Let's Build a Setting (Cityscape Edition!): Shale of the Underdark

[DuctTapeKatar]

15. The Gate of Halda

An iconic landmark of Shale is the Gate of Halda, an A-shaped structure that lay near the outside of Shale's vision on the Bloodlake. It is named after Halda, a dwarven explorer who dared to sail out into the unknown, operating from a small pier on the structure's base. Halda dissapeared during one of her excursions out of Shale's territory, her ship and crew never returning.


16 Angler, Prince of False Harbor

A being of avarice and hunger, the Prince of False Harbor lingers outside of Shale's vision, attempting to lead treasure hunters and explorers out of the safety of Shale's light and into the depths of the Bloodlake. Gold and jewels, undiscovered ruins, and the promise of glory are all tools of Angler to trap and consume the unsuspecting. Those who dared to sail beyond the Gate of Halda often return with stories of strange lights flickering in the distance, if they return at all. Angler is belived to be a lesser god or demigod of the Bloodlake, not powerful enough to interfere directly with Shale or the gods that protect it.

[Xuc Xac]

Not to pick on DuctTapeKatar in particular, but just as a general bit of advice: don't focus so much on making things mysterious that you forget to make sense. For example, "Old One-Eyed Blodkin leaped out of the shadows and fixed his petrifyin' eye on 'em. As they stood frozen in terror, he said 'Nobody sets foot in me forest and lives! Yer blood will water me trees!' Then he slaughtered them all. There were no survivors. None who've seen his face have lived to tell the tale and their bodies were never found!"

"But if there were no survivors, how do you know what he said to them? If no one lives after seeing his face, how do you even know he has one eye? If their bodies were never found, how do you know they even died? Maybe they just didn't come back because the other side of the forest is so much nicer than this side and they don't want to share it."

"Story time is over! No more questions!"

15. The Gate of Halda

An iconic landmark of Shale is the Gate of Halda, an A-shaped structure that lay near the outside of Shale's vision on the Bloodlake (It is only visible when one stands on the peir, and even then, the outline is rather vage compared to the shadows around it).

If it's only visible from one spot and it's still hard to see even from that one spot, it's not really a landmark.

It named after the Dwarven sailor Halda, who first stepped foot onto it as a test of her bravery and skill.

If you can see it from the pier, it can't be that far away. What makes setting foot on it so scary and difficult? You don't mention the lighthouse until later, but presumably, the lighthouse wasn't there (or at least, not lit) until after the first person walked on it. How far from the pier could it be and still be visible in the glow of the city lights? A few hundred yards at most? You could get to it with a rowboat in a matter of minutes. It's already been established that most of the city's food supply comes from fishing in the lake, so it can't be too dangerous to go out there on a boat.

16 Angler, Prince of False Harbor

The ship that was discovered sunken in the swamplands of the shore of Halda's Gate was of an obscure, bizzare make. Constructed from bone and sinews from a creature from the unknown depths of the Bloodlake, it heralded a strange feel of alien design, without any appearant means of moving through the water.

I think there might be some vocabulary issues here. "Obscure" means only a few people know about it, but it seems you mean "completely unknown" rather than "little known". "Heralded" means that it was a sign of something to come. Unless you meant to say that "a strange feel of alien design" later appeared in Shale after this weird boat was found. That could be a possibility: People find this previously unknown design and artists and architects think it looks cool and start to imitate it in their own work. I think you probably meant something else though. Maybe "evoked"? Lacking any apparent means of moving through the water isn't that odd. An empty canoe has no apparent means of moving through the water either. People would just assume the oars or paddles are elsewhere.

Relics of untold value lay in its hold, but some are wary of the items, and questioned whether or not to take them back to Shale

Why? What's wrong with them? And exactly how many people were involved in finding the ship and deciding what to do with the loot? I don't think the find was reported and a city-wide democratic referendum was held to determine how to proceed with the salvage.

Corpses of citizens and their valuables are tossed into a bizzare, seemingly bottomless pit by a organization of hooded men.

If the pit is bottomless, how do they know what was tossed in? Were the antiquarians watching them do it?

Those not killed in the ensuing raid are detained, many of them speaking in only mad ramblings.

Who did this raid on the hooded men? The antiquarians who stumbled across them? That seems unlikely, but it's even more unlikely that the antiquarians left to get some more militant assistance and then came back fast enough to catch the hooded men still in the act. How long were they there throwing corpses into that pit? It must have been a really big pile.

Weirdo cults are cool, but a previous item (#6, I think?) already established that there are many religions but only 7 gods. The Angler could be a new face of one of the 7, or it could a weird water monster that's extorting "offerings" from the mentally and emotionally vulnerable. I could see something like an aboleth or Lovecraftian beastie demanding treasures and food from psychically dominated townsfolk.

