Kol Noth: The City of Ongann
A Solo Actual Play of Ex Novo, part 1
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Ex Novo is a city-building game. “Ex Novo is a playable city-generator that helps you construct, and populate fictional villages, towns, and cities.”
I haven’t quite determined where and what the city is going to be. I’m going to start with the random rolls to determine geography and then decide where this city is in Kol Noth
I’ll be using Roll20 for drawing the map, as well as for tokens and rolling dice.
Play begins with a discussion around expectations and assumptions, as well as specifying the final size and age of the city. We are going to stay in the medieval fantasy setting. (Maybe at some point Kol Noth will advance to a steampunk/industrial phase…but not yet.)
Let’s determine Target Size and Age
Size: Medium City
-I divide the map using 11 lines and set aside 13 citizen tokens
Age: Aged
-I mark 14 development phases on the map
Founding Phase
Major Geography
2d6 = 7: Inland
“Plains and sky as far as the eye can see.”
I draw nothing.
Terrain Features. I roll 4 times and draw each feature.
4 x 2d6 = 5,10,8,
10, 4Hills, Depression, Lake,
Depression, Mountains
I roll on the Purpose-Location table, draw a related resource and move 2 power tokens to that resource.
2d6 = 12: Culturally Important Location
“A holy place or the site of ancestors. What makes it so important? What rites are practiced here? What claim do the settlers have to this holy land?”
I’ve decided this is going be near/in the ancient ruins of Manu.
Now, after the events of The Quiet Year, the continent of Zuid became a cold, inhospitable land. There were still people living in the western half, north of the ruins of Manu, living rough lives in a tough environment. They’ve now come south, returning to the ruins of their ancestors. They claim an ancestral right and connection to the land and are attempting to build a new settlement here.
The resource will be: Ruins. Not only are there treasures in the deep dungeons but tourists come to see the ancient ruins of the once-great empire of Manu.
I roll on the Purpose-Decision table to determine who initiated the founding and why.
2d6 = 5: Refugees in need
Something destroyed their last home? What disaster was it? And what important customs and memories did they preserve?
These settlers had been living in the lands to the north of the ruins for centuries but recently the volcano there, named Aroth, erupted, covering the land and the sky in fire and ash, forcing the refugees south.
I roll on the Power-Hierarchy table and draw the route the settlers took here.
1d6 = 6: Singular Ruler
A leader led the refugees here and as such, was established as the ruler, at least for now.
I determine the factions in the city.
1d6 = 2: Seeds of Dissent
“Two factions, one in control and the other newly born. What questionable decision led to this new faction? Or did values diverge?”
The Rebuilders. Symbol: Rock wall. They believe in coming together to rebuild in this new land, help each other and form a community. Currently in power.
Landmark: A stone watchtower rebuilt from ruins.
The Flames of Aroth. Symbol: Fire. They believe that the volcano erupting was divine punishment. They believe that ritual sacrifices must be made to appease the gods or worse will come.
Landmark: A shrine with a fire that is constantly kept burning.
Finally, we name the city. I decide to call it “Ongann.”
Development Phase
Now begins the main game. In this phase, players take turns randomly rolling events, determining how those events change the city and updating the map. I have 14 development phases to get through, so let’s begin.
Event: d666: 412 → A Great Joy
“An enemy is brought low, a disease is cured or a good and undeniable omen manifests. How do the people celebrate? How do they remember this event?”
-Add a district
A great wind comes, blowing the ash away, finally clearing the air, making it easier for everyone to breath. The sun comes out, the dust covering the sky drifting on. Moods are lifted. There is a celebration of food and music and dancing.
The citizens of Ongann call this day “The Day of Cleansing”.
Instead of adding a district, I can increase the density of the district I’ve already made, which I do. This means the housing density of this district has increased. I think the refugees like to stick together as much as they can, at this point.
