As many of you know, Rose’s elevator pitch for Cavaliers was “if Mars has canals, Mars must have a Venice.” That Venice appears in Cavaliers as Vance. Here’s an excerpt from the Cavaliers of Mars rulebook covering the city of Vance.
In the central portion of Meridian, Vance lies atthe intersection of several canals, and is thus rich in Mars’ most valuable commodity: water. The city is actually built on top of the canals, creating, at the surface, a network of subcanals that carry freight and people.
The city is monumental in scope, carved from huge blocks of red and white rock, and reaching nearly a dozen stories towards the sky. Locally, the inhabitants enjoy shade, sweet water, and the produce of the farms along the canals. Trade, both by canal and caravan, also brings exotic goods and great wealth.
At night, the city is lit with many-colored lanterns, according to a superstition deeply held but long since forgotten. Windows are made from glass salvaged from the Prismatic Wastes, ft together into intricate patterns.
Vance does not possess a skynavy as such, though its greatest scientists are working long and hard at the problem, and have perfected other means of short-term ?ight. The city does have several towers with sky docks for visiting dignitaries from Zodiac and Illium. A few merchant houses own skyyachts, but, so far, none have replicated the technology.
The Prince of Vance is chosen from among the merchant houses, and the city employs a regular and professional fighting force, the Hounds of the Prince. The master of this force is the Dog of Vance, and is nearly as powerful as the prince himself. In matters of war, his power becomes supreme. However, since companies of Hounds are sponsored by the merchant houses, their loyalty quickly returns to the commercial
establishment when peace begins again.
Many conmen, mercenaries, and outright thieves people the lower quarters of Vance, for such people ?ock to wealth. It is not unusual to see a chief of a Pale tribe drinking alongside a group of Red cavaliers, while an urchin attempts to loosen their pockets.
The crypts in the city are in its highest towers. Soldiers refer to watching from the towers as “cryptwatch,” and the term is sometimes used by civilians to refer to a tedious nocturnal task.
The poor and the criminal dead are placed in the outgoing canals, to be swept away forever.