Really cool stuff, but needs a bit of editing for clarity.

[PopeLinus1]

One of the nine factions, the Varx have a secret. Outside of the city lie thousands who have been banished, denied entry, or are descended of those stuck outside the city. Disguised agents of the Varx have integrated into their society, and are starting to garner support. These agents claim they know secrets that will allow these thousands to overtake the city. In reality, the Varx want to use them as a backup in case one of the other factions attacks.

[DuctTapeKatar]

Not to pick on DuctTapeKatar in particular, but just as a general bit of advice: don't focus so much on making things mysterious that you forget to make sense. For example, "Old One-Eyed Blodkin leaped out of the shadows and fixed his petrifyin' eye on 'em. As they stood frozen in terror, he said 'Nobody sets foot in me forest and lives! Yer blood will water me trees!' Then he slaughtered them all. There were no survivors. None who've seen his face have lived to tell the tale and their bodies were never found!"

"But if there were no survivors, how do you know what he said to them? If no one lives after seeing his face, how do you even know he has one eye? If their bodies were never found, how do you know they even died? Maybe they just didn't come back because the other side of the forest is so much nicer than this side and they don't want to share it."

"Story time is over! No more questions!"



If it's only visible from one spot and it's still hard to see even from that one spot, it's not really a landmark.



If you can see it from the pier, it can't be that far away. What makes setting foot on it so scary and difficult? You don't mention the lighthouse until later, but presumably, the lighthouse wasn't there (or at least, not lit) until after the first person walked on it. How far from the pier could it be and still be visible in the glow of the city lights? A few hundred yards at most? You could get to it with a rowboat in a matter of minutes. It's already been established that most of the city's food supply comes from fishing in the lake, so it can't be too dangerous to go out there on a boat.



I think there might be some vocabulary issues here. "Obscure" means only a few people know about it, but it seems you mean "completely unknown" rather than "little known". "Heralded" means that it was a sign of something to come. Unless you meant to say that "a strange feel of alien design" later appeared in Shale after this weird boat was found. That could be a possibility: People find this previously unknown design and artists and architects think it looks cool and start to imitate it in their own work. I think you probably meant something else though. Maybe "evoked"? Lacking any apparent means of moving through the water isn't that odd. An empty canoe has no apparent means of moving through the water either. People would just assume the oars or paddles are elsewhere.



Why? What's wrong with them? And exactly how many people were involved in finding the ship and deciding what to do with the loot? I don't think the find was reported and a city-wide democratic referendum was held to determine how to proceed with the salvage.



If the pit is bottomless, how do they know what was tossed in? Were the antiquarians watching them do it?



Who did this raid on the hooded men? The antiquarians who stumbled across them? That seems unlikely, but it's even more unlikely that the antiquarians left to get some more militant assistance and then came back fast enough to catch the hooded men still in the act. How long were they there throwing corpses into that pit? It must have been a really big pile.

Weirdo cults are cool, but a previous item (#6, I think?) already established that there are many religions but only 7 gods. The Angler could be a new face of one of the 7, or it could a weird water monster that's extorting "offerings" from the mentally and emotionally vulnerable. I could see something like an aboleth or Lovecraftian beastie demanding treasures and food from psychically dominated townsfolk.

Really cool stuff, but needs a bit of editing for clarity.

Kk. I'll change it.

[Lleban]

17. Stone Fever

Those who drink the untreated water near Shale are at high risk to develop stone fever later within their lives. The algae within the water secrete a waste that over time hardens muscles and connecting tissues of its victims until much of their insides harden and begin to resemble chalk. Stone fever mainly affects the desperately poor, or those who have the misfortune of diving within the waters near Shale for a living. while there is no cure for stone fever, drinking leech venom is commonly thought stall the diseases effects.

[rferries]

18. Deathcap's Den

A small, out-of the way basement "cafe" at the end of one of Shale's myriad cramped cobblestone alleyways. Walk down a few steps from the alley to the door (the lantern above it has been enchanted with garish faerie fire, the password is "Psyche's Hyphae"), pass along a short, damp corridor, and you enter a dim parlour full of smoky air. The scent of mould is everywhere, but the many drug-addled wretches on the couches and cushions pay it no mind. They imbibe from their hookahs or down colourful narcotic beverages, utterly lost in their reverie.

The cushions, thick rugs, and tapestries hide uncontrolled blooms of lichen and fungus on the walls and floor, and in the back room the proprietor Deathcap, the exiled Myconid elder harvests more of his hallucinogenic offspring from the cadavers of his clients. Each crop of spores must germinate in a living host before bursting forth, to be served to the next customers - and Deathcap's drugs keep everyone blissfully unaware in the meantime.

