Some more updates on this because other things are still behind the scenes a bit. So, more on Kratoan City Blues! The art this week is set up from a commission from Fiverr to give somewhat of an idea of the two members of the guard that were the first at the precinct. I think you can tell which is which if you’ve been listening.
So here’s the first point of the day: the logo of the Kratoan city guard: two wands crossed with a flame above them. A symbol of the strength of the city coming from the many magic users who were both its founders and the aristocracy, the flame above it reminding those who would wrong the city watch of the unfortunate implications that can come with this. Even if our members of the city watch aren’t that nasty, the overall nature of the city isn’t as nice as they are.
Next up, the origins of the name Kratoan City. This one actually wasn’t just some random name that I came up with. Rather, savvy readers might’ve noticed a resemblance to a certain rage-filled demigod who recently settled down to become a dad. Both his name, and the name of this city, come from the ancient Greek origins, with the city specifically coming from kratocracy. The rulership of the strong over the week, or the adage that “might makes right”. The entire campaign was around both having fun upsetting the normal ability for adventurers being able to pretty much run away from their problems, with also demonstrating how bizarre laws and law enforcement can be, even when it is meant to be benign. The opportunities for corruption, we’ve already seen those in the first two episodes. That’s part of the deal of law enforcement and any decision about whether or not there exists a monopoly of force.
Finally, one last point about this entire schebang; we’re all going in to each with very little planning. I’ve thought about larger norms and ideas for what I feel like the city is like, and there are plenty of things going on, but all the players are going entirely off the dome on this one. This was a purposeful decision for two reasons; I’ve spent a lot of time writing adventures recently and I wanted a break from everything having to fit together perfectly on the GM’s side, and when you’re this heavy on improving, the players are going to come up with answers on their own. On the other hand, it’s also a fun experiment and exercise in continuing to develop our improv skills.
That’s it for this week. Hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about Kratoan City, and we’ve got more blog posts coming soon.