Lydia Encyclopedia Galborgensis

LYDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA GALBORGENSIS
BRG Council of Borrogroves: the Civil Administration, Princes of the Three Tribes, Stasiarchs of the Four Factions, Priests of the Five Religions, Mayorlets of the 6 Parishes, Champions of the 7 Sports. (XTR)


BSN gmx Big stick with Nail TM. Exotic Weapon, Regular club does d6 non-lethal damage, Great-club d8 lethal. BSN, each round, wielder chooses whether to deliver d8 non-lethal damage with the stick or d4 lethal with the nail. Medium stick with Nail d6nl, d3l. Small sN, d4nl, d2l. Pencil with drawing pin, d0nl, d0l. All Galborg Citizens, both Islanders and Hansaelers are proficient with BSN etc.
Non-proficient penalties: Anyone may wield the nail at the usual -4 penalty. Anyone proficient with club may wield the stick if they miss by 4 or more the nail hits any random nearby person including the wielder. Anyone may take the Exotic weapon Proficiency feat. A foreigner pretending to be a Citizen is Treason, a hanging offence. (see FRN Franchise)

BtO Beylak the Outcast 400 AG During the Glorious Revolution, Malyuta set up the Ministry of Truth to root out Treason and Tyranny. By 602 AG, the MoT had become a source of Tyranny itself and was abolished. Beylak de Luceres was the last Minister, he excaped justice, his name and accent were revoked.

CNS Census Bureau


CnX Candlestyx The white Light Orcs raided New Shtal and stole the Vicar.
The Vicarage door was hanging open. The Kirk bells rang, summoning the Militia to Duty. RvH noticed the door was open, she saw the styx were labelled “Piersh”, she thought she was stealing from the South Curate Piersh van Clavius, she didn’t know that North Vicar Alaricq inherited the styx from his Uncle “Piersh”. Piersh is a dialect form of Peter.


CoH Countess of Huntingdon, very scientific method of executing traitors introduced in 675 the year of Dubious Repute (see oDR). Krabbs say the Countess designed the gibbet. Luceres say she was on the Comite that proposed it. Malyuta say she was the first customer.
Before 675, traitors were beheaded, common criminals (murder, rape, arson etc.) were hanged with the long drop. Therefore the post of Lord high Xecutioner was a privilege of the Butchers’ Guild, whereas the post of Lord low Xecutioner was open to anyone who could do simple sums. The Butchers did something dubious and their privilege was revoked.
The usual format for a hanging is LhX reads the sentence; criminal does last breakfast, speech etc; ‘Behold the head of a Traitor!’; head on spike’ ravens eat the eyes; fire-work vaganza, followed by more vaganza, followed by extravaganza.


CpS Comite of publicq Safety organize the Revolution – granted Quasi despotic powers by MRC to Free the Land, Purge the Assemblies, Deliver
Traitors to Justice, Restore the Republicq to greater glory MyC

CVV Choir of Vestal Virgins. Vestal – Aristocrat with some Bardic and Paladin powers tacked on. Vestals practice their routines together, several Vestals can stack levels and skill points to do any feat a bard with that total lvl and skill can do. Resist disease, resist Magic 2+ lvl, cannot do spells.

Roman Vestals were ALL Aristos, they swore a 30 oath to guard the Sacred Flame, to keep wills, archives and Sibylline Books of Prophecy, to inspect morality and no illicit shagging. They had no Military duties.
Pharos Vestals include Romans + Gilbert and Sullivan oath-bound female choir + Maidens of St. Trinian’s + Lesbian Warriors + Parish ladies who keep the Church going + Eisteddfod flower dancers + + +

Pharos Cathedral is on the South-East cliff of Galborg City (see PHR). Pharos Vestals are 2/3 Noble, 1/3 Peasant, they swear a 7 year oath to defend the Cathedral, maintain the honour of the City and no illicit shagging. They inspect Virtue (VRT), they worship the Mayor as God of Peace when he deserves it.

