Tellus
Overview map of Tellus *Solum is a thriving country, rich in fertile land and natural resources and glittering with wealth, and it's grand capital reflects all of these qualities in the finest light. Tellus rests on the western bank of the Fluvius river, sheltered by stone walls a hundred feet thick. Broad highways exit tunnels in the walls at three points of the compass, and the river laps against a forest of pilings supporting piers stretching out over the water from the remaining quadrant of the city like a hundred-fingered hand. Visitors approaching from any direction cannot help but be struck as they approach the vital metropolis by it's sheer mass, whether drifting towards a harbor that appears as a speck, and expands until it nearly fills the horizon, or walking in a steady train of people through a cool stone tunnel under a thousand tons of flagstones. Inside the city proper, roads lead from every angle of the wall, drawing towards the center of the city towards the inner wall which houses the parks and estates of the Royal Quarter, and leading eventually to the royal palace itself, perched atop the hill the city is built on like a crown. Though many first-time visitors find time to visit the inner ring of the hub-shaped city, to see the white-washed walls and fluttering pennants of the palace, and the immaculately kept grounds of the nobles' estates, the majority of business is conducted in the much larger and more lively outer ring. The southeastern Low Quarter, between River Street and the Queen's Way, is usually avoided by visitors unless on business. South of the docks lie the warehouses and cellars serving the majority of the city's trade, which arrives by way of ship. Just east of the Queen's Gate lies the craftsman's district, and the narrow, loud streets here are rife with the sounds and smells of tanneries, smith's shops, weavers, herbalists, and countless more. Nestled in the most southeastern corner of the city, between the two, are the slums and the low-class residences of poor craftsmen and simple laborers. In the northeast, crossing the thoroughfare from the docks, the streets become immediately wider, the smells are softer and more pleasant, and the buildings in better repair. This is the Garden Quarter, home to upper class citizens and wealthy merchants, as well as numerous temples, and the majority of the Mages in the city who retain their status as private citizens. Commerce is not allowed in the temple district due north of the castle, but east of the King's Road one can find private businesses, as well as several smaller, upscale market squares, dealing in fine and rare goods. Perfumers, silk-merchants, traders in exotic spices from Qhuchit and further, and more can all be found here. South of the docks the levy bordering the river is crammed with warehouses right to the edge, but here the stone wall supports a lovely promenade dotted with expensive tourist-oriented businesses, and backed by a park maintained by a full-time crew of gardeners paid by the kingdom. It is to the Garden Quarter that minor nobles and the wealthy upper class come when visiting the nation's capital. Though a city so large may make the perfect place for refugees and scoundrels to disappear, and though the trade and the accommodations are the finest for hundreds of miles around, the majority of Tellus' visitors are neither vagabonds nor nobility. It is the middle class, merchants and traders and craftsmen, as well as foreigners, that make up the bulk of the traffic to and from the city, and they are all bound for one place. The Market Quarter is undeniably the busiest sector of the city. To the north, housing piles high, jockeying for territory against inns and taverns, and shops that have spilled north over the Fairway. In the south are rows of square buildings for rent on the cheap, to be used for temporary storage or to run a shop from for those unwilling or unable to hawk their wares in the melting pot that is the heart of the market. In the middle of it all, crammed together cheek to cheek and spilling over in all directions, clamors what is quite possibly the largest market in all of Cheled. Though the city is famous for it's beautiful gardens, fine food, low crime rate, and gorgeous summer weather, the grand market is perhaps the most unique experience Tellus has to offer. The market itself is a chaotic and unpredictable affair. Certain areas are bastions of order, with each street laid out straight as a line, organized by craft and then by price, and labeled for the convenience of potential clients. Walking on, five blocks away one might find a neighborhood buildings literally sag under the oppressive weight of tents and lean-tos pressed against them, sun and rain shelters hanging from them, slings and displays draped cross the walls holding merchandise, live animals, and even children, and every square is a raging sea of hawkers and peddlers calling out in as many languages as they know, like the wild market bazaars of Sei. It is said that if you walk down the right street in the grand market, you can find anything for sale, and people travel hundreds of miles to purchase exotic goods unavailable anywhere else in the kingdom. Others come simply for the experience, the unbridled humanity and the hundred unidentifiable scents that emanate from each shop. No matter the reason, or season, one thing is for certain: Solum's capital is a celebration of abundance, and Tellus has something for everyone.
