Anyone have any idea what exactly do the various size ratings mean in the location articles?

Like a Hideworker, size 6.

I'm sure it's about the relative size of the business, but what exaclty do the numbers mean?

I'm sure a size 2 is smaller than a size 10, but what do the numbers mean? Employees? I would not think it would mean masters employed.

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

I have always assumed it means all working people in the workshop. So a Metalsmith with Size 3 would have one master, one journeyman and one apprentice, unless canon say otherwise. I rarely have more than one master unless a lot of people working there.

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"Corpora lente augescent cito extinguuntur" - Tacitus
Fenhorn's Hârnpage

Makes sense to me. THe largest I have seen was a 17 size IIRC, which would indicate maybe 4 masters, 5 Journeymen, 8 apprentices or something like that.

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

Must be Azadmere or Orbaal. The clan thing.

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"Corpora lente augescent cito extinguuntur" - Tacitus
Fenhorn's Hârnpage

Bingo. IIRC, there were several large weaponcrafting shops in Azadmere. The 17 rings a bell, though there might have even been one with a size of 20+ I faintly recall.

Though I think it would make sense to have some rather large shops in cities - a miller in Coranan for instance might have both a very large mill and a good amount of employees.

In Charlemange's time there was a mill if France that apparently employed 100 people, several millstones located on a river IIRC

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

I don't have it handy to confirm, but if you have Cities of Harn, I think the definitions for the size, price, and quality ratings are explained there.

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"Corpora lente augescent cito extinguuntur" - Tacitus
Fenhorn's Hârnpage

"So this area is where the master works, and over here are the apprentices."

"Who's the guy in the area over there sprinkling horseradish on his oatmeal?"

"That would be the odd slave."

I was wondering about that.

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"Corpora lente augescent cito extinguuntur" - Tacitus
Fenhorn's Hârnpage

Apparently slaves cannot be kept in numbers divisible by two

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Hmm Gurthang. What a nice name for a sword....

Except for Even Stevens.

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http://www.penultimateharn.com

How do you square 'roots' into this equation?

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Plots and schemes are the same thing..

From my understanding of geometry you cannot put a square root into a round hole

Butter. Works wonders.

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http://www.penultimateharn.com

Master (sometimes plural you see it frequently in canon with Bonded Master Mercantylers in the larger urban areas and other guilds like GoAL (Chantries so probably the most common IMO), Heralds (Colleges), Masons, Miners and the larger Clothier Clans or Organizations), other guild workers and laborers (includes paid (temporary and permanent (Masons and Miners spring to mind and Mercantylers with Men at Arms or Mercenaries)) part of the nature of the Guild structure is a single Master or Masters cannot start churning out bunches of Journeymen because he wants to completely abuse the concept of free labor.

Plus family children up to age 14 or so and possibly older who have not been apprenticed and are not necessarily paid except in room and board with a possible allowance.

There is a reason characters receive those starting family skills )

Guild membership is a privilege not a guarantee. Clan politics even the eldest child and presumed heir might be passed over in favor of a favorite or more popular or promising child. IMO in most P-Harns families will have more than one child apprenticed in the family trade or another if possible and not resource prohibitive. The common guild and other free children are always free to leave at age 13+ in most of the world even if it turns out to be the worst mistake of their life like FFF Odell of Risen.

In the sidebar on pg 2 of the "Inns of Harn" harnquest article there is also a guide to the ratings which is something easier to get than the cities of harn