are patrolled by League warships always alert for unlicensed smugglers and impertinent privateers.

This is Catazarria, oldest part of the League. Each territory in Catazarria represents the land that extends around a single great city. Though fertile, the majority of the land far from the the cities is deserted. In the shadows of the cities are crowded numerous small towns and hamlets but such areas are of little interest to the elite who live inside the walled cities. Surrounding lands are tightly parcelled into estates, each of which is traditionally worked hard but also sculpted for maximum beauty. Commonly city estates are kept for show, but a Merchant Prince or Princess will only really relax when at their villa in the countryside.

The Catazarri consider themselves rational and civilized but they have a few important superstitions. It is considered unlucky to stick a knife in to a loaf - bread in Catazarria is torn, not cut. Spilt wine brings misfortune - though that can be be remedied by dabbing a little of the wine behind each ear and one must always look into the other person’s eyes when toasting. Most importantly the colours purple and black are considered colours of mourning when worn together; an unlucky combination that is to be avoided at other times. Few believe these old superstitions but it is the height of rudeness to draw attention to them and most avoid breaking them in polite society. Like being punctual, superstitions form part of the rules of everyday life. Breaking them invites distrust, it suggests you are the sort of person who cannot be trusted to follow the rules.

To the North, in colder lands lie the more recent League members; Temeswar and Holdberg.

Tassato Mestra and Tassato Regario

Peering at each other across the fast-flowing Vassa river, the Tassato is called the Twin City or the Split City. Providing the only easy way to cross the wide and dangerous river, Tassato is a city divided. Named for the feuding brothers who historically founded it, the north-western part of the city is called Tassato Mestra, and the south-eastern is Tassato Regario. A moderately good-natured rivalry exists between the people of the two territories, but occasionally feuds boil over and the bridges are closed until the dispute can be resolved. Tassato Mestra is famous both for its shipyards and for the boldness of its brothels. The entire north bank of the river is almost entirely given over to a gaudy display of brazenness, the so-called Street of Pleasures where a man or a woman can buy company. The southern city, Tassato Regario, is best known for its workshops and wizards. According to legend, the first crossbows were designed in Tassato Regario and the first presses were employed here printing religious tracts, scholarly treatises and bills of fare for dining establishments. Nowadays, they're just as likely to report on the comings and goings in society; who is on the way up, who is on the way down and who wore what where.

The Jewelled City of Sarvos

Constructed on an island just off the cost, like a beacon of light in the water, Sarvos is the cultural center of the League – and some say the Empire. Famous for its theatres, for cramped streets between soaring towers, for the guild of papermakers, for the duelling opera houses, for the Diora University and for the Capodomus Cathedral, one of the largest religious structures in the Empire, a towering monument encrusted with gold, gems and objet d’art. The overcrowding has become more of an issue in recent years since many refugees from Holberg have made new homes there and both jobs and housing are at a premium.

Verrario

Lounging on the Scorrero, surrounded by wolf-haunted plains, Verrario sits on the border with Dawn, separated by a dense forest through which few roads stretch. It is known for its fishing and hunting and is famous for the lodges where wealthy citizens can go to be “one with nature.” Perhaps it is the influence of nearby Dawn, but the people of Verrario are known for their interest in martial affairs – it is a matter of pride that every Verrario citizen wears a blade at all times, even if it is just a workmanlike dagger. Verrario is also the site of the famous Benedetto Armoury, known for its excellent blades.

On the south side of Verrario are the drowned streets of Caricomare – a shattered ruin, waist-deep in water at its highest points and submerged entirely in others. Thirty years ago, it was a prosperous suburb of the island city, a waypoint for the trade routes around the bay. One night, however, a great storm came and the Scorrero burst its banks. The route of the river changed overnight and a mighty wave washed away the foundations of the buildings of Caricomare. In a single night, the city was ruined – buildings were toppled and the streets filled with saltwater. The repairs were far too costly during what was a particularly war-torn year and the floods created a mass exodus to Sarvos. Caricomare is an abandoned, dangerous place now – of flooded streets and waterlogged buildings, but it is said that great treasures can be found in the depths, for those brave enough to investigate. The Merrow Boatmen from Sarvos regularly take their flat-bottomed boats out here, to draw up treasure from the ruins and it is said that Ratkin pirates hide out in the flooded ruins of the Caricomare Opera House.

