Re: Cities of Sartar from mickey galeotti on 2000-09-25 (Glorantha Digest Vol 08)

From: mickey galeotti <mickey_at_galeotti.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 20:51:02 +0100

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Dear Mikko,

I'd agree that most DP towns are, as you suggest, pretty open behind = earthwork defences, with enclosures for animals, unused scrub land, even = small fields and allotments. Indeed, there may also be scope for a = motte-and-bailey approach, with a central complex on a natural or = artificial hill. This inner section might also be stone or wooden-walled = and would generally have a major religious role, not least as height = brings an Orlanthi temple closer to the Winds. The fact that it also = allows you to see attackers and rain arrows (or thunderbolts!) down on = them further and more easily is, of course, just a plus.

A 'typical' Orlanthi town - not that there probably are any! - would, I = would think, be all or part walled, but this would generally be an = earthwork, perhaps with palisades and towers or stretches of walls at = especially vulnerable points, but not a medieval-style stone-walled = settlement. Walls would often not be particularly effective military = defences, but would be there primarily to keep out predators (wolves, = outlaws, etc) - hence a closing of the gates (often just moving a = barricade into place) at Elmset. Of course, cities which Sartar and his = successors chose to fortify might have full stone walls, but they're = crumbling now...

The focal points would be the market square, temples and the = chief/king's stead. Temples might cluster together or more likely = cluster in appropriate groups at appropriate places: Orlanth and the = Thunder Brothers near the chief, Issaries by the market, field and = farmer temples together by a sacred grove, etc. High status houses are = upwind and upslope. Any 'roads' - the term is used loosely - would link = these focal points and the gates/fords/etc. These might be marked with = edge stones and runes, but would generally just be stamped earth paths, = visible as much as anything else simply by the absence of buildings. Of = course, as you go towards Far Point, where the ground gets marshier, = these roads might need more substantial basis. 'Corduroy' paths of logs = would be laid - with a new path being laid over the old ones as they = start to sink into the mud. (Excavations in the RW city of Novgorod came = up with over a dozen such paths laid over each other in one site!)

Otherwise, the fact that the Orlanthi have no God of Town Planning would = be pretty obvious - clusters and rows of houses scattered hither and = yon. Clusters might house extended families or folk from the same home = village. Longhouses and smaller (2-3 room) townhouses would often have = outbuildings for livestock and woven-twig fences marking out small = pasture and allotments. Around them would be wells, hen-houses, oven = kilns, all the paraphernalia of village life - it just happens to be in = a particularly large village.

But DP is also a cultural crossroads with a long history of settlement. = So you can expect to see, as Mikael suggests (V8 #17, 24 September), all = sorts of other influences and structures to make the mix thicker and = richer:=20

- Pelorian city-houses next to wooden longhouses next to Esrolian = square-houses (low stone buildings around a square central hall) next to = wattle-and-daub huts next to Heortland roundhouses (thatched large = circular wooden-framed family houses).
- Thatched roofs, turf roofs, wooden beam roofs, stone roofs, tiled = roofs, metal-covered roofs (especially for temples).
- Old buildings which have gone through a variety of changes of use over = time: houses become storehouses, stables or barns as populations = contract, for example.
- Ancient earthen berms, by now so grassed over as to seem more like = low, long ridges around a settlement and modern, stone walls
- Dry-stone walls and crude log palisades next to new-fangled mortared = stone and even brick walls and plank fences
- Settlement creep, especially where rivers meander or towns decline, so = that old walls might now be far too large for a shrunken town, or else = around only part of the built-up-area.
- Following on from that, many walled settlements will have buildings = outside the walls - sometimes this may be prestigious new developments = (eg, the fortified houses and barracks of lunar occupiers), but more = often some shanty town, like Aldachur-Outside-the-Walls.

And so it goes.=20

Especially given the presence of a travelling trader cult as well as an = adventurous tradition that leads to many thanes and chiefs (ie, people = with the spare resource to spend on building) having seen other lands, = there is likely to be considerable cultural cross-fertilisation. Of = course, just as Roman architecture was 'winterised' for British use, so = too will the distinctive conditions of DP drive all but the most = extravagant building. Most buildings will be variations on the = tried-and-true longhouses and thatched plank-built or wattle-and-daub = townhouses (easy to build, everyone knows someone who knows how to build = them, they work in cold weather, etc).

As regards Aldachur, I think John Hughes and Mikael have set up a very = interesting and specific context. I'm actually working on a my-game map = and picture of the city, but the basic defining features, drawn from = their ideas, are a huge central palace-temple complex (the Place of = Bronze), dating back to EWF days (Minoan-come-Aztec.trust me, it works!) = and partial glassy walls from those days. Newer stone walls built by = Terasarin in the late 16th century (KoS 140) connect up with these = soaring glories, within which are a series of quarters, such as the Moon = Quarter, largely taken up by lunar barracks and high-status housing for = lunars and nobles identified with them. Buildings range from longhouses = (especially in traditionalist Elmali quarters), lean-tos and thatch = through to those built with brick and stone scavenged from the ruins of = the old city and the marble and granite of recent constructions by the = lunars and Harvar Ironfist.

Hope this is of some help!

