City '26: Introduction + Weeks 1–3

What is City '26?

So I am once again throwing myself into a TTRPG design challenge, a la Dungeon '23 or Galaxy '24. This year, it looks like the hot new concept is City '26, a classic 52 week challenge with the goal of building and fleshing out a city setting for your tabletop needs. Created by Alone in the Labyrinth and Garblag Games, the original concept involves building a city of fifty-two different wards, each full of NPCs, factions, plot hooks, and more. If you want more details, there's a megapost of participants and ideas on the Alone in the Labyrinth blog. I really recommend checking it out to get a better overview of everything, and see what some other writers are doing with the challenge.

Now the issue is, I am well aware of my (very bounded) limits, and I also know this won't be the only thing I work on this year, so 52 wards with seven different qualities each is pretty beyond me. Not to mention, while I have some ideas for what to do with my city, I definitely don't need 52 separate sections. But Nova, owner of Idle Cartulary (an incredible blog that I can't recommend enough) has her own list of City '26 goals and ideas that is way more up my alley. She breaks it down into 4-6 districts, each with just enough detail to feel like a living, breathing place but without shifting into "mega city" territory. Since my games tend to stick to a smaller scale (I prefer cities and regions over countries and continents, thank you) this works better for me anyway, and much of what I'm going to be doing will be based that.

So instead of weekly wards, each day I'll be sitting down to do just one small thing– a single entry in a d6 encounter table, a new major location in one of the districts, the name and description of a street. Simple, bit-sized, easy(-ish) to keep up with. My second problem is that daily posts are basically anathema to me, so instead of an update every day, I'll be taking all of my completed work each week and condensing it into one Monday blog post. And yes, completed is doing some heavy lifting there, because if all I have between last week and this one is half a carousing table and an NPC, I probably won't be doing an update.

Okay, challenge set! We have a goal, we have guidelines, we have a schedule. So... 

Where Do We Start?

Well, the first thing any fictional city needs is a name and some inspiration, and I'm lucky enough to live in a place that provides an abundance of the latter:

    

 

An excellent view of Porto (although not quite what it looks like right now in the winter). 

The classic advice of "write what you know" holds doubly true in world building, where everything you've read and seen is going to be the bedrock of your own ideas, whether you know it or not. And ever since I moved to Porto, I can't go two blocks without seeing something that sparks the imagination. Seriously, every alley here is a story, and over six months after moving my head is still on a swivel when I walk down the street, trying to look at every restaurant, building cornice, and alley gutter. Not that I ever stop gawping in any city I've lived in, no matter how long I've been there– for me, inspirational daydreaming has become a professional hazard. That said, a TTRPG challenge all about building a city seems like the perfect opportunity to get some of these ideas out of my noggin and down onto paper (or digital paper, at least).

 

It helps that Porto is a great model for a classic fantasy city already. Although its "modern" incarnation is a relatively young 900 years, the settlement that would become Porto was founded in 275 BC, and this area of the Douro (the river the city sits on) has been settled for at least 2,800 years. That makes it one of the oldest population centers in Europe, alongside the slightly-more-famous cities of Lisbon and Rome. And the city's Roman-era name, Portus Cale, also gives a great name with a vibe that fits what I'm going for– Port Callus.

Port Callus, Here We Come!

Divided between two steep hills, Port Callus is a city split in two, separated by a river harbor that runs through the middle. Although its foundations are ancient, dating back three millennia, the current city has stood for six centuries. The harbor at the river's mouth is the main draw for outsiders, an access point from the western ocean into the deeper reaches of the continent. Technically an independent city-state, the city remains heavily influenced by the politics and leadership of the surrounding kingdoms. To maintain this independence, Port Callus relies on trade agreements, economic importance, and the tension between its neighbors. This tenuous independence also makes Port Callus a haven for free-thinkers, political apostles, unscrupulous merchants hoping to dodge civil taxes, and anyone seeking a life outside of the establishment.

Harborside

A district that covers all sections of the city right next to the river, as well as the land surrounding the river mouth and the bottom slopes of both the northern and southern sides. Although the district is split by the river, there are no bridges in it's borders-- travel between the two sides is done by ferry or gondola. The only bridges over the river connect points higher up along the slopes, deep in the city's other districts, making it more difficult to get to them than it's worth if you're already in Harborside. The areas closest to the mouth of the river are reserved for warehouses and inter-merchant trading, but as you move farther from the deep waters of the harbor, both sides of the river become lined with increasingly dense market stalls and day traders, hawking wares to passer-by.

