Almondsey

This is basically a schematic map, not drawn to scale and with 'straightened-out' delineations of streets and canals (hardly an A-to-Z). Descriptions of The Citadel, The Lord Mayor's Residence, The Beacon, Westgate, the Guildhall, and Northgate Tower and Bridge are shown on this page. Other references are Chapter XIX, Lugo Poth's Great Temple, the Royal Palace, and The Morag Hotel. The Royal Prison north of the Temple is for heretics and political offenders, not for common felons, who are jailed next to the Killing Yard Square. The whole island is actually something like five miles wide, so you have to 'shrink' the city plan itself into a smaller area in the center (the marshes, for example, are much bigger than shown, and the Citadel, etc. are way above scale). This is justifiable in the same sense as a London Tube or New York Subway map is. The light green areas surrounded by orange buildings, for example, represent residential squares. "New Town" is not worth showing, and "The Warren" is too complicated, for the purposes of this web site; "Old Town" should be squished up to the north, and "New Town" shown as larger. This is a Tourist Map! Someday, we might exhibit a more comprehensive and accurate plan of this fascinating city on this web site, since there are many historic buildings not shown.

The Lord Mayor's Residence. Town walls are at the northwest and southeast sides. The principal city square (Killing Yard), apart from the market square farther to the west in the city, is here, and is the basic center of government.The sides facing north and east are the primary milieu for His Honor, including some private offices and a Very Secret Privy Court (for trials we don't want to mention).City Hall, or whatever you want to call it, is across the square, as are the courts and temple.

It is a fairly small building for its importance, only measuring about 100 by 90 feet, and only two stories tall for the most part. It is, however, built of beautifully squared ashlar limestone blocks, and is an impressive and pleasing building though not awe-inspiring. The lake front with its four large oriel window and the great tower is rather impressive. To approach the city from this direction across the lake is aesthetically inspiring.

In no way should this be considered a 'castle', as it has practically no defences at all apart from some perfunctory parapets and arrow loops.

Apart from the Lord Mayor's suite in the tower, there are also seven bedrooms, not including the guest suite, which are all designated for administrative officials. There is some 'martial' stuff in the gatehouse (but that includes the housekeeping family); Captain is actually the High Sheriff, an honorary post not an active one.

Most of the building dates from the late 17th Century, remodelled a hundred years later. It was then redesigned by an itinerant English architect who had not succeeded that well in his own country because he was out of date in his designs, but did well here in Estalia. His name was George Garradge, and his influence is well illustrated by works in other places in the country (mainly modifications and improvements). His main art was in improving plumbing and putting in sash windows.

The Citadel. The ancient citadel of Lotta is located on a craggy hill on the south side of the island, with marshes to east and west, the lake to the south, and the city to the north. The site slopes down from southwest to northeast (from the keep at the high point to the east battery at the low point). Arrowhead bastion (18th C.) overlooks The Warren (the medieval slum of the city), whereas the medieval great gatehouse (15th C.) faces into the city proper at the bottom of Cross Street. The Keep is a very tall watch tower, with a beacon at the top -- it was also built in the 15th Century; apart from the lines of the curtain walls, most of the citadel was built in the 18th Century. These buildings house the Royal Militia, the only 'official' army in Estalia (not counting militias who inhabit the other government fortresses in the country). The Royal Militia is an elite infantry troup whose main function is ceremonial -- they wear very colorful uniforms -- but are also very highly trained as commandos and are assigned as small units of Sextiments (one officer and five troops) to various places such as Fort Quadron. Their principal training grounds are located north of Grollshec Castle, in a 'secret' area in the Lignapp Hills not disclosed on the map.