THE
MANTHRIAN
CAPITAL
MARCOGG |
Marcogg is the capital of the Santharian province of Manthria on the continent of Sarvonia with currently about 40.000 inhabitants. It was an important historical town as the capitol of ancient Avennoria, and is now the trade city of the region, controlling the flow of goods and products from above Tyr Donion down to Klinsor. It is a human city but has excellent trade relations with the Mitharim Clan of dwarves who reside in the area to the northeast. Marcogg has been inhabited almost continuously since its founding in 10.350 b.S., and is known for its huge markets and its seven spectacular falls.
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Description. The
spectacular city of Marcogg is centred around the famous seven falls of the
Mashdai River, also known as the Vildegg Bend.
Vast basaltic ridges fan out from the massive Achare Peak which dominates the
horizon, forming the ledges over which the falls tumble, and the steps upon
which the city proudly rises.
Many of the stone buildings are constructed from the dark local basalt, or from
white clay brick imported from the Gryphon's Marl area. The contrast of black
and white, with the sparkle of the river cutting through it, is quite effective
from a distance. Elsewhere, the walls are formed from whitish plaster and dark
timber, again providing a striking contrast. Here and there the old city walls
may still be seen, although almost destroyed by urban expansion, overbuilding,
and the thrifty Marcoggian habit of recycling handy bits of cut stone that seem
to have no immediate purpose. Luckily the cobbled streets are in almost
constant use, so there is little risk of their surfaces being ripped up for
building supplies!
The city is shaped by its geographic surroundings, which are certainly worthy
of note; a series of seven cascading falls follow seven Steps, or basaltic
ridges, for a total of a hundred-and-fifty-ped drop over a length of almost
seven hundred peds. The entire series of falls is commonly referred to as
“Vildegg Bend”, but each fall has its own name
and character.
The first drop is the largest and is given the unimaginative name, "First
Fall", and drops about 50 peds. The next four all drop between 9-12 peds and
cover about 300 peds. Respectively, they are known as “Sherrine’s Leap” (see
the story of that name in Bard Judith’s
compendium), “Trili Fall”, “Fresh Ale”, and “Nishe Fall”. The sixth fall is
something of a rocky bottleneck, and the
water leaps out almost six or seven peds away from the Step before curving
downwards into the river again. Although its formal name is “Perryn Fall”, it
is locally referred to as “The Widdler”, for obvious reasons. Between the sixth
and the last the river flows wide and shallow, over a scattered collection of
basalt boulders which create treacherous rapids. The last fall is about 80 peds
downstream from the others and splits over a central huge boulder. It drops
about 17 peds and is given the name "Foot Falls", probably after some
long-forgotten jest.
Buildings and Places of the City can be summarized as follows:
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Bridges & Roads
Most horse, wagon, and other major
commercial traffic is routed above the Mashdai Reservoir, crossing the river on
the plains just above the city, or goes down on one of the two main roads that
circle through the city and crosses at the Low Bridge. On the west side of
Marcogg the main circle road is named “Nish-Fare” – an abbreviation of the
formal name “Nisheton Thoroughfare” -, while the eastern side is called
“Archare Route”. A smaller but still main square is located just off Nish-Fare,
in the southwest corner of the city, composed of Lawfish Road to the south,
Weavers Lane on the west, and Rune Street, a short section in the north which
runs into the curve of Nish-Fare.
To the north of the city, running up into the plains, is the Mithrun Trail,
also called the Mithrun Route - the major north-south trade road that
eventually splits to head east across the
Mithral Mountains at Crazy Woman Pass
and west to Chrondra, the next largest city in the area. The Mithrun Trail
continues south of the city, on the western side of the river, going past the
docks and south through the Marcoggian suburbs and farmlands until it curves
southwest between the Caeytharin Mountains and the
Auturian Woods, towards Klinsor. There is also a smaller trade route known
as River Road leading off the Southern Mithrun Trail, just below the city,
which runs eastwards along the river valley towards
Parthanul on the coast.
