Plots & PlacesPost your PCs and NPCs for others to reference and enjoy. This is also an alternate location for long-term campaign and plot development. These can be system neutral or relate to any game or system.
I’ve been doing some thinking recently about running my next (possibly 4e) campaign set in a homebrew world, rather than using the World of Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms as I’ve done for most of my games in the last 20 years. So far I’ve written a few notes on the city of Parsantium which would be where the campaign would be based and thought it would be fun to post these here and maybe get some feedback from ENWorlders.
The idea behind the city is that it’s a cultural crossroads, a melting pot. Elements have been ripped shamelessly from history, fantasy fiction and D&D settings. Some of the names are placeholders until I come up with something better; others have been stolen from various sources and might change too.
Parsantium The City at the Crossroads
Metropolis, Conventional, AL LN, 100,000 gp limit, Assets 380,000,000 gp, Population 76,267 (racial mix tbc but includes dwarves, half-orcs, halflings, gnolls; few elves or gnomes)
The Free City of Parsantium stands astride the wide and slow-moving Dolphin Strait where the Griffin Water joins with the Corsairs’ Sea, and is thus at the crossroads of two continents and more importantly, four trade routes. Parsantium and its surrounding countryside and farms is ruled by Basileus (“sovereign”) Corandias XVIII the Lion-Blooded, direct descendent of the famous Batiaran conqueror and mighty general, Corandias I the Magnificent. Corandias’ wife, Thecia, is often referred to by disgruntled citizens as “that scheming enchantress”. The Basilieus is advised by his loyal vizier and wizard Arridaeus, himself a descendent of Corandias the Magnificent’s vizier. The day-to-day administration of the city is delegated to a Prefect, the coldly efficient and uncharismatic Bardas.
The city is divided into three quarters, each governed by a tribune and reporting to Bardas the prefect. The Imperial Quarter is on the north-west side of the strait, the Mercantile Quarter is on a central island, and the Old Quarter is on the southeast side. These quarters are further divided into wards: eleven in total. The layout of the city and the fact that the Batiaran rich tend to live on the northwest side of the strait while the poor (many of Sahasran or Akhrani origin) live on the southeast side makes Parsantium a divided city. This is made worse by restrictions on commoners from the Old Quarter visiting the Imperial Quarter – they need a pass which is only issued for those on “special business”. Unsurprisingly, there is a thriving black market dealing in stolen or forged passes, and many would-be burglars disguise themselves as nobility to sneak into the Imperial Quarter. However, since many of the residents of the Old Quarter are Sahasran in ancestry and therefore darker-skinned than the Batiarans of the Imperial Quarter, some of the guards are known to make racist assumptions about who is a commoner and needs to show a pass.
The basileus’ palace and the Holy Basilica of Pelor are located on the north-west side of the city (the Imperial Quarter) which is also home to the decadent and wealthy noble class. A large coliseum stages chariot races and gladiatorial contests which are very popular amongst rich and poor alike. This part of the city also houses the Great Library and the dwarven district.
The central island (Mercantile Quarter) is home to one of the world’s largest markets: goods arrive here by sea from the Caliphate of Akhran to the south west, from Tiangao to the east overland on the Silk Road, from the city-states of the now-fallen Batiaran Empire to the northwest and from the kingdom of Sahasra across the Pillars of Heaven mountains to the southeast. As you might imagine, almost anything can be obtained here as long as the buyer can afford it. A bronze colossus, 100 feet high, depicting Corandias the Magnificent stands in the centre of the marketplace.
The southeastern part of the city (the Old Quarter) is nearly as cosmopolitan as the market: here there are temples to gods of Sahasra, Akhran and Tiangao, as well as coffee shops and teahouses. Also located here are dojos teaching the fighting traditions of the mountain temples, and the mysterious Esoteric Order of the Blue Lotus (an arcanists’ guild with wu jen and sha’irs as well as wizards and sorcerers as members). This is also where most of the poorer districts and slums can be found, including the homes of the Sahasran poor, half-orcs and gnolls.
Some History
Parsantium was founded in the distant past by Sahasran refugees fleeing through the snow-filled passes of the Pillars of Heaven Mountains to escape the dark empire of Kadar and its fell sorcerors and geomancers. About a thousand years ago it was conquered by Corandias the Magnificent and subsequently grew in importance, becoming a powerful city and trading hub for the region. With Corandias’ death in battle with the fearsome striped centaurs of the Great Grass Sea, his empire was divided up by his opportunistic generals since his son and heir was only three years old. In the centuries that followed, repeated invasions by orcs, hobgoblins and gnolls led to the break up of the Empire. Parsantium itself was sacked several times during this period, before being recaptured from the hands of an infidel humanoid "king" 100 years ago by Corandias XVI the Stubborn. New, very thick, city walls were built, trade opened up to the east with Tingao along the Silk Road and the city’s prosperity increased again.
