The campaign arc will follow the growth of several young heroes, tracing their lives as they ascend from their common origins to greatness. These young heroes will be human, full of flaws and with plenty of personal obstacles to greatness to overcome, but they will also be occasionally just a bit bigger than life, capable of feats that catch the breath.
Your characters are the protagonists of this story, and as such are not 100% ordinary. At the same time, however, Red Heron Rising is a gritty, low-power fantasy campaign, so the characters are considerably more ordinary than they would be in a high-power fantasy novel or action hero movie.
To roughly model this, characters should be Base Competency 11 (which allows them to be fairly heroic at anything they put their minds to), with three to five unusual traits:
The goal in Red Heron Rising is to create stories, rather than to amass the most wealth, biggest army or most magical trinkets. A player may decide that her protagonist came from a poor family, is trained in the unusual skill of reading and writing (by and large useless in the campaign), and is unusually tall. None of this is particularly advantageous, but can definitely lead to some fun roleplaying and good stories.
With that in mind, the protagonists will be starting out as ignorant, untrained peasants from the Dihrtemit region. From these humble beginnings, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills and rise to greatness and heroism. This will be difficult for those players who are accustomed to already starting out at the "experienced hero" or "veteran" power levels and then going on from there. In this campaign, you will be roleplaying your characters' origin stories. I think the benefits later will far outweigh the annoyances of not being a minor Power right now.
AO uses my Quantum Magick system at a high magickal efficiency. While capable of some pretty impressive feats, magick will generally be low key.
Generally, about the most impressive feat a typical mage can manage by himself is to levitate a foot or so off the ground, attack someone's life force (resisted by their willpower), enhance the natural healing process, or start a fire with force of will. All of these acts require a great deal of effort and will.
Somewhat more impressive feats are possible by binding or making deals with the natural spirits of the world (called shro in the Dihrtemit region).
Dihrtemit ("Giant's Stone") is both a small region and township. The township has perhaps 600 people, mostly from older families in the region, and there are another 2,000 people in the villages surrounding the township. All villages which consider themselves part of the Dihrtemit region are within a half days' hard march of the township. The protagonists are from Dihrtemit and the several surrounding villages.
Three days' hard march north is Chukahs ("Road Cross"), a small town of around 3,000 people. More than a century ago, Chukahs was founded by the Dihrtemit people as a buffer against northern aggression, but has since grown into its own.
Ten days' hard march north and east of Chukahs is Morranaval (in the coastal tongue, "City of Swelling Waters"), a large city of around 15,000 people. Dihrtemit is functionally a part of the Morranaval territories, and pays occasional taxes in return for military assistance with shro and some maintenance of roads. Morranaval is at the crossing of the Chaka ("Water Path", north-south) and the Charath ("Great Highway", east-west).
The timeline below covers the history important to the Dihrtemit region, in very broad strokes. The asterisks mark generational groupings (60 year periods which were relatively cohesive generationally) which are how the Dihrtemit folk differentiate their history. The more precise years are not actually known in the world, and are based on GM knowledge. The calendar used for the years is the nomadic calendar, which is based on the movements of the stars and has been stable for roughly the past 300 years (the nomadic year 0 is when Tau Pahk and Tuk Mau, brother and sister, were first cast into the desert from heaven, where they bred with the people there and founded the nomadic people).
402 First settlers arrive in Dihrtemit
411* The Great Drought
433 Very minor drought
450 "Northerners" beaten back from Dihrtemit
450 Chukahs established as the northern border
455 Very minor drought
476* Black Winter (the worst drought & winter in history)
477 Shro "Swell" (the worst in history)
499 Very minor drought
520 Morranaval founded on ruins of Kallanaval
534* Major drought
553 Very minor drought
577 Moderate drought
578 Shro "Swell" (bad)
579 Morranaval annexes Dihrtemit/Chukahs
595* Major drought
615 1st River War
616 Major winter (moderate drought)
635 Moderate drought & winter (lasts through 637)
637 2nd River War
A little over two hundred years ago, farms and villages pushed their way into this region, shoving south from the Charath. Courageous settlers cut swaths into the forest, braving threats of illness, starvation and shro (a generic term for the hazards of virgin magical wilderness and the entities which protect it). After settlements had begun to resemble villages, and the frontier had begun to civilize itself, the threat of conquest from northern cities came in earnest.
