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Non-Player Characters of Dirt City

In general, the Houses of Dirt City dominate. In some cases it's fairly easy to pick out some of the various House members -- the fearsome leather and metal-clad Wolves, the more flamboyant Keys; Teeth -- born pirates and privateers, completely at home with all the sea-going types; small groups -- in size and stature, of dwarven Knives. Darts and Cloaks are much harder, if almost impossible to spot. Halflings are everywhere.

House of Keys

BILLY AND TIMMI -- Small human boys with a shock of white hair. Twin sons of Jeraldh. House of Keys.

JERALDH -- Tall human male. His hair is long, a sweep of startling, brilliant white. His eyes are pink- tinged, and he stops right in front of the group, a worn, leaf green, embroidered velvet cloak sweeps the floor around his feet. Albino -- pale eyes and angular jaw line. Staff member of the House of Keys. Widower for two years when group first met him. The group's landlord -- lives next door behind an oval door that leads to a fairly lavish apartment. Halfling Quarter gossip has him as -- "He's a politician, got a lot of ambition that one, but we have never heard any scandal or bad things in particular."

LENA -- Young human woman with dark hair. Looks after Jeraldh's kids.

House of Wolves

BURT THE DWARF -- Messenger for the Wolf Clan. His own clan is unknown.

SARLA -- Daughter of the Alpha of the House of Wolves. Dark hair, calculating eyes.

AVENOR -- Tall man, obviously in charge of the guards at the Wolf Tower. Head of security at the Wolf Quarter, very high ranking. Took the Alpha's punishment in the form of a public flogging, for endangering the City.

MR. SMOOTH, MR. RAPPER, MR. SMOKER, MR. SILENT -- Questioners at the House of Wolves. Mr. Silent turns out to be the Alpha. The silent one's eyes seemed appraising when he questioned the group, and for a moment seem almost yellow in the smoke-filled light. In a nutshell: the stocky Mr. Smoker, the rapier thin Mr. Rapper, the effete Mr. Smooth, and the tall, commanding shadow of Mr. Silent.

House of Knives

HARLV THE DWARF -- One of the dwarven miners who discovered 'dreadstone' instead of mithril. Has a brother who's a Tower guard for the Knives. Member of the Knives

BRAM THE DWARF -- Another of the dwarven miners -- driven completely and irreparably mad by the dreadstone. Member of the Knives.

KURK THE DWARF -- Dwarven miner rescued by Harlv and the party -- Burt the Dwarf's cousin. Member of the Knives.

ORGAR THE DWARF -- Guard at the Knives Tower who told the group about the mysterious Crescent Moon Market deaths.

The Prince and his Folk

TH'AYVANEN -- A man with a narrow, solemn face. His mustache is beginning to fade to gray, and he carries an aura of authority. Th'Ayvanen is the Prince of Thieves second in command. He carries a reputation that suggests he is not to be messed with. Slightly taller, thinner than Suran Corell.

PRINCE OF THIEVES' MEN -- The men are wearing a hodge-podge of armor, not immediately recognizable, but they all appear to be wearing a small, bronze disc at their shoulder, that has a length of blue ribbon running from it.
-- Local Knowledge: The disc and blue ribbon are given to those in service to the Prince Of Thieves

SURAN CORELL -- THE PRINCE OF THIEVES -- Suran Corell is a tall, cropped blond-haired man in his mid-thirties, with lightly tanned skin, and bright blue chips for eyes that emote anything from playful mischief right through to killer cool, depending on the circumstances. There is no glint of mischief in them today. His clothes are more serviceable than opulent; his bearing fully able to carry his office of Dirt City leader without the enhancement of fussy velvets and brocades.

The Temple of Wardd

CLU'ETH -- Male human cleric of Wardd, works at the temple. Clu'eth has one hand that is much shorter than the other, the fingers are withered and useless. "You all look filthy anyway," he told the group once, glancing at his own deformity, "and the dirt alone takes its own toll in the end."

SANDEN -- A short, middle aged, male human cleric, Temple of Wardd.

ELIJAH -- A skinny old human fellow who's a herbalist, known mainly because he's the only "-ist" in the Wardd Temple right now.

