Edge City, Part 2

 Part 1 here. A continuation of the world building for Edge City.

Bringing out Spectacular Settlements, we know Edge City is the capital. Which means I need to find that work sheet at some point and fill that out. As with the campaign builder, there are steps to be taken. 

1. Basic Information
1. Origin. A combination of two choices: resurrected ruins as it is built on the remains of an ancient capital, but also a natural progression of a trading post. That started in the ruins. 
2. Age. Closest for the current incarnation of Edge City is mature, between 100-300 years old. 
3. Size. Going with large, that the structures able to support around 100,000 people. No idea how many people live in Ank-Morpork in the books, but Edge City has about 100K people. +2 to the number of districts.
4. Environment is coastal. Straddling the F'urth River and docks to the East Ocean, Edge City does not lack for boating capacity!
5. Outside the city (and here is where I do roll) there are large groups of farms. The agriculture to support Edge City as well as supply agricultural goods to the many traders in the city. And oddly my 2nd roll was 00 on d100! Which says nothing else is outside. However, there are some fiefdoms and things, though we can go with most of these are agriculturally based. 
6. Stewardship is managed. The fundamental elements are all accounted for, and the Patrician is doing an admirable job. +1 to general condition, +3 to population wealth, +4 to law enforcement.
7. General condition. With the +1 we get impressive, the capital is well taken care of, and cleanliness is a priority. Why the sewers are in such good condition as our adventurers have found! +1 to district conditions.
8. Fortification. I honestly cannot recall the walls in the Discworld series, but the map has them as pretty substantial, so I'll go with just fortified.  +3 to disposition roll.
9. Market Square. The non-district market square is ample with room for an ample number of vendor stalls. Though Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler tends to wander with his car throughout the city.
10. Merchant overflow is not allowed outside of city walls. Guards will enforce this.
11. Underground passages. I've already established we have tunnels, forgotten crypts, even natural caves. Some areas may even have entire mini-cities if you go down far enough. 
2. Government and High Society
1. Leadership is an oligarchy, ruled by the Patrician. 
2. Leadership unity is close-knit or even in accord. Few tend to naysay the Patrician as his few edicts and rules tend to promote city interests. And he can be scary at times. 
3. Governing priority. Going with the books general ideas, and industry and innovation are the priorities. Edge City is a forward-looking city! Requires an industrial district when I roll those up.
4. Priority approach is peaceable. Deals and negotiations determine how things are done. Though a bit of blackmail may be considered dealing. 
5. Priority success the roll did not work for me, so picking the next up as successful, where several of the goals have been achieved. 
3. Lifestyle and Residence: "how those in power live their lives (and where they spend their money) says a lot about them and their values and may influence their immediate surrounding area."
1. The leader lives in a respectable manner: unassuming but appropriate to his position. +0 to residence roll.
2. Residence: a large estate in Edge City. In the Discworld series, the government and residence of the Patriarch is next to the Unseen University, the wizard's college. I actually rolled that so it fits in with the narrative.
3. Intent - why does he live that lifestyle? There is an unknown alternative, which is also fitting to the books as he really does seem to have the best interests of the city in mind, but there is no telling. If I recall, he was also an assassin before somehow becoming the patriarch. 
4. Connections. No capital is an island.
1. We have 3 connections. Note there may be several more, but these are the significant connections. For instance, we have the lizard man islands, the Rainy City, and the island of the Amazons with a few days or weeks of travel. But they are not significant in terms of affecting the politics of Edge City. 
1. Connection 1: An ally that is trusted. Rolling a d6 for directions, not that I have this on a hex map, but anyway, rolling a 4 is due south. And on 1 map I have, that is the region of the Puddlejumpers. Which I am going with is mostly a swampy land (as I did get the swamp terrain set and have a few frog people minis). No idea what I had in mind 40+ years ago when I came up with that. I'll have to have an expansion for this southern kingdom that is aligned with Edge City.
2. Connection 2: Enemy, hated. This is to the south-west of Edge City, which is the Empty Flats, right above the Bog. Again, I've no memory of what I was putting there, though it is adjacent to the F'urth River as well as the Puddlejumpers. Perhaps the Puddlejumpers can acta as an intermediary. But we'll go with the Empty Flats often has adversarial relations with Edge City, and being near the Ocean Trade Route (which was only added in my mind the last couple of years), raids the caravans a good bit. 
3. Connection 3 - enemy but friendly. There are civil understandings. Rolled another 4 and decided a re-roll for 3 so to the south-east. Which is in the East Sea. I've not stuck anything out there on these maps (as the various islands are "thataway" so far). We'll add a large island nation somewhere out there. Needing a name and using the random name generator, we get le Havre Turquoise, or the Turqoise Haven. Which, hey, I've some cool art that fits! And he may do another Kickstarter. 
5. Intrigue and Espionage. Well, I rolled twice as I did not like the initial "none" but got it twice. Now, in the books, there are spies all over the place from all the usual suspects. But guess we can go with that, though obviously I can overrule the rolls, I am personally not good at being sneaky (many will tell you I can overshare at times!)
1. Infiltration depth is ignored as we have no spies
2. Counter-intelligence we have a moderate roll, giving us a few operatives in the city finding and dealing with spies. 
3. Counter-intelligence watchfulness is vigilant: pursuit of ongoing and thorough.
6. Notable Visitors - now this is for the moment, so we'll assume this is at the start of two games I started in Edge City. We have 3 notable visitors while our parties are in the city.
1. An explorer who is doing a favor for a friend or loved one. 
2. A banker looking for fun.
3. A ruler who had a vision that caused them to come to Edge City. 
7. Military. Edge City does have some military, but unless there is a threat, it is disbanded.
1. Recruitment type is mercenary: bought and paid for. Which sort of makes sense for a mercantile city as everything can be bought.
2. When they do hire, they hire at a grand scale. No bet like a sure bet. 
