Unknown arts are simply those arts lost in time. Labaras knew all arts but, as the many millennia passed and humanity grew weaker, they were lost. Or so is the orthodox opinion. Your father suggested that, perhaps, Labaras gave people an excellent start but they are meant to find and discover new things as well.
Your father's favorite Ophanim is Smattas, known for saving people from demons and ensuring justice.
[x] Ophal is the patron of metal-working, masons, writing and unknown arts. She is beloved among scribes and intellectuals, especially in larger cities.
[X] Ophal is the patron of metal-working, masons, writing and unknown arts. She is beloved among scribes and intellectuals, especially in larger cities.
[X] Ganal, who guards Mount Har and the entrance to Paradise. He is not a very popular figure, being closely associated with death, he guards and tends the souls that climb the Mountain.
[X] Smattas, traditionally held to be El's right hand. His symbol is a greatsword and he represents Justice and Law. He is extremely popular among kings and is known for saving the innocent and smiting the wicked.
A Destiny in Bronze is primarily narrative in nature. As thus, it doesn't really have hard stats or progression for them and dice will mostly not be rolled. However, it is very useful to have a refence as to your abilities and so you have several narrative stats that are graded on an S-F rating.
These stats are as follows:
Might. It represents the physical strength and power of a person. This includes speed, agility, and health. A person with great Might can cause the ground to shake with a blow or wrestle a massive demon and win.
Potency. It represents metaphysical significance and power. Among the Blooded, all have Potency, and Potency always grows as they age. Potency may be used to conjure flame, kill with a word, and can aid in the crafting of powerful items.
Knowledge. It represents what you know. A high knowledge indicates knowledge of legal codes, both sacred and secular, as well as your general creativity and ability to put things together. Knoweldge can be an aid in many things, though often is not of use alone.
Senses. It represents your sensorium. Some beings have senses that are more than mortal, and this is required to be above an F+ rank in Senses. Most do not grow this stat very much, but those who do may be very dangerous.
The rankings work as follows:
An S rank and above indicates a Being of Great Power. Mortals, as a general rule, do not gain an S ranking in any stat, unless they have significant divine favor or other circumstances in their favor.
A ranked stats are the peak of what mortals can accomplish. Figures from the Old Tales fit this well, some of which still walk Ur today. Often mortals with a stat at A have some means of prolonging their lifespan an indefinite amount.
B ranked stats are powerful kings, demons, and especially fierce monsters. A person with a B rank in Might can conceivably conquer some cities by themselves.
C ranked stats are more typical (though still rare) kings, the least of demons, and Mighty Men from the more powerful cities. Many wandering heroes have stats around the C ranking, though they can be as high as A.
D ranked stats represent a person with something mystical in their favor, it might be an item, divine favor, or anything that raises their abilities. Most Mighty Men have stats at this level and, though many will not admit it, many Kings in the interior have fallen to this level of ability as well.
E ranked stats may be achieved through training and effort. Most soldiers have E ranking in Might, and scholars and scribes have an E ranking in Knowledge.
F ranked stats are the typical adult without training.
Humanity: 9 (The world is vibrant and alive, your joy in the world undulled. You feel the weight of the world upon you)
Divinity: 2 (...)
Age: 22
Might: C (You are highly skilled, with the strength of several men, and a small number of unnatural abilities. Only the Blooded may hope to defeat you, though the truly Mighty can still crush you like a bug)
Potency: C (You are spiritually strong in a way few are. Demons and other Beings must be wary, for you have the means to harm them)
Knowledge: C- (You are well educated for one of your class, and have learned many secrets. Few within Ur are permitted to know the things you know)
Senses: D+ (You are attuned to the world in a way few are, able to see workings of Power in a more direct fashion, as well as see the souls of the departed...)