Architecture
The city, like its inhabitants, is a mixture of styles. In the northwest district, [Batiaran] architecture dominates: there is a lot of marble, and buildings have columned entrances, with pediments and friezes along the top decorated with sculptures. Others are topped with domes and decorated inside with beautiful mosaics. To the southeast, there are shining gold-domed mosques and exotic-looking Sahasran temples covered in colourful painted carvings of gods and heroes. Throughout the city, however, inns tend to be built around courtyards with a cool fountain in the centre and filled with shady palm trees.
Adventure Hooks
Still need come up with these! There will be several dungeons under the city itself, including some ghoul tunnels under the cemetery. The Feyshore Forest is a couple of days travel outside of Parsantium near the Griffin Water and contains some ancient Sahasran ruins… In addition, I am hoping to come up with a bunch of urban adventures tied in to the city and its diverse inhabitants.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 3rd February 2008 at 11:27 AM..
Reason: updated
Okay, I walk into Parsantium. What are the food vendors selling? What does it look like? What's my first impression going to be, good or bad, and what tourist site am I going to want to go see?
(And this is really good. I'm wrestling with some of these issues for my next campaign, so it's fun to see what you've done.)
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Currently editing the 4e War of the Burning Sky adventure path. Support EN Publishing, get excellent modules!
Scotley and I called the districts in our city of Lauralie Summerhome "Wards" for some reason. I guess because that's what they are called in my home city. Anyway, I've never been truly happy with that, but the only term I could think of to replace "wards" is "precincts", which I like even less. "District" or "quarter" are good choices, and, I guess "ward" is good, too. Maybe there's a term out there that's better suited to a fantasy setting, though. But when it's all said and done, it's not the names that you use for the districts, it's the quality of the setting and the vibrancy of the npcs that will make it come to life. Good luck, and Happy Designing!
Okay, I walk into Parsantium. What are the food vendors selling? What does it look like? What's my first impression going to be, good or bad, and what tourist site am I going to want to go see?
(And this is really good. I'm wrestling with some of these issues for my next campaign, so it's fun to see what you've done.)
These are great questions and I need to do some thinking about the answers! Certainly, there will be a noticeable difference in feel if you enter through the south-east rather than the north-west gates. Will have a go at writing some flavour text for each.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Scotley and I called the districts in our city of Lauralie Summerhome "Wards" for some reason. I guess because that's what they are called in my home city. Anyway, I've never been truly happy with that, but the only term I could think of to replace "wards" is "precincts", which I like even less. "District" or "quarter" are good choices, and, I guess "ward" is good, too. Maybe there's a term out there that's better suited to a fantasy setting, though. But when it's all said and done, it's not the names that you use for the districts, it's the quality of the setting and the vibrancy of the npcs that will make it come to life. Good luck, and Happy Designing!
Quarters sounds good, but can you have just three? Maybe I need to divide the bigger northwest district into two halves?
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Quarters sounds good, but can you have just three? Maybe I need to divide the bigger northwest district into two halves?
Cheers
Richard
Yeah, I used to struggle with that same idea. I mean, would that mean that you only have three-fourths of a city?? But then, I changed the definition of "quarter" that I was mentally using, and began to think of a "Quarter" in the sense of "living space" instead of a finite fraction of a whole city. [See, Webster's definition #8a: [a quarter is] "a division or district of a town or city."] On Star Trek, when someone is "confined to quarters", does that mean that they must immediately separate into four pieces of equal size? hehe
Yeah, I used to struggle with that same idea. I mean, would that mean that you only have three-fourths of a city?? But then, I changed the definition of "quarter" that I was mentally using, and began to think of a "Quarter" in the sense of "living space" instead of a finite fraction of a whole city. [See, Webster's definition #8a: [a quarter is] "a division or district of a town or city."] On Star Trek, when someone is "confined to quarters", does that mean that they must immediately separate into four pieces of equal size? hehe
LOL! In that case, the northwest is the Imperial Quarter, the central marketplace is the Mercantile Quarter and the southeast part is the Old Quarter as this was founded first by the Sahasrans fleeing the sorcerors of Kadar. I also need to name the two city gates - these could be named after heroes of the city.
Some other thoughts:
- the inhabitants of each quarter of the city support their own chariot-racing team: the Blues, Greens & Whites. This is a bit like Celtic & Rangers in Glasgow or AS Roma & Lazio in Rome - each team's supporters share religious, political and/or cultural affiliations.
