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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 6193698" data-attributes="member: 16586">I recently purchased Numenera and it really set fire to my imagination, particularly Shallamas, the City of Echoes. As the entry was rather short, but fertile I was hoping I could get some help expanding Shallamas, particularly its underground elements.Basic SetupThe PCs are all foreigners to the wealthy nation of Navarene. They have come to the port city seeking something (a new beginning in a foreign land, work where opportunity is plentiful, research fellowships), but were unable to secure the necessary paperwork to count as legitimate persons. Not being able to find legitimate work they have fallen prey to the temptations of a life of crime. At the start of the game they have found each other, laid claim to an abandoned pub in the Western market of the city, and are currently functioning as a low level street gang on their way up. Of course there is a wrinkle - in Shallamas from time to time the past comes to life and is admissible as evidence.Another wrinkle: A group of street kids (also nonpersons) has also taken up residence at the same abandoned bar as the PCs. It will be up to the players how they want to treat the kids - at the start of play I'm going to ask each of my players to define one of the kids who has a connection with their PC.Elevator PitchYour whole life has been an echo - an echo of a better life just beyond your grasp. Something in your past has always held you back from greatness. Now you have made your way to Shallamas, the great trade city of the Navarene to make your fortune.  Navarene merchants might be among the richest free men in The Steadfast, but they had no interest in what you were selling. Still, you saw opportunity.  You fell in with other lost souls and began to take what the Navarene merchants would not give. How long can it last though? Can you avoid the lingering remnants of your former life in a city where history is as vibrant and alive as the present? How can you escape the past in the City of Echoes?Notable Features of The City of Echoes:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The past lives. In Shallamas visages of the past year appear in stunning detail. These echoes have never been proven to bear false witness. This is an amazing framing device, but should be used sparingly so it doesn't lose its power as a story element.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Easy to get lost in. The official population is listed at 80,000 people. In my version there will be a sizeable number of intransients known as the Lost. These are people without the paperwork to be considered people. Even with a sizable guard and quite a few administrators, managing such a large number of people without the advantages of modern technology is basically impossible.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">So it was written. In my game, Navarene is a nation founded on the power of paper despite its relative rarity. If it is not written down it does not exist. Contracts are everywhere in the legitimate parts of the city. There are contracts for private security, home and land ownership, and for people.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Debt Before Dishonor. The economy of Shallamas is based on debt financing. Assuming you qualify, you can always pay later for what you owe today.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Navarene is of particular importance to the Order of Truth. It contains the Amber Monolith, noted for being the birthplace of the Papacy. It also borders the Crystal Sky Fields which is known to be a conduit for harnessing the Numenera. It is also of strategic importance because the Order has declared war with the people that lay beyond the Crystal Sky Fields.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In order to fight the enemy you must think like the enemy. Because managing crime in the City of Echoes has proven difficult using traditional methods has proven difficult Argust Provani, the ruler of the city, has commissioned the shadowlings - a covert police force who infiltrate and destroy criminal organizations from the inside. They are known for being as or more brutal than the criminals they fight against.</li> </ul>Note: My GMing style is decidedly Narrativist in bent. I'm mainly looking for story elements to help me apply pressure to my PCs and create meaningful choices in game. At least to start this game will be more about discovering the convoluted web of connections that lay at the heart of the City of Echoes, and the PCs finding a place for themselves. Some thematic elements I want to touch on include: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What makes someone count. What does it take to be legitimate.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What is the cost of maintaining order? If a few people get lost in the shuffle is that alright?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What are you willing to do to survive?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Weird Walks Among Us. Even in the heart of civilization there is no escaping the weird. When people are capable of walking through walls, controlling gravity, etc. what is an appropriate response? How do you handle gloves that produce a knife on command, explosives, time disruption fields, etc. that come from ruins of a begone era? I'm not so sure how big of a deal I want to make this. I'm not looking at doing X-Men redux. I don't want to provide answers - only questions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Can you pave a new path when surrounded by past mistakes? Could the echoes be wrong?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What's the value of a promise? What do you owe your debtors?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">How can you be a hero in an imperfect world?</li> </ul>Source MaterialModern Contract LawMinority ReportRaymond Chandler NovelsThe Big LebowskiCasablancaArrow</blockquote>

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