City districts of Katapesh

From PathfinderWiki

The city of Katapesh is divided into five separate areas: Dawn Gate, Docks, Inner City, Lower City, and Twilight Gate. Three more smaller communities shelter in the shade of the city's tall walls. Dog Town huddles around the Dawn Gate. The Daystalls located outside of the Serpent Gate and the Sprawl near the Twilight Gate. A fourth community outside of Katapesh's walls, Castle Glarion is located just south and east of the Sprawl and has attracted neighbors and a few shops. The River Scorpius wends its way through part of the city, passing through the Serpent Gate, exiting into the Sprawl, and flowing out into the Obari Ocean.1

Dawn Gate

Dawn Gate grew up around the original city walls during the Oasis Age when Katapesh was flooded with newcomers. It is home to many wealthy business owners and upper-middle-class residents. Several notable places exist within the Dawn Gate district.2

Docks

At the Docks there are over a dozen, long, maze-like piers, each of them capable of holding numerous vessels. Warehouses, stores, and a few sizable inns cater to the city's bustling sea trade. Huge crenelated towers flank the Docks. A 40-foot tall massive statue of a horned giant with a trident, rising from the shoreline, seems as if to ward away enemies coming from the sea.3

Inner City

The Inner City is the older of Katapesh's districts. It is surrounded by an ancient sandstone wall. The walled palace of the Pactmasters as well as a number of ancient marvels dating back to the Katapesh's earliest existence 2,000 years ago, are located in the Inner City.4

Lower City

For another meaning of "Lower City", please see Lower City (Armun Kelisk).

Lower City is the largest section of Katapesh. The Lower City contains the city's sprawling docks and the world's largest bazaar. Its bazaar consists of a collection of kiosks, tents, huts, carts, or simple rugs on open spaces of ground displaying the items.5

Twilight Gate

Pactmasters build the walls that ring the southern part of the district of Twilight Gate in 3725 AR. During the era of the Golden City this part of the city was a brick and adobe shantytown built up out of its southern walls. Twilight Gate repopulated when Nimhar excavated the ancient city.6

Dog Town

Dog Town is the dirtiest area of Katapesh. It is home to many of the city's indigent citizens, ne'er-do-wells, small business owners. It is also home to the largest of Katapesh's kholo8 populations and to many of the transient workers living in the city.9

The Daystalls

The Daystalls is a shantytown of vendor stalls, tents and kiosks. For travelers coming from Solku, the Daystalls is the first sight of the city of Katapesh. It resembles a sampling of the highly lucrative Lower City Bazaar. Many people work but also live in the Daystalls.10

The Sprawl

The Sprawl is mainly a residential area where laborers have settled outside the city walls. Fishermen, carpenters, masons, chandlers, brick layers, and thatchers make up the majority of the populace here.11

Castle Clarion

This small district is based around its namesake, Castle Clarion. The home of one of the city's most prolific slave traders, the castle is as well defended as it is beautiful. The district is much quieter than most of the other city districts.12

References

  1. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 28–29. Paizo Inc., 2009
  2. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 29–32. Paizo Inc., 2009
  3. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 32–34. Paizo Inc., 2009
  4. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 34–37. Paizo Inc., 2009
  5. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 37–41. Paizo Inc., 2009
  6. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 41–42. Paizo Inc., 2009
  7. Tim Hitchcock. “Appendix 2: Garden of Chains” in Broken Chains, 30. Paizo Inc., 2013
  8. Paizo referred to all kholo as gnolls until the publication of The Mwangi Expanse, and renamed all gnolls to kholo across Player Core, GM Core, and Monster Core. For details, see Meta:Kholo.
  9. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 42–43. Paizo Inc., 2009
  10. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 43–44. Paizo Inc., 2009
  11. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 44–45. Paizo Inc., 2009
  12. Stephen S. Greer & Amber E. Scott. “City of Trade” in Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, 45. Paizo Inc., 2009