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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    IonizedChicken's Avatar

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    Default [City] Mantalla, City of the Dome

    Mantalla, The city of the dome

    Years ago, hundreds maybe, dwarves lived in the halls of Kartgr. There, they built powerful machinery that sustained and harnessed the heat of the ancient volcano, and used it for their purposes. Long after that, long after the dwarven city was abandoned or dyed, as it sometimes occurs in those cities, new settlers cam to live there. Humans. They entered the mechanical dome that dwarves left behind, and began their lives. Soon, they built powerful networks of transportation, luxurious housings and a firm system of law, using the power of the volcano. And now, Mentalla, The City of the Dome stands before you.


    Introduction

    You tread the fire-woven hills of Garfar, dying of thirst and hunger, stolen by the orc bandits you had encountered what t seems like a year ago. Your legs and arms feel weak. You stumble on your own feet, and fall face first into the rough ashen ground. You rise up again, and resume your almost mindless venture into god knows where, hoping to maybe encounter something that will take you out of your misery.

    Just then, as you come upon the foothills of a mountain you've seen from miles back, you notice something within it. It is a metal sphere, a dome of sorts, wedged into grey rock that composes the mountain. It is enormous, colossal in size, over 100 feet high and several times that in width. You notice an enormous, circular gate, and in front of it you see many people assembled. Perhaps an adventuring party that traveled into these hills to study some sort of ancient ruin? Hope shines its rays at you again, and you try to run to them, yet fail miserably as your feet intertwine and you fall down face first, onto the grey earth and dust you studied from this close many times before. You rise again, this time assuming a brisk, yet not suicidal pace. Quickly one notices you, and then another. They all begin pacing towards you. You sigh loudly, and finally collapse, as the weakness grows too much for you to bear. Your vision slowly blurs and fades into darkness. The last sounds you hear before it completely overwhelms you are "Come on, pick him up…"

    As you awake, you find yourself in a large room, lying on a comfortable bed. Numerous others lie on beds similar to yours. Soon, a woman dressed in a blue robe, bearing a large * on its front, walks inside. She scans the room, and finally, seeing you are awake, comes to you "Hello. The city guard found you unconscious outside. They brought you here, and I took you to the infirmary. I hope you don't mind. Oh, my name is Laurianne, I am a healer here"

    You converse with the women, and you find you are in 'Mantalla, The City of the Dome', though she doesn't tell you much beside that, and only insists you lie still as she pours some liquid down your throat (Despite the fact you are more than able to drink it yourself). "There, all better" she says in a soft, intoxicating voice. "Lie a couple of minutes still. I have to go now to check on some other patients…" You do as she says…

    As soon as possible, you leave the infarmiry, and scan the city. You are astonished to find a large opening in the earth-covered floor, and the blue ceiling. Each, is covered with a pane of glass, and through it you spot at least 50 other floors such as this one, and only because at that distance your vision fails.


    Specifics
    In this section, various of the aspects of the city will be explained – such as, its wealth and origin, its populous and origin, the alignments and races that consider Mantalla their home will also be noted.

    Classification: Large City
    Adult Pop: 23,000~
    Max Purchase: 120,000gp (Augmented, Special).
    Non Adults: 38%

    Location
    The city is located in a patch of volcanic earth, hills and mountains called Garfar. This land is generally geologically unstable, and often (Geologically often, of course), volcanoes erupt. The good thing about the area, is that it contains many natural resources – precious stones, including diamond, ruby and emerald, as well as other precious metals and resources, however old civilizations of Dark Dwarves sometimes venture to this area, where they normally house some of the nearby mountains, and occasionally armed conflicts occur. The location is also quiet far away from most above ground water sources, however underground sources, containing boiling-hot waters used for drinking, when cool, and for cleaning, when warm is abundant and accessible. Food is either composed of the critters of the ungeround, which often prove uqiet delicious, and other creatures are also bred for those purposes, acquired from foreign cities long ago.

    Wealth
    Mantalla is far away from any other known, trade-worthy city. As such, while its immediate tradable wealth is quiet low, the quality of life in The City of the Dome is very high. Mantalla posses a lot on precious metals and stones, which its miners dig from the mountain, including many diamonds. Forgotten dwarven machinery teaches mechanics of human origin to perform feats and designs of great capability, and the relics themselves provide a very profitable income, when exhausted.

