The Red District

## Overview

Located in the western part of Babel (the city), the Red District is the main concentration of tieflings and a few other infernally-blooded individuals within the larger city. After the annihilation of a significant chunk of the continent's entire population by the Verk Empire, many tiefling refugees decided that they needed to band together if they were going to have any chance of survival. After all, regardless of their actual behavior, it's those with the blood of the infernal planes that tend to take the blame when bad things happen.

The district was originally set up in Fort Fair Maiden, but after destruction rained down from the skies and wrecked most of the city, the Tieflings - who were A) located at the far edge of town, and thus far from the epicenter of the blast, and B) broadly sturdier than the average human - decided they really didn't want to stick around and take the blame for it.

## Demographics

The Red District consists of about 500 tieflings as permanent residents. A handful of residents from other races also call the area home. The 20 or so non-tiefling residents are largely those who have somehow protected or helped the community and been accepted by the regular residents. For the Red District, neighbors are like family (in the positive sense), and they'll protect their fellow residents as ferociously as they protect themselves.

## Layout

The Red District is a roughly dome-shaped part of the city, with one part of it lying against some stone walls in the western parts of Babel. The entire district is marked by a series of horns that are tied, lashed, or otherwise connected to structures to make it clear to everyone else where they're about to step.

The outermost buildings of the district tend to be taverns, shops, or artisans' facilities, with roads designed to lead people around the district rather than straight into it. These buildings, and the walls right behind them, serve as an additional buffer to help keep others out of the interior residential areas. The two buildings right up against the wall are brothels, where residents from the rest of the city can visit for some exotic (in their view) entertainment.

## Economy

The Red District gets its income in two ways: selling security services to the rest of the city, and crafting relatively exotic tools and equipment. Residents may have contracts with nobles, merchants, or other figures in the city that want protection, and they wear distinctive red uniforms regardless of the employer. The threat is simple: You mess with any of us, and you mess with all of us.

The crafters mostly stay in the district (hiring the occasional rag-tag team of weirdly rich and powerful individuals to collect materials) and forge items that other people find useful for their daily lives. Most crafters take great care with their appearance and manners, preferring to seem well-groomed, intelligent, and not at all as scary as the rumors about tieflings say.

## Security

Somewhat surprisingly, the Red District is a relatively safe area... for tieflings, at least. Though many of their kind are brash and prone to aggressive behaviors, the effects of the war mean they're far less inclined to try and stick out. This is especially true given the current demographics of their home, where other races significantly outnumber them. If race riots broke out, even the most stubborn tieflings acknowledge that they'd probably lose in the end.

However, the main reason that security is so tight is that almost every single resident is a member of the district's security force, and they are obligated to step in and intervene if someone's causing trouble. A sudden ring of two or three dozen tieflings, many of which have varied powers, is usually enough to convince residents and visitors alike that they really shouldn't keep causing trouble.

That said, if residents aren't causing trouble publicly, they're generally allowed to do whatever they want.

## Leadership

The Red District is run by a rotating council of members who serve relatively short terms. Qualifying for the Council requires being a respectable member of society and generally owning a business, being an acknowledged adventurer, or otherwise having some actual social worth. Council members who finish their term may sign up again, but only at the bottom of the list.

Since the makeup of the council changes a lot and one group can easily undo what a previous one did, most councils focus on setting guidelines and regulations that are acceptable to an overwhelming majority of the community. This has helped to temper their worst instincts, especially because they're all too concerned with the potential for outside problems.

## Notable Figures

Tieflings in general tend to stand out, but there are a few who stand out more than others. Aside from powerful adventurers who choose to call the Red District their home, there are a few significant figures that visitors have a good chance of meeting at one point or another.

**Tiferet** - Tiferet is an oni-spawn tiefling who looks closer to human than many of her peers. With high charisma and the refined behavior of a courtly lady, she's generally better at negotiations than the rough-and-tumble types and serves as something of a district representative for city-wide meetings. Rumors say she knows every one of the district's residents by name and face, and that she may use some exotic magic to help keep the peace.

**Xarzer** - A tall demodand-spawn, Xarzer is one of the most experienced warriors in the Red District and is more-or-less the Captain of the Guard. The district has no official titles outside of council posts, but Xarzer is treated as first among equals when it comes to matters of security. It helps that he's willing to smash people unconscious if they cause any trouble.

**Kosvenom** - A particularly intelligent daemon-spawn, Kosvenom's name is rather apt because he's *obsessed* with poisons. However, he's also smart enough to realize other people know this about him, so he's not inclined to go around poisoning people. As an expert on such matters, people sometimes come to him for help identifying poisons, or even learning to craft their own alchemical brews. Kosvenom runs a cramped materials shop that also serves as a cover for a mostly-fine black market shop.