At the northern end of town one can find Tideswallow’s famed Entertainment District. A beautiful maze of inns, spas, taverns, and pleasure houses. Cabarets and theaters stand tall and splendid amidst the more ordinary buildings around them. Yet the entire quarter gives off a welcoming, well-maintained air; all lit at night by a serene series of red, purple, and blue stained glass street lamps.

-Various inns of varying quality.
-Taverns and bars open at all hours.
-Brothels, also of varying qualities.
-Two bathhouses, one expensive, the other open to anyone free of charge.
-Theaters, cabarets, and music halls.
-Bard College Meeting Hall (now abandoned)

There is an overall sense of festivity and frivolity in the air here, and numerous people can be seen out in the streets at any time of day. However, it’s only at night that the district really comes to life. This entire section of town seems to be the main gathering place for both citizens and outsiders once the sun goes down and the most businesses in the Town Square close up for the night. By contrast, the Entertainment District operates on a far more nocturnal schedule, with many establishments only being open at night or simply never closing...
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:54, Sun 13 Sept 2020.

The night was dark and the hour was late; still the sounds and smells of revelers filled the air in and around the streets surrounding The Golden Fleece brothel.  The Entertainment District was living up to its appellation.

Indeed, the Fleece itself added to the audible and aural atmosphere of the District.  From behind it's creme-colored, stucco walls, vented outward by windows raised against the warmth of the evening, sounds of singing blended with loud voices, laughter and occasional cries of satisfaction.  Words were not apparent in the layers of sound; intent was, and the din of pleasure made a sort of music all its own.

Leena stepped out onto the street, a half-filled goblet of wine held loosely between the two fingers of her right hand.  Immediately behind her, a raven flew out, alighting on the swinging sign above the door, identifying the building by name and purpose, as though the muffled sounds of passion and play were insufficient to do so.  Leena carried no light with her, for neither she nor the raven had need of one.  Their eyes pierced the semi-darkness around them, as easily as if the noon sun shone above.

Her cloak -- for tonight at least -- was a deep, lustrous purple, embroidered with silver thread in stylized, symbolic patterns holding no meaning beyond pure artistry.  She liked the style, and often chose it, though where the cloak was concerned, her choices were all but limitless.

Beneath the cloak, the beautiful lady wore a form fitting dress of simple gray, square bodiced and slit on both the left and right side, revealing toned calves, black stockings and delicate black slippers.  Though the ensemble was simple in construction, even a cursory study showed it to be exceptionally well-made, suggesting at least modest wealth.

Leena wore the dress confidently, cinched tightly at the waist to accentuate a slender, elfin figure.  A black rod hung by a loop from a hook on the right side of her belt.  About a foot long, the rod's circumference was roughly equal to that of a large man's thumb and lacquered to a matte finish, with silver endcaps and arcane symbols carved meticulously into its surface.

The woman's only other adornments were a hooked dagger at her left hip to accommodate the cross-draw, an amulet hanging pedant between her breasts, its surface displaying a stylized hand emerging from swirls of mist, and two loops of silver dangling from each of her faintly-pointed ears.

Leena sipped at the wine in one hand, using the other to half-wave, half-beckon towards a few passing carousers, deep in their cups and looking for another adventure.  A few giggles and belches, and two of the men made a beeline to her establishment, the beefier of the two openly leering at the proprietress as he walked by.  Leena didn't mind of course; she was used to it.  It was good for business.

He looked vaguely familiar though; was he a repeat customer?  Yes, a key functionary for one of the town councilors...and one with a significant ‘taste’ for opium, she recalled with a crooked smile.  While Leena did not imbibe, those who did were part of the 'juice' that kept the Fleece golden..

Leena finished her wine with a contented swallow as the men entered, and then threw a wink to the raven perched above her.  It appeared as if the raven nodded in response.

Another profitable night.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:09, Sat 12 Sept 2020.

The grit of the road crunched beneath his boots as he stalked his prey. Not that stalk was the right word for it. Redrick grinned as he let the susurations of the district wash over him. He liked it well enough and he frequented it, but for Redrick it was always work that brought him here. Redrick's work had no purpose other than to fill his cups, occupy his idle hours, and keep his mind sharp. Perhaps, should he feel the urge someday, he might acquire power and wealth and get some revenge. Perhaps he wouldn't.

Tonight was not the night to decide such things.

His bright blue eyes sparkled as he spotted a minor town functionary entering the Fleece and his smile grew wide. His fingers steepled in front of him as he stepped out of the street and watched for a few moments. His clothes were not in style or well-enough repaired to gain him unquestioned access to the Office District any more. That was proving troublesome to his work. He'd need to afford a new set soon or resort to more shadowy forms of access. Still, they served their purpose and most people could not tell.

Chuckling, he moved toward the establishment and whistled a jaunty tune as he did so. Perhaps this night had more than its share of fun in the offing as well. He eyed the proprietress as he approached and, rather than go through the door, stepped aside and nodded at her, "Night Leena. How's prospects?"

