Chapter 6: City of the Falls

[Phiona Whitefire]

www.santharia.com/picture...arcogg.htm


Marcogg is the capital of the Santharian province of  Manthria on the continent of Sarvonia with currently about 20.000 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.

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:


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. Return to the top

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.

This text is courtesy of The Santharian Dream, this board's main site.  I'd like to take this time to thank all of the creators of Caelereth for the hard work they've put into this gaming world... it has made this game and others so much richer! Kudos!

Edited by: Phiona Whitefire at: 11/19/04 18:53

[Luca the Thief]

Luca stared at the old man increduously and then suddenly her ears perked. It was nothing but a faint whine to the ears of humans, but Luca's elven gifted ears distinguished it against the soft murmur of the sounds of a dungeon. A scream. It was the cracking, desperate kind of scream by somebody who was surpised at how quickly death was boring down on them.

"Hold that thought," Luca hissed at her fellows, "I think one of our own, rather, my own, has gotten herself into trouble." Luca would have liked to have just left Rheine. To have left the trollop on her own. But Luca couldn't do that. Regardless of her lack of tact, much less self-respect, Rheine was, in a way, Luca's kin and she couldn't ignore that. Though the half-elf knew the red haired scruff would never do the same for her, it was not in the thief's nature to just let her slip between her fingures. "I'm well capable to find her easilly enough on my own but," Luca eyed Phiona, "should I get into trouble I wouldn't have much luck."

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[Phiona Whitefire]

Phiona looked past Luca into the dark cell, somewhat heartened to hear that Ravenhunt was all right... she'd feared the worst.   She said decisively, "Let us quit this place... we've no more time!"  

She motioned to the dark-haired half-elf to follow her down the hall.  Hopefully everyone else will fall into line.  She led them away from their "rescuers", but she hadn't a clue if it was the right direction to get out...

"What we do in life, echoes in eternity"

- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Edited by: Phiona Whitefire at: 6/16/05 6:35

[Kyros the Ghost]

Kyros followed Phiona down the hall, still shaken from the battle.  Whatever was happening, he just wanted to be as far away from it as possible.  One of his own had betrayed, or pretended to betray, him and his companions, and he felt responsible for leading them into the trap.  Whatever the Elder was doing, it was beyond him.  It was people like that who give the Nehtorians a bad name.

"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you know not whence it comes and where it goes."
      -John 3:8

[Luca the Thief]

Luca bit her lip and looked around eagerly. She, of all people, did not like dungeons, however makeshift, and wanted to get out. Yet...the danger she predicted Rheine was unsettled her. It was wrong to leave her. She hated her...but she couldn't leave her.

"What about the wretch?" Luca asked, an edge of compassion in her usually sarcastic or caustic tone. The dagger in her hand twirled furiously, skipping across her knuckles and threading through her fingers. Luca didn't want to stray from the people with swords...but she would not leave the kid.

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[SeverineHalo]

Kylva sat in Shrive's office, twirling a dagger when Snake walked in.

"Saw the boy yet?" he asked.

"Yes" she replied. " Have you spoken to Kalyn yet?"

Snake brushed back his hair. "He was busy, but I had one of our own deliver him a message.  I took a look at that Severine fellow. Looks like you broke his spirit..."

Kylva laughed before speaking. "You could say that. Pretty soon...he'll be within my grasp."

"You're going to have him join us?"

"Sure...why not. He already has proven his skill by beating Marlus. I have plans for him...big plans..."

"Once again, the lone soldier walks off into the sunset..." -Anonymous

[Phiona Whitefire]

"The wretch?  Oh yes, your friend's girl.  If you insist, but hurry..."  Phiona glanced down the darkened hallway of stone, "I must get to the clear air of the outdoors again and soon.  This place sickens me."  She thought of Severine and wondered about his safety.

Ravenhunt and Kyros didn't seem the worse for wear, perhaps only a bruise or three.  But Phiona ached all over.  The dagger clutched in her hand did little to relieve her resentment of this situation.  She breathed in the stale air of the prison and listened to the echoing snatches of sound which filtered all around from the darkness.  Oh, how she hated it here!

"What we do in life, echoes in eternity"

- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Edited by: Phiona Whitefire at: 6/24/05 1:52

[Luca the Thief]

Luca nodded stiffly and looked down the corrider she had heard Rheine's voice from. At that moment, the half-elf caught some movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Travis. She had completely forgot he had been down there with them. "I'm coming with you," he said quietly, and Luca nodded, surging down the hallway.

