Speakeasies and other important locations

Haze

Haze gets its name from the fragrant smoke that wafts from decorative pewter censers and the colored smoke that occasionally enhances various performances and special events. A bit more cozy than the typical bar or nightclub, Haze is a popular place to relax with a well-made drink and converse with friends or to try your luck with one of the small assortment of table games. The lounge is decorated in shades of grey and silver accented with muted blues and violets. High backed booths line the walls, providing comfort and privacy for those who would prefer to keep their liaisons or deals private. The center of the lounge has more open seating, providing the patrons with the chance to see and be seen.

Quiet background music is provided by a sultry singer accompanied by a beautiful ebony grand piano. On rare occasions, Sharada, the owner of Haze, can be persuaded to sing a song or two as well. The entertainers are familiar with a wide assortment of popular songs. However, regular customers may note that every night at least a couple of the songs refer to smoke in a positive way.

In the back corner of the lounge, patrons can gamble at a small assortment of different card, dice, and wheel-based games, with dragon’s gambit (similar to poker) being the most popular. The dealers don’t cheat (and are trained to detect those are do). Of course, due to the odds, in the long run, the house almost always wins.

In addition to a wide assortment of fine wines, beers, and cocktails, Haze has always offered a small selection of appetizers and desserts. Due to the recent curfew, and the resulting modification to the hours the lounge is open, the menu has been expanded to include a soup or stew of the day, salads, and sandwiches. A selection of tobacco, marijuana, and qat can also be purchased from one of the “cigarette girls” that work at the establishment.

At least for now, Sharada has dealt with the recently imposed curfew by hiring more employees and expanding the hours that Haze is open. The lounge now opens in the late afternoon to attract some of the patrons who wish to be home well before the first bell after sundown and remains open until the curfew is lifted in the mornings. A few well placed bribes have convinced the local authorities that individuals inside the lounge technically aren’t violating the curfew, since they aren’t out on the streets.

She has also arranged for some of the storage rooms on the second floor to temporarily be converted into sleeping chambers. They aren’t as comfortable as those that could be found in an inn; but they are a place where a tired patron or staff member can get a bit of rest if they don’t want to risk being out after curfew.

Sharada’s very comfortable townhouse is located nearby. And, while it is known only to a few of her most loyal employees, is accessible via a tunnel running between Haze’s wine cellar and her basement.

Pearlhome

Located in the Southern end of the Temple District, Pearlhome is a tributary brothel-shrine dedicated to Ganymede, and thus by Patronage, Venus herself. The building is formed around a central column of pearls, fished straight out of the maw of a Behemoth in the depths of the Wyld by none other than the Shield of a Different Day. Emanating from the pearl column are strands of puissant essence, which form the architecture of Pearlhome like a wire frame. From the crest of the column water cascades, creating a sort of structured, waterfall walls and floor panels. Depending on how much water rushes past to create the rooms in Pearlhome, the walls can be almost completely transparent, to heavy torrents of solid water. Many of the guests find this degree of transparency extremely enticing, which keeps them coming back just to see how revealing this particular day's activities may be.

Pearlhome is owned by Coral Beaches, a soft-spoken but stone cold woman. If she ever raises her voice or her blue eye to meet the mark of her ire, it is a serious offense. Tall and shapely, her long blond hair and her lowbuttoned salmon kimono only hint at her true beauty. Her clothes and hair are always wet, and hints of fish-scales spatter her thighs and lower arms.

Coral Beaches is perhaps not so surprisingly a broker of information in the City. Her temple-courtesans gather a lot of dirty secrets for her, and she also trains them in basic shadowing, disguese and eavesdropping techniques so they can follow up on their clientele once they leave the premises.

Roual has paid Beaches for blackmail material in the past, and they have a working if not completely amicable business relationship.

The Docks

The docks of Great Forks are outside the walls of the South Quarter. Traditionally a bustling and exotic place of much commotion and business, the curfew and difficulty of passage has changed that. Most of the official business that would take place in the Docks has been moved into the bureaucratic Temple District in the center of the city. Entry to the docks is kept under strict supervision, and without having paid a visit to the Immigration Offices and the House of Declaration it is impossible to gain access.

The Splinters is the part of the Docks where all the rambunctious bordellos and thieves dens and sailors taverns are. This is a violent slum that is dangerous to visit, but for some reason that lawless portion of the Docks is also kept under lockdown. It is uncertain if the Ministers of Great Forks has come down on the Splinters in an attempt to keep the order, or if there is a more sinister reason to the lockdown. Regardless, for now, nobody enters the Splinters and nobody leaves either.

http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/No_time_for_prayers