Foes and Others

KERNORN -- Entomologist, monstrologer. Quite insane. A tall, long-limbed man. He stands around 6' 3", his gray hair is unkempt and sticking out at all angles, and it looks as though his clothes haven't been laundered for quite a while.

EDGAR -- A creature and friend of Kernorn's, Edgar is horrible to look at. His head is massive, and his body is solid and big. His huge compound eyes twinkle, set into a hairy face that is almost splits in two by a nasty looking sharp set of mandibles. They flank a long proboscis, needle sharp at the point and dripping some kind of mucus. Edgar has a strong, heady, sweet smell, like strong honey. His front feet contain barbs like daggers.

The Dead

BA'BAC -- Half orc assassin. Lots of scars. A broad, ruined face grimaces menacingly above feet that move like a trained fighter, despite a slight list to one side. Killed himself with hollow tooth poison rather than be questioned by the party. Hired by persons unknown (High Woldian symbol found on parchment -- Servant Marteaus Dominate) to kill Sarla.

TAM -- Male human teenager -- skinny as a rake, with furtive eyes. Murdered by Ba'Bac.

MATTISON -- Half elf with a limp -- appeared a mild mannered investigator but turned out to be an evil necro-spell throwing agent of those Servants/Marteaus/Dominate people. Mattison stands around 5' 10", and looks fairly young, although its impossible to be sure with half elves. He has a narrow but muscular frame, which favors his left side, and his left leg seems slightly shorter than the other. Long blond hair tied back with a piece of leather, blue eyes, fairly ordinary clothes complete the picture. Killed by the party.

Places in and around Dirt City

APARTMENT -- Two bedroom, common room, kitchen, wash/restroom. Keys District, next door to Jeraldh and his twin sons Billy and Timmi.

THE DOCKS -- During the day, it's busy, a place where a lot of deals are made. High ranking members of the various houses can be seen rubbing shoulders with the lowest apprentice. At night? Deals continue -- but you don't go there unless you're up to no good, and/or have a good few bodyguards. Cargo is being taken off ships, only to be replaced by outgoing bundles. There's a mishmash of people milling about here -- wealthy merchants striking deals on the quayside, sailors of every rank and race; carts and their drivers pushing through the throng. A few offices in nearby buildings seem to be concerned with goods inward and outward, and passenger bookings. The quay stretches the full length of the docks, and four wharves lead off the quayside, out into the water. Each wharf has a full contingent of boats and ships of various classes tied alongside. A row of buildings faces the water and the boats tied up at the wharves -- offices of traders and shipping and travel companies.
-- Local Knowledge: Entering the Docks from the eastern side means entering the roughest area of the Docks. The far western side of course leads toward the Palace of the Prince of Thieves, and while still retaining the Dock's overall boisterous character, was a little more genteel and civilized.

CLOAK TOWER -- Wide, well-worn steps begin to spiral upward in a gentle curve, eventually disappearing out of sight. There are a few folk at the bottom of the Tower shaking their cloaks, letting the dirt from above fall to the floor. Not too far away -- a wizened old man with a long brush is glaring at them. Other people are starting to move up the stairs to the surface. There's a slight breeze here at the base of the Tower, and a smell of sea salt and ozone. At first look -- there appear to be no guards here, but every now and then, two men, with cloaks down to their mid calf quietly and subtly approach some of the descendants. It looks as though they're checking peace-tied weapons. The steps up to the surface lead up in a wide arc. On the interior walls of the Tower, are murals depicting lanes, streets, alleys, houses and inns -- as though BELOW seeks to blend itself in with ABOVE. They are two dimensional paintings of course, but done well, and at a glance look as though you could step right into them and walk along those painted streets. The further the party moves upward, the more gritty the steps become. What looks like a black powder, gathers in tiny drifts in every corner it can find. The smell of above -- cool, laced with sea salt, tickles everyone's nostrils.

BACKSTAB QUARTER -- A warren of streets and houses, stores and taverns, sometimes set so close you could almost jump from one bedroom window -- across the street to another one. The area appears to have cornered the market in "dark alleys".
-- Local Knowledge: At one time NO ONE dared go in there unless they were sure they could survive a fight, had protection, or were completely mad. Of course things were different now, as the citizens attempted to make legitimate lives for themselves. Maybe it was working, but there are still rumors ...

