D E A T H
The Hourglass Workshop
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide Arcturus with an establishment within the Nether through which to sell his merchandise and hide away from the Galaxy at large
- Image Credit: Kayla Joncas
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Masque, the Great Shifting Bazaar
- Structure Name: The Hourglass
- Classification: Storefront and Workshop
- Location: Masque, the Great Shifting Bazaar | The Workshop is found in the winding streets of Tyrants' Row, while the Storefront is wedged between two far grander buildings in the Grand Bazaar
- Affiliation: Arcturus Thesh, known in Masque as The Sandman
- Accessibility: Both locations are relatively easy to find in their respective places, but first one must find their way to Masque itself. Being that it is within the Nether, it's not the most accessible for the general public, but those already in the know would have no problem finding them. Masque itself is already noted as being rather accessible, given that it is a hub of mercantile activity. There are several rift passages leading directly to it at any given time, though specific ones may not linger for very long. In terms of the store itself, he's not trying to keep the location secret. That would be bad for business.
- Description: The Hourglass takes the form of two structures, located in different parts of the City known as Masque. Both hold the same name, and belong to the same man (known within the city bounds, and indeed the Nether itself, as The Sandman), and ultimately work in tandem with one another. The first is the workshop, located in Tyrants' Row, the larger of the two but also the most rundown. It forms not only a place of crafting but also an impromptu home when necessary. That is, The Sandman is known to sleep upon the workshop floor from time to time. The second is the Storefront, a pokey little hole in the wall that appeared between two far more grander buildings in The Grand Bazaar. Where once an alley lay, The Hourglass now stands.
One is more likely to find the proprietor toiling away within the workshop, conjuring up new elements and trinkets to later offer up to the denizens of the realm. The storefront, by contrast, only seems to open every third or fourth day. Traffic can be slow as a result, as for most it looks to be just an inconsequential building of little note the majority of the time, but for those in the know it's fast become something of a must visit. Specifically, visitors are always curious to discover what new strain of sand the Sandman has to offer.
Though the storefront is small and holds very little within it at any given time, it does hold one wonder that is thankfully overlooked by anyone not already aware of its existence. Not because it is hidden from sight, merely because it is hidden in plain view. A door at the very back, one which seemingly could lead to nowhere at all given the way in which the store is shoved between buildings. A broom closet, no doubt. Just a broom closet... In truth the threshold of the door is a gateway back to Realspace. Where it spits those who walk through it out to is random and unknown, it could be Coruscant, it could be some world previously unknown to the greater Galaxy. There is but one constant: it's always an alleyway of sorts that awaits them on the other side.
Within both of these locations, though highly dependent on which the Sandman is presently within at the time, small constructs made of Living Clay can often be found running around, carrying out errands and generally keeping the place in check. Whether cleaning out old vials, restocking the sand barrels, tending to generic chores, they're the often overlooked cogs which keep everything running relatively smoothly, freeing up the Sandman's schedule to focus on his work. And always, without fail, one golem in particular remains by the proprietor's side.
Please refer to Masque, The Great Shifting Bazaar, for a more informed look at this information. I didn't want to totally rip from it, because that would be plagiarism. Kal does a much better job of explaining this than I ever could.
- Lucidity: Given that they reside within Masque, they exist within a rather lucid and stable environment insofar as the Nether is concerned. While some of the cities streets are a little more labyrinthian and confusing, the Storefront sits within the heart of Masque and as such is prone to very few lucidity problems. The Workshop is admittedly a slightly different story, in that it lies within the Warrens. There the streets are far more confusing, and alleyways have been known to have an appetite. The interior of both remain fairly stable, though.
- Hostility: Overt violence is a rarity within Masque, at least within its more established regions. There's no hostility to be found within or around the Storefront proper, at least not in the conventional sense. Break a legitimized deal, though, and that may not remain the case. The streets around the Workshop are a little less controlled, and if the darker denizens of Tyrants' Row don't prove something of a hostile crowd then the soul consuming alleyways just might. Again, The Hourglass itself holds little in the way of hostility. Bad for business.
- IC Rules: Due to the nature of Masque, denizens and visitors find they are able to understand one another plainly even when they don't share a common tongue. Alongside this, many contracts and deals struck within the City are often noted as having something of a magical bind to them. Though not as apparent as the with greater Nether at large, reality within Masque is somewhat open to subtle interpretation, and can in some ways be pressed upon with the will of more powerful denizens. This is admittedly a little more noticeable around the Workshop than the Storefront, due to its closer proximity to the city outskirts.
