DISTRICTS
The following are the most prominent districts within Heaven’s Shore.
Governance:The central diamond of the city is dedicated entirely to the civil infrastructure of Heaven’s Shore. On the northern point of the diamond, framing a stone plaza studded with massive oaks, is the Hall of Others, where the Council of Oversight meets and countless archon administrators handle the day-to-day affairs of the city. On the opposite end is the central garrison of the angelic guardians who watch over Heaven’s Shore. Along the wide avenues and plazas in between are numerous smaller offices representing various trade organizations, licensing bureaus, maintenance facilities, and other establishments necessary to keep the city functioning smoothly.
The Shining Markets:Merchants in Heaven’s Shore have long known that the majority of visitors to the city are there for some form of trade. As such, the Shining Markets line the broad avenue leading from the city’s southern entrance—that most commonly used by travelers—to the southern point of Governance. The shops and stalls lining the avenue carry the most commonly sought goods, including armor and weapons, divine magic, and the like. The further a traveler wanders from the main avenue, the more specialized the goods, services, and their sellers become.
Spirecourt:Heaven’s Shore is an ideal destination for worshipers of any of the Heavenly divinities, and the city hosts some of the finest temples and cathedrals found in the Great Beyond. Its highest spires are those on Iomedae’s Brightblade cathedral. Other places of worship also stand here, dedicated to dozens of lawful good deities, empyreal lords, and other minor divinities. Given the Shorefolk’s appreciation for diversity, it should come as no surprise that a few shrines in Spirecourt are dedicated to other deities, including closely aligned divinities, such as Irori, Pharasma, and Shelyn, as well as those who may not align with Heaven but whose worshipers nevertheless have a presence here.
Residential Neighborhoods:Many of the residential neighborhoods within Heaven’s Shore formed and grew around groups of like-minded folk. Many cater to particular needs, such as Nightside, draped in darkness against the plane’s gentle sunlight. The Heights cater to creatures of larger-than-average stature. Aerie is home to those denizens who prefer flight to walking. Aquavia is a network of water-filled tunnels and caverns that connects nearly every fountain and pond in the city, favored by water-dwelling visitors. Other neighborhoods simply provide common ground: those who skew more lawful than good prefer the ordered streets of Axialle, while those who find the city’s strictures too confining prefer the more laid back—or, as some might say, disorderly— Western Downs. Most mortals tend to prefer living among their own kind in Bloodtown, and smaller communities of less common races can be found scattered throughout the city.
SITES OF INTERESTHeaven’s Shore is a vast and secure place, but few would say the city is boring. The following are only a few of the best-known sites throughout the city.
1、Academy of the Sixth Wing:Ragathiel is seen as something of an outcast in Heaven due to his unconventional origin, but the empyreal lord nevertheless stands as one of the plane’s most stalwart defenders. Those who seek to follow in his footsteps come to this academy for its divine and military training, graduating into the ranks of the Sixth Wing legion serving Ragathiel both in Heaven and across the planes. The academy’s chancellor, Commander Faralan, is a strict but insightful leader. The commander occasionally sets out to find promising mortals and provide them with specialized training: rumor holds that beneficiaries of such training include Taldor’s first emperor Taldaris, General Arnisant of the Shining Crusade, Mendev’s Queen Galfrey, and even Aroden himself. For more information about the Academy of the Sixth Wing, see page 32.
2、Choral Artisanworks:This stone building is only partially covered, one side opening out into a spacious amphitheater while the other holds an elegant storefront. Managed by First Voice Seftash (LN female efreeti arcanistACG 5), the establishment is a collaborative effort between several ensembles of choral angels, archons, and several assortments of outsider artisans, all collaborating to harness the angels’ songs and convert them into solid objects that retain the sonic resonance of their creation. Armor so crafted defends against sonic effects, helms protect the wearer from deafening and mind-affecting effects, and weapons deal sonic damage while retaining their inherent magic and good qualities, though particular harmonies carry greater abilities. The goods created here are sold in the storefront, though some argue that the main attraction is the creation process itself, performed in the amphitheater for passersby to enjoy.
3、Fountain of Sea and Songs:Located in the southern portion of Spirecourt, this spacious fountain serves as a shrine to the empyreal lord Atonga and as one of the larger gathering centers for aquatic creatures residing in Heaven’s Shore. Many of Aquavia’s underwater connectors converge here, making it into something of a hub within the extensive underwater reaches of Heaven’s Shore. Those traveling the passages know to stay on mapped and familiar routes, however, as some tunnels extend far beyond the borders of the official maps or, some whisper, beyond Heaven itself. Though the defending angels and archons insist that the waterways are secure, the occasional appearance of a hydraggon or even a hydrodaemon in the depths suggests some sort of breach—perhaps even to the River Styx
4、Garden of Laughter:One of the public squares in Heaven’s Shore is the Garden of Laughter. Locals visit for the various plays, puppet shows, and comedic performances held within the space. Inside this trimmed clearing, an assortment of acrobats, mummers, and dancers twirl about to the delight of dozens of spectators. All sorts visit and appreciate the Garden of Laughter, and the place is a favorite among the relatively small number of children in residence. The choral angel Oneol (NG agender choral angelB5 bard 8) acts as something of a guardian of the garden and teacher to the children, keeping a close watch for potential threats to the children they entertain and occasionally soliciting aid from outside parties to intervene in situations that require more direct action.
