Difference between revisions of "The Imperial City"

Revision as of 01:59, 19 May 2012

Suzaku Boulevard

Central Boulevard of the Imperial City. One hundred metres in width, paved with marble tiles. In places, tiles have cracked or weeds are springing up. On Suzaku, and

the other Five Boulevards, the Empress banned Dynasts from moving on foot: they were required to take rickshaws or palanquins (an exception was Legion officers). It

was said that the City’s labour force of bearers was riddled with agents of the All-Seeing Eye, so the Empress always knew which of her nobles had gone where.

The Five Boulevards

Like Suzaku, these are marble-paved, fifty metres wide, though the marble is showing many signs of wear and tear… on Higashi, there are even tiles missing where

thieves have pried them up at night. Their names are mysterious, with legends saying that they are named for the Shoguns of old.

The Districts

North Districts: The north districts house the private manors of the Dragonblooded, along with the most wealthy or powerful Patrician families.

East Districts: Patrician houses and high tenements for the urban poor.

West Districts: As the East, but on average a higher proportion of peasants and the impoverished, as the land tends to be more swampy and damp. In the spring, the stench of the West

District keeps many away.

Eastern Market: The Merchants’s Market. Open from noon until sunset, with opening and closing marked by the striking of a large drum three times. Thieves and criminals are subject to

public flogging in a squarehere, which can be witnessed regularly throughout the day. The Empress, in a move to force House Cynis out of its traditional holdings in

the East District, restricted the buying and selling of slaves in the City to the East Market.

Western Market: The Farmer’s Market. Open from noon until sunset, with opening and closing marked by the ringing of a large gong three times. The Empress, in a move to counter some of

House Ragara’s banking dominance, restricted all banking and moneylending in the city to the West Market… though the House has attempted to improve conditions for its

new holdings, the stench and filth still irks them to no end, especially as the city’s slaughterhouses are also found in the Western Market.

Five Dragons Courtyard: Pentagon-shaped space, paved with multicoloured jade tiles depicting a giant mosaic of the five Immaculate Dragons intertwined. The Courtyard is home to dozens of

different temples, both to the Immaculate Dragons and to lesser deities. Sometimes called the 'Temple District'.

Red Lantern District: Part of the West Districts. A place of brothels and bordellos, where any carnal lust or delight can be satisfied. Massive braziers burn sweet incense to cover the

stench of the West District, while the area is illuminated constantly by ten thousand red paper lanterns. House Cynis has fingers stuck deep in many of the District’s…

err, pies.

Kuwanan District: The Kuwanan district lies on the Northeastern edge of the North Districts, in close proximity to the Imperial Palace and the main boulevards leading to the City gates

and Deliberative. Those who manage to secure dwellings here are usually of substantial influence.

Seven Sages District: Part of the North Districts, near the Gate of Tranquil Rest. Home to the residences of many Imperial City sorcerers.

Rokkaku District: Part of the North Districts. Cathak Okubo was killed on the edge of the Rokkaku district.

The Deliberative Senate of Exceedingly Judicious Nobles

(this is the second building of that name, the first having been burned to the ground four centuries ago).

The Deliberative building itself is a massive structure of polished white stone set amidst immaculately manicured grounds in the Imperial City. The palace and its

attendant gardens are patrolled by the Guardians of the Deliberative, and by custom, all who enter must leave behind their weapons and accouterments of sorcery once

they enter the palace proper. This gesture is widely regarded as a symbolic one, yet the ceremonial surrender of one’s arms to the home of the laws of the Realm does

emphasize the putative nature of the work performed here. The interior of the Palace of the Deliberative Senate is laid out to facilitate contemplation of the weighty

matters of state, and as such, it features innumerable small gardens, pools, private chambers, baths, steam rooms, residential quarters, libraries containing every

debate the Deliberative has ever held, and kitchens. All of this is constructed around the two largest rooms in the complex: the Hall of Contemplative and Prudent

Debate, where the Lesser Chamber is seated, and the Great Hall of Most Inspired and Noble Lawmaking, where the Greater Chamber performs its labors.

Hall of Contemplative and Prudent Debate: The Hall of Debate is furnished entirely in wood, with the benches of the Senators surrounding the debate floor on

three sides. To the north are the seats of the officers of the Lesser Chamber. The benches themselves are plain wood and extremely uncomfortable. Officially, this

discomfort is to remind the Senators that they are present to perform a difficult labor and not to aggrandize themselves. In reality, it is to ensure that the

legislative process is as uncomfortable as possible for the lawmakers and that their workdays are short and their attention scattered. The walls are completely bare of

decoration. The Hall of Debate has nine doors leading in and out, for a reason no one has yet been able to adequately explain.

Great Hall of Most Inspired and Noble Lawmaking: The hall of the Greater Chamber is arrayed much like its Lesser counterpart, save in stone instead of wood. The

benches are equally uncomfortable, though Senators here are permitted use of pillows to mitigate it somewhat. The walls are adorned with tapestries, one representing

each Great House, beneath which sit the senator’s of that House. There are five doors into the chamber, each representing one of the Five elements: senators are

expected to enter and exit through the appropriate door for their aspect.

The Long Corridor: The ten-yard long hallway connecting the Greater and Lesser chambers.

Shrines and Temples of the Imperial City

Temple of the Reciter of Loud Hymns and Prayers

Nestor: Cathak Bankei.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple of Hesiesh, Immaculate of Fire. A broad hall of polished sandstone and bronze, under a shining dome topped with an eternal flame. Its long, pillared

passages are lit by wide braziers and intricate panels of orange glass. Within the temple's central chamber is can be found a vast pit of smouldering embers, around

which monks sit and pray amidst the smouldering heat. Devotion is shown here by walking the length of this pit barefoot, with those able to linger long atop the coals

receiving the greatest reverence. Prayer at this temple are made by those who wish success at a single, all-important endeavour.