3. The mercenaries they do hire tend to be unconventional. Probably a mix of several different races as befits both the way the Fantasy Trip & OSE both handle races as pretty common, as well as the way Discworld is set up.
4. Military facilities are simple structure set up inside the city walls. barracks and officers' quarters, along with training grounds. Which are used for foot-the-ball games when not filled with mercenaries.
8. Nobility. I could roll on the table but going to DM fiat and make it by wealth and possessions. Though there is some by blood as well, and by deeds. We have 17 primary nobles in Edge City, each with their own mini-fiefdom, or at least a large, well-kept lawn. 
1. Relationship with the Patriarch is tolerated. He is still the head of the assassin's guild, though not everyone knows that. But people who go against him are often not found later, depending on how they are against him. Others end up with duties, such as managing the treasury, which at first seem to be a promotion or a good thing until they actually find out all the details involved. Few of the nobility want to actually do something.
2. Relationship with the people is generally friendly. A nod or tip of the hat is common between the classes. 
3. The basis of that relationship is a shared opinion of the Patriarch: While they agree on the positive aspects, they tend to disagree on the negative aspects. Perhaps because the Patriarch really seems to favor the everyman. 
9. Community
1. Culture - cuisine is how the residents find meaning. They love to eat and drink. 
2. Pursuit of culture - there is almost a rabid fanaticism in the pursuit of food and drink. Festivals are common in celebrating various foods, and food is a major import as well as export. 
3. Population density is dense (quite unlike Windemere Crossing). Few vacant buildings and the market can be very packed at times. Which is great for the pickpocket. 
4. Demographics are 50% human, 25% Dwarf, 15% Elf, and 10% Goblinoid races. And a mix of a few other things. 
5. The wealth is average for the general population. Most have enough to live a modest life. 
6. There is a lot of visitor traffic, sometimes in droves. Congestion can be greatly impacted.  +2 to night activity
7. The general feeling most people get are Edge City residents are a perhaps a bit stand-offish, but friendly once you get to know them. 
8. There is a lively amount of night activity. There are always people on the streets, and many shops are open late and early hours. 
9. There is an extensive city watch, lead by Captain Vimes. Whose wife raises baby dragons if I recall the books that feature him. She is actually of nobility. Pratchert uses that to show the difference often between the well-to-do and the average person. His books are social satire, so he usually has a point he is trying to make. 
10. Crime: this is where it gets a bit tricky. In the books, crime is almost regulated: not too much but a bit is "allowed" if I am remembering. As such crime is still common in Edge City, meaning everyone knows or has heard of someone getting victim of crime. And oddly enough, I rolled a nat 20 for the organized crime table, so it is a well-known organization in the capital. Which is sort of like Ankh-Morpork. 
11. Districts. There are 4 main districts in Edge City. Being a mercantile city with docks, going to auto-assign a couple.
1. The docks exist mostly on the East Sea side of town, thought ere are several docks along the F'urth River that bisects the city. The western docks are river boats primarily, whereas the eastern docks are ocean-capable vessels, a mix of shore-hugging craft to deep-sea ships capable of reaching whatever the next continent over is. The condition is decent, not as great as the rest of the city. There are a lot of transients and sometimes questionable traders, and sailors of course can be rough when at sea for far too long. The docks are open, with no restrictions to this district. While warehouses will be locked and have guards, depending on the warehouse, there is nothing preventing anyone from wandering through. Crime is far more rampant in this district than elsewhere in Edge City. Few people live in the docks, though there are some great ale houses. It has the following locations as well:
1. Rare trade goods shop
2. Smithy
3. Hired help - scribes and clerks
4. barber
5. shipwright
6. Weaver
7. Services including a house of leisure, an inn and a tavern. Several of each actually.
2. The market district is not only for the sale of goods, but also houses several large warehouses as well as the small, family-owned businesses. It is adjacent to the wester docks. This district is also not up to par with the rest of the general city conditions but considered decent: child thief gangs can roam about under the careful management of their managers, and the open nightlife sometimes becomes overly raucous. As with the docks, there are no barriers to entry into the loud marketplace. Crime is about average as per the rest of the city, excluding the docks. A lot of the merchants live above their shops, so this district has a fair number of residents also living here. Locations included are:
1. Baker
2. butcher
3. general store
4. smithy
5. tailor
6. Rare libations and Fare
7. Hired help - arcane academics (from the Unseen University, it's what upper classmen do to get a bit of coin so they can go drinking!)
8. Bank and Coin Exchange
9. Barber
3. The merchant district house several merchant guilds, more warehouses, and a wide swath of businesses. This is an impressive district, with some stately buildings, and a cadre of lamplighters and street cleaners who keep the place well-lit and clean. Most lamplighters tend to be Goblins. While there are no gates to prevent people from entering or leaving, there are more guards in this location. Often hired by the larger merchant guilds, to prevent the riffraff from bothering the merchant lords. Despite the guards, crime is again about on par with the rest of the capital. Despite the elegance, there are few houses here as the merchant district is primarily for business. Locations include:
1. Bank and Exchange
2. Tailor
3. Artist
4. Cobbler
5. Magic Shop - Curiosities
6. Magic Shop - Jewelry
7. Club (service)
8. Tavern(s)
9. Rare Libations and Fare
4. The large administration district, next to the magic university, also has the personal residences of several of the city officials, including the Patriarch. This is also an impressive district, with large lawns, ornate buildings and often more city watch patrols. Very little crime happens in this district. Part of that is fear of the Patriarch and his guild, part of that are the guards, and the rest is a recognition that some places just should be safer. This district houses a number of people, ranging from city officials to a lot of the help in a smaller section of the administration district. Most of the help, however, lives in a different part of the city in various residential districts. Locations include:
1. Courthouse
2. Chancery
3. Town Hall
4. Treasury
5. Hired Help - scribes and clerks.
6. Barber
7. Alchemist
8. Bathhouse
9. Tailor

