Tamardam is a cold land, and the winter snows begin early and end late, if ever. Thus, certain considerations have been made in the architectural history of the land. The triangle (or tripartite) style predates Tamards vassalage to the Empire and has outlasted it. The style is most often used for houses, which is perhaps normal given the importance of the home in Tamard culture, but the style has been used in grander scales for buildings that serve varied purposes.
A Style in Three Parts
Predictably, the triangle style calls for the building to take the form of a triangle. This causes snow to slide downward toward the ground, not piling up and crushing rooftops under its fluffy white weight. Traditional forms of the style call for sharp, steep angles with flat surfaces of tiled stone on thatch. The traditional construction of the style divides the triangle into three floors. The ground floor is where livestock is kept in winter, and where craft and cooking is performed. The middle floor is the living quarters, often holding a fireplace of stone. Bedrooms are on the highest floor, in order to retain the warmth from below. More recent interpretations of the style have separated the livestock area from the rest, creating four floors. This development is due to the rather heady smell that can develop inside the houses due to livestock waste.
Typical Decorations
The Tamard people revere and respect nature, and so houses will often be festooned in garlands of pine needles woven into ropes. Pine cones, nuts, twigs and pelts may be woven into these garlands. Some houses bear etching or paint on their tiles and supports, depicting figures or symbols that are prominent in local tradition and folklore.
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