Galetide - Sewers and Runoffs

Galetide is a city prone to tropical storms and monsoons, and with it comes weeks of downpour and harsh winds. Architects and engineers were called to combat this problem and their solution was the network of trenches and sewers that lay beneath the city. As the sewers maintain a means to prevent the streets from flooding, it also provides the underworld a network to traffic.

The original layout of the drainage was a simply a series of trenches leading to the coast, however as the city grew, builder were force to tunnel beneath the buildings and walls that made up the city. Intended to help against flooding, the infrastructure was now adapted to sanitary concerns as the tunnels expanded throughout the city.

Through the constant additions and expansion that occur over the years, the sewers have grown into a stench and vermin infested maze. These allowed a perfect hideaway for the scum of Galetide, using the tunnels to traffic illicit wares and an area to cache stolen goods. Most gangs as well as pirates would rely on the sewers to conduct their activities.

During much of the year, the sewers are relative safe (besides the occasional thug and vicious vermin that make it home). However, during the wet season, it becomes a hazard. With the risen water level and gushing water during storms, drowning is a common concern. And with the risen water level, many foul sea creatures find there way into the sewers, and make it home. Lurking in the murky waterways and various large cisterns, they will wait and attack mostly anything for food.

With some of the latest expansions, tunnelers and engineers have breached the halls the lay beneath the tower ruins. The city guard feared for safety, and quickly secured the breaches with bars and masonry. Even though, citizens worry about these entryways to the catacombs, yet adventurers and looters find this as a good means to explore the ruins without the knowledge of the city guard and their officials.

The History of Galetide

The center point of trade and commerce on the southern tip of the Mainlands, Galetide is known to ever being who travel to lands. Merchant ships who travel from the western Marble Coast to the eastern shores of Kartha always make port at Galetide for supplies, rest, and even to barter it wares. As such, the city of Galetide has grown and prosper, but an air of mystery still shrouds within its walls that attract adventurers to it.

At the heart of the city is the ruins of a tower from the First Age. In that time, it believed to be a beacon to the merchants and a watchtower against it's foes. The tower was said to touch the skies, and reach high into the heavens. It was during chaos of the Second Age that the tower crumbled to the earth from violent forces that shook the world. Pieces fell to the ground, destroying the ancient city at its base and remnant sunk to the depths of the ocean that surround the island. Since then, the island was devoid of humanity.

During the early years of the Third Age, civilization returned to the island as merchants began forging a route from west to east. The colonization found only the base of the tower, and scholars began discovering again it's purpose. With how high the tower stood, they soon uncover that it pierces equally into the ground, with a network labyrinthine passage and seals passages. Scholars now question the tower's full purpose, yet adventurers come to test themselves in hope to find the treasures locked away.

Pathfinder First Looks

The campaign I'll be starting within a week or two will be using the Pathfinder (aka AD&D 3.75). Pathfinder is a new system that I started reading a few weeks ago, and here are some first impressions I enjoy:

• Expanded character creation detail. I find the added detail and flexible character creation a big refresher. The first things that stood out is pick-able favored classes, simplified skills, and more characteristic feats to help flesh out a character. With those, expanded domains, special abilities to a wizards specialization, and the biggest is the Sorcerer's bloodline. In 3.5, they don't much in detail on a sorcerer's source of power. In Pathfinder, what's in you blood that gives you power affects how the character progresses.
• Clean presentation. All the tables and content is clean and understandable, and everything is easy to find. With this, a DM has pretty easy access to all the information that is need, as well gives tips of setting up 'cheat sheets' for anything you make.
• One book. No, seriously... everything you need is in one book.
• Simplified Combat. With CMB and CMD stats, such things like trips, grapples, bull rushes, etc are so much easier to preform, with out all the hassle to look up the rules.
• Advance Player Guide. Lots of neat archetypes and rules for the basic classes, and well balanced new classes like Cavalier, Summoner, and even Antipaladins.
• "Monster Manuals" The Bestiary all well written and easily laid out to find any content easily, as well the rules for template creatures (like fiendish) is simple and easy. No more tearing hair out whenever I hear a Fiendish Dire Wolverine.

This being to first time running a Pathfinder (and let alone, 3.5), but I have absolute positive attitude that the game mechanics will run smoothly as well as entertainingly.