Places of Interest
The trading city of Karfan sits at a crossroads of the spice and silk roads. The area East is cold desert (like Mongolia), South descends into badlands, to the West is a mountain range running North-South and to the North the plains freeze into tundra. The city is built around an oasis, with very long nights in the winter and long days in the Summer (high Northern latitude.)
The city has three primary districts, separated by walls with gates allowing travel between.
The Northern section of the city is basically an open area enclosed by the walls called the Caravansary. This area is where caravans moving along the Spice Trail (mostly caravans coming from the South) or the Silk Road (mostly caravans traveling east-west) camp while trading wares. The North gate in the wall is the Caravan Gate, where these caravans enter and depart. There is a Merchant’s Gate that connects to the outer ring of the city proper. There is only one permanent structure not part of the city defenses, a tavern for travelers.
The Outer Ring is the main part of the city and it surrounds the Citadel on three sides (North, East and South.) The Northern part of the Outer Ringer is dominated by commercial interests: merchant houses, warehouses, taverns, inns, craftsmen shops, and small traders. The craftsmen and small traders tend to live above or behind their shops; the merchants will have separate houses close to or attached to their warehouses. The main roads are fairly broad to allow wagons and carts to pass, but there are many small alleys and passages. The thieves’ guild is very active in the North.
The Southern side of the Outer Ring is mostly residential and such shops and markets that cater to the farmers and miners, the guardsmen, and other city residents not directly involved in trade. There are fields in the East and South of the city farmed by residents, and mines in the hills to the West. The farms provide staples (wheat and vegetables) for the city and the mines provide stone (from quarries) for building, iron, copper and silver (the last two in small quantities.) Generally, the poorer families live closer to the walls, in some cases crowding right up to them, while wealthier families live in larger homes, the wealthiest walled in with gardens, closer to the Citadel.
The Citadel is the fortress in the West of the city providing the last defense in case of a siege or invasion and is the home of the Kadun, nominal master of the city. The unofficial council of merchants and the prince of Thieves hold considerable power in the city as well, especially in their respective realms. It is also the palace/home of the Kadun and his family and includes his personal gardens and temple.
In the Caravansary there is no official law enforcement. Elsewhere in the city the Kadun’s turbaned soldiers with their scimitars and crossbows are charged with maintaining peace, manning the gates and watchtowers and defending the city. The temples, scattered throughout the city, usually have their own protection, in the form of armed clerics, paladins, mercenaries, etc. Likewise, the richer merchants have their own mercenaries to protect their interests.
The city is built around an oasis, the spring originating in the Citadel and running to the rest of the city in open qanats or closed pipes. The Kadun controls the city’s water and therefore its fate.
Dwarves live in the mountains and their foothills to the West. Their mines are far more productive than Karfan's. However, Karfan's mineral products are mostly for local use, whereas the dwarves trade in bulk.
There are no elven communities near Karfan. They are rumored to love over the Mountains to the West.
Orcs and gnolls live in nomadic tribes to the East. Goblins and hobgoblins live in tribes in the badlands to the South and there are rumors of a Goblin city in the Mountains Southwest of Karfan. Nomadic tribes of humans also live in the Northern tundra, the Eastern deserts and the Southern badlands.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:21, Sun 04 July 2021.