The Squalids

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Introduction

This is the most disreputable part of the city, notorious for its crime and poverty. It is densely packed with rundown housing, shady alleys, and a persistent sense of danger.

Demographics: Inhabited mostly by the destitute, outcasts, and those on the fringes of society, including a significant number of criminals and those evading the law.

The presence of a Beholder crime lord in the Squalids adds a deeply intriguing layer to the criminal underworld of Harbour City. Here are more details about this formidable entity and its operations:

The Beholder Crime Lord: Xar'eth Tenebris

Xar'eth Tenebris, Crime Lord - Hosting a gathering of his criminal minions

Background: Xar'eth Tenebris is not just any Beholder; he's a mastermind with a vision for dominance that extends beyond mere power. Driven by a mix of paranoia and strategic genius, Xar'eth has successfully woven himself into the fabric of the city's underworld, manipulating factions and orchestrating crimes from the shadows of the Squalids.

Personality: As with most Beholders, Xar'eth is incredibly intelligent and equally paranoid, viewing almost everyone as a potential threat to his supremacy. However, he is also a pragmatist who understands the importance of allies and pawns in his games of power.

Role: Xar'eth operates as the unseen hand behind numerous illegal activities in Harbour City, from smuggling and racketeering to more dark and arcane dealings. His lair, hidden deep within the labyrinthine alleys of the Squalids, is rumored to be a hive of stolen treasures and forbidden knowledge.

Operations and Influence

1. Criminal Network: Xar'eth has an extensive network of informants, thugs, and lesser criminals who owe him allegiance. He uses his telepathic abilities and his central eye's anti-magic cone to maintain control and ensure loyalty—or instill fear.
2. Black Market: Under Xar'eth's rule, the Squalids have become the hub for a thriving black market, dealing in everything from stolen goods to magical artifacts. This market not only fuels the local economy but also serves as a trap for ensnaring more influential figures into his web of influence.
3. Conflict with the Guard: The City Guard's reluctance to enter the Squalids suits Xar'eth perfectly, allowing him almost free rein. However, this does not mean he underestimates them; rather, he carefully avoids direct confrontation, using his minions to maintain a buffer between himself and the law.
4. Magical Experiments: Being a Beholder, Xar'eth is fascinated by magic and often conducts dangerous experiments. These experiments sometimes result in bizarre creatures or cursed objects that find their way into the hands of unsuspecting or desperate individuals.

Tenebris Adventure Hooks

• The Beholder's Eye: The adventurers are hired to retrieve a rare artifact believed to be in Xar'eth’s possession, forcing them to navigate the perilous politics of the Squalids.
• Underworld War: A rival gang has decided to challenge Xar'eth’s supremacy, and the adventurers are caught in the middle. They must choose sides or find a way to profit from the chaos.
• City Guard Alliance: The City Guard has finally decided to attempt a crackdown on the Squalids' criminal activities. They need inside information, and the adventurers might be the only ones capable of infiltrating Xar'eth's lair.
• Cursed Objects: Strange occurrences have been happening in Harbour City, traced back to objects originating from the Squalids. The adventurers must trace these objects back to their source and stop the spread of corruption.

Xar'eth Tenebris, with his malevolent intelligence and strategic acumen, offers a rich antagonist or a complex ally, depending on the adventurers' choices, creating a dynamic narrative force within the urban tapestry of Harbour City.

The Brothel: The Gilded Abyss

The brothel in the Squalids is known as The Gilded Abyss. Its name is an ironic nod to the contrast between the promises of pleasure and luxury it suggests, and the grim, harsh reality of life in the district. This establishment has a reputation for being more than just a place of vice—it's also a hub for information, blackmail, and clandestine meetings. Hidden rooms, trapdoors, and secret passages offer the perfect environment for covert activities.

The interior is dimly lit by flickering lanterns, with heavy curtains to block out prying eyes. Patrons can find a mix of cheap comforts, high-stakes gambling, and whispered deals that could change the fate of Harbour City. The brothel's workers are as much spies as they are entertainers, gathering intelligence for their masters.

The Proprietor: Verana Greyscale

Verana Greyscale welcomes you to the Gilded Abyss

The Gilded Abyss is managed by Verana Greyscale, a shrewd and calculating half-elf who serves as the Beholder crime lord's lieutenant. Known for her silver tongue and piercing gaze, Verana is a master manipulator who controls the brothel with an iron fist wrapped in silk. She ensures the establishment runs smoothly while subtly furthering the Beholder’s interests, whether that involves brokering underworld deals or making troublesome individuals "disappear."