A Vestal has the legal right to go anywhere. The Testimony of a Vestal cannot be countermanded.
Pamela von Krabb, North Choirmistress has met Bezira Paladin. Pamela is the Lord Mayor’s sister. Very soon, Pamela’s 7 year oath will expire. She will abdicate and make a very profitable marriage. At Nieuw Shtallingford, Pwa rescued Father Alaricq, the North Flamist pries. Curate Piers, the South Flamist priest, Maeve the South Vestal and Rowan the North Vestal were mostly background chr.

EXT 25 Estates of the Realm: 2 Classes, Noble, Peasant; 3 Tribes, Luceres very Noble), Krabb (mostly Noble), Malyuta (mostly Peasant); 4 Factions: White, Blue, Green, Red; 5 Religions: Pontiff (CTP) Good. Witches Chaotic. Druids Neutral. Justified Ancients of Mummu Evil. North Flamist LG, South Flamist LN; 6 Parishes, Ponty SW, Woath W. Aldborough C, Mirkwood N, Shambles E, Close SE; 7 Sports: Ball, Archery, Horse Race, Tongs, Eat, Whibble Hunt and Illegal Animal Game (see IAG) (see Borrogroves BRG)

FRN. Franchise: the easiest way to be a Citizen is to be born a Citizen, wait 18 years and it is automatic; 5 years Residence and jump through Bureaucratic hoops; save the City from deadly danger; runaway Slaves automatically achieve Citizenship according to Malyuta’s Charter.(see MoA
Hansestädters (see HNS) and other Citizens of states with good diplomatic relations can easily become Citizens, but Citizens of Friendly States have high enough Status that they rarely bother.
Marrying a Citizen sometimes confers Citizenship (see MRG)

Gmx Games mechanics. Most of Lydia is facts about the Town. Games Mechanics areReal World references, extra Character Classes, Skills Spells etc

HaR Haroun al Raschid ‘Arabian Nights’, the viziers, eunuchs and courtiers told Khalif Haroun what they thought he wanted to hear. Haroun wanted to know what was going on, so he dressed as a peasant and wandered around town. In the opera Mayuta’s marriage Feast, Haroun was a tailor who resembled Mayor

HBW Heavy Bottle War
7 years ago was the Heavy Bottle War, the Brue King united the Orc Tribes andthe monsters. The Brue were at our very Gates, there was an outpouring ofPatriotic sentiment.

HNS. Hanseatic League, an alliance of Trading Cities who organize a Crusade against Piracy. Hanse also promotes Trade, Culture, Standard weights and measures.


LcH Lonely cat Herd: Cat herd Tor is Boot Hill, the City Cemetery. Grieving mourners offer food and wine on the tombs of their ancestors. This piety attracts rats, so the City hires cat herds to feed, train and heal the cats. Malyuta was a cat herd when he first met Vilja.- see MMF

loc location

MMF Malyuta’s Marriage Feast – a tragic opera. 400 Anno Galborg, everyone was in debt to the Banks. Grigori draco Malyuta led the Glorious Revolution and overthrew the evil tyrant Nameless de Luceres. Mal was voted Mayor for Life with extraordinary powers. After defeating the bad guys, he should abdicate and restore the Republic, but new bad guys have arisen tempting him to stay on for just a bit longer and another bit longer. Will Mal become the next tyrant?
MMF was originally composed as a tragedy. But over the years Guignols, happy endings, chase scenes and comic coppers have been tacked on.
The full text was sent out in Jan 2005, I will send another copy on request.

MoA Militia oath of Allegiance: I pledge Allegiance to the Gate of the Our Lady Galborgis the Great, Queen of the Seas, Mother of Liberty, one City, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All, Amen. I demands the Right to bear Arms and to meet out Justice. Amen.

MrG Marriage Law: 25 Extates of the Realm. It is rare for Nobles to marry Peasants and for Tribesfolk and Religious to marry outside the Tribe and Faith. It is common to marry outside the Faction, Parish and Sport. To marry IN, there are specific regulations. To marry OUT, there must Saffron bride Cake (see SbC), a written contract specifying which proportion of the children will be of the Mother’s extate and which of the Father’s, division of property or not depending whether Divorce is permitted by that extate (see EXT)

MsH MESSIAH

In Galborg, messiahs are both common and precious, every Militia who falls in battle, dies to save us all. There are statues, widows’ pensions etc to honour them.

