Netmender's Court

Communal Housing and Courtyard
Mid-Level Quays, Docks District

Overview

Netmender’s Court is a dense communal housing cluster serving the working population of the Docks District. It is home to dockworkers, fisher families, crane crews, and those whose livelihoods are tied directly to Stormreach Harbour. The Court is not affluent, but it is stable, sustained by shared labour, mutual dependence, and long familiarity.

If the Longshore Exchange determines who works, Netmender’s Court is where that work is lived with.

Location & Layout

Netmender’s Court sits just above the Stormreach level, built into a shallow recess where the docks rise toward the mid-level quays. The surrounding stonework and structures shelter it from the worst bay winds while keeping it closely connected to the working routes of the docks.

The Court is centred on a broad, irregular stone courtyard enclosed by multi-storey tenement buildings.

Key features include:

• exterior stairways and narrow balconies
• hanging walkways connecting upper floors
• rope lines, nets, and tarps strung between walls
• narrow alleys leading outward to the quays

The space feels enclosed without being hidden. Sound carries easily, and movement is always visible.

Daily Life

Netmender’s Court is active from early morning until late evening.

Throughout the day:

• nets and lines are repaired and hung to dry
• tools are shared between households
• children play under casual supervision
• meals are prepared communally
• arguments flare briefly and fade

The rhythm of the Court follows the docks. When Stormreach is busy, the Court is loud and crowded. When the harbour slows, the Court quiets with it.

Communal Structures

Shared Kitchens

Several ground-floor kitchens serve the Court. Residents contribute ingredients, labour, or coin as they are able. Meals are simple, filling, and often eaten together. These kitchens double as social hubs and informal meeting spaces.

Netmending Yards

Sections of the central courtyard are dedicated to repairing nets, sails, and lines. These areas give the Court its name and function as gathering points for conversation and shared work.

Living Quarters

Upper floors are divided into small, practical living spaces. Rooms are crowded but maintained. Few residents stay permanently, but many return between voyages or shifts.

Social Rules

Netmender’s Court operates under a quiet, shared code:

• Children are watched by whoever is closest.
• Theft from neighbours is not tolerated.
• Disputes are handled internally where possible.
• Everyone helps with net work, whether they fish or not.
• Outsiders are noticed immediately.

Enforcement is communal rather than formal. Reputation matters more than authority.

Relationship to Authority

Peacekeepers patrol the approaches to Netmender’s Court but rarely enter unless called. Minor disputes are resolved internally. More serious trouble is dealt with quickly to avoid outside involvement.

The Harbourmaster’s office considers the Court useful. Stable housing supports reliable labour, and so the area is largely left to govern itself.

Residents

Those who live in Netmender’s Court include:

• dockworkers and longshore families
• fisher crews between voyages
• crane operators and apprentices
• injured workers and retirees
• temporary residents saving coin

It is one of the few places in the Docks District where multiple generations live in close proximity.

Atmosphere

Netmender’s Court is crowded, worn, and alive.

The air carries:

• the smell of cooking and damp rope
• constant low conversation
• laughter mixed with raised voices
• lantern light reflecting off hanging nets
• laundry, tools, and work sharing the same space

It is not quiet, but it is familiar.

Local Colour

• A fishing net repaired so many times its original mesh is unrecognisable
• A sagging balcony that has never fallen
• A communal cooking pot that never seems empty
• Children who know every shortcut through the docks
• A warning bell rung only when serious trouble threatens the Court