Landmark: The Flag of Freedom

A flag as large as a ship's sail, hanging from a 100-foot metal pole sunk deep into the mud of the harbor. It sits at where the mouth of the river narrows, and marks the legal distinction between "harbor" and "river". Sailing vessels are allowed on one side, ferries and gondolas on the other; neither is allowed to pass the flag. The flag bears the mark of the Freemen's Guild, a loose collection of merchant and craft guilds that govern the city, but the shape of the flag on its pole is often used as an emblem to represent Port Callus as a whole.

Major Locations

• Cellarside: At one point shortly after the harbor, the northern Rue du Morte bends away from the river to follow the thrust of the hillside before turning back. The backside of this hill, facing the river, was carved out centuries ago to be used as cellars-- the cool earth ideal for storing wine, beer, ice, and more. As river side realty rose to a premium, so did the value of these cellars, and many were sold off and converted into businesses, primarily restaurants. Now they all jostle elbows in the slim space originally allotted to each cellar, so that patrons sitting on the patio of one restaurant can pass drinks and food to patrons of the one next door without even needing to stretch. 

Cais da Estiva, the street that inspired Cellarside (those little arches are each a different restaurant!)

•  Oceanview: Moderately wealthy, southern-side neighborhood within the otherwise working class district. The homes here belong to merchants who are wealthy, but don't make enough money to live in other districts. Because of this, the houses are taller than others in the district, and fronted with intricate stonework. Some of them even have yards, but small ones limited in size by the lack of available flat land.
•  Rue du Barredo: Actually a conglomeration of several narrow alleyways, all using the same name, stuffed between three larger roads. This criss-cross of unnamed streets acts as an informal neighborhood, filled with cramped apartments all built on top of each other on one of the city's steepest hillsides. Population estimates are difficult, as the area keeps growing, taking every inch of available space it can. Located on the northern side of the river.
•  The Auction Block: Covered pavilion with a glass roof, whose wooden supports are painted bright red. Special auctions are held here every three days, for unclaimed goods or those seized by the harbormaster as failure to pay fines and fees. In the earliest years of the city's prosperity, this was done at a raised stone platform, the literal auction block-- the original still sits at the pavilion's center, and is now called "The Block". These days it is used to display particularly rare or valuable goods expected to draw high bids. Outside of auctions, the Auction Block transforms into an open-air market for raw goods, materials, and food ingredients. Although the prices are a bargain, outsiders are warned against visiting, as the hectic crowds and frantic buying and selling are overwhelming and difficult to parse for those without hefty market experience. Found on the southern side of the river.
•  The Floating Silver: This two-masted barge has been sitting in the same spot on the harbor for nearly thirty years. Having passed through the hands of at least three different proprietors, the ship's main deck acts as a dockside tavern. The real draw though is the not-exactly-legal gambling house kept on the decks below. An open secret among residents and frequent harbor visitors, the Floating Silver is kept in business via popularity amongst middle-class merchants, and frequent "gifts" to both the constabulary and the harbormaster.
•  The Market Mover: A large funicular on the southern side of the river, made from three stacked platforms. The upper level has comfortable seats, the middle level wooden benches, and the lower level is an open space designed to hold large quantities of goods. Its primary use is in transporting large loads from the market to the wealthier neighborhoods at the top of the hill.

