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The White Walled Altar Rock, Stormhold of Southland
Whitewall sketch by Mitch
Please add to or expand these categories!
The City
Neighbourhood Overview
The main axis of the city runs from High Altar (the Air temple) down to Shambleshur (Shamble Shore, the twisting maze-like slum area) and the lighthouse. Shambleshur is half deserted, mainly for outsiders, though it has a mixed clan population.
The secondary axis of the city runs north-south from King's Rock (the inner citadel, with is own walls, containing the High King's Hall and Hearth) through the great market (with its shrines, statue of Argan Argar, and Little Big's Horn) to the fine new Tarkalorian buildings of Guilderinn (The Guild's Inn).
Guilderinn (The Guild's Inn) is now mainly a public area, associated with an extinct clan. It also has many deserted buildings.
Dalewatch is a great tower commanding views into Northvale and distant Smithstone. It is associated with Clan A.
Bullshur (Bull Shore) is also a tower, commanding views south-eastward to Stormwalk Mountain. It is controlled by Clan B.
T'anerow (Thane's Row) is is a quarter associated with the wealthy warrior Clan C. it is named for an ancestor thane of the clan, a Volsaxi hero and champion.
Whiteledge contains the finer public buildings. It is associated with the bloodlines of the king's household.
Both Shambleshur and Guilderinn have many many deserted buildings - Whitewall is in one sense a failed city, much smaller in population than it's size suggests, an emptying exacerbated by the continuing civil war. Wealthier trading families have tended to leave, while poorer refugeees uprooted by the war have sought shelter here.
Lets add another clan (Clan D) who were once beyond the walls, now crowded into Shambleshur and other locales throughout the city.
Please add your suggestions for clan names and totems!
<John>
Locales and Buildings Within The City
Temples
The one right at the top, overlooking the battleground. Three ascending tiers, like a ship's prow.
If it doesn't have a Vingan shrine at the start, it soon will. Right next to one of those big decorative bits of White Quartz, if we can manage it.
The Earth Temple?
<Jane>Made of that rather nice Ernaldan feldspar Trotsky found us:
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/microcli/microcli.jpg </Jane>
The Death Temple?
<Jane> You want Humakti, they have a temple. And attached barracks. And a duelling ground. In fact, attach it to the Law Courts. Then again, the first lot of visiting Humakti (Hereward's Legion) bring their own mobile temple. We could do without this if we want to cut down. How many of his own Humakti does Broyan have?</Jane> <Nick>I'm with John&Jane on this. The "Humakti Temple" should be what the Humakti who are here for the siege have put together for their own use -- not a permanent structure.</Nick>
<Jane>From the discussion of the "Camp" and "Six directions" setup, it looks as if the Humakti are being the Wind from Below (and they don't see anything funny about the title) - no, seriously, their formal headquaterters is fairly deep underground. Directly under the Orlanth temple if we can do it. </Jane>
Other Shrines?
<Joerg> The Argan Argar statue, shrine and market holding its spear almost like Liberty... as seen in RQA #4 </Joerg>
A Vingkot Shrine, by the King's Hall. <John>
<John>Just a general note: let's be careful about concentrating too many temples in a remote locale with few worshippers. Okay, its a Storm sacred site. And its the King's dwelling. But it's only half a city. </John>
The Various Walls
Various Towers
The Lighthouse or The Beacon?
<Ian Cooper> see my suggestion on Garan - could probably link this that Garan the star captain (and founder of the Garnavuli with Serias) may have been the 'little light' that protected Seriasdova?, and shone from the 'lighthouse' at Whitewall?, much as Elmal shone from Kero Fin.
The Citadel
The High Kings Hall
Tarkalor's Gate?
The Ruined Quarter - Shambleshur - very maze like!
The Great Market
The Plateau
The Tor - describes the plateau and the tunnels and cisterns
<John> The Tor is the outcrop on which the city stands. Some people seem to be using it for the entire six-eight mile long plateau of which the Tor is but an outcrop. Has anyone suggested a name for the entire plateau?</John>
<Jane>Something-moor or something-fell were being suggested. I believe mythically it's where Helemakt lay down for a bit, and the humps and bumps reflect this?
For now, the Fellmoor? A bit basic, but better than nothing? </Jane>
<Joerg> This is a tentative map, basically a proposal where to place some of these places. I am not at all sure about the scale of the thing, or the size of the fortress atop the Tor.
The Tor needs to get another height line around the base line. </Joerg>
Very nice! Minor quibble: The main north south road, according to the published maps, will be off this map and off the plateau, about six miles to the east. The climb to the top of the plateau should be difficult in spots, and involve a ravine-spanning bridge or two. Does the old (pre-Tarkalor) road still exist, or did Tark upgrade it with his own? <John>
<Joerg> The pre-Tarkalor road probably would lead to the base of the stairs leading not only down the Tor but also down the Plateau. It could well be the connection of the Markdale trail towards the highway.
It appears to be consensus that - at least for some time in 1619, prior to the failed assaults under Jorkandros, and probably again in 1621 - the Plateau is under Lunar control, who even maintain a camp somewhere up there.
If so, then my map probably has Tarkalor's Bridge way too long. </Joerg>
<Donald> The Lunar camp doesn't necessarily mean they control the plateau, I think there is a camp between the Last Drop Pool and Ramsdrift Climb but for most of the siege the plateau is disputed territory. After the BatBlat the Lunars are kicked off but only when Tatius has brought a lot of troops in does he manage to block access to the plateau. </Donald>
<Joerg> Lunar presence on the plateau for the assaults makes sense, but for much of 1620 I'd prefer the plateau to be disputed territory.
I've submitted a new map addressing some of the issues - can we upload that here? </Joerg> <Nick> 'Done' </Nick> Thanks! </Joerg>
<Donald> That's what I'm suggesting, the Lunars struggle to keep an advance camp on the plateau while the Orlanthi do their best to kick them off. If there isn't a camp there or somewhere near it just becomes a place for the Lunars to send troops for a punch up. With a camp there they can attempt to blockade that side of the city - although with the troops they have until late 1620 they aren't going to manage it. </Donald>
<Joerg> Ok. So I entered a couple of meaningless hilltops and made the map broader. Is Desdrylna's Forest (Desdrylnaswood) meant to be on the plateau, or near the main camp?
Did I address most of the requested changes, or is there still much to be done (besides getting nice graphics)?
On a related note - I'm researching GIS (geographical information systems) right now, especially GRASS, an open source one. Is there anybody out here with experience with such a beast? </Joerg>
<Donald>I was thinking Desdrylna's Forest should be near Last Drop Pool to leave it accessible to the defenders until right at the end. If the pool itself is within the forest it prevents the Lunars poisoning what appears to be part of the water supply to WW.</Donald>
The Champion's Plain
The Burning Ground
The Containing Wall
Lunar Watch Towers
The Stream? Lunar water?
The Standing Stones- ancient recall victory over Iron Vrok?
The Watcher's Hill
Outlying Villages and Steads
Bloodline Mines
Desdrylnaswood - no weapons may be drawn here. Enemies can speak to one another.
The Lunar Camp
The Baggage Camp
The Lunar River Port
Ways In And Out of the City
The Goat's Path (see also: A Hero Approaches)
The Snake's Path
Catching a Wind
The Tunnels?
Further Away
Fazzur's Headquarters?
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