The deciding battle for this region was pitched at the Dihrtemit, a sizable rock thrusting a good eight meters up from the earth, on the side of a hill otherwise unmarked by large stones (some say a giant dropped it there, on his way home from the mountains). After this battle, the people of the region managed to drive the aggressive northerners back, and founded Chukahs at the crossing of two road paths as the "border marker".
Over time, Chukahs became a major trade route for several townships near Dihrtemit, and Dihrtemit itself profited from its stabilizing effect on the region. The two split over time, however, and are now separate (but closely allied) population centers.
Sixty years ago, horrors from the wilderness forced Dihrtemit to ally with Morranaval, a vast city to the northeast (two weeks days' hard march) in return for protection. Shortly thereafter, the alliance became more of an annexation, and Dihrtemit has become a loyal, but distant subject of Morranaval.
Twenty years ago, before most of our heroes were born, Morranaval suffered a war with Corbinaval ("City in the Iron Mountains") over interpretations of the exact political boundaries along the Chaka (specifically, both needed the farmland in the middle regions in order to feed their burgeoning populations). It was a harsher war than most, and Morranaval's farmbred troops were eventually forced to submit by Corbinaval's harsh northern mercenaries... but not before two entire seasons of war killed a fair percentage of the young adult population.
On to the present generation.
Our heroes are a result of the following four year baby boom, and have grown up under somewhat harsher conditions than the previous generation, as the slightly reduced population has struggled for many summers to bring in enough food for the following winters.
By six years ago, things had somewhat stabilized, as the children of that time began producing more than they ate, and careful resource allocation has brought most of the problems under control.
However, three years ago, a mild drought began, causing problems for most villages and families... and continued through the next year and the next. Most families are at starvation poverty levels now, and even the wealthiest families are having problems.
Worse, this has affected Morranaval as well, and the need to purchase foods and reduce taxes to allow survival have cut into the budgets of the military. Which means shro have begun coming out of the wilderness again.
This past midwinter, Morranaval began unexpectedly recruiting heavily for the military. Reactions have been mixed among the commonfolk - some families were more than happy to let some of their young adults go off during the winter season (when no one produces food but everyone eats). Others found the monies from a soldier's stipend helped them through the bad times. Others were reminded of the bad years twenty years ago, and hoped for better...
Your characters have, for whatever personal reasons, chosen to join the call to the military.
This is an unsorted list of rumormongering about the "outer world". It represents a decent sampling of what your characters might or might not know.
Chukahs was originally a hilltop fortress for southern militias, back before Dihrtemit allied with Morranaval. After the alliance, craftsmen and farmers built around the fortress, and the fortress was expanded into more of a giant wall running north and south, to "link the two lands". Towers, and more walls were added, and eventually the highway just moved to the top of the wall, and everyone crosses Chukahs by walking over it.
Morranaval may be the largest city in the world. Or maybe it was Orifai, far to the east. Or Corbinaval, which is said to be founded on the source of the Chaka River. If it is Corbinaval, that would make it the dirtiest city in the world, too.
Morranaval is built entirely of stone. It was built by Lith. Its foundation was built by the gods. Morranaval is known for its architecture and steel. Morranaval Steel is the best steel in the world. Desert nomads to the west will trade an entire horse for a sword made of Morranaval Steel. Lith are as common as flies in Morranaval.
Corbinaval is an aggressive city far to the north, at the source of the Chaka. If they could block off the Chaka, they would. They keep slaves, and their nobles are so decadent and jaded that sometimes they torture people for fun, and sacrifice children to dark gods in return for a few moments of pleasure or shro powers. Their army carry shro charms and practices black magick to ensure their success in battle. Their mines are black and grim places, where the ghosts of the unmourned occasionally carry off the slaves who mine there.
