Below is a list of jobs
and occupations that are frequent pastimes on Icarus. These range
from actual jobs to hobbies and some things in between. They're
arranged in 4 Categories: Arts & Crafts, Law & Order, Free
Time & Entertainment and Household
Help.
This list is not complete but gives a general feel of what you might
expect when on Icarus.
Arts
&
Crafts
Animal Healing/Husbandry
Animal Healing/Husbandry is taken very seriously as
animals, especially tamed ones, need to be guarded from outside predators.
When an animal is injured, even if it is wild, it is taken in by the
Animal Healer Specialists for appropriate care. When the animal
has recuperated it is given back to it’s keeper or released back
into the wild.
Animal Keeping
It isn't uncommon for farmers to have some animals as well. Since both
horses and cows weren't salvageable from the Hyantis, farmers make due with
Camels and Nurks, a kind of long-furred big, horned goat
found almost everywhere on Icarus.
Archery
Archers defend the cities and castles in time of attack
(for instance by Nex Necii) but also entertain people by showing their
skills at fairs and circuses. They can shoot arrows blindfolded and
paired archers train to shoot arrows accurately from the back of a
flying drak.
Artists
Creativity has always been at the core of the human
mind. People draw, paint and create with the materials they find
around them. People with exceptional skills are even paid for their
works.
Blacksmith
Forger of utensils, blades and shields. They also
maintain older equipment.
Candle Making
There is no electrical lighting on Icarus. As such
candles are a great source of additional light in the evening. There
are also oil lamps.
Composing
The creating of musical scores. Musical notation is
identical to that of Earth.
Farming
A farmer is a farmer is a farmer. Farmers live on the
outskirts of villages. They provide food for the villages as well as
for the Castles. In return, Castles provide protection from Mobs-when
they can-for the villagers. A farmer is paid highly for their crops as
they are in the most danger from attacks by Mobs. Usually a farmer has
a Fairy Drak or two to send to Castles, but Fairy Draks don’t always
make it to castles and back in time as they are too small and their
electronic brain-waves aren’t strong enough to be picked up by the
Portals. Farmers risk life and limb to provide food for Castles and
they are darned proud of themselves.
Mason
The people who build houses. These craftsman don't only
work with stone, but also with wood and metal.
Chief Mason
Acts like an architect in that this is the person
who leads the build and decides the layout.
Medic
People wishing to become Medics spend several years
learning from Chief Medics the different muscles, bones, and
scientific names for each part of the body. They also will learn the
names of everything inside a human body. Occasionally, the apprentices
will learn by on-the-job training when they have become good enough.
They run errands for the Chief Medics and are always at his beck and
call.
Chief Medic
The Chief Medic has completed his training and has
enough training to be capable of doing his job without supervision. He
can also take on students (medics) and teach them human anatomy and
what they need to cure certain diseases.
Message Carrier
Not all messages are delivered by Draks. Local messages
are usually delivered by message carriers. Sometimes these message
carriers take on longer trips, usually when they have access to a
bicorn or camel.
Scribes
History needs to be recorded and stock needs to be
accounted for. Scribes usually work in larger guild halls and
libraries to keep note of what's happening.
Singing
Everybody can sing, but
some are more skilled in it than others. Those can study with other
professional singers and perform in circuses and on fairs and
holidays.
Taming
Woodsman with a knack for animal rearing sometimes tame
wild creatures and sell them for a profit.
Woodsman
The men and women who venture out in the forest. They
serve various roles. They check for fire hazards, avalanche or flood
signs. They hunt certain animals when the population gets too large
and make sure dwindling populations get the time to balance out.
Woodcarver
Creates wooden utensils and sometimes art pieces.
Law
& Order
Sheriff
There is usually one Sheriff and a few deputies in each
town. They keep riots to a minimum as well as keeping violence at a
low. People who defy the laws set by the Sheriff are put in prison for
a month. People who murder are put on trial and if found guilty can
spend up to fifteen years in prison or be put to death.
Deputies
Deputies aid the local Sheriff to keep the peace. As a
deputy you can make promotion when the Sheriff quits his job (or
dies). The one with the most qualifications is usually awarded the
job, though at times exceptions are made.
Judge/Referee
The person who judges at the trials. This is an elected
seat. Not to be confused with a Knight who judges aspirants.
Peace Keepers
People who patrol the small villages and solve disputes
before they escalate.
Bounty Hunters
Every now and then someone tries to evade his/her
punishment. Bounty hunters make a living catching these people. They
also try to locate mob hideouts.
