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For discussion purposes only, I've mentally named the three major city gates
"West Gate" or "Mine Gate", "Valley Gate" or "North Gate", and "Dwarven Gate" or
"East Gate". It has been proposed that the eastern "Dwarven Gate" be a huge
spectacular staircase rising up from the valley floor, constructed by the
dwarves as a gift to the city.
Naval forces. (Naval docks closest to the Citadel)
A dwarven city. (I envisage something like the Columbia Games' accessory "Kiraz", completely underground with the entrance half way up the cliff face, but others may have other suggestions.)
The stretch of land and road sandwitched between the city's eastern wall and the cliffs/dwarven city would have been a killing zone (crossfire) and may have been the site of famous battles (maybe with monuments)
Low level adventures in the small marsh to the west of the city. The cluster of buildings nestled between the cliff face, the old mine dump, the (fetid) swamp, and the community's ramshackle docks (ripe with the odor of old fish) I've nicknamed "Scumtown". ;-) This should be an interesting place to base adventures.
Small farming communites along the valley. Most non-seafood for the large city must be imported, however.
A North Road that crosses the 30 to 40-mile wide isthmus to a smaller port on the shores of the Sea of Gearnat/Relmor Bay (which I've jokingly called "Bronzegate" until we find a better name).
Many small coastal fishing communities along the Eastern Coast Road. Fish is very plentiful.
Encounters along the Eastern Coast Road (towards the Iron Hills and Idee)
Fairly inaccessible (by land) coves and sea caves in cliffs along the coast to the west for many leagues (good pirate hangouts and hidden treasures, shipwrecks, etc).
Encounters along the inland Western Road through the wild Headlands (towards
Scant and Onnwal)
See my write-up on the Geology of the
Irongate region for info about the landscape and local mines.
Below is a preliminary map of the City of Irongate showing major streets. By hovering your mouse over different features, a pop-up label should appear. If you do not see these, or see no map at all, it may be because you have an old browser that is not java-capable. I would suggest downloading a newer version of Netscape or Internet Explorer. If you still have problems, email me (Denis, address at top of page).
The Citadel is originally of Aerdi construction, however it is believed that it was constructed on the remains of a more ancient Suel fortification. The old cellars certainly hide many secrets, however getting into the fortress would be a rather difficult feat.
The Tower is a rather formidable fortification in its own right, and is located at the southwestern corner of the city, providing defense for the west side of the harbor. It is also headquarters to one of the most decorated units in the Irongate armed forces. Their skill and deadly efficiency is the stuff of legends. The offer of a commission into the squadron is considered the ultimate achievement in the military careers of hardened, experienced soldiers.
The Great Staircase is a spectacular stone construction that rises 100 ft in a 200 ft distance up the cliff face to the city's Dwarf Gate. The staircase was built by dwarves as a gift from the dwarven clans of the Iron Hills to the City of Irongate. It is constructed completely of white marble imported from various locations around the Iron Hills, representing the several clans that contributed to the making of this generous gift. The Great Staircase is truly one of the architectural marvels of the eastern Flanaess, and never fails to awe all travellers rounding the Coast Road as they approach the city from the east.
The High Quarter contains many of the large manor houses of Irongate's wealthiest merchant families. Also here are some of the city's temples and embassies. Occupying the location of the original Aerdi city, most of the original constructions (mainly wooden) were torn down to make room for the manors as the rest of the city expanded to the west and north. A handful of these buildings were preserved and converted to new purposes. Periodically new constructions expose long forgotten cellars.
The Dwarven Quarter, sometimes called the Forge Quarter, houses the community of dwarves that live and work within the city walls. Much of the activity is actually beneath the surface of the hill, where a virtual city has been hollowed out of the rock. One can traverse much of the quarter without stepping above ground, visiting shops and smithies lining a network of passageways. Above ground, a plenitude of smoking chimneys hint at the industrious activity going on below the relatively quiet buildings.
The Merchants' Quarter contains the homes and shops of Irongate's middleclass... the merchants, craftsmen, and laborers of the city.
The Academic Quarter contains the various educational institutions, several guildhalls, many temples, and clerk-type businesses.
The Low Quarter is pretty much what you would expect in a city of Irongate's size. A rough place, it is home to Irongate's poorer citizens, and is often the scene of various nefarious activities.
Within the city are four plazas or squares. The
High Market is where local and regional merchants set up booths to sell good
quality merchandise. The Low Market is a much seedier location, where the odds
between getting a good bargain on low priced products or getting robbed or
ripped off are about even money. The Traders' Market is the only location where
visiting merchants (arriving either by caravan or ship) are allowed to set up
booths and hawk their wares. The City Square is not a market, but the center of
political and cultural activity. Festivals and holidays are celebrated here.
When the city declared independence, the new City Hall was built outside of old
Aerdi city walls, facing the main gate (of the time), as a symbol of freedom
from oppression. The City Hall's bell tower is the tallest structure in the
city, just barely surpassing (by design) the Citadel. Ringing the square are
government buildings, the Merchant and Traders' guildhall, and offices for most
of the major merchant and trading organizations.
The Dock Quarter is the hub of import/export activity. Irongate's naval forces are docked closest to the Citadel. Standing on a large platform next to the ocean in the middle of the quarter is the Colossus of Irongate. The Colossus is an immense, 60' tall iron statue of an armored warrior. Local legend contends that it is... or at least was... a fully functioning Iron Golem, however it hasn't moved in a long time, if indeed it ever was capable of animation at all. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the Colossus. Besides being rather rusted (its reddish form can be seen from quite a ways offshore), some years ago the arm of the Colossus up to its elbow fell off, sinking a small fishing scow moored alongsides. Ships are no longer allowed to dock near the statue. The only portions of the statue that are not rusted are the statue's massive sword (in its right hand) and it's helmet. Alas, a large portion of the helmet is missing, the nickel-iron alloy having been removed for recycling, giving the head of the Colossus a rather awkward lop-sided look.
Harborkeep is a modest fortress built on a rocky island in the bay, providing important defensive capabilities to the harbor of Irongate. It figured prominently in repelling the blockade imposed by the Scarlet Brotherhood. It is believed that a tunnel beneath the harbor connects it directly to the Citadel on the mainland, enabling it to be continually provisioned and manned without the need of dangerous boat trips. An immense catapult on the battle-roof (reputedly of a magical nature) covers almost the entire harbor with its deadly reach.
Scumtown (a stand-in name, and perhaps the derogatory nickname for the place) is a place of poor, unfortunate souls, trying to scrape out a life between the mine-waste dumps, rotting fish of the wharfs and the stinking swamp that separates them physically and figuratively from the city proper. Anyone willing to listen to an elderly, senile prospector in any of the taverns there can hear stories of lost mines and fantastic creatures.
The Hobloggers of Irongate, a clan of halflings that specialize in logging the tops of the rugged steep-sided hills in the region (see photo on the Geology of Irongate page), have their guildhall just to the northwest of the Valley Gate. Most of the easily reachable trees within the valleys have been removed for miles around the city, so their services are quite important. The guild has developed specialized portable cable equipment for efficiently getting large logs down the steep cliffs and onto the valley floor for transport to the city. The wood is in much demand for construction, ship repairs, and charcoal production (to feed the forges).
If you've never checked out my website.... visit my main page. I couldn't help making a plug! ;-)
This page last modified on January 9, 2000