Temple of He who hath Strewn much Grass

Nestor: Varen Ayu.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple of Sextes Jylis, Immaculate of Wood. A temple of living wood, huge trees woven together over the course of centuries to create the illusion of a

trunk far larger than that of any tree in Creation. The interior of the temple is a system of chambers formed amidst the trunks and roots where monks sit in

meditation. At the very heart of the temple, the roots rise up amidst a vast chamber, gathering in a bowl which illuminates the ceiling with a soft green light. Within

this bowl, a strange sap is gathered that is said to be the very power of essence, condensed by the temple plants into a liquid form. Ascent up the pillar of roots

beneath the bowl is difficult indeed, for the very act of climbing shakes loose thorns as long as a man's hand, which fall upon the hapless climber. Because of this,

the ascent is seen as an act of devotion, and to sip the sap is to be blessed indeed. Prayer at this temple is made by those seeking regeneration and healing, both

physical and otherwise.

Temple of the Petitioner of Clouds accordant to the Call of Battle

Nestor: Sesus Okuni.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple of Mela, Immaculate of Air. A temple of airy spires and gossamer threads, rising high above the city. Devotion is shown by standing or sitting out

upon the highest spires and bridges, in meditation surrounded by the wind. The wind itself is welcomed into the Temple, the spires and openings shaped to channel the

breeze into a haunting and ethereal tune whose perfection is unmatched by any mortal artist. Only at the very heart of the temple is no wind felt, though even here

protection from the elements is achieved not through walls and doors but through alternating rows of twisting pillars... in this central space can be found an

extensive library of ancient and venerable texts. Prayer at this temple is made by those seeking to perfect themselves or their circumstances.

Temple of He who Illuminates both Worlds with Majesty and Power

Nestor: Mnemon Akkara.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple of Pasiap, Immaculate of Earth. A low crystal dome breaks the earth’s surface within a circle of curved ivory pillars, the tusks or ribs of some

long-dead beast. Beneath, after one has descended below the surface of the earth, is a vast, low chamber, dimly lit, within which blindfolded monks chant incessantly.

Encircling the central chamber is a shallow pit, from which rise sharp stone spikes... to sit upon these spikes in meditation is seen as an act of true devotion.

Prayer here is done by those seeking good fortune in projects of construction and creation.

Temple of the Arbiter of the Immaculate Complaint

Nestor: Peleps Deham.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple of Daana’d, Immaculate of Water. A tower of black obsidian, rising from the centre of a deep pool of frigid water. From a fountain atop the temple,

water cascades down its surface before flowing into the surrounding waters. Within the temple, reached by crossing a thin bridge across the pool, a penitent can see

thin pipes of blue-green glass, glowing with an inner light, through which water flows upward towards the thirsting rooftop spout. Devotion here is shown by immersing

oneself in the waters of the pool as one meditates, though the most ruly devoted dive into the deeper waters which surround the temple base and enter the submerged

chambers there to make their prayers. Prayers here are made by those seeking enlightenment and advancement within the Perfected Hierarchy.

Temple of the Dutiful Sun Gifted with the Immaculate Light

Nestor: Mnemon Lo'yuun

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: A squat, circular building between seven gold-domed towers, atop which a gold-plated saqil rises into the sky. The shadow of this sail, as it passes

between the towers and temple entrance through the passage of the day, marks with utmost precision the flow of time. It is here that artificers and craftsmen come to

calibrate their own solar clocks and artifacts.

The temple is a shrine to the Unconquered Sun, chief amongst the Celestial Gods at the behest of the Elemental Dragons. As his light reflects the true fire of Hsiesh,

many peasants across Creation are decieved by cults devoted to his worship, but not here: the Temple of the Dutiful Sun grants the Sun the prayers he is due for so

unfailingly fulfilling his proper role in the Perfected Hierarchy. Its doors are shut against visitors, save for a few festivals when Dragonblooded are invited to join

the monks in praising the Sun for its loyal service.

The Sun, unconquered in his quest to uphold the will of the Dragons, recieves significant worship as the head of the divine pantheon, and in addition to Temples

dedicated to his service, which hold mass four times daily (at dawn, at midday, at sunset and at midnight), each Immaculate monk grants the Sun a single prayer each

day at those proscribed times.

Temple of the Moon in Passage through Proscribed Phases

Nestor: Lonely Pine.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: A low dome of blue-grey stone, surrounded by a small forest-garden and a curved wall. This temple is a shrine to Luna, the celestial god whose passage

marks the hours of the night and whose light, a pale reflection of that radiated from the Immaculate Dragon Danaa'd, dispels the darkness in which the Anathema once

sought succour. For this service, the monks of the Moon Temple offer up prayers at the proscribed times, joined at certain festivals by other Dragonblooded who wish to

add their voices... invariably these are far fewer than those who visit the Temple of the Dutiful Sun, for Luna is less diligent than her daytime counterpart and hides

her face during Calibration out of fear that the bestial Anathema will return and again steal her power for their demonic purposes. The temple doors are most often

found closed to outsiders.

Temple of the Maidens in Diligent Attendance of the Loom

Nestor: Ledaal Shiashi.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: A low dome of dark stone, from which rise two twisted arches hung with threads of silk and wire. It is a shrine to the Five Maidens, the celestial gods

charged with caring for the great Loom of Fate, the pattern of the stars which tells of auspicious births, the rise of Anathema, and the fortunes of observers across

Creation. Maintaining this Loom is an arduous task, but the Maidens have fulfilled their role well within the Perfected Hierarchy and so the monks of this temple grant

them prayer as is their due. Its doors are closed, save at certain festival times when the Dragonblooded are allowed to enter and join in the rituals.

Temple of Salt

Nestor: Ledaal Iago.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: A gaudy temple, with domes of oxidized copper, sea-blue pillars and scarlet curtains, edged in plates and braids of gold. It is a shrine to the salt gods

of the Blessed Isle, where the Empress would come to set the salt rate and grant them the prayer due them for performing their role in the Perfected Hierarchy. This

ritual is still performed by the Regent, though with far less authority. The monks of this temple do not worship the salt gods upon any day sve that of the ritual,

spending their time instead in meditation or maintenance duties.

Temple of Preserving the Perfected Hierarchy

Nestor: Mnemon Guchen.

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard. (Temple District)

Description: This temple is not a place of worship, but one of battle. In its squat bronze tower, behind a wall of granite, monks train and spar not only in the forms

of the Five Dragon Styles, but in their application during the heat of battle. These monks emerge to travel the Scarlet Prefecture as itinerants, striking down any

whgo violate their place in the Perfected Hierarchy. Monks of this temple often visit the other temples of the city to ensure that those who worship gods do not exceed

the proper allocations, and to ensure that all mortal iconography is destroyed before it gives undue honour to a petty spirit.