Prisoner
If a prisoner escapes they usually go into the woods
and join the Mobs…if they can find them.
Mobs
Mobs are groups of outlaws who wreak havoc on the
outer-village regions. They steal what they can and kill everyone who
was a witness, or old enough to remember. Anyone below the age of
three they take with them to train as members of their Mob. Anyone
over that age they slaughter. Mobs train their ‘apprentices’ to
take any amount of pain or injury. They make them walk across hot
embers, hot metals, and heated broken glass. They never wear shoes and
are forced to wear skin-tight shinobi’s (Ninja Uniforms) but are
extremely flexible with the human body. They are also forced to wear
masks for their entire life because if they are seen by anyone they
will be killed by the Mob because they become a risk factor to the Mob.
They know how to do Karate and Fencing (usually with two swords)
extremely well. They are forced to be able to climb trees without
using ropes or anything else but their own two hands and feet and are
trained to move from one tree to another when an area is thick with
trees. They each carry a knife on each ankle and a sword at each hip.
Ninjas
Trained by the first person to ever brake away from a
Mob, these Ninjas protect villagers with their lives. They swear honor,
protection, and respect. The Ninjas are trained much like the Mob
members are and also use two swords for fighting. They have, like the
Mob, two knifes at each ankle and two swords at each hip. They too
wear the skin-tight clothing, but each Ninja Band has it’s own
colors that stand out as being Ninja members and not Mob Members.
Free
Time & Entertainment
Board Games
People enjoy their games wherever they end up. Some of
Earth's Board Games thus survived the crash on Icarus and are still
played by the inhabitants of both Castles, Villages and Cities. However
since communities lay rather separated from each other, local changes
can be observed in those board games, bringing variety to the old
games.
Cards
Making a deck of cards isn't very difficult so many of
the first settlers made their own. Card games are varied and rules
tend to differ across regions. It's best to ask to be informed about
them before playing a game.
Apprentice Fencer
An Apprentice Fencer takes a class with at least
fourteen other Apprentices under one Chief Fencer. An Apprentice
Fencer can range from many ages but if one shows a liking for the
sport at an early age, they are prompted to join as soon as possible (usu.
They will not be accepted until the age of ten as this will make it so
they don’t have ten-year-old or younger Chief Fencers running around).
If the Apprentice shows extraordinary abilities, the Chief Fencer may
ask the Apprentice if s/he would like to be specially trained on the
Chief Fencers time or he/she will recommend another advanced Chief
Fencer to the Apprentice. This is a special opportunity and is rarely
turned down. When an Apprentice is chosen to be instructed alone, s/he
must promise to stay under instruction until their training is
complete. When the Apprentice(s) has(have) finished training, s/he can
now move on to their future career.
Apprentice-Chief Fencer
An Apprentice-Chief Fencers are literally the ‘middle-people’.
Usually after four to five years of being an Apprentice Fencer, s/he
will become an Apprentice-Chief Fencer. Sometimes this happens sooner
if the Apprentice Fencer has shown extraordinary skills at Fencing and
was taken under special charge of a Chief Fencer. The Apprentice-Chief
Fencer now has the choice to train on their own time with a Chief
Fencer as they basically have completed their training and only need a
little more. An Apprentice-Chief Fencer usually helps a Chief Fencer
with his/her classes or simply watches the Chief Fencer instruct his/her
classes. At around the ages of sixteen to eighteen, if the
Apprentice-Chief Fencer has shown that they can handle teaching
classes, has great patience and/or has improved their abilities, they
then are graduated to a Chief Fencer.
Chief Fencer
A Chief Fencer instructs up to fifteen Apprentice
Fencers. S/he should be very patient and willing to go over things
with their Apprentices several times over. Every-so-often a Chief
Fencer will spot an above-average apprentice and train him/her alone
and on his/her own time if the Apprentice is so-willing. Often, Chief
Fencers will recommend that his/her Apprentices take Karate as well as
this helps them with balance, maneuverability, flexibility and
concentration. A Chief Fencer is responsible for all of his/her
Apprentices and therefore must watch over them carefully to make sure
that, when dueling, neither Apprentice is seriously injured. A few
minor injuries do, of course, occur from time-to-time, but the Chief
Fencer makes sure that the Apprentice is well taken care of and
receives immediate medical attention. If an Apprentice is caught
fooling around or being boisterous during training, they will
immediately be subject to a two-day period of isolation. This is so
they learn to be careful as Fencing is a very dangerous sport, even
with the armor on. If the Apprentice is caught being rambunctious
again, the Chief Fencer may subject the Apprentice to an even longer
isolation if s/he thinks it is so vital for the Apprentice.
