Draught FAQ
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| What is the main trade of Draught, and typical professions?
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- Draught is known as a very richly educated isle, and one that supports the sciences of the Empire. One would find many healers, alchemists, tinkerers, architects and astrologers upon the isle, mostly centered around the Colleges of Science and Healing that are located on Draught. Most of Gateway's advances in technology, be it farm equipment for Green Fields, weapons for the legions, or ships for the navy, have come from Draughtian minds.
- Intellectuals are not the only prime exports, however. There are also large spice plantations, and lands set aside for growing the many components used in healing, alchemy and magic. Draught is where most of the paper and ink supplies for the Empire come from as well, invariably leading to the highest population of scribes.
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| What is the population of Draught, and the typical distribution?
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- Approximately eight hundred and forty thousand people reside upon the entire island of Draught, which is approximately thirty-eight thousand square miles, is comparable to the area of Iceland in size. There are a few larger communities, certainly around each of the two Colleges, and nearby each baronial estate. However, other than a few open spaces to grow upon the spice plantations, one doesn't have to travel far to find the next person. Draught is very much an isle of smaller communities that are spread all over the isle.
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| What are the main noble families and powerful lines of Draught?
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- Ducal - Claremont. This family has been seated over Draught for more than half of the Empire's short history. Currently, only one Claremont remains with his whereabouts known.
- Baronial
- Miller's Isle - The current Baron is Ethan Locke, placed in his position by Dorian Claremont late in the year 506. He is unmarried and has no heirs. Before Ethan, Sabrina Lancaster was Baroness, the Lancasters having held the barony for some time.
- Destine - Currently officially held in Regency by the Ducal couple for Isolde Lieberman, nee Claremont, the Baroness has not been seen at court for quite some time. She came into the position upon marrying the Lieberman heir, Eric, whose family has been seated for many years.
- Ethos - Currently held in Regency by Parsifal Soranus for his son, Valen. All through recent history, the Soranus line has been Baron over the lands.
- Amphorae - The Paggion family has held Amphorae as a barony for many years. The current Baroness is Natalia Paggion. She is as yet unmarried. Previously, Khalani Paggion sat as Baroness, before marrying Duke Dorian Claremont.
- Lordships
- Tinker's Bench - Held by the family Maricel.
- Pyria - Lord Dion Sendai is Lord over Pyria. Previously held by his older brother Pyrphoros before his death. Before this, the seated lords came from the Durante family. The last of the Durante lords, Stanford, was killed by the People's Empire before producing heirs.
- Meritas - Held by Joshua Dhaval, from a family that has sat in the lord seat for many years in Meritas.
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- Moria - Under a current regency until a new lord is chosen, it was previously ruled by Solphin Acaran before she was stripped of her title.
- Omenal - Currently under the reign of the Stevens family, who came into power in 506. Before that, the Silenus' were quietly dismissed from the lands by Baroness Destine, for reasons never made public.
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- Elixir Vitae - Lord Nicodemos Crowley leads the land currently, the Crowley family having a long history connected to Elixir Vitae.
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| How do citizens and nobles typically relate on Draught?
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- Draught doesn't differentiate so much within most communities between noble and non. You see much sectioning off by intellectual pursuits, or skill level in certain areas of study. Upon Draught itself, a person is more judged by their skill in their trade than what blood runs through their veins.
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| What recent major political/social/geographical events should all of Draught be aware of?
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- On August 22, 511, it was announced by Imperial Proclamation that Duke Dorian and Duchess Khalani would be serving as Ambassadors to Tyr. Helena Pasternak, who had until that time served as Imperial Regent with her husband, Mihovil Pasternak, was named Her Grace, Lady Protector of Draught, to lead Draught in their absence.
- On October 25, 508 AG, a large earthquake of great magnitude struck the southern portion of the isle. Approximately fifteen thousand square miles of land cracked off from the main isle and fell into the sea, literally carving a new coastline and losing almost half the barony of Ethos, and a good portion of the Lordship of Omenal in Destine, including the main port city of Port Omenal. This has been a great loss for the isle, leaving it in a state of need and chaos, as much as the rest of the Empire during the turmoil following the attempt by the Foresters to destroy the Gateway to the Abyss.
