Example of Skill and Resource Definition
Alice chose to place both of her 2 Development Points into resources, and 0 into both Skills and Traits. She has already (prior to this example) worked with Creator Blackmane to detail her Traits (starting with Gestalt 0). Now they turn to Skills and Resources.
Augusta's Skills
First, Creator Blackmane assigns Augusta the base package of cultural Skills given to all humans in her society. These consist of Movement (walking, running, climbing, basic swimming), Mother Language, Unarmed Fighting, and Observation -- although the Creator may add to this list later, if appropriate. All these Skills are at Rank 0.
Then, based on her Character Concept, it is easy to pick out a selection of starting Skills for Augusta, because they are named in her Concept. To wit -- reading and writing, numbering, riding, governance, leadership, household management, warfare, healing arts, short light sword, ettiquette, and superb people skills (putting others at ease, drawing people out, dominating a conversation or slipping into the background).
Working together, Alice and Blackmane come up with this list of detailed Skills:
Alice has 27 Ranks to allocate (because she put 0 points into her Skills). She decides to divide it like this:
Creator Blackmane looks carefully over this list, because he wants to ensure that Augusta's Ranks are not too high, and that they fit the Character Concept. In this case, he decides that Alice has done a good job, and he accepts these Ranks as submitted.
Augusta's Resources
Alice has chosen to put 2 Development Points into Resources. As a result, Augusta falls on the wealthy end of the Resources spectrum. The specific details this entails depend dramatically on the Creator's description of the Land -- and Blackmane chooses to describe Augusta's Resources in terms of wealth, status, and contacts.
Based on the economic details he has already chosen for his Land, Blackmane decides that Augusta's family's estate is worth 50,000 denarii. To put this in perspective, 1 lb of dessert grapes = 1 denarius, a liter of beer = 4 denarii, and 1 lb of white silk = 12,000 denarii. The average worker, a blacksmith or a carpenter, for example, earns 250 denarii annually. The wealthiest noble families may be worth up to 200,000 denarii. As part of her duties, Augusta manages the flow of hundreds of denarii in rents, fees, and other household accounts every month. When she gets married, if she joins another family, she can expect to bring about 10,000 denarii with her as a bride price -- partly as goods and portable wealth, partly as land. Augusta's own personal possessions -- clothing, books, jewelry, a horse, etc. -- are worth about 1,000 denarii. Blackmane secretly decides that if Augusta wanted to cook the books and skim from household accounts, she could easily take 50 to 100 denarii a month with almost no chance of detection. And if she got the approval of her family, she could obtain access to much more. Blackmane asks Alice for a wish list of personal possessions, and he modifies that list slightly, as appropriate.
As for status, Augusta's noble background places her in the upper tier of society. She is treated respectfully even by strangers, since her dress, accent, and bearing mark her as upper class. She knows how to conduct herself among the well-born, and she has the social and legal privileges of her rank -- such as being tried in noble courts, freedom to bear arms, ability to own land, and the unspoken but very clear fact that in any dispute with a commoner, her word will almost certainly prevail.
Augusta's actual personal wealth, however, is not quite up to very wealthy standards, since she primarily acts as an agent of her family, and is not free to do whatever she wants with family resources. This inhibition, however, is at least partly mitigated by the extensive and strong network of friends and contacts she has made. Just about all the commoners and lowborn on her family estate -- servants, farmer-renters, people hired by the family, and so on -- look up to her and like her. And because of this, she has an excellent reputation among commoners all around. The highborn may hold her in a measure of contempt (she is still called "Sails" from time to time), but even they treat her with respect, when they are not ignoring her. Moreover, Augusta has recently been in contact with Resistance members, who are eager to recruit her, and her contacts there, already strong, will grow if she pursues them. Finally, her grandfather, Julian, actually thinks very highly of her -- more highly than she knows. And the Sorcerer-King has in fact seen into Julian's mind, Blackmane secretly decides, and through the perspective of her grandfather, is not only aware (to a peripheral degree) of Augusta, but looks favorably on her. All these contacts make a powerful network of allies and friendly forces that will be available to Augusta as her adventures commence.