Character Information

From Crossroads Wiki

There are many different types of characters on Crossroads. Citizens, nobles, merchants, mages, scientists, courtiers... most come from within Gateway empire, but some could have ventured here from beyond the barrier.

For help with building a character, it's recommended to look at the (optional but very neat) chargen process in the game, and to check out the +wanted boards. Also, all staff and feature characters are around to help you out at deciding what character to make.

There are a couple of helping details we've included below, references for anyone considering making a character.

Contents 1 Why Play a Citizen? 2 Medieval Jobs

Why Play a Citizen?

There is a tendency to see citizens as people who are the downtrodden, who can be punished by the nobility for the slightest indiscretions that they might make. There is a tendency to see the nobility as the heroes and the citizens as the bad guys. There is a tendency to see nobility as having the power to do anything they want, and citizens limited by their relative poverty and status. What I would like to do here is to balance this view a little, and explain why the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Let me start by asking what defines a noble.

Is it their title? A person however is more often judged by their actions than by their title. A noble might be Lord or Lady of Asphalt falls, but if they have not acted fairly, justly and wisely with proper decorum they are just as prone to getting a reputation as being a jerk as Mister Thibbit working down at the mill. In fact, they are likely to get a far bigger reputation because of their public status. Everything that they do is judged by their peers, their Liege and the citizens around them. There is very little that actually remains private, for anything they do is likely to become a subject of local gossip, I would venture more so than for Mister Thibbit if he were in the same situation.

Is it their lands? Not all nobility have lands to begin with. Those who do have a responsibility to the people on their lands, and the people upon them. As noted above, if they act poorly, they have quite the reputation and set of consequences to live up to. What of those nobility who do not have lands? They are pawns for marriage, essentially; the stuff that political ties and alliances are formed from. They are in some ways property to be traded as their Liege wills, for there are in reality very few noble marriages that are borne of love, rather than political need. Should a noble wish to marry, then they find themselves in quite a testing position with them needing to find approval for the marriage from both families involved and potentially even the Emperor. They need to go before council and have their betrothal approved, then observed for several months further, approved a second time and then finally the marriage may be allowed. Many a citizen might be relieved at not having to deal with such an ordeal, and that they can marry to their hearts content with no-one objecting.

Is it their education? It is true that nobility do have a head start in life as far as education is concerned. It's done, they come to court being able to read and write, to be able to ride or undertake many a skill and hobby. That is a perk of growing up with wealth. What perhaps might be forgotten however is that the learning of such things can provide good rp fodder. Mister Thibbit may not be able to ride a horse, but perhaps he might like to learn, if he can find the opportunity to. Perhaps he will learn to read and write in IC rp. The potential is out there for a commoner to learn as much he wants, and not simply have learned it all already. Isn't it boring to know everything already? In this sense perhaps Mister Thibbit has an advantage.

Is it their freedom to do what they want? The common perception is that nobility do not have any ties of daily rigors to tie them down. They are free to do what they wish, when they wish it. In fact this is less true than it might seem to be. Nobility might be followed by guards for their own safety, they may not be able to travel as much as they wish due to the requirements their Lieges may have for them, or the duties (their lands, court) may require of them. If they venture out around the village of Crossroads you can bet that people are watching what they are doing, where they are going, who they are talking to. There is little privacy in this; again anything they do may get reported as entertaining gossip. By contrast, Mister Thibbit has more freedom to go where he wants, profession depending, and not be noticed. He can slip around the shadows and not be noticed. He is far less likely to become a subject of amusing gossip.

Is it the opportunities open to them? Certainly a noble has many avenues open to them as to what they might like to do with their lives, but these are limiting in others in that they will likely only be able to undertake professions that are deemed respectable for a noble. Whilst a noble might be involved in the creation of ventures, they are less likely to be involved in the actual running of them. For example, they might open up a shop in which they might trade in jewellery produced from gems on their land, but you won't find them at the front desk selling the wares. Mister Thibbit might be found there however, interacting with others and using his initiative to approach the shop owner with suggestions on how to improve the business further. Mister Thibbit might even harbour ambitions to create his own shop and run his own business, for he is certainly not limited in that capacity. From there the possibilities with trade are endless, as are the adventures he might go through to find new wares and stock to sell. A person can make whatever opportunities they feel inclined to; all it takes is a little imagination and creativity.

