UNDERSTANDING THE WORKPLACE

There are a variety of industries in Tam'nýer—a' including some major ones such as Glassworking and Blacksmithing, and niche markets like Automata, which is a branch of Jewelcrafting. All take skill and a certain know-how, permitting those who have a passion to become a journeyman in whatever craft they so choose. Of course, to gain Journeyman status one must go through their fair share of schooling and apprenticeship.

Remember too, when writing a job, travelling, hunting & gathering, the factor of time in Tam'nýer—a'. For the majority of Tam'nýer—a''n's, sleeping multiple times a day, for instance napping, and having smaller chunks of sleep is understood. Work days are usually cut into 7 shifts, as it were. To better explain, imagine that you have a 7 day work week (oof). Now every day of work, you also go home, eat dinner, have some off time to run errands and relax, sleep and then go back to it. Tam'nýer—a' functions the same way, however that 7 day work week routine is in one single day.

Below you will be able to read up on various trades that exist throughout Tam'nýer—a' to help give you some inspiration as to what your character can do within the world. Of course, do know that these options are not the sole options available, they are just meant to inspire and help give an understanding.

What is Apprenticeship in Tam’nýer—a’?

The methods and materials used to educate artists and craftsmen are currently in a bit of a flux as more things are discovered throughout the world quite frequently. A good example of this is Mïk’paßtro, currently being mined in the Emerald Isles and threatening the burgeoning nature there. Here is a basic rundown to help you understand what apprenticeship is like within Tam’nýer—a' and how much time it takes to truly become a master in a field of your choosing.

No matter the craft, apprentices study under the guidance of a master artist or crafter. Apprentices usually begin their training between the ages of 3½ - 4 Tam’nýer—a''n months (12 to 14 earth years), serving their masters for a period of anywhere between 4 Tam’nýer—a''n weeks and 2¼ Tam’nýer—a''n months (1 and 8 earth years). For the most part, the average tends to be 2-4 years and this is assumed to be a correlation between the age the apprentice began and the age of maturity.

Parents of apprentices usually must sign a contract with the master that set out the terms of the training. A typical contract stipulates that the master will provide food, housing, as well as instruction. Clothing must be provided for by the parents and either replaced or mended as needed by them as well.

In some cases the parents must pay the master a fee when first submitting their child to be an apprentice. This is usually when the child might seem difficult or if the craft, creating automatons for instance, have a high cost for materials that have a high chance of being ‘wasted’ on non-profitable product.

Town Crier
While town criers may bring your imagination to the days of Robin Hood, they are a very useful facet of every day life in Tam'nýer—a'. Primarily in Püertagœ, Fawzia-Kedet and ZàÞça, town criers tend to pass on the news to the populace to let the citizens know of major changes, wars or sickness. While we have the benefit of social media, Town Criers are a valuable resource as printing presses are not yet a thing, meaning newspapers aren't even around yet to help keep everyone informed about what is going on past their doorstep and social circle. This means too, that this job is highly sought after as it pays well, and permits a person to become something of a celebrity among the people.

It should be noted that in Püertagœ, each ring has its own Town Crier, with a small stage to help elevate the crier above the crowd. In Püertagœ it is the closest one can get to achieve fame and fortune akin to one of the 12 through work, service and dedication without necessarily serving those with money. However, the First Ring crier reports to each estate every morning, if requested, as some families have their own eyes and ears around the countryside. Another tidbit is that ZàÞça usually employs Town Criers during high season. However, it is not uncommon for some affluent families that stay there throughout the year to employ a personal one to keep them apprised of major events.

We cannot impress upon you enough just how sought after the job of Town Crier is. People can strive their entire lives for this position. This is a dream job, and if achieved, you just won the lottery.

Lamp Lighter
Püertagœ only

With Püertagœ ever growing population, and its towering rings to ensure the safety of its citizens, there is a very specific job of this metropolis that needs to be done ever Hour of Mirzum, and that is lighting the 'lamps.'

