Geography: Dirt city maps

The City Above

The most noteworthy feature of the City Above is the massive Temple of Wardd. It is impressive not only for its size, but also because it is built, and maintained, and expanded, entirely by luck. The clergy does not plan expansions or additions or routine maintenance; they just take whatever comes their way and use it in whatever way seems best at the time. The effect has been called "oddly harmonious."

Another important structure is the Arena Above, where disputes of all kinds are settled.

There is also the Castle of the Prince of Thieves, a heavily-guarded stronghold near the waterfront.

There are six towers belonging to the six Houses of Dirt City. Neighborhoods, consisting of houses, shops, taverns, and rooming-houses, have sprung up around each of the towers. Generally, people living in these neighborhoods are affiliated with the Houses in some way, although the affiation can be slight or indirect. Each of these neighborhoods has a nickname related to the nearby tower.

There are also neighborhoods not affiliated with any of the Houses. The newest of these is the Burn, which has been rebuilt after a massive fire destroyed the old buildings in the area.

The Free School is a relatively new institution in Dirt City. Founded by a retired adventurer, it offers free education to any Dirt City children who care to attend.

There are several marketplaces in the City Above. The Full Moon Market is the largest and most popular; a wide variety of goods can be found for sale here. The Midnight Bazaar is a bit of a misnomer; the market stalls stay open into the night--far longer than those in the Full Moon Market--but most merchants have packed and gone home by actual midnight. Sellers here brag that their wares are less "respectable" than those available at the Full Moon Market, but in reality poisons and lockpicks can easily be purchased just about anywhere. The shadiest of the marketplaces is the Scrum. Sometimes ships arrive in port with cargoes that are a little hot even for Dirt City, and the captains are anxious to get rid of it. The began using a nearby plaza as a convenient place to make a quick sale, and now the area is home to black-market transactions of all kinds. Activity here has a frantic, scrambling quality to it, which led to its nickname, the Scrum.

The City Below