Category: stonedance

The Kharon are a specialized caste in Osrakum, living in family units in boathouses on the outer slopes of the Ydenrim, as well as the shores of the cone that walls in the Plain of Thrones. These family units vary in size. The smallest may have but a single boat, the largest many. The kharon mate exclusively among themselves

A Kharon child has its right eye plucked out at birth

A Kharon mask is made of ivory or bone. These masks show a face in right-profile. Reading this as one would a glyph gives the impression that the steersman is gazing into the future

The first drawing depicts a steersman wearing the characteristic headdress: a nest of bone fragments at the heart of which is located a turtle shell—a symbol for the sky

The second diagram shows rough sketches of the bone boats with which the Kharon ferry people back and forth across the Skymere. A galley with extremely tall prow and stern posts, a bone boat is propelled by oarsmen—more Kharon rowing beneath the deck. A bone boat is constructed and maintained from the bones of the dead of the family that operate it. Kharon are bound to their ancestral vessels in life and death

Coomb Suth is Carnelian’s ancestral home. The map shows the palaces set into the floor of the coomb. Carved high into the Sacred Wall above the floor of the coomb are the upper palaces or Eyries where the Suth escape the summer heat

The lower palaces of House Suth are built on a curl of land forming the floor of a semi-circular coomb or valley that is open to the Skymere along its south-eastern edge. An idea of how large is this domain can be gleaned by comparing it with the ‘nose’ like structure, shown in the bottom right hand corner—the Hold drawn to the same scale

Much of the available land in the coomb is built upon. The greater part is taken up by an intricate complex of halls and courts organized to provide interlocking spaces that become increasingly more private as one moves towards their centre. There are also public spaces and those dedicated to each of the various lineages as marked. Also shown is the Forbidden House where the women of House Suth are sequestered

The coomb is reached by means of either the Visitor’s Quay, the Private Quay—used exclusively by the Chosen members of the House—and another quay that is used by members of the household, and to receive goods and materials

The north-eastern part of the coomb is taken up with buildings given over to the household and the many artisans required to run and maintain so many structures. A barracks for the tyadra is located beside the court through which the palace complex is entered. Also shown is the beginning of the stairs that lead up to the Eyries

The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is a circle of calendrical stones located at the centre of the Plain of Thrones. The Dance of the Chameleon is a Quyan term indicating the passage of the seasons. The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is synonymous with ‘calendar’. It is on these stones that is carved the Law-that-must-be-obeyed.

The Stone Dance consists of three concentric rings of stones: the 12 calendrical stones, the 12 ‘ghost’ stones and the more numerous commentary stones. There are also three pairs of gate stones that act as symbolic doorways into the system.

The 12 calendrical stones are immense stelae whose colours match those of the months they represent: so that there are 2 black, 2 green and 8 red. Inscribed on their surface, in Quyan glyphs, are the codicils and statutes of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed. The glyphs are considerably worn from milennia of exposure to the elements. The 12 ‘ghost’ stones are copies of the calendrical stones erected at some later date to preserve the weathered inscriptions in an easily legible form. The largest and outer ring contain the commentaries on the Law composed down the centuries by the Wise. The earth between the stones is an elaborately ridged and rutted stone mosaic; it is this that unifies the whole system. The ridges connect the Law to its commentaries in a way that the Wise can read with their feet.

Carnelian standing in front of in the inner face of one of the twelve stones of the Stone Dance of the Chameleon

Here are contained the various studies that I made to help me understand the Blood Gate. I even resorted to making a model—fro some particularly complex landforms and structures, drawings are not enough

diagram of the Blood Gate from the book

I produced this diagram for inclusion in the Second Edition of The Third God, attempting to somewhat emulate the style of the Neil Gower originals

the Blood Gate as viewed from the Black Gate

This is what you see as you leave the crater of Osrakum, once you pass through the Black Gate—the Blood Gate sitting on its ‘island’ rock

Running up from the foreground, on the left, is the chasm of the Cloaca that divides on either side of the rock. Two bridges cross to the rock from either side of the canyon floor. Ahead rises the ‘homeward’ gates between the two immense towers that form the Blood Gate. Beyond, to the left, there is a glimpse of the Killing Field

The vast canyon walls rise up on either side

the Blood Gate as seen from above

These two images show how, by making the model, I refined my understanding of the structure of the Blood Gate

From above, it can be seen how its structures all sit upon its ‘island’ rock—a portion of the Canyon floor left isolated by the branches of the Cloaca chasm (1) that pass it on either side. The Blood Gate proper (2) consists of two towers (one considerably larger than the other) linked together by two massive sets of double gates. Behind the Blood Gate is a large open field (5) that is joined to both sides of the inner Canyon floor by bridges (7). The front of the Blood Gate connects to the Killing Field (3) by means of a bridge over a ‘moat’ (8). The Killing Field connects to the two sides of the outer Canyon floor by means of two further bridges (6). Rising beyond is an immense tower-fortress called the Prow (4)—note that there is another ‘moat’ between the Prow and the Killing Field.

