Notes on Founding cities

All of the cities and towns in Dragon Pass were founded in the last three centuries.

The early settlements were initially just villages. The founders would draw a line around the area to be settled – the line would later be where the city walls would be built, so the area needed to be small enough that at least a palisade could be erected. Priests would ask the gods where to place the temples to Orlanth, Ernalda, and shrines to other important patron deities. A level area or clearing served as an assembly ground and market.

The area within the walls unclaimed by the gods and the community as a whole would then be divided among the full members of the community. The initial settlers would build homes and other buildings within their allocated areas. Most settlements were arranged along a handful of streets. Depending on the size of the initial community, the early city might have had 20-50 small huts, and a dozen or so larger homes, all built out of dried-clay brick and wood, with thatch or wood roofs.

Several of these settlements quickly grew and became the nucleus of proto-tribes. Others remained no more than villages. Bagnot grew the most and may have had 10,000 people within a century of being founded. As Tarsh became rich and powerful, Bagnot got rebuilt by skilled crafters, with buildings of stone and fired-brick.

Later some of the cities were partially rebuilt by Lunar or Sartarite crafters, and the city’s buildings, if not the layout of the city, reflect that. City walls, temples, and public architecture are most likely to have received this work.

Sartar

Sartar came from Kethaela and was aided by his friend and companion Wilms, an architect, stone-mason, and artist from Esrolia. Sartar would first meet with all those who would settle in his city. Each would count their followers, add their wealth, boat of their exploits, and determine what they would receive in the city to be built. Wilms would then design a plan that satisfied all. Decisions were made and everyone would agree; oaths would be sworn, pacts made, and promises spoken.

Sartar would then stake out the limits of the city walls. Others performed parts in the rites as well. The city ring met in the center, swore their oaths, chose their leaders, and founded the city. The walls were begun, the streets laid out, and the buildings started. This initial construction was mostly in stone, and within a generation, Sartar had the best human stone-masons in Genertela. Later buildings might be in whatever the owners could afford – stone, fired brick, or air-dried brick.

All of Sartar’s cities followed the Jrusteli pattern, a city plan found mainly in the coastal regions. It has a central market, a nearby public and temple complex, and straight main streets. The city becomes a microcosm, with the temple complex as an axis mundi, the main streets having magical significance, and energy (and people) able to move about.

However, each Sartarite city was unique and reflected the needs and desires of the original founders, their clans and cults. Boldhome was particularly special, as the initial construction was made by dwarf stone-masons, whose skill and speed was unmatched by any human. The city was built in a high mountain valley, and much of the city’s architecture integrated the natural geography.

Furthest

Hon-eel the Artess founded Furthest as a Lunar Heartland city in Dragon Pass. In the Fifth Wane, the Lunar Empire refounded numerous cities that had been depopulated or destroyed by Sheng Seleris and his nomad army.

Hon-eel and her priests would identify a propitious place for the city, and then the Irrippi Ontor scribes would get to work measuring, designing, and drawing a master plan. The city would be arranged on a rectangular grid. Individual blocks would be assigned to rulers, temples, nobles, regiments, or divided up among the individual settlers that came with her (who included the crafters that built the city).

The layout of Furthest is largely identical to that of Red Fish in the Karasal satrapy, down to the Oslira temple and river port. In the center is a public area with temples to the Seven Mothers and other Lunar deities, as well as administrative buildings. Nearby is a central market dedicated to Etyries and Issaries.

The city was built in fired brick, sometimes faced with stone quarried in the nearby Falling Hills.

Are there any other cities on Glorantha that could rival Boldhome, Furthest, Nochet and New Pavis or alternatively Pavis in the old days?

Rival them how so? Glamour is a huge city, built intentionally to be an imperial city, certainly is impressive. So are Chi Ting, Garguna, and Sog City (with its own decrepit shabby chic). Raibanth used to be pretty spectacular, but its Babylon is long eclipsed by Seleukia-Glamour.

But I think Boldhome and Old Pavis are the only dwarf built human cities. At least that I can think of offhand.

My purpose in posting this is to emphasise that there are several very different styles of cities in Dragon Pass.

One thing about Furthest – it is built on a rectangle with 1 main north-south street and 6 north-south arterials, and 1 main east-west and 6 east-west arterials. The areas right near the city walls are not considered a street. This forms a checkerboard pattern with 64 blocks.

Because we all have a classical geek vibe, we immediately think of the Romans or maybe if we are really on-target, the Greek plan of Hippodamus of Miletus. But perhaps a better documented source are the instructions given by the Spanish kings for establishing new settlements. In 1573, King Philip II issued a complete set of urban guidelines concerning the founding of new towns.

The 1573 Ordinances direct: