Faros is a port city located on the north-western coast of Great Moraq, the largest island in the Known World. The city itself is built around the mouth of a river flowing down from the mountains in the centre of the island.
Notable Locations[]
Plaza of the Stone Cow[]
Situated at the center of the section of Faros situated on the northern bank, the Plaza of the Stone Cow is a square paved with great granite slabs carved by the city's masons after being transported down from the inland mountains. At the center of the Plaza is the Stone Cow for which it is named, an object of worship for many of the citizens of Faros. Offerings of wheat or gold can be found at the foot of the Stone Cow, and the smell of incense is almost constant in the vicinity of the square. Situated around the Stone Cow are several flowerbeds set into the granite, these are meticulously maintained by the devout.
The Stone Bridge[]
Of the two bridges across the river, the Stone Bridge is more often traveled and thus better known to travelers. Situated closer to the Summer Sea than the Wood Bridge, it is surrounded by markets and brothels-- attractions of all kinds for the sailors passing through from many corners of Essos.
The Wood Bridge[]
Farther from the water one would find the Wood Bridge, and intrepid explorers would be richly rewarded for it. The Wood Bridge is spectacularly painted. Local elders often can be heard to remark that the layers of paint have caused the bridge to grow over the years.
Citizens of Faros celebrate weddings, name days, and funerals at the Wood Bridge. For each ceremony the newly-wedded couple, new parents, or families of the deceased choose a color and a board and apply a new coat of paint. Local legend tells that any who trod in the paint before the consummation of a wedding or the drying of the tears on the faces of the bereaved will suffer from poor harvests or worse, their fortunes devoured by a displeased Great Cow.
Recent History[]
A fleet from Faros was among the vessels that swept through the Basilisk Isles under the command of the Golden Manticore Xatto Qarba Xolottaya against the Ivory King in the years that preluded the Ivory War.