Deathcap himself despises humanoids and longs to rule as a Sovereign, but the myconid "pests" elsewhere in the city abhor his cruelty and are content to eke out a living as scavengers.

19. The Lampades' Pavilion of Delights.

Permanently anchored at one of the docks, this pleasure-craft is more of a lounge and restaurant than a ship. Golden light from the countless lanterns adorning the ship spills over the "waters" of the Bloodlake, and the sounds of music and laughter drift through the air. Unlike the city centre, the ship affords a decent view of the Gate of Halda.

Owned (but not operated) by three sisters who dub themselves "the lampades", the Pavilion is a favourite retreat of the Shaleite upper crust. Nobles while away many an evening here, comparing the latest fashions from Clay and Blood Solutions or gossiping over the intrigues of the Nine Factions. It is here that one can scoff at the latest rumours about the Cellar Kingdom or Order of Kal-Kanet (which many still dismiss as an elaborate hoax), try delicacies from the duergar traders, or complain about the rabble outside the city. Wizards come here to try to relax - assuming they're wealthy enough to hire anti-paper leeches security while they're away from their estates. Even one or two Quicksilver Cabalists have been glimpsed here on occasion - though their presence tends to breed unease.

Needless to say, the Pavilion welcomes only the most select clientele. Any common fisherman or miner who attempts entry is laughed off (or sent to swim with the gibbering mouthers if she can't take a hint), and adventurers new to the city are unlikely to find a welcome.

The sisters know that in a city as lawless as Shale, the only rules are made with gold. They pay generous sums to the Gondoliers to keep the Pavilion licensed and "protected", and are currently negotiating a contract with the Lamplighters Guild to have a unique city lantern installed on the Chain Bridge hanging directly over the Pavilion's current mooring. The sisters would be the first to tell you about their donations to the city's stone fever hospice charity (though of course all Shale charities are fronts for money laundering and embezzlement).

One peculiarity of the sisters is that open religious worship of all Seven is forbidden aboard the Pavilion - instead they allow tribute only to the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. They beg the indulgence of their guests, claiming it as an affectation from their distant homeland. There were some rumours that they were in fact Angler-worshippers, but those were quickly quashed.

---

I set myself a challenge of trying to incorporate all the prior submissions into this post, haha.

[Xuc Xac]

They imbibe from their hookahs...

"imbibe" means "drink". That's not how hookahs work. You're not supposed to drink the water.

One peculiarity of the sisters is that open religious worship of all Seven is forbidden aboard the Pavilion - instead they allow tribute only to the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.

Now we know who three of the Seven are. What are the other 4?

[rferries]

"imbibe" means "drink". That's not how hookahs work. You're not supposed to drink the water.

It can also mean "consume" or "partake" in a general sense. I've used hookahs before, no worries :D

Though now the idea of them being so wasted that they're drinking the water seems funny too.

[Recherché]

20: The Skinners

Officially the temple of Heiss the Hunter, the Skinners got their ubiquitous nickname from their practice of the high ranking priests wearing the skinned and tanned hides of their predecessors in order to gain their wisdom. The cult believes that the Hunter sacrificed his life to seal a great demon of which the Angler is only a minor aspect and that the god's slowly dying body lies at the bottom of the bloodlake. Most Shale residents of course believe this is complete bull. Everyone knows that the heat from the water is from vents and the color is just algae, right? And those chains certainly aren't holding down a fallen demon or evil God. Still most people give the Skinners a wide berth. And not just for their habit of sacrificing people by drugging them and throwing them in the lake.

Edit: Could someone make a table of the factions and the gods so we know how many are claimed/described? I'd do it but I'm on mobile.

[rferries]

Gods (7 total, not including Angler)
Maiden
Mother
Crone
Hunter
Father

Factions (9 total)
Varx
Gondoliers
Lamplighters
The Order of the Kal-Kanet

[Recherché]

I had meant for the Hunter to be one of the 7

[rferries]

I had meant for the Hunter to be one of the 7

Ooops my apologies, missed that haha. Though it's probably best if OP edits the first post anyways to keep tabs on everything.

[Xuc Xac]

I started out just writing a short post about how cards are a popular pastime in Shale then got carried away with the details...

Card games are very popular in Shale. The most popular card deck is a tarot deck with 88 cards, which is used for a wide variety of card games as well as divination. There are 65 minor arcana divided into 5 suits of 13 cards each. The five suits are Coins (a triangle in a circle), Fish (a hook), Bones (a stick with a pair of round knobs at one end), Blades (a dagger symbol), and Caps (a mushroom shape that looks like a Spade with a rounded point). The thirteen cards of the suits consist of pip cards numbered 1-9 and four face cards: lord, lady, hand, and eye. There is no commonly accepted value ranking of the face cards and they have different values depending on the rules of each game.