    Potential Wealth: 13,000,000 pp
    Immediate Tradable Wealth (Supplies, Gold Pieces): 5,000,000pp

    Races
    Most on Mantalla's residents are human. This is because they stem from the refugees of another city, which's name was long forgotten, outside the ashen wastes of Garfar, and that city's residents were almost completely human. The reason for their leave from the city, is unknown, however.

    Population Demographic:
    Human: 98%
    Dwarven: 1%
    Other Races: 1%

    Alignment
    Mantalla's citizens uphold the law, usually. There is very little crime, as the living conditions and quality of life in the city are very high. Yet, it is not to say inexistent – the Rouge Underground provides quiet enough thrill for the city guards to share.

    Alignment Demographic:
    Lawful: 75%
    Neutral: 20%
    Chaotic: 5%
    --
    Good: 65%
    Neutral: 20%
    Evil: 15%

    Notes:
    This entry isn't nearly finished, as you see. I am considering Illustrating some various pieces of interest in the city (Not quiet OoTS style, but close :/)

    Also, im pretty sure this entry, even this much, is plauged in inconsistency. If you find some, please let me know, although im gonna edit it near the deadline, it might forget something :/
    any tips are also welcome.

    Things to come:
    Monument, Plot Hooks, Ruling System, NPCs, items of interest, locations of interest, city maps & City structure, Illustrations of various items and locations of interest (Maybe), Transportation and technology, Life in Mantalla, Culture, History... basicaly a lot. :o
    "There is no quote"

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    IonizedChicken's Avatar

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    Default Re: [CITY] Mantalla, City of the Dome

    City Structure:

    Mantalla contains 101 total floors, each perhaps with a radius of 100 feet, and as high as 60. Its floors, are of metal however large amounts of earth have been layed over them, and pathes have been made, so they look almost like a green, flourishing land outside. The 'sky' on most floors is simply a metal panel, with a pretty (Yet not quite good enough to completely replace its beauty) painting of a slightly cloudy sky. On higher levels, where the rich and important men in the city live, the ceiling is magical, and reflects an illusory light.

    In most floors, there are hidden permenant Daylight spells that provide lighting, however in some oil lamps, and other light spells are used.

    Floor Structure

    -30 to -15:
    These floors, located many feet underground, touch the very bottom of the volcanic mountain the city lays. In these floors, there are machines designed to produce power from the heat. In addition, there are several underground 'fields' here, fed by magical sunlight and underground water. In these fields, many quality fruits and vegetables grow.

    There is also a gate into the Deep Underhalls here (See several enteries ahead)

    In the lowest levels minig operations are preformed.

    -14 to -10
    Halls requisitioned by the military. Most military houses can be found here, as well as several gates into the Deep Underhalls and the Underhalls. Rarely military is called to the surface, and usually fends off Dark Dwarves and other various creatures.

    -10 to 0:
    In these underground floors one might find most of the factories and houses of research. The streets of these floors are usually charrd and smoke-filled form the operations in progress.

    There is also a gate into the Underhalls here (Several entries ahead)

    1 to 40
    The general marketplace and visitor's area lies here. the visitors area, containing inns and establishments of the kind, would be empty if not for the people who come to drink in them.Few taverns offer lodging and those who do, do so costly. Beside these, there are markets here. From smithies to supply shops, to cloth shops, its all here. These contain products often of the finest mark, and sometimes unique only to Mantalla.

    Another thing one might find here, is emergency establishments particular to be of use to those that go out of the city, including infermeries, hospitals and other such places.

    The gate onto the surface is here, also.

    41 to 82
    The living areas. Many citizens of mantalla house themselves here, and for a good reason - they have nowhere else to go. The higher class houses are usually located in the higher levels, while lower class houses are usually at the bottom.

    83 to 96
    These floors are floors requisitioned by the council or king for goverment matters. The many faction houses can be found here, as well as homes of those related to the political struggle High Churches are also found here.

    97 to 101
    The royal palace. Here the king makes his home, as well as men dear to him. The royal guard also lives here, as well as many other royal agents.

