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Renloth
2005-07-01, 09:48 PM
Basicly, Zeitlich is a town that shifts in time, moving from place to place, fully intigrating itself into the the time line for a random time, (normally 10-20 years) before moving again, erasing the past of any adventurers that purposefully or inadvertently find themselves inside.

Introduction:

Out of the night, you see a timber wall forming. You struggle towards it, and find an intracitly carved gate, flanked by wooden towers. Though there does not appear to be anyone on watch, you call out anyway. A moment after your call, what you took for a carving swings open as a door, allowing your passage. Upon enterace you see the one holding the door, a middle aged man cloathed in worn but well cared for Plate Armor. He speaks a single word to you, softly; "Welcome", before swinging the door closed behind you. Twilight has fallen, and you mend your way into the quietness of the city.

Generally, a traveler finds the city to be built in a roughly circular layout, with two main roads that divide the circle into fourths, perpendicular to each other. The buildings tend to be Germanic in style (Wood frame with straw and plaster filler for insulation). However, if a ready source of wood is not availabe to make such buildings suspicious, they are made of whatever material happens to be plentiful. Travelers come and go down the streets, and shopkeeps outside open-air shops call out friendy greetings to passersby. The only thing that might strike a traveller as odd is the lack of any real disturbance in the city, save for the odd explained away fight or two.

Stats:

Size: Small City
Population: 5,137
Demographics:
Humans- 70% Halfling- 11% Dwarf- 9% Elf- 5% Half-Elf- 3% Gnome- 1% Half-Orc- 1%
GP Limit: 15,000 (This does not accout for transactions of future items)


Background Information:

Physical Description:

Starting from the center, there is a small open court with a wooden structure in the center. Surounding the court are the town hall and governmental structures, including the mayors house. Moving outward, the wealthier buisnesses and inns can be found, followed by moderate housing, then lesser buisnesses, with the rest of the housing taking up the rest of the township.
Because the town changes places, it's surroundings change as well, though it location is almost always slightly remote (preferably near a forest), as not to conflict with preexisting nation structure. (Though this may be overridden.)

History:

Where the town was originally from is unknown, save likly to a few that have been in the town from the beginning. The records are that a meteorite crashed into the center of the town at one time, disturbing a powerful magic, that trapped the town floating through time. Originally, the occupants paniced, disturbed at what was happening, but gradually they became used to the change, first because of the interesting perspective it provided (and the fact that they were effectivly immortal.) and after that wore off, because of the peace that living in such a close knit society provided.
The populace found that when they arrived in a new time, that while no one knew them specificlly, the world knew thier town as if it had always been there. They also found that the town would change to acomadate thier location. As travelers came and wished to settle in the town, they were let in on the secret and prevented from leaving by the government, those that escaped found that while they remembered the town, no one else did, and dismissed them as a bit crazy.

Arts and Culture:

Given Zeitlich's nature, it has seen quite a few Arts culled from the four corners of the world, and is a cultural mishmash, though predominatly Human due to its origin, many other races are present that have been caught in trips through time.
Guilds of Music and Dance are perhaps the most dominant, aided by the cultural diversity of the inhabitants, and a bard would find many interesting ideas within thier walls.
The second art would probably be that of metal-working, as they have managed to learn many secrets about the craft, gaining materials and ideas with each new place.

Economics:

The city really has no imports or exports, though the general population never seems to be lacking for money. Merchents in the city will sell most anything, apropriote to the technology level they happen to be in. They will also buy anything required to sustain the city, or that is new and interesting. The real reason they do not lack for money is through under the counter sales of higher grade weapons and armors, or just about anything that a consumer could want.

Government:

The city was originally run by a mayor, elected for life, though this has obviously been amended. The mayor was adament about losing his position, so a council was elected to asist him. Nevermind that he still has complete control.
Generally, the city has standard watch members to handle routine crime (Not that there really is much anyway). However, during one particularly long stay near an Orc nation, they were forced to defend themselves and created a company of soldiers called the "Knights of Zeit", utalizing the technology they have aquired, they defend the city from outside threats.
Aside from this one incident, Zeitlich tends to remain neutral to the world around it, as thier situation has given them a unique view on the rise and fall of nations.