On the lowest Step, the Low Bridge, formally
known as the Sunset Bridge, connects the east
and west sides of the city. It seems to be only an extension of the flat, wide
roadbed, with little grace or delicacy, but its sturdy slab shape bears much of
the mercantile traffic of the city. For further details see the
entry on the Sunset Bridge.
Between the High and Low Bridges are many lesser spans – some professionally
built of granite piers and pilings, some mere stacks of mossy timbers. In one
place between the sixth and seventh falls, where the Mashdai River widens into
shallow rapids, the ‘bridge’ is only a series of wide stepping stones, some
just a handspan above the swirling water.
Marketwomen and fishwives cross with unthinking grace, having done it daily for
most of their lives, and porters step deftly over the gaps even with the
heaviest bundles on their shoulders. Most of the bridges have names, and all
have histories behind their names, though some of the stories are lost in the
mists of the past.
On the highest Step of the city the Great Temple and the Thane's Palace stand
like guardians on either side of the First Falls, all of Marcogg spread below
them. The High Bridge (see picture), an arched walkway poised above the leap of white
water, with the great reservoir of the
Mashdai behind it, connects the two huge guardians. This is not a major span
and is only used for foot or single horse
passage.
Great
Temple of Nehtor/Hospice of
Nehtor
This lovely all-white edifice was designed by
dwarf architects and much of the original work carried out by
dwarf masons in the 920s (b.S.) to the 930s.
It seems to rise like a swan’s breast directly from the foaming
water to its east and comes gracefully up
onto the green sward which fronts the Nishton Thoroughfare to the left. The
general shape is oval, topped with a curving dome, while dainty arches in a
smooth white stone mark the passageways to the interior. Lacy balconies of the
same white stone ring the curving sides on the second and third floors, while
the fourth is a simple terrace that supports the dome.
Recently the Great Temple has been expanded, mostly by
human masons and craftsmen working under the
supervision of specially-hired
Mitharim stoneworkers from Kor Mithrid. An entire extra ‘ring’ of rooms was
added to encircle the first floor to create a light-filled, sunny area with
facilities for the clerics of Nehtor to
provide healing, while the cellars have been extensively dug out to provide
both storage space and recuperation rooms for the new ‘hospice’, as the Head
Priest refers to it.
It is suspected that there may be a dwarf-built
passage from the Thane's Palace under the first falls of the Mashdai leading to
the Nehtorian Temple. It is also rumoured
that such a passage exists due to the influence of Lady Swanhild (see below)
and the White Nehtorians, and that
in the recent expansion of the Great Temple a specific subterranean chapel was
created for the benefit of the Dalorin
sect. However that may be, the recently constructed hospice within the
Temple is of benefit to all, whether noble or poor, and we may thank the
Thane Swanhild for her generous financial support of the building.
The
Thane's Palace
This sturdy building lies to the east of Sherrine’s Leap, its high balconies
and heavy terraces overlooking the lovely view of the High Bridge (see picture)
and the First Falls to the northwest. Directly across the river are the
graceful white lines of the Great Temple, while behind the palace are the
best-preserved areas of the old city walls, elsewhere marked only by crumbling
granite blocks or ancient foundations. Greenery spills down from the dark stone
terraces of the palace, a counterpoint to the arching
water below, while the steep slate tiles
of its roofs are damply emerald with the ever-present moss. The building
contains a great central courtyard, stables, servants’ quarters for forty, a
barracks for the Ducal Guard, a small chapel, an orrery tower, a mews with ten
to twelve hawks in residence, a grand ballroom, a private well, and assorted
halls, bedrooms, studies, privy chambers, kitchens, sculleries, and cellars.
The over-all feel is more suited to a lone castle than an urban palace, and the
place looks as if it would be easily defensible in case of a siege.
