In the Grund
Lucimbucir is a bi-level city, with all the important, impressive places, the palace, the military buildings, most of the shops and temples, the theater, all occupying the high ground. Along the east side, the upper town overlooks a dense section of city built up along the Alzette River. This is the Grund.
This is a narrow district along banks of the Alzette River along the east side of the city. It has two main roads, Plaetis on the west bank and Bisserweg on the East, joined by the Munster Bridge which is the heart of the Grund. It is cut off from the city by steep slopes, and looking up from The Grund one can see the Corniche, a grand balcony that winds around around the Ducal Palace and the terrace of the Clear Fountain Plaza. Stairs and one steep road connect the Grund with the rest of the city. Despite the inconvenient location, the Grund is readily accessible by water, and so is a good entry point for visitors. It has some places of interest for travelers, and has a concentration of taverns- built here to be readily available to travelers, the locals got used to coming down here too. The Grund is also home to the “low” end of Lucimburic entertainment- since it outside the main wall, and the folk of Lucimburic have always tried to keep the area within the wall up to higher standards. The Old Foundry used to be an iron foundry, but has been rebuilt as the city’s largest inn- the rooms of which are often unused these days. Nearby, right up against the river, is Lucimburic City’s only known house of ill repute. It’s run by Were-Weasels, and always seems to generate so much tax revenue for the Duke that it gets left alone, even under the Were-Bear leadership. Local lore says it’s up against the river so patrons can come and go by boat, thereby preventing your scent trail from connecting you to this place. Privacy has a different meaning in a society where so many citizens have animal noses. The Grund has a diverse population but is, on average, lower middle class to poor. Were-Rats seem to converge here, possibly because the Grund is urban yet lies beyond the main walls (there is an outer defense on the high plateau to the east), giving them the feeling that they are in the middle of things, but can escape quickly if they have to. This seems to be part of Were-Rat psychology.
This is where Tawna takes Haakon to “meet the folks” after their arrival in Lucimburic.
The Wereweasels are not a big clan. By Tawna’s account the population of Wereweasels is somewhere shy of two hundred- a fifth of the numerous Wererats.
Tawna stops in to see her uncle Wallis, the closest thing they have to a family patriarch at the moment. She explains that Wallis is a “lawyer”- a person trained in twisting the meaning of words, finding obscure and contradictory laws, mistakes in contracts, and the like, and by means of persuasion, using these findings to pervert justice in favor of his client. For a hefty fee, of course.
She asks that Haakon not judge him too harshly for such an unsavory occupation. After all, he did help arrange the service by which Tawna cleared the name of her family.
It’s not a tight family. Wereweasels bond with each other, but rarely are they very close, because they don’t really trust each other. It is a paradox of Wereweasel social philosophy: If you trust a Wereweasel too much, it is insulting, because it is a way of saying that the Wereweasel is insufficiently devious. Ordinarily, Tawna would not appreciate Haakon’s trust in her.
She accepts, because she has determined that he is nuts. Nutters trust Wereweasels.
Wallis greets her with all the affection that Wereweasels can muster for each other. They exchange hugs, and moments later, they exchange the items they lifted from each others’ pockets.
Then they talk about what her return means.
“Have you seen the Duke yet?” Wallis asks.
“No,” Tawna says. “I know, it’s expected. I’m supposed to report.”
“Well, sooner rather than later would be a very good thing. With everything happening, festival, wedding, victory celebration, he’s in a very good mood, and not bored. Rulers are at their worst when they are bored. Do you want me there to say something on your behalf?”
“No, uncle Wallis. Thank you, but I’ve done nothing I need to weasel out of. But I do want my keys back.”