Opulence
Cerulean's lairs were always in deserts and other arid locations, warm climates not ideal for keeping humanoids alive. As the first Chromatic Dragon to allow people to live on her land, Cerulean established a strong sense of authority. A humanoid government to run the day-to-day in her stead. She worked with architects, craftsmen, and glassblowers to design a new lair in a desert basin. Bigger than ever before, a city for Cerulean to display her vast hoard of treasure and citizens.
Due to the Blue Dragon's presence, thunderstorms and sandstorms raged more often than not, so the entire city is traversable without ever going outside. It is a place of high class and high society, The Jewel of the Desert flying its flag of blue, purple, and green; Opulence.
Cerulean came to see the blue Dragonborn she made as her own children and treasures them as much as any priceless gemstone in her hoard. Gods help anyone who hurts them. As a result Opulents all have a strong sense of family. Loyalty is important everywhere in Mirage. When you form a bond outside your kindred, that bond is unshakable and powerful.
Sometimes you might catch an Opulent chuckling to themselves at their own good fortune. That's nice, but there's a sense of smug superiority among the locals that translates into a mean sense of humor. They love tricking people, especially tourists, for a laugh.
Moving Up in the World
Cerulean likes order, and so she made her city in an orderly fashion. There are three districts each representing a social class. The deepest district is an oasis where inhabitants pay the most in rent to live on her land, then as life gets cheaper the city grows arider. To move up from one plateau to the next you must present Cerulean with a treasure -- one she'll love so much it moves her to move you. She loves gemstones and gem-inlaid magic items. She's a fan of great works of art, performance, and craftsmanship. But Cerulean has strict standards for what treasures she allows into her city and rejects valuable objects that don’t meet those standards. A rejection could even mean moving down a plateau. Those standards come in phases though. Cerulean might spend months seeking only treasure that coordinates visually with the other items in the city, while for a few weeks might focus on artwork from a particular period or seek out jewelry made for rulers in a certain region. Cerulean’s treasures are an enormous source of pride, and she is insulted by offerings that don’t meet her standards.Culture
Because of Cerulean's changing tastes, fashion and trends move fast in Opulence. Opulents, the locals, wear a lot of blue. It's not just a fashion statement. One of Cerulean's regional effects causes anyone who lives there for over a year to become fascinated by anything blue and feel compelled to acquire them. She also causes all roads in and around the city to smooth out; sand is firm, slopes are not as steep as they first appeared, and rough ground levels out under a traveler’s feet. Opulence is a beacon to anyone lost in the wild desert of the old world.Government
Believing that strong societies are built on enforced order and social hierarchies, Cerulean guided her citizens to design a strong government with clear and consistent rules. The hierarchy of Opulence puts aspirational figures at the top; the most beautiful, the most creative, the greatest minds of design and art. Cerulean has been quietly impressed with how they never take risks or waste resources by using strong-arm power when they can achieve the same results merely by the threat of power. The eyes of Opulence's rogues are always watching, best not to step out of line.
Defences
Cerulean would rather destroy her own lair than let anyone make off with one of her treasures. In that spirit, much of Opulence is rigged to self-destruct. A grim reality that does a lot to keep the citizen's toes in line.
The ancient stone tiles on the floor contain lightning-charged traps to blast invaders.
Industry & Trade
Cerulean has strong trade routes with the Underdark and the Elemental Plane of Earth, with an archway portal into the latter. Opulence needs the gemstones to produce their biggest industries; jewelry and magic items. Fashion, make-up, wellness, everything about being and staying beautiful is big, and so are the arts and entertainment. Opulence is a favored city among bards for how much Cerulean appreciates their works.
Infrastructure
Glass buildings. The glass walls rise up and are fused with carved stone pillars and partial walls studded with blue gems, and narrow light wells let in sunlight that bathes everything in dappled blue light. Many even stain the glass in more colors.
Cerulean has her own personally dug routes beneath the city, crystal tunnels big enough for her to slip through to get just about anywhere she needs to go.
Points of interest
Dragon’s Den. Cerulean sleeps in a gracious, elegant space hung with silk curtains in shades of blue and purple, and her worked-stone floor is covered with plush, patterned rugs in complementary hues. It features a bejeweled and cushioned dais on which the dragon often reclines.
Private Entrance. Just above and to the right of the den is a small chamber open to the sky that the dragon uses as a private entrance to the lair. A secret door prevents unwitting creatures from wandering directly into the den.
Tourism
With such a strong entertainment scene Opulence thrives with tourists, even if the locals have a reputation for playing mean pranks. The main thoroughfare features great ornate statues of Cerulean's deceased Councilors, adorned with ground-up jewels, that culminate at the Berry Memorial Arena atop the highest plateau. Jewel Terrace is a beautiful jeweled mosaic map of Opulence inlaid into the main square of the second plateau. The lowest plateau's street market naturally sprang up around Cerulean's massive geode that contains spectacular blue, purple, and black crystals.
Check out the Museum of Opulence where Cerulean has displayed:
- Cerulean's personal intricately carved seal
- An extensive collection of elaborate jewelry, including a tiara, tail rings, and claw covers, which Cerulean wears when meeting with supplicants -- think the crown jewels
- A blue silk fan painted with ground gems that creates a briny breeze when hung from the ceiling
- A glass bell that creates the sound of rainstorms and thunder for 1 hour when struck
- An ornately tooled tome recording the lineages of all the blue dragonborn families in the area
Architecture
Cerulean despises gauche displays of wealth as a sign of inferiority, so while Opulence is beautiful it has never been ostentatious. She would never allow it to be such. This is why so much craft and care goes into every building, requiring a hand-crafted touch instead of simply allowing spellcasters to go wild magically hewing everything.
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
The Jewel of the Desert
Type
Large city
Inhabitant Demonym
Opulents
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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