Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Finder’s Archives.
In this column, we take some of the lands from Magic: The Gathering and turn them into something you can use for your fantasy games.
The stats given in each entry assumes that you’re using Pathfinder for your games, but they can easily be converted over into any fantasy system. This week we hold our breath as we explore Azcanta, the Sunken Ruins.
Azcanta, the Sunken Ruins
Unlike many lost civilizations, Azcanta was not lost due to some magical catastrophe, or a slow decline over the centuries. Azcanta was lost because the inhabitants WANTED to be. Long ago, the inhabitants of the city ruled a powerful empire. It only had one city – but it had one of them on almost all planets in the multiverse with Azcanta being the main hub. Throughout the cities, there were teleportation and planeshifting devices that allowed trade and travel to move unhindered through the cosmos. Eventually, though, the original inhabitants decided that their influence was hindering the natives of the planets that they were present on, and they decided to withdraw, in an orderly fashion. One by one, they emptied all of their cities, closed all of their portals, until Azcanta stood alone. Then, in a huge magical ritual, they moved the entire city to the Elemental Plane of Water. There, they lived out their days in peace, having come to the conclusion that their passing was for the betterment of the multiverse. Now, Azcanta stands empty, a testament to their power and wisdom.
Lay of the Land
Azcanta is enormous, with huge districts all standing emptied, submerged in the waters of the Elemental Plane. Magical wards prevent violence within its borders, and those same wards keep away unintelligent predators. Azcanta now serves as the grounds for diplomatic relations between the various races of the Elemental Plane of Water, and others from outside the plane have come to realize the value of the location as well. Demons and devils negotiate with angels here, unable to harm one another and forced to coexist. Here, mortals can trade in safety with those they might otherwise not be able to communicate peacefully with.
Each district holds traits from the city that was before – the one whose inhabitants came from a particular plane. As such it’s possible to find temples in one district to gods that never existed on other worlds, while in other districts you’ll find that there are no stairs as the inhabitants had no legs. The list of peculiarities is long, but the Azcanta districts are huge and numerous.
One district stands out from the others though. It stands at the center of the town, and it is the Council district. It is one enormous building that has accommodations for any species imaginable, and quite a few that aren’t. The magic that covered the Council district still works, and it allows any creature to be able to communicate with any other creature, similar to the tongues spell. Combined with the enforced peace of the magical wards, it is used by all as a place of diplomacy and of judgment. Judges representing each of the Inner Planes can be found here, and often sit in judgment of particular crimes that affect multiple planes and species of the universe. While they rarely agree, they usually find a way of breaking a stalemate, so that a resolution can be passed.
Dangers
Azcanta itself is not dangerous. But the same cannot be said for the waters right outside the city districts and getting to Azcanta can be very dangerous. Patrols of aboleths, kraken, sahuagin, kuo-toa, and more all vie for control of the waterways leading to Azcanta. Whoever gains control would be able to exact tolls and taxes from those entering and leaving and would become very powerful economically. For now, it is a stalemate, but the waters are often filled with blood as the unrelenting warfare continues.
Kim Frandsen
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