Vornheiming Middenheim Part VII: The Palast District


[UPDATE 1/6/21: I no longer support spending money on products that benefit Zak S, or giving him positive attention and connection. The short version is that I find credible claims that he has engaged in unacceptable behavior and not made up for it. For more detail, see here for the core of the accusations. To get Zak's side of things, he maintains this separate blog from his main one to post updates on the legal status of these complaints. 
Please consider these claims and make your own decision on their validity, and the implications thereof, before either supporting or shunning Zak.]

As much fun as the various generators were, I figured I better get a handle on how to do the different city districts.  So far I'm leaning towards keeping things brief, as I think that a Corpathium-level amount of detail per district might be too much.  I'm also using the rumors as the place to put the adventure hooks from Warhammer City: Middenheim and The Power Behind the Throne plus a few embellishments from me.  As with the previously presented rumors, I'm not going to present any as "true" and others as "false", and I will instead leave that to individual referees to decide for their game.  That makes rumors a nicely concise way to convey a lot of potential information without dictating any setting details.  Plus, the rumors can be just as valuable whether true or false, so that's pretty cool.

Also, using the contact rules from earlier, plus district specific rumors, gives a nice way to work your way towards intrigues.  I'm thinking that each district will have rumors mostly having to do with that district, and sometimes contradictory ones about other districts, so that you'll have to work your way around the city and making new contacts to get to the bottom of stuff.

At any rate, for today below the break is the write-up for the Palast district.  Please let me know if anything seems unnecessary, or if it's too sparse, or what should be added.



2. Palast
Activity
Day
  • Tourists, gawkers, and sellers of cheap souvenirs throng the square of the martials hoping to get a glimpse of someone famous
  • Knights Panther discourage unsavory types from paying too much attention to the palace gates
Night
  • The square of the martials is deserted except for members of the Knights Panther assigned guard duty
  • Members of the royal household occasionally return from nocturnal excursions, sometimes with guards and sometimes more discreetly
Locations
  • Middenpalaz
    • Luxurious stone construction, including marble pillars and rococo facings
    • Surrounded by 15 foot high spiked fencing, entry is only allowed with written permission from a member of the court
    • Houses the barracks for the Knights Panther
    • Beneath the palace are vaults, mausoleums, and the city’s mint
  • Konigsgarten
    • Beautifully manicured garden with lawns, rare trees, and flower beds
    • Open to the public during the day, unless the Graf is hosting an exclusive party
  • Square of the Martials
    • A massive statue of Graf Gunthar Todbringer atop a fountain dominates the center of the square
    • The square is below street level so that it can be flooded and frozen for the annual autumn festival’s ice dance pageant
Encounters
Chance of Encounter 1 in 6 per hour
  • A rare, bold group of footpads looking for a big score (night only)
  • Knights Panther bored with guard duty looking to pick a fight
  • A foreign tourist, obviously rich and obviously confused
  • A hassled guild member seeking audience at court who is actually an assassin
  • The coach of an ambassador from Kislev arrives escorted by surly fur-clad steppe horsemen
  • A party of Knights Templar return from an expedition to the forest, their lances adorned with mutant heads and a live beastman in chains, destined for the arena
Rumors

Roll
Rumor
1
The Graf has become ineffectual in his grief and is steered by his advisors
2
The Graf’s illegitimate son seeks to be made the heir
3
The Graf’s daughter is unusually liberal in the suitors she will entertain
4
A powerful member of the court is some kind of nefarious agent
5
The chancellor has become addicted to Laughing Powder
6
The Champion’s support of the new taxes is strange, he usually is a big fan of dwarves
7
One of the Law Lords has been even more depressed and melancholic than his usual quiet demeanor
8
The Estalian doctor brought in to tend to the Graf’s feeble minded son has scandalous appetites
9
The court hopes to use the carnival to distract the people from passing unpopular new laws
10
Relations between the Graf and the Emperor are souring. Some say the Graf thinks the emperor’s gone senile!
11
The city’s defenses will be in trouble if it loses too many wizards and dwarves to the new taxes
12
The three Midden Marshals are unhappy about the current state of the court

No comments:

Post a Comment