The only Exclusive racial District in the city, allowing nothing other than Humans to enter, or Dock. Non-Human visitors will be stopped at the gates. Even the ships that docks may not have any Non-Human step foot on the docks. Besides its racist policy, it offers many of the usual attractions like Inns and Taverns. Its laws are simple, slavery is very high, although even there, only Humans are taken as slaves.
Population: 2000
Tax Rate: 15%
Average Citizen Income: 70 sp
Ruler: Zhang Family
Most of them are Humans and although rumor has it there are a few half-breeds, even they aren't allowed to live in the District and are probably kept in their estate in Vhaliss.
Racial Breakdown of Zhang:
Humans: 100%
Sub-Laws:
- No non-human may enter the district or live in the district or be found within the walls of the district
- Do not damage other people's properties
- Protect artistic work. Damaging or destroying any form of art work (Paintings, Statues, Jewelry, Artistic Woodworking) is forbidden, including your own.
- Slaves my not enter a Inn or Tavern, unless it is owned by their master.
- Civil servants, mandatory or voluntary, cannot sell anything to anyone.
Other Regulations:
- Slave ownership papers are required to be carried by the slave at all times when outside their house.
- Slave ownership fee must be paid on time.
- Mandatory Civil Servants must wear the Blue Bandana of Shame at all time during their mandatory period of servitude.
- Voluntary Civil Servamts must wear the Green Bandana at all time during their agreed period of servitude.
- Begging is forbidden.
Punishments:
There are no Stock or Pillories in Zhang. Unlike every other district, any criminal caught will have to serve as what they call 'Civil Servant', which is a politically correct alteration of Temporary Slavery. This ingenious way to twist the words allows a larger lassitude of what and how slavery is seen in the Zhang district.
Anyone who commits a crime and is caught first degree by ONE or more Constables will face mandatory CS. At first, they will be brought to the Barrack and put in jail until trial, which is never less than 5 days spent in jail, on average it's more or less 10 days. After your trial, the Judge will sentence you to one of FOUR things;
- More days in jail (usually 1 or 2 months, often used for people the Judge think wouldn't complete their C.S. and just flee the district)
- Mandatory C.S. (favored sentence for most locals and sailors)
- Banishment from the District (rarely used, but does happen once every other months or so)
- South Mine (for the hardened criminals and multiple time recidivists)
Entrances:
- South-West Gate #1: Connects with the Khalahan District
- South-East Gate #2: Connects with the Smith District
- West Gate #3: Connects with the Toledo District
Places of Interest
#1:
Zhang Estate :: This estate is roughly 20 large houses connected together to create an enclosed area. The Zhang family mostly resides in this estate, although they also have a mansion in the Vhaliss district like most Nobles do. There are 28 known 'Zhang' living in Ghateelock, mostly all of them could be found in that estate at any given time. The Zhang lineage started well before the rise of Emperor Vhaliss and lived in this same estate most of their lives. The current Lord is Kehirihs Zhang. The Zhang leadership is set to change once every 10 years at even numbers, with Kehirihs being the most recent leader since 2020. All legitimate child carrying the Zhang name is illegible to be Lord or Lady and none can rule twice until all have ruled once. Any adult (16 yo and older) can and will be Lord or Lady at one point in their life. Of course, this legacy comes with tons of responsibilities and regulations that only a Zhang would know.
The estate include a church of Gond, God of Craft within the walls of their estate. Only their family and other Nobles or respected citizens of the Zhang District are allowed inside to go to that church.
#2:
Sailor's Barn :: Room, Music, Booze and Sex! The Barn used to be a Noble's Estate not unlike the Zhang Estate or the Ducanon Estate, owned by the Miafaren Family, a family of Elves living in that district some 100 years ago, before the district turned into a Human only district. The state was offered to sailors so they could stay for a few days between boat trips and with time, it turned into a small 'Hood' of sailors. Housing turned into connected rooms, some say there are many secret passages, hollow walls where people can peep on others, some made it their home and started selling alcohol, drugs, hookers, gambling den, illigal fights between small animals, and so on.
#3:
Ducanon Estate :: Another very rich Noble family chose to live in the district. Mostly humans, they're estate is the second best in the district. They are in charge of the Docks and they have ties to most other Noble families in Ghateelock. Many members of the Ducanon family have child or parent wearing the Zhang name and vice and versa.
