Dragon Warriors

Must have just been reading the campaign and maps and my brain kept telling me I'd read it before.

_________________
co-author Fury of the Deep
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide
co-author Cold Fury
co-author Cadaver Draconis
co-author Ordo Draconis 1 and 2.

Keep posting! There are probably plenty of lurkers enjoying what you've written...

You should bundle this up into some sort of Ongus source book. A few maps, a few district descriptions, a few NPCs and plot hooks, a short adventure, and before you know it, you have a 64-page 'thing'

_________________
Cobwebbed Dragon (Lee)

https://www.cobwebbedforest.co.uk/
https://www.dragonwarriors.uk/
https://twitter.com/CobwebbedDragon
Now on YouTube!

Without wanting to promise more than i can deliver, I've had some good news about the Brymstone stuff mentioned on Dave M's blog and as soon as it comes through, I'll start sharing. Dave and Robert have already been generous with their IP and time so far, so I'm happy to proceed at their pace. Watch this space (or, better yet, watch the Thuland space...)!

_________________
Cobwebbed Dragon (Lee)

https://www.cobwebbedforest.co.uk/
https://www.dragonwarriors.uk/
https://twitter.com/CobwebbedDragon
Now on YouTube!

This sounds very encouraging.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Shaun, the work you are doing is great, I just wonder if this is the best place to post it - wouldn't it be better on a wiki or something? And then you could put it into the next issue of Ordo Darconis Or maybe another publication might be better!

It's eventually going to be incorporated into my webpage, and I may even put together some sort of unofficial free book - but I find I am more likely to actually get this type of thing written if I do it in short bursts, and if I am going to do that, I thought I might as well put it on here.

As I am running a campaign set in Ongus at the moment, the primary purpose though is to help me with that.

I'd welcome comments or suggestions, or people saying things they don't think work if they see any. But if I don't get any that's fine.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Queensbower

Queensbower is a new addition to the city of Ongus. Until less than twenty years ago, it constituted a formal garden surrounding a fortified manor house known as Dower Castle (the district itself was referred to as the Dower and the Bower) which was often used as a home for a widowed Queen on her sons ascension to the throne. As the the Guilds and Council gained more and more authority over the city, uneasiness grew about the Royal Family having any sort of permanently manned castle within the city walls and so a compromise was reached where the King agreed to hand over this area to the City in exchange for an agreement that the city would not object to the continued presence of the Castra (to be described later) within the city. Dower Castle was demolished and a new road, Cushion Street, was driven through the centre of the newly named Ward of Queensbower. Cushion Street is unique within the city. All the buildings that line are owned by the King and pay their rents to the Crown, but the Guilds and Council are responsible for their everyday functioning. Every building is identical in design, and they are rented to a wide variety of Merchants leading to Cushion Street's reputation as the premier shopping location in Ongus. Besides Cushion Street, most of the buildings in Queensbower are palatial townhouses, although the Honourable Fellowship of Precious Metal Smiths has their Guild Hall in one corner of the Ward. The White Horse Inn has an excellent reputation as the best place for a lady to stay within the city if she must make use of such temporary accommodation.

The public latrina located on Algandy Street, just off Cushion Street is noteable as having been recently built to the same designs and specifications as the Ancient Selentine structures found throughout the city. Because of this despite being the newest such structure in the city it is the most representative of the original structures in terms of its fine interior decorations - other such public facilities clustered around the city are in various states of cosmetic disrepair (generally in proportion to the wealth of the surrounding ward) although all were built very strongly and after close to one thousand years remain fully functional - to be built like a brick... latrina... is a byword for strength in Ongus.

The building of this structure was considered symbolically important in establishing Queensbower as a genuine Ward. The public Latrina of Ongus are significant enough that the modern wards of the city each include one such building – the ward boundaries are generally believed by the populace to have been specifically set based on their location. These buildings are of solid construction and many have survived numerous fires or other disasters over the centuries, with their basic structures remaining intact – although in poorer areas, cosmetic features such as painted wooden seats and tiled floors are often missing and even in wealthier areas some tiles and fitting may be in need of repair.

Each latrina has two chambers, the mirror image of each other. One is reserved for male use (the left side as you approach from the front) and the other for female use. Privacy, once inside the chambers, should not be expected.

