Orphanarium

The terrible Orphanarium district is populated almost entirely by unsupervised children. Child gangs roam the streets—packs of sometimes beggars, sometimes thieves. Older children take care of the younger ones. The All-Watch are fearful to enter. It’s like Ender’s Game meets Lord of the Flies .

How did a shantytown fall under the jurisdiction of orphans? It’s a confusing and contested history. Most scholars explain it as a reaction to how the Mythric Cult handled traditions of sacrifice and circumcision descended down from the days of the ancient god-kings. History aside, the little fuckers are right over there and they’re coming this way.

Sensations:

Children everywhere: squatting in doorsteps, crouched in alleyways, crying inside the shacks. The sounds of a quarrel. Dogs barking. Games abound: stick and hoop, dice (they gamble with baby teeth), ball and cup, you name it. Pastel-colored, simplistic graffiti. Smells like a locker room and greasy, burned sausages.

Rumor:

It’s said that a monster named the Bag Man lurks in the Orphanarium, kidnapping urchins. The Bag Man rides nightmares like horses, and uses them to travel easily between the Underworld and the City. If you could defeat the Bag Man, you might learn the secret of how he traverses between these two places.

Special City Action:

• Adopt: Delving into the Underworld makes some people sentimental. These people can adopt a child from the Orphanarium. Adopted children don't accompany the guild into the Underworld, but may be used as support staff in the City. You may note on the guild roster sheet that your adopted ward is your sole inheritor and may, if you wish, play as your ward if your current adventurer dies.