SouthBridge

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Maeve
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SouthBridge

Post by Maeve »

Often joked as the cultural center of World's Mouth, SouthBridge houses some of the more illicit and dangerous locations in the city as well as the greatest theatre and coliseum to be found. The Lower Scillus river can be crossed from here, providing entrance to the city from regions South.

The Punt Den
Deep in SouthBridge lies a small, but locally well-known pub. Shabby where Ranley Tavern is considered clean, unsafe where Ranley Tavern is considered safe, hostile to newcomers where Ranley Tavern is considered welcoming, and shady where Ranley Tavern is considered honest.

A crude, wooden sign swaying and creaking in the wind hung above the entrance. Once it had depicted a pretty barmaid and a stack of cards, now those were barely recognizable, and the crude lettering was not easily read: 'Punt Den'.

Strategically situated between the Promenade Theatre and Madame Panicci's brothel, Punt Den holds open only from eveningtide third mark, but its doors remain welcoming until morningtide. Spectators of the later and more dubious shows of the Promenade Theatre often spends the marks after in the Punt Den, discussing the night's performances, and indeed some of the girls of the Theatre comes here looking for an extra coin after having advertised their looks on the stage. But these are the lesser stars, many the crowd's favourites usually head straight for Madame Panicci's or take their leave with clients when the show is over.

It is the less attractive and less professional of Madame Panicci's girls who attend the Punt Den, and the connection between the brothel and the pub is a silent one. Where Madame Panicci houses guests from both the upper and lower classes and emphasizes privacy and discretion, it is the latter classes who frequents the Punt Bar where whores and their clients finds themselves a corner rather than a private room. Even so, relaxing with a beer in the Den is popular sport either before or after a visit to Madame Panicci's.

A wooden door opened into the main room of Punt Den with its long bar and crowded tables. Barmaids hurried between the guests, successfully and unsuccessfully evading pinches and grabs from the male customers, who were the definite majority in the establishment. A few daringly dressed girls scanned the guests for potential customers, and indeed a few already had clinched with clients in corners or behind tables. There was a stench of sweat, beer, smoke and even congealed blood in the air, mixed with raucous laughter, the clink of glass and loud conversation.

A stairway led down to the basement where the gambling took place. Stakes varied from a mark at Madam Panicci's to crown upon crown in games of all varieties.
Last edited by Maeve on Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Maeve
The Dragon & Game Designer
Posts: 15536
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Maeve »

The Promonade Theatre
Nestled amid several great cultural structures, the Promenade Theatre holds the distinction of hosting the finest entertainment one can find in the line of play acting. While play acting has grown to popularity at the Promenade, it is but one of many attractions that include such events as concerts, recitals, and balls. Reserved and used virtually every night, the Promenade Company receives as much revenue for performances as they do for leasing the magnificent structure, for they own it outright.

Circular in design, much of the Promenade is made up of very steep sets of stands from which spectators can enjoy the presentations from the raised stage at the center. One quarter of the circular building is sectioned off as an additional, deeper stage, with an extensive collection of backdrops and props for general use. A few private boxes overlooking the stage are available for the more affluent patrons, though these fill quickly and are far too few to hold all the more eccentric and wealthy visitors that frequent the place as often as it is used. Backstage and below are a catacomb of corridors and chambers designed for use by the actors and musicians that use the place. Many of these are for use by the Promenade Company only, but many acting troupes would find the facility more than adequate for any use.

Earlier showings in the Promenade include concerts and sketch acting, while a formal play in the evening is standard. Later in the evening, shows of a more bawdy and salacious nature can be seen, drawing rakes and the wealthier youths, making it a popular meeting place for many of the newer generation of Merchant Princes.
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Maeve
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
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Post by Maeve »

Madam Panicci's
This regal and majestic manse, strangely out of place in SouthBridge, houses the most well-known and famous bordello in the city. Catering to all classes and incomes, the place is well known for it's wide selections and open approach to pleasing it's clients. Built near the Promenade, some of the ladies that live and work at the brothel also perform at at the theatre nightly, giving them the opportunity to gain hopeless admirers and wealthy clients from all across the city.

The entrance to the bordello is a posh, luxurious foyer with a musician perpetually at work, filling the air with the light sounds of a relaxing tune. A bar and bartender insures that no client goes without a drink for any length of time, and Madam Panicci is a perpetual presence, seeing to her guest's well being while she learns of their interests and desires to better serve them. Red velvet covers all the chairs and sofas in the vast entrance, a testament to her success, while intricate, woven carpets cover the floor and a richly carved though worn staircase rises up to the floors above. All the fittings are of polished brass, including the magnificent chandelier, which filles the room in a warm, soothing light designed to put all occupants at ease.

Many of Madam Panicci's ladies were in the foyer, advertising their availability and appearance. Among them were all shapes and sizes, from tall, regal aristocratic women to small, diminutive elves, for this was one profession that accepted any and all that could attract a stable group of clients. All the women were tastefully and elegantly dressed, though the styles of their dress varied dramatically from one lady to the next. Some wore the tight, restrictive corsets that accented their cleavage, while others wore the exotic split skirts of a distant region to display their legs for a client's approval.
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Maeve
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Maeve »

Mercantea
(OOC: This location is far too well hidden for anyone to just 'stumble across'. Only players having heard of it - and its location - IC, can enter.)

