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Specularum Population Numbers

by AllanP and Giampaolo Agosta from Threshold Magazine issue 21

The last accurate census of Specularum’s population was taken in AC 985¹; at that time the city was home to about 50,000 inhabitants. Recent work by members of the Scriveners’ Guild has estimated the current population (in 1000 AC) to total approximately 62,500². Based on their observations and calculations, the Guild has tabulated the breakdown of the city’s population by district and race as shown in the accompanying tables. Note that these figures are estimates, largely at the District level with calculated percentages of the racial breakdown.

From the figures compiled by the Guild, 61% of city’s inhabitants are of Traladaran origin, residing primarily in the Old Quarter, the Nest and South End districts, but also with significant numbers in North End, the Merchant District and Bricktop. Thyatians form about 12% of the population and mainly reside in the Merchant District, Bricktop, North End, South End and Church District.

Perhaps surprisingly, the number of “New Karameikans” represents about 14% of the citizenry. This group are those of mixed Traladaran/Thyatian heritage. While some arose during the previous decades of Thyatian Occupation, it is since Duke Stefan took leadership of the nation that significant growth (and openness) in Traladaran/Thyatian integration has prevailed, and it is through this new generation that they have been dubbed “New Karameikans”. These mixed-heritage inhabitants tend to be found in the same city districts as their Thyatian brethren.

All other races total to approximately 13% of the city’s denizens; about the same number as each of the Thyatian and New Karameikan groups. This category is made up largely of dwarves, hin, Darokinians, Ierendians and Minrothaddans in more or less equal numbers. The majority of these races take residence in the Foreign Quarter and Traders Corridor districts. Although it should be noted that the numbers here are quite volatile due to the ongoing travels of non-natives to and from other nations of the Known World.

Table 1: Estimated population by District:

City District/Race	Traladara	New Karameikan	Thyatian	Other	Totals
The Nest	9700	300	0	0	10000
Old Quarter	11875	625	0	0	12500
South End	8950	1850	1177	23	12000
Stronghold	960	96	144	0	1200
The Hill	672	176	704	48	1600
Merchant District	1900	2000	1750	350	6000
North End	2500	1250	1200	50	5000
Bricktop	1156	1010	1224	10	3400
Church District	95	1240	1150	15	2500
Foreign Quarter	280	0	140	6580	7000
Traders Corridor	130	0	0	1170	1300
Total	38218	8547	7489	8246	62500

Note that while the Scriveners' Guild calculations result in a value of zero for some races in some districts, there may be a handful of these races present in the relevant districts' these are calculations, not exact census counts.

Table 2:Estimated breakdown of minor racial groups in Specularum. The majority reside in Traders’ Corridor and the Foreign Quarter

Dwarves	1722
Hin	1715
Darokinians	1595
Ierendians	1249
Minrothaddans	1232
Elves	478
Ylari	212
Other	43
Total	8246

1 As indicated by GAZ1: “The Grand Duchy of Karameikos” pg.36; the text also states that the population figure is “… certainly greater now”.

2 This estimate for the AC 1000 population level also takes account of the figure of 70,000 given in “Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure” (Explorers’ Guide pg 10) for the year AC 1010 - suggesting a net increase of 20,000 over a 25 year period.