Tamarr

The view from the opposite bank of the Banik River upon Mount Furse.

Common Knowledge

Count Mihail Taescu, most recent lord of an ancient house, has rule of the city of Tamarr and the eponymous Great County. The city itself is a bastion of stonemasonry and mining trade. From its perch up Mount Furse, ships easily set sail for Vaumark and Isamarr, loaded with goods from the western colonies and Fornmidr. While not as old or prestigious as Albermarr, Tamarr has the status as economic second-city of the empire. Foreign trade with the dwarves is almost entirely routed through this city as it is the gateway from the north by river. The holdings of the county expand slowly outward to the North and West as more towns are bought and colonized for their resources. Full of strong, able-bodied miners, the city and nearby towns provided much of the corps of marines that fought in the Desert Wars. As such, with so little to show for the religious war and so many sons lost from the last generation, Orient churches are especially despised within the city. Sirrics and Urrics are unwelcome and have had all public shrines removed as disturbances to the peace.

Notable Locations

The Old Quarry The purpose of Tamarr, even back to its days as a small dwarven town, is Fahrstone mining. The Miners’ Guild is the preeminent organization here, and the great quarry in the heart of the mountain harvested all the greatest white stones of the Empire. These days, that major quarry is tapped, but lucrative smaller pockets remain. The guild exports this windfall downriver to all the cities of the Marran empire – and many other cities worldwide.

Subterranean Locks A great uplift beneath the mountains carries ships from the Underdark to the surface. The rising torrent, however, ends its safe journey in a small lake beneath Mount Furse. From there, the Banik River becomes a series of tumultuous rapids as it cascades down the mountain. Dwarven engineering and Marran shipmaster have combined to solve this problem. From the lake, several locks have been built to ferry ships from the safety of the lake to a canal of smooth water that runs past the docks and downriver.

Shops, Traders, and Others The Basics: A studio which teaches etiquette to the children of merchants and moneylenders.

Brandy Theatre: An art form not particularly popular in the Empire, the theatre puts on fey plays from all over the world. The company is especially proficient in the colorful, silent plays of Haelink. Their popularity stemmed from their skill in distilling many excellent brandies and offering them exclusively at shows.

Carte Rivolo: A mapmaking company specializing in the subterranean Marran Empire. They have shops all over the eastern foothills.

Carte Amastacia: Fey-owned cartography house specializing in wooded areas. Their founder was recently promoted to Regional Cartographer, likely indicating a political schism in the Empire’s cartographers.

City Gate: Like its sister-city Isamarr, Tamarr’s greatest Enclave is a portion of a massive, ancient aqueduct. The teleportation gate at the site is kept running almost constantly during the day.

City Walls: The construction of the walls in Tamarr may seem arbitrary and multifarious, but in fact has a rather sensible reason. Within the great white faces are the remnants of the city’s Enclave – a massive aqueduct that purifies the otherwise-undrinkable Banik river that flows through the city. These walls protect the aqueduct and provide easy access to water for the citizens of Tamarr.

Constitution Club: A hot spring beneath the city maintained by Marran mages. The club is members-only. The patrons are drawn from a long list of the city’s elite.

The Gnarled Mattock: Forn tavern that became a regular festhall and hangout for veterans of the Desert Wars.

Kundarak Bank: Unusually, Tamarr also has a dwarven clan bank. Renowned nearly as much as the Marran Bank, the Kundarak Clan is fiercely dedicated to security and reputation. Most foreign merchants choose to bank with the Kundaraks due to the widespread nature of Fornmidr.

Marran Bank: A branch of the national bank is present in the city. A repository of great wealth, the bank is also capable of exchanging even rare Zantaashi and Hael currencies. Marrans prefer to use the national bank over other options due to the innate political power of the bank as well as its stellar standard of stability.

Ordmund’s Repose: Gathering hall for the Black Stevens. Built from a converted mortuary, the lodgehouse now has facilities and cooking for two dozen Stevedores at a time.

Worend’s Marks: The premiere creator of seals and arms in the western Empire. Also a licensed mint of the Marran Bank.

Jewelry: The city of Tamarr has many Forn jewelmasters. The various shops that these cunning smiths own have unique specialties not seen often in the Marran Empire.

Chasms

The six organizations in the city with the most power are commonly referred to as the Chasms, in reference to both the acronym and the locations a few of the organization chose as a base of operations. These six control almost seventy percent of the trade in the city, and each has a member on the small council of the Count.

Cartographers’ Guild

Atop their spire in the heart of the city, the Cartographers’ Guild is able to draft regional maps with astounding speed and clarity. On cloudless days, it is possible to see the landscape of nearly a third of the county from the top of the guild. The opportunities provided by this view make the citadel an advantageous training site for novice cartographers, and many make the journey to Tamarr to study.

Hlynnite Cathedral

With the influence of the Orient Churches waning, isolationist Hlynnites across the empire have found new political power in their hands. The largest cathedral to Hlyn in the Empire sits in Tamarr, proudly affiliated with Miners’ guild. The bunker-like cathedral sits looking over the lake beneath the city, a masterpiece of the Stronghammer Clan and Sarician architecture.

Archeralds’ Guild

Another of the three Tri-Cartel Blanche, the archerald’s guild in the city is a major hub for the adventurous. The guild frequently contracts proven individuals to clear Enclaves of dangers alongside their members.

Stronghammer Clan

A Forn ruling clan, uncommon in the Empire. These dwarves built the unusually high walls around some parts of the city. They were the original founders of the city, before selling the land to the Marran Empire some six hundred years ago.

Miners’ Guild

The Miners’ Guild is the oldest and most prominent power in the city. Responsible for the Fahrstone that keeps every citizen of the Empire safe, they are staunch in safety and caution. Guild members and halls can be found on just about every street in the city.

Sarician Monastery

The final member of the Chasms, the Sarician Monastery is situated on the opposite side of the Banik River from Tamarr, but still draws its constituents from the city. Together with the Stronghammer clan, they provide architectural mastery to Tamarr as well as giving the population spectacular concerts in the power of the voice. The monastery is in constant flux of form due to its practice of architecture.

Tithing Marls

Some of the nearby communities that fall within the county’s tax and protective borders.

Cromarl A small town of miners a few score leagues east of Tamarr. Known for its position at the base of the highest mountain in the Empire.

Mordemarl Known to the nearby fey as Port Mordecai, this fishing town is on the border of County Isamarr. It’s a safe location along the Banik River for the reloading of food and water.

Kracewatch In the bygone days when the plains of Krace didn’t exist, the Empire was especially vulnerable to attack from the migrant hael just to the north. The great castle – then known as the Northern Bastion – was the first line of defense against fey barbarian hosts. The town beneath the castle is officially referred to as Kaemarl. It sits at the source of a pure river.