P'Bapar Part 7: The North Ward
- Pebble Hill Neighborhood
North Ward
The North Ward is the northernmost district in the city, and a popular
destination for locals and travelers alike. While the main avenues
contain businesses that cater to travelers, the back streets of the
North Ward are spared from most of the visitors. Locals have developed
an independent spirit, though they remain welcoming.
Four bridges cross the Banader River, linking the North Ward to the
Green Ward to the south and west. The landscape forces the roads
downward toward a narrow breach of buildings and streets, constricting
access before entering the Lower Ward. When weather is bad or at peak
times, the streets become congested with wagons, horses and foot
traffic.
An active place, tourists, travelers, mercenaries, merchants and
adventurers pass through the North Ward on a regular basis. Shepherds,
woodsmen, trappers, farmers and hunters come down from the mountains to
sell wares or restock supplies. Those seeking commercial transactions
can quickly enter the North Ward, conduct their business, and leave
without having to venture into the deeper and more congested portions
of the city.
The influx of travelers attracts criminals, troublemakers and thieves
to the North Ward. Taverns and inns are popular places for victims.
Talons patrol the ward at regular intervals, though these guards are
mostly active only from midday to midnight.
Many guild leaders and merchants live here, but the majority of
residents are low- to middle-class, such as artisans,
laborers, guildsmen and tradesmen. Neighborhoods are relatively free of
street gangs, but organized crime and guild thieves are never far away.
The influx of travelers and commerce makes land expensive in the North
Ward and particularly so along the busiest streets.
Businesses in the North Ward cater to travelers, tourists and merchants
arriving from the west to conduct trade. While the Eldan Marketplace in
the Lower Ward draws most tourists, shops and smaller markets in
the North Ward do a brisk business. Employment is plentiful.
Sell-swords
spend their treasures in taverns and gambling houses. Mercenary bands
eager for new recruits ply the area. A young Baparan eager to make her
mark on the world could do worse than starting here.
Pebble Hill Neighborhood
This section of the North Ward is known as Pebble Hill. Before the city
was fully formed, this portion of the city served as a staging area for
cutting stone used to construct buildings, roadways, and bridges. A
nearby quarry (now long gone) provided a seemingly endless supply of
granite. It was a dusty, sandy, industrial area that employed many
workers. While those times have passed, the moniker has remained.
Pebble Hill evolved into a tight-knit residential neighborhood full of
hard-working middle-class and lower-middle-class people. Dozens of
businesses catering to the neighborhood are located here. Locals tend
to look out for one another and tourists and outsiders are welcomed, as
long as their business is brief and doesn’t interfere with the daily
lives of the residents.

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