    Note: Maps
    As you are probably aware of, you will not see the maps of ALL the floors, because I will not make them. I will however, make what each floor category would probably look like.

    Concepts, Entities & Stuff You should know

    The Underhalls
    Deep within the earth, at the deepest levels of the sphere's reach, there are the underhalls. A network of tunnels connecting the cast volcanic planes almost in their entirety. There, live various beings of the deeps, such as earth creatures, or underground races. Particularly near the mountain Mantalla is located, there is a colony of Dark Dwarves, and quiet a territorial one at that. They war with the city's underground forces, and try to break into the city and raid is quiet often. They also harvest the volcanic power of the mountain for their own needs, that are usually more sinister than powering their appliances.

    To combat these entities, a force was constructed many years before current time, called The Grey Defenders. They train themselves for keen vision in the deeps - even than the dwarves themselves - and often hunt them down, or defend the city from their attacks.

    The Deep Underhalls
    A place only ventured by the few. Even the Dark Dwarves themselves rarely sink into such depths as to go into the Deep Underhalls, located miles under the earth's surface. Within, one may find the most precious of minirals, and the greatest of relics from the ancient dwarven culture (It seems these dwarves built far more than the sphere itself, constructing a tunnel network underneath the Underhalls). However, these tunnels are filled of sinister beings that have no buisness the deep underground, nor in the material plane itself.

    The High Churches
    While this will be explained deeper when the religion section will be posted, The High Churches are the centers of religious power in which the High Priests reside, the representitives of the gods themselves.

    Note:
    If I forgot to explain a concept, please let me know.
    "There is no quote"

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: [City] Mantalla, City of the Dome

    Interesting concept! I like what I see thus far, and I'm looking forward to the developmental posts. I won't feel comfortable giving a full analysis until you've fleshed it out more, but keep up the good work!
    Faer teh badgar!

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [City] Mantalla, City of the Dome

    SOOO, you tought this city was dead, right? well, im here to prove YOU = WRONG!
    ==

    Religion: The Gods
    The following religions are worhsipped in Mantalla, categorized in 3 sections: Major, Minor, Lesser.

    Major

    wee Jas:
    Wee Jas, the goddess of death and magic is widely worhsipped all across the city, by its practitioners, which find her lawful and powerful grasp on magic suiting.

    Heirnous, God of Valor:
    A Deity worshipped before the supposed exile of the citizens of Mantalla from wherever the lived previously, Heirnous is still worhsipped by Mantallans up to this day.

    Minor

    Boccob: While also a widely worshipped deity, boccob doesn't hold as much power in Mantalla, as most of its magic users tend to see more eye to eye with Wee Jas.

    Olidammara: This deity is worshipped by the Rouge Underground. While, the citizens of the Rouge Underground are not quiet the citizens of Mantalla, they are still mentioned here.

    Lesser

    Hextor, God of Tyranny: Hextor is also worhsipped in Mantalla.

    Religion: The High Temples
    Every god on the above list (except Olidammara and Hextor) has a High Temple. High Temples usually inputs several of its own candidates for councilhood (see below), and has a certain degree of power. Council members and kings who have worshipped a god, usually gave its view at least some consideration.

    Goverment

    The govermental system of Mantalla is rather simple - there is the king, and his 2 consels, and there is the council. The Council consists of 28 chosen, usually individuals of great importance in the city. The Council is chosen by the people, from a certain limited number of selections (Usually from the higher class of citizens), which chooses the king from its members, in a process called Precrowning. 2 of the Council members become Counsels to the king, and stop attending the council.

    By code of Mantalla, all things of the king must pass through the council for approval, and all things of the council must pass throug the king for approval. A hidden, and unsigned rule or other regulation, if found, can bring the punishment of death upon those that created it. The word of the king, combined with his counsels is equal to 26 council members, or in things that concern him specificaly, 5 council members.

    A Vote must be declared, by law, before a regulation or law is published. A Vote usually takes from 2 hours, ot a discussive meeting of 8 hours, in which the concept of the vote and its repecaussions are presented. By law, some things require an alongated discussive council vote (Such as, expulsion of the king, of a council member or a simlar issue).