THE JOLLY ROGER -- Backstab Quarter, near the Blue Eel, slightly closer to the docks. It looks 'interesting' from the outside, and even more so when a large fellow with a red beard drags two other men outside and throws them down on the black gritted cobbles. "You're both barred!" he declares and disappears back inside. One of the men thrown out gives a large belch, and then he and his companion burst into a fit of drunken giggles.
-- Local Knowledge: The Jolly Roger is full of sailor types -- raucous, windburned, enjoying their time ashore. The language is colorful, and its a bit of a crush to get to a table, but once inside -- food is served. It's plain fare and costs a copper. Broth, with some kind of meat in it, served with fat chunks of fresh bread. There's plenty of ale for those who want it, plain water for those who don't. Every now and then -- a fight starts, tankards are thrown, a table is hurled. Gossip abounds -- who's outbound, who's inbound, who's been keel-hauled for insubordination, which captains are the best/worst, and in particular -- the gossip de jour seems to be the fate of two shipmates on 'Beligerence' at the first wharf, who thought they could lift the purse from a passenger -- "idiots they were, ain't no one gonna mess with that one."

THE BLUE EEL -- This Backstab Quarter establishment seems more up market than the Jolly Roger, especially going off the type of clientele going into the place -- traders, businessmen, perhaps a ships captain or two, and the silk showing beneath a dark cloak suggest a few quite wealthy patrons, too. The interior of the Blue Eel -- muted lighting, faded grandeur, quite busy. Lots of tables and chairs filled with patrons. Pretty girls with ribboned hair weave through the crowd with trays, serving drinks, taking orders. There are a couple of card games on the go. The bar extends the entire length of the back wall. From the door, one can see just about everything in the bar area.
-- Local Knowledge: The Blue Eel is run by the Teeth, frequented by seafarers in particular. It doesn't have a particularly bad rep -- more of a place where you could meet ships captains and inquire about passage. Oh, and the ale is supposed to be good.
-- At the top of some rickety stairs is a back door which opens easily onto a long corridor that runs the whole width of the upper tavern by the looks of it. There are 6 doors, all numbered even -- 2, 4, etc. Behind #12 is the room where the group had a secret meeting with Avenor. Room #12 looks definitely like some kind of meeting room. A large table, several chairs of different design that look to have seen better days. There is nothing adorning the walls -- it's quite bare, no windows and there is another door (closed) at one corner of the wall that faces the outer corridor wall. Light comes from a squat lantern on the table, and another hanging from a hook in one corner that exudes the smell of oil.
-- The Blue Eel has a noticeboard. There is always work for those who seek it. The nature of it, of course is extremely variable -- right now there are vacancies for ships crews, caravan guards, spying missions, 'pest' control, bounty hunting.

BLACKSMITHS YARD -- Opposite the Blue Eel, Backstab Quarter -- is the yard where Tam was found dead. The blacksmith's yard -- about 30' x 40' -- stretches back, showing empty stalls for horses, a workshop, lengths of metal piled up against the wall, and the huge bulk of what looks like a kiln. There's a Plough and Shovel store next door.

WOLVES QUARTER -- The occasional torch highlights shadowy murals that appear to depict trees and forests. Well drawn images of real wolves occasionally peer out, so real it appears as though their eyes move. Above, the ceiling arcs above alleys filled with doors of all shapes and sizes. Two-story dwellings meet the ceiling, one story buildings have flat roofs, some of which are adorned with large vases of tumbling floral vines -- how the flowers grew underground, was a mystery to a non-local.
-- Local Knowledge: Plants displayed underground were taken up above ground on rotation, so they spent one day above, in the light, and one day below. A group of halflings had come up with a rather ingenious mechanical invention that made a flat-bed trolley filled with plant pots able to climb the Tower stairs.
-- Local Knowledge: The phrase -- 'You hold the Wolves in Debt' -- may come as a bit of a shock to those who are City borne and bred, for it is not said lightly by a House such as the Wolves. It is a promise, an allegiance -- immensely valuable, and it is permanent. It offers protection, favorable trading, a blind eye -- and for better or for worse -- it works both ways. The Wolves said it to the group after their first adventure.
-- The Wolf Rings -- The box is from the Wolves, has a sturdy latch, but no traps or anything else to surprise the unwary. Inside, are 8 signet rings -- flat-topped, good quality silver, and engraved with the face of a wolf, with two tiny, light amber chips set in the eyes. The design is fairly masculine. Their value? Between 5 and 10 GP. In Dirt City, signet rings had many uses, depending on their design. Some carried seals to authenticate documents, some indicated rank by their design and metal, and -- as in this particular case, were sometimes worn to indicate an allegiance -- show that you were member of a certain 'club'. They could get you out of trouble, or in it -- in equal measure, depending upon the situation. They were worn on fingers, hidden in pockets, worn on chains around the neck, again -- depending upon the situation.

