Cities of the Starry Heart: Gilane

I finally got around to actually posting something new.

Cities of the Starry Heart: Gilane

By Casimar the Wayfarer

Gilane, last settlement before the infamous Hnes Rax, once the first outpost of the Ra Gada amongst territory held by the Colovians, now a center of shipping and travel of great archaeological interest. As always, I bring a description of the vibrant people, exotic sights, and truly unique environment. We travel west now, to the junction of the Alik'r Desert, Dak'fron, and Hew's Bane.

I'm no historian, but the legacy of the Rourken Dwemer is apparent on first sight of Gilane. The rogue clan's capitol is some miles away from the city, but the Rourken were spread across Hammerfell, and this is perhaps their most unique creation: a center of shipbuilding, including great mechanical dry docks and a canal crossing through the peninsula. This site is not only an engineering marvel, but offers a rare glimpse into the culture of the Rourken; the Dwemer are already an inscrutable race, but the least is known of the western rogues who objected to the construction of the Numidium. The dry docks reflect a history that scholars are still struggling to piece together, but what is known is that the Dwemer of the west were seafaring in some way. Today, the facilities are still put to good use, as Gilane is the center of a vibrant shipping and shipbuilding industry.

When the Dwemer disappeared, the Ra Gada were hot on their heels, fleeing their old home and sweeping across their new one. The Warrior Wave met little resistance; there were a few small outposts of Colovians interested in trading Hammerfell goods back in Cyrodiil, and these were easily brushed aside. However, today a Colovian presence persists, as evinced by the odd Colovian-style lodge here and there, though such structures have been adapted to the environment - they are built from light woods and mud bricks, and there is far more focus on getting heat out rather than keeping it in.

Gilane would eventually become what it is today: an important stop for traders, travellers, archaeologists, and adventurers. In addition to the shipping and shipbuilding, Gilane is home to a number of unique wares and products that can only be had in Gilane; there are many exceptional indigenous crafts available, and Gilane is one of Hammerfell’s major coffee- and spice-growing regions. The most unique aspect of the city, however, is the architecture.

Eclectic and diverse, the weary traveller will know Gilane when they see it. Various influences have made the city the spectacle that it is today; the sprawl of urban structures along the great canal is visible from afar, but when one finally reaches the city, the alienness of it all hits. Great temples loom and cast shadows over the buzzing streets. In addition to the standard Yoku pantheon, a host of spirits and demons form a rich tradition of spirituality which is palpable in the narrow alleys and courtyards, where fortune-tellers divine cryptic secrets and possessed dervishes dance wildly. Spice merchants trundle through the crowds with towering packs of goods on their backs, often accompanied by a trained companion animal or even an atronach. Sailors crowd the taverns and opium dens, exchanging tales of lands far away. The city is wondrous and diverse, and I would recommend finding a trustworthy local to guide you around, in order to experience the otherworldly marvel to the fullest.

Most tellingly of all the unique figures that can be seen, adventurers of every color clad in every type of adventuring gear pass through, headed for the south gate, which is the last bastion of civilization before Hnes Rax. The peninsula is harsh and rocky, dangerous enough simply as a natural hazard; but the inhabitants are the real threat. Nedic peoples, similar to those who built the city of Elinhir in the Jeralls, still live on. They themselves are hostile to the Redguards who ousted them from the land they populated in ancient times, but even they, who are relegated to one of the most inhospitable regions of Hammerfell, do not approach the danger of the Orcs and Daedra that prowl the mountain crags. Adventurers foolhardy enough to set off for this peninsula in search of Daedric treasures or glory or something else are a common enough sight in Gilane that the people have a morbid sense of humor about it, though now and then, one makes it back. They are never the same, though, and it is advisable to avoid that dark deathtrap. The walls of Gilane have deterred the foul barbarians for centuries now, and a traveler need not fear if they simply remain within the security of civilization.

From one wayfarer to another, don't let that bit of gloom deter you from the wonders of Gilane! Go, explore the maze of a city like no other - take in the incredible architecture and culture, be free with your coin and return home with souvenirs of an exceptional experience, and more importantly, memories to last a lifetime.