Cracks in the Orb
A theater-style LARP in the world of Steven Brust's Dragaera novels
The following bluesheets are designed to tell you what information your character can reasonably be expected to know about Dragaera. This is still a work in progress.
In writing these world bluesheets, I am indebted to a bunch of different Dragaera fansites, including:
(Incidentally, these are also really good resources if you need to research stuff about your characters!)
The Dragaeran Empire
Organizational Structure
The Dragaeran Empire is the largest political entity on the world known as Dragaera. The Empire's main purpose is to ease trade among its parts, protect safety of the roads, and administer the feudal society that in turn nurtures it.
The Empire's nature is tied in with its 17 Houses, who rotate dominance and the Emperorship over the years as dictated by the Cycle, which is in turn watched over by the gods. The causal relationships between the Gods, the Cycle, and the politics of the Empire appear to work in all directions simultaneously. (See bluesheet: The Cycle and the Dragaeran Houses). Whoever the ruler is, their symbol of office is the Orb--to "take the Orb" is synonymous with "take the throne."
The Emperor or Empress is assisted by a Court made up of Warlord, Prime Minister or Minister of the Houses, Court Wizard, Imperial Discreet, and several other ministers. In this time period, the 17th Athyra Reign, the Empress is Cherova III, who took the Orb from the Jhegaala Empress Viodonna three years ago, among the disorder of the recent Island Wars.
As in many feudal societies, there is a large and thriving nobility. Nobles titles are often (but not always) associated with feudal land holdings. Landed titles signify not only privilege, but also responsibility; both to the Teckla peasants of their fief, and to the well-being and protection of the Empire. The largest feudal land holdings are duchies, which are divided into counties, which are further divided into baronies, and then baronetcies. Titles are usually hereditary within the non-Teckla houses, but some can be purchased or gained by other means.
The capital of the Empire is in Dragaera City, which is also where the Imperial Palace can be found. Dragaera City is situated inland, on the intersection of the Yendi River and the Grand Canal. Dragaera City itself exists outside of any existing duchies, on land controlled by the Empress herself.
Dragaera is defended by the Imperial Army and Navy. In the capital, the Imperial Guard keeps order as the watch. These organizations are usually referred to according to the current reign; i.e., the Athyra Army, the Athyra Guard. On top of this there exists the Empress' (or Emperor's) Personal Guard, which is tasked solely with defending the ruler.
Although the Dragaeran Empire is a monarchy, it is not an absolute one. There exists a parliamentary body known as the Council of Deputies, made up of seventeen delegates from each House, for a total of 289 delegates. The Council meets once per Phase (every 289 years) at a congress called the Meeting of Principalities. A Meeting of Principalities can last several years; one was called at the beginning of Cherova's reign, and has been going on ever since.
A subset of the Council of Deputies is the Council of Princes, which is composed of the 17 Heirs of each House. It's worth nothing that while Heir means one is in line to be Emperor or Empress, when the Cycle turns to one's House, being an Heir is not itself a hereditary determination. Each House has its own means of determining an Heir. The Heirs are typically styled Prince or Princess, regardless of their actual landholding.
Peoples of the Empire (and environs)
The dominant race in the Empire, is, predictably, the Dragaerans. Dragaerans are sometimes described as "elves" by other races on the continent; they are exceptionally long lived (several thousand years), tall, slender, and have no facial or body hair.
Also technically Dragaerans--although considered "other" by mainland Dragaerans--are the residents of Elde and Greenaere Islands, to the south and west of the main land mass. In recent history, the Empire has been at war with the Islands, although there has been a truce with them since the beginning of Cherova's reign.
Non-Dragaeran races on the continent include the Easterners, residents of a number of warring kingdoms to the east of the Empire. The Easterners have a very short lifespan compared to Dragaerans (that is, basically a human lifespan), and at this time period, haven't managed to organize themselves into any credible threat to the Empire yet. There are, however, often border raids in both directions, as both Dragaerans and Easterners feel that the other side has resources they want access to.
Another infrequently-seen race is the Serioli, who are the original residents of the continent. Largely wiped out by Dragaerans, they live in small numbers in the Northern mountains. They are known to be the creators of all Morganti weapons, including the Great Weapons. (See bluesheet: Magic and the Orb).