The
Vildegg Rock
Between the ‘Widdler’ and the Foot Falls, in the center of the rapids, a
gigantic black boulder lies, shaped with one flat side, tilted slightly upwards
towards Injèrá’s rays and oriented
southwest. Ancient runic carvings on its face tell the story of Liemolf Marcogg
and his Avennorian explorers,
and give the town its original name of Nisheton-on-Vildegg-Bend. It is commonly
believed to date back to the time of Liemolf, but currently scholars suspect
that it may be an artifact from the Reconstruction of
barek Swanhild, in the
mid-1600s. A replica of the rock is located on the Northern Mithrun Route, at
the intersection of Merchant’s Road where the first commercial traffic bridge
across the Mashdai is located just above the reservoir.
The
Temple of Baveras
The spectacular Temple of Baveras is
located on the river as well, just above Trili Fall, the third drop of
water. And ‘on’ is indeed the correct
expression, as the cunning dwarven
stonesmiths who built the edifice were asked to locate it so that
water would flow both through and around
the temple, which they did with creativity and genius.
Most Baverian temples are constructed in
a round or circular shape, while those which are not exactly circular have
three, six, or twelve corners to represent
Baveras’ other symbol, the triangle. The shape of this building is made up
of several adjacent triangles which form a span running from one side of the
river to the other. This elongated span is intersected by a wide pierced trough
carved from the riverbed and set with
dolfolk-shaped arches in such a way that the diverted
water flows down the trough and leaps up
over the stone fish in spectacular curves and fountains, to emerge finally from
the front face of the temple in a glorious rainbow-scattering spray. Slim
pillars support the marble dome, their capitals and bases resembling two
outward-curving waves. Here and there inside the wet tile floor of the temple
are set tiny pools, with intricately carved drains from top to bottom so that
fresh water constantly flows through
them, and the little river fish which dart around in them can be purchased and
released as a live offering which the priests say pleases
Baveras. Silver-hued fish are said to
carry your wishes and petitions to the goddess, while herne-shaded fish
represent thanks and gratitude for fulfilled prayer. There are deep alcoves set
into the back of the temple with two-ped high purification waterfalls running
down their sloping backs, where worshipers may come and wash their hands,
faces, or bodies; they are especially popular in the sultry days of summer!
A carving of the Water Mistress herself is cunningly placed at the very back of
the temple, just above where the central trough starts, with
water flowing down over its curves and
enigmatic smile so that the stone features appear to move and ripple in
response to the gaze of the faithful. Along either side the tall arches that
face the river banks and the slender footbridges are draped with cloth; light
blues and greens and whites in the summer are moistened with sprays of
water near the edge of the arches,
cooling the temple as the breezes blow through them. They are left up in the
winter but pulled back into graceful wet drapings which eventually freeze into
softly tinted ripples of ice, like crystal carvings around the entrance, while
heavy felt hangings are added just inside the openings to keep out the drafts.
The
Markets
Three large markets which run on alternating days of the week serve Marcogg's
needs: the Produce Market, where the fresh goods from the southern farmlands of
Twynor are brought, the marvelously odoriferous Fish Market near the docks, and
the Central Market, where almost anything else may be bought, sold, bartered,
traded, or acquired for a price.
Here also goods come in from all over the province and go out to all areas:
items from Kolbruk, fish from
Parthanul, beef down from the Huiscen Plains, flowers from the edge of the
Auturian Woods, vegetables and fruit from the
southern farmlands, bricks from the Gryphon’s Marl to the southwest, pearls
from Ciosa… one can find almost anything in the Marcoggian markets if one takes
the time to look!
Other
Interesting Buildings
We would be remiss if we did not mention some of the smaller but still
well-known places in Marcogg such as the famous Vine &
Psittae, the best tavern in the city boasting ‘over forty types of
drinks, liquors, ales, spirits, and other potations’, and its competitor, the
White Deer, or the
Apothecary’s Flask, which sells all sorts of medicinal, chemical, and
herbal concoctions.
A traveler will have his or her choice of numerous inns and bedplaces; on the
cheaper end of the scale are such places as Tarhand’s
Cothouse down by the Fish Market (mostly frequented by the dockyard
sorts and the poorer merchants) while those with a few silverbards to jingle
would probably continue to Herne’s Hostel on
Weaver’s Lane.
