Tamarang
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Tamarang is a fictional location in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.
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[edit] Description
Tamarang is a minor and relatively insignificant country in the central region of the Midlands on the border of the Wilds. During the reign of Darken Rahl, it was ruled by a monarch named Queen Milena. Queen Milena somehow came into possession of one of the boxes of Orden and hired the wizard Giller to protect it while she made negotiations with Darken Rahl to transfer it to his possession. This transfer involved an Alliance between Tamarang and D'Hara, as well as a switch in social structure of the nation to one of the "common good". This involved re-distribution of goods and services throughout the nation, most of which went to feed the People's Peace Army of D'Hara, as well as the nobles in the palace and lead to starvation among the poorest of the population, who were often beaten and sentenced to death for disputing these new laws.
The crest of Tamarang is a black wolf's head on a red banner.
[edit] History
Tamarang has always been ripe for invasion from its surrounding neighbors, especially the people of the Wilds. Throughout its history it has developed a number of defenses against invaders. The palace itself is kept heavily guarded, both to keep invaders out and to keep traitors in. The roads to Tamarang in the south are full of inverted forks, to confuse invaders from the Wilds. Because of the lay of the land and the heavy woods, it is hard to see the roads cross over each other and switch their direction. Because of the thick trees, it's hard to tell where the sun is or which direction you are going. It was meant to slow the invaders down a little and give the defenders time to retreat and regroup if they needed to, then to fall on the attackers again.
During the time of Darken Rahl, many refugees from the surrounding towns, villages, and cities traveled to Tamarang, seeking shelter and safety from the marauding forces supposedly sweeping in from Westland, but who were actually from D'Hara. The city couldn't hold all the people who wanted in. Tents and shacks had sprung up on the bare ground outside the city walls into an impromptu market quarter outside the walls.
[edit] Palace
During the reign of Darken Rahl, the palace of Tamarang was the home of Queen Milena, Princess Violet, and their servants, as well as the location of the last box of Orden in the queen's jewel room. There are two gates into the palace. The outer wall of the formal gardens contains a gate leading to the surrounding countryside. The front gates of the palace lead to the town of Tamarang, where most of the shops and people reside. Beyond the town is farmland, and then the woods. The castle proper sat at the top of a high hill, within its own walls.
[edit] Palace Defenses
The palace itself is heavily guarded. Palace guards wear shiny armor breastplates and carry swords and pikes and keep watch over all the entrances (and exits) to the palace. Outside, in the gardens, more guards patrol the cobblestone walkways as well as the high walks on the walls. The queen's guards watch over the outer gate, standing stiffly in their armor. They wear fancy uniforms over their armor, sleeveless red tunics with the Queen's mark, a black wolf's head, emblazoned in the center. The squeaky outer gate is kept locked by a heavy iron bar. The heavy guard in the palace and the outer wall garden gate had, in the past, kept even determined armies out, and traitors in. Outside the garden gate is a bridge where hundreds of foes have died in battle, yet failed to gain, and then large fields that lead to the surrounding forest.
[edit] Front Walk
Some of the terraces along the road leading up to the castle proper hold stone urns that march off to either side, some of them holding greenery or flowers even in the winter that are brought out daily from greenhouses. Broad flat areas display hedges trimmed in intricate patterns, even mazes. Closer to the castle walls, hedges are larger, cut to mimic objects, or animals. They extend off to the sides as far as the eye can see. The walls of the castle soar into the air with complicated stonework that leaves many awestruck. Towers, turrets, walls, ramps, balconies and niches, all rise high into the air above the people.
[edit] Main Entrance
The main entrance to the palace leads to an immense room. A gleaming sea of black and white marble tiles sweep through it. Polished stone columns fluted with spiraling, carved roping and so large it would take ten people holding hands to reach around each, rise in a line to both sides of the room, supporting row upon row of arches at the edge of the ribbed, vaulted center ceiling, causing those inside to feel as small as a bug. Huge tapestries depict heroic scenes of vast battles on the side walls. A grand stairway lies on the far side of the room, its central landing larger than Richard's cabin home in Westland, with room to spare.
[edit] Dungeon
The dungeon is located in the lowest levels of the palace. The walls, far below ground, leak water and are covered in places with slime. A heavy door with an iron ring and strap hinges that creaks leads into the dungeon. Torchlight lights the way down a narrow stone corridor with a short ceiling that many have to stoop under to avoid hitting their head. Straw covers the wet floor, and smells of decay. Near the end of the corridor is an iron door with a grille in it that leads through a little room with a table, manned by one guard, and down another dark hall to another iron door. Past this door is another room, manned by two guards, with torches set in iron stanchions that leads down a short hall and through a third iron door that is too short to walk through upright and into a room with cross-hatched, flat iron bars where the prisoners are kept.
[edit] Kitchens
The kitchens are in the lower level of the palace and are almost always steamy and smokey and filled with noise. Helpers scurry around carrying heavy sacks, big pots, or hot trays, all trying not to bump into one another. There is a constant rapping of spoons mixing and whipping food, and sharp hisses of oils and garlic and butter and onions and spices in hot pans, as well as people all yelling at the same time.
[edit] Jewel Room
The jewel room is located in the upper levels of the castle, a long way from the kitchens and servants quarters. Many of the hallways are long and empty, with rugs on the floors and paintings on the walls, separated by great, tall iron doors and cold stone stairs. Spread throughout the palace are many large rooms with tall windows hung with gold and red drapery, chairs of red velvet with gold legs, long carpets with pictures of men fighting on horseback, and guards who stand still as stone at some of the large, embellished doors, or march in twos. Servants rush everywhere carrying linens, trays, brooms, rags, or buckets of soapy water.