- street food includes kebabs on skewers, squab-on-a-stick, cheese pastres, thick hunks of bread smeared with tomato paste and olive oil and stuffed vine leaves
- the south-east gate is a chaotic jumble of camels, bullock-drawn carts, crippled beggars, snake charmers and eunuch/transvestite hustlers. By contrast, the north-west gate is much more peaceful and organised. What few beggars (mostly kids) are chased away by the guards whenever a noble is carried past on her palanquin.
- outside the coffee shops, old men sit grumbling about business, smoking sheeshah and playing backgammon.
- one of the most popular spots in the Old Quarter with both visitors and resident young lovers is the white marble Garden Mausoleum of Hulieman -- a beautiful domed building set in tree-lined grounds which survived several attacks on the city and now serves as a public park.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 29th December 2007 at 11:16 AM..
Merchants visiting the city invariably make their way to the Caravanserai a low stone wall enclosing an extensive courtyard where merchants and visitors can raise their tents and pavilions. Here the smell of coffee and spices mingles with the dung of camels, horses and even bullocks being housed, feed and watered for the night. Picking your way towards the large guest house at the far end of the courtyard you ...
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by IcyCool
Man, given the average Int of an Otyugh, I can just see the boss monologue now...
PCs: "Before we fight, why don't you tell us your master plan?"
Otyugh: "I like poop."
PCs: "Umm, what?"
Otyugh: "Do you have poop?"
Merchants visiting the city invariably make their way to the Caravanserai a low stone wall enclosing an extensive courtyard where merchants and visitors can raise their tents and pavilions. Here the smell of coffee and spices mingles with the dung of camels, horses and even bullocks being housed, feed and watered for the night. Picking your way towards the large guest house at the far end of the courtyard you ...
Good point - I'll incorporate a caravanserai near the SE gate in the Old Quarter.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
- the inhabitants of each quarter of the city support their own chariot-racing team: the Blues, Greens & Whites. This is a bit like Celtic & Rangers in Glasgow or AS Roma & Lazio in Rome - each team's supporters share religious, political and/or cultural affiliations.
To be more realistic, you'll want more teams than just 3. A good example is the famous Palio in Siena, Italy.
One option is to split each neighborhood up into three sections, giving you nine teams. Another option is to have each deity's temple sponsor a team. But intra- and inter-neighborhood rivalries are a GREAT source of adventures.
Either way, this is really fun. I did something similar in Eversink, where each merchant house sponsored a boat in a race through the canals.
__________________ - Piratecat, EN World Admin
Currently editing the 4e War of the Burning Sky adventure path. Support EN Publishing, get excellent modules!
Quarters sounds good, but can you have just three? Maybe I need to divide the bigger northwest district into two halves?
My rule? Don't have more than the players can remember, and have them all be noticeably different. I wouldn't go higher than five.
__________________ - Piratecat, EN World Admin
Currently editing the 4e War of the Burning Sky adventure path. Support EN Publishing, get excellent modules!
Quarters sounds good, but can you have just three? Maybe I need to divide the bigger northwest district into two halves?
You could come up with something unique to the city. And if you have just three "wards" you could try using a word like "triad" to describe each distinct area. This would work well if each triad is also divided into three distinct subdivisions, as suggested by P'Cat.
If Parsantium has any planar connections then I'd suggest having portals that lead directly to Sigil. IMO, a city with three "wards" with three "subdivisions" would gain some planar notoriety with Planars who hold true to the ideals of the "Rule of Threes" (a Planescape concept).
Just some suggestions...
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D&D v.3.5, d20 Modern, OSRIC, Pathfinder, True20... OGL Forever! Walk the Road
Avatar by Sialia
"The Rule of Three (also threefold law or law of return) is a tenet of Wicca. claiming that whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times."
The city could be a "mecca" for witches, both good and evil. A place where magical energies converge.
__________________ Robert Blezard I write; therefore, I am!
D&D v.3.5, d20 Modern, OSRIC, Pathfinder, True20... OGL Forever! Walk the Road
Avatar by Sialia
To be more realistic, you'll want more teams than just 3. A good example is the famous Palio in Siena, Italy.
One option is to split each neighborhood up into three sections, giving you nine teams. Another option is to have each deity's temple sponsor a team. But intra- and inter-neighborhood rivalries are a GREAT source of adventures.
Either way, this is really fun. I did something similar in Eversink, where each merchant house sponsored a boat in a race through the canals.
Fair point about the number of teams. I think the sponsors should be a mixture of temples and important individuals (nobles, merchant leaders). Not all temples and faiths would be interested in sports and gambling. I'm definitely looking for this rivalry to lead to an adventure or two.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 30th December 2007 at 12:06 AM..
You could come up with something unique to the city. And if you have just three "wards" you could try using a word like "triad" to describe each distinct area. This would work well if each triad is also divided into three distinct subdivisions, as suggested by P'Cat.
