Trompe lOeil
let's go
(This is a work in progress! I'll update it periodically. If you have sections that will directly affect your character, 1) feel free to PM me questions, and 2) let me know, and I'll prioritize writing that section next!)
The City of Tyr
Tyr is a large walled city built around the mouth of a river. The river, Ilantyr, for which the city is named, flows into the sea. It’s a wide, fairly shallow river. Tyr isn’t a port city, but the Ilantyr isn’t a very long river. It’s perhaps a 5-hour boat journey from the sea to the city, or 1 day’s journey on land. Smaller boats can easily make the voyage, so Tyr does a fair amount of sea trading.
Granite and sandstone are the primary building materials, so the city’s buildings have a light color. Only the poorest homes are built out of wood, as fires are fairly common in the drier months. The city forms a half-circle surrounding the mouth of the river. A tall double wall surrounds it, protecting its inhabitants from would-be invaders - or, more importantly, monsters.
Tyr is neatly divided into four quarters, radiating out from the center of the river like the spokes of a wheel. Each quarter is walled, with a single wall shorter than the outer wall. The walls have three gates, with the central gate being the largest and most heavily guarded. The central gates have portcullises that can be lowered in case of emergency. The road that goes through the central gates is the main road through the city, starting at the river’s edge and connecting the four quarters.
Beggar’s Quarter
The Beggar’s Quarter has no restrictions on who can live there, which is why the city’s poor all end up there. It borders the water on one side and the wall to the Market Quarter on the other. The water side is taken up by docks and warehouses, which smell strongly of fish and refuse.
Only the Beggar’s Quarter and the Market Quarter accept non-human tenants, so the elves, dwarves, and half-orcs who can’t afford the Market Quarter end up here. There are areas of the quarter that are primarily elven or dwarvish. Several years of bad crops, trade becoming harder due to monsters, and growing discrimination against the poor and non-humans, have caused the population in the Beggar’s Quarter to grow rapidly.
The Beggar’s Quarter has long been too small for how many people live there. The water is taken up by docks and warehouses, and moving out of the quarter is impossible for most residents. Life outside the city walls is too dangerous - only farmers attempt it, and it’s extremely risky. Restricted to their cramped quarter, the residents had nowhere to go but up. Buildings line the walls of the quarter - originally just against the outer wall, but recently against the Market Quarter wall as well. The city tried to stop them, but lost the fight. The first few floors of houses are built out of stone, but after that they’re made from wood. In the oldest sections of the quarter, buildings can be as high as five stories tall, homes built up on top of each other, connected by a maze of stairways and walkways. The streets - alleys, mostly - are narrow and dark, especially near the walls.
Market Quarter
Castle Quarter
Noble’s Quarter
Ruins
History?
The Council
The City of Tyr
Tyr is a large walled city built around the mouth of a river. The river, Ilantyr, for which the city is named, flows into the sea. It’s a wide, fairly shallow river. Tyr isn’t a port city, but the Ilantyr isn’t a very long river. It’s perhaps a 5-hour boat journey from the sea to the city, or 1 day’s journey on land. Smaller boats can easily make the voyage, so Tyr does a fair amount of sea trading.
Granite and sandstone are the primary building materials, so the city’s buildings have a light color. Only the poorest homes are built out of wood, as fires are fairly common in the drier months. The city forms a half-circle surrounding the mouth of the river. A tall double wall surrounds it, protecting its inhabitants from would-be invaders - or, more importantly, monsters.
Tyr is neatly divided into four quarters, radiating out from the center of the river like the spokes of a wheel. Each quarter is walled, with a single wall shorter than the outer wall. The walls have three gates, with the central gate being the largest and most heavily guarded. The central gates have portcullises that can be lowered in case of emergency. The road that goes through the central gates is the main road through the city, starting at the river’s edge and connecting the four quarters.
Beggar’s Quarter
The Beggar’s Quarter has no restrictions on who can live there, which is why the city’s poor all end up there. It borders the water on one side and the wall to the Market Quarter on the other. The water side is taken up by docks and warehouses, which smell strongly of fish and refuse.
Only the Beggar’s Quarter and the Market Quarter accept non-human tenants, so the elves, dwarves, and half-orcs who can’t afford the Market Quarter end up here. There are areas of the quarter that are primarily elven or dwarvish. Several years of bad crops, trade becoming harder due to monsters, and growing discrimination against the poor and non-humans, have caused the population in the Beggar’s Quarter to grow rapidly.
The Beggar’s Quarter has long been too small for how many people live there. The water is taken up by docks and warehouses, and moving out of the quarter is impossible for most residents. Life outside the city walls is too dangerous - only farmers attempt it, and it’s extremely risky. Restricted to their cramped quarter, the residents had nowhere to go but up. Buildings line the walls of the quarter - originally just against the outer wall, but recently against the Market Quarter wall as well. The city tried to stop them, but lost the fight. The first few floors of houses are built out of stone, but after that they’re made from wood. In the oldest sections of the quarter, buildings can be as high as five stories tall, homes built up on top of each other, connected by a maze of stairways and walkways. The streets - alleys, mostly - are narrow and dark, especially near the walls.
Market Quarter
Castle Quarter
Noble’s Quarter
Ruins
History?
The Council
