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Drenn
2009-12-05, 08:17 PM
I'm building the capital city of a kingdom whose tyrannic ruler recently died and a revolution is about to get underway. Several factions are competing for the throne. Ideally, I'd like for the city to be the site of a number of adventures, with plenty of areas where encounters could feasibly take place without the party having to leave the city.

I'm looking for ideas to give the city a creative edge, and really make it come alive. I'm already using a menagerie/zoo, guild halls, a massive temple, and a sewer system. Any suggestions?

Oh, and its D&D 4e.

Chrono22
2009-12-05, 08:32 PM
What's the power structure of the kingdom- just a single despot? Or did it also have a council/house?
If he was an active ruler, does his death create a large vacuum in power?
As a tyrant, he probably relied heavily on the military to make his rule legitimate. This also means, he'd spend an much larger share of kingdom coffers on enlarging and empowering it- or he'd break it into competing groups, to keep them in balance against his own high guard. Or he might have made himself a god-king, claiming divine right to rule the kingdom... which might mean that he has followers... and that he can come back from the dead.

Can you describe the nation in greater detail? Its resources, culture, and people, terrain, religion...

The capital city should somehow reflect the personality of the tyrant, and the people he rules over. It should be located and constructed in a way that is conducive to the culture and terrain.

So... gimme some details.


I guess, based on what you've already told me, a city built alongside a cliff would work. So, the noble section and palace would be at the top... and the living standard goes down as the city's elevation does, with the slums and city port being at sea level. The cliffs could hide alot of caves- even underwater ones. Their proximity to the city would mean lots of monsters could survive in them- and there would be a flourishing business for adventurers.
If the city is ancient, then there is probably a hidden city underneath the surface. A highway for crime, black trade, and smuggling.

This is sounding more and more like Stormreach.

Drenn
2009-12-05, 09:41 PM
Details you ask? But of course! Well, insofar as I have them.

The kingdom has been ruled for quite some time by rakshasa, posing as eladrin. This alone has already caused some political struggle because the kingdom is primarily comprised of humans and half-elves, with a smattering of elves thrown in. When the current ruler died, nearly a year ago, things began to fall apart. The ruler did have a legitimate heir, but that heir, due to complications I won't delve into here, can't prove his linage without revealing his true race.

A powerful faction of magic-users are also vying for control of the country, except they want to set up a council, instead of having a single ruler.

A small group of devas are also trying to assume control, but they lack the resources of their competitors, and are mistrusted by the populace.

The nobility of the city is comprised of all manner of races. Most of them took up residency there because they could make use of the corrupt government for their own ends, or because they were fleeing misdeeds in their own kingdoms and countries. They rely heavily on magic, and enchanted objects are a sign of high culture and prestige.

Middle class relies on a lot of steampunk-style technology, and the lower class tends to have a distrust of magic, because it so frequently goes wrong.

Technically, the kingdom doesn't have a patron deity, but travelers often note that temples to some of the darker deities are much more prevalent.

The judicial system in place is highly corrupted, but also very, very hard. Petty theft can land someone in brutal work camps for years, and the death penalty is dealt out almost at random for various offenses.

Haven't decided much about the kingdom's resources or terrain yet.

Hope that helps.

Drenn
2009-12-05, 09:43 PM
As a tyrant, he probably relied heavily on the military to make his rule legitimate. This also means, he'd spend an much larger share of kingdom coffers on enlarging and empowering it- or he'd break it into competing groups, to keep them in balance against his own high guard.

Really like this idea, btw. Probably going to use it. Thanks!

Megaduck
2009-12-05, 10:06 PM
Ok, train of thoughts.

Just a thought that you could make the city crumbling or partially in ruins, Everyone is conspiring against each other so much that the infrastructure is falling apart.

I'm having mental images of Nero fiddling while the city burns (Neither a true story nor the scale you'd want but a interesting idea.)