If Parsantium has any planar connections then I'd suggest having portals that lead directly to Sigil. IMO, a city with three "wards" with three "subdivisions" would gain some planar notoriety with Planars who hold true to the ideals of the "Rule of Threes" (a Planescape concept).
Just some suggestions...
Thanks for your ideas! I might go with something like triads if I end up with less than four quarters, but I'm thinking I will probably have four or five distinct areas: two on each side of the river with the Mercantile Quarter in the centre.
I love Planescape and Sigil but I'm not thinking about planar connections at this stage. There might end up being a connection to the City of Brass though.... I have that boxed set and it's really good.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
IMC Bishnagar is the Trade crossroads and is ruled by a Dragon
It is made up of 3 Circles The Low Circle is divided into the 5 Low Districts including the Docks, Rivergate, High gate, The Judges Gate and the Lows (a slum technically outside the city walls via Rivergate), The Second Circle includes the Merchants District and Guild holdings(overlooking Judges Gate), the Verdancy (Public Parks & Gardens overlooking Rivergate) and the Temples District (overlooking High gate) The Judges District is the top circle and includes the Royal Palace, the Manors of nobles (called High Judges in Bishnagar) and the Grand Library and Academy. The Judges Circle is enclosed by a wall and its gates are guarded
Merchants enter via the Judges Gate where authorised Low Judges (ie Sheriffs) take account of their goods and apply the appropriate tarrifs (from here most then head to a Caravanserai or a Guild house as appropriate). Market Judges are also stationed in the Markets to witness any agreements, sign Credit Notes (called Dragon Marks)and adjudicate any disagreements and generally to apply 'the Dragons Law'
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by IcyCool
Man, given the average Int of an Otyugh, I can just see the boss monologue now...
PCs: "Before we fight, why don't you tell us your master plan?"
Otyugh: "I like poop."
PCs: "Umm, what?"
Otyugh: "Do you have poop?"
Couple of quick thoughts. Since you have the two major bridges linking the center to the two shores have you thought of whether they are simply conveyances/choke points or if they have houses and such built into them? Also, how fast moving is the river at this point? Something I've used in the past is a floating 'Sanctuary-type' area. Basically old boats and unused docks with more and more added until it becomes its own portion of the town. In my game it arose because of space considerations in the city and due to a quirk in the zoning laws you dodged certain taxes by not being 'on land'. Gave the poor area of town a different feel (and made PCs very nervous about wearing metal armor!).
Couple of quick thoughts. Since you have the two major bridges linking the center to the two shores have you thought of whether they are simply conveyances/choke points or if they have houses and such built into them? Also, how fast moving is the river at this point? Something I've used in the past is a floating 'Sanctuary-type' area. Basically old boats and unused docks with more and more added until it becomes its own portion of the town. In my game it arose because of space considerations in the city and due to a quirk in the zoning laws you dodged certain taxes by not being 'on land'. Gave the poor area of town a different feel (and made PCs very nervous about wearing metal armor!).
Good question about the bridges: there will probably be food stalls and such-like along each bridge but I didn't imagine houses built into them. There could be apartment blocks lining each side with an arcade and small shops beneath? Maybe this is only on the southeast bridge and the northwest one is grander and lined with sculptures of past rulers? Made out of copper, these have turned green with age.
The river is actually the Dolphin Strait, a bit like the Bosphorus so wide and slow-moving. There would be a fair amount of river traffic though and I like the idea about disused docks and houseboats. Should be room for somewhere like this in the Old Quarter, near the poor district. Maybe new docks were built in the Imperial Quarter and merchants arriving by sea from [Zakhara] started to use these instead, making the divide between two halves of the city even worse?
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 30th December 2007 at 11:44 AM..
IMC Bishnagar is the Trade crossroads and is ruled by a Dragon
It is made up of 3 Circles The Low Circle is divided into the 5 Low Districts including the Docks, Rivergate, High gate, The Judges Gate and the Lows (a slum technically outside the city walls via Rivergate), The Second Circle includes the Merchants District and Guild holdings(overlooking Judges Gate), the Verdancy (Public Parks & Gardens overlooking Rivergate) and the Temples District (overlooking High gate) The Judges District is the top circle and includes the Royal Palace, the Manors of nobles (called High Judges in Bishnagar) and the Grand Library and Academy. The Judges Circle is enclosed by a wall and its gates are guarded
Merchants enter via the Judges Gate where authorised Low Judges (ie Sheriffs) take account of their goods and apply the appropriate tarrifs (from here most then head to a Caravanserai or a Guild house as appropriate). Market Judges are also stationed in the Markets to witness any agreements, sign Credit Notes (called Dragon Marks)and adjudicate any disagreements and generally to apply 'the Dragons Law'
Thanks for this -- need to think about tariffs and so on. I like your judges.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
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