Fandom Dragon Age TOTC: About Kirkwall

[Sopranos]

Kirkwall is a city unto itself, beholden to no one.
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1. The City Of Chains​

Kirkwall, also known as The City of Chains and historically as Emerius, is a coastal city-state and a major population center located in the Free Marches. It is on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, east of the Planasene Forest, and north across the Waking Sea from Ferelden.

The city's complicated past is not easy to forget, history having earmarked many corners of the stone city. A ship approaching the harbor spots the city's namesake: an imposing black wall. It is visible for miles, and carved into the cliff side are a pantheon of vile guardians representing the Old Gods. Over the years, the Chantry has effaced many of these profane sentinels, but it will take many more years to erase them all.

Also carved into the cliff is a channel that permits ships into the city's interior. Flanking the channel are two massive bronze statues—the Twins of Kirkwall. The statues have a practical use. Kirkwall sits next to the narrowest point of the Waking Sea, and a massive chain net can be erected between the statues and the lighthouse, closing off the only narrow navigable lane. This stranglehold on sea traffic is jealously guarded by the ever-changing rulers of the city as the net trolls taxes, tolls, and extortions in from the sea.​

2. Beyond 9:00 Dragon​

Viscount Perrin Threnhold attempted to expel the Templar Order from Kirkwall, killing Knight-Commander Guylian in the raid of the Templar stronghold. Knight-Templar Meredith Stannard and a group of her best templars marched on the Viscount's Keep and had him arrested, thrown in his own dungeons and stripped of his title. She was promoted to Knight-Commander by Grand Cleric Elthina soon after. With the Chantry's support, Meredith appointed Marlowe Dumar to succeed Perrin, though she remained the true authority in the city from the Gallows.

In 9:31 Dragon, Qunari set out to meet Orlesians who agreed to return the Tome of Koslun to them. However, the book was stolen. As the qunari gave chase, the thief led their ship into a storm to try and escape them, leading both their ships to founder on the coast of Kirkwall. The Arishok and his surviving army were forced to remain in the Qunari Compound, until they could reclaim the Tome of Koslun.​

2. Leadership

Kirkwall has been governed by a Viscount since the Orlesian occupation of the city, as the title itself is Orlesian. It has never truly been free to determine its own course, and after the ousting of Perrin Threnhold the Templar Order held considerable influence over his successor, Marlowe Dumar, and the city.

If the ruling line of a Viscount dies out due to no living heirs, then the nobility of Kirkwall will gather to elect a new line from their ranks.​

3. Districts

- High Town

- Low Town

- Dark Town

- Gallows

- Docks



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[Sopranos]

High Town
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Everyone who is anyone in Kirkwall lives in Hightown, and they give little thought to what goes on in Lowtown other than to complain when the wind drags up the stench from its foundries or ancient mines. People in Hightown feel safe, not because the city's walls are impregnable, but because an invader would need to scale the stairs from Lowtown in order to reach them. Many bloody battles have been fought on those narrow stairs, and in several wars Hightown has held out for months after Lowtown was taken. The wealthy often forget, however, that those stairs are also their only escape.

In the lowest alley of the district, several merchants peddle their wares. In a higher alley, the Dwarven Merchants' Guild is headquartered with one street leading to the Blooming Rose and the other to the Viscount's Keep and the Hawke Estate. The street eventually leads to the Kirkwall Chantry. A small staircase from there leads to the several estates of Kirkwall's elite. Although Hightown is a tranquil section of Kirkwall during the day, many gang operations surface during night time: Hightown is a center for many criminal factions.​

Locations

- The Chantry
- The Viscount's Keep
- The Blooming Rose
- Market Alley

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[Sopranos]

Low Town

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Lowtown is one of the main districts in Kirkwall. Lowtown serves primarily as housing for the city's less wealthy residents as well as the city's industrial center. In spite of this it remains a source of major commerce with markets lining the streets of Lowtown peddling their wares to all who pass.

Today, Lowtown is a labyrinth of shantytowns, corridors, and hexagonal courtyards—"hexes" in the local parlance. Lowtown's poorest live in caves hewn out of the cliff face. The district is shoddily built and bears scars caused by collapsing walls. Foundry smoke smothers the area. Only a cold winter storm clears the air, but the icy wind howling over the mouths of old mineshafts hardly counts as relief.

The walls surrounding Lowtown are highest by the harbor. Its busiest street leads up to Hightown, where the wealthiest Kirkwallers perch. When one stands in Lowtown, all one sees other than the rocky walls is Hightown. It glitters overhead, always in sight, yet always beyond reach.
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Locations​

- The Hanged Man

- Gamlen's House

- Kirkwall Alienage

- Dark Foundry



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[Sopranos]

Dark Town

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An area of Kirkwall that is derelict and destitute, Darktown is a den of iniquity, where only the most pitiable souls dwell. They say it is only a step up from the elven Alienage, but at least the Alienage isn't polluted with chokedamp that covers the streets in a toxic fog.

Built in the underground and sewers of Kirkwall, many Fereldan refugees fled into Darktown in desperation, after finding the gates of Kirkwall firmly shut due to the overflow of refugees fleeing the Fifth Blight.

