General Discussion Thread IX

[El Jefe]

I think it just about right that the on the large map, Orussus is designated by a large, obscuring dot. That gives us some freedom to arrange the city as we wish!

I guess I'd like to see the course of the Roars as it passes through the city taking more of a northwest course instead of the west-northwest or even west-by-north course that is shown. I'd like the bridge that adventurers use to cross the Roars to get to the Street of Merchants from the Red Dragon to be north of the Red Dragon, even if only by a block or two.

I think we also need to put the High Court of Orussus on the map, as, next to the Arena, it's one of the most prominent landmarks in the whole city.

Aside from that, it's all a very, very nice start. Well done, Velmont!

 

[Velmont]

I think it just about right that the on the large map, Orussus is designated by a large, obscuring dot. That gives us some freedom to arrange the city as we wish!

I guess I'd like to see the course of the Roars as it passes through the city taking more of a northwest course instead of the west-northwest or even west-by-north course that is shown. I'd like the bridge that adventurers use to cross the Roars to get to the Street of Merchants from the Red Dragon to be north of the Red Dragon, even if only by a block or two.

I think we also need to put the High Court of Orussus on the map, as, next to the Arena, it's one of the most prominent landmarks in the whole city.

Aside from that, it's all a very, very nice start. Well done, Velmont!

I've moved the river a bit, and move other things a bit too (the Winged Flute Inn was not very far from the river for example).

I agree that I want to let the people as much flexibility when the want to use Orussus, that's why I havn't put much detail to the map.

The High Court is in the Clerk Ward, I would guess around the center. The High court have always been a center of bureaucracy, and that's how the small business and the guild have establish themselves mainly around it, creating the Clerk Ward. That's how I see it.

You say you would like to see the Merchant Avenue North of the RDI? That would be against what you write up in the compilation you have done. You refer to it as being south west of the RDI at some time, so I place it there. I find it makes some senses like that. The street lead directly to the harbor, so it helps to get the stock moved from boat to store for traders.

 

[El Jefe]

You say you would like to see the Merchant Avenue North of the RDI? That would be against what you write up in the compilation you have done. You refer to it as being south west of the RDI at some time, so I place it there. I find it makes some senses like that. The street lead directly to the harbor, so it helps to get the stock moved from boat to store for traders.

No, no, no. My apologies for not being more clear about this. From the RDI, you go a little north and west to get to the bridge, then take a turn and go southwest to get to the Street of Merchants.

You've got the Street of Merchants in the right place, I just wanted to move the river a bit.

 

[Velmont]

Move the bridge. Should be correct now. You go north then west and take a turn south west to cross the bridge. From there, if you continue, most likely you will end at the north west end of the Merchant Avenue.

 

[El Jefe]

Move the bridge. Should be correct now. You go north then west and take a turn south west to cross the bridge. From there, if you continue, most likely you will end at the north west end of the Merchant Avenue.

Perfect.

Ok, the High Court of Orussus is in the Northwest corner of the city (yeah, that's right, I just looked it up).

I suppose we might think of how that came to pass...the High Court is a former temple of a race of good-aligned minotaurs who are long gone. It was converted to it's present use by the current denizens. Now, all we have to do is figure out how the area near the High Court came to be slums, and why the High District is so far away (you'd think the wealthy and powerful would want to live close to the seat of power). The slums springing up around the harbor I can understand...maybe the High Court is on the only good piece of land in that area, and the next best building site within the walls is the High District?

 

[Velmont]

Perfect.

Ok, the High Court of Orussus is in the Northwest corner of the city (yeah, that's right, I just looked it up).

I suppose we might think of how that came to pass...the High Court is a former temple of a race of good-aligned minotaurs who are long gone. It was converted to it's present use by the current denizens. Now, all we have to do is figure out how the area near the High Court came to be slums, and why the High District is so far away (you'd think the wealthy and powerful would want to live close to the seat of power). The slums springing up around the harbor I can understand...maybe the High Court is on the only good piece of land in that area, and the next best building site within the walls is the High District?

I don't remmeber to have seen a reference of the place of the High Court. Where it is refered? Also, we have two choice, explain why it is near the slum, or see if it would be better to move it now before we can't anymore because it has been used too much. And how much in the NW it is. Or we could explin the old city is in the north, between the slum and the high district. (But rumors than the very old and forgotten ruins of the first Orussus would be south of the city...)

 

[El Jefe]

I don't remmeber to have seen a reference of the place of the High Court. Where it is refered?

Why, that would be here.

Also, we have two choice, explain why it is near the slum, or see if it would be better to move it now before we can't anymore because it has been used too much. And how much in the NW it is.

Well, from that reference, I don't think the location is nailed down with great precision, but I don't think we should move it out of that quadrant of the city.

Or we could explin the old city is in the north, between the slum and the high district. (But rumors than the very old and forgotten ruins of the first Orussus would be south of the city...)

Well, the whole city has been built and rebuilt several times, so I don't have a problem with some preserved old buildings being in the north and some ruins being in the south. I picture the city as being repopulated after some calamity some century or centuries ago, with the present population not quite filling up the space inside the walls just yet. As the city grows, it will eventually start "bursting at the seams", but not quite yet. Also, people are constantly scavenging rubble for building stone...so you see a mix of wooden and masonry construction. People who move to Orussus start with a hasty timber abode, then make additions and alterations in scavenged stone as time and money permit.

Eventually, the stone rubble will become scarce, too, probably before the city completely "fills up". And once it is "full", that doesn't mean that massive construction will start outside the walls, just that it will start becoming as densly populated as a "normal city". Right now, there's a bit more room than is common for a walled city.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well, the whole city has been built and rebuilt several times, so I don't have a problem with some preserved old buildings being in the north and some ruins being in the south.

Just remember, human occupation in an area over a long period of time with built and rebuilt cities leads to a raised elevation for the newer stuff, so make sure there is a noticable descent to the exposed ruins.

 

[El Jefe]

Just remember, human occupation in an area over a long period of time with built and rebuilt cities leads to a raised elevation for the newer stuff, so make sure there is a noticable descent to the exposed ruins.

Oh, absolutely. There are a lot of entrances to the sewers, there are gates on the sewers to keep Bad Things from coming out, and the sewers lead to all sorts of bricked-up and not-so-bricked-up passages into the Old City. It's like Rome, New York, or Seattle, or any number of cities where there's a whole 'nother world down there. Paris is another one that comes to mind.

We've already had a couple of adventures that took place underneath Orussus, and there are definitely room for more.

 

[Velmont]

Ok, I've place the High Court near Ravenblight gate. It is near enough the Northwest to be consider in the northwest corner, even more if you consider that nobody sensefull would want to go in the slum and they could consider the slum not being part of teh city. But that's just a percpetion of the city from gentry.