The remaining 23 cards in the deck are a set of Major Arcana numbered 0 to 21 and an unnumbered card. Cartomancers have many conflicting explanations of what each card means when used in divination but the true origin of most of the symbols is lost to time. Antique decks show that the symbols have changed slightly over time (e.g. the Bones suit used to have a more Y-shaped symbol).

The Major Arcana
0. “The Doll” card depicts a broken marionette lying slumped next to an earthenware jug marked with a Coin. One elbow hangs on a Fish hook on a string attached to a Bone stick. The other string has been cut by a Blade that now lies next to the jug. The jug is corked with a Cap.

1. “The Bridge” card depicts a stone arch marked with the suits of the minor arcana. Two people stand on the bridge and look down at a third who hangs suspended upside down under the arch by chained ankles.

2. “The Tunnel” card depicts a black archway. The suits of the minor arcana are engraved around the arch. Two women kneel on either side (a young maiden on the left and a bent old crone on the right) and gaze into the dark opening.

3. “The Chains” card depicts a blacksmith standing behind an anvil and holding a hammer and tongs. The anvil is stamped with a Cap emblem and the smith's apron bears a Coin symbol on the chest. The hammer has a Bone handle and the tongs hold a Blade. A large chain hangs in three loops over his head and the ends drape down either side of him. One end of the chain has a large Fish hook.

4. “The Hermit” depicts a cross-legged mendicant with a shawl draped over his head, a bowl of three Coins is held in his left hand, and his right hand is raised with his thumb, index, and middle fingers extended and his ring and little fingers against his palm. A long Blade lies across his lap. He wears a Bone through his nose and a Fish hook in his earlobe. He balances a small Cap on the tip of his thumb.

5. “The Fisher” depicts a bare-chested woman standing in water up to her waist. She wears a hooded cowl that hides her face and shoulders. She holds a long Bone gaff over her head with both hands. It has a Blade on one end and a Fish hook on the other. Her forearms are tattooed with a Coin on the right and a Cap on the left.

6. “The Boat” depicts a gondola carrying two robed and hooded figures with a barrel between them. A Bone and a Blade project out of the top of the barrel. One figure sits in the bow with head down and arms around knees. The other stands astern and poles the gondola with a long pole topped with a Cap. A lantern containing a glowing Coin hangs on a Fish hook on the curled prow over the head of the seated figure.

7. “The Dealer” depicts a one armed man standing behind a barrel that he uses as a table. On the head of the barrel are three cards and a Coin. The dealer holds a Blade and uses it to point to the center card, the Lady of Bones. The other two cards are aces: Fish on the right and Caps on the left.

8. “The Worm” depicts a scaly creature walking from right to left. It has two short legs, a long serpentine body, and three heads. The center head looks forward, the upper head looks back at its tail, and the lower head looks down at its feet. A crown chained to an anchor is looped over the end of the creature's tail. It's forward foot is poised to step into a spring jaw trap.

9. “The Wings” card depicts a bat-winged human figure plummeting head first from the top of an exploding tower being struck by lightning. The wings are not spread for flight and look limp like a torn cloak.

10. “Anguish” depicts a woman on her hands and knees crawling up a set of steep stone steps. Her right elbow is on the first step and her left hand barely grasps the edge of the second step. A bowl of water sits on the third step. A rat watches the woman from the edge of the third step.

11. “The Chest” depicts a stone sarcophagus being opened by a hooded figure in a voluminous robe. The top of the sarcophagus is askew, but the opening is obscured by the figure’s draped sleeve. The suits of the minor arcana are carved on the side and a pair of fish chasing each other are carved on the lid.

12. “The Obelisk” depicts a tall spike of stone. A pair of figures stand a third of its height and provide a sense of scale. They are raising offerings to the stone. A woman to the left raises a centipede and a man to the right raises a large mushroom.

13. “The Bookbinder” depicts an old man seated on and surrounded by stacks of books. Loose sheets of paper marked with the suits of the minor arcana lie scattered at his feet. He holds a thick stack of pages on his lap and is in the process of stitching them together with a hook-shaped needle that resembles the fish suit symbol.

14. “The Bearer” depicts a child in a robe and pointy hat. The hat is marked with the symbol of the Coin suit. The hook of the Fish suit hangs from the child's scaled belt. The Bone and Cap symbols are embroidered on the bottom of the robe. The child carries a scabbarded sword longer than its own height over one shoulder.

15. “The Tree” depicts a large branching fan of fungus growing up the side of a brick wall. The fungus sprouts from a skeleton at the base of the wall. The skeleton clutches a large Coin and Blade. A Fish hook is displayed on a sign board hanging on the wall.