5、Hall of Others:One of the largest structures in Heaven’s Shore, the Hall of Others is the seat of the city’s governing Council of Oversight. Its cupola can be seen from most places within the city, and its columned arcades, golden doors, and austere interior speak to the Heavenly aesthetic that permeates the city. No one in Heaven’s Shore can argue against the efficiency with which the council and its archon delegates carry out the administrative tasks of the city, but many residents and business folk voice concern about the lack of representation within the city’s government despite the efforts of Speaker Lelian Gef and the Resident Representation Committee. As a means to soothe relations with mortals, Councilor Kesmorae is the appointed Secretary of Mortal Relations. Councilor Kesmorae and Speaker Lelian Gef find themselves constantly butting heads, but they nonetheless work together to overcome the constant hurdles that come with the firm regulations set by an unyielding council.
6、Jurisprudence Celestial:Many of mortal visitors to Heaven’s Shore make the journey in the hopes of cutting a celestial deal to grant them eternal salvation in the afterlife despite their actions in life. In general this is a futile effort, as even the forces of Heaven know there is no way to undermine Pharasma’s judgments, but rarely a mortal has a compelling case which casts her soul’s final destination into question. In these cases, a mortal may seek the ultimate legal aid: a barrister to plead her case in Pharasma’s courts. The Jurisprudence Celestial barristers evaluate would-be clients based on their potential for salvation, refusing to represent those whose fates they deem irrevocable. Recent visits from the revolutionary agathion Hasmallan (NG female leonalB2 investigatorACG 6) leave some wondering if the Jurisprudence Celestial is beginning to take a more active role in the Boneyard.
7、Lantern House:This combination cafe, lounge, and specialty shop is run by a gregarious noble djinni known as Ashafer (NG male noble djinni). He sells a variety of merchandise sourced from the grand city of Armun Kelisk on the Plane of Air, and most of the lounge’s patrons are there as much for his stories as for the rich cakes and delicate blends of tea. While Ashafer makes no secret of his pastime of studying the social balance within Heaven’s Shore, less known is that his motivation lies in his affiliation with an interplanar organization known as the Concordance of Elements—a tie that some powers in the city might see as too risky to permit.
8、Missions:A group of inevitables led by Eritrachus (LN agender advanced kolyarutB2) operates within this austere gathering place at the eastern edge of the Axialle neighborhood, though the business’s primary purpose is as a base of operations. Any lawful folk are welcome in the establishment, particularly those interested in hiring on to help the inevitables complete their missions. Adventurers know the place as a source of steady work that never grows dull, and the inevitables prioritize tasks that patrons sign on for, as this makes their completion more efficient. As part of their lease, the kolyaruts pay special attention to the occasional infernal visitors to the city and enforce the contracts that allow them to visit.
9、Teacher by the Tree:In one of the gardens in the northwestern quarter of the city is a stretch of garden encircling a particularly ancient oak tree, its boughs bent and nearly leaning on the ground from its incredible age. Beneath this oak tree, the Teacher by the Tree (LG male manu manasaputraB5 oracleAPG 5) has sat unmoving for centuries, dispensing advice, wisdom, and encouragement to any who seek his insight. Some of the more ancient residents of the city suggest that the Teacher was once a resident of Heaven’s Shore who spent his final reincarnated lifetime in the city and returned here to help others along the path to enlightenment. His encouragement of mortals to follow the path of reincarnation rather than the footsteps of angels and archons makes the latter groups none too happy, however, and some wonder how long the Teacher will be allowed to remain within Heaven’s Shore.
THE GREAT LIBRARY OF HARMONIOUS SCRIPTURE
Mortals who wish to access the Great Library of Harmonious Scripture on Heaven’s fourth tier must gain official permission and an escort from Heaven’s Shore. A good- or lawful-aligned creature can typically secure access to the library by visiting the Hall of Others, explaining her intentions to the archons in attendance, and succeeding at a DC 30 Diplomacy check. Deceiving the archons to gain access is possible, but difficult and risky. A character must succeed at a Bluff check opposed by an archon’s Sense Motive check to gain access. A character who fails to deceive the archons is escorted from the Hall of Others altogether; if she fails by 10 or more, she is instead detained or barred from Heaven’s Shore entirely (at the GM’s discretion). If successful, the character gains a 24-hour window of supervised access to the library, with the duration extended by 24 hours for every 5 by which her result exceeded the DC of the check. A character without a good or lawful component to her alignment can still gain access, but the DC of the skill checks is increased by 4. Chaotic evil creatures are entirely barred from the library.
The Great Library of Harmonious Scripture is a CR 12 library with a Complexity of 37 (difficult) and 50 knowledge points. The majority of its materials are in Celestial, the research checks are Knowledge (arcana, history, planes, and religion), and the library provides a +4 bonus on such checks. The contents of the Great Library are so extensive that nearly any topic within its knowledge areas can be uncovered within. The exact kp thresholds are left for the GM to determine according to the needs of a campaign. For a full description of how to conduct research, see page 148 of Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue.