Other Information on Places in Parthacia

Other Information on Places in Korvosa:

Orphanages: Korvosa has five relatively small state-run orphanages that receive frequent inspections from the churches of Abadar and Sarenrae. These orphanages also house children taken from abusive parents or parents convicted of violent crimes.

The Shingles
The Shingles came into being only a few decades ago, when urban renewal projects on Endrin Isle pushed Old Korvosa’s poorest people into Bridgefront. As people flooded into the area, they quickly ran out of room. Taking a cue from Kaer Maga, they built upward, with lean-tos and shacks creating impromptu third stories on many of the ward’s buildings. These temporary third stories gave way to more permanent additions, which in turn received tents and shacks atop them. Over time, this progression of haphazard permanency gave rise to a ramshackle wall of residences reaching as high as five floors in some places.
Bridgefront: As the origination point of the Shingles, the rooftop communities in this ward are the oldest, least transient, and most dangerous.
Cliffside and Pillar Hill: Despite the relative affluence of these wards, sections of them contain continuous rows of buildings pushed up against one another.
Garrison Hill: The Shingles of Garrison Hill connect with those of Bridgefront, but, because of the decreased building density and relatively steep slope, the Shingles of this ward are far less extensive.
High Bridge and West Dock: This section of Shingles has a nautical look to it. Gangplanks, massive nets, canvas covers, and toppled ships’ masts act as connectors, highways, roofs, and floors of the jury-rigged amalgamation.
Old Dock: Almost an extension of the Shingles from Bridgefront, the rooftop byways and shanties of Old Dock drop off quickly near the warehouses along the waterfront.
Twitcher’s: This tavern high above the streets of Korvosa, most patrons and would-be patrons alike consider Twitcher’s a part of the Shingles. In fact, it is likely the only permanent location in the transient rooftop world.

The Vaults
Most cities have sewers. Some can even claim dungeons and deep caverns beneath them. No city, though, has a complex system of subterranean tunnels quite like the Vaults of Korvosa. Modern Korvosa stands atop the remains of at least two other civilizations and integrates both of them in its design. As a result, the origins of the Vaults of Korvosa can be divided into several categories.
Burial Mounds: The Shoanti who lived in Korvosa prior to its Chelaxian colonization dug squared ditches into the earth to bury their kings, warriors, and other elites.
Natural Caves: Most of the Vaults of Korvosa are formed from natural geological forces of erosion or volcanic activity. These irregular caverns and caves delve deep beneath the surface of the earth, sometimes well beneath the water table.
Worked Tunnels: A few worked tunnels of unknown craftsmanship have been discovered at the extreme south end of Korvosa.