Thousands of candles are hung throughout the Rings providing light above to the streets below. Each Ring has a team of Lamp Lighters and are tasked with keeping the streets aglow through true night. Some members are military recruits looking for extra credits to advance in the Ranks, and some are mere lamp lighters with basic training in case they see anything untoward during their rounds.

Not only does it give a sense of safety to the populous, it helps legitimate night patrols with catching criminals.

Plasterwork
Plasterwork is viewed as an art form and therefore considered as a branch

of both Construction and Art. Plasterwork is mainly for the beautification of

walls, as well as doorways, mainly interior ones, sculpted out of a paste

made by mixing powdered gypsum and water.

Plasterwork is a common marker of high social standing, most especially in

Püertagœ. In fact, one could say that the 12 Greater Families in Püertagœ

are where some of the best plasterwork in all of Tam'nýer—a' can be found,

and their obsession of using it to show off their wealth is next to none. As an

example, if one of the Greater Families hosts a gathering exclusive to the

other Families, they might choose to change the plasterwork adorning their

walls in time for the gathering to take place in order to show off.

Glasswork
Glasswork is one of the largest industries in Tam'nýer—a', accounting for most storage-ware (including vials for apothecaries), servingware (including decanters), intricate perfume bottles and art pieces. There are multiple ways to produce glasswork, counting glassblowing, glass fusing, crown glass (windows) and glass casting. Although it should be said that glass casting is the most basic technique of glassworking and all glassworking apprentices will be taught this first.

Glass Casting is how it sounds, basically guiding molten glass into a mould, and these moulds can be made of 2 or more interlocking parts and then annealed (permitted to cool over a long period of time) ultimately solidifying the glass into the shape of the mould.

Glass Fusing is the process of taking multiple pieces of glass, heating them up enough to melt and consequently having the multiple shards, and/or pieces, fuse together. This process is done using a kiln.

Crown Glass is actually a type of glassblowing, but is referred to as Crown Glass due to the glass being blown into a 'crown' or hollow globe to create a circular design in the glass. After, it would be quickly transferred, and flattened into a slim pane of glass by simply reheating it. This technique is solely used in the creation of windows, and it cut to the size required.

Glass Blowing is more or less how it sounds. It is the manipulation of molten glass by inflation, or 'blowing' using a hollowed out tube in order to keep the glassmith more or less out of harms way. Heavily dependent on reheating, gravity and adding more molten glass to create designs, glass blowing is capable of creating a vast diversity of objects and is considered the highlight of the craft that is glass work.

Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing, of course, takes a physical toll on the body. Demanding of strength, endurance, and tolerance of heat, and pain, Blacksmithing is by no means for the faint hearted. If Blacksmithing is an interest to you as a character's potential job, just know that fabrics, such as cotton, are what you want to wear. Pity the soul who wears fabrics with synthetic fibers whilst smithing, as one risks the fabric melting with the flesh. Certainly not pleasant, and scar worthy.

Blacksmithing has a wide range of crafting possibilities, weapons, shields and armor being the most popular. However, that's not to say that some pieces of jewellery will certainly call for a more in depth knowledge of metalworking. Wire wrapping, as the Z'sa'Ză-'Bäa do, certainly requires no knowledge of smithing whatsoever, permitting it to be an entry level jewellery crafting.

Metalworking also plays a large part in industrial building whether it be for ships, or building homes, sign holders for shop signs, anything you can think of might require the talented, calloused hands of a Blacksmith. That is why they are somewhat revered in the more Human riddled societies. Püertagœ, for instance, has a sizable establishment of forges lining its outer ring where all the Blacksmiths of the large metropolis work.

Questions About Smithing

Are there any major variations in the smithing process on Tam then on Earth? As in a change to the basic process in the heating, melting, reshaping, and tempering process?

In general, it is the same. Just remember to pay attention to the different metal types that are available. Different heats and such will be required to temper them. You don't need to go into detail, but keep it in mind for blacksmithing characters.

As a side note to this, up in the mountains of T-'a'Ţăs'múr, the air is much thinner, and colder. With Tam'nýer-a''n technology, you probably shouldn't be forging there at all. At the base of the mountains is where you'd be able to forge.