The Cycle and the Dragaeran Houses
Much in Dragaeran life (and death, and afterlife) is determined by the Cycle, whose turning is as certain as the change of the seasons. Most importantly, the position of the Cycle determines which of the seventeen Dragaeran houses can claim the Imperial throne and the Orb. Cracks in the Orb takes place in the reign of the 17th Athyra Empress, Cherova III, who rules from her palace in Dragaera City.
A House's position on the cycle also affects how well fate favors each house. A House whose position is rising in the Cycle--such as the Phoenix--is gaining favor, while the Jhegaala, whose Reign has passed recently, will continue to lose favor until the next Issola Reign (on the opposite side of the Cycle from them), when it will start to rise again. Seventeen Cycles--plus a final, "decadent" Phoenix Reign--form a Great Cycle. The empire, even though it is 250,000 years old, still has not reached the end of the first Great Cycle.
Each of the seventeen Houses is associated with certain characteristics, said to derive from the animal whose name they bear. Most Dragaerans' Houses can be discerned by sight, either by physiognomy or by dress. Only the Yendi do not have distinguishing physical features or heraldic colors. These House characteristics should be viewed as guidelines, not hard and fast rules, however; one doesn't have to be a criminal to be a member of House Jhereg, for example.
The Teckla make up 90% of the population of the Empire, and are the peasantry or serfs that support the rest of the houses. Even the Teckla get their turn at ruling, however; though a Teckla reign is typically a republic. Every other House is considered at least nominally noble, although they may be poor or landless nobility, holding only minor titles. The aristocrats of the Houses--the type of people who would be present tonight--would typically come from Houses Phoenix, Dragon, Lyorn, Tiassa, Hawk, and Dzur.
Generally, House status is inflexible; one is born into a House and remains there for life. One is also expected to marry within that House; to do otherwise, or to produce cross-breed children, is viewed as scandalous. There are exceptions to the "one House for life" rule: House Jhereg will accept anyone who can buy a title (and this is where many half-House Dragaerans end up), and there are rumors that House Dzur will welcome outsiders if they can defeat seventeen of their most skilled warriors.
A full list of the seventeen Houses and their characteristics can be found on the page on Cracks and Shards, but we present the basic facts below for the Houses in game:
| Name | Colors | Character | Appearance | Class | Occupation | Epigram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | gold | either noble or decadent; pure of character | fine, fair hair, sometimes bright golden; sometimes golden eyes; air of majesty; sometimes high cheekbones & pointed chin | aristocrat | Phoenix sinks into decay/Phoenix rise from ashes, gray | |
| Dragon | black & silver | ferocious, honorable, fairly honest; in youth, careless of life, single-minded | strong chin, thin, sharp features, long, narrow face, high cheekbones; rarely, golden hair (e'Kieron only) | aristocrat | soldier, general | Haughty dragon yearns to slay |
| Tiassa | pale blue & white | inspired, (prescient), resourceful, curious, precise, enthusiastic, ambitious, outspoken | high cheekbones, distinctive ears and eyes, narrow eyes, thin lips, fair complexion, lean build, long nervous hands | aristocrat | oracle (fortune-teller) | Tiassa dreams and plots are born |
| Dzur | black & white | courageous, foolhardy | high cheekbones; fine-boned face, distinctive chin & eyebrows; upward-tilting eyes, pointed ears | aristocrat | warrior | Dzur stalks and blends with night |
| Issola | green & white | graceful, tactful; surprise attack | usually light brown hair & eyes; fine, fair skin | noble | courtier, minstrel; diplomat, interpreter | Issola strikes from courtly bow |
| Jhereg | black & grey | corrupt, mercenary | no distinct physical type | criminal | mobster (male), sorcerer (fem.) | Jhereg feeds on others' kills |
| Athyra | red & white | cold, intellectual, and distant; single-minded; wish to study the world or change it | thin and gangly, not sturdy | noble | sorcerer, scholar, philosopher, monk | Athyra rules minds' interplay |
Manners
Cracks in the Orb bills itself as a "fantasy comedy of manners" game. Therefore it seems appropriate to acquaint you with the manners and etiquette of the court in the pre-Interregnum period. If some of this seems confusing or silly to you, feel free to ignore it. We give you these guidelines as a tool to encourage subtle roleplay; they should not be a straitjacket.
