The Wallows

This article was written for Summer Camp 2024 and may be missing some information. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section at the end of the article.

Located on the southwest edge of the city of Malvarron, the Wallows is considered one of the most deprived areas of the capital.
Since its construction atop the Iron River's natural floodplain, the area has suffered a great deal environmentally and economically, with frequent flooding from both the river and the Ersatz Harbour causing anything from minor damage to the complete destruction of livelihoods and homes.

The Grand City of Malvarron

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History

"The Wallows? Why I've never even set foot there, and nor would I want to. It's riddled with filth, and crime, and depravity. And the people? Well, let's just say they are far from civilised. Certainly not the type one would invite into one's home for an evening of polite conversation and frivolity."

Lady Upperton, Malvarri Noble

As the population of the city of Revaelor grew to unprecedented levels, the city expanded the walls of the Southend, building on the Iron River's natural floodplain.

For the first few seasons, the Wallows prospered and many farmhands, labourers and fisherman made their home there. These citizens were not rich people by any account, but people with stable jobs and stable homes.
Tragedy struck, however, during a particularly wet season of Rostide in 987 A.E., when prolonged torrential rain flooded the city streets.
This was catastrophically bad for the residents of the Wallows, as water from the northern districts of the city flowed southwards down the city's incline towards the Ersatz Harbour.

Flood, Flooding Water by The Digital Artist

With the harbour already overflowing, the Iron River burst its banks and many of the structures and buildings in the Southend were washed away with the force of the tide.
Around 107 people were declared missing and were presumed dead and the disaster became know as The Great Flood.
As the Iron River receded, the devastation became apparent, leaving many in the southwestern corner of the city without home and without hope. The area became synonymous with destitution and desperation, and soon coined its nickname—the Wallows—due to its poor drainage.
Over the years, the Wallows has been flooded many times over but never as bad as in 987 A.E.
Today, many buildings, even the old warehouses, have been rebuilt on stilts to try to mitigate any future flooding disasters by raising the structures above the usual level of flooding. However, as the Empire continues to provide little investment for the upkeep of the harbour and its flood defences, the Wallows are flooding more frequently and with greater consequences. As a result, the Wallows remains a vasty impoverished area of Malvarron.

Crime

"The Wallows ain't a nice place to be, girl, 'specially at night. And certainly not if you've got anything valuable upon your person you're particularly attached to. The place stinks to high heaven. The buildings, them what aren't on stilts that is, are scruffy and rundown from constant floodin. Most merchants, the successful ones anyway, have moved their warehouses across the harbour where their goods are safer from the tide, taking jobs with them. Mostly I just feel sorry for the people. Downtrodden they are. Most of them walk around high on Cadalla or worse. Not even a speck of joy on their miserable faces."

Montano Crammer, Malvarri Merchant

Poverty breeds crime, and there's plenty of both in the Wallows.
The Syndicate of Shadow, and their associated criminal gangs, has an enduring grip on the district with many in Malvarron convinced that the Wallows is the organisation's base of operations.
Many local business, unfortunate enough to be located in the area, are forced to pay protection money to Syndicate thugs and are sometimes forced to store illegal goods, such as magical items, illicit substances and other questionable items amongst their inventories, leaving themselves at risk to raids from the Black Cloaks.

"Whatchu wanna know for? Look, I don't deal with that stuff anymore.
Oh, yer looking for something specific then, are we? Sommet a little dodgy? Try the Wallows. There'll be someone that can get it for ya, no doubt. They've got stuff at that Night Market that would boil old Lucianno's breeches if he ever found out about it. Lucky the Syndicate runs a pretty tight ship and he never will."

an anonymous man in the Southend

The drugs trade is a fairly lucrative endeavour and many of the Syndicate's approved dealers can be found milling about around the docks, particularly around the Drifting Rose at nighttime.
A successful black market has also been operating in various parts of the Wallows, and has only grown in popularity since the Empire seized control of the city. The Night Market, as it is known, is said to change places nightly to avoid any raids from the Empire's forces.

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