The Golothan 'floating towns' under the wharves have a multitude of talbars that are used as homes or various establishments. What I'm not sure of is what such a place would look like. When I first read about these talbars in the Golotha supplement, I pictured the home or business being below decks. However, I see on the maps in the supplement that only some of these boats actually have stairs leading to the hold and from what I've read on the web about talbars, they seem to be really shallow.

So, what would one of these 'floating houses' actually be like? Does a floorplan for a talbar exist somewhere? Are some of these Golothan talbars modified to the extent that they effectively have a lower floor, or does all the action take place on deck?

I'm interested in reading other peoples' interpretations.

Thanks,

bocharuk

Actually if you look closely at the vessels that are shown in "Northhaven warf", they already show Quarter deck & Fo'csle support walls.
Lower decks would be sleeping quarters / storage only (very low headroom!).

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I would expect most would have a ramshackle "cabin" enclosing much of the deck area. Many would be cloth - really, just a tent pitched on the deck. Others would be made of lath. Some, dried reeds woven over a flimsy wooden frame. Everyone values a little privacy.

The Pilot's Almanac has a basic deckplan of all the ship types found in and around Hârn, including talbars.

A talbar in the Floating Town of Golotha would probably have wattling and canvas walls attached to the single deck. The steeply pitched (to prevent water accumulating) roof is maybe thatched, more probably a square of canvas or tarpaulin. In other words, a distinct fire hazard, particularly when added to the tar and pitch needed to keep those things waterproof! Plus, they'd be damn miserable to live in, in cold weather, I'd imagine. But then, only deperate scum live there, right?

If the plans of the Golotha docks show focsles, then they aren't talbars, and may well have a couple of proper decks.

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I image them as being like precursers to canal boats/barges...with canvasses etc providing the walls and rooves. Perhaps the deck has been torn away, so that the sides (I am sure there is a correct nautical term) are headheight and canvass pulled across.

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Plots and schemes are the same thing..

Well, to begin with, not all those ships are talbars, there are some niviks and even a few daks down there. Most are no longer really seaworthy, due to age, lack of proper maintenance and heavy interior and superstructure remodelling by successive generations of inhabitants.

As to a floorplan, I made one sometime ago, it's a large talbar used for commerce and contraband on the Kâld river system. You'll find it attached to this post.

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«Fair is what we see, Fairer what we have perceived, Fairest what is still in veil.»
—Nicolaus Stenonius

Thanks Mac, stolen already

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Plots and schemes are the same thing..

Thanks from me as well - and to everyone else also.

bocharuk

Mr Skald: Stealing always works so much better than asking, that's a well-known fact.

bocharuk: You're welcome; mind that this isn't a typical talbar because it has small two-way secret compartments, is very large and has a full deck (I simply needed one like that). The rowers don't have benches and have to stand.

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«Fair is what we see, Fairer what we have perceived, Fairest what is still in veil.»
—Nicolaus Stenonius