D&D 5E One Sentence to Describe a Metropolis

[R_J_K75]

I'm creating a metropolis set in a kingdom with Greek stylings. Looking for ideas to make it unique in one sentence. The setting is a low magic, monotheistic, society & humans are 99% of the available PC races. This particular kingdom, (as are the other surrounding four), is ruled by an Empyrean. Majority of transactions are done in barter and trade and copper pieces replace gold pieces as the primary currency. I'm envisioning the world as neutral. The laws of society and nature are neutral as a baseline but ebb and flow with the mental health/stability and emotions of their rulers. I'm not using alignments mechanically and the PCs are unaligned. The cities name is Sepoli and is a port city that sits at the base of the volcano Mount Exodos. The group, 4 players and an NPC, come from a small farming hamlet with only 0-level NPCs so their selections of backgrounds and classes was limited and their knowledge of the world beyond the hamlet they lived in all their lives is minimal. I posted this in 5E because that is the edition we are playing but any suggestions are welcome.

As an aside, Wow! Watching it now and on Storage Wars S14, E6 Lego My Locker, a guy just pulled a 1977 Holmes Basic Set unused. Pretty cool that he immediately recognized its value.

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

Make-the-city-unique-in-one-sentence-challenge

The harbor is well known to be extremely safe, as anchored ships are protected by the petrified body of the Tarrasque that now forms a peninsula.

 

[R_J_K75]

Make-the-city-unique-in-one-sentence-challenge

The harbor is well known to be extremely safe, as anchored ships are protected by the petrified body of the Tarrasque that now forms a peninsula.

Definitely unique and exactly the type of suggestions I'm looking for. Thanks.

 

[Rabulias]

The harbor is well known to be extremely safe, as anchored ships are protected by the petrified body of the Tarrasque that now forms a peninsula.

Sorry for the diversion here, but this great suggestion brings to mind an idea of some enemy of the city working toward learning stone to flesh. Or maybe the city itself uses it as a last-ditch defense.

 

[R_J_K75]

Sorry for the diversion here, but this great suggestion brings to mind an idea of some enemy of the city working toward learning stone to flesh. Or maybe the city itself uses it as a last-ditch defense.

Its worth considering. Because I started the campaign in a very small hamlet and I'm expanding outward from there. I'm still working on the outlines for the other kingdoms and the politics. It's safe to say that they have at least one enemy.

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

Here's a few more entries for the "Make-the-city-unique-in-one-sentence-challenge":

• The city is completely overgrown by lilac, which is the result of a druidic experiment gone wrong (or right).
• The large circular lake in the town's center was formed by a meteor that crashed here during the War of the Wizards.
• The dwarves made this town their testing ground for experiments with new brews and liquors, resulting in dirt-cheap booze in all the hundreds of pubs and bars across the town.

 

[R_J_K75]

The dwarves made this town their testing ground for experiments with new brews and liquors, resulting in dirt-cheap booze in all the hundreds of pubs and bars across the town.

I like this one and had been thinking of something similar but never gave it much thought after the initial idea. I have a few (3-4) sessions before the players get there so theres still time to to get good ideas for the city.

 

[Yaarel]

Connotation?

Metropolis = The "Greater" City

"What used to be separate ancient towns with separate identities, a new powerful city has expanded to swallow them up."

Cairo (Qahira) in Egypt is an example. What were once mighty royal capitals during the days of the pharaohs, are today little neighborhoods somewhere in Cairo.

There is an amazing tapestry of identities in a metropolis.

 

[Yaarel]

Note, Egypt rarely used money, even into Roman times. They strongly preferred their bartering system.

The Egyptians measured the value of goods and services in terms of a weight in gold, but never actually touched the gold (too sacred!). So, the "borrower" would pay off an IOU over time, by giving smaller items or services that the "lender" wanted later, until the equivalent value was paid in full.

As a convenience, they also used standardized bread loaves as a currency for small items, in which case they literally ate the money.

 

[aco175]

The 'old city' is buried under the new city and the new generations forget the ancient evil locked away, or how the winding passages of time created the labyrinth of tunnels and windings found right under their feet.