The+River+Pen

//This is part of the Hangover city, Liverpool, uk setting//

=The River Pen.=

From the most comfortable Rare Breed prison to the least in less than a mile. The river pen is cold and dark. The air stinks of rotting debris that the river washes in twice a day. It is part of a subterranean dock complex created when an old wharf was buried under the new water front in the 1850’s. The area partially floods with every high tide (though the water stops short of the cages except in the most extreme of weather conditions) As such it never totally dries out, making it a popular location to keep Wizards and Fairies who prefer to throw around fire.

It can be accessed from the surface via a set of metal shutters on Moor Street, that most assume is a private car park for the office block above; the old blue signs saying ‘This space must be kept clear at all time’ and ‘Private parking, Staff only’ might have given them that impression. There are also submerged tunnels from the river near the Pier head which the river witches use to bring in any suspects they have detained.

Inside it is very dark. Small waterproof bulbs line the walls every few meters but they are not really powerful enough to carry into the space, and Breed members on guard usually carry large Mag-lite torches that can also double as clubs should they need to ‘dissuade’ a difficult detainee. The water laps at the old wharf and the noise echoes in the large space, conversations are difficult and any attempt at vocalisations will quickly be detected by the guards. The concrete wharf is used as a walk way almost the edge of the dock to the cells at the back, which have been built into the old warehouse area. They are a system of metal cages with concrete plinths and thin foam mattresses. There is an upper walk way that extends across the top of the cages, allowing those on guard to watch what is going on in the cages in relative safety. Guards often hang round on the walk way when on duty because frankly there is no where else to go. Literally - the toilet facilities consist of standing on the wharf an weeing into the river. Breed member have leant to check there are no River witches down there before relieving themselves- that is a mistake you only get to make once.

It is not the most popular of duties and often used as ‘punishment’ detail. There is one regular guard - Armando Wyclif. He likes the place because it is quiet and he can fish off the wharf, although even he is not mad enough to eat anything that is pulled out of the river. He is also having a fling with Shelly Mullen, one of the river witches and working at the pen gives them plenty of chance to meet up in private.