This is not a post about Nexus, but rather one about Lägraltvärld: as I draw nearer to the resumption of that story, I find myself finally getting to a point where I can start to map out bits of the city where action will be taking place for some time to come. I have a reasonably good image of the High Quarter in mind, so it’s not so crucial that I get that on paper; the important part is the roughly four-square-mile section of the city where Rakel is, where Hans has set up, and where lots of stuff is going to happen.

Before I get started, a note: I think I’ve said this before, but just to belabor the point: there are dozens of streets in the city that have the same name. They tend to be non-adjacent, but this means long streets might have several names along their lengths, plus a number the city government uses to keep track of them. Almost nobody knows the numbers of the streets near them. Almost everybody knows the local names, and the latter are given here.

First off, the large-scale features. There’s the Magnusstrasse, one of the highways named for the Five Chieftains which are about the only reason the city can support the population it can, which runs from the southwest corner of the map (and the edge of the city) to the northwest corner. A little more than three quarters of a mile along it, measured from the edge of the city, Heimdalsyngstadottir (Heimdal’s Youngest Daughter, the last tributary of that river) crosses beneath it, running southwest to northeast.

Second, the less major map items: centered east-west, about three quarters of a mile from the top of the map, and on the banks of Heimdalsyngstadottir is the Marktplats, the largest market square for a few miles in any direction. Running northeast away from it is Marknadväg, Market Way, which meets Rakastrasse (Straight Street) a few hundred yards to the north. Southeast of the Marktplats by a little over half a mile is Bankningtorg (Bank Square), which holds the bank Rakel robbed. Two major roads run away from it: Solskenbankningväg (Western Bank Way) and Vrimderbankningtorgstrasse (North of the Bank Square Street). The former crosses Heimdalsyngstadottir and eventually meets the Magnusstrasse. The latter meets Rakastrasse some three quarters of a mile to the north. Rakastrasse, an east-west street, eventually stops at Magnusstrasse to the west. Running along the bank of Heimdalsyngstadottir is Yngstadottirsalle (Youngest Daughter’s Avenue).

Finally, territory and notable locations. Rakel’s safehouse is north along the Magnusstrasse a mile or two past where the map shows. The territory of the Shadow Thieves runs along Heimdalsyngstadottir from the edge of the city to the Marktplats, and then turns due east until a few blocks east of Bankningtorg, where it turns south again and runs all the way to the edge of the city.

This will all come up in the story, of course, but I figured I’d write it down.