The red dot is Haven.
Haven is the capital city of Valdemar. It is tightly packed and most of the buildings have been built upwards instead of outwards. The buildings sit so close together that messenger boys run along the rooftops, rather than get stuck in the traffic below.
The roads are made in a circular manner so there is no direct way to the Royal Palace in the heart of the city. The walls that marked the limits of the city during its founding are still there, as are two other sets of walls, each built at different times as the city continued to expand. In 'present-day' Valdemar, the city has grown beyond the walls again, but the kingdom is now large enough and the borders far enough away that new walls are considered unnecessary.
The Royal Palace and the Collegia sit within the heart of the city, with a set of guarded walls surrounding the entire complex. Encircling them are the houses of the rich and the noble families. Each successive layer outward, moves down the socio-economic ladder.
Haven banned thatch roofs after a fire burned down a whole neighborhood, about forty years before the Heralds' Collegium opened.[1] Sixty years after the fire, it was a given fact that all of the roofs inside the Old Wall were shingle or tile.[2]
City Watch[]
The city is protected by the Haven City Watch, the municipal police force. Each area of the city is patrolled by officers and constables working out of a watchhouse located in that area. In the case of an extreme emergency, the Watch can call on the Valdemaran Guard for additional support. Some watchhouses:
- Breakneedle Street Watchhouse
- Cheese Court Watchhouse
- Iron Street Watchhouse
- Water Street Watchhouse
Statuary[]
In addition to historical figures (such as King Valdemar[3]), statues of ordinary citizens can be seen on corners and in squares. Queen Elspeth the Peacemaker ruled that any statuary had to serve some practical use for the public, so there are public fountains, water pumps, covered benches, etc.[4] These include:
- Lady-fountain in Tailor's Court
- Pig Fountain
City locations[]
City gates[]
Haven has a gate in the outermost city wall that exits to each of the nation's main roads:
- East Trade Road - Haymarket Gate
- South Trade Road - unknown gate
- North Trade Road - North Gate[5]
- Exile's Road - Exile's Gate[6]
Palace Complex[]
At the heart of the city, encircled by its own set of guarded walls, is the Palace Complex. It includes the Royal Palace, all four Collegia, the premier House of Healing, the headquarters of the Valdemaran Guard, and numerous other administrative offices.
Temples[]
Since Valdemar's policy on religion is "there is no one true way," many temples and shrines of various gods are found throughout Haven.[4] These include:
- Shrine of Alia of the Birds[7]
- Temple of Thenoth and Priory
- Temple of Belden
- Marian Temple[8]
- Temple of the Grove
- "Haunted Temple"[9]
- Abbey of Ardana[10]
- Temple of Betane[10]
Inns and taverns[]
There are numerous accommodations found throughout the city. They range from the sumptuous and expensive--located nearest the palace, to the cheapest and most disreputable establishments--usually found in the poorest neighborhoods around Exile's Gate. The list, past and present, includes:
- Awl and Tongs Tavern[3]
- Balcher's Tavern[11] - canon
- Bill and Beak Tavern[3]
- Bird in the Hand Inn[12] - canon
- Blue Boar Tavern[4] - canon
- Broken Arms Tavern - canon
- Clock and Crow Tavern[3]
- Companion's Bell Inn[4] - canon
- Compass Rose Tavern - canon
- Cooper's Arms Tavern[3]
- Crossed Sheaves Tavern[3]
- Dog and Wattle Coaching House[3]
- Fancy Dancer Tavern[13]
- Fivepenny Tavern[14][3] - canon
- Flag and Flagon Tavern[12] - canon
- Fox and Dove Tavern[3]
- Gilded Harp Tavern[15]
- Griffin's Egg Tavern[14] - canon
- Hart and Star Tavern[3]
- Hollybush Tavern[16] - canon
- Iron Lily Tavern[3]
- Iron Penny Tavern[3]
- Journey's End Tavern
- King's Arms Tavern[16][3] - canon
- King's Helm Inn[1] - canon
- The Old Clock Tavern[3]
- Owl and Firkin Tavern[17] - canon
- Red Nose Inn[18] - canon
- Rising Sun Tavern[19] - canon
- Rose and Crown Inn[19] - canon
- Rose and Key Tavern[3]
- Rose and Thorns Tavern[20] - canon
- Rusty Nail Tavern[13]
- Silver Bullock Inn[21] - canon
- Silver Horn Tavern[22]
- Splendid Table Inn[23] - canon
- Star Tavern[3]
- Three Sheaves Inn[22] - canon
- Tipsy Gryphon Inn[24]
- Truncheon Tavern[3]
- Unstrung Harp Tavern[25]
- Virgin and Stars Tavern[26][14] - canon
- Watchman's Arms Tavern[3]
- Waterman's Arms Tavern[3]
- White Horse Tavern[27] - canon
- White Lily Tavern[3]
- White Rider Inn[16]
- Wine Barrel Ale and Pie House[3]
Miscellaneous buildings[]
Some of the other buildings and structures in and around Haven include:
- Cattle Market[22]
- Court of Justice
- Corn Market[4]
- Hillman Mill[3]
- Iron Market
- Home Farms (outside Haven)
- Records Hall[3]
- Royal Farm (outside Haven)
Streets[]
- Anvil's Close
- Booksellers Row[3]
- Breakneedle Street
- Butcher's Row[3]
- Cabbage Row[28]
- Candler's Row
- Deel Street[29]
- Fivepenny Street
- Glazier's Terrace[3]
- Goldoak Street[11]
- Goose Lane[11]
- Gooseneck Lane[19][28]
- Harp Way
- Hoop Lane[3]
- Inglenook Lane[3]
- Iron Street
- Little Pudding Lane - canon
- Littlecotte Lane[3]
- Littlewell Court[3]
- Lower and Upper Ink Streets[3]
- Poultry Row[3]
- Saddlers Row
- Spud Lane[3]
- Stave Court[3]
- Tailor's Court[19][26] - canon
- Tannery Row[3]
- Tapestry Row[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Closer to the Chest, Chapter 5
- ↑ The Hills Have Spies, Chapter 1
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 Watchmen Miniseries
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Exile's Honor
- ↑ In Arrow's Fall, chapter 1, there are leather-workers in an eye-burning section outside the North Gate. Kris says they should have backtracked to Haymarket Gate.
- ↑ In Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor, Alberich did a lot of spywork in disguise around Exile's Gate.
- ↑ Closer to the Heart, Chapter 2
- ↑ "The Once and Future Box"
- ↑ Closer to the Heart, Chapter 9
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Closer to the Chest, Chapter 10
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Closer to the Chest, Chapter 17
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Closer to Home, Chapter 10
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wil and Lelia Miniseries
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "A Travelers' Guide to Valdemar and the Surrounding Kingdoms"
- ↑ Student Tarek Strand Miniseries
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Take a Thief
- ↑ Changes, Chapter 6
- ↑ Magic's Pawn
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Closer to the Heart, Chapter 15
- ↑ Closer to Home, Chapter 13
- ↑ Intrigues, Chapter 9
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Exile's Valor
- ↑ Intrigues, Chapter 3
- ↑ Healer Serril Miniseries
- ↑ "Battle of the Bands"
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Arrows of the Queen
- ↑ Closer to the Chest, Chapter 4
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Closer to the Heart
- ↑ Closer to Home, Chapter 14