Post by Lin on May 29, 2006 13:13:20 GMT -5
In order to get the ball rolling on decorating our city with interesting locations, I present Cinder Downs, a racetrack. Once the details are finished a final copy will be moved to the resources thread.
A Tour of Cinder Downs
You see it immediately as you leave Port Rislan of Gremia, marked off by an eight foot high white picket fence. The oddly colored lime green walls of what was once Hellburg Manor bring to mind questions regarding the tastes of individuals from the previous generation. As a whole, Cinder Downs is a large, mostly flat lot of land that, if not for the circumstances of its creation, would have no doubt been part of a particularly wealthy noble’s estate.
Facing the Manor, the building has been heavily remodeled. There are five entrances that allow large numbers of guests to enter or exit rapidly. Walking inside, the first floor is one large lobby. Gone is the artwork and furniture that one would expect to find in such a seemingly grand hall. A thoroughly frayed and trampled tan tweed rug serves to do little more then absorb dirt. Along the ceiling are fixtures where chandeliers may have hung, along the walls are brackets from which everburning touches may have rested, but all these things are gone. In the center of this area is a wide staircase, adorned with an emerald green carpet and tied off by a silk rope. There are a number of areas sectioned off by low walls adjoining side rooms along the walls, but for the most part all of the walls on this floor have been removed and are replaced by bronze colored support columns. At the far end of the room, a number of ramps lead up to doorways about nine feet off the ground, which would be in the second story of most buildings, but not in this place, whose ceiling rests close to twenty feet high. In between these ramps are a series of doorways. Passing through these, the floor is covered by a carpet in even worse repair. There is no back wall in this area. In fact, besides a few scattered tables, workbenches and chairs, it is completely empty. All of the support beams here is reinforced with steel plates and it seems that this area has never been dusted and is rarely cleaned, everything touched by trace amounts of red dust.
Stepping out of this area leads to a lawn, though the grass is trampled and sparse. Looking back at the manner, on top of the platform are half a dozen rows of seats, raised so that each row can see over the one before it. These rows extend the majority of the distance across the manor, leaving the occasional gap to form an aisle. The seats are simple wooden ones, produced in identical design. Looking higher, above these rows of seats are what looks like balcony boxes, contents of which cannot be determined from the lawn.
Turning away from the manor, a tall fence is found, about four feet high. Lined up against it are a series of crates, most likely once used for transporting fruit. The fence is freshly painted chocolate brown, though some obscene phrases have already been etched in. On the other side is much more beautiful place, a well kept grassy area, like a park, with fountains, statues of men and horses kept in organized, yet somehow arcane patterns. There are two smaller buildings here with small windows and a tall side door, one painted brick red, resembling a farm and one painted royal purple. Directly opposite the manor is a small horseshoe shaped flower garden, whose blossoms are arranged to appear like a rainbow, moving from red on the outside to violet on the inside. In the middle of this colorful arch is a three tiered pedestal. Each platform is quite, at the base of which lies a platinum number, one, two and three, descending downwards from the top.
Ringing this field is a thirty yard wide ring. The grass ends at a short polished cherrywood fence and replacing it is a rich, red clay surface. Meticulously swept and flattened, the ring circles close to the entirety of the grounds. A series of gates crosses this ring, each containing an iron rail separating each. Near the two inner buildings, the cherrywood fence breaks and the grass in noticeably browner leading out from these two buildings to the red oval.
Down in the Downs
Cinder Downs is unique in that it crosses lines. The rich, the noble, the royal, the criminal and the destitute all come to this track to watch the horse racing. Occasionally, rarer beasts will be raised as well as a change of pace diversion, but horses are the main attraction. The rich compete with each other, attempt to show up their rivals with their latest thoroughbred, leaving all others choking in their wake. The poor enjoy a free show, standing amongst there peers, screaming and celebrating. Venders set up shop, knowing that hundreds of people will be able to see their wares. Bets are taken, fortunes are lost, dreams come true and lives are ruined around the track. Even on sunny days it rains confetti from programs and markers. Cinder Downs is a place to socialize, meet new people and conduct business outdoors. The gambling community has formed a subculture that calls the lawn its home. The noble and royal are able to watch the sport be played high above the masses in their box seats. Security keeps the grounds peaceful for all to enjoy a nice afternoon. Cinder Downs is the most popular source of daytime entertainment in Port Rislan, combining sport with spectacle.
