VolitionReceptacle
Villager
So I recently was reading through my Dragonstar books and was inspired by the setting to write up an adventure setting of my own design.
Some guidelines I generally followed when writing this setting (inspired by the Dragonstar campaign material in the Guide to the Galaxy, as well as other settings, including my own personal settings) are as follows:
-high sci-fi and high fantasy inextricably mixed
-multiculturalism
-advancement not necessarily being linked with higher happiness
-optimism in the face of pessimism.
Thus, without further ado, I introduce you to:
Kaddastrei, the Renewed Heart of Kaddas
Overview
The city of Kaddastrei, in the nation of Kaddas (yes, this is the generic "capital fantasy city" from 3.0 Cityscape) on the world of Kadesto, formerly just another Dragon Empire colony, has quickly risen in significance in the local galactic community as the newest world to join the Alliance of the Free Worlds.
Kaddastrei has had a long history, blessed with glory and prosperity as well as fraught with shame and poverty, even before the arrival of the Dragon Empire or the Alliance of the Free Worlds. Built by the ancient Kadeian empire as the capital of Kabesto's first united continental empire, Kaddastrei (and Kaddas) remained important even through the fall of this empire, retaining a high level of civilization (relatively speaking of course) and constituting a major power in Kadesto nonetheless, even through the Sundering, a global catastrophe that inflicted great troubles on Kadesto. Indeed, the city itself became known for its highly cosmopolitan and accepting nature, becoming a standard for goodness and tolerance throughout many nations. However, despite this, evil still existed and often was tolerated throughout Kaddastrei. Slavery was never abolished in Kaddas, and Kaddastrei had a slave quarter where that merchandise was often traded. In addition, there existed sometimes crushing poverty and socioeconomic disparity in Kaddastrei, despite its outward appearance of civility and classical elegance.
When the Dragon Empire arrived, all Kadesto quickly fell under its sway. Kaddas was no exception; in fact, the first Imperial enclave to be erected on the planet encompassed most of the central areas of Kaddastrei, with the palace complex requisitioned for the Imperial governor, and the rest of the now "old city" being sectioned off by imposing walls. Certainly, it was a time of great upheaval, with kings and nobles disenfranchised as easily as beggars.
With the Alliance of the Free Worlds' arrival, and the subsequent war and fragmentation of the Dragon Empire, Kaddastrei now sees new life as people all over Kadesto (and many not from the world at all) move to Kaddastrei to seek their fortunes, tour, or simply reside in what is now deemed the renewed heart of Kaddas.
Still, despite the world's renaissance, so to speak, Kaddastrei remains a hotbed of intrigue, where many things (not all of them good) are possible. If anything is for certain, though, it is that it is a place where heroes and villains may shape the legacy of the world, and possibly even beyond.
Architecture and Layout
Kaddestrei was initially constructed in a classical style, with marble columns, parks, and impressive monuments throughout the city. The official portions of the city were built to be showcases of the prosperity of Kaddas, incorporating many marble structures, as well as sweeping arches and tall buildings and spires with the flag of Kaddas at the top of each one. The palace complex at the center of the city comprised a small settlement in and of itself, incorporating not only the king's opulent living quarters, but also a garrison of royal troops, the city's governmental offices, and a magical laboratory. The city's upper, middle class and poor classes, and the facilities supporting them, radiated outwards from the center of the city, connected by well-kept roads which were particularly wide for their level of advancement.
After the Dragon Empire's invasion, the entirety of the central rings of Kaddastrei were sectioned off by Imperial walls and deemed the first Imperial Enclave on the world. The rest of the city was deported to temporary holding camps, as was the usual for such an operation, and when restored, were mainly left to survive on their own, which was actually not an impossible task due to their inhabitants (mainly the lower classes) pre-existing habits of self-sufficiency as well as the pre-existing supply lines from the city's outlying farms and the survival rations issued sporadically by the Imperials. In any case, the city center of Kaddastrei became the most prosperous part of the planet, and the rest of the city quickly became developed as well, to varying degrees and anachronistic ways that persist even throughout the war to the present (it is still not uncommon to see a member of a local militia carrying a jury-rigged radio communicator in their chainmail helm, and hanging a pistol next to a archaic longsword, eating street food from a stand dating from the city's first days).
