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View Full Version : [City] Ithal Sibil, City of a thousand Colors



Martinus
2005-07-02, 03:38 PM
~This city was designed using the Greyhawk setting~

Introduction:
As you try not to look down on the sea far beneath the vessel, you see something on the horizon. Built on a huge rock in the ocean, hundreds of towers pierce the air like spears. As the crew of the airship begins with the preparations to dock, you notice that the remarkable city does not have persistent colors. The towers of Ithal Sibil seem to slowly change of color, but not in a chaotic or disturbing manner. Gently, the airship approaches one of the outer towers, connected to the main city with a long bridge. The bridge, unlike the magnificent towers, is not made of the strange color-shifting material, but is constructed from white marble. As the vessel lands on one of the platforms surrounding the tower, you gather your gear and prepare to enter the tower.
The docking door opens and a squad of armored soldiers, lead by a man wearing a color-shifting cloak, enters the ship. After a few minutes of rigid searching through your belongings, you have permission to leave the vessel and enter the city of Ithal Sibil.

Stats:

Size:
Metropolis

Adult Population:
28906

Demographics:
44% Human. The city is mostly inhabited by humans, who first colonized the rock and found the color-shifting stone.
32% Dwarf. Attracted to mining and precious stone and minerals as they are, dwarves form a large portion of the population.
18% Elf. Loving beautiful things, some elves abandon their tree-cities in exchange for the even higher towers of Ithal Sibil.
6% Other Races

Max Item value:

125.000 gp. Ithal Sibil is a very wealthy city, with many merchants and artisans. note that items which require arcane magic are very hard to obtain. If the party looks for them, they might draw the attention of the Shiftcloaks!

Total Wealth

75.000.000 gp, give or take.

Background Information:

Physical description:

Constructed upon a giant rock in the ocean, it is mostly composed of regular stone and marble, but the prominent color-shifting towers are made of a mysterious stone-like material. On the ground level, there are many markets and lower buildings which go unnoticed from far away due to the towers. There aren't any large roads on the ground level, but the towers are interlinked by many bridges, mostly made of marble. Underneath the city lies an extensive network of sewers and abandoned mines, which apparently do not cause any instability above the surface. In the city's center stands a massive tower, untouched by age. This is the Main Citadel, where the Grand Ithal Council resides. Five huge towers surround the Citadel. These towers are the Five Watchers, guarding their parts of the city and providing the only access to the docking towers. These towers belong to the oldest towers in the city, together with the Main Citadel and a few others. There are quite a few inns in Ithal Sibil, each distinctive and owned by a certain family for generations. In North-Ithil, near the harbor, stands the Johnson's Dock Inn. Many fishermen and other seafarers stay here, as it's cheap but the ale is of good quality. There is a large chance for a brawl to break out when some sailors have drunk a little too much beer, so it has a rough reputation among the inns. To the eastcoast of the city, lies the Dawn Mansion. Owned by the wealthy Orland family for generations, this inn is one of the most expensive ánd luxuary staying places of Ithal Sibil. Itīs said that the Orlands acquired their wealth with illegal activities, but that has never been proven. to the west of the Main Citadel, near the entrance of the mines, the Dusty Dwarf provides many miners a place to stay if they donīt have a home of their own. In the past, the Dusty dwarf was known as the Rockside Tavern, but when the Shiftstone was discovered and miners kept flowing into the (at that time) village, the innkeeper thought of a new name due to the new customers. Like the Johnson's Dock Inn, many rough people come here, especially miners. However, for some reason the mood in the Dusty Dwarf is much more friendly than in the Johnson's Dock.

Arts and Culture:

Anyone with a decent living (about 34% of the total populace) is educated in at least one form of art, be it music, dance or something else.

Economics:

The strange material the towers are made of, is actually mined from the rock the city is built upon. Wealthy visitors sometimes buy a load of the material to build their mansions with it.

Religion:

The city does not worship any god in particular, but following Boccob or Wee Jas may result in a conflict with the inquisitive Shiftcloaks, who are supported by the government to ''keep out'' any wizards or other arcane spellcasters.

Government:

Ithal Sibil is ruled by the Grand Ithal Council, where one hundred and fifty councilors discuss laws, changes, diplomacy and other kinds of politics. Although the great variance of councilors, the majority of the council is strictly Lawful. The Council elects a Prime Councilor every six months, who gets the center seat in the Citadel, controls the discussions and approves law proposals and other suggestions by the Council. The Council also controls the Shiftcloaks, a special task force that hunts down arcane spellcasters. Some councilors hope to become Prime Councilor to use the Shiftcloaks for their own gain, as these inquisitive fighters and clerics form a powerful force in Ithal Sibil.

