The Terraces
The Great Stairs are those that stretch from Terrace Icanicas down to Base and Haute Orphiel. They are: the northwest High Lord’s Stair; the western Sunset Stair; the southwest Terraceview Stair; and the southern Whisper Stair. These are the only stairs that remain magically lit during the winter season.
R = rooms to let, D = drinks only, 1 = seedy 5 = impeccable
Click on map image for larger-scale map in separate window.
Seven: Haute and Base Orphiel
This terrace is primarily agricultural, although it also houses the two ports. On northwest Haute Orphiel is the Bay of the Setting Sun, the primarily commercial port. Around it are a number of warehouses, customs buildings, and a few establishments that cater to the sailors. On southwest Base Orphiel is located Fisher’s Croft Bay, where most of the fishing boats are docked.
From north to northwest Haute Orphiel, excluding the Great Stairs, one can take the Stair of Dawn to d’Avenent; the Greenvine Stair to Lucerne; the Smuggler’s Way to Lucerne; the Ascent of Wings to d’Avenent; the Sailor’s Walk to Lucerne; the Wizard’s Dance to Lucerne; the Silvertile Walk to d’Avenent; and Song Street to Lucerne.
From southwest to southeast Base Orphiel, excluding the Great Stairs, one can take the Way of the Sheaves to Lucerne; Winerow to d’Avenent; Harvester’s Stair to Lucerne; and March of the Rising Stars to d’Avenent.
Of course, the stairs stop at all of the terraces in-between.
Haute Orphiel:
Full Net (D2): Owner: Jagd. Mainly a fisher’s tavern. Visitors are unwelcome but not in danger.
Shorn Oar (R3): Owner: Gymir. For sailors, dockhands and port officials. The Oar is clean and orderly during the day, but can get wild at night after the port officials leave. In the evenings, nonmariners are advised to avoid the bar.
The Dead Jester (D2): Owner: Lorne. A dangerous tavern in which much illegal dealing is carried out.
Six: Haute and Base Hesiarchs
The northeasternmost part of Haute Hesiarchs and both the southwesternmost and southeastern parts of Base Hesiarchs have collapsed partway into the ocean, filling the streets with ocean water and leaving only the tops of the buildings available as residences or shops. It is said that the jewel-scaled Dragon of Saldon lives somewhere beneath one of these buildings and can be sometimes seen lithely swimming through the canals.
From north to northwest Haute Hesiarchs, excluding the Great Stairs, one can take the Stair of the Dawn to d’Avenent; the Greenvine Stair to Lucerne; Smuggler’s Way to Lucerne; the Ascent of Wings to d’Avenent; the Sailor’s Walk to Lucerne; the Wizard’s Dance to Lucerne; the Silvertile Walk to d’Avenent; and Song Street to Lucerne.
From southwest to southeast Base Hesiarchs, excluding the Great Stairs, one can take the Way of the Sheaves to Lucerne; Winerow to d’Avenent; Harvester’s Stair to Lucerne; and March of the Rising Stars to d’Avenent.
Base Hesiarchs:
The Broken Cask (D3): Owner: Rhiral. A popular place for single or unattached residents of Base Hesiarchs. The port is excellent. Gets loud late at night.
Golden Sheaf (4): Owner: Thair. Families and friends often come here for simple but good meals and drinks. Entertainment is clean – storytelling, dances and so forth. Busy in the early evening but slower later at night.
Haute Hesiarchs:
The Blushing Mermaid (R1): Owner: Bethed. This establishment caters to the lowest class of citizenry, and is considered dangerous at all times. The entertainment is lewd and often rough.
The Scragged Cat (1): Owner: Gart. A hangout for deadbeats and the poor. The drinks here are particularly foul, but inexpensive.
Seadragon & Cup (3): Owner: Lyvin. Caters mostly to sailors, although others are welcome. The owner is reputed to be fair, and offers credit.
Yardarm & Sun (R3): Owner: Seren. The Yardarm is open to all, especially to travellers. Rooms are clean.
Morcrif’s Crematorium: Bodies brought here are packed in salt until ready to be burnt. Cremations are begun once a day on sixth bell if the wind is right (that is, off-island). Naturally, with so little land, Saldonians are never buried, only burned.
Five: Lucerne
Lucerne is a predominantly residential terrace.
From northeast to southeast, excluding the Great Stairs, one can take the Stair of the Dawn to d’Avenent; the Ascent of Wings to d’Avenent; the Silvertile Walk to d’Avenent; Saltfoam Stair to d’Avenent; Winerow to d’Avenent; and the March of the Rising Stars to d’Avenent.
Cat (R3): Owner: Dacoi. This tavern has several back rooms for customers desiring privacy. The clientle is varied and often young. Nights at Cat are likely to be interesting and unpredictable; young thaumaturgy students often come here to practice their spells and entertain or challenge each other. Duels using weapons or magic aren’t unusual, but seldom fatal.
The Marlinspike (R2): Owner: Noam. A low-class place catering to rogues.
Quill and Dagger (R3): Owner: Timon. A favorite haunt for artists, poets and musicians, the Quill is reknowned for its eccentric conversations and for being the birthplace of complex practical jokes. There is a quiet, amiable feud between the younger patrons of Cat and the older patrons of the Quill, which is revived every few months. Merchants often patronize the Quill while working out trade agreements or discussing business over dinner.
