[Nyka location] The Flaxen District

[Liar]

The Flaxen District The Flaxen District A few blocks from the Docks, the odor of fish fades into the stench of gold and sweat and fresh-dyed fabric. The Flaxen District is named after its concentration of clothes stores, selling high quality raiment for the wealthy and the poor, the stylish and the practical—all of which are made from flax, the textile grown most abundantly in the Nykan farmlands. The clothes here tend to be priced more expensive than most, but for good reason. Most vendors are as kind as they must be, but they know the quality of their wares and do not appreciate browsing. These shops have expanded beyond selling just clothes, many from the start. They work like pawn shops, where the vendors buy as much as they sell and everything is for sale, from the furniture to the décor to the people. Some visit to find an outfit, some in search of gifts for their friends or silver for their tables, and others reserve their coin for a servant or a whore. Whatever the Flaxen District’s purpose, it is best known as a slave market. Most Nykans are familiar with the local slave trade. Many sell themselves into indentured servitude here, in hopes that buying their way out again will give them a trade advantage in the long run, while others are sentenced to slavery in punishment for their crimes. Children of slaves become slaves, as do children of poor families who cannot support them. While Nykan slavers may capture individuals from the wild, or trade with those from Sunberth and Ravok, foreign slaves are often considered as poor of quality as other foreign wares. Unlike in other parts of Sylira, slaves are rarely mistreated—at least physically. A businessman would just as soon rip apart the garments he sells as he would bruise the bodies on display. The four most successful stores are The Post, The Garden, The Theater, and The Orphanage.   The Post Selection Priced at Competent levels add 20% for Expert and 50% for Master Heavy-Lifter 200 L (15 L/day) skills: body building Messenger: 250 L (15 L/day) skills: running, writing Fighter 350 L (25 L/day) skills: unarmed combat or brawling Inquire for Specific Skills (starting at 300 L) Supplies all are made from foreign iron haggling is respected and appreciated Plow 40 L Grindstone 25 L Anvil 20 L Scythe 15 L Smithing Hammer 15 L Woodaxe 5 L Pickaxe 2 L Shovel 1 L Rake 1 L Pitchfork 1 L Manacles 15 L Large Chain 15 L/ft Worker's Uniform (with shoes) 2 L Leather Apron 1 L Leather Boots 0.5 L Nykan Leather 2 L/lb Iron Ingot 2 L Iron Scraps 1-10 L The Post At one end of Flax Avenue, there stands a thick wooden post, as tall as a man, covered in papers and advertisements. Each is a request for able-bodied people for one task or another, sometimes for a day and sometimes for a lifetime. Free men may stop by the post in search of employment, but its location in this district calls for the attention of slavers specifically. The Post is the shop that stands behind it. While not without its share of competition, this large building sells the bulk of quality working slaves. Due to the nature of their specialty, the slaves are often discreetly chained at the ankles and to the floor, with some less cooperative individuals behind bars. Whereas the living merchandise lines the walls, aisles of working materials such as nails, hammers, trowels, and shackles stand beside displays of leather and work aprons and other practical materials for those who work with dirty hands. NPC Name: Card Hadra Position: Slave master of The Post Age: 33 Summary: Though he remains outwardly amiable, Card is first and foremost a businessman. He knows every detail about his merchandise, and can recite faster than a customer can count out their coins. Despite the stark iron environment and rather messy working conditions, he maintains a level of professionalism in both poise and dress. He treats his product with utmost care, concerned with keeping them in peak condition for selling. Small in stature and easily overshadowed by his product, he still turns his chin up with an air of superiority. Having command over the lives of men has given him a bit of a God complex, but though he attempts to force fear and respect in order to control the slaves, he seldom gets either. Instead, he must resort to chains and shackles to get his way. Skills: Negotiation 66, Business 53, Persuasion 46, Rhetoric 40, Blacksmithing 26, Intimidation 14   The Garden Selection Priced at Competent levels add 20% for Expert and 50% for Master Server 150 L skills: none Maid 250 L skills: cleaning, organization Gardener 250 L skills: botany, landscaping Cook 300 L skills: cooking, meat dressing Healer 350 L skills: herbalism, medicine Supplies haggling is respected and appreciated House Plant, Large 8 L House Plant, Medium 5 L House Plant, Small 3 L South Nykan Soil 2 L/lb Silver Polish 3 L/bottle Washboard 4 L Serving Plate or Bowl 2 L Spade 2 L Feather Duster 1 L Light Manacles 25 L/lb Custom Flax Uniform 2-5 L Plain Flax Uniform 1 L Flax Gloves 1 L Plain Foreign-Spun Uniform 0.5 L Leather Gloves 0.5 L Books 1 - 20 L pertaining to botany, cooking, and housecare The Garden Those who may have scruples about other corners of the district easily find themselves browsing the Garden, which is named after the building’s likeness to a greenhouse, complete with a partial glass ceiling and all variety of potted plants for sale. Many are decorative, but some are said to have medicinal or spiritual properties; the worth of these plants is debated by botanists and cooks, but asserted wholeheartedly by housewives and gossips. Between the roses and topiaries wait well-poised men and women with a golden circle brooch pinned to their chest, slaves that will kindly present their talents and qualities to anyone who asks. Some may work watering the plants or organizing the clothes at the back, uniforms and modest house wear sheltered from the sun and the humidity; all live in the public beds upstairs. It should be assumed that those who are