The Bakdunis Family

Rise of the Bakdunis

Before the Goblin Wars, Family Bakdunis was one of the wealthy merchant families of Markaz. And, like all wealthy families, they were involved in politics and military affairs.While they had not been among the princes who ruled the city states, their wealth was able to buy them a certain amount of influence.

When the goblins appeared and swept across the land, Coron Bakdunis was Captain of the Markaz Guard. Unlike other cities, Markaz had time to consider its defense and prepare for the attack. It was not much time, but it was significant. Coron was known to be a man of action and of little patience. As stories and refugees rolled in from across the land, he saw the Prince and Governing Council dithering. Not only that, they offered no clear plan while they deliberated.

So, one afternoon, he made a decision and ended the deliberation with the assistance of a squad of his most loyal officers.

Coron Bakdunis comes to power. (or the Death of Nero - same difference.)

Coron put Markaz under martial law and prepared his force to meet the goblin horde. One of his key decisions--and one that had been blocked by the Council--was to retool several hundred of his finest fighters to be light, mobile infantry that could act as scouts and also waylay the goblins from behind the front line. He called these troops the Rangers.

He conscripted every man, woman, and child that could physically hold a weapon, training each to the best of their ability. As refugees arrived, only the sick and injured were allowed to rest. The others were put to work somehow. In the short period of time after taking over the city, Coron was able to establish a rag-tag force to meet the goblins at the city walls.

The city held, but not without massive casualties and widespread damage. Coron retained his position as both leader of the Guard and de facto leader of the city and began the long, slow process of rebuilding. He would not have much opportunity to be a builder, however, as he was taken by illness not two years after the end of the Goblin War. His brother, Kalan, succeeded him. Kalan would rule Markaz--and effectively most of the human population--for the next twenty years. He saw the people through the chaos of those early years, a famine, and the initial rebuilding of civilization. There have been a total of five Bakdunis rulers in the decades since the Goblin Wars.

In many ways, civilization is still being rebuilt, but the Bakdunis family proudly takes credit for both saving human society and reestablishing over the past decades. Many are prone to agree, but there are those who believe that the Bakdunis family has done little except enrich and empower themselves. They continue to rule, however, by way of their shrewd ability to build and maintain political alliances, to suppress the opposition, and to make sure that the right people get rich and the right people disappear. It's a robust system, but how long can it last?

More Neigborhoods

Here are some more ideas for neighborhoods that I will use to flesh out the city of Markaz. These, along with the others, will provide a few areas to play around with in the beginning, with more to be added as needed.
 

Bakdunis Market

The biggest market in Markaz is (conveniently) named for the family that currently governs the city. The market is an enormous plaza paved with stones and crisscrossed by a network of market stands, and it sits at the foot of the cliffs, overlooked by the Citadel. Some parts of the market are more permanent structures of stone, wood, or mud, while others are clearly of the temporary canvas variety. At its heart is a huge fountain that is fed by one of the several springs that supplies Markaz. The fountain fills a cistern that spills into an aqueduct that flows down from the market to other neighborhoods. Every demographic in the city can be found here, as can anything that can be bought or sold - it's only a matter of price.

There's always a rug stand, isn't there? (Almosawi)

Gullytown
Gullytown is a slum that sits in a ravine between two wealthy, hilltop neighborhoods. An open sewer runs down the middle, fed by runoff and waste water from about half of the city. A large stone bridge flies high over the shanty, allowing more civilized folk to move between rich areas of town without having to mix with the poor. Many houses here seem to be little more than temporary shelters and they are piled nearly one on top of another. Walking from one end of Gullytown to another will often take you straight through someone's home. During the heavy rains that happen every year or two, the sewer is likely to overflow, killing lots of people. But usually, the high walls of the valley provide shelter from the sun and brutal heat of Kimatarthi.

Garden City
Home to many of the old merchants and elite families of Markaz, Garden City has been able to tap into the aquifers below the hill to provide water for old trees that line beautiful winding boulevards. Large estates and private homes are hidden behind high walls, and lush gardens and terraces provide the public shelter from the brutal heat of the day - unless you're not the right kind of public. It is one of the nice neighborhoods that hovers above Gullytown.


