Saturday Downtime Musings! This Week's Topic: A New City

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

I was just sitting here on this fine Saturday, staring dejectedly at my computer screen. And I began to think those foolish thoughts that creep into my head on occasion... For instance, what would it take for a lone PC to start a whole new city-state?

First, you'd need to think of a way of getting there. You can't just start a character and start marching around Allanak, saying, "Hey, I'm gonna go be a brutal dictator. Want to be my lowly peon?" No, it just doesn't work like that. I think everyone is aware of the 'become a defiler of unimaginable power' path, but I'm not sure about that. So, you're a mighty sorceror. Big deal. How is that going to help you start a city? I can see how it'd help you -run- a city... Zapping rebels and peeking into the minds of spies and such. But letting people know that you're a mighty and terrible mage with the power to turn their guts into fireballs isn't exactly going to have settlers running to your little Fortress of Doom.

A more feasible path, in my opinion, is to have a very charismatic character who is able to hold his own in melee combat. You could have this character get mixed in with some unsavory raiders, or the like. After proving his worth, he could eventually become quite influental in the little war band. With some convincing words, he might be able to get these raiders to settle down somewhere, and then begins the business of building a city. The raiders you've befriended could work as a small standing army, in fact... Provided the pay is right.

One of the first things a person would have to consider when creating a brand new Fortress of Doom, is where to put it. My knowledge of the Known World outside of the two existing city-states is quite limited, but I have a few ideas. Placing your Fortress in the barren Salt Flats would be quite interesting. An invading army would have quite an obstacle to deal with there, and the seclusion of the area would allow a dictator to amass his power in secrecy. Of course, the area is hardly livable... Food and water would be a huge problem. Farms would need to be kept miles away from the city, creating a huge advantage for raiders in the area, striking caravans as they make their long and dangerous trek. Water would be nearly impossible to acquire, unless the salt flats have a secret aquifer below the surface... (Hmm...) or their resident dictator happens to be the Known World's most powerful Vivaduan. Another possibility is to tuck your city-state away somewhere in the Northlands... My knowledge of the area is limited, but I'd imagine your Fortress' presence would be detected soon, and you'd be far more susceptible to invasion. However, you'd have much better access to food and water, which is a definite plus.

Another point you'd need to ponder in the creation of your city-state is "Why would Joe Commoner prefer my Fortress of Doom to say, Allanak, or Tuluk?" Well, here are some ideas... From an IC perspective, you'd need to offer the masses something that isn't offered everywhere else. The ideas are limitless, you just need to be creative. Perhaps you found an all-elven city-state, free from oppression from the round-ears? Or something similar, but with a 'stubby-only' policy. (I personally would like to a see an all dwarven culture, as I'm unaware of one existing right now, and I think it'd be a fun expirement). Maybe you invent a new form of entertainment, based on illusions spawned from Whirans? And as long as we're on the topic of magick, maybe your city-state is the one place in the world in which defiler magick is not illegal (There are some -definite- plusses to having a magick-wielding army). Maybe you allow citizens to vote on laws, or even *gasp* leaders? Of course, I'm sure many players wouldn't like the idea of a democracy in Zalanthas, as it kind of goes against the whole 'feel' Armageddon has to it.

Speaking of players, you'd need to find ways to attract people to your city in an OOC sense. You'd need to make your Fortress of Doom a unique expierence, and fill it with interesting RP and pretty or unique sites to see... It can't just be Allanak's twin.

There are countless other considerations a would-be dictator needs to tackle, before even -starting- to establish his mighty empire. What would be the Fortress' stance on existing settlements and city-states? Are we going to ally ourselves with those barbaric Northerners, or those crazy, coniving Southerners? Try to maintain a neutral policy? Cross our fingers and hope neither notices us? Or are we actually dumb enough to try and take them on?

Phew. Looking at all this, creating a city-state looks like a daunting task, a goal even dwarf couldn't acheive. But, I can still dream, right?

Anyways, I'm posting this here for mostly other people's amusment, but also for thoughts on what you think is required for starting a clan or establishment, or even just being a leader in general.

So... Umm... Comments?

[jhunter]

I would -love- to see a dwarven community on Zalanthas...problem is with getting one started that I can think of...you'd have to get a few pc dwarves with similar foci to work toward getting it going and a place for it.

