−Table of Contents
Welcome to James Kemp's Wiki
This is a collaborative web platform that allows people to edit1) the web pages to provide additional content for some of the stories I have written and the roleplaying games that I am involved in, whether as a player or GM.
There are several namespaces operating slightly different wiki subjects. These are, in no particular order:
- Skyss - Story Background - a fantasy novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2016.
- Perfects - background for the near future story and some police roleplaying that I ran in that universe
- Theocracy of Daprav - A D&D campaign that I ran with Glasgow University Games Society around 2002-3.
- Jim Wallman's Universe - a roleplaying by e-mail campaign that I play in, this is an unofficial wiki and none of it is canon unless Jim says it is.
- Interstellar Freelance Unlimited - subset of the Universe pages covering the activities of a mercenary company that we are currently roleplaying every Full Moon.
- Earth Imperium pages. These cover the activities of the Government of the Solar republic (aka Earth Empire) in Jim's Humanity Will Prevail campaign, including the Earth Imperium News Items.
- Free Worlds Alliance - covering the activities of another emerging polity in the Humanity Will Prevail campaign. Mostly contributed by Eric Moroney.
- Universe Background - page collecting the various bits of background info that have come up in various e-mail discussions for the campaigns set in Jim Wallman's Universe.
- Master map of the Universe (6Mb PDF, as at 3212).
- Delta Green - some roleplaying campaigns about horror and conspiracy. The main one was set in Berlin in 1953.
- Free games rules - a collection of free rules for wargames and other sorts of face to face games that I have designed or run.
- Wargames rules - I'm not just a player of games, I also do rules for them from time to time as well as one-off games. A primary outlet for this is through Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Other free rules - at the moment just those for the 1689 (Orange or Lemon? and Bonnie Dundee, respectively about the debates in the Scots Parliament and then the military campaign of Viscount Dundee during 1689) and The Other Side of the COIN (about what makes people become insurgents). All games that I have have produced for Chestnut Lodge Wargames Group.
- Background for a near future universe where I have written some fiction and also run some roleplaying games in.
Comments and complaints to me at webmaster@full-moon.info please.
James Kemp
Tag Cloud
Recent Additions
The Theocracy of Daprav
The Theocracy of Daprav is a human state run by its priesthood. The country is mostly farmland and is very fertile. Most of the population lives in small villages which can be found every three to five miles or so. There are small towns every twenty to thirty miles which act as administrative centres for the surrounding villages.
All administration is done by clerics and the church employs a large number of people in a variety of roles. There is some private enterprise but this is limited as the economy doesn't use cash. Instead each person has a resource allocation some of which they can use to exchange for goods or services. Everyone carries an ID chit which allows them to access Church run stores to replace lost/damaged equipment and to get accommodation for the night when they are travelling.
As one would expect in a well run economy like that of Daprav, vagrants and poor people are non-existent. Everyone is well looked after (and in times of dearth the priests use their miracles to feed everyone).
One of the most popular recreational activities is playing Stoolball which is a fast-paced contact sport played by teams of seven paddle-wielding sportsmen. It can get quite violent, although injuries are healed by magic during the game.
Mage magic is frowned upon and the people would shun anyone that tries to use it. That's assuming that they could tell the difference between it and a God-given miracle. None of the PCs has ever come into contact with a mage or sorceror.
The Northern border has nomad barbarians, but this is nothing compared to the depredations of the bandits in the south. It is necessary to station troops in the south to deal with the bandits, which isn't necessary in the North. Outlanders are rare in the state and are usually confined to enclaves in the major towns where all trade is conducted. Those that manage to penetrate into the interior tend to be escorted firmly back to where they belong.
The PCs come from the coastal districts to the North of the Theocracy. So far none of them have had any direct contact with outlanders.
Murder! - Part 2
The patrol go to the main Watch House and report that they have some information about the previous night's murder.
They are shown in to see Sergeant Harrison who is in charge of the investigation to catch the murderer. Harrison is in his 40s and is quite fit looking with very short iron grey hair. At the point when they enter his room he is sitting at his desk eating breakfast, a pastry, and drinking coffee. There is a cigar that has gone out in an ash-tray on his desk. The room is about 15 feet on each side with a window looking out on the city. There is the desk, a meeting table, half a dozen chairs a couple of cupboards and a filing cabinet. On every available surface there are piles and piles of papers, including on the floor. Many of them are in battered cardboard folders, some held together with linen tape others relying on the weight of the files above them to keep them closed.
Harrison isn't particularly friendly and quizzes them about why they have appeared in his office. Gregory explains that they were witnesses, almost, to a murder the previous evening. Harrison softens and asks them what they know. Gregory tells the story. Once he has finished Harrison tells them that this is not the first murder, in fact it is the seventh in the last eighteen months and that the Watch, specifically Harrison, has no idea who is behind them.