The tower in which Carnelian takes up residence is the smaller of the two (9).

Side view of the Blood Gate

There are aspects of the Blood Gate that are best appreciated from the side. Specifically, note the ‘moats’ that isolate the fortress structures from the Killing Field. The Prow tower is wholly isolated and can only be accessed through tunnels, running deep under the Killing Field, that connect it with the Blood Gate proper. The Blood Gate is connected to the Killing Field but only by a relatively narrow bridge, and this is blocked by the vast bronze gates that are considered impervious to any attack

Note also how high the Killing Field is above the Cloaca. The dragon with its tower depicted in the second image gives some idea of scale

the Blood Gate towers

The Blood Gate defensive system consists of two sets of gates, a number of bridges to narrow and direct any attack and three towers. One of these, the Prow, is isolated on the other side of the Killing Field and thus behind any potential attacker. Like the other towers, it is provided with a great number of huge flame-pipes fed from vast naphtha tanks. The other two towers—one twice the volume of the other—stand on either side of both sets of doors. Both are armed in the same way as the Prow. All three towers have, besides their military engines, large residential quarters for its garrisons.

Focusing our attention on the Southern Tower—that is the one in which Carnelian and Blue take up residence—the 2nd and 3rd diagrams show the tower’s south-western (incorrectly identified as south-east in my notebook) corner. The patterning of balconies matches the military hierarchy of the Ichorian Legion. It also gives a notion of the scale of this tower and, thus, the whole of the Blood Gate complex.

View into Osrakum from the Blood Gate

I produced this sketch to give me an idea of what could be seen from the South Tower of the Blood Gate when looking back into Osrakum. If I had just ‘made it up’ I would not have imagined that this is what it would look like

It does make certain things clear. The first is just how massive the Canyon is—the Black Gate, though quite a large structure in its own right, looks like a low fence. Even from this distance, the Pillar of Heaven is still a dominating landmark—which I suppose is not entirely surprising, since it is 2km high. I was a little surprised, however, to find that the Sacred Wall on the far side of the Skymere is also visible

The Black Gate, or Death Gate, stands at the narrowest point of the Canyon of the Three Gates where it enters the crater of Osrakum

Bells set into the Black Gate announce to the inhabitants of this hidden valley the entry of any Chosen

This is a map of the Valley of the Gate—not only the largest coomb in the Sacred Wall, but also the mouth of the Canyon of the Three Gates as it opens into the crater of Osrakum

On the left, the throat of the valley is closed by the Black Gate. The valley itself is filled with hexagonal columns of black basalt. The Valley of the Gate connects to the Isle by means of the Great Causeway. To either side of this, the Valley descends to the Skymere by two flights of Turtle Steps

The Cloaca passes under the Black Gate and cuts down through the valley. Before it reaches the Skymere, it opens into a huge basin. This spillway has been delved into the bedrock so that it is at a lower level than the lake. Slots cut into the rock wall that separates the basin from the Skymere are controlled by sluices. By means of these sluices, the overflow of water from the Skymere into the Cloaca can be regulated. The purpose of this system is to keep the level of the Skymere constant—a task especially critical during the Rains when, if it were not for the Cloaca, the level of the Skymere would rise, flooding the coombs of the Masters

This diagram shows one of the sluices that controls the outflow of water from the Skymere into the Cloaca. These operate in slots that are cut down into the basalt of the Valley of the Gate. It should be noted that the floor of the Valley is considerably higher than the level of the lake. Each sluice consists of a slab that, when released, resides in a casement cut into the spillway floor. The weight of this sluice is balanced by the counterweights shown, that permit the sluice to be dropped and raised from above by means of cables that, passing over the wooden arch shown, are wound around capstans. Note that there is a sluice at both ends of each slot: at the Skymere end and at the spillway end. Human figures have been added for scale

