Trouble Spots: Describing an entire fantasy city
Courtesy of M. T. Dremer

 Ask yourself:
 

What should be mentioned?

• Structures of the buildings as a whole (shape, color, texture, material)

• Vicinity to the rest of the city (close knit, spread apart, near official buildings or areas) / (Is it free floating with no boundaries or is there a giant stone wall or land form that protects and separates this city from the elements?)

• Current physical state
• Is it old and decaying? What is decaying specifically? The homes/walls/wagons?
• Is it new and young? What objects stand out to represent this? The cleanliness/fresh materials/people?
• Is it war torn or suffering from evil or good influences?

• What can the character see? A vast stretch of homes, tall buildings that dwarf the others, open country?
• What is the plant to building ratio? Is there harmony or does one dominate?

• How does the character travel through the city? Roads, trails, carriages, under archways, in the open?

• What is the collective emotion and how is it reflected in the city? Is the wood damp with sorrow? The gold shining with hope?

• What sounds seem to carry through the streets? Cries of pain, offerings of a prostitute, laughing children?
• Possible Sounds: wagons and horses walking by if it is busy, wind and weather variations depending on how separated it is from the land (with a wall protecting it, the wind wouldn’t be as strong), animals sounds (horse neigh, bird chirp, dog growl)
• Does this sound and emotions apply indoors or does the mood change when your character steps inside one of the buildings. What does it change to? Better or worse than outside, and how? Is it the people, decorations, or just a gut feeling?

• What smells are dominant? Rotting plague flesh, horse manure, flowers, ill repute, oil, alcohol?
• How is the surrounding air? Is it fresh, full of horse manure? Does it burn your character’s nostrils?

• How are mobile objects arranged? (crates/carts/barrels/bums/horses/carriages/plants)
• Are these objects neatly stacked and put away or are they in disarray and sloppily piled?
• Is it one house that is dirty and unorganized while the others are clean, or is it the other way around?

• What buildings are the first noticed? The extravagant or the dilapidated?
• Why does this building stand out? Different architecture, different color, shape, size? Does it have massive pillars surrounding it or eerie coiling snake designs?
• Do these buildings command respect or shame and why? Is it because of the symbols on the walls or the manner of the people surrounding it?

• How is the land surrounding the town? Dying or thriving?
• Are their other cities nearby? Are they visible, or just mentioned?
• Are their dangerous animals nearby, do they live in a dark forest the people fear, or a mountain range that casts a shadow on the inhabitants? Do these animals terrorize them, or is there a peace or deal between races?
• Is the town in the middle of a crater, desert, wasteland? Or is it on lush plains, in a forest or heavily farmed fields?

• What manner of people live in the town? Are they old, young, a mix? Is there a common race or look among them? All tanned from the sun, all wearing the same grey clothes, all carrying an evil scowl?
• How do they react as the characters enter the city? Are they happy to see a hero? Disgusted? Do they think your character is something they aren’t?
• Do they whisper as your character passes, or are they open? Do they even say anything at all?
• Is that sense of collective mood reflected in the people? Are they all grumpy, happy, whimsical?
• What are they doing when your character arrives? Are they eating, playing, working, being lazy? Do we see children running through the streets, old men smoking, women buying fruit?
• Does the town come to a halt to see the new travelers or just ignore them?

Hopefully you know where to take your character in this new city and so I will leave it there. Good luck.