#4:
Local Market :: This small market is famous for offering the freshest and rarer kind of fish in Ghateelock. They also offer exotic fruits and vegetables from outside the capital, all directly from the port.
#5:
The Barrack :: HQ for all Constables, Court room, and Prison are found in this building. There is approximately 70 Constables in the Zhang district, 20 to 30 of them can be found at all times working or sleeping inside the Barrack. Honorable Judge Uphyr Zhang has his hands full with sentencing all the criminals and hearing each of them individually. Most people fear being forced to become CS for any period of time, but those who know more about the system also know that sentencing is arbitrary and completely related to how the Judge feels on the day of your trial.
#6:
Church of Sea Merchants :: Day or night, this church hosts gatherings for prayers and masses. The two High Priests; Talotax (Human male, Waukeen) and Isnehunaei {also called 'Blue' because of her using blue dye on her hair} (human female, Umberlee), shares the church as their faiths attracts most sailors and merchants. They worship Umberlee, Goddess of the Sea (CE) and Waukeen, Goddess of Trade (N). They are known to even perform sacrifices once in a while to either calm the sea through Umberlee, or to call upon good fortune for their trades through Waukeen. Some rumors recently started on the docks, many sailors claimed Isnehunaei is not a Human. Some say authorities disproved the rumor, but many still believe she was able to deceive them.
#7:
Church of The Defender :: This church is one of the oldest building in Ghateelock, built near the river with the first settlement of Ghateelock in 1723. It was first dedicated to one god; Helm, God of Protection (LN). WHile the settlement was located in what is Barranor today, the church was a stand alone building between the settlement and the docks. About 100 years ago, when the Zhang Lord at that moment decided to allow only Human in the district, the Church added another rope to its bow, adding the god; Kelemvor, God of the Dead (LN).
#8:
Anastasia :: This Inn is not for the poor. Humans travelling by boat who happens to stop at the Ducanon's Dock will find what they seek. Doubling as a tavern and brothel, the owner, a Human woman called Anastasia, offers to fulfill any and all desires to the customers, as long as it's something or someone she can legally bring to them. Anastasia offers a good choice of girls to service her patrons, most of which are under the C.S. mandate. They serve food and drinks wearing just about nothing (similar outfit to Sex Slave outfit of Lea in Star Wars), and of course, all of the girls can be 'bought' for an hour or so. Rumor has it many of the girls have been there for many years, the length of their sentence continually renewed because those girls can't stop themselves from stealing coins from the customers. Rumor also suggest most girls don't really steal, but are often set up for it, just to make their sentence last longer.
#9:
Ducanon's Dock Office (D.D.O.) :: Every boat, every box from cargo and every sailors must report to this office. All the ledgers and charts for pricing are available at the DDO. The building has its own little vault and also acts as a bank for Captains and Merchants. Rumor ahs it if you want to introduce something illegal in the district, one must pay a lot to the Clerks inside, but they will turn a blind eye for the right/high price.
#10:
Ducanon's Dock and Warehouses :: The whole dock offers access to a number of large warehouses, some divided with lots within the same building. The security and guards inside and outside the Docks and Warehouses is very intense, employing a little over 100 men, just to keep all cargo safe from thieves.
#11:
Tucker's Inn :: A large building built with one thing in mind: Host as many people as possible. The main hall offers 10 tables for about 50 people, but it's cramped up and also every room are barely bigger than the bed they offer, but in general, the place is clean and the food is good. The downside: it's loud around the clock and may not please the lightest sleepers.
Prices:
- Lodging: 25gp for a suite with one king size bed (they have 15), 15gp for the triple rooms (they have 20), 8gp for the single rooms (they have 20), 3gp for a bunkbed in one of 3 communal rooms (10, 10 and 10 beds respectively in each communal rooms).
- Meals: Roasted Deer and Sharp Cheese, Tankard of Beer (2sp), Salted Sausage and Blue Cheese, Tankard of Stout (3sp)
- Drinks: Bear and Ale varry from 3sp to 2 gp, Fine wine (they don't offer cheaper wine) 5sp per glass or 4gp for the bottle (10 glasses)
- Bathing: Included with any suite, or 1gp to have it prepared into your room, other than the communal rooms of course.