The Old Docks

WFRP 4e Altdorf Crown of Empire

The Old Docks are a complex labyrinth of ladders, platforms, pontoons, and piers. The docks are popular with smugglers dealing with illegal contraband, and the area is under the control of the Fish. No business goes on here without the Fish taking their cut, and they extort exorbitant fees from the barges forced to dock.
Local stevedores take orders from a large and burly Fish ganger known only as Earnest Erich, who hires and fires workers at whim. Every morning and evening he takes up position outside the Broken Barrel tavern, right by the docks, and hands out jobs to the throng of applicants. He prefers to give the best jobs to the workers he knows to be loyal to him and to the Fish, but is not averse to trying out new talents to test their potential. The jobs are mostly loading or unloading cargo, running delivery errands, or providing muscle at negotiations for docking fees with those hapless captains who weigh anchor at the Old Docks.
Those who win the trust of Earnest Erich might receive more lucrative smuggling assignments, or even missions to sabotage Hook-managed businesses on the other side of the Reik. The Old Docks play a major part in the Altdorf black market economy, much to the frustration of the city’s tax collectors and the City Watch. Still, the cost of moving into the district to police this illicit trade is prohibitive in terms of both money and personnel. The commerce continues unabated, only disturbed by occasional raids at the outskirts of the district. Thus, the Old Docks have become a haven for the criminal underworld. In addition to the Fish, there are many smaller gangs operating, as well as well-connected people willing to shift stolen or smuggled goods.