As for factions you'd probably have the Crown Loyalists who back the heir, and at least one major noble who has his own group of support. That major noble will need at least some claim to the throne or he/she wouldn't have a chance to sway the independents.

Thinking back to Elizabethan England religion is a good way for a solid block of opposition to form, they all worship the same god(s). It doesn't even have to be good verse evil, evil gods conspire against each other all the time.

Another idea is to have the heir and the opposition be the opposite sex. Marriage has traditionally the glue that pulls politics together so you could have them politically decide to marry each other but both secretly hating each other, which strikes me as ripe ground for adventure as they conspire.

If the instability has gone on long enough there are probably abandoned noble estates and houses inside the city. These would be the homes/property of nobles that have either been covertly (Or no so covertly) killed in the power struggle or have been intimidated into packing up and fleeing the city.

You might also want to think of the general populousness reaction to all this. The general thought is that they'd be scared or nervous with all the political uncertainty. However, if it was tyrannical (Or hierarchical) enough the people might have no expectation of change no matter who wins. In that case they might be completely indifferent to the power struggles in the city. In that case there could still be beggars and jugglers on the streets while assassins stalk each other on the roof tops.

How open is the conflict? Are the house guards/army/bunch of armed people blocking off streets and launching raids onto fortified positions? In that case the city would be an armed camp.

Or, is this a shadow war? In that case at first glance it could seem like there is nothing wrong. Everyone is still going to glittering balls and smiling and talking to each other while the losers drop dead in the drawing room from poisoned wine.

dspeyer
2009-12-05, 10:36 PM
You may find http://www.prismnet.com/~sjohn/demog.htm very helpful. First decide how large a settled area is selling food in the city. Then calculate the number of farmers there, and from that the number of each profession in the city. Figure out how much space they all need, and what sort of things they'll need, and you'll have the mundane stuff to fill most of your city.

Asheram
2009-12-05, 10:43 PM
Even if you're not thinking much about resources, what kind of economy is there?
Is it a port? A town along a trading route? Perhaps there's gold up there in the mountains?

What made this specific plot of land grow to this size? What's its purpose?

Is there old ruins about? If it's an very old town, then it could be built upon ruins, leaving catacombs and tunnel systems going all over the place. Is there an ancient evil resting beneath the sewers?

Dervag
2009-12-05, 10:58 PM
Remember the most important feature of a city as distinct from a ruin or a dungeon: its people. The city is crowded, at least in areas that are habitable, and the people who live there don't automagically vanish as soon as things start getting dangerous. People are scared, they're barricading themselves in their homes whenever possible, they know that change is coming and they don't want to be too closely mixed up in it. The city depends on cart traffic; what happens to that traffic in the middle of a battle? People are sneaking around the streets all the time, not because they're thieves or assassins, but because they don't want trouble with the armed faction members.

That sort of thing.

Lupy
2009-12-05, 11:01 PM
Make it rest on a mesa that's only about 300 feet across until just below the city, where it flares to be a mile across. The pillar part could be adamantine.

It's now unique and unassailable!

Drenn
2009-12-06, 11:50 AM
Thinking back to Elizabethan England religion is a good way for a solid block of opposition to form, they all worship the same god(s). It doesn't even have to be good verse evil, evil gods conspire against each other all the time.

Another idea is to have the heir and the opposition be the opposite sex. Marriage has traditionally the glue that pulls politics together so you could have them politically decide to marry each other but both secretly hating each other, which strikes me as ripe ground for adventure as they conspire.

If the instability has gone on long enough there are probably abandoned noble estates and houses inside the city. These would be the homes/property of nobles that have either been covertly (Or no so covertly) killed in the power struggle or have been intimidated into packing up and fleeing the city.

You might also want to think of the general populousness reaction to all this. The general thought is that they'd be scared or nervous with all the political uncertainty. However, if it was tyrannical (Or hierarchical) enough the people might have no expectation of change no matter who wins. In that case they might be completely indifferent to the power struggles in the city. In that case there could still be beggars and jugglers on the streets while assassins stalk each other on the roof tops.