It wasn't hard to hone in on her general location, but they soon came to a crossroads, either of which could have been the right way. "What now," she groaned, looking to Travis who had his thick arms over his chest in contemplation.

"We'll just have to wait for her to show herself," the young man grumbled, looking down either pathway.

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[Kyros the Ghost]

Kyros bit his lip as he listened to Phiona.  She was obviously in pain from being beaten up.  Normally he’d tell someone in her condition to look for help in a Nehtorian temple, but that wasn’t an option now.  He had a feeling that whatever he said would be unwelcome after what had just happened.  Finally he got up the courage to speak.

”Hang in there. I think I remember the way out.  If there aren’t more soldiers, that is.  That little girl had better show up soon.”

"The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you know not whence it comes and where it goes."
      -John 3:8

[Rheine]

Rheine had been in plenty of fights. Usually ones she started, of course. Generally, she wasn't really that great at winning them; this time was no exception. It took all of her strength and reflexes to keep the man's dagger from piercing her neck or chest, a quick tilting of the head each time he managed to slam it down, as her hands tried to keep him away, gripping his wrist tightly, and even scratching it with her long nails. That only seemed to make him angrier, however. His eyes peered down at her through narrow slits, seething. He probably had guessed the fight would be over quickly, however, Rheine was a survivor. That was all she was, really. She couldn't win a fight, but she could survive it.

She cried out in yet another scream for help as her eyes welled up with tears in fear. She was downright terrified that she'd die here, and flailed around on the floor summoning all of her reserves to keep herself from that finality.

She stared up into the man's eyes, then down at the hand holding the dagger. If she could just get that away from him, she'd be alright. Snarling, she pulled the hand down to surprise him, moving out of the way so that the dagger smashed into the stone floor. With a quick movement, she reached over with her mouth and bit his wrist, grinding her teeth into his flesh. At the same moment, she sent her leg up into his groin, which resulted in a loud, sharp scream.

The guard dropped his knife as he recoiled, though as he pulled away harshly from her his hands backhanded Rheine in the face, stunning her for a few moments. She screamed and held her face, crying more, but quickly regained her wits and grabbed the knife from the ground. Within seconds, she managed to pull herself to a stand, rush the guard, and stab the dagger somewhere in between his collar bone and his neck. Wasn't exactly the most fatal of positions, but it would do. As the guard cried out in pain, Rheine lept over him and began running as fast as she could, back down the way she had come. With luck, her "companions" were still there, and could save her from the guard.

She screamed for help the entire way, and soon came to meet it at a nearby crossroads, in the form of the elf-thing, and Travis...

[Luca the Thief]

Luca's spine shivered at Rheine's screams which started up quickly from a very distinct direction. Surging down the hallway to the left, the half-elf with Travis is tow, scrambled to a stop on the dusty floor as Rheine torpedoed into her. Luca could feel blood on her hands as she grabbed the wretch by the wrists, stopping her and hoping she'd stop screaming. The girl would wake the dead, and considering how things were going so far, it wouldn't surprise her if it happened.

Still, the thief was glad Rheine was okay. Sharing a quick glance from Travis and half expecting the entirety of the Marcogg guard squad to come barelling down after Rheine, Luca grabbed Rheine by the collar of her shirt and threw her in front of her, pushing her to run. "I don't need to know what the hell is going on. Just run," the half-elf sputtered in a dialect of the crude thieves cant, an accent long supressed from her years in Sarvonia, coming out again.

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[Rheine]

"I-I.. he..." Rheine stammered as she ran into Luca, not really caring about her animosities with the elf-thing at that time. She stopped her loud screams, but still sorta whimpered a bit as she took quick, frightened breaths. Then she looked down at the blood on her hands and screamed again, before grabbed by the collar of her shirt and shoved down another corridor, being pushed at the back as she scampered back up, hobbling forwards as she barely managed to hold her balance as Luca pressured her to run forwards. The elf-thing said something towards her, in what was known as thieves-cant. Rheine could only make out some of the words, but did recognize the last one: "Run".

And she ran, as fast as she could, almost tripping several times as she had still not managed to gain her balance after being dragged along so abrubtly.

[Luca the Thief]

The three young street people came to another intersection. Travis huffed out a few words, "Left is out. Right is back toy our friends."

Luca wasn't out of breath yet, and thought for a moment. They'd get out faster without the others, especially that old man, but what would they do at the surface? Or rather, what would the others do?. "Right," she instrusted and, grabbing Rheine's, rushed on.

It wasn't long until the three stumbled into that same corridor where Phiona and the others waited. "Go go go?" she urged, jumping from foot to foot as if to keep her momentum.  

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