Burghers of Frye

[BakedToast]

This game is officially closed. It was a good ride, and I am very happy to have been a part of this experience. Go here for the official conclusion of the game.

Introduction

For over a hundred years, the small village of Frye has sat peaceably stagnant on the edge of a large, slow moving river, tucked away with dense forest surrounding it. The populace makes a meager living, subsisting on fish caught from the river, game caught from the forest, and simple crops grown in small fields. The village is entirely self sufficient, and very rarely receives visitors from the outside world, as the path to the castle of the count is mostly overgrown by trees in the forest, and the river is very rarely travelled.

Major decisions in the village of Frye are made by the Village Elders, which consists of a group of people, most of which are nominated by a powerful family in the village. These families often nominate one of their own, but it isn’t entirely uncommon to nominate a gifted commoner. A good chunk of the village Elders is also made up of merited [actual] Elders who are on the council either due to their great age and wisdom or due to some great feat that won them a place by popular vote. This system of government has been used for as long as anyone can remember and their ancestors could tell, so it is widely accepted.

Gameplay:
Each turn is one month in Frye. For your turn, you may propose laws and vote on current issues (if you have a family member in the Village Elders), and have your family (or yourself) facilitate other actions at your discretion to affect the village. Each vote in the Village Elders is worth one point, and other families cannot “support” these votes, except to also vote in a similar manner. Each vote for a general action in the village of Frye can be supported by other families, adding a benefit to the results of your roll. You can also attempt to sabotage another family’s general actions, adding negatives to the results of their roll.


Below is a summarized amalgamation of all the powerful families in Frye, with a short description of their societal "roles", ideologies, and influence in the village.

Elforche Currently Played by Billy5545
Societal Role: Running a Carpentry and Wooden Trinket Industry
Ideology: Growth via the People
Influence: Slightly Positive
Nominated: Gifted Commoner

Family of Tannell Currently Played by Guineapig004
Societal Role: Studying the world about them to improve lifestyle
Ideology: Utopia via Control
Influence: Neutral/Ambivalent
Nominated: Family Member

Ferran Family Currently Played by Tiberius
Societal Role: Running a [mostly] reputable Blacksmith industry
Ideology: Wealth via Trade
Influence: Mixed between Slightly Positive and Slightly Negative
Nominated: Family Member

Family of Lew Currently Played by naturegirl1999
Societal Role: Advanced Farming, Domestication
Ideology: Comfort via Knowledge
Influence: Mixed between Slightly Positive and Slightly Negative
Nominated: Family Member

Family of Asura Currently Played by Burger Cat
Societal Role: Organized Militia and Town Guards
Ideology: Honor and Respect to All
Influence: Slightly Positive
Nominated: Family Member

[The original setting of the first 4 players]

You all play as the head of a traditionally powerful family(this often includes extended family as well) in the village of Frye, with the goal of eventually turning the Village Elder system into a bloodline-ruled society (with your family being the royal one, of course). You could, of course, have an ulterior private goal of your own; after all, Frye is only one indiscriminate village in a world that has more or less forgotten all about it, due to it's insignificance.

First:
You may create a family name and create a backstory if you like, your family’s history in the village.
You have full control over what your family supports or doesn’t support, and the ideologies that they emanate.

Second: you must choose who to nominate to the Village Elders, who have the oversight of the village:

If you choose to nominate a family member to the Village Elders: You may directly propose new laws or major actions that, if passed, all the village including the other families must comply to, or face penalty. You may also directly vote on issues that the village faces.

If you choose to nominate a gifted commoner: You may give a description of the ideologies and tendencies that this commoner holds, and also a reason why you nominated that specific person (because they have a certain talent, or because they hold a specific ideology, etc). You then also enjoy an increased reputation with the general populace of Frye, and a generally more positive reception to your actions that involve the general villagers.

Each turn is one month in Frye. For your turn, you may propose laws and vote on current issues (if you have a family member in the Village Elders), and have your family facilitate other actions at your discretion to affect the village. Each vote in the Village Elders is worth one point, and other families cannot “support” these votes, except to also vote in a similar manner. Each vote for a general action in the village of Frye can be supported by other families, adding a benefit to the results of your roll. You can also attempt to sabotage another family’s general actions, adding negatives to the results of their roll.

Once everyone who wants to play has created a family, we will commence the first turn.
As head of a family group which could have many members, there is no limit to the number of actions you can do each turn, but because I have to figure everything out, keep it respectable. I don’t want to work on 50 rolls a turn

New players are welcome to join mid-game, but will have a different role (as powerful families can't just spring up out of the ground); New players will be given a set of options to choose from, but most likely will be joining to play as a single person in the village from a selection of available... professions... that I will offer them.

