Garnet

A Garnet woman

The people of the Garnet caste live outside of the city walls. Their lives are hard, but essential to the survival of Haven. They are farmers, hunters, and millers. They are accustomed to life surrounded by the wild creatures and know how to fend for themselves, not through brute force, but through tricks and traps passed down from generation to generation. They are hardy and rarely get sick.

## Basics

### **Physical Description**

The people of Garnet typically have red eyes, ranging from dark wine to light pink. Their skin is a warm ivory color. Their hair is fine in texture and is almost always wavy. It is usually blonde or strawberry-blonde, often with highlights of a second type of blonde. They are typically of a muscular build and their heights are usually between 6’0” and 6’10” with women typically being taller than men.

### **Trait**

It is said that the people of the Garnet caste are so straightforward and honest that every lie they hear sticks out immediately. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks when using the Sense Motive basic action to notice a Lie.

## Common Careers

Garnet caste citizens typically favor jobs where they can be outdoors and use their hands. Every single farmer and miller from the city of Haven belongs to this caste, as well as all ranchers and beekeepers.

As the only caste that actually lives outside of the city walls, they have the most freedom to learn trades such as hunting and fishing. They have, by far, the most experience with animals and plants from the forest of their territory and are often employed by Jade’s apothecaries to find particular items that they need for their potions and by Amber’s merchants when a client requests something specific.

Those who are not able-bodied enough for outdoor work can often find themselves hired as mediators for intercaste disputes or as paid substitute jurors. The legendary honesty and straightforwardness of this caste has given them a reputation of fairness amongst the other castes, even when they are on someone else’s payroll. It is often said that if a man cannot have a jury of his peers, a jury of red is the next best thing.

## Names

### **Surnames**

Like all of the castes of Haven, there are twelve surnames in Garnet, each of them stemming from one of the original founding families of the city. These surnames are: Bakalov, Chayka, Filipek, Havel, Horvat, Ivanov, Jaskulski, Melnyk, Novak, Petski, Stefka, and Velki.

### **Males Names**

**Examples:** Alexei, Adrian, Damian, Dimitri, Igor, Leonid, Maxim, Michail, Nicholai, Olan, Olezka, Pavel, Sacha, Timofey, Viktor

### **Female Names**

**Examples:** Anastasia, Annika, Galina, Irina, Katrina, Khristina, Lada, Lelyah, Manya, Marisha, Nadya, Natasha, Tatiana, Yelena, Zoya

## History

### **Pre-Fall**

The Snowburn region of Elysia, once located to the far north of the continent, was the home of those who now call themselves the Garnet caste. Life was difficult in this region since a layer of permafrost made farming almost impossible. Fishing and hunting expeditions often took parents away from their children for weeks at a time, if they made it back at all thanks to the vicious creatures of the north and even more dangerous weather conditions.

## Religion

### **The Way of Life**

Though the people of the Garnet caste have respect for the Way of Life, most find worrying about the abstract concepts of good and evil to be a waste of time that they could be using for more productive endeavors.

### **The Way of Elements**

The Way of Elements has its most pervasive following in the Garnet caste. Nature exists all around their homes and is something that must be accounted for. Those who do not respect the natural world around them often wind up dead. They plan for natural changes and attempt to make the least impact on the natural world that their jobs require. Often those in this culture can be found caring for other creatures and plants.

### **The Way of Physical**

There is very little presence of the Way of the Physical in the Garnet caste. Some may buy strongly into the thought of pain being a natural aspect of life, but most lead quiet, contented lives.

### **The Way of Philosophy**

The Way of Philosophy has even less of a following in the Garnet caste than the Way of the Physical. Some may choose to abide by goal setting and striving for more, but most love their lifestyle and would not change for anything.

### **The Way of Information**

As a whole, the people of the Garnet caste are straightforward and honest. They have no patience for those who would use truth as a weapon in any sort of sneaky way. Because of this, this Way is actively shunned by almost all in this culture.