The patrol offer to help Harrison by looking over the evidence he has so far just in case thy can spot any links. Harrison sneers slightly but gestures to one of the piles of papers and says that they are welcome to read through, but that they mustn't remove any of it from the building. Melody gave Sgt Harrison the original footprint after copying it.
From the papers it becomes apparent that all the murders were committed on foogy nights. The shortest time lapse between the murders is 3 weeks and the longest 6 months. None of the murders took place within three days either side of a Full Moon. All the victims were non-native sailors, none were robbed and all had their larynx ripped out. Two of them were found with their trousers round their ankles. All were on the waterfront and slightly off the main thoroughfare. They were all from different ships.
After gathering this information from the files the group went to the library to check the weather records. Fog is prevalent in the Spring & Autumn with occasional fogs in winter. The previous night's fog was unusually late, the previous murder had been eight weeks earlier. There had been four foggy nights since then, two immediately following the murder and one on the Full Moon. The last being the night before.
Murder! - Part 3
After reviewing the evidence the patrol decide that they need to find out more about the footprint. So they take it down to the Bureau of Shoes (Office of Procurement, Footwear Directorate). Unfortunately the office is closed for the night.
Down the Docks
They decide that the next best thing would be to go down to the docks and look for more clues. Accordingly they split up to tour the waterfront taverns. [Can you think of a worse idea?]
Valanthe went into the 'Dropped Anchor' and met some of the crew from the 'Falcon' the ship on which the seventh victim had been a crew member. She got talking to his sombre former shipmates and discovered that he had been part of a small group that went on a pub crawl the previous evening. They'd started in the 'Dropped Anchor' which was the closest pub to the ship. They'd moved across the river and along the opposite bank before crossing back. They'd stopped in every single pub along the way, six including the 'Dropped Anchor'.
On leaving the 'Tarry Sail', the first pub back on this side of the river, he had said that he was feeling ill and that he would catch the others up in the next pub. That was about 11pm and was the last he had been seen alive. The crew reckoned that he would be able to handle himself in a fight and were somewhat surprised when he turned up dead.
Bureau of Shoes
In the morning the they go to the Bureau of Shoes. A boy takes them to see 'Mr Archibald', this involves a long back corridor in a part of the building clearly not frequented by visitors. They end up in a large store-room with floor to ceiling shelves filled with boots and shoes.
Archie clearly knows a lot about boots, more than anyone sane would wish to know. They show him the boor print that they've taken and he waxes lyrical for several minutes about the boot and how the pattern of nails tells you about how it was made and which type, and how minor variations note different types. He also talks a bit about the patterns of wear.
Archie tells them it is a good boot, and well made. The type is reserved for the more senior members of the theocracy and only goes to sub-deacons and above. Of course, people at that level would have more than one set of footwear, as they'd be authorised for shoes as well as boots and probably also indoor and outdoor varieties. What Archie finds most interesting about these boots though is that they have an unauthorised modification to the heel, the hobs are aligned differently to the standard pattern. Other than that they are a size 9 standard width boot.
Before leaving the patrol ask Archie to let them know if the boots get returned, but not to let the owner know that they are interested.
Delving Deeper
Having established the size and type of boot (Type 23, size 9 standard) they look for records of who had been issued those boots. The obvious place is the Office of Central Statistics. Being Ministry of Internal Affairs agents they find the record keepers very helpful and in a short time they have a list of names.
- Ministry of Food - 3 pairs
- Ministry of Internal Affairs - 5 pairs
- Office of Religious Orthodoxy - 2 pairs
- Bureau of Planning - 3 pairs
- Ministry of Supply - 5 pairs
They then move on to checking where the people are with the various Ministries.
Ministry of Food
One pair was issued to a Deacon in their personnel department responsible for senior posts. He is currently on a sabbatical to undertake a pilgrimage and has been out of Templeton for six moons.
The second pair was issued to a sub-deacon responsible for grain export. He is currently based outside Daprav liaising with a neighbouring state on grain exports from Daprav.
The third pair was issued to a sub-deacon responsible for beer production in the South West, he hasn't been to Templeton for several years.
Ministry of Supply
One pair was issued and four remain in their stores. The issued pair went to an Archdeacon responsible for robe procurement. He is frequently out of Templeton to visit weavers and farmers in cloth and dyes production.
Bureau of Planning
Their three pairs have gone to a Bishop overseeing the forecasting department and two of his Archdeacons. One in weather and the other in trade forecasting. None of them are based in Templeton.
Office of Religious Orthodoxy
There's a little less help here, but they get a look at the file and both pairs issued show as having been returned some time ago.
Ministry of Internal Affairs
They take a different tack and visit the personnel office after hours since their investigation isn't an official one. They find a file-list hanging from a noticeboard in a personnel office lined with filing cabinets. This leads them to the right cabinet which is swiftly opened. Four names come from the appropriate file.
