You grew up in Red Storm, the largest village in the far south of the Known
World. It has old but strong stone walls and is heavily guarded by the
Sand Lord, its mysterious, never-seen ruler, and his militia. The biggest
natural resource in the area is spice, so House Kurac maintains a
significant presence in the village. It is not the biggest business in
the village, however. The biggest business in the village is the Sand Lord's
own operation, which supplies wheat to other parts of the Known World--
most notably Allanak. Large wagons travel regularly from Red Storm Village
to the east, to a place known as Red Storm East. Very few people have
actually been there, but it seems to be another large village that grows
wheat, and is also under the Sand Lord's rule. Wagons also make regular
trips northwards, bringing grain to supplement the Allanaki farms.
Most of the people in Red Storm Village are outcasts of one sort or another.
Many raider bands operate out of the village, though the Sand Lord does not
tolerate raiding close to the village. Escaped gladiators and other slaves
may be considered higher profile, but they do not make up the majority
of the village population. Most civilians in Red Storm Village are spice
hunters, farmers, wagon personnel, or Kuraci personnel. While the Kuraci
have a high profile in the village, they are not the law.
The Red Storm Militia are a rough-looking but capable force, and they
have a somewhat erratic view on some things. Generally speaking, if you
are caught committing a crime in Red Storm Village, your life is at stake.
The militia recognize that not all outbursts need to be punished by having
your head on a stake, however; brawling in the tavern is normally something
that is ignored, though not if it turns to heavy fighting. The general
rule in Red Storm Village is that you leave everyone else alone, and they
leave you alone. It is rumored that several of the high-ranking militia
were former gladiators or slaves.
While the Sand Lord allows people like magickers into his village, any
casting of spells or use of other strange powers in the village, or the
immediately surrounding area, is a crime. In any case, such people tend to
hide their identities well, because although the Red Storm Militia may
leave them alone, there is no guarantee that a band of raiders will not
be waiting for them a few miles out of the village. The same goes for anyone
openly belonging to one of the Allanaki noble Houses, or other such groups.
They will be left alone while in the village, unless they cause trouble,
but there will likely be several hostile people waiting for them some
distance outside, since many of the citizens here are escapees from the
oppression of Allanak, and hate their former oppressors with a vengeance.
Village though it is, there are many alleys and small paths in Red Storm,
and some of these can be extremely dangerous. Just because violence is
frowned upon by the militia does not mean that they will always be there to
protect innocent passersby. As mentioned above, the law can sometimes be
erratic ... but sometimes, it just takes time for the law to catch up
with someone being stupid. One of the main lessons you've learned growing
up in Red Storm is that the smart thing to do is leave others alone
and not ask too many questions, in case you annoy the wrong person.
Life in the village is grim. People can make a quick coin by gathering
spice, but it is often a fruitless and demanding task. The mixture of
elation and depression on the faces of the spice hunters as they come
back into the village after a long day sifting through the sands mirrors
the bittersweet nature of life here. The abysmal weather makes for an
unpleasant living. Still, many find greater freedom here than they do in
other places--particularly Allanak. While the soldiers wield life-and-death
authority on anyone who steps inside the walls, they do not impose themselves
arbitrarily in the way that templars often do.
While it would be fair to say that most people in Red Storm Village are at least nominally anti-Allanak, there is no changing the fact that Allanak provides a major source of income for the Sand Lord, and so people just keep quiet and get on with their lives. Most who live here have been through hard times, and know better than to complain when they have at least a roof over their heads and bread to eat.
© 2002 Armageddon Mud
Submitted by Krrx