Spirit: Growing, small amount to expend
Bindings: One Binding Broken
Mystical Abilities: Presence Sense (small), Eyes (opening), Speak to the Dead, Death Guide, Spear Hardening, Future Sight
Relevant Skills and Knowledge: Survival, Knowledge of History and Religion, Archery, Stealth, Tracking, Trapping, Mathematics, New and Old Script, Shield Wall, Minotaur Lore (basic), Goblin Lore, Melee Weapons, Herbalism (basic), Stars and Their Motions (basic), Chants (basic), Medicine (basic)
Inventory: High Bronze Armor and Shield (Religious/Demon Slaying), Red Cedar Bow, 10x Bronze Arrows, High Bronze Spear, Symbol of Smattas, Flute
[X] Ophal is the patron of metal-working, masons, writing and unknown arts. She is beloved among scribes and intellectuals, especially in larger cities.
[X] Ganal, who guards Mount Har and the entrance to Paradise. He is not a very popular figure, being closely associated with death, he guards and tends the souls that climb the Mountain.
[X] Ganal, who guards Mount Har and the entrance to Paradise. He is not a very popular figure, being closely associated with death, he guards and tends the souls that climb the Mountain.
[X] Ganal, who guards Mount Har and the entrance to Paradise. He is not a very popular figure, being closely associated with death, he guards and tends the souls that climb the Mountain.
+2 Ganal Faith Tokens
[] Ganal, who guards Mount Har and the entrance to Paradise. He is not a very popular figure, being closely associated with death, he guards and tends the souls that climb the Mountain.
Every year your village has a harvest festival and this year is no different. Villages from all across the region come to take part and merchants from as far as Mishpat have been known to visit. It has always been one of your favorite times of the year. While the great variety of sweets has always been prominent, this year your thoughts are elsewhere.
Your father has informed you that visitors from Kavodel will be coming. Ostenibly it is to bless the fields but, apparently, they are relatives and wish to visit. He says they will be bringing a cousin along for you to meet.
You are very excited. You haven't had any contact with your distant family. Every year father travels to Kavodel. Every year you ask to go. Every year he says you are too young. The journey is difficult and long. Not at all fitting for a child unless it's truly necessary.
It is with joy in your heart that you step outside that morning. Afra had prepared a beautiful dress for you. Stitched into it were pictures of fields of wheat and barley that were ready for harvest. You weren't sure how long it had taken her but you appreciated the gesture.
Tents had been raised in the surrounding areas to accomodate all the extra visitors. You knew that father had offered your home to your relatives and they had accepted. Tables were lined up and upon them were stacked piles of grain, fruits, and salted meat.
The fields and herds of your people had always been prosperous. It was not at all uncommon to get several harvests in a single season and the milk of your cattle never dried and always tasted sweet.
Your father is already near the entrance to the village. A small palisade had been erected in recent years as Bnaimokt incursions came closer and closer. Father insisted it wasn't anything to be concerned about but that it was best to always be prepared. Sometimes, he said with a grave expression, the worst actually does happen.
As you pass a woodworking stall, the woman at the counter hands you a small icon. It is of a sheaf of wheat. The symbol is often association with Badoma. You thank her, place it on a string, and hang it around your neck.
As you approach your father he waves you forward. You break into a small jog and are soon before him.
"Finally you've woken up," your father says with a laugh. "I thought Afra would have to throw a basin of water at you."
A blush comes to your face. It had only happened the once! You maintain your dignity and choose to ignore the comment.
"I'm excited to meet my cousin," you tell him. "Do you know anything about them?"
Your father wears a broad grin.
"Ruth is perhaps a year older than you. She has grown up in Kavodel and is my uncle's daughter. So I suppose she is my cousin as well? But I am more of an uncle to her than cousin. She is not so studious as you and prefers the bow and spear," he tells you.
"She sounds interesting," you reply to him. And she does. Most of the other girls around the village are more focused on learning to cook or sew.
And these are important things. Critical even. Your father had administered one of his rare punishments when he heard you criticizing those skills. He said that those had also been passed down by the Prophet and were just as important.
But they aren't your preference. Another girl with some of the same interests would be nice to meet. Even if she didn't necessarily enjoy to read or study.
And she came from Kavodel! You had heard stories about it. The walls that soared into the sky, with great rivers that flowed down the gates, and murals painted on every building! Filled with heroes and where the King of Zepath dwelled!
