TEXT: Lands in Shadow for  
  Shadow of the Demon Lord
  ~Credits~
  Writing and Design:  
  Darren Pearce with Robert J. Schwalb
  Development: Robert J. Schwalb
  Editing: Tom Cadorette
  Art Direction: Kara Hamilton and Robert J. Schwalb
  Proofreading: Jay Spight
  Graphic Design and Layout: Kara Hamilton
  Illustrations: Jack Kaiser
  Cartography: Cecil Howe
  City of Chains is ©2017 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.  
  All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Lands in Shadow, City of Chains,
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos  
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  Schwalb EntErtainmEnt, llc
  PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com         www.schwalbentertainment.com
  On the coast of the Auroral Ocean, almost directly 
  opposite from the Pirate Isles to the east, stands Dis, 
  the City of Chains. One of the member states of the 
  Confederacy of Nine Cities, it sits on the eastern 
  shore of Rûl, perfectly situated at the intersection 
  of several major land and sea trade routes. While 
  nominally a trading city, it is more famous—or 
  infamous, most would say—as the preeminent 
  marketplace for the slave trade on the continent. 
  Despite strict prohibitions on slavery elsewhere 
  in the Empire, the peddling of flesh continues 
  unabated in Dis, flourishing even, just as it has for 
  nearly a thousand years. 
   The well-to-do citizens of Dis enjoy a great deal of 
  freedom: the freedom to own other people as slaves, 
  enjoying a decadent and heady lifestyle at their 
  chattel’s expense. The poor and downtrodden of the 
  city enjoy none of these luxuries, instead living in 
  constant fear of its ruler, the cruel autarch, whose 
  minions snatch up those crippled by debt or who 
  1
  
  break the law, no matter how small the infraction, 
  clapping the hapless victim in shackles and chains 
  from which they will never escape.
   City of Chains reveals one of the most cruel and 
  decadent cities in the Confederacy of Nine Cities. As 
  with other installments in this series, the information 
  contained herein is intended to inspire you to develop 
  Dis beyond what is provided in these pages, to help 
  you make this vile and sinister place your own.
  Chains of History
  Soon after the Witch-King’s founding of Azūl, the 
  City of Death, the armies of the Men of Gog under 
  his command pushed further into the southern 
  lands. There, they discovered an inlet that was a 
  perfect site to build a port for both trade and military 
  purposes. Shackling the many thousands captured in 
  his conquest of Rûl in chains, the Witch-King tasked 
  these slaves with the building of a new city on the 
  inlet, one that would serve both as a base for his war 
  fleets and as the slaving hub of his new nation.
   Through the blood, sweat, toil, and death of 
  countless slaves, the walls of Dis quickly rose from the 
  shores of the inlet. Under the whips of their masters, 
  armies of slaves cut stone for the city’s massive 
  buildings and monuments. Others razed the nearby 
  forests for timber to build a fleet of war galleys, as well 
  as slave ships to export the vile trade in human flesh 
  throughout the continent.  
   Over the decades, as the city took shape, one 
  monument in Dis rose above all others, and would 
  become the iconic symbol of the city, even unto 
  the current day. Straddling the mouth of the inlet 
  is a mighty bronze Colossus, 75 feet tall, wrought 
  as a faceless naked man, with an engorged and 
  disproportionately large phallus. Each of the statue’s 
  wrists and ankles are bound with massive manacles, 
  and a thick collar encircles its neck. Stretched taught 
  between the statue’s hands, connecting the manacles, 
  is a giant length of chain. All who see the statue know 
  it to be a symbolic expression of the city’s great power, 
  as well as a warning to the enslaved that they can 
  never hope to escape their oppression. 
   When the Kalasans invaded and wrested Rûl from 
  the Witch-King, they eventually swept toward Dis, 
  shattering any resistance they encountered until they 
  reached the city walls. The slaves, believing their 
  deliverance to be imminent, rose up against their 
  masters to aid the invaders by opening the city gates. 
  However, instead of gaining their freedom, the slaves 
  were quickly rounded up by the Kalasans and thrown 
  back into the slave pens. 
   What the slaves did not know was that the autarch 
  and guildmasters of Dis had already sent emissaries 
  to negotiate a surrender enabling them to save the 
  city and, more importantly, keep their slaves. By 
  promising a steady flow of coin into the Kalasans’ 
  coffers for their empire-building efforts, the masters 
  of Dis were allowed to remain in power, and to keep 
  conducting their sordid business as usual.  
   Although the new Empire officially disapproved 
  of the slave trade, Dis was permitted to continue 
  the practice, provided the city masters promised 
  it would only make up a small percentage of their 
  total revenues, and they would also have to pay a 
  heavy tax on what they earned from it. The Empire, 
  however, showed no real interest in auditing the city’s 
  ledgers, busy as it was with securing its borders and 
  consolidating its power. So long as Dis appeared to 
  sell more grain and timber than slaves, and paid their 
  taxes, the Empire turned a blind eye.
   Eventually, Dis and eight neighboring city-states 
  won their independence from the Empire to form 
  the Confederacy of Nine Cities. Seeing advantage 
  in working together against raiders from the south 
  and pirates from the eastern seas, Dis joined the 
  Confederacy, but somewhat reluctantly. Despite 
  pledging to cooperate with the other cities, rumors 
  continued to abound about secret deals made by the 
  merchants of Dis with the Pirate Isles and other far-
  flung ports. These clandestine arrangements, it was 
  said, served to enrich the city by finding new markets 
  for slaves in the distant mining colonies beyond the 
  world’s edge. Many in Rûl believe that this is still the 
  case today….
  Intonious,  
  the Great and Powerful
  In Dis, the transition of power from one autarch to the 
  next has always been, with few exceptions, a bloody 
  process, in which the new autarch ascended after 
  the previous one died under suspicious or violent 
  circumstances. Some autarchs fell from their towers 
  or were found drowned in their own baths, while 
  others were simply stabbed, poisoned, or strangled. 
  This brutal series of regime changes has continued up 
  to the present day, when Intonious the Great seized 
  power following the death of Bedoyere the Measured, 
  who was “accidently” crushed under several tons of 
  building stone.
   A shrewd and cunning leader, the new autarch 
  moved quickly to protect himself from reprisals or the 
  scheming of others seeking to wrest control from him. 
  He created the Bronze Elite, a legion of slave warriors 
  who are unquestioningly loyal to him because of their 
  addiction to a powerful drug of which Intonious is the 
  sole source. 
   To keep his rivals at bay, Intonius has poured huge 
  amounts of his own vast wealth into the Confederacy’s 
  coffers, thus earning himself both protection from 
  the Vault and the support of the other cities’ autarchs. 
  2
  
