If there were a third city-state it would be...

[Morrolan]

I like the idea of an elven city, especially one run by elven merchants (yes, there might already be something in the game a little like this) of a reunified city-elf clan and desert-elf clan.  How to prevent it from being taken over/destroyed by the sorcerer-kings?  Well, the elven tribe could play them off against each other.  Or, the could even control a resource that could be destroyed by the merchant leaders a la Atreidies being able to destroy the spice (Dune).  Maybe a source of magickal metal?  Like the goose that lays the golden egg, it couldn't be taken over without being destroyed.  As to the truth of it, the PCs would have to find out IG.

If the city were run by a non-PC tribe, and hired someone else to do the building for them, it would be pretty cool.  I like the parallels with the drow "underworld" from the Dark Elf trilogy, too.  But Zalanthas elves are not D&D elves, and it would look very different.  And there would be a place for city-elf PCs to be something other than "shady" types, class-wise.  Of course, elves would still be elves.   :twisted:

This city could even lead to a flourishing of elvish culture.  What if it were a city that would allow such races as the gith to come to trade?  Yes, the gith are bloodthirsty savages, but it would be nice to give them a chance to be more than that one-dimensional portrayal.  Brutal, but not simple.

Morrolan

[jstorrie]

New New Tuluk, with public wine fountains and more sex-couches.

[Manhattan]

why does the leader of a city-state have to be a magician, huh? who said they all had to be sorcerors, huh?
why can't it just be someone who was elected into that position?
a leader loved, not feared. huh? huh?

[Synthesis]

Someone might have mentioned it previously, but there's a really good reason why city-states are run by humans.  It states in the docs that only humans can be psionicists, so that's not really IC info.

Sure, anyone can be an insane, godly-powerful sorceror...but if you think that little nagging voice in the back of your mind is just your conscience...well...who's really in control?

And since the guy in control is a human...why would a human want to surround himself with a bunch of inferior humanoids?

That's just a semi-wild-assed guess on my part, but it makes enough sense to be plausible, I think.  The only reason elves and gith and halflings and other humanoids even exist anymore is because either they're useful or they're too far out of the way to bother with.  As soon as they present any kind of threat, they're going to get schwacked.  Hard.  I mean, c'mon, we're living in the age of preventive war, here!

I think the only reasonable alternative to a human-psionicist run city state would be a servant of the Dragon or the Dragon himself (or some other supernatural being immune to psionics) uniting a set of tribes and establishing another city.  Of course, there's the problem of -why- such a being would want to do such a thing...but I'm sure some sort of explanation could be arranged.

[Cyrian20]

What about people that rape erdlu?

Depends if they had consent or not.

>run
>s (screaming as he flails his arms and darts through the streets)

[Halaster]

stuff

I think that elves and gith wouldn't make good city-state leaders because that's just not what they want, in general.  Tribal elves are just that - tribal.  They have no interest in forming a big city where everyone's invited.  They want to be a part of their small (compared to city-states) tribe and not have outsiders around too much.  Gith are the same.

City-elves aren't much different.  They'd be more likely to be able to rule a city-state, but even then, I have a hard time envisioning it.

Just my thoughts.

[RunningMountain]

Yeah I don't think elves would function as the best as far as running a city goes. Though I'd love to see them and half-elves accepted as templars in this imaginary city-state thread we have here, that'd be pretty cool.

[Larrath]

I don't want to see half-elves accepted anywhere.  And elves just won't make a city-state.  They'd make a very reinforced camp, at most.  Elven tribes simply aren't that large, nor do I think they'd like to base themselves on exploitation the way the cities do with a Templar class, a working class and a lazy slut class.

Really, I just don't know how much I'd even like to see a third city state.  Third major PC settlement, sure, but why a city-state?  We already have five noble clans.  That means more noble family than merchant family.

We need more places where there is nothing but grit, like Red Storm, only less insanely dangerous and more liveable.  I love templars, I really do, but sometimes I'd like to be in a city where magick is feared on a truly large scale, and not just by the ignorant masses.  A place with a secret society of magickers, perhaps.  Heh.

