Senteklos

The exact origins of the clannish Senteklos section of southeastern Balic are unclear, even to the city's scholars, but its creation can be attributed to a few powerful families and their stranglehold on dockworkers in the city. Over the centuries, these families, through marriage, gradually became a single unified clan, and it is this unity that is their strength and their influence in Balic.

The primary home of the Senteklos clan is the neighborhood of the same name. A unique geographical feature within the city, a large depression bordering the city wall has caused steep hills to form, the highest points being to the north, east, and west, and the lowest at the south where the hills flatten before meeting the city walls. Homes have been carved into the rocky walls of the depression with only the front wall, door, and window revealed to the Athasian sun. Bordering Balic's walls, roads descend steeply to a round plaza at the bottom of the depression, a small fountain in its center to provide the residents easy to water. Three evenly spaced stairways traverse the walls, and walkways radiate from the stairs to allow access to the home on each terraced level.

Homes are nearly uniform in size and construction, being small, with a living / cooking area and one or two bedrooms. Most residents have small sculptures, planters, or flowerboxes outside their homes to provide decoration and individuality. The exterior walls are colored in light shades of green, yellow or red. Each home has a single window, and the rear of the cave-homes are cool and dark.

Because of the close ties between the residents of Senteklos, residents take turns watching for suspicious passers-by throughout the day and night to prevent theft. Though the neighborhood is public, Balicans are careful not to linger long in the area, lest they be hassled by a Senteklos sentry who questions their reason for loitering. House Wavir sends patrols through the neighborhood on a regular basis, as it does through the rest of the territory it oversees, more so to let the Senteklos know that though the clan may think of themselves as independent, they are still under Wavir control.

The current patriarch of the Senteklos family is Ardeles, a man well-muscled from his many years on the docks before coming the head the family. Through him the three merchant Houses of Wavir, Tomblador, and Rees must negotiate for the majority of dockhands in the city. Though not every dock worker belong to or is employed indirectly by the family, they present a large enough influence that without them, the ships entering the port would go largely unloaded.

Many Balicans find the Senteklos to be disturbing, as their group bargaining threatens the employment of those not part of the family. Indeed, there are incidents where non-family dock workers are intimidated by Senteklos, though this practice is discouraged by the merchant Houses. This trend has become more common since the ascension of Ardeles four years ago, and House Wavir is troubled at what may come of this. They could certainly overwhelm the group by force, but this would set a bad precedent - Wavir prides itself for its tolerant governing style. The situation will eventually come to a head, but both sides accept the status quo at the moment.

PCs may encounter Senteklos if they need to interact with dock workers or if they own a sailing vessel. The PCs may also be asked by House Wavir to investigate missing workers who were not part of the Senteklos family, or rumors of sedition on the part of Ardeles and his most ardent supporters. PCs may also be called in to investigate acts of sabotage Senteklos against ships not loaded by clan members.