  Even before becoming autarch, he spent several 
  years building his own spy network in Dis to monitor 
  all political and financial developments, paying his 
  network of agents, informants, and political allies 
  handsomely to guarantee he is the first to learn of 
  any news or significant developments inside the city 
  and out.
   Any who dared defy him disappeared, often along 
  with every member of their family, and sometimes 
  even some of their closest friends. In Dis, it is said, 
  an enemy enslaved is more valuable than one 
  entombed—flesh is money, after all. Presumably, all 
  of Intonious’s missing enemies were not killed, but 
  rather thrown in chains onto slave ships and shipped 
  out to finish the remainder of their days toiling in the 
  harsh conditions of the mining colonies beyond the 
  Pirate Isles.
   Intonious himself is still an active slaver—though 
  not as involved as he once was. While his fleet of 
  slave ships still brings in a great deal of coin, much 
  of his wealth now comes from behind-the-scenes 
  deals with the various economic interests of Dis. 
  The autarch courts the city’s Guilds by ensuring they 
  have unprecedented freedoms to conduct business 
  as they see fit, and he has even lowered their taxes to 
  keep them loyal. Of course, in return, he expects and 
  receives reasonable kickbacks and bribes from them 
  for his efforts, and he uses those secret funds to enrich 
  his most loyal subjects, which further insulates him 
  from any enemies. 
   As one might expect, Intonious also consorts with 
  the slave lords who drive the city’s economy. One in 
  particular is subject of many rumors: Black Delilah, 
  an infamous slaver and pirate who, it is said, has 
  won his heart. Whether that is the case or not, he 
  certainly gives her the choicest flesh to sell in the slave 
  markets in the city and abroad. The Ghost, her ship, 
  is regularly seen moored at the Central Dock at the 
  autarch’s personal pier, which serves to further feed 
  the whispers and rumors about the two.
   Intonious is not the fat, slobbering peddler of 
  flesh some might expect him to be. He is incredibly 
  fit, rather attractive, and exceptionally courteous 
  to a fault, always conducting himself in a most 
  impeccable manner. He is a master of etiquette, well-
  versed and knowledgeable in the customs of nearly 
  every land and culture of the Known World. He is 
  famous for being a gourmand, a raconteur, and a 
  most gracious host—the fêtes he holds in his palace 
  are famous throughout Rûl for their sheer luxury, 
  excess, and entertainment. 
   It is also rumored, with good reason, that Intonious 
  is a man of boundless sexual appetite, frequently 
  seeking and enjoying the company of any and all, 
  regardless of race or gender—it is rumored that 
  some of his former lovers have described him by way 
  of reference to the Colossus of Dis, in which they 
  demurely imply the Colossus suffers by comparison. 
   When traveling through the city, Intonious never 
  ventures out without a company of Bronze Elite 
  to protect him, despite having a well-established 
  reputation as a great swordsman, perhaps the finest  
  in the city.
  The Guilds of Dis
  Intonious’s active support of the Guilds of Dis enables 
  him to retain power in the city—he keeps them in line 
  through cooperation, however, rather than by terror. 
  This alliance ensures he has a solid and powerful 
  faction that has a stake in seeing him stay in power, 
  making it extremely difficult for any rival to gain a 
  foothold against him.
   The Guilds of Dis include the Mercantile 
  Consortium, the Bankers Guild (an arm of the Vault 
  in Kem), the City of Gold, the Shipwrights, the 
  Fishers, and, of course, the powerful slavers’ guild 
  known as the Iron Brotherhood. In addition to these 
  major guilds, there are a slew of minor trade guilds 
  representing nearly every craft and trade within the 
  city-state. The Guild Council represents all of these 
  guilds with each guild holding an individual seat—
  although some guilds wield significantly more power 
  on the council than others.  
  3
  