Jewelry Making
Because of the diversity of races and how co-mingled they can be, they are traditional styles as well as mixed styles. This fact is a great innovator, taking jewellery beyond heirlooms passed down, but a way to be avant-garde in the streets of Tam'nýer—a'. This makes jewellery making quite a lucrative business, and a great outlet for creativity.

However, great jewellery making is a talent, and makes one a form of a jack of all trades as jewellery calls for you to be accustomed to working with sinew, shells, gems, feathers, wood and metals. Mind you, you don't need to work with all of these, but if you want to appeal to all races, it is a wise endeavour.

Of course, despite varying styles, dexterity and patience are a needed attribute to have in order to be proficient at it as well.

Automata Crafting
An Automata Crafter is a specialization branch of Jewelcrafting and Engineering. In fact, while an automaton might sound mysterious, you've probably seen one already and simply not known the term. An automaton is a non-electronic moving machine, usually made to resemble an animal in Tam'nýer—a'. On Earth we've created them to resemble both animals as well as humans. A good example of an automaton we have here on Earth is the cuckoo, and other animated figures on a cuckoo clock. In Tam'nýer—a' automatons are created either as expensive toys, clocks or music boxes, and because of this they can be considered collectibles, but they are available to any species or any social standing as long as you can afford the crafter's price.

Automata come in many shapes and size, and can be adorned with feathers if birds are the animal of focus, or enamel and semi-precious stones, whilst usually being made of a fine metal such as gold. If you would like to see a stunning Ethiopian Caterpillar automata in action, you may view the video here.

Tea Making
The main thing is growing the main shrubs, trees or plants that the tea leaves come from. This calls for gardening, first and foremost. The second is plucking the leaves, once ready, and beginning to process them quickly after harvesting them because the fresher, the better.

Tea is processed incredibly quickly, not only to ensure quality, but because it can deem what kind of tea will be produced. Once in a secure location, the leaves are laid out individually, wafted with air, and hit by the sun. This is because the leaves are full of moisture after having just been picked. They need to be dried slowly so as to retain their flavour to be unlocked once stuck in boiling water. Once dried a satisfactory amount, the leaves are then rolled by hand, or on a table with a contraption that looks like a rolling pin. This process twists up the leaves, allowing them to begin oxidizing.

Afterwards, the leaves are heated for a smidge of time, revealing a 'true colour' of the leaf. They are then picked out and sorted into their respective colours. At this point, making certain that the leaves have been

oxidized the right amount, the leaves are once again heated. Once the heating is

complete, the leaves are now ready to be sold.

While mixing tea ingredients is considered a branch of Apothecary,

growing the tea and harvesting it is considered Agriculture.

Soap Making
Soap in Tam'nýer—a' is made primarily of 2 things; ashes & fat from animals. Some soaps will include plant extracts for smell as well. Of course, soap is considered a luxury item and having a scent only ups the market value. Of course, this is a very good thing if you are indeed a soap maker, because the taxation of creating soap on the body can be quite severe.

Mixing the ash and animal fat is no easy task, and certainly not a pretty one. There are naturally occurring chemicals in the ash that tend to dry rot the skin, causing it to crack, and if it not treated can cause it to be so bad that your hands will split and bleed, which will certainly put you out of work until your body has time to recuperate. Not only this, but your hands will be stained rather distinctly, giving away to the rest of the world what your craft is. As a side note, Giyu & Sk'älik should never make soap as the chemicals that arise during the production process would eat away their mucus layer and most likely result in chemical burns. Stay safe out there!

That aside, in Tam'nýer—a' there are two ways of said using soap. The most common is slicking it through some hair so that the smell will stay with you throughout your day, and also give your hair a certain sheen. The other, and far less common, is how we use it on Earth today; by washing our bodies with it, and having the scent linger softly with us, and usually dissipating in an hour or so. Soap for the body is shaped as a ball, whereas soap for the hair is usually in the shape of a small rectangular slab.

