The New District
While considered a "city" by the continent, the New District of Caliban is a sprawling arrangement of estates linked by the hub of commercial and religious activity of Porcelain Avenue. There is an element of glitz and grandeur that lines every street, but despite the pretty exterior, the New District hides a history of violence underneath the rule of the Dragon Clans. All races may be welcome in these silver-lined streets, but all must defer to the superiority of the dragonborn that call Caliban home...
Overview
In general, the buildings here are covered in deep blue shingles or, on the streets closer to the outskirts, one of the colors of the Dragon Clans. Crisp paint in outlined and embellished with silver trim that gleams in the daylight or the light of the blue, purple, or black paper lanterns illuminated by arcane workings. All of the buildings are pristine and those that are in need of repairs are quickly set upon by crews to restore them to their former glory. While most of the buildings are on the flatter valley between the mountains, some buildings stretch up the mountainside. The roads are wider and paved, often traversed by foot, horse, or donkey, or even – more recently – levitating carts from Eredet and Nacheevi. Various small roads criss-cross the mountain range, but the largest is Porcelain Avenue, which connects the Porcelain Tea House on one end and the Temple of the High Oracle and beyong to the Moon Guard Complex. Other larger roads lead to each of the Dragon Clan Estates.Nadeen's Special Note on Crimes
The Law is written and enforced, primarily, by the Dragon Clans. An offshoot of the Moon Guard does serve as a police force patrolling Porcelain Avenue, however. Regular civilians are expected to obey the laws put in place by their draconic rulers... those of non-draconic lineage should take careful heed to the laws of the city of the Moon.
Crimes of particular interest are as follows:
- Failure to be Processed – If you fail to provide the requested information upon arriving or leaving the city of Caliban, one can expect to be fined, sentenced to hard labor, or enslaved.
- Dishonorable Murder – Although murder is itself outlawed, courts are often appealed on the premise of dishonor. Cowardly methods (poisonings, outnumbering the victim, etc.) usually are ruled as dishonorable. The punishments include enslavement... or sacrifice.
- Blasphemy against the Oracle – In the realm of fates, all, even the more militaristic Dragon Clans hold the Oracle in high regard. The punishment for defamation against them is enslavement.
- Impersonating a Dragonborn – To the Dragon Clans, scales are not something one can fake - they are a testament to one's draconic lineage. For those found impersonating one, the punishment is most often enslavement.
Porcelain Avenue
Long before the Dread King's War, Porcelain Avenue was nothing more than a simple strip of land with a small cluster of buildings, a smattering of shops, and a teashop at one end of the road. Now, it has expanded to be a large town in its own right, linked with the estates of the Dragon Clans. Tourists flock here to peruse wares and partake in the culture of Caliban, often underneath the moonlight. Festivals and parades are held along the main street here and it is the only neutral ground where all the Dragon Clans can meet without the threat of violence...
Moonlight Horizons – Bakery & Café
A quaint bakery situated between two larger establishments about midway down Porcelain Avenue. It is slightly older, but still well cared for. A small white stonewall encloses a quaint outdoor eating area outfitted with cushioned chairs and silver tables. The metal gate contains a full moon, though its rare to admire this art piece in full as the gates are almost never closed. Inside, the bakery itself is somewhat small, but well maintained and filled with small paintings and portraits of various silver dragonborn throughout the ages – a family owned business. The owner, a silver dragonborn by the name of Kaili, specializes in various pastries, but is most well known for her mooncakes and fortune cookies. Available Desserts- "Death Sticks" – Fried Dough
- Almond Cookies
- Five-Spice Desserts – Cookies, blondies, and Cakes
- Sesame Desserts
- Moon Cakes and Red Bean Cakes
- Fruit Buns
- "Dragon Buns" – Buns... but dragon-shaped
- Steamed Buns
- Fortune Cookies
- Midnight Fortune Cookies – Provided the fortunes have been made!
Ikaris' Fortune Tent
Situated in front of the Temple of the Oracle is a small, dark blue tent. The flap to the tent is open, though it is hard to discern what lies beyond until you enter. Inside, the tent is rather dark, but an abundance of small little white lights slowly pop into existence. They reflect an illusion of stars onto the tent surface. A handful of oddities are littered around with the most notable being a crystal ball resting in the center on a cloth-covered table. Behind it, there is a mirror, half-covered by a woven blanket.The Porcelain Tea House
At one end of Porcelain Avenue, there is a "small" teashop. The 3-story building is topped with the curved roofs that seem custom to Caliban and adorned with a gradient of shingles from black to light blue. White walls are intersected by beams of dark wood and much of the exterior is covered by sakura blossom trees and carved wooden poles with paper lanterns at the top. A garden out front is kept neat and tidy with various paths for people to walk and benches for people to sit amidst the trees. Despite the activity out front, one can clearly see the large front bay window from the street...
