Urchins

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"A suspicious number of orphans call the tangled streets of the Fifth City home. The child-gangs that plague us include: the Fisher-Kings, the Naughts, the Crosses, the Regiment, and the Knotted Sock." (Aw. Look at their sooty little cheeks. Hey, where'd my wallet go?)

Urchins are the probably-futureless street-roaming orphans of London. They have territory throughout London, but they're particularly noticeable around Spite and in the Flit.

To the Rooftops!

Fallen London is packed with several infamous urchin gangs; each has its own peculiar customs and traditions. Some of these traditions allegedly date back to the Second City. Some urchin-gangs include:

• The Naughts and Crosses, who play, well, naughts and crosses (read: tic-tac-toe).To be more specific, they're in a constant gang-war with each other that spans the checkered streets of Fallen London.
• The Regiment, the most powerful of the urchin-gangs.
• The Knotted Sock, more on them below.
• The Fisher-Kings, who fish for hats and valuables from the Flit.

Urchins are often used as couriers and informants, and sometimes even as mercenaries. During the Twelve Days of Mr Sacks, the urchins gather up the best lacre available from the streets and rooftops of London and collect it into pails of "snow," which they sell at exorbitant prices.

Some urchins seem to have a close relationship with Storm, a rage-filled god of the Unterzee.

The Knotted-Sock

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"A Vehement Campaigner wants to reform the Knotted Sock, and has ascended to the Flit armed with morally improving literature. The Sock are willing to let you join in the fun."

Out you go longshanks!

The Knotted Sock doesn't get its name solely from the nail- and brick-filled socks they wield as weapons. Their name comes from an "ur-sock" (really, a glorified sock) said to contain a star.

The Knotted Sock is one of the only urchin gangs that is brave enough to venture into the Forgotten Quarter. Their headquarters are located in a building in Spite known as Old Downy, which is rumored to be haunted.

In truth, the building isn't haunted; rather, it is alive due to the influence of a large shard of the King with a Hundred Hearts' heart which they have stolen. And that is the star.

Slivvy

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"'ere, longshanks! Slivvy says 'as 'ow you wants to get rid of your wind-brand. And for a wery reasonable price."

Slivvy is an urchin who can talk to the wind. He answers to the zee-god Storm, and sometimes kills people at its request by dropping large rocks on them from the great heights of the Flit. The port-wine birthmark on Slivvy's face, along with his stutter, are signs of "the Lightning's Kiss," which he received during a storm.

According to Slivvy, the urchin gangs may go back even further than the Second City. They may even originate from the "other children" of the Bazaar.