The Mess: Shame of a City

Wynds Mess is a large and unsightly dump located in the heart of Aranthaes Wynds. Covering three fire-damaged streets, the Mess is an eyesore and a blight on the city, but despite its unappealing appearance, it has become home to a small community of people who have been forced to make do with the scraps and refuse that others have discarded.

The Mess is sprawling and disorganized, with heaps of trash, debris, and waste piled high in every direction. Rats and other vermin scurry about, feasting on the scraps of food and other items that have been thrown away. The air is thick with the stench of decay and rot, making it almost unbearable to be near.

Despite the harsh living conditions, a number of people have set up makeshift shelters among the trash heaps. These homes are made from scavenged materials such as old timbers, cloth, and pieces of discarded metal. They offer little protection from the elements, but they are a place to call home for those who have nowhere else to go.

The people who live in Wynds Mess are a diverse group, consisting of the homeless, the destitute, and the outcast. Many of them are former adventurers or soldiers who have fallen on hard times, while others are simply victims of circumstance. They are a tight-knit community, bound together by their shared struggle to survive in a world that has left them behind.

Despite the difficult living conditions, the people of Wynds Mess have managed to create a sense of community and even a degree of camaraderie. They look out for one another, sharing what little they have and offering support in times of need. It is not an easy life, but for those who have found a home among the trash heaps of Wynds Mess, it is a life worth living.

Aranthaes city counselors are looking to have the Mess removed as it is considered an embarrassment to the city, whilst senior figures in the church are trying to divert some profits of the city’s wealthy merchants to help clear the waste and have the burned out houses rebuilt with free rent for all. The city’s merchants see the inhabitants of The Mess as cheap labor and are in no mind to start paying any taxes in a tax-free city.

The three parties have been in stalemate for years, so the Wynds Mess remains.
 

Encounters

The Wynds Mess is anything but quiet. Roll d10 for possible encounters…

  1. A swarm of 2d6 rats bursts from a trash heap, biting at ankles and carrying disease.
    Rats: AC 12, HP 3 each, bite (1d4), swarm traits.
  2. A desperate scavenger mistakes the adventurers for city enforcers and flees, dropping a sack of oddments that may contain something of value.
    Scavenger: AC 11, HP 7, rusty dagger (1d4), rags.
  3. Two rival families of scavengers argue violently over a cache of goods, their dispute escalating toward bloodshed.
    Scavengers (2 groups of 1d4 each): AC 11, HP 8, improvised clubs (1d4), rags.
  4. A collapsing mound of rotting timber and refuse threatens to bury anyone too close in a landslide of debris.
    Hazard: DC 14 Dexterity save or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage.
  5. An outcast former soldier, drunk and belligerent, mistakes the adventurers for old enemies and challenges them to a fight.
    Veteran: AC 14, HP 22, longsword (1d8+2), chain shirt.
  6. Half-buried in the trash, the adventurers find a sealed chest marked with faint arcane sigils – disturbing it may unleash a curse or summon a creature.
    Chest Hazard: DC 13 Arcana to identify, DC 15 Wisdom save vs. curse.
  7. A band of 1d6 merchants’ thugs intimidates scavengers into unpaid labor, beating any who resist.
    Thugs: AC 12, HP 15, clubs (1d6), leather armor.
  8. A ragged priest tends a makeshift shrine cobbled from refuse, offering cryptic warnings of coming danger.
    Priest: AC 12, HP 18, quarterstaff (1d6), simple robes, minor healing magic.
  9. A sudden trash fire spreads quickly through the Mess, choking the air with smoke. Panicked scavengers beg the adventurers for aid.
    Hazard: DC 14 Constitution save vs. smoke, 1d6 fire damage per round near flames.
  10. A ragged child offers to lead the adventurers to hidden treasure in exchange for food, but the path may lead into a scavenger ambush.
    Child: AC 10, HP 4, dagger (1d4); Ambushers (1d4+1 scavengers) AC 11, HP 8, improvised weapons (1d4).
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