Building a City

I am working on fleshing out a city for an upcoming campaign, and in an effort to provide more interesting background characters, I am reaching out to you people.

Basically every reply in this thread that provides a character idea will be implemented into my game. Name, race, class, concept, ideals, whatever the shit.

Krapxulon 5 is a wealthy merchant specializing in obscure Veusian artifacts. His prices are ludicrously high, but he expects you to haggle and will be greatly saddened if you don't. Xolor Xyphilant has been pressuring him to get into the Clay trade, but he is greatly opposed to such illegal activity and would appreciate some assistance on the matter.

With a hook to boot. I like you.

Telmar is an wizened old elf. Each morning he visits his wifes grave. Then he'll go to the cafe or park and play notchess with friends. After lunch he heads to the library to read. He's been working his way through the histories of the seven rivers for the last year, as he often falls asleep while reading. If you buy him a drink he'll regale you with stories of his younger days as a scout/surveyor.

Every afternoon Halic (a simple, old human male) who is somewhat a collector of old works and a former tutor himself; awaits Telmar in the city park or perhaps in the cafe and plays not!chess and swap stories. Sometimes Halic will find some interesting information about the seven rivers, and he eagerly passes this on to Telmar, for he is rewarded with another excellent tale from Telmar's scouting days.

Just a couple old boiz chillin in the park. I like it.

I love these threads, always have.
Im best at building on others npcs/creations/etc... wheni saw the poor old elf dude dedicated to his wife and reading, i just thought: who might he meet in that park or cafe? Just how my imagination works i guess

Landra is an elf woman who studies and collects regional plants and fungi. She is familiar with many species and their uses, and makes her income from supplying various hospitals and merchants.

a few days ago while searching the city sewers for new species, she witnessed two city guards murdering somebody. She didn't see the guards' faces and is afraid to come forward or return to the location

Johnathan brigsby (human) is a young farmer who's wife (Marilyn) died of tragic illness, leaving him to raise their son alone. He toils away on his farm and has grown depressed, causing his work to suffer. He needs help but is too proud to ask for it, and often spends his nights in the local tavern, drowning his sorrows.

The tavern owner (vaelen) is an old drow man that operates with his wife (taralyn), the two are very friendly and often offer Jonathan whatever they can, despite the fact he always refuses. The tavern owners daughter (sarissa) likes Johnathan but is far too shy to approach him. If you listen to her story she will ask you to gain Johnathans favor and try to set her up with an introduction.

Crank and Chain are human twins who work for the city guard. They are known well in the city for accepting all manner of bribes to let shady characters through the gates. In their younger days they showed particular bravery in saving the life of several nobleborn soldiers who found themselves surrounded. After their shift ends at midnight they can be found drinking at the Rams Roost and probably telling this story loudly to anyone who will listen.

Ol' daven, a blacksmith who berates the players on how poorly they take care of there weapons. However, he secretly enjoys blacksmithing for them, because its a changevof pace from having to make Horseshoes, nails, and other mundane metal shit for the townsfolk.

"Madame", as she likes to be called, can occasionally be seen huddled in the darker corners of the local taverns. A pale, sinewy lady, she seems to exude an aura of mistery that makes her stand out a bit from the other patrons. Offer her a drink or, better yet, a story, and she'll read you your future in the goat bones she carries.

Lift the veil that covers her face, however, and you'll find yourself face to face with Lady Cynthia, the not-so-young wife of a successful, local merchant. Though gossipy and superficial at first glance, the lack of mistery and excitement in her comfortable but uneventful life deeply troubles her, hence the disguise. Can't actually read the future, but always keeps an ear to the ground; as a consequence, she's often aware of what's really going on between the townsfolk. She disguises a lot of this knowledge under the guise of Madame's "predictions".

Gothric, the Dwarven scholar. He knows a little magic and a lot of lore, so much so that his life's goal is to found a new university, right here in the city. While he's got some magic talent (mostly healing and divination), he's balls at adventuring, and something of a coward, though Dwarven Honor demands he never acknowledge that. But he is rich. Rich enough to be able to hire people to be brave and plumb ancient tombs in search of more research for him. He'll always take the credit for the find, though he pays well enough that most who work for him don't mind it.

When Gothric isn't nose deep in a book or chatting up nobles looking for funding/patrons for his university, he can be seen in virtually any and every bar and tavern, tasting the finest wines and ales, and looking for literally anyone to talk to about his latest projects. He's known to be addicted to the good life, but also certain rare strains of tobacco that can only be grown in the Underdark or other suitably deep underground regions. If he goes a few days without his precious herb, Gothric begins suffering a wasting illness and becomes more and more irrational and irritable.

His family are ashamed of him, for his debauched lifestyle, his academic leanings, and his willingness to live away from other Dwarves. They only keep him funded and flush with bodyguards because him dying would be even more shameful.