- Chief Priest (2 pairs)
- Archbishop Hugh (responsible for security on the Southern Border)
- Archdeacon Marius in the City Watch (issued 2 days before the murder)
- Deacon Elvar in personnel.
Murder! - Part 4
After an evening of constructive facilitation of the investigation the patrol meet up to discuss their remaining suspects. They decide to look at the people inside the Ministry of Internal Affairs first, because if they can rule them out they can enlist support to make their investigation official. It will need careful handling, so the first thing is to get Gregory close enough to decide whether or not they look enough like the person he saw leaving the murder scene.
Deacon Elvar
They go back to the personnel offices, on pretence of asking questions about their posting to the border, and look for Deacon Elvar. It doesn't take long for them to see him in the corridor. This is enough to rule him out because he's a completely different build to the murderer (slightly shorter and fatter).
Archbishop Hugh
The Archbishop is their senior commander, so they know where his office is, although he's several levels above them. So they speak to his private secretary and say that they've been told to collect some special delivery for Fort Albany. While there they discover that the Archbishop is out for the day at the seminary.
The patrol (minus Melody) goes to the seminary to see if they can listen to Archbishop Hugh speaking to the students. By luck there is a question and answer session in progress. The patrol get to join in and manage to ask a couple of questions. They decide that the Archbishop has the same accent as the murderer but is too small and slight in build.
Given this they hang back at the end of the session and approach the Archbishop to tell him the story and make their investigation official. Hugh is very co-operative and listens well. He gets the whole story from them and the list of suspects (although they don't mention that the boot print shows a modification). He asks the patrol to leave it with him and to report back to his office at midday for further order. Hugh suggests that they be ready to travel when they report back in.
Evening
Back at their accommodation they catch up with Melody. She had split off from them to investigate the Chief Priest, one of their other two remaining suspects. The other being Deacon Marius of the Templeton City Watch. Melody saw the Chief Priest and heard him speak to his private secretary. She believes that he can't be ruled out, he sounded exactly like the murderer and is also the same height and build.
Leaving Templeton
Having packed up for travelling the patrol return to Archbishop Hugh's office. He isn't there, but Deacon Marius is. There are a stack of sealed packets on the private secretary's desk. One for each of the patrol and another for the commander of Fort Albany. They are personally addressed and bear the words “NOT TO BE OPENED IN TEMPLETON” on the front and back of the envelope.
Marius smiles at them and tells them not to worry. He shows them the soles of his very old pair of boots, which are the standard pattern. The hob nails are practically worn flat into the leather. Marius tells them that they've found the owner of the boots, and by extension the murderer, so they need to get the patrol out of the city as soon as possible. He's going to escort them out of the city walls and over the horizon to make sure that they stay safe.
Murder!
Out of the fog comes an Archdeacon…
Gregory shouts “Stop!”
And receives the reply, in authoritarian tones: “Stand Aside! I shall be on my way.”
The urge to obey was strong and the patrol let the Archdeacon pass. However Gregory decides to tail him and see where he goes while the others investigate the scream. He follows him along the river bank for a bit and then up Temple Way, one of the main streets of the City, leading from Sir Waldo's Bridge. It became obvious that the Archdeacon knew he was being followed and he ducked into an alleyway. Gregory didn't want to follow him into it directly and crossed the road to be able to see down the alley without any risk that he might be ambushed, but by that time the Archdeacon had disappeared.
Meanwhile Ostler and Melody edge cautiously forward into the now silent fog.
A few metres in front of where they were they find a body in a large pool of blood which is still spreading slowly. The body is that of a sailor who has had his throat cut out, the whole larynx is missing and there is lots and lots of blood. Also on the paved embankment is a single bloody footprint leading away from the body to where Ostler and Melody have come from. The make a copy of this footprint with a piece of paper that they happen to have with them.
On Gregory's return the three go looking for a Watch post so that they can report the murder. They eventually find a post and tell the duty sergeant who pays absolutely no interest in the matter whatsoever, although he does take down a cursory report. Because of the disinterest of the watch they decide to tell Triste, knowing that her parents are reasonably senior officials. Triste's father, Soledad, suggests that they go back to the Watch and visit the HQ in daylight.
This they do and get a better reception. They are shown in to see Sergeant Harrison who is in charge of te investigation to catch the murderer. Harrison is in his 40s and is quite fit looking with very short iron grey hair. At the point when they enter his room he is sitting at his desk eating breakfast, a pastry, and drinking coffee. There is a cigar that has gone out in an ash-tray on his desk. The room is about 15 feet on each side with a window looking out on the city. There is the desk, a meeting table, half a dozen chairs a couple of cupboards and a filing cabinet. On every available surface there are piles and piles of papers, including on the floor. Many of them are in battered cardboard folders, some held together with linen tape others relying on the weight of the files above them to keep them closed.