Those in best repair have cisterns in the roof filled by rainwater, which are used to provide a slow flow of water to a fountain in the centre of each of the two main chambers of the latrina – but in many cases, this arrangement no longer functions. The Guild of Plumbers and Pipemen is small and concentrates its efforts on maintaining the most basic functions of the latrinas – their link to the sewer – except in a few locations in the wealthiest areas where they have been specifically paid to do otherwise.

In recent years, it has become commonplace for the former storage and maintenance rooms at the back of each latrina to be ‘rented out’ to the poorest of the poor in exchange for them keeping the latrinas reasonably clean, and informing the Guild of any serious blockage.

Each latrina does have a connection to the ancient sewer system, but generally not one that could be easily used for human access. The Guild of of Plumbers and Pipemen have no control over the actual sewer system, this being under the control of the powerful Capstone Guild, they merely deal with the surface connections and the public latrinas.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Gracefields

The Ward of Gracefields is one of the largest and most populous in Ongus. In general terms it can be described as a middle class area, and the residents regard themselves as the heart and soul of the city. Most homes keep at least one or two servants.

At the southern end of the ward lies the City and Guild Library, one of the largest libraries in the world. In theory any citizen of the city is allowed to use it, and any visitor can use it if a citizen vouches for them, but in practice, the library finds excuses to exclude those they do not regard as suitable from entering. A person may ask to sit an examination that requires them to read a passage in either Bacchile, Ancient Emphidian, or a modern language and having proven their literacy will be admitted but may be sent to bathe first. The Guild of Sages and Scholars which is located nearby can also issue licences to enter the library that are treated with respect by the librarians, and the price they charge will be based on their judgement of the academic credentials and wealth of the person asking.

Numerous small bathhouses dot the ward - on almost every street somebody has started a small business providing tubs in their ground floor rooms - but the Sweetwater Bath House on Acorn Street provides hot baths as well as steam baths - strictly segregated by sex - as well as private bathing rooms.

Our Lady of Grace is one of the larger Churches in Ongus and is permitted to marry non-residents of the city, unlike most Churches which will only perform a wedding if either the bride or groom are members of the surrounding parishes.

Numerous small parks dot the ward, and by long standing tradition, children are guaranteed the right to play in these parks on lesser holidays and Boldursdae afternoons.

The Dandy Lion is an inn renowned for its food, and especially for its deserts. A confectioners shop that lies near it is renowned for selling the most exotic sweetmeats and candies. It is heavily guarded - far more heavily than really seems to be justified. It is owned by Gerta Manifesk, the mother of three of the city magistrates and she takes advantage of this by issuing prominent warnings that any child who tries to steal from her can expect strict and severe justice from the law - but she is also known to have a soft spot for children in genuine need - the orphanage that just allows just outside the city was recently rebuilt at her expense.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

The Ward of Great Oak

The Ward of Great Oak has seen better days - once a prosperous area, it is now mostly populated by the working classes. The Ward takes its name from a Great Oak tree that used to lie within its boundaries - today, the Great Stump as it is known, is still the height of a two storey building. It is often rumoured to be associated with the Faerie folk, but if that was once the case, there is little evidence of it today. Two Guilds - The Armoursmiths and Weaponsmiths, and the Master Bowers and Fletchers still have their Guild Halls in the wards, and many young journeymen in those crafts open their first shops in this ward. The best of them move on as they become Masters, but it remains a place to purchase relatively cheap and functional if unadorned weapons and armour.

The only Temple of the Old Faith in Ongus is located on Chicken Street and for that reason that street, Hound Street and Alis Lane, have become the centre of that small community within the city. The True Faith regards the Old Faith as ancestral to its own beliefs though they have not accepted the Martyrdom of Gatanedes as fulfilling the ancient promise of God - and though prejudice against these people exists, it is generally kept in check.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide

Ward of Byway

This ward has seen better days -the houses are old and beginning to show signs of dilapidation. The Worshipful Company of Inn and Tavern Keepers have their Guild Hall here, but the only other building on any real significance is the very new Church dedicated to the Sacred Mother of Peace. It has been erected on the site of a Monastery that was supressed a decade ago, following proven allegations of demon worship and necromancy (which lead to a number of executions), and many people have been quite astonished that the Church authorities have chosen to erect a new consecrated building on this site. The churchyard remains virtually empty, as nobody seems to want to be buried there. There are rumours of catacombs beneath the ward.

_________________
Life and Death Are Only a Dice Roll Away!

Shaun Hately
co-author A Weak Pleasure
co-author Friends or Foes
co-author Dragon Warriors Players Guide