City Architecture: ~ Bastok • San d'Oria • Windurst • Jeuno • Aht Urhgan
Windurstian Architecture ~ Woods • Walls • Waters • Port • Heavens Tower
This is the 'Economic District' of Windurst, with merchants galore and the Culinarians' guiild to boot. So large, this area covers two maps, but so rich in resources it is a "must see" for any aspiring adventurer! Culturally, the area includes several major institutions that are central to the Windurstian way of life, and commercially there are several important vendors here also!
The Culinarians' Guild, destroyed in the early part of the Crystal War, was rebuilt following the same designs as the original structure. Boardwalks abound, as does the adherence to the 'jungle' construction methodology of erecting buildings on stilts above the ground or water, thus preventing the entrance of unwanted wildlife. This would seem to indicate a strong Mithran influence in the design, and possibly in the construction also. This is especially true in the Rarab's Tail, being of 2 floor construction, where the upper rooms are strongly reminiscent of the single story structures prevalent in Kazham.
Some of the structures, which survived the war relatively unscathed, are perhaps more representative of the early Tarutaru architecture. Examples of this would be the Acolyte's Hostel, the Aurastery and Optistery, as well as the Rhinostery. Residences in this area seem to follow the Mithran "jungle" schema coupled with the Tarutaru penchant for multiple floors!
One notable change is the bridge from the Optistery to Odin's Gate. During the Crystal Wars era, this was a solid stone structure. After it's destruction, it was replaced by a wooden bridge. There are three possible reasons for this:
- The bridge was replaced by an easily destroyed wood bridge as a defensive measure
- The artisans who built the original stone structures did not pass on their craft to the younger generations
- The stone built structures in Windurst were not built by the present races
I shall leave it to the reader to decide which of the above is true, pending further evidence!
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