They occur in every city, the unobtrusive curiosity shops, usually situated in side alleys or passages known only to the locals. Run by the owner exclusively, these shops tend to be closed so often that any proper businessman would shake his head and purse his lips at the mere thought. But few proper businessmen visit these shops, nor do they know of them.

And indeed, also the Mouth housed one. Deep in the urban maze of the SouthBridge, hid in the alleys off Ranley Square lay the unnoticeable shop called Mercantea. Narrow stairs that appeared to have been dug out of the very street itself directly in front of a two-storey stone house (no railings secured the sudden drop) led down to a subterranean entrance to what must be the building’s undercroft. A wooden door no man of reasonable height could enter without stooping and a tiny window beside it were both worn. The window provided no view to the inside, apparently it was blocked by something from the inside. Above the door was a wooden sign with intricate lettering.

Mercantea ~ Dealings in Artifacts and Antiquities


And on the door itself hung a notice.

Please knock. Ask Sergo above if no answer.
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Maeve
The Dragon & Game Designer
Posts: 15536
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Maeve »

The Shrine Gardens
In the heart of the SouthBridge borough lies this large, circular park. At almost five hundred paces in diameter, the gardens are ringed with one of the many canals that thread through the city, with several bridges offering access to them from all angles. The park is unlit at night, but it is patrolled regularly, and vagrants are moved on immediately leaving the lovely facility free of unwelcome guests. Numerous fountains, ponds, glades, and lawns are collected within the gardens, allowing them to service even a great number of people at once with relative privacy.

At the heart of the park lies it's namesake, the old alter of the One used in very distant times before World's Mouth grew to manage a proper temple. The shrine is unused today for normal religious functions, but a priest remains nearby, and many weddings, funerals, and special events are often conducted at the Shrine even today. Many that pass by often leave a small offering to the One at the alter, preferring the humble and private surroundings over the massive austerity of the Prodesse Dominicus Cathedral in Highton.
[i][b][color=orange][size=92]Smile and carry a big stick.[/color][/b][/i][/size]
Maeve
The Dragon & Game Designer
Posts: 15536
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Maeve »

The Citus Fields
A large, oval building of immense design, the Citus houses the city's popular track where racing can be found every Uldday and Tygday. From without, it seems like any other great building in the cultural center of the Mouth, as tall, broad columns rise forty paces into the air and long, proud pendants flutter about it's perimeter playfully. Within, it is more impressive than even this, for the tracks lay open to the air, and the entire interior is lined with seating rising up high.

An extensive set of paddocks and offices lie under the grand stands and jutting out to the fore, proving facilities for those that race as well as those that administer the building. These paddocks open out to the field itself, a field with an inner pitch of fresh grass and an outer ring of soft, fresh sawdust.

While the track is frequently used for racing, it has numerous other functions as well, ranging from festivals, athletic competitions, and even public addresses, for the structure seats over twenty thousand at any single moment. tournaments were once held here by the nobility, a spectacle that the Citus has not seen in many, many years.
[i][b][color=orange][size=92]Smile and carry a big stick.[/color][/b][/i][/size]
Maeve
The Dragon & Game Designer
Posts: 15536
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2002 1:29 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Maeve »

Ranley Tavern
Filling a modest building in historic Ranley square, The Ranley Tavern had been an institution of the area since the square first received it's name after it's first inhabitant. It sat wedged between a small, circular pedestal that marked the center of the square and one of the many small tributaries that branched off of the mighty Vedicus canal that marked one edge of the square itself. The building itself was constructed in somber, stoic stone stacked imperfectly up to a towering three stories and freshly though unevenly coated in a burnt, regal red.

Four steps lead down from the square itself to the front door of Ranley Tavern. A small plaque sat beside the door, lit by a small lamp above.

Ranley Tavern is ever grateful to Elax Eppello sr. and the Naturalist Society for the 'Durable Draining Device', keeping our guests dry in wet times.


Below, in carvings newer than those mentioned (but still several yahren old for the look of them), it said:

Elax Eppello sr. 1159-1210 - Brilliant and kindly inventor, Ranley Tavern regular.


Directly within was a gloomy yet peaceful room that drew no light whatsoever from outside. Instead, four great brass lamps hung from the ceiling, each casting out a brilliant glow that filled the majestic interior with their soft radiance. Copper seemed to be in good supply at the time of construction, for it could be seen to gleam throughout the commons upon such places as the front of the bar, the edges of the tables, and even the utensils and mugs that were prominently displayed more as decoration than for any use. The copper of the room matched well with the warm, rich, dark wood that made up the ceiling and the upper half of the walls. A thick layer of sawdust coated the floor, freshly sprinkled out to spread their own rustic scent to the otherwise spicey and rich air.

The bartender, a rotund, wise-looking man with a bald head and a long, well-greased moustache nodded to any new arrivals while a young, energetic waitress sat absently at one of the many little tables that filled the room, absently picking at one of her fingernails for want of anything more useful to do.
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