But this one really throws me.
On page 28 of Balic, of Dregoth Ascending: Part 2, it reads:
"...The only other entrance to Balic is the main gate at the eastern end of the city. ..., as is the main road that runs from the gate to the western wall of the city."
It may be just me but I thought the eastern end of Balic was the coastline of the Silt Sea, and the only way in would be from the west. Is this just a typo or do I have the orientation of Balic wrong?
How does everyone else situation Balic. Is the coastline and harbor along the north of the city? Maybe the south? How have other people described the city in their campaigns?
I had planned to reread The Obsidian Oracle to get a better sense of how the city was laid out, but I misplaced my copy. I will try to find it in the next couple of days.
In any case, I still can understand a gate on the eastern side of the city, instead of the west.
The Wanderer's Journal says this on page 68:
Balic's secluded location is quite defensible as far as the armies of other city-states are concerned, for it is impossible to approach the city from any direction except the west.
The layout of Balic changes depending on what source you read, so my version of it is based on a mish-mash of sources. Here's my take on Balic which, granted, doesn't strictly look like either the Prism Pentad description or the Wanderer's Chronicle one...but it suits my needs.
(Oh, and yea, there are some locations on there that only apply to my campaign)As a side-note, I've always considered the "elven markets" to be a standard sight in *any* city, regardless of who ran it...so even Balic had a flourishing elven district prior to Andropinis' death. Perhaps their shenannigans weren't tolerated as much, or they paid higher taxes and got raided by templars more, but they were still there.
I can see that the way I invisioned Balic is different. I’ll try an annalogy to the real world. If you are not familiar with the locations I use, I can try to use others.
Balic is said to be on a pennisula. The way I see it, this could have two meanings. One is that it is like San Francisco. The city is on a pennisula between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Ignoring the bridges you can only travel into the city by coming from the south. (This seems like what both Dirk0001 and Eric are saying.)
The other is that Balic is like Miami, which is on the pennisula of Florida, but does not encompass the entire pennisula. You can enter Miami from the north, west and possible south, but technically to approach the city you would still have to travel south down the Florida pennisula to get there. (This was more how I looked at Balic. Am I the only one?)
The other is that Balic is like Miami, which is on the pennisula of Florida, but does not encompass the entire pennisula. You can enter Miami from the north, west and possible south, but technically to approach the city you would still have to travel south down the Florida pennisula to get there. (This was more how I looked at Balic. Am I the only one?)
That's definitely a possibility, and one I never even thought of. IIRC the way Balic is described in the Prism Pentad led me to believe that it was at the tip of the peninsula, although now that I look back at the DS boxed set map it does appear that it might be situated along the north side of the peninsula instead. *shrug*
And as far as the lines go - I've got the major roads marked out in gold-brown, the gray lines sticking out into the silt are random silt piers, and the black lines that are sorta visible attacked to nothing & out in the silt are "silt breaks". Western black line is the main city wall, the lines around the White Palace are elevation markings, the red lines are delineations between the different House-held sections of town, and the green strips are sorta like hedgerows, just strips of densely-packed trees and bushes (by Athasian standards, at least) meant to keep as much silt as possible from making it's way into the interior sections of the city.
Wanderer’s Journal (p. 67-68)
“majestic palace of white marble, rectangular in shape and adorned on all sides by magnificent columns...located atop a stony, fortified bluff in the center of the city.”
“...olive orchards and grain farms surrounding the city.”
“Merchant Emporiums sit nestled against the base of Andropinis’s rocky fortress, in an area called the agora...”
“The Elven Market rings the agora on all sides.”
Veiled Alliance (p. 32-38)
“unusual sites: The Megaleneon, the dictator’s palace; imperial olive and orange groves; Merchant Emporiums in the agora, surrounded by the Elven Market; ampitheaters around the city, sites of play competitions; and the Shining Bridges, monumental marble bridges across silt filled ravines, around the agoras.”
“...monumental buildings feature ordered designs of friezes, pediments, staircases, and spacious porticos surrounded by fluted marble columns. Winds sweep through echoing peristyles enclosed by long columnades. Wide streets radiate from Andropinis’s central fortress.”
