Eel's End

A sprawl of light and sound marks the first (or last) pier of Old Korvosa. Glowing lanterns in the shape of dream spiders and coiled eels hang from pilings or lampposts, flickering through all hours of the night. During the day, Eel's End is quieter, yet the place never truly sleeps, catering to the vices and base needs of Old Korvosa at all hours.

The pier itself is 70 feet long, although its last 30 feet widen into a lrge square platform on the water. A ship and four smaller vessels are permanently moored to the pier; the ship is the Eels' End, a warship that serves as the stronghold of Devargo Barvasi and the administrative center of his entire operation.
The four vessels are owned by various peddlers and captains, and they pay regular rent for the honor of attaching to Eel's End.

Ironically, Eels' End is actually one of the safer, more stable locations in Korvosa these days. The riots haven't touched it, and in fact, the increased need for escapism from the horrors of reality means that business is booming.

Large signs painted in several languages are nailed to pilings and hang from ropes slung between barges.
The closest barge to the east bears a sign that says; "The Twin Tigers - Take the Tiger by the Tail and Try your Luck!"
Opposite that; "Welcome to the Goldenhawk - No safer Stay in Old Korvosa!" Further south; "Dragon's Breath Corridor - Dream the Dragon's Dreams at Affordable Prices!" and opposite that; "House of Clouds - The Caress of our Lovelies will take you Straigth to Heaven!"

Goldenhawk
Here, those whose endurance has been taxed by wild cavorting at Eel's End can retreat to sleep it off.
A lisping Gnome named Tuggins presides over the floating inn.
He has a walleye and a patchy beard, wears a crumpled hat, and has an extensive collection of keys.

Twin Tigers
Inside each of the structures on the main deck, tables are packed with gamblers. Dice clatter, cards are dealt, wheels spin, and coins aplenty dance and jangle to the fickle whim of fate.
(Knivesies is a particular favorite).
The masters are dark-skinned human brothers wrapped in red veils.
Twin vudrani named Anpugit and Rajeek.

House of Clouds
The double doors always hang open to reveal a large room decorated with throw rugs, large pillows, and air thick with incense and lit by red paper lanterns. The scent of anise, rosewater, and cinnamon pours forth from smoking bronze braziers set on silver stands. which are carved in the likeness of slit-eyed serpents and proud hunting birds.
The brothel is run by a madam named Halvara.

Dragon's Breath Corridor
Thick, pungent smoke assails the nose below deck, the open interior of which is partitioned with silken curtains and filled with large beds and couches.
Glossy-eyed patrons loll about and mewl, their minds burning with shiver, pesh, flayleaf, and other exotic drugs.
A skinny, short man named Bezzeraty wanders languidly about the smoky room, wheeling a large hookah to and fro on a cart and muttering;"Get Smoked!"

Meeting Debargo Barvasi
Once a captains cabin, the four are allowed entrance to the 'fabled' Throne of Spiders.
The walls are thick with spider webs, in which scuttle dozens of spiders, some as large as a fist but most consideravly smaller.
These spiders seem content to stay in their webs and do not venture into the room itself, which is furnished with two sturdy oaken tables surrounded by chairs. Aft, a wooden stage supports large leather chair covered with cobwebs and scampering spiders.
A narrow door stands to port, hanging ajar and revealing a flight of stairs leading below.
An iron birdcage hangs from the ceiling like a chandelier.

Barvasi is a tall, muscular man with shaggy black hair and a fierce glare.
He accents his black leather armor with steel spidershaped shoulder baldric and a thick chain crisscrossing his chest, linked together in the hsape of a spider.
His signature weapons, gauntlets fixed with blades, glisten with poison.
(Whispers say that he has the blood of fiends in him, and that he can communicate telepathically with spiders)

Devargo spends most of his time at Eel's End, entertained by lickspittles and sycophants, all of whom are petty scoundrels and thugs desperate to earn the King of Spiders' favor.
As the Samurai, Scout, Paladin and Druid enter, he is in the process of evaluating six thugs and cutpurses for recruitment.

The thugs are seated at the tables, enjoying a sumptuous meal and loud storytelling.
The steel birdcage holds a Housedrake named Majenko, and it whispers to the four; "Help me.. set me free!".

Glancing up, the adventurers ignore its pleads and adress the Crimelord Devargo Barvasi.
"We've come to extract some information we were told you have in your possession King of Spiders. As we know gold speaks louder than words, we've brought an impressive amount to take this information regarding a regular customer; Ambassador Darvayne Gios Amprei."

Unimpressed and a bit bored by this straightforwardness Barvasi tells them as much. As the Druid stumbles to try and salvage the meeting, Devargo suggests a bit of entertainment.. Knivesies !