For the Dreadmire campaign, I had the idea that there was this huge port city somewhere off in the void. It would be the source and a way-point for trade goods and people, and a source of rumor. Going there might have become a goal for the PCs. I never really developed any of this stuff, but the ideas are still interesting, at least to me.

The City “T’sai-shen”

Cai-shen

The Chinese god of prosperity, both of religious Taoism and in the syncretist folk religion. He has various magical powers, such as warding off thunder and lightning, and ensuring profit from commercial transactions. As a historical figure he is identified as Zhao Xuan-tan (Chao Hsüan-t'an), "General Zhao of the Dark Terrace", from the Qin Dynasty. He attained enlightenment on top of a mountain. He also assisted Zhang Dao-ling on his search for the life-prolonging elixir.

Cai-shen is usually portrayed riding on a black tiger. He has a black face and a thick moustache. On his head he wears a cap made of iron and he holds a weapon, also made of iron.

Other names

Ts'ai-shen

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cai-shen.html

Original settlement of human (Chinese) families became the “Mage-Kings,” an oligarchy of noble houses (merchants, artisans, and farmers)

The City is a micro-plane, accessed by any number of “Prime Material” planes and others mostly by water, though there are some “gates.” The City is a natural nexus – thus, a natural trading post.

History

“Chinese” humans move onto the land. Leading families form the City, and become powerful wizards. At that time, trade was not emphasized. Some of the colonists did not join the founding, and tried to form freeholds on the periphery of the land. Most of those faded, though some still survive. The “Chinese” brought their spirits and ancestor-avatars with them, and this formed the basis of the priesthood that still exists.
At some point in the dim past, some of the ruling families entered into treaty-laws with non-humans. At first, this only applied to elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, but was later expanded. Eventually, even celestials and demons were incorporated into the political matrix
1^st great migration of new humans onto the land. These humans were Norse-Celtic. One faction, led by a druid-king, became incorporated into the city’s structure as a new great house. This still exists.
From the beginning, the City was very lawful, and it retained that alignment through the ages. Good and evil waged a constant battle for supremacy, however, and this also continues to this day. After the 1^st migration, the City expanded enormously, as trade routes flourished. The City became much wealthier and powerful.
2^nd great migration of new humans – “Haitians” from a tropical land, bringing with them their own spirits. A marked division began in the City between “old” and “new,” though this was usually a peaceful one.
The Half-orc minority became incorporated in its own permanent neighborhood (“quarter”).“Internal Pantheon” – spirits/ancestors/powerful resident “monsters” rather than a celestial/infernal hierarchy. Off-plane deities have little influence, save with foreigners. Government – a formal mayor and council of houses, with appointed tribunes who guard liberties and rights. Neighborhoods typically have posted regulations and local enforcement mechanisms (city guard, local dragon or titan, citizens’ watch). Taxes are low (the city gets its income from duties and fees), but regulations (building, magic, services) are extensive. Neighborhoods - Orc Quarter – (Orcs are French), bloodsports, mercenaries, mostly half-orcs. A Deviant culture: valuing ugliness and hating beauty, etc. Stone Quarter – the necropolis. Monasteries – Old Chinese, Heretics, Orc
Light Quarter – named for the lights of the marketplace, a 24/7 place of commerce, finance, arts, entertainments
The Bay – houseboats
Old City – quiet, oldest mansions, great houses have their seats here (if not their holdings), includes the Wizards’ College, many temples, a walled acropolis

Light Quarter –

Donut shop

Bakery

Delicatessen

Fish market

Boat vendors – hot fried rice

Noodles

Laborers hall

Stonemasons

Ornamental ironwork

Ornamental stonework

Swordsmiths

Weaponmakers

Armorer

Bowyer/Fletcher shop

Alchemy Jug

Adventuring gear

Soldiering gear

Mercenaries hall

Famous Dave’s (barbecue pork)

Law Firms

Doctors (Western)

Doctors (Acupuncture/Eastern)

Doctors (Witch-doctors)

Moneychangers

Commodity Exchange

Shipbuilders

Teamsters

Café des artistes

Art school

Security Specialists (anti-thieving, bodyguards, investigation)

Chinese restaurants (low to high-class)

French restaurants (run by orcs!)

Norse/Celtic restaurants

Haitian/Creole restaurants

Exotic food and materials shops

Antique shops

Used bookstores

Appraisers (magic and otherwise)

Gemcutters

Gem Retailers

Jewelers

Crystals

Coffee shop

Beer garden

Tea ceremony/geisha house

Library

Museum

Pawn shop

Comte Raze’s Café

Finnegan’s

“Heaven” “Water” “Mountain”

“Father” “2^nd son” “3^rd son”

“Heaven Gate” North gate “Demon Gate”

“Lake” “Thunder”

“3^rd daughter” “1^st son”

West gate East gate

“Earth” “Fire” “Wind/Wood”

“Mother” “2^nd daughter” “1^st daughter”

“Earth Gate” South Gate “Human Gate”

Sunday	Sun	Ether	Kong	Purple
Monday	Moon	Air	Feng	Yellow
Tuesday	Tyr	Fire	Huo	Red
Wednesday	Odin	Water	Shui	Blue
Thursday	Thor	Wood	Mu	Green
Friday	Freya	Metal	Jin	White
Saturday	Ymir	Earth	Tu	Black

6 schools

Yin-Yang Chia – cosmologists, navigators, experts on gates, outsiders

Ming Chia – debaters, sophists, lawyers (city administrators, politicians)

Mo Chia – “mutual profitableness” (founder: Mo Tzu); traders, merchants, bankers

Fa Chia – Legalism, Force: Priests, Warriors

Tao Te Chia – feng shui (geomancy), immortal worship, alchemy

Ju Chia – Education, Science, Literature, Lore, Benevolence

These schools take many foreign students.

