expand-settlement

Takes an existing settlement (Village, Town, City, or Stronghold) and populates it with:

1. Named NPCs with roles and personalities
2. Notable establishments (taverns, shops, temples)
3. District/neighborhood definitions (for cities)
4. Local issues, rumors, and plot hooks
5. Daily life and atmosphere details

Step 1: Locate and Analyze the Settlement

1. Parse $ARGUMENTS for settlement name or path
2. Search in Worlds/ directories if name provided
3. Read the settlement file and extract:

- Settlement type (Village/Town/City/Stronghold)

- Population size

- Government/leadership

- Primary industries/purpose

- Existing NPCs mentioned

- Cultural flavor

- Parent region and world

1. Determine expansion scope based on settlement type:

| Type | NPCs | Establishments | Districts | Rumors |

|------|------|----------------|-----------|--------|

| Village | 5-8 | 2-3 | N/A | 3-4 |

| Town | 10-15 | 5-8 | 2-3 informal | 5-6 |

| City | 15-25 | 10-15 | 4-6 formal | 8-10 |

| Stronghold | 8-12 | 3-5 | N/A (sections) | 4-5 |

Step 2: Present Expansion Plan

Show the user what will be generated:

```

=== SETTLEMENT EXPANSION: [Settlement Name] ===

Current State:

• Type: [City/Town/Village/Stronghold]
• Population: [X]
• Existing NPCs: [count]
• Existing Establishments: [count]

Proposed Expansion:

1. LEADERSHIP & AUTHORITY ([X] NPCs)

- [Role 1]: [Brief concept]

- [Role 2]: [Brief concept]

1. COMMERCE & SERVICES ([X] establishments + NPCs)

- [Shop type]: [Concept]

- [Tavern]: [Concept]

1. FAITH & CULTURE ([X] entities)

- [Temple]: [Deity]

- [Cultural site]: [Concept]

1. COMMON FOLK ([X] NPCs)

- [Role]: [Concept]

1. UNDERWORLD ([X] NPCs, if appropriate)

- [Criminal element]: [Concept]

1. DISTRICTS (if City)

- [District 1]: [Character]

- [District 2]: [Character]

1. LOCAL ISSUES & RUMORS ([X] hooks)

- [Hook 1]

- [Hook 2]

Proceed with expansion? (yes/customize/skip sections)

```

Step 3: Generate Leadership & Authority

Based on settlement's government type, create:

For Hereditary Rule:

• Lord/Lady of the settlement (Support Character)
• Steward/Seneschal (Background Character)
• Captain of the Guard (Support Character)
• Court Advisor or Spymaster (Support or Antagonist)

For Elected/Council:

• Mayor/Burgomeister (Support Character)
• Council Members (2-3 Background Characters)
• Town Sheriff (Support Character)

For Theocratic:

• High Priest/Priestess (Support Character)
• Temple Hierarchy (Background Characters)
• Temple Guard Captain (Background Character)

For Military (Stronghold):

• Commander (Support Character)
• Lieutenant(s) (Background Characters)
• Quartermaster (Background Character)
• Scout/Intelligence Officer (Support Character)

For each leader NPC:

1. Read appropriate character template
2. Generate with connections to:

- The settlement

- Parent government/organization

- Other local NPCs (rivals, allies)

- At least one secret or plot hook

1. Include personality quirks and mannerisms
2. Save to Worlds/[World]/Characters/

Step 4: Generate Commerce & Services

Taverns (1 per village, 2-3 per town, 4-6 per city):

For each tavern:

1. Read Templates/Settlements/Tavern.md
2. Generate with:

- Unique name reflecting local culture

- Distinctive atmosphere (rowdy, refined, mysterious, cozy)

- Proprietor NPC (Support Character)

- 2-3 regular patrons (Background Characters)

- Signature food/drink

- One rumor or plot hook

1. Save to Worlds/[World]/Settlements/
2. Create proprietor NPC, save to Characters/

Shops (scale by settlement size):

| Shop Type | Village | Town | City |

|-----------|---------|------|------|

| General Store | 1 | 1 | 1-2 |

| Blacksmith | 0-1 | 1 | 2-3 |

| Apothecary | 0 | 1 | 1-2 |

| Specialty (jeweler, etc.) | 0 | 0-1 | 2-4 |

| Magic Shop | 0 | 0-1 | 1-2 |

For each shop:

1. Read Templates/Settlements/Shop.md
2. Generate with:

- Unique name

- Specialty inventory hook

- Proprietor NPC

- One interesting customer or supplier connection

1. Save shop and proprietor

Temples (1 per town, 2-4 per city):

1. Read Templates/Settlements/Temple.md
2. Connect to established world deities
3. Generate head priest NPC
4. Include temple services and local significance

Step 5: Generate Common Folk

Create NPCs that give the settlement flavor:

Essential Roles:

• Town crier or gossip
• Street vendor or market regular
• Local drunk or storyteller
• Craftsperson (not shopkeeper)
• Farmer/fisher/miner (based on local industry)

For each:

1. Read Templates/Characters/Background Character.md
2. Generate with:

- Simple but memorable personality trait

- One piece of local knowledge

- Connection to at least one other NPC

- Potential minor quest hook

Step 6: Generate Underworld (if appropriate)

