In November, the folks at Atlas Games will release "City and Guild". It's the first in the current line of Ars Magica books that has had mundane people as its primary focus. I feel it is likely to be contentious, because the larger arguments on the various Ars lists always arise from the conflict between real versions of, and mythic perceptions of, things. Cats and crossbows are two historical examples. In response, I'm beginning the Bills of Lading Project.
The Bills of Lading project is a kind of game. It has rules. Here's how it works:- For the first thirty days after the release of City and Guild, I will write one post a day.
- For days of tremendous significance, I may cheat by sending posts in early.
- Each post will provide material related to a question posed by a person who has purchased, or promised sincerely to purchase, "City and Guild".
- Each answer will be, at average, 500 words long, but both longer and shorter are likely.
- People may ask as many questions as they like, and I'll answer as many as I have time for in the Atlas forum or Berklist. The Bills of Lading answers will be longer, and more thoroughly researched.
- Lacking a suitable question I will provide material which expands on "City and Guild" in some way.
- People may suggest questions in advance of the release of "City and Guild", but I can't begin the project, or comment on their questions, in any detail, until the book is released and my non-disclosure agreement is completed. That being said, I'm probably going to prepare a few posts in advance, so that if I have a busy day, I need not work too hard on a particular evening.
So - the blog, and the game, start now.
Welcome aboard.
6 comments:
Well done Timothy. I admire your commitment to "City and Guilds". This looks like a fun exercise.
Just checking that i can post to your Blog.
Ben, thanks for the questions!
A lot of what you have asked for is built into the book already. Check out the Table of Contents on the Atlas web page for some ideas of what's already included.
Basically the book already covers traders who deal with magi, the social effects of magically created wealth, and some other issues which aren't explicitly mentioned in published material, so I can't discuss them for the next little while. These are all interesting areas you bring up, and when the book is out if you want me to flesh them out further, I'll be glad to.
What do you mean by "the acceptance or refusal of magic items?" Could you put it another way for me? Do you mean how the public reacts to seeing them?
I hadn't seen the preview before I posted my questions, but now that I've got it, I intend on formulating some more for you...
As far as my previous one:
What do you mean by "the acceptance or refusal of magic items?" Could you put it another way for me? Do you mean how the public reacts to seeing them?
That's exactly what I mean! :) Are magical items looked on with suspicion by the general populace? By nobility? Crusaders? Priesthood? Is there any group that might actively approve of them? Would verditius magi then attempt to make "gentle" or subtle items to circumvent some of the less perceptive prejudice?
thanks,
-Ben.
Congratulations on your blog. I look forward to the book and to follow your thoughts on it here. For now some of the things I look forward to are if and how the book connects with the Covenant mechanics on wealth. Also I will be looking forward to, related to Jarkmans question on the end of the Silk Route, see whether the book include some interesting bits on the changing of trade routes and how by trade Europeans came into greater contact with other cultures, especially Arabian, but also African and Asian and so on.
There are a few pages on the subject of Crime in City & Gild.
One of the book requests on the Berklist was for a Mediaeval Underworld sourcebook.
Can you expand on this topic?
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