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Showing posts from May, 2012

City Tour: the Offal Pits & the Fighting Pits

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The Offal Pits That smell, that's the stench of a city packed full with 13,000 people; and that's just those who live here. Double, even triple that, and you come close to the number of people who pass through the city. All the waste they produce, all the food that's not eaten and thrown away, the corpses of those who can't afford a burial; all of it is hauled across the city, and dumped down the pits. It's a stony splodge of land, full of natural fissures, pits and sinkholes, which lead down to caverns and tunnels that lead to the gods only know where. There are parts of the catacombs that are said to connect to these caverns, but no one's proved it. It's also rumoured that amongst all that filth is treasure to be found, but you'd have to have the constitution of an ogre to go into those caverns, and no sense of smell. Even then you'd have to deal with the well-fed Otyughs, or Offal-Eaters  that live down there, feeding off our waste. Disgu

City Tour: The Perfumed Privy & other taverns

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The Perfumed Privy Welcome to one of the best kept secrets in the city. The name puts most people off, the stink outside too. That's the smell of the OFFAL PITS; and believe me, it's a breath of fresh air compared to how it smells close up. That stench stays with you for days. This is as close as I'm bringing you, so don't frown so. I'll take you the long way to the RESIDENTS QUARTER. In the meantime, step inside. First drink's always on the house, so choose something good. I can heartily recommend the Bearded Ale , a dwarven brew that'll put hairs on your chest, regardless of your sex. See how quiet it is inside? It'll get busier later in the day, but not as crowded as the other taverns or drinking dens you'll find along CHEAPSIDE or even the GRAND BAZAAR. That large fellow, he's the owner, runs the bar most of the time, and cooks up a lovely stew once a week. Hey Barney, got another lot. What'll you all be having? We can sit in

City Tour: Artisans & Stone Districts

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Artisans District Separated from the dwarf community, the STONE DISTRICT, by narrow streets, the ARTISANS DISTRICT is where all the craftsmen make their goods. Most are sold elsewhere, and most of the workers actually live in the RESIDENTS QUARTER. This district is made up of workshops, forges, smiths and warehouses. If you want anything made, bespoke or otherwise, this is the place to come. Stone District We won't tarry here, as the dwarves like their privacy; but this is where the majority of them live. They have their own workshops and forges, but many of them are miners who work up in the hills beyond the city. They can be gone for days at a time, and rumour has it that they've started digging out a new home for themselves. We'll move on now, and we'll stop for a drink and maybe a quick bite to eat at what, in my humble opinion, is the best tavern in the city; and thankfully not one of the better known or popular.

City Tour: The Grand Bazaar

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Someone once said that this is a city of markets, and it is true that there are an abundance of markets and travelling traders. We even have the NIGHT MARKETS, which appears in the dead of night, vanishing before sunrise, selling all manner of vices. None, however, compare to the great edifice, the GRAND BAZAAR. As you can see, it's enclosed in this peaked, towering, arrow-shaped building, several stories high. It's a wide-open space, filled to bursting with stalls, booths, tents and shops along the walls. If you look up, notice the lack of additional floors; instead are three wide balconies, each catering to a particular merchandise. The first balcony is a collection of drinking dens, taverns and stalls selling  everything from the finest golden brandy, to fresh milk and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Above that is the market's best places to eat: restaurants, food stalls, and private dining rooms too. The topmost balcony is dedicated to entertainment. There's a

City Tour: Merchants Quarter

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Pilgrim's Inn Torch-Bearers' Guild Grand Bazar Traders' Guild The Perfumed Privy Hammer & Anvil Stone's Throw Orcs Skull Soldiers' Arms Owl Bear & Wyvern The Fighting Pits The MERCHANT QUARTER lines one side this street, TEMPLE AVENUE, and occupies most of the South half of the city. It's by far the largest quarter, housing businesses of every kind, numerous taverns, inns, brothels and markets. Further in are the ARTISANS DISTRICT, where the craftsmen work their trade, and the STONE DISTRICT, where the majority of the dwarves live. It's the liveliest part of the city, bustling with trade and revelries, busy night and day. This quarter never sleeps. As you can see, the avenue is lined with numerous shops, eateries, and drinking dens; it caters to travellers and tourists. Let me fill you in on a little secret: we locals call this CHEAPSIDE. Not that their goods aren't expensive– because they are– but because the quality is

The City of Bones: Introduction to the Tour

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The City of Bones Welcome, welcome, come closer, don't be shy. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Hamesh, and this morning I shall be your guide. Our tour begins here, at the start of TEMPLE AVENUE, the main thoroughfare of Godsend ; or, as it is better known, The City of Bones . To the North is the TEMPLE QUARTER, crammed full of temples, churches, shrines, and the homes of the clergy. Any god you care to mention, well-known or obscure, has someplace of worship in that quarter; and below lies the extensive network of catacombs and crypts that attract many a treasure hunter. Not that I'd advise you to have a go yourself; aside from the disapproving clergy, there're things down there that'd rip your face off, before you even realised you where in danger. Why so many temples? Well that you ask, for the answer to that also explains the name of the city, its reason for being, and why the WEEPING CHASM– which we'll get to later– exists. Several centurie