Bow's End

"No matter what yer lookin' for, be it gamblin', be it 'recreational substances', or 'relaxin' company' you can find it in Bow's End. All manner of enjoyments be available if ye wish it."

An unnamed bawd under employ of the Kirkland Family

Bow's End is a neighborhood of about four or five blocks that neighbors Factory Row on the south edge in Geata-Iarainn, specifically within he Dock District. The neighborhood is known for its rampant organized crime, and its lack of police patrol. This is because the Kirkland Family runs a tight operation, causing no, or very little, problems. They also know whom and how much to pay out in bribes, to keep police presence to a minimum and to get advanced warning whenever an officer is going to have to make a token appearance, so they can hide the more obviously illegal activity. Bow's End is known for being a favorite among the factory workers and dock hands all throughout the commercial areas of the Dock District on the south end of the cove. Of course their is some form of 'rule enforcement' in the area, just not the legal kind. All the 'establishments' or 'business folk' running these operations have a couple bodyguards or bouncers, and the Kirkland Family has their own specialists they can call on, Bavrik's Brawlers. This little gang of thugs and debt collectors are under Davos Kirkland's full time employment as his bodyguards and personal 'troubleshooters.'

The recent....unpleasantness however has left the area in some trouble, to the point where Davos Kirkland is feeling the pinch on his coffers personally, as the shortages hit the rail yards and rail system, the need for the various lubricants and greases, and the lack of production causing some locomotives to be sidelined for days at a time, waiting for these important materials. This has directly effected the Kirkland family's 'business interests', crippling their smuggling arrangements, limiting the various 'merchandise' they can move in and out. Some things also come in or out in some capacity by ship, but this is less consistent and has far more hangtime. As such, Bow's End is currently not all it would normally be, and some services may very well not be available.

Demographics

This is one of the hardest places to get a really good idea of whom 'lives' there and whom is merely passing through, or transient. This little quarter has no true housing, but everywhere is a house, if one takes the meaning. Every run down building, every shady looking establishment or darkened back room or back alley holds the promise of forbidden delights, adventure, and most importantly, danger. As such, it attracts all manner of guests from many walks of life. Young noblemen whom wear masquerade masks on principle, though anyone with any real knowledge of those highborn circles could recognize them from a mile off. Factory workers needing an hour or three of distraction from their lives, homeless folk seeking relief of any sort. It is a den of debauchery and sin, yet in spite of this, it is not seen as bad enough to need cleansing. If anything, it is seen as a boon. However as a general rule, one will see very few dwarves here and many, if not all, that one does will have a bright red mohawk and beard. Humans are not nearly as rare, though they hold high rank here, many running these 'business' ventures, or working as enforcers, muscle, collections or what Davos calls 'hang-around duty' to keep the place running, and deal with anyone looking to cause trouble. Besides that one will find a concentration of elves, gnomes, and vrock here, the odd halfling as well.

Government

They are part of Geata-Iarainn, and in theory, on paper, they are subject to those laws and rules, which would make most, if not all business and commerc conducted here highly illegal. However, Bow's End is almost a law and village unto itself. The local police avoid this neighborhood unless they simply cannot. Davos keeps his messes in house, so the local authorities feel no need, (and given the bribes they take, one could argue they have a conflict of interest) to get involved. Davos' laws are simple. No one steals from him or the Kirkland family. If someone is caught stealing, the first time its a beating and a kneecapping. The second time? Well rumor is Davos has a friend in high places whom is a Orca handler. Plenty of stories about some 'late night' entertainment in the waters just off the south docks involving repeat offenders whom are never seen again.

Davos and his gang enforce similar rules when it comes to his working guys and girls. The prostitutes here are treated arguably better than in many other cities or even in any of the other two or three hot spots in Geata-Iarainn. They are seen as valuable merchandise after all, and you don't. Damage. The merchandise.

The only other rule Davos and his gang really have is that everyone is a potential client, a potential customer, and should be treated as such. The caveat to this is if they are some fool cop looking to make a name for his or her self whom starts waving their badge around. Such cops generally get a swift one way ticket to the hospice or the morgue. Hasn't happened in a while, but that doesn't lessen the unspoken threat.

Defences

Bribery is a key one, but besides that, Davos Kirkland counts among his allies, besides corrupt officials and cops, some near two hundred thugs and cut-throats that answer to him or one of his business owners, or 'button-men' directly. Besides this, his sometimes lover Emily is always but a mere twist of a pendant he wears, and he can be in immediate mental communication with Emily, so the rumor is. And the Uisce Magister can travel great distances quite quickly. Besides this, Davos can always call upon Bavrik's Brawlers to handle any....unpleasantness.

Industry & Trade

Crime of all sorts. Prostitution, untaxed gambling, and narcotics are the big three.

Infrastructure

Bow's End at first look is a run down, beat up, falling apart at the seams part of town. This isn't an incorrect view, or not fully. Many of the buildings are older, some were abandoned after the Siege of the Butcher, and never reclaimed by their owners, whom were dead or emigrated. They've sat unused for the most part, until perhaps forty years ago, when a no name racketeer began building up a presence in the area and using a part of the run down blocks as his base of operations. This was Davos' father to be.

