Antaka. Thank you for providing a very useful map of the city. Your prize is in the mail.
What's that you say? Where's everything else?
Oh, well, I decided that we'll also be using Blackhawk's, as provided by Virelai. That's right, two winners. Virelai, your prize is also in the mail.
The thing is, Blackhawk's work was amazing. In my very limited way, that looks exactly like how I had it in my head (a bit of a lie, actually, since I worked from a general concept and drew my own crude map on paper, and Blackhawk's image looked like that, but actually good - real).
All runners up will receive something for participating as well.
The Autarch wrote:Oh, if it were only that easy. Welcome to the game's first contest. Whoever produces the best graphical representation of the map in my head (be it through photoshop or what have you or just a scan of a good sketch) will receive a little trinket. Bribing Edge or anyone else so inclined is also acceptable.
To the west side of the city lies a great sea. It is generally calm, but storms have been known to dash ships upon the rocky coast, the seasonal rainstorms being the worst of all. The shoreline undulates south by southeast. There is one volcanic island at the northernmost limit which could be reached by boat from shore within a couple hours, but as the island is barren rock, few choose to do so.
An equal distance from the shore as the island, the great mountain range begins, running almost exactly southeast until it veers southwest briefly, then runs southeast again almost as briefly. From there it runs south by southwest until it almost reaches the southernmost limit of the coast. The mountains in the north are tallest. Many are volcanic, and they are generally snowcapped most of the year. The mountains in the south are shorter and covered in dense forest, this forest being nearly impenetrable as it closes the remaining distance to the sea.
From the middle tip of the sideways M of the mountains begins a great river. It runs west by southwest, emptying into a bay on the coast. It also evenly bisects The Acropolis.
The Acropolis itself is formed of several districts. Along the bay, of course, is the Wharf District. Adjoining that on the north side of the river is the trade district, followed by a district of middle class residences, then the civil district. The remaining corner of the Acropolis north of the river is taken up by the upper class residences, where the king and most of the ruling class have their palaces.
Adjoining the wharf district south of the river is pretty much row upon rows of shanties where the lower class of the acropolis eke out their hard lot in life. The border between it and the bath district is indistinct but comprised of many brothels, gambling halls, and other shady businesses. The bath district itself is supposed to be egalitarian. Men, women, rich, poor, meet to bathe, converse, and participate in civic functions. Past the bath district is the Arts District. There are theatres, galleries, a sporting ground, and countless street performers and hawkers. The remaining corner is public parks and gardens.
Bridges link the north and south sides at every district. The ones to the Bath and Arts district are the largest, however.
Descending down the steep hillsides of The Acropolis are seven roads, one to each of the outlying villages. Three to the north side of the river, four to the south.
The land to the north of the river is generally hilly. The three villages sit upon the highest hills closest to the city, though the hills closest to northern side of the range are much larger. Some hillsides have been plowed, so farming is not too difficult. More frequent, however, are groves of trees and cleared pastures for grazing.
To the south of the river are wide, open plains.
The climate is moderate, though the protection of the mountain range and the sea currents account for much of this and lend to a longer than average growing season.