    Court duties are on the council, when dealing with richer citizens, or richer crimes. Commoners may settle with an Urban Chamber, a smaller council that acts like the Council, except it has no way to effect city-wide changes, and only applies for the people, and mostly only unwritten agreements. The people choose Urban Chambers, without discrimination. Any citizen may apply for Chamberhood.

    It is vital to note, some Urban Chambers have actually reached, by methods of genius scheming to a level of importance in the city as to imitate more thna 10 council members. These occurences, however are rare.

    Council: members
    7 Lawful Evil
    1 Neutral Evil
    4 Neutral Good
    4 Lawful Neutral
    6 Lawful Good
    5 Neutral
    1 Chaotic Neutral

    King & Counsels
    King: Lardar Kingalas Magdul, 1st in line.
    Neutral

    Counsel: Pierlian Derlion, 2nd in line
    Lawful Evil

    Counsel: Regdus Dhal, 1st in line
    Neutral Good

    Urban Chamber
    Memebers: 56
    Neutral Good 20
    Chaotic Good 5
    Lawful Good 18
    Neutral 5
    Lawful Neutral 2
    Lawful Evil 4
    Neutral Evil 1

    Crime
    The crime in mantalla is rather low, however the Rouge Underground is a rather powerful crime organisation. Most if its members are Chaotic Neutral (Some are Neutral Evil or Chaotic Good), and they commonly run illegal smuggling (outside) and raiding operations.

    The Rouge Underground is an operation occuring, ironicaly at the highest levels of Mantalla. The guards don't know this, of course, and believe they are either in the Underhalls, or in the levels of the heavy machinery, or something similar. It has 650 members. Rumors go that some Council members recruit these individuals for assassinations and the retrieval of things they want theirs.
    ==

    Edited: Edited stuff in 1st page.
    "There is no quote"

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: [City] Mantalla, City of the Dome

    Monument
    The monumet in the city, is its palace. Constructed in the shape of a rocky mountain (on the outside), upon which stands a spear-wielding man that simultaniously aids a fellow man up on the mountain, and impales a hideous beast with his weapon. Inside, the statue-like palace contains many rich and beautiful halls. The spear itself, an object the length of 240 feet, is a real, steel-tipped, masterwork spear. Also, the cuirass the man wears, is also real, designed for a being of enormous size.

    The man portrayed, is Lord Mylon, the first arriver to the city, while his aid represents the aid he has given the exiles of Mantalla. It was he that brought them here, and because of him they now dwell here. The statue was constructed years after the man's death.

    The beast that is impaled, shows that Lord Mylon both helped win over the darkness, AND helped the citizens of Mantalla.

    Power Struggles
    The power struggles in Mantalla are not many, though some are quiet deep, and ancient. Firstly, there is a constant struggle between the religious forces (Generaly, the churches of Heirnous, and Wee Jas) and the Council. Basically, the religious forces are always trying to shove their own members into the council, because they feel the beliefs of their gods hsould be idialized. In most councils in Mantalla, at least 6 memebers were in some way loyal to some church.

    Also, there are the constant conflicts of counsellor - counsellor. Usually, the 2 counsellors of the king stand on 2 diffrent points of view (Otherwise, it will not possible to properly counsel the king), and the king must listen to their explanations, and make a decision.

    Then, there is the conflict of the Council-king. A very expected conflict, it is suprisingly the lighter. Rarely the council is powerful enough, or united enough to post a risk to get what it wants (Partially because, it doesn't want 1 thing)

    Inside the council, there are numerous conflicts as well.

    Plot Hooks

    -- "Something You Might Want": One council member is hostile to another. As soon as the party gets into town, they get arrested by the will of the council member, and brought to his offices, where he explains to them that if they secretly hide a note of treason in his chambers, against the Dark Dwarves, he will grant them 25,000 gold pieces. The job isn't simple, and will require getting somehow to the councellor's locked, and Alarmed room.

    --"Recovery Mission": A Dark Dwarf below is ready to give out information about the Underhalls to the city. However, the underhalls are dangerous and recovery is needed. The head of the guard assigns this mission to the party, with the reward of several thousand gold pieces.

    [b]
    "There is no quote"

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