Calishite Economy, Arcane Marks, and Calishite Mosaics

Calimshan Enhanced Economy

Through its history, Calimshan has been one of the wealthiest lands in all the world. Northerners may well wonder how a small, desert country has come to enjoy seemingly perpetual prosperity. The answer is craft and trade.

Calimshan sits at a kind of global crossroads, with goods flowing into the land from all points of the compass.

Calishites value the mercantile arts in the same way some northern lands value the martial arts. A Calishite spice merchant can tell you how much a pound of ginger is worth in Shou Lung, the likely price it will command in Waterdeep, how much it will cost to transport it, the probability of loss, and the exact margin that can be squeezed from each leg of the journey. Such knowledge readily translates into coin.

The Time of Troubles saw trade sink to a low point, although it never disappeared— soldiers still needed to be fed, clothed, and armed. 

While most Calishite agricultural produce is consumed locally, there is an overseas market for the fig wine fermented along the Calim River. The perfumers of Calimport enjoy an excellent reputation, with their products in high demand in northern Faerûn.

Calimshan is also home to many world-class artisans and crafters. Their fine ironmongery, including items such as needles and wire, is exported everywhere. Calishite carpets and jewelry is also prized. Finally, there is an insatiable market for the minor magic items turned out by the workshops in Almraiven.

To summarize, Calimshan’s native advantages have enabled the country to quickly bounce back from the Time of Troubles.

In Calimshan, retail markets- magic items, weapons, armor and the like are 10%- 50% higher than the listed base price to reflect the rich opulent Calimshan markets. This increase also applies to magic item creation costs. Return on selling items remain unchanged.

*Membership in a guild has the potential to offset the Calishite economy upcharge depending on the guild’s charter, the character's membership tier, rarity of the item, and by what means the item is purchased (i.e. legitimate, black market dealings or other means). 

For example: for materials to scribe scrolls, a character could buy the materials at a vendor or shop and haggle at retail price, or join a scribes guild, arcane guild, or scriptorium to overcome all or a portion of the upcharge. 

See also Haggling in House Rules. 

Racial and social prejudices or favoritism in certain markets can also affect a character’s encounter with Calimshan's enhanced economy.

 

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A Place to Stay

Lodging quality refers to the inns, row houses, parlors, and taverns that cater to all manner of Calishites and visitors. The quality of an establishment reflects the number of amenities, level of privacy, as well as the furnishing of the rooms. 

Dining quality credits the merits of the kitchen, variety of the menu- from food to smoking products, the cleanliness of the help and the superiority of their coffee.

LODGING QUALITY

• Excellent- Excellent implies the lodgings, inns, row houses, or the like to be of unequaled quality: triple listed price for these accommodations. 
• Good- indicates average city lodgings: double listed price for these accommodations. 
• Fair- indicates average lodging and rooms: list price for accommodations. 
• Poor- unknown outside the Shackle Ward, indicates below average lodging and rooms: half price for accommodations. 

DINING QUALITY

• Expensive - double listed price
• Moderate - listed price
• Cheap - half listed price

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Magic 

Magic use and its creation is highly monitored and sanctioned in Calimport by the Auret- the arcane guild in Calimport. 

To purchase magic, enter certain warded areas, and have access to Calashite mosaics are all possible when in possession of an Arcane Mark. An arcane mark can be obtained through guild membership or purchased directly from the Auret. 

The Arcane Mark

Less than a half inch wide, typically made of bronze or electrum, these metal bands are permanently fused together on the wearer’s bicep, wrist or in rare cases the ankle. 

They are reputed to be counterfeit proof and only Auret leadership knows the secret enchantment and construction process. 

Around these metal bands are engraved runes, elemental symbols as well as religious, guild, family or patron symbols making Arcane Marks highly personalized. 

The purpose of the Arcane Mark is deeply rooted in Calimshan history from when the genies and genasi ruled. They are are a tribute to the origins of Calimshan and to the elemental genie-kind of old. 

Arcane Marks also allow individuals full access to magic in Calimport. This includes legitimate buying, selling or trading magical items, scrolls, potions, spells, as well as access to Calashite mosaics (see below) or magically guarded drudachs of Calimport. 

Not only does an arcane mark articulate the wearers status in high society it also identifies someone as a person of magical means and resource. Arcane marks can be thin decorative collars, cuffs, bracers, or wristlets; some with personalized embellishments. 