16. “Blindness” depicts a large muscular warrior with metal scales shaped like Coins on his arms and legs. He holds a Blade in one hand and a Bone club in the other. He wears a full helmet shaped like an eyeless Fish head. There are breath holes in front of his mouth but the helmet has no eye openings. One raised foot rests on a large Cap.

17. “The Well” depicts a round stone well. It is sealed with a padlocked cover imprinted with a Coin. A Bone is jammed in the shackle of the padlock like a pry bar and a Blade is stuck in the keyhole. A cluster of three Caps grow at the base of the well. A Fish hook hangs from a windlass over the cover of the well.

18. “The Lanthorn” depicts a musician carrying a lantern and a trumpet. He wears a Cap-shaped hat and has a Blade at his belt. The lantern hangs from a Fish hook on his long Bone walking stick. A pennant on the top of the stick depicts a Coin.

19. “Burden” depicts a man in heavy armor with a large Blade strapped to his back. A Bone bindlestick with a Fish hook on the end supports a bindle marked with a Coin. He is tripping over a Cap and about to fall into a river.

20. “The Collier” depicts a figure in robes, hood, and scarf that covers all but the eyes and hands. The collier uses a long Blade to stoke a brazier full of Bones in a forest of giant Caps. The brazier is marked with a Coin and supported on a tripod made of three large Fish hooks.

21. “The Knives” card depicts a motley fool sitting on a Cap and holding a short Blade in each hand. A peddler is walking by with a long Bone staff on his shoulder with a basket hanging from a Fish hook on either end. The front basket has Caps in it. The fool is crossing his Blades like scissors and cutting the line of the rear basket which is full of Coins.

The unnumbered “Quiet” card depicts a skeleton on a stone throne. It wears a long skirt and a crown of Fish hooks. It holds a Coin in its left hand and a Blade in its right. Its feet rest on a Cap like a footstool.

[IndominusCruor]

22: The Church of the Wise Lord
The Church of the Wise Lord is one of the most widespread sects of the Father in the city. Their derogatory views towards followers of the other six gods, whom they see as lesser spirits, often cause conflict throughout the city. Despite rough relations with other religious groups (even with more liberal sects of the Father), and a minority militant-extremist element, the sect is popular amongst the disadvantaged due the work of the clergy in feeding and housing the homeless, often used as a launch-point for its aggressive theological rhetoric. Its temple-shelters often serve as hubs of the Cellar Kingdom where different groups take shelter from the streets, though seedier elements from the criminal underworld like to use them as bolt-holes to hide from authorities as well. The most devout adherents divest themselves of fleshly possessions and shave themselves clean as a sign of purity, living off of charity from their temple's congregation... or strangers should their temple be unable to support them.

[Bobbyjackcorn]

Gods (7 total, not including Angler)
Maiden
Mother
Crone
Hunter

Factions (9 total)
Varx
Gondoliers
Lamplighters

The Order of the Kal-Kanet was intended to be one of the Factions.

Additionally, from the phrasing of the original author, I think they explicitly wanted the "Mother, Maiden, and Crone" to be gods from another place, not three of the seven.

[rferries]

The Order of the Kal-Kanet was intended to be one of the Factions.

Additionally, from the phrasing of the original author, I think they explicitly wanted the "Mother, Maiden, and Crone" to be gods from another place, not three of the seven.

Ah my apologies re: The Order, I assumed their power was mostly still broken by being "erased". Updated the list.

And yeah, I did want the 3 goddesses to be Hecate (reference to the Lampades), but other people started referring to them as part of the Seven so I rolled with it. A bit too close to A Song of Ice and Fire now though, haha!

[Xuc Xac]

And yeah, I did want the 3 goddesses to be Hecate (reference to the Lampades), but other people started referring to them as part of the Seven so I rolled with it. A bit too close to A Song of Ice and Fire now though, haha!

I don't want to use the same seven as ASoIaF. How about this?

The 7 gods each represent a pair of seemingly opposing forces that are two sides of the same coin. Some of the gods worshiped in the city are only one face of one of the 7.