How open is the conflict? Are the house guards/army/bunch of armed people blocking off streets and launching raids onto fortified positions? In that case the city would be an armed camp.

Or, is this a shadow war? In that case at first glance it could seem like there is nothing wrong. Everyone is still going to glittering balls and smiling and talking to each other while the losers drop dead in the drawing room from poisoned wine.

Oooh, good thought about using Elizabethan England as a template. And it's always way funnier when evil peoples end up conspiring against their allies so much, that they destroy each other and the heroes kind of accidentally stumble on victory. Come to think of it, that might be a fun way to mess with the players in the big, final climactic encounter. They'll be a battle in which they use their newly found weapons of awesomeness, but only after they think they've completely missed the battle, gotten all said weapons for nothing, and the other side just self destructed on their own.

Definitely going to use the heirs of opposite sex idea. Oooh, maybe one side or the other will hire them to crash his/her own wedding.

Will take into consideration the reaction of the populace as a a whole. Excellent thought.

Conflict starts out as a shadow war type deal, but is going to erupt into a barricades-in-the-street type deal before this is all over.

Thanks so much for you help! You are amazing-ness cleverly disguised as a post.

Drenn
2009-12-06, 11:53 AM
You may find http://www.prismnet.com/~sjohn/demog.htm very helpful. First decide how large a settled area is selling food in the city. Then calculate the number of farmers there, and from that the number of each profession in the city. Figure out how much space they all need, and what sort of things they'll need, and you'll have the mundane stuff to fill most of your city.

Oooh, a shiny new toy, er, ahem, I mean tool. Thank you! This looks to prove quite useful. I will most certainly make use of it.

Drenn
2009-12-06, 11:59 AM
Even if you're not thinking much about resources, what kind of economy is there?
Is it a port? A town along a trading route? Perhaps there's gold up there in the mountains?

What made this specific plot of land grow to this size? What's its purpose?

Is there old ruins about? If it's an very old town, then it could be built upon ruins, leaving catacombs and tunnel systems going all over the place. Is there an ancient evil resting beneath the sewers?

Um...the city is along trade routes, but its starting to run into problems because the turmoil in the land makes travel unsafe.

Need to think about why it was declared to be the capital instead of some other city. Good point.

And yes, yes there are ruins beneath the city. Probably more of a catacomb affair than anything else. And there is an ancient evil beneath the sewers. I know this because you just suggested it, and I decided I loved the idea. :smallsmile:

Your contributions are those of a great mind and powerful mind. *enter epic music* My thanks for your aid.

Drenn
2009-12-06, 12:04 PM
Remember the most important feature of a city as distinct from a ruin or a dungeon: its people. The city is crowded, at least in areas that are habitable, and the people who live there don't automagically vanish as soon as things start getting dangerous. People are scared, they're barricading themselves in their homes whenever possible, they know that change is coming and they don't want to be too closely mixed up in it. The city depends on cart traffic; what happens to that traffic in the middle of a battle? People are sneaking around the streets all the time, not because they're thieves or assassins, but because they don't want trouble with the armed faction members.

That sort of thing.

Mmmm, too true. Too true. I believe that when scheming and other such things are still at least pretending to be covert, people will make a point of not knowing about it, but when everything finally erupts, there will be revolution in the land. The people shall rise up! (At least, providing the PCs can garner some support in time. Otherwise, this is going to be one very...tactical battle.)

Your input in invaluable. My thanks. *bows*

Drenn
2009-12-06, 12:08 PM
Make it rest on a mesa that's only about 300 feet across until just below the city, where it flares to be a mile across. The pillar part could be adamantine.

It's now unique and unassailable!

I really like this idea, but for the sake of my PCs and ending this campaign before I get my degree, I kind of need the city to be er...assailable. Still excellent idea I may utilize for a different city.

