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game_systems:pathfinder:crown:zimar:home [2021/12/22 14:43] – created Bryan Stephens | game_systems:pathfinder:crown:zimar:home [2022/03/20 12:28] (current) – [Map] Bryan Stephens | ||
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=====Introduction to Zimar===== | =====Introduction to Zimar===== | ||
- | “I marveled at the height of the city wall as I rode toward Zimar. I was awed as I passed through the city gate: the sturdy doors, the serious guards, and the heavy portcullis. I smiled when I saw dozens upon dozens of houses with red clay tile roofs, domed palaces of deep blue and white marble, and minarets nearly a hundred feet tall. This city was bursting with life, and trade, and wonder. I adored the painstaking detail in everything I saw: the lions emblazoned on the soldiers’ uniforms, the bas-reliefs on the walls of the houses, and the intricately carved fountains. | + | //“I marveled at the height of the city wall as I rode toward Zimar. I was awed as I passed through the city gate: the sturdy doors, the serious guards, and the heavy portcullis. I smiled when I saw dozens upon dozens of houses with red clay tile roofs, domed palaces of deep blue and white marble, and minarets nearly a hundred feet tall. This city was bursting with life, and trade, and wonder. I adored the painstaking detail in everything I saw: the lions emblazoned on the soldiers’ uniforms, the bas-reliefs on the walls of the houses, and the intricately carved fountains.// |
- | “At the same time, I had an inescapable feeling that something was terribly wrong with this city. Every word I heard felt calculated, every smile seemed feigned, and everyone looked at me as though they were sizing me up. I have never felt so alone as I did that day.” | + | //“At the same time, I had an inescapable feeling that something was terribly wrong with this city. Every word I heard felt calculated, every smile seemed feigned, and everyone looked at me as though they were sizing me up. I have never felt so alone as I did that day.”// |
—Ulvar Bodilson, traveling merchant | —Ulvar Bodilson, traveling merchant | ||
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The long period of occupation also shaped the attitudes of the people in Zimar. Even though 2 centuries have passed since the end of the Grand Campaign, most residents of Zimar hate Qadirans and are determined never to let their southern foes humiliate Zimar again. It is said that Zimar has enough supplies to last 5 years if besieged, and it can field an army of nearly 10,000 soldiers when necessary. Many units of the Taldan Phalanx and the Taldan Horse are stationed in Zimar, and the city has hundreds of men and women who belong to elite paramilitary units—including the city watch called the Zimar Sentinels and the Golden Templar inquisitors of Abadar—who can bolster the ranks of the military in times of war. Lastly, every adult citizen in Zimar is at least nominally a member of the Blue Guard, Zimar’s militia. | The long period of occupation also shaped the attitudes of the people in Zimar. Even though 2 centuries have passed since the end of the Grand Campaign, most residents of Zimar hate Qadirans and are determined never to let their southern foes humiliate Zimar again. It is said that Zimar has enough supplies to last 5 years if besieged, and it can field an army of nearly 10,000 soldiers when necessary. Many units of the Taldan Phalanx and the Taldan Horse are stationed in Zimar, and the city has hundreds of men and women who belong to elite paramilitary units—including the city watch called the Zimar Sentinels and the Golden Templar inquisitors of Abadar—who can bolster the ranks of the military in times of war. Lastly, every adult citizen in Zimar is at least nominally a member of the Blue Guard, Zimar’s militia. | ||
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+ | =====Map===== | ||
+ | {{: | ||
=====History===== | =====History===== | ||
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Beneath the streets of Zimar lies the so-called Undercity, which some citizens call “the sixth district.” This labyrinthine network of underground tunnels and chambers consists of abandoned basements, buried buildings, catacombs, and sewer passages. Entrances to the Undercity can be found hidden throughout all of Zimar, though the government works to block as many of the entrances as possible, particularly in the wealthier districts, so that the people can conveniently forget these place exists. Criminals, fugitives, monsters, and resistance groups live in the Undercity, using the passageways to store contraband and avoid the soldiers who patrol the streets above. According to rumors, all residents of the Undercity answer to a massive otyugh king named Gulreesh; in reality, though, the otyugh wields relatively little power over the denizens here. | Beneath the streets of Zimar lies the so-called Undercity, which some citizens call “the sixth district.” This labyrinthine network of underground tunnels and chambers consists of abandoned basements, buried buildings, catacombs, and sewer passages. Entrances to the Undercity can be found hidden throughout all of Zimar, though the government works to block as many of the entrances as possible, particularly in the wealthier districts, so that the people can conveniently forget these place exists. Criminals, fugitives, monsters, and resistance groups live in the Undercity, using the passageways to store contraband and avoid the soldiers who patrol the streets above. According to rumors, all residents of the Undercity answer to a massive otyugh king named Gulreesh; in reality, though, the otyugh wields relatively little power over the denizens here. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Notable Sites===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====1. Lion’s Gate==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | One of Zimar’s two massive city gates, this gate and its stone frame are decorated with lion motifs. The gate and gatehouse are described in further detail on page 14. The road that runs south from the Lion’s Gate leads around the Border Wood to Demgazi, 40 miles southwest of Zimar. