Tonight’s Band of Blades game wasn’t going to happen and so I sent something about rival thieves’ guilds at war. I posted three Dyson Logos maps and we chose this one:

We decided the city’s big money-maker is the polishing, charging and activation of Ioun Stones in the 3 arcane-industrial castles. Each castle is held by a different faction who, all together, sell the Ioun Stones through a mercantile consortium.

Other details:
Long-term stone use causes some kind arcane mutations
Adventuring is profitable because it keeps the gem mines clear
Ioun mining brings out the strange monsters
City Watch called something like Order of the Spindle; focused on defending trade

The group is made of a Mage (fresh out of Carcass Crawler #1), a Thief (with d6-based skills, also out of CC#1) and a Fighter (perhaps with the optional mechanic flourishes). They are known as the Dullgray River Rats, having grown up skipping rocks on the river – went their seperate ways for training and such.

Other classes and heritage options will open up through interactions with the setting. I’m picturing a tepid trinity of arcane saints as the main religion – the Saint of Wizards, the Sorcerer Saint and the Patron of Warlocks. Magic drugs for kicks and performance enhancement. Lots of scrolls hither and yon. Lots of magical treasure for the taking.

Going to write up tables for coming up with quick jobs (looking at you, Blades in the Dark and Swyvers) and encounters/treasure, looking at you, Dolmenwood. Jot down a few outside-the-city hexes and populate ’em. Daydream a bit about the political pressures in the city (oh shit, maybe a Hex Flower for that!). Write up some factions and see how things shake out.