The Kharon are a specialized caste in Osrakum, living in family units in boathouses on the outer slopes of the Ydenrim, as well as the shores of the cone that walls in the Plain of Thrones. These family units vary in size. The smallest may have but a single boat, the largest many. The kharon mate exclusively among themselves

A Kharon child has its right eye plucked out at birth

A Kharon mask is made of ivory or bone. These masks show a face in right-profile. Reading this as one would a glyph gives the impression that the steersman is gazing into the future

The first drawing depicts a steersman wearing the characteristic headdress: a nest of bone fragments at the heart of which is located a turtle shell—a symbol for the sky

The second diagram shows rough sketches of the bone boats with which the Kharon ferry people back and forth across the Skymere. A galley with extremely tall prow and stern posts, a bone boat is propelled by oarsmen—more Kharon rowing beneath the deck. A bone boat is constructed and maintained from the bones of the dead of the family that operate it. Kharon are bound to their ancestral vessels in life and death

The first diagram shows a cross-section (north-east—south-west) with the Plain of Thrones on the left and the Halls of Rebirth and the colonnade of the Labyrinth off to the right. Note the slope that the sarcophagus columns of the Labyrinth climb—this is the outer slope of the volcanic cone of the Plain of Thrones. The triangular concavity in the crater wall—facing out over the Plain—is the Umbilicus and behind it, cut into the rock, are the strata of the Halls of Rebirth

The second diagram shows a close up of the Umbilicus with the arched voids that lie behind it

The Halls of Rebirth are the equivalent on earth of the Halls of Thunder in the sky—the residence of the God Emperor and his court in the Labyrinth

Lying within the Yden, the Labyrinth covers the ridge connecting the Plain of Thrones to the Pillar of Heaven. It consists of an immense, hypostyle hall in which each column is a mausoleum for a past God Emperor, Empress or other important personage from the House of the Masks; there are over one thousand of these column mausolea. Originally they were free standing; it was only later that they were spanned by arches, and the whole structure roofed over. The Halls of Rebirth are partially built into the south-western wall of the Plain of Thrones but they also spill into the Labyrinth

The two depressions that ‘nip’ the cross-section of the Pillar of Heaven contain the only ways by which it can be climbed. The north-western depression contains the Rainbow Stair

The circular diagram is a plan of Morunasa’s camp in the Labyrinth, with sybling Ichorians forming an outer cordon between six sarcophagus columns, and Marula making an inner cordon around a central sarcophagus column. A picture is shown of that central column—a towering figure, containing at its core the embalmed mummy of a God Emperor. Figures are shown at its feet for scale. Also shown is the netting stretched between the ankles of the colossus upon which Morunasa has hung his victims

This shows the view that is presented to someone leaving the crater of Osrakum and having passed through the Black Gate. Ahead looms the Blood Gate sitting on its ‘island’ rock. Running up from the foreground, on the left, is the chasm of the Cloaca that divides on either side of the rock. Two bridges cross to the rock from either side of the canyon floor. Ahead rises the ‘homeward’ gates between the two towers that comprise the Blood Gate. Beyond, to the left, can be glimpsed the Killing Field. Rising to either side are the vast Canyon walls

This shows a view into the Umbilicus from its open end, that looks out over the Plain of Thrones below. This cavern—hollowed into the inner cliff face of the wall of the Plain of Thrones—is backed with tiers on which are located the ‘thrones’ that the Masters sit on as they gaze down upon their subjects on the plain below. A stairway runs up the middle of the tiers. Some tiny figures have been included for scale

torsion device

This is a sketch of one of the torsion devices—that initially I termed “blood squeezers”—that Ykoriana describes and that flank the stair ascending between the tiers in the Pyramid Hollow. The sketch shows a victim within the device. The device consists of a number of strips dangling from a head—like a flaccid squid—that are gathered together and twisted into a single rope that is torsioned by a capstan. On their interior surface, these strips are lined with obsidian hooks. As the device is torsioned, the strips weave tighter and tighter around the victim’s body, so that the hooks dig into his flesh—with the result that, when the device is released, the victim is torn apart. Hideous, but there it is

constructing the Umbilicus

The first diagram shows a cross-section (north-east—south-west) with the Plain of Thrones on the left and the Halls of Rebirth and the colonnade of the Labyrinth off to the right. Note the slope that the sarcophagus columns of the Labyrinth climb—this is the outer slope of the volcanic cone of the Plain of Thrones. The triangular concavity in the crater wall—facing out over the Plain—is the Umbilicus and behind it, cut into the rock, are the strata of the Halls of Rebirth

