exclaim Arrosent Proper exclaim
Location:
Covers the shallow water of the bay, built on massive piers to sustain the weight of the city, and goes into the hills. While not as large as most 'civilized' cities, and definately looking a bit more lavish and jumbled than a 'regular' city, it is still a proper sized city, perhaps taking a half day to walk across at a leisurly pace.
Description:
After your long, perilous journeys over rough waters and through the perils of the floating slums of Arrosent, you arrive in the greatest city (Or so the locals say) in Gaia, Arrosent.
The city is full of rich, colorful history. Built originally by the wealth and power of pirates, lavish decor has always been the norm for the city. Even now in the modern times, most buildings, especially in the affluent parts of Arrosent, showcase the very best ill gotten gold can buy.
As you reach Arrosent Proper from the harbor, you'll notice thousands of small, tiny moorings, and stairs up to the level of the city over the water. This is where most visitors to the city enter, arriving in the commercial harbor, and taking a short boat ride around the slums, of course, and to the shadow of the city.
Climbing up 15 feet worth of stairs, you see the marvelous face of Arrosent, warm and welcoming. The first few blocks of the city show of some of the finest in Higashi architecture. There are no homes here however, each is a shop along this welcoming route into the city. In this district however, Volo suggests you hold onto your purse, and do not be swayed by the colorful displays or the 'claims' of merchants and 'customers'. This area is ment strictly for the tourists. Small toys and charms, snack foods, including the Arrosent Speciality, 'high quality' clothes and jewelry for the misses, and 'masterwork' items for the men. All these are junk, and overpriced, ment to lure in the stupid and the ignorant.
Once you pass these blocks upon blocks of tourist traps, you start to find your way into the part of Arrosent built over dry land. Here canals cut the blocks, stonework bridges cross the gaps, and for those with the coin to spare, the lovely Arrosent Canal Barges will traverse passengers around the scenic water ways of the city.
Here the architecture is a little more varied, showing influences of both eastern and western. However, it is of course done in the best of taste, subtle and beautiful, the buildings here manage to bring out the beauty of the land, and of their respective styles.
This section of the city stretches into the foothills, nearly 6 miles. Those nearer the water are larger, higher up on the social and economic scale, and seem to have had a lot of money put into them, everything from gilded doorways to massive statues made of the finest minerals. As you get farther out, the buildings get smaller and a bit more modest, though the wonderful blend of eastern and western still abounds. As well as the buildings get smaller, the streets get rougher, with more thugs, brigands, and pirates lurking about the 'middle class' section of the city.
The city is a disorderly mix of shops and residencies however. Other than the one official Market District There seems to be no major grouping of taverns, inns, shops, homes, tea houses, whore houses, and other entertainments. In fact it's not even uncommon to see a wealthy merchant's home, right next to a middle of the road inn servicing pirates and thugs.
The real draw though for those that want to see money and power in Arrosent, are on the cliffs to the east and west of the city, lining the bay. Here is where the large mansions, castles, and fortifications of the original Suimibara Clan were built, and where their descendents still hold residency. Each is very unique, upon relatively large tracts of land for the crowded port city, and most of them are also completely defensivable fortifications. It seems even when pirates retire they still keep in mind those that would come for thier booty.
((Sleepy. Probably need to clean this up tomorrow. Bleh. Anyways Owlie, I'd figure I'd leave the homes of the Suimibara up to you, depending on if you want them open to RP in or not.))