Below is a more in-depth description of the village of Frye, for those who'd like more knowledge of the world they are playing in. [The way it was at the beginning]

The village of Frye is a small, mostly forgotten village in the time frame of the Early Middle Ages, in a pseudo-European style land. The Feudal system is used large-scale throughout the world, and Frye, having an elected body of village elders, is a very strange outlier in comparison to the traditional villages of the area who run on a hereditary rulership. The village of Frye, alongside several other villages, is ruled by Count Vicar; little is known about him (at least, by those in Frye), except that he seems to take no interested in one of his villages, surrounded by dense forest beside a slow-moving river.

The Military system in Frye is currently in a state of sad disrepair; the only people trained in combat are the guards, who solve petty disputes and keep the peasants in line, and perhaps some of the sons of the powerful families have been trained in swordplay or archery for sport.

The Economic system in Frye is in a better state, as the Village Elders are accepting of people starting their own industries; as this is a medieval setting, there are very few laws on business, and a laissez-faire attitude prevails amongst the council.

The Religious system in Frye is conflicted; while the country as a whole is largely Ud'ehbaian in belief (A belief of order and fine arts, believing that the soul is imprisoned in the body, and that the key to transcendence is order, and those who do not believe so are filth), there are some commoners who also believe in a certain Dabalia, a pagan goddess of songs and an odd purple-haired prophetess; these odd beliefs are rare in the village of Frye, but they do exist by word of mouth. None in Frye have seen this strange prophetess themselves... Furthermore, there are rumors of a strange dark cult spreading throughout the countryside, worshiping a dark god called "Chayrus"...

The Political system in Frye is stable. The elected body of Village Elders are a widely accepted source of authority, save by eccentric dissenters and criminals. Even the powerful Families have (so far) bowed to the decree of the council, although this may one day change...

Amalgamation of all Reports:

First Year:

First Month
Second Month
Third Month
Fourth Month
Fifth Month
Sixth Month
Seventh Month
Eighth Month
Ninth Month
Tenth Month - New Moon Festival
Eleventh Month
Twelfth Month

Second Year:

First Month, and Summary of Previous Year - New Year's Festival
Second Month
Third Month
Fourth Month
Fifth Month
Sixth Month
Seventh Month
Eighth Month
Ninth Month
Tenth Month - Festival of Life
Eleventh Month - New Moon Festival, Festival of U'debbha
Twelfth Month

Third Year:

First Month, and Summary of Previous Year - New Year's Festival
Second Month
Third Month
Fourth Month
Fifth Month
Sixth Month
Seventh Month
Eighth Month
Ninth Month

[BakedToast]

(I post here to create a sample family for reference, they will mostly do nothing but are used to stimulate the game and to provide example.)

This family's name is Elforche; for as long as anyone can remember, the Elforche family has provided the village with fine wooden crafts, made from the boughs of the trees in the forest. BEcause of this, they have a somewhat positive reputation to the populace.
The Elforche family's ideology encourages growth of the village and believes that the people of Frye are it's greatest resource.

Elforche chooses to nominate a gifted commoner to the Village Elders; this man has a progress-oriented mindset and believes in scientific advance. However, he has a tendency to cower in fear when threat of confrontation looms over the village. Elforche chose this man because of his calculating and keen capabilities in mathematics and logic.

[Guineapig004]

The Family of Tannell are intelligent, persuasive, and very snobby. They're family have been the main innovators for as long as the village existed. They strive towards a utopia, with them at the helm naturally. They do not want war, but they will fight if they must. They have invented much of the advanced equipment that the people of Frye use.

The Family of Tannell attempt to elect one of their family members. They're law, is as stated. "If any in the village of Frye, have a quarrel that continues for more that a week, the outcome will be decided by the Village Elders."

[Tiberius]

The Ferran Family is responsible for smithing the tools used by the people of Frye. They are a relatively young family, having risen after the family that had previously produced bronze tools fell from grace due to the lack of ores. Ferran migrated to Frye and brought with them knowledge of iron production which allowed them to rather a rapid rise through society to fill the space that was left. As a whole, they have a mixed reputation, as some see them as opportunistic foreigners, while others view them as having saved the village in a time of shortage. They are, of course, both. Looking forward they would like to see a more open society, with increased trade to increase its wealth.

They choose to nominate a family member who proposes to clear the road to the castle in order to help reinvigorate trade.