The second diagram shows a close up of the Umbilicus with the arched voids that lie behind it

The Halls of Rebirth are the equivalent on earth of the Halls of Thunder in the sky—the residence of the God Emperor and his court in the Labyrinth

The first diagram shows a cross-section (north-east—south-west) with the Plain of Thrones on the left and the Halls of Rebirth and the colonnade of the Labyrinth off to the right. Note the slope that the sarcophagus columns of the Labyrinth climb—this is the outer slope of the volcanic cone of the Plain of Thrones. The triangular concavity in the crater wall—facing out over the Plain—is the Umbilicus and behind it, cut into the rock, are the strata of the Halls of Rebirth

The second diagram shows a close up of the Umbilicus with the arched voids that lie behind it

The Halls of Rebirth are the equivalent on earth of the Halls of Thunder in the sky—the residence of the God Emperor and his court in the Labyrinth

This shows a view into the Umbilicus from its open end, that looks out over the Plain of Thrones below. This cavern—hollowed into the inner cliff face of the wall of the Plain of Thrones—is backed with tiers on which are located the ‘thrones’ that the Masters sit on as they gaze down upon their subjects on the plain below. A stairway runs up the middle of the tiers. Some tiny figures have been included for scale

torsion device

This is a sketch of one of the torsion devices—that initially I termed “blood squeezers”—that Ykoriana describes and that flank the stair ascending between the tiers in the Pyramid Hollow. The sketch shows a victim within the device. The device consists of a number of strips dangling from a head—like a flaccid squid—that are gathered together and twisted into a single rope that is torsioned by a capstan. On their interior surface, these strips are lined with obsidian hooks. As the device is torsioned, the strips weave tighter and tighter around the victim’s body, so that the hooks dig into his flesh—with the result that, when the device is released, the victim is torn apart. Hideous, but there it is

constructing the Umbilicus

The Creation Chariot is a wheeled vehicle that at the beginning of an Apotheosis rests on the floor of the Umbilicus. During the ritual, it is drawn up a track in the centre of the stair, so rising between the tiers. Processions march up on either side. It rolls on six wheels, each pair coloured: black, green and red respectively

The core rituals of an Apotheosis are carried out on the platform on top of the Chariot. The Candidate stands surrounded by the Grand Sapients. Before him, in a ‘turtle hollow’ lies the Victim

Note the torsion device standing up the steps and to one side

This sketch shows the Candidate wearing the Three Crowns, holding two court staves and wearing, as a breastplate, the frame representing the Creation, loaded up with the organs and other body parts cut from the Victim

The firs sketch shows the three crowns, separately—each represents one of the Three Lands: so that the leftmost, the Green Crown, represents the lands of the barbarians; the central one, the Red Crown, represents the Guarded Land; and the rightmost, the Black Crown, represents Osrakum. Stacked, one on top of and inside the other, they represent the dominion of the God Emperor—and thus the Chosen—over the Three Lands

The second sketch shows the Three Crowns assembled into the Triple Crown. The two spiral plaques attached to the Green Crown symbolize the Law. Note also how the Green Crown evokes the four horns of a dragon thus symbolizing dominion over the legions. Also note that the Green and Black Crowns are each surmounted by an il, or horned-ring, symbolizing divinity. Together, they represent the Twin Gods

The first diagram shows a cross-section (north-east—south-west) with the Plain of Thrones on the left and the Halls of Rebirth and the colonnade of the Labyrinth off to the right. Note the slope that the sarcophagus columns of the Labyrinth climb—this is the outer slope of the volcanic cone of the Plain of Thrones. The triangular concavity in the crater wall—facing out over the Plain—is the Umbilicus and behind it, cut into the rock, are the strata of the Halls of Rebirth

The second diagram shows a close up of the Umbilicus with the arched voids that lie behind it

The Halls of Rebirth are the equivalent on earth of the Halls of Thunder in the sky—the residence of the God Emperor and his court in the Labyrinth

The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is a circle of calendrical stones located at the centre of the Plain of Thrones. The Dance of the Chameleon is a Quyan term indicating the passage of the seasons. The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is synonymous with ‘calendar’. It is on these stones that is carved the Law-that-must-be-obeyed.

