A is for the Average Man

The City is huge, the City is old, the City is heavily populated. There are a lot of people in the City. Some of the districts are depopulated or in ruins or in some other non-standard state, but many still bear a resemblance of normality. While some of the inhabitants of these districts are nobles or imperial bureaucrats or rich merchants or adventurers or high priests, most are normal people.

These normal people can hold many jobs. They may be shoemakers, beggars, rat catchers, construction workers, bakers or hold any host of other everyday jobs. They see little reason for adventure, and in fact much prefers a safe and predictable life. They will be unlikely to welcome adventurers most of the time. Heavily armed opportunists looking to mess with things better left forgotten, aren't people that the average man wants in his neighborhood.

And the average neighborhood might not be altogether useful for an adventurer. They have coopers, bakers, shoemakers and maybe a blacksmith, not inns, weapon smithies, and other services wanted by the average adventurer. These services may be provided in market districts, by inn keepers, weapon smiths and other, more specialized craftsmen. These are probably more colorful, and will be more easily remembered by the adventurer than the average man.

But the average man is also in the market district, buying or selling, or maybe providing services beneath the notice of the adventurer. Even merchants need shoes. The majority of the people in a crowd will be average men, and they'll have no love for adventurers. They'll call the local law enforcement in case of trouble, and might even become a mob, if they catch the adventurers at the wrong moment (bending over the bloodied body of a young woman).

The average man is an imperial citizen, but doesn't think about that much. He might have a son or daughter in the imperial military or bureacracy, but is much more likely to have a progeny in the service of the local church or the local authorities. He is also taxed by the local authorities and church, as the imperial tax collectors have better things to do than go from door to door. But he may on occasion grumble about unnecessary wars, when the local authorities raises taxes once again.

The average man are not overly superstitious. They do not know every monster and spell, and they may attribute wrong powers to such an unknown, but this will be from misinterpretation or caution rather than outright fabrication. The average man does not dislike mages automatically, as mages carry beneficial spells that an average man would happily accept. The average man generally does follow a god (whether large or small), and may believe the church's doctrine.

That is all I can think to say about the average man right now.