People work hard on Plate Three, nine to five, spell to spell. They buy into the dream the Senate is selling: steady jobs, tidy homes, and maybe a touch of magic in the margins. But even that dream needs Somewhere, a place to let go. A place to actually live a little. Rhodonite is where that happens.
Some families are diehard Wizardball fans, cheering for the Fireballers or the Counterspells. Others lose hours in museum halls, argue over theater reviews, or line up for desserts the size of manticores. Everyone’s got a favorite restaurant. A favorite corner. A story that starts with, “One night in Rhodonite…”
You might live on Plate Three. But you don’t really live here until you’ve let loose in Rhodonite.
The district divides into three parts: Rhodonite Square, basking under the artificial glow of the Heartlight; Downtown, a center of nightlife and culture; and, of course, the once in a lifetime ascent to Rhodopeak.
Rhodonite Square
The public heart of Rhodonite Three. The light here is conjured, and golden, a permanent afternoon. Everything is built to be visible, walkable, and celebratory. It’s where Plate Three comes to breathe
Sunspot Coliseum
The beating heart of Plate Three. Named for the ancient enchanters who lit the city’s first artificial suns, the Coliseum hosts Wizardball games, civic ceremonies, Wizardball games, the occasional riot, but mostly Wizardball games.
The home team? Plate Three South’s Fireballers, fiery, scrappy, beloved. But plenty cheer for the Counterspells of Three West or even the Power Word Stunners of Plate One, avatars of the elite life you might aspire to. You’ll know it’s game day by the noise, the crowds, and the Heartlight glowing just a little warmer.
Somewhere Beer Garden
It’s always five o’clock Somewhere. We’re all going Somewhere. This open-air tavern pulses before and after every Fireballers game. No roof. No nonsense. Just good food, loud spells, and one rule: don’t talk about work. Somewhere people are happy, if only we could stay a little longer.
Wynter Rose
Officially named the Arch-Mage Wynter Lee Memorial Rose Garden, informally just Wynter Rose, this circular haven blooms year-round. It’s one of the few places on Plate Three where silence is respected. Each flowerbed honors a different magical discipline. A popular proposal spot. A popular place to grieve. And an occasional site of duels.
The People’s Promenade
Between garden and stadium, under the soft blaze of the Heartlight, the Promenade welcomes all. Musicians perform for tips. Children spell chalk the cobbles. Couples stroll, dip their deep-fried cheese in mayonnaise, and lose track of time. It’s the city’s public front porch, a place for expression, celebration, and barbeques.
Center of Mutual Respect
Set along the quieter edge of the People’s Promenade, the Center of Mutual Respect serves as Rhodonite’s Enforcer station and civic archive. The name is classic Plate Three irony. Most locals just call it “the drunk tank with a gift shop.” Outside, a family playground features community sculptures honoring model citizens. Inside, beside the active dispatch, a rotating exhibit displays historic rulings, civic milestones, and curated moments. And yes, the holding cells are rarely empty, usually filled with those who enjoyed Rhodonite a bit too much.
Downtown Rhodonite
Where you take the family. Where you go to blow off steam. The dream that Matilda R. Brightside and the rest of the Senate sells includes the privilege to earn Friday and Saturday night Downtown.
It’s busy, it’s bright, and it’s safe enough. There’s enough foot traffic to make you feel like part of something bigger. Whether it’s a second date or your kid’s birthday, Downtown’s waiting.
Febilius Fountain
Most just call it The Upside-Down Fountain. A marvel of enchantment and spatial artistry, it spills water up, sideways, and in recursive loops that delight children and baffle first timers. Four major streets meet here, and each corner is anchored by a booming family restaurant: Wand & Ladle (the one with the soup), The Upcast (famous for portions no mortal should try to finish), Thankfully Goodness Is Fireballs (burgers as a sit down), The Rations Factory (ironically, the best desert). Most families have developed a loyalty to one of the four brands.
Greater Illusioplex
The major attraction of dowtown, the biggest illusion theater in Wuh-Zhei, with twenty separate halls enchanted for full immersion sensory projection. They don’t call them films, they’re shared visions. You feel, taste, and smell the sulfur when the dragon breathes. Genres range from historical epics to offplane dramas, tragic romances to concentration breaking thrillers.
Mr. Manticore’s
The most dangerous thing served here is ambition.