The City expects more from THE Messiah. Od hath prophecied, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, etc.” He is John barley Corn, slain and risen.

Arthur gdeymet Tiberius was born on Dec 25th, in Bethlehem, outside the Inn, an ox and an ass witnessed, shepherds and druids came to worship him. Bethlehem means House of Bread, Adèle had a craving for Mrs. Miggins’ meat pies, so she went outside the Inn to the Bake-house and then started to give birth. The Midwife rode to the bakehouse on her donkey, meanwhile an ox excaped from a butcher’s shop and came to the hot bakehouse for to get out of the snow. Arthur was “meanly wrapped in flour sacks and in a pie dish laid.” Some believe that Arthur is the Messiah.

Some insist on the prophecies that the Messiah is born of a virgin and named Emmanuel and conclude that Arthur is the Anti-Christ.

Adèle insists the “He’s not the Messiah, he’s just a very naughty boy.” She definitely don’t want Arthur to die saving us all and she is very iffy about waiting 20 years to save the City: she wants the City saved now! Hence the Val Pensiero Revolution.

Prophecies about the shining star and choirs of Vestals singing “Gloria in Excelsis” ain’t specific enough. In November, the Choir of Vestal Virgins inspected all pregnant women. In December, 300 people were born, 30 people were born 24th –26th , while the Star in the East was shining. Vestals inspected all the births and recorded a dozen that fulfilled enough prophecies.

Wailing in Raamah, there was a burglary at the Census Bureau, the December birth lists were stolen. The Meat Market sent fanatics to murder the Christ-children. The wave of popular revulsion contributed to the Revolution.

Arthurmas Carols are very republican:

Hark and sing the Vestals’ Prayer Glory to the new-born Mayor

Once in Ada’s freeborn City stood a lowly Baking shed
Where a mother laid her baby in a pie dish for his bed
Jub-Jub was that mother wild Arthur Christ her little child
Borgish children all must be Strong and proud and pure and free

Noel Noel born is the Mayor of Hansael
To you in Ada’s town, this day, is born of Ada’s line
To human view displayed all meanly wrapped in flour sacks and in a pie dish laid

To Heaven’s all-gracious Mayor
The Earth in solemn stillness lay to hear the Vestals’ prayer

And he shall reign for one year and one year Hallelujah Amen


We three mayors from Orient are
Gold I bring to chain him again
Mayor for one year, ceasing next year
Over us all to reign.

In Galborg, messiahs are both common and precious. The Messiah dies to save us all; that’s logical captain. Our City is 30 miles from Orc territory. Every Militia who dies in battle to save us all is honoured as yet another messiah. There are statues, Widows’ an Orphan’s Funds etc. But the Republicq xpects more from THE Messiah in capital letters. Arthur was born in Bethlehem on 25 December; an ox and an ass were witnesses.
Gmx: I aint gonna tell you whether Arthur is the Messiah unless you choose to investigate the issue. The Concensus is that babycide is ipso facto evil.
See also Rvn


MyC Malya Charta the City Constitution, drafted by Grigori draco Malyuta 400th Mayor. Between Revolutions, the Power is distributed between 7 Assemblies: the Riot, the Congregation of the Whole People is Sovereign, but sporadic; the Senate, the Assembly of the privileged orders is only supposed to regulate their own business, but they often like to interfere; the Borrogroves, the City Council, delegates from the Xtates of the Realm deal with finance, education, transport etc and ought to be ½ noble, ½ peasant; Guildmoot, all peasants; Military Revolutionary Comite, delegates from the Militia and Naval regiments, ⅔ peasant, ⅓ noble; Choir of Vestals swear a seven year oath as morality inspectors, ⅔ noble, ⅓ peasant; the Committee of One is the Lord Mayor, God of Peace. During Revolutions, MRC takes the Power and elects Comite of publicq Safety with Quasi despotic powers to organize the Revolution. During counter Revolutions, the Senate takes power and imposes Tyrants.(see oDR) or the Priests seize Power and impose Inquisitions.