BATTLEFIELD OUTSIDE DIRT CITY -- On a mission, the group followed the track north out of Dirt City. There was a bad smell, and over a small rise, a vast battlefield.
-- Piled up on either side of the track, in a hideous jumble -- are bodies. Most of them are picked clean of clothing, weaponry -- and flesh. Orcs by the looks of it -- and the carnage doesn't stop there, for there appears to be a line of fallen ones, about thirty feet wide -- a horror that stretches far into the mists on either side. Some great catastrophe happened here, leaving behind it a swathe of the dead, the only movement appears to be from stray shreds of dried skin, flapping gently in the breeze. About 50 yards to the left, there looks to be what was once a huge bell, cracked and broken in two pieces. The path ahead (north west) extends through it for a good 100 yd. or more, until the ground appears to become unsullied, revealing rock and tough clumps of grass.
-- Local Knowledge: City natives remember the time, months and months ago, when man, woman and child had to man the city walls as it was stormed by a sea of foul creatures. They will remember Bull the Minotaur leading the defenses, and the Gold Dragons wading into battle and being almost beaten by the mysterious sound weapons. And here was the aftermath, or part of it. Hundreds, thousands dead -- too many of the enemy to burn or bury.
-- The bell -- There's just over half of it left, and by the look of the surrounding timbers, it was carried on some kind of carriage. There are no inscriptions on it, and to all intents and purposes it looks fairly ordinary. However, just going near it brings forth a feeling of uneasiness. Words echo back -- whispers -- twisted and eerie, from its curved surface. Fingers that touch it want to recoil.
-- Theo analyzed it, and his focus upon it gave him a strange vision. Somewhere deep, enclosed, with chasms all around. In this place are three beings, their features hidden by heavy robes. One of them turns, and starts to laugh. The sound is hideous. It is a sound that has gone into the very structure of the bell, part of its fabric. The thing is broken now, but still manages to project evil by the bucketload. It is the stuff of nightmares.
-- What Th'Ayvanen says about the Bell -- "There are many wonders to be encountered in this wild countryside of ours. There are equally as many evils. We must never, ever forget that Marteaus once held sway here, and his taint still lingers. The distant Mount Bone is an evil place, with long fingers that reach out to pluck the unwary. "The bell you spoke of. There are others, scattered in pieces all throughout the halo of the dead battlefield. They were some kind of sound device, used against our forces, that turned brains to jelly, and killed literally hundreds, forged out of ore that lay deep in the guts of the mountain. "You have all discovered the perils of what lies beneath the ground, near to that place. This is not the first time. The Prince forbids any digging north and toward the mountain for good reason. The ore's taints are many and varied, but nearly always fatal. People have had to die in the past, just as they have died now."

KERNORN'S 'SHOP' -- Just behind the Crescent Moon Market -- a gloomy room whose walls are lined with tanks of various sizes. Heat and humidity waft out into the passageway, along with a sweet smell. Stepping inside Kernorn's domain feels like steeping into a humid, sub-tropical forest -- very warm, very humid. Zayne remembers the scent he can smell -- wild honeycomb. Rows of shelves line all four walls. On the shelves are boxes, tanks and cages. Two tables also hold various containers -- and in the containers -- insects. Butterflies with wings of brilliant hues -- a full row of them, organized in a perfect rainbow color spectrum. In cages -- fat, bright green grasshoppers, and some gray uglier cousins. Tanks full of flies. One tank containing what looks like a full, working beehive. Spiders, suspended on webs -- waiting. It's bug heaven, or hell -- depending on your point of view.