Paper Making
Paper making is an extensive process that takes approximately 3 Tam'nýer—a''n days, and requires quite a bit of space. Paper making buildings have an extremely spacious warehouse, adorned by many windows, and are usually fronted by shops selling their wares.

Paper is made from old linen scraps and hemp cut specifically into small pieces and left to soak for 1 ½ days in water, and after are put into large tubs of more water, but this time mixed with lime which is gotten from chalk. Once in the tubs the soaked hemp and linen scraps are not pounded into pulp with mortars to get the mixture at the right consistency.

It is then moved once more into a second tub, this time solely water, and the tubs are shaped distinctly so that the workers can dip specially crafted frames that allow the water to pass through and pick up individual sheets worth of the pulp. Once secured in the frame, the pulp is interweaved with felts and squeezed in a special press. At this point the pulp and felt is left to dry, frame by frame in preparation to be dipped in hot glue leftover from local tanners. After being dipped in the hot glue it is left to be dried yet again.This creates a high quality paper, if crafted properly, as it does not soak up ink.Since the process above is considered a high quality paper, low quality paper, and therefore more mass-produced (as much as it can be given their technology) is what we here on Earth know as barkcloth.

**As a side note, Tam'nýer—a' also uses vellum and used to be the main "paper". However, to keep people from culling Wôrdiţ to use them solely for their hides, Püertagœ, Fawzia-Kedet and the Sky-Coral Sea (Uwhang) made a law throughout the three nations that Wôrdiţ hides could only be used for vellum if they had died of other causes such as natural, or disease. On top of this, each nations government would permit only the use a maximum of 200 Wôrdiţ for vellum in mind first per Tam'nýer—a''n month, to allow the animal population time to recuperate.

These laws to protect this most needed animals was issued thanks to vellum being the main stationary of choice in Tam'nýer—a' for years, causing a noticeable dip in the population of Wôrdiţ, causing other nations to solely rely on the Z'sa'Ză-'Bäa for them. A main reason as to why vellum became so "in fashion" as well, was that for a time printing on black dyed vellum in white ink was all the rage and screamed prestige and beauty in the literary world. Now though, thanks to the laws, doing this is now a sign of tradition rather than a trend, as it is made extremely expensive, and usually saved solely for the printing of sacred texts, or an author's 'masterpiece'.

Tailor/Seamstress
Taking into consideration Tam'nýer—a''s level of technology, unless you want to

brave society in your birthday suit, Seamstresses & Tailors are a common

profession, and a highly necessary one.

Each piece of clothing, without a doubt, takes hours of work to complete, so

Seamstress & Tailor shoppes tend to house multiple talented individuals.

Although it should be stated that some shoppes will naturally specialize and

tend to specific socio-economic levels. There is also a difference in shoppes

that sell pre-made clothing items, take custom orders solely, or do both. Not to

mention the different fashion styles. Of course, the bigger the city, the more

likely you will be able to find a Seamstress/Tailor shop.

But unlike our modern day Earth, most households in Tam'nýer—a' know how

to mend their own clothing, such as fix broken seams, and some, how to darn

socks. It is all dependent upon whether they have the time and/or money to fix their own clothing, or if it is simple less hassle to purchase a new piece.

Leatherworking
While leather is a vital industry as it can be used such a wide array of things, be it armor or to make a pouch for you P'ee K'äh, making leather is probably not the most majestic profession out there. Like soap making, it can wreak havoc on one's hands, but also one's nose. You see, the trick to making leather nice and supple is to soak it in barrels of Wôrdiţ and bury them for a good Tam'nýer—a''n week to make sure that the acidity of the urine has done it's job.

Of course, if that wasn't enough, it's best to soak and bury your leathers during Super Summer because the heat also helps the acidity activate and essentially cook your hides, so count on the smell being much worse than usual. All that done though, you've completed the most difficult part, or at least disgusting.

Thinning leather and making the sheets as uniform as possible is also all done by hand and takes loads of practice. It's basically a sign of mastery. However, this step is not necessary and more of a higher quality standard as well, so yes, this costs much more money.

