The Walls of Andor
The Walls of Andor
The walls of the city of Andor mark an extraordinary feat of engineering, curved alongside the perimeters of the city it forms a nearly perfect crescent shape built to protect the most wealthy port north of the Great River Delta, where the capital lies.Roots and Beginnings
The first walls of Andor date back to before the dominance of the Empire of the city-state. Then, Andor primarily focused its attention on the protection of the port from pirates, setting up shore walls that stretched out into the (much-smaller-then) harbor. Remenants of the brickwork can be found alongside the shore today, sticking out from under the water. The land defense of the city was not given much thought aside from a basic perimeter line that encompassed the commercial and residential areas of the city. Originally being marked off merely by a wooden palisade wall. This lasted until a the tenure of the Sea Counciler, Calcifer Marnx. An intelligent political figure in Andorian history, and big proponent of resistence to the spread of the Early Alaesian Empire. In an attempt to protect the city from a siege from the vastly superior Alaesian land-forces, he ordered the construction of an mixed wooden-earthworks that enlargened the perimeter of the city. This wall system was the byproduct of extraordinary engineering of the Andorian craftsmen, built in lightning speed over the course of 6 months as Marnx levied the navy to carry tools, supplies, and materials directly to the port. He also sped construction through his remarkable charisma in getting the citizens of Andor to support the building efforts. The former Sea Counciler said of him after losing his election cycle: "The work of him [Marnx] will fundamentally changed our bless Andor for centuries to come. We may have our different views on the... [many roles of political authority over commerce], but I'd be damned if I didn't admit he isn't one of the finest orators in our city's history, if not all the Trade states."
After the Battle of the Ogden Inlet and the death of Marnx the city would fall to the Alaesians by sea.
Early Imperial Andor
Following the capture of the city-state of Andor and destruction of the Merchant League the power of Andor was greatly diminished. Andorian trade suffered as it served as the launching point of further Alaesian campaigns and as the Alaesian fleet in the following conquests north.
As the military occupation of the city ramped up, the western portion of the city expanded to include the fortress garrison. The Earthern ramparts being partially destroyed and extended to widen Andor's perimeter. Over the next few decades, these areas would be filled by a rising population and the expansion of trade markets. As Andor began its canidacy for official Imperial citizenship, noble Alaesian families began moving into the western portion of the city, pushing its poorer denizens outside the safety of earthenworks. These residents began to carve holes in the former walls to allow for easier access to the city for transporting goods and services along new pathways. (A fact contributing to the later cities non-grid like street systems).
Imperial Andor
As Alaesian Empire advanced through the centuries, Andor became increasingly important as a political and merchantile community. Members of the royal family constructed a palace within the city, causing the city to expand further outwards past the boundaries of the earthenwalls. Eventually, they would be demolished leaving Andor as one large urban sprawl tucked up against the coast.
In the reign of Emperor Reginald Andor would receive a new wall, in response to the rising threats from the moutain tribes of the west. (West of Andor - They were middle Empire at the time). Made of interlocking hewed black and white granite blocks. The new wall was built with 500 feet of separation from the current boundaries of the city, giving plenty of room for the city to expand over the following decades - avoiding the problem faced by Marnx's earthernwork defenses centuries prior.
The base blocks of the new walls measured in the size of a small hovel, at 20 x 10 x 10 feet. Crowds would gather to watch massive Alaesian naval vessels haul the blocks into port and onto lumbered logs rolled to base of the wall. Royal engineers constructed cranes with the help of university wizards to lift the heavy blocks onto one another. Morter was deemed as useless with such heavy blocks, but magic glyphs were stamped on each interlocking surface to provide stronger sealant. As the project progressed taller, the blocks grew slightly smaller the taller the wall went, adding herringbone patterns into the wall with the mixed black and white stone.
The Walls of Andor began as a project from the Emperor to protect the city, however as the years ticked by Emperor Reginald was able to vanquish and subjugate the mountain tribes. Leading some in the city to believe that the Empire would leave the walls half-finished, a hulking wreck of Imperial ambition. Yet, Reginald chose to complete the walls, "No matter the expense." Becoming the first of many fabulously expensive construction projects that he would fund over the remainder of his reign.
The final walls remain the same in the contemporary era. Behemoths, they stood 150 feet tall and 25 feet wide, streteching the length of the city in a cresecent of length - more than 2 miles long.
This article stub shows several eras over which the walls of Andor evolved. Highlighted in bold are key words that are planned to eventually link into future articles.
Type
Tower, Wall
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