Overview map of Tellus *Solum is a thriving country, rich in fertile land and natural resources and glittering with wealth, and it's grand capital reflects all of these qualities in the finest light. Tellus rests on the western bank of the Fluvius river, sheltered by stone walls a hundred feet thick. Broad highways exit tunnels in the walls at three points of the compass, and the river laps against a forest of pilings supporting piers stretching out over the water from the remaining quadrant of the city like a hundred-fingered hand. Visitors approaching from any direction cannot help but be struck as they approach the vital metropolis by it's sheer mass, whether drifting towards a harbor that appears as a speck, and expands until it nearly fills the horizon, or walking in a steady train of people through a cool stone tunnel under a thousand tons of flagstones. Inside the city proper, roads lead from every angle of the wall, drawing towards the center of the city towards the inner wall which houses the parks and estates of the Royal Quarter, and leading eventually to the royal palace itself, perched atop the hill the city is built on like a crown. Though many first-time visitors find time to visit the inner ring of the hub-shaped city, to see the white-washed walls and fluttering pennants of the palace, and the immaculately kept grounds of the nobles' estates, the majority of business is conducted in the much larger and more lively outer ring. The southeastern Low Quarter, between River Street and the Queen's Way, is usually avoided by visitors unless on business. South of the docks lie the warehouses and cellars serving the majority of the city's trade, which arrives by way of ship. Just east of the Queen's Gate lies the craftsman's district, and the narrow, loud streets here are rife with the sounds and smells of tanneries, smith's shops, weavers, herbalists, and countless more. Nestled in the most southeastern corner of the city, between the two, are the slums and the low-class residences of poor craftsmen and simple laborers. In the northeast, crossing the thoroughfare from the docks, the streets become immediately wider, the smells are softer and more pleasant, and the buildings in better repair. This is the Garden Quarter, home to upper class citizens and wealthy merchants, as well as numerous temples, and the majority of the Mages in the city who retain their status as private citizens. Commerce is not allowed in the temple district due north of the castle, but east of the King's Road one can find private businesses, as well as several smaller, upscale market squares, dealing in fine and rare goods. Perfumers, silk-merchants, traders in exotic spices from Qhuchit and further, and more can all be found here. South of the docks the levy bordering the river is crammed with warehouses right to the edge, but here the stone wall supports a lovely promenade dotted with expensive tourist-oriented businesses, and backed by a park maintained by a full-time crew of gardeners paid by the kingdom. It is to the Garden Quarter that minor nobles and the wealthy upper class come when visiting the nation's capital. Though a city so large may make the perfect place for refugees and scoundrels to disappear, and though the trade and the accommodations are the finest for hundreds of miles around, the majority of Tellus' visitors are neither vagabonds nor nobility. It is the middle class, merchants and traders and craftsmen, as well as foreigners, that make up the bulk of the traffic to and from the city, and they are all bound for one place. The Market Quarter is undeniably the busiest sector of the city. To the north, housing piles high, jockeying for territory against inns and taverns, and shops that have spilled north over the Fairway. In the south are rows of square buildings for rent on the cheap, to be used for temporary storage or to run a shop from for those unwilling or unable to hawk their wares in the melting pot that is the heart of the market. In the middle of it all, crammed together cheek to cheek and spilling over in all directions, clamors what is quite possibly the largest market in all of Cheled. Though the city is famous for it's beautiful gardens, fine food, low crime rate, and gorgeous summer weather, the grand market is perhaps the most unique experience Tellus has to offer. The market itself is a chaotic and unpredictable affair. Certain areas are bastions of order, with each street laid out straight as a line, organized by craft and then by price, and labeled for the convenience of potential clients. Walking on, five blocks away one might find a neighborhood buildings literally sag under the oppressive weight of tents and lean-tos pressed against them, sun and rain shelters hanging from them, slings and displays draped cross the walls holding merchandise, live animals, and even children, and every square is a raging sea of hawkers and peddlers calling out in as many languages as they know, like the wild market bazaars of Sei. It is said that if you walk down the right street in the grand market, you can find anything for sale, and people travel hundreds of miles to purchase exotic goods unavailable anywhere else in the kingdom. Others come simply for the experience, the unbridled humanity and the hundred unidentifiable scents that emanate from each shop. No matter the reason, or season, one thing is for certain: Solum's capital is a celebration of abundance, and Tellus has something for everyone.
