Jinsuh, major seaport and center of learning.

[Kannan]

I am starting a new fantasy campaign, and because of some things outside of my control it is going to be a much more urban based campaign than I normally run. I'm generally ok with mapping continents and kingdoms, but my ability of create maps of cities is of the "Lookit what I drawed, daddy" level. Obviously this won't work for the type of game I'm going to be running, so I thought I'd see if I could beg some help. I have a basic feel for each of the major districts of the city, and a (very) basic idea for how they fit together, both of which I will include below.

As far as detail goes, the more the better, in my mind.

That said, I know that detail takes time, so if it would be possible to give me something basic in the next few weeks and add detail to it over time, that would be excellent.

As far as style, I'm very open. My hope is for something like a cross between Google maps and this beautiful work by Mearrin69.
Picture 38 of 43 from My maps
Also something that shows the different districts as distinct entities, and yet part of the overall whole.

I wish I could pay for this, because I know I'm asking for a lot of effort, but it's just impossible at the moment. Instead, all I ask for in terms of copyright is that you allow me to use it, and to keep the names. If you want to relabel it and sell it to the highest bidder when you're done, by all means go ahead. I don't intend to make any money off of it, but you should.

Thank you everyone for your consideration, if you'd like to take on this project, or have any questions, please email me at carl is kith at gmail dot com (no spaces, replace the at and dot with the corresponding symbols)

Here's the rough sketch:

Jinsuh Rough Sketch.jpg

Now for the Wall of Description:

Jinsuh

The city of Jinsuh is as famous for its wealth and culture as it is infamous for it’s darker underbelly.

Featuring a beautiful natural harbor on the southern edge of the city where the Caldora River meets the warm waters of the Qasar Sea, Jinsuh gained its wealth as a major trade center. It now houses an estimated 205,000 people.

Notable Geographic Features:

Being a coastal city on the southern edge of the fertile plains of Caisan, the land around Jinsuh is mostly flat farmland. Jinsuh itself, however, has a gentle, but noticeable slope. It starts on the northeast side and slopes down both south, towards the harbor, and west towards the Caldora River, this slope continues on the other side of the river, leading into the former Caldora River delta. Even though the Caldora River was rerouted centuries ago to flow through a massive canal, the westward slope of the land created problems. Any time the river floods enough to overflow the massive stone banks, which it does with depressing regularity during very wet springs, or when a coastal storm produces excessively high seas, the excess water runs westward and soaks that portion of the city. For this reason the western portion of Jinsuh is known as The Bottoms.

Districts:

The Bottoms:

“The Bottoms are not where Hope goes to die, Hope has enough sense not to go near the place.” - unknown Jinsu author.

A humid, muddy, warren of back alleys, blind streets, and general filth, The Bottoms are the undisputed king of slums. The district is bordered by the river to the east, Selphic Point to the south, and the city walls to the north and west. In total area, the Bottoms make up about 20% of the entire city. No one really knows the population of the Bottoms, its inhabitants are not counted in the census. The official estimate is 15,000, but anyone who has ever been in the district and seen the crowding knows that number is short by at least half. Gangs of street children, mostly orphans, run almost unchecked through the streets of the Bottoms, scraping out their life however they can. City guardsmen never set foot in the district (at least not while on duty or in uniform). The Najwa, mysterious leader of the Yakuza is the only law in the Bottoms.

Points of Interest:

Taymani Street: Running parallel to the river, Taymani street stretches south from Jopal Bridge to Wharf Street. Lined with flophouses, ale houses, brothels, gambling dens, and “entertainments” Taymani street is where many of the city’s inhabitants go for a night of “slumming.” As debased as Taymani is claimed to be by the city’s upper crust, there are rumors of a hidden Cairshorn Alley leading off of Taymani where a person can sate their most perverse pleasures.

Selphic Point:

“I never believed that the act of breathing could change the coloring of your skin, until I saw the nostrils of a Selphic Point man.”

This district is comprised of the peninsula that guards the western border of Jinsuh’s harbor. It’s primarily the home for the dyeworks that process the silks arriving from the Yun-tay islands to the south. It’s most notable feature is the massive lighthouse on it’s southernmost tip. Wharf Street comes into the district at its northeast corner, and runs along the entirety of its eastern border.

Wharf Street:

This street follows the curve of the harbor from the lighthouse on the tip of Corsic Point on the east to the one on the tip of Selphic Point on the west. It serves all the docks and warehouses of the harbor district, crossing the river at Blaydan Bridge. Wharf Street and it’s warehouses forms the southeastern corner of The Bottoms where Wharf and Taymani intersect.

Corsic Point:

“The Prince of Jinsuh wishes he could afford the security placed on the smallest warehouse in Corsic Point.” -common thief’s saying

Whether it’s sapphires, diamonds, and rubies from the Calantri archipeligo, Yun-tay pearls, or the gold and silver of the Dwarven mines in the far northern Loc’Torin Mountains, whether it’s destined for Jinsuh jewelers or being exported elsewhere, It almost always enjoys a stay in the vaults of Corsic Point. Surrounded by massive walls, even from the rest of the city, many newcomers mistake Corsic Point for a fortress of some kind. Running along the outside of the western wall, Wharf Street terminates at the forbidding Corsic Gate which is the primary of the two entrances into Corsic Point. The smaller, though no less well guarded, entrance is the Glitter Gate at the north of the point, which leads onto Diamond Row, a main thoroughfare of the Vendeskon district. The most notable feature of Corsic Point, aside from its walls, is the beautiful Corsic Lighthouse which forms the southernmost tower on the Corsic Point walls.

Vendeskon District:

Whether you’re looking for the fine jewelery of Diamond Row, spun glass, gleaming crystal goblets, hand crafted furniture, statuary, or one of Stagger Street’s thousand varieties of fine craft brews, if you want beauty (and have to coin to afford it), you need look no farther than Jinsuh’s Vendeskon District.

Great Market:

The Great Market of Jinsuh is renowned the world over as the place to find something for sale. From the magical to the mundane, if it is manufactured and even slightly legal, you can find it in one of the many shops and stalls.

Meatpacking District:

Here you will find the many slaughterhouses that supply Jinsuh with meat. All summer long, huge caravans of cattle, sheep, and pigs wind their way across the plains of Caisan to end their lives in these buildings.

The Sayrie:

The Sayrie district is as ugly as it’s name is beautiful. It is considered by the Jinsuh elite to be almost as foul as the Bottoms. It consists primarily of stock yards, caravan warehouses, and inns for visiting herdsmen and caravaneers.

The Baz:

The Baz is the name given to the region near the headquarters of the city guard, comprising their barracks and training areas. Also prominent in this district are fine estates used to house visiting nobility, dignitaries, and ambassadors who have yet to purchase private estates in the city.

Plaza of Wisdom:

The Plaza of Wisdom is the home of the great temples, centers of learning, and various governmental buildings. The dominant feature is the Prince’s Estate which occupies the northeast corner of the district. With it’s expansive lawns and gardens, the Prince’s Estate combines the splendor of a palace with the beauty of a country manor.

Jinsuh Hill:

Jinsuh Hill is where anyone who is anyone resides. While all of the working class, and even many merchants live in simple apartments above their shops and businesses, the goal of most Jinsuh residents is to make enough to buy a home on Jinsuh Hill. The cost, and opulance of the homes on Jinsuh hill rises the farther northeast you go (the closer you are to the top of the rise). In fact, throughout the region, anyone increasing their wealth or social stature is said to be “climbing Jinsuh Hill.”

[RevGunn]

Did you ever get anyone's help on this?