1. Hunger is the god of desire, both positive (love) and negative (hatred). Hunger provides drive and ambition. Many deities of love, wealth, and food/drink are aspects of Hunger.
2. Darkness is the god of beginnings and new life (the darkness of the womb) as well as endings and death (the darkness of the tomb). Darkness allows light to enter and then snuffs it after its allotted time. Deities of fertility and death are aspects of Darkness.
3. Choice is the god of possibilities, both fated and free. Choice provides the inevitability of causality and consequence, but also allows for chance and chaos. Deities focused on Order and Chaos (with capital letters) or predestination and prophecy are often aspects of Choice.
4. Form is the god of the truth of physical reality as well as the falsehood of unreal forms like dreams, illusions, and images. Deities of dreams or ideals such as mystery cults dedicated to self actualization ("become the ultimate warrior", "live up to your full potential", "perfect your craft", etc.) are usually aspects of Form.
5. Change is the god of destruction and creativity. Change clears away the old and makes the new. Deities of war and arts are usually aspects of Change.
6. Dread is the god that looks forward with hope and despair. Dread offers strength and endurance for those who strive for continuation and weakness for those who surrender to stasis. Deities of longevity and endurance are usually aspects of Dread as are cults dedicated to breaking free from destiny and death (such as alchemists searching for immortality or wizards seeking lichdom).
7. Thought is the god of reason and madness, memory and forgetfulness. Thought is the patron of librarians who preserve knowledge and those who burn books to scatter knowledge into dust. Deities of madness, knowledge, archives, writing, rhetoric, or leadership (shaping the thoughts of others) are usually aspects of Thought.

Some say that the triple goddesses of Maiden, Mother, and Crone are all aspects of Darkness as the represent stages of life. Others say that the Maiden is an aspect of Hunger focused on love and growth, the Mother is Darkness focused on new life, and the Crone is Dread focused on the coming end of life or Thought trying to pass on a lifetime of experience to the next generation. It's possible that they're all right.

The Father is an aspect of Dread. He gives hope to the downtrodden and the strength to endure suffering.

Heiss the Hunter is widely regarded as a lawful aspect of Choice with a focus on sacrifice and binding.

Theologians are still studying the Angler in an attempt to place it. Some say it's just a monster with a deluded cult. Others argue that it could be an aspect of Hunger, Darkness (death), Dread (despair), or Thought (madness). Arguments in favor of it being an aspect of Hunger are not well supported: Angler itself is obviously hungry, but doesn't really inspire any desires in its worshipers.

Some cults worship all 7 gods under one banner. For example, the Temple of Flame worships a fire goddess with aspects of the hearth (Hunger: desire for comfort), the spark of warm life (Darkness: life), the transformative power of fire to burn, purify, melt, or forge (Change), and so on.

[Bobbyjackcorn]

23. Religion In Shale

The people of Shale live in a dark, nightmarish climate, filled with mad wizards, sadistic monsters, and savage natural facets. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Shalites have a rich, fervent religious culture.
No matter which individual god a denizen chooses to worship, each one observes and believes in the "Fundaments," the core attributes of existence that each god encompasses one or more of. To the people of Shale, the gods are a mouthpiece for the power of the Fundaments, like an avatar for the true threads that shape existence.
Each citizen of Shale is believed to be born attuned to one particular Fundament, not chosen or signified by any natural phenomena, but discerned individually on a personal level of self examination. One person might find growing up that their tendencies towards the arts or building design signify their attunement to Change, while another might find that violent moodswings and a propensity towards violence could signify *their* own attunement to Change. Not everyone decides to label themselves in this way, but most citizens do.
Worship of the gods is not as overt and showy as on the surface. Several shrines at different locales around the city are meant to embody the Fundaments, and a few notable gods (such as Heiss or the Wise Lord) have their own shrines, but for the most part each citizen keeps altars to their favored gods or fundaments on their hearth at home, and keep their religious affiliations fairly quiet. The gods keep friends safe, and harm enemies, and as such are often worshiped in the comfort and privacy of home.
Clergy exist as a loose band of proselytizers, shouting in the streets, performing miracles, and aiding adventurers on deeds both good and ill in order to accrue more fame for their individual gods. Often clergy of a god have some obsession or mental instability, gifted to them by their god. A clergyman of Heiss might believe that all of life is a hunt, and treat every action with the complete focus and intensity of a hunter, or may take skin patches from each fallen foe. A clergyman of the Wise Lord may believe that all truths must be known, especially those that cause intense hope or despair.

[rferries]

24. The Moon Murders

Scandal! For the past few months the city has been rocked by a series of vicious murders, and the city guards have no leads. The victims are always found savagely dismembered and partially devoured as if by a great beast, but there are otherwise no commonalities - they can be male or female, young or old, of any race or class. The most recent was one of the city nobles (slaughtered with his guards on his own estate!), but the victims before that were a group of Cellar Kingdom beggars.

The only pattern is that the murders occur roughly once per month, but otherwise the constabulary is at a loss. Paranoia is growing amongst all echelons - the commoners have to begun to say it is a noble hunting them for sport, the nobles think it is a complex assassination plot, and the wizards think it is a brutal paper leech using the murders to disguising his thefts.

If only Shale was open to the night sky, the citizenry might realise that the murders always occur on nights of the full moon...

25. Mayor Koschei

The Shaleite "government" has long since been reduced one of the smallest and weakest Factions, termed the Office of the Mayor. Little more than a redundant, ceremonial, and powerless bureaucracy it exists only at the sufferance of the true Shaleite movers and shakers.

