Gentles
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THE COURT OF ARCHES : Held in the crypt of St. Mary-le-Bow on Bow Street, the Court of Arches is London Under's highest court of appeal. It convenes only when necessary, and never more than once a year. At least seven gentles must be present in order for a session to start, and the ruling of that session is final - the issue may never be raised again. To call for the Court of Arches is a very dangerous gambit, since the penalty is a long and painful death if the Court deems that its time has been wasted.

The Baron

  • TERRITORY: Baron's Court
  • GANG: The Ekstasis

The Baron comes across as a slightly sleazy old man in a velvet shirt that opens too far down his chest. Don't be fooled. He deals in secrets and misdirection, competing with the Beadles and King Rat to be the best-informed man in London Under. The thing that's holding him back is the tendency of his gang to get carried away and kill their victims. The Baron has a reputation for flirting with anything that could reasonably be called 'bipedal' - the notable exception is Lady Neon, whom he accuses of stealing his gang's turf.

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Charles Oak

  • TERRITORY: Royal Oak
  • GANG: The Ghillie Dhu

Charles Oak is an ancient and inflexible dryad. He claims to remember a time before there was ever a settlement here, although the kind call that an exaggeration and the young call it bollocks. He doesn't like Lady Neon because he simply doesn't understand any part of what she is, but he is quite fond of the Queen of Clocks. It's widely known that he resents the Sacred Circle of Muswell Hill for their involvement in setting up the Elm Branch of the Ghillie Dhu, but he suffers from stem bleeds so can't afford to be outwardly rude.

The Earl

  • TERRITORY: Earl's Court
  • GANG: The Gap

Sitting on the most powerful resource in London Under, the Earl can afford to be jovial. He holds court in Dark Ages style, with jesters and bards and plenty of wine. He's even made a knight or two in his time, which the other gentles mostly humour to stay on his good side. There's rumours of tension between him and the Baron on a personal level but, beyond avoiding any place where he might be and ignoring the occasional fights between the Gap and the Ekstasis, he's never given any evidence to support the rumours.

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Father Abbott

  • TERRITORY: Blackfriars
  • GANG: The Black Friars

Father Abbott used to be a powerful and respected figure in London Under. Head of the Black Friars, he was responsible for guarding what was rumoured to be the key to heaven. About twenty years ago, however, he lost possession of it and therefore his claim to authority. He spent the intervening years as a little old man who drank too much beer, before passing away on 14th June 2014. The new head of the gang is a young Black Friar called Cordelia Fairhurst, but she has not ascended to gentle status. That leaves one seat open on the Court of Arches.

Hammersmith

  • TERRITORY: Hammersmith
  • GANG: None

Hammersmith makes things out of metal. Anything you want, provided you pay enough and he likes you. A huge man in a leather apron, usually carrying at least two hammers. He doesn't take apprentices but he's followed around by a crowd of eager would-be students and, if he's in a good mood, he might drop a word of wisdom for the ones who are listening closely. Not many people can afford one of Hammersmith's pieces, so a Watched Hammersmith (WH) Smith is the more widely accepted stamp of quality.

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Kaspar

  • TERRITORY: The Savoy Hotel
  • GANG: None

Kaspar is a large black cat who lives at the Savoy and, whenever there is a dinner party of 13, joins the table to bring the numbers safely up to 14. He is considered one of the classiest, best mannered and most discrete denizens of London Under. King Rat and the Varmints gang have a healthy dislike of Kaspar, which he always returns with gracious remarks and a licking of his lips.

King Rat

  • TERRITORY: Vauxhall
  • GANG: The Varmints

King Rat has moved with the times, and considers himself a modern gentle for a modern city. He has slicked-back hair and a smartphone. He wears sunglasses constantly to hide the fact that his eyes are small and round and black. All the vermin of the city are his informants. When people say that the walls have ears, the ears belong to him. If he has a fault (and he does), it's arrogance. And talking in meaningless business jargon. And never putting the bloody smartphone down, even if there's no signal. And…

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Lady Neon

  • TERRITORY: Piccadilly Circus
  • GANG: The Neon Court

Lady Neon is a diminutive woman with pale skin and wide eyes. She changes appearance depending on what the current fashion that she's setting is - currently she favours Asian Fusion. The newest gentle to rise to power, Lady Neon has stepped on more than a few toes on her way up and doesn't seem to care in the slightest. If you want to die of hollow desire, let her touch you. Otherwise get the hell out of her way.

Mama Thames

  • TERRITORY: Wapping
  • GANG: The Tideways

When the moon is in its first or third quarter, Mama Thames is a good-natured old woman who can be relied upon to mediate disputes with calm common sense and a plate of broken biscuits. When it's full or new moon, however, she's a hungry hag who'll gnaw on your bones. Learn to tell the tide.

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The Pearly Princess

  • TERRITORY: Shoreditch
  • GANG: The Costermongers Guild

The Pearly Princess took over the Guild in 1930 when the Pearly King died after an unfortunate accident with a staircase. She has an annoying habit of talking in a childish voice and her white hair is still worn in pigtails, but she'll murder you for a cup of tea and she rules the Costermongers with an iron fist.

The Queen of Clocks

  • TERRITORY: St Pauls
  • GANG: The Wardmote

The Queen of Clocks claims to be a personification of the history of London. Her appearance varies from day to day - sometimes an Elizabethan, sometimes a celt, sometimes 1920s. On the rare occasions that she's seen in public, she comes across as either slightly confused or vague. Her palace of Vey Lim, under St. Pauls, is rumoured to be a haven of historical beauty but it's very rarely in the same time period as would-be visitors so rumours are all there are.

Tag

  • TERRITORY: Waterloo
  • GANG: The Whites

Tag is a shapeless figure in a hoodie, and a true artist with both an aerosol can and the laws of magic. Despite a total lack of evidence to go on, popular opinion refers to Tag as 'her'. The Whites either don't know or aren't telling. No one's even sure whether it's a name or a transferable title. She(?) is almost never seen, preferring to communicate through the medium of interpretive graffiti.

PHOTO CREDITS
1. Court of Arches sign, photo by Tom Garnett, www.tgarnett.com
2. Leuco Oak, son of Charles Oak, photo by Tom Garnett, www.tgarnett.com
3. Cordelia Fairhurst, successor to the Father Abbott, photo by Tom Garnett, www.tgarnett.com
4. King Rat, photo by Liss Macklin
5. Gigi, sibling of Lady Neon, photo by Tom Garnett, www.tgarnett.com
6. Mama Thames, photo by Tom Garnett, www.tgarnett.com

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