A Geography Of Haarth: Westgate

The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick

The A Geography of Haarth post series is exploring the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. Each entry is accompanied by a quote from the books in which the place appears, currently either The Heir Of Night or The Gathering Of The Lost, or both.

The series is currently traversing “W”, the final letter in this series—although fortunately there are many places in the Haarth world beginning with “W”. 😉

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Westgate: one of the largest islands forming the River city of Ij and the one closest to the western Road Gate; contains several market squares and a large warehouse quarter with headquarters of several major trading houses and embassies from other River cities.
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“The heralds’ Guild House was located on a large island known as Westgate, where the Main Road officially entered the city. For the first time since Terebanth, the main road branched at the foot of the hill where the heralds had drawn rein. One branch ran south to the river port and the Great Southern Gate, while the other led north, toward a smaller gate where red-roofed merchant houses sprawled along the city side of the river. The main, western gate was simply known as the Road Gate and the closer the heralds came to it the busier the road became. Merchants and other long distance travelers were joined by farmers and carters coming and going from the city markets, as well as country families eager for the sights and entertainment of the festival. First hawkers’ booths, and then inns and stables, began to crowd along either side of the road—and the clatter of hooves and jingle of harness, the creak of carts and the cries of the hawkers filled the afternoon air.”