Tamoanchan, painted for this archive

Vaca

Place, City

Taracua's coastal capital, built on the ruins of an Atlantean port, mostly adobe and thatch with great stone temples and fortresses. Instead of shops it has a vast public market overseen by a daily judge. It houses the king and queen and an army under seven female warchieftains; theft means slavery and a second offense, murder or adultery means death. Commoners pay a 25% maize tax.

Also called The City of Vaca

From the book

Vaca, the coastal capital of Taracua, rises on the ruins of a First Age Atlantean port. Most buildings are adobe with palm thatch, but temples, fortresses and other major works are massive stone, many in the old Atlantean style and some simply restored Atlantean structures. Instead of shops, the city relies on a huge public market of hundreds of vendors, so prices shift by the day and by the seller; a state judge sits each day under an awning of woven mats to settle disputes.

The king and queen live here with many high priests and state astrologers, along with a large army under Taracua's seven female warchieftains and several divisions of city guards. Justice is swift: the accused gets one chance to argue, thieves are enslaved and marked with facial tattoo-scars, and repeat thieves, killers and adulterers are executed. Most people farm maize, often in communal teams of 20 or more, and pay a quarter of the crop, or labor, as tax. Hunters snare deer and fowl in the cleared jungle to the west and take colorful birds alive with blowguns and clay pellets for their feathers.

Landmarks include the Rainbow Palace, a painted step-pyramid crowned by a crystal prism; the Temple of the Sun, where a virgin is sacrificed each new moon; a restored Atlantean university and council hall; the Fortress of the Seven Amazons; and inns ranging from the sailors' Seadevil, with its stuffed Makara, to the disreputable House of the Moon.

At a glance

Region: Taracua
Law: Theft: slavery with facial tattoo/scars; second offense, homicide, adultery: death
Taxes: Maize tax 25% of crop or labor
Trade: Gold, honey, gems for copper, bronze and iron from Atlantis and Tartessos; obsidian, flint, jade to Antillan Tritons for shellfish
1. The Seabreeze Gardens: Park above the bay of Uba with hero statues; courtesans and thieves at night
2. The University of Knowledge: Restored Atlantean building; free to Taracuans, 70 G.P. per course or 7 S.P./day library for foreigners
3. Fortress of the Seven Amazons: Main military base: twenty archer divisions, ten heavy infantry divisions, seven female commanders
4. Barracks: Archer, infantry and city guard barracks with armory
5. The Three Tritons Shipyard: Restored Atlantean shipyard
6. The Rainbow Palace: Painted step-pyramid topped by a crystal prism; home of the king and queen; 1,000 elite guards; treasure vault
7. The Temple of the Sun: Step-pyramid of the sun god; astrologers; a virgin sacrificed each new moon; historical records
8. The Council Hall: Restored Atlantean hall of government and judgement
9. The Emporium of Nations: Foreign trade office; 1% import duty
10. Royal Metal Workers: State foundry and mint
11. The Citadel of Vaca: Base of the elite guards; dungeons below
12. The Fountains: Public terraced gardens
13. The Public Market: Largest, most colorful market in the known world (see price table)
14. Messenger Quarters: Royal runners working in threes
15. Granary/Food Storage: Collects the 25% maize tax
16. The Arena: Sports stadium; free to Taracuans, 1 S.P. for foreigners
17. The Anaconda House: Taracuan cuisine inn; average prices
18. The Seadevil: Sailors' inn with a stuffed Makara; +10% prices
19. The House of Color: Body painters; 2 S.P., custom 2 G.P.
20. House of the Jaguar: Soldiers' tavern
21. Potter: Ceramics; average price, good quality
22. Curios: Relics; rumored shrunken heads and fetishes; 5-100 G.P.
23. Costumer: Feather and hide goods and armor; custom at 2x
24. Sea Dragon Shipyard: Lesser port for small craft
25. House of the Moon: Disreputable inn at half prices
26. Fish Market: Fish from a few C.P. to 10+ G.P.
27. Stone Cutters: Statuary and blocks
28. Foreign Quarter: Poor refugees from Quechua, Ecua and Nazca
29. Guard Station: City guards policing the foreign quarter
30. Commoners' Quarter: Clean huts with gardens
31. Farmland: 1-4 acre plots; half the produce goes to the state
32. Upper Class Residences: Patrolled, paved, slave bodyguards
Pronunciation: WA-ka
Market judge: State-appointed judge presides daily under a woven-mat awning
Farming: Communal work groups of 20 or more
University courses: Taracuan Art, Military Tactics, Aquatic (Triton language), Herblore, Astrology, Stone Carving

Index 'Vaca, The City of' p.121; map p.122; key pp.123-124.