Old Quarter

An Area in Old Quarter

With paved streets and wrought-iron lampposts, the Old Quarter sometimes feels like a place out of time. The aged stone houses seem to be piled up one on top of the other, forming a labyrinth of back alleys and passageways in which one could easily become lost under the watchful eye of black ravens. A bohemian hodge-podge of artists, writers, musicians, and new-age practitioners have set up their galleries, museums, and posh recording studios here, alongside funky bistros and nightclubs. But it’s the indigenous inhabitants of this quarter that you need to watch out for.

A place as old as this holds a wealth of opportunities for Rifts. From stories of archaeological treasures containing caches of gold and cursed relics to local superstitions and legends of black magic, the Mist does not seem as thick in this place. A souvenir shop may only be the façade for a room draped in velvet where a fortune-teller will read your future, for a price. A beautiful old house could be boarded up and sealed as a crime scene after yet another potential buyer was brutally murdered there, and the word on the street is the devil in the attic got him, too.

Whatever it may be about this place, there is no denying that some of the oldest and greatest Rifts operating in the City reside here or at least take an interest in the quarter. Buried deep within it (or underneath it) may be the answers that everyone wants and yet no one is able to find...

# AREAS OF INTEREST

## The Cobbled Street

The Cobbled Street is the heart of the Old Quarter. Possibly the first paved street in the City (or the first worth mentioning), this rather narrow main street has been renovated countless times, but has kept its historical look all the same. Mysterious street performers perform magical tricks that defy logic while musicians play long-forgot�tentunes that evoke old memories from before you were born. On both sides, stone townhouses stand crookedly shoulder to shoulder in two rows, penetrated occasionally by a shadowy arched passageway. Some of the houses are used as homes, containing anything from cramped attic apartments to plush residences laced with antiques. Some are businesses, from outrageously expensive restaurants to cheap dens where you can get tarot card readings. Others stand empty, abandoned for some ungodly and unspoken reason.

At night this street takes on an otherworldly appearance. Mist creeps in and coils around the lampposts, their lights like hovering lanterns. Silence washes over, seemingly covering the entire quarter, except for the faraway sounds of medieval music. Few walk about, their footsteps muffled and their figures dark and blurry. You get a feeling that something could emerge out of the night and spirit you away to another place, another life, and no�one would ever know

## Center of Curiosity

Center of Curiosity is an impressive edifice of stone and marble, erected in a time when history and culture still mattered. Today, most of the City residents regard it as a dull activity reserved for tourists and intellectuals or a place of study for the libary. Others, of a less savory nature, see it as a big pile of money waiting for the one who can bypass its state-of-the-art security systems. They’re not wrong; the building is loaded with famous works of art and ancient artifacts that are worth a fortune on the black market. But that is not what makes this place so special.

What most City residents naturally overlook is that the museum is the largest repository of Relics in the City. Sure, the most powerful Relics, if they ever made it to the Museum, have been stolen or sold long ago. But there are still so many minor Relics stored within the marble-coated walls of this institution that it’s practically a mythical armory.

Even the mundane exhibits in the museum are so incredibly charged with past and emotion that they make perfect candidates for awakening as new Relics. Most of the personnel working at the museum have no clue about this, but rumor has it that a handful of Rift preservation experts, archeologists and historians, the head curator and even a security guard have banded together to protect the museum from any potential threats to the exhibits. They may have even incorporated some of the Relics into the security measures of the museum.

Interestingly enough, the Relics’ true value doesn’t lie in their Mythos powers; it’s in their history. Relics are Rifts, and as Rifts, they remember. Unlike human Rifts, they can endure for centuries and millennia, meaning they could retain authentic knowledge about the history of the City, perhaps even predating the Mist. Such knowledge would only be accessible to the chosen bearer of the Relic, or to someone with enough mystical know-how to wrest it out forcibly.

## Grimbrook University

The center of higher learning in the City. Established hundreds of years ago, this educational institution has long spearheaded scientific research and the study of the humanities. Unfortunately, a shrinking budget, faculty scandals, and staunch competition from private research facilities have damaged its long-standing prestige, losing it some of its foremost scientists. Still, this well-respected establishment remains the home of some of the best minds in the City, perhaps ones who are driven more by a passion for knowledge than by self interest and greed. Some academics here will tell you that while they love striding the echoing marble halls and working late in the lab, it is the passion for teaching that truly keeps them here.

The expansive campus, with its many buildings and facilities, takes up a good chunk of the Old Quarter and in fact the newer additions to the university, as well as the residential neighborhoods that house the staff and students, are creeping out into other districts. Still, the beating heart of the university is its centuries-old main hall and the lawns in front of it. Not far from it stands the old library: the largest collection of books, texts, and records in the City. Nerdy researches and inquisitive reporters are often seen here brooding over piles of books and microfilm readers, while in the back of the library colorful mystics flick through dusty tomes. The university’s top-notch lab facilities have also featured on the news recently, with some strange accidents and possible break-ins reported in the genetics lab.

## Wonderful Wonders

"You won't find what you want, but you'll always find what you need."

Wonderful Wonders is a local thrift shop that was converted into a store from a former house. Older residents in the Old Quarter have been trying to get local government to restore the house to it's former historical landmark, but no one has proof that it's historical other than a brief mention of a city founder building his home on the land.

The owner of the store, Benji Binari, has countered the public displeasure by openly showing that the store is dedicated to providing for the community. Benji puts a deep focus on neighbors helping neighbors by accepting donations to create quality jobs, offering an affordable shopping experience, and supporting non-profit partners serving our local community. When there is an overabundance of donations they are turned over to local shelters and programs Wonderful Wonders also features in-store promotions throughout the week. Wednesday, for example, is Family Day with shoppers receiving half off clothing and selected items, except those already on sale.

## The Mansion

Sullen bare trees and a high stone wall mark the beginning of the grounds owned by the proprietor of this estate. As you drive by, an unkindness of ravens takes flight; when the feathers settle down, you see an old manor house on the hill. The closer you come to the building, the more you’re taken by a strange gut feeling, though you know not why. From the courtyard, the grey mansion seems somber and foreboding. When you knock on the door, a peculiar butler will try to drive you away, kindly or with a death trap, but will eventually show you inside.

Every mansion has an owner, either living or dead. The owner is a unique individual or group: a powerful Rift, the awakened ghost of a deceased Sleeper, a bizarre family of Mythos-worshiping cultists, or a mysterious transcendent entity completely beyond the City’s game of sleep and awakening. Whoever the owner is, they have something that cannot be normally obtained in the City, a game changer: knowledge of the origins of a powerful villain, a solution to an impending monumental threat, or a Relic that could set things straight. Whether they share it with the lead characters and for what price remains to be seen.

One such mansion, Starling Manor, sits atop a hill overlooking a lake. It’s owned by the little known but ridiculously rich Edward Winters (Sleeper?), once a celebrated filmmaker. Winters’ films, while poignant and personal, often broached philosophical and metaphysical questions. Some say he has travelled the world to research the subjects of his films, while others insist he has never left Starling Manor. In old newspaper photos, you can see something truly rare in the cinematographer’s eyes: a glint of contentment. And in all of them, in every single photo of him, you will find the same old, dusty typewriter.