Your excellence is as strong as the adamantine you suggest. My thanks for your aid.

Artanis
2009-12-06, 12:14 PM
I have a few random thoughts that may help. Not as coherent or as good as some of the others already posted (especially Megaduck's), but they might give you some ideas:


1) Adding to Dervag's comment on population, you could have people living in the sewers. If a tyrant - especially one who's a different race twice over - was in charge, there could very easily be people who are so poor that that's the only place they have left, or people on the run from the law to avoid being executed over (the equivalent of) a speeding ticket, or whatever. It'd certainly add some life, if you'll pardon the pun, to time PCs spend in the sewers, and add the potential for plot hooks.

2) Two words: Castle. Heterodyne. (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php)

3) The marriage idea is a good one, and it also brings to mind the Battletech universe, specifically when Steiner and Davion merged via marriage, then broke apart a generation later in an orgy of violence and chaos.

Drenn
2009-12-06, 12:40 PM
I have a few random thoughts that may help. Not as coherent or as good as some of the others already posted (especially Megaduck's), but they might give you some ideas:


1) Adding to Dervag's comment on population, you could have people living in the sewers. If a tyrant - especially one who's a different race twice over - was in charge, there could very easily be people who are so poor that that's the only place they have left, or people on the run from the law to avoid being executed over (the equivalent of) a speeding ticket, or whatever. It'd certainly add some life, if you'll pardon the pun, to time PCs spend in the sewers, and add the potential for plot hooks.

2) Two words: Castle. Heterodyne. (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php)

3) The marriage idea is a good one, and it also brings to mind the Battletech universe, specifically when Steiner and Davion merged via marriage, then broke apart a generation later in an orgy of violence and chaos.

On the contrary, Artanis, your ideas are both coherent and good. I would even go so far as to say they are crafted as great works of art and not merely good, but great. :smallsmile:

Love the sewer idea, and defiantly going to use it. They'll probably even be the first place the PCs go to start recruiting for their revolution. Oooh, I sense a gang war coming on.

And as for the castle idea...have I not already said that your ideas are as great works of art? The city palace will never know what hit it.

Don't know too much about this Battletech business you speak of, but if it is half so fine an idea as your other two, then nothing can avail me but to research it immediately.

My thanks, of bringer of suggestions and speaker of thoughts most excellent. *bows*

Teddy
2009-12-06, 12:59 PM
Definitely going to use the heirs of opposite sex idea. Oooh, maybe one side or the other will hire them to crash his/her own wedding.

Have a nice and lovely wedding, and then have the pair trying to kill eachother the next night, which will lead to full war between the fractions.

Megaduck
2009-12-06, 01:56 PM
The ruler did have a legitimate heir, but that heir, due to complications I won't delve into here, can't prove his linage without revealing his true race.

You know, the more I think about it, I think the heir is going to be center piece that the backstory revolves around.

The idea that he can’t prove his linage feels like an excuse to me. Ultimately this city is held together by raw power. What ‘should’ have happened is something like this,

The king is dead,
Heir: I. AM. THE KING! *Slams his sword point down on the ground*
Everyone else: *Cowering in terror* Yes sire! Yes, you are!

Generally governments (Even tyrannical ones) are coalitions, say of the army, magical power whatever. Assuming the old king wasn’t overthrown his coalition should have been intact, they should have bowed to the legitimate heir, and still had enough strength to keep the opposition in line.

But that didn’t happen. Someone in his fathers coalition found the heir unsuitable for some reason and went off his own way. The question is, why?

1. He might not have been respected enough, something that happened fairly frequently historically. He was/considered Weak/Incompetent/Insane/six years old. No one wanted to follow him.

2. He managed to royally tick someone off. He didn’t get along with his fathers generals, he disliked his fathers chief advisor, ect. Whatever happened someone knows/thinks the heir is going to remove them from power/remove their head and is not supporting the heir.

