Settlement History — Development Shapes the Present
Settlements gain depth through historical events that explain their current state. Each event adds layers — new districts, destroyed landmarks, shifting power, arriving factions.
History is the Lore layer viewed temporally. Settlement development events don’t just create backstory — they generate two things simultaneously:
- Edges — the reasons connections between nodes exist. “The Miners built this smelter thirty years ago when the copper vein was discovered” is an edge between the Miners faction node and the smelter building node.
- Lore nodes — the discoverable questions those events leave behind. What caused the plague? Who profited? What’s buried in the ruins? These wait in the Lore layer until players engage with them.
Microscope, Chronicle, and Ex Novo development events all populate the Lore layer. The timeline is the GM’s map; lore nodes are what players actually find.
How Many Events?
| Tier | Settlement Age | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Village) | Nestling-Budding | 3-5 events |
| 2 (Town) | Grown | 5-8 events |
| 3 (City) | Aged-Elderly | 8-12 events |
| 4 (Capital) | Ancient | 12+ events |
Event Categories (Ex Novo p. 42-59)
| Category | Themes | Typical Results |
|---|---|---|
| War & Conflict | Violence, invasion | Districts destroyed, factions weakened |
| Discovery & Innovation | Technology, magic | New resources, power shifts |
| Natural Disaster | Floods, quakes, fires | Districts destroyed, refugees arrive |
| Trade & Commerce | Economics, markets | Merchant faction gains power |
| Religion & Faith | Spirituality, prophecy | Cleric faction rises, temples built |
| Crime & Corruption | Thieves, scandal | Thief faction emerges, authority challenged |
| Cultural Shifts | Fashion, art | District character evolves |
| Leadership Change | Succession, coups | Seat of Power shifts |
Event Procedure
- Roll on Event Table (2d6 for category + d6 for specific) or choose thematically
- Interpret in context of existing elements
- Perform mechanical actions (add/remove districts, shift tokens)
- Update the map
- Record on timeline
- Note the lore nodes — what questions does this event leave unanswered?
- Optional: draw up to 2 tokens from Growth Pool
Responsive History Generation
Work backwards from present need: start with what exists now, roll events that explain it, arrange chronologically, fill gaps during play.
Quick Reference: Historical Event Table
- War/Battle — district destroyed, faction weakened
- Plague/Disaster — population decline, district abandoned
- Discovery — new resource, technology advance
- Trade Boom — merchants gain power, district expands
- Religious Movement — clerics rise, temple built, schism
- Crime Wave — thieves emerge, corruption revealed
- Cultural Shift — district character changes
- Leadership Change — Seat of Power shifts
- Arrival — refugees, strangers, new faction
- Construction — major landmark built
- Depletion — resource runs out, economic crisis
- Miracle/Omen — unexplained event, shifts beliefs
The Timeline as Reference
□ Founded by exiled miners (20 years ago)
□ Deepvein Shaft discovered (18 years ago)
□ Merchant guild established trade routes (15 years ago)
□ Red Fever destroyed harbor district (10 years ago)
□ New defensive walls built after bandit raids (5 years ago)
□ Present day
Each entry is a bundle of lore nodes — invisible until players ask the right questions, explore the right ruins, or befriend the right NPCs.