| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 08:28:49
|
So, I am running a game in 1372 Lantan, but not a lot has been written about the island. I compiled everything I could from Ed, as well as another fan who did an extensive writeup (whose link I cannot currently find). I decided to write up a city, specifically Sambar. I did this in a way to make the city completely unique, and I hope you all enjoy it.
Sambar (Large City, Traditional and Magical): AL LN primarily; Spending limit 40,000 gp; Assets 363,300,000 gp (1,216,500,000 in summer months); Population 24,532 within the city limits ; Races mixed (humans 84%, Rock Gnomes 11%, Catfolk/Tabaxi 3%, Hobgoblins 1%, All others 1% Authority Figures: The High Artificer Danactar, The Ayrar Thagr, the Santar Threshna.
Important Characters: Lord Suketu "The Fire Fanged" Lacandeon (Catfolk), Vargos of the Hounds
Notable Imports: Grain, livestock, leather, ore, timber, and exotic goods from all lands.
Notable Exports: Ale, arms, cloth, furnishings, some inventions (very few firearms), pottery, refined metals, and all sorts of finished goods
Sambar, the traveler's perspective:
Located on an excellent natural harbor, the city is divided roughly in half by the Sambar River. A showplace for civic inventions, Sambar is a clean, peaceful city. Even in the poorer sections the homes have running water, and the buildings and streets fairly gleam a blinding white, a result of the limestone that covers nearly every surface.
Unfortunately, the reality is so much more unpleasant. Most visitors to the city stay in the Board, Stone, or Brass districts, so they don't see most of the unpleasant parts of Sambar. Sambar itself is a city built on top of a city, built on top of a city, and so forth.
It is a city unlike any other in Faerun. The city is divided into Districts, which denote the "elevation" of the location, while the Wards denote the "on the map" location. The districts of Lantan are the Mud District, the Board District, the Stone District, and the Brass District. The wards are the Gear, Cog, Feather, Dock, Stacks and Bleach wards.
The Mud District is the "lowest" level of Lantan. While the streets were paved with limestone years ago, the constant soot from coal furnaces, as well as general detrius, has given the streets a constant layer of dust. Unfortunately, due to the subtropical rains, most of the time these layers of dust are mud, which flows into the sewers of Lantan. This district, no matter what ward, has the fewest guards and is where the highest crime rates are. The Sewers are ostensibly part of this district, despite being under the city entirely.
The Board District is the first level above the Mud, at about 15-20 feet above the Mud District. The roads of this district tend to be wide, about 25-30 feet in spots, with the supports looking very conventional and ending up above many of the mud district roads, bridging many gaps. The Dock Ward is in the Board District, and the board District alone.
The Stone District is the third "level" upwards from the ground, standing anywhere between 45 and 60 feet above the ground level. There are fewer travelers at this level, and most of the "roads" in this district are only about 15 feet wide. The stone bridges are a feat of engineering and magical sealing, with some spanning 60 foot distances with no underlying supports. There are even a few "cable" bridges, which look rather impressive since most bridges do not have rails of any sort, except for Beshaba's bridge, which, no matter how many times it has been rebuilt, it always falls down. This part of the city has a moderate to low crime rate. Many of the well-to do but not wealthy live in this district.
The Brass District is where the elite live. This district is a marvel of magical engineering, with the district standing anywhere between 75 and 90 feet above the ground level.. No other word can describe what appear to be gold foil bridges crossing spans of 75 feet or more, and the majority of the bridges are a mere 10 to 15 feet wide, making them appear to be even more precarious, since none of them have rails.
The Spire District is there the elite above elite live. This essentially magical District is found only in a few locations across Sambar, with but only two or three bridges of force bridging the gaps between the different locations most not exceeding 5 feet in width, and one very paranoid resident only having a bridge a single foot across.. Virtually no shopping is done here. This is where the truly wealthy reside.
The wards, in relative order:
The Stack Ward is where most of the soot is generated in Sambar. On the northeast part of the city, the prevailing winds can blow much of the soot back into the city, thus the stacks have been built to an imjpressive 100 feet above the city. This is where most of the smokepowder weapons and other trade items are found.
The Gear Ward is where you can find most of the churches of Lantan. Most impressively built is the High House of Gond, where it stands from the Mud Ward all the way up to a height of 150 feet (the tallest building in Sambar). Other small temples, such as that to Lathander, Azuth, and Tymora are found here. Beshaba's Bridge in the Stone District is found in the Gear Ward, even boasting a small chapel to Beshaba, in the hopes that the small token will avert her gaze from the bridge that stands beside it. People traveling on the bridge are known to set a small favor or tithe before crossing the bridge.
The Cog Ward is where you find much of the populace. Grocers and everyday merchants can be found in droves in all districts.
