Re: Re: New Wiki almost there - what are the Gates of Whitewall

From: donald_at_...
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:36:09 GMT

In message <cpc5fd+amqe_at_...> "Jane Williams" writes:
>
>> On topic question: What are the names of the gates into Whitewall?
>> We have many references to Tarkalors Gate and one reference to the
>> Great Gate (in ProgressOfTheSiege) but nothing that explicitly
>> names the gates.
>
>Good question. How many gates do we have, and of what size/type? I'd
>assume that many will be blocked or reinforced during the siege, but
>what would there have been to start with?
>
>Tarkalor's Gate opens to a path up to the city proper, and I'd guess
>the Great Gate is at the top of that?
>
>We know of at least one "sally port" mentioned in a story.
>
>There probably aren't huge numbers of gates compared to most cities,
>as a gate that opens on to a sheer drop isn't a lot of use.

Looking at the map entitled "neighbourhoods" there appear to be four:

1. Tarkalor's gate which is a freestanding building at the end of the bridge, not actually connected to the city.
2. A gate in the city walls just behind Tarkalor's gate. This may well have been added when Tarkalor's gate was built.
3. A gate further along and halfway up the wall which is reached by a stairway. This looks to me like the Great Gate.
4. A gate adjacent to the citadel opening out onto Fellmoor.

2 and 3 open out onto the path/narrow road which skirts the city walls.

>We have people going out and fighting skirmishes with the Lunars,
>duels, that sort of thing. They must be getting in and out somehow.
>Do they use Tarkalor's Gate for that? I seem to remember a bit of
>fiction (did it ever get Wikied?) aboutr Broyna's girlfriend and her
>ex-fiancee turning up to challenge people to duels. People could
>watch the fight from the walls. Was there a small gate involved here?

That could be the Great Gate as there is access from Fellmoor where he could be camped. There's probably a small gate either in or beside to main gate which is used for this sort of thing. I don't think Tarkalor's gate is really suitable as he'd have to ride across the bridge to get there.

The Lunar camp on Fellmoor is visible from the walls on that side. The one across the bridge is visible from Tarkalor's gate and the city walls behind it.

>Could some of the underground routes be "official" rather
>than "secret", if you see what I mean? With a nice decorated entrance
>somewhere a mile or so away? Magical defences probably a *bit* better
>than "say 'friend' and enter", but I quite like the pool with the
>tentacled sea monster in it.

Some of these routes are going to be pretty well known but I don't think there are going to have nicely decorated entrances. A tentacled sea monster sounds a good idea though - left behind when the sea floods out of the city?

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/