HEALTH
Disease and infection are real concerns in the Styes.
Most residents suffer from some form of debilitating
condition brought on by the poisonous waste flowing
and billowing out of the Alchemists" Quarter, or from
the polluted water of the river and harbor. The adven-
turers are no exception. Anyone who visits the Styes is
exposed to a disease known as red face. This affliction
causes itching and painful inflammation all over the
face, and especially around th e eyes.
The effects of redface are identical to those of sight rot
(see "Diseases" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's
Guide), but it's caused by pollutants in the air rather
than contaminated drinking water, making it difficult
to avoid. Sewer plague (also described in the Dungeon
Master's Guide) is common in the Styes as well. but
avoiding contact with the district's ubiquitous rodents
and vermin is usually sufficient protection against it.LAYOUT OF THE DISTRICT
Map 8.1 shows the layout of the district and the loca-
tions of important buildings and land features. The is-
lands that support the buildings are almost all artificial.
Some were created by ancient spells used to lift the floor
of the bay above the water. Others consist entirely of
huge boardwalks supported above the brackish water by
decaying pilings.
The district is made up of four quarters. Travel from
one to the other is either by foot over rickety walkways
or by skiff. Local fishers often supplement their income
by renting their skiffs as crude water taxis. Most trips
cost J cp, but a skiff ride to a dangerous section of town
usually brings 1 gp or more.Low QUARTER
Also known as Flotsam, the northwest section of the
Styes consists mainly of slum tenements, dubious tav-
erns, rickety warehouses, hovel-crowded alleys, and de-
commissioned ships converted into buildings. This en-
tire area is slowly sinking into the sea. As old buildings
become unlivable, new ones are built atop them, and the
tangle of structures is four or five stories deep in some
places. Many of the lower structures are completely
walled off from the outside. making them ideal places
for hidden temples and black markets. Swaying rope
bridges provide the best avenues bet ween the blocks of
this quarter, since the old boardwalks are sinking like
everything else.ALCHEMISTS' QUARTER
The Alchemists' Quarter is the northeast section of the
Styes. Long ago, it was the seat of the district's scho-
lastic and religious leadership. but its once-fine temples
and universities have long been dismantled for construc-
tion materials, or converted into dim. smoky factories
and noxious laboratories owned by shady alchemists.
With no regulation to speak of in the Styes. alchemists
are free to conduct whatever dangerous experiments
they like. and to cut corners on safety and quality con-
trol. Iron chimneys belch smoke and foul vapors into
the air. while liquid and solid waste are dumped into the
water around the quarter.I'll \l'Tl R II l 11 l ~·1 \'E~
A large part of this area has become so clogged and
befouled with refuse that the water now moves only
along shallow. sluggish channels that snake through the
reeking expanse of mud. Still, it's common to see des-
perate scavengers wallowing in the filth, scrounging for
anything of value that a distracted alchemist might have
carelessly tossed out with the trash.HIGH QUARTER
The seal of local government in better days, this quarter
is the southeast section of the Styes. Most of the build-
ings here were once municipal offices, but only a few are
still in operation. All the rest are either deserted or have
been rented to strange and furtive eccentrics.
This section of the district is the least populated, and
its often-empty streets and boardwalks are in stark con-
trast to the crowds that frequent the other three quar-
ters. Militia patrols are common here, but guards in the
High Quarter are universally corrupt, accepting bribes
from nobles, bureaucrats, and powerful merchants, and
extorting protection money from everyone else.MERCHANTS' QUARTER
The southwest section of the Styes hosts most of the
district's industry and mercantile efforts. Most of the
community's fishers live here, and numerous ware-
houses line the edges of the quarter. Most of these
places are either abandoned and boarded up. or serving
as nophouses. Of the four quarters, the Merchants'
Quarter is the most welcoming to visitors- though that's
not saying much. It's also said to be the healthiest part
of the district-but that's not saying much, either.LOCATIONS IN THE STYES
The most notable buildings in the Styes are described
here. A few of these locations are detailed later. but most
are left for you to develop as you see fit.I. HARBOR MASTER
These two stone buildings on a small island in the Mer-
chants' Quarter are the base of operations for Harbor
Master Tak Merakin (NE female half-ore bandit cap-
t ai n) and her constables (twelve NE human thugs). Tak
is profoundly lazy, and as long as merchants and fishers
pay their dues without complaining, she doesn't inter-
fere with business on the water. She reacts only to ob-
vious threats such as fires, riots. and storms-and even
then. she displays an infuriating lethargy.- fROTHER'S LAMP
This decommissioned stone lighthouse was once a
proud beacon welcoming ships, but it functions now as
nothing more than a sad Flotsam landmark. When the
last caretaker died i n a loud argument at a nearby tav-
ern, no one took up her mantle, and the light has fallen
into disrepair. After a few more decades of slowly sink-
ing into the soggy seabed, it might end up consumed by
shanties and other buildings built atop its corpse. - MARKETPLACE
This large. open space serves as the primary market for
the Styes. The area is always crowded, but the goods for
sale here are of low quality and dubious origin.