The Stone Dance consists of three concentric rings of stones: the 12 calendrical stones, the 12 ‘ghost’ stones and the more numerous commentary stones. There are also three pairs of gate stones that act as symbolic doorways into the system.

The 12 calendrical stones are immense stelae whose colours match those of the months they represent: so that there are 2 black, 2 green and 8 red. Inscribed on their surface, in Quyan glyphs, are the codicils and statutes of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed. The glyphs are considerably worn from milennia of exposure to the elements. The 12 ‘ghost’ stones are copies of the calendrical stones erected at some later date to preserve the weathered inscriptions in an easily legible form. The largest and outer ring contain the commentaries on the Law composed down the centuries by the Wise. The earth between the stones is an elaborately ridged and rutted stone mosaic; it is this that unifies the whole system. The ridges connect the Law to its commentaries in a way that the Wise can read with their feet.

The first diagram shows a cross-section (north-east—south-west) with the Plain of Thrones on the left and the Halls of Rebirth and the colonnade of the Labyrinth off to the right. Note the slope that the sarcophagus columns of the Labyrinth climb—this is the outer slope of the volcanic cone of the Plain of Thrones. The triangular concavity in the crater wall—facing out over the Plain—is the Umbilicus and behind it, cut into the rock, are the strata of the Halls of Rebirth

The second diagram shows a close up of the Umbilicus with the arched voids that lie behind it

The Halls of Rebirth are the equivalent on earth of the Halls of Thunder in the sky—the residence of the God Emperor and his court in the Labyrinth

Lying within the Yden, the Labyrinth covers the ridge connecting the Plain of Thrones to the Pillar of Heaven. It consists of an immense, hypostyle hall in which each column is a mausoleum for a past God Emperor, Empress or other important personage from the House of the Masks; there are over one thousand of these column mausolea. Originally they were free standing; it was only later that they were spanned by arches, and the whole structure roofed over. The Halls of Rebirth are partially built into the south-western wall of the Plain of Thrones but they also spill into the Labyrinth

The two depressions that ‘nip’ the cross-section of the Pillar of Heaven contain the only ways by which it can be climbed. The north-western depression contains the Rainbow Stair

This shows a view into the Umbilicus from its open end, that looks out over the Plain of Thrones below. This cavern—hollowed into the inner cliff face of the wall of the Plain of Thrones—is backed with tiers on which are located the ‘thrones’ that the Masters sit on as they gaze down upon their subjects on the plain below. A stairway runs up the middle of the tiers. Some tiny figures have been included for scale

torsion device

This is a sketch of one of the torsion devices—that initially I termed “blood squeezers”—that Ykoriana describes and that flank the stair ascending between the tiers in the Pyramid Hollow. The sketch shows a victim within the device. The device consists of a number of strips dangling from a head—like a flaccid squid—that are gathered together and twisted into a single rope that is torsioned by a capstan. On their interior surface, these strips are lined with obsidian hooks. As the device is torsioned, the strips weave tighter and tighter around the victim’s body, so that the hooks dig into his flesh—with the result that, when the device is released, the victim is torn apart. Hideous, but there it is

constructing the Umbilicus

The City at the Gates is so named because it lies at the gates of Osrakum. Built on land reclaimed from the Gatemarsh, it has at its heart the great market of the Wheel, from which the five raised roads radiate out like spokes across the Guarded Land. The habitations of its almost three million citizens spread out along the causeways that carry the roads with their watchtowers

From the Wheel, the Canyon of the Three Gates leads into the crater of Osrakum

A view of the mouth of the Canyon of the Three Gates as seen from the Wheel, showing the flanking colossi carved from the rock of the Sacred Wall itself. For scale, a mass of human figures is shown passing between the colossi

Having entered the Canyon, it is necessary to pass the Green, Blood and Black Gates before gaining entry into the crater of Osrakum itself

The Canyon of the Three Gates is the only way in and out of the crater of Osrakum. It is a narrow defile, running between sheer, cliff walls. Three fortresses have been built along its length, the three ‘gates’: the Green Gate, the Red or Blood or Ichorian Gate, and the Black or Death Gate. The Cloaca—a channel cut anciently in the floor of the Canyon—allows excess water to be carried out of the lake that fills the crater of Osrakum

The diagram shows only the portion of the Canyon that lies between the Green and Black Gates and is not drawn to scale. The Red Caves lie between the Blood Gate and the Black Gate

The Green Gate is the first of the Three Gates and is a curtain wall, running across the Canyon, the surface of which is covered in bronze spikes, so that the whole mass looks like an immense hedge. At the lower level, gates act as ‘airlocks’, where goods from the Outer World are transferred to the other side by Red Ichorians. Gates higher up, on either side, allow the leftway and the Lords’ Road to continue along the Canyon. The former allows messages to pass in and out of Osrakum: the latter is used by the Chosen.

