River Quarter
The River Quarter began as a road linking the wharves on the Selintan with the market in front of the Black Gate, when only the Old City was walled. The road became lined with warehouses and businesses, and it was redirected several times until it was quite crooked (much like the people of this quarter, say some). This old road survives today as parts of the Strip and Horseshoe Road. A section of the River Quarter was lost when the Foreign Quarter was created, but the two blend well together along Horseshoe Road.
Greyhawk’s wharves bring products and people from all corners of the Flanaess and beyond. Nowhere is this garish combination of cultures and influences more apparent than in the city’s River Quarter, a boisterous district of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens just inside the Cargo Gate to the Wharf District. Here lifelong sailors, smugglers, and dockmen mix with river-gypsies, slumming nobles, brazen students, and adventurers to create a community of extremes, worldly in knowledge and experience but poor in coin and character.
By day, the River Quarter swarms with laborers hauling cargo from distant markets to the artisans and bazaars of the Free City. Cargo Street, running roughly parallel to the Nobles’ Wall, sees the greatest traffic in the district, and one must walk with care through the muddy streets to avoid being trampled by horse and wagon. Most of the structures along the city’s west wall serve as warehouses for merchant houses and local market barons, and might hold any number of treasures. At night the life of the district flows to a notorious avenue of vice and delights called the Strip, where a wise man goes armed if at all.
Tales from a thousand foreign ports draw adventurers like rust monsters to a suit of mail, enhancing the unpredictable nature of the quarter. Each night brings a flurry of arrests for larceny, indecency, and fighting into an overtaxed system that constantly strains police from the wildest district north of the Black Gate to Old City.
Demographics
Human 82%, Rageborn 9%, Hin 6%, Dwarf 1%, Gnome 1%, Other 1%, Elf/Alfar negligible
Government
The River quarter is a raucous quarter. There are no representatives of the Directing Oligarchy here. Tomas Ratek once provided some tempering of the districts excess, but it was found that not only was he the head of the quarter's thieves' guild, but that he was trying to oust the guildmaster. He disappeared. The River Quarter was also once the home of Otiluke the archmage. Otiluke was a member of the Circle of Eight and a member of the Directing Oligarchy until he was murdered by Rary the Traitor on the day the Pact of Greyhawk was signed. Hi home sits empty and is known as the Fallen Mage Townhouse. Every once in a while a brazen thief breaks in, never to be heard from again.
The city watch captain, Hafgrim, functions as a de facto leader in the River Quarter during the day.
Defences
District Guard
City Watch Captain: Hafgrim Wrymouth (of the Frost Barbarians). Hafgrim made a name for himself as an adventurer before eventually finding his way to the Free City of Greyhawk. He is taller than most in the River Quarter and tries to use his size to diffuse situations before pulling out his club. He looks like a stereotypical dumb barbarian, but is fairly wise and catches on to people quickly. Nightwatchman Captain Darlos Garvil owns a large home near the station. He spends a lot of the watch's resources rounding up drunken sailors and patrolling the River Quarter while publicly lamenting that he doesn't have the men to follow up on break-ins and extortion rackets.Industry & Trade
The River Quarter caters to dockworkers, sailors, and transients who are looking to spend some coin while they're staying in the city. Some ship captains require their crew to stay on the ships while docked, but enough let the men "blow off some steam" before setting out again. There are many inns and taverns, several brothels, and locations that offer whatever kind of "fun" visitors want.
Guilds and Factions
Important People
- Iquoyan, Master of the Dark Moon Monastery, a dusky-hued sculpture of refined muscles infused with catlike grace. He and his thirty-eight disciples keep the areas around the monastery relatively peaceful
- Zalkan Sooth, Rhennee owner of the River Rat inn and considered to have great influence with the river-folk
- Merreck Purzell, new manager of the West City Warehouse, after Tomas Ratek disappeared. Those in the know say Merreck is not a man to cross.
- Arkandy Benris, the elderly high priest of Pholtus and a source of light in the quarter
- Khellek, a wizard whose tower holds antiques and curios from across the Flanaess.
Points of interest
LOCATIONS
Political and Government
- River Quarter City Watch Station (Government)
- River Quarter Nightwatchmens' Guildstation (Government)
Temples and Institutions
- Dark Moon Monastery (Monastery)
- River Quarter Mission (Temple)
- Temple of Pholtus (Temple)
Guilds and Industry
- McGloogan's Warehouse (Warehouse)
- West City Warehouse (Warehouse)
Inns, Taverns and Entertainment
- Barge Inn (Inn)
- Dogtail Inn
- Green Dragon Inn (Inn)
- Low Seas Tavern (Tavern)
- Maned Lady (brothel)
- River Rat Inn (Inn)
- Sea Willow (tavern)
- Silver Garter (brothel)
- Wizard's Hat Inn (Inn)
Shops and Services
- The Boat (Furniture)
- Geeridan's (General Store)
- Geld's Maps (Maps)
- Gobayuik's Undertakers (Undertaker)
- Hauld's Apothecary (Alchemist)
- Lore of the Lake (Taxidermist)
- Nulligan's Trove (Magic and Curio Shop)
- Onella's Palms (Fortuneteller)
- Painted Man (Tattooist)
- Souf's Paraphenalia (General Store)
- Wake's Construction (Architect and Builder)
- Zud's Towering Armory (Armor and Weapons)
Culture and Sites
- Two-Boy Theatre (Theater)
Important Residences
- Fallen Mage Townhouse
- Khellek's Tower (Residence)
- Pirthan Estate (Residence - Open)
- Zirelle's Townhouse (Residence)
Comments