In The Shadow of the Spire:Main Page

This is the main page for the D&D 5E Play-By-Post game taking place in Monte Cook's Ptolus, In the Shadow of the Spire.

A short description of Ptolus from the core book:
A city of mysteries, secrets, and dark histories, Ptolus lies forever in the shadow of a towering stone spire reaching impossibly high into the sky, an enigma and reminder of evil long past. In Ptolus, the supernatural is expected and treachery lies around every corner—or is it that the supernatural lies around every corner and treachery is expected? Either way, the city of Ptolus abounds with danger, magic, intrigue, and above all, adventure.

Important Links

Recruitment Thread
In Character Thread (coming soon)
Out Of Character Thread (coming soon)

Current Characters

Aleria Stormsinger (half-elf bard) played by Stormraven (Information page)
Azrak Hwj Zaajk (hobgoblin cleric of Lothian) played by Atlictoatl (Information page)
Broudenn Goldbeard (dwarf fighter) played by Maels2rom (Information page)
Errich Angelblessed (aarakocra celestial warlock) played by TigerWolfe (Information page)
Lassalanta "Leaf" (eladrin divine soul sorceress) played by Aikireikinu (Information page)
Rhogar (dragonborn monk) played by Donan (Information page)
Silence (human rogue) played by Lysus (Information page)
Brother Roscoe (halfling monk) played by NicoCarcosa (Information page)

Stuff you know about Ptolus

Ptolus is a major city of seventy-five thousand people. It is located in the land of Palastan near a large bay on the southern end of the Whitewind Sea. It lies in the shadow of an impossibly tall (almost three thousand feet) and thin pinnacle of rock known simply as the Spire. The Spire and its surroundings seethe with mysterious legends and rumors. These tales tell of ancient battles waged and cities erected on the site, of demons and dark lords, of forgotten kings and mighty wizards.

Of late, Ptolus has become a city of adventurers. Treasure-seekers flock there to explore and plunder the labyrinthine structures beneath the streets, which they call the “Dungeon.” If the stories are correct, these catacombs include the following:
1. The sewers of the city.
2.Vast stretches of subterranean passages and chambers.
3. The remains of an even older city.
4. An abandoned underground dwarven settlement called Dwarvenhearth.
5. And levels that plunge incredibly deep below the present urban area.

Ptolus lies in a cool, rainy coastal region with harsh winters. It serves as an important port on the Bay of Ptolus off the Whitewind Sea and belongs to the Empire of Tarsis, although a growing faction in the city feels that Ptolus should declare itself independent.

Districts of the City

The Docks

Far below street level, the Docks rest on a narrow strip of land at the bottom of the city’s eastern cliffs. This is a particularly rough area of the city, thanks to the influx of sailors and its isolation from other districts. A single winding road provides access up a steep incline to the city proper. The Docks area is full of warehouses, shipyards, hostels, and taverns, all catering to sailors and merchants.

Guildsman District

Ptolus teems with guilds. Every type of artisan, smith, or other professional belongs to a guild of similarly trained and employed individuals. These guilds enjoy a strong voice in the City Council. This district in the south end of the city holds many tanneries, smithies, foundries, textile houses, grain mills, paper mills, brickmakers, bookmakers, woodworkers, and other production facilities, as well as warehouses, granaries, coalhouses, stockyards, and similar storage sites.

Midtown

As the central area of the city, Midtown is both a commercial and a residential hub. It is also where one finds many local entertainment offerings, in the form of pubs and taverns as well as theaters, dance halls, gambling dens, and more. Visitors looking for a place to stay usually find themselves directed here, as most of the city’s temporary lodgings are in Midtown.

The Necropolis

The vast Necropolis in the city’s northeastern corner sits on a few rolling hills, now completely covered with mausoleums, crypts, and graves. The entire Necropolis is surrounded by a wall, with guards posted at each of its four gates.

Nobles' Quarter

Technically outside the city’s walls, the Nobles’ Quarter, with its row upon row of manors and estates, climbs the city’s western cliffs abutting the Spire itself. Travelers can enter the area only via a single avenue that runs up from Oldtown through the fortress of Dalenguard before reaching the Nobles’ Quarter. The largest estates in this section of town belong to the ten noble families that have held power in the area —— to one degree or another —— for centuries.

North Market

Well-worn cobblestone streets are packed with vendors occupying wooden booths, pushing carts, or simply hawking wares they tote in massive baskets on their backs. Fresh foods of all kinds—fish and shellfish from the sea, fruit from the orchards to the north, and local breads and pastries being favorites—are available in any quantity. Other goods are for sale in small shops, tents, or from the backs of wagons.

Oldtown

The stone and marble buildings of Oldtown reflect a grander, earlier age. Graceful columns, majestic entrances, tall stone towers, and buildings of three or even four stories are common sights here. Yet all bear the signs of age and wear. Today many of these buildings house the bureaucracy the Empire forces upon the city.

Rivergate District

Strictly a residential area, the Rivergate District is as close to a “middle class” neighborhood as Ptolus gets.

South Market

Unlike its counterpart, the South Market is not an open-air marketplace. It has fewer vendors dealing out of carts and more established shops and places of business. Goods usually cost more in the South Market, but a buyer is far more likely to find trustworthy and reliable salespeople here. The South Market is newer than the North Market and has more artisans and industry than its counterpart.

Temple District

Temples, churches, shrines, and small monasteries fill this district in the north central part of town, with the Street of a Million Gods (a bit of an exaggeration) running through it from north to south. Even the Blessed Bridge across the King’s River here has small shrines built upon and into it.

The Warrens

The Warrens in the eastern part of town is a terrible slum sick with poverty and crime. The streets here have no names, and most of the buildings aren’t marked —— the place is not friendly to outsiders. Some visitors may have experienced a little theft or crime in the city, but it’s nothing compared to what goes on in this district.

The Undercity Market

Although not actually a district of Ptolus, the Undercity Market, accessed by a wide staircase in the middle of Delver’s Square, is the place to go for most adventuring gear. Also located here is the Delver’s Guild, an association that provides assistance in the form of maps, reference material, and equipment to explorers of the ancient dwarven city, Dwarvenhearth, and other areas below the streets of Ptolus.

Calendar

This the yearly calendar for the Ptolus setting.

NPCs

Placeholder for NPCs

Yanssr (lizardfolk ranger) played by Daz Florp Lebam (Information page)