From HOTGT
Images of the City
Much of the City is invisible under the overgrowth. Looking at the city from a distance one can image that it is just a large overgrown hill. The regrowth of vegetation was accelerated by the Wild God Gerius who took over the city at the time of the unleashing. His great conquest was to take the center of civilization and replace it with a wilderness in a matter of years. Most of the foliage is temperate rain forest, but here and the there tropical elements arise. The ancient sewers and waterworks still mostly function, although they are frequently tangled with roots from the larger trees in the area. The aggressive growth of these titanic trees has broken down the city's great buildings and roads and made them, in places, into impervious mounds. Inside most of those hills are vast catacombs of former rooms, chambers and halls, sealed off from the outside world with whatever was left inside.
The city does show itself, here and there. The vast number of buildings has created a labyrinth of passages free from undergrowth that allow the careful traveler to evade the wild. The interiors of building now resemble caves since the light has been all but shut out by the enormous canopy of trees. Animals and men have plied some of these paths, both the underground, and above ground (ancient roadways, aqueducts and battlements) making paths and routes for those who know the way. But false paths, either leading to disused and fallen buildings, or intentionally made traps, abound. It is these that give the city is moniker "Labyrinth." The aging architecture is vulnerable to erosion and collapse, thus rendering the city every changing, and rendering maps of less use.
Some of the great imperial architecture remains visible. This city, an equal to Rome or London, was built over centuries, and in the periods of empire spawned enormous edifices, that time has yet to reclaim. The city was built to impress others. It had the greatest harbor, the tallest buildings, and the most awe inspiring towers. With a powerful spring at its center, it was devised by clever architects and constructed with ruthless efficiency (no heed paid to the pre-existing buildings that hamper other planned cities). Enormous granite stones from across the straits was used to create buildings of permanence and power. Inside the great public buildings were gilt and festooned with silks, gold and other riches. Some of these great buildings still hold much of their original wealth. The fell gods and monsters that took this city had little use of gold or treasure. Of course, much of these lie empty, their original inhabitants took what they could, then grave robbers took much of the rest, so there is no telling what may be inside any tower or temple. The location of buildings yet to be breached is a secret more valuable than any treasure map.
The resulting environment of city structures and overwhelming forest has created a true urban jungle. The city has become home to both arboreal and urban denizens. Inside the great four story insulae (ancient apartment buildings)one is as likely to find a dungeon like maze of walls and passages, as a garden of foliage growing in the patches of light from fallen roofs. There is a wealth of materials suitable for recycling in this great city. The citizens of Respite have little manufacturing or and no mining. But they repair old furniture and tools founds scattering the city, and melt down teh scrap they find into useful goods. Creatures capable of construction and cooperation, such as goblins, kobolds and others have taken residence in some of those areas, fixing them up and adding their own touches, such as traps and pitfalls. A careless wanderer might find herself deep in the clutches of the enemy before realizing it. And by then it might be too late.
Although the city was overwhelmed by the wild, some areas or objects containing magical powers remain untouched or assert control of the life nearby. A building might collapse around an ancient shrine, or the vault of some powerful dead might alter and affect the creatures that find themselves nearby. For good or evil, the legacies of the ancient world are in more than the brick and mortar. It is believed that the fell god Gerius is gone, slain, banished or simple gone. His legacy of monsters remains, but the days of raiding parties led by his lieutenants are over. What remains is little better. Now the various districts of the city are either completely wild or ruled by whatever powers found themselves there after the God left; minor vassals now raised by circumstances to petty lords, or new powers moved in or born into the horde. There is no single power large enough, or interested enough to conquer Respite, but throughout the years small bands try to penetrate its great gates, usually they fail, but there is memory still of those successes, memory enough to make pale those who were there.