During the war, Kaddastrei itself became the target of much fighting, from orbital battles to Alliance forces battling in the streets to take the Imperial enclave. After the loss and fragmentation of the Dragon Empire, the half of the houses of Qesemet and Asamet joined the Alliance, out of a combination of approval at their goals and self-preservation respectively. The other half of the houses scattered themselves across the myriad polities of the galaxy, with many Asamet expatriates being drawn to the Stellar Imperium. The forces of the former Dragon Empire, mainly Qesemet, that remained on Kadesto quickly set to work with the Alliance to remove the oppressive policies put in place while Asamet was running the Dragon Empire, as well as numerous rebuilding initiatives to repair the damage wrought to the city during the war.
Today, Kaddastrei's future looks much brighter. The rebuilt portions of the city are mainly comprised of well built and (comparatively) luxurious living conditions and public and private facilities and businesses. The city itself still retains much of its classical architecture and charm, as well as many of the developments incorporated under the Dragon Empire. The city center of Kaddastrei still remains delineated from the rest of the city, as the governmental portion of the city, but is open to all who seek to enter it's public areas now. In general, the city itself still obviously sports much more advanced science (both in terms of magic and technology) in the city's center, and thus wealth, than the outer portions of the city, which are more reminiscent of a High Industrial (read: Cyberpunk) level of advancement mixed with antique Classical themes. Kaddastrei also gained many new residents, as people from on Kadesto and off it came to the city to live, thus reaffirming Kaddastrei's status as a truly multicultural metropolis. In addition to this, many off world corporations and factions have come to set up shop in Kaddastrei.
Despite the new world order, Kaddastrei is still very much a city trying to cope with its new realities, and deciding on how to mature. Rumors of radical factions associated with Asamet and their attempts to disrupt the world's renaissance by striking at the city persist, as do pre-existing criminal activities (the many thieves' guilds of Kaddastrei adapted very well to the initial Imperial takeover) and social injustice. Corruption present in the newly arriving corporations, some of which are more legitimate than others, also poses a possible problem. In short, Kaddastrei is a place where heroes and villains are present in no small number, and which will likely attract many more who seek to alter the fate of a world.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to any input you have in terms of discussion or adventure ideas, or your own settings!
Some guidelines I generally followed when writing this setting (inspired by the Dragonstar campaign material in the Guide to the Galaxy, as well as other settings, including my own personal settings) are as follows:
-high sci-fi and high fantasy inextricably mixed
-multiculturalism
-advancement not necessarily being linked with higher happiness
-optimism in the face of pessimism.
Thus, without further ado, I introduce you to:
Kaddastrei, the Renewed Heart of Kaddas
Overview
The city of Kaddastrei, in the nation of Kaddas (yes, this is the generic "capital fantasy city" from 3.0 Cityscape) on the world of Kadesto, formerly just another Dragon Empire colony, has quickly risen in significance in the local galactic community as the newest world to join the Alliance of the Free Worlds.
Kaddastrei has had a long history, blessed with glory and prosperity as well as fraught with shame and poverty, even before the arrival of the Dragon Empire or the Alliance of the Free Worlds. Built by the ancient Kadeian empire as the capital of Kabesto's first united continental empire, Kaddastrei (and Kaddas) remained important even through the fall of this empire, retaining a high level of civilization (relatively speaking of course) and constituting a major power in Kadesto nonetheless, even through the Sundering, a global catastrophe that inflicted great troubles on Kadesto. Indeed, the city itself became known for its highly cosmopolitan and accepting nature, becoming a standard for goodness and tolerance throughout many nations. However, despite this, evil still existed and often was tolerated throughout Kaddastrei. Slavery was never abolished in Kaddas, and Kaddastrei had a slave quarter where that merchandise was often traded. In addition, there existed sometimes crushing poverty and socioeconomic disparity in Kaddastrei, despite its outward appearance of civility and classical elegance.
When the Dragon Empire arrived, all Kadesto quickly fell under its sway. Kaddas was no exception; in fact, the first Imperial enclave to be erected on the planet encompassed most of the central areas of Kaddastrei, with the palace complex requisitioned for the Imperial governor, and the rest of the now "old city" being sectioned off by imposing walls. Certainly, it was a time of great upheaval, with kings and nobles disenfranchised as easily as beggars.