Religion:

There are no actual religions in Zeitlich, only two cults that have very different views of the Meteorite and the situation the city is in. They have no names, but compose the majority of the city.
The first cult belives that the Meteorite is a blessing and the imortality a gift. They compose roughly 38% of the population.
The second cult maintains that it is an eternal punishment and damnation to be trapped endlessly between times. They compose 20% of the population.

Crime:

Crime is virtually nonexsistant in Zeitlich, and any that occurs is quickly explained away. What could be considered crime however is an underground group that defies the government of the city. They wish to return the city to its proper place by attempting to destroy the Meteorite. A man know only as Urik leads about 12% of the populace in this mission. They try to protect travelers, hopeing to keep them from being pulled into the city. This can sometimes be misconstued as attacks, an image which is encouraged by the Mayor.

The Monument:

The Monument is housed within the wooden structure at the cener of the city. The structure has four entrances, at the midpoint of each wall. Three of these doors are made of Oak, while the door that faces the city gates is of Cold Iron inlaied with silver. The interior is composed of a single open room, sepperated into three levels, each about four feet below the previous floor. The levels are rectagular, the top most being the largest, capable of holding several hundred people. The second level is an overlook reached by two sets of stairs at the corners of the rectangle and can hold about fifty people.

The third level is normally cordoned off, and is the remains of the orginal crater created by the Meteorite's landing. The Meteorite itself is about a foot across, and rests on a chisled stone pedistal that is three feet tall. It gives off an intense magical energy for those that can sense it, but a very nuetral sort of energy. This energy is resopnseable for the Time shifts.
At Midnight twenty-four hours before the city shifts in time, the Meteorite begins to glow with a pale green light. It is at this time that the government orders the main gates closed. The guards are agressive in preventing anyone from leaving during this time. Anyone that is bathed in this light for more than an hour or two gains a slight power to manipulate time while they are in the light, and those that stay for at least twenty hours gain this ability until the next time the city shifts. At Midnight the next day the city disappears, reverting the past to normal, and erasing the historys of any travellers that are unfortunate enough to be trapped inside.

Note: Besides this 24 hour period, anyone is free to leave if they wish.

Four of the Knights of Zeit man the building, partly to watch for the light, but also to protect the Meteorite from any harm. The same four Knights are always on the "Watch Shift" (That is, the Midnight shift) and therefore have control of the power the light provides. All other shifts are manned by a rotation of twelve Knights.

Power Struggle:

Major Powers:

The First Cult - 38% (Here called "The Blessed")

The Second Cult - 20% (Here called "The Lost")

The Resistance - 12% (Here called "The Free")

The remaining 30% are undecided.

The Knights of Zeit come mostly from The Blessed and The Lost, but about 25% come from those that are undecided. Lastly, a few actually work for the resistance.
However, they generally are more dedicated to the citizens than any of these ideals.

The major struggle is between The Blessed and The Lost, over how the city should be governed. The Blessed want to continue the way they always have, while The Lost, seeing this all as a punishment, want to degenerate the city into anarchy.
The Free simply want to defy the others and destroy the Meteorite, which they belive will break the city free from its endless voyage through time.
The Blessed and The Lost both see The Free as a threat, but distrust each other too much to ally agianst them. Similarly The Free hate them both equally, creating a bickering triangle that has existed for years.


Adventure Hooks:

-The city itself is one massive adventure hook, besides what is going on it's walls, a party could stumble inside right before a shift, and leave into an entirly new world.

- A group of adventurers could hear of advanced armor and weapons in Zeitlich. Upon reaching it, they might balk at the prices, cause a disturbance, and be thrown in jail to maintain the aura of peace. Or they might just dicide to steal it all and be caught, meetig the same fate.
During the night the Meteor might begin to glow, sealing them inside with only a few precious hours to escape custody and the city.

- Or the adventurers might become caught up with one side of the political triangle, (Helping the Free to destroy the Meteorite, or one of the cults to become dominant.)

Renloth
2005-07-02, 10:20 AM
(Place Holder)

Martinus
2005-07-02, 02:55 PM
A very interesting idea :)

especially when an adventuring party actually is in the town when it ''jumps'' through time into some completely other environment. A nice and original way of drastically changing a campaign's outlook.