Chapter: Raiders

This sketch shows a cross-section of a raised road of the Guarded Land. Note how high it is above the ground. Note also the ramp running down to the ground, on the right, besides which I drew a human figure to show the scale.

A watchtower rises from behind the leftway wall that runs alongside the road, beyond a ditch. A view of the tower as seen from the road is also shown

There are countless sartlar kraals across the Guarded Land, each constructed to the specifications of the Wise. These kraal form a grid spreading out on either side of a raised road. In the diagram above, a part of this grid is shown and running along its right edge is just such a raised road. Note how the watchtowers, along with the transverse tracks they stand guard upon, form the corners and edges of large squares in the kraal grid

Sartlar, when not labouring, are confined within these kraals

This second sketch shows a typical kraal as seen from above and from the side. A kraal is a circular space enclosed by a high, thick fence of woven hri-wicker, having a gate at one end, that is guarded by an overseer’s tower. A wide ditch surrounds the kraal, acting as a fire-brake during the burning off of the stubble (occurring every year at the end of the 6th and 12th months)

In the diagram you can see Carnelian’s and Osidian’s positions on their first night in a kraal. To help me get a feeling of the scale, I included a 2m high man and a small rectangle representing the study I was writing in at the time