Cinder Downs itself is property of the royal family and was created to promote sport as well as to give all people a place that they could go and enjoy themselves. The land originally belonged to an extremely rich noble family, the Hellbergs. The family committed undisclosed crimes and was executed, leaving the king at the time the closest living relative. He established spent a large sum of his personal fortune to renovate the location to its current form. The property does generate a small revenue, most of which is spent on improvements.
The name Cinder Downs comes from the ashes of the volcano. These ashes are used in the soil to fortify it, which the king believes is why it remains so green year after year. Many people believe the name comes from the track itself, but this is not the case. The distinctive red clay used on the track is found on foreign beaches, not from the top of a volcano as is sometimes said. The material is not ideal for racing on and many horses each year are injured on it, but the crowds feel this adds excitement and separates the great horses from those that are merely fast. Indeed, the crowd feels that the red clay does make the horses run faster, the latent heat of the volcano pushing them onwards.
Bets can be made directly against posted odds and are covered by the crown, but much of the truly high stakes action happens through bookies down on the lawn. All manner of stipulations can be made and individuals can bet directly against each other, making the stakes more personal. Not everyone who attends the races gambles, but it is an activity so common that it is practically expected.
There is plenty to see and do at Cinder Downs. The pageantry of the races, the majesty of the horses and the thrill of the race. There are people to meet, deals to be made and bets to be won. Even though the different classes are segregated, Cinder Downs a place where they all see each other. Those who want scheme plans to become rich, those who have make politic to stay that way. Inside the red and purple stables, mighty thoroughbreds are used as pawns inside of a game masquerading as a sport. Built on the ideal of a public right to socialization and entertainment, Cinder Downs retains those principles in a spirit as varied as that of the people of Port Rislan itself.
A Tour of Cinder Downs
You see it immediately as you leave Port Rislan of Gremia, marked off by an eight foot high white picket fence. The oddly colored lime green walls of what was once Hellburg Manor bring to mind questions regarding the tastes of individuals from the previous generation. As a whole, Cinder Downs is a large, mostly flat lot of land that, if not for the circumstances of its creation, would have no doubt been part of a particularly wealthy noble’s estate.
Facing the Manor, the building has been heavily remodeled. There are five entrances that allow large numbers of guests to enter or exit rapidly. Walking inside, the first floor is one large lobby. Gone is the artwork and furniture that one would expect to find in such a seemingly grand hall. A thoroughly frayed and trampled tan tweed rug serves to do little more then absorb dirt. Along the ceiling are fixtures where chandeliers may have hung, along the walls are brackets from which everburning touches may have rested, but all these things are gone. In the center of this area is a wide staircase, adorned with an emerald green carpet and tied off by a silk rope. There are a number of areas sectioned off by low walls adjoining side rooms along the walls, but for the most part all of the walls on this floor have been removed and are replaced by bronze colored support columns. At the far end of the room, a number of ramps lead up to doorways about nine feet off the ground, which would be in the second story of most buildings, but not in this place, whose ceiling rests close to twenty feet high. In between these ramps are a series of doorways. Passing through these, the floor is covered by a carpet in even worse repair. There is no back wall in this area. In fact, besides a few scattered tables, workbenches and chairs, it is completely empty. All of the support beams here is reinforced with steel plates and it seems that this area has never been dusted and is rarely cleaned, everything touched by trace amounts of red dust.
Stepping out of this area leads to a lawn, though the grass is trampled and sparse. Looking back at the manner, on top of the platform are half a dozen rows of seats, raised so that each row can see over the one before it. These rows extend the majority of the distance across the manor, leaving the occasional gap to form an aisle. The seats are simple wooden ones, produced in identical design. Looking higher, above these rows of seats are what looks like balcony boxes, contents of which cannot be determined from the lawn.