To purchase, sell, or trade any form of magic or magic item or to use a Mosaic, one must have an Arcane Mark of equal or greater level than the Caster Level of the magic, magic item, or mosaic. 

Without an Arcane Mark mosaics will not function and the penalty for trading magic without a proper arcane mark in Calimport, if caught carries a penalty of 20-40 public lashings, confiscation of the property, and black-listed in the eyes of the Auret. 

Arcane Mark tiers are detailed below and are upgradeable. 

• Lesser Arcane Mark gives it's possessor the ability to buy and sell magic items, scrolls, potions, spells up to CL3 as well to Calashite Mosaics that effects don't exceed 3rd level. 1,000 gp

• Basic Arcane Mark gives it's possessor the ability to buy and sell items, scrolls, potions, spells up to CL6 as well to Calashite Mosaics that effects don't exceed 6th level. 1,500 gp

• Major Arcane Mark no restrictions on buying, selling or trading magical items, scrolls, potions, or spells and access to all Calishite Mosaics. 2,000 gp

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Calishite Mosaics

An almost unheard-of magical construct outside of Calimshan, the ancient mages of the ancient Shoon Imperium devised ways to embed magic into beautiful mosaic stonework, allowing permanent magical effects to be placed on floors, archways and within walls or rooms. Calishite mosaics are a delicate, beautiful blending of magic and colorful stonework that are static sites of magic. 

Some locations of powerful Calishite mosaics are a closely guarded secret but more common ones are widely known. 

Examples include: 

• Mosaic of Candle Lights: At the Graven Word, Headquarters of the Masterful Order of Clerks, Scribes, and Scriveners is a mosaic that creates a floating sphere of white light that emits brightness equal to that of a candle. Users can move this sphere as they desire with our concentration. 

• Mosaics of Seeing Stones: In the Wizard Ward at the Savras Temple of Seekers is a Seeing Stones mosaic except the duration of the effect is for 8 hours. 

• Dragon Maw Mosaic: The Dragon's Maw in the Hammer Ward there are two buildings joined by a glazed tile facade creating an illusion of one building. An elaborate metal superstructure was built around the lower front building in the shape of a dragon's head and torso, its wings arcing back to merge with and support the upper most balconies of the taller building. The glazed tiles and mosaics that cover and fill the metalwork skeleton of the dragon are a dazzling sapphire-blue hue, and the metal horns and teeth of the head are offset with white marble mosaics. Those who can access this mosaic receive the benefits of Fate Revealed for 24 hours until the subject activates its benefits. 

• Mosaics of endure elements: The most common in Calishite society, and the most attainable for most Pashas. Subjects in the area of this beautiful soothing mosaic enjoy the effects of the endure elements spell.

• Mosaic of purity: Another common mosaic in Calimport, this mosaic acts as a neutralize poison effect. The most popular of these are located at the The Silver Circles Inn and Bathhouse in the Hook Ward. 

• Mosaics of scrying: Contact with a particular formation within the mosaic allows the caster to mentally scry the true thoughts of others in contact with the other parts of a room mosaic (such as a mosaic laid into the floor of an audience chamber).

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  Mosaics of sending: When casters touch these, an illusion of the caster arrives at any of the mentally-chosen other mosaics of sending linked to it. The illusion acts as a project image in terms of communication, allowing the illusion to act as eyes and ears but not allowing spellcasting at the sending site.

• Mosaics of protection: Similar to the shield spell but larger than one person and acting in a radius, these mosaics lie beneath the beds of royalty. The shield can be activated either verbally, or it automatically. This mosaic can also be set to protect rulers on thrones.

• Mosaics of spell-storing: If the person standing upon one of these mosaic knows the command words, she can merely walk to the mosaic, touch or step on it, and activate the spell as if she wore a ring of spell-storing. These mosaics are rare, and are among the most powerful of mosaics.

• Silver Mosaic: At the Sahalarka in the Crypt Ward, this mosaic depicts holy warriors defeating hordes of undead. Bringing a weapon into this mosaic confers the benefits of silversheen for a brief time.

• Mosaic of warmth: As expected, these were placed within the decorations in the baths and kept surfaces, bathers, and waters warm.

• Mosaic of remembrance: This mosaic, located high in the Arcane Guild, can be used to cast the memorize page spell an unlimited number of times per day. See Censor of remembrance.