Major Streets

•  Rue du Morte. The lengthy, winding boulevard that runs directly adjacent to the northern side of the river. Paved with cobblestones that regularly pull loose. Full of cheap market stalls during the day, which disappear at sundown, giving the area over to roving gambling carts, prostitutes, and drunks. Originally called Rue du Norte, meaning "Northern Road", elevated levels of crime and several muggings-turned-murders gave the road its new, clever moniker.
• Rue du Sul. A twin to Rue du Morte, this road follows the southern edge of the river. The road here is paved with flat stones, and small, orderly tiles in front of the permanent bars and shops. The merchant stalls here are geared more toward tourists and middle-class buyers. The nightlife, while still rowdy, is kept in check by "bruisers"-- trained doormen paid for by the wealthier bars and gambling dens. Their contracts typically stipulate service "from the door to the river" under the belief that issues in front of a business would dissuade wealthy customers.
• Cobber's Row. Narrow, cobblestone street with a sudden sharp turn. Runs north from the Rue du Morte, then parallel to the river after the turn. Named for the high number of stone masons that once kept shop here, responsible for maintaining the cobblestone streets. Most have left, pushed out of the city by economic pressures.
• Saojoao Way. The main avenue connecting Harborside with the northern district of Terra Velha. Although it's nearly three times as wide as a standard street, it feels more narrow as a result of heavy carriage traffic, and the market stalls and restaurant patios along its sides. Four times each day-- at the start and end of working hours, as well as the beginning and end of lunch hours-- this street becomes clogged with working class citizens, making carriage travel nearly impossible.
• Rue du Fluir. A sunken alleyway, just a little ways off of the Rue du Morte, whose stone and dirt bottom sits below the water level of the river. Originally carved out to catch sewage runoff during intense storms, instead it slowly filled with castoff people who had nowhere else to go. Doorways here are built into the carved walls, and slightly elevated above the drainage ditch using stone porches. Some are actually side tunnels for the sewers, blocked off and converted into residences.
• Rue du Prata. The "street of silver" that connects to Rue du Morte at one end and a northern section of Saojao Way at the other. Originally named for its plentiful silversmiths, the street has grown to become a central location for all types of metal smithing. There are rumors that on particularly sunny days, the gaps between its cobblestones sparkle with flakes of castoff metal.

1d4 Examples of Typical Buildings

1. Converted Townhome. Three or four stories tall, with an exterior of either brightly painted limestone or blue-and-white mosaic tiles. Once a local residence, the lower floors are now a tavern, cafe, general store, or some other type of business. The upper floors have been subdivided, and rooms are individually rented.
   
   
   

    
2. Old Cellar. The steep hills and switchback roads of the city result in many places where residents have dug into hillside corners for extra space. Most often cellars, these are sometimes used as homes or businesses instead, for those who don't mind having busy roads right above their heads.
3. Buried Church. A typical place of worship, now used almost exclusively by older residents who prefer these over the larger cathedrals found up the hill. Their presence is rarely obvious, as the crush of urban sprawl has turned the once-prominent roads they sat on into side streets or alleyways.
4. Docked Ship. In a way, these are just as common in Harborside as buildings. Although most of the sailing ships are temporary, bound to stay only for a few days, they will sometimes anchor for weeks at a time. During the winter especially, when the normally hot and humid weather of Port Callus gives way to storms of freezing rain, some crews will stick around for months, living on the funds earned in the warmer months.

 1d6 Harborside Scenes

1.  A street vendor argues with a pair of customers, who don't seem to speak the common tongue very well. The merchant is selling (roll 1d6: 1. spices, 2. clothing, 3. jewelry, 4. prepared food, 5. raw food/ingredients, 6. art). Because they have refused to haggle, as is customary, their attempts to simply hand over the money have insulted the merchant.
2. Porters unloading crates, barrels, and sacks of goods from a large sailing ship, then moving the goods only a short distance to a smaller longboat at the other end of the same dock.
3. The door of a tavern bursts open as a burly man is tossed through it, by two larger individuals. Tattoos on all three people mark them as sailors. The man now moaning on the ground absolutely reeks of alcohol, and vomits into the gutter.
4. A crowd has gathered in front of a Cellarside restaurant, where one of the menu barkers has been knocked cold by a visiting artisan, a sculptor whose short temper mixed poorly with the barker's constant pestering. The sculptor's well-worked muscles have broken the barker's nose, creating concerns of lasting damage.
5. A shipment loaded on the Market Mover wasn't tied down properly, and fell off just as it started to move, narrowly missing some of the waiting crowd below and creating a mess of spilled fish, crabs, and eels.
6. A young child throws mud from the gutter at a line of laundry strung high above. Roll 1d6. On a 1-3, the child flees just as a resident leans from the window, causing the resident to begin shouting, blaming the passing PCs for the mess. On a 4-6, the child is caught in the act by a passing constable, who grabs the child by the arm and hauls them to the building's door to apologize.