[naturegirl1999]

The Family of Lew

The Lew family is the family who, for a very long time, have been trying to domesticate various plants and animals, with mixed success. Unfortunately there have been 12 failed domestication attempts and only 7 successful domestication attempts. The 7 successful attempts were 3 types of berries and 4 types of insects. Some of the village pay more attention to the failed attempts while some of the village is proud of the successes of the Lew family's attempts to make life easier. The goal of the Lew family is to allow Frye to become a place where new types of plants and animals can be found and possibly studied, as domesticated species tend to look and behave differently than wild versions, (Plants that are domesticated might produce larger fruits at the expense of root growth or visa versa, Domesticated insects might be larger or produce more silk or be different colors than wild ones, ect)

The Lew family nominates an elder who proposes a law that allows for a school to be built that specializes in biology. This can help with taming, or hunting, finding out when certain plants are in season, and learn how human anatomy works so that diseases can be treated.

[BakedToast]

I like the Families that are being created!
A quick note:
The world that Frye exists in is set in the early middle ages. So trade monopolies on goods don't exist, there is always local competition, even amongst the local families. Since Frye is so isolated from the outside world, no powerful families or even aged elders know very much at all, except that their village is the property of a lenient count who lives in a castle on the other side of the forest and doesn't bother to tax them or visit them.

Ferran migrated to Frye...

Interesting. Although the family is young, I would assume that they've still been here long enough that the younger members of the family don't know much at all about their foreign heritage?

The Lew family nominates an elder who proposes a law that allows for a school to be built that specializes in biology. This can help with taming, or hunting, finding out when certain plants are in season, and learn how human anatomy works so that diseases can be treated.

Is this elder a member of your family, I presume? As nominated commoners cannot be specifically told to vote for certain laws.

They're family have been the main innovators for as long as the village existed. They have invented much of the advanced equipment that the people of Frye use.

"Advanced" might be the case, in the eyes of Frye's inhabitants. To the outside world (if anyone ever would travel there), Frye is an average village with average technologies. Being innovators is fine, just beware that due to the time frame that Frye exists in, if that is your family's main occupation, they won't be very wealthy as knowledge and scientific advancement in this time period are slow.

[Guineapig004]

They're family have been the main innovators for as long as the village existed. They have invented much of the advanced equipment that the people of Frye use.

"Advanced" might be the case, in the eyes of Frye's inhabitants. To the outside world (if anyone ever would travel there), Frye is an average village with average technologies. Being innovators is fine, just beware that due to the time frame that Frye exists in, if that is your family's main occupation, they won't be very wealthy as knowledge and scientific advancement in this time period are slow.

That's good! I didn't plan for modern day technology today. By "advanced" I meant as in more effective boats, or new techniques to preserve food.

[BakedToast]

That's good! I didn't plan for modern day technology today. By "advanced" I meant as in more effective boats, or new techniques to preserve food.

Great! Just bear in mind that in those specific cases (boats, and preservation of food), they require very different types of knowledge. The Family of Tannell must be very scholarly, perhaps employing tutors for the training of their members, and are invested in research.

-----

I'm going to edit the original post with an amalgamation of all the families as they appear, so that newcomers can have a [very] quick summary of the families and their situations. If my summary of your family's societal role and/or ideology appears incorrect, please let me know and I will update it.
I will also add more details about the village of Frye in the original post, for those who might be more interested in the world itself and the ways it could be interacted with.

I will wait to see if a couple more families will want to join, and then we will commence the first turn.

[naturegirl1999]

I like the Families that are being created!
A quick note:
The world that Frye exists in is set in the early middle ages. So trade monopolies on goods don't exist, there is always local competition, even amongst the local families. Since Frye is so isolated from the outside world, no powerful families or even aged elders know very much at all, except that their village is the property of a lenient count who lives in a castle on the other side of the forest and doesn't bother to tax them or visit them.

Ferran migrated to Frye...

Interesting. Although the family is young, I would assume that they've still been here long enough that the younger members of the family don't know much at all about their foreign heritage?

The Lew family nominates an elder who proposes a law that allows for a school to be built that specializes in biology. This can help with taming, or hunting, finding out when certain plants are in season, and learn how human anatomy works so that diseases can be treated.

Is this elder a member of your family, I presume? As nominated commoners cannot be specifically told to vote for certain laws.

They're family have been the main innovators for as long as the village existed. They have invented much of the advanced equipment that the people of Frye use.

"Advanced" might be the case, in the eyes of Frye's inhabitants. To the outside world (if anyone ever would travel there), Frye is an average village with average technologies. Being innovators is fine, just beware that due to the time frame that Frye exists in, if that is your family's main occupation, they won't be very wealthy as knowledge and scientific advancement in this time period are slow.

Yes. the elder is a member of the family. Sorry for the confusion, the people on the council are called elders right? I'm sorry, I meant family elder, maybe it should have been capitalized for clarity

[BakedToast]

All good, just wasnt sure. They are t technically Elders until after they are on the council, so “Elders” don’t get nominated, regular people do, and then become Elders.