Noble Titles
Everyone attending tonight is an aristocrat, and has some noble title to their name--you are the 1% ;) Well, closer to 10%, actually.
A two-second history of the nobility (roughly true in our world as well as Dragaera): at some point in the past, the ruling Emperor or Empress decided to grant lands to someone (or a family line) who was valuable to them in some way. In return, the landholder promised to provide food, armies, and funds to the Orb in time of need, and to take care of the peasants (Teckla) that provided those armies and foodstuffs. That's feudalism, in a nutshell.
Over time, however, the nobility has changed somewhat. These days, a title may be landed or not--depending on whether it has actual feudal landholdings (a fief) attached to it. Some nobles, in rough times chose to sell their lands back to the Empire to gain funds; titles were also simply established with no land attached to them. Landed status is usually irrelevant to how one is addressed; unlanded nobles are not generally viewed poorly relative to landed ones--although their finances may be somewhat shabbier.
A noble title may be hereditary, or not--this refers to whether or not one's children will inherit the title (Dragaera, being fairly gender-equal, doesn't care if the descendant is male or female).
The spouse or child of the actual fief-holder may be given a courtesy title that doesn't have to correspond to any actual lands they hold.
The major noble titles, in descending order, with associated facts, are:
Emperor/Empress - not hereditary; succession is determined by dominance in the Cycle (see bluesheet: The Cycle and the Dragaeran Houses)
Prince/Princess - used for Heirs, i.e. the person who will be Emperor or Empress when the Cycle gets around to that House. Mostly not hereditary; succession is decided in each House's unique manner (often vote/decision by a Council).
Duke/Duchess - usually landed and hereditary
Marquis/Marchioness - seems to only apply to specific landholdings which are not hereditary but are granted by the Orb for a very particular purpose, i.e. the Marquisate of Pepperfield, which is granted to a member of the House of the Dragon who stands in defense of the pass through the Eastern Mountains
Count/Countess - usually landed and hereditary
Viscount/Viscountess - seems most often to be given as a courtesy title, i.e. the Viscount of Adrilankha
Baron/Baroness - can be landed/unlanded; hereditary or not.
Baronet/Baronetess - Same as baron, but lower - often sold by the Jhereg as a way to make money
A random note on the term "-lord" when appended to a House: a Dragon, Dzur, or Hawk of the aristocracy, of either gender, is often referred to as a "Dragonlord," "Dzurlord," or "Hawklord," respectively. Strangely this appellation doesn't seem to apply to any other Houses.
Forms of Address
The Empress is addressed as "Your Majesty," or "Her Majesty," if you're speaking of her in the third person.
House Heirs--princes and princesses--are addressed as "Your Highness," or "His/Her Highness" in the third person.
Dukes and Duchesses are addressed as "Venerance."
The Warlord (or the Warlord's representative, in this case) are addressed as "Excellency."
It also seems to be appropriate to address nobles who are at a lower or equal rank to you by simply their title, i.e. "Count," "my dear Duke," etc.
Nobles are often also referred to by the names of their holdings. Several characters in game are better known by their fief names than by their given names, i.e. Fornia, G'aereth. Addressing somebody as "Southmoor" rather than "Rollondar," for example, does however imply a degree of formality.
Landless nobles, or nobles of uncertain status, often seem to be addressed as "Cavalier" (Roughly the equivalent of "Sir"). "Lady" or "Madam" would also be appropriate for female characters.
Military titles are usually just as they appear, i.e. "Captain," "Guardsman," etc.
Graduates of the Institute of Discretion are addressed as "Your Discretion" or "His/Her Discretion" in the third person.
In general, people are addressed by their highest title, if they have many, i.e. "His Highness the Duke of Eastmanswatch" for a duke who is also the Heir of his House.
When in doubt, "lord" or "lady" (or "milord"/"milady," or other variations on this) are appropriate forms for just about everyone. And, of course, these titles are usually dropped among lovers and close friends.