Although it is nominally a democracy, everyone knows that only members of the nobility have any chance of being elected Mayor - and even then, only if you are a member of the Koschei line. The men and women of this house have won every election in the past 200 years, and seem unique in their ability to make peace amongst the Factions. The current mayor (Alexandra Koschei) campaigned on the same slogans her family has used since they came to Shale - "Peace through Prosperity, Prosperity through Stability", and ran unopposed in the last election.

The nobles generally view the Koschei family as dullards and the mayoralty as a bore, and are happy to leave the responsibility to the backward house. Those few who decide to enter the running soon find themselves losing interest - either dropping out or mounting half-hearted campaigns. The Koschei's themselves often bear strong family resemblances - all thin, pale, and unassuming. Some even joke they're all the same person!

[Xuc Xac]

24. The Moon Murders

Scandal! For the past few months...
If only Shale was open to the night sky, the citizenry might realise that the murders always occur on nights of the full moon...

If they can't see the moon, why do they even have "months"?

25. Mayor Koschei

Although the Shale government is nominally a democracy, everyone knows that only members of the nobility have any chance of being elected - and even then, only if you are a member of the Koschei line.

Bonus points for the Deathless reference, but the government has already been established on page one:

#10 City Government(s)

There is no one government in charge of all of Shale. Centuries ago there were multiple warring factions and when the dust settled there were 9 groups each controlling one area of the city...

[Recherché]

The mayorship could be one of the factions. Potentially radically egalitarian/democratic.

[Xuc Xac]

The mayorship could be one of the factions. Potentially radically egalitarian/democratic.

Then that brings us up to...

Gods

1. Hunger
2. Darkness
3. Choice
4. Form
5. Change
6. Dread
7. Thought

Maiden, Mother, Crone, Father/Wise Lord, Heiss the Hunter as specific facets of the 7.

Factions (9 total)
1. Varx
2. Gondoliers
3. Lamplighters
4. The Order of the Kal-Kanet
5. The Office of the Mayor
6. ...
7. ...
8. ...
9. ...
[/QUOTE]

[rferries]

If they can't see the moon, why do they even have "months"?

They still need to keep track of time. Could be a holdover from when the city was first founded by surface-dwellers (what's the racial makeup again? I assumed a mix of humans dwarves elves etc but is it actually just drow?).

Bonus points for the Deathless reference, but the government has already been established on page one:

Oops I forgot that!

The mayorship could be one of the factions. Potentially radically egalitarian/democratic.

Yeah this works. Edited my post to reflect that.

[Xuc Xac]

They still need to keep track of time. Could be a holdover from when the city was first founded by surface-dwellers (what's the racial makeup again? I assumed a mix of humans dwarves elves etc but is it actually just drow?).

The OP said "humans... Duegar, Drow, Goblin and Kobold". Of course, the OP also said it's the only city and it's deeper than any dwarf goes, but that didn't stop people from talking about exports and Dwarven merchants bringing down cabbages from the surface, so...

[rferries]

26. Mr. Evenstar's Gambling Parlour

This large, grimy, and disreputable (yet popular) establishment is located in the city's Industrial District. Workers come here after a busy night to unwind - it's not half as nice as the Pavilion, but the grog is cheap, the waiters and waitresses are comely, and there's always plenty of card games to watch or join. "And we're hardly the type to get into the Pavilion, anyway..."

And if you happen to be in desperate need of funds (or other help), the owner has ties to Shale's organised crime, amongst other resources from places below even Shale. Big Boss Evenstar is always in the back room and he always has what you need - for a price.

27. Mama, Granny, and Baby Bellicose

The Bellicose women - all three generations of them - are unenviable creatures. They reside in a dilapidated shack in the city sewers, catching rats for their dinners, and are avoided by even by the myconid scavengers and Cellar Kingdom beggars. In spite of their wretchedness, it is known that the city's crimelords sometimes keep them on retainer - apparently they have a talent for creating disguises for thugs when discretion is called for.

Baby and Mama look just as withered and ugly as Granny... and Granny often rants about how they'll "bring the city to its knees" one day.

The mysterious Lampades sisters (of all people!) seem to think fondly of the Bellicose clan, which has caused no small amount of gossip.

[rferries]

The OP said "humans... Duegar, Drow, Goblin and Kobold". Of course, the OP also said it's the only city and it's deeper than any dwarf goes, but that didn't stop people from talking about exports and Dwarven merchants bringing down cabbages from the surface, so...

Haha yeah, it's turning out to be quite an eclectic mix.

[rferries]

28. The Districts

Just as the city is ruled is ruled by various factions, it is subdivided into 11 various districts. The Docks, the Industrial District, the City Centre (including City Hall and the Gardens), the Sewers, and various others are generally dominated by a particular faction or sub-faction, though there is often overlap.