I like these two a lot. It's simple, but at the same time they feel very real.

Madderosso the Marvelous is a salesman who passes through the area. He claims to be a wizard, and his patented Yuan-Ti extract is said to be able to cure any illness.

>He should probably give some to the hagard mare that pulls his rickety cart.

Rickholm Scabwood is a brilliant but eccentric alchemist currently working on creating a cheap alcohol that magically cures low level aches and pains after a hard days work (lowers fatigue by one level and heals 1 hp)... and is currently looking for investigators to clear his name.

his half-sister Regina a rather plain and timid half orc has just gotten engaged to the towns most eligible bachelor much to the chagrin of the girl he was dating a week ago.

Word is spreading that Rickholm being a alchemist has slipped the man a love potion ( it doesn't help that he is still under probation for that fiasco with the gnomes and the potions of gender change) Rickholm is willing to pay big for anyone who can clear him and his beloved sister of any wrongdoing and will pay double if they do it before his sister hears the rumors.

Sometimes a band of actors will arrive in the to put on free shows (though they do take donations), generally children's shows in the afternoon and bawdy comedies at night. While they're friendly enough, and decent actors, their biggest draw is that they all look to be grizzled ex-thugs, veteran mercenaries, lascivious women, and an assortment of other shady sorts. When drunk at the tavern, they occasionally even let details about their difficult pasts slip. They take special umbrage with anyone threatening children, and have been known to beat men half-to-death when it looked as though the community was being troubled.

Arabel the Alewife is the thrice widowed but still prodigiously hearty figure of the community. She is the proprietress of the Ram's Horns- a popular lounge and watering hole of the city. It is said that it's name and popularity come from the uncut firewater-
the "authentic shepherd's drink" travelers and apprentices use to blackout in the speediest way possible. This reputation is entirely exaggerated by the locals, who like the image of hard playing, hard working badasses.

In actual fact the swill isn't all that important, but the key to the Ram's long term prosperity is the culture behind it. At one time the entertainment consisted of normal tavern sports and civic games, but the trifecta of loose pockets, looser reason, and the tallest of tales has made the Ram's Horns the greatest gambling operation in the city and beyond.

As a nod towards the old city fathers and town elders who strictly banned gambling long ago, everything has a veneer of legality Prohibition style. Clay pieces track debts instead of any actual currency exchanging hands, Knuckle-bones and lots are cast for augury and household spirits and aren't dice at all, clever word play and friendly messages carved into the tables and benches only coincidentally resemble game boards.... and so on and so forth.

As the law doesn't actually recognize the gambling hall as existing in the first place, cheating and brawling are part of the allure- almost another part of the game and easily blamed on the hard drink tomorrow.

The problem being that the sleight of hand and fisticuffs haven't been following the unwritten rules recently. Toughs and bravos have been attracted by the tourist trap cum gaming parlor and one pulled a dagger on the another- sending them to the healers with an uncertain prognosis. Their are deeper, uglier layers of darkness being disturbed and bough up to the surface. And Arabel is stuck between the hard place of the feuding bosses and the Guard.

Odd John the Streetsweeper is a tall and skinny man, neither young or very old, who went Adventuring once as a lad. Something happened and only he returned, badly shellshocked. He recovered somewhat but is simple-minded and extremely claustrophobic. He will not go into an enclosed building. He also sleeps in a different place every night. He has no family, but the locals look out for him and help him out. He is honest and harmless and works hard every day. He understands the value of money, but entrusts what he gets with Osgrim and Sallasha, the owners of The Harpy's Nest which is a modest tavern. He sees a lot of what goes on in the streets of his neighborhood and might have some useful information for a few coins or a bottle. He is certainly no master spy that knows all of the goings on in the area, but he occasionally knows something useful.

By the statue of the Saint-Poet on Market Bridge if the weather is fine, and the children of good family have no need of his tuition, sits Nicholas Cypri the scholar, copyist, scribe, and calligrapher, ready for hire. Whether it be the illiterate needing to dictate a letter, a merchant wanting a fair copy of a contract, a wealthy lady one-upping her friends in lavish party invitations or a pious donor seeking illumination for their prayer scroll, his pens, brushes, and gold-leaf horn are at their service. A fan of plumes adds a jaunty, if eccentric, flair to his cap, each a capped quill of varying kind. While he’s always been a regular at the taverns of the city, particularly the Goose and Girl (a converted watchtower at the Old inner wall) for its arrowslit window that focuses sunbeams just so and the fireplace that gives ample light at night to write poems for the lovers and bills for the traders who both do business therein at that hour, he’s been drinking more of late and his charm and easy banter are in shorter supply than usual. It may have something to do with the gentlemen who are just certain he could write just like the mayor, if only he could be persuaded to try... Or perhaps it’s to do with the book of poetry commissioned by Donata Bilarel and her pretty daughter?