For Towns and Cities with sufficient population:

Criminal Elements:

• Thieves' Guild contact or fence
• Black market dealer
• Corrupt official
• Gang leader (for larger cities)
• Smuggler (for ports/border towns)

For each:

1. Use Antagonist or Support Character template
2. Connect to any established Criminal Organizations
3. Include their racket/operation
4. Add conflict with law enforcement NPCs

Step 7: Define Districts (Cities Only)

Create 4-6 named districts with distinct character:

Standard District Types:

1. Noble/Palace District - Wealth, guards, exclusive
2. Market/Merchant District - Commerce, crowds, diversity
3. Temple District - Religious, peaceful, pilgrims
4. Docks/Harbor (if coastal) - Rough, foreign, smuggling
5. Craftsmen's Quarter - Industry, guilds, pride
6. Slums/Lower Ward - Poverty, crime, desperation
7. Foreign Quarter - Exotic, cultural, isolated

For each district:

1. Write a section in the settlement file describing:

- General atmosphere and architecture

- Dominant population

- Key establishments located there

- Typical sights, sounds, smells

- Common encounters

1. Assign previously created establishments to districts
2. Note district boundaries and transitions

Step 8: Generate Local Issues & Rumors

Create a "Rumors & Hooks" section in the settlement file:

Rumor Types to Include:

1. True Rumor - Leads to actual adventure
2. Partially True - Contains truth but misleading
3. False Rumor - Red herring or gossip
4. Local Politics - About settlement leadership
5. Regional Threat - Connects to wider world
6. Historical Secret - About the settlement's past

Format each as:

```markdown

Rumors & Plot Hooks

| # | Rumor | Truth Level | Hook |

|---|-------|-------------|------|

| 1 | "The baker's son..." | True | Missing person quest |

| 2 | "Gold in the old mine..." | Partial | Actually monster lair |

| 3 | "The mayor takes bribes..." | False | Political rival spreading lies |

```

Local Issues to Address:

• Resource shortage or trade problem
• Criminal activity or corruption
• External threat (monsters, bandits, rival settlement)
• Internal conflict (factions, guilds, families)
• Mystery or haunting
• Festival or upcoming event

Step 9: Add Daily Life Details

Enhance the settlement's Description section with:

Morning:

• What sounds wake residents
• Who's up earliest and why
• Morning markets or routines

Midday:

• Peak activity description
• Common sights in streets
• Where people eat

Evening:

• Tavern atmosphere
• Guard patrol patterns
• Entertainment options

Night:

• Who's out after dark
• Dangers and patrols
• Secret activities

Seasonal Variations:

• Festival days
• Harvest/planting times
• Winter hardships
• Trade season peaks

Step 10: Update Connections

1. Update the settlement file with links to all new entities
2. Update each new NPC with connection to settlement
3. Update each establishment with:

- Parent settlement link

- District location (if city)

- Connected NPCs

1. Update World Overview if settlement is significant
2. Cross-reference new NPCs with existing organizations

Step 11: Summary Report

```

=== SETTLEMENT EXPANSION COMPLETE: [Name] ===

New Entities Created:

CHARACTERS ([X] total):

Leadership:

• [[NPC 1]] - [Role]
• [[NPC 2]] - [Role]

Commerce:

• [[NPC 3]] - Proprietor of [[Tavern]]
• [[NPC 4]] - Owner of [[Shop]]

Common Folk:

• [[NPC 5]] - [Role]
• [[NPC 6]] - [Role]

Underworld:

• [[NPC 7]] - [Role]

ESTABLISHMENTS ([X] total):

Taverns:

• [[Tavern Name]]

Shops:

• [[Shop 1]]
• [[Shop 2]]

Temples:

• [[Temple Name]]

DISTRICTS DEFINED: [X]

• [District 1] - [brief character]
• [District 2] - [brief character]

RUMORS & HOOKS: [X]

• [Hook 1 summary]
• [Hook 2 summary]

Connection Density:

• Settlement now has [X] outgoing wikilinks
• [X] new entities link back to settlement

Suggested Next Steps:

• Generate images for key NPCs
• Create encounter at [[Location]]
• Expand nearby [[Settlement]] for comparison
• Develop [[NPC]]'s secret plot

```

Step 12: Offer Follow-up

> "Would you like me to:

> 1. Generate portraits for key NPCs (/generate-image)

> 2. Create a random encounter set for this settlement

> 3. Expand a connected settlement

> 4. Develop a specific NPC's storyline

> 5. Create a local dungeon or adventure site"

1. Cultural Consistency - Names, customs, and attitudes match the region
2. Economic Logic - Shops and services match population needs
3. Social Stratification - Clear class distinctions where appropriate
4. Internal Conflicts - NPCs have relationships and tensions
5. Adventure Potential - Every section has hooks for gameplay
6. Sensory Details - Include sights, sounds, smells throughout
7. Memorable NPCs - Each has at least one distinctive trait

```

# Expand a city with full detail

/expand-settlement Ironhold

# Expand with path

/expand-settlement Worlds/Eldermyr/Settlements/Thornhaven.md

# Expand focusing on specific aspect

/expand-settlement "Riverside" --focus commerce

```