Is it their social power and status? Many might feel that there is an unfair inequality between nobility and citizen, that a noble can do and say what he wishes and get away with it, whilst a citizen can not. To a certain extend this is true – and this is inherent in the class difference between the two and that is something that can not be entirely avoided due to the genre. The difference lies in justice and fairness, whether the noble or citizen is deemed to have stepped outside of their bounds. It might be felt that citizens have no recourse should they be offended, however this is precisely why the position of Citizen Speaker and Noble Speaker exist. If either noble or citizen feel that they have been wronged in some way by the other they need only approach these two people. Both have considerable sway with the Emperor who will judge the situation fairly and take whatever actions are appropriate. If actions/apologies should be made publicly, then they shall be for at the end of the day it is good rp fodder.

If a noble abuses their status significantly they can be punished equally – nobles at the end of the day are just as replaceable as citizens are, but the stakes are much higher given the sheer responsibilities and numbers of people on their lands that rely on their leadership. In that perhaps such punishments are taken more seriously, but a noble can be stripped of their titles, of their lands and of their respect with their peers for their actions. They are not untouchable, and when you have higher to fall, you fall far harder.

Citizens might feel they have to curtsey all the time and be mindful of their manners towards nobility, yet it is just so for the majority of nobility also. They have to set an example of what is good behaviour for others, and will be held accountable for the example they set. In this they have to curtsey or bow to their peers and high nobility also. They can share an empathy in this with how citizens have to also be mindful of their manners and yet citizens do not have to live to the higher standards that nobles are expected to. The two are not so different in this respect.

So all in all, citizens are not as disadvantaged as they might seem… indeed may even be advantaged in that they have freedoms that nobility do not, have many rp opportunities for trade, business and education, have the freedom to choose who they might marry, and in what direction they wish their life to take. There are opportunities for play within the trade guild, the thieves guild, the merchants guild or even other factions such as guards and navy. The only thing that limits a citizen truly is a players own imagination for otherwise the Empire is their oyster.

Medieval Jobs

The following job descriptions from actual medieval jobs can be helpful in narrowing down a character concept and playing it in-theme.

