Amber City presents a mix of architectural styles. The main influences are Garnathi (who built the original stronghold and walls), Venway (who built Qiang House), Bayle (who built the later fortifications and much of the palace), and Chantris (responsible for Blackwall and much of the docks area).
The great palace of Amber was built on and into Mt Kolvir, an impressive feat of engineering that has produced a building more underground than overground. Beneath the palace are several floors of storage, dungeons, and the enormous aquifer that supplies the palace with water in times of seige. The palace also extends into the side of the mountain, with most of the servant’s quaters being housed in these dark, cool rooms.
Built on the precipitous edge of Mt Kolvir’s caldera, with a commanding view over the city and the bay, Qiang House is home to the Venway.
When Oberon first came to Amber, he had Garnathi craftsmen build a wooden fortress at the base of Kolvir. It was never designed to be a lasting monument, and indeed, the only parts of the building now that can be regarded as original are the stone foundations and basement. It was used by the royal family for several hundred years, while the great palace was being built, and was then abandoned. Later, it was occupied by members of the Karm royal family, and after the fall of the Caderyn, it was taken over by the City Corporation. After extensive renovations it was repurposed as the home of the the City Watch.
The great cathedral of Amber was built on land just outside the main fortifications of the old castle. Its distinctive red stone, quarried by Garnathi craftsmen from the nearby Saba Mountains, can also be seen in the foundations of the old castle (now the Watch House). It has been expanded several times over its long history.
The Armoury Juts out into the bay below the Grand Stair. Originally used as emergency accommodation for the Chantris while Blackwall was being built, it is now where a lot of fleet stores are kept, and all the equipment for defending the harbour.
The Cartographer’s Square is an open trading area, used for the weekly market. The square is dominated by the Town Hall, home to the City Corporation and the governing bodies of Amber’s various artisans guilds.
Benedictus Square
Shipwright’s Square
Southwark
When the Chantris refugees were given sanctuary in Amber, Oberon gave them Blackwall as their new home. Situated in the centre of Mt Kolvir’s long-dead caldera, this inhospitable island has been turned into a bustling industrial complex responsible for building most of Amber’s warships and trading vessels.
Amber: Dynasty 