The Thieves' Quarter

The Old Quarter, known to most as the Thieves' Quarter, is not a pretty place. The poor and disenfranchised drift in because they have no other place to go and become easy prey for the thugs and murderers who make the Old Quarter their home. This state of affairs forces people to learn quickly. Locals adapt or perish, becoming either a predator or a victim. Thus, the cycle of violence and degradation goes on.

Though the Old Quarter is officially part of the city of Liberty and under the rule of Prince Fiorelle, everyone knows that the Thieves' Guild holds the true reins of power in this evil place. Part of every footpad's haul, part of every prostitute's pay, and part of every drug dealer's profit goes to the Thieves' Guild. Even part of the profits from the Old Quarter's legitimate businesses goes to the Thieves' Guild, their owners not wanting to watch them burn to the ground.

Most merchants in the Old Quarter accept this as an unpleasant fact of life. They don't like it, but they have no other choice. Others embrace the patronage of the Thieves' Guild.

The Sea-Wolf, formerly known as the Laughing Sea-Dog, has been a fixture on the docks of Liberty's Old Quarter for several decades. Catering mostly to sailors and foreign merchants, the Sea-Wolf is open from mid-afternoon to dawn every day and bustles with business until the wee hours every night. The owner, Captain Varribo,

was a sailor himself until an encounter with the sea-monster after which the tavern is named. Varribo encourages seafarers to provide entertainment for the whole place, rewarding sea-chanteys and lewd poems with free drinks.

The tavern has a somewhat sinister side: Due to debts owed to the Thieves' Guild, Captain Varribo also caters to the Old Quarter's criminal element. While he won't put up with Guild members starting fights and picking pockets in the tavern itself, he does occasionally close his doors to accommodate private meetings between Thieves' Guild officers and their "business partners." He also provides false alibis and occasionally allows Guild members to hide out for a few hours in his office.

Varribo's relationship with the Thieves' Guild is excellent and, despite not being a criminal himself, they treat him as an honorary Guild member. Although they never bring the issue up, the fact remains that Varribo owes the Guild a great deal of money, and if he ever balked at doing a favor for them, they could hold his debt over his head.

Bouncers: Four warriors.(nps only)
Tavern Staff: Four commoners.(npcs only)

Captain Varribo is an old sailor in his late middle years with a potbelly, a bushy beard, and a big, friendly grin. His most distinguishing features, though, are his wooden arms--a blend of magic and mechanics--and he enjoys drawing attention to them.

In his career as a sailor from the Southern Empire, Varribo sailed to ports all over the world, though his favorite place in the world was the Laughing Sea-Dog tavern in Liberty's Old Quarter. When he lost both his arms to a half-wolf, half-shark creature in the northern seas, Varribo had no choice but to retire from the seas, and he chose to live out his days at the Laughing Sea-Dog. Varribo used the last of his money to buy the place and renamed it the Sea-Wolf in "honor" of the creature that had led him to buy it.

Running a business wasn't as easy for him as running a ship, and Varribo fell on hard times. Fortunately, the Thieves' Guild--then run by Jermot--bailed him out, and the Sea-Wolf became a meeting place for Guild members. Varribo still owed them a lot of money, but they went easy on him so long as he used the tavern to provide an occasional favor: shutting the place down for private meetings and parties, providing alibis for Guild members seeking to avoid arrest, and so on.

Varribo did his job so well that Jermot gave him a special gift: a pair of magical arms that attached over his stumps. Varribo never learned where they came from, though he likes to believe that someone took them off a golem. Before he could ask Jermot, Sepris and Parkol gained control of the Thieves' Guild and, while they continue Jermot's arrangement with the Sea-Wolf, they've never said anything about the "golem arms."

The old man stood behind the bar,wiping out mugs and placing them in their empty places.Watching the patrons come and go like every other day.Humming an old sailing tune awaiting another day in his Tavern.

With a grin, she hug on the edge of the building, counting down slowly in her head. When she reached zero, she let go, dropping softly into the alley next to the tavern. Tanya briefly checked to make sure no one had seen her, before slipping quietly into the Sea-Wolf Tavern. She checked her sleeves to ensure that her throwing knifes were still hidden, concealing the movement by reaching into the pouch that hung at her side. She pulled out a small folded letter, and left it in the palm of her hand while she made her way behind the bar.