Optional: Natural Growth
-Add a district
This is an optional choice every turn, where you can add a district and place a citizen token there. Since we only have one district, I decide to add another, directly to the east of the current one.
Event: d666 = 335 → A New Employer Appears
“A giant new factory or successful business needs lots of people. How do they leverage this position? What do they produce? Are they from the city?”
-Add a resource (add a faction)
Gold is found in the mountains and a few citizens who found it make claim to it, hiring on many workers.
A new faction arises.
The Gold Owners. Symbol: Nugget of gold.
They want to hoard the gold, control prices and maximize profit over everything else.
Landmark: Mining Offices on the mountainside.
Event: 444 → A Time of Enlightenment
“The arts and sciences flourish. Wealthy patrons commission works, wise men and women are revered. What is practiced? Who funds this? And why?”
-A faction gains power
The wealth from the gold mines creates a wealthy upper class that sponsors artists and scientists.
The Gold Owners gain power but don’t take it from The Rebuilders, so the two factions are even at the moment.
Event: 124 → Criminal Warbands Roam The Area
“The desperate or the greedy band together to raid the land. What unites them? Are they paid by a rival city or power?”
-Remove a resource or landmark
The people of Turris abandoned their settlement at the end of The Quiet Year, becoming a culture of mobile sea people, now calling themselves The Laefen. Hearing of the good fortune of Ongann, The Laefen raid the area, destroying the Mining Offices in their attack and stealing gold.
Event: 636 → The Land Opens Up
“The land stretches and opens up. A sinkhole forms, a trench opens, a mountain pass is formed. What falls in or crawls out?”
-Add or remove a terrain feature
A minor earthquake shakes the area and a sinkhole opens in the southern area, revealing many dark and twisted catacombs beneath, dug when Manu was a thriving empire. Citizens tend to keep away from this area, and rumors spread that it’s haunted.
Optional: Add a district
The population grows, taking over the area with a depression, it’s a valley that’s lower than the rest of the area. The poorer tend to live here, building ramshackle huts.
Event: 124 → Criminal Warbands Roam The Area
-Remove a resource or landmark
The Laefen return once more and force the city to pay them off. Ongann loses its resource of Gold as it has to continually pay tribute to keep the Laefen from attacking.
Optional: Add a district
The population continues to grow, and people move into the area around the popular ruins.
Event: 421 → Local Conflict
Hatred divides a neighborhood in two camps. How could this escalate? How is the border demarcated?
-Split a district in two.
The Rebuilders and the followers of The Flames of Aroth come into conflict. The Followers believe the Laefen are another sign of gods displeasure and wish to make sacrifices, while The Rebuilders, currently in power, refuse to do so. The district divides between the two, as citizens are forced to take sides.
Here is the map currently. The dotted line is the route the settlers took originally. The human tokens are the Citizen tokens, representing where people are living in the yellow Districts. The Rebuilders have the stone tower as their landmark, while the followers of Aroth have their temple and ever-burning fire. You can see the mining Offices to the east were destroyed as well as the resource of gold, although the Gold Owners still have some power, represented by the black tokens. The Rebuilders also have power as well as the ruins resource.
We are halfway through, with 7 more Development Phases to go through, as well as the Topping Out Phase.
I’m enjoying the game so far. The sheer amount of events (d666!) makes it so every roll is a new (usually!) and interesting event with which you use to develop the story of the city. It’s a very well-made and well-designed game.
I’m learning more about the world as I play as well. I had thought the people of Turris were a peaceful, trading community, but they’ve now turned to piracy and raiding in order to maintain their way of life.
Let me know what you think of the game itself(Ex Novo) and how it’s currently playing out. If you’ve played, how does your experience compare to mine? If you haven’t, does this inspire you to give it a try, solo or with a group?
As always, thanks for reading!
(PS: I chose the stock photo of Athens at the start because next week, I’m going there! I hope to have part 2 finished and scheduled so there’s still a post but we’ll see what happens)