Jump to content

Moon Consequences


Michael Hopcroft

Recommended Posts

I'm trying to map out an adventure set in a capital or good-sized city of some monarchy. There's a bit of mutual social-class resentment going on, and some of the students at the local university occupy a middle ground where they must eventually choose sides. There is a tavern frequented by these students to which a hotel serving mainly middle-class lawyers, accountants, salesmen, etc. is uncomfortably close. So sometimes the two will meet, with the usual result that the kids moon the notables and laugh mockingly -- not seeming to recognize that someday that will be them.

Or will it? I don't imagine officers of the state or the courts especially enjoy it when they get the ***** of drunken college kids thrust into their faces. The question is what sort of action they will take, and how PCs become involved.

Now, this will be a somewhat different setting, as most OQ campaigns are not civilized enough to have universities -- it's hard enough just teaching people to read. I want to create a situation where the PCs may be called upon to take sides and act before the students get totally out of hand. (of course, there's some question that they will -- "We can't overthrow the state this week! Have you forgotten our midterms?"). But ideally, violence will be prevented because the students have no chance against the veteran soldiers of the City Watch when it comes to a fight.

In a fantasy world, what is the typical punishment for showing grievous public disrespect to someone ahead of you on the totem pole?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Normally, it's a case of "Oh look, the Students are at it again, ha, ha ha" and letting it be. However, some might take offence and cause a problem. I doubt it would be through the courts, instead some thugs would visit the students in question and tech them why it isn't a good idea to mock one's betters.

Also, don't forget that Student Riots were a thing back in the day, where gangs of students from rival universities, or even colleges, fought each other and the local townsfolk with swords and clubs. Taking revenge in such a way as above could escalate, with a gang if drunken students attacking the men of the offended party, then suffering retaliation, with escalating retaliations.

 

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps some time in the stocks enduring afternoon heat, splinters, flies, public humiliation and the occasional thrown rotten vegetable would teach those young rascals some manners. The city guard may not care about a wealthy guildman’s wounded pride but surely there are laws against public nudity on the books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That gives me an idea -- a setting with a Late Medival social environment with powerful guilds, universities, rapidly centralizing governments, and merchants starting to eclipse the power of landed nobility. Adding sorcery and demihumans to that setting would lead to some interesting mixes, with rival nobles, guilds, or individual guild leaders hiring mercenary mages to settle disputes, crime is organized to a degree (organizations like "the mob" are starting to form whose main income is from loansharking -- they will give you money for any venture, however shady, but you'd better pay them back...But something apocalyptic may be on the horizon -- maybe there is a social ground of dragons nearby facing a crisis of their own that might cause them to lay towns and even cities to waste, or maybe the city is in the path of a massive Orcish invasion of the civilized world (and who organizes Orcs quite that effectively?).

This looks like it might be a potential book... the question is whether I have the knowledge to write it! (At the workshop I attended last month, it was suggested writers keep a "candy jar" for ideas they can't use right away -- because eventually, it might be time to use that idea. I have a very large candy jar already.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...