Despite her allegiance to the crime lord, Verana maintains an air of independence. This has led some to wonder if she has her own ambitions, either for more power or for freedom from her current employer's oversight. Her network of informants is unparalleled, and she uses the knowledge she gains to stay one step ahead of both allies and enemies.

The Gilded Abyss Adventure Hook

While visiting The Gilded Abyss, the party is approached by one of Verana's spies—a desperate entertainer who wants out of the business and has learned something that could bring the entire Beholder operation crashing down. The spy promises to share this secret with the party if they help them escape Harbour City. However, Verana, sensing potential betrayal, sends assassins to tie up loose ends, turning the brothel into a deadly cat-and-mouse battleground.

The Prison in the Squalids: The Gutter

The prison in the Squalids, commonly referred to as The Gutter, is a sickening, grimy, and decaying structure that mirrors the worst of the misery in the district it serves. It is a dark reflection of the Squalids itself: filthy, oppressive, and steeped in corruption. Justice is a pretense, punishment is arbitrary, and survival is a daily battle.

The Gutter’s overcrowded cells are damp and infested with vermin, and the stench of rot and waste pervades the air. Crumbling corridors echo endlessly with the cries of the tormented, creating a bleak soundscape of suffering. It is not a place for rehabilitation but a crucible of misery where the desperate, unlucky, and inconvenient are tossed to be forgotten—or exploited.

Prisoners rarely know why they’ve been sent to The Gutter. Some are petty criminals caught at the wrong time, others political dissidents or pawns in larger schemes. Coin or connections can buy better treatment or freedom, but for most, survival is the only goal.

The Gutter serves more than just the appearance of law and order; it’s a hub for illicit dealings, extortion, and hidden machinations. Secrets are buried, grudges are settled, and power is brokered within its walls. Unlike the calculated brutality of the Iron Gauntlet in the Pits, The Gutter thrives on chaos, with its masters leveraging cruelty and neglect to keep inmates cowed and compliant. Here, the only certainty is suffering.

Leadership: Jailer Mavrick "The Rat" Cull

The Gutter is overseen by Jailer Mavrick "The Rat" Cull, a sniveling coward with a weasel-like demeanor and a flair for cruelty. Mavrick’s wiry frame and perpetually hunched posture make him appear as weak as his character suggests, but his capacity for petty vindictiveness and sadistic punishments makes him a feared figure within the prison.

Mavrick thrives on the suffering of those under his control, taking a perverse pleasure in devising humiliating and degrading torments, particularly for the most vulnerable inmates. His methods range from withholding food and water to concocting grotesque punishments designed to break the spirits of his victims. Though he revels in his power, Mavrick is, at his core, a coward. The moment he feels personally threatened, he becomes obsequious and eager to please, groveling shamelessly to anyone he believes could harm him.

While Mavrick lacks true courage, he compensates with cunning, adeptly manipulating the weak and exploiting opportunities to maintain his position. He relies heavily on the brute force of his guards and the pervasive fear he instills in his prisoners. In private, Mavrick delights in tormenting inmates, using their suffering as entertainment or currency to curry favor with his superiors and the Squalids’ criminal factions.

His office—a cramped, filthy space cluttered with documents, half-eaten meals, and crude trophies taken from broken prisoners—reflects his disdain for order and decency. To ensure his safety and maintain a tenuous peace, Mavrick is quick to cut deals with the district's criminal powers, selling out prisoners or turning a blind eye to illicit activities when it benefits him.

Interestingly, Xar’eth Tenebris, the Beholder crime lord, seems to take some perverse enjoyment in Mavrick’s failures and cowardice. Tenebris finds amusement in watching the little man squirm, considering him an easily manipulated tool to maintain order in the Squalids.

Leadership: Veltren Cull

Few would suspect that the brash and charismatic goofball known as Gavin Redvale in the Merchant’s Quarter is, in fact, Veltren Cull. Born to Tabitha Cull, a whore from the Squalids, Veltren grew up in poverty alongside his half-brother Mavrick. While Mavrick’s father was a guttersnipe who vanished, Veltren’s father was a traveling merchant who left behind a small shop of rare curiosities before his death. Veltren inherited the shop and used it to create his respectable persona, Gavin Redvale. Beneath Gavin’s charm, however, lies the true Veltren: ruthless, cruel, and pragmatic.

Veltren’s size and wit always made him the dominant sibling, and he tormented Mavrick relentlessly in their youth. Though Veltren left the Squalids behind, his control over Mavrick never wavered. Today, he holds the true reins of The Gutter, using intimidation and manipulation to keep his brother in line. Mavrick lives in constant fear of Veltren’s wrath, knowing that his brother’s role as a lieutenant in Xar’eth Tenebris’ organization could easily spell his end.