[RunningMountain]

Why don't you want to see half-elves accepted anywhere?

[Larrath]

Why don't you want to see half-elves accepted anywhere?

Because I think it's against the point of half-elves.  Half-elves are scum and they have to face that fact, internally and externally, every day.  To be able to have the solace in knowing that somewhere people tolerate them would seriously affect their mentality, at least on some scale.  I say, meh.

[LauraMars]

Why don't you want to see half-elves accepted anywhere?

Because I think it's against the point of half-elves.  Half-elves are scum and they have to face that fact, internally and externally, every day.  To be able to have the solace in knowing that somewhere people tolerate them would seriously affect their mentality, at least on some scale.  I say, meh.

Well, I think that people tolerate a half-elf in the way you would tolerate a stray dog or cat.  You just...think of it as less, but you don't think of it as scum.  And the half-elves know this, or even if that's not true, that's what they think is true.  The way I see it, it really doesn't matter what people think of a half-elf, it's what half-elves think other people think of them that makes their mentality.

BUT I DERAIL.

Back on topic, I think a city under the ground would be...absolutely amazing.  And it would have a lot of new monsters!  I want it to be like fraggle rock.  Did anybody watch that show?  That show was awesome.

[RunningMountain]

A city underground eh? How about a city above the grey forest?

[Ghost]

Replica of City of Tyr from Darksun.

The sorcerer king has been killed by some "heroes".  Would not that be something.... cool?

[RunningMountain]

The Free City was/is awesome.

[Arabian Nights]

A city that is similar to an old west town from the western movies would be cool. No sorceror king, no law other than those made by the folks living there. Sort of like the 'rinth except a small outpost/city of its own. You want the law to protect you? Be the law, have some protection or don't go here because you will be robbed/cheated/killed/enslaved/etc...

[Maybe42or54]

No extra City-state for me. THanks, but no thanks.

We have:
Allanak
Tuluk
The 'rinth.
Luir's Outpost.
Red Storm
Red Storm East
Blackwing outpost.
Gith Mesa
Mantis Valley


Not enough cities to you?
Enough for me.

[Tamarin]

I'd like to see somewhere cold.

[Tuannon]

Replica of City of Tyr from Darksun.

The sorcerer king has been killed by some "heroes".  Would not that be something.... cool?

I can see Red Storm evolving into Zalanthas' answer to Tyr personally. It will obviously take a while to get the power base in place that will allow 'self rule' and what have you. There will be likely teething problems with tyrannical neighbours in Allanak and also some interesting developments with non-humans being accepted generally, but there you go.

[Ritley]

Why don't you want to see half-elves accepted anywhere?

Why? because not being accepted is one of the main Rp points of half-elves. If that goes, then everything else about a half-elf would just collapse, and you would basicly have a human with a elf parent, or a elf with a human parent.

[Ghost]

I can see Red Storm evolving into Zalanthas' answer to Tyr personally. It will obviously take a while to get the power base in place that will allow 'self rule' and what have you. There will be likely teething problems with tyrannical neighbours in Allanak and also some interesting developments with non-humans being accepted generally, but there you go.

Yes, but Red Storm is more like "live your own life" and "close your eyes to the others".  Tyr is more like, "Heroes!  Yay!".  I think that would add an aspect to the game.  Since, in truth, every other place is more or less following the concept of "Mind your own business".  No place, maybe no other than the labyrinth, puts weight on individuals.

[SewerRat_inTheOpen]

Red storm further developed into something that can be player run, with cell leaders that can decide on things.

Thought the way I see it now, with Luirs/Tribals/Allanak/Tuluk and the player base we have now, it's too spread out.

[Gaare]

There was another city Steinal before. There must be a reason why it is not there any more.

[I]

I haven't really been reading this thread that much, so I am not sure if somebody already suggested this but I would like to see a smallish city run by actual pc's something a little bigger than Luirs is what I had in mind. There would be an ever present struggle for power and assassinations and all that stuff. I would like it.

[Delirium]

Just come to Luir's.  Heh.

[House Rising Sun]

Just come to Luir's.  Heh.

There's a reason you have to ask us to. The place is a burden now. No character at all.