I do know of a -perfect- place for one even...just don't know how to deal with some problems with getting it going. :?

Maybe one day I'll try and get some other players interested in trying to pull it off...who knows?
It sure would be alot of fun to try though.

[creeper386]

Your best option, would probably be started in making a name for yourself in some other orginization. Some of the real worlds cities started on Generals and other higher ups deciding to up and leave taking a good portion of their men with them.

Over all, it's quite easy to get a PC gathering, but the problem is staying alive. I had the startings of something going with a few PC connections I made in game... For going on a route similar to this. Dwarves are a good route to take. Even if everyone doesn't have similar focuses. The leader could have a focus of making a dwarven society out from under the tall folks rule, the dudes in charge of your military could have focuses concerning melee stances, maybe one that leads the scouts wants to be a reknown hunter. Dwarf with crafting focuses can be found, would be a huge help, and they'd join as they could get materials and such, blah blah blah. Also dwarves on a whole I think have less fear of others of there race in regards to everyone else. Elves think anyone not of their tribe is out to get them, humans all regard themselves as tools and such, I think most dwarves ideals circling their focus, may not make them all "brethren" but well make them far less suspicious of everyone else.

That, or half-elves... But the problem with half-elves is they are supposed to be alittle more solitary... Also could follow the same elven rules of non-tribe members being dangerous and such, blah blah blah. And are IMO more likely to be suspicious of outsiders, even other half-elves then any other race. SHRUG.

Basically, it's a good idea to have a plan of what you are going to do. Even if part of the plan is figuring out what to have a plan. This is the type of thing I'd LOVE to be able to IG... To change the game world in at least a medium scale, from an IC point of view. Be great fun.


Creeper who has plans... Thats all that needs to be known.

[ShaLeah]

I'll support anything that gets rid of those nasty longnecks, half-breeds, dwarves and muls.



ShaLeah
- who is not prejudiced... just think everybody should own one.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

It's fun to think of a city sprouting up, and players being involved in it. If it ever did happen, I think it'd be some great RP, and allow for some roles that have never been seen before.

Honestly, when was the last time you heard of a player run construction company?

I think everyone is aware of the 'become a defiler of unimaginable power' path, but I'm not sure about that. So, you're a mighty sorceror. Big deal. How is that going to help you start a city?

Defilers with great power dont -start- cities, they consolidate through conquering. Muk and Tek each went about doing this... Muk sacced the twelve tribes of Vrun Driath or some such, but he was a warlord at the time I think, and then created his city. Tek took the southlands. Luir took the middlelands, and Steinal took the east, but was destroyed. So in theory a powerful sorceror might decide to rival Tek by gradually picking off his outside villages.

Imagine a huge metropolis with no food supply? Sounds like disaster ^_^.

But anyways... a new city-state would also be feasible on the grounds of finding a better place to live. Like in Allanak the idea of a shaded grove somewhere with water and food would be like a paradise, and Im sure you'd have more then a couple wanting to join you if you could realistically find such a place.

[Angela Christine]

An all-halfie city.    Half-elves, half-giants and half-dwarves (muls).  Half-giants are always useful, and they don't try to take over.  Half-dwarves are useful, they make good leaders, and since they don't breed you don't have to worry about an inept dynasty forming.  Half-elves breed true, are clever, and there would endless supply of alienated half-elves constantly arriving.

AC

[John]

LONG LIVE STEINAL

*cough*

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

*slaps John*

Ahem, sorry about that... Upon further reflection, I'm seeing a plus side to the whole, 'become a magicker of unimaginable power' theory. Without any sort of life-leeching magicks, a human ruler could only rein for 50, 60 years tops. Some European queen... (Victoria, I think?) ruled for like 72 years, but that's more than a little ambitious for Zalanthas. Therefore, for a dictator to rule with a real obsidian fist, he'd need to either be a dwarf, or be some mighty magicker of the evilest kind.

Or simply die, and have his Templars claim he is still alive, and collect taxes in his name... Hmm... Big conspiracy there. Wouldn't that be an interesting RPT? Having commoners running throughout the newly-established Fortress of Doom, shouting "Highking Fancypants has been dead for twenty years! It's anarchy!"

*Laughs manically, dissapearing into the shadows of the GDB*