- Since taking over as Duke, Dorian Claremont has decreed that any land holding noble of the isle was forbidden to make use of mind-altering substances, calling forth the need to be clear of mind to rule fairly over one's people. This proclamation came as a shock, especially upon Draught itself, where alchemy, and the use of such substances is so widely accepted. Rumor has it that the young Duke was reacting to his father's illness and subsequent death that many did attribute to years of substance use.
- For as long as recent history tells us, there has been a community of gypsies that resided upon Draught, more specifically within the Destine lands. In December of 507, Emperor Rourke Caprios decreed that all gypsies were to be known as traitors to the Empire for their refusal to recognize the authority and law of the crown. Those that wished to renounce the ways of the gypsy were permitted to come forward to do so, where they were branded upon the cheek with a 'G', but retained their freedom as a citizen of the Empire. There are not a whole lot of people running around with the letter branded onto their faces, nor are there any communities of gypsies that remain. Where did the number of people go? Most people agree that the community was wiped out by the heavy hand of the Imperial Seat. No traces of the gypsy culture remains on Draught.
- In the year 504, there was some rumor of something happening to people of lesser stature on Draught, that they were somehow being stripped of their personality. Upon further research, it was discovered that a drug was causing the problem. Early in the year 505 was when it was all tracked down to a large illegal experiment, headed by the respected alchemist Anastasia Zakov. It seems that Mistress Zakov developed the drug with the assistance of necromancers that literally would separate the soul from a living body. It became clear upon the discovery that the alchemist was seeing to the abduction of many to perform her experiments upon. Upon the discovery, the drug was immediately declared illegal, and the formula thought to be lost with Anastasia's subsequent death. The large upset from this experiment brought forth a debate and trial of a major scale upon Draught dealing with human subject for experimentation, and what counts as subject consent that lasted many months after the experiment was shut down.
- The barony of Ethos suffered great upheaval in the year of 507 when certain Purists from the Path of the Innocent rose up and abducted and exiled many members of the Soranus family, including the Baron, for reasons stated that they had fallen into Darkness. Ravelle Soranus, acting as Baronet, stepped in to lead the people in her brother's absence, though in little time, she found herself married to one of the men involved in the exiling of her family. Upon the return of Athar Soranus, he regained his title and position as Baron only to soon after disappear in what was described only as his leaving on a Holy Quest. He has not been seen since. Soon after, Ravelle Soranus was found dead in her office at the University on Gateway, leaving her husband, Parsifal Soranus, regent of the barony until their son, Valen, comes of age, or the higher ups decide and agree upon something else.
- The notable and infamous Isolde Lieberman's position of Baroness of Destine was handed off to a Regent in the year 508 following her mysterious disappearance. Very little has been said publicly about this change in leadership, and nothing but rumors have surfaced about Isolde's disappearance.
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| What is the typical education?
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- There is a great responsibility on parents of Draught to pass on wisdom and learning to their children. The most intellectual of any of the isles, education is a high priority. Most everyone upon Draught is literate. Many attend one of the two Colleges upon the isle, and many more apprentice under Masters to learn well their trade. It is not uncommon for a young child to leave home to go study a trade as a novice under a Master.
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| What is the attitude of the typical Draught citizen toward those of each other isle?
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- Of a Green Fielder - Hard working, but blue collar. They give the inventors and mechanics of Draught constant work on farm equipment. Draught citizen would think themselves intellectually superior.
- Of a Guardian - Again, intellectually superior than those upon Guardian. Some appreciation for the art that comes out of that isle, and some components from there, but for the most part... meat puppets.
- Of a Mistian - There is a strange symbiotic relationship between Draught and Mists. Experiments that blend science and magic have seen the people of the two isles grow a tentative respect for the other.
- Of a Gater - Because Gateway is such a mishmash of people, there is no true general attitude towards them. The largest city in the Empire is seen for as what it is.. the center of everything.