   The Guild Council does nothing without the 
  autarch’s consent. He requires they bring their plans 
  and proposals to him first, holding a weekly meeting 
  with all the guildmasters at his lavish palace at the 
  end of the Avenue of Sighs. These meetings also 
  allow the guildmasters to air their grievances, and for 
  Intonious to mediate disputes before they become 
  bigger problems for all involved. Although the 
  autarch tends to be fair in his decisions, ever focused 
  on whatever profits all involved, the guildmasters 
  know better than to gainsay or oppose him.
  The Manacles
  One of the first things Intonious did upon taking 
  power in the city was to disband the city guard.  
  A thoroughly corrupt organization, they were more 
  interested in extortion and lining their pockets 
  than they were in actually policing the city and 
  maintaining order. The autarch replaced them with 
  a stalwart force of warriors called the Manacles, 
  restricting them from the use of lethal force unless  
  no other option presents itself. In Dis, as is often said, 
  flesh is money, so capturing criminals alive to  
  sell into slavery is always the preferred option.
   All Manacles keep a pair of well-polished, sturdy 
  metal cuffs on their person at all times, which serve 
  both as a symbol of their office, and as a functional 
  way to restrain offenders. The city has one patrol of 
  a dozen Manacles per district under the command 
  of a lieutenant, all reporting to the Captain of the 
  Manacles—the Captain reports directly to Intonious. 
  In addition to carrying the cuffs, all Manacles wear 
  tabards displaying a pair of hands bound in chains, 
  set against a bronze circle.
   The people of Dis respect and fear the Manacles in 
  equal measure. While the Manacles keep the city safe 
  and crime low, their propensity for using the slightest 
  pretext or provocation to arrest someone and toss 
  them into the slave markets prompts free citizens to 
  avoid them whenever possible—the Manacles earn a 
  bounty if those they arrest are found guilty and sent to 
  the slave markets. 
   Those seeking to join the Manacles can do so if 
  they can demonstrate fighting skills and the ability 
  to follow orders without question. The various 
  precincts hold tryouts once every few months, though 
  commanders might recruit individuals who impress 
  them at any time.
  MANACLE 
  DIFFICULTY 25
  Size 1 human
  Perception 11 (+1)
  Defense 15 (mail); Health 23; Corruption 1d3; Insanity 1d3
  Strength 13 (+3), Agility 10 (+0), Intellect 11 (+1), Will 10 (+0)
  Speed 10
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Sword (melee) +3 with 1 boon (2d6 + 2)
  Crossbow (long range) +0 with 1 boon (3d6)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Net The Manacle flings a net at one Size 2 or smaller 
  creature within short range, making a Strength attack roll 
  with 1 boon against the target’s Agility. On a success, the 
  net hits and the target becomes slowed. While slowed, 
  the target makes attack rolls and Agility challenge rolls 
  with 1 bane. The target can use an action to either cut its 
  way free from the net, or escape it with a success on an 
  Agility challenge roll. Another creature can also use an 
  action to remove the net.
  Take Down The Manacle moves up to half their Speed and 
  then makes a Strength attack roll with 1 boon against 
  the Agility of one slowed creature it can reach. On a 
  success, the target falls prone and the Manacle can use 
  a triggered action to attempt to cuff the same target. 
  The Manacle makes a Strength attack roll with 1 boon 
  against the target’s Agility. On a success, the target 
  becomes cuffed. While it wears the cuffs, it makes 
  attack rolls and challenge rolls involving the use of its 
  hands with 2 banes.
  Captain Bastard
  The current Captain of the Manacles is a brutal orc 
  named Bastard, or Captain Bastard, as he demands 
  to be called. A former slave-soldier of the Empire, 
  he was tasked with hunting down orcs who escaped 
  “retirement” (see Born to Kill). After the orc rebellion 
  in Caecras, Bastard made his way to Dis, and soon 
  made a name for himself by tracking and capturing 
  runaway slaves. 
   His reputation as a slave-catcher won Intonious’s 
  attention a few years ago, and earned him a place 
  in the autarch’s slave operations. There are some 
  who whisper that Bastard helped bring about the 
  demise of the previous autarch, clearing the way for 
  Intonious’s rise to power. 
   Captain Bastard cuts a fearsome figure. Standing 
  just shy of 7 feet tall, a veritable maze of scars 
  crisscrosses his body. He wears his black hair in thick 
  dreadlocks, and a deep rent runs down the top of his 
  forehead to the middle of his left jaw.
  CAPTAIN BASTARD 
  DIFFICULTY 50
  Size 1 orc
  Perception 10 (+0); shadowsight
  Defense 16 (mail); Health 40; Corruption 3; Insanity 5
  Strength 14 (+4), Agility 11 (+1), Intellect 9 (–1), Will 10 (+0)
  Speed 10
  Rising Fury When Bastard takes damage, he makes his 
  next attack roll before the next round ends with 1 boon.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Battleaxe (melee) +4 with 2 boons (2d6 + 2 plus Combat 
  Expertise)
  Hatchet (melee or short range) +4 with 2 boons (2d6 plus 
  Combat Expertise)
  Combat Expertise Once per round, Bastard either deals 
  1d6 extra damage or makes another weapon attack 
  against a different target at any point before the end  
  of his turn.
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Two Weapon Attack Bastard makes an attack with his 
  battleaxe and with his hatchet.
  4
  
  The 300 Chains
  A small army of slave soldiers is responsible for Dis’s 
  defense from outside threats. Called the 300 Chains, 
  their officers keep the Chains in a state of constant 
  battle readiness. When they are not patrolling the city’s 
  western walls, the Chains spend their days drilling. So 
  effective are the 300 that they fight in the nude, wearing 
  nothing but iron collars around their necks.
  CHAIN 
  DIFFICULTY 25
  Size 1 human
  Perception 10 (+0)
  Defense 15 (large shield); Health 23; Corruption 0; Insanity 3
  Strength 13 (+3), Agility 13 (+3), Intellect 10 (+0), Will 12 (+2)
  Speed 12
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Spear (melee or short range) +3 with 2 boons (2d6)
  Large Shield (melee) +3 with 2 boons (1d3 plus 1d6)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Shield Smash The Chain attacks with their large shield. On 
  a success, the Chain can use a triggered action to attack 
  with their spear, making the attack roll with 1 boon and 
  dealing 1d6 extra damage on a success.
  The Bronze Elite
  The Bronze Elite is Intonious’s personal guard. Their 
  existence demonstrates the lengths he is willing to go 
  to ensure he holds his position—as well the depths of 
  depravity he sinks to feed his lecherous appetites. 
   Intonious ensures the loyalty, and compliance, of 
  his private guard by addicting them to “the elixir” 
  (see sidebar), of which he is the sole source. The 
  elixir sharpens the warriors’ minds and dulls their 
  pain, all without diminishing their fighting ability.  
  Once imbibed, addiction to the elixir develops 
  almost immediately, and the dependency upon it is 
  so severe that to go without a regular dose can result 
  in madness, even death. As far as anyone knows, this 
  addiction is nearly impossible to break—the slave 
  warrior, therefore, is bound to the autarch for life. 
   In addition to protecting Intonious, the Bronze Elite 
  frequently serve as his lovers and playthings. For this 
  reason, from among the highest quality slaves culled 
  from the markets—mostly, but not exclusively, human—
  only the most attractive and capable candidates, male 
  and female, are selected for this elite guard.
   Therefore, the Bronze Elite serve the autarch, 
  without question, hesitation, or resistance. To do 
  otherwise means excruciating pain, madness, and, 
  most likely, death.
  BRONZE ELITE 
  DIFFICULTY 100
  Size 1 human
  Perception 9 (–1)
  Defense 19 (plate and mail, large shield); Health 45; 
  Corruption 1; Insanity 1d3
  Strength 15 (+5), Agility 11 (+1), Intellect 9 (–1), Will 11 (+1)
  Speed 8
  Addicted to the Elixir While under the effects of the Elixir, 
  the Bronze Elite is immune to the charmed, fatigued, 
  frightened, and impaired afflictions. As well, the Bronze 
  Elite imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made against his or 
  her Intellect and Will (see “The Elixir” sidebar for details).
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Sword (melee) +5 with 2 boons (3d6 + 2)
  Large Shield (melee) +5 with 2 boons (1d3 plus 2d6)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Double Attack A Bronze Elite makes two weapon attacks.
  The Elixir
  Intonious ensures the loyalty of his slave guard 
  by addicting them to a substance called “the 
  elixir,” a concoction of wine, the juice of a 
  strange berry found on one of the far-flung 
  mining islands east of the Pirate Isles, and the 
  petals of an orchid-like flower of unknown 
  origin that Intonious discovered years ago on a 
  slaving voyage, which he personally grows and 
  cultivates in his garden. 
   
