Post by Hazel on Aug 13, 2009 23:30:46 GMT -5
g u i d e :: l a n d s
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»» taryn :: Both the shifter world and the main city take the name of Taryn. The name may be pronounced any number of ways, none of them being the 'official' pronunciation. The most common variations are in the pronunciation of "a" and "y": usually as "ay" or "ah", and as "ih" or "uh" respectively. There are many more, usually dependent upon the individual speaker's dialect and ancestry.
»» the city taryn:: The main shifter city takes on the name of the shifter world, it being its very heart. Built just to the south of the great forest, it is build on a gently sloping hill that gives a marvelous view of both the city and the surrounding lands at its peak. It is constructed in tiers, which, without a wall, are distinctly divided. An ancient wall rings the city against old enemies, and has since fallen into decay, and the guardhouses are for the most part unused.
»» the world taryn :: Shifters have for much of their existence in this new world remained within an undefined boundary. The lands listed here encompass those lands most frequented by shifters; what lies beyond is, as of this date, unknown. Aside from the main city, a few settlements dot the landscapes, most of them tight communities of shifters of similar skills.
»» weather && climate :: The climate of Taryn is fairly temperate, the two extremes being the Odori desert and the Tonet mountaints. It experiences all four seasons, the summers being, for the most part, hot with mild humidity and frequent storms, the winter being cold with frequent snowfall.
»» portals :: Portals by which humans and shifters may traverse between the worlds are relatively rare. For an unknown reason, it is usually humans that come to Taryn, and not shifters that go to earth. Portals are mysterious things that appear and disappear, seemingly at random, for which there is no known trigger. They are invisible until one steps through them, at which point it is impossible to turn around.
»» the darkwood keep :: The Darkwood Keep, both fortress and palace, was, for reasons long forgotten, not built on the actual summit of the hill, but on its northern slope. It is one massive complex surrounded by a great wall of stone that contains the ancient fortress and the much more recent palace.
The fortress is a rough building constructed of dark stone with a towering outer wall, most resembling a medieval castle. Formerly the last defense of the city, it now houses the small standing army and police force. Its long corridors lead to the barracks, the cookhouses, and the administrative rooms. The building is not completely used, and while the parts that see use are well maintained, the rest are placing of cobwebs and slowly crumbling stone.
The palace, in contrast with the fortress, is a much more elegant structure made of whiter stone and wood. It was a later addition, and so is placed on the grounds of the fortress. In style, it most resembles a chateau, and while not large, it still exudes an air of grandeur. The remainder of the grounds are taken up by the palace gardens with sprawling lawns, pools, fountains, and gardens.
»» armyen (the upper tier) :: The city's upper tier loosely sprawls about the northern edge of the keep. It is the residence of the city's nobility and richer citizens. The homes are each distinct and lavish, constructed in a style to the owner's liking, and often surrounded by small gardens and decorative fences. They are the owners' city dwellings, and are matched only by those they maintain in the country, where many have such things as private stables for their pleasure.
»» terigann (middle tier) :: The middle tier has its center at the crest of the hill and continues down much of its slope. Here, most of the houses are either interconnected or divided by small alleys, although a few have modest gardens. They tell the story of the city, and nowhere else can the influence of stray humans be seen more prominently. The buildings here are built in many different styles, roughly corresponding to those in the human world at the time. The streets are paved with stone or brick, and the houses open right onto them. They are often heavy with traffic coming and going from the market, and can be noisy, even during the night.
»» the market :: The heart of the city is on the very crest of the hill with a small tower gracing the center of the main square and offering a beautiful view of the city and surrounding lands. Several squares are connected by broad roads, and merchants set up their stands between the permanent shops of the tradesmen. It is a place where one can find almost anything, including young pickpockets and thieves.
»» the lower tier :: The lower tier forms a more or less uniform ring around the outside edge of the city. Here, the buildings are old and ruinous, many with collapsing stone- or brickwork or rotting or charred timbers. Few of the alleys are paved - most are just dirt. The shifters that live here are the unwanted, the poor, and the villains. They live in the remaining buildings, or patch together shacks out of various materials. Most ignore this part of town, wisely avoiding it; crime is rampant, and murder is common where even the police rarely dare to tread. It is a world onto itself, split into sectors by the various roads that lead from Terigann through the city walls.
»» the edge :: Just to the south of the city begins the vast ocean, and the strand has, for lack of a better name, been dubbed "the edge". There are remarkably few waves, and all of them are small. A beach of sand and flat, round pebbles gives way to remarkably clear water. Large, seemingly randomly placed boulders offer great climbing and diving opportunities, and swimming is a great form of recreation. Shifters are no mariners, so you will find no boats here, but just offshore is a favorite playing ground for porpoises and dolphins.
»» stoneybrook meadow :: Surrounding the city is the area known as Stoneybrook Meadow, that, although far larger than the average meadow, has nevertheless kept the name. It is a large fertile plain where, dotted by the occasional trees, tall grasses and wildflowers grow. A large stream, a tributary of the river, offers irrigation to the numerous farms established along its banks, and several roads lead from the various farmsteads to the city.
»» the darkwoods :: The Darkwoods is the forest to the north of the city that continues northwards until the foothills of the Tonet range. Broad-leafed trees eventually give way to evergreens, with the heart of the forest made up of centuries-old trees. It is so vast a forest that some parts of it have never been discovered, and so it is a place of mystery to many. It is peaceful and magical, but also known for the dangerous creatures that lurk within.
»» the degan marsh :: To the far northwest, the river is trapped on a flat plain that has become a forbidding swamp. The marsh teems with life, but with large predators and treacherous footing it is a place that rarely sees travelers.
»» glendora falls :: As the river cascades down the last mountain cliff towards its relatively flat course to the ocean it creates the magnificent Glendora Falls. Far to the north of the city, it is a secluded location, and is known as a place of peace and beauty where many shifters travel. The river plunges over a hundred feet into a deep basin before continuing through the rapids and into the forest. The surrounding clearing is grassy with large, mossy rocks.
»» the tonet range :: Forming the northmost border of the known world, the Tonet range is a large mountain ridge that loosely cradles the forest and plains to the south. In the summer, hardy alpine plants grow and icy streams wind their way down to the river, but in winter it is always covered in snow. It is a harsh climate to live in, and up until recently, the home of the Tonetta wolf shifters, before starvation threw them off the slopes. It is also well known for larger creature such as gryphons.
»» the odori desert :: The Odori Desert is the great wasteland of the world, spreading untold miles to the east. Hot by day, icy by night, it is a harsh place where few creatures can survive. It is a landscape of cracked earth and soaring dunes, and of precious oases. It was formerly forbidden ground for shifters, but even since the ban was lifted, it rarely sees any travelers. It is also one of the more dangerous places, home to dragons and other creatures.
»» the borderlands :: The borderlands to the north-west is a flat, unremarkable and empty moor at the foot of the mountains. Winds constantly buffet the short, stunted plants, and it gives the appearance of being otherwise lifeless. Yet shifters hold it as a sacred place, as it is said that that is where they entered this world hundreds of years ago.