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====2. Falcon’s Bridge==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This impressive arched bridge over the Jalrune River is over 500 feet long. Farmers, travelers, and Zimar’s patrols use the bridge to cross the river without relying on rafts or ferries. At its apex, the Falcon’s Bridge is high enough to allow the Taldan Imperial Navy’s ships to pass beneath it, although the current truce with Qadira forbids either nation from sailing its military vessels on the Jalrune River. While sturdy in its construction, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====3. Fortress Estates==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====4. Iron Garrison==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====5. House of Gold==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | By far the largest of Zimar’s houses of worship, this gilded cathedral is surrounded by the largest garden in Zimar. Although primarily the center of Abadaran worship in the region, the House of Gold is famous for training Golden Templars, an elite paramilitary unit of Abadaran inquisitors informally called “taxmasters.” The Golden Templars also work alongside the Zimar Sentinels to maintain order in the city and handle security in Abadar' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====6. Quarter of the Dead==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This cluster of buildings mainly consists of entrances to the catacombs beneath the streets of Zimar. In Zimar, rotting in the ground is considered vulgar, so it is customary for wealthy families to own subterranean family vaults for their dead. A network of tunnels connects the different parts of the catacombs, and less wealthy families inter their dead in niches along the tunnel walls. Most of the burial chambers are protected with deadly spells, traps, or even guards to keep grave robbers away. Amid the sepulchers stand a few shrines dedicated to Abadar, Pharasma, Sarenrae, Shelyn, and other deities. Although the Quarter of the Dead was built separately from the Undercity, gradual expansion of family vaults and occasional structural damage from earthquakes has exposed new passages into the Undercity. As a consequence, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====7. Zimar Archives==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | City bureaucrats store official records of all kinds in this aggregation of buildings in the Scrolls District, where Zimar’s citizens must venture to obtain permits for civic endeavors such as land sales and filing tax disputes. The largest building is Zimar’s High Court of Justice, a magnificent building of white marble facing the Grand Plaza. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====8. Gennaris Academy==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The most prestigious institution of education in Zimar, the Gennaris Academy offers a wide range of subjects in its curriculum. Thanks to its well-meaning but old-fashioned and stubborn headmaster, Venarius Apillo, the academy offers a far more comprehensive selection of courses in history, law, and military science than any other subject. Critics in other countries, particularly in Cheliax and Qadira, maintain that the academy teaches a one-sided version of history and that its lies and half-truths about Taldor’s rivals are not conducive to building trust and revitalizing trade. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====9. Docks==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | A bristling bank of docks juts into the Jalrune River from the western edge of the river near Abadar’s Pillar. Piers intended for merchant ships and passenger ferries stand alongside sturdy docks reserved for the Zimar Corsairs, a fleet of “free” privateers that are known to target non-Taldan vessels but retain just enough independence that they don’t violate the restriction against sailing Imperial Navy ships on the river. Many Zimar Corsairs also function as smugglers, using the docks to resupply and sell stolen goods between their patrol runs and raids. At the base of the docks are several warehouses where merchants can store their goods for a fee. Zimar’s high wall separates the docks from the city proper, and anyone entering Zimar through the docks faces the same level of scrutiny as those who travel by land. Duchess Lenia Talviala owns the docks and works with trusted subordinates to ensure that goods move in and out of the docks area without delay and no criminal activities take place that can be tied to her. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====10. Abadar’s Pillar==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | High Strategos Maxillar Pythareus, a descendant of the war hero Sarius Pythareus, rules Zimar with an iron fist from the fortress known as Abadar’s Pillar. Over 80 feet high, the fortress’s keep is the tallest building in Zimar. Abadar’s Pillar was built on a spot overlooking the Jalrune River, surrounded by a moat filled by diverting water from the river. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====11. Baths of Dioclytus==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Zimar is known for its many bathhouses, and the citizens of Zimar consider luxurious baths to have considerable health benefits. Some of the city’s bathhouses cater only to the rich, while others are open to visitors regardless of station. Zimar’s bathhouses are generally built of marble and receive water through an underground aqueduct heated with subterranean fire pits. The wealthy and the poor alike enjoy discussing politics and exchanging juicy gossip while relaxing in baths and sweating rooms. Arraio Garicus runs the Baths of Dioclytus, the largest and most famous of Zimar’s public bathhouses, which incorporates many other services, including a cafe, a massage parlor, and an upscale inn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====12. Sovereign Smithy==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This state-sponsored forge employs the best blacksmiths in Zimar—perhaps in all of Taldor. The Sovereign Smithy makes weapons and armor for Zimar’s aristocrats, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====13. Rainbow Bazaar==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Named after its colorful tents and bazaar stalls that sell a staggering variety of goods, the Rainbow Bazaar is located in the poorest part of Zimar. The upper classes see the Rainbow Bazaar as a cesspit of criminal activity, but a discerning shopper can discover items here unavailable anywhere else in Zimar, such as Qadiran antiquities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====14. Rumside==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Most of Zimar’s working-class pubs and bars are located in a neighborhood called Rumside. As beer, rum, and other cheap drinks are popular in this part of town, anyone with more than a few coins to spend on drink usually goes elsewhere. Rowdy entertainment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====15. Abadar’s Gate==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | | ||
+ |