  A creature ingesting the elixir becomes 
  immune to the charmed, fatigued, frightened, 
  and impaired afflictions. As well, the elixir 
  imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made against 
  its Intellect and Will. The effects last until the 
  creature completes a rest. Each time a creature 
  ingests the elixir, it must get a success on a 
  Strength challenge roll with 3 banes or become 
  addicted to it. 
   
  Each time an addicted creature completes a 
  rest and did not ingest the substance during the 
  previous day, it must make a Strength challenge 
  roll with 3 banes. On a failure, the creature 
  suffers withdrawal. 
   
  A creature suffering from withdrawal has a 
  –1d6 penalty to Health and makes challenge 
  rolls to avoid gaining or to remove the charmed, 
  fatigued, frightened, and impaired afflictions with 
  3 banes. If the creature was already suffering 
  from withdrawal when it gets a failure on the 
  Strength challenge roll, the penalty to its Health 
  worsens by 1d6. 
   
  Withdrawal lasts until the creature gets 
  seven successes on the Strength challenge rolls 
  required to overcome the addiction or until the 
  creature takes the elixir again.
  A Cowed Populace
  Dis is a cosmopolitan city, a melting pot of people 
  from across Rûl, with humans making up most of the 
  40,000 souls living in the city. Humans come from 
  various ethnicities, with many being Kalasan, Edene, 
  and even Gog. Other ancestries include dwarfs, orcs, 
  and a smattering of faerie people, though most fair 
  folk find slavery reprehensible.
   The people of Dis have learned that voicing their 
  discontent is a quick way to lose their freedom, so few, 
  if any, dare say or do anything that hints of sedition. 
  Instead, Dis’s citizens present themselves as happy 
  5
  
  and content, polite and smiling to all they meet. A 
  visitor might disparagingly attribute this behavior 
  as either mere simplemindedness, or, worse, tacit 
  acceptance and approval of the evils of slavery. The 
  visitor, however, would be wise to keep these views to 
  themselves, as these same overly compliant people 
  will not hesitate to summon the Manacles when some 
  foreigner spouts off about the tyranny of the autarch, 
  the horror of slavery, or the depravity of the city. There 
  is no better way for a citizen to prove themselves loyal, 
  and earn the approval of the Manacles, by helping to 
  remove a disruptive element from the community.
   Everyone in Dis speaks the Common Tongue, many 
  with a slight inflection of Dark Speech, a throwback 
  to the Men of Gog who originally founded the city. In 
  addition, the city is the origin for another language, 
  one spoken in the city and in the mining colonies 
  in the east. Referred to as “slave-cant,” it is a quiet, 
  almost whispered language that developed among the 
  shackled as a way to communicate with one another 
  safely and quickly from eavesdropping overseers. 
   Despite its origins, slave-cant is sometimes used by 
  the slavers themselves, believing it necessary to learn 
  something of the tongue used by the chattel they 
  bought and sold. Most slavers and overseers, however, 
  are dismissive of its subdued and quiet phrasings, 
  preferring the bellow and the crack of the whip to 
  secure obedience. Also, the slaves themselves are 
  constantly adapting to their circumstances by shifting 
  meanings and inflections in order to keep the masters 
  from understanding what they hear.
  Flesh and Gold
  The economy of Dis largely depends on a vibrant and 
  active slave trade. While the practice of slavery has 
  been outlawed within the Empire for centuries—with 
  the exception of the orc armies, of course—and has 
  never been permitted on the Pirate Isles, the practice 
  of owning people remains legal throughout the 
  Confederacy of the Nine. The mining colonies on the 
  far-flung islands in the distant east depend on slaves 
  for labor, and there is little in the way of law in the 
  colonies to prevent the practice. 
   So, even though some markets have been closed to 
  Dis’s slavers, others continue to open up, and the city 
  is ever ready to meet the demand for flesh.
   Slaves in Dis have little hope for freedom. Once 
  someone becomes a slave, they remain a slave until 
  they die; children born to slaves are slaves for life as 
  well. Some try to flee, against nearly hopeless odds, 
  to the free provinces in the west. A ring of towns and 
  settlements surrounding Dis, beholden to the autarch, 
  makes escape nearly impossible. Slave catchers 
  in these communities form a tight net, allowing 
  them to easily track down and capture runaways. 
  Furthermore, Dis law forbids aiding runaway slaves; 
  anyone caught aiding or harboring fugitives forfeits 
  their own freedom, so it behooves the people living on 
  the city’s edges to cooperate in recapturing them.
   With escape nearly impossible, slaves have at 
  various times risen up in revolt against their cruel 
  masters. Although the authorities have brutally 
  crushed each uprising, and made examples of the 
  revolt leaders by either burning them alive or tearing 
  them apart with pincers in public squares, rebellions 
  still occur once every generation or so. Despite the 
  success of the city in putting down revolt after revolt, 
  autarchs long ago determined that someday there just 
  might be an uprising that would catch them off-guard, 
  one the slaves might just win.
   To help ease the tensions between the free and the 
  enslaved, on the first day of summer each year, the 
  city hosts the Freedom Games: a week-long, bloody 
  affair that offers a chance of freedom to a select 
  few among the enslaved. City law requires each 
  household owning ten or more slaves to offer up at 
  least one of their slaves to participate in the games. 
  Slave owners often use the games to rid themselves of 
  the old and infirm, or other wretched souls who have 
  outlived their usefulness.  
   Being selected is no mercy. The promise of freedom 
  is only made good on surviving the games, which 
  are a series of violent contests between slaves and 
  professional gladiators who are quite adept at making 
  a spectacle of cold-blooded murder. The games take 
  place in the Blood and Iron Circle, an arena at the 
  city’s center. The contests range from straightforward 
  butchery to more elaborate scenarios involving wild 
  animals, traps, and sometimes even magic. Slaves who 
  survive the games earn their freedom and are set loose 
  to make their way as best they can in the city. 
   Those who don’t survive become trophies for the 
  vicious men and women who compete, their brutal 
  deaths serving as entertainment for the bloodthirsty 
  crowds who crave the release and catharsis derived 
  from watching extreme violence as an escape from the 
  drudgery of their existence. 
  Buying Slaves
  Unscrupulous characters interested in purchasing 
  slaves can do so in this city and elsewhere in the 
  Confederacy of Nine Cities. Prices vary based 
  on age, ancestry, training, health, attractiveness, 
  history, and more. A typical slave sells for 1 gc 
  and you can adjust that value up or down based 
  on the individual and circumstances under which 
  the slave is being sold.
  6
  