• Artist: An artist is someone who paints portraits, sculpts, writes poetry, or in other ways contributes something artistic to the community. Artists are often hired by nobles or wealthy merchants for portrait work, and the city of Crossroads has a museum that is always accepting new work.
• Barber / Surgeon: A barber cuts hair, yes, but he also performs surgery and sets broken bones for those who cannot afford to go to a reputable healer. A barber is mostly unskilled at surgery, though with practice it's possible that he won't /always/ kill his patients.
• Bard: Bards are traveling entertainers, welcome at Inns and taverns across the Isles. Though it is unlikely that a bard ever has more than a few coins to rub together, one will rarely go hungry, as people are always willing to exchange food and lodging for news from the other Isles or an entertaining story or song.
• Barkeep / Barmaid: A barkeep, barmaid, bartender, serving wench, and the like are all workers at an Inn or tavern. They keep long hours, on their feet, serving food and drink to the patrons of the establishment they work in. It is rare that a barmaid or barkeep will own the Inn or tavern that they work in — but occasionally the owner will take a turn behind the counter.
• Beekeeper: A beekeeper keeps bees, obviously, but also profits by selling the honey that is created in the beehive. Beekeepers are trained to be able to extract the honeycombs without being stung by the hundreds or thousands of bees that may live within a hive. In addition, royal jelly products that can be used in potions and salves by alchemists and healers bring a good profit to the careful beekeeper.
• Beggar: A beggar begs for money in the streets of a large town or city. Come on, do you really need more information than that? Well, all right, if you insist! Not all beggars are equal. Some are injured or have some deformity (or pretend the same to gain the sympathy of those who pass by) and others 'work' for their gains by performing in the street impromptu acts of poetry or theatrics. The least popular kind of beggar (at least to whose who are begged FROM) are those who threaten to curse passers-by unless alms are given. Think up your most inventive curses and play a beggar today!
• Bookbinder: A bookbinder binds books into the forms we are all familiar with. Many make their own paper and tan their own hides for leather-bound volumes. In addition, some bookbinders operate their own storefronts, where both pre-printed books and blank journals are available.
• Brewer: A brewer brews beer, ale, lager, stout, and other libations in large vats, and sells his wares to innkeepers, tavern-owners, individuals, and families. Brewers vary from the sloppiest operations where rats and other things frequently fall into the vats, to high-quality ale connoisseurs whose customers include the wealthy merchants and the nobility.
• Brothel Keeper: Brothel Keeper, Madam, Pimp — call it what you will, these people profit from the sale of human flesh. Live, warm, agreeable human flesh! Just as with any profession, there are many different types of brothel keepers — from those that see their employees as barely human and are only out for the coin, to those who see their employees as part of a family, and protect them.
• Butcher: A butcher receives animals — sometimes dead, and sometimes alive — from Green Fields and prepares them for sale to restaurants/taverns/inns, households, families, and the like. Preparing meat is not as easy as it may seem! Carcasses are heavy, spoil easily and attract bugs, and carry disease if not treated properly. In addition to slaughtering and cutting meat, butchers often process meats into things like sausage.
• Chambermaid: A chambermaid works in the home of a wealthy merchant or lesser noble, or in the castle or keep of a high noble. They are responsible for cleaning the private suites and rooms of the house, as well as for serving at meals and when guests are present. Often times chambermaids can be pressed into service as a body servant or lady's maid as well, when their employer is too cheap — or too poor! - to hire an additional servant for these tasks.
• Cook: Cooks and chefs work in the kitchens of Inns, taverns, wealthy households or the castles and keeps of the nobility to serve and prepare food. The larger a home is, the more cooks it will employ! In smaller homes, cooks shop for the food they will prepare on their own, but larger households often employ separate servants for those tasks.
• Dockworker: Dockworkers move cargo from ships to their final destination, and load outgoing cargo onto ships to be sent to other Isles. There are dockworkers on every Isle, but especially on Gateway Isle, which is the main center of trade for the Empire. Dockworkers are often a rowdy bunch, working long hours carrying heavy loads before going to spend their hard-earned money in the local tavern or brothel.
• Dyer: A dyer dyes cloth into various colors for various uses. Dyers are almost always easily spotted because their hands, arms, and occasionally legs and feet show the marks of their trade, which consists of dipping large amounts of cloth into heated vats of colored water, repeatedly, and then washing and drying the cloth to prepare it for sale.
• Executioner: Sometimes, people just need killing, and somebody has to do it! An executioner is in the employ of the Emperor, and wears a hooded cloak that completely obscures his or her face so that his identity is not known. This prevents the families and friends of executed individuals from seeking revenge on the instrument of their loved ones' destruction!
• Farmer: Farmers are located on the Isle of Green Fields, though even farmers occasionally take vacations and come to Gateway Isle. In addition, they may come to Crossroads to personally sell their wares — and of course, whenever the planting or harvesting is done, they have very little to do at home. Playing a farmer is an excellent RP opportunity for those who tend to have long periods of offline time due to real life concerns such as school or work.
• Fishmonger / Fishwife: Fishmongers and fishwives sell fish at a fish market. There is a reason that catty women are often called fishwives — these people sell their wares by being rude to their customers! Your local fishmonger is probably someone who is incredibly unhappy and gets joy out of life by taking out his misery on anyone who unfortunate as to wish to purchase fish from his shop.
• Fortune Teller / Astrologer: Fortune tellers and astrologers come in different degrees. Neither is an exact science, and the magic of the Isles of the Keeper does not lend itself to accurate prophecies. That doesn't stop some people from being superstitious, or others from trying to get a leg up by interpreting the stars, sheep guts, a roll of the dice, tarot cards, or by shaking a bag of bones!