If that same traveler then needed to replace a few items or completely
replenish his supplies, the popular and broadly-stocked
Orrin Chandler’s would have much of what he required. If seeking swords,
daggers, or basic armour, one cannot do better than the
dwarven-owned and operated
Dwarven Arms (an unimaginative but accurate name
for the huge weaponsmithy!). For soft goods, the long-established weaving firm
of Sergetha & Daughters has a great deal of
made-up stock and can weave-to-order most individual requests.
Eating establishments are on every street of the city, and range from the tiny
fish-fry stalls and temporary ale-tents to the elegant frescoed rooms of
Seven Falls Fine Food, overlooking the cascade of
Sherrine’s Leap on Vildegg Bend. Taverns,
beer-halls, pubs, and other drinking holes may also be found throughout the
city.
If seeking entertainment in the evening, the East Side of the city, just off
Achare Route, is an area a visibly-armed man may choose to wander with
sufficient coin to purchase more exotic drinks, emotion-altering substances, or
paid companionship. However, the second-lowest Step of the city (along which
runs Lawfish Road) is somewhat safer and has the more discreet establishments
such as the simply-named ‘Jenny’s’ to recommend
it.
And finally, if the adventurous traveler should run short of money during his
stay, he always has the option of risking his future at
Fribben the Human’s shop, where the ample-bodied money-lender will
gladly discuss terms with him.
Location. The city of
Marcogg is located in eastern Manthria, within the kingdom of
Santharia, on the
Vildegg Bend of the great Mashdai River which
flows down from the coastal Mithral Mountains.
To its west are the lovely Auturian Woods,
home of the Tethinrhim elves. To
the southwest are the fertile grasslands of the Twynor region, while still
further on lie the clay wastes of the Tolonian Heath. Marcogg is always in view
of mountains; the stark Mithrals to the
northeast and east, and the softer blue curves of the Caeytharins to the south
and east.
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Picture description. The location of the Marcogg, capital of the Santharian province of Manthria, located close to the Adanian Sea and the Mithral Mountains. Maps by Artimidor. |
People. Now that peace
has settled upon the United Kingdom, Marcogg’s
current population runs to almost 40.000 inhabitants, according to Thane
Swanhild’s most recent census.
The city is quite cosmopolitan for its size, but its population is mostly
represented by humans. The
humans of Marcogg are proud of their
Avennorian roots and traditions,
including their seafaring heritage, but most especially the accumulation of
wealth as a mark of cultural status. As one historian notes: “…the King was
chosen by wealth, not bloodline. ... Since most kings increased their wealth
usually they could pass on that wealth to their son or daughter. There had been
some instances where a stranger had come up with more wealth than the King and
the King had been deposed." Certainly in Marcoggian society one’s monetary
achievements are as well-known as one’s bloodline and pedigree might be in the
Santhalan court!
A number of dwarves from the
Mithrals have settled in the city (as
evidenced by the Dwarven Arms and other Thergerim-run
shops) but mostly the Mitharim
prefer to do their trading to the north at Grensa Post. Some
gnomes and
hobbits have homes on the East Side or along the Southern Mithral Trail
between the city proper and the Twynor Farmsteadings. The occasional
Brownie can be seen, and once in a while an
elven ranger will pass through on the outskirts
of town. Merfolk have been known to
accompany ships up the river as far as the Docks from time to time, although
they claim the freshwater makes their skins itch and they cannot ‘breathe’ it
for long.
The Tethinrhim elves keep to their
settlements in the Auturian Woods to the west
of Marcogg, while the Mitharim dwarves
range the Mithral Mountains to the east.
Northward on the Huiscen Plains, near the paired foothills called the Sentinels,
is said to be the mogliar region, where
the reclusive mole-like semi-sentients dwell in deep burrows. Reports of
mogliar sightings are few and far between,
usually told by the cattleherders and drovers who tend their herds on the
plains.
