Ah, Tamerlight. A true, multi-faceted gem of culture and history. I shall try to explain the story of many centuries in a timely fashion but there will be details, inevitably, lost.
Tamerlight, city of spirits and the exalted dead. This was once the capital of a sprawling kingdom, nearly a thousand years ago when the Banshee Queen yet lived. After a long and arduous war, through blunders and betrayals, that kingdom fell and the Banshee Queen led her people back to Tamerlight to defend what was left.
The events that lead to the people of Tamerlight becoming undead are long and complicated, but it was, at least in part, a choice. Their living descendants now dwell in the city right along with them, making it one of the most populated and unique cities in the world. Of course, this does occasionally come with problems both ethical and logistical but the people of Tamerlight generally enjoy a peaceful life. As peaceful as one can expect in this world, anyway.
Tamerlight, city of the exalted dead and the Banshee Queen
City of Bells
The buildings of Tamerlight have been built upon, rebuilt, and expanded for generations. In certain places, the streets twist, merge, and fork in confusing ways. The older districts of the city are a near impassable maze for travelers. Many of the buildings can feel imposing with their dark stone, towers, buttresses, and gargoyles. For those who are visiting for the first time, the bells can be the most surprising.
Every district has a primary bell tower, and many buildings within each district have smaller bell towers of their own. Every day, these bells mark the hours of commerce; in the morning when shops open, at noon, and in the evening when businesses close. The bells also ring on certain holidays, to mark special occasions, and to warn of attack. Their many voices rise in a harmonious and beautiful clangor that can be heard for miles.
The Districts
There are many districts within Tamerlight, each centered on a specific purpose.
The Garrison district is, of course, focused on training and supplying military forces. There are foundries dedicated to forging arms and armor for the Banshee Queen's vast armies, and large training grounds to ensure those blades remain sharp. There are two market districts, The Gates and The Reeds. The Gates district is, naturally, by the main gates where traveling merchants are free to set up market stalls and the Reeds district is by the docks where many of the spectral residents live, which is more focused on local trade.
Shadowholm is a walled district, much older than most of the city, where the less fortunate citizens tend to live and congregate. There are unique problems to having large portions of your population being less than living, so it was established that Shadowholm would be a secure place for struggling citizens to recover or quietly disappear.
Tamerlight, of course, is heavily reliant upon the sea, so one of the largest districts is the Mournstone Harbor. There are shipyards dedicated to military vessels, fishing docks, and trade docks where imports can easily be filtered into the Reeds district.
But certainly, the most important of all these districts is the Arcana District. The noble home of the Temple Hub run by the vaunted
Xetri scholars. The Arcana district is also home to multiple academies dedicated to unraveling the secrets and mysteries of the world. Not to mention the various merchants dedicated to supplying students and curious travelers, and the Inkwell, one of the best taverns for those with an interest in learning and debate.
Stand Vigilant
Above all this, rising from the basalt cliffs of the harbor stands the Bastion of the Vigilant.
The grand fortress of the Banshee Queen stands ready to defend by land and sea. Its walls have never been breached and the ghostly siege weapons upon the walls are more than capable of taking out corporeal targets. The main tower has soaring stained glass windows that tell the history of the kingdom that ruled long before. Below the Bastion is said to be vast networks of secret passages, burial chambers, and enough supplies to withstand decades of siege.
Absolutely stunning article! Really enjoyable and interesting read! Going on to read the Inkwell next! Got to ask did you make the map using DungeonDraft and were there any additional assets? It looks fantastic :)
Thank you! I made the map with Inkarnate! They put out a bunch of cool assets for their watercolor cities, including those spectral buildings.