What to Do in the Presence of the Empress
First of all, except for guardsmen and the warleaders, no one may wear a weapon in the presence of the Empress. Exceptions will be made for duels, if duels remain legal.
Stand when the Empress enters the room, or passes nearby, and give a bow or curtsy.
When leaving the presence of the Empress, walk backwards a few paces--so you are not turning your back on your monarch--before turning and leaving.
Love in the Time of Cherova
Courtship and romance in pre-Interregnum Dragaera is an interesting muddle. On one hand, it takes inspiration from the courtly love tradition in general, and historical romances like The Three Musketeers in specific. On the other hand, it's a highly gender-equal world, so many of the traditions that are about commodifying female "virtue" simply don't exist.
On the other other hand, it's a very classist (House-ist?) society, and much of how lovers are expected to act--what we call "propriety"--depends on comforming to House expectations.
In general, expect overwrought, flowery proclamations of love, and misunderstandings based around House characteristics (i.e. "but I thought you were a Lyorn!" "I can't marry you until I've discharged this debt of honor to this other Dragonlord!" "I will marry you if you beat me in a sorcerous duel!") Where these aren't provided by your character sheet, feel free to improvise!
Given all this, some of the things that are generally considered to be taboo in romance:
- Cross-House romance is still considered scandalous. Plenty of people do engage in it, but it is kept very quiet.
- Adultery is still considered scandalous. Plenty of people do engage in it, but it is kept very quiet.
- Homosexuality is still considered scandalous. Plenty of people do engage in it... you get the point. (Actually, we have no idea how homosexuality is viewed from the books, but I sort of assume it's similar to cross-House trysting).
Since Dragaerans have decent sorcerous contraception, and there's a great deal of gender equality, unmarried lovers are probably more amorous than their real-world medieval/Renaissance counterparts. On the other hand, all the emotional concerns are still there. In addition, marriage is still often a political arrangement among the nobility, so lovers are cautious of any political echoes their relationships might have, lest they reflect on future arrangements.
As for marriage, and the proposing thereof, it is usually the partner of higher rank who is expected to propose to the partner of lesser rank.
-Isms of Dragaera
As mentioned elsewhere, Dragaera is fairly equal in terms of its gender roles, and sexism is almost unheard of.
Dragaera is, however, a very classist society--the nobility almost universally look down on the Teckla peasants, and assign to them all kinds of negative qualities to account for their downtrodden state--stupid, lazy, cowardly, dishonorable, etc. As much as possible, the aristocracy tries to ignore the Teckla are even there, all the while being supported by the food they produce.
Dragaera also shows a strong degree of racism towards its neighbors, especially the Easterners, who, having what we would call a normal human lifespan, are seen as a short-lived, barbaric, ignorant race. To a lesser extent this applies to the Islanders; while they have Dragaeran lifespans, they do not have access to the Orb, so are sometimes looked down on for their lack of sorcery.
This is noted so that the negative views on the peasantry and foreigners don't come as a complete shock to you in your character sheet.
Magic and the Orb
Magic--or, as it is better known, sorcery--is the right of every citizen of the Empire. Whether or not one excels at it is another matter.
Sorcery originates from the Orb, the Emperor or Empress' symbol of office. This artifact is a multi-faceted, grey sphere about nine inches in diameter which literally circles the head of the ruler. It acts as a channel to a greater power source, the Sea of Chaos, an ocean of formless proto-magic in the northwest of the Dragaeran Empire. The Orb was created by Zerika the First, who founded the Empire, to act as a tool with which to wield this power. Every Dragaeran citizen by birth has a connection to the Orb; other races have been known to swear fealty to the Empire and receive this blessing, as well.
At its core, sorcery is drawing power from the Orb and shaping it into a spell to alter the world in some way. The variety of effects is limited only by imagination and power, but some of them are well-documented.
For the Emperor or Empress, the Orb serves as a repository of all knowledge of previous rulers. It acts to protect the ruler from physical or sorcerous attack. It also acts as a lie detector--any subject can be questioned under the Orb, and it will be apparent to the Emperor or Empress if they are lying. Finally, the Orb acts as a barometer of the ruler's mood, changing color to reflect their emotional state.
