Heroes' Epoch Campaign: Background - City of Hoard (Patreon)

I'm continuing work on maps and locations for the Heroes' Epoch campaign, a Pathfinder 1st-ed game using my Start-11 rules.

Today we're taking a quick look at the city of Hoard, which is the nearest major city to the town of Ironbridge, where the PCs will be starting the campaign.

It's worth noting the City of Hoard in this campaign is inspired by (but distinct from) the City of Hoard Microsetting I wrote up in June of 2018.

The City of Hoard 

Hoard is a massive trade city built on an old Titan grave that has long-since been fully explored and delved. The city itself is ruled by (and officially the property of) the ancient dragon Braguren.

Braguren has often been described as “metallic and shining,” but has apparently disguised her exact dragon breed. There are excellent records noting she has breathed fire, acid, and thunder, that she is a mistress of illusions and nature magic, and that she can take the form of any humanoid (though it's unclear if this means any species, or if she can mimic the appearance of specific people), and it's believed she often walks unnoticed among her people. Near the end of the Titan’s Epoch, a 'horrific thing' broke into the Titan’s Grave where the city eventually formed and turned into a festering source of evil. Braguren slew the thing (whatever it was -- there are no detailed records of its name, shape, or form), and then she had architects, masons, artists, and mathematicians come and build her a massive city, and invited people to come live in it.

Hoard is over 500 years old, has a population of roughly 50,000, and is one of the largest and richest cities on the continent. Though she has long since given over day-to-day affairs of the city to the Council of Stakeholders (often called the Hoard Counters… somewhat to their annoyance), Braguren still protects her city (and most of the Headlands) from any major threat. She also directly funds several schools of learning, libraries, and retirement homes for great scholars and philosophers within the city, ensuring there is a regular flow of new ideas and new citizens.

Though Braguren rarely makes appearances, it was only a decade ago that a kraken decided to attack ships in Hoard’s harbor, and the mighty metallic city leader destroyed it in 1-on-1 combat. Her existence, even when not seen for years, directly influences all aspects of life in Hoard. Foreign forces don't threaten the city. Brigands avoid robbing its citizens. Merchant ships scrupulously obey it's harbor laws and agreements made within it's walls. Even criminals try to make sure they stay below her notice. Doing anything noteworthy and illegal on the Headlands is often called “tempting the dragon,” and while petty crime exists, the main purpose of thieves’ guilds in Hoard is to ensure they don’t cause enough trouble to attract Braguren’s attention.

And Now For Something Completely Different!

Those of who pay attention to the comments in my posts will have seen the name David Chart fairly often. David is an award-winning, veteran game designer and producer, and I am thrilled to have him as a paying patron and sponsor.

David is part of a team currently working on a Backerkit campaign for a "Definitive Edition" of the iconic RPG, Ars Magica. I'm excited to see what they do with this, and I bet many of you will be too!

The campaign is already fully funded (by a HUGE margin!), and there are 16 days left at time of writing. I encourage you to check it out at https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/atlas-games/ars-magica-5th-edition-definitive