If the proprietress was surprised by the man’s appearance, Leena gave no sign of it. Then again, his jaunty tune had announced his presence politely enough, and well before he had appeared.

“A fair sea, sir; business is a fair sea moving to calm waters. Much like every night. Good to see you. Miss Diamond was asking after you. Although you’ve never...enjoyed her company, she certainly enjoys yours between clients.

“Are you buying or selling this fine eve?”

"Ah well... My mother always said..." Redrick spoke with a burr that sounded of the Roe but beneath it was a polish that place could never manufacture. "Well, I don't expect either you or Miss Diamond care much for what my mother has to say." He shrugs and stares out into the streets. "This night? I am waiting for the tides to carry me where they will."

Sucking in a breath, he rocked on his heels and whistled a tune. For now, he was happy to stare into the night beside a woman that interested him as much as she scared him. "And Miss Diamond likes that I always make her look good despite that laugh. And that I talk a few fine fellows into spending coins they might not have otherwise."

"Miss Diamond and I appreciate the increase in coin, Master Redrick."  And as to your mother's words of wisdom, I am certain that any stories pertaining to your parents would be...quite interesting."  The woman smiled, revealing two rows of even white teeth that seem to catch the faint light of the street lamps, twinkling like tiny stars.

Gesturing with a nod of her head, she moved to the fountain at the center of the entrance to the Golden Fleece.  It was a pretty piece, the pool perhaps six feet across, the center showing a dancing nymph, hands raised from which the water flows.  Carved in bas relief across the exterior of the pool itself were more dancing nymphs, hands linked.  By the dim light of evening, the fountain was a lovely work of art.  In the light of day though, signs of plastered repairs to older cracks become more evident, as was the missing big toe on the center nymph's left foot.  Likewise, while some of the rooms inside the building itself were restored nicely, others were still being worked on.  The Fleece had great potential, but it was still a work in progress.

Leena sat on the edge of the fountain pool, smoothing her dress with one hand, before tapping the spot beside her, inviting the man to join her.  The raven left its perch on the sign and flew to the nymph's marble head where it landed, beginning to clean its feathers.

"So...I am told that there is a demand for Galasian-style china right now.  Apparently it's very in demand in other cities, such that there is a shortage of it.  Consequently, it's value to collectors north-east of us has increased greatly."  She smiled gently, and shrugged as if to say: Who can account for hoi-polloi and their vagaries of taste?

"I've recently heard of several people in our city who have quite the collection, much of it probably stored away in cabinets and never used.  What an irony -- some here have it and don't need it, while others there would pay handsomely for it."  Another smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:29, Sun 13 Sept 2020.

Redrick walked beside the woman into the entrance and let his eye pull his vision where it may. The fountain was certainly a magnificent piece of architecture. Redrick grimaced as the voice of his bygone tutor sounded off in the back of his head. Still, his eyes walked over the piece as his mind submitted information. Information was always useful; you just had to know when and where to employ it.

At her invitation he sat and in response to her compliments, he nodded. "Well, I try not to be a leech... too much. Gotta have some benefits for me. Don't mind if it benefits us both."

Redrick leaned back and trailed his fingers in the water. He eyed the bird which seemed Leena's constant companion and far more than a raven. That was a puzzle he had pondered before, done a bit of research upon, and still pondered upon. His ears perked as his favorite passtime seemed in the offing: what people had heard and other interesting things. Eavesdropping, gossiping, and scandal were things he had learned at his mother's skirts. he was sure she would be chagrined to know what he made of such things now. His hand paused mid trail in the water and he grimaced; she certainly had a good idea of what he was up to. Rameena had rarely kept secrets well from mother and Redrick rarely kept secrets well from Rameena.

"Whatever do people want with that?! Well, far be it for me to question the tastes of the vast, wise continent." Redrick straightened and grinned at Leena, "Well, where there's coin, there's a way." He looked back at the fountain and trailed a finger along a bit of cracking facade. Few things got past Redrick's eye. "And those with... ambition... always find the way." He glanced sideways at the Madame, "So, Miss Leena, have we the way or do we seek the way?"

This message was deleted by the player at 18:11, Sun 13 Sept 2020.

Another smile.  More perfect teeth.

“Ah, Master. I’m always looking for a way to something.  Now...were I to be looking for Galasian-style china, I might look the way of the Housing District — specifically the houses of Mistress Sandrine the Spice Merchant, or perhaps Lord Gowdy.  I understand both are well stocked.”

She shrugged. “Not certain that they would be willing to sell it, of course.”
This message was last edited by the player at 13:00, Sun 13 Sept 2020.

Zia walked along the street, left hand casually resting on the intricate knuckle guard of her rapier.  "Not exactly what I was expecting," she said to her cousin.  They had just rolled in with a small caravan, really it was more just a couple of wagons that had been happy to have a bit of protection, so she was still dressed in her dark breeches and blouse underneath the studded leather armor.