Orifai sits at the edge of the land to the east. Their coral is reknowned the world over. Orifai may be the biggest city in the world. Morranaval does brisk trade with Orifai, despite the great distances (or because of it). Orifai is known for its magicians. Their city is built of coral, and supported by magick.
Chakata is a city where the Chaka River meets the southern ocean. It is full of pirates and dark mercenaries. Morranaval trades with them, but barely makes a profit with all the robbing that happens. Someday Morranaval will take Chakata over and civilize the place.
The Charath Highway is the longest, largest, and most used continuous trail in the world. It crosses the continent. It ends in the mountains to the west. It continues into the western deserts, past the mountains. It stretches all the way to Orifai to the east. It was built by giants, who wanted a footpath from the mountains to the eastern sea.
The Chaka River is the longest river in the world, but is calm for its entire length. It ends in the southern sea, the Morrani. The Chaka is the main artery of the land. The merchant boats are huge, larger than a Dihrtemit house. Merchant boats have no loyalty to any city; they trade with anyone who has money, even Corbinaval. They are a shifty lot. They won't rob you, but you'd best count everything twice. They claim to be honorable and never lie, and it might be true, but they sure sweeten the truth a lot if it is.
Height, Weight and Build are covered in the Physical Stats section (further below).
You should decide your general racial type first. You are then free to modify the racial characteristics, but you will have a solid grounding in what is unique about your character's appearance.
The nomads in the deserts to the west, the cityfolk along the river, the people along the southern coast, the farmers in the Dihrtemit region, and even the easterners of Orifai are all of the "Smallbrown" race, with slight differences for region. The Dihrtemit region is generally referred to as having "southern" blood or stock, with generations of farming ruggedizing the basic type somewhat.
The Smallbrown race is almond brown, with some regions tending towards much darker complexion (far across the desert, they are nearly black). Freckles are common. Hair ranges from dirty blonde to light brown to red-tinged brunette. True blondes and very dark hair colors are almost unknown. Smallbrowns are not really small, but it is rare to find one who is taller than 66 inches in height.
Far to the north, the "Bigwhite" race can be found. Northerners are very tall and large, with broad, craggy faces and bear-like bodies. Their arms are slightly longer than the southern norm, and their noses are eagle-like. Their skin is light, almost peach in complexion; their hair ranges in equal parts blonde, brunette, and fiery henna; their eyes are usually blue. There is some breeding between the two, and many mercenaries (who occasionally find their way as far south as Morranaval and Dihrtemit) may settle down in these regions. Northerners are very tall by Smallbrown standards, averaging around 68 inches.
Here and there, lith can be found. These giants average 80 inches in height, with proprtionately slightly longer hands than normal. Their noses are narrow and hawk-like, with prominent cheekbones and jawline. Their eyes are slightly slanted upward, and usually have very thick brows. Lith are exceedingly rare, and are usually seen as another race entirely... which their tendency to live alone as peddlers and hermits has not helped.
There are several characteristic traits in the southern racial type. A southerner typically has a short, sturdy frame, with broad shoulders. The face is built on a wide forehead and high cheekbones set into a rounded or heart-shaped face. Noses are typically snub, and the mouth is generous. Most have thick, blunt fingers.
"Southern, brown; all others, black" is the usual phrase for eye colors, and it holds true here. There is a bit more eastern blood than normal, however... most eyes are light to dark brown, but black eyes ("brooding eyes") occasionally crop up.
North and east, lighter skinned folk live in the larger towns and Morranaval. City folk are just a bit taller on average, but have the same broad shoulders and facial characteristics. Their skin complexion is typically a few shades lighter, but is still almond colored. Their eyes tend to be black.
Some eastern blood ("East of the River") has mingled in the past, and occasionally a trait will crop up locally. A true easterner is unlikely, however.