"Your friends send their regards," Tanya whispered to Varribo once she stood next to him. She slipped one dainty hand into his pocket, leaving the piece of paper in it's place. In a regular voice, she asked with a laugh, "Need any help today?"

The old man couldn't help but grumble at the words and set the mug down along with his rag.He looked over the cloaked figure and sighed slightly.It wasn't great news,it never really was but at least she was nice about delivering it.He didn't say anything to her only made a motion with his head for her to follow and pointed to one of the other guys to watch the bar.He headed for the door with Storage on it.When they were both in the room he reached into his pocket but never opened only threw it onto the top of a barrel near them.

"What is it this time,do I even get a choice in the matter anyway?"

His words were sharp and harsh,he was grateful for what he had but a human can only take so much before it wore down on him.He looked at the small woman and leaned against a barrel waiting for the following argument.It never got any were past im only doing my job and i don't know but at least it looked less obvious to everyone else.

She raised her eyebrows at him, "I don't know what it says, I'm not stupid enough to open a letter sealed by the Guild Masters. But it shouldn't be too bad, rumor around the Guild is that an important heist is gonna happen soon, might have something to do with that."
She hopped onto one of the barrels, and addressed the man in front of her. "It's probably better explained in there, but if it's what I think it is, it might just be enough to make them consider even-ing your debt. Maybe it'll even put us a little in debt to you."
She gave a small smile to Varribo, she was rather fond of the old man. "Well, that's what I've heard anyway," Tanya told him with a wink.

He didn't like the slippery slope her words had made but he didn't have much of a choice.IT was sink or swim and one of those was hard enough for him.He sighed as he snatched up the letter and began to read it.After a moment he crumbled it up and sighed another heavy breath.

"How am i suppose to front a raid on the merchants flotilla.I don't have room for all those people.Guess I don't have much of a choice.Well if you want to help then lets get going.I'm gonna need your help yet again."

The old man shook his head and kicked open the door.He made his way back behind the bar and went back to working like nothing was wrong.Might as well make a little bit of money before he closed and started doing what the guild asked.

Tanya shrugged her shoulders, once the Guild told you to do something, it was either do it or pay the consequences. "If it's any consolation, I really am sorry for this. Ever since Sepris and Parkol took control of the Guild, they've been asking the impossible of everyone," she spat out their names, like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Tanya joined the man, picking up a stray tray laying on the bar. She slipped off her hood, revealing light blue eyes peering out of a gentle face. Her short blonde bangs hung down across her face while the rest of her hair was tied back with a length of leather. "I've got some free time on my hands, and nothing better to do. Would you mind if I helped?" she asked, eager to help the man who had been closest to the previous Guild-master.

After the hours passed and the patrons began to thin out Varribo carefully got the rest of his patrons to leave and had the tavern locked up for the night.He spoke a few words to the wait staff and with grumbles they agreed to what the old man had said and left out the back room in a hurry.The bouncers nodded in a agreement when the conversation with their boss ended and they quickly made their exit as well.

Varribo walked to the back of the back,moved aside a barrel and pulled on two giant levers hidden behind the keg.With a loud cracking noise and a low rumble the building began to shake and shift.Nothing feel off the walls as they bolted in place or fake, the tables seemed unaffected by the movement,even the glasses stayed in place.The front half of the building began to shift and shake.

The front porch area was soon encased with stone walls that came up from the ground.The front walls swung in and covered most of the front windows from looking in.The tables and chairs began to hover and lined the walls for sitting places and to make room in the whole building.The bar it self shifted backwards some taking up less room.Varribo sighed as he looked out into his bar.He hated having to do this but it was something that kept his tavern open and in business.He leaned up against the wall as he moved the barrel back into place as he looked at the girl with a gentle caring smile.He gave her a small nod.Though his face showed her care his voice was sharp and mixed with hidden words.

"Go fetch the guild members,tell them my place is open for them.Make haste for the plans now set into place can not be change."