29. The City Gardens

In the perpetual gloom of Shale, plantlife finds little purchase. The Gardens are a large block of land enclosed by a wrought-iron fence set with lanterns, and full of dark mossy "grass", placid pools of blind cave-fish, bioluminescent giant mushroom "trees", and occasional greenhouses where surface-world plants are tended by city workers. The Gardens are a deathly quiet place, not serene so much as sepulchral. Few citizens bother to come here any more, making it an ideal place to conduct illict trades or dispose of corpses.

Due to lack of city funds they are in a state of constant disrepair, with the occasional violet fungus infestation cropping up. Myconid scavengers retreat here during the Shaleite "day", when the city is bustling and it is too risky to venture into the city proper.

30. The Brothel

From the outside, this City Centre establishment of ill repute is indistinguishable from the many other brothels elsewhere in the Centre, Industrial District or Docks. The only remarkable external feature is the crimson lantern hanging outside, which in fact holds an imp and a quasit, bound to each other with chains of silver and cold iron. The creatures perpetually writhe and bite at each other in a mockery of passion, unable to ever truly slay one another.

On the inside, there are a variety of supernatural pleasures available for the discerning consumer. Succubi, incubi, nymphs, satyrs, djinni, efreeti, tritons, and all manner of other captive wonders await a buyer with time and money on his or her hands. The brothel caters to a wealthier class of clientele, but as yet another establishment owned by Boss Evenstar it is always happy to take a commoner's soul in exchange for a night of unmatched pleasure.

[IndominusCruor]

31. Organized Crime

Colloquially known as knives, the insular members of criminal organizations often interact with outsiders through proxies. Movements in the open can lead to severe backlashes from the nine factions. Combined, their influence is considerable, though feuds and skirmishes between the various organizations make large-scale cooperation an impossibility. Knives flourish throughout most of the city, making most of their income from trafficking illicit goods or services, larceny, or extortion.

[Bobbyjackcorn]

32. ​The Scrutineers

Shale is a city of mysteries- People go missing, objects go missing, sometimes even the buildings go missing. For all the disappearances, strange rituals, stalking monsters, enigmatic gods and horrors that abound in the city, one group is primarily attributed with keeping peace: the Scrutineers. The Association of Scrutineers serves as a federation comprising most of the typical "adventurous" types of Shale. Scrutineers work investigative-and-otherwise freelance jobs for hire in the city, tracking down the missing, the lost, and the dead and slaying monsters and public menaces. There is no hierarchy to the Association, merely members, paper-golems commissioned by local mad men wizards to keep track of paperwork, and a representative of the guild chosen by a succession (of ghosts of previous representatives).
The Association is an unaffiliated guild, catering to anyone with the ability to complete tasks, from commoners to noblemen, Quicksilver Men to Kal-Kantet Adherents, Assassins and Knives to Paladins and holy-men: the only thing required is successful completion of the mission.
Scrutineers are a deeply ingrained part of society: Plays in the city often feature at least one role for a Scrutineer in their scripts out of popular demand; phrases often incorporate them, such as "Drownt like a Scrut'" which refers to engaging in a legendary night of drinking, "Sun-bleached and Scrutineer-Slipping" which refers to something that is definitely lost, or the ever popular "Hailin' to the Scrutineer's Purse" which is what doing something reckless, or engaging in something that may end very badly is colloquially called; Scrutineers are even given a minor exception for events hosted by nobility, being able to attend even if not of traditional noble heritage.

[Thorongil]

33. New Magic in Town

Not long ago, rumors sprang up amongst Shale's wizards. They say that a new source of magic is in town. Although Shale's arcane community is cautious by nature, wizards are also known for their extreme paranoia. Lured by the prospect of a threat to his power, one wizard went looking for answers. When he vanished into the winding streets of the ghetto, two Scrutineers went looking for him.

A week later, the wizard returned to his usual business, and when questioned by his friends, could not answer any questions as to where he was or what he had done since his departure. Since his return, the wizard behaves much calmer than his fellow magicians- his hands and voice are steady, and he can carry on conversations without breaking eye contact (itself a minor miracle amongst wizards). Curiously, his eyes are oddly glazed. Strangest of all, he has acquired seemingly new magical tricks, tricks that confound the speculation of even the most experienced wizards. In nature, they appear entirely unlike anything a wizard has yet performed in Shale. Meanwhile, the Scrutineers who went looking for him haven't returned.

While Shale's wizards have done their best to keep this news out of general circulation, somebody let it slip, and it won't be long now before word gets to the city's movers and shakers.

Anyone bold or stupid enough to emulate the missing Scrutineers will find power lurking where they least expected it.