Ten years ago, Davos took over after his old man 'slipped on the pier and into the water, where one of the orca killed and ate him.' It is believed that Davos and his sometimes lover, Emily Sunderland, a handler in training at the time for the powerful killer whales, arranged the whole thing of course. Since then, slowly there have been some efforts to tidy things up, enough to open a few taverns and dive bars, mostly as legitimate income sources to help Davos clean his money.

Assets

"It would be easier for me, my friend, to list the things you cannot find in Bow's End. Here I will show you. Let me think.....Void-dust. That's very likely.....no I can't even say that with any confidence, as I am quite sure if you had enough coin, though the price would be ludicrous, and pushed the issue enough...they'd find a way to get you some. You'd be immediately escorted far out of the neighborhood though, by no less than four or five armed men I'd think.

A drunk regular to his new co-worker whom he's taken out to The Bloody Keel, one of the many dive bars, for a round or ten.

One can find all manner of delights in Bow's End, if one knows where to look. Below are a few of the highlights and their locations described;

Evergasm Flats: These five buildings at the north corner of Blackfin way are a place of sweat, passion, and never ending sexual opportunity. It is a place where your tastes, however they run, are likely easy to meet. Unless your tastes are dwarven, and even then, if you've the courage for it, there is almost always a Slayer or two around, though they are not 'workers' if one takes the meaning. But they are around, depending if you like your sexual encounters with.....a healthy dose of anger and ferocity. These buildings always smell of sweat, sex and cum, and the regulars like it that way. There are no conventional rooms, naught but beaded curtains. You may only purchase one delight, but experience many at once through your other senses whilst admiring and lusting with the form of the pleasure lady or man you purchased the time with. The only people not mostly or totally nude, whom do maintain a surprising level of professionalism and distance, whilst insuring they are visible, is the six to eight working toughs Davos has stationed at each building to discourage any.....distasteful behavior.

Dicer's Alley: This alley down near South Hook street, has a host of bars that run all variety of illegal (because they are totally untaxed) gambling operations out he back rooms or basements. Card games such as poker, King's March, Sharibo and more are played here, one of the biggest boasting that its tables never stop, at least one game in progress 24/7. Naturally this alley is also out back of the bars known to house illicit moneylenders and their operations upstairs in the second floor offices.

Sailor's Respite: This row of what once were townhouses, are now all interconnected via wooden and brick hallways with slat roofs, creating this network of hallways that connect various drug dens, so the consumer can shop away from the elements and let the second hand exposure loosen their inhibitions. Devilroot smoke, Addle Powder, Opia, Crackles, and even Shardis can be purchased and used here. There are even the very quiet and very occasional whispers that if one knows whom to ask, one could acquire Void-Powder or Void-Stone. But it is never really wise to talk about such things to much. One never knows where a Witch-Hunter's eyes and ears might be. One can smoke, snort, inject, or injest their day or days away here if one has the coin. Naturally, there are prostitutes whom work here as well, though it is more of a side gig compared to the narcotics.

Crimson Pits: This is located directly in the center of the little neighborhood, across from an old office building that has been modified and fortified and is now Davos' operational headquarters, well one of them. Rumor is he has two others. Across from that though, just on the piers, are a bunch of old warehouses no longer used to store much of note....legally. These warehouses and their old, run down wharves are the point of entry for a lot of the contraband that Davos moves in, even from the rail yards above, coming way of the miners and across the cove from the north end. Given that Bow's End gets its name from being the neighborhood at the edge of the south shore of the cove, facing open ocean, it is a perfect spot to smuggle contraband out to sea onto merchant vessels that he has pre arranged to take on the cargo. But these warehouses also have a seperate entrance to their basements, and these basements, or 'pits' give them their name. Here you can sign up to prize fight with fists or steel, here you can bet on these contests of blood and pain. The visceral entertainment of violence.

Cecilia the Sharp's Flat: Given all this excess, the moneylenders, a lot of people end up owing money. A fair bit of money. Some of them turn to theft to try and cover their debts. Davos, in his wisdom, realized that theft to pay debts was all well and good, but there was a major problem. Theft was likely to net goods, not coin, and they had no real way to liquidate those goods. Until he met Cecilia. A former elven merchant raised amongst pirates, whom always had a knack for trading in some of the 'odder' circles, she decided to settle here as few years back, falling in love with the place. Her pirate connections, which she kept and grew them to new up and coming captains, and even has acquired impressive middle and upper class clientele. She was content to live a pleasurable existence with no danger (besides getting caught for giving leads to pirates), but eventually she longed for some excitement. She didn't wish to move however, she'd come to fall in love with Bow's End. So she sought a meeting with Davos, worked out an arrangement and about four years ago, became Bow's End's resident cleaner/fence/dealer-in-stolen merchandise. She runs it all out of an unassuming forgotten Ghel warehouse on the southwest corner of Pike and Seal-Head road.

Guilds and Factions

The whole area is pretty much run unopposed by the Kirkland Crime Syndicate.

Type

Neighbourhood

Population

3300 or so

Owner/Ruler

Davos Kirkland

Ruling/Owning Rank

Mob Boss

Owning Organization

Kirkland Syndicate