What to See?
There are a number of interesting sites to explore around
the city.
The Royal Palace is the thing most newcomers want to see,
and it is impressive. The building sprawls so much that it occupies its own
district. Not only is it the biggest building in Pandora, it is also one of the
oldest. Local folklore says that Pandora herself placed the first foundation stone.
(It also says that her legendary box is
buried somewhere beneath the place!)
The Palace is surrounded by high walls and expansive
gardens. It's not generally open to the public except on certain holidays, such
as Candlemarch on February 3 or Saint Torolo's Day on August 18th. (However! Private tours of the grounds can
be arranged, if you pay the right people!)
Saint Penitants Hospital is another popular attraction (Believe it or not!). The hospital
offers tours of its asylum for 3r per person and children under ten get in for
free. Visitors can ramble along an elevated walkway above the cells of incurably
insane eccentrics, looking down on them as they go about their business. Some
of the patients look forward to the visitors and can be quite chatty. (Don't
worry. The Really Dangerous Incurables are locked up elsewhere!)
Visitors to Saint Penitants can also observe various
operating theaters, where you can watch surgeons perform appendectomies or even
some of the experimental surgeries that the hospital is known for. (If this is your cup of tea, we recommend
finding a seat in the gallery overlooking the recovery ward. It's always
interesting to see how someone reacts when they wake up and discover their
fingers have been replaced with tentacles.)
The Carnvial District is, of course, a big draw for
newcomers. Place du Cirque is the site
of a permanent carnival, which includes a roller coaster, a ferris wheel and
various midway attractions. There is
also a big top where traditional circus acts are still performed. (Be warned though, that if you have a thing
about Clowns, you probably want to avoid Carnival District because those creepy
fuckers are everywhere!)
But don't worry if the circus isn't your cup of tea.
Carnival District offers a wide range of amusements, ranging from theaters and
concert halls to night clubs, brothels and casinos. There are also plenty of
street performers. Note that the district's amusements are closed by law on Sundays
and cannot reopen until sunset on Ragsday.
After experiencing the mad whirl of the Carnival District,
the Garden District can provide a nice change of pace. The Garden District is
owned by the Royal Family, but it is open the public. The entire district
consists of nothing but parks and gardens. In the warmer months, it's a riot of
bright flowers, but during the winter days, many garden enthusiasts appreciate
the geometry and structure of the place.
There are wide green fields where games of football and rugby are
played, kites can be flown (Kite flying
is a Very Popular pastime!), and picnics can be enjoyed. In July, the Eyfendrewbri Music Festival takes
place in the Garden District, and in September locals gather for the Burning
Mime festival. (Burning Mime is just what
it sounds like. Convicted mimes are packed into a giant wicker mime and set
ablaze. People love it. The mimes? Not so much.)
If you're interested in sport, the only proper athletic venue
in the city is King Bailey's Stadium, in Karcell. Known commonly as the
Stadium, it was built in 1924 by King Bailey, an avid bato enthusiast. In 1985,
the Stadium was torn down and rebuilt. Today, the Stadium hosts a wide range of
athletic events, everything from boxing and wrestling to indoor rugby and bato. (Bato is a popular local game. Its a bit like soccer, but the players
can only touch the ball with wooden clubs, and there are no such things as
personal fouls. A good game usually involves broken bones. Pandorans love it.)
There isn't much to see outside the city. Some of the farms
and manors do offer tours, but that's about it.
Some photographers are enchanted by the island's windsept tundra-like
landscape, and there are a couple of photo safaris available in the summer, but
that's about it. (Also, wandering outside
the city increases your chances of encountering wild grendels which would be a
Very Bad Thing!)