Turning away from the manor, a tall fence is found, about four feet high. Lined up against it are a series of crates, most likely once used for transporting fruit. The fence is freshly painted chocolate brown, though some obscene phrases have already been etched in. On the other side is much more beautiful place, a well kept grassy area, like a park, with fountains, statues of men and horses kept in organized, yet somehow arcane patterns. There are two smaller buildings here with small windows and a tall side door, one painted brick red, resembling a farm and one painted royal purple. Directly opposite the manor is a small horseshoe shaped flower garden, whose blossoms are arranged to appear like a rainbow, moving from red on the outside to violet on the inside. In the middle of this colorful arch is a three tiered pedestal. Each platform is quite, at the base of which lies a platinum number, one, two and three, descending downwards from the top.
Ringing this field is a thirty yard wide ring. The grass ends at a short polished cherrywood fence and replacing it is a rich, red clay surface. Meticulously swept and flattened, the ring circles close to the entirety of the grounds. A series of gates crosses this ring, each containing an iron rail separating each. Near the two inner buildings, the cherrywood fence breaks and the grass in noticeably browner leading out from these two buildings to the red oval.
Down in the Downs
Cinder Downs is unique in that it crosses lines. The rich, the noble, the royal, the criminal and the destitute all come to this track to watch the horse racing. Occasionally, rarer beasts will be raised as well as a change of pace diversion, but horses are the main attraction. The rich compete with each other, attempt to show up their rivals with their latest thoroughbred, leaving all others choking in their wake. The poor enjoy a free show, standing amongst there peers, screaming and celebrating. Venders set up shop, knowing that hundreds of people will be able to see their wares. Bets are taken, fortunes are lost, dreams come true and lives are ruined around the track. Even on sunny days it rains confetti from programs and markers. Cinder Downs is a place to socialize, meet new people and conduct business outdoors. The gambling community has formed a subculture that calls the lawn its home. The noble and royal are able to watch the sport be played high above the masses in their box seats. Security keeps the grounds peaceful for all to enjoy a nice afternoon. Cinder Downs is the most popular source of daytime entertainment in Port Rislan, combining sport with spectacle.
Cinder Downs itself is property of the royal family and was created to promote sport as well as to give all people a place that they could go and enjoy themselves. The land originally belonged to an extremely rich noble family, the Hellbergs. The family committed undisclosed crimes and was executed, leaving the king at the time the closest living relative. He established spent a large sum of his personal fortune to renovate the location to its current form. The property does generate a small revenue, most of which is spent on improvements.
The name Cinder Downs comes from the ashes of the volcano. These ashes are used in the soil to fortify it, which the king believes is why it remains so green year after year. Many people believe the name comes from the track itself, but this is not the case. The distinctive red clay used on the track is found on foreign beaches, not from the top of a volcano as is sometimes said. The material is not ideal for racing on and many horses each year are injured on it, but the crowds feel this adds excitement and separates the great horses from those that are merely fast. Indeed, the crowd feels that the red clay does make the horses run faster, the latent heat of the volcano pushing them onwards.
Bets can be made directly against posted odds and are covered by the crown, but much of the truly high stakes action happens through bookies down on the lawn. All manner of stipulations can be made and individuals can bet directly against each other, making the stakes more personal. Not everyone who attends the races gambles, but it is an activity so common that it is practically expected.
There is plenty to see and do at Cinder Downs. The pageantry of the races, the majesty of the horses and the thrill of the race. There are people to meet, deals to be made and bets to be won. Even though the different classes are segregated, Cinder Downs a place where they all see each other. Those who want scheme plans to become rich, those who have make politic to stay that way. Inside the red and purple stables, mighty thoroughbreds are used as pawns inside of a game masquerading as a sport. Built on the ideal of a public right to socialization and entertainment, Cinder Downs retains those principles in a spirit as varied as that of the people of Port Rislan itself.