Settlement Buildings & NPCs
Buildings are defined through faction claiming and three-layer description. NPCs are created as Residents tied to specific landmarks.
The Three-Layer Description (from Beak, Feather & Bone)
Every building gets three sentences that create depth without overwhelming detail:
- BEAK (Reputation): What do locals say? The rumor, the common knowledge
- FEATHER (Appearance): What does it look like outside? Visual hooks for players
- BONE (Reality): What’s it really like inside? The truth, often contradicting the rumor
This technique works for ANY location in Western Horizon—not just settlements.
How Many Landmarks?
- Session Zero/Full Generation: 2-3 per active faction (5-10 total)
- Medium Generation: 1 per faction (3-5 total)
- Quick Generation: Just faction headquarters (2 total)
- During Play: Add more reactively as players explore
The Landmark Procedure (5-10 minutes)
Title
What do locals call this place? Examples: The Gilt Rose Inn, Temple of Smoke and Mirrors, The Stormwatch Tower
Address
Where is it within the district? Can be literal (“17 Saltmarket Street”), relative (“three blocks from the fountain”), poetic (“at the crossroads where the pilgrim trail ends”), or vertical (“second story of the harbormaster’s building”).
True Name (from Street Magic)
The sensory essence that makes the landmark unforgettable. Ask: “What do you see, smell, hear, feel, or taste when you walk in?”
- The Gilt Rose Inn: “sawdust floors smell of pine, firelight dances on copper mugs, laughter from the kitchen”
- Temple of Smoke and Mirrors: “incense thick enough to taste, reflective obsidian walls, whispered prayers echo”
- The Counting House: “scratch of quills on parchment, smell of ink and dust, golden abacus clicks rhythmically”
Building Temporal Frames
| Frame | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ♥ Social | Present community function | Taverns, meeting halls, active temples, parks |
| ♦ Financial | Present economic role | Markets, workshops, banks, warehouses |
| ♣ Future | Preparation, aspiration | Construction sites, academies, research facilities |
| ♠ Past | Historical, abandoned | Ruins, sealed temples, old fortifications |
Temporal Balance
Settlements feel lived-in with buildings across all four frames. Heavy Past = settlement in decline. Heavy Future = growth focus. All Social/Financial with no Past = feels static.
Generating Rival NPCs
When a building serves an important purpose, create a rival from an opposing faction:
Identify the Opposition using natural conflict pairings:
- Mages ↔ Clerics (reason vs. faith)
- Miners ↔ Farmers (extraction vs. cultivation)
- Soldiers ↔ Thieves (order vs. liberty)
- Merchants ↔ Elders (progress vs. tradition)
Create the Rival (Three Sentences):
- BEAK: The rival’s reputation in the community
- FEATHER: The rival’s appearance and mannerisms
- BONE: The rival’s true motivation
Example: The Mages control a research laboratory. The Clerics oppose it.
- BEAK: “Brother Aldus is known as a voice of moral clarity, warning against dangerous experiments.”
- FEATHER: “A stern, elderly cleric with ink-stained fingers, always carrying a leather-bound tome.”
- BONE: “Once a mage himself, Aldus saw a ritual go wrong and kill his colleagues. He switched to the cloth to prevent others from making the same mistakes.”
Rivals Are Quest Fuel
Each rival provides: named NPC with clear position, faction quest hook, information source (rivals know secrets about each other), investigation angle.
Key NPCs — The Resident Procedure (from Street Magic)
Creating a Resident (5-10 minutes)
Title & Pronouns: What do people call them? Examples: The Lamplighter (she/her), Brother Moss (he/him), Sena Three-Coins (she/her)
Affiliated Landmark: Every resident is tied to a specific landmark. This creates findability—players know where to go.
True Name (via Collaborative Vignette):
- DM starts: “Let’s see [Name] in their element. Where are they and what are they doing?”
- Players contribute: “I see them…” / “I hear…” / “They’re holding…” / “I notice…”
- Build together until you can see this person clearly
- Extract the true name from the vignette
Example Vignette:
DM: “Let’s see The Lamplighter. Where is she?” Player 1: “She’s on the corner of Saltmarket at dusk, lighting the street lamps one by one.” Player 2: “Her hands are always smudged with lamp oil, and she hums old mining songs.” DM: “She notices us watching and gives a gap-toothed smile, then moves to the next lamp.”
True Name: “oil-smudged hands, hums mining songs, gap-toothed smile, moves like ritual”
Quick NPC Creation (mid-session, 2 minutes)
- Title & Pronouns (30 seconds)
- One defining trait
- Minimal True Name: one sensory detail + one quirk
- Note landmark
Example: Jorn the Smith (he/him), always sweating, never finishes sentences, works at the Forge Quarter
Recording Residents
Each resident becomes a wiki page with: Title & Pronouns, True Name, Affiliated Landmark, Faction, Relationships, Session Appearances.