The Haitians originally came from a mighty empire. When it fell, the immigrant population went up. They formed a unique Creole in the city.

Orcs of the City

Mostly half-orcs, though there are some that appear fully orcish. They for the most part stay in their quarter, but hire themselves out for heavy or violent labor. Strangely, their cuisine is becoming more popular.

Name	Translation	Parody	Month	Coptic Month
Vendemaire	Vintage	Wheezy	September	Thout
Brumaire	Mist	Sneezy	October	Paape
Frimaire	Frost	Freezy	November	Hator
Nivose	Snow	Slippy	December	Kiahk
Pluviose	Rain	Drippy	January	Tobe
Ventose	Wind	Nippy	February	Mshir
Germinal	Seeds	Showery	March	Parmhat
Floreal	Blossom	Flowery	April	Parmute
Prairial	Meadow	Bowery	May	Pashons
Messidor	Harvest	Hoppy	June	Paone
Thermidor	Heat	Croppy	July	Epep
Fructidor	Fruit	Poppy	August	Mesore

Down by the docks there’s a group of “merchants” who are really smugglers/privateers. The city government doesn’t bother them too much so long as they hold themselves within “the boundaries.”

They must not:

Hinder trade/profits to the City

Therefore, they shouldn’t tick off major trading partners.

Increase crime rate in the City

Damage reputation of the City

So, what happens is that this group goes to places that the city’s regular traders aren’t allowed anyway, or places where there is no profitable trade. Targets would include: evil, totalitarian

Population

workers

9130 Lower Class (churls)

1430 Middle Class (karls)

225 Upper Class (jarls)

Each worker supports an average of 3 non-workers

Total permanent population

36520 Lower Class

Middle Class

900 Upper Class

43140 Total

C’ai Shen

25 ships/day average

50 docking slots

Harbor slots for dozens more

(~500) harbor laborers

(~50) supervisors

(5) harbor masters

~100 warehouses

(~1000) warehouse laborers

(~100) supervisors

(25) warehouse managers

Customs House (50/10/3)

Tally House (bulk weighing) (50/10/3)

Commodities Market (100/20/6)

Teamsters (delivery and transport in the city) (600/60/6)

Auction House (100/10/3)

Bazaar District

10 big stores ((25/5/2)*10=250/50/20)

50 small shops (5/2*50=250/100)

100 stalls (3/1*100=300/100)

Factory District

10 big factories (100/10/4*10=1000/100/40)

50 small workshops (20/4/1*50=1000/200/50)

Schools

40 schools (av. 40 students, 2 masters = 160/80)

Guilds

Guildmasters 10

Clerks 50

Hospitality District

Inns (40*20/2=800/80)

Restaurants (50*7/1=350/50)

Services (100*3/0.5=300/50)

Shipbuilding (5*30 unskilled laborers/10 guild members/1 master=150/50/5)

Farming (plantations, greenhouses, gardens, fisheries, exotic farming/husbandry)

15 farms for export crops (60/5/1*15=900/75/15)

35 farms for local consumption (30/3/0.5*35=1050/105/16)

Building (Carpentry, Masonry, Architecture, etc.)

8 firms (15 laborers/5 guildmembers/1 master*8=120/40/8)

Buildings

Docks District

6 piers

5 drydocks/shipbuilding works

100 warehouses

1 Customs House

1 Tally House

1 Commodities Market

6 Teamster Lodges

1 Auction House

Bazaar District

10 big stores

50 small shops

100 stalls

40 inns

50 restaurants

50 service “offices”

New City (contains non-Human district, bazaar, and docks, in addition to most residential)

Old City (contains government offices, high-end residential, temples, historical buildings)

C’ai Shen personalities

Green dragon leader of the sewer dwellers

Dragon turtle leader of the harbor dwellers

Fortune Queen (Diviner)

Carnival Leader – the chief bard of the Haitians

Head Sorcerer of the Haitians

Head Cleric of the Haitians

Gold Dragon – head of the Customs Patrol

Master of the Thieves Guild

City Council – representatives from the major (Chinese) houses (5), the Haitian community (1), and the one Norse noble family (1), with non-voting speakers from every neighborhood and interest

Chief Constable

Judges Guild (3 judges)

Champion (best Fighter in the Norse community, determined by yearly contest)

Tea-Master (a Jade Dragon)

Master Monk of the ___ School

Barbarian (Norse warriors, mercenaries)

Bard (in high regard among the Haitians, integrated into their religion, culture, and educational system)

Cleric (mostly Chinese, although some non-Humans)

Fighter (training available to nobles: mercenaries, guards, constables)

Monk (mostly Chinese: many specialty schools – students from many worlds)

Paladin (adventurers, avengers – held in special regard, sent by the gods for a determined fate, an opinion held by Chinese, Haitian, and Norse)

Rogue (often foreigners, carefully regulated by the Guild)

Sorcerer (favored by Haitians over Wizards)

Wizard (favored by Chinese over Sorcerers – the Houses are Wizard-training schools)

Adventure hooks in C’ai Shen

hired as constables to investigate a crime and arrest the perps
protection for a wizard who’s summoning something he really shouldn’t
go down into the sewers and negotiate for the return of something or someone
gladiator challenge (underground fighting contests in the non-Human district)
steal something off a ship for a competitor
avert a future disaster foreseen by a seer: the PCs (or maybe just some of them) take the idea of destiny seriously
a PC or someone close to the PCs gets pickpocketed; a street chase ensues and powers get involved