Amaal

"When slowly comes the dusk, we can see far away
In the immensity, blazes the sea of fire
All the city's towers, whose shadow seems to sway
And in the deep silence, I quietly admire"
(in Dusk of Amaal by Eerhart Wodeer, 480.II)

The citadel of Amaal has inspired one of this century's most famous authors; Eerhart Wodeer has sung countless praises of the city's might and beauty in his poetry. He gave it the now widespread nickname of "The city of a hundred towers", but funny enough, there's even more than that, with 116 defensive towers on the citadel's walls only.

And defences they are, the city has never been invaded since its construction in 709.II. The situation is ideal: built on a hill on the ruins of a previous magissen settlement, it is surrounded by a wide valley where guards can observe ennemies from afar. And the citadel's dungeon towers at more than eleveln cords from the valley. Around this central tower, eight intricated levels are surrounded by walls of more than one cord to four cords high.

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_{(see Field guide for practical measurements vol. I for distances )}

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The highest level, built on the hill's summit, is the Great Palace where the city's government takes place. Then, the next levels are inhabited districts. The higher the cast and the richer, the higher the level one can live in. The second and third lower levels are densely populated by middle-class citizen, and include the military school and barracks. Finally, the first level is dedicated to trade. The city's policy has made sure that trade with the outside cannot be made in the inner city, and so a huge marked place occupies the whole first level. There, we sell and buy everything like livestock, materials, jewelery, food, clothing...
But from the 680 000 people registered in the city, only 18 000 of them have the privilege of living inside the city walls. Most of the inhabitants live around the citadel itself, and the city stretches all the way to the sea. Harbours are flourishing, even commoners like farmers, laborers, can find an inexpensive house in the well organised and growing outer districts.

Type

Citadel

Location under

Golden Sea