NvS North versus South Flamism. In many Western states, the Church of Fire Worshippers has split, the Galborg Kirk hasn’t split YET.
Bezira, Raffi, Pamela, Alaricq, Moritz, Gwen and Rowan are North: Maeve, Piershk, Emma and Arch bishop Jack are South.
N are mostly Lawful Good: S are mostly Lawful Evil.
Northerners wear black and white scarves: Southerners wear white and black.
N tolerates women bishops. S tolerates Slavery.
N sit to pray. S kneel to pray.
N ignore Witches and hope they will go away. S persecute Witches.
N the Choir of Vestals is accorded all the Honour and Glory of their Order. S Vestals are regarded alternately with horror and with awe as prostitutes of the celibate priests.
N usually sacrifices flowers, incense, wine, bread etc. N only sacrifice animals on big High holy Days or when the congregation is Hungry. S celebrates all the animal sacrifices of the Antient Kalendar, plus a few extra.
N bless themselves by holding the palm upright and waggling the fingers to suggest flames going upwards. S bless themselves by waggling their fingers to suggest flames going downwards
Game Mechanic: Clerics only get spells by being+-1 of their deity’s alg. The Congregation get no spells so can theoretically belong to ANY alg.



.oDR of Dubious Repute. Legal: a verdict between Innocent and Guilty meaning ‘they probably done it, but there ain’t enough evidence to hang them.’ SS7, Raffi van Haeqx stole Vicar Alaricq’s candlestix, but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict.
Insult: gay or Elvish. In the original version of the opera ‘Sound of Music’, the Baron made the moral stand of publicly singing a patriotic anthem in the face of the evil tyrants and then excaped. There is a fashion for tacking happy endings onto operas; so the Borgish Recension adds Baron von Krabb coming back and leading the Adamantine Revolt to overthrow the knights of the Golden Fleece in 225. In History, Baron’s cousin, Earl deyvan, did it, but Earl was oDR and got dropped from the opera
Unknown, 675 was a year oDR. Many records are lost, many memories are fuzzy, but from known facts before and after we can infer: The Druids did something Dubious with the kalendar and miscalculated Mayday, many Vestal Virgins bore children in February 676. Since then, Pontiffs have dominated the Kalendar Comite. The Butchers did something Dubious and lost their privilege (see CoH). According to the Charta (see MyC) there should be Senates and Guildmoots for the City and the 6 Parishes – the City Guildmoot and Parish Senates haven’t met since, so they probably did something Dubious. (see HaR)

OhS Od (the Prophet) he say:
Ambition is a Virtue: if one man wants to rule the State, that is Tyranny; if two men want to rule the State, that is Civil War, but when ALL men want to rule the State, that is a Republicq with Liberty and Justice for all.


OLX Olympics are held each 5 years (kal) to assess the prowess of the Militia Regiments (MIL). Champions of the Sports sit on the Borrogrove Council (BRG) The Seven Sports were intended to train the City Militia in Virtue. Archery trains the Archers; Horse Racing trains the Cavalry; Ball Game trains Pike Regiments in team-work and aggression; Tongs trains Strategy and Tactics; Whibble Hunt trains Patriotism; Eat used to be a bush tucker contest for partisans, but is now mostly which fork to use. Illegal Animal Game (IAG) was to train for Cruelty when they thought that was a useful military virtue; when they decide otherwise, IAG was made illegal.


OpS gmx Opera Studies, new SKILL is like Local Knowledge, only with Happy Endings. 3 points of Opera Studies = 2 points Local Knowledge, 2 point Opera Etiquette (when to cheer and throw flowers, when to boo and throw filth etc), 1 point Opera trivia (actors, directors, bands etc.) Round down. MAX skill points = (3 + lvl) OpS stacks with lcl (local knowledge) thus:
lcl 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4
ops 1 2 4 0 4 2 0 2 4 0 4
TOT 0 1 2 1 3 4 3 4 4 4 4

PHR loc Pharos Cathedral (see CVV, ppp) is in the South East of Galborg City. It is the Chief Flamist (fire-worshipper, Lawful) Temple. A place of Pilgrimage, Power and Privilege. The Everlasting Bonfire is an aid to Navigation and Trade.

