Oak Fortress¶
Oak Fortress is the Empire's only city state. It is the informal capital of the mages and houses the High Council of the Mages.
Location¶
Oak Fortress is located at the Empire's north-eastern border. It resides at a giant lake, on whose opposite side a low area begins which ultimately fades out into the Eastern Desert. On a peninsula northern from the city rests the Mountain Castle, ready to defend Oak Fortress at any time.
Description¶
Oak Fortress shall be a large city, reigned by the mages in a skilled mannor, profiting from the trade with salt from the north and with the wine from the west. It still is the city where most mages live, but its welfare has produced quite a bit of growth so that mages now make for a minority in the city (but are commonly seen). Given its position at the edge of the empire, its permanent contact with the desert people from the north and the specific history stemming from being the capital of the mages, it today (= at play time) is a melting pot of cultures, a liberal city state at which the emperor always looks with a certain moment of unease. But it is a prosperous connection; Oak Fortress and the mages profit from the shelter of the empire's enormous military capacity, and the empire needs the salt and the good will of the mages, as their capabilities can be quite damaging even to a large conventional army.
Its growth has given Oak Fortress a maze of streets, and it is easy to get confused. Better find someone to trade you a city plan -- or be brave and try to find out for yourself. The city has grown over the city walls, but playable is only the part within them and the harbour at the north side.
Before the city on the west and north sides a large lake winds itself around the city, leaving a peninsula with a large rocky hill with high cliffs near to the city walls, surrounded by water. On this hill's top rests the Mountain Castle, a military mage bastion which has served the city well often times. Whoever wants to conquer Oak Fortress, conquering the city wall area is insufficient; you must take the castle first.
Map draft¶
- a) Western vigilance b) Military storage building
- Southern vigilance
- Eastern vigilance
- Northern vigilance
- Temple (religious building)
- Not sure yet. The original is a religious building.
- Post Office (I told you we will have a post service for shipping equipment around)
- Tavern (this one is quite costly, better you find a cheaper place to stay)
- Empire Deputee's administration (remember Oak Fortress is a city state within the Empire, this building houses the Empire's local administration branch)
- City Hall and City administrative buildings, including the High Council's Chamber. Buildings 10a and 10b are connected by a bridge over the street. 10d is a guarded open area not normally accessible. 10e is a storage house.
- Poorhouse
- Trading area; the ground floor usually has shops and in the higher floors live people.
- Craftsmen area; ground floor sometimes has shops, rest are apartment buildings mostly for poorer people.
- There will be some kind of special shop in the ground floor at the front of this house, I just do not know what kind of shop it will be. Back area and higher floors have apartments.
- Library, heavily frequented by mages.
- Park (green area).
- Apartment builds for those with higher income, mostly mages. The houses in this area should look pretty; Barcelona makes a good inspiration here too, please draw from Gaudí's architecture. It gives the perfect idea of a kind of "foreign" architecture. Just look at this sample of his work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batll%C3%B3
- Burned down ruin of a once pretty house.
- Harbour area
Notable Sub-Places¶
Trivia¶
The city's map is based on mediaval Barcelona, rotated by 90 degrees.
Miscellena¶
- Forum discussion: https://redmine.guelker.eu/boards/3/topics/346
Updated by quintus almost 3 years ago · 1 revisions