In the region of Marcogg are also the small settlements, mostly
human, of Nathembly, Chrondra, and Simsy,
running from south to north along the Upper Mashdai. They tend to depend on the
river and the trade route along it and are mostly composed of small farmers,
fresh-fishers, and cattleherders. Generally raw goods go downriver and products
come back from Marcogg. Southward the Twynor Farmsteadings stretch for league
upon league along the Southern Mithral Trail, with here and there the round
doors of hobbitholes or the quaint shapes of gnomedwellings breaking the expanse
of golden grainfields and lush orchards.
Coat of Arms/Sign.
Marcogg’s coat of arms shows a silver shield which is divided from top left to
bottom right by a waving blue band, representing the
Vildegg Bend portion of the Mashdai River. On the top right area is a purple
mountain overlaid with a golden coin, standing for Achare Peak and the debt of
gratitude owed to the Mitharim in
the construction of the city, while on the lower left is a green
evoor fish crossed with a red spray of
vegetation, showing the city’s source of income and origins as a trade town.
Simple but easily identified, this coat of arms is used on banners throughout
the town and stamped on produce bags, fish casks, and other trade items from
butterpats to local wineries’ labels. Thane Swanhild uses a variation of this
coat of arms in the palace which merges the river image with his own crest, the
Swan Guarding.
Government. Marcogg
is governed by a city council under the leadership of the current Thane (ruler of
the Manthrian province), Herrgan Johl Swanhild, a descendant of the famous Barek
Swanhild. The councilors are drawn equally from the leading nobility of the city
and the prosperous burghers/merchant lords, six of each. Their term of service
is three years at a time, and near the end of that term they are individually
expected to propose several replacements, whom Thane Swanhild can either approve
or reject. From this pool of peer candidates, twelve are chosen by vote of the
old council.
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This system does not allow for a great deal of representation of the less
well-to-do in Marcoggian society, but it keeps trade flowing, the nobles
prosperous, and jobs for almost everyone. The law codes of Marcogg have been in
place for centuries, but new proposals are always being laid before the council
and the Thane by new members eager to have their name attached to a fresh piece
of legislation, from issues as serious as the death penalty to as simple as the
width of new laneways. In the last few years some of the most well-known motions
that were accepted have been “Julya’s Fountained Intersection Proposal”,
“Merovin the Senior’s Proportional Taxation Appeal”, “Lerous Pratilly’s Appendix
to the City Guard Codex of Halodin Swanhild” (another descendant of the famous
Barek), and “Gerontious’s Horse Dung Removal System”.
Thane Swanhild has held the governorship of Marcogg for the last twenty years,
generally to popular acclaim. He is perceived as being inflexible but just, and
while not open to innovation or emotional appeal, is more easily swayed by
impeccably presented logic and carefully worked-out engineering plans.
Physically he bears out this perception, being a tall dark man with a hawkish
profile and deepset, unreadable eyes, invariably well-dressed but with only the
Marcogg gold chain of office and the Thane's ring to indicate his rank. He has
been wed to Jassitha Erphana Karyestran, an
Erpheronian noblewoman from
Voldar, in Vardýnn. Her
father rose high in the ranks of the
White Knights, while her mother, a devotee of the healing deities, was
active in charities and helped to set up a hospice for the poor in
Voldar. Jassitha herself - or Lady Swanhild as we
should call her - despite being active in her children’s upbringing as
well-educated and accomplished nobility, has also found time to continue
developing trade relations with the
Mitharim dwarves and is known as a supporter of the
White Nehtorians or
Dalorins. It is under her energetic
influence that the formerly somewhat dilapidated Thane's Palace is being
restored and decorated, and that the Great Temple of
Nehtor has found the wherewithal to expand
its environs, including the recently-constructed Hospice which serves the
medical needs of noble and pauper alike without question of payment other than
in kind.
Climate. The spray
from the river, and the location of the city in the rainshadow of the
Mithral Mountains, gives Marcogg a moist
climate which is said to be beneficial to the skin. Whether or not this is true,
it certainly is good for the local mosses, lichens, and vegetation; the parts of
Marcogg that are not black and white are a rich green!