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| What is the attitude of the typical Draught citizen toward Providence?
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- Aside from the Purists, who are zealots for Providence, the rest of the isle, being as scientific as it is, doesn't focus much upon religion and faith. It is not as if they would deny the existence of Providence, but would rather talk about how the salt level in the fields of cannabis affect the height of the plants in a certain amount of rainfall. It is not that they are unfaithful. They are more focused upon other things. Religion is not as prevalent.
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| Who are the notable figures of Draught, those that hold some sort of power or sway, and what do I know of them?
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- Dorian Claremont - Current Duke of Draught. He is young for his station, the last of his line. He is rather quiet around court, and keeps to himself a lot. He is currently serving as an Ambassador to Tyr.
- Khalani Claremont - Current Duchess of Draught. Born of the Paggion line from Amphorae, the marriage to the Duke was arranged by the Emperor in the year 508. She is quite active in court, even if not a very public figure, she is very present and approachable. She is currently serving as an Ambassador to Tyr.
- Helena Soranus Pasternak - Though not a landed lady, she served as the Imperial Chamberlain, a position that comes with the trust of the Imperial Seat and, upon the death of Rourke Caprios, she (along with her new husband, Mihovil Pasternak) was raised to the position of Imperial Regent of the Empire of Gateway. In August 511, Crown Prince Jordan Caprios named her Lady Protector of Draught in the absence of the Duke and Duchess. One of the Purists and known to be quite morally upstanding.
- Ethan Locke - Baron of Miller's Isle. He is a more public figure, quite outspoken in court, a man who dives into political matters with both feet and is not afraid to make his thoughts known. He is quite a stickler to the rules of propriety, and is quick to ire around those who do not show the proper respect to the nobility of the Empire.
- Parsifal Soranus - Baron Regent of Ethos. He is known for forcibly exiling most of the Soranus family out of the barrier and wedding the late Ravelle Soranus in their absence. Publicly tried and punished for his part in it, he has risen since to the station of Regent over the Barony. A man of deep faith, he is level headed and very reasonable.
- Chase Stevens - Once Baron Regent of Destine, he is now returned to his position as Lord Omenal. After the mysterious disappearance of Isolde Lieberman, he was named to the Regency. He is an upstanding member of the Draughtian court with the respect of the people of Destine. A fair ruler, so far.
- Solphin Acaran - Once the Lady of Moria, she was stripped of her title by the Emperor himself. Born of gypsy heritage, she is branded with the mark of gypsy, and has risen into some power once again as the Lady Chamberlain to the Baron Regent of Destine. A very notable figure around court.
- Karyleine Codex - The Lady of Codex, she is very noted for recently introducing the first working printing press to Gateway. Part of the Purist religion, she is known to have a very deep independent streak that is coming forth since the death of her husband, Kristian.
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| Who are the more infamous names that have come out of Draught historically, both recently and historically?
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- Catelyn Claremont - Late mother of Duke Dorian Claremont, she was a leading mind in the field of architecture. She was a key figure in designing and seeing over the building of the ships of what now serves as the Imperial Navy. She was a very well received, and respected Duchess.
- Rhyse Claremont - Late father of Dorian Claremont. He was a very highly respected Duke for many years. Later, he was known to suffer some problems from some drug abuse. Stripped of his title several months before his death, after disappearing from court, he later died a very sick man.
- Isolde Claremont Lieberman - The eldest child of Rhyse and Catelyn, she was raised to succeed them as Duchess, and often seen as the golden child with a deep love of her people and her home isle. After a violent rebellious streak in her late teenage years, she was stripped of her title of Marquis, and later of all nobility, she later showed up in court once more a Baroness of Destine, convincing her parents to recognize her marriage. There are several rumors that she was a mistress of the Emperor both before and after his marriage to the Empress. She was once kidnapped by Vox and lived to tell the tale. An avid supporter of the alchemical sciences, she was known to dabble herself, and was a good leader to her people upon Draught, despite her troubles in court. There is no one in recent Draughtian history that has stirred the pot politically more than Isolde. In the year 507, she mysteriously disappeared from view, never to be seen again. Still, she has not been declared dead, but only missing.