not pinned are neither slaves. Should a customer wish not to speak with the merchandise directly, they can easily tell their preferences to the thin old woman at the back, who trains each slave and servant and has perfected the art of matching them with a master. NPC Name : Viola Glen Position Slave master of The Garden Age : 41 Summary: Unable to pass the Monk entrance exam despite unending devotion to Laat, Viola eventually settled for a life utilizing other talents. She tries to be sweet to customers, but can sometimes come off as cold, especially around her slaves. Viola is creative in her cruelty: each slave is named upon their arrival based on a perceived flaw or weakness, something Voila has quite the knack for. What she calls ‘highlighting their weaknesses so they can overcome them,’ actually amounts to another method of chiding and insulting them. She uses a system of degrading punishments (solitary confinement without clothes, starvation, dowsing with cold water, forced standing) instead of violence to keep them obedient, as well as snide banter that typically equates to future punishment. Skills: 55 Intimidation, 50 Subterfuge, 48 Botany, 36 Unarmed Combat, 30 Cooking, 29 Herbalism [Written by Ezra Crenshaw]   The Theater Selection Prices will differ based on skill, beauty, and customer quality Whore ~20 L/night skills: seduction Actor ~50 L/night skills: dance, acting, acrobatics, seduction Supplies haggling is respected and appreciated all jewelry is foreign-crafted Ticket to the Show (Free) Necklace 4-27 L Earrings 3-20 L Bracelet 2-24 Anklet 2-25 L Ring 1-20 L Custom Flax Dress 20-50 L Flax Dress 15-25 L Cotton Dress 1-12 L Silk Dress 10-20 L Flax Gloves 7 L Silk Gloves 5 L Decorative Sandals 5 L Porcelain Figurine 10 L Gold Figurine 7 L Silver Figurine 5 L Clay Figurine 2 L Curtains 3 L/yard Tablecloth 5 L Mask 4 L Face Paint 2 L Kohl 2 L Flax Dyes 3-5 L/qt Paint 1-2 L/bottle The Theater Because this tall building’s windows are tastefully covered with rich-colored flax fabric, the inside is lit entirely by candlelight. The Theater includes a stage and holds performances daily, but more respectable Nykans do not usually attend. Mantle pieces, candlesticks, decorative figurines, and other ornamental tokens are strewn over display tables; this is the only place in Nyka where foreign jewelry can be bought and sold, at low prices that reflect the quality of the work. Colorful robes and gowns for special occasions are this shop’s specialty costumes, and beautiful men and women are its specialty slaves. Every actor at the Theater is also an escort or courtesan, who can be taken to one of the upstairs rooms or delivered to any part of the city. These individuals can be discerned from customers by golden rings in the left ear, which is always kept visible. Drinks are served for free, but only generously to prospective customers. NPC Name: Irena “Mama” Skyglow Position: Slave master of The Theater Age: 47 Summary: Irena believes passionately in the sanctity of beauty, viewing sex and the body as art to be worshipped. Having grown up a hopeless romantic with a taste for adventure, she was quickly captured by slavers in her travels. Lighthearted to a fault, she took her misfortunes in stride and became successful as a whore in the Theater. Though ultimately able to buy her own freedom, she decided to stay among her ‘children’ and is fiercely protective of them. She dislikes the Nykan penchant for violence and has successfully disallowed fighting in her establishment, though she respects unique sexual sensibilities if her ‘children’ are consenting. In addition to carnal talents, she also became a capable seamstress in her time as a slave. While Irena is able to create elaborate yet tasteful dresses, respectable Nykan women would never be caught shopping at the Theater. Skills: Sewing 74, Seduction 69, Acting 56, Leadership 50, Negotiation 41, Dance 36 Gnosis: 1 mark of Nykali   The Orphanage Selection Children are not for sale until they reach 12 years of age, and typically only to businesses of the Flaxen District. To adopt a child, and therefore remove them from the district, you must be a native Nykan and answer a series of interview questions concerning your sincerity. Exploiting children outside of the profit of the Flaxen District is a punishable crime. Supplies all are made by the children haggling is not appreciated Child's Dress 1 L Child's Tunic 1 L Child's Shoes 0.5 L Pillow, Large 2 L Pillow, Small 1 L Scrubbing Brush 1 L Doily 1 L Blank Book 1 L Other Crafts 1 L The Orphanage Stray and unwanted children inevitably find themselves in this corner of the district, a small but clean hall that serves as bedroom and classroom alike. They are not taught to read and write here, but are instead trained in obedience and discipline, cleaning and cooking: the basic talents of the slaves they will become. If they are not bought by their fifteenth year, they may be sent to one of the three aforementioned shops, the only ones with which the Orphanage has a contract. Despite the nature of the establishment, children are simply taught to be productive—never abused. The Headmaster does not tolerate hearing that his students have been mistreated. NPC Name: Ezra Mole Position: Headmaster of The Orphanage Age: 26 Description: Ezra Mole has lived in the Orphanage since birth. He was always a quick learner but never very proud. Despite many offers to buy a quick-witted slave, the headmaster took a liking to him and kept him around until his death, when Ezra stepped into the position. Prone to shakes and stutters, he comes off as nervous, but he has earned the respect of the orphans with his kindness. He has allowed a sort of hierarchy among the children that keeps them in line, and is ultimately never disobeyed. Orphans must learn to love their future masters, so he teaches them basic skills like cleaning and cooking as well as humility and attentiveness. Skills: Writing 59, Teaching 50, Business 48, Cooking 42, Cleaning 42, Organization 55, Leadership 33