The drawing also shows how the Cloaca passes under the Gate through grilles. A throng of people are shown for scale

The second drawing shows a plan of the Green Gate. Note the double set of gates—each consisting of three gates—that seal off, between them, two ‘airlocks’. It is by this means that ‘contamination’ from the outer world is kept out of Osrakum

The Blood Gate is the primary defence structure of the Canyon of the Three Gates and, as such, the primary defence of Osrakum. It is called the Ichorian Gate in Quya, but the Blood Gate in Vulgate, and is also called the Red Gate in both languages. Indeed, the fortifications themselves, as well as the systems that extend out in front of them, are painted the colour of fresh blood

As a defensive system, the Blood Gate is exceedingly sophisticated. The Cloaca branches around the main superstructure, rendering it a kind of island in the middle of the Canyon floor. Two bridges lead to the ‘killing field’ that spreads in front of the gates themselves. Any army having made it this far would be caught in a crossfire from not only the towers flanking the main gate, but from the watchtower rising at its rear

The actual gates are, by far, the most massive in the Three Lands, and there are two sets of them forming another ‘airlock’. It is here that are found the elaborate cleansing chambers that are provided for the Chosen so that they are not forced to endure the quarantine that the Wise insist on for others

Beyond the Blood Gate lie the Red Caves in which the ‘dragons’ of the Red Ichorians are stabled and where their main barracks are located

The Black Gate, or Death Gate, stands at the narrowest point of the Canyon of the Three Gates where it enters the crater of Osrakum

Bells set into the Black Gate announce to the inhabitants of this hidden valley the entry of any Chosen

This is a map of the Valley of the Gate—not only the largest coomb in the Sacred Wall, but also the mouth of the Canyon of the Three Gates as it opens into the crater of Osrakum

On the left, the throat of the valley is closed by the Black Gate. The valley itself is filled with hexagonal columns of black basalt. The Valley of the Gate connects to the Isle by means of the Great Causeway. To either side of this, the Valley descends to the Skymere by two flights of Turtle Steps

This is a sketch of a section of the Ydenrim. The road shown has come from the Great Causeway and is going to the Plain of Thrones. To the right of this is one of the lagoons of the Yden. To the left, the land falls away to the Skymere along whose shore can be seen some kharon boathouses

Streams flow down from the lagoon to the Skymere. It is often alongside these that paths lead up from quays. Masters, coming by bone boat from their coombs, are disembarked here on their way to the Plain of Thrones and the Labyrinth

The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is a circle of calendrical stones located at the centre of the Plain of Thrones. The Dance of the Chameleon is a Quyan term indicating the passage of the seasons. The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is synonymous with ‘calendar’. It is on these stones that is carved the Law-that-must-be-obeyed.

The Stone Dance consists of three concentric rings of stones: the 12 calendrical stones, the 12 ‘ghost’ stones and the more numerous commentary stones. There are also five pairs of gate stones acting as symbolic doorways into the system.

The following description is from The Chosen:

“Within the outer ring of those monoliths were two more rings, one within the other. Most were the colour of a stormy sky, but the innermost ring looked freshly painted with blood. Between the outermost ring and the inner ones, the ground was slabbed, mosaiced, ridged or spotted with cobbles.”

The first sketch shows Carnelian and Blue standing before the wreck of the Iron House

It has come off the road—the two dragons that pulled it, having tumbled to the ground, one of the wheels of the chariot having buckled as it fell. One of Osidian’s dragons is still on the road, lying where it fell on the other wheel. The standard of the Green God can be seen lying upside down leaning against the road. It is in the space underneath that Carnelian and Blue seek shelter from the rain

The second sketch shows Osidian’s attack coming along the road. The fire from his flamepipes causes the Iron House to swerve off the road

The third sketch shows Carnelian and Blue standing before the wheel of the Iron House that buckled when it came off the road and hit the earth. The boss from its hub lies like a bowl on the ground.

