50 fantastical cities (or How writers block sunk my campaign world)

[Sir Whiskers]

Given that your world is monotheistic, how about two cities from history:

10) City Name: Byzantium
Hook: City is surrounded on three sides by water, all sides covered by the greatest defensive walls in the world. It has existed for at least a thousand years, ruled by its Emperor, who is also the head of the church. The city's Patriarch is appointed by the Basileus (emperor) as the organizational leader of the church, but often the Patriarch opposes the basileus in political and spiritual matters. Is known for its machiavellian politics (including the occasional coup) and its manipulation of its enemies (bribes, assassination, etc). Has a small army of superb troops (especially heavy cavalry), hiring mercenaries as needed for larger campaigns. Is involved in on-again, off-again conflict with its sister city, Rome, due to a religious schism.

11) City Name: Rome
Hook: City was built on/around seven large hills, with a canal leading to its major port. Is home to the premier infantry armies of the world. It is ruled by a Senate composed entirely of its wealthier citizens, though the lower classes are beginning to demand representation (Tribunes). The church in Rome is headed by a pontiff who sees himself as head of all churches in the world.

Just change the names to suit your campaign.

 

[BluWolf]

Gray Iguana

Great idea!!! Horrific in its implications!!!!!!

To answer some of Furn's questions:

Whay do they want more people??

They are running out of people to take care of. They are rationalising an Asimovian style law that requirers them to follow this rule to take care of people.

What are they doing with the ones they have??

Making them incredivly obese and slowly driving them mad!!

Could you imagine being born into a world were you are fed, entertained, bathed and cared for with out EVER having to raise a finger??? Were you were not ALLOWED to do anyting? Its like a slightly skewed version of the matrix but instead of being a meat battery in a tub you are being pampered to death.

A city full of drolling obese social invalids with the no reason to care about anything.

What a saditic funny farm.

Now all we need is a reason for the palce to still exist and why some one would ever want to go there??

I mean the plaec would have to have or produce something of value to the rest of the world so as to not be compeletly isolated or conquerred???

I guess they could be the one source of new advance constructs or the a place that still unerstands the whole half golem template??

 

[Falcmir]

Quick one off the top of my head

City name: Meromalem
Hook: City of religious fanatics everyone and everything is dressed up in the same religious clothing they let visitors into the city to trade but any visitors face constant indoctrination sermons.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

A city full of drolling obese social invalids with the no reason to care about anything.

Interesting- they would also be sealed into their rooms. The automotons learned long ago that interaction causes strife and strife causes unhappiness.

That is why the population is now dropping, and they have chosen to become a lure.

Now all we need is a reason for the palce to still exist and why some one would ever want to go there??

Well, the original creators wanted to be left alone- they had magic wardings that sealed the entrance to the valley where the city lies. The automotons know how to open/close it.

Why? hmm. One of the automoton leaders use to be the teacher of the young- it knows all the stories of heroics. They kidnap the leader of a trade caravan and let the others run to report the ambush. The know heroes will come to save them, and when those heroes fail- other heroes will come.

I mean the plaec would have to have or produce something of value to the rest of the world so as to not be compeletly isolated or conquerred???

The original creators would sell the magic items made by their students- in exchange for the silks, rare foods, and whatever else the passing merchants would bring.

Once they made the automotons, they released a by-product of their operation was that the grease used in them would becoming enchanted to permanetly be under a light spell.

They had begun to use bottle the glowing goo and sell it to merchants- who would sell it to cities. Most of the nearby cities have street lights, and the automotons now carry on this trade to have those silks, rare foods, and other things that make people happy.

Just some ideas..

FD

 

[Sarellion]

Eternity

A construct city which is offering human beings immortality and curing of disesases, by making them constructs themselves.


Trade Centre

A trade city where all people are welcomed and can bargain with other people. Most gates to these city still function and they are opening gate enclaves in all cities they meet, but you can only travel to your own city, so they can keep the monopol.

Atlantis

A simple island city with concentric rings of land and sea. They are expansionists.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

They are expansionists.

I thought the term was horizontally-challenged.. or Gladularly-challenged. I just say they have a big belly.

FD

 

[Crowe9107]

City: Va-Slasol
Hook: Once a mighty and powerful city, it was hit by a prototype Necron Bomb in the Sundering. Now, the once-proud city glows an eerie blue at night and the chilling wails of the undead can be heard.

City: Forsevenfor
Hook: An ancient automaton factory (Plant 474) contains an awakened hive like intelligence and is cranking out legions of robot soldiers bent on total world domination and the eradication of all organic life (cliche, but everybody needs one).

City: Cowpens
Hook: Once the community dump for several cities, Cowpens has turned into a mecca for low-class crafty scavengers and skilled technicians.

 

[BluWolf]

Eternity

A construct city which is offering human beings immortality and curing of disesases, by making them constructs themselves.

I like this appraoch a little better. Nice spin. We can keep the human populace involved and a little mad but keep the "machines" in control in the background.

Need to make sure this doesn't come out as D&D Borg!! But I like it.

Lets call it the city of Ghuma.

By the way, does anyone know where I can find info on Half-golems and whether or not there is a conversion for the Sheens from Dragon magazine?

Trade Centre

A trade city where all people are welcomed and can bargain with other people. Most gates to these city still function and they are opening gate enclaves in all cities they meet, but you can only travel to your own city, so they can keep the monopol.

This one doesn't quite work because the old portal system is in shambles and is largely forgotten by most people of the world. It is also KEPT secret by the Transportation Guild. For good reason.

I also envision a few of these sorts of cities spread out along trade routes between the 50 various cities.

 

[BluWolf]

City: Va-Slasol
Hook: Once a mighty and powerful city, it was hit by a prototype Necron Bomb in the Sundering. Now, the once-proud city glows an eerie blue at night and the chilling wails of the undead can be heard.

This works because I want to keep a few of the cities "unclaimed". While all the cities have verious dangerous aspects, I want a few of them to be completley uninhabited by "civilised" people. Sort of a lost remnant cities group.

Can you think of anything that might be worth hiding in Va-Slasol that people might want. I mean other than XP and random treasure?

 

[Nightfall]

1 Sumaratin, City of Bodily perfection: Here cultist to the god/goddess of physical beauty and perfection live. They shun all those that are less than perfect and hope one day to ascend to immortality. Thus there's a growing cult of necromancers also working, kind of like plastic surgeons, to build up the city.

2. Aumiro, City of Blistering Light. This city has lots of mirrors, since they live inside a mountain and they collect sunlight through a main mirror. They cultists devoted to a forgotten sun god.

3. Falstaff, City in the Forest. Gnome contrusted city where most everyone lives either in trees or inside them.