## Society

### **General**

People of the Garnet separate themselves into family units, which are centered around a piece of property. The landowner and their spouse will typically have five to eight children, the oldest of which will inherit the land (and the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents) when the landowner becomes too old to work the fields themselves. The younger siblings of the landowner will typically live on their property, as well, in smaller homes. Even those who do not work in farming will usually live on a family member’s property, paying rent based on their income. If children become orphaned, they will usually be taken in by a landowning extended family member who could use the extra help around the farm.

### **Male Roles**

Being smaller than their female counterparts, men almost always take on the tasks that are less physically demanding. They care for farm animals, process harvests, fish in the streams, and gather herbs in the forests. They are also the ones who will typically go into the city to trade.

### **Female Roles**

Being larger than their male counterparts, women almost always handle the tasks that are more physically demanding. They plow the fields, pick the crops, hunt in the forest, and train the animals. They tend to stay outside of the city walls, but they are known to come into the Amber District for a drink at the taverns on holidays.

### **Children**

Children in the Garnet caste don’t have much time for education. From 3 to 7, they attend “sapling school” to study reading, writing, and arithmetic. The oldest child of a landowning family will typically attend the Garnet Agricultural Development Academy from ages 8 to 12 during the off seasons to learn more about science and nature.
Those skilled enough in archery might also find themselves either applying or conscripted into the Blood Bows, a prestigious group of archers who train talented children in the art of the hunt. Those who make it into this group will train from age 8 to 15, when they are sent off on their first solo hunt. Those who return are known as the greatest hunters alive.

### **Animals**

Both wild and domesticated animals are part of daily life in the Garnet caste. They are respected and those who care for them are held in high regard. Every year, the Summer Festival is held in Garnet to show off the best domesticated animals and the best trained wild animals.

## Attitudes

### **Family**

The people of the Garnet caste form deep family bonds, which they carry for their entire lives. Though not as showy as the petty feuds sometimes held between families of the Amethyst caste, those of this District have been known to fight for even the most distant of folks who share their last names.

### **Work**

Work is a way of life for those in the Garnet caste. If someone is unable to work, they will often still provide help around the house or in some other capacity. None in this caste enjoy sitting idle.

### **City**

Though the people of Garnet live outside of the city walls, they often enjoy taking part in the government and law aspects of Haven . Not only do they serve as paid replacement jurors, but they are also typically quite vocal at public forums. Their straightforward and honest personalities make them respected voices in these types of situations.

### **Nature**

No other caste has the amount of experience with nature that the Garnet caste has. They know it intimately, both the good and the bad. To survive in harmony with nature means balancing both a love and fear of it.

## Relations

### **Topaz**

**How they view Topaz:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in Topaz  as proud but respectful. They enjoy the way that Topaz caste members seem to use every moment of the day to its fullest, something that they also pride themselves on. There is a small statue in the Garnet District called the Circle of Trust monument. It depicts a Garnet woman and Topaz man shaking hands in honor of Zofia Melnyk of Garnet and Morio Elbaz of Topaz, the two leaders who put an end to turf wars between farmers and miners in the early days of Haven .

**How Topaz views them:** Topaz caste members tend to view those in Garnet as trustworthy and dutiful. Though the two cultures differ widely in many aspects, they find common grounds on things like respecting all life and protecting their families. When those from the Topaz caste need to do business with those in Garnet, they can usually come to an agreement quickly and without any frills.

### **Amber**

**How they view Amber:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in the Amber  caste as flatterers and two-faced, but they enjoy working with them, despite their usual distaste for lies. They believe that Amber caste members are so obvious in their lies that it is almost like they want the person they are speaking with to know that they are lying. If a Garnet caste member says that you are “*speaking in a golden tongue*” it means that you are saying one thing and meaning the opposite, as they believe many in Amber to do. They have great respect for the way that those in this caste hustle to make a profit and are usually more than willing to do business with them.

**How Amber views them:** Amber caste members tend to view those in the Garnet caste as too strict and well behaved, but they appreciate their work ethic. The two castes are easily the hardest working castes in the city, and often benefit from one another’s expertise. Amber citizens often try to foster good relationships with at least one or two Garnet farms to keep trade negotiations in their favor.

