Ebonskulls HQ
Nestled behind the very popular El Huerto Secreto restaurant on the northgate thoroughfare, the Ebonskulls headquarters if a little small and unassuming is ideally placed by both being on a main road but more crucially located within a stones throw from the Needle skyport. While a relatively new venture, the Ebonskulls under the leadership of Diego Tiziano have quickly gained a formidable reputation as a mercenary company. A good measure of this success is down to Diego, however there was a certain amount of a helpful head start that is a well kept Tiziano family secret. The El Huerto Secreto restaurant (The Secret Garden) is owned and run by Diego's grandmother Lucia, a charming elderly lady who these days runs a purley legitimate restaurant business. Who before Diego was born just so happened to be the most prolific black market smuggler on the continent of Elion. Back then the El Huerto Secreto was a front for said black market operation with a expansive hidden basement area, connected to the Neverstar sewer system.
Architecture
Ebonskull HQ Basement Layout
Well hidden beneath an affluent development of town houses, the former smuggling den was a well kept secret back in its heyday and perhaps even more so now that many who had dealings there have now either passed on, or moved into various echelons of society that would look down on those who would have been associated with such illegal activity.
El Huerto Secreto Resturant
While its rustic and homely decor is far from the flashy, high glamour eateries frequented by many of Neverstars rich nobles. The Hidden Garden has a well earned reputation amongst various respected gourment circles for serving simple but fantastic cuisine.
Infirmary
While somewhat ramshackle setup located in the top of the above ground Ebonskull HQ building, the Ebonskull infirmary is as well equipped as it is useful to have a discreet in house medical facility.
Underground Entrance
The entrance the to the basement section of the Ebonskull Headquarters is accessed via a hidden hatch in the floor of a store room that joins The Secret Garden Kitchen and the Upstairs Headquarters building. A short corridor leads to what is playfully referred to as the lobby but is in actual fact a secure checkpoint that is guarded at all times. All members are verified here before being let in and all guests are checked with their weapons taken and held and secured in chests.
Secure Storage
West of the lobby is the secured storage room . Much like the lobby this room is guarded at all times as it contains many of the more valuable treasure, equipment and resources that the Ebonskulls have amassed.
Shooting range
East of the lobby is the shooting range as well as the stairs into the basement proper. Originally catering only to archery based pursuits the walls and ceilings have recently been enchanted to dampen loud noises as well as absorb heavy vibration. In addition the back wall has been reinforced with a heavy metal armour plate to accommodate many of the new and exotic firearms found in the world as well as projectile based spellcraft.
The Canteen
A rowdy chamber always full with good song, good stories, good food and great boose, Inara's canteen is the perfect place for those looking to shake off the rigors of a difficult job . While nobody would say that mercenaries in current times are poorly compensated with coin for the dangerous work they do, Diego makes it a point of pride to provide Inara and Harold with the funding to well look after those who do work for the Ebonskulls . Afterall many do not survive this occupation so why not live a little while it lasts. A point that is aptly made by the wall of warriors which contains the name of every Ebonskull who didn't make it back from a job.
The Pit
Functioning as a training aid, entertainment and as a way to settle grudges between members the Pit is a sandy floored fighting ring located in the Ebonskull basement canteen area.
Diego's Chambers
Both a measure of the current property that Ebonskulls enjoy presently as well a mirror of Diego's extravagant personality, Diego's chambers are clad with fine quality building materials and furnishings acquired from all over Sacaris .
General Chambers
Generally speaking permanent accommodation isnt provided to members as they are expected to make arrangements of their own with large sums of gold that they are paid. However there are 4 bed rooms as well as a single bunk room available for when the need arises.
Neverstar Sewer Network
The labyrinth of tunnels that flow under the streets of Neverstar form the most advanced sewer system on the whole of Elion. However while incredibly capable at dealing with the cities waste due to a certain amount of overengineering by over zealous planning officials. Competition between various planners over the years has led to a confusing collection of sperate systems that awkwardly link together, that after modification upon modification have led to a mess of incorrect and incomplete maps of the system that are frequently less than useless for navigating its watery passageways.
Lucia Tiziano
Owner of The Secret Garden restaurant and former smuggler. Lucia is a very softly spoken woman who always has her patrons needs at the forefront of her mind . There are precious few who know of her past life as a smuggler and even less who know any of the details . But despite what she would have people believe about her quiet past as a housewife turned restaurateur and with her seemingly gentle nature, The Secret Garden despite often being full of mercenaries never seems to have any trouble.
Harold Chipsworth
A talented chef, Harold has ambitions of 1 day becoming head chef at The Secret Garden. However with no vacancies Harold through a couple of mercenary friends of his found work in the basement kitchen of the Ebonskull headquarters. Though not where he wants to be, he very much sees it as a foot in the door. Which is what he tells himself each day while serving good food to a bunch of merc oafs who couldn't tell the difference between filet mignon and a sewer rat steak.
Inara Duskmorne
Though unbeknownst to most, the former Thronblacks member Inara Duskmorne was a very popular hire by Diego (at least at first). Outwardly tasked with running the bar in the evenings at the Ebonskull basement, Diego had actually hired her at great expense to make use of the former assassins skills in counter espionage, as well as a certain measure of site security. This was of course unfortunate for the first few drunken mercs to "try their luck" who were sent to the doc with broken bones and even more broken egos.
Tali Bunaa (Doc)
Originally from El Sama, Tali was a talented physician at the prestigious fortuna clinic. Unfortunately for Tali he strayed into some trouble with a loan shark who was supporting his favorite hobby of horse racing. Like many in Infinis he was forced into indentured to work to pay his debt, a debt also like many on Infinis he was struggling to actually pay off. However after a chance meeting in which he tended to several of Diego's crew who had been badly injured in a heavy storm Diego offered to pay his debt in exchange for him coming to Neverstar to work for the Ebonskulls.
Straxx
As far as anyone knows, as long as there has been a basement here there has been a Straxx. An acquired taste as most Kobolds are Straxx's sometimes grating nature is more than made up for by his navigational mastery of the Neverstar sewer system. Of course if that wasn't enough to keep him from harm from often irritable groups of mercs, Lucia has a soft spot for the aging Kobold and frequently comes with scraps from the restaurant to keep him well fed.
Olitah
Some what of an outcast from the Ironshroud clan, Olitah left Sandgil at a young age . Initially simply seeking the challenge that the nearby Cindercone Rainforest offered, after several years living off the land Olitah eventually found herself selling both wares taken from the ever more exotic fauna and flora as well as her knowledge as a guide to many of the adventurous pirate groups traveling out of Rapier cove. It was during one of these trips that she crossed paths with Diego as the pirates she was with, against her advice attempted to ambush his ship. As predicted the pirates were outclassed and taking the opportunity to upgrade Olitah offered her services. Quickly proving her worth Olitah has remained Diego's head of security ever since.
Jervis Davion
Jervis Davion, former Quatermaster turned head of contracting decided that it was time to put the stresses of the mercenary life behind him . So when Diego offered him the contracting position he jumped at the offer. An easy stress free way to continue to earn good coin from behind the quiet safety of a desk he thought. Bt managing a stores of a vessel (even a vessel currently being besieged by beasts and pirates) it would seem was comparatively simple to managing the acquisition of work from an industry full of dangerous competitors only to then have to organise issuing said work amongst a workforce of hyper competitive individuals with a thirst for coin.
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