“...villa of Zaethus Nauripides, stands on a small plantation near the city gate...surrounded by thin fields of low, dry wheat plants...” (this serves as the V.A.’s HQ; ground floor is 65'x65')
MAP (p. 38)
Wanderer’s Chronical
½ its fields lost in Peninsula rampage
House Wavir...seized the White Palace, the silt harbor, and all the territory in between. (largest portion of the city)
House Reese and House Tomblador take control of the remaining, equally sized, portions of the city.
no walls separate the three portions
silver mine should be at least nearby
Will and the Way (p. 11)
“Cerebran is located on the outskirts of the city by the shores of Silt Estuary...impressive collection of majestic marbel buildings surrounded by groves of olive tree.” (this serves as a psionic university)
Dune Trader (p. 23, 35)
there’s a single office run by House Stel somewhere in the city
“Wavir’s headquarters in Balic rivals the palaces of many sorcerer-kings...outer walls ...nearly a thousand rooms.”
Gladiator’s Handbook (p.56-57)
“The Criterion at Balic is situated beneath the stony, fortified bluff...located at the edge of the noble’s quarters...slate plaza surrounds the Criterion for one city block in all directions.”
“The Criterion and enclosed arena are rectangular in shape...playing area of the arena in 120 feet by 160 feet.”
“In the back of the arena, near the bluff, is a great outbuilding: the slave and creature quarters for the arena at Balic.”
“One of the area’s finest gladiator schools is also located here.”
MAP (p. 57)
Obsidian Oracle (p. 31, 33, 35-36, 41, 49-55, 62-63, 65-66, 69)
“...port lay at the edge of the city.”
“...blocky buildings were faced in blond marble and its avenues paved with pale limestone.”
(Tithian looking through a window of the palace ante-room, which also looks out to the harbor) “Encircling the White Palace’s fortified bluff were the pillared emporiums of the Merchant Quarter, as striking in their size as in the clean lines of their architecture. Beyond this district lay the dingy warrens of the Elven Market, the stadium, the workshops of the artisans, and the chamberhouses where most of the city’s population live.”
(Tithian leaves the ante-room)“...led down a corridor lined by the lifelike statues of ancient state-men then across a broad courtyard to the White Palace’s marble faced assembly hall. The building was perfectly square, with a columnade of fluted pillars supporting an ornate entablature...up the stairs..through doorway...passed into small ante-room...massive doors...next chamber...A gallery of marble benches ran down both sides of the huge chamber, partially concealed by two lines of marble pillars that supported the ceiling... waited patiently in the tiers...At the far end of the chamber stood an empty throne, constructed of translucent alabaster and stationed upon a pedestal of pink jade” has inlays of moonstone at the back of the seat, arms = chalcedony, legs = limpod crystals of citrine, has stairs.
an unfinished wall was being constructed around the crops outside the city.
(Agis) “...stood at the quay’s end, squinting out at the harbor.”
(Agis) “...started back down the quay. Pearl-colored loess heaped against the western side of the pier in great mounds, spilling over the stone walkway and making it difficult to tell the wharf from the silty depths it traversed. At the end of the dock, a chest-high hedge of yellow ratany ran along the edge of the harbor, its spindly boughs serving as a crude dust-break...aproached the end of the pier...to the left side of the pier. There, dozens of boats lay scattered along the edge of the bay.
(Agis) “...stepped onto the quay, leaving an escort of six half-giants behind at the ratany hedge.
(Agis) “...pointed in the general direction of the harbor’s entrance, where he had seen a single large inn stretching along an entire block...”- “There must be two dozen inns in that direction” - “He means the Lion’s Back.”
House Dalba - located several miles outside city
(Agis) “...He pointed toward one of the many buildings on the close-packed harbor front...Furled Sail tavern...stepped off the quay into the crowded harbor-side lane...(passes)tackle shops...warehouses...taverns...”
(directed at Agis in the Furled Sail) “...waved the noble toward a ladder at the back of the inn.
(Agis’s jozhal guide on the roof of the Furled Sail, along the back wall) “...sorcerer led him to the other side of the roof...alley was half-clogged by drifts...A single hard-packed path ran down the street, winding its way past dust heaps, rubbish piles, and the few back entrances that determined shop keepers kept clear. In one direction, the trail led deeper into the harbor district, a maze of lanes similar to the one below...The alley ran about fifty yards in the other direction before opening onto the harborside street...”
