Sailcloth and Socialism in Silkgift, The Latest "Cities of Sundara" Supplement

A lot of the time when we look at fantasy cities we see they're built on a history of violence and bloodshed. They were often strategic military outposts, or places where great conquests have happened, and you often see timelines of wars, uprisings, pirate fleets, bandit legions, etc. in the annals of these places' histories. And while that's certainly one way to create a fun and unique part of the setting (and it was a strategy I used for Ironfire: The City of Steel for those who grabbed either the Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons 5E version), my goal with Sundara: Dawn of a New Age was to have places across the map that are different not just in appearance and culture, but also in history, philosophy, and goals.

Which leads us to Silkgift, a place where invention, ingenuity, and ideas are used to benefit the entire city, and to achieve things those who lack imagination would say were impossible.

This place is just as nuts, but from a different direction.

Before I get into the nitty gritty on this, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to stay on top of all my new releases. Additionally, if you want to help me keep the wheels turning then consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

We Built This City on Community and Industry

Before it was a city, Silkgift (available for both Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition as well) was a collection of three villages. It had access to open water for fishing, and lumber for building, but it was the village of Archer that turned an unwanted crop into a necessity. Using spider weed, a plant that grew on the mountainside that seemed to have no real use, the spinsters of Archer created some of the strongest sailcloth anyone had ever seen. Able to withstand storms and last for years, it was relatively slow to make, but since it was so durable that never put a strain on the supply.

This cottage industry was enough to help support not just Archer, but all of the surrounding villages. Fishing boats used the cloth, as did windmills. And just as the labor to make the cloth was done as a group, so too were the resources it generated shared as a group, thus ensuring that everyone in the three villages had the things they needed.

What changed the scale of creation was the advent of Clever Elsie, and the institution she created known as the Ingeneurium.

Where ideas become reality.

Elsie understood the process for spinning and weaving the materials for Archer cloth, but it was not something her hands were skilled at. Fortunately, though, she was capable of making additions to the looms and spinning wheels used to make the cloth. When her additions increased the yield and decreased time and energy it took to make the cloth, Archer's spinsters were intrigued. And in a unanimous vote, Elsie was given a team of apprentices and told to explore until they found more useful discoveries.

And the Ingeneurium found answers. From more effective methods of irrigating crops, to breeding unique variants of spider weed and other plants, to storing energy from the wind by raising heavy weights via winches, to experimenting with compressed air tanks, the curiosity of the ingeneurs led to strange and bizarre discoveries. And in perhaps the most energy-intensive undertaking, it led to them cutting a huge canal through the countryside, effectively making Silkgift a massive center of trade when previously it had been nothing more than an out-of-the-way collection of towns with a unique product to trade.

Wealth, Freedom, and Community Support

Silkgift was based on the idea of community, and as it's increased in size and power that's only grown more ingrained into its official policies and government rules. With more work than ever before done with the strength of machines that utilize the wind, and the flow of water, citizens are allowed to reap the benefits. Everyone has a place to live in Silkgift. Everyone has food, clean water, and trades are taught freely to those who wish to learn. People are allowed to pursue their passions, and the city boasts a fair number of artists, crafters, and niche artisans who can pursue their calling thanks to the city's safety nets.

However, there's more that's unique to Silkgift than just its worker-owned means of production, and community-based decision making. Because those are the dropped stones that cause interesting ripples for the city.

Through cooperation you can do almost anything you set your mind to!

One major difference for Silkgift is that the city's setup eliminates several standbys of fantasy cities in RPGs. You won't find beggars in Silkgift because the city provides for all those who come to it that don't have the means. You don't find a lot of gangs or bandits for the same reason; when you have a house, a community that wants to help, and food in your belly, the potential of a violent death in the wilderness is a whole lot less appealing. You don't tend to find gaggles of mercenaries seeking work for the same reason; with no wide-sweeping threats to protect against, why would those in the iron trade be necessary on a large scale rather than as occasional guards for caravans or ships that are also just passing through?

Leaders are elected by the city, and profits from Silkgift's enterprises are decided by the residents, who own both the industries and the machinery that makes them run.

So Where's The Conflict, You Might Ask?

Silkgift, The City of Sails was a unique enough addition to the Cities of Sundara series that I felt I needed to add a section for game masters who wanted to use it. Because while the city has all sorts of unusual goodies like net launchers, aether weapons, and other unique tools for adventurers to get their hands on, it isn't the sort of place where the party gets caught up in street brawls between criminal enterprises, or where the local lord has raised crushing taxes, or is throwing political dissidents in jail.

That doesn't mean there isn't anything for adventurers to do, however.

Industrial espionage is one potential theme for a campaign. The Ingeneurium can be secretive, at times, and there are other organizations and powers in the setting that would like to steal research and ideas in order to turn them to their own advantage... or to bury them so it doesn't challenge their own power. Sabotage is another theme, as the Silkgift canal was a major game changer in terms of trade routes and travel, and it redirected a lot of people away from other cities who might want that commerce back. Some inventors might be fleeing shadowy pasts where they weren't as moral in their experiments as they might pretend, or prominent ingeneurs might be the subject of kidnapping by those who want them to turn their intellect to crafting weapons for a syndicate.

Those sorts of games might not be to everyone's tastes, and they may not be the first thing someone thinks of when they sit down to play a fantasy RPG. It is, however, the sort of things that Silkgift is best used for. Of course it's just one part of Sundara as a setting, and there are plenty of other corners you can explore to find the sorts of plots that appeal to you in this Dawn of a New Age!

The Setting So Far!

If Sundara sounds like the sort of world you want to get in on, there's several more installments yet to come! However, those that have been released include:

- Ironfire, The City of Steel: The center of the iron trade, the volcanic furnaces of Ironfire produce high-quality dragon steel, and draw every stripe of sellsword and adventurer from across the region. Available for Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons 5E.

- Moüd, The City of Bones: A lost city in a blasted desert, Moüd has gone from a necropolis to a metropolis once more thanks to the efforts of the Silver Wraiths. This guild of necromancers controls the city, sustaining it through their arts. Available for Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons 5E.

- Silkgift, The City of Sails: A place of ingenuity and invention, some are fascinated by the strange devices and methods devised within Silkgift. Others are just glad for the canal that turns months of travel into barely a week. Available for Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons 5E.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!