Baldur's Gate/Little Calimshan

Little Calimshan was a walled district in the Outer City of Baldur's Gate. It was a rowdy, chaotic region of the city that was distinct in its design and atmosphere that evoked its namesake realm of Calimshan.

It was not a particularly warm or welcoming community. The residents of Little Calimshan kept to themselves and treated their walled district as something of an isolated fortress. They felt they owed the Baldurians the same hospitality they received upon their arrival to the Sword Coast.

Geography
The Baldurian district was designed like one of the "sabbans" of Calishite cities. As was the custom, it was divided into several, walled-off "drudachs", or neighborhoods, that were partitioned by individual walls. These walls were uniformly built, 15' (4.6 m) tall with minarets set at regular intervals.

Each drudarch featured the same cultural landmarks. Each held personal quarters for the "druzir" and their family; lodging for the "amlakkar", who were personal family guards; a place for worship, such as a shrine or temple; as well as a common area to rest and socialize, such as a festhall, inn or even a decorative fountain.

Description
The district was a vibrant, if a bit raucous locale. The sounds of foreign instruments and the scents of exotic spices evoked the feeling of life in the Lands of Intrigue.

Little Calimshan's brick buildings were built in crowded bunches around the sabban's walls. Like buildings from their namesake realm the buildings were covered in a layer of plaster, however they did not the share the same quality of decoration due to the limited funds available during their creation. The tops of the buildings and walls were smoothed out and paved so that individuals could more easily walk atop.

Society
The folks of this district spoke the language of Alzhedo with pride and wore the garb of their homeland regardless of weather conditions. While they mostly understood common and Chondathan, they kept their native tongue almost as an act of rebellion against the assimilation and acculturation that was prevalent in Baldur's Gate.

Each of the separate drudachs were occupied by a single extended-family or tribe.

Trade
The bazaars of Little Calimshan were filled with esoteric merchandise that were brought north from Calimshan along the Trade Way. Among these goods were silk, Calishite steel and even Golden Sands Brews among others.

History
When war ravaged Calimshan during the 15 century DR, a great many of its residents fled the nation by ships, some of whom journeyed far north to the Sword Coast. When the flotilla sailed up the River Chionthar, they found no lodging or warm welcome in Baldur's Gate. The Grand Dukes had received no message from Calishite dignitaries and feared an invasion by sea. They welcomed the ships with scores of archers and catapults at-the-ready.

Baldur's Gate did not see the Calishite as invaders and let the refugees into the city at dusk. However they were met with no cordial reception but rater ushered through the streets to callous and indifferent innkeepers. Following curfew, the Calishite refugees were shut out of the city in the dead of night, after having been taxed for their arrival.

On the outskirts of Baldur's Gate they encountered a Calishite caravanserai. While the owner was overwhelmed by the huge influx of boarders, he opened up his home to his fellow countrymen. Together the refugees and the innkeeper pooled their funds and hired guild-masons of Baldur's Gate to build new homes and make accommodations for their kind.

Eventually the families of Little Calimshan established a trade route with their native land and resold these exotic goods within the bazaars. Baldurians flocked from the city to Little Calimshan for these goods, much to the frustration of the Parliament of Peers and their tax collectors.

During her rise to power, Rilsa Rael fully brought Little Calimshan under the influence of the Guild. However, as of 1492 DR, the Right Pashas, a Calishite gang based in Little Calimshan, saw the Guild as an outsider group and fought to force the Guild out of what they saw as their territory.

Notable Locations

 * Businesses:
 * Calim Jewel Emporium: The pawnshop of Rilsa Rael, through which she distributed wealth to the poor citizens of the Outer City.
 * The Oasis: Performances put on at the Oasis were brilliant spectacles that even the most uncultured Baldurians could appreciate.


 * Schools:
 * Lamp of Learning: This magical academy only offered its services to Calishite students or particularly talented outsiders.
 * Verdashir Academy: Also known as the Dervish Academy, this school for warriors taught fighting styles that originated from the realm of Calimshan.