- Nigel Ortberg - One of the most well known names in alchemy to come out of Draught, Master Ortberg relocated to Gateway to open a successful apothecary and establish the Ortberg name across the Empire. The apothecary yet remains with his name, even if he returned to Draught to live out the rest of his years amongst his own kind and with his private studies.
- Coleridge Eisenhart - Once the prodigy of Nigel Ortberg, a genius of alchemy in his own right, he is the mind behind the Euphoria drug, and it's more illegal relative, Paradise. An eccentric fellow, he showed up to assume ownership and management of Ortberg's apothecary. He is, however, not often found in his shop, rather stashed away with any number of experiments of his own.
- Anastasia Zakov - Another very well known name in alchemy, she was an established scientist with a respected reputation - until an illegal experiment of hers was discovered and made public. Working with necromancers, she developed a drug that robbed a body of its soul, making living zombies. Her death was reported at the discovery of the secret labs, the discovery leading to a trial and many debates about the morality of human experimentation.
- Solomon Soranus - A historical and very important name in the Purist faith. This Baron was very close to Emperor Jonathan Caprios, the two of them penning the famed Libris Sancti, the holy book of the Purist faith, together. He was later found slain in his home upon Gateway with his family. Still a cherished figure to the Purists, his sacrifice for faith is not forgotten.
- Athar Soranus - The most recent Baron of Ethos, he relocated his family to Gateway after years of remaining secluded upon Draught. Since the move, the Purists have made great waves in political arenas, his younger sister even becoming the trusted Chamberlain to the Emperor. Exiled by Kristian Codex and Parsifal Valens (now Soranus), he lead his family back to a return to Gateway. Soon after the return, however, he left unexpectedly on what was only ever explained as a holy quest. None have seen him since.
- Shannah Rose Caprios - The woman who traveled to Gateway from Guardian to seek aid from Emperor Rourke Caprios in the year 50 AG to ease distress between the warriors and intellectuals of her isle. In the next year, she married Prince Jordan Caprios, who raised the isle of Draught as a wedding present in her honor.
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| I hear there's a lot of drug use on Draught. What's up with that?
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- It should come as no surprise to anyone that many people among the population of Draught are often under the influence of some mood, mind, or body-altering substance. If they’re not testing out their own herbal compounds, they’re using herbal assistance to keep them awake, alert, sexually responsive, mellow, happy, or any number of other effects. The sheer availability of these herbal mixtures on Draught – often as simple as going out to your garden and picking the required ingredients – makes regulation nearly impossible.
- Unless a substance is banned by Imperial decree, any citizen of Draught may use an alhemical compound on herself as often as she wishes, regardless of consequence. If said compounds cause that person’s death, they will be mourned – but such is the consequence of experimentation. However, no drugs may be used on any other person without their express permission (often proven by a written contract). This is the first and most basic rule – and very few deliberately choose to ignore it. Only psychopaths use chemicals on another person against their will, and those few in the history of Draught who have been caught have been shunned, or even executed if the offense was great enough. Almost without exception, the people of Draught are responsible in keeping their experiments in dosage limited to their own bodies.
- There are even more severe penalties for selling or transporting restricted types of drugs off the Isle of Draught to the other Isles of the Empire. Such behavior is against Imperial Law and anyone found doing so is immediately remanded to the Emperor for punishment. This is rare, but human greed being what it is, not unheard of. Some of the compounds on Draught – especially those of a sexual nature – are heavily sought after on other Isles and the criminal who seeks to provide them can become quite rich in a very short time. Generally speaking, though, this kind of activity shortens one’s life expectancy and one thing no Draught person has been able to do is find a way to take their wealth with them beyond the grave.
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| What's the current level of technology on Draught?
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- Invention is an important aspect on this Isle, to push beyond that which we already have and make it better. Over the history of Draught, many an inventor made the Isle both famous and infamous with their creations, the only thing ever unchanging is the hunger to continue advancing the Isle and the Empire as a whole.
