20 CITY SIGHTS

The following examples provide bits of flavor, descriptions that play no part in a story but simply showcase the variety of life in the city. Feel free to create vignettes similar to these to suit your own city.

1. An acrobat, juggler, musician, fire-eater, or other street performer entertains a small crowd of commoners
2. A small animal—dog, cat, or the like—lies dead at the side of a small street, apparently having been hit by a cart.
3. A lamppost stands empty, its light either stolen or removed for repair.
4. A slovenly man lies snoring in a doorway or alleyway, the odor of alcohol on his breath discernible even from several feet away.
5. With a splattering sound and a horrific stench, someone empties a chamber pot or a garbage can out of an upstairs window in an alley.
6. A merchant runs across the street, arms outstretched, a few feathers clinging to his sleeves. He is chasing a chicken that appears to have escaped the coop.
7. A young beggar wanders along the roadside, cup outstretched toward anyone who appears to have money.
8. Bits of splintered wood, torn canvas, and a broken wagon wheel lie in a heap beside an avenue, haphazardly pushed out of the way of traffic following an accident.
9. A patrol of the city watch passes by, walking at a rapid pace, expressions determined. The soldiers, focused on their destination, pay little attention to what’s around them.
10. A man shuffles down the street, wearing ostentatious wizardly garb with belt pouches stuffed with strange components. His beard is singed, and his robe occasionally bulges and rustles as though something is moving under it.
11. An attractive woman in a revealing dress sidles up to a well-dressed gentleman and begins flirting heavily.
12. Two giggling children race past, darting nimbly through the throng, while an irate fat man trundles after them, howling.
13. A man staggers from a nearby alley holding the back of his head, his clothes disheveled, his pockets turned inside out.
14. Several youngsters stand in a circle around something out of sight, pointing and laughing, or simply staring.
15. A member of an exotic humanoid race walks by, balancing an enormous bundle.
16. Two strangers’ mounts confront each other in the street, their owners struggling to keep control.
17. A monumental sculpture serves as a perch for birds, such as pigeons or crows, that glower at passersby.
18. An ornate litter, carried by four strong humanoid bearers, pushes its way through a crowd.
19. The children of a street vendor announce the family wares at regular intervals while their mother handles an exchange.
20. A party of obvious adventurers passes by, its members casting glances at the PCs that range from warm to mocking.