The Crow's Nest

Though it has an illicit reputation that most respectable sylphs would not be caught dead associating with, the Crow's Nest is an important cultural and municipal landmark in the capital of Jyssald. Its dark, utilitarian construction still shines through the later renovations and alterations made to its base structure, and the silhouette of it is unmistakable.

Purpose / Function

In the days when the sylphen deities still walked the plane as mortals, the Crow's Nest was a prison. While not as grand nor as important as the previous capital, Jyssald was still an important urban hub for those in Sadrom, situated near the middle of the country and functioning as a trade hub. While the prison it hosted was never the largest nor the most well-known, it was infamous for its security and the viciousness of the prisoners it harbored. After Dursaedhe and her compatriots moved the base of Sadromi military operations to Jyssald, the building was emptied -- these prisoners either moved to other, freshly reinforced locations or conscripted into the war effort against the goblins in exchange for pardons or commuted sentences.
In the wake of that change, it was temporarily used as a staging ground for supplies and troop movements. But as the city expanded to suit its new purpose, and the Embassy was constructed across the river valley that splits Jyssald, the Crow's Nest was sold. Rather than tear it down, the new owner simply converted the building toward a new purpose -- knocking down walls between cells to create larger rooms, replacing bars with actual doors, and generally turning the building into a lavish, luxurious center for all things sinful.
Now, the Crow's Nest is part tavern, part brothel, and part hotel and meeting place. It does have a staff who will see to the needs of patrons and guests, whether that include plying them with alcohol and drugs, opportunities for gambling, or the more sensual arts. Perhaps its most famous purpose, however, is as a discrete meeting place. The Crow's Nest has been built on a reputation of discretion, as all who walk through its doors don masks to obscure their identities. As a result, even some high-ranking military officers frequent its interior to unwind after a stressful day. And since the current owners do not heavily monitor the goings-on there, it has earned a secondary reputation: disenfranchised or widowed women will often frequent the location in search of a suitably highly-ranked officer to seduce in exchange for favors, an allowance, and hopefully marriage. These individuals in particular are colloquially known as "crows", and they keep their identities a strict secret in the hopes that they will only ever need to reveal themselves to a man who intends to marry them.

Type

Brothel / Whorehouse