Landfill
For centuries, Markaz has dumped its garbage at the base of the cliff just west of the Citadel. This area is now a sizable hill where many of the city's poor make a living sorting out reusable scraps from other refuse. Many of the residents live in ramshackle homes built on the rubble. Some of the older, more established families (who constitute an "elite" of their own) live in homes that are built into the hillside itself - though no one is quite sure if these were carved into the earth, or if the original structures were swallowed up by decades upon decades of rubbish.

Neighborhoods of Markaz

One thing that has fascinated me about every city I've ever visited is the proximity of diversity. In old cities and in cities that have seen rapid change, the style, look, and feel of each block can be different. Often, the difference is as varied as the number of buildings.

But it's not just cosmetic differences. In a huge city, within just a few blocks you can have completely different communities, different people, different social norms. Cities always have areas that are "off-limits" to certain groups and the difference of a few meters can be the difference between strangers and family. Cities are inherently high-context environments, and as such, they offer enormous opportunity for gaming scenarios.

I see my main city of Markaz as a scratchpad for all the amazing, awful, wonderful, horrible things that have fascinated me about cities. Here are some concepts for a few key areas in Markaz. I think these can serve as interesting locales for the PCs--at least initially--and others can be made up as needed.

Citadel

The northernmost part of Markaz is the original settlement, which eventually grew into a fortress. It remains a walled town that overlooks the rest of the city. Citadel is home to the Palace, the townhouses and walled estates of the city's elite, and a number of fancy shopping and dining districts. Thought the original city walls and gates still stand, they are mainly used by the elites to make sure that no one too unsuitable is able to wander freely up the hill.

The Empty Quarters
Long ago, when the goblins laid siege to Markaz, they breached a portion the southernmost walls and laid waste to some parts of the city. Since that time, those areas have been taboo and even the poorest of the city are loathe to live there. That does not mean the area is devoid of activity, though. A great deal of nefarious activity takes place in the Empty Quarters, and goblins still live like vermin in burrows between the abandoned buildings. It has become a lawless area, convenient for those who want to avoid attention.

Barracks
This neighborhood is positioned between the city's Eastern Gate and the hill that leads up to the Citadel. Not surprisingly, Barracks gets its name because the City Guard barracks are here. With so many young soldiers running around, it should also come as no surprise that many of the cities finest boozing, gambling, and whoring establishments are also here.

Markaz

More than likely, the campaign will center on the city of Markaz, the bustling urban heart of Kimatarthi. Centuries ago, the city burgeoned into an important trading hub, since it straddles a gap in Great Rift. As the easiest intersection between the east and west, Markaz served as the departure and arrival point for caravans making the long trek between Bryss and the cities and towns of the east. This central location turned it into a wealthy and populous metropolis where anything and everything was available for the right price.

The city’s position makes it naturally defensible, but over the years, the gap was further fortified – in order to dominate the trade routes as much as to defend the city. The road up from the eastern lowlands climbs from the Black River to the city walls. To the north, the old fortress of Markaz sits atop looming cliffs, looking down over the busy markets of the valley. The city sprawls south, rising into wealthier neighborhoods before descending once again into poor, dilapidated slums and the Empty Quarters.

Markaz was the stronghold that withstood the goblin onslaught. As the invading horde rolled across the land, the survivors poured north, seeking shelter beyond the gap. Refugees arrived by the thousands. Though the goblins did briefly breach the city walls, human kind rallied and drove them back. Today, many years after that fateful battle, Markaz remains a melting pot of all the families, tribes, and peoples of old Kimatarthi.

Although the general population of the city is a motley mix of humanity, the old elite of Markaz still runs the show. The city is governed by the Bakdunis family, who dominate the politics, trade, and many other aspects of life in Markaz. Obviously, not everyone is happy with the current arrangement, yet the Bakdunis are able to maintain control with through savvy politics, dirty tricks, and occasional brute force.

Also, I recently picked up the Vornheim kit by Zak S. and I really dig a lot of his ideas. His book offers a ton of tricks and tables and whatnot that I’ll probably use to facilitate adventures in Markaz. While my city has a totally different feel—it’s much more ‘brown mud walls’ than ‘towering grey stone,’ among other things—his approach is universally applicable and everything is easily tweaked. It also offers plenty of material to riff off of. I’m looking forward to taking it for a drive someday.