  An Evolving Economy
  Even though slavery remains an integral part of 
  Dis’s economy, the city has several other burgeoning 
  industries. The rock quarries outside the city, 
  famous throughout Rûl since the city’s origins, 
  produce high-quality cut stone for construction. 
  The lumber industry long ago denuded much of 
  the countryside of trees, which opened the lands 
  up for farming and grazing. The abundance of 
  offshore fishing grounds has led to the development 
  of fisheries that feed the city, and the fishers have 
  started to export their excess production as tinned 
  fish to other markets. Merchants from all the great 
  maritime city-states and nations pass through Dis, 
  delivering textiles, spices, and foodstuffs in trade for 
  the city’s main commodities.
   All of these trades have been growing in recent 
  years, encouraged by recent autarchs—and most 
  certainly by Intonious, while keeping a careful eye 
  on the orc rebellion in the Empire, and its possible 
  fallout—in order to preserve the city against any 
  possible economic downturn should the demand 
  for slaves fade.
  Faith in Chains
  For most people in Dis, religion has little impact 
  on their lives. While the city does boast temples 
  and shrines along the Temple Walk, these places 
  see few visitors and many shrines now stand 
  abandoned. It’s not that people here disbelieve 
  in the gods. Rather, they think of gods as distant 
  figures, disinterested in, or even irrelevant to, the 
  affairs of mortal peoples.
   Of all the gods acknowledged in the city, the 
  priests of Revel have had the most success in 
  maintaining a congregation, and the cult claims 
  numerous “holy” sites throughout the city. Little 
  more than brothels, petitioners worship Revel in 
  vast orgies while wearing masks cast in the likeness 
  of the god’s joyful hedonistic aspect. Revel’s priests, 
  often drunk, can be found wandering the city 
  streets, shouting nonsensical sayings in between 
  bouts of vomiting. 
   One faith has virtually no presence in the city. 
  The Cult of the New God has tried many times to 
  bring the light of their wisdom to the city, but has 
  found it difficult to win the hearts and minds of 
  the population. Many priests, particularly those 
  bold (or foolish) enough t0 preach against the evils 
  of slavery, have found themselves roused from 
  their beds in the dark of night by hooded figures—
  who may or may not have been Manacles—and 
  whisked off in chains to a ship departing at sunrise, 
  bound for the mining colonies.  
  7
  
  A Great and Powerful City
  The huge city of Dis positively hums with activity, 
  nearly every one of its streets filled with the hustle 
  and bustle of commerce, spectacle, and noise of 
  all kinds. Wretched slaves plod down the streets in 
  shackles and chains, as rag-wrapped beggars hold 
  out their trays seeking whatever pennies any might 
  bestow—all of these ignored by elegantly dressed 
  lords and ladies chatting merrily as they carefully step 
  over and past the sewage gutters of the thoroughfare. 
  Fat merchants in palanquins carried on the backs 
  of straining slaves push through the crowds, while 
  rickshaws bearing natives and visitors impossibly 
  weave in quick fashion through and past the press. 
   It is organized chaos, a riot of color and sound 
  that rages day and night, without end. And over it 
  all looms the Colossus in the harbor, whose brazen 
  presence in the sky constantly reminds all to prize 
  their freedom, which can be taken away at any time.
  Interesting Sights in Dis
  d20
  Sights
  1
  A slaver and guards marching a procession of 
  chained slaves down the street.
  2
  An unruly child being beaten by his mother.
  3
  A patrol of Manacles interrogating a witness.
  4
  An angry merchant fending off a customer who 
  furiously demands a refund.
  5
  A group of drunk priests of Revel, one of whom 
  is busy being noisily sick on the street while her 
  fellows laugh.
  6
  An exotic-looking ship captain leaning against the 
  bar of an open-air tavern. 
  7
  An extremely attractive courtesan looking for a 
  little action.
  8
  An escaped slave charging out from an alley into 
  a group of screaming women.
  9
  Three members of the Bronze Elite dragging a 
  man from a building.
  10
  A glimpse of the autarch’s coach as it rolls down 
  the street.
  11
  A worker scratching his head while inspecting 
  building plans.
  12
  A great pile of stone blocks spilled out onto the 
  street from a cart that has thrown a wheel.
  13
  A panicked horse charging down the street, 
  trampling bystanders.
  14
  An urchin loudly advertising her services as a 
  guide to passersby.
  15
  A beggar, reeking of urine, howling with laughter 
  as he weaves madly down the street.
  16
  A dead slave, left on the street to rot.
  17
  A shrieking woman lashing a slave on a street corner.
  18
  A band of cruel-looking slavers walking down a 
  street.
  19
  A member of the Manacles running down the 
  street in pursuit of a thief.
  20
  A dead child on the street, having just fallen out 
  of a window.
   The city’s layout looks a lot like a Y turned onto 
  its side, with the leg pointing west and the two arms 
  extending east. A 40-foot high stone wall protects 
  the city. A row of sharp iron spikes angle down from 
  the wall on either side, to help keep enemies out and 
  to make it harder for slaves to escape from within. 
  Stone staircases placed at regular intervals lead up 
  to sentry posts where squads of four to six Manacles 
  keep watch.
   A few gates can be found along the city walls. The 
  primary entrance, the Chain Gate, commands the 
  westernmost part of the city. Closed only in times of 
  war, the Chain Gate sees the most traffic in and out of 
  the city, and thus is the most heavily guarded.
   Two smaller gates grant access to the western 
  side of the city, Lost Gate and Low Gate, while the 
  northeastern and southeastern arms each boast one 
  gate, North Gate and South Gate. The Manacles 
  normally keep these gates open for just a few hours 
  each day, usually to take pressure off the Chain Gate 
  at peak times. 
  The West Ward
  The West Ward sees visitors from all across the 
  continent, and is thus the most cosmopolitan and 
  lively district in the city. Much of the commerce there 
  caters to traveling merchants, so one can find taverns, 
  inns, and brothels crowding the main street, the 
  Avenue of Sighs, which stretches from Chain Gate to 
  the Crux at the city’s center. Off the main street, one 
  finds seedier accommodations and diversions, and 
  beyond that, the tenement buildings built to house 
  the people who work in these industries.
   Avenue of Sighs: From the Chain Gate extends a 
  long red-paved road to the center of the city, ending 
  at the steps of the autarch’s palace. Called the Avenue 
  of Signs, it is the main thoroughfare of the city. The 
  Avenue also forms the backbone of the largest slave 
  market in Dis, with stalls set on lavish platforms along 
  the entirety of the long road. Here it is possible to buy 
  any kind of slave for whatever need or desire there is, 
  supplied by a seemingly endless multitude of vendors 
  along the length of the Avenue. It is the ultimate 
  exemplar of both the incredible variety and abject 
  misery of the slave markets of Dis. 
  The Crux
  The city’s center, the Crux holds the greatest 
  concentration of powerful and influential citizens. 
  It is here that one finds the greatest concentration 
  of powerful and influential people. From the gilded 
  palace of the autarch to the imposing arena known 
  as the Blood and Iron Circle, the Crux is the ultimate 
  display of the city’s vast fortunes and power.
   The Autarch’s Palace: The autarch’s palace stands 
  at the end of the Avenue of Sighs. The palace dwarfs 
  most other structures in the Crux, second in size only 
  8
  