Among other citizens of the Empire, even the most unskilled child can use the Orb can be used to check the time or weather. The effects become more interesting the more skilled the sorceror--creating light, influencing emotions, and moving objects are all well within the purview of sorcery. In this era, sorcery is most often used to create artifacts that store charge for later use. Flashstones--simple stones which are enchanted to discharge a small explosion on impact--are common one application of this.
None are more skilled at sorcery than the Houses of the Athyra and Hawk; although some Dragonlords have been known to challenge their skills on occasion.
Naturally, sorcery has been adapted for us in war, as well, and it's not uncommon to see the light of many different spells zinging over the battlefield along with arrows and other projectiles. It's a common misconception that one must be a skilled sorceror to serve in the Athyra Army or Guard, but this is not in fact true--although it certainly helps.
Elder Sorcery
Occasionally someone will get to talking about something called elder sorcery. Few know exactly what this is, but everyone knows well that it is outlawed, and has been since the time of Zerika the First. (Hence an alternate name for it: pre-Empire sorcery). There are rumors that it involves tapping into greater power sources than the Orb, which, if true, sounds particularly dangerous.
Morganti and Great Weapons
It should be no surprise that weapons can be enchanted magically, too. In fact, such a thing fascinated to the Serioli, who crafted the Morganti weapons. The legend goes that they were constructed to make war so horrible that no one would engage in it.
What makes them so horrible? Morganti weapons destroy the soul, not only the body. Someone who is killed by a Morganti weapon--and even a scratch will kill--will never reach the Paths of the Dead, and is completely severed from the cycle of reincarnation (see: Deathgate, the Paths of the Dead, and the Gods, below). Morganti weapons are usually described as being metal of the blackest black, and they emit a sense of ravenous hunger.
A subset of the Morganti weapons are the Great Weapons, of which there are prophesied to be seventeen. The Great Weapons were created by the Serioli as well, as weapons to be used against the gods. They are sentient weapons, too, and each is said to have a personality. The only person who's known to wield one in this era is Sethra Lavode, who wields the dagger Iceflame.
Speaking of Sethra...
Some of you may have mentions in your character sheets to Sethra Lavode, the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain. She's not a character in this game (for reasons that will become very readily apparent), but she's been a force of nature in the Empire as long as there's been an Empire. Indeed, she was contemporaries with Kieron the Conqueror, one of the founders of the Empire. Why is she still alive? At this point in history, no one really knows, except to say that she's probably used sorcery to increase her lifespan. By about 200,000 years or so.
It should be obvious by the styling "Enchantress of Dzur Mountain" that she is a powerful sorceress, and not someone to be trifled with. She's also a fearsome warrior, too, and has been Warlord at several points in history, including this one. Sethra also trains the Lavodes, a cadre of elite wizards and warriors who are answerable only to her.
Deathgate, the Paths of the Dead, and the Gods
Given the cyclical nature of everything in Dragaeran life, it's no surprise that reincarnation plays a part in that.
The bodies of the dead in Dragaeran society are typically sent over Deathgate Falls in the far north of the Empire. Beyond Deathgate exists the murky, timeless world known as Paths of the Dead, where the spirits of the dead dwells await judgment and reincarnation.
The Paths lead eventually to the Halls of Judgment, where dwell the Lords of Judgment, those gods that watch over Dragaera and judge Dragaerans worthy (or unworthy) of reincarnation. One can be reincarnated in one of many different forms--a different gender, a difference House, and, some believe, even a different race.
Perhaps the best known among the Lords of Judgment is Verra, who takes responsibility for those on Dragaera who practice elder sorcery. She is described as being very tall, with dark hair, and an extra joint on each finger.
It is worth nothing that Dragaerans think of gods as merely those who have gained exceptional skills or powers in life, rather than a sort of supernatural force of nature. It is also worth nothing that all of the above items are verifiable fact in Dragaera, not just matters of myth; there are, after all, people who have gone into the Paths of the Dead, or met the gods, and lived to tell the tale.
Recent Events
The following events have happened in the days, months, and years leading up to this game, and are common knowledge to all who are present in the ballroom tonight.