from De Architecturart

Info overload, I know! I did ask Copilot to summarize and got the following. Though it only allows me 2000 characters. I'll also add a  summary and worksheet to the next Edge City Post. And perhaps I need to look at some existing settings books to see if there is a good way to present this info. There are some sample capital cities in the book, so I will have to read those to see how things get presented. 

Certainly! Let’s summarize the key aspects of Edge City based on the information you’ve provided:

1. Origin and Age:

   • Edge City has a dual origin: it was built on the remains of an ancient capital (resurrected ruins) and also developed naturally from a trading post.
   • The current incarnation of Edge City is mature, estimated to be between 100 and 300 years old.

2. Size and Population:

   • The city is large, with structures capable of supporting around 100,000 people.
   • Interestingly, this population size is similar to Ank-Morpork from the Discworld books.

3. Environment:

   • Edge City is coastal, straddling the F’urth River and having docks that connect to the East Ocean. Boating capacity is abundant.

4. Agriculture and Surroundings:

   • Outside the city, there are large groups of farms. These support Edge City’s needs and supply agricultural goods to traders within the city.
   • Although your roll indicated that nothing else exists outside the city, there are some fiefdoms, mostly agriculturally based.

5. Stewardship and Governance:

   • Stewardship is well managed, with all fundamental elements accounted for.
   • The Patrician is doing an admirable job, contributing to general conditions, population wealth, and law enforcement.

6. General Condition and Fortification:

   • The capital’s general condition is impressive, with cleanliness being a priority.
   • The sewers are in good condition, as discovered by adventurers.
   • Fortifications are substantial, although the exact details from the Discworld series are not recalled.

7. Market Square:

   • The non-district market square is ample, providing space for numerous vendor stalls.

Edge City seems to embody the characteristics of an edge city, which typically features significant office space, retail areas, and a population that grows during the day due to employment opportunities¹². It’s fascinating to see how this settlement has evolved over time! 🌆📜

I’ve summarized the key points about Edge City based on the information you provided. If you have any additional details or need further clarification, feel free to ask! 😊

Leaving that generated link in there, though Edge City was named as it is on the edge of the continent, and I am not always imaginative when naming things!