  to the Blood and Iron Circle, although it sits atop 
  a hill that places it higher than the great arena. A 
  massive structure built entirely from red stone, save 
  for its giant gilded dome, it is kept sparkling clean 
  by an army of slaves whose daily task is to scrub the 
  stone and polish the dome. The palace has a steady 
  influx of many visitors throughout the day, including 
  dignitaries from other lands, merchant princes, slave 
  lords, sea captains, and countless others, all coming 
  to pay their respects to the autarch in the hopes of 
  currying his favor. 
   Manacles Headquarters: Not far from the palace 
  stands the central headquarters of the Manacles. A 
  large stone keep, it sits overtop a deep dungeon with 
  hundreds of cells and torture chambers for prisoners. 
  The inner yard is given over to drilling and training, 
  while the rest of the keep provides accommodations 
  and offices for the various members. 
   Street of Gold: Lured to the Crux by its offers of 
  proximity to the autarch, the city’s nobles and most 
  of its powerful merchants have their homes along 
  the Street of Gold. Most people who live here employ 
  their own bodyguards to protect their property from 
  thieves, or the looting that usually coincides with the 
  slave uprisings.
   The Temple Walk: A relatively short street passing 
  behind the Blood and Iron Circle, the Temple Walk 
  is where one finds the shrines and temples devoted 
  to the various gods and powers worshiped in Rûl. 
  Many shrines here have long been abandoned from 
  lack of interest, the various religious paraphernalia 
  one might expect to find within having long ago been 
  carried off. There’s one conspicuous absence: the 
  Cult of the New God has no temple here, not even an 
  abandoned one.
   The Blood and Iron Circle: The great arena of Dis 
  was built close to and in the shadow of the autarch’s 
  palace. When not in use for the Freedom Games or 
  other blood sports, the arena serves as an open-air 
  slave pen for the many slaves who find themselves 
  unable to be sold, or who have been sold to the arena 
  master, a cruel and despicable sadist named Karam 
  Krach. The arena master uses the slaves here either 
  as practice fodder for the professional gladiators, or 
  rents them out as disposable labor with little concern 
  as to whether they will be returned intact or alive. 
  The North Ward
  The North Ward extends northeast from the Crux  
  and terminates at the many piers and docks that  
  form the northern section of the harbor. Here, one 
  finds the many fisheries, shipyards, and warehouses 
  serving the city’s various maritime industries. The 
  North Ward also caters to visiting sailors, with its many 
  inns, taverns, and brothels staying busy all year long.
   Red Lantern Brotherhood: The distinction of 
  being the most famous brothel in the North Ward 
  goes to the Red Lantern Brotherhood. For those 
  seeking the company of impressively endowed 
  male prostitutes, one need look no further than the 
  Brotherhood. These courtesans are said to be skilled 
  in the 96 ways of love and accommodate all comers.
   Mermaid Inn: A fine three-story inn and public 
  house found at the end of Pier 6, the Mermaid Inn has 
  been in operation for over 600 years. The proprietor, 
  Enelmenary Fent, claims the place was founded by 
  one of his distant ancestors, the son of a mermaid 
  and a sailor, who found he could not live underwater 
  nor bear to be far from the sea. For the skeptical, Fent 
  happily displays his webbed fingers and toes to dispel 
  any doubts about his unusual heritage.
   The Hidden Road: Even though slavery has been a 
  cornerstone of Dis society, not everyone in the city is 
  so eager to allow the practice to continue unhindered, 
  seeing it as nothing but pure horror and evil. A small 
  society of well-to-do citizens from the North Ward 
  have been quietly working to somehow bring an end to 
  slavery and liberate the city’s slaves. Calling themselves 
  the Hidden Road, the members keep their identities 
  secret to prevent exposing the rest if any one member 
  is discovered. They have at least a dozen safe houses 
  for runaway slaves throughout the North Ward, and 
  constantly raise funds to spirit them out of the city. 
  9
  
