Pleasure Beach

        It's important to mention here that prices are a little steep in Tamara. After all, it's a place where dreams are bought for gold. For larger transactions, it became aparent that wheeling a cart full of money down the street wasn't safe, and people didn't want to carry bags of platinum to cover the outrageous day to day expenses. To solve this problem, the Decider commissioned a set of higher-value coins, which actually look more like uniform items of extremely durable jewelery. These coins are shown at left, along with their values. Like any good coin, these are actually worth the sum of their materials, and are most commonly found within the casinos much like chips (they stack well). The introduction of this special series of coins made larger purchases easier. On the other hand, the number of pickpockets went up nearly threefold.

        It is illegal to take these coins off the island, and thus they aren't worth nearly as much elsewhere. Nobody is willing to risk crossing the Decider, perhaps. Tamaran coins are unusually durable for all their intricate appearance, and click softly instead of jingling.

        On any given day, the weather is generally sunny and serene, because any number of the resort owners will pay members of the Arcanar guild to magically-modify all but the most severe of hurricanes. The beach is the only area non-citizens are allowed to visit, as long as they are doing business (typically pirates selling goods or slaves to the resorts). As such, it is often quite crowded with colorful pavillions and the general hustle and bustle of commerce, with certain areas around the resorts restricted to guests only. The beaches are also patrolled by Tamaran legionaires, always on the lookout for visitors without papers or any conflicts which might disturb the citizens or cause damage to the resorts. They are also very wary of thieves, and most transgressors are sent to the arena. After all, punishment is far more profitable than reform.

There are nearly fifty resorts along Pleasure Beach, along with arenas, fairgrounds, and all other types of leisure-oriented establishments. Most occupy a set territory, and beneath all the glitter and gold lie webworks of hostile rivalries, feuds, murder, and extortion. Most of the beach itself is owned by the gorgs, which accounts for their excessive opulence. Indeed, overindulgence and sensory overload claim the lives of hundreds of guests every year, whose bodies are simply not equipped to deal with the gluttonous indulgences crammed down their throats by smiling gorgs. The following is a sample of some of the resorts.

        Possibly the best known of the Pleasure Beach resorts, the Diamond Oasis is a sprawling expanse of well-kept lawns, marble terraces, and golden fountains. The resort is a magnificent, Arabian-style palace, at the heart of which lies a deep sapphire spring of fresh water (the resort's namesake). The Diamond Oasis offers luxurious rooms that overlook the beach and the bay, a casino, swimming and diving, and exquisite selection of fine food and drink, and a docile host of half-naked slaves to take care of the inhabitants' various 'needs'. Rooms run from 100-400 GP a night, but satisfaction is guaranteed. Guides can be hired here for yaught tours and skin diving off the coast, many of them lutrai slaves owned by the resort.

The Bayside Coliseum

        Another well known resort, where patrons' luxurious rooms overlook the interior of a gigantic circular arena. From here, they are treated to endless spectacles of violent combat, as well as some of the finest dining in Tamara. The house covers all bets made on these fights, establishing odds and frequently arranging victories in order to make more money. The better rooms are closer to the level of the fight, the last row protected by windows of transparent magical force. These windows provide a panoramic view of the battles without endangering the patrons. The arena fights typically pit one monster against another, though now and then masses of used-up slaves are disposed of by one of the Coliseum's champion beasts. Rooms start at 50 GP per night, all the way up to 200 GP per night at the ringside level.

The Dream Palace

        The Dream Palace is a resort of illusion and fantasy, where the impossible can be made into reality for enough money. The exotic theme rooms provide the oportunity to 'escape', as it were, but the real feature of this resort costs extra. The resort is run by a group of illusionists called 'The Dreamtailors', and for a pre-discussed amount of money, they will arrange an illusionary fantasy requested by the patron. These fantasies can last for days at a time, involving just about any subject imaginable, and are rather addictive. The effects are all created in a private room, and the utmost confidentiality is assured. Rooms here cost nothing; they are provided free to anyone coming to enjoy one of their tailored dreams. The dreams, however, start at around 200 GP per day, and can run as high as 1000 GP or more for especially complex or group experiences.

The Arcanar High Campus

        This is the name given to the exclusive resort for sorcerors and other practicioners of magic. The campus grounds extend for roughly a mile in every direction, a sprawl of misty lawns and gazebos surrounding the main library and its many blue marble towers. This is where the most wealthy and powerful sorcerors of the Arcanar guild vacation, exchange knowledge, and generally laze about debating obscure philosohpical issues in a relaxed setting, attended by all manner of bizarre slaves such as sprites, elementals, and the like. Although not nearly as impressive as the fabled Arcanar University, the High Campus does contain some of the most prominent scholars and wizards, who have been given tenure or are able to afford the incredible cost of actually living in the resort. For all other guests, proof of Arcanar membership or sponsorship is essential, and even then, costs range around 50 GP per night, with additional costs to access the libraries and laboratories. Guild members are also allowed to rent certain minor magical artifacts for the purposes of study. Generally, one tenth the item's XP vallue is the daily rental cost in GP, plus one tenth of that per charge expended. No items of greater than 2000 XP value are ever rented out, and all can be easily tracked through scrying magics.

The Coral Lounge

        Part resort, part boat club, this establishment is run by a small number of humans and teams of lutrai slaves. They will take patrons out on reefskimmer cruises, and teach them how to catch larger, more dangerous fish and small sharks. Towards the end of the trip, these lutrai will expertly prepare and cook their patrons' catch, and serve them along with fine white wine and after-dinner entertainment. The owner of the resort is a lean black human with gold-capped dreadlocks and many gold teeth, a fellow by the name of Linkon. Having taken over the business after the death of his father, Linkon favors his staff with surprising freedom and generosity, an act that has put him under suspicion from time to time. He claims that undrugged slaves don't crash ships as often, though he has secretly worked along with the Chainbreakers from time to time, and rescued lutrai from much crueler masters. Linkon is known as quite the party man, a very charismatic individual with a lot of connections. A fishing cruise and a night's stay at the small marina resort will cost between 25-50 GP, depending on how much Linkon likes his guests.

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