Notes for a New Campaign City, Parsantium
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
Now you've got me inspired to design In Detail a new city for my world.
Is it allright if I post it here for comments, or should I start a new thread?
Orginal paragraph (from pbp game)
[sblock]
Laviner is an ancient city built by humans, but sacked by the goblin hordes in the years following 0 AC. It was retaken from the goblin hordes in 320 AC by a race of sandy-skinned humans called the Cricks. They are supposed to avoid alcohol, sensuality and displays of wealth, but this gets more lip service than practice. It has strong new walls and good river trade, but controls little territory. Their homeland is far to the east, and there is little contact with it.
[addtional info] In 400 AC the South Denumbrians [europeans, core gods] arrived. They drove the goblin hordes completely from the area and allied with the Criks. In the years from 400-608 they have created a low-density feudal kingdom directly east of the city of Laviner.
[/sblock]
So far I have about 2 pages of stuff, and 3 photos for insperation.
I was also inspired by a suggestion to write up a list of base classes roll 8 times, and choose a few extra to fill gaps, then only allow those classes. In my case I decided to allow any class, but make the random classes the key players in the city.
Classes: Cloistered Cleric(UA var.), Paladin, Psi-warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Thug (UA var.) Wizard, Warlock.
Is it allright if I post it here for comments, or should I start a new thread?
Orginal paragraph (from pbp game)
[sblock]
Laviner is an ancient city built by humans, but sacked by the goblin hordes in the years following 0 AC. It was retaken from the goblin hordes in 320 AC by a race of sandy-skinned humans called the Cricks. They are supposed to avoid alcohol, sensuality and displays of wealth, but this gets more lip service than practice. It has strong new walls and good river trade, but controls little territory. Their homeland is far to the east, and there is little contact with it.
[addtional info] In 400 AC the South Denumbrians [europeans, core gods] arrived. They drove the goblin hordes completely from the area and allied with the Criks. In the years from 400-608 they have created a low-density feudal kingdom directly east of the city of Laviner.
[/sblock]
So far I have about 2 pages of stuff, and 3 photos for insperation.
I was also inspired by a suggestion to write up a list of base classes roll 8 times, and choose a few extra to fill gaps, then only allow those classes. In my case I decided to allow any class, but make the random classes the key players in the city.
Classes: Cloistered Cleric(UA var.), Paladin, Psi-warrior, Ranger, Rogue, Thug (UA var.) Wizard, Warlock.
Last edited:
RichGreen
Adventurer
Tonguez said:
Hi,
Thanks for these suggestions. I like Qahira, but my wife (who will be playing in the campaign) thinks it's too recognisable as Cairo which we've been to. I might try playing around with the syllables.
UPDATE: I've decided on the Caliphate of Akhran - name stolen from a old novel by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman.
Cheers
Richard
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Evilhalfling
Adventurer
RichGreen said:
Okay, ill post a link to it when it gets going.
Back to Parsantium:
What are your dwarves like? do they have their own ward? why are they living here?
Do the half-orcs and gnolls get along or compete for the Dock/Bully work?
Does the city have any regular celebrations? Feast days, carnivals, Holy weeks?
If so, are any not marked by chariot races?
How do the other gods fair in the shadow of Pelor's basillica?
Leif
Adventurer
Half-Orcs
Say, that brings up an interesting question regarding half-orcs: Since half-orcs, by definition have one parent who's an orc and one who is something else (presumably many of these are humans, but I guess there's no guarantee of that, is there?) how do they even have their own racial identity? It seems like 99.9% of half-orcs would be trying to live and get along in either orc society or human society. Some might even travel back and forth between the two with relative ease. This is someting that I've also been using in my campaign with Scotley, and we've created a very interesting npc half-orc. Our party acts like they almost even like him sometimes.Evilhalfling said:
RichGreen
Adventurer
Non-humans & festivals
Hi,
Good questions from Evilhalfling and Leif! Some notes on the non-humans:
Dwarves
Parsantium' dwarves are going to be like the dwarves of Eberron (a setting I've never used but own). They are natural miners and smiths as in core D&D, but mint coinage, operate banks, issue letters of credit, hold loans and collect debts. Their homeland is a mountainous area several hundred miles to the west of Parsantium but they live throughout the city-states and towns of the fallen Batiaran Empire. There is a dwarven district in the Imperial Quarter.