Tucked just off the main drag, Mr. Manticore’s is where Rhodonite’s working creatives go to drink something brown, vent their unfinished scripts, and try not to ruin their third chance. The crowd’s local. The lights are low. The shelves are stacked with spirits someone actually chose. Yes, there is always the challenge of the Scorpion Tail stage. Most nights empty. You could try to challenge the Manticore. But that crowd? They are a mythic level creature and most don’t last a minute. They have seen it all before and odds are, they’ll enjoy throwing you out more than your set.
The Draconis
The definitive Museum of Art and History. A twin winged institution. The Gold Scale Wing houses relics, records, and reconstructions from Wuh-Zhei’s earliest days. The Bronze Scale Wing rotates its exhibit: from mural spells to mixed medium illusion installations to paintwork old enough to have cracked and cursed itself.
Lifter’s Plaza
It is Lifter’s Plaza because that’s where the Levitator is, after all. You queue up, float up, and head to Rhodopeak. Simple as that. But the plaza has picked up character over the years. What started as a handfull of hedge wizards hawking touch charms while people waited in line has bloomed into a space for sensory wonders. It has become a place for novel, experiential magics that don’t fit in the Illusioplex and have been barred from the Promenade while still within Plate Three’s standards. Even if you are not riding the lift, you come to the Plaza to be moved.
Market of Wants
Not a bazaar of common goods, not a black market, just a curated tangle of stalls, shops, and spellbooths selling things you absolutely do not need but still might find yourself delighted to have. Cloaks of Billowing in every color. Candles of the Deep in every scent. Enchanted scarves that hum when you talk. Custom familiars bred for aesthetic. You came to window shop. You leave with a singing fork.
The New Multiclass Theater
It’s neither new nor a single theater. The Lower Level Stage is an honest black box. Cheap seats, strong casts, tight shows. If your cousin made it to Rhodopeak, they probably started here. Upstairs, the Tier Three Stage rotates nightly: lounge singers on Mondays, solo acts on Wednesdays, stand-up comics and tongue-lashers come Friday night. It’s not quite Rhodopeak prestige, but it might be better.
Rhodopeak
How close can you get to Plate Two without ever leaving Plate Three?
Rhodopeak. Have you seen the view?
Locals call it “Plate Two Point Five,” and it’s easy to see why. Suspended high above Rhodonite, Rhodopeak is a curated playground of opulence, performance, and pretense. It’s where Plate Three’s well heeled go to impress, and, if they’re lucky, bump shoulders with a Plate Two elite who’s come down for the evening’s show.
Vista Hotel
A multi-tiered luxury retreat clinging to the underside of Plate Two, the Vista glows with soft rhodonite hues and floral draped balconies. It’s where the powerful and artistically inclined take their leisure, and where, in whispered corners and velvet backrooms, legacies are sealed and wizards rise to new Plates.
The Halo
An intimate, reservation-only dining capsule that extends from the Vista Hotel. Hovering in glass and gold, The Halo hosts candlelit dinners over the void, with sweeping views of Rhodonite’s lower tiers. Known for once-in-a-lifetime culinary performances.
Curtain Crossing
The Azure elevator is not exactly practical for individuals. Curtain Crossing is. It offers a discreet, elevated passage that connects Rhodonite Two with Rhodopeak. No shipments, no cargo, no portable holes and certainly, no questions. Just you, a small bag, and a way for the elite to slip out from behind the Curtain.
Floatspell Boulevard
A magically stabilized walkway that connects Rhodopeak’s main attractions. It winds slowly around the underside of Plate Two, lit with spell-lanterns and illusion trails. Only a few shops exist, these are ultra high end pop ups and boutiques open on performance nights.
The Floatspell Grand
A golden birdcage of enchantment and glass, suspended above the void. This lavish floating platform serves dinner at full regalia. It’s always booked. The food is fine. The real draw is being seen.
Hanging Curtain
The Hanging Curtain is where Plate Three dreams out loud. Suspended beneath Plate Two, it has become the most famous theater in all of Wuh-Zhei. A stage where careers are launched, hearts are broken, and seats sell out every night. If you’ve performed here, you’ve made it. If you’ve seen a show here, you still talk about it. Every actor hopes to be scouted by the Plate Two opera. Every citizen tries, at least once, to save up and see the Curtain rise.
Rhodopeak Park
A delicate, scenic square beside the levitation rise that leads from Rhodonite Three proper to Rhodopeak. Lush foliage, an all things considered reasonable café, and a handful of polished vendor carts. Hosts intimate events, weddings, and private concerts.
