Dwarven section

Dwarves represent about 5% of the population of Avondal
The Dwarven area does not meet up with the river, instead it goes back up against the city wall. The most impressive and dominating feature of this section of the city is a massive “T” shaped building that functions as the center of Dwarven life in this city. It is a great stone structure extending off the city wall. It’s dimensions are huge. Each part of the “T” is 400 feet long and 200 feet wide. And the building stands 30 feet tall – matching up to the height of the city walls. This building has three main and impressive entrances, each one at the end of the “T” sections. Each entrance has a set of massive double doors that also have smaller door sections built into them so that under normal circumstances, the smaller, normal sized doors are used to gain access and egress and the massive double doors are only opened for special occasions. Then there is an open portal between the wall to the exterior wall of the building and the city walls to allow horses and carts (and walking people) to pass thru along the city wall. This was done for “traffic control” especially if he city guard ever needed to quickly maneuver. There is a large, massive solid stone door that can be slid closed and locked, stopping this method of passage, but that would only be done if there was a reason to stop traffic flow – perhaps to cut off an invading armies access. The exterior of the building is ornate and impressive and grand. And an unusual characteristic is that there are no windows. The roof slants slightly inward at first but then is flat on top. So one could walk on the roof and indeed, the city wall ramparts do have entrances onto the roof of this building so that guards can walk from this building’s rooftop directly onto the city wall’s ramparts. Those entrances can be closed and locked with heavy stone sliding doors, but are most often left open. There are two sets of circular stairs in the pit of each of the T sections on each side of the exterior of the building so that one can climb up to the rooftop from the outside of the building. But this access can also be closed off with a have stone cap set at the top of the steps.
Once on the rooftop, the most unusual feature is that the top of the roof, where you would walk, is made of a deep, dark red stone. Much different than the grey stone that the rest of the building is made of. You can really only see the red when you are on the roof, or, theoretically, when you are above it. There is a 3 foot tall wall on this roof top. There is a large circular, golden ball on top of the roof that is 15 feet in diameter. It is near the farthest end from the city wall. It is made of gold (or at least it is a golden color). It catches the sun during the day and from all over the city, depending on the direction of the sun, you can catch glints or flashes of light as the sun sparkles on its surface. It is not annoying though – actually just a curiosity and lets the building stand out among the others. In the evening, this ball has a very slight glow, more like reflected light off of it. This is the reflection of the moon, but even when the moon is not out, the ball does give off its own glow at night, independent of the moons reflected light. Again, this light is not annoying, just enough to bring attention to this grand and magnificent building.
With the exception of the top of the “T” which runs along and connects to the city wall, the entire building is free standing. And the ramparts of the main city walls connect to ramparts that are on the roof of this building as well but there are heavy gates for them to quickly close the entrance to the city wall ramparts, this making the building’s ceiling and the city walls separated when needed or desired.
Once inside, it is grand, like the picture below.

This hall has many uses. At times it is used for feasting and celebrating. Other times funerals. Other times clan meetings. There are many rooms off the main “T” section halls that have many uses. Government rooms, training rooms, school rooms, storage rooms. The ceilings are made of an orange / red stone and they are trimmed, or outlined, with a white or very light blue grey stone. During the day, the orange / red ceilings all glow bright enough that it is just as if the place had windows letting in light, but there are no actual windows. And the light from the ceiling seams and feels as if it is actual sunlight. It even follows the exact timing of the sun – beginning to glow at actual sunrise and beginning to wain at actual sunset. It even regulates the heat as if it was the sun, getting warmer as it gets brighter in the morning and getting cooler as it gets darker in the evening. When it wanes, in the evening, the light blue grey stone edges of the ceilings glow instead of the orange, yellow mid-section of the ceiling, as if it were moonshine. The ceiling basically becomes the sun and moon for this great building and its many rooms, which is good, since there are no windows. There are other lights for beauty and effect, for example up-lighting on columns as pictured in the above picture of the interior -but they are not torches or even oil – they are created by glowing stones, just like the ceiling. There is a walkway about 20 feet up along the walls, like a second level but you cannot see how one would reach these walkways as there are not visible stairs nor is there anything up on that level – no doors or anything. It appears to be just a decorative adornment to break up the long walls (like in modern houses in the entry way there could be a window with a small platform in front of it for decoration but no way to reach the platform). The railing to the walkway is carved beautifully with scenes of important events in Dwarven history. The building also has two lower, underground levels that the Dwarves use all the time, but non-dwarven quests rarely go below. There is a great winding circular staircase near were the T sections meet going down. It is made of steps that circle around a large pillar that is 20 foot in diameter and goes straight down. On the circular top of this large pillar is a large statue of a noble Dwarf with a great hammer and shield standing next to a Red Dragon that is laying down with its head inclined towards the dwarf and its body curved slightly around the dwarf. The Dragon’s eyes are open and twinkle (the gems have a luminescence). The statues stands about 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide (it takes up the entire surface area of the pillar that is 20 foot in diameter. There is a 3 foot tall railing around this staircase so that nobody falls down.
There are also a large set of straight stairs going down near each of the three exits of this building. These sets of steps are in the MIDDLE of the hallways and have a 3 foot tall wall around three sides of them so nobody falls down. There is a flat section in the middle of the stops (like a slide surface). Kids often slide down it, but the Dwarves us it to slip deliveries down rather than carry heavy stuff down steps. (like an escalator in a mall figure).
There are not staircases that go up in this building
The homes of the dwarves are also made of stone and are strong and impressive. Most of them are not free standing but instead are built next to one another like row homes, and in some cases, on top of each other. The backs of these homes form the outer wall of the dwarven section of the city. On each side every 50 feet of the row of homes, there is a cut out alleyway in the row of buildings that leads in and out of the dwarven section. But there three other, large main entrances to the dwarven section. The smaller alleyway entrances are just for simple travel about two people wide so perhaps a very small cart could be taken through them. The alleyways have solid stone gates that slide from inserts in the stone walls and they can be locked when needed to “close down” this area. The three large main entrances to this section of the city likewise have inserted solid stone gates that can be closed and locked. The effect is that when all the solid stone gates are closed – this section of the city is totally blocked off by a solid wall of stone.
Periodically, every few blocks in the city street, there are portal openings leading down, like a subway entrance. These steps lead down into the “under city”, which is exactly like it sounds. (more details will follow on “under city” later after I finish detailing out the upper city areas- this may end up being in a separate manual)

Location under

Residential Neighborhoods