Temple of War

Nestor:

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard. (Temple District)

Description: The Temple of War is a fortified structure, containing both a central shrine to Tachi-kun, the Central God of War, at the end of a long chamber containing

sixty alcoves. Just under half of these stand empty... the others are shrines to the gods responsible for each of the Realm's Legions. The Temple of War is not sealed

outside of its festival days as many other temples are, and is open for visitation by both Dragonblooded and Legion soldiers. The former, as defenders of the Realm,

are expected to offer small weekly prayers to Tachi-kun, while the latter must be watched closely lest proper respect be replaced by inappropriate veneration.

Temple of Thunder Booming over the Imperial Mountain

Nestor:

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District)

Description: Temple to Mareth-Annon, a lesser elemental dragon of air who serves as the Arbiter of the Storms of the Blessed Isle. His temple remains relatively quiet

throughout the year, save for occasional consultations by Dragonblooded serving in the Thousand Scales' weather control departments. The temple is opened to the public

once a year, during Mareth-Annon's festival in the Water season.

Saiji Temple

Nestor: Iselsi Shubin.

Location: Southwestern end of Suzaku Boulevard.

Description: The West Guardian Temple. A large temple, once sponsored by House Iselsi, it has slowly fallen from grace since the doom of that House, overshadowed by

its onetime twin Toji temple. Four years ago, the central pagoda of the temple was damaged by fire, leaving only two storeys where once there had been six.

Reconstruction has been slow due to lack of funds and an absence of Dynastic patronage. Within the walled enclosure are shrines to each of the Immaculate Dragons,

anointment chambers and clergy cells, though even these are beginning to look somewhat dilapidated.

Toji Temple

Nestor: Mnemon Hidea.

Location: Southeastern end of Suzaku Boulevard.

Description: The East Guardian Temple. A large temple, a walled enclosure containing worship halls for each of the Immaculate Dragons, anointment chambers, clergy

residences, and even a primary school for those seeking to put their children on a path to the clergy at an early age. The temple is very wealthy, due in part to

sponsorship from House Mnemon, though rumours of corruption abound... Last year marked the completion of an extensive upgrade project that transformed Toji's six-

storey square pagoda into an eight-storey octagonal pagoda.

Altar of Land and Grain

Nestor: None.

Location: Imperial Palace.

Description: A huge, circular altar made of stone, surrounded by a low stone bench and decorated with panels of green marble. Once each year, Dynasts and Immaculates

gather here for a ritual where the Empress and the Mouth of Peace lead a prayer and sacrifice of seeds to honour the harvest and agricultural gods of the Blessed Isle

for their diligent work in upholdng their posts in the Perfected Hierarchy. Through the rest of the year, the Altar is tended only by a young monk who has been seen as

needing a lesson in humility.

Temple of Glorious Obedience to the Exalted Word

Nestor: Cynis Sextes.

Location: Eastern Market.

Description: One of very few temples to recieve sponsorship from House Cynis, the Temple of Glorious Obedience is a simple structure with a large worship hall and

adjoining living chambers for its clergy. The monks of the Temple have as a key duty the dissemination of the Immaculated doctrines amongst the slaves being sold at

the Eastern Market, an attempt to pacify them to their lot by educating them in the nature of the Perfected Hierarchy and advancement throutgh obedience to the

Dragonblooded.

Iwakunin Temple

Nestor: Ragara Dango.

Location: Western Market.

Description: Once a small shrine to Pasiap located near the Western Market, patronge from House Ragara has transformed it into a well-off place of worship for

businessmen and craftsmen of all classes. Petitioners come here to pray for improvement of their material condition or financial affairs.

Temple of Gri-fel

Nestor: Ledaal Chinoma

Location: Five Dragons Courtyard (Temple District).

Description: A grand temple of red marble and gold, built up around the simple village shrine that once stood here eight centuries ago. Gri-fel is the god of the

Imperial City, and for such an important post in the Perfected Hierarchy he recieves substantial devotions from the monks of his temple, as well as other Dragonblooded

at proscribed festival times. Once a year, Gri-fel would emerge with his monks to visit the Imperial Palace and bow to the authority of the Empress... he has not done

so to the Regent, not because he feels no obligation but because such a devotion is inappropriate in the Hierarchy for any station but that of Empress.

Cathedral of Stars

Nestor: Wise Wind.

Location: Just north of the Imperial City.

Description: A massive dome of huge plates carved from lapis stone, set in gold atop a structure of dark granite. From without, the lapis appears dark and opaque, but

once inside it reveals itself to be perfectly clear, a fantastic lens which dims the light of the sun and lets the patterns of the stars shine through even in

daylight. The Cathedral is closed to all but monks of the Order, for it is not a place of worship but an observatory and training school for Immaculate astrologers,

both mortal and Exalted. Its nestor, Wise Wind, is known to be a Most Enlightened and Illustrious Master, one of the rare monks at the highest levels of mastery within

the Order.

Temple of Perfected Advancement

Nestor: Tepet Meldana.

Location: Toribeno.

Description: A fortified temple consisting of four halls and a three-storey pagoda surrounded by a stone wall. This temple is not a place of prayer but one of

vigilance, for it sits on a raised mound of earth amidst the tombs and pyres of Toribeno, the grave city. The monks at this temple assist with funerary rites and,

perhaps more importantly, disperse any hungry ghosts or spirits which seek to gather amongst the dead.

The Willow World: Diversions of the Flesh in the Imperial City

The willow world is the land of brothels and bordellos, massage parlours and opium dens, which caters to the needs and desires of the City's inhabitants. In addition to the lone street

whores and petty dealers who can be found by walking the streets in the right (or wrong) parts of town, there are some establishments which might be of note.

House of Ten Thousand Ecstatic Moments

Master: Cynis Hurkon.

Patents: Barat household (House Cynis).

Description: High-class brothel in the Red Lantern District, used to coordinate discreet liasons between clients and unique or specialized consorts.

Rivan’s Inn

Patents: None.

Description: Low-class brothel in the Red Lantern District, whose prostitutes are drawn from the peasants of the Blessed Isle, who sell their daughters into servitude to make ends meet.

House of Kei

Patents: None.

