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View Full Version : [City] Rif'Slar, City of Crystal Prisms



Sophistemon
2005-07-06, 10:12 PM
Rif’Slar
Thought Up and Posted by Thanatos


Introduction:
The city before you shines brightly in the sun. Tall, octagonal stone towers topped by pointed, prism-like roofs catch the light of the sun and reflect it in dazzling multicolor patterns. A six-foot crystal signpost standing at the base of the city gate is deeply carved with an incomprehensible language. As you pass it a sweetly feminine voice whispers the following words into your head: “Welcome to Rif’Slar, City of Crystal Prisms.”

Stats: (I used an online generator, and then edited it. I hope this makes sense to somebody)
Community Size (Adults): 20787
Community Size (non-adult): 4157
Population Blocks: 41
Probability Modifier: 1
Community Modifier: 5
Class Level Modifier: 9
GP Limit: 40000
Total Community Wealth: 41574000
Power Centers: (1) Conventional Ruler (2) Nonstandard City Council
Power Center Alignments: (1) Chaotic Good
Community Authority: Highest-level Psionic person (1)
Full-time Guards: 207
Community Militia: 1039

Background Information:

Physical Description:
Rif’Slar is a large city dominated by its nine crystal-topped towers though smaller, less aesthetically pleasing buildings do make up the majority of the buildings in the city. Eight of the nine towers are arranged in an octagonal pattern that touches the inner walls of the city while the ninth tower, the tallest of all, stands sentinel in the center. All other buildings are arranged in a grid pattern that radiates out from the center tower, and that dictates where things go. For example all governmental buildings are located at the foot of the central tower, and around those are the residential buildings, followed by the commercial. Farmlands can be found beyond the walls, and the farmers generally live there. The city is organized and clean, and the people generally friendly. The lands outside of Rif’Slar are forgiving and kind, with fertile soil and freshwater springs. The crystal mines that were used to construct the prisms are also beyond the outer walls, and are always guarded.

Arts and Culture:
The main art form practiced by the citizens of Rif’Slar is that of the written word. The reading and writing of books, poems and plays are a common way for a Rif’Slarian to unwind after a day of work.

Economics:
Rif’Slar’s main export is that of psionic items, made of the crystal gathered from the mines outside of the city. These items range from trinkets (the telepathic signpost) to immensely powerful artifacts (the prisms on the towers). Though abundant, the crystals are never used for anything other than the creation and enchantment of psionic items. Carvings are created of stone, bone, wood and sometimes metal. Rif’Slar also sells a great deal of written work, which entertains and amuses sentient beings the world over.

Religion:
The people of Rif’Slar are allowed to worship any deity of their choosing, as the people of the city belief, more than anything else, in a person’s right to make their own decision.
Government:
Rif’Slar is, and has been since its founding, a psiocracy. Similar to a magocracy, a psiocracy is ruled by he or she who possesses the most psionic power. Anyone may challenge the current ruler of Rif’Slar to a non-violent psionic duel for the throne, with the winner either staying put in power, or instantly ascending to it.

Crime:
Being such an ordered city has left Rif’Slar relatively crimeless. Small thefts and the like are the only things that the Rif’Slarian people have to fear from one another, and the punishment for any crime is expulsion from the city, with the duration of the expulsion being determined by the crime. Were one to murder another in cold blood, for example, he or she would be forever banished from the city, with all ties severed to those who remain within.

The Monument:
The monument is the ninth tower located in the center of the city. It was for this tower that the surrounding towers and yes, the entire city, were constructed. The prism at the top of this tower is a psionic artifact of immense power and serves to heighten the powers of any psionic person who enters the cit, (characters within the city gain a temporary +2 level bonus to one manifester class of their choosing for as long as they remain within the city walls) and the other eight towers are there to continuously ‘feed’ the central tower with psionic energy. Because of this more psionic people can be found in Rif’Slar than anywhere else.

Power Struggles:
There is only one power struggle in the city worth discussing, and that is between the current ruler of Rif’Slar (Gericho Frin) and the members of the City Council. The City Council insists that Gericho is much too old to properly rule the city as it should be, and should renounce his position and step down. Gericho himself insists that he has it under control, thank-you-very-much, and is all too prepared to run the city for the rest of eternity (Gericho is an elan, and has rules for well over five-hundred years). The Council, which is in charge of everything other than the creation and interpretation of laws (which fall under the jurisdiction of Gericho) are more than eager to raise someone else to the position of ruler, one who isn’t so old-fashioned with his distribution of wealth (Gericho believes that everyone should get exactly what they earn, whereas the Council thinks that they, being such important public servants, should earn quite a bit more.) This dispute has led Padarin Driz, a council-member, to challenge Gericho to a psionic duel.

(Gericho Frin, elan telepath level 15, metamind level 10, chaotic good) (Padarin Driz, human Kineticist level 10, Pyrokineticist level 5, neutral evil)

Adventure Hooks:
1a. Padarin has planned an assassination for Gericho, and the PCs have been inlisted by an informant to stop it before something horrible happens. 1b. Padarin is planning an assassination for Gericho, and has contacted the PCs to help his assassins do their job.
2. The tower at the center of the city is fading in power and, should it be depleted, those who depend on it for psionic enhancement will die. The PCs must find the problem and fix it before it is too late.