Never Leave The City!
by Gerry UptonI am working on the basis that Specularum was built on top of another ruined city. Thus there are all sorts of interesting things to discover down below.
This was common practice in ancient times. For example, they have discovered the location of the city of Troy. It's one of seven layers of destroyed cities underneath a current city on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Apparently it was common practice back then, when a city was destroyed by fire, invasion, earthquake or flood, to fill in the low spots and start building on top of it.
So I have already introduced my beginning adventurers to this. One morning the inn they are staying at develops a sink-hole. Looking down they can see paving stones and stone walls 30' below. Once down and looking up, they can see wooden roofing above with rotting wooden members. Part of it has collapsed, causing the sink-hole.
As they investigate they find undead and vermin. For treasure there is no gold or coins. What they do find is a barrel of well-preserved multi-hundred-year-old whiskey and a number of architects' books. These they are able to sell for good profit. Once the place is cleared the inn owner has it filled in to prevent any more collapse of his property.
Next they will encounter some goblins roaming the city streets at night. When they defeat the goblins, some will flee down into the sewers. When the party follows they will find the survivor goblins are nowhere to be seen. The party will - automatically - stumble upon concealed doors that lead to other underground structures turned into warrens for various tribes of subterranean creatures.
Between bouts of this I also intend to introduce them to the Veiled Society.
Why would they ever want to leave the comforts of the city?