PIN gmx PIONEER new NPC Class, a Commoner Peasant with bells and whistles. Galborg is 30 miles from the Orcish border. Every Citizen has the Right to bear arms and meet out Justice. Every Citizen must serve in the Militia (Machiavelli’s Arte of War). COMMONERS are proficient with one simple weapon and no armour. Pioneers are proficient with 2 martial weapons, light armour and 5 simple weapons OR 2 martial, medium armour and 2 simples.
Commoners have (2 + INT bonus) Skill points per lvl. Printing has been invented, Pioneers have (4 +INT) and +2/lvl bonus Skill points in Opera Studies. Opera Studies is like Local Knowledge only with Happy Endings. (see OpS)
Galborg Citizens have bonus exotic weapon Big stick with Nail TM (see BSN)

Ppp han Pharos prefers proud pilgrims guide-book to Pharos Cathedral (PHR) with a North Flamist spin. Pharos prefers pious pilgrims is the South Flamist version (NvS) Pamela von Krabb gave a copy to Bezira Paladin in SS3 or SS4.

RvN The Kremlin Ravens are different from the Tower of London Ravens. London Ravens have their wings mutilated so they cant escape. In Galborg, there areenough traitors' heads on spikes that the Ravens stay for the free food.The Viking Myth of the Raven Banner: an artefact cursed by Woden, so thatthe Army with the Flag wins, but the Banner Bearer dies.In MMF, Malyuta waved such a banner and died saving the City (see MsH Messiah) In Heavy Bottle War Hgovitu carried the banner, but rode a slow horse. A Malyuta Cossack on a faster horse snatched the banner and died saving the City. The other Tribes assert one of their own was the hero.

There are rewards and extra status for anyone who swears the Raven Oath. During HBW, so many people swore the Raven Oath that people whojust wanted the rewards and status swore hoping in the low probability ofbeing picked. Harry, Moritz, Beylak, Hgovitu, Kenneth and Zephyr definitely swore. Adele, Raffi and Pamela were too young, Steptoe was too old; otherwise, 1/3 adult Citizens, Pwa has encountered have sworn the Raven Oath, hence the attitude.Od's prophecy may refer to the Kremlin Ravens or the Humans who swore theOath. Raven birds are hungry, they want traitors to eat. They dont care howthe Law defines Treason as long as there are lots of traitors to eat. They SbC Saffron bride Cake, necessary when marrying (MRG)outside the extate (EXT)

Vestal – see CVV Choir of Vestal Virgins.

VRT Virtue. (CVV) Over 7 Centuries, Galborg has sometimes prospered and sometimes been beset with calamities. CVV compare History with Od’s prophecies (OhS) and announce a list of Virtues which will make the City prosper, then they inspect and gossip about anyone who disses those Virtues.
700 Anno Galborg the Virtues are: 1 Liberty; 2) Equality; 3) Fraternity; 4) Justice, 5) Courage; 6) Knowledge; 7) Joy; 8) Power; 9) Denial; 10) Glory; 11) Pride; 12) Lust; 13) Ambition.
1-3 = Republican Virtues, 4-6 = Classical Virtues, 7-10 = Platonic distractions, 11-13 = Platonic Vices.

XTR Extates of the Realm (BRG)
1) City
2) Classes: Noble & Peasant
3) Tribes: Malyuta, mostly poor Peasants, Chaotic; Luceres, mostly rich Aristo, Lawful; Krabb, a spread of Classes, neutral. But that was in 0 AG, by 700 AG, some families have prospered and some have declined.
4) Factions: Red, fanatically anti-Slavery, strongly Good; Green, liberally anti-Slavery, tending to Good; Blue, liberally pro-Slavery, tending to Evil; White, fanatically pro-Slavery, strongly Evil. But Sports teams have a tribal element, maybe Religion gives a better clue.
5) Religions: Flamist = Fire-Worship, Lawful; Witch, Chaotic; Druid, Neutral; Pontiff, Good; Justified Ancients of Mummu (JAM), Evil.
6) Parishes: Ponty SW; Close SE; Shambles E; Mirkwood N; Woath W; Aldborough Centre.Sports: (OLX