Outside of the main city of Rebma, the cities under the waves are collectively known as the Lost Cities. They are empty, broken places, reflections of cities throughout Shadow that have been lost or destroyed, or were perhaps mythical in the first place. In the face of infinite Shadow, the infinite lost cities are condensed to their archetypes, rather than being direct reflections of individual cities.
The locations of a few Lost Cities are known by Rebman travellers, but many more are only named in old documentation and local legend. Whether popular or obscure, the following cities do exist in Rebma:
- The Sunken City, largest and most famous of the lost cities. This city is Atlantis, Ys, and Helike. It is a sprawling city, large in reflection of its mythical import. Unlike most of the lost cities, the Sunken City is inhabited, and is considered the tribal capital of the Tritons.
- The Scorched City represents towns and cities lost to fires and volcanic eruptions. It is situated at the end of a range of active undersea volcanoes, and notable for its thermal venting and ashen buildings. Rumors of a mystic smithy lure underwater weapons makers looking to perfect their product.
- The Frozen City, by way of mysterious cold seeps from surrounding seabed fissures, reflects civilizations brought low by Ice Age conditions and mystical forever-Winters. The buildings are constructed from a combination of crystal carbonate and ice. In specific concentrations they can be deadly to touch, since the seeps cause volatile, poisonous gases to build up in the ice.
- The Secret City is suspected to reflect bunker or vault cities from post-apocalyptic Shadows.
- The Dead City is a ruined metropolis representing cities where the population was wiped out in some insidious manner. There is lore to suggest that within this Lost City, one can seek contact with those who have passed. The cost to one's own life and liberty to achieve this contact is most likely very steep.
- The Forgotten City had a theme but I don't remember it at the moment. Oh, right.. it's It'rla, City of the Deep Horses!
- The Fallen City is believed to exist below a particularly dangerous set of cross-currents, making it a bit of an achievement to reach alive and intact. What rewards might exist for the successful navigator are further guarded by creatures from the tempest, though to what end, no one has been able to discover.
- The Golden City is more mythical than historical, reflecting cities like El Dorado. The existence of the Golden City is well-known to the people of Rebma, but its actual location is considered a state secret by the Crown. It is hinted that a large portion of Rebma's wealth comes from treasure-hunting expeditions to this city.
- The Silver City is not a particularly treasure-rich place like the Golden City, but another sort of non-quantifiable value has made it a much sought-after site, so much that groups are constantly warring over its occupancy. It represents places like Bjarmaland and Carthage, those once desirable cities destroyed by conflict by its so-called admirers.
- The Empty City. Nearly all of the lost cities are empty, but this one is oppressively so. Reflecting settlements where the population has disappeared such as Aoudaghost and The Lost Colony ("Croatoan"), this city is filled with intact buildings, a stocked marketplace, and all the visible signs of occupation - save for the occupants. Explorers of this city report a continuous feeling of being observed, the sound of conversation behind doors, and faces in windows, all of which disappear when investigated.
There is room for other archetypal Lost Cities in the vast reaches of Rebma. Please do discuss your ideas with the propcos with examples of lost or mythical cities to be reflected.