For a display window that large, it is surprisingly bare. There are no ornate statues or a display of tea and tea-related products that the teahouse offers. No, instead, there is a silk cloth resting across a wooden bench. Upon that silk sits 10 ornate plates. It is here the owner places specific tea cups, an indicator, or perhaps warning, about which Dragon Clan leaders are on the premises to discuss business. The Porcelain tea house is the true neutral meeting ground where violence between the Dragon Clans is strictly - and sacredly - forbidden.
Inside, the Porcelain Tea House is relatively simple and streamlined compared to some of the other establishments. The upper two stories are for those who wish to sit and have a cup of tea and some light snacks. The first floor contains a tea shop and a porcelain shop alongisde access to the various gardens that surround the establishment. There also is a basement where the Dragon Clan leaders seem to meet.
The Temple of the High Oracle
On the opposite end of Porcelain Avenue sits a massive, opulent building lined and embellished in silver and covered in beautifully painted murals of dragons, the stars, tides, and the moon. The Temple itself – home to the High Oracle – is enclosed by a set of tall walls made of pristine looking stone and topped with curved pagoda style roofs. The walls serve both a decorative and practical purpose, displaying the wealth of the temple and its religious importance as well as offering physical protection as the walls are often patrolled by the Moon Guard accompanied by robed diviners. Entrance to the outer courtyard is open to most people when the moon rises. The centerpiece of the courtyard is the 3-story tall statue of Caliban, depicted here as a silver dragonborn wearing dark blue robes lined with silver. The tides lap at their feet while the stars and the moon circle aroudn their head and shoulders - reminiscent of the galaxy bending to the whims of the God of Fate himself. Within the actual Temple, the hallways are lined with marble statues, alcoves burning incense, and ceilings painted to resemble the stars. If requested an approved, there are various zen gardens, meditation chambers, water pools, and chapel spaces outfitted with statues and paintings of various Oracles and the god of Fate himself. Access into the depths of the Temple, however, are restricted to dragonborn or those granted special permissions ot enter. It is here that the High Oracle resides over affairs of fate and other religious matters. Their audience chamber is a large circular room at the center of the Temple with an open ceiling that allows the moonlight to enter. The High Oracle sits beneath the moonlight on a large blud pillow underneath the statue of a regal silver dragonborn draped in a hanfu of celestial bodies and moonstone jewelry: Caliban. Surrounding the dais upon which the High Oracle sits are smaller seats for the "Oracles-in-Waiting". Beyond that is a circular ring of water. Massive pillars of stone and marble have been carved in the shape of each of the Dragon Clan's associated dragons, curling up around the pillars to clutch silver lights in their maws. The walls of the massive room are covered in paintings of draconic figures, previous oracles, and other imagery. More plain areas of the walls have been covered by tapestries of the various Dragon Clans... with gold being the most prominent.Complex of the Moon Guard
Situated about a quarter of the way up the slope of one of the mountains surrounding the New District is the Complex of the Moon Guard. Like the Temple, it is surrounded by walls and, although patrolled regularly by members of the Moon Guard, the front gate is left wide open and people of all sorts seem to come and go as they please. Here, the General of the Moon Guard resides alongside much of the Moon Guard legions and those in training. The complex contains multiple buildings within, some of which are easily accessible to the public:- The Military Compound
- Andromeda's School of Divination
- Museum of the Moon Guard
Other Shops
Coopa's Copper Curiosities – An oddities shop owned by a copper dragonborn named Coopa, who most certainly hasn't reached adulthood yet. It's an eccentric shop where everything that can be is copper. Coopa loves showing off their trinkets and is always pleased whens omeone buys one! Drunken Dragon – Although not directly located on Porcelain Avenue, the trail of signs begins there. It is a small sake (and other alcohol) shop and tavern run by a tiefling woman (Hope) and a red dragonborn (Elidi). They have a wide selection fo sake ranging from a couple silver to thousands of gold, the more expensive bottles being kept behind well secured cases. Apparently, Parvathian the Gold and Guarava the Red are known to make appearances here. Fortune's Favor – An elegant, upscale, "resort" on Porcelain Avenue that features elegant rooms, complete spa and relaxation packages, and various discounts and deals to other local businesses for those who stay as guests. It seems to be owned by Fahari the Brass and mostly staffed with Brass and Blue dragonborn. Zafir – one of the finest jewelry stores in the New District, offering a vast selection of styles, metals, and gems, but most notably Moonstone jewelry. It is operated by the Blue Dragon Clan and Sephora the Blue is known to stop by the shop regularly.The Dragon Clan Estates
While Porcelain Avenue is certainly the center of most affairs in the New District, the Dragon Clans each have their own estate from which they primarily operate.
Type
City
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)
Reference of Porcelain Avenue
The Porcelain Tea House
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