### **Jade**

**How they view Jade:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in the Jade  cast as the most trustworthy people in the entire city. Compared to other districts, they believe that the spiritual Jade citizens are the least likely to purposefully do harm to others, and they truly appreciate all of the work that the Jade caste does to improve the city’s understanding of the gods, nature, and the stars. Garnet caste members tend to donate more to Jade temples than any other caste and happily host members of Jade in their homes when they stay too late outside of the city walls. A “*jabber jade*” is a Garnet idiom for someone who frequently quotes the Five Ways, usually from frequently spending time with Jade priestesses and spiritual advisers.

**How Jade views them:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Garnet caste as honest and hardworking. They see them as respectful and appreciate their strict adherence to the Way of Elements. Garnet caste members are often hired by those in Jade to gather herbs or other things that they need from the forest, and these transactions are almost always peaceful and pleasant.

### **Sapphire**

**How they view Sapphire:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in the Sapphire  caste as liars and as stuck up. The two castes have the worst intercaste relations of any in the city. The knowledge brokering and secrecy of those in the Sapphire caste discounts everything that those in Garnet teach their children about speaking your mind openly and freely. If it can be avoided, a person in Garnet will go their entire life without speaking to someone in Sapphire.

**How Sapphire views them:** Sapphire caste members tend to view those in the Garnet caste as foolish and rude. The two castes have the worst intercaste relations of any in the city. The straightforward honesty of the Garnet caste discounts everything that those in Sapphire teach their children about holding on to information until the opportune time. If it can be avoided, a person in Sapphire will go their entire life without speaking to someone in Garnet.

### **Amethyst**

**How they view Amethyst:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in Amethyst  as too coy and overly sensitive. They believe that half-truths and white lies should have no part in the governing of a city. Their passive-aggressive nature can wear on those of Garnet, who prefer to speak plainly.

**How Amethyst views them:** Amethyst caste members tend to view those in Garnet as brash and uncaring of the feelings of others. Their own sensibilities are easily wounded by the overly honest words of the people in Garnet.

## Norms

### **Laws**

In addition to the laws that apply to the entire city, citizens residing in the Garnet District must also abide by the following laws:

* All land disputes, no matter how minor, will be settled by the Garnet Commission of Land Acquisition .
* No person shall be permitted to marry the sibling of a deceased spouse until a minimum of two years has passed from the date of the death.
* If a person causes harm to a career animal belonging to another person that results in that animal being unable to perform its job, that person is required to pay compensation for the amount of profit brought in by that type of animal for the duration of its absence plus the full amount of any resulting veterinary bills or replacement animal costs.
* All hunters and trappers must regularly consult the most current edition of the Animal Population Estimate, a weekly publication by the Garnet Commission of Game, to know which animals are in season and which are off limits.

### **Manners**

Manners in the Garnet District tend to focus on practical matters, rather than the way that they make other people feel. Since they are constantly surrounded by nature and dirt, it is considered to be of the utmost importance that things like hand washing and removing one’s shoes be strictly practiced. They are very direct, honest people who can handle pretty much anyone’s opinion without taking much offense.

### **Customs**

Though there are many customs that are universal for the entirety of the city of Haven, there are some that are exclusive to each of the different districts. When two members of different districts meet, it is usual that they will use the custom of the district that they are standing in. Some of those that are unique to the Garnet District are:

* The customary greeting is a handshake with both hands. Both parties clasp right hands before setting their left hands on top.
* Meal customs are as follows - a large breakfast at sunrise, a small midday meal when there is time for a break from work, and a large meal just after nightfall.
* It is customary to take off one’s shoes before entering any building in the Garnet District, including public spaces.

### **Other Holidays**

Although there are many holidays, festivals, and other events that are celebrated throughout the entire city of Haven, there are some that are unique to only the Garnet District:

* The Spring Cleaning Celebration
* The Ball of Daylan
* The Harvest Festival