   Unfortunately for them, the autarch is aware of the 
  Hidden Road and the Manacles have been monitoring 
  their activities for years, working to identify the 
  traitors one by one. Once they have identified the 
  ringleaders, the autarch will order the Manacles to 
  destroy their group, brutally executing the leaders 
  in public as an example, and selling the lesser 
  conspirators off into slavery.
  Central Pier and Sea Chain Control
  Between the North and South Ward juts the Central 
  Pier, the personal dock for the autarch’s fleet. His 
  ships, as well as any with his favor, can moor here 
  without having to deal with the harbormaster, or pay 
  any of the steep tariffs imposed on imported goods. 
  There are no taverns or services in this area—just 
  dozens of slave pens and holding facilities for the 
  slaves brought to the city.
   East Watch Tower: A stone keep occupies a small 
  island that rises from the waters in the harbor. Here, 
  workers control the massive hidden sea chain that 
  stretches between both upper points of the North and 
  South Wards. When deployed, the chain prevents 
  ships from leaving and cripples ships attempting to 
  enter the harbor during times of war. 
   Guild Circle: Not far from the Central Pier stands 
  the Guild Circle, where one can find the various 
  headquarters for the many guilds based in Dis. At 
  the center stands a towering building of marble and 
  bronze. The guild leaders meet here to discuss matters 
  of trade and governmental policy—always under the 
  watchful eyes of the autarch, of course.
  South Ward
  The poorest and most dangerous district in the city, 
  the South Ward is a sprawling slum barely contained 
  by the city walls. While it too has docks and piers for 
  ships, they are used infrequently, and then only by 
  pirates, smugglers, and other scum of the seas. 
   Aside from the maze of rotting and decaying 
  buildings that house the city’s most desperate people, 
  the South Ward has an assortment of hazardous 
  brothels and dangerous taverns, pawn shops, loan 
  sharks, and markets selling goods of questionable 
  quality and provenance. Crime lords, who keep their 
  identities secret lest they find themselves thrown into 
  chains, own the few warehouses here, moving drugs, 
  strange creatures, and other illegal cargo through for 
  eventual distribution into the city and beyond.
   Unlike other parts of the city where space is now 
  at a premium, large chunks of the South Ward have 
  been abandoned, left to rot and ruin. Rumors out of 
  the autarch’s palace suggest that these areas are being 
  looked at for development and expansion, though 
  for what purpose, none can say. Such development 
  would likely displace squatters and the poor, and such 
  people, already living in terrible conditions, might 
  resist such an expansion into their territories. 
   The Rusty Cutlass: Barnacle, a one-eyed dwarf, 
  opened up the Rusty Cutlass the day after he 
  murdered its previous owner, whose head he keeps 
  preserved in a great glass jar behind the bar. A rough-
  and-tumble place, it offers no seats, other than a 
  length of filthy wood on stone blocks held up by the 
  few barflies courageous or drunk enough to frequent 
  this place. 
   The Bloody Anchor: The murder capital of the 
  South Ward, the Bloody Anchor is a dive primarily 
  frequented by orcs, tucked between two large 
  warehouses near the district’s center. Violence 
  occurs here every night, and at least one person dies 
  each week, sometimes two (or three). The Manacles 
  ignore any troubles swirling around this place, as the 
  problems usually resolve themselves, and anyone 
  arrested here would likely make terrible slaves. 
   Flesh Thieves: People have a tendency to disappear 
  in Dis, and most blame these vanishings on slavers 
  and arrests by the Manacles. So while people find 
  the occasional loss of family members and friends 
  disconcerting, they explain them away as being 
  the fault of the missing—insulting an officer, being 
  caught committing a petty crime, or running afoul, in 
  one way or another, of the law. A good number of the 
  missing do wind up in slavery, but a sizeable number 
  disappear for another, far more sinister reason: being 
  harvested for their body parts.
   A cabal of harvesters settled in a series of caves 
  under the South Ward a century ago and they have 
  been extending their unnatural existence by stealing 
  the skin and organs of Dis’s poorest and most 
  wretched citizens. Cautious in the extreme, they have 
  managed to avoid detection, operating under cover of 
  the city’s draconian measures to hide their activities. 
   In recent days, the harvesters have grown bolder 
  and, in a serious lapse in judgment, they claimed the 
  eyes of the daughter of one of the city’s crime lords. 
  The young woman survived the experience and her 
  father, Romani Pokoi, has been amassing a force to 
  root out the monsters and destroy them.
  10
  
