Information
Location Tier City Region Oceanside Other information N/A Governing Power Council of Coin
Image Credit: Art from Ptol.us site Admin Ellis Benus
Ptolus: City by the Spire
Ptolus is a major urban port city of about 75,000 residents, located on the Southeast coast of The Tarldet Plains in the Western Empire along the Bay of Ptolus on the Inland Sea. The city rests in the shadow of a massive, three-thousand-foot pinnacle of rock known simply as the Spire. Though it serves as an important trade hub for the Western Empire of Eraedal, Ptolus has recently transformed into a bustling gathering place for adventurers, treasure-seekers, and mercenaries.
The setting represents a world where the mechanics of traditional fantasy roleplaying are an ingrained reality: magic is common, monsters are real threats, and non-human races walk shoulder-to-shoulder with humanity.
Governance and Defense
Despite being a distant edge of the Empire, Ptolus boasts a highly structured and heavily guarded society.
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The City Council: The city is ostensibly ruled by this council, which locals refer to as the “Council of Coin” due to the immense wealth of its members.
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The Commissar: Igor Urnst is the Imperial representative and the true ruler of the city.
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The City Watch: Operating out of the ancient fortress of Dalenguard, the Watch consists of over eight hundred well-trained guards, mages, and clerics who actively police the streets.
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Sisterhood of Silence: A self-appointed order of nonspeaking female monks who patrol the city to apprehend criminals.
The City Districts
Ptolus is built across varying elevations, separated by sheer cliffs and connected by well-worn paths and massive bridges.
| District | Description |
|---|---|
| The Docks | Built on sinking sand at the bottom of the eastern cliffs, this rough area is home to sailors, shipyards, and waterfront taverns. |
| Guildsman District | The industrial heart of the city, filled with tanneries, smithies, and mills, known for its rough reputation and strong odors. |
| Midtown | A central commercial and residential hub that houses Delver’s Square, the prime gathering spot for adventurers seeking gear and employment. |
| The Necropolis | A massive, walled graveyard built over rolling hills, heavily guarded to contain the undead that wander within it. |
| Nobles’ Quarter | Located at the highest elevation near the Spire, this elite district is home to the city’s wealthiest citizens and the estates of the ten noble houses. |
| North Market | A busy, open-air marketplace filled with vendors selling fresh foods, clothing, and everyday wares. |
| Oldtown | The historic district surrounding Dalenguard that features classical Prustan architecture, Imperial bureaucracies, and the grand Arena. |
| Rivergate District | A strictly residential, middle-class area built on a rise of land and divided into unique architectural cul-de-sacs called “burrows”. |
| South Market | A commercial district featuring established storefronts, artisans, and the headquarters of large merchant organizations. |
| Temple District | The religious center of the city, bisected by the Street of a Million Gods and housing shrines to countless deities. |
| The Warrens | A dangerous, impoverished slum lacking street names and largely ignored by the City Watch. |
| Undercity Markets | The Undercity Market is a fascinating, subterranean frontier town located directly beneath the cobblestones of Midtown. |
The Dungeon and the Undercity
The true draw of Ptolus is the vast, labyrinthine network of subterranean ruins located beneath the city streets, collectively referred to by locals as “the Dungeon”.
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The first layer consists of the city’s active sewer system.
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Deeper down lies the Undercity Market, a subterranean staging ground where adventurers buy supplies, hire guides, and interact with outcast races.
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The deeper levels contain subterranean chambers built by the ancient Half God, Ghul.
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Explorers also seek the ruins of an even older, forgotten city buried in the depths.
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One of the greatest prizes is Dwarvenhearth, a massive, abandoned underground dwarven settlement.
Key Factions and Organizations
The city is deeply layered with political intrigue, driven by inherited wealth, magical guilds, and organized crime.
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The Noble Houses: Ten ancestral families—such as the mercantile House Abanar, the shadow-magic wielding House Sadar, and the dragon-affiliated House Dallimothan—hold immense wealth and hereditary seats on the City Council.
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The Delver’s Guild: A powerful association boasting hundreds of members that provides maps, bounties, and retrieval insurance for adventurers exploring the Dungeon.
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The Dreaming Apothecary: A secretive, highly powerful group of spellcasters that monopolizes the creation of magic items by conducting transactions directly within their clients’ dreams.
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Balacazar Crime Family: The city’s oldest and most powerful criminal syndicate, deeply involved in smuggling, assassination, and dark magic.
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The Fallen: A faction of actual demons residing in the Dark Reliquary of the Necropolis alongside a death-cult known as the Forsaken.