There is also a sketch of the Iron House half off the road that was a precursor to the more detailed sketch above. This kind of ‘storyboarding’ helped me visualize a scene before I wrote it

The diagram above shows side views and a view from above of a standard watchtower. Each such tower stands guard on a gate controlling passage from one province into another through the wall that carries a leftway. Note the drawbridge that carries the leftway over the gateway below

Watchtowers are set at regular intervals along the raised roads of the Guarded Land. These towers and the high road—the leftway—that runs under their gaze, form not only the primary communications systems of the Commonwealth, but also provide the Wise with a ‘sensory grid’ with which they ‘see’ much of what goes on in the Guarded Land. In addition, each tower is garrisoned with enough auxiliaries to defend the gate over which each tower stands guard

The communication system has two distinct aspects. Messages can be carried as sealed despatches at furious speed along the leftway by couriers who obtain fresh aquar at each tower. Couriers, and what they carry, are protected by stringent codicils of the Law-that-must-be-obeyed.

Shorter and more critical messages are jumped from tower to tower by means of the heliographs during the day or, more slowly, by naphtha flares at night

A watchtower is often at the centre of an extensive stopping place, where the throngs travelling on the road below can make camp for the night

Watchtowers play an important part in the Stone Dance, and it was because of this that I felt the need to understand their exteriors and interiors so well

From the summit of a watchtower, six ribs curve up to hold aloft a platform at the centre of which is located a heliograph device. Naphtha, piped up the ribs, burns in flares to transmit signals at night when the heliograph cannot operate. The ribs branch up from either side of a keel beam. At the ends of the keel beam are two of the tower’s four deadman chairs: the other two hang from the upper ends of the middle ribs. Lookouts sitting in these chairs maintain an unsleeping scrutiny of the Guarded Land and the road below. The keel beam is embedded in the superstructure of the tower that consists of a number of floors: those above the level of the leftway are connected by ladders that can be raised by means of counterweights. Those below the level of the leftway are connected by ramps

Note the trapdoor in the roof that gives access down into the uppermost storey. Note also the staples climbing up the rib in the lower left (of the right hand plan) that gives access to a naphtha flare and to the heliograph platform. The left hand diagram shows the upper storey that provides accommodation for the staff of ammonites who operate the heliograph. It is these chambers that Carnelian, his father and the other Masters occupy each night on their journey to Osrakum

This second page of floor plans shows the two storeys that are the barracks of the tower garrison

The third page of floor plans shows the storey of the tower that is level with the leftway. In the upper part of the diagram is a cistern. Corresponding to this—in the lower part of the diagram—is the ramp that leads down into the stables. A portcullis seals the entry from the leftway. Standing before this entrance is a monolith, the purpose of which is to make it impossible to use a battering ram against the portcullis. To the right of the portcullis you might be able to make out the faint sketch of an aquar as seen from above. I put this in so as to be able to more easily imagine what it would be like leading an aquar into this space. A small diagram on the right hand side of this page is a side view showing how the portcullis and its counterweights work. It also includes measurements for the heights of some of the storeys.

The fourth and final page of floor plans shows two of the three stable levels that are linked by ramps to the upper entrance—from the leftway. Various other mechanisms are lodged here that have to do with the operation of the portcullis, etc in the levels above. The lowest level of all is the uppermost diagram. Note that it too has a portcullis and a monolith set facing it. This gives direct access to the main carriageway of the raised road that runs along the foot of the wall carrying the leftway

The City at the Gates is so named because it lies at the gates of Osrakum. Built on land reclaimed from the Gatemarsh, it has at its heart the great market of the Wheel, from which the five raised roads radiate out like spokes across the Guarded Land. The habitations of its almost three million citizens spread out along the causeways that carry the roads with their watchtowers

From the Wheel, the Canyon of the Three Gates leads into the crater of Osrakum

To my horror, as I came to understand the battle, I realized that—in their blind panic—the sartlar—attempting to flee from the fiery holocaust and thunder of the advance of Molochite’s dragons—were going to fall over each other. Their millions, so densely packed, could not hope to get out of the way of their fellows coming at them from the front. As one group fell, others would trip over them, or scrabble over the mounds to, in turn, founder on the growing hills of the dead and dying. The effect of this is like that that the sea, receding, produces on sand—ripples, ripples of corpse many metres high

The dragons of Molochite’s first line coming on behind, would crush their way through the corpses… but those of the second line, maddened by the fire burning on their backs and flanks, would run aground like ships on rocks