Eastern stock are a bit taller than their southern brethren, but lack the sturdy build and broad shoulders. Their faces are narrower and longer, and often seem a bit pinched, with sharp noses and thin lips. Eastern skin is darker, almost a light chocolate complexion, and their hair is darker than the southern folk. Their eyes are black.
Once you have decided your general racial stock, begin modifying it (or don't - a perfectly valid description can be "he could have fit into any of a hundred southerner farmsteads; his appearance was so normal, indeed, that he stood out only as an archetype").
By default, all features on your face are assumed to be "medium" in size and "average" in shape: ears, eyes, nose, mouth, jaw, forehead, etc. You can mark your appearance somewhat just by remarking on an unusual size or shape. For example, a southerner's face might be defined by an unusual, beak-like northerner's nose. Unusual facial characteristics of this sort usually run in families, along either the male or female side, so you might further remark "she has her mother's hawk-like nose and sharp, narrow eyes, who got it from her north-blooded mother."
Decide your eye color. Most will be gold, tan, light brown, brown or dark brown. Feel free to add appropriate adjectives, such as deep, shallow, intense, pale, beady, etc.
Decide your hair color. Most will be dirty blonde, dark honey, light brown, brunette, or red-tinged brunette. Red hair, black hair, or very light hair will stand out like a sore thumb, at least in the Dihrtemit villages.
Southern and eastern hair are both fairly straight, with some folks being a bit more wavy, but curls and true straight is relatively unknown. Northerner hair is straight. Lith hair is also straight.
Haircuts do not vary much in and around Dihrtemit. Women have long hair in a single, fat braid down the back (usually to midback). Men usually keep their hair loose, and cut it at the shoulder. Naturally, this may change in the military, or in the cities.
A deformity is a very odd aspect of your appearance, usually an unattractive one. Common ones include lazy-eye, hunchback, club foot, and crippled hand/arm. A deformity is usually taken as a disadvantage as well.
Your character sheet should have a place to list Marks of Passage. You don't have to tell anyone these marks unless they can see them.
Most countryfolk have suffered one or two really debilitating disasters by the time they are young adults. Whether it was a goat-butt to the chest that left a deep, long scar along the ribs or an ax in the leg or getting caught in a barnfire, such things happen from time to time to time. Decide if, when and what and then describe the scar. This will be the start of your Marks of Passage list.
Tattoos in this region are almost unheard of - that's something cityfolk do to themselves, not honest farmers. And tattoos are expensive enough that even the most rebellious teen is unlikely to have one.
If you lost an eye or other body part, this is also the place to write it down, but it will likely also be listed among your disadvantages.
Demeanor of appearance is usually carried in the face. Thus we get descriptives like "a pinched face", "an open face", "always smiling a bit stupidly to himself" or "an abrasive glare". Describe a general demeanor for your character.
In real terms, the face's demeanor is mostly carried by a few traits: how wide the face is relative to its length; the size and shape of the mouth; the eyes; and the most common facial expression. It may be worth it to jot down one or two of the traits that give rise to your demeanor.
Role-Playing Note: You can't look like your character easily, but you can mimic facial demeanor. This can be immensely helpful to others in visualizing your character.
Your general build is determined in the Physical Stats section. But this does not really describe how you are built that way. A heavy build could be thick-boned, short and stocky, bear-like, broad-shouldered (even for a southerner), and so on.
It also doesn't specify how you carry yourself. Are you a stiff-spine? Are you a shifty sloucher? Do you slink, stride or strut?
Role-Playing Note: Describing your character's carriage is almost useless without role-playing it out at least a little bit. Don't worry about over-acting - we're all friends here, and there's no thespian review.
Here is where you decide how well all of the above traits work together. Attractiveness can generally be broken into three categories: pretty face, nice body, lovely voice.
For the face, just decide on a rough level: ugly, unattractive or irregular features, plain, good-looking or regular features, handsome, beauty. You can also specify that your looks are rugged, sexy, etc.