- The Workshop: Located in the depths of Tyrants' Row, the Sandman's Workshop was until recently just a rundown and abandoned storefront lost to time. Crafted out of wood, there are parts of it which are noticeably rotting and more than a shingle is missing from the roof. Beams spread across the ceiling of each of its two floors, and what few windows exist are tiny and look out to a rather dismal view of the Row. At least one of them are cracked. Dust has settled over most surfaces not frequently in use, cobwebs lay up within the rafters, and remnants of the shop it had once been lay here and there. Torn pieces of fabric caught on nails, dried herbs strung upon the walls, a chest or two without a key.
It's obvious that the new proprietor hasn't focused on sprucing up the place. A dozen different projects lay about the room, taking up as many surfaces as they might. Large barrels of sand sit here and there, bars of mundane metals sit beside a barely stoked forge, and an anvil dragged into place before it has left a scuffed trail in the floorboards below. Cabinets make for crude walls, separating up the space and holding all manner of curios and apothecary ingredients, namely vials of unintelligible substances.
A hazy smoke folds languidly through the air at most hours of the day that the Sandman is at work, pooling out of cones of strangely scented incense. For the most part the main floor is rather darkly lit, with only the workstations themselves having proper lights over top that shine directly down on the projects at hand. The rest is lit by candlelight, and makes for quite the hazy ambiance. Upstairs is reserved for storage, though much of what is held there are remnants of the previous owners' enterprise. Neatly packed away, should they ever see fit to return...
In one corner of the main floor, a rolled up bedroll is often found. Given that its proprietor has no place to call home, he's often found sleeping here. The Storefront was simple too small, though it would have been the safer option to be sure. There's also what looks to be a small pantry, and what some might constitute to be a kitchen. It barely resembled one though, just a countertop that was kept moderately clear, and something that could be construed as a hotplate.
- The Storefront: A pokey little hole in the wall. That's all the Storefront really is. Skinny and overshadowed by grand and towering establishments, it is often overlooked by passersby. Especially when the Sandman is not in. A precarious sign hangs above the door, which lies beside a shuttered window which opens to allow men, women, and other entities upon the street easy access to the man and his wares on those days of operation.
Whether patrons choose to approach the window, or enter the store proper, they're met with more or less the same sight. Shelves of oddities and curios, pails of sand and small coin purse style bags to contain any sandy purchases, vaguely labeled vials. A rack is set upon one of the walls toward the back, in plain view of the proprietor to deter thieving hands, upon which a small multitude of alchemized and imbued weapons can be found.
Regulars typically come for the sand, though. It is after all how he got his name.
And at the back of it all, so mundane that it more or less blends into the backdrop, stands a simple door. A sign hangs upon it via a nail: Broom Closet. Do not open. So far it's proven enough of a deterrent to stave off any real interest.
- The Door Between Walls: The door at the back of the Storefront. You know, the one labeled Broom Closet. A simple enough door. Open it? You'd find just a very shallow closet on the other side. Oddly enough though, no broom. In fact not very much of anything at all. Step inside though and you'll find yourself transported back to Realspace, though where exactly you end up changes each time. The only constant is that you'd find yourself within an alleyway. Whether that's on some big and bustling city, or a smaller world with only a handful of closely packed buildings, doesn't seem to matter. Only that it is an alleyway. Simply put, the doorway holds a permanent if unstable Nether Rift.
SECURITY
Low: The Hourglass has minimal security of its own, beyond the ability to lock the doors, but its location offers some degree of safety. The Grand Bazaar is carefully policed by the Shadows and their subordinates, not to mention filled with larger, more tempting targets; Tyrants' Row, on the other hand, is unruly but feared - only the boldest of thieves rob Darksiders without thorough surveillance beforehand, lest their flesh be melted from their bones by sorcerous wards or shredded by alchemically-altered guard dogs. The Hourglass, of course, has neither, but would-be thieves don't know that for sure.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Simply put, there's very little history to be shared of either location. The Storefront specifically did not exist until Kal of Masque willed it into being, taking up the alleyway space between two larger buildings so that his friend could get his start in the big city. As for the Workshop, Arcturus discovered it abandoned and in a rather decrepit state. After gaining necessary permissions from the relevant covens, he took over the building and more or less left it in the same state he'd found it, repurposing a lot of what he found inside for his own uses, and bringing in anything that was inherently crucial to his work that was missing. Of its previous proprietor little is known, though it is believed that they existed centuries ago and have not been seen in recent years. From the remnants of its former owner, Arcturus has come to the conclusion that they were something of an alchemist. Perhaps it was once an apothecary, then.
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