~2300 Years Ago - The beginning of the 17th Teckla Republic
~1000 Years Ago - The beginning of the Reign of the 17th Jhegaala Empress, Viodonna I.
~ 600 Years Ago - The Empress Viodonna attempts to conquer the Eastern-held territory of Sandyhome, a high, cold desert that is believed to have rich mineral resources. The campaign lasts ninety years but is ultimately unsuccessful.
Eight years ago - The Empress Viodonna, pretending to have been slighted by Queen Legranthe of Elde, calls for war with the Islands. (This is variously referred to as the Elde Island War, Island War, or War with the Islands).
Four years ago - The Warlord Yaro e'Lanya, Count of Alpatel, is killed in the Charge of the Brown River (in the Elde Island War). Sethra Lavode, the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain, takes over as Warlord for the duration of the conflict. The Empress Viodonna dismisses the Meeting of the Principalities when they refuse to approve additional funds for the war effort.
Three years ago - The continued failure of the Elde campaign, coupled with civil unrest in Dragaera City, causes the Empress Viodonna to step down, acknowledging the Cycle has turned. The 17th Athyra Empress, Cherova III, takes the Orb. As her first acts of governance, Cherova calls for a truce with Elde, and summons the first Meeting of Principalities of her Reign. She also appoints a court--Seodra of Low Rubyton will be her Court Wizard; Trentram, Duke of Dagenwater is named her Minister of the Houses; Sethra Lavode continues as Warlord; Kyrace e'Lanya, Count of Fornia, is appointed her Captain of the Athyra Guard; and Jovrain, Count of Gant-Aerethia (G'aereth), is appointed the Captain of the Empress' Personal Guard.
This year - Despite promises made at Cherova's installment, some thirty percent of the original force sent to Elde Island still remains there. Prices of food and other goods are still unusually high. The level of civil unrest begins to increase again. Broadsheets from the City's Underside speak of a Teckla revolutionary group called Harvest Salvation; in the same broadsheets, the words of "The Witness" speak of the injustices of the Empire against the Teckla peasantry. The Meeting of the Principalities debates a formal peace treaty with Elde, but seems to make only slow progress.
Two months ago - Several explosions--and a resulting conflagration--rock the Lamp-turn Granary in the prosperous Miller's District of the City. A score of deaths are reported among the Jhegaala, Chreotha, and Teckla who work the granary. Harvest Salvation takes credit for the attack. Investigation suggests that flash-stones of tremendous charge were used to try to set the grain stores alight, resulting in explosions of the highly flammable wheat chaff.
A week ago - Two Teckla brothers, Zelt and Tsan, are arrested as the leaders of Harvest Salvation, and stand accused of high treason and murder for pioneering the attack on the granary. They are questioned under the Orb and found guilty, and are sentenced to the Executioner's Star.
Two days ago - Zelt and Tsan are Starred. The Crown Prince of Elde Island, Leodex Fi Fintarre, arrives in Dragaera City, hoping to sign a finalized peace treaty.
Last night - Some three thousand Teckla--some claiming affiliation with Harvest Salvation--surround and besiege the Seven Lads Garrison across the river from the Imperial Palace. Lieutenant Lanmarea and her White Sash Company are trapped inside.
Today - the Meeting of Principalities is in recess due to the ongoing civil unrest. The matter of the peace treaty remains unresolved; another bill, concerning a new military expedition into Sandyhome, is also under consideration.
This evening - Captain G'aereth escorts the Empress and her Court to safety in the Palace's Lower Square. In the windowless ballroom beneath the Imperial Wing, they find a party already in progress, hosted by the Lady Unnyara. All guests are asked by Captain G'aereth to remain calm and stay within the ballroom. Dradia Lavode, representing the Warlord Sethra and the might of the Imperial Army, arrives at the Palace and joins the warleaders; the warleaders use the ballroom as their base of operations. Some of the members of the Council of Deputies, finding themselves together in the Lower Square, determine to continue deliberation and voting. Lady Unnyara announces she is hosting a competition of swordplay and sorcery, with the winners receiving small landed baronies off the coast of Adrilankha.