Overlook

### Buildings

Shrine (The Path of Light), exotic trades (4), average food (3), average services (1), average residences (80), poor residences (440)

### First Impression

The spires of over a dozen identical towers rise to the sky. While the towers are drab gray granite, bits of color are scattered about—an occasional window of stained glass, a small hanging garden, a tapestry of Riedran design.

### Location

Sharn, Upper Dura

Built with the fortune of the ir'Tain family, Overlook is one of the largest residential districts in Sharn. The remarkably bland stonework creates a vast, gray vista that can be disconcerting. The ir'Tains were interested in getting the most for their gold, however, and aesthetics were not a concern. While the townhouse apartments in Overlook are not as pleasant as those in Lower Northedge, they are inexpensive and far safer than the wards that lie below. Plus, the area offers breathtaking views of the Dagger River and the surrounding countryside.

Over the centuries, Overlook has developed a significant Adaran and kalashtar community, and the district draws most of the kalashtar who come to Sharn. A variety of businesses catering to the Adarans hide in the depths of Overlook: a crystalworker, a school of meditation and martial arts, a tailor specializing in Adaran fashions, and a few restaurants serving Adaran cuisine. Few people outside the community know about these places, and unless a character is recommended to one of these businesses by an Adaran, he or she must make a DC 20 Knowledge (local) check to find one of them.

There are no inns in Overlook, but the Adarans take care of their own. Kalashtar or Adarans who come to Overlook can usually find shelter with one of the local families, although they are expected to behave graciously and in some way to repay the generosity of the host; however, the Adarans value news or wisdom as much as gold. While the Adarans add exotic color to Overlook, they only account for a third of the population of the district. Most of the other inhabitants are humans, halflings, and dwarves who work in Upper or Middle Dura.

## Locations

**The Gathering Light:** The Adarans and kalashtar are concentrated on the northern edge of Overlook. Adaran citizens have pooled their resources to rent a large hall, the Gathering Light, that serves as an anchor for the community. During the day, the hall functions as a school, where people come to study kalashtar martial arts and meditation techniques. In the evenings, the people gather to celebrate their heritage. Activities at the gatherings vary considerably. Some nights song, dance, or other forms of art play a dominate role, while other nights involve serious discussions of philosophy, metaphysics, or current events. Selk atari (LN female kalashtar monk 7) oversees martial training and monastic discipline at the Gathering Light, while Hanamelk (LG male kalashtar expert 5/psion [seer] 3) serves as the resident scholar and sage. These two also work together to protect the community from crime and violence, using diplomacy when possible and force when reason fails.

**Hilatashka:** Hidden away in the shadows of one of the gray towers, the Hilatashka restaurant serves Adaran cuisine. Meals are reasonably priced, around 6 cp per person, but the quality is exceptional. Providing vegetarian fare that mostly consists of cold dishes and soups prepared with a range of subtle spices. Kalashtar have an exceptionally well-developed sense of taste, and it can take some time for members of other races to learn to appreciate the delicate blends of spices and herbs used in Adaran meals.

**Sharn Shrine of il-Yannah:** The kalashtar constructed shrine of il-Yannah, the Path of Light, occupies a small parapet at the top of a tall tower. From the breathtaking views to the Sarlonan incense that scents the air, the shrine radiates a calm, otherworldly peace. Tapestries with intricate, labyrinthine patterns cover the walls and floor, adding to the exotic nature of the place. The enlightened Havakhad (LG male kalashtar psion [seer] 12), a powerful psion whose frail body is beginning to fail, tends the shrine and rarely wanders far from this location. Havakhad gladly offers advice and spiritual guidance to any follower of the Light who comes to meditate at the shrine, and he sometimes uses precognition on behalf of those he considers to be champions.