  Adventure Ideas
  Whether groups begin their stories in the City 
  of Chains or visit the city en route to some other 
  destination, Dis presents an excellent backdrop for all 
  kinds of adventures. The player characters might be 
  slaves fighting to win their freedom, despicable agents 
  of the autarch hunting traitors in the city, opportunistic 
  adventurers looking for cheap passage to the eastern 
  islands, or enemies of the autarch working behind the 
  scenes to incite a massive slave revolt to finally topple 
  the corrupt and tyrannical regime. 
   What follows are some story ideas you can use to 
  build adventures of your own design.
  • The Manacles try to arrest one or more of the 
  player characters for a crime they didn’t commit. 
  The characters must either try to escape the city 
  before the guards round them up or find evidence 
  to clear their names.
  • A nasty disease rips through the slave pens along 
  the Avenue of Sighs. Concerned slave owners 
  offer a reward if anyone can stop the spread or 
  produce a cure.
  • An assassin infiltrates the autarch’s palace and 
  seriously injures the tyrant of Dis. The would-be 
  killer escapes, and the PCs are recruited to hunt 
  down the killer and discover who was behind the 
  attempt on the autarch’s life.
  • A band of escaped slaves hiding out in the 
  South Ward rise up, encouraging the poor and 
  disenfranchised there to join them, and manage  
  to beat back the Manacles for now. Having 
  fortified their position, they fight a desperate 
  battle for their freedom. Will the player characters 
  help the resistance or side with the autarch to 
  restore order?
  • A massive fleet of ships flying unknown flags 
  appears on the horizon. It is clear they mean to 
  attack. As Dis prepares its defenses, the player 
  characters might join in the city’s defense, foment 
  an uprising, or try to escape before the city goes 
  up in flames.
  • Missionaries of the Cult of the New God try yet 
  again to establish a foothold for their religion 
  in the city. Shortly thereafter, they all disappear. 
  Agents of the Cult approach the player characters, 
  urging them to find the missing missionaries and, 
  if they still live, help them to escape the city.
  • A member of the Hidden Road asks the characters 
  to help spirit an important ex-slave out of the city. 
  Character Backgrounds
  Player characters who hail from the City of Chains 
  can use the following table in place of their ancestry 
  background table to determine an important event 
  from their past. Most of these backgrounds are 
  appropriate only for humans. If you have another 
  ancestry, you should adjust the event as needed to fit 
  with your character.
  Dis Background Event
  d20 
  Background Event
  1
  Slavers brought you to Dis to sell you in the slave 
  markets. You managed to escape and survive in 
  the city until you eventually found your way free. 
  Add slave to your list of professions.
  2
  You were born into a wealthy family. You might or 
  might not condone the slavery business they own.
  3
  You were a member of the Manacles for a time. 
  Add patroller to your list of professions.
  4
  One of your relatives was active in the Hidden 
  Road, but was later enslaved for abetting a 
  runaway slave.
  5
  You fought for your life in the arena and won your 
  freedom.
  6
  You became addicted to the elixir used by 
  the Bronze Elite. You somehow managed to 
  overcome your addiction, but you still suffer 
  cravings, bad cravings.
  7
  Your family gained the autarch’s favor. 
  8
  You spent time training slaves as gladiators at the 
  Blood and Iron Circle.
  9
  You were part of a pirate crew based in the South 
  Ward. You did many terrible things in your time 
  at sea aboard that ship. Gain 1 Corruption and add 
  pirate to your list of professions.
  10
  Your lover angered the Manacles and 
  disappeared. You believe they were enslaved and 
  you search for them still.
  11
  You were born in the slums of the South Ward 
  and struggled to make ends meet.
  12
  You watched your father, a slave, beaten to death by 
  a petulant noble. Add slave to your list of professions.
  13
  Your family worked in a trade other than slavery. 
  Add a random common profession to your list of 
  professions. 
  14
  Your family owned several slaves. Your parents 
  gave you a slave when you came of age. You 
  might have this slave still, or not, as you decide. 
  15
  Your parents were secret followers of the Cult of 
  the New God and kept their religious affiliation 
  secret to avoid persecution. 
  16
  You were born in Dis, but your family fled the city 
  when it became clear that they would lose their 
  freedoms. 
  17
  You worked as a slaver for a time. Add slaver to 
  your list of professions.
  18
  Your ancestors helped build the great Colossus, 
  and you know secrets about various things within 
  the massive statue.
  19
  You secretly worship the New God and have been 
  growing a small congregation in the city.
  20
  Although you live in Dis, you spent much of your 
  time away from the city, sailing the high seas. Add 
  sailor to your list of professions.
  11
  
  Bounty Hunter 
  Expert Path
  Bounty hunters specialize in finding people who don’t 
  want to be found. Whether chasing down fugitives 
  from justice, runaway slaves, or outlaws, bounty 
  hunters draw upon a range of skills useful for finding 
  their quarry. They know the right questions to ask, 
  the best ways to pressure people into cooperating 
  with their hunt, and how to get inside the heads of the 
  people they track. And when they find them, they can 
  bring them down with sudden, overwhelming force. 
  Although fully capable of killing their prey, most 
  bounty hunters tend to bring their captives back alive, 
  because the pay is better for returning them that way.
   Warriors and rogues are the most likely to become 
  bounty hunters. Warriors have the durability to face 
  down tough quarry, while rogues have the skill and 
  cunning to outwit their prey. Magicians and priests 
  might become bounty hunters, their magical abilities 
  becoming a critical asset when on the hunt.
  Bounty Hunter Story Development
  d3
  Story Development
  1
  You have made a career tracking down fugitive 
  criminals to bring them to justice.
  2
  You worked as a slaver and learned how to take 
  people alive and put them in chains.
  3
  You have spent months, if not years, hunting 
  down someone who wronged you. Along the 
  way, you picked up some useful skills for finding 
  anyone.
  Level 3 Bounty Hunter
  Attributes Increase two by 1
  Characteristics Health +5
  Languages and Professions You speak one 
  additional language or add one profession to your 
  list of professions.
  Brutal Takedown You make attack rolls to knock 
  down with 1 boon. Furthermore, if the total of your 
  attack roll made to knock down is 20 or higher and 
  beats the target number by at least 5, the target 
  becomes impaired for 1 minute.
  Collar You can designate a creature as your collar.  
  The creature must be one you can see or one for which 
  you have a description. You can have up to three collars 
  at a time. Your collar grants you 1 boon on rolls you make 
  to find or track it, as well as rolls made to learn information 
  about it. 
     A creature remains your collar until you capture it or 
  you would exceed your maximum number of collars by 
  choosing another creature to become your collar.
  Stay Down When a prone creature you can reach would 
  stand up, you can use a triggered action to make an attack 
  against it. On a success, the target also falls prone and 
  cannot stand up until the next round.
  Level 6 Bounty Hunter
  Characteristics Health +5
  Truss up and Clap in Irons Creatures you tie up with rope 
  make challenge rolls to escape your bindings with 3 banes. 
  Any creatures you place in manacles are impaired as long 
  as they wear the manacles.
  Track Collar Whenever you spend at least 1 hour in a 
  community of 100 people or more talking to locals and 
  eavesdropping on conversations, you can make an Intellect 
  challenge roll with 1 boon. On a success, you learn  
  1d3 things about your collars. Examples include a place 
  where a person matching your collar’s description was last 
  spotted, to which direction your collar left town, or the 
  identity of someone with whom your collar was speaking.  
  If your collar is not in the community, you learn it.
  Level 9 Master Bounty Hunter
  Characteristics Health +5
  Master Bounty Hunter You make attack rolls against your 
  collar with 1 boon. As well, your attacks against your collar 
  deal 1d6 extra damage.
  Take Alive When a surprised creature or a creature from 
  which you are hidden takes damage from an attack you 
  make, the creature must get a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll or fall prone and become unconscious for 
  1d6 minutes. A creature with a Health score of 50 or more 
  makes the roll with 1 boon. If the creature was your collar,  
  it makes the roll with 1 bane.
  12
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Lands in Shadow/SotDL - Lands in Shadow - City of Chains.pdf