The ideal body, in southerner terms, is about 63 inches, with broad, rounded shoulders, a medium-heavy build, and being at the high end of "healthy body fat percentage (20% for men, 40% for women). Solid muscles, powerful legs and strong hands are also pluses.
For the voice, just decide on a rough level: annoying or irritating, normal, musical or sexy, honeyed tongue.
The average Smallbrown male is about 60 inches tall and 150 pounds; women average the same height but about 20 pounds lighter. A very tall Smallbrown is 66 inches and probably around 180 pounds.
For most people, this is equal to their body mass, plus or minus 20%. An extremely musclebound person might double their body mass for Max Lift, while a sickly and scrawny person might halve their body mass for Max Lift.
One armed curl: about 40% Max Lift
Leg press: about twice Max Lift
This is the basic amount of damage you can do using pure strength in a punch. It is equal to the square root of (Max Lift/10). Thus, with a Max Lift 160, you have a Base DP of 4.
For each 10% of your Max Lift that you are carrying, you have an EV +1. Each level of EV has the following effects: -1 on athletic skills, -1/2 on all other physical skills, reduce movement rate by 10%.
A 60 inch male Smallbrown should weigh about 150 pounds.
Very Skinny = 7 SC (about 70% of the average weight)
Skinny = 8 SC (80% average weight)
Slender = 9 SC (90% average weight)
Medium Light = 10 SC
Medium Heavy (typical) = 11 SC (115% average weight)
Heavy = 12 SC (130% average weight)
Very Heavy = 13 SC (150% average weight)
Super Heavy = 14 SC (200% average weight)
Bowling Ball = 15 SC (300% average weight)
A "tougher than he looks" character would have a +1 SC; a more frail character would have -1 SC.
Your Stride is typically half your height. Very "leggy" people may have about a 20% longer Stride, and people with short legs about 20% less. All out sprinting, a person can move about 6 Stride lengths per second (although while sprinting, they actually end up taking about 2.2 steps which are 2.7 Strides in length).
Extremely tall people may be limited by their leg strength as well as length and natural speed.
((max lift x mass x 5)0.61 / mass) x 0.8 yards per second
[a 150 pound person with Max Lift 150 = 6.4 yards per second, even with a 38" Stride]
Every living creature has a beginning Energy of 100%. Most physical activities cost Energy. The GM will be handling this for the most part.
For purposes of curiousity, 1% of Energy equals (total body mass x 5) kilojoules.
Energy is recovered at a rate of 1% per minute when thoroughly resting. Light activity halves this rate; moderate activity quarters it; intense activity effectively reduces the recovery rate to nil.
As the campaign begins, the characters are young, inexperienced, ignorant, naive and immensely talented. All were born during the four year baby boom following the Treaty of Dak, and so should be between 15 and 19 years of age.
Coincidentally, this is just old enough to join the military, but not so old that marriage is a certain thing (Dihrtemit marriages usually occur between 19 and 22).
Ads and Disads are handled on a case by case basis.
Save a section of paper for each of the topics below. In addition, you will want an area to write about Ancestors.
Decide if your family was one of the original families to move into the Dihrtemit region, or if they were "latecomers". Latecomers are less numerous, and don't carry quite as much political weight, but are often equally prosperous, acre for acre. Virtually every full family who moved to Dihrtemit did so prior to this century - most families more recent than that moved even further south, and are on the current wild border.
The difference between an original family and a latecomer is whether the family helped defend the land at Dihrtemit, approximately 170 years ago. Anyone after that is a latecomer.
If you are part of an original family, it is likely that you have an ancestor or two who was instrumental in those battles or who fought gloriously at Dihrtemit. Give the ancestor a name, a noble quality (honesty, cleverness, strength, stamina, compassion, skill in battle, healing, and so on), and a pithy saying or two (feel free to steal from Earth history). The ancestor is a personal saint for your family, and likely some of the other families in the area that you are split from. It is not uncommon to ask the ancestor for assistance in those tasks suited to her.
