The Spindle

The Spindle is the trade district of Odrun Fell. It handles most buying, selling, storage, and transfer. It connects guild supply to street demand. Carts arrive from the Hilt and the Barrows with carcasses, chitin, ores, and tools. Traders from the Sprigs buy rare parts and secured stock. River skiffs tie up at short docks where the Veinspring passes under grated arches. The district is busy from first bell to last light. Most business follows posted rules.

The Spindle runs along the city’s middle spans. Walkways cross above and below the river cut. Ramps link to the Hilt. Stairs rise toward the Sprigs. The Cudgel watches the main routes. The Promissory posts clerks at central squares to record contracts and insure high-value goods. The Ashcoats run shaping floors on the east edge to fit plates and cut shell. The Barleys keep feed lots and brood carts near the alley markets. This mix keeps the district flexible and fast.

Purpose and Function

The Hilt brings raw stock. The Spindle sorts it, tallies it, and sells it. Some stock goes to forges and labs. Some goes to street kitchens and shops. High-value pieces enter secured vaults. Bulk moves the same day to prevent rot. Public price boards, posted routes, and short contracts keep the flow clear.

Layout

The Spindle centers on a chain of squares linked by lanes. Each square specializes. The Bentroot Exchange handles open trade. The Chitin Vaults secure bonded stock. Food lanes cluster around Crackleline Alley. Gray-market repairs and risky goods drift toward Gutspar Alley and Waspjaw Way. The Hallowcrawl sits at the edge where the district meets old trenches. Cudgel posts sit on each square with horns, lamps, and lockboxes for fines.

Buildings are two or three levels with storage above. Rope cranes hang from balconies. Roof bridges link structures to create protected paths. Vendors rig tarps to shield stalls. The Veinspring divides the district but feeds it. Small bays take skiffs. River wardens check cargo and issue passes.

Daily Rhythm

At first bell, porters gather at the Bentroot Exchange. Boards list loads, destinations, rates, and penalties. At second bell, carts arrive from the Hilt with carcass cuts, husks, and glands. Midday is the loudest period for price calls and contract stamps. Afternoon sees secured transfers to the Chitin Vaults or to buyer vaults in the Sprigs. Near last light, food lanes do their best trade as crews finish shifts.

Guild Roles

The Promissory controls the center. Their clerks at the Bentroot stamp contracts, hold escrow, post bans, and keep ledgers for the Chitin Vaults. They license street lenders in a booth behind the dais.

The Ashcoats use east-edge shaping floors to cut and fit plates. They take rough shell from the Hilt, produce standard sizes, and sell lots to Cudgel depots, delver crews, and private buyers. They run the weighing house to curb fraud on heavy goods.

The Barleys manage feed, brood transfers, and specialty live stock moving through Waspjaw Way. They tag, medicate, and route animals to pens in the Hilt or to licensed buyers. They work the Hallowcrawl when escaped lines appear.

The Cudgel handles crowd control, theft, and smuggling. They post amber-flag days when the Loom shows collapse risks that might drive panic buying. They enforce the no-flame rule near cordage, oil stores, and tarps.

Trade Practices

Prices change with supply and risk. Boards in the Bentroot list day values for shell, leg meat, venom, spinnerets, and glands, plus fees for escorts, weighing, and storage. Most deals are small and quick. High-value deals go to a Promissory table with copies, witnesses, and seals. Small dealers use tab tokens issued each morning for micro-loans against expected sales, redeemed at last bell for coin. Cheating on weights, measures, or tokens leads to bans.

Safety and Health

Fires are the main fear. Water casks and sand sit at fixed points. Bucket crews train weekly. Lamps must have guards. Cooks keep flame-hoods low. Rot and disease also pose risk. The Dome in the Barrows takes serious cases; street medics handle cuts and burns in the Spindle. Cooks and butchers follow posted rules. Violations draw clear penalties.

Notable Sites

The Bentroot Exchange. The open market floor. Stalls are simple frames. Lanes are marked with paint. A dais holds price boards and Promissory staff. Haggling is short. Those who stall or shout down others are removed by The Cudgel. News from the tunnels passes here first.

The Chitin Vaults. Bonded storage under the Promissory. Thick doors, acid-washed halls, and ledger posts guard stock. Rooms are dry and cool. Buyers rent space by the day. Inspectors track each crate. Dangerous glands stay here until the Dregvault issues a release. No fire enters.

Gutspar Alley. A crooked lane for gray-market goods. Repairs happen without guild oversight. Unlicensed tinkers buy scraps and turn them into usable pieces. Street lenders run risks others will not. The alley closes for a week when violence spikes and offenders are banned.

Waspjaw Way. The lane for living stock and risky byproducts. Barley handlers move brood carts under netting. Buyers order venoms, spinnerets, and sacs through slat windows. The Cudgel inspects often and checks tags. Night traffic is restricted.

Crackleline Alley. The food lane. Vendors sell broth, fried thorax, and simple sweets. Smoke stacks draw steam away from tarps and cordage. The alley follows strict health rules and hosts bucket crews. Some cooks, like Pellit Burr, are known across the city.

The Hallowcrawl. An old trench at the edge. Root spines and broken beams mark early digs. Stalls fill the bottom by day and close at night. Private meets happen at the lip for rare trades. The Cudgel keeps lamps at the entries and checks every bundle on exit.

People and Work

Most workers are porters, clerks, cutters, handlers, cooks, and small dealers. Many live in the Barrows and walk in before dawn. Wages are modest. People value steady work and clear rules. Retired delvers often serve as weighers, notaries, or guards. Children learn counting, weights, and basic contract terms early.

Relations with Other Districts

The Spindle is the hinge between the Hilt, the Barrows, and the Sprigs. The Hilt supplies raw stock and needs carts, animals, and route notes. The Barrows processes meat and husk and sends cooks and porters to work the squares. The Sprigs supply coin and buyers for rare goods and hold private vaults. Disputes rise when Sprigs buyers try to skip lines or when Hilt crews sell outside guild terms. The Cudgel resolves these problems fast.

Smuggling and Control

Smuggling exists, but it is contained. The main targets are untaxed venoms, off-ledger glands, and stolen vault keys. The Cudgel uses patrols, surprise inspections, and rewards for informants. The Promissory adds rotating seals and mark-changing paper to defeat forgeries. When a ring is found, bans are posted in public, names are read at the Bentroot, and partners lose lending rights.

Culture and Memory

The Spindle values work, good food, and clean records. Wall carvings show trade rules, rescue routes, and thanks to crews who stopped fires. After a major collapse or market fire, merchants post free broth for those who fought the damage. A bell at the Bentroot rings once when a name is added to the Wall in the Hilt. Work pauses for a count of ten, then resumes.

Outlook

The Spindle’s strength is speed and clarity. It keeps goods moving and people fed. It adapts to tunnel shifts, river surges, and guild politics. It does not promise comfort. It promises that if you bring something the city needs, you can sell it today at a known price and leave with coin in hand. That promise keeps Odrun Fell supplied.