• Fuller: The career path of a fuller may well be the most disgusting job anyone can have. As a fuller you are expected to walk up and down all day in huge vats of stinking stale urine. The ammonia produced by the rotten wee may make your eyes water but it creates the softest cloth by drawing out the grease (lanolin) from the wool. If you can dance up to your knees in urine for around two hours per length of cloth, you'll succeed in closing the fibers of the wool and interlocking them to produce cloth that is kind to the skin. You may stink and regularly have to fight back the urge to throw up, but you are guaranteed very clean toenails.
• Gardener: Gardeners can be hired by individual persons to care for their family plots, or by nobles or even the Emperor to care for larger, more expansive gardens. The Emperor employs a team of gardeners to care for the greenery of Crossroads City and the castle. If you are good with plants and like to work outside, consider a career as a gardener!
• Gravedigger: Often seen as incredibly creepy people, gravediggers do just that — they dig graves. It's backbreaking work, outside regardless of heat or cold, and a most solitary profession indeed. In addition to digging the actual graves, gravediggers tend to funeral plots and handle upkeep of tombstones and mausoleums.
• Groom: A groom is generally hired by a wealthy merchant or a noble to take care of their personal stable. Crossroads City has several stables where grooms are employed by the Emperor to care for both the horses of the Imperial family and those stabled by visiting nobles. Grooms are expected to care for, feed, and exercise these mounts, somehow finding time to do so in between visits to the hayloft with their favorite barmaid.
• Laundress: A laundress or launderer washes the clothes of wealthy merchants or the nobility. They can be employed in a large home or castle to work for that family alone, or work out of their own home by picking up soiled linens and delivering clean ones back to the family or noble who purchased their services.
• Messenger: Messengers come in several varieties — personal messengers, who are hired by an individual to carry all of their correspondence, bonded messengers, who belong to the Messengers' Guild and can be trusted to keep the contents of all bonded messages absolutely secret, and Imperial messengers, who are employed by the Emperor. Imperial messengers are sacrosanct when performing their duty, and severe penalties will be given to any who interfere with the completion of their tasks.
• Midwife: Midwives learn their profession from other midwives, usually their own mother or grandmother, and deliver babies for those who cannot afford a healer's services. These are often older women, quite earthy and outspoken, who have delivered countless numbers of babies over the course of their lifetimes.
• Miner: The life of a miner is a hard one. Working in a mine is dangerous — you're stuck in a deep hole with very little light for hours at a time, digging into solid rock with a pickaxe. Still, for an unskilled laborer, the money can be right — or at least allow one to feed and house oneself and one's family.
• Mourner: Professional mourners are just that — these people are hired by the families of the deceased to attend the funerals of their loved ones, and mourn. This can often make the recently departed seem more important than they actually were!
• Painter: A standard painter — not an artist — is someone who is hired to paint the walls, and occasionally the ceilings and floors — of a building or dwelling. Painters may also be hired to paint fences and the like.
• Potter: Potters are artists in their fashion — they make the crockery, cookware, bottles, jars, jugs, and such that are formed from clay.
• Ratcatcher: The job of a ratcatcher is not entirely unpleasant — if you enjoy exploring the bowels of a castle or keep to catch and kill rats. Rats are loathsome creatures, dirty in their habits and carrying disease, which is why it's so important not to let an infestation get started! The ratcatcher is a very important person in the running of a large city, especially.
• Sailor: Sailors are just that — they sail on ships, going back and forth between the Isles. Many are uncomfortable on land, though they are known to make the most of their shore leave by visiting the local Inns and whorehouses of whichever port they are currently docked at.
• Scullion: Scullions are hired to work in the kitchens of Inns, taverns, castles, keeps, and the homes of the wealthy. Their job is to clean the utensils and dishes used in preparing and serving meals, as well as keep the kitchen area clean.
• Servant: General servants work for wealthy merchants or nobles and do everything from cleaning to delivering messages to serving at dinners or meetings. Some say particularly pretty female servants occasionally have more personal duties, but that is surely something that is worked out between employer and employee.
• Stonecarver: Stonecarvers cut stone from quarries and form it into blocks that can be used for building. It's not easy work — it's back-breaking, dirty, and exhausting. However, it's also extremely necessary, and stonecarvers are paid well for their labor.
• Taster: A taster is hired by a wealthy merchant or noble to taste all food before the noble eats it, to guard against poison. The Emperor has a staff of tasters who alternate in this duty.
• Thatcher: Thatchers mend cloth, ropes, nets, and the like when they get damaged. They are especially valuable to fishermen, whose nets are often damaged by particularly energetic fish.
• Thief: The job of a thief is a dangerous one, but can be highly profitable if one is good at what they do. Thieves take what does not belong to them — either by pickpocketing, armed robbery, or raiding untended homes or businesses. Highwaymen accost travelers on the roads, depriving them of their valuables in exchange for allowing them to leave with their lives. There is a thieves' guild in most major cities, and Crossroads is no exception. Talk to a member of the admin staff if you are interested in being a part of this guild!
• Tinker: A tinker is less skilled than a blacksmith, but can mend armor and repair weapons to a point. Often considered a 'jack of all trades, master of none', tinkers do all sorts of odd jobs, usually from the back of a wagon that also serves as their home.
• Wetnurse: A wetnurse serves as a nanny and also suckles infants when a mother is unable to, or doesn't wish to. Many noblewomen employ wetnurses; also, they are important when a mother dies in childbirth but the child survives.
• Whore: A whore works in a brothel, usually, though many seek independence by plying their trade on their own. Courtesans are whores on a whole other level — courtesans are well-educated, and typically entertain members of the wealthy merchant class or nobility. Courtesans have their own place in society and are not automatically looked down upon.