The Feather Ward is the main mercantile and inventive heart of the city. This is the "main street" of Sambar. If it is made anywhere in Faerun, it can be found here.
The Dock Ward is just that. Standing in the naturally deep harbor, and extending a larger distance than most into the harbor, allowing for a strong navy and a lot of trading.
The Bleach ward, despite its name, is found in many locations throughout Sambar. The ward itself is where all festhalls reside.
Some of the Landmarks include:
The Gondaur, the colossal statue of Gond that guards the harbor and protects the city from the worst of Talos's Fury (hurricanes). It's rumored that it's a bronze and copper golem that can be used to defend the city if it were ever attacked by pirates.
Beshaba's Bridge: This bridge spans the Sambar River at its' busiest spot, between Gharel Square on the west bank and the High House to the east. Long a source of national humiliation for the Lantanna, the bridge is named for the Maid of Misfortune due to its' bizarre history; the current span is the ninth bridge on this site. No matter what the engineers do, or how many supports and new buttressing techniques are used, the bridge keeps collapsing.
The High House: While no longer the largest or most important temple of Gond (that honor now goes to the High Holy Crafthouse in Illul), the High House is still an impressive building. The windows of this temple comprise the largest stained-glass surface in the Realms. They are all enchanted with multiple glassteel and faerie fire magics, and depict scenes of invention and Gond-worship. Inside, the huge domed hall is filled with clockwork gears in an exact replica of the cosmic gears of Mechanus.
Gharel Square: This large marketplace, once known simply as the High Market, was renamed during the Time of Troubles to commemorate Gharel Emberthann, the gnomish avatar that Gond took form in during the Troubles. A bronze statue of Gharel, looking suitably grand in an enormous sun hat and holding aloft a smith's hammer, stands in the center of the square.
(Beshaba's Bridge, High House, and Gharel Square are all from the other fan's works).
Color commentary welcome.
|
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
|
|
Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 10:37:33
|
Sounds delicious.
Sambar is a very tasty type of Indian curry.
Dont believe me, follow the link.
Sambar
|
Edited by - Thauranil on 17 Dec 2012 12:16:21 |
 |
|
|
Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 10:38:44
|
| Very good description by the way. |
|
|
|
crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 12:54:01
|
excellent post, looking forward to more on Sambar
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
|
|
|
Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2012 : 14:29:55
|
Thank you both. These are the details currently in my campaign on Sambar. I have some locations, modified slightly from Pathfinder's Absalom (stolen and/or modified). One note that I have about Lantan is that I have three "Tribes" of hobgoblins that, if they renounce their tribal and warlike ways, are allowed into Lantanna society. The Three Tribes are the Dekaan-Tar, Kaal Mac, and Ol'Dul Toc.
Locations:
Gorum's Fetishes (Mud District, Cog Ward):
The ex-Dekaan-Tar Tribe Hobgoblin Gorum Wildebreak runs this small shop in the Mud district. He sells fetishes and small magical trinkets. The fetishes either help to make folks afraid of you or help in negotiations with Hobgoblins outside of the city. He also sells a handfull of low-level magical scrolls (Bane and Cause Fear being two he keeps on hand regularly).
The Soggy Piper, run by Cedretan is also in the Mud District, Cog Ward. He sells watered down ale and only one really decent group of spirits. It's rumored that this is a place for covert operations for the Order of the Golden Gear, one of the police forces of Lantan and an extension of the church of Gond.
Gale Wizardry is run by Terseon Gale, an Air-Specialist Wizard. His shop doesn't get much business, mostly due to the "theme" of the items within the shop, as they are all wind and air-themed. Found in the Board District, near the edge of the Feather Ward and Bleach Wards, Terseon has a poor reputation. He is suspected of being a Talosian plant by much of the population.
Also in the Board District, Feather Ward is the Broken Cup, a moderately decent dive of a Tavern. It's rumored to be a front for the Hounds of War, a local thieves' guild (runs a protection ring). The drinks are decent, and reasonably priced.
The Stone District, Cog Ward has a few reasonable taverns and inns. The Broken Oar, for those Lantanna who hated sailing or the sea, is deep within the ward. It gets less of the fresh sea air blowing through its area, with the outside windows decorate with miniature ships used as flowerboxes. As a decoration on each of the flowerboxes is a miniature oar, neatly broken in half. There are some who believe this to be a front for either a thieve's guild or an illegal mercenary company, but at this point these are just rumors.
Also there is the Crab and Pickle, run by a matronly halfling named Merrina Crabapple. The white-haired halfling hails from far away Luiren, and has many tales of her travels as a merchant over her lifetime. Visitors to her inn are treated to her specialty, a crab and pickle dish served with an excellent light ale. The food is slightly expensive, but the portions more than make up for it.
|
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Sambar, some workings.
