The first thing most nobles notice when they enter the
Fisherman's Quarter is the smell. (Matsu Shigeko always carried
a perfumed fan into this Quarter - an affectation which did not
endear her to the locals.) A strong odor of fish and stale water
pervades everything, though the locals claim not to notice.
The roads of the Fisherman's Quarter are narrow and cramped
- some of the pathways the citizens use go between buildings so
close together that people must take turns going through. Ahorse
(or a man in armor) would never fit. Though the buildings are
low to the ground (few above two stories), their closeness often
blots out the daylight and creates a fee ling of claustrophobia. Six
people can feel like sixty in the tightly packed streets of this
Quarter. The population here is so dense that even in the open
areas, Lady Amaterasu's light is blocked by the smoke from
countless cooking fires (not to mention smokehouses for fish).
The firemen of the Fisherman's Quarter are easy to spot, and
easy to tell apart. Both gangs shave their heads like monks, to
keep from catching sparks in their hair. The Fire Eaters wear red
scarves around their necks to identify themselves. (These scarves
can quickly be pulled up to conceal identity, as well.) Most Fire
Eaters are satisfied with red rags, but a few have beautifully
embroidered scarves - usually with a fl ame motif. The Moment's
Edge Firemen are also easy to identify, because each one ofthem
carries a horn, which they use to sound the alarm if a fire starts.
The more wealthy (that is, corrupt) kajinin have horns of brass.
The Fisherman's Quarter is a noisy area.The tight streets cause
perpetual traffic problems(only the major roads are wide enough
for carts, horses or rickshaws) which are attended by constant
yelling and threats. This merges with the cries of sellers in the
fish market. At night, however, it gets considerably quieter. The
muttering of people on the streets merges with the water sounds
of the bay, broken only by the occasional boisterous sailor song or scream.
Overall, the Fisherman's Quarter is dominated by work and
play. While rich captains and their noble patrons enjoy Teardrop
Island, their sailors come here for dive bars, opium dens, brothels
and gambling hells. However, the Fisherman's Quarter is also
home to countless legitimate businesses - fishing is a huge
industry here, as is freight and storage.Many brewers and potters
are located in the Fisherman Quarter as well. Much of what gets
sold in the Merchant Quarter is either made or stored in the
Fisherman's Quarter. The produce of the rice fields all around
Ryoko Owari gathers here before going downstream to theCrabs
or upstream to the Scorpion and even Unicorn territories.
Naturally, the poppy fields also see their yields come here as
well. Also, for every shipment of trade goods that is unloaded at
the docks, there's at least one stevedore who's willing to "drop" a
few things where he can find them later. This has led to a
flourishing black market where everything from spices to
weapons can be bought - for a price.