Circus
Traveling
groups with jesters, clowns, trained animals
and sometimes also a troupe of actors who perform plays. Each circus
is different.
Gambling
Where there are games and contests, there will surely
be gambling. Small wagers will be overlooked by the deputies and peace
keepers, but people turning a huge profit by fooling others will get
punished (if they're caught).
Hiking
Aside Mountain Climbing, Hiking is a favorite pastime of village youths. Exploring the surroundings of their villages,
running through the forests and making forts in the hills they are
sometimes joined by older men and women who stick to the roads and
keep an eye out ;)
Ice Skating
A pastime enjoyed in the High North and Low South of
Icarus where the lakes and ponds freeze over at certain times of the
years despite the gentile seasons on the planet.
Jousting
Jousting takes place between two riders and their
reptilian mounts. To be able to be qualified for jousting, a person
must take at least two years of training along with safety classes.
This prevents serious injuries. A jouster must always wear armor with
the crest of the Castle/Village they are from painted on the right and
left shoulder plates. It is an expensive sport, but if you are the
winner, you are handsomely rewarded. There are first, second and third
place trophies that await the winner and runner-ups as well as a
certificate of achievement. The rest walk away with ribbons and
certificates that state their involvement in the tournament(s).
Air Jousting
Air Jousting takes place between two Knights and their
Draks. Extreme safety precautions are taken during Air Jousting
Practices. Large nets are stretched across a vast area usually in
grassy valleys. Long bungee-type cords are attached to a harness. The
harness is buckled around a rider’s shoulders, waist, and legs. Then
the other end of the bungee is secured to a harness around the Drak.
The rider wears thick padding under the harness and a padded helmet,
and each jouster has a long jousting pole. At the end of each jousting
pole there is a lot of padding in order to keep from seriously
injuring the other rider.
Juggling
Juggling is a cheap pastime. Regional competitions are
usually held.
Karate
Karate is taken by Fencers, Competitions and for
self-defense. There are several hundred Karate Masters all over. There
are enough of them that some make the choice to take on only one
Apprentice. An Apprentice Fencer will usually spend, if encouraged by
the Chief Fencer, every other day learning Karate for five years. If
the Apprentice Fencer chooses to continue their training, then they
are usually taken on by a lone Karate Master. An Apprentice devoted
entirely to Karate can spend up to twenty years (and are usually
encouraged to start training at five years of age) learning from a
Master and they usually go right to a Karate Master and train alone
with the Master.
Mountain Climbing
Mountain Climbers are often loners. Sometimes, when
they meet fellow Mountain Climbers, they form groups and climb
together and sometimes stay together as ‘buds’ until the day they
stop climbing. When one first starts out, they may ask for the
guidance of an experienced Mountain Climber and usually climb smaller
and less dangerous mountains. That is all that is really known about
Mountain Climbers. The only ones who know more are the Mountain
Climbers themselves.
Racing
With the absence of horses on Icarus, races are held
with Camels and a local kind of six-limbed reptile that are just
called 'Racer' for their main purpose. These races are usually held on
the outskirts of villages or cities, on dirt road tracks that run in a
rough loop.
Drak Racing
Similar to normal Races, Drak Races are all about speed
and stamina. Short and longer races in a straight line over the
continent are held to pass time in the Castles. Contrary to the
land-based Racers, Draks use their wings to stay ahead, flying at
great speeds to
Household
Help
(Castle) Cook
The person who cooks in a castle. Usually has a lot of organizational
talents as well. From breakfast, lunch to diner and
dessert, they know recipes to make everything from scratch. Some of the
richer households also have a person in charge of cooking but they may
have other duties as well.
(Castle) Kitchen Maid/Manservant
The kitchen maids/manservants take on the job of
cleaning the kitchen and the adjoining rooms. They can also be sent
for groceries and help the cook with the preparations.
(Castle) Maid)/Manservant
They clean and air out the rooms, wash the linens and
clothes and are generally there to do whatever work is asked of them.
Some work to maintain the tools and gardens while others carry buckets
of water. They light the fireplaces and candles in the evening.
Clerk
Every household of note might employ a cleric to keep
track of the finances.
Guard
People with skills in combat or sports can be hired to
safeguard people of note.
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