It isn't long before you see them in the distance. Your father's uncle is the first you see. He stands taller than the crowd around him. He almost appears to be an adult among children--he must be nearly eight feet tall!
It takes you a few minutes to make out the girl that stands next to him. You estimate that she'll be a bit taller than yourself and her skin is a shade darker than your own. Rather than a robe or dress, she wears leather armor. A bow is slung across her back. Accompanying the bow is a bronze shield and spear.
As they come nearer you notice more detail. Your uncle (Dagrim, according to your father), wears armor of bronze. It is of a finer make than anything you had seen before. The guards and your father all have armor but it is plain and simple. What your uncle wears is more a work of art.
Engravings depict battles against demons. Melachim are prominent in the iconography as are men armed with spear and shield. Bows are also common and one figure wields an enormous greatsword. The bronze itself seems to almost shine with an inner light. It seems like something a king would wear. Not the uncle you had never met.
Your father embraces the man while you and the girl appraise each other. She has an easy smile on her face and seems interested in the festivities. She is whip-thin and composed of cords of lean muscle. She keeps her hair short. A part of you feels worried about your long hair. Is it not in style in the city?
But Ruth soon gives you a smile and begins to speak.
"Cousin! I have been wanting to meet you," she says. "And to visit the countryside. Father only just now started letting me come with him."
You laugh at that and respond.
"My father is the same. I've been wanting to visit Kavodel for years. Every time he says 'maybe next year.' Then the next year comes and it's the same thing!"
Your father and uncle turn towards the two of you. Smiles are on their faces and your uncle speaks.
"And this must be Zana. Your father has told me a lot about you. A good student, I am told. It is good to learn but it is also important to act." He lets out a laugh. "Of course, my daughter could learn the value of knowledge. Can't get that one to listen to tutors unless I promise her a new bow, or to show her a new trick."
"Father!" exclaimed Ruth. A tinge of red colored her face at his statement. "I'm not that bad! And besides, I don't need a new bow anymore. The reward for that contest was a new bow crafted by grandfather. Nobody makes better bows than him," she proudly said.
You look at the bow. It is certainly fine. It is crafted from a wood you cannot identify--some type of cedar--and has images carved upon it. The string itself is interesting. Most use some sort of sinew. This isn't any different but it has a slight golden sheen to it.
Ruth notices you eyeing her bow and offers it to you.
"The pull on it is pretty heavy but feel free to give it a try," she says.
You take the bow. It's heavier than you expected. Luckily, it's sized for your hands and you have little trouble holding it besides the weight. You try to pull back the string and you cannot. You try harder, almost *willing* it, and it begins to slowly pull back.
You have no way of using this bow as you are and so you hand it back to Ruth. She gives you a nod of respect.
"You're kind of scrawny. I didn't expect you to be able to actually pull the string back at all. Grandfather says it came from a dragon he killed!" she says.
Since you and Ruth are cousins, you suspect he is your grandfather too. You don't know for sure though. You've never been told that much about your relatives. Still, to be related to a dragon slayer?
You never really expected that.
"I tried to win a spear from him but only came in second in that contest," she continues. "When I come back, I'm going to win a shield from him. I won't let Ithma beat me this time!"
Your fathers eventually leave the two of you alone. You know they're likely drinking somewhere. The two of you decide to practice your archery. You take Ruth to a series of targets that you and several of the boys in the village use.
Ruth is an amazing shot. Her form is nearly perfect and she has a confidence in her motions. She has no difficulty with her bow and each arrow pierces deeply into the bales of hay that make up the targets.
She even shows off a few tricks. She can fire two arrows at a time and at one point even fires an arrow while performing a cartwheel. The arrow nearly misses that time though. She talks you through several of the tricks she uses and you find yourself growing more steady with your own shots.
On the second day of the harvest festival the two of you find yourselves browsing several stalls. You are admiring a silver ring when you hear a gasp from beside you. You turn to look at the source.
Ruth is at the next stall over. Well, stall isn't the right word. It might be better considered a menagerie. Animals of all sorts are present. The stall tender is a young man dressed in bright clothes. Ruth is examining some sort of spotted cat. The creature looks at her curiously and lets out a small meow.
