10.2.1. Sunspear and the shadow city
- The Spear Tower and the Tower of the Sun are two of the towers of Sunspear (IV: 33, 34)
- The Tower of the Sun is where the Prince of Dorne resides when in Sunspear (IV: 34)
- Sunspear has an Old Palace (IV: 35)
- The shadow city surrounds Sunspear (IV: 35)
- The road from Sunspear to the Water Gardens runs beside the sea (IV: 38)
- Sunspear has three notable towers. The Spear Tower is slender, a hundred-and-fifty feet tall and topped by a gilded steel spear that adds another thirty feet to its height. The Tower of the Sun is mighty and is topped by a dome of gold and leaded glass. Finally, the Sandship is dun-colored and looks like a huge dromond turned to stone (IV: 40, 588)
- Sunspear and the shadow city smell of dust, sweat, and sand, and the people there are most active in the cool of the night (IV: 40)
- Sunspear is the ancient stronghold of House Martell, and mud and straw brick features significantly in its construction. It stands at the easternmost end of a small peninsula of sand and stone, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea (IV: 40)
- Clinging to the castle's massive walls, the shadow city spreads westwards. Mud-brick shops and windowless hovels are closest to the walls, then west of those are stables, inns, winesinks, pillow houses, some with walls of their own; and then more hovels and buildings grew and spread beyond those walls. (IV: 40)
- The shadow city is no more than a town when compared to the Free Cities of Tyrosh, Myr, or Great Norvos, but it is the closest thing to a true city that the Dornish have (IV: 40)
- The Threefold Gate, which passes through the Winding Walls, is the only direct route to the Old Palace. Otherwise one must travel through miles of narrow alleys, hidden courts, and noisy bazaars (IV: 40)
- One must cross the squallor of the outer crescent of the shadow city before coming to the second of the Threefold Gates (IV: 41)
- Beyond the second of the Threefold Gates, the shadow city can smell of tar, salt water, and rotting seaweed (IV: 41)
- The path through the Threefold Gates is paved with bricks (IV: 41)
- The throne room is beneath the dome of the Tower of the Sun, and can be reached via long stone steps (IV: 42)
- Sunlight can pour through thick windows of many-colored glass set in the dome of the Tower of the Sun, so that the pale marble of the throne room can seem dappled by diamonds of half a hundred colors (IV: 42)
- Courtiers might sit on pillows beside the dais on which the two high seats of the throne room stand. (IV: 42)
- The high seats of the throne room are near twins to one another, the only difference being that one is inlaid with the Martell spear on its back and the other features the blazing Rhoynish sun that flew from the masts of Nymeria's ships. The spear seat is used by a ruling prince (IV: 42)
- Highborn prisoners might be confined in cells at the top of the Spear Tower (IV: 45)
- The shadow city is all but deserted in the heat of the day, but it comes alive at night (IV: 186)
- The Martells appoint a seneschal (IV: 196)
- The Martells have bailiffs who collect taxes and duties, shariffs who patrol the shadow city, and justiciars to sit in judgment (IV: 196)
- Looking east from the top of the Spear Tower, one can see the sun rise over the sea, while looking west one could look down on the Tower of the Sun, and see the Winding Walls and Threefold Gate beyond (IV: 588)
- The Spear Tower is built of sandstone (IV: 591)
- Windows beneath the highest chambers of the Spear Tower are smaller than those above, some no more than arrow loops (IV: 592)
- The prince's solar is not in the Tower of the Sun (IV: 597)
Last revised July 18, 2009
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