- The current level of technology seems to be focused on clockworks. Those are the most popular of toys on the Isle, others are attempting to create household items to help with the mundane chores of everyday life. Timepieces in varying shapes and sizes, from the very small to the enormous have become common place. A large clock tower has even been erected at the School of Science in Pyria that chimes at the top of every hour.
- There has been a small amount of focus on steam and the possibilities of steam, though that is largely overlooked by many inventors. There are rumors of a potential heating system being invented using steam, though details of this are sketchy at best.
- If you have an idea for bringing a new invention into the game, or even changing something that is already in the game, please submit a +job. If you have any questions, page or @mail the fachead or Draught admin.
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| What is with the Purists? Who are they?
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- Within the barony of Ethos, there is a group of religious zealots known as Purists. Historically, they have been lead by the Baron of Ethos himself. They are strict followers of Providence and make up even just a small number of the population of Ethos, about ten percent of the barony's people. However, they are a very loud and influential minority there, with the power of the baronial seat behind them. They are a very hardcore and devoted group, known to fight diligently against anything they see as darkness. For more information on the Purists, please visit the Purist section of the wiki.
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| I want to play an Alchemist/Healer/Tinkerer. Are there restrictions?
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- Any skill based science takes years to master. One will not see an eighteen year old master healer, or tinkerer. Years of education and training and testing go into any profession. An alchemist, for example, would get the basic education of any Draughtian citizen, then continue on to study at the College of Sciences. During this course of study, they would be referred to as an apprentice in their field, and often come under the wing of a Master, who would continue to train them more throughly during their later school years, and afterwards. Around the age of twenty, or reaching a certain skill level, one would then move onto the title of Journeyman, usually moving to study under a different Master for several years before striking out on their own. It is nearer to the age of thirty that anyone reaches a full states of Master Alchemist. This is also true of tinkerers and healers.
- It should be noted that unless someone is fully committed to their course of study, they are not going to be a master of their trade. One can study two areas, like a healer/alchemist, but would not become a master of both until much further in life. A noble with lands that has responsibilities other than study are not very often masters of any craft, even if they have some skill within the area of study.
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| What is the current level of technology on the game? What sort of things can an inventor come up with?
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- Technology on the game is often a vague thing, and cannot really be hammered down into a certain time frame of human history. The Draught admins keep a very tight leash on the development of many things, as too much technology would change the entire theme of the game. There have been a few clockwork items here and there, but that is the absolutely leading edge of technology right now, and has a much higher failure rate than success. Steam technology is not something we are looking to further. Another item of note is gun powder. There is a form of flammable powder on the game called Naptha, we are uninterested in seeing this take the step into gunpowder, as we do not, at this time, wish to introduce firearms onto the game.
- Some notable lay inventions that are available on grid include the early printing press, looms, telescopes, microscopes, spectacles, plumbing, clocks and some clockwork toys. Musical instruments would include harpsichord, violin, lutes and other such strings, flutes, most woodwind. Brass instruments have been limited to those without valves. Pianos do exist, though the technology has only come to Gateway from outer barrier recently.
- As for weapon technology, such things exist such as ballista, catapult, battering rams and other sort of medieval type large weapons.
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| What is M.O.S.S.?
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- The anagram stands for 'Ministry Of Social Sciences' and the group is loosely affiliated with the College of Sciences.
- The purpose of M.O.S.S. is to examine human behaviors, opinions, and physiology in order to draw reasonable conclusions about life. Everything is an experiment, according to M.O.S.S. philosophy. From the question of a survey or poll itself to the manner in which people react to it, every detail is studied and debated amongst the scientists who belong to this organization. Results are published quarterly in a scientific journal produced specifically by M.O.S.S., and annually in the School of Science's year-end report.
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| I have more questions about Draught! Who do I ask or where do I find them?
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- Click on any blue link on this page for more information on that subject. If that still doesn't answer your questions, feel free to contact either the Draught fachead - Duchess Khalani Claremont or the Draught admin, Julie.
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