You should also decide how old your House is. When families split (most families have averaged 3.5 splits over the past 200 years), part of the family leaves, and part of the family stays. Your family's House could be only a few decades old, several decades old, a century old, or even two centuries old and one of the original Houses! A typical, original, entire lineage will consist of between 8 and 14 Houses scattered around the Dihrtemit region, depending on their prosperity.
Generally, an original House is ancient, complex, rebuilt multiple times, and has the bulk of the family heirlooms for the entire lineage. They also have more of a tendency towards conservatism, less likelihood to let go of those ancient heirlooms, a better sense of history, and more accumulated wealth. They are the closest thing to an aristocracy the Dihrtemit region has. The younger a House, the more dynamic, liberal, and poor it gets.
Between 170 years ago (the great battle at Dihrtemit) and 70 years ago, there was a century of near peace. People worked the land, married, raised families, became wise, then died, in several succeeding generations. There were occasional conquest attempts, but local militias had developed sufficiently to resist most northern invasions.
The Land was slowly civilized, and families grew, split, grew, and split again. Life was not easy, but neither was it impossible. During this time, feel free to mark down a few minor ancestors who had large impacts on the Dihrtemit region. They could be reknowned healers, leaders who helped people through droughts or minor wars, holy folk who were known for their wisdom (or even miracles), and so on. Some families may also have had a greater ancestor, perhaps a great warrior who defeated some monstrous shro thing that had destroyed the lands of his family, or a healer who stopped one of the minor plagues that sweep through occasionally. These are the heroes of your great grandparents' youth or before, and, while still being human, have gained a patina of awe about them similar to Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson.
Most families were relatively prosperous during this time, but families who are exceptionally wealthy now usually developed that wealth during this period; you may wish to note if your family had unusual prosperity for the times here.
Immediately following this golden period was one of the most bitter times in the history of Dihrtemit: the Shro Invasion. It started 70 years ago, and continued to batter down the people of Dihrtemit for the next decade until they finally capitulated and allied with the northern city of Morranaval.
Wicked spirits with howling, hot breath and monstrous, shambling things attacked homesteads in the night. Forest creatures, normally harmless, went mad and gored hunters. The trees themselves were said to live sometimes, reaching down with their great boughs and rending human flesh to shreds. It was not an army of all these things - it happened gradually, a guerilla attack that sapped the psyche as it stole lives. Warrior expeditions into the forest sometimes stopped it temporarily, or more often simply disappeared.
This was the time of the character's great grandparents. More heroes and tales were generated in this time than in any other. Tales that would begin with "You never met your great grand-uncle, but he was a great bear of a man, with the strength of three men and a terrible temper; he fought in...". Feel free to detail a few for your own family - they are proto-ancestors, spirits of the family who have yet to add the patina of age, but who watch over their descendants anyway.
You should also decide your family's stance at that time regarding allying with Morranaval. Not all were happy with the decision, even after ten years of being beaten on by the shro. Others believed that it should have been done a lot earlier.
In all likelihood, your character grew up in a sprawling farmhouse with three or four generations of extended family. This section details a rough history for that period, and then gives guidelines for mapping out a family tree.
After allying with Morranaval, Morranaval sent in a fair number of troops who burnt out a sizable chunk of the wilderness until they managed to lure out and kill the shro god causing most of the ruckus. Nearly two hundred highly trained soldiers died in the process, but something else flickered out as well - the basic independance of the Dihrtemit people.
In general, the oldest Houses were the ones who ultimately decided to ally with Morranaval, particularly those in the Dihrtemit township itself. The community leaders were mostly from these Houses, and most of the local wealth that was used to pay off Morranaval for their help came from these Houses. These were mostly people who had become sheltered from the harshness of settlement living, and were less prepared to buckle down and fight the shro themselves.
