(08-17-2015, 07:51 PM)Riven Wrote: Given that Ul'dah in the lore is known for it's gambling and gladiator rings, is it too much of a stretch to assume that the city has a rather active underworld when it comes to those two things?
Ul'dah has quite the active underworld. Really, all three of the main city-states do, but Ul'dah certainly does, yes. What's fun about Ul'dah is that sometimes its underworld is also it's overworld. When profit is at the center of all political, religious, and business circles in the city-state what else can you expect?
Bouchard Wrote:From youth, Ul'dahns are taught to see others. Not just look at them, but truly see them for what they are.
We are unmatched as judges of character. And rightly so. Survival here means knowing who you can mark, who you should mark, and who is marking you.
Some of the more famed underworld crime entities present in Ul'dah are the:
- Alacran - Deal in illegal substances like Somnus, human trafficking, and extortion.
- Baert Trading Company - Anything you want, they can get you - for a hefty price.
- The Laughing Alchemists - Graverobbery, Murder, and Necromancy.
- The Zer'maat Five - The greatest criminal organization in all Eorzea, dealing in information and worse. It's said they have powerful people in their pockets, but their activity has gone even more underground since the Calamity.
- Corpse Brigade - 20 years ago, these were Ala Mhigo's Kingsguard. However, with no king to pull their chain and ever more ravenous refugees wanting revenge against Ul'dah's poor treatment of their people, the Corpse Brigade has stepped up from highway robbery to kidnap, ransom, and murder.
But there is also legal underworld activities, such as the gambling halls of the Platinum Mirage, which is guarded by the Pugilists (tax collectors). Gambling is big! Gambling on the Coliseum matches even more so.
Vannes Wrote:Gambling is a gentlemen's endeavor, dear girl. it is not about winning or losing. it simply serves to make the games that much more exciting!
Agnys Wrote:I had no idea that the Platinum Mirage was such an exclusive establishment. That they can afford to turn away wealthy individuals like myself speaks volumes. It's probably for the best, though. An old acquaintance of mine lost everything in the gambling halls. Last I heard, she had run afoul of some dangerous people - or was it that she had fallen in with them? I can't seem to recall...
(08-17-2015, 07:51 PM)Riven Wrote: Second: Is it also a stretch to assume that the major cities also have...well, libraries of sorts? Or in this case, Lore-Keepers?
Yes! While some are not shown in game, each city-state has a library of some sort. Whether or not this library is open to the public is unclear in some cases.
Arrzaneth Ossuary in Ul'dah:
Guildmaster Prelate and Plot Wrote:The ominous news that [redacted] has removed several volumes from the guild's library leaves Cocobuki profoundly perturbed. Only by determining which titles the prelate has purloined can he hope to uncover the conspirators' schemes. To this end, he entrusts you with the inventory of the guild's library, and urges you to scour the bookshelves that line the Ossuary walls to verify which texts were taken.
Stillglade Fane in Gridania:
Raya-O-Senna Wrote:I was unable to ascertain the location of the fifth piece. I have set the archivists of Stillgade Fane to scouring our library, but naught has come of their efforts thus far.
Melvaan's Gate in Limsa Lominsa (kind of):
While not, strictly speaking, a library, Melvaan's Gate is home to a large collection of tomes, histories, and documents. It functions primarily as a custom's office for all imports and exports, so this collection of tomes, spellbooks, histories, and manifests is likely not open to the public.
Do hope this helps though! ^^ Feel free to ask more questions if you get them!
