• Maths-easy 2d6 comedy with either a manga/anime/mecha or zombie holocaust backdrop
• Qualitative success using 0-3d10 to create a crunchy yet narrative system which can be considered both rules-lite and "a gun game" with a backdrop of psychic powers and government conspiracies dating back to the start of the 20th Century.
• Card-based Blackjack-inspired mechanics with backdrop of both Stage Magic and Real Magic. Yes, that game. The one I'm infamous for not finishing...
• [EDIT: Rules light, coarse skilled d6 mechanic - happy now?]

It's a fun thread, some inspiring stuff in there.

Though their situation is precarious, living without the protection of the great rocks and constantly in danger from greyfish, bladeshell and a host of other vicious predators, the Shoals are a welcoming community, their primitive huts built upon foundations of rock and suspended with dried and oiled sandvine so that they do not touch the shifting sands and become prey to greyfish. The sands around the shoals are often too shallow for larger bladeshell hunters.

A shoal will often have a small farming community attached to it which will provide them with a ready supply of greyfish meat and all the sandvine (and precious water) they need. These farmers are typically burned almost black by the glare from the sands and are reputed to be extraordinarily stubborn folk.

The Tsaz live by a merchant code - they trade freely with anyone who wall accept their currency or barter terms. There is no such thing as an average Tsaz - the wide but roughly hewn tunnels and caverns are home to citadel and desert folk alike and many combinations in-between.

Preferential treatment is given to those who take currency rather than goods. Each transaction is officially taxed though there are thousands of transactions occuring every day which are not seen by the Brokers.

A Broker is a Tsaz official. They are licensed by the Citadel to levy a tax on every transaction occuring within the city and a percentage of this goes into their own pockets. Corruption, of course, is rife but this has the effect that the only people who really suffer are non-Tsaz who do not find a reputable Broker with whom to conduct business.

The Broker nobility are identified by their riches and their apparent extravagance. The Tsaz havea saying that "a penny dropped at home is always to hand" meaning that they will endeavour to spend their own money at their own businesses and a close-knit community of merchants may arise.

The Tsaz operate a thriving slave market but they also have very strict laws on the ownership of slaves. Slaves, as much as anything, are a commodity and anyone treating commodities poorly is someone not to be respected. An individual in servitude is recognised as having “fallen from the rocks” while they work off some considerable debt. Anyone arriving with the requisite amount of wealth and the intention of spending it will be treated as royalty. Those without means find themselves in debt as soon as they arrive as slaves within the day as they run out of money quickly and if they try to avoid the tax by dealing without a Broker, they will quickly find themselves clapped in irons.

The Tsaz also operate a tinker trade with independent merchants setting off into the deserts, trading with the desert tribes for survival and hoping to make a kiling with trade from other citadels and the desert tribes. The arrival of a Tsaz trade tour will bring not only new toys, gems, spices and weird trinkets but also ideas, games, stories, drama and adventure!

The sands are not as empty and barren as you might think. Under the surface of the sand is an ecosystem that can support life. Dig down a few inches and you may find Sandvines. These creeper-like plants store water in a sweet syrup. Unless it is harvested properly, the unwary traveller can inadvertently kill off acres of sandvine by just taking a mouthful of syrup. With care, an acre of sandvine can keep a large group of humans alive indefinitely.

Enjoying a commensal relationship with sandvines are greyfish. These eel-like predators often hunt under sandvines. They are a shoaling species and often hollow out a large underground cavern of spit-hardened sand walls and wait til they hear prey. They are attracted to small vibrations, smaller than a full-grown human and often attack unfortunate travellers who have collapsed in the sand and deadly heat. Greyfish have rasping mouthparts and their saliva is caustic. Worse still for travellers who come across a greyfish cavern and their weight is too much for the spit-hardened ceiling. Greyfish are edible if cleaned correctly and often cooked in their own saliva.

The desert traveller can also find sustenance from rock lichens and if lucky, a basking bladeshell. Rock lichens are a crusty moss-like fungus that grows on the underside of small rocks. They don’t taste nice but they are edible. Bladeshells are huge mollusks that live under the sand and feed on rock lichen and sandvines. Their shell makes them almost impossible to kill but they can be lured from it and the wily hunter may find himself with perhaps a hundred pounds of pungent rubbery meat and tasty pre-digested lichen and sandvine. Quite a catch.

Bayonet
With or without bayonet, the rod is an effective hand-to-hand combat weapon. The rod material is tensile without being fragile. This increases the versatility of the weapon considerably. The bayonet is usually worn by the Arbiter on a belt and only attached during very serious circumstances. It is a sharp stabbing or cutting weapon, balanced for throwing, made out of the same black material as the Powder Rod.

The majority of the Reeve are involved directly in the enforcement of our laws and the judgements required. The application of Reeve law in the Citadel is challenging and it is the duty of the Arbiter to seek out and rein in lawbreakers. There are no tomes to consult when a judgement is difficult and there are times when it is you alone with the transgressors of the law. An Arbiter must be strong in mind and body, perceptive and quick witted, skilled with powder rod and bayonet and able to command a presence.

Zian will soon be accepted into the ranks of the Arbiters unless she chooses an administrative post. She will then begin training.

In some areas of the Citadel, the rule of Reeve does not apply. There are Artisans in exile who will copy any treasure. The Reeve do their best to cleanse the Citadel but there is only so much time and the tunnels are almost endless.

Once was sand that held
Once was trees that grew
Now like beetles shelled
Now do not grow new

Just an old ones dream
Just an old ones song
And wet turns to steam
And the dark is gone

(source KRNVR: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=282814 )

The nursery is full enough, the young are strong and always beautiful. Not much parental interest as is usual which is not abnormal - as Consors we are the new parents. We start as nanny and surrogate mother, through their maturity, ending up as the closest thing to grandparents many have. It is true that more children of Consors end up as Consors than any other castes - it is the way of things.

We take pride in our role. We are the lucky ones. We get to see the new faces of the future and sculpt how our civilization grows. Tending the flock is the best role you can get. We are blessed with caring.

My name is Dauna as I was born on the cusp of the season when the suns are brightest. I am Consors.

It is a burden but not without it's pleasures. My days are spent in deep debate with other Reeves, with Artisans in conflict and with Consors who need the permissions they cannot take. Because of my youth I am known as a Mediator and my judgements must be passed to the Reeve Chambers for consideration. I have made more than 700 summary judgements and none have been overturned. When I reach a thousand consecutive correct judgements, I will become an Arbiter. I will have the authority to issue judgements without recourse (though they can appeal).

I must memorise the Hundred First Laws. I must carry a symbol of my status. i must be vigilant, I must always be ready to assist in judgements.

Today I assisted in the judgement of propriety. Society has rules and the Reeve are all stops a descent into anarchy. Without our guidance, Artisans would turn upon each other, Consors would make decisions on upbringing with questionable outcomes.