Veltren delights in humiliating Mavrick, mocking his failures, and issuing impossible demands. He often visits the prison unannounced, hiding his true appearance behind an illusion—a magical and everchanging disguise, and then hiding his face behind a red bandana. He often belittles and ridicules his older, weaker brother in front of guards and prisoners alike. For Veltren, controlling Mavrick is both calculated and personal—a way to assert dominance over his past and the Squalids themselves.

Veltren’s Role in Tenebris’ Organization

As a lieutenant in Tenebris' organization, Veltren Cull serves as a critical link between the Beholder crime lord and the Merchant’s Quarter. Through his shop, Veltren launders money, traffics rare magical artifacts, and brokers deals to expand Tenebris’ influence across Harbour City.

Veltren balances his position with cunning, carefully avoiding actions that could provoke Tenebris’ paranoia while quietly advancing his own power. To the Beholder, Veltren appears loyal and efficient, though some suspect his ambition runs deeper than he lets on. Veltren ensures that any mistakes or failures are traced back to expendable figures, most often his hapless brother, Mavrick.

As for Tenebris, the Beholder views Veltren as a tool to enforce his plans, using him as a means of controlling the Squalids and securing resources. Veltren, in turn, is keenly aware that Tenebris views him not as an ally, but as a necessary and profitable opportunity—just one more cog in the vast machine of his criminal empire. Though Tenebris has no affection for Veltren, he does seem to enjoy watching Mavrick squirm whenever Veltren is involved. The Beholder takes an almost perverse pleasure in the tension between the half-brothers, and occasionally visits the prison just to see Mavrick's discomfort. Veltren is not unaware of this dynamic, but he knows better than to question it. He carefully manages his role, maintaining the delicate illusion of loyalty to Tenebris while secretly plotting for more power. Veltren’s control over The Gutter is central to his role within Tenebris’ network. The prison serves as both a tool and a resource:

1. Enforcing Tenebris’ Will: Veltren uses The Gutter to imprison or eliminate individuals who defy Tenebris’ authority. Those who pose a threat to the organization are quietly removed, ensuring no loose ends remain.

2. Securing Resources: The Gutter provides Veltren with a steady supply of disposable manpower. Promising inmates are “recruited” into Tenebris’ operations, while others are exploited as informants or test subjects for the Beholder’s magical experiments.

3. Extracting Wealth: Bribes, extortion, and illicit dealings within The Gutter generate significant revenue, a portion of which Veltren funnels back to Tenebris. The rest, Veltren pockets, using his cunning to ensure his cut goes unnoticed. From his cut, he also gives Mavrick a meager stipend, begrudging every copper that he cannot keep himself.

4. Consolidating Power: Veltren uses his position to eliminate rivals within the organization, framing them as traitors or incompetents. This ensures that his own ascent remains unchallenged, even as he navigates the dangerous politics of Tenebris’ inner circle.

The Mask of Loyalty

Despite his position as a lieutenant, Veltren is careful to maintain the illusion of unwavering loyalty to Xar’eth Tenebris. He is acutely aware of the Beholder’s paranoia and takes pains to ensure his actions appear to serve the organization’s interests. However, Veltren’s ambition knows no bounds, and he secretly schemes to expand his influence within Tenebris’ network. He carefully cultivates relationships with other lieutenants, blackmailing or manipulating them into becoming his pawns.

Veltren is patient, knowing that a direct challenge to Tenebris would be suicidal. For now, he hides his ambition behind the persona of Gavin Redvale, ensuring that any trouble in The Gutter or the Merchant’s Quarter can be traced back to Mavrick or other expendable figures.

Adventure Hooks

• The Mask of Redvale – The party is hired to investigate Gavin Redvale, a suspicious merchant with ties to the underworld. Their search leads them to The Gutter, where they discover the truth about his identity and must decide whether to expose him or leverage his secrets.
• Sibling Rivalry – A desperate Mavrick Cull approaches the party in secret, begging them to help him overthrow Veltren’s control. If the party agrees, they must navigate the dangerous web of Veltren’s operations, knowing that failure could make them enemies of Xar’eth Tenebris as well.
• The Red Bandana – Rumors spread that the mysterious figure who visits The Gutter in a red bandana is not what he seems. The adventurers are tasked with uncovering his identity, leading them into a deadly game of deception between Veltren and Xar’eth Tenebris.

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