Septem Colles

Unlike most other city-states listed here, Septem Colles is the capital of the Holy Empire and a shining jewel in the crown of goblin achievement. Named for the seven hills on which the metropolis is built, Septem Colles boasts incredible feats of engineering and currently maintains the largest population of any city in the world.

Temple Hill

has long been the center of religious rites and festivals for the city, though it never commanded the respect of Palatine Hill. WIth the recent shift in Imperial leadership, many suspected that this would change, but instead the pontifex seems content to rework the Palatine Hill to reflect more religious sentiment than she is to move the head of the empire. Temple Hill still enjoys a special place in the hearts of all citizens of Septem Colles, with at least a minor temple to every deity currently worshipped (even those considered by many to be unsavory), and major temples to the Gods of Order. Hundreds of priests and acolytes live on the hill and rigorously attend to all of the temples and ancestral shrines, and like the rest of the hills in the city, Temple Hill is almost a small city unto itself, with markets, taverns, theaters, and other amenities for the full time residents. One of the most striking features is the elaborate cave network running underneath the temples; in these caverns, gods are worshipped whose praise would not be appropriate where the sun and moon shine, and many mystery cults perform their ceremonies here. These caverns do connect to the Underdark, though no formal trade routes exist, and few would recommend this entrance.

Palatine Hill

serves as the seat of government for the city and the empire as a whole. Located more or less in the center of the massive urban sprawl, the Senate and its attendant senators all reside here, with palatial estates owned by the families from whom senators emerge. The politics of Imperial life are complicated, but even the mobs understand that if your family loses its home on this sacred ground, it has lost its seat. Though honor and order are the rule for legions and citizens, noble politicians are a fractious, backbiting lot who frequently engage in assassinations and poisoning. Retired soldiers who seek a life in politics at their family’s behest are often either overwhelmed swiftly or distinguish themselves with brutal and transparent retaliation against their enemies. Palatine Hill not only serves its occupants with fine food and lodging for guests (though it’s considered improper to not put up one’s own family, friends are often referred to an inn), and everything on Palatine Hill is Comfortable rating or higher. Even the street restaurants serve better than average fare. One of the more remarkable institutions here is the Legal College, where bards train to do battle in the courts. Imperial law puts the onus of prosecuting crimes on the family of the wronged, and legal battles can be every bit as vicious and taxing as those fought with steel. Hobgoblins and bugbears are more likely to engage in this activity (and they are the majority living on the Hill anyway), but all races aspire to have these warriors or words in their corner.

Little Ravnica

is the southernmost hill, and as the name implies is heavily linked to the world of Ravnica. All of the latter’s guilds may be found here in varying numbers (the Cult of Rakdos and Simic Combine have few members, while the Dimir and Golgari have greater numbers than most know or want to admit). The architecture is distinctly Imperial, but nearly all of the businesses and residences are owned by Ravnican ex-patriots or their descendents, and the market near the bottom of the hill always sees brisk business. Skyship docks adorn the top of the hill and give Imperial citizens a glimpse of the amazing trade vessels hailing from all corners of the multiverse. Folks looking to hitch a ride on a skyship or trade for exotic wares flock to this hill, and for those who want to sample quality food and drink from Ravnica without paying an arm and a leg, the Seventh District Tavern is large enough to accommodate two hundred people and offers Ravnican cuisine for a fair price.

Bellorum

is the hill furthest to the west, and also the first hill that anyone coming upstream from the ocean will pass. For this reason, the city’s fortifications are built up here, and several layers of the hill have been adorned with siege equipment capable of bringing down any fleet that made its way up this far. Individual legionnaires occasionally train here as well (by law, no legion may come within twenty miles of the city in numbers greater than 100), and most officers train at the Collegium Bellorum at the hill’s summit. The hill also houses the Praetorian Guard and the masses of engineers who not only maintain the city’s defenses, but also its infrastructure. The engineering college is less prestigious than the other college it shares the hill with, the practical benefits can’t be overstated. It’s no accident that Imperial legions are among the most capable when it comes to setting up roads and fortifications on their own, and no fewer than a dozen cities in Imperial territory began as the camp of a legion. Engineers accompany all legionnaires, and nearly every officer is expected to spend time here as well.

