The city of Specularum The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (From D&D Expert Set & Island of Dread Module) From D&D Expert Set Rule Book (p38-40): “The Duchy is a large tract of wilderness and unsettled land claimed by Duke Stephan Karameikos the Third. Although he claims control of a large area, large portions of the land are held by humanoids and monsters. The two main settled areas are the coast near the main city of Specularmu and the Black Eagle Barony on the Gulf of Halag. The weather throughout the area is usually temperate and mild, with short winters of little or no snowfall and long summers. Rainfall is ample but not heavy, and easterly winds blow cool breezes from over the sea. The mountain range at the north edge of the Duchy is known by different names to the peoples of the territory: the Black Peaks. the Crutch Mountains, or the Steach. Large sections of the Duchy are filled with dense forest. Humans maintain lumbering operations near the edges of the forests, but are loath to venture too deeply without good cause. This hardwood and softwood is a prime resource of the area, either for shipbuilding in the port of Specularum, or for export.” From Island of Dread: “This part of the continent is a wild and unsettled land claimed by Duke Stefan Karameikos the Third. In reality , little of the land is under the Duke's control. Large areas are overrun by monsters and hostile humanoids.”
Web Info (http://pandius.com/refguide.html) This nation of the Known World has been the starting point of many of our Entry Level adventures (most B-series modules, for example, were set in Karameikos, as were computer games). This heavily-forested region used to be known as Traladara, a "nation" that was really a loose confederation of independent baronies. Thirty years ago, Stefan Karameikos, an ambitious nobleman of the nearby Empire of Thyatis, traded his ancestral lands to the Thyatian emperor for Thyatian recognition of Karameikos' right to independent rule of Traladara. Spending all his family fortunes on mercenary armies, Stefan Karameikos invaded Traladara, quickly conquering the nation's largest sea-port, Marilenev, and settling garrisons in all the region's larger communities. He renamed the nation after himself: It became the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. The Thyatian rulers, though they control the nation's economic and military might, don't have complete control of the nation. Karameikos is a land where thousands of square miles of dark forests are populated only by animals, by hermit-like loggers and foresters, by forest folk such as elves and centaurs, even by monsters - the Traladaran forests are an ancient home to vampires, werewolves and other dark creatures of legend. Secret Traladaran popular movements oppose the Thyatians, occasionally sabotaging the plans and activities of their rulers. Karameikos is a divided land, its majority Traladaran population ruled by the invader Thyatian population. The Traladarans are a very free-
spirited, spiritual people with clothing and names similar to inhabitants of our Earth's Eastern Europe. The Thyatians are a pragmatic and self-cantered people, with the conquering instincts of Earth's ancient Romans (with their tastes in entertainment, too). Naturally, the two population elements tend to dislike one another greatly. Ref. GAZ 1 - The Grand Duchy of Karameikos
Four primary areas settled by humans: Specularum (Capital, port city, Ducal Palace), Black Eagle Barony (west of Specularum, harsh Baron, Luln (village near Black Eagle, lawless), Threshold (frontier town [small city?], timber camp). Specularum (Capital City) From D&D Expert Set Expert Set Rule Book (p38-40): Originally a trading port founded when this area was first explored. Specularum has become the major city of the Duchy. Approximately 5.000 people live in or very near to the city. The Duke keeps a standing force of 500 troops and may raise an army of 4,000 from the nearby countryside in times of war. A small fleet of warships is kept in the harbor. The city is famous for its excellent harbor and shipyards. Walled on the landward side, the city is also protected by 2 breakwaters that extend into the harbor, restricting passage to a narrow entrance. The Duke's castle stands by the harbor. providing ample defense.
