The City

Overview

As you explore Hesperadia, you will find a city of classical antiquity now in ruin. Stone and adobe structures, long since abandoned, are being slowly swallowed by the jungle of smaller trees and underbrush. The city and the tree sit at the bottom of a steep basin in the earth. From the Northwest flows a river, forming a stunning waterfall at the lip of the basin and tumbling down into a lake which laps at the roots of the titanic tree that shades it. The lake has spread beyond its former borders, whether the water rose or the earth sank, it's difficult to tell, but buildings now march into the water, some flooded, some entirely submerged.

The jungle is filled with a rich diversity of flora and fauna, including a multitude of insects along with a variety of birds and other animals. The lake is well-stocked with fish. The roofs of many buildings have caved in, either from the rotting of wooden support-beams or from fallen forest debris, but there are many buildings still relatively intact as well. Smaller residences constructed of wood and adobe will be in poorer condition than large, public structures made from stone or terra cotta. The roads are paved with stone and shallow trenches run alongside some of them in an open sewer system. Aquaducts at one time carried water all over the city but now most are broken or clogged.

Map

	Bathhouses There are the remains of several public bathhouses within the city. They once served not only for hygiene but also as a social arena. Public bathhouses are in fairly good repair, having been built from stone, but some pools are now cracked and empty.
	Aqueducts A sophisticated system of paved channels brings fresh water from the lake to public fountains all over the city, supplying water for drinking, cooking and plumbing. The channels are largely intact, but frequently blocked by leaf-litter.
	Temples The city contains several temples of worship are located around the city. They are characterized by elegant, balanced architecture and intricate floral carvings. They are built of stone and largely intact.
	Library The library is three stories tall and built of stone. It is filled with ancient books with pages made of manuscript and velum, which is slowly being eaten away by insects.
	Roads Streets within the city are paved with large cobblestones and may have at one time been quite smooth and even, but now there are places where growing roots have displaced the cobbles or stones seem to have gone missing entirely, leaving dangerous pot-holes.
	Overgrowth City and farmlands have become overgrown with thriving foliage. Both scraggly trees and dense underbrush have taken over the basin.
	Flooding Some areas of the city closer to the waterfall on the north side have either sunk into the water or been submerged over time; it's hard to say.
	Government Buildings Public and government buildings are mostly constructed of cut stone, and thus have weathered the ages quite well. Many of these larger structures will be in much better repair than smaller, residential structures.
	Orchards A number or orchards and vineyards are mixed among the farmlands of Hesperadia. Many fruit trees still stand in their rows within the orchards, overgrown and imposing.