Settlement Districts — The City’s Anatomy
Districts are the settlement’s functional zones—residential, commercial, industrial, or specialized areas that hold population and define local character. They’re abstract rather than precisely mapped.
What is a Region/District?
Ex Novo divides settlements into regions—abstract spatial units defined by lines on your map. When a region is developed, it becomes a district with population and character. Use natural features (rivers, hills) and organic shapes for boundaries. Each region represents roughly 0.5-2 km² depending on settlement size.
District Types
| Type | Function | Common Buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | Where people live | Houses, apartments, tenements, manors |
| Commercial | Trade and services | Markets, shops, taverns, inns, banks |
| Industrial | Production and craft | Workshops, forges, mills, warehouses |
| Administrative | Governance and law | Town hall, courts, guard posts, archives |
| Religious | Worship and spirituality | Temples, shrines, monasteries, graveyards |
| Military | Defense and training | Barracks, armories, walls, watchtowers |
| Cultural | Entertainment and gathering | Theaters, parks, plazas, libraries |
| Specialized | Unique to this settlement | Wizard academy, gladiator arena, observatory |
District Character
Beyond function, each district should have sensory identity using Street Magic principles:
- Sights: Building styles, colors, signage
- Sounds: Ambient noise (hammers, music, crowds, silence)
- Smells: Industry, cooking, flowers, sewage
- Feel: Crowded vs. spacious, safe vs. dangerous
Example: The Forge Quarter: blackened stone buildings, constant hammering and furnace roar, smell of hot metal and coal smoke, uncomfortably warm even in winter
Districts Through Time
Historical events create temporal layers:
- Founded: Original character from settlement founding
- Expanded: Grown beyond original boundaries
- Transformed: Major event changed its nature
- Abandoned: Disaster or depletion left it empty (becomes ♠ Past building source)
- Reclaimed: Previously abandoned, now being rebuilt
Abandoned Districts as Adventure Sites
When an event destroys a district, don’t erase it—mark it as ruins. These become instant dungeon sites: collapsed buildings to explore, squatters or monsters moving in, lost treasures buried, faction efforts to reclaim.
Population & Density
Use Ex Novo’s density guidelines (p. 22) if you need concrete numbers:
| City Size | Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Village | 100 | 250 | 500 |
| Town | 150 | 500 | 1,500 |
| Small City | 200 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Large City | 600 | 5,000 | 25,000 |
| Metropolis | 1,500 | 15,000 | 100,000 |
But mostly: Don’t worry about exact population. The number of districts and density feeling is sufficient for play.