Description: Brothel in the Red Lantern District, whose prostitutes are drawn from the peasants of the Blessed Isle, who sell their daughters into servitude to make ends meet. Far

more complex than Rivan’s Inn, the House of Kei is made up of several small suites where the rich play at being peasants: A session lasts six hours, during which the hired girl

maintains the fiction of being a peasant wife. She prepares up to two low-class meals, launders clothes, and satiates lusts either on the rough bed, or on a pile of fresh hay in a

room with walls painted to depict open fields.

Season’s Paradise Pavilion

Patents: House Nellens, House Sesus

Description: High-class concubine office in the Red Lantern District, which rents out trained female consorts on month-long contracts.

Theatre of Enticing Display

Patents: None.

Description: A tavern-theatre in the Red Lantern District, wherein dancers display themselves in sensual performances to customers, who then place bids at an auction of their virtue.

House of Massage and Relaxation

Patents: None.

Description: Brothel in the Red Lantern District, of male masseuses and prostitutes.

Garden of Youthful Pleasures

Patents: None.

Description: Brothel used primarily by pedophiles due to the low average age of its slave-whores. Located in the Red Lantern District.

House of Open Flowers

Master: Cynis Liu.

Patents: House Cynis.

Description: Brothel and pleasure-slave training academy in the Red Lantern District.

Upright Pillars Pavilion

Patents: House Mnemon, House Sesus.

Description: High-class concubine office in the Red Lantern District, supplying male concubines to the upper classes on month-long contracts.

House of Otoki

Master: Otoki Anma

Patents: Imperial, House Tepet.

Description: A massage parlour in the Eastern Market run by Otoki Anma, whose skill with his hands is second to none. No sex is sold at the House of Otoki, for it is a place

dedicated to the art and craft of the masseuse, and sensual pleasure would debase its perfected forms. Many Dynasts wait years for an appointment with master Anma, showering him with

gifts and favours in exchange for a turn on his couch.

Grand Colosseum

Patents: Imperial.

Description: A massive stone arena in the Eastern Districts, capable of seating thousands. Within it are held frequent games... gladitorial contests here are large, including

dozens of slave-fighters, and oft-fatal chariot races are very common (and highly popular with the masses of citizens and patricians). Dynastic boxes are numerous here, allowing

wealthy Dynasts to observe while removing them from the stench of the crowd.

Strength-of-Arms Arena

Patents: House Nellens.

Description: A large arena in the Western Districts, capable of seating several hundred. Within it are held frequent and bloody games... gladitorial contests where slaves

desperately hack each other to death are popular, and occasionally the arena is used for a Dynastic duel, or pits a brave young bravo against a ferocious wild beast so he might test

his skills and courage.

Rising Jade Pavilion

Master: Cynis Nebada.

Patents: House Cynis.

Description: High-class betting house, with a staff of accountants and astrologers to set its numbers. Here, Dynastic clients may enjoy tea, the attentions of nubile slaves, and

perhaps a game of Gateway as they bet huge sums on matters from who will take the throne to the harvest yields of Cherak in the coming year. Those who place only small bets need not

bother coming to the Pavilion... artifacts, manses, and jade talents are the standard currency here [OOC: Bets are minimum Resources 4].

Office of Odds and Investments

Master: Nellens Jimmu.

Patents: None.

Description: Nellens Jimmu, from his offices in the Eastern Market, operates a betting ring far more mundane than that of Cynis Nebada. He travels with his betting table to sights

where gambling might ensue... Dynastic duels, hunting parties, and the like... and sets up shop to take money on who will come out on top. Jimmu deals in relatively minor sums, and

his cut of winnings is quite small, making him popular with casual gamblers amongst the Dynasty. [OOC: Minimum bet R1, maximum bet R3].

The Six-Side Hole

Patents: None.

Description: A low-class bar and gambling den, where dice and cards are the games of choice.

Ten Lanterns Casino

Patents: None.

Description: A low-class bar and gambling den, featuring rat racing, mahjong, and the deadly game of venoiko.

House of the Golden Cloud

Master: Cynis Penor.

Patents: House Cynis.

Description: An ornate drughouse in the Red Lantern district, filled with rooms coated in silk cushions and lit with marijuana-burning braziers. Here, for the right price, a

discerning Dynast can enjoy all manner of intoxicating delights, with experienced pleasure slaves available to intensify the experience. Most Dynasts come not only for diversion, but

for business: the master of the House, Cynis Penor, is known as the City's most resourceful drug-dealer, though his prices are steep.

Tang's Parlour

Master: Tang Long

Patents: None.

Description: A simple teahouse in the Red Lantern district, Tang's parlour offers more than steeped tea leaves. Along with a number of drinks and snacks, the servants here offer

up various blends and mixtures that can be alternately smoked in pipes, made into tea, or sprinkled over sesame cakes. Not ornate enough for many ranking Dynasts, Tang's Parlour is a

place for patricians and poor Dynasts to wile away the hours.

Den of Blissful Flight

Patents: None.

Description: A shady, dilapidated building in the Red Lantern district, the Den supplies the needs of those whose lot in life is the drudgery of peasant or citizen life. The drug of choice here is quat, though there are often rumours of more potent and numbing agents at work here as well.

Bathhouse of Ever-Flowing Waters

Patents: None.

Description: While Dynasts and rich patricians enjoy the luxury of private baths, those with only moderate wealth are often forced to visit the Bathhouse. Here, for a few coins

one can enjoy use of large pools containing hot and cold water, as well as pumice stones and horsehair brushes. For a few more coins, one may purchase a bit of vinegar to clean one's

pores, or oil to massage one's skin. The visitor is, of course, expected to accomplish these tasks without the aid of servants, as personal service is a thing for the wealthy.

Spa of Comforts Ascendant

Patents: House Cynis.

Description: While almost all Dynasts have access to their own baths, from the large copper tubs carried by servants through the Imperial Palace to the saunas of the Deliberative

to the private pools of many manse-gardens, there are a few who prefer to depart their dwellings and attend the Spa of Comforts Ascendant. The spa has saunas and a number of hot and

cold pools for bathing in groups, followed by the individual attentions of a servant in a private bath... here, a visitor is bathed clean with soaps and shampoos, before recieving an

expert massage using scented oils.

Spa of Comforts Ten-Yards-Distant

Patents: None.