Half-Orcs
Definitely third-class citizens, forming an underclass. However, Parsantium's half-orcs have formed their own community and are trying their hardest to become accepted by the rest of the city. Unlike their warlike orcish ancestors, they are typically honest, clean-living, hard-working and peaceful. They perform manual labour and do the "unclean" jobs that the Sahasrans can't do. Orcish is never spoken (although most know the language) and orcish writings are kept out of half-orc homes. Half-orcs worship the gods of the Akhrani Pantheon.
Gnolls
Gnolls are also part of the city's underclass but whereas the half-orcs strive to become respectable, the gnolls stay true to their savage heritage, finding employment as hired enforcers, bodyguards, bouncers and thugs, becoming involved in crime or both. Parsantium's gnolls are neutral evil, rather than chaotic evil in alignment.
As for festivals, I need to come up with some so any suggestions gratefully received! There will definitely be a celebration on the anniversary of Corandias the Stubborn's successful Crusade and this will be marked with the biggest chariot race of the year, but I think some of the other festivals should be different.
Haven't nailed down the gods yet either. Pelor is the dominant Batiaran god, but Bahamut is also worshipped widely, particularly among knights and paladins. Which other 3.5 core/4e gods would fit?
In the Old Quarter, the Sahasrans follow the Indian/Vedic gods. The Akhrani (Arabian) Pantheon will also have adherents here -- I'm planning on using the Al-Qadim gods for these. There will also be one or two temples to the god(s) of Tingao. What do you think?
Richard
Hi,
Good questions from Evilhalfling and Leif! Some notes on the non-humans:
Dwarves
Parsantium' dwarves are going to be like the dwarves of Eberron (a setting I've never used but own). They are natural miners and smiths as in core D&D, but mint coinage, operate banks, issue letters of credit, hold loans and collect debts. Their homeland is a mountainous area several hundred miles to the west of Parsantium but they live throughout the city-states and towns of the fallen Batiaran Empire. There is a dwarven district in the Imperial Quarter.
Half-Orcs
Definitely third-class citizens, forming an underclass. However, Parsantium's half-orcs have formed their own community and are trying their hardest to become accepted by the rest of the city. Unlike their warlike orcish ancestors, they are typically honest, clean-living, hard-working and peaceful. They perform manual labour and do the "unclean" jobs that the Sahasrans can't do. Orcish is never spoken (although most know the language) and orcish writings are kept out of half-orc homes. Half-orcs worship the gods of the Akhrani Pantheon.
Gnolls
Gnolls are also part of the city's underclass but whereas the half-orcs strive to become respectable, the gnolls stay true to their savage heritage, finding employment as hired enforcers, bodyguards, bouncers and thugs, becoming involved in crime or both. Parsantium's gnolls are neutral evil, rather than chaotic evil in alignment.
As for festivals, I need to come up with some so any suggestions gratefully received! There will definitely be a celebration on the anniversary of Corandias the Stubborn's successful Crusade and this will be marked with the biggest chariot race of the year, but I think some of the other festivals should be different.
Haven't nailed down the gods yet either. Pelor is the dominant Batiaran god, but Bahamut is also worshipped widely, particularly among knights and paladins. Which other 3.5 core/4e gods would fit?
In the Old Quarter, the Sahasrans follow the Indian/Vedic gods. The Akhrani (Arabian) Pantheon will also have adherents here -- I'm planning on using the Al-Qadim gods for these. There will also be one or two temples to the god(s) of Tingao. What do you think?
Richard
Last edited:
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