Welcome to Sanctuary:
This D&D campaign takes place in a Southern City called Sanctuary. It used to be a hive of scum and villainy, but recently a new prince has taken over and he has developed a very strong group of city guards. The "townies" call the guards "Hell Hounds" not because they are evil, but because they have begun to disrupt many of the illegal operations that used to take place with ease. The new prince is only 18, a boy, and he relies upon guidance from his council. There is a very strong underground economy run by lawful, neutral and evil personages. The "Hell Hounds" are not as interested in cleaning up that portion of the low-life. They have been more vigilant and effective against the more chaotic factions and death cults. Those chaotic elements seem to pose the largest threat to the region so they have systematically targeted these elements as a first wave. From the guard’s perspective, if they can keep the city clean and safe from sun up to sun down they have performed more than expected. For that reason, there is an almost palpable contract between intelligent criminal elements and the authorities.
Regional Information:
Sanctuary is a city about ˝ mile long on the north-south axis, adn is about 2/3 mile wide on the east-west. It is the largest city on the Southern Peninsula and it is cut off from most of the rest of the continent by a large mountain range, called the Mighty Spires. The mountain foothills begin about 40 miles from the city to north, north west and north east. There is one mountain pass that is often used by traders and journeymen, but it is dangerous still since many outlaws, bandits and intelligent creatures often set up ambushes to loot and pillage. North east of the mountains is a large desert that is home to many nomadic people including the Raggah and some S’danzo. Due north is a forest region that has well traveled trade routes. Approximately 150 miles from the mountains on the trade roads is the capital city of Ranka. Ranka is 10 times the size of Sanctuary and it is the home of the Emperor and his Red Guards.
The City Itself:
The major part of the city is divided into three parts: Jewelers’ Quarter, Processional and Westside. Each section encompasses a different social class. The Jewelers’ Quarter is the wealthy part of town. Here is where you can find fine goods and many exotic items from all over the continent. The Processional is the middle class or working part of the city. Here, you can find many merchants and families living and working. North of the Processional is the Governor’s Palace. The military docks, commercial waterfront and merchant docks are also in this section of town. The Westside is by far the most poor and dirty section of town. Two the most noteworthy features in this area are “The Bazaar” and “The Maze”, a 10 block aquare of densely packed, run-down buildings housing some of the most dangerous inhabitants of the city.
Other areas of interest include the Street of Red Lanterns (The Red Light District) and the Avenue of the Temples.
The entire city of Sanctuary also has an active sewer system that is used for homes and transportation by some of the more foul inhabitants of the city.
City Life:
By day, the city is chaotic, crowded and generally noisy. The Prince’s guard’s, named the “Hell Hounds” by the locals, can be seen periodically to ensure safety and control crowds when necessary. After dark, however, the city is nearly deserted. Few people venture out at night due to crime and other mysterious fears. It is rare to encounter any “Hell Hounds” much after nightfall...more commonly people encounter bandits, thugs, drunken sailors, an occasional horror from the sewers or worse.
Links:
The Yahoo Group For This Campaign
Online D&D Reference (PHB, DMG, MM, etc.)
OpenRPG Website
PCGen (Character Generator and Database)
EN World (Top Notch D&D/d20 News)
Eric Noah's Page (Great D&D)