”At least some good will come from me being forced to marry. When I am Queen I will have the power to get rid of you!” – Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin.

3. Someone got ambitious and decided to play kingmaker.

”Sure, I’ll support your ascension if you’ll just marry me/my daughter/give me big tracts of land”

4. Worse, Some general had been playing second fiddle to that corrupt old bastard on the throne for long enough and now it’s going to be his turn! Beyond kingmaker, someone who supported the heirs father now wants to be king.

“Long before the Andels came, House Stark was the King in the North!” – A Song of Ice and Fire.

5. His politics are just wrong and he’s not getting enough support. This could be because the heir is crazy or follows an evil religion. Though if you want a twist the Heir could be good and wanted to abolish slavery, and several noble houses are not quite kosher with this.

6. Any of the above/all of the above/in all combinations.


Additionally. There are the factions. Each of the contending factions needs three things. A reason why they think they can be king, A reason why they haven’t won yet, and a reason why they haven’t just folded an left/joined one of the other factions.

Some reasons are,

1. Military Power.
They have a big honking army and they are not afraid to lop off a few heads. Though this doesn’t just mean they have a bunch of people marking rows. A good spy network and a ninja clan could be just as dangerous as a standing army. In a fantasy story it doesn’t even have to be people with swords, the local dragon riders guild leader would be a pretty dangerous contender for the throne, even if he didn’t have any legitimate claim.

All claimants are going to have at least some military power or they’d just be crushed.

2. Magical Power
The ability to raise stone monsters from the ground and throw fireballs makes a pretty convincing argument.

3. Economic power.
He who has the gold makes the rules. A big trading house or someone with access to one can simply buy what they don’t otherwise inherit.

4. Religious Power
The strength of a united church is hard to stop. And when said church can actually summon demons and angels is just gets harder.

5. Political Power.
The person might not have power themselves… but they have a lot of friends who do. This person also probably has the weight of law and tradition behind them. The heir will defiantly have political power.

All the factions will probably have at least one, or more probably more, of the above. But they will also probably be lacking in some respects, else they would have already won.

Dervag
2009-12-06, 02:51 PM
Make it rest on a mesa that's only about 300 feet across until just below the city, where it flares to be a mile across. The pillar part could be adamantine.

It's now unique and unassailable!...And impossible to reach. Hauling food up to the city is going to be a problem. Building codes will prohibit putting up large structures near the edge of the mesa, for obvious reasons. The underside of the plate the city rests on had better be adamantine too; the tensile strength of rock is not impressive.

Anyone who makes it there isn't going to want to leave, because climbing the %&(#$ stairs takes all day. And no one wants to live right below the edge of the city...


Need to think about why it was declared to be the capital instead of some other city. Good point.It often doesn't have a good reason. The United States built its capital in the middle of a godforsaken swamp twenty miles from the nearest worthwhile town because:
a)That way, no existing city would be unduly enlarged by the prestige of having the capital, and/or
b)George Washington had unwisely invested in the aforesaid godforsaken swamp, and was looking for a way to unload a hundred square miles of worthless land on the federal government.:smallwink:
Take your pick.

Other reasons for a capital to be placed in a certain spot:
-This city isn't the biggest or richest one in the area, but it's the oldest; it's the capital for reasons of tradition, like Moscow in Russia.
-This city is the biggest and richest one in the area, mainly because it is the capital. Once it starts out as the capital, it stays that way, and keeps getting bigger over time as rulers build impressive structures and lavish money on the populace to keep them happy, like Rome in Rome.
-This city is easy to hold against rebels, so rulers like to place their capital there; if they can control the city they can stay in some degree of power and continue to be treated as the ruler no matter what is happening in the provinces... like Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire.


