[Mkguild] Metamor Laws and Customs (and Thieve's Guilds)

[C. Matthias]

At 05:56 AM 1/9/2008, Michael Bard wrote:
> > When I get around to it, you'll see that Julian's group does have day
> > jobs as it were.
>
>Understood.  I still need for Yvarra to try and make contact with the TG, if
>there is any, in Euper, so I REALLY need some info on that guild as that
>will be the plot of the next story.  Euper would also have FAR better
>pickings due to the higher percentage of visitors.

Honestly, I haven't worked out too many details of that Guild.

But given the propensity for people to define things without ever 
writing stories about them, even afte rI have written things about 
them in my stories, I probably ought to do something.  I'll get back 
to you on that.

> > Further, given that in every one of my stories, I have had no
> > difficulty in describing merchants making said trek, or characters
> > themselves makin said trek, the paucity you describe is not as severe
> > as you think.
>
>According to the Wiki information about MK, the ridge plateau is ~150' up
>from the ground below.  The walls are practically cliffs -- stated as being
>impossible to climb without rope (I wonder how Winter Assault got into the
>keep in the first place?  Hang gliders?)   The "Killing Zone" is described
>as a very unfriendly place that people try to get through as quickly as
>possible.  So, merchants have to climb up some kind of road that climbs 150'
>vertically in a fairly short horizontal distance (hence the switchbacks), go
>through the ominous Killing Grounds, and drive the length of "Metamor Town"
>before they can sell anything?

I think that's a complete load of hooey.  This sounds to me like 
somebody putting information in the Wiki without having ever read any 
of the stories most of us have written.  In Winter Assault, I had Sir 
Saulius and Sir Egland chase Sir Bryonoth riding Duke Thomas down the 
castle side of the ridge.  They took switchbacks the whole way, so it 
was steep, but there is no way it was that steep or that big a drop.

I have never imagined that there was nearly so much difficulty in 
merchants bringing their wares into Metamor itself.  If we are going 
to make that the case, a lot of the details in my stories set in 
Metamor town can be thrown out, and pretty much all my plans for the 
future can be thrown out too.

Personally, I'd throw out the ideas of people who aren't bothering to 
write in the setting, but feel the need to populate the Wiki with 
details nobody has used.

> > The Festival grounds tend to be inside the curtain wll, as has been
> > established in previous tales.  You know the merchants are going to
> > want to go where the people are to sell their wares.
>
>It is also stated in the Wiki under the map of the keep that "Metamor Town"
>is crammed with buildings.  Crammed with buildings does not a Festival
>Grounds allow.  The Wiki also states that the commons (fields for festivals
>etc.) are outside the keep and Euper.

I always saw the festival grounds as being in the Killing Fields, and 
have written such for previous festivals.  In fact, Kamau had done up 
some schematics on the size of the Killing Fields.  I'm attaching two 
of the pictures he did to provide its dimensions.

>Now, given that "Metamor Town" is largely burned, I've left about half of it
>as either surviving and repaired, or rebuilt, and the rest as "levelled and
>removed" for materials, and for safety.  Thus, there now IS a commons area
>inside "Metamor Town".  There is also a market just inside the Killing
>Fields where the farmers can stop dragging their carts and just sell stuff
>:)

Do any of you even listen to me when I post things?  I have sent 
several posts on this subject, but I haven't noticed one 
acknowledgement to any of my contributions to this discussion!

I pointed out that I felt it unrealistic to assume that most of the 
town had been burned.  Sections yes, but many sections would have 
been unharmed.

Incidentally, I burned down Gregor's Bakery (though Charles helped 
them rebuild part of it in Wagging Tongues Will).  By Festival time, 
it would have been rebuilt.

>What I think the intent is, is that the big caravans just go to Euper.
>There is an unloading whereas local merchants lug the stuff up to the keep
>proper and sell it to the "rich Metamorans".  Regardless, due to the stated
>geography, it is a fair trip, at least an hour with a loaded cart given the
>slope.

No, no, no!!!!!  Some can go to Euper, yes, but I think a lot would 
go to Metamor, because they can ask a higher price for their 
wares.  Given that the Metmaorians would have to pay to have it 
brought up into the city walls one way or another, why shouldn't the 
merchant enjoy the extra income?

May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love,

Charles Matthias 
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