(Agis) “...How are we going to find the ship?” - “...docked in front of the Red Mekillot...Just down the street from the Blue Cloud, which is around the corner from the Grey King, which is two blocks past the —.”
(Agis) “...followed them through the maze of crumbling shanties that constituted the harbor district...jozhal’s tracks often double back on themselves, or circled around three sides of a block before continuing down the same lane he been in originally.
(Agis exiting an alley) “...emerged from the shanty warren at the edge of the harbor-side road. Across the street lay a long wharf, along which rested six sloops...Near the end of the dock a two-masted caravel...
(Agis) “...waiting on the street...stepped onto the quay
Merchants of Amketch (PB p. 31, 33-36 & DMB pt. One and Four)
Sandtiger’s Tail- an inn with apparent ties to the V.A.
“...Shom’s emporium in this city. It’s the large trading compound on the Silt Road, small fortress really. Hundreds of men guard it...Shom maintains a secret warehouse in the Merchant District. It’s beneath the workshops and store of Ridecia, the trader of pottery and glassware...well guarded.”
MAP (PH p.36)
“The major base for House Amketch is on the outskirts of Balic...consists of four large warehouses, offices, barracks, and livestock enclosures...15 to 20 agents, a dozen or so animal handlers, about 20 guards, and 20 yo 30 slaves...”
The Wounded Lirr - a tavern
“The Amketch warehouse...comfortable villa within the compound walls. Lush green trees and shrubs isolate you from the rest of the Amketch base.”
“Sandtiger’s Tail is a rather disreputable tavern in one of Balic’s poorer areas...Near the center of the city of Balic is the dark, dangerous neighborhood known as the Maze. The grand public buildings shine pristinely in the distance...dark alleyways and crumbling buildings...You find the Sandtiger’s Tail at the end of a filthy alleyway....”
“...directions lead you to a large, prosperous pottery and glazier shop. This is the busy merchant district of Balic, and by day Arena Way is crowded with throngs of vendors and passers-by. The shop is divided into three parts: a cool, quiet display area...the pottery and glaziery itself...kilns and crucibles; and off to one side, the comfortable walled home of the merchant who owns the works.”
MAP & KEYS (DMB pt. Four)
Dungeon Mag (Sept. ‘92)
“Noble families of ...Balic began domestication of baazrags centuries ago to rid their household of annoying insects and pests. - suggests pens
“The Merchant house Wavir in Balic has a pen of nearly 20 ruktoi used to ferry important cargoes up and down the Estuary of the Forked Tongue.”
Balic
Obsidian Oracle (p. 31, 33, 35-36, 41, 49-55, 62-63, 65-66, 69)
“...port lay at the edge of the city.”
Dungeon Mag (Sept. ‘92)
“Noble families of ...Balic began domestication of baazrags centuries ago to rid their household of annoying insects and pests. - suggests pens
“The Merchant house Wavir in Balic has a pen of nearly 20 ruktoi used to ferry important cargoes up and down the Estuary of the Forked Tongue.”
Thanks squidfur.
I found my copy of Obisidan Oracle and while scanning it noted that quote too. It would seem to imply that the city is a pennisula like in Dirk's map with the harbor at the far eastern tip. But one could still argue that the quote does not mean anything. Of course the harbor is at the edge of the city. Where else is it going to be? In the middle? The city is going to end at the coastline, so where ever that is it is the "edge of the city."
I have never seen that magazine article. The quotes are interesting but makes me wonder, how they do that?
The quotes are interesting but makes me wonder, how they do that?
If you're talking about the ruktoi ferry: domesticated (and psionically-controlled) ruktoi have harnesses or howdahs built into them, secured and straped directly into the rib cage. They can carry about 1,000 lbs before sinking.
There's a very nice site about Balic here - don't know if someone on these boards maintain it, but a lot of useful info there, including a map.
Heh that's the same site I linked to. :P
Heh that's the same site I linked to. :P
Heh yeah...I didn't see your post, since I started mine and finished it waaaay later ;)