Curse
2024-01-03, 05:13 AM
Dear community,
in the campaign I am participating my character will soon start an archaeological expedition to raise his city of origin out of the ground to repopulate it under his command. I am hoping for some advice, tips and thoughts as I will try to expand on my concept.
Background:
We are playing in a modified Faerun around 1382, D&D 3.5 in a very expanded way (DM quote: "when you hit lvl 20 the prologue is over"). My character grew up more than 1.500 years ago in a tiefling city west of highmoon and died when the city was destroyed in a cataclysmic event. After being a ghost for a long time it was finally possible to posess a body and start a new life, remaining linked to the limbus and ghosts. He turned out to be a LE ghost necromancer in service of the devil god Gargauth and I am slowly building up the necessary skills to create powerful ghosts.
The personal goal is to finance an archaeological expedition to find and clear the city that has become a dungeon and then reclaim it. Preparations are already happening in the background to have an expedition as well as having the paperwork done to be the ruler of the city once it is cleared from dangers.
Lets assume the project will be successful - how will it be possible to repopulate the city and which laws, which jobs and creations will make sense and provide stability?
Resources:
- the city is positioned in the mountains and in a very interesting position linking the surface and the underdark
- when alive it's main resource were portal services, transporting people and wares, even small armies over long distances. This seemed to also be the reason for the cataclysmic downfall but this has to be investigated
- as a necromancer I will be trying to have most of the maintenance work being done by (sometimes intelligent) undead. They will move the pumps for water, clean the streets and pipes and grow crops. Also they should be able to offer quite significant help at transporting and rebuilding. This should provide a very comfortable basis for growth.
- with a location within the mountains I assume mining to be a probable source of material and income. Also a quarry should not be missing.
- the city is supposed to be a safe haven for tieflings and there will be messages going out to invite them as residents
Laws
As a lawfully evil character servicing devils the body of law will be a very important focus. Some points of interest:
- hard crimes will be punished by death and rebirth as an undead creature in service of the city
- tieflings will be significantly favored (maybe low tax and easy access to property within the first year of residence)
- manipulation and posession / turning of undead servants will be a crime
- dead people who are not resurrected will be used for creation of undead and / or experimentation
- littering will be a crime
- poisons and drugs will be permitted within a frame of quality control
- duels will be permitted as long as they are registered in advance
- magical research and experiments are permitted as long as they are registered in advance and a failsafe is in place, containing damage and providing compensation
- devils and demons are permitted within the city as long as they are registered
- contracts must be ratified by certified devils
- there will probably be succubus / erinnye brothels that also provide healing service against leeching effects (the leeched XP will flow into magical contracts that are a central element of Gargauth worship)
What critical groups will be needed for the city to run properly?
- city council (probably intelligent undead)
- defense & guards
- diplomacy & contracts (mainly by devils)
- espionage & counter espionage
- portal research (university?)
- trading
- healing services
- maintenance (waste, water, crops, gardens, repairs, ...)
- mining & quarry
- crafts (weapons, tools, ...)
I am looking forward to your thoughts. Thanks in advance 😄
in the campaign I am participating my character will soon start an archaeological expedition to raise his city of origin out of the ground to repopulate it under his command. I am hoping for some advice, tips and thoughts as I will try to expand on my concept.
Background:
We are playing in a modified Faerun around 1382, D&D 3.5 in a very expanded way (DM quote: "when you hit lvl 20 the prologue is over"). My character grew up more than 1.500 years ago in a tiefling city west of highmoon and died when the city was destroyed in a cataclysmic event. After being a ghost for a long time it was finally possible to posess a body and start a new life, remaining linked to the limbus and ghosts. He turned out to be a LE ghost necromancer in service of the devil god Gargauth and I am slowly building up the necessary skills to create powerful ghosts.
The personal goal is to finance an archaeological expedition to find and clear the city that has become a dungeon and then reclaim it. Preparations are already happening in the background to have an expedition as well as having the paperwork done to be the ruler of the city once it is cleared from dangers.
Lets assume the project will be successful - how will it be possible to repopulate the city and which laws, which jobs and creations will make sense and provide stability?
Resources:
- the city is positioned in the mountains and in a very interesting position linking the surface and the underdark
- when alive it's main resource were portal services, transporting people and wares, even small armies over long distances. This seemed to also be the reason for the cataclysmic downfall but this has to be investigated
- as a necromancer I will be trying to have most of the maintenance work being done by (sometimes intelligent) undead. They will move the pumps for water, clean the streets and pipes and grow crops. Also they should be able to offer quite significant help at transporting and rebuilding. This should provide a very comfortable basis for growth.
- with a location within the mountains I assume mining to be a probable source of material and income. Also a quarry should not be missing.
- the city is supposed to be a safe haven for tieflings and there will be messages going out to invite them as residents
Laws
As a lawfully evil character servicing devils the body of law will be a very important focus. Some points of interest:
- hard crimes will be punished by death and rebirth as an undead creature in service of the city
- tieflings will be significantly favored (maybe low tax and easy access to property within the first year of residence)
- manipulation and posession / turning of undead servants will be a crime
- dead people who are not resurrected will be used for creation of undead and / or experimentation
- littering will be a crime
- poisons and drugs will be permitted within a frame of quality control
- duels will be permitted as long as they are registered in advance
- magical research and experiments are permitted as long as they are registered in advance and a failsafe is in place, containing damage and providing compensation
- devils and demons are permitted within the city as long as they are registered
- contracts must be ratified by certified devils
- there will probably be succubus / erinnye brothels that also provide healing service against leeching effects (the leeched XP will flow into magical contracts that are a central element of Gargauth worship)
What critical groups will be needed for the city to run properly?
- city council (probably intelligent undead)
- defense & guards
- diplomacy & contracts (mainly by devils)
- espionage & counter espionage
- portal research (university?)
- trading
- healing services
- maintenance (waste, water, crops, gardens, repairs, ...)
- mining & quarry
- crafts (weapons, tools, ...)
I am looking forward to your thoughts. Thanks in advance 😄