Description: Ten yards from the main building of the Spa of Comforts Ascendant sits a much smaller bathhouse, the Ten-Yards-Distant Spa. It offers similar services to its larger

neighbour, though the opulence of the decor is somewhat reduced. The Ten-Yard-Distant Spa serves an exclusive clientelle: sorcerers, who are barred from entry into the Spa of Comforts

Ascendant.

Teahouses and Taverns: Eating Out in the Imperial City

In addition to hundreds of street vendors and roadside stands found scattered about the City, there are establishments dedicated to quenching the thirst and filling the bellies of the City's inhabitants. Several are listed below.

Morning Lily Tea House

Patents: House Tepet

Description: This tea house is quite large, generally well lit except for the back tables, and lavishly decorated... just what one would expect from an establishment catering to

members of the Dynasty. Its selection of teas is high class, and its staff well trained in the formalities of the tea ceremony which was central to Terrestrial dining in the long-past

days of the Shogunate. The tables are open, with plenty of space between them, for this is not a house of clandestine meetings but of stepping out for the sake of being seen.

Blossoming Orchid Pavilion

Patents: Imperial.

Description: A large teahouse in the Imperial Palace, left open to the breeze in the mornings and closed against heat in the afternoon. Many Dynasts come here in its public hall

or private alcoves to enjoy refreshments such as flower teas and dim’sum. However, as with the rest of the palace, the walls are said to have ears, and a closed door draws more

attention than one left open.

Folded Lotus Inn

Patents: House Nellens.

Description: Over the past decade, the Folded Lotus Inn has become one of the premiere places within the City for socializing amongst the lower levels of the Dynasty. Growing and

slowly expanding over the years, the Inn currently includes four buildings around a fairly large private garden. The first building is the Inn proper, which is where most of the

guests stay, the only way into the complex (which is walled for privacy), and also includes the common room where food, wine, and tea are taken, and entertainment performed, as well

as the private tea rooms. The common room and each private tea room (there are two) have exits to the gardens, and the rooms of those staying at the inn share another exit to the

garden, as well. The second building is a bath house, which can be used by those staying at the inn, for a small additional fee on their tab, or by those not staying, for a slightly

higher fee. The third building, which is nearby, is the house where the inn’s owners (a patrician merchant named Gusei and his son, Taysuke) live, as well as those people currently

working at the Inn. The garden contains a small stream, which has a series of small waterfalls in it. The fourth building is a large, empty hall of simple furnishings and wooden

floors: sometimes it is rented out for parties, and sometimes it is used for Dynastic duels between hotheaded young scions of the Great Houses.

Much about Gusei’s method of running his inn is often considered odd. The arrangement of furniture in the common room changes at least once a week, and the people who are serving at

the inn change even more often, and often without any reason, it seems. Mirrors hang all about the inn, in seemingly random arrangements that change as often as the furniture of the

common room, some of the mirrors even being set on the floor and ceiling. While the food is slightly more expensive than the average establishment of this class, it is widely agreed

that it is a fine place to eat, and there are few places with better service in the city. Many Dynasts will use the Inn as a place to hold what parties and festivities they throw, and

be able to sleep safe in the knowledge that whatever they have arranged will go off without a hitch.

Ujimaki's Kitchen

Patents: None.

Description: A small dining place in the Western Districts, specializing in fried rice with eggs or vegetables. The citizen Ujimaki family has held the establishment for many

years, despite frequent fires that claim the wooden structure. The food is cheap peasant fare, but the atmosphere radiates a low-class charm.

Southern Pepper Restaurant

Master: Sazuro Nisemono.

Patents: House Sazuro (patrician house).

Description: On the Street of the Fatman, just off the Eastern Market, can be found the Southern Pepper Restaurant, one of several businesses owned by the prominent patrician

merchant Sazuro "the Fatman" Nisemono. The food served here is in Sothern style, not bad if a bit spicy, and not very expensive by patrician standards.

Teishou Suzume Eatery

Patents: None.

Description: A low class restaurant in the Western District, which sells fried fish and squid. The food is quite cheap, but overcooked... likely because rot has set in by the time fish reaches the poorer markets of the City.

Unagihime Restaurant

Patents: House Peleps, House Ledaal.

Description: The Unagihime has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best seafood restaurants in the city. Its chefs are experts in Western School cooking, and its ties to

fishermen in Vatamu allow the freshest of fish to be rushed from sea to table before they suffer much deterioration. Many Dynasts from the coastal regions enjoy taking meals here,

where they can enjoy the familiar tastes of the sea.

Pavilion of Culinary Enticement

Patents: House Tepet, House Cynis, House Peleps, House Ragara.

Description: The Pavilion of Culinary Enticement is a luxurious dining establishment for the wealthy members of the Dynasty. There are no chairs or couches in the Pavilion: guests

sit upon embroidered carpets in private rooms, resting on piles of silk cushions. Dishes rest upon individual raised trays made of intricately-etched silver. Each group of guests is

seated around its own host or hostess, who prepares and serves the meal as it is delivered from the kitchens. The host not only determines the order of courses and the seasonings

sprinkled over the dishes, but also selects and mixes the teas or spirits that best accompany each dish and orchestrates the mood of the meal. These hosts are artists, trained to

shift the contents of a meal both subtly and drastically based not only upon factors of season and ambience, but upon the topics of conversation amongst the guests, their attitudes

and modes of dress. It is impossible to eat at the Pavilion without making a resrvation at least a week in advance, and the price of a meal here is gargantuan.

House of Healing Repast

Patents: House Sesus, House V'neef, House Cathak.

Description: Many physicians and apothecaries have often repeated the adage 'treat food as medicine', and nowhere is this lesson taken more to heart than the House of Healing

Repast. Jars of ingredients fill the shelves that cover the walls and sprigs of dried herbs hang from the rafters. Every ingredient and every dish carries meaning. Hazelnuts give

energy, root vegetables are restorative and calming, and parsley lifts the spirits. Each dish is tailored to the needs of the individual guest. The staff expect their guests let their

needs be known, and at the start of a meal a cook and waitperson with medical training greet each table to enquire about their health and offer knowledgeable advice and suggestions on

what dishes they ought to try (Lacking direction from the guest, the staff will make their own determinations as best they can). A hearty soup served to the burly Legion officer might

be accented with fennel and button mushrooms, while the same soup served to an elderly patrician might be seasoned with lamb, spring onion, and cilantro. Such personal attention

comes, of course, with an appropriately astronomical price-tag.

