Similar to a herbalist in their specialties of poultices and potions, an alchemist's focus is more scientific. They seek to convert elements, make gold from ore and work to produce iron. They search for permanent cures for all illness and the secret to eternal youth rather than simply treating the illness was temporary remedies. Depending on the land they enter, an alchemist could be seen as a powerful, almost godly, sort of being. Or a dangerous heathen or blasphemer. They may work closely with or be totally rejected by local temples due to the way they seem to straddle the blurry lines between magic, science and faith.

Professional guards may come from a soldier background or have been trained for private service right from the start. They could be a part of an Order or Faction like the Athenian Guard, or they could be independently paid by families or people who seek particular protection. They may guard a place or an object or be the body guard of a human being. They may be expected to be eunuchs in some lands if they are protecting a woman, they may be expected to work with a particular weapon if they are working in a ceremonial capacity. They may be expected to wear a uniform and make a show of force for their employer, they may be employed as a covert protector, following their charge at a subtle distance. Armsmen are privy to intimate places and information so could be entangled in political or familial drama where people seek to pay them for their knowledge. They are also in the perfect position for stealing or for being framed as a thief. They could be working as a guard for personal gain to access areas or objects they seek, or on a moral level as a protector and guardian. Armsmen are very rarely women and on the extremely rare cases that they are, this is usually because they are being hired to be in close proximity to a woman they are protecting. Generally, armsmen are solely men and will have to convince their employer of total loyalty (whether this is true or not is up to the writer).

A skilled artisan in paint, sculpture, wool or cloth work or other such decorative pieces is similar to a crafter. They are usually higher-brow and employed by only the finest for items that have limited practical use. They tend to produce for the beauty of it, not for the purpose. As such they interact with the highest of individuals and may come from a noble or royal house themselves. They could be male or female and from any land or ethnicity. They could be kept within their own land by a father, partner or benefactor or travel extensively.

Believe it or not, assassins do not have to be immoral. To be an 'assassin' instead of a 'mercenary', a character commits themselves solely to the art of killing, rather than war-mongering or thievery. Their actions may lead to additional complications to this effect, but it is not their aim. Their purpose is death and death only. How their clients then use that death is not their business. Assassins usually have complete autonomy over their choice of work and global freedom to travel as they will, unless they are a 'pet' assassin kept in check by a powerful family / individual. Given an assassin's skills, this is rare and would require serious loyalty or forced blackmail etc. An assassin can see themselves as justful retribution, only killing those they see as immoral. Alternatively, they can work for the money only and care nothing for who meets their blade. They will usually be skilled in multiple ways to kill: blades, strangulation, suffocation, poison or orchestrating 'accidents'. They are unlikely to brew poison or form their weapons themselves so will have contacts in the smithing and poultice-making world. They could be of either biological sex and any age, though the trials of accessing private homes or hidden areas may make a younger / fitter assassin more effective. Then again, there's no substitute for the wisdom of experience...

In an era when male appearance is often as thought upon as female, hair care is an important role. This might be a specialist who cuts and curls the hair of young maidens. They may tend to the hair and beards of holy men. They may be consulted on how to grow more hair in communities where hair is linked to machismo. Or, they might be skilled at removing body and head hair in preparation for their client wearing the fashionable wigs of the time. They may be a communal barber, working for a low wage in bath houses, or they could be a highly sought artisan of the body and be kept in good comfort by a nobleman. They might work in the military, helping the men maintain their facial hair, or serve in the courts or temples where traditional management of hair is part of their protocol. In short, barbers can be found everywhere. They are usually, though not always, male and can be of any age or background. As this is a serving role, it is unlikely that someone born to noble blood would become a barber, unless it was a role such as personal barber to the king (yet, why would a nobleman even begin in such a career in the first place...?) Some food for thought...

Whilst a stray or beggar might appear a boring / restricted role, it can be versatile and liberating for the right character. Tied to neither home nor person, a beggar is entirely geographically-mobile, provided they have the smarts to stowaway on the right ship or con a traveller into allowing them passage. They are generally ignored or thought to be worthy of nothing so they are under- estimated, giving opportunity to pick-pocketing or information gathering. There is never a reason why a begger cannot be in a particular public (or sometimes private) place at a particular time, meaning there are fewer restrictions for these characters becoming involved in new plots in random places. Beggars come in all forms of sex, ethnicity, age and nationality. Depending on the land, they may be seen as scorned by the Gods and considered dirty or cursed. Alternatively, they could be seen as living a life of penance or purity, like a holy hermit. This role may be constantly shunned IC but with the right manipulation has a huge number of opportunities for play.

Working with metal, blacksmiths can focus on a number of tasks: straight metal work like hinges, bolts, keys and buckles; the cladding of horse shoes or bolts for chariot wheels; the manipulation of gold and silver; the forging of weapons, etc. Whilst women are not entirely cut off from this line of work they are far less likely to be a part of smithing than they are crafting or carpentry. Smithing is hard work, involving heat, billows, coal, wood, large metal machines and the hammering of metal into shape. These are not tasks suited to a woman of this era. To create a female blacksmith is to buck many trends of the time and should be considered carefully. For men, this work is hard but well-respected. However, forging a failing chair is not so dangerous as a failing sword and producing a single error / mistake like a product that leads to a nobleman's death will put you out of business very quickly. Smithing is dirty work so characters in this role will likely remain within the lower classes and their own social circles. This being said, they are more likely to interact with men of higher standing if they are contracted for military work. Using our Character Compendium, you can search for militant characters if interested in this role and its connection to conflict.