My idea for the poetry book would involve a visit by the characters to a monastery two days out of town, famed for its art, gardens, and library, and a popular place for the pious to undertake religious retreats.

Teehee Maccaroni (gnome) is an epic level sorcerer who's a retaded nudist gnome who wanders around chanting his name.

Teehee Maccaroni wander the streets and alleys with a unique Rod of Wonders powered by "retard magic" shoved up his anus, and he casts the Rod of Wonders by diddling his penis. He says nothing but his own name in different inflections and the phrase "I like-a the goodberry, gimme gimme the goodberry."

the foodcart vendor in the marketplace is a suspiciously handsome half-elf that many suspect is a bardic spy for someone. He is actually a firesorcerer priest of the goddess of Love and Flames. He cares about three things; Girls, Cooking, and Helping others in order to make the world a better place. Other than that, he is kind of an idiot, but he means well.

Darron Brown is a human level seven eldritch knight, about 43 years in age. he served in the military before retiring. He lives off his pension and part-time job as a mailman. He still mourns the death of his best friend. He is level headed and reserved, but has a healthy sense of humor.

Danny Hightrow. A mysterious young man with messy, bright blond hair who wears a fur trimmed coat. Danny is surrounded by various rumors of performing incredible feats, for example, some say he once threw a boulder into a river and jumped across the ripples to the other side of the rider, others say he once built an entire barn in one night, by himself, in exchange for some hot potato portage, some say he once ran up a tower and pulled a cloud out of the sky to water an old lady's flowers after she gave him a slice of apple pie, and one person swears they saw Danny catch a giant shark using his own reflection in the water.

Whatever rumors you hear, Danny insists he's just a normal fellow who likes to sight see and lives in a humble little hut near the bridge across the river running through the city.

The Apple Knight. A towering man, possible 8 or 9 feet tall, wearing a full suit of pale white armor, adorned with emblems of apples across his suit, that seems to have been fit specifically for his tall, lanky body. Outside of the big, bushy mustache and beard hanging from the visor, no other clues to the person beneath the armor are known.

The Apple Knight is a kindly man who regularly performs deeds of community service, while regaling folks with stories of his great deeds across the land. He tends to know any rumor or story of old, ancient treasures or locations, and if you aid him in community service deeds, he may be willing to direct you towards some kind of adventurous trail. His home is a oddly tall and thin little home to the east portion of the city, with an apple tree growing out of the roof.

Darry McGrugger is the manager of the Threepieces Carpentry and Masonry Company, or simply the Threepieces Company. An egg shaped old fellow on a pair of thin legs whose pants always seem too high up for comfort (at least to anyone viewing him) and a long, sharp nose. Darry is a bit of a workaholic who always has his nose in the books, and can usually be found scurrying about the streets, carrying arms full of accounting books, project write ups and supply reports. However, he is always willing to throw some coin to folks who can help with some troubles of his. Recent troubles include something up in the hills disrupting his lumber suppliers work, causing him to have a shortage of lumber, another is some problem with the quarry to the west. Needless to say, he always has a bit of footwork for folks in need of some extra cash

Prokdov Orcson, a half-orc living on the outskirts of town. Generally shunned by the populace he keeps to himself but upon encounter is an affable fellow and generally friendly. His ties to the criminal underworld and duty as a weapons smuggler to orc tribes and the like make him a man of duality.

Otus Yemsemite and old fisherman who works down by the docks. Specifically specializes in clam fishing. Supposedly a retired soldier reknown for his swordsmanship. Always has some information about the local waters and coastlines, so if theres ever trouble there, he is the best bet for information. May or may not be secretly treasure hunting out in the water while he's fishing for clams, and may or may not bring along some folks if they can convince him they can lend a hand.

Yemmeny Flea, the cities best mailman. A slender fellow with a shock of red hair that his hat never can contain and a face of freckles. Though he wears the uniform of the mail man, his pants always seem a few inches short, showing off his scrawny ankles, and always carrying around a massive satchel brimming with letters and packages. The reason he's the cities best is thanks to a pair of magic shoes he has that lets him easily leap and run across roof tops and navigate the city faster than anyone else. Yemmeny is the man to talk to if you want rumors or gossip of the general public, or need directions or a message delivered, of course, the hard part is catching Yemmeny when you do need him, might be easiest to just wait at the post office.

Darius, a near middle-aged human who rolled into town naught 9 moons ago. By day he works as a supply trader in the trading district of the city, by night he deals in hushed whispers and cloaks and daggers. Sent by the realm to observe and asses the various people of interest that had moved into the city, from the outskirts and its various districts.
He has employed a crafty bunch of street urchins as his eyes and ears. His is to keep the order of the city established and to keep a watchful for potential trouble that may erupt.