Mmmm, too true. Too true. I believe that when scheming and other such things are still at least pretending to be covert, people will make a point of not knowing about it, but when everything finally erupts, there will be revolution in the land. The people shall rise up! (At least, providing the PCs can garner some support in time. Otherwise, this is going to be one very...tactical battle.)The tricky bit is that the general public is going to know through the grapevine that bad stuff is going down, even if they don't want to get directly involved. Word that nobles are being assassinated or that Duke Dunderhead is hiring mercenaries tends to get around.

They don't want to be part of the aristocracy's little low-key civil war, but they're still going to be thinking very hard about how to look out for them and theirs in such difficult times. The aristocrats themselves are liable to ignore this, of course.

Read Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett, for an example of what aristocratic intrigue leading up to civil war in a city can look like. Or at least for the right kind of atmosphere to set such a thing in.


You know, the more I think about it, I think the heir is going to be center piece that the backstory revolves around.

The idea that he can’t prove his linage feels like an excuse to me. Ultimately this city is held together by raw power. What ‘should’ have happened is something like this,

The king is dead,
Heir: I. AM. THE KING! *Slams his sword point down on the ground*
Everyone else: *Cowering in terror* Yes sire! Yes, you are!

Generally governments (Even tyrannical ones) are coalitions, say of the army, magical power whatever. Assuming the old king wasn’t overthrown his coalition should have been intact, they should have bowed to the legitimate heir, and still had enough strength to keep the opposition in line.

But that didn’t happen. Someone in his fathers coalition found the heir unsuitable for some reason and went off his own way. The question is, why?I agree with all the possible reasons below, but it's worth remembering that historically, royal successions lead to a civil war about as often as not. Probably more if you ignore constitutional monarchies where the monarch's power is both more limited and less desirable.

Also, Megaduck, are you in any way involved with the Dungeonomicon project? The writing style's a bit similar.

Megaduck
2009-12-07, 07:56 AM
It often doesn't have a good reason. The United States built its capital in the middle of a godforsaken swamp

And I guarantee you, every August I’m throwing my hands in the air and going “WHY! Why did we build our capital on a godforsaken SWAMP!”


Mmmm, too true. Too true. I believe that when scheming and other such things are still at least pretending to be covert, people will make a point of not knowing about it, but when everything finally erupts, there will be revolution in the land. The people shall rise up! (At least, providing the PCs can garner some support in time. Otherwise, this is going to be one very...tactical battle.)

Oh dear. Communistic Propaganda aside, “Popular Uprisings” rarely end well, for anyone. Mostly because a mob reacts with Emotion and not logic. When people get angry enough to rise up they mostly start smashing everything around. Randomly.

Then when it’s over there is no organization left and it all falls into anarchy.

Better to have ‘The people’ as another factions. Community Leaders (Generally older members of the community in good standing, do NOT make it the younger members, that never ends well) could be the organizers. So a lot of the PC’s job is to contract them. These are the people that will start the revolution, and more importantly stop it before it burns the city to the ground.


I agree with all the possible reasons below, but it's worth remembering that historically, royal successions lead to a civil war about as often as not. Probably more if you ignore constitutional monarchies where the monarch's power is both more limited and less desirable.

That was why the ‘Supposed’ was in massive quotes. ^_^

As a good rule of thumb you can assume that a succession leads to bloodshed all the time, and a civil war about half the time. What really matters is whose dying and that depends on culture. Generally speaking the new king purged his brothers/cousins/pretenders/anyone who didn’t kneel fast enough, depending on where they were.

In England it was mostly rival noble houses, in Turkey it was siblings and half siblings, in China is was often advisors and bureaucrats. It really depended on where power was considered to be concentrated.


Also, Megaduck, are you in any way involved with the Dungeonomicon project? The writing style's a bit similar.

Wish I could claim some credit on that but no, I’m not affiliated at all. I just happen to like the slightly irreverent still mixed with quotes.

Artanis
2009-12-07, 11:30 AM
And I guarantee you, every August I’m throwing my hands in the air and going “WHY! Why did we build our capital on a godforsaken SWAMP!”

