Grabby's Reach
Overview
The Gem City of Calimshan is a large town set along plateaus in a large ravine in central Calimshan. The industrial heart of Calimshan, with the mines settled and tunneling beneath the town, there is almost as much mineral wealth in this cliffside town as is found in all of Calimshan. The standard of living is high here as many folk are rich from the mines, and even the mineworkers themselves (although they are slaves and indentured folk) share some of that wealth in the amenities found throughout the town (or at least have a bejeweled slave's manacle to wear—which is handy to sell to fund a new life for an escaped slave). The city lies on three separate plateaus, leading to many referring to the upper, middle, and lower sabbans of the town. The lower in the city you go, the comparably lower standards of living are. In the lowest sabbans, fog and smoke cover the area from dusk to dawn, making lighting lanterns and electrical lights difficult. Thus, these low sabbans are shut down with curfews at night, since missteps in the dark could see one's death over a cliff. The upper sabbans remain lit and active as much as any town's sabbans are in Calimshan at night, and the mines around the city operate day and night.Major Exports
Metal ores and bars. gems (both raw and cut), jewelry, appraisals, slaves, items from the underdarkGrabby's Reach Underworld
Most underworld activities in this town are run for el Rhimod by the Vyndahla family or, through the Gem Caleph's connections, by members of the Ahimar clan. Though all of the rogue guilds have activities in this town, none of them or their leaders are notable apart from the Gem Caleph himself. One independent, however, is: Konal of the Cats' Eye is a jewel thief from Saradush who has been in Grabby's Reach posing as "Makad el Danadaf," a fighter amlak, for more than a year. He still has his original plan to attempt to breach the security of one of the Vaults, but he is daunted by the legendary security and figures his best chance to succeed at a heist is to rise to a position in the elite guards who watch the Vaults during the day. He owes a great deal of money to the Kahmir Family of Calimport, and he has only another three months before the payment will be his life, so he may make his robbery soon or merely catch a ship to more northerly ports of call.Points of interest
Important Areas in the City - The walls of the sabbans in Grabby's Reach are far more ornamented and opulent than those of other cities and towns. The signs and plaques that mark streets and road are carved and hammered with steel, or in the sabbans with metal or gem names, they are inlaid with those materials (gold, platinum, rubies, diamonds). The theft or attempted theft of these signs (or any part of them) is punishable by enslavement in the mines, with very few exceptions. They take pride in their city and its luxuries, and every citizen takes personal offense at such greedy vandalism.
The Eight Sultans are 30 foot high statues of the many sultans of Grabby's Reach, with the eighth sultan being the current one. Carved from the cliffsides to flank the road that winds its way down the surrounding cliffs and into the town, the statues show the sultans as warriors, priests, rulers, or shrewd merchants, depending on how they were in life. These statues are opulent and covered in beautiful metal and carvings, and are a beautiful entrance to the city.
The Vaults of the Reach are reputed to be the most heavily guarded and magically defended strongholds in Calimshan. These are four Vaults located, respectively, within the khanduqs of the Gold, Platinum, Ruby, and Diamond sabbans. Their magical defenses have kept the jeweled wares of the Reach's gem appraisers, gemcutters, and gem merchants safe for more than three centuries. Each Vault is unique, and only the vizar of each sabban or the Gem Caleph of Volothamp has the keys that open the Vaults and negate their defenses. Guarded by elite amlakkar of the Gem Caleph's personal forces, the Vaults are protected during the day and night, and this regard for the safety of its gems has given Grabby's Reach the reputation for security. "Safer than the Vaults of the Reach" is a phrase oft-used to suggest privacy and security when Calishites share secrets.
Places to Stay
Grabby's Reach does not encourage rowdiness or roistering, and adventurers who get out of hand face a stern penalty: enslavement in the mines. Nevertheless, the town does not by any means lack for amenities, and its taverns, inns, and festhalls can be counted among those. The establishment most folk rate a "must-see" in the city is Madame Ahaara's. Madame Ahaara's - The most well-known establishment in the city is oddly located in one of the poorest sections of town, near the mines in the Copper Sabban. Madame Ahaara's is a former pasha's palace that was converted into a festhall and inn after the previous owner was stoned to death by his overworked slaves. The widow Ahaara used her husband's money to create an entertaining place for both workers and nobles alike. Effectively four buildings connected via small halls to a central fifth building (with all five all encircled by a low wall), Madame Ahaara's has a bright-blue glazed roof the rests atop gleaming blue marble walls which are in stark contrast to the darker and dirtier surroundings of the drudach around them. Public baths and private massage rooms dominate the eastern and northern buildings; the taproom, dining room, and ballroom fill the central building; and the southern building provides private rooms by the day or tenday. The western building is the kitchens and staff quarters, and it is linked by the hall to the taproom and by hidden tunnels to secret entrances into all four other buildings. The food and service are impeccable, as is the performance of the staff members, who hail from all parts of the world and are skilled at the preparation of nearly any meal imaginable. All goods and services must be prepaid for upon entry, with the doortender or Madame Ahaara herself taking the orders of those who enter. Patrons are encouraged to tip heavily to ensure continued or additional service, and those who think to skip out on a bill for additional services find themselves pursued quite swiftly by The Amlakkar. Quality/Price - Excellent/Moderate.
Founding Date
823 AC
Type
Metropolis
Population
453,000 citizens and 13,000 rural citizens
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