Seijo Inn

Patents: None.

Description: The oddly-shaped Seijo Inn is a mixture of architectural styles... the central building, now over a century old, was originally a teahouse, well designed and

appointed. Over the years rooms for housing were added, forming a new wing of different style than the first. The food is decent, and the tea is good.

During the time when the 1st Legion was garrisoned in the Imperial City, the Seijo Inn was a popular residence and meeting spot for its officer corps, perhaps because of the 1st

Legion scalelord's uniform preserved in an alcove by the entrance... the Inn having been opened originally by an ancestor of the Seijo family who worked his way up through the ranks

to an officer's post.

Golden Silk Teahouse

Master: Tepet Rensai.

Patents: House Tepet.

Description: A large courtyard surrounded by private dining rooms, the Golden Silk Teahouse is known as a place for quiet meetings away from the ears of the Palace... the walls

are thick and the windows readily shuttered against prying eyes. The food is of fine quality here as well, and the selection of teas is large indeed, with varieties from across the

South and East.

Honey-Touched Teahouse

Patents: None.

Description: A small teahouse in the Eastern Districts, frequented by patricians and the wealthier citizens of the City. The Honey-Touched Teahouse is known amongst such clients for the honey mixed into the tea here, which is harvested from bees in the Teahouse's small garden and mixed with beet sugar.

Green Pond Inn

Master: Nellens Jin.

Patents: None.

Description: A three story building with a fenced-in garden, that features a large and well-maintained koi pond as the center piece. The common room, where guests can take meals,

tea, wine, and entertainment are on the ground floor, along with two private tea rooms. All three of these rooms have an exit into the gardens, kept open on most days to provide a

pleasant view for the guests. The second floor contains several private tea rooms, and a few of the cheaper rooms guests can take for themselves. Despite the usual business in the

common room, the private tea rooms and bedrooms for rent on the second floor are surprisingly quiet, the floor having been designed to muffle the sounds from downstairs going up. The

third floor contains larger rooms for more wealthy guests. These rooms are set around the outer walls of the building, each one having its own balcony that gives a magnificent view of

the city by night or by day. The Green Pond, located in the Eastern Districts, has a mostly-patrician clientelle, though Dynasts of lesser wealth also make use of it. Its kitchens are

particularly known for the quality of their noodle dishes.

White Mountain Inn

Patents: None.

Description: A dilapidated, three-storey tenement, filled with the smell of mildew and the twittering sounds of cockroaches. The White Mountain Inn is the favoured dwelling of

peasants coming to the City to hawk their wares, due to the low cost of rooming here. The Inn serves meals as well, in a smokey common room... a watery stew of rat meat and root

vegetables is most common.

Starflower Tea House

Patents: None.

Description: This tea house is a simple place, located in the Eastern Market, where patricians and merchants often come to discuss matters of business.

The Drunken Trierarch

Master: Peleps Ichibei.

Patents: Yasuki household (House Peleps)

Description: A bawdy tavern in the Western Districts, operated by Peleps Ichibei. Ichibei is a man of advanced years and a strange sense of humour: his wife and children dwell in

the west of the Blessed Isle, serving in the Water Fleet, but Ichibei chose to spend his retirement and his considerable merchantile fortune running a lower-class tavern in the City.

Ichibei spend a considerable sum in purchasing gaudy cotton caricatures of high Dynastic fashions, with which he dresses his serving girls. He is a great embarrasment to many Dynasts,

especially his own House, and his behaviour has also been frowned upon by many Immaculate monks, but such thing seem only to make the establishment more popular to his chosen

clientele. Most objectionable, Ichibei flies the mon of his own Yasuki household from the gables of the inn.

Ball and Chain Tavern

Patents: None.

Description: A seedy tavern in the West District. The ale is strong but the tavern stinks of sewage.

Hidden Gem Teahouse

Patents: None.

Description: A teahouse and tavern in the Eastern Districts, near the Crystal Palace, frequented by servants in the employ of House Mnemon.

Complete Collection of Virtues Eatery

Patents: House Sesus.

Description: A famous duck and fowl restaurant in the Eastern Market, catering to Dynasts and wealthy patricians. Known for the excellent quality of its meat, cooked perfectly to

remain moist and full-flavoured.

Shop of Convenience and Pleasure

Patents: House Nellens.

Description: A famous duck and fowl restaurant in the Western Market, catering to lower-end patricians and wealthy merchants. Known for excellent dishes made from broth and rice,

mixed with all manner of ingredients from prawns to cardamon pods to dried apricots.

Hall for Listening to the Orioles

Patents: House Tepet.

Description: A restaurant amidst the manors of the Dynastic districts. The “Feast of the Ever-Living Lake Child” is a specialty of the restaurant. The fish is caught from nearby

rivers and cooked in a unique way. When the fish is served on the table, its mouth is still opening and closing and its gills flapping. Diners should not be frightened; it is falsely

alive. The secret lies in keeping the nerve of the fish intact.

Nectar & Sweets Pavilion

Patents: House Tepet.

Description: Small restaurant near the Academy for the Cultivation of Youthful Talents, a Dynastic primary school in the Imperial City. Sells a variety of sweet pastries, as well

as light meals, mostly to students, parents, and alumni of the Academy.

Hall of Western Waves

Patents: House Peleps.

Description: Small restaurant near the Academy for the Cultivation of Youthful Talents, a Dynastic primary school in the Imperial City. Sells meals and snacks of the Western

school, mostly to students, parents, and alumni of the Academy.

Parlour of the Flying Fish

Patents: House Sesus, House Ragara.

An upscale restaurant in the Eastern Market, specializing in Western Cuisine. During the lunch and afternoon, they do not accept reservations, and the place is always packed. Dynasts

go to the head of the line with their guests. At night, tables are by reservation only... unless you are a dynast, in which case someone with a reservation might get kicked out to

make room for you. Everyone wants to eat here. The decor is rose wood panelling throughout, making the place feel warm and inviting. There are colourful lanterns strung everywhere

providing a soft light. There is a special light and frothy beer called sudzou, that is served to everyone who gets a table. This is the only place in the City that serves it.

Xinia’s All-Night Teahouse

Patents: None.