Crime:

The large amount of politicians has brought to life an abundant amount of assassins. Many councilors with less principles than the rest sometimes hire these mercenaries to cause ''accidents'' which take the lives of rival politicians.

The Monument:

Ithal Sibil's monument is Ithal Sibil itself. Constructed of a unique color-shifting stone, some towers climb almost a mile into the sky.

Power Struggles:

In the Main Citadel, located high above Ithal Sibil's center, politicians cause any political intrigue you could ever think of, while, on the lower levels, Guilds and shadow organizations vie for control of the city. The extensive network of mines and sewers contains many hide-outs and headquarters for criminal organizations, cults, groups of arcane spellcasters and other people who don't want to be discovered. The feared Shiftcloaks patrol the bridges and streets for arcane spellcasters and sometimes send inquisition raids down the subterranean network in search of fugitive wizards and sorcerers.

Factions, political or otherwise

The Shiftcloaks

The Shiftcloaks are a merciless no-nonsense police-army, specialized in arresting or otherwise neutralizing arcane spellcasters. Anyone who is suspected of the use of arcane magic can be arrested by these brutal fanatics. The Shiftcloaks are generally feared by all who oppose the Ithal Sibil law, due to their agressiveness while ''upholding the safety'' in Ithal Sibil. The Shiftcloaks are organized quite simply, one leader with a number of lieutenants which lead the different squads while patrolling, questioning incoming travelers and raiding hide-outs of fugitive arcane spellcasters and other ''criminals''. The Shiftcloaks were once a rebel faction which fought and defeated one of Ithal Sibil's first rulers, the evil sorcerer Zachiro. They captured and excecuted him in his tower, now the Main Citadel where the Grand Council resides. Thereafter, as they feared another sorcerer or wizard would use his magic to attack the city, they became ruthless hunters of anyone displaying arcane talents. It happens that youngsters who just discovered their talent as a sorcerer have to flee, but exiting the city is almost impossible.

The City Guard

These soldiers are generally less agressive or brutal than the Shiftcloaks and usually uphold the law in Ithal Sibil. Its organization is a bit more complicated, although the Guard too has a single leader, which is controlled and elected by the Council. Every district of Ithal Sibil has its own Officer, who commands the Chiefs of the different Patrols in the district. The City Guard is not focussing on arcane business, but generally prevents crime in the city. Due to their different (read: less agressive) approach to problem situations, the City Guard often finds itself in conflict with the zealous Shiftcloaks.

Arcane Spellcasters

Hunted, arrested and often brutally killed by the Shiftcloaks, anyone with talents on arcane magic has to hide these talents or risk being prosecuted. As the general populace of Ithal Sibil fears arcane magic as much as it fears the Shiftcloaks, most arcane spellcasters in the city are sorcerers. Wizards, who become arcane spellcasters because they want it are quite rare, although the occasional wizard may be plotting somewhere in an abandoned mine. Some sorcerers escape capture by the Shiftcloaks and flee into the underground network where they form small communities, but these don't last long due to the ever-searching patrols of the Shiftcloaks.

The Grand Ithal Council

One hundred and fifty squabbling politicians fill the ranks of the Grand Ithal Council, which resides in the Main Citadel. Every six months, they elect a new Prime Councilor, while every two years the population of Ithal Sibil elects which people become Councilors. Several factions have at least ten Councilors under their influence, not only the legitimate ones but also organizations unknown to the public. Even though corruption is not rare among the Councilors, the Council has been able to maintain a strict regime over Ithal Sibil so far. Battling everyday cases of gang- and guildwars, the Council has evolved into a rigidly Lawful Neutral alignment. Although many Councilors aren't Lawful Neutral, perhaps not even Lawful, the Councilors have agreed that it is the best policy to maintain stability in the enormous city.

Minor Factions

The Guilds

Many groups of artisans, artists, laborers and other working people have formed guilds for mutual gain and safety. Most legitimate guilds have their own tower, but some less-legitimate guilds, like some groups of thieves, assassins and other shady persons, have created their own ''guilds''. The latter are known to strife for controll over the streets and other low parts of Ithal Sibil. Some of these ''Thieve's Guilds'' specialize in assassinations, and these mercenaries are often hired by politicians. Sometimes a massive guildwar threatens the stability in the city, forcing the City Guard to intervene.