Darktown is a hive of crime, with many criminal bases there. This is due to the non-existence of guards in the sewers, due to either Darktown being an unrecognised district, or purely because it is considered a lost cause. The dwarven Carta had a strong presence in Darktown following their elimination in Orzammar during the Blight. Slavers also prowl Darktown, likely searching for easy prey too feeble to fight back.

Disease is also widespread in Darktown, and its afflicted denizens either depend on the kindness of learned strangers to heal them, or simply wait as the disease spreads, lacking the funds to buy medicine.
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[Sopranos]

Docks

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The Lowtown docks is an area located within the city-state of Kirkwall.

Lowtown and the docks were carved out of the quarry rock by slaves when Kirkwall was part of the Tevinter Imperium. The docks are outside of the soaring city walls that border Lowtown to the north. To the south, the Gallows can be seen across the harbor.

A section of the docks was temporarily "gifted" to a visiting entourage of Qunari who were shipwrecked not far from Kirkwall around 9:31 Dragon, though this seemed as much an attempt at containment as it did courtesy.
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Locations​

- Qunari Compound

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[Sopranos]

Gallows

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The Gallows is an isolated fortress built in the harbor just off the Kirkwall Docks. It is sometimes used to control the flow of travelers arriving by sea but predominantly functions as the home of the Templar Order in the city as well as the site of its Circle of Magi.

Statues of tortured slaves fill the Gallows courtyard, a ghastly memento of Kirkwall's history. The statues are not monuments to the suffering of slaves. Every inch and angle of the courtyard was designed by magisters bent on breaking the spirit of newcomers. Executions here took place daily, sometimes hourly, and corpses were hung from gibbets throughout the yard. New slaves trudging in from the docks saw what awaited them.

It is the home of both the Circle of Magi and the Templar Order in Kirkwall.​

Locations​

- Kirkwall Circle

- Templar Hall

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[Sopranos]

Kirkwall Chantry

Spoiler

Kirkwall's chantry towers above the estates of Hightown, rivaled only by the Viscount's Keep. The chantry serves as a symbol as much as it does a place of worship: a symbol of the Chantry's importance in the tradition and the lives of Kirkwall's citizens, and its iron grip on the mages.
The chantry is home to Grand Cleric Elthina, the voice of the Divine in Kirkwall.
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[Sopranos]

The Viscount's Keep​

The Viscount's Keep is the residence of the Viscount of Kirkwall and the seat of government for the city. It towers above the other manors and estates of Hightown and is only rivalled in size by the Chantry.
The keep is located just off Hightown and is the home of Viscount Marlowe Dumar and his heir Saemus Dumar. In addition to this the Keep serves several other functions for the city. It provides facilities for various institutions of Kirkwall's government and also function as a meeting place for petitions to the Viscount's office. It also serves as a site for the conduct of public ceremonies.

The barracks, home of the Kirkwall City Guard, is located in the southern wing along with the Guard Captain's office. The Viscount's office and Seneschal's office are situated in the northern wing. The eastern wing houses the throne room which is used for the conduct of public ceremonies as well as the coronation of the new Viscount or Viscountess.

Day-to-day affairs in the keep are administered by Seneschal Bran, who is usually found near the Viscount's offices in the north wing.
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[Sopranos]

The Blooming Rose

Spoiler

The Blooming Rose is a brothel located in Hightown, in the Red Lantern District. According to Madam Lusine, they provide premium service for 2 sovereigns, standard service for 1 sovereign, and for 50 silver, "someone may touch you. Briefly."
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[Sopranos]

The Hanged Man

Spoiler

The Hanged Man is a major tavern in Kirkwall; it is a popular destination for all people, strangers or residents. The interior consists of one main room and four bedrooms. The inhabitants of the tavern will vary, depending on what quests are active and progress through the main plot.

The tavern got its name because people used to be hanged by their feet at the spot.
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[Sopranos]

Kirkwall Alienage

Spoiler

Kirkwall's Alienage is the Alienage of the elves in Kirkwall. Every night the Kirkwall City Guard closes a great iron gate at the entrance to the Alienage. Yet, despite their poverty, the elves still take comfort in the fact that they are not as bad off as the residents of Darktown.

Lowtown is home to a squalid elven alienage. Here, like in most Thedas alienages, elves are packed into tiny rundown apartments and effectively segregated from the human population.
Kirkwall's alienage is even more dilapidated than the rest of Lowtown, but the elves go to great lengths keeping the place looking bright and festive. The vhenadahl ("Tree of the People") standing in the middle of the alienage is a symbol for elven pride and shared cultural identity, and it is lovingly cared for.

It's difficult to say if the elves would continue confining themselves to the alienage if they were given the chance to mingle. They may not admit it, but some feel that living among their kind is far better than living with humans, no matter how terrible alienage life may be.
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[Sopranos]

Dark Foundry

Spoiler

The Dark Foundry is a mysterious foundry located in Lowtown.
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[Sopranos]

Qunari Compound

Spoiler

The Qunari Compound is a walled off section in the center of the Kirkwall Docks. It is here that the Qunari expedition and their leader the Arishok reside. For the safety of the public, and the Qunari, it remains sealed off.

Following a storm which left the Qunari shipwrecked, they were forced to take up lodgings here until a new ship could be sent to return them to Par Vollen. According to the Viscount, it was a gift to the Qunari to "contain them".
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