Hembek - Cheap Ward & 'The' Dockyards (Ward)

Cheap Ward

Cheap Ward has claim to being the oldest settled part of the city but since the buildings have always been ramshackle huts its claims are generally ignored. Most of the buildings now are built of stone and painted with blue trim. 

Cheap Ward is the seedy part of Hembek full of drunk sailors and thieves. Cheap Ward is where fisherman live, as well as some poor dockworkers and those trying to avoid notice. The town has a nice cross-breeze most of the time which is good because that's the only thing that can remove the ever-present smell of fish. Most of the fishermen converted to Pallas worship when the Clerics started purchasing any remains of their unsold catch. Most fishing is done on pseudo-caravels owned by families that go out for days at a time.

C1 - House Thryth

This fancy townhouse serves as the headquarters for the gang that runs gambling in Cheap Ward as well as act as a storehouse for stolen goods. Using fishing boats they can get goods out of the city or over to the Dockyard ward unnoticed, and using their connections they can turn over stolen goods that are too hot to keep in the good graces of the cities elites.

C2 - Holy Draught

An old burned out Church of Pallas partially repaired and converted into a tavern. Clerics of Pallas very much disapprove of their building be repurposed this way. Filled with those that work the dockyards. Caters to low lives and gamblers. Run by the Thieves Guild. Anything you can imagine can be purchased here and delivered within 48 hours, or so they say.

C3 - The Net Public House

A public house that caters to fishermen. The place is known for having fishing nets on the walls and roofs and for occasional games involving a drunk escaping from beneath a net. The net serves inferior everything at a really decent price. Fish soup is their speciality and they frequently open before dawn to allow some fishermen to grab a quick drink before heading out for the day.

C4 - House of Ornmoth

Ornmoth is a very successful merchant house with nearly fifty ships. Destalt Ornmoth is the Warden of Cheap Ward and has become wealthy looking the other way regarding crime in the Ward. 

'The' Dockyards (Ward)

'The' Dockyards (Ward) is where the magic happens, that is the hustle and bustle of cargo loading and unloading and bonding and sales that keep the merchant ships moving and that make Hembek a wealthy city. The warehouses and Merchant Houses are well protected by private security but the streets of the ward are notoriously wild as its easy to dispose of a body into the harbor.

D1 - Three Black Pyramids

The Three Black Pyramids pre-date Hembek. Nobody knows if they were once above ground or what. No entrance has ever been found. All that is known is they draw floating trash and that they moan and wail during the winter Solstice. A number of Chaos Cults have managed to weave the Pyramids into their religion in creative ways but most of their claims are clearly nonsense.

D2 - Fish Market

The catch of the day is sold here. A variety of fish are sold but it is primarily Cod and Herring that are salted or pickled for sale to other cities.

D3 - Seaman's Guild and Dormitory

This large complex provides room at low rates to members in good standing. It is usually a loud boisterous place filled with illicit activities (primarily gambling) provided by the gang from Cheap Ward.

D4 - Red Church of Pallas (St Karlel patron of Wealth)

The Red Church is like large cathedral with no transept and glassless windows to let the air in. The center of the church has a bubbling fountain that creates beautiful relaxing sounds. Throughout the Red Church are pots filled with Shriekers, arranged by note so that when anyone enters the temple the shriekers produce a glorious humming sound which serves as an alarm as well as creating beautiful music during ceremonies.

D5 - Temple of Wagos  (Old Faith God of Luck and Merchants)

This temple is very wealthy as the Merchants make their donations for luck before every ships sets sail. The temple has a large worship room with statue and brazers floor is tiled. Neighboring rooms house the three priests and cook in minimalist style. The temple is wealthy but the High Priest has avoided re-investing as a slightly worn appearance encourages donations. 

D6 - Bonding House & Wharves

Government warehouse and granaries. Goods awaiting taxation are stored in the bonding warehouses until they can be inspected and their values attained. Values are generally lowballed if the bribes are right. The granaries store extra grain in case of hardship although they are generally insufficiently stocked or just empty. The bonding house is guarded by a large mercenary contingent comprised of a unit from the Company of the Black Rose and a unit from the Steel Solution who keep an eye on the goods and each other. There was a tunnel connecting to the warehouse that unscrupulous people would use to remove their bonded goods but that was discovered and sealed up long ago.

The wharves are all along the south bank of the harbor (obscured by buildings on the map). They are wooden and sturdy but mostly used only for loading and unloading cargos because of high docking fees. Typically hundreds of ships are anchored in the center of Hembek harbor where the fees are minimal.

D7 - Captain's Guild

A large wealthy building overlooking the docks and Dock channel. The Guildhouse is beautiful but most members believe it is too small and want to expanded in accordance with the wealth of the city and importance of their Guild. They are looking to buy land nearby to build a new Guildhouse.