Horses are the lifeblood of many of the lands. Whether as personal transport or to draw carriages, carts or chariots. Dogs are also essential for hunting, household security and general domestic pets. Livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are used for milk, wool and meat. All of these animals must be bred and cared for before they are put to work. Breeders are therefore essential and often have long-term contacts and relationships with trainers (if they do not train the animals themselves) and buyers such as nobility or military groups who buy the necessary animals in bulk. Please note that Babylonia, Phoenicia, Bedoa'mt and Ostjord do not use chariots or cavalry in their militia so are unlikely to purchase large numbers of horses.

Some work as traders or sellers but do not necessarily own the stall or store from which they operate. Business owners have the chance of making themselves wealthier as they own property and can use it however they wish. This may be a cloth store or a stall for selling wheat or it could be a tavern, a brothel or other place of service. Business owners are almost always male as they require the trust of the person they purchased the site from. Females usually only fall into owning land through inheritance (please check your land's Inheritance Laws to be sure of how this happens in your character's preferred area). Owners are generally older with more experience, though could be new to the business in some way and therefore younger. They are usually geographically-limited to their place of business but may also trade or work internationally, or have several places of business in different lands if very successful, opening travel doors. Depending on the level of clientele they service, owners of these kinds of places could be privy to the dramas of high society or the action and adventure of the low, depending on the writer's preference. Very wealthy and very successful business owners may even have access to the Court if they have befriended noble clients.

A carpenter works specifically with wood but this does not limit their skills. They might build furniture, beads, the bottom of sandals, furniture, picture frames, looms, chariots, wagon wheels or the wooden body of shields or shafts of lances. They might focus on practical creations or decorative ones. Most expert carpenters are men as boys are more often taken on as apprentices than women, plus with large carpentry work, strength is an asset. But this by no means dissuades carpenters from teaching their daughters or nieces, especially if they have no sons. Like with traders, women may find a few glass ceilings in this profession but there are ways of avoiding it, such as hiding their biological sex, operating through a husband, brother or father or simply being too exceptional a worker to be ignored. A wealthy benefactor can also help with this, if they are particularly bowled over by a carpenter's expertise. Consider other areas this occupation may impact upon a woman. Carpentry is hard on the hands, turns skin rough and muscles strong. A young woman might have few marital offers if she appears hard and rough from long hours at the workshop. This could cause animosity or issue with her own family and the ability to have future generations. For men, these considerations are not so prevalent. Characters in this role will be open to economic, financial and potentially international plotlines. They may also have access to royal or noble homes if needing to measure for fitting furniture, etc. Check our Lands Overview for basic information on each land's economy and trade resources (such as timber).

From personal chefs in the royal and noble palaces of the lands to a street vender serving steamed potatoes, cooks and chefs keep the world fed. They might be geographically-mobile if they are wandering salesmen or take their traditional food to other lands. Or, if they work within a particular home or government building, they could be restrained to their own city. They can be of either biological sex and any age and will have strong connections with traders of foodstock, herbs and equipment. They can also be hired for one-off events if a particular noble lady wishes to have foods from abroad served at her banquet or there's a festival in town.

Crafters are like traders but actually get their hands dirty. A trader might deal in the goods made by crafters, or a crafter may sell them onwards themselves. Crafters might include: seam- stresses, those that adorn clothes with jewels and additional pieces of gold work; jewellery makers (bracelets, armbands, hair pieces, silver beads to be used in beards or toe rings, etc.); leather workers for things like belts and bridles, or those that take the straps and work them into shoes; potters and workers of china and ceramic. If you can make it, you're a crafter. Most expert crafters are men as boys are more often taken on as apprentices than women but this by no means disuades crafters from teaching their daughters or nieces, especially if they have no sons. Like with traders, women may find a few glass ceilings in this profession but there are ways of avoiding it such as hiding their biological sex, operating through a husband, brother or father or simply being too exceptional a crafter to be ignored. A wealthy benefactor can also help with this, if they are particularly bowled over by a crafter's expertise. Characters in this role will be open to economic, financial and potentially international plotlines. They may also have access to royal / noble homes if respected enough. Check our Lands Overview for basic information on each land's economy and trade resources.

Similar to artisans, entertainers could be the children of the noble (or even far-reaching royal) households if the skill in question is considered 'fine'. Women in particular, from noble houses, might be applauded for learning a skill like dancing or music to the standard where she can actually be paid for it. Other entertainments like juggling, tomfoolery or story-telling are generally considered to be of lower status. The skill, therefore, affects those most likely to learn it. Entertainers, depending on their level of ability, could be used in festivals, could perform on street corners of coins or be invited as primary entertainment at formal, courtly functions. The style of entertainer affects the kinds of social shoulders they will rub up against.