The Grand Theater: Second-largest in Saldon. Dancing, big productions.
Four: d’Avenent
D’Avenent is home to the infamous markets of Saldon, including the central market, called the Magnus, which is located in Court Carroca. d’Avenent also houses the Saldonian Guard and the University of Carillon.
From d’Avenent, one must take the Great Stairs to any higher Terrace.
University of Carillon: Gated and walled, this campus is built along the cliffside.
The Tavern of Glass (D3): The Tavern of Glass is one of the oldest structures on Saldon, and one of the most respected. The Tavern is made of avertiis and has a heavy wood-and-iron door with an iron handle. There are no windows, no sign hangs over the door, and no light is placed near the entrance. Nobody knows why the Tavern is called “of Glass,” since there is no glass to be found anywhere around the building, nor inside the bar. All drinks are served in pewter goblets, all food on pewter plates. Tables are heavy, well-worn wood.
The Tavern is dimly lit by four oil lamps without glass panes that are hung from the lofty rafters in a straight line from the front door to the closed doors in the rear of the bar. The lamps give off little light. Most of the tables are in shadow, if not in complete darkness. A small tallow candle can be brought to the table upon request.
The Tavern is only open from twilight to dawn. The door is never left open, nor is any sign proclaiming the Tavern to be in business ever posted.
Nobody has seen the owners of the Tavern. Customers are served by the keeps, who are completely silent and recede into the shadows when not serving a table. Their faces are hidden beneath full cowls. The keeps are in charge of keeping the peace within the Tavern. There is a notation on the Tavern’s menu (a single sheet of fading parchment posted just inside the door, hardly legible) that “brawls will be terminated.” The termination is carried out silently, quickly, and permanently. The keeps will protect unconscious people within the Tavern for an extra 20 chrisos, which they will remove from the person’s purse. Anyone who dies within the Tavern will be kept by the keeps, unless he or she is ransomed for 50 chrisos. Nobody knows what the keeps do with these bodies, although it’s suggested that they might become keeps themselves.
Loud talking, rude behavior, lighting the darkness, exposure of weapons and other disruptive behavior is forbidden. Warning will be given once, and then the troublemaker will be invited to leave. If the invitation is ignored, the troublemaker will be forcibly ejected. Sometimes killing a troublemaker is easier than ejecting him, in which case it is promptly done. The Saldonian Guard is notorious for turning a blind eye to any doings within the Tavern of Glass.
The Tavern serves most varieties of liquor, wine, and intoxicant. As a general rule it does not serve food, although special arrangements can be made. The Tavern is primarily a place to enjoy a quiet drink or conversation.
The Blind Fool (3): Owner: Sirel. Popular with magisters, the home of several famous magical duels.
The Crystal Shield (R3): Owner: Canna. A rowdy but good-natured tavern.
The Harvest (R3): Owner: Kestrel. Regulars at the Harvest tend to be professional thieves, smugglers, and fences.
The Jeweled Collar (R3): Owner: Alisa. Clean, caters to merchants and shopkeepers. Flanks the marketplace.
The Silver Cusp (R5): Owners: Croeso & Shaull al’Tam. The Cusp is a byword for excellence among Saldonians. The regular attraction is the dancer Rosian and her instrumentalist Jaciel, said to be a demon trapped in human form. The food and drink is excellent, the rooms spotless, and the atmosphere friendly and companionable.
The Sword & Mirror (R3): Owner: Jann. Caters especially to mercenaries and their prospective employers.
Cappels & Cappels: An expensive brothel catering to all sexes. The manager, Lady Linall, runs the place as respectably as she can. Anyone who works at Cappels & Cappels receives a new name for the duration of their stay – all are named after a jewel or other precious stone. Employees are regularly checked for diseases and cured if needed, discouraged from taking drugs, encouraged to learn skills and crafts, encouraged to keep their children, and are well-loved and protected by Lady Linall. In return, they all adore her.
The Two Chains: Location of the betting board for Storm Season.
Three: Chela’an
Chela’an is also a primarily residential terrace, housing the wealthy and aristocratic. Along the eastern Ivory Cliffs are a number of particularly large estates. From Chela’an, one must take the Great Stairs to any higher Terrace.
Laurel & Ivy (R4): Owner: Maeve. Expensive, reputable, and catering almost exclusively to aristocrats. Laurel and Ivy is good but snobbish.
Two: Icanicas
Icanicas is the wealthiest terrace, its streets cobbled in glass. On very hot days, and on rainy days, servants sprinkle colored sand over the tiles to reduce the glare or the chance of slipping. This terrace houses a few estates, including that of the High Lord’s Mage. Also on the southeastern side of the terrace is the exterior portion of the New Palace, which also extends into the mountain and up the cliffs.
Ambassador Aryx’s house.
Eirian duLon's house.
The Palace.
Deathrose (D4): Owner: Chalviery. This tavern caters to the wealthy, the sophisticated, and the wicked. Deathrose is the only tavern on Icanicas and does little business, although it manages to support itself somehow. The Deathrose was once accused of being the headquarters of the forbidden Cult of Caren the Reaper, but a close search both mundane and magical disproved this rumor.
One: terCaraciel
This is the peak of Saldon’s mountain, and can be reached only by a narrow, switchback path that climbs up the cliff. Atop terCaraciel is the ruins of the Manse, a ruined avertiis fortress.