Page 19 - Tomb of Annihilation

unconscious. When he awakens moments later, Es- warning horns, day or night, they scramble for the safety
hek has no memory of the last 12 hours aside from a of the Market Ward and Merchants' Ward until the all
driving need to find people matching the characters' clear sounds.
descriptions. He's as puzzled by what just happened
as the characters probably are, but he'll help them O LD CITY
however he can. At the very least, he knows where Three ancient, vine-covered ziggurats tower above this
Mbala is from speaking to porters who've been to crumbling ward. The whole district is a juxtaposition
Camp Vengeance. of ancient and decaying (but still occupied) stone struc-
tures interspersed with flimsy new huts and longhouses
LOCATIONS IN THE CITY of bamboo and thatch.
Shown in map 1.1, Port Nyanzaru is a city of walls The Old City is run by "beggar princes" in a mocking
within walls. Burgeoning wealth has driven the city's parallel to the merchant princes of the city proper. They
richest residents to raise defenses against the jungle's have no official authority, but each of them sits atop a
dangers, and possibly against the dangers they perceive web of debts, favors, incriminating information, and
from the city's less-well-off districts, which all lie out- loyal muscle that allows them to get things done with
side the main wall. The walls are impressive barriers an efficiency that the merchant princes sometimes envy.
of massive, fitted stone. Like other structures in Port Unlike the merchant princes, whose positions are based
Nyanzaru, they're decorated with colorful paintings of on wealth that passes from generation to generation in
geometric designs, animals, and mythic figures. the same family, the identities and even the number of
The city is defined by four steep hills. The western- the beggar princes changes continually.
most hill, called Temple Hill because it's home to the The Old City is run down but it isn't a slum or a haven
temple of Savras, is completely walled off from lower for thieves. Most of the residents are lower-class labor-
ground. A wide stone bridge crosses on arched columns ers or struggling artisans who can't afford the higher
from Temple Hill to Throne Hill, site of Goldenthrone. rents of homes inside the city walls.
A second bridge connects Throne Hill to the southern
slopes, site of several merchant princes' villas. East of 1. BEGGARS' PALACES
the harbor, the Hall of Gold gleams atop the city's taIJest The Beggars' Palaces are the two largest ziggurats
hill, Mount Sibasa, which is connected by bridge to the of the Old City. Shops and tenements of bamboo are
neighboring Ykhvazi Hill (pronounced yick-ul-WAH- jammed onto the terraces of the ziggurats in wild pro-
zee), site of the Grand Coliseum. Steep, stepped streets fusion. The upper levels are cleaner and less crowded
and terraces surround each hill. than those near street level. A narrow wooden bridge
Outside the main walls are three slums: the Old City connects the upper levels above the press and noise of
to the southwest, where many buildings are remnants the street.
of older, pyramidal construction; Malar's Throat to the 2. EXECUTIONER'S RUN
south, where buildings cling to the walls of a lush can-
yon spanned by rope bridges; and Tiryki Anchorage to The road through the Old City splits around a rectangu-
the southeast, where explorers and river folk gather. lar, stone-lined pit 15 feet deep, 50 feet wide, and 200
About half the city's population lives crowded together feet long. The original Amnian residents built it as an
outside the walls, where they're always exposed to arena for a highly competitive ball game, and it still pro-
sudden attacks by carnivores or undead. A volunteer vides cheap entertainment for the locals. Velociraptors
citizens' brigade keeps watch for approaching danger. (see appendix D), panthers, or other hungry beasts (a ju-
When residents of the outer wards hear the long blast of venile allosaurus is a guaranteed crowd pleaser) are set
loose in the pit, then convicted criminals are dropped in
at one end. Any criminals who make it alive through the
TROUBLESHOOTI NC
gauntlet of carnivores to the far end of the pit can scram-
There's enough happening in Port Nyanzaru that you ble up knotted ropes and win their freedom, along with
won't need to rely on random encounters to keep things the adulation of the crowd. Spectators line the walls
Interesting. That being said, if the players seem restless, for these spectacles-including representatives from
use the random encounters in appendix B to spice things every level of Port Nyanzaru society, not just residents
up a bit as they're gathering supplies for their expedition.
At any time, the party might run into Volothamp Geddarm of the Old City. Bets are placed on which criminals will
(see "City Denizens," page 24). Volo's familiarity with survive, which will die, how far runners will get before
Port Nyanzaru makes him a font of useful information. If a beast brings them down, and how many kills each ani-
the party doesn't already have a wilderness guide, he ad- mal will rack up.
vises characters to secure one before they enter the jungle. A handful of Chultans have become celebrities by sur-
V olo might also suggest that characters partake in the di- viving multiple dashes through Executioner's Run. It's
nosaur races (see "Things to Do," page 31). been suggested that some people continue committing
If characters visit Wakanga O'tamu, he gives them the crimes solely because a conviction is the only way to get
wizard's journal in his possession. If the party has not yet tossed into the pit, and betting is always heaviest on a
secured a guide by the time they meet Wakanga, he sug- repeat offender.
gests that the characters arrange one through jobal. Volo
can facilitate an introduction. For more information on Occasionally an animal manages to leap or scramble
guides and their rates, see "Finding a Guide," page 33. out of the pit and runs amok through the terrified crowd.
Moments of such high peril provide a perfect oppor-

Cll.\l'TER I ( PORT NYANZARU
18