Not everyone was happy about this move, and a number of splits and hurt feelings resulted. Since the usual method of handling a major disagreement was for the less powerful group to build a new House further from the wilderness, this is what happened, leaving those who had allied with Morranaval in charge of affairs. They invited more troops in, and continued to pay them in return for the protection afforded.
Over the last three generations, something of a schism has formed between the community leaders (who generally received some education in Morranaval, and began referring to themselves as a Council) and the borders of Dihrtemit.
Twenty years ago, Morranaval and Corbinaval (far to the north) had swelled to the point where the farmland necessary to sustain them was overlapping, and a war resulted. Morranaval enjoyed the advantage of a much higher population, but Corbinaval was wealthy, and hired practically every brigand in the mountains to form its "army".
With no way out of the war, and Corbinaval's brigand military breathing at the gates, Morranaval decided to draft soldiers from their sizable land holdings. Dihrtemit was in one of the regions most heavily recruited from, and the Council, now heavily wrapped in the political chains of dependancy on Morranaval, gave up their able-bodied youths to Morranaval.
Morranaval lost, but hurt Corbinaval badly enough that Corbinaval allowed them to sue for peace, rather than total surrender. The primary impact this had on Dihrtemit is that a great number of youths did not come home that Summer.
In the years following, a baby boom and several starving winters occurred, affecting many people deeply. The schism between the borders and the Council widened, and the Council made many promises about never drafting again, although they left the door open for voluntary recruitment.
A typical healthy woman can have up to around eight children, at a rate of one every two years. Marriage usually occurs between 17 and 21 (20 and 26 for men), and children follow within a year or two. Stillbirths occur about a third of the time. About 10% of all children die within the first five years of life, and another 20% die before they are old enough to marry. On average, the maximum number of children who will live long enough to have children of their own is 3.8, and half of those will be males.
Most mothers never manage the maximum of eight pregnancies, however. The average number of total pregnancies in a woman's lifetime is 5, and the average number of children to live long enough to have children of their own is 2.4. The overall population of a region doubles approximately every 4 generations (or 80 years).
The family is traced through the mother. Men who marry leave the family house and tree, and enter the house and tree of the person they marry. The eldest woman of the earliest remaining generation is the matriarch of the household. This is usually also the oldest woman in all generations, but not always.
When a house reaches between 50 and 60 members, it will usually split, with about 40% of the family building and moving to a new house. Clearing the land, raising the house, and getting the "new family" started is a village community affair, and is usually accompanied by a great deal of gift giving on all sides. This typically happens every few generations (60-80 years).
Draw a circle and write your name, age and gender in the circle. If you have any older siblings, put them in circles to the left of your circle. Younger siblings go to the right. Mark their ages and names.
If any of them are male and have married, draw a slash through the circle. They are no longer living with your family, but they are still siblings.
If any of them are female and have married, draw a smaller circle to the left and put his name and age in it.
If any of them have died, draw an X through the circle. Their age should be "at the time of death", then add "+ X" where "X" is the number of years since their death. For example, someone who died at 23, 6 years ago, would have "23 + 6" for their age.
Once you have all of your siblings accounted for, draw a line above the circles to link them all. Then draw a circle above that for your mother, and put in her name and age. Handle her husband the same way you handled it for any married sisters.
Once you have finished the above, you are ready to apply the same steps again and again until you have everyone accounted for.
Put together your mother's siblings the same way you handled yours, but do them one at a time, and give plenty of room for their children. Thus, you might do your mother's younger sister first, then draw in her children, then do your mother's younger brother.
When putting together the family tree, keep premature deaths, stillbirths, and so on in mind. You can use the General Guidelines as shown, or make your family more or less prosperous. A "typical" family will have about 15 to 20 members.
As you go along, you should write brief notes for some of the family members. There are no specific guidelines for this, but here are some examples:
"Bitter aunt"
"Foreign soldier, married in"
"Came from rich family"
"Dominating grandmother"
"Always getting into trouble with me"
In this section you will rough out the essence of your family's farm. You do not need much here, but you should decide what kind of produce your family works with. The most common ones are wheat and goats.