Cats are not the only animals on show. You spot some sort of small, hairy creature that holds onto the branches of trees, large rodent like creatures, and a variety of birds. You even spot a pride of lions!
None of them appear to be caged and they respond to the young man's commands without issue. At times they even seem to compete for his attention and affection.
"Grandfather keeps something like this but on a larger scale," Ruth says. "But I've never really had the time to explore much of it. I hear Baitel has something similar in the Temple Gardens."
The animal keeper laughs.
"We do some business with the King," he says. "Many of our best specimens were sourced from him. We had to make an oath to treat them well, of course. And they will be returned after the festival."
Ruth looks longingly at the animals.
"So none are for sale?" she asks.
The keeper frowns.
"None of the more exotic ones, I'm afraid. But their are several that we could be convinced to part with, so long as you swear to treat them well."
You look over the animals that might be purchased...
[] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [] Something simple and well known. Dogs are popular pets in Ur and very respectable. They are exceptionally loyal, easily trained, and make for excellent trackers.
- [] The strange spotted cat. The young man says they are not proper cats but rather something from the south, called an "ocelot." They grow a bit larger than a house cat and have more of a wild nature.
- [] An eagle can be difficult to train and surly. Yet they live a long life and can be of aid when hunting.
- [] Write-in some sort of pet.
[] You do not want a pet.
[X] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [X] The strange spotted cat. The young man says they are not proper cats but rather something from the south, called an "ocelot." They grow a bit larger than a house cat and have more of a wild nature.
[X] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [x] An eagle can be difficult to train and surly. Yet they live a long life and can be of aid when hunting.
Not sure how much to game this. A snake would be cool, but I doubt we'd be sold a venomous snake and don't have the resources to keep it. Same with something creepy like a centipede or tarantula. Also thought of a goat - useful domestically and kind of witchy, but unless we could get it some supernatural powers it wouldn't be useful on adventures.
[X] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [x] An eagle can be difficult to train and surly. Yet they live a long life and can be of aid when hunting.
Not sure how much to game this. A snake would be cool, but I doubt we'd be sold a venomous snake and don't have the resources to keep it. Same with something creepy like a centipede or tarantula. Also thought of a goat - useful domestically and kind of witchy, but unless we could get it some supernatural powers it wouldn't be useful on adventures.
I hadn't considered it for whatever reason, but goats are actually a typical pet among your people. They are typically raised in large herds but rarely eaten, such is a minor taboo. You aren't entirely sure why this is the case.
[X] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [X] The strange spotted cat. The young man says they are not proper cats but rather something from the south, called an "ocelot." They grow a bit larger than a house cat and have more of a wild nature.
Could we expend a Faith token for a special pet to coincidentally arrive? We have two from Ganal, who is associated with death. Are any animals associated with being psychopomps in this setting?
Could we expend a Faith token for a special pet to coincidentally arrive? We have two from Ganal, who is associated with death. Are any animals associated with being psychopomps in this setting?
While they are not associated with Ganal, and not necessarily fitting into the "psychopomp" category, the closest would be a jackal or vulture. Most of Ganal's associations lay in red cedar, a forest of which is said to lay at the entrance to Paradise. He also wields an enormous sword as he guards the entrance. People mostly don't consider him much as it is both disturbing, and Ganal rarely intervenes in affairs of the living.
A Faith Token from El can be used to gain any sort of conceivable creature though it may be some time before it "finds" your way to you. A Faith Token from ??? may be used for whatever purpose you want, though whether it's something that Being is especially good at is an open question. In that case, something broad would be an excellent idea, such as "give me a pet" or "give me a weapon." Consider it a sort of gacha that will work in that category... at least until you know more of their abilities.
[X] A pet would be nice. You convince your father to purchase a...
- [X] Goat please
[X] Spend a faith token to find a special one
A snake is tempting, because snakes are great, but KreenWarrior brings up a good point about trying to find a destined adventure buddy. A slightly abnormal jackal is sort of like a dog, right? If we're not doing that, absolute get a pet goat.
