The Fiora is the enormous bridge which connects the heart of Ilthmar to the riverbank. Enormous and ancient, its spans are large enough to allow a fair-sized ship to sail under without lowering its topsails. It is the symbol of the city, a source of pride to the citzens and a damn good place to stage fights and chases.
In general, the houses are two stories in height, and cantilevered out off the edge of the bridge. The lower floor houses the work areas and the upper the living quarters of the workers. There are iron gates at both ends of the Fiora, but these are rarely closed under normal circumstances, although guards stand duty at both. Most attention is focussed on those crossing the bridge at the other gate of the Famorocca - on those entering or leaving the city proper. The lower floor of the tower of the bellgate houses a series of bronze cylinders which are struck to signal the hours of the day. The upper floor contains a single huge bell which is tolled to signal disasters - floods, sinkings, fires and the like.
A. Hiltern's House. A wealthy artist and his enormous family live here. Hiltern specialises in woven portraiture - vast tapestries of individuals or whole clans.
B. Lodging house. This large house is mostly filled by rooms rented to workers who assist the artists - grinders of pigments, bleachers of canvas and the like, who do not yet have a place in someone's service.
C. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild specialising in paintings.
D. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild.
E. Carhilmon's house. An artist of particular accomplishment and one known to have patrons in high places.
F. The Detter tower. This tower is home to an-ever-changing clique of aspiring, mostly impoverished artists of various sorts - most non-guildsmen (which is why they remain impoverished).
G. Tamarric's Inn. This hostelry is famous for the quality of its ale and also as the first reputable drinking place one passes coming on the trade roads from the south. It also serves good food. "I'll meet you at Tamarric's!" has become a common farewell for travellers from Ilthmar. Tamarric, the ex-Irilian owner and chief barman has run the inn for over thirty years and shows no particular signs of aging. He has a reputation as a handy combatant with the two axes hanging over the bar and occupies the upper floor with a swarm of relatives who also work the bar.
H. The Sintre tower. Once (reputedly) the home of a mage executed for questionable sorcery, it has a reputation as haunted. Nonetheless, Tamarric acquired it several years ago and it now serves to house paying guests in need of a room.
I. This building houses a family that produces banners, cloaks and all manner of painted and dyed cloth. As a side line they also wash and clean clothes - a lucrative business since many of the garrison of the Famorocca use their services.
J. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild.
K. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild.
L. This house is occupied by two families of lamplighters -responsible for the lamps on the Fiora, (which are magical) by ancient tradition as well as normal lighting and providing linkboys.
M. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild.
N. This tower is home to several families of boatmen who ferry visitors to and from the Fiora.
O. Tamiyalla's house. Ostensibly an artist's studio, Tamiyalla's is in fact a discreet and reasonably pricey brothel. The workers there (male and female) are referred to as "models". Occasional visits by senior guard officers (on the house) have earned it immunity from disturbance and it has a handy back exit onto the stairs down to the river for customers who do not wish to dare the crowds on the bridge.
P. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild specialising in frescoes.
Q and R. These houses are owned by a large family concern that specialises in the production of illuminated manuscripts.
S. Drago's cookhouse. This large building houses two rooms - one is a large eatery - noted for its pastries, the other is a smaller eating room that also serves coffee and chocolate. The latter room is occasionally used for poetry sessions, plays and the like and has been a fashionable place for the literati to meet. Drago recieves regular complaints for the lateness of the hours it keeps.
T. Dilmargo's tower. This tower has been for a long time the residence of a mage famous for both his specialities (illusions, false-seemings and the interpretation of riddles) and the fact that he is a member of the Artist's Guild - an unusual irregularity occasioned by the fact that he often collaborates with artists (especially Carhilmon) in the creation of unusual paintings.
U. The house of an artist who specialises in painted fabrics.
V. Lodging house. This large house is mostly filled by rooms rented to workers who assist the artists - grinders of pigments, bleachers of canvas and the like, who do not yet have a place in someone's service. Tybati the rogue lives here.
W. The house of a sturdy middle-class member of the artist's guild specialising in gilding and painting woodwork.
X. Candetta tower. This tower is home to another unconventional member of the Artist's Guild, Salanio the tattooist. He worked with Dilmargo for several years and in addition to more conventional work, offers magical tattooes.
Y. The Final Port Inn. Before Tamarric's opened, this was the only inn on the bridge. It has since fallen on hard times, so there is no love lost between the two ostlers. However, unlike Tammaric's the Final Port rents rooms (by the hour, day or longer) on its upper floor.
Z. Tower of the bell-ringers. This tower houses a number of guildmembers traditionally responsible for the care and ringing of the Khajeldin bells.