Mark

------------------

Mark Galeotti

hia15_at_his.keele.ac.uk

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Dear Mikko,

I’d agree that most DP towns are, as you =
suggest, pretty open=20
behind earthwork defences, with enclosures for animals, unused scrub = land, even=20
small fields and allotments. Indeed, there may also be scope for a=20 motte-and-bailey approach, with a central complex on a natural or = artificial=20
hill. This inner section might also be stone or wooden-walled and would=20 generally have a major religious role, not least as height brings an = Orlanthi=20
temple closer to the Winds. The fact that it also allows you to see = attackers=20
and rain arrows (or thunderbolts!) down on them further and more easily = is, of=20
course, just a plus.

A ‘typical’ Orlanthi town – not =
that there probably are any! –=20
would, I would think, be all or part walled, but this would generally be = an=20
earthwork, perhaps with palisades and towers or stretches of walls at = especially=20
vulnerable points, but not a medieval-style stone-walled settlement. = Walls would=20
often not be particularly effective military defences, but would be = there=20
primarily to keep out predators (wolves, outlaws, etc) – hence a = closing of the=20
gates (often just moving a barricade into place) at Elmset. Of course, = cities=20
which Sartar and his successors chose to fortify might have full stone = walls,=20
but they're crumbling now...

The focal points would be the market square, temples =
and the=20
chief/king’s stead. Temples might cluster together or more likely = cluster in=20
appropriate groups at appropriate places: Orlanth and the Thunder = Brothers near=20
the chief, Issaries by the market, field and farmer temples together by = a sacred=20
grove, etc. High status houses are upwind and upslope. Any = ‘roads’ – the term is=20 used loosely - would link these focal points and the gates/fords/etc. = These=20
might be marked with edge stones and runes, but would generally just be = stamped=20
earth paths, visible as much as anything else simply by the absence of=20 buildings. Of course, as you go towards Far Point, where the ground gets =

marshier, these roads might need more substantial basis. = ‘Corduroy’ paths of=20
logs would be laid – with a new path being laid over the old ones = as they start=20
to sink into the mud. (Excavations in the RW city of Novgorod came up = with over=20
a dozen such paths laid over each other in one site!)

Otherwise, the fact that the Orlanthi have no God of =
Town=20
Planning would be pretty obvious – clusters and rows of houses = scattered hither=20
and yon. Clusters might house extended families or folk from the same = home=20
village. Longhouses and smaller (2-3 room) townhouses would often have=20 outbuildings for livestock and woven-twig fences marking out small = pasture and=20
allotments. Around them would be wells, hen-houses, oven kilns, all the=20 paraphernalia of village life – it just happens to be in a = particularly large=20
village.

But DP is also a cultural crossroads with a long =
history of=20
settlement. So you can expect to see, as Mikael suggests (V8 #17, 24 = September),=20
all sorts of other influences and structures to make the mix thicker and = richer:=20


- Pelorian city-houses next to wooden longhouses next =
to=20
Esrolian square-houses (low stone buildings around a square central = hall) next=20
to wattle-and-daub huts next to Heortland roundhouses (thatched large = circular=20
wooden-framed family houses).
- Thatched roofs, turf roofs, wooden beam roofs, =
stone roofs,=20
tiled roofs, metal-covered roofs (especially for temples).
- Old buildings which have gone through a variety of =
changes of=20
use over time: houses become storehouses, stables or barns as = populations=20
contract, for example.
- Ancient earthen berms, by now so grassed over as to =
seem more=20
like low, long ridges around a settlement and modern, stone walls
- Dry-stone walls and crude log palisades next to =
new-fangled=20
mortared stone and even brick walls and plank fences
- Settlement creep, especially where rivers meander =
or towns=20
decline, so that old walls might now be far too large for a shrunken = town, or=20
else around only part of the built-up-area.
- Following on from that, many walled settlements =
will have=20
buildings outside the walls – sometimes this may be prestigious = new developments=20
(eg, the fortified houses and barracks of lunar occupiers), but more = often some=20
shanty town, like Aldachur-Outside-the-Walls.

And so it goes… 

Especially given the presence of a travelling trader =
cult as=20
well as an adventurous tradition that leads to many thanes and chiefs = (ie,=20
people with the spare resource to spend on building) having seen other = lands,=20
there is likely to be considerable cultural cross-fertilisation. Of = course, just=20
as Roman architecture was ‘winterised’ for British use, so = too will the=20
distinctive conditions of DP drive all but the most extravagant = building. Most=20
buildings will be variations on the tried-and-true longhouses and = thatched=20
plank-built or wattle-and-daub townhouses (easy to build, everyone knows = someone=20
who knows how to build them, they work in cold weather, etc).

As regards Aldachur, I think John Hughes and Mikael =
have set up=20
a very interesting and specific context. I’m actually working on a = my-game map=20
and picture of the city, but the basic defining features, drawn from = their=20
ideas, are a huge central palace-temple complex (the Place of Bronze), = dating=20
back to EWF days (Minoan-come-Aztec…trust me, it works!) and = partial glassy=20
walls from those days. Newer stone walls built by Terasarin in the late=20 16th century (KoS 140) connect up with these soaring glories, = within=20
which are a series of quarters, such as the Moon Quarter, largely taken = up by=20
lunar barracks and high-status housing for lunars and nobles identified = with=20
them. Buildings range from longhouses (especially in traditionalist = Elmali=20
quarters), lean-tos and thatch through to those built with brick and = stone=20
scavenged from the ruins of the old city and the marble and granite of = recent=20
constructions by the lunars and Harvar Ironfist.

Hope this is of some help!

Mark

------------------
Mark Galeotti
hia15_at_his.keele.ac.uk
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