[Mkguild] Metamor Keep Preliminary Map and Assumptions

[Michael Bard]

http://www.transform.to/~mwbard/stuff/metamorkeep.jpg

Okay, this is a VERY rough laying made by grabbing bits of stuff I already
had, and pasting them in the rough orientation of things as I understand it.
North is towards the top of the map.

Assumptions:

1. The big attack that has been mentioned to me from Winter Assault came
from the north, away from Euper.  Otherwise, why is Euper still standing if
it has a wooden stockade, same if it has small walls.  Hell, just use some
catapults with burning tar and burn it to the ground.  Given that the
current leading edge of stories is <1 year after the big battle, there is
otherwise no Euper in existance of any use.

2. The "big assault" was a conventional army led with some intelligence.
I.e. there was infantry and cavalry. Ground was picked intelligently.
Tactics were used.  If the Lutin just threw themselves in a straight line
against dug in defenses, then why haven't they been wiped out centuries ago?

3. Metmor keep is at the northern edge of useful ground in the valley.
North of it is nothing but rock and wasteland and wilderness.  Forest etc.
Could be cleared for cultivation but for those pesky Lutins.  The ground
immediately north of the plateau the keep is built on is rocky and
irregular.  No nearby trees for building of engines, etc.  The most level
ground is north of the keep which is where the Lutin army camped.  It's why
the keep, the strongest point is facing it, as that is the most likely point
of assault.

4. Ages ago, by magic, or gods, or giants, or whatever, tunnels were
burrowed through the mountain, and one of them brings water from the
mountains to Metamor (lots of water gives reason for settlement to first
form here, even before the Lutin stuff).  There are cisterns and wells in
case the main feed gets poisoned or blocked or whatever, but it is fairly
good.  Thus there is lots of water for things like BATHS.

5. To the south and east is level cultivated ground.  This is where
civilization is.  This where the commons are for the fairs, trade meets,
etc.

Notes on the Map:

The keep at the top is Metamor, of course.  On the highest ridge.  Directly
south of it is Metamor town, filling the plateau of the ridge.  It's a bit
big here, but can be shrunk.

NOTE: Markets are what form towns.  People gather to sell goods, buildings
are set up around.  Eventually the market gets full, buildings too crowded,
so farmers/merchants set up a new market outside of the built up area and a
new market begins.  This is how medeival towns/cities actually grew.  Wall
just focused it.  According to the online notes, Metamor Town and Euper have
ONE market.  Either they have a population of about a hundred, or this just
ain't so.  I'm assuming they are larger.

Directly south of it is Metamor Town.  It's got a population in the
neigbourhood of 500 and fills the plateau.  Water is from the main input
pipe form the mountains, or from cisterns tha store it in case of
emergencies.  Metamor town contains families of the army/garrison, and the
richer craftsman who work on the fine metal goods that Metamor is famed for
(given the iron mine).  The rich live up here due to the added security.

Leading down from the southern edge of the ridge plateau is the switch road
that leads up to the plateau (the thick brown line).  The slope is rocky.
Sheep/goats graze, grass grows, but that's it.  It's inside walls so the
rules are bit less stringent than outside the walls (where nothing is
allowed to grow for security reasons).  There are gates at both ends to
control access for security.  Road is narrow, horses can get up single file,
MAYBE small wagons.  Might be passable for bigger, but nobody bothers,
andits easier for the big trading caravans to set up in the commons due to
space.

On the south-east of the map is Euper.  The wall is smaller, but due to the
terrain around the keep, it is not likely to be a prime assault route due to
the lack of staging grounds until you get east of the ridge, and that's
where the sheltered civilization is.  The farms to the east were burned
during the big war, but people are moving back in and are living in sod
structures (quick and easy to build -- check how the Canadian prairies were
first colonized by white man).  The ground is clay and rocky soil grassland
with "cleared" (of rocks) farmland being reclaimed after the war.  The main
commons is there for grazing, and for caravans and festivals to be set up
(where the hell would a, say, circus, set up on the plateau, if it was even
able to get up the winding road, depedning on how narrow/difficult that is).
Euper is where everybody else live.  Visitors, traders, local farmers who go
out each day to farm the local ground, poor, labourers for the upper city
(Metamor Town), refineries and mills driven by waste water ran downhill in
an aquaduct from the plateau (mills for grain, metal refineries, likely a
lumberyard, other industry -- you'd be surprised at some of the industrial
towns in medieval Europe).  All industrial power is from water.  Euper is
kept away becuase it's loud, it stinks, and all the dirty bits of medieval
industry (tanning of furs from the mountains and wilderness, lots of hideous
waste water from that) and other such stuff.

West of Euper and along the base of the ridge is broken and shattered
ground.  Crevices, small cliffs, etc.  Passable by foot with difficulty,
impassable by cavalry or wheeled vehicle.  Thus the ground prevents the
movement of siege engines and major armies but does allow small raiding
parties through.  Likely Euper had problems with raids on the walls, some
buildings burnt, etc.  Hopefully mage summoned rain kept the fires from
getting too far out of control.

-------------------------------------

Anyway, these are my initial thoughts due to what I've been able to put
together.  The maps are horribly wrong in detail, hopefully not that bad in
concept.  But, at least it provides a starting point for us to discuss and
work from.

Michael Bard