God, I hear ya on that. I grew up in Fairfax County, and I moved to North Dakota in middle school. When I came back for a school trip, my first thought upon leaving the plane was, "I don't remember needing a machete to cut through the air." :smalltongue:

fusilier
2009-12-08, 05:53 PM
Don't forget the city walls and gates. The primary reason for these doesn't have to be defense, but tax/tariff collection of caravans that travel along the trade route (and despots tend to enjoy collecting taxes). If the city grew over a significant period of time, it would out grow the walls, and new walls would be built. This could lead to a city with multiple rings of walls, which are really only distinguishable by their gates as the old walls are hidden by buildings built around them. This allows certain parts of the city to be closed off from the rest . . . which would often happen after curfew even during more peaceful times. In city fighting, battles often occurred around these gates.

Also if it's along a major trade route, the merchants are going to have some power in the city. There's also a good chance that there will be a warehouse district of some sort. Again if the city evolved and trade expanded, there could be old and new warehouse districts.

Finally if the despot ruled through military force, there should be a significant barracks for the local garrison. Night watchmen were sometimes paid for by merchant guilds, rather than the local authority. In a power vacuum this can all get very messy pretty quickly. With para-military organizations like the watchmen squaring off against the local garrison -- which may itself be fractured. You can also get awkward truces where one force polices one section of the city and the other a different section, without any formal agreement to do so.

It sounds like a cool idea for a game, I hope you have a lot of fun.

gdiddy
2009-12-08, 08:37 PM
All this talk about dynastic disputes and fun stuff makes me wish there was a PbP on the same subject...

Subotei
2009-12-09, 03:40 PM
The loyalty of any troops in the city and country surrounding will be a vital factor. Give some thought to the type and number, and where they're based.

Eg Roman Empire - Emperors tended to keep the legions (and their generals - potential rivals) away from Rome, and just keep a hard core of loyal troops close by for personal protection. Will their be rumours of generals elsewhere setting up rival administrations, or marching on the capitol?

If I were a paranoid ruler I'd keep a force based within a days march of the city (out where I can control them), to ensure I had a fall back reserve in case an uprising surprised/cut off my forces within the city. Positions of barracks, water supplies, food and weapons depots should be thought out. The palace or citadel (or whatever) should share a wall with the outer part of the city wall and have at least a small gate, so that in the event of uprising an escape or relief sortie can be made out of/into the Palace without having to fight through the town.

Fusilier's suggestion of multiple rings or sections of walls is a good one - Having the city divided into quarters allows the ruler to control different communities - particularly untrusted sections of the community could be ordered to live in a particular walled quarter (walled in for their 'protection', no doubt).

There could be secret fortifications within the town - in the middle ages some English towns on the south coast suffered from French raids and created city walls by reinforcing existing stone house walls and filling the gaps between with short sections of wall - A community expecting trouble could no doubt build similar, if not managing able to openly close off streets, on the quiet.

Other buildings to consider carefully placing: treasury or mint, dwellings of notable magic users if present, civic records offices (often a target in civil wars - burning the tax records helps you avoid payment!), key bridges (can be as important as gates, indeed may also have a gate on them), prisons or dungeons, key public meeting places (eg forum or whatever).

Drenn
2009-12-13, 02:38 AM
Hey all! Thank you so much to everyone for their help. Unfortunately, construction on this city has been brought to a halt, at least for now, because of some group dynamic issues. I'm...really pretty disappointed, but there's not too much that can be done just now. Hopefully I'll get to pick this up again sometime in the future. Obviously, people can keep discussing ideas and helping each other, but the city I'm building is on hold for the time being.

Again, you are all fantastic people and I loved a lot of these suggestions. Truly, does the world know, or even imagine the depths of the awesomeness of the people like you that populate it? I think not. For one thing, there would be a much higher ratio of cookies per person being handed out.