Temeswar

Temeswar is built in wild Varushka, near the source of the Scorrero and the river is too shallow to navigate beyond the artificially deepened harbour. It is the northernmost city of the League, and the surrounding Varushkan territories are not without their influence. Citizens of Temeswar will make an effort to be every bit as flamboyant as their southern fellows, but their dress is inevitably more practical, to accommodate the harsh northern weather; and are, perhaps, a little more brusque and direct than those who live on the bay. It is a foothold of trade to Wintermark and nearby Dawn, trading in iron ore, weapons and armour, it is seen by many as the merchant capital of the northern lands. While there is no love lost between the League and Dawn for the loss of Holberg, it is not so with Varushka and Temeswar. Temeswar saw the benefits of having such strong links with the greatest economic power in the Empire long ago. Varushka has had a good deal more time to grow used to the idea, even if there remain some (mostly) good-natured disagreements about policy in the Senate chamber. The Camorra in Temeswar place a great deal of importance on contracts - it is said that even getting wed in Temeswar is a deeply contractual affair, involving lengthy marriage contracts drawn up between the families, with many economic stipulations. On Sarvos, economic ruin can be served to you with a smile. In Temeswar, it is sealed with a spouse.

Holberg (Lost)

Holberg once possessed a rich agricultural heritage, well known for its fine vineyards. Thirty years ago, however, the city was lost when Orcs laid siege to the wall city for over a year. The Senate remained paralyzed throughout this time, unable to secure funding and forces to raise the siege and in the end the city fell. It remains under Orc rule to this day, something most League citizens consider nothing less than an Imperial travesty. But the old feud with Dawn continues and even the new Empress was unable to break the political deadlock. Before Holberg was seized by the orcs, trade flowed freely from Temeswar to Verrario and the system of lock-gates and watchtowers in Holberg granted near-total control of the movement of trade along the Scorrero river. Since it was taken, the League has been forced to ship goods through the borders of Dawn, petitioning their rivals each season for trade passes, a luxury for which they are charged handsomely.

Children

The arrival of a child in a family is a time for great celebration and as a result, for the first few years of their lives, children are feted, celebrated and looked after by their family and older siblings; and in the more affluent sections of society they are often bedecked in finery and brought out on show at balls and public events. While infants in League cities are treasured and cooed over, and every babe will have a dozen adopted aunts or uncles, older children are very much treated like miniature adults – smart youngsters in League cities are apprenticed early and expected to learn the value of hard work. Apprenticeship is everything in League cities – one will see young people in livery serving at the tables of a Merchant Princess or working as guides and messengers. It is expected that education will come as part of one’s apprenticeship – the master one works for will also be responsible for teaching letters and numbers, or arranging tuition. In return, the child is expected to earn their keep; and it is understood that League children must be kept busy; else they turn to the fine League tradition of Making Trouble. The Church of the Little Mother is a Camorra famed for drawing its members from the orphans of war who might otherwise be reduced to begging on the streets. The Church will take in children whose parents have been killed on the borders or at sea, offering apprenticeship. It is said that Leonardo Muttori, who has held a position on the Synod for twenty years, grew up as an orphan on Sarvos.

Things every Child should know

People will expect you to do jobs for them. This is good – keeping busy is fun and lets you see lots of different things. See how you can help.
Lots of people have money and they should give some it to you. You are working hard and deserve to be paid!
A good price for a little job (such as running a message or carrying heavy things, or laying a table for a feast) is one Ring – so ask for two!
Keep your ear out for gossip. People like to know interesting things and some pieces of information might be worth money.
Know who’s in charge – they’re normally the people with the most money.
Be polite – you can get a lot further with people that way; and good manners are worth their weight in gold.
The Egregore Arlechinno likes spending time with children – some say that it’s just a big kid at heart. Different masks mean different things and some masks it wears are more friendly than others.