Once leather is soaked, and cut, it can then be treated with animal fat which acts a moistener and helps protect the leather as you work with it to make a final product. Of course, working with leather requires good cutting tools, hole punches and a decent amount of patience and muscle, but if the beginning of this explanation didn't already give you that impression, I can't help you.

Apothecary
Having apothecaries are vital to the health and functionality of Tam'nýer—a' as a whole. Knowing the herbs, and chemical ingredients of Tam'nýer—a' is the main way to be a doctor, or perhaps a poisons expert, depending on which side of the coin your character is. This profession ties heavily into botany, and since the world has such a variety, the possibilities are practically endless.

Whether you want to treat a wound sustained on the battlefield, numb the aches and pains of getting older, or perhaps stop a pregnancy, an apothecary is what you will need. Luckily it tends to be a common profession in Tam'nýer—a', however, be sure you know who you are going to. The chances of going to a hack can be quite high, as some think that since the profession is everywhere that it cannot be that hard, and set up shop despite only being amateurs.

The main tools of the trade are a mortar and pestle, a large array of herbs, dried or fresh, pieces of various animals, chemicals, and scales so that if a concoction requires a certain weight amount, you are sure to prepare it properly. That being said, not all things in an apothecaries shoppe will be dried mixes. Tinctures are popular as well, so having a fireplace is vital in order to boil.

For mortar & pestles there are an array of different kinds; some are made of rock, some of wood, some of metal and some are ceramic. Some apothecaries may even have multiple sizes and have an assortment of different types, while some practitioners may be particular in what type they use and stick only to one.

All this being said, Apothecary has many branches of specialty for you to delve into. Keep in mind though that if you would like to write a master of apothecary, it will be best to pick one or two branches of the craft, or a general/basic knowledge of all of them to be a jack of all trades. Here's some of the branches of Apothecary:

Takhir̀-cha' Alcohol

Takhir̀-cha' is actually a fungus in Tam'nýer—a' that is known for it's

bright yellow colour. While it is a fungus that causes dry rot, if boiled

for a candlemark (an hour), or left to simmer overnight, it extracts a

compound, turning the water into an alcohol, similar to that of our

Vodka here on Earth. Now, simmering overnight tends to make a

smoother, and stronger alcohol, but if you are a successful merchant,

needing to make high volumes, you can mix quickly prepared batches

with slower ones and alter the flavor and strength. Even when boiled,

the alcohol carries a much more diluted yellow colour of its original

fungus form.

Takhir̀-cha' alcohol is not solely useful as a beverage though, which means more opportunities to sell. If making this alcohol is your profession, you may want to delve into perfume making, as Takhir̀-cha' alcohol is the most common base.

*Technically all alcohol production is technically a branch of apothecary. That being said, if an alcohol is not listed here, please don't discount it and brew away!

Incense

Incense comes in two forms in Tam'nýer—a': raw, and coil. Raw forms of incense are ingredients from plants and/or fauna, with a bark and resin base. The bark is added to the mix as dry and can act as kindling, where as the resin is what permits the incense to burn unattended.

Coil incense is a feat of creation as it takes many steps of mixing and slathering the resin mix on thin strips of bark that have been treated with water and steam to curl properly. This makes coil incense a bit fragile, but permits incense to be burned over a large period of hours, up to a couple days unattended.

If you are merchant who works out of their home, coil incense is not only time saving but money saving as well. Temples are another example of where coil incense is used. However, most temples now lay vacant, housing homeless rather than priests and their acolytes. It should be disclosed that coil incense is hung from the ceiling, in order to save room and deter from accidentally setting clutter on fire.

Another important aspect concerning coil incense is that sometimes, if ordered by the city-state of Püertagœ for a festival for example, the coil incense can come with a ribbon with an incantation on it, or God sigils to bring prosperity or show reverence.

Perfume
Perfume is much like soap in Tam'nýer—a', in the sense that it is a luxury item. Although perfume is more of a finer art. One must have a good nose, and be able to read people, as perfume is a trip for the senses able to take you to another world, but each person has a different palette. That is where being able to read people and their personalities is a benefit in this business.