Adventure Hooks:

- The party's arcane spellcasters are arrested upon arrival in Ithal Sibil and the rest of the party has to free them (or the spellcasters have to escape on their own).

- A young sorcerer who has just become aware of his powers begs them to help him hide from the Shiftcloaks.

-Certain members may be approached by one of the several factions and offered a job.

-A politician fears he will be murdered and hires the party to protect him from assassins.

-The party is in search of a stolen magic item and finds out it lies within the vaults of the Shiftcloaks.

-The party discoveres that a politician is creating
his own army in the underground network.

Martinus
2005-07-02, 03:39 PM
NPC's
Name, level and class of some sample NPC's you could use. Some ideas of the political climate in Ithal Sibil are based upon some of these NPC's, but you are free to change/replace them by other ones of your own making :)
Prime Councilor: Darren Maldeen, LN lvl 7 Human Aristocrat (http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=27878)
Councilor: Phillis of Lightwood, LN lvl 3 Elf Aristocrat (http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=27881)
Shiftcloak Overseer (boss): Lorand Meesha, LN Lvl 15 Human Cleric (http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=27882)
Shiftcloak Lieutenant (Squad Leader): Victor Briefwater, LN lvl 5 Human Cleric (http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=27921)
Shiftcloak Trooper: Grimbold Stainsmith, LN Lvl 3 Dwarf Fighter (http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=27922)

Martinus
2005-07-02, 05:02 PM
[place holder]

just in case, y'know :P

Renloth
2005-07-02, 05:08 PM
I really like the idea of a city where magic is dstusted.

On a side note, have you ever played Neverwinter Nights?

The city on the rock reminds me heavily of a description in it. I'm not saying your plagerizing, just somthing I thought of.

Anyway, thanks for the kind comments.

Martinus
2005-07-02, 05:12 PM
I never played neverwinter nights, although I've heard of it. If I had known that this could be plagerizing I would have thought of something else, but I mean no ''harm''.


P.S. Good ideas deserve kind comments.

Wukei
2005-07-03, 02:33 PM
Sounds like a good place to have dwarves, since most dwarves distrust magic. (Other than the gold dwarves.) Thanks for using spell check ;)

Martinus
2005-07-03, 03:01 PM
Spell check? What's that?

Martinus
2005-07-04, 02:09 PM
anyway, I'm adding a list of sample npc's

Constructive criticism is welcome, please tell me what you think of Ithal Sibil!

Cantankerous
2005-07-04, 04:04 PM
Nice concept, but could you put spacings between paragraphs - makes it much easier to read. :)

Martinus
2005-07-04, 05:39 PM
I'll do that, thanks for the tip :)

The_King_of_Durf
2005-07-04, 09:06 PM
Very very cool. A birds eye view picture would be awesome (if you could do one). I love the idea, although I think you might want to tell us a bit more of transportation, are regular ships used in this city, or just airships? Who runs them?

Martinus
2005-07-05, 09:17 AM
I am making a map at the moment, it'll be here soon if everything goes as planned. Thanks for the tip on the transport abilities, I'll add something about that :)

TheOneTrueProphet
2005-07-05, 12:38 PM
Nice.....the whole not liking magic thing is cool. Most people do just the opposite and make their cities overflow with magic, but anyways, good job!!!

Martinus
2005-07-05, 01:49 PM
Thereīs still Divine magic, most Shiftcloak lieutenants are clerics. Anyway, thanks for the compliment :)

do you participate in the contest as well?

TheOneTrueProphet
2005-07-05, 02:26 PM
Yes, I am indeed. Except that I don't get on my comp for very long amounts of time, so I'm doing most of my city in a notebook. Old school, right?

Martinus
2005-07-05, 02:48 PM
well, I didn't need a notebook, since I had most of this city in my mind for about a month :)

what's your entry?

TheOneTrueProphet
2005-07-05, 04:56 PM
Like namewise? cuz I don't want to say to much about the actual thing ;) *is paranoid* Anyways, the name, once I get finished, will be: Linaris, the City of Healers.....can you tell what a major thing will be? I love clerics and so this city will reflect that ;D

Martinus
2005-07-11, 02:08 PM
A city of clerics :)

sounds like the perfect spot for a ''holy war''