Kaya District

A members success is measured in gold and honour, with it they can initiate new members, purchase greater titles, and if they are successful enough to even buy a coveted seat in the council of Barons. In the Hierarchy members are responsible for their own successes and failures. ‘Skulduggery’ is frowned upon for without honour and trust a merchant lord is worth nothing. Thus more than once a rising star has been undone by their rivals uncovering their dirty secrets, as that too is an element of the guilds ‘noble game’.

The Bazaar

The beating heart of trade in Anatos the market is a feast for all the senses, scents of powerful aromas and spices fill the air, languages from every corner sing out to be heard, and cloth of every colour hangs above the stalls and streets. The Bazaar is a lively and hectic place where people trade all manner of items and gold flows like water between traders hands. Those not used to it’s fast pace are often overwhelmed by it and find themselves buying much more than they intended.

Out of all the areas in Anatos the market is the most well guarded, with strongmen and thugs always on the lookout for people trying to ‘take free samples’. Officially nothing has ever been stolen from the market, instead items are ‘misplaced’ or a customer ‘forgets to pay’. If someone took something they couldn’t pay for the guards are more likely to take a hand, or force the perpetrator to work off their debt by ‘any means’.

Large stores, all owned by the Maravan Hierarchy, circle the Bazaar and offer the finest wares the city has to offer. Only those who have proven they can buy such luxuries are ever allowed in these pristine environments, all others can only gorp at the decadence that lies inside. Rumor also abounds that a ‘shadow market’ exists for forbidden or dangerous items, some taken from dungeons, exists somewhere linked to the Bazaar. But if anyone knows about it none speak on it publicly.

The Dockyard

Made from the bones of giant sea monsters and wooden planks carefully harvested from underwater forest, the Dockyard is the largest mooring in the city for ships. Built by the Fishermen Guild to house their great vessels, the dockyard is also home to a number of eateries and taverns where sailors sing tall tales about their catches and the seas beyond the city. The Dockyard has a reputation for being a rough part of the city, as most disputes are settled in physical challenges or just straight up fights, and it often attracts young adults looking for an outlet to rebel in.

Many sailors believe that the bones of the docks hold a part of a creature's spirit and by wearing them they can frighten away bad luck. Some even whisper that at the darkest hour, when the moon is hidden, the spirits of the great monsters return to their bones to try to return to the sea and are only stopped by the strange shaman that walk the docks at night. Most regard this as just another tall tale though as no one has ever been reported as ‘seeing’ these spirits.

Skyland

At the very peak of this district sits a web of ropes, crisscrossing the sky with hanging with cloths and even small buildings. This mass of ropes and homes is known as Skyland, purpose built for the avian races of the city, with connecting ‘nests’ built on top of the nearby towers. The nests are typically made up of discarded materials ‘found’ in the city, and neighbors often find themselves competing with each other for grandeur or rare materials to show off with. Despite there it’s high altitude the Skylands are also home to other non-flying races, typically people with an affinity for the winds or a climbing skills that happily make it their home and travel along the ropes with acrobatics.

Skyland is also famous for the Skywriters, a group dedicated to delivering letters and even small packages up and down the city’s towers. Speed and grace are paramount virtues in Skyland which is why races are a regular feature there, with high profile races attracting people from across the city to watch from their balconies. More recently the Maravan Hierarchy have added a hatchery for a number of Wyvern eggs taken from a dungeon, which is carefully guarded by a group of warriors called the Sky Lords. It is their hope that the Wyverns will be able to grow and prosper, becoming a permanent part of the city.

Pagoda of the Eight Winds

Suspended in the air by huge ropes the Temple of Bi’san sits at the centre of Skyland, decorated with flags of red and orange. The Pagoda is a small but beautiful building with only one room for each of its eight floors, all of which are open to the elements and importantly the wind. Most followers of Bi’san pray towards the direction of the temple as it’s not believed that physically being at the temple is required for the Wind Gods blessings.

The temple is watched over by the Eight Priests, who each guard and maintain one of the temple's floors. Those able to reach the temple, by air, rope or other means can challenge a priest for their position in the temple. However only monks and stalwart followers tend to stay in the temple, it’s not unusual for new priests to leave their position after just winning it. Only the Eighth Priest, who guards the legendary Phoenix egg, has never left or lost his position in the temple.

Followers of Bi’san believe strongly in personal freedom and striving each day to improve themselves. Challenges are something to be sought, to test and hone your skill and mettle, and the beauty of the world is just waiting to be explored. Many people pay tribute to the God of the Winds, for the blessings of a good season, but his main followers all tend to be big personalities that wear their emotions on their sleeves.