Ragged Row

This neglected district of Bezélan was for those too poor to live in the city proper, but had not been forced to live in Bezélan Minor. It was seen as a step up from living in Uranbé-Kur but only by virtue of having wooden shacks over the inhabitants’ heads rather than tents.

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Access to Ragged Row

There was only one way in (and therefore) out of Ragged Row, which was the 'gate' at the North end. This opened out onto Rai-Plytz Market. From there, west was Uranbé-Kur and East led to Bezélan Minor.

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Getting Around

Ragged Row featured muddy tracks instead of cobbled paths. Because all citizens in Ragged Row were similarly poor, crime was surprisingly low, because there was nothing worth stealing, for example. While occasional drunken fights broke out, normally people helped each other. This extended to trying to improve these walkways with pebbles and stones scavenged from the area around Bezélan, especially during Winter and other rainy seasons.

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Locations in Ragged Row

The only points of interest were the rowdy inn the Hog’s Head and a viewing gallery. This gallery was a tower of sorts with a balcony extending along the parapet, enabling its inhabitants to view judgements carried out at the Public Court, without expecting the well-respected citizens of the Capital to mingle with those of Bezélan Minor.

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Social Mobility

Prospects of those in Ragged Row were very limited. Unable to invest in selling at the market - even in Rai-Plytz Market, and overlooked by those who were looking for a servant, many citizens of the Row struggled to find work. A few banded together to learn manual trades, having learns the rudimentary aspects of woodworking and metalworking to keep their shacks together. This proved the main way to improve the conditions in Ragged Row and the chances of being able to prove their worth to employers within the respected establishments of Bezélan.

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Unity of the Row

Interestingly, although most citizens would express a desire a wish to quit the "Elements-forsaken Hole" it was only the rare occasion where an individual or single family did so. Friendships and loyalty had fostered a shared goal of bettering their lot and a shared hatred of those in authority over Qal'ath. It was only if a collective of families or individuals all found a route to freedom did they take it. And even then they were not shunned by their old comrades, for they returned with materials, experience and food, ever their mind on honouring those still in the Row.

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Professions by the Rowites

As mentioned above, carpentry and metalworking were learned by many as a result of urgent need. Some "Rowites" (as they called themselves) acquired weapons and tried to become sell-swords, or roam the Realm of Qal'ath to find work. It was also rumoured that unauthorised mages frequented Ragged Row, but this had never been confirmed by witnesses or arrests.

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Ragged Row and the Crystal Circle

Having said that the citizens of Ragged Row hated authority, this did not extend to the Crystal Circle mages, who they saw as separate to the King's Court. Furthermore, a foray of a band of "Rowites" to the Crystal Tower found a ramshackled tower (sadly not made of crystal) on a muddy and grassy hillock. Suddenly they found people living in similar-looking conditions to themselves.
The mages Claris and Polarnis were the ones most likely to visit Ragged Row and so they were thought of with fondness by the "Rowites". However, no Crystal Circle mage taught their arts to citizens, so were not responsible for the emergence of unofficial (unauthorised) mages from Ragged Row.

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Operation Pig Storm

After work and/or surviving each day, a group meeting in the Hog's Head inn gathered, plotting "Operation Pig Storm". No more details are available at this time.

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Purpose / Function

While Ragged Row was home to those who appeared to have no purpose, its existence was intentional for the following reasons.

Homes

To provide people who had been authorised to live as Citizens of Bezélan somewhere to live, while they could not afford to buy, rent or build a "respectable" home elsewhere in the Capital.

Freeing Space

Because Ragged Row was effectively caught between Uranbé-Kur on the West and Bezélan Minor in the East, it was made up of people from both directions. This allowed more space to be made, especially in Uranbé-Kur, once people proved - or claimed to prove - they could benefit the people of the Capital.

Oversight

Keeping all the poor, unfortunate souls of the three districts in one "quarter" of the Capital meant that, in theory, they could be overseen more easily. But it was usually one or two wardens who were responsible for both Uranbé-Kur and Ragged Row, a massive under-provision by anyone's estimation. And the least said about the "Governor" of Bezélan Minor, the best, really.

Architecture

The Row was surrounded in the white stone common to all areas of Bezélan, but aside from that, there were no similarities. The homes of its inhabitants were poorly-constructed, usually of wood, although some had attempted to make bricks from mud when it rained, in order to improve the indoor temperature during Winter.
Roofs were combination of wood and thatch, making them very susceptible to rain, especially if the storms lasted for days.

Tourism

As with Uranbé-Kur, tourists would be automatically filtered away from such an "unseemly" sight as Ragged Row. That said, accessing it is feasible from the Eastern entrance to Bezélan Minor, so it would occasionally be (very briefly) visited by strangers. But as the Row had no architectural interest, nor markets, nor people of rank, there was no reason to stay.

Alternative Names

The Row

Type

Common area

Parent Location

Bezélan

Connected Rooms

• Rai-Plytz Market

Owning Organization

Qal'ath