With the Alliance of the Free Worlds' arrival, and the subsequent war and fragmentation of the Dragon Empire, Kaddastrei now sees new life as people all over Kadesto (and many not from the world at all) move to Kaddastrei to seek their fortunes, tour, or simply reside in what is now deemed the renewed heart of Kaddas.
Still, despite the world's renaissance, so to speak, Kaddastrei remains a hotbed of intrigue, where many things (not all of them good) are possible. If anything is for certain, though, it is that it is a place where heroes and villains may shape the legacy of the world, and possibly even beyond.
Architecture and Layout
Kaddestrei was initially constructed in a classical style, with marble columns, parks, and impressive monuments throughout the city. The official portions of the city were built to be showcases of the prosperity of Kaddas, incorporating many marble structures, as well as sweeping arches and tall buildings and spires with the flag of Kaddas at the top of each one. The palace complex at the center of the city comprised a small settlement in and of itself, incorporating not only the king's opulent living quarters, but also a garrison of royal troops, the city's governmental offices, and a magical laboratory. The city's upper, middle class and poor classes, and the facilities supporting them, radiated outwards from the center of the city, connected by well-kept roads which were particularly wide for their level of advancement.
After the Dragon Empire's invasion, the entirety of the central rings of Kaddastrei were sectioned off by Imperial walls and deemed the first Imperial Enclave on the world. The rest of the city was deported to temporary holding camps, as was the usual for such an operation, and when restored, were mainly left to survive on their own, which was actually not an impossible task due to their inhabitants (mainly the lower classes) pre-existing habits of self-sufficiency as well as the pre-existing supply lines from the city's outlying farms and the survival rations issued sporadically by the Imperials. In any case, the city center of Kaddastrei became the most prosperous part of the planet, and the rest of the city quickly became developed as well, to varying degrees and anachronistic ways that persist even throughout the war to the present (it is still not uncommon to see a member of a local militia carrying a jury-rigged radio communicator in their chainmail helm, and hanging a pistol next to a archaic longsword, eating street food from a stand dating from the city's first days).
During the war, Kaddastrei itself became the target of much fighting, from orbital battles to Alliance forces battling in the streets to take the Imperial enclave. After the loss and fragmentation of the Dragon Empire, the half of the houses of Qesemet and Asamet joined the Alliance, out of a combination of approval at their goals and self-preservation respectively. The other half of the houses scattered themselves across the myriad polities of the galaxy, with many Asamet expatriates being drawn to the Stellar Imperium. The forces of the former Dragon Empire, mainly Qesemet, that remained on Kadesto quickly set to work with the Alliance to remove the oppressive policies put in place while Asamet was running the Dragon Empire, as well as numerous rebuilding initiatives to repair the damage wrought to the city during the war.
Today, Kaddastrei's future looks much brighter. The rebuilt portions of the city are mainly comprised of well built and (comparatively) luxurious living conditions and public and private facilities and businesses. The city itself still retains much of its classical architecture and charm, as well as many of the developments incorporated under the Dragon Empire. The city center of Kaddastrei still remains delineated from the rest of the city, as the governmental portion of the city, but is open to all who seek to enter it's public areas now. In general, the city itself still obviously sports much more advanced science (both in terms of magic and technology) in the city's center, and thus wealth, than the outer portions of the city, which are more reminiscent of a High Industrial (read: Cyberpunk) level of advancement mixed with antique Classical themes. Kaddastrei also gained many new residents, as people from on Kadesto and off it came to the city to live, thus reaffirming Kaddastrei's status as a truly multicultural metropolis. In addition to this, many off world corporations and factions have come to set up shop in Kaddastrei.
Despite the new world order, Kaddastrei is still very much a city trying to cope with its new realities, and deciding on how to mature. Rumors of radical factions associated with Asamet and their attempts to disrupt the world's renaissance by striking at the city persist, as do pre-existing criminal activities (the many thieves' guilds of Kaddastrei adapted very well to the initial Imperial takeover) and social injustice. Corruption present in the newly arriving corporations, some of which are more legitimate than others, also poses a possible problem. In short, Kaddastrei is a place where heroes and villains are present in no small number, and which will likely attract many more who seek to alter the fate of a world.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to any input you have in terms of discussion or adventure ideas, or your own settings!
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