Shadows of Cyfaraun: An ACKS Undercity Sandbox

Cyfaraun is a city of layers, each one built upon the bones of a different catastrophe. To the travelers arriving at the Imperial Gates, it is a bustling trade hub—the "Gilded Grave" where the Auran Empire maintains its final, tenuous grip on the Borderlands. Beneath the streets lies a labyrinth of sewers carved through the remains of an ancient elven capital. And deeper still, forgotten for two millennia, lies the Nethercity—a treacherous complex of volcanic caves and Chthonic tombs that has only just been breached by a collapsed cesspit floor. This is a classic sandbox campaign focused on urban intrigue and deep dungeon exploration. The world is indifferent to your arrival; there is no "main quest" and no script to follow. Whether you seek to rise through the ranks of the city's criminal families, hunt for elven relics in the dark, or simply retire with enough gold to buy a title, the path is entirely yours to forge.

System: Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS)

Setting: Cyfaraun, Capital of the Borderlands (Auran Empire)

Style: Old-School Dungeon Crawl / West Marches Sandbox

Pacing: Inclusive (Room for both slow/steady posters and hyper-posters)

Cyfaraun is a city of layers, each one built upon the bones of a different catastrophe. To the travelers arriving at the Imperial Gates, it is a bustling trade hub—the "Gilded Grave" where the Auran Empire maintains its final, tenuous grip on the Borderlands. Beneath the streets lies a labyrinth of sewers carved through the remains of an ancient elven capital. And deeper still, forgotten for two millennia, lies the Nethercity—a treacherous complex of volcanic caves and Chthonic tombs that has only just been breached by a collapsed cesspit floor.

This is a classic sandbox campaign focused on urban intrigue and deep dungeon exploration. The world is indifferent to your arrival; there is no "main quest" and no script to follow. Whether you seek to rise through the ranks of the city's criminal families, hunt for elven relics in the dark, or simply retire with enough gold to buy a title, the path is entirely yours to forge.

---

What to Expect

• A "Chill" Sandbox Pace: This is a low-pressure game intended for moderate, steady play. There is no world-ending clock ticking down, and you won't be pressured into a frantic narrative arc. The city and its denizens move at your speed; you decide when to push into the deeps and when to spend a week carousing at The Mink.
• The Old School Vibe: We embrace the classic feel of early fantasy gaming. Success depends more on your own ingenuity and cleverness than on what is written on your character sheet. If you encounter a dragon in the ruins, you aren't expected to "balance" the fight—you're expected to be smart enough to survive it.
• Gold for Glory: In the tradition of the classics, your progress is measured by the treasure you reclaim from the dark. Recovering lost elven gold and Zaharan artifacts isn't just about getting rich—it’s how you earn your place among the legends of the Borderlands.
• A Persistent World: Cyfaraun is a living city. While you are exploring the Nethercity, the Argollëan Family and the Sand & Bones Guild are still fighting for territory in the streets above. Factions will remember your help (or your interference), and the world will react to your choices in a logical, grounded way.
• AI Assistance: Be warned that I sometimes use AI to help with editing my posts, verifying rules and mechanics, as well as with formatting information to be much more digestible and legible.
• Conversational Style: I've decided to be much more laid-back in my DM responses such that I'll be giving you information and narrative in a much more conversational style rather than the prosaic rigidity I previously employed.
• Narrative Momentum vs. Grid-based Granularity: I will attempt to strike a balance balance between narrative momentum and grid-based player agency. Meaning, I will try and have the sandbox react to you by navigating you through points of interaction and player choice without sacrificing the immersion you would expect from a grid-based dungeon-crawl. On that point, I guess it would be better to call it Interactive Momentum rather than Narrative Momentum because my intent isn't to tell a story but rather to interact with my players through the sandbox.

The Setting

• The City (AX3): From the gladiatorial games of the Festival District to the scholarly corruption within the Tower of Knowledge, the eight districts of Cyfaraun offer endless opportunities for intrigue. You’ll navigate a landscape of imperial grandeur and casual decadence where travel is growing perilous and power is shifting to local warlords.
• The Deeps (AX2): For those brave enough to descend, the Nethercity offers a "kilo-dungeon" of over 20 interlocking areas. You will find Great Temples, hidden laboratories, and elven mummies who have waited thousands of years for an Awakening that may never come.

Character Creation: We use the Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS). All core and campaign classes—from the Elven Spellsword to the Zaharan Ruinguard—are welcome. Your story begins at one of the city's great gates, paying your tolls and stepping into the "autumn" of the Empire to find your fortune.