Perfumes can also be made in large quantities, making them more accessible to the lower classes, or if you are good enough at your craft, you can make a name for yourself by being able to make scents for individuals who can afford it. Perfume also calls for a dexterous hand, as one drop too many of a particular scent can completely throw off the mix you have going currently.

However, no matter what scent you make and market to sell, know that some of your earnings may go into the packaging. When it comes to luxury items, Tam'nýer—a''ns like it when the products themselves look luxurious, and perfume is no exception. Perfume is usually bottled in stunning works of blown glass varying in shapes as well as sizes. And while perfume may not be the most 'philosophical' item, Fawzia-Kedet is where you can get some of the most beautiful glass objects, including perfume bottles.

Fortune Telling
Thanks to all the difference races and their vibrant cultures, fortune telling and superstitious beliefs have many different outlets and practices. That also means that the more practices you know, the more chance you have at making a successful career out of fortune telling. Below we list the various practices that one can use in order follow fortune telling as a profession.

Card Reading

Fortune telling is similar to what we know today on Earth, but particular in Püertagoe, getting a fortune told for a day or the next upcoming 3 days is more popular. There's nothing like "In a few years from now I see--". It's more of an almanac style; whether the fortunes are in your favour to ask for a raise at your job, or pursue a love interest.

The way main way fortune telling is done is that you go to a fortune teller and tell them of what you are wanting to do, and what you need to check the gods' favour for. You will then be presented with the cards face down. One is Nýer—a', one is Q'Tam'šmă, and the third is Y'ljnöx.

The fortune is read once you have chosen in what order the three cards will pile up, but you have to pick them as they are presented to you; face down. Once decided, the fortune teller will usually ask the Gods to be kind, to offer peace and good will for their subjects. Once flipped, you learn your fate.

If Nýer—a' is on the top of the pile, you're in the best shape you can be, especially if it lines up as Nýer—a', Q'Tam'šmă and Y'ljnöx. If Q'Tam'šmă is on top, it warns that you may have some trouble, whether it be resistance from outside forces, or a test of will. If Y'ljnöx is on top, your fortune telling session is done. It is viewed as a bad omen and to not pursue whatever you asked about, at least for that day. Which is why fortune telling can be a day-to-day occurrence. It definitely is a driving force for good percentage of Püertagoens.

It is not unheard of that if brides-to-be receive a fortune of Yl'jnöx three days in a row that they will not only call off their wedding, but leave their betrothed all together.

Negativity Rocks/Tea Reading

In this fortune telling practice, it sounds extremely simple, but has a loaded meaning. There are places where you can do this fortune telling tradition for fun, or because you truly believe. Nonetheless, this is how it goes.

At a table, you pick a stone from a spread of them. Whichever one calls to you, you choose. Once you have chosen your rock, you think of a negative thought or situation that has been plaguing you whilst holding said rock, essentially putting your negativity into the stone. Once you have thought over it long enough to be satisfactory, you toss the stone into a ceremonial bowl of water, and watch your negative emotions sink.

Once done you pick from the herbs and flowers offered, think of a positive thing or wish and cover the surface of the water with what you have chosen. It symbolizes letting go of the bad and deciding to focus on the good.

This can be done in the home, at certain merchant stands, etc. Fawzia-Kedet has a fountain in the middle of their main plaza for this and speaks of its heritage as this began as a Ṅkhya'jra ceremony and has since been adopted into the rest of the world. Albeit, despite the good of this small ritual, it is sadly not attributed to them.

The reason why this goes under fortune telling though is distinctly because some tea-houses and eateries will offer the 'full' ceremony. The full ceremony is where you do all of the steps above but then the host or hostess will brew tea made from your particular bowl. The stones are actually disguised tea infusers and the stone you pick mixed with the herbs you sprinkled on top are brewed together.

You then have a sit down session with the host while you drink your tea, letting the negative and the positive flow through you. This part of the ritual also goes to show that negative things happen for a reason and ultimately mix well with the good giving us a literal taste of life. At the end, your tea leaves are read.