One can expect a light mist about half the time, and actual rain three or four
days out of ten, depending on the season of the year. Further away from the
city, to the south and west, it is often sunnier, so the major farmlands of
Twynor upon which Marcogg depends are located in that area.
Flora. Marcogg is green
where it is not black and white; mosses and vines thrive in the moist climate,
and the mountains to the northeast create a miniature subclimate of warmth which
ensures that a number of cultivated flowers and bushes also do well.
Yealm reed has been planted and is
spreading well in the Mashdai River, helping to filter some of the wastes of the
city, and various waterweeds are practically a nuisance, growing so well that
they hinder boats’ passage upriver from the coast.
River birch and
wolf willow grow long and slender close to
the water’s edge, and in the city are kept
pollarded so that they create thick globes of green leaves in the spring and
summer. During the fall the cobble streets are full of their golden sheddings,
and in winter their cut-back silhouettes stand out beautifully against the grey
skies. The pruned branches are always much in demand as inexpensive strappings
and ties, and can be woven into sturdy baskets and other wicker products.
Tievine, ivy, morningglory and purplebean are all vines that grow luxuriantly
with plenty of water, and many of the city
walls are covered with their variously herne-hued, grey, green, and pale
lavender leaves, softening the contrast of the black basalt and white brick.
Dochnuts,
kies, and arv
may all be found in the lightly forested flatlands west of Marcogg, before the
thicker stands of the Auturian Woods begin.
Nathembly farmers are beginning to consider cultivating them rather than merely
gathering them wild as they are currently somewhat limited by the distance they
must travel and the area to be covered.
Fauna. In the city of
Marcogg itself the animal population is somewhat limited to the usual urban
rats, pigeons, and a small stray dog problem
for which one of the City Councilors is currently formulating a motion
tentatively entitled “Brunsavan’s Unhomed Canine & Canine Product Removal
Proposal”. This does not, of course, take into consideration the many pets
safely ensconced in homes throughout the city, such as the popular
avenor cats and the clever
mimsy.
Psittae and other cagebirds have a small following, and can be seen hung out
under the eaves of many buildings in the evening to take the air and sing.
Bonehead and
evoor are thick in the river north of the
city, and can be caught in the Mashdai Reservoir with some patience.
Baneg cattle are bred and herded on the
Huiscen Plains, in competition with the wild
Sarvonian deer that still roam the area
freely.
For details on other wild animals of the area, see the
Mithral Mountains entry.
Resources. Twynor,
to the southwest, supplies most of Marcogg’s fresh fruits and vegetables, while
beef comes in from Chrondra and Simsy on the northwestern plains, and salt-fish
from Parthanul on the coast. Nathembly, a small
village to the northwest, sends down freshwater fish and plains
deer. Archare Mountain, part of the
Mithrals, is technically a
dwarven realm but long-standing negotiations
with Kor Mithrid allow humans to do surface
prospecting and hunting. It is rumoured that Lady Swanhild is currently in
discussions with the Mitharim Clan
chief to allow for surface mining on Archare as well, but this is as yet
unconfirmed.
Myth/Lore.
Vildegg Bend is the name given to a curve in the
Mashdai River where a series of cascading falls are located. The early
Avennorians discovered this bend
as they were exploring the Mashdai on one of their perpetual quests for wealth.
They set up a city at the foot of these falls and named it
Nisheton-on-Vildegg-Bend, or Nisheton for short. Later (see History) the city
was renamed Marcogg after the Avennorian explorer and leader Liemolf Marcogg.
Some scholars state that ‘Nishe’ was the old word for ‘nixie’ or ‘river nymph’
and have found scraps of Avennorian
folktales and accounts that relate Liemolf Marcogg’s encounter with such a
nymph. One old song even claims that Liemolf had a child by the Nishe of the
river, and this song has come down to us, in debased form, as a chanty still
sung by ‘bollies’, or barge workers, on the Mashdai. A few sample verses are
given below, for which we disclaim all responsibility if the reader is offended:
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Information
provided by
Bard Judith
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