A quiet shop in the Western Market, panelled in warm, golden woods. There are no tables here, nothing formal. There's a bar where you can get over priced sandwiches and nearly any

kind of tea in creation. The rest of the room is devoted to worn, plushy couches and chairs. There is plenty of good light, and smoking is allowed. This is a popular hang out for

students, various government clerks studying for exams, and young patricians or Dynasts interested in a night of 'slumming.'

The Academic World in the Imperial City

Academy for the Cultivation of Youthful Talents

Level: Primary.

Description: A Dynast primary school, not famed for particular progeny but with a generally successful spread of alumni that gain it favour amongst Dynastic parents. The Academy

is a compound surrounded by an ivy-covered stone wall, containing several brick buildings for classrooms, dormitories, and teacher’s housing. Located in the North Districts.

Palace of Tamed Storms

Level: Primary/Secondary.

Description: A primary and secondary school for those Dynastic children, including Exalts, who have proven unmanageable. Surrounded by an iron-spiked stone wall. Located in the

Western Districts.

Hotan Calligraphy School

Level: Primary/Secondary.

Description: Those who are interested in the fine art of calligraphy will soon hear the rumours of the presence of the venerable Nellens Hotan and his primary school in the City.

The school itself is installed in a small, but comfy and well-decorated house in the Eastern Districts.

The school is somewhat unpopular with Dynasts, as it admits students not only from the Great Houses but from the largest Ministerial and Patrician families. Dynasts are privileged,

however, as they are NOT allowed to pay... though any gifts they care to give to help the running of the school are welcome. The curriculum concentrates on the art of calligraphy, but

covers the curriculum one would expect from a school of the Realm (Immaculate doctrine, etiquette, and fencing are also emphasized). Though the students are humbled far more here than

other schools, and an education of this quality bears a hefty tuition cost for non-Dynasts, many families will strive to have a child accepted due to the success of its alumni within

the ranks of the Thousand Scales. A very few students are personally attended during their primary education to continue on with secondary studies here... their eventual perfection in

calligraphy will allow them to serve as scribes in the highest levels of the bureaucracy.

Unified Academy of Learned Craftsmen and Artists

Level: Secondary.

A large city block, occupied by secondary schools for the study of mundane skills by mortals, mostly practical-minded patricians, the children of wealthy merchants, and unfortunate

Dynasts whose families have decided to make them passably useful after their failure to Exalt. Under the control of House Ragara.

--The School of Precision and Beauty: This institute rests in a triangle shaped building on the northern edge of campus. The students live on the top floor of the building, and the

lower floors are devoted to workshops and class rooms. Its halls are devoted to the study of the crafts of Air, particularly jewellery-making.

--Institute of Architecture: Institute of Architecture to be the formost school for mortals intersted in learning the craft of Earth. The building is a four sided pyramid built over

the Arcade of Quality Goods. Students are taught everything from sculpture toquarrying to mine construction to building great cathedrals. Students live on the lowest floor and attend

classes and seminars on the upper floors.

--Conservatory of Paper Gardens: The school is known for the remarkable gardeners and flower arrangers who graduate from it, and competition is fierce among the upper class of the

Imperial City to hire its graduates every year. Of course they teach the other crafts of Wood, too. On the roof of the triangular building on the east side of campus is a formal

garden, designed and cared for by the students. It is considered to be a public park, and the students are proud when they overhear people enjoying their work.

-–Ticho Workshop Complex: the workshop complex is housed in the triangular building on the south side of the campus of the Unified Academy of Learned Craftsmen and Artists. The

Workshop Complex teaches swords-smithing, armoring, and ceramics of course, but it is famous for the beautiful and resonant chimes and bells that it produces. Immaculate monestaries

from around the Blessed Isle have been on the waiting list for years to acquire what have come to be know as Ticho's bells.

-–The Foremost Culinarium: On the east side of the campus for the Unified Academy of Learned Craftsmen and Artists, is the school devoted to the study of water crafts. Most of the

students there learn the arts of cooking and brewing, but most are taught the rudiments of poisons, too. Weathly households from all over the Blessed Isle and beyond compete to hire

chefs (and poisoners) from this school's graduating class every year. Poisoning is big business in the Imperial City, so students at the Culinarium rarely have trouble meeting their

tuition needs.

-–Arcade of Quality Goods: A square in the middle of the campus of the Unified Academy of Learned Craftsmen and Artists. The outside air passes through the columns easily, but it is

always shady, roofed by as it is by the Institute of Architecture. Students gather here on holidays and weekends to sell their projects to the public. Any student who can't support

himself in this way, is forced to leave the Academy. Prices are always negotiable, and bartering is an important skill for a craftsman. This is one of the best places in the city to

commission custom items at a good price.

Lyceum of Dulcet Sound

Level: Primary/Secondary.

Located in the Red Lantern District. Cynis Shrikah started the Lyceum as a talent scouting operation for a house party. It was so successful and useful to him that he's made it in to

an institution. Although the students pay no tuition (acceptance to the Lyceum is purely merit based), Shrikah sells tickets to the symphonies and operas produced at the school and

keeps the whole place solvent. Part of his success is the terms that he binds the students to. Upon graduation, every student must choose between one year in the service of House

Cynis or ten years of teaching at the Lyceum. This is an effective way to keep the costs low and the quality of education very high.

The Scales of Pasiap: Fortifications of the Imperial City

Gate of Eternal Harmony: A massive stone gate, seemingly made of poured granite, the main entrance into the City. Its massive bronze doors are carved with entwined dragons, and its

parapets support catapults and scorpion-ballistae. All Dynasts who enter the city are registered at the Gate, though peasants are left to pass unhindered.

Gate of Tranquil Rest: A squat gate, seemingly made of poured granite, whose bronze doors are carved with images of prosperous and fulfilling lives, heroes receiving accolades, and

children fondly remembering deceased parents. It is said to encourage the ghosts of Toribeno to remain at rest.

Watchful Stronghold: A squat tower, seemingly made of poured granite, housing imperial troops. Located in the southwest corner of the City. Formerly served as headquarters for

the 1st Legion.

Iron Stronghold: A squat tower, seemingly made of poured granite, housing imperial troops. An iron roof covers its parapets, with wall slits for the firing of ballistae. The Black

Helms of the City are quartered here. Located in the northwest corner of the City.

