This and these are the 30-year-old hand-drawn maps of my DnD game world city and empire, which was the long host and home to several adventures and four unpublished novels. The first novel will be available shortly. How should the city have changed in 30 years? Mainly over the last time with the long drawn-out losing end of the war. Yes, it's a circular city. No, it's not from Tolkien other than being round.
The ring-gates have multiple portcullis and ironwood gates. The district gates have giant stone blocks hung on chains that can be dropped to seal the districts off from each other, and crush anyone under them.
The city walls built up over the first couple hundred years around the castle on the hill. The hill is in a mile wide fork in the great river, forming a natural defense with much room for growth. The grids are 40f, making the current city over a mile wide. The river forks dried up when the great lake was damned and two huge aqueducts were built to supply water. The overflow of the lake now forms a huge swamp in the woodlands to the south. Much of the area around the city is devoid of trees and filled with farmlands.
The city sits at the westernmost edge of the land mass on the great plains. Mountains and hills 50 miles to the north protect the empire from the Gyrung. A massive mountainous land bridge protects the seaways from the enemy yet they portaged entire ships in sections over the mountains and the Gyrung now control the once-Ratha lands to the north and the deep tropics. The east is devoid of war except with raiding orcs, rumored to work for the Gyrung.
New version of the map with some important places in 3D
Map 1 Shops and Entry from the Cliff Road (From the harbor - the only city entry point besides over the walls or under them!) Contains stores, poor residences, merchant residences, some tenements, stables for city guards,
Map 2 - Warehouse and factory district. Contains Gates 2 and 3, and Ring Gate A to the city bazaar on Map 4. Many alleys and close-ways twist through the tent city, shacks, and shelters that have recently filled up this area to house refugees that seek low wage work in the factories and work-houses in this district. Visits can get lost easily. Street crime is prevalent, and criminals can disappear quickly. People of repute travel around the city through the residences and the guards are willing to take payment to escort people (and question them) from Gate 3 on the south.
Map 3 - Residences, tenements, wealthier merchant walled houses and the chambers of the Wizard Coil is here. Yes, that is blood. Mine. I poured blood and tears into the games and the unfinished novels 30 years ago! Yes, that's my blood.
Map 4. The Merchant Common or Bazaar. Far more filled now with people buying and selling good acquired by any means. Beware. Everyone must travel through the bazaar (unless you know the hidden ways.)
Map 5 Manors and Temples. Nobles, Merchants, and Clerics abound as is the city library and Wizard's curio. A park offers grottos and ponds for respite and tranquility.
Map 6 - Parks, Nobles, Palace.
