Lockhinge Notes - Common Quarter

(Also referred to as Centertown) The Common Quarter really should be called the Common Third for how much of the city it actually represents. By far, it houses the greatest number of both residents and establishments. A little nicer and safer than the Mud Quarter, and a little more dicey than the Stone Quarter. Dominated by the tug of war between guilds and factions, each block a microcosm society within the larger one of the city. Inhabitants there keep constant track of who is in power where, what the shifting dangers are, who is looking out for who. The whole spectrum of new, struggling inhabitants who are trying hard to stay out of the Mud quarter, to those who have held their little corner of the city for several generations.
Though the Stone quarter claims to be the center of culture for the city and the oldest, but the common quarter is the real heart of lockhinge. A true constantly shifting amalgamation of cultures, influences, and motivations.
There are a few establishments that have managed to carve out a position i the city that is all their own, but the vast majority of places (and residences) are in spaces that are connected to or are being shared between more than one party. Sometimes the spaces convert somewhat at certain times of day (such as a cobbler during the day and then a curtain pulled across that half of the space to become a noodle shop in the evening), but many others exist simultaneously and just try to respect (or ignore) their close neighbor as they try to do business. A few have learned to make their shared venture work (such as a tattoo/winebar), and a few are a little more at odds (goth bookstore gets mad when the sandwich shop customers bring their food over by the books.)
goth bookstore/sandwich shop (stop walking in with sandwiches), cobbler/portly lizard, fool's frolic/gil's florals, apothecary in basement of bakery, have to walk through noodles and bar to go upstairs to string instruments sales and repair, bakery ajoining butcher.
Some areas more geared toward shops have almost regular looking buildings, but even there the alleys and stairs and walkways are a little tangled, and then deeper in the quarter, especially in residential areas, things stack and wind and are built on each other in a way that leaves many hidden walkways and balconies and nooks all piled together. Doesn't compare to some of the areas in worst parts of the city, but Centertown is still more tangled and incomprehensible than what visitors are used to.
graffiti, banners, signs, all say more than it appears that they say, and it pays to know several languages if youre going to be spending time there. Its good to know who is in control of what, especially when leaving the beaten path. For instance, if in good with the main thieves guilds and know where you're going, there are paths up small staircases, climbing up layers of buildings and overhangs to get to the roofs. These paths are often controlled by groups that are in a truce agreement with one another for them to use, leading up to lookout points, such as looking over mainstreet, that is considered almost like a neutral territory. there are even "take a penny leave a penny" style caches for allies to take or leave supplies as they see fit. These paths are also almost always watched by someone, keeping track of who is on their "streets" and why. often these sentries are not noticed until the visitor makes their presence unwelcome.
Generally safe during the day, though there are plenty of thieves wanting to try their skills against unwary newcomers. a little dicey for wealthy folks, but most likely be left alone. The likelihood of being messed with differs by block. often a regular, even if wealthy, will learn of sections or a path through this neighborhood that has proven mostly safe for them, and once they become a regular of that path, their movements are easier to predict, but they become known in that area, which that in itself can sometimes help their odds. if they're of good standing with the groups watching over those blocks, they are less likely to be picked on my groups who dont want problems with that "ruling" faction.
SHOPBRIDGE While most of the Common quarter differs block by block in such a way that only seems to be intentionally confusing for visitors, there are a few areas that are easy landmarks to navigate to and from. One such landmark is Shopbridge, which is a series of well-known shops built up on a huge, suspended bridgelike structure that is higher than the other buildings around it. The story goes that the sprawl of the city eventually closed around a set of ancient ruins partially buried in the mud, and for a long time, there was just this empty hole around these ruins that had no known history behind them. As no known culture or history document could reliably make a claim, they built over them like a bridge. After some amount of time, the city must have moved the ruins, because they are no longer there, but local legend states that they mysteriously disappeared or sank into the swamp overnight. This then left the bridge standing over an awkward half-story amount of space compared to the buildings around. So, the space underneath has been filled with floating platforms that raise and lower with the tides, now utilized by aquatic species for various activities and launching points under the shopbridge.