Some random web info (https://campaign-29500.obsidianportal.com/wikis/specularum-capital-city) Specularum, the gem of Karameikos, lies on the west bank of the River, at the intersection of the West Road and the King’s Roads. The city sprawls over a number of small, rolling hillocks that cradle a large lake known as Mirror Bay, which takes its name from its smooth, placid nature. One hill rises higher than the others and is known simply as “The Hill.” Atop this dominant feature sits the king’s stronghold. Two great walls ring the city, and portions of the old city within are walled off as well. The city has not come under assault in the years since the Marilenev Rebellion, but since it is a frontier city, Duke Stefan sees no point in taking chances. The main roads are of paved stone and in the area around the stronghold they are brick. The back streets are mostly earthen, narrow, twisting, unlit and unsafe. Sanitation consists of a small trench cut into the center of the street that drains into sewers. These sewers are not truly public works projects, but rather the buried ruins of previous settlements, as is the case for most of the communities of Karameikos. The city, though vast, remains crowded, noisy, and dirty – the epitome of a medieval community. Buildings are one- or two-story constructions made of brick or wood; the better ones are made of stone. Many newer buildings are constructed of stone along the first floor and wood and plaster for the second and third floors (if present). Few buildings stand three or more stories tall.
Ruler: Duke Stefan Karameikos. Day-to-day activities are handled by the townmaster, Lord Lucas Tormandros. Population: Estimated at 50,000. The last accurate census was 12 years ago, when Specularum had a population of about 39,000. It is certainly greater now. Laws: The King’s Law prevails in Specularum. In addition, the following laws are in force: • All weapons (except daggers) must be peacebonded – tied in their sheaths or otherwise bound by cloth ties. Carrying a weapon unbound is a Class 2 crime; murder by unbound weapon is automatically tried as a Class 7 crime. • Magic is permitted, but casting a spell on an unwilling party is a Class 2 crime (or greater if the effect warrants a greater punishment). • In times of festival, each person entering Specularum must pay a tax of 8 silver.
Geography of Specularum by AllanP In looking through the Poor Wizard's Almanac AC 1012 I saw in the table of 'Average Seasonal Temperatures on page 172 that Specularum's altitude is given as 150 feet (above sea level), and it is noted "River may flood in spring". With this potential for floods, I wonder if that may have been another reason for the installation of the Sea Gates? They may provide some form of flood defence for the harbour (We discussed the Sea Gates in this topic). Thinking about Specularum's altitude, I also looked at the city description in the Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure box set. This includes: "The city sprawls over a number of small, rolling hillocks that cradle a large lake known as MirrorBay... One hill rises higher than the others and is known simply as "The Hill". Atop this dominant feature sits the king's stronghold." "The king's castle perches on the highest hill of Mirros, atop a 15-foot-high earthen mound with steeply angled sides..." I started wondering about the lay of the land. I'm not aware of anyone discussing the elevation(s) of the city before so I put together a very "quick-and-dirty" sketch to outline what I thought might be the placement of the hillocks. This rough sketch is below
To summarise: I drew a "contour line" parallel to the Duke's/King's Road to indicate the probable potential flood level;
The colours on my sketch don't directly relate to specific heights - I just used different colours to get a feel for different elevations; I assumed that the two original walled encampments that are now the Stronghold (Radu) and Church districts were also probably on hillocks; As the Westron Alley appears to be an original major north-south route in the city area (per GAZ1), I have indicated how the surrounding hillocks may influenced the path of this; I am no geographer/cartographer, so my sketch may be a bit inconsistent. Perhaps someone with more knowledge/skill could enhance my initial outline ideas? Maybe a 3D/perspective view of the city layout? Thanks to the constructive comments received I've been doodling again at the contours of Specularum. Having taken the suggestion of the "seven hills of Specularum" I realised that they needed to be inside the original city wall - otherwise an attacker would gain a certain advantage if one or more of the hills extended beyond the city fortifications. (The outer wall wasn't constructed by Stefan until he arrived in AC972). As a result, the area covered by some hills has shrunk and "The Hill" has expanded a bit, but I think I've got something fairly workable which caters for the major routes being determined by the placement of the hillocks. So I now have The Hill, a hillock in the Stronghold District, a hillock in the Church District, 3 hillocks in South End (part), Old Quarter (part) and The Nest, and 1 hillock in the North End (part). I've taken the 150 feet altitude from PWA as being the point where the Westron Alley running north to south meets the east-west road from the docks; this seems to be a natural point for the "centre" of Specularum c. AC1000. Consequently, I calculate that the top of the mound on which the castle sits is at an altitude of 185 feet, and the dockside level is at 90 feet altitude. (The city is 8-16 miles inland upriver from the sea coast.)