Broken Stronghold: A squat tower, seemingly made of poured granite. A third of its upper part was shattered ages ago, and was never successfully repaired, leaving areas patched with

thick stone and iron bracings. The Stronghold houses imperial troops, including soldiers levied from the Mountain Folk. Located in the southeast corner of the City.

Brazen Stronghold: A squat tower, seemingly made of poured granite, hung with gold and orange hangings that billow in the wind. It was nominally a Legion fortification, but its

commander was always chosen from House Sesus, producing a tradition of using the Stronghold for wild parties and hedonism inappropriate for the Sesus wing of the palace. Located in

the northeast corner of the City. Currently serving as headquarters for the 4th Legion.

Home Sweet Home: Prominent Residences in the Imperial City

Cherry Blossom Garden

Master: Tepet Chotei.

Description: A hereditary estate of the Tepet Tilis family in the Kuwanan District, this villa is currently home to the household of Senator Tepet Tilis Chotei. It is a walled

compound, over which jut the upper branches of cherry trees and the upper storeys of the central villa. The buildings are of light and airy construction, with guest rooms to house

visiting Tepet dignitaries and their entourages, while the gardens are renowned for their golden grass and perfection of the pink-and-white blossoms after which the villa is named.

The Garden is frequently the site of poetry parties or salons, where Dynasts compete with each other to compose impromptu verse in traditional style.

Garden of Healing Waters

Master: House Sesus

Description: The Garden of Healing Waters is a small villa and surrounding grounds, located in the North Districts, known for the sense of tranquility it inspires. The koi pond at the

center of the gardens is said to have some curative properties.

The Garden is home to a number of Dynasts, who are participating in the Imperial Physicians Cooperative sponsored by House Sesus.

Garden of Smouldering Coals

Master: Sesus Nagat

Description: Large villa and walled garden in the Kuwanan District, known for its unusual arrangement: instead of plants and soil, the garden around the villa is composed of white

sand and burning coals, arranged in similar fashion to a traditional water garden.

Villa of Spring Flowers

Master: Cynis Sh'en.

Description: Large villa and walled garden in the North Districts, known for the particularly extensive bath facilities housed within. A common site of hedonistic galas.

Kawaronin

Master: House Ledaal

Description: A large walled garden and manse in the Seven Sages District, known to many as the 'Haunted Mansion' due to an event fifty years ago when the water-aspected master of the

house was found dead from drowning despite a lack of water on the grounds. Rumour has it that the mansion was originally a posession of House Manosque, stripped after their treason

against the Empress.

Crystal Palace

Master: Mnemon.

Description: A massive walled enclosure, filled with stone buildings topped with domes and spires of pure crystal, which gleam and reflect the light of the candles within. It is a

district in of itself, and home to the vast bulk of House Mnemon Dynasts in the City, including Mnemon herself.

Western Embassy

Description: An ornate ‘hotel’ for foreign delegations, highly gilded, used to house ambassadors coming to the Imperial City. When the Empress assigned a delegation to the Western

Embassy, it was a sign that she favoured their agenda.

Eastern Embassy

Description: An ornate ‘hotel’ for foreign delegations, less gilded than the one in the West, used to house ambassadors coming to the Imperial City. When the Empress assigned a

delegation to the Eastern Embassy, it was a sign of her displeasure with their homeland.

The Mercantile World: Services and Business Ventures of the Imperial City

House of Ijibe, Sword Polishers:

The shop of the Ijibe artisan house is considered to be the best place to have one's jade alloys cared for in the city. Located in the Eastern

Market, the polishers of House Ijibe are experts at treating and cleaning jade weapons and armour, maintaining such valuable pieces to ensure they last on unmarred into eternity. A

full polish usually takes the staff at least one day. Slightly more costly than visiting the House personally is to hire House Ijibe polishers to visit one's dwelling and polish one's

artifacts.

Violet Brush and Ink:

This shop is owned by an elderly artisan named Gakou, a skilled calligrapher who sells brushes, ink and paper; both for writing and artwork. He also makes

copies of paintings and calligraphy pieces by demand and it is said that his work is of excellent quality.

House of Sazuro:

On the Street of the Fatman, just off the Eastern Market, can be found the shop of "the Fatman", Sazuro Nisemono, a wealthy patrician with extensive merchantile

interests. If you need to sell something and you are not interested in how much you will lose on the transaction, then go to the Fatman Sazuro.

Gilded Saffron Silk Works:

(Patents: House Cynis). One of the finest (and most expensive) tailors and silk producers on the Blessed Isle, working only in custom pieces...

clients consult with owner Cynis Tomi to choose fabrics and patterns for the creation of truly unique textile artworks. Located in the Eastern Market.

Seamstress of Sensual Silks:

(Patents: House Sesus). One of the finest (and most expensive) tailors in the Imperial City. Owner Sesus Ditara crafts elaborate and beautiful items

of clothing, displayed in her warehouse in the East Districts for Dynastic clients to peruse and purchase those that strike their fancy.

Warehouse of Perfected Cloth:

A textile dealer and tailor in the Imperial City's Eastern Market, dealing almost entirely in cotton wares imported from Incas prefecture. The

Warehouse has a clientelle of mostly patricians and wealthy merchants.

Warehouse of Succulent Chops:

(Patents: House Nellens). Warehouse of Nellens Spolumbo, the City's largest dealer in meats and cattle.

Quarrelous Peridot-Cash and Security:

Travelling and need some local currency? Just arrive in the most beautiful city in Creation? Need a safe place to keep a document or

jewelry? Come to Quarrelous Peridot's cash shop. The shop is a small, well-off storefront, occupying the street level of a very tall and narrow building filling the space that was an

alley two hundred years ago, in the Eastern Market. The floors are marble as are the walls and pillars, the whole place gleams tastefully. In such a small space, it seems silly to

have grand pillars, at first, but a clever person will see that they are meant to making robbing the place more difficult. There is hardly room to swing a sword. Further precautions

are taken, however, and Peridot always employs one archer to sit in a concealed room near the high ceiling where her or she can help should trouble arise. Peridot keeps the valuables

in an elaborate series of vaults, further complicating any robbery attempt. She is licensed to change money in the Imperial City, but also charges a small fee to people who'd like her

to keep small valuables safe for them.