Looking over at Zander, she was amazed again at how different they looked.  Her father and his mother had Zander's dark hair but Zia had inherited her mother's flaming hair.  She rather liked the color but sometimes it would be nice to just blend into the crowd rather than feel like a human-sized match stick.  "I could stand a nice hot bath but if you want to get something to eat first, I'm game for that too."

Zander crossed the street with his cousin, with his shield on his back and his warhammer tucked to the side. He looked around and took a deep breath before saying, "Well what were you expecting cousin? I think it is a nice little town, one I could see myself settling down in, find some work and earn some coin."


He gave Zia a sideways look, pondering a few things.  "I'll have to take some time to explore some to get the general layout." He paused for a second and then continued, "I wouldn't mind eating, but I have some business to attend to first and then we can meet up. I'm sure you will find the inn, cousin. See you in a bit." He then set off for the lower end of the city.


To: The Roe - Sunless Solarium

Zia shook her head and shrugged.  "Not sure what I was thinking but something ... more," she stated.  All in all it wasn't horrid, though, and she bobbed her head in agreement that it was a place he could settle down in and try to find some work that wasn't hauling his ass all over the land, hacking and slashing all the time.  It would be nice to not be traveling all the time and sleeping on the hard ground.

She perked up when he said there needed to be some exploring, thinking it was something they could do together but he obviously had other things in mind and took his leave of her pretty quickly.  "Be careful, Cousin," she said and then pouted lightly as she watched him turn down a street headed to who knew exactly where.  She had a feeling she wouldn't see him again until morning.  "Well he has had a bit of a dry spell," she sighed.

Turning in place, she wondered where to go.  There were quite a few places but what seemed most prominent so far was a brothel.  "Probably don't have man whores there," she muttered under her breath.  She wasn't really interested in that right now anyway but was more hungry and thirsty for real food and drink.  She started to amble along again, just checking out the establishments of this area.  If something stood out, she'd duck inside and see about a good bowl of stew with warm bread and a big mug of ale.

---

OOC:  Not sure where to go since there aren't any plain tavern threads.  If anyone has a suggestion or would like to interact, I'm a friendly sort.  :)

Shivom could tell he was getting out of the "fish" district by the smell alone. As he walked through the streets he found what he was looking for, a mid-grade inn with rooms to rent: The Sleeping Dryad Inn. The place looked nice and he had the sense that theft from his room wouldn't be a major concern. He dumped his bags in his room.

Out on the street and unencumbered, Shivom meandered the district looking for a particular tavern. It took awhile, but he eventually found himself walking through the doors of The Boiling Hag.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:44, Tue 15 Sept 2020.

In reply to Zia (msg # 12):

As you wander through the streets of the Entertainment District, numerous sites catch your eye. Beyond the brothels and less reputable looking whorehouses, several taverns seem to be catering to large groups inside. One you spot with a bit less noise filtering out of it is a cozy little dive called the Boiling Hag, complete with a wooden sign hanging above the doorway depicting a green-skinned old woman slowly cooking in her own bubbling cauldron.

Beyond that you spot the more extravagant of the district’s two bathhouses, a lovely elven-inspired structure with a marble sign standing before it reading Thermal Remedies.

A block or two from there, you find a street of music halls and small cabarets, with lively tunes pumping out of their open doors out into the streets. The crowds gathered before a few of these are far too thick to wade through to get inside; but you pass a few that you could easily squeeze into.

You notice a few shops that are open as you go by. One selling all manner of tools for merriment, with small firecrackers apparently being their top-selling item. Another appears to be some manner of magic shop, though more of a rudimentary manner than a proper enchantment shop like you’d find in the Artisan District. A small fortune teller’s home sits tightly nestled into the very end of an alleyway between two buildings, looking drab and utterly out of place compared to the wondrous buildings surrounding it.

As you walk, an elderly man in a dingy black-and-white cloak approaches you and everyone else passing along his way. “Spare a few coppers for a poor blindman, miss?”

Several food carts stand along the edges of the street, pouring out delectable scents as you walk by. Meats, breads, cider, and sweets. One old wine seller rests beside his cart, offering free sips from a tiny cask-filled vial of the rich, ruby-red wine he’s selling by the bottle. “Sweeter and more delicious than that black dribble Lord van Ellsworth serves his guests! Come, come! Try a sip and you’ll have to fight yourself not to buy a dozen bottles! First taste’s free! Won’t be your last, that’s a guarantee!”

Toward the end of the district, you find yourself face to face with the Town Square. The wide open market is typically bustling during the day. Now however, you see only a few shops and stalls with their lights still on or their owners still looking to attract business.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:33, Tue 15 Sept 2020.

Shivom finally wakes up after sleeping in late. Meandering through the entertainment district, he picks up breakfast from street vendors and eats as he walks. Eventually he finds the junk shop and general store, either will probably do. Kicking himself for not thinking of this earlier, he thinks back to the old tiefling's advice the night before about securing his room. He buys a small bell and a door stop or wedge. He returns to the Sleeping Dryad, drops these items off in his room, and leaves to wander the town again.