Tinker’s Hill

didn’t start with much of a purpose, but over time the craftsmen and artisans of the city drifted here, and for the past five centuries the hill has been the principal area of production for finished goods. Whether wood, leather, metal, fabric, or anything else, the grand market at the hill’s base sells nearly everything that one could want. Even minor magical items can be had here relatively easily, as minor magewrights are among those employed here. It’s no accident that Tinker’s Hill maintains the largest dwarven community in the city, and many of them live inside the hill itself. For those who don’t mind stooping a little, the dwarves are generally welcoming of visitors, and the Frothing Boar Tavern will serve potent dwarven stout to anyone with the coin to buy it. Most visitors need very little. As for the market, it’s safe to assume that any item under 100 gp will be available for purchase here, even exotic goods from elsewhere in the world.

Colles Arcana

is home to the city’s wizard school, a massive edifice with rooms that reportedly move around in an almost maze-like fashion, and several hundred students. The rest of the hill is reserved for magic-users, lesser colleges (though they dislike being called such) for bards and sorcerers, as well as residences for elves and gnomes. These two races maintain their largest neighborhoods here, with both offering dining experiences unknown in the rest of the city. Though elven and gnomish cuisine is easy enough to find, most places on Colles Arcana employ minor magic users to weave subtle enchantments into their wares that make the food and drink truly unique.

Reflection

is the smallest hill in the city, and maintains an ancient monastery at its peak. The monks are nearly all retirees from city politics or war, and come to live here in order to find enlightenment or peace. The rest of the hill has smaller communities of similarly old individuals who wish to put the stresses of city life behind them. Though this is the surface image most have, and is largely accurate citizen to citizen, the monastery is also a training ground for the formidable Iron Shadows, ruthless enforcers of imperial law who move undetected among average citizens. This secret police force has existed since the first emperor, and little has changed since the emperor became a pontifex instead.

The Flats

lie in between the hills, and tend to be poverty-stricken. A handful of nice neighborhoods spring up here and there, but squalid conditions await most at this level. The grand Colosseum stands here though, and this edifice attracts crowds from throughout the city. Gladiators come in a few varieties; most are slaves captured in wars and forced to fight for amusement, while a few are simply skilled fighters who know no other way to make a living, and fewer still enter the grand arena to slake thirsts that they couldn’t otherwise in polite society. The Colosseum is able to be flooded temporarily for naval battles, and horrific beats are occasionally brought in as well.

Demographics

25% goblin, 20% hobgoblin, 10% bugbear, 10% human, 7% halfling, the remainder is heavily mixed

Government

The Holy Empire is still in transition from the old quasi-republic under which it had operated. A senate advises the pontifex and proposes laws, though these cannot supercede the founding laws of the empire itself (a source of constant friction). The pontifex handles day to day affairs including the appointment of magisters (now religious authority as well) and the arbitration of law and religious concerns. Previously, the emperor or consuls would be expected to lead legions into battle, but the role of pontifex strikes many as one that should be devoted to peace. The current pontifex has ignored this and still personally commands a legion, but pressure from the growing ecclesiarchy might change this.

Infrastructure

Massive aqueducts span the city, providing plumbing and water even without the aid of magic. Well ordered roads penetrate even the Flats, and the entire city is surrounded by a great wall twenty feet tall and dotted with siege engines.

Guilds and Factions

All guilds from Ravnica can be found here (in small numbers), and other guilds mentioned in this setting have strong representation as well. The Iron Shadows stand out as a unique faction, serving as a secret police for the pontifex.

History

Founded by goblins and hobgoblins fifteen hundred years ago, the city served as a refuge for its founders, who had been harried by elves as they fled the sacking of their city. It grew from a small camp into the largest city in the world, as goblins slowly expanded and repelled then absorbed their neighbors, and developed a new form of government to cast off the human shackles that others had tried to impose.

Type

Megalopolis

Population

1,020,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Imperials