The Shadey Lanes
A particularly oddity in its own right, "The Shadey Lanes" have been dubbed with their odd spelling and strange title (The sun is almost always shining down on the buildings and streets during the day, kept at bay only by makeshift awnings and the dense clutter of alleyways) by a number of its own squatter residents as well as the packs of wild children and gangs that frequent the place.
Origin of
Originally, it had been nothing more than an average set of rather abandoned apartment blocks, but almost overnight the place became a haven for what appeared to be ghosts. Not everyone could see them, but over time the more psychically inclined or magically-natured inhabitants became aware of a presence that simply hadn't been there before. There's rarely been any issue taken up with the intangible creatures since their initial appearance, but the way their permanent jack-o-lantern grins split their otherwise perfectly Human (if grey-skinned and somber) faces into faintly glowing, blood-red nightmare fuel simply turned a lot of people off to the place over time. Since then newer, hardier, and somewhat crazier residents have taken an affectionate interest in the place, and a number of gangs have made outposts of certain buildings. Ground levels of most buildings have been filled with occult bookshops, bars and eatieries, as well the occasional weapons smith and mystic advertising their wares, creating a sort of Mall where the aptly named "Shades" rarely venture.
Notable Locations
The Watchtower
http://i.imgur.com/TlLtyEE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PLelNne.jpg
The Watchtower is the name the residents have given to the tallest building in the Lanes, a four-story apartment structure that precious few enter. The Watchtower is the central gathering place of the "Shades", which the residents treat with some measure of respect. The top floor of the Watchtower is always lit up, from the old furnishings of the apartments or some new sources of lighting running along the ceilings, likely Christmas lights or a particularly large number of candles.
http://i.imgur.com/vVxdMOV.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/r55JQco.jpg
The few that brave the apartment building usually never make it past the lobby, and those that have speak of a strangely masked, cordial, horned creature that laughs more than he talks, offering tea and subtle warnings against trespass in the future.
The Mall
http://i.imgur.com/tk93D4u.jpg
The Mall is the largest setting amongst the Lanes, spanning the first floors of every building but the Watchtower, and is filled with shops and teeny tiny bazaars. It's never too busy during the late nights or the early mornings, but from midday through the evening, the color of the Shadey Lanes comes out in force to do as they wish. The Mall is host to such locations as Goodvibes Music and The Wailing Teacup. The entire Mall is managed by the widely known Mall Boss, Mister Chensy.
Goodvibes Music
http://i.imgur.com/EDBfMak.jpg
With everything from accordions to zithers, and all the music you could dream of, Grammy Goodvibes has one sweet setup here. The fresh cookies on the counter are just a bonus.
The Wailing Teacup
http://i.imgur.com/5trLVCP.jpg
With more teas on-tap than most pubs can boast about ale, Perce runs one of the most interesting pubs in Rhy'din. Several of his blends come pre-mixed with various liquors and stimulating ingredients, so don't count this particular pub down as one for the faint of heart.. Or liver.
Notable NPCs
Mister Chensy
http://i.imgur.com/kz4Gjql.jpg
A massive man by any standards, many think his blood runs thick with more than just Human ancestry, Mister Chensy stands at just over eight feet tall, and almost half that wide across the shoulders. He's completely stable as a person, but suffers from split personalities. One is the Mister Chensy most are used to seeing, the kindly, genteel Boss with a slight southern draw that manages the entire Mall, keeping people from going at each others throats with a smile and a kind word, though he hasn't been above putting a punk or two in their proper place, and the surrogate father of the Lanes' own Knight, Commander Fence. But when the lights go out and the Shadey Lanes go dark, he loses his sense of self, dresses in white leathers, carries a silver-plated sledge hammer, and rides a massive, custom-built Triumph motorcycle through the streets. He calls himself the HoG, and when asked by what he deemed to be a law-abiding citizen, explained that it means the Hammer of Gods. The HoG tends to attack anyone carrying a weapon, though he hasn't to this date used the hammer strapped to his back, or killed a single person. He merely relieves them of their weapon, and leaves them -usually unconscious- upon the ground. Nobody knows what the HoG does with the weapons, and Mister Chensy hasn't had any recollection of the HoG's exploits to this day.
Grammy Goodvibes
http://i.imgur.com/krTPvXP.jpg
The oldest citizen of the Lanes by far (as she seems to remember things even the Elves can't), Grammy Goodvibes runs the only music store in the entire area; Goodvibes Music. Frequented by the young and old alike, her records, CDs, cassettes, players and phonographs, and even a number of old and new jukeboxes sell or get bartered for quick. Where she comes across all this is a mystery, as she never seems to leave her shop, save to pay daily visits to The Wailing Teacup around one in the afternoon. Granny's one of the most out of place inhabitants of the Lanes, for nothing beyond the fact that she seems completely normal. She's extremely friendly, talking to people as if they were her grandchildren regardless of whether they're young or old, innocent bystanders or monstrous gang members, men or women. She even leaves a fresh plate of cookies on the counter next to the old register for people to snack on while they browse.
Percival Skivington III
http://i.imgur.com/tHybGun.png
Perce is a man of many words, and he speaks them all in a delightfully unintelligible cockney accent. He owns and manages the only tea-only pub in Rhy'din, The Wailing Teacup. He stands at a height of six and a half feet, and is built something like a telephone pole. Always wearing tattered and shredded punk clothing, his mohawked head -in a different color every week- turns towards those entering his life and love with a hawkish glare and a jolly greeting all at once. He's a very friendly sort, though he tends to start more fights in his pub than any patron ever has. Seen most often driving around the Lanes or off into the West End proper, maybe sometimes even into the greater portions of Rhy'din for some new blend or other that he has to set up trade for, is his '68 Dodge Charger. He rebuilt the beast -Delilah- from a rusted-out frame and old engine he'd found in the scrap yards some years back. Since his move into the Lanes, and the founding of his pub, Delilah's become a sort of mascot for his business.
Commander Fence
http://i.imgur.com/vPfSqCt.jpg
Commander Fence is a young, runaway Halfie that just so happened to find himself in the right place, at the right time. A surrogate son to Mister Chensy, the Commander is the Lanes' appointed liaison with the law enforcement and vigilante advocates of Justice that come through, as well as being the Lanes' own appointed Lawman. Commander Fence is a five foot tall male, older teens by appearance, with the build of a wrestler. His body is usually covered in piecemeal riot gear and power armor he's traded for on the outskirts of Star's End, and he most often carries a gnarled old baseball bat (purportedly signed by Babe Ruth near the handle) strapped to his back, a large, pump-action shotgun kept tethered across his front, and a colt .45 in a holster at his hip. He rides a navy blue Harley Davidson Fat Boy.
((This setting has been cross-posted from the WestEnd settings sticky, as that is where it's resided since its creation! If anyone would like to use it in a story or in play, feel free to make use of the buildings, shops, and NPCs as you need. Just please, don't kill them or destroy the integrity of their funtastic little society. Also, these photos obviously belong to whomever took them, so good on them!))
