Ladybones Road

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"What can you find in Ladybones Road? Moloch Street Underground Station is the first stop on the journey to Hell. Clathermont's Tattoo Parlour, haunt of spies, is here. Hangman's Arch can be a good place to hear gossip, and is always a good place for a hanging."[1]

Ladybones Road is a major district of London.

Secrets for All to See

"Fallen London is a city of secrets. If you're here to find them, Ladybones Road is the place to start."[2]

Ladybones Road is a place known for its secrets, mysteries, and intrigues.[2][3] For instance, it's rife with Hellish graffiti - tricky to decipher, but it might provide hints of Hell's internal affairs.[4] The Brass Embassy, Hell's embassy in London, is located here,[5] and staffed by devils and goat-demons.[6] Clathermont's Tattoo Parlour is a popular local establishment for agents of the Great Game,[1] who use tattoos to encode messages and secrets.[7][8] Some of Clathermont's patrons visit nearby taverns afterwards to drink, relax, and chat about their tattoos' meanings.[9]

Ladybones Road houses the entrance to the Clay Quarters,[10] a labyrinth under the city in which Clay Men conduct their business.[11] Moloch Street, whose new crown jewel is the first stop on the railway to Hell,[12] is also located here.[1]

Before the Fall of London, Ladybones Road was called Marylebone.[13][14]

Detectives for Hire

"Ladybones Road: home of detectives and rumourmongers. The best place to pick up the trail."[15]

A large marble arch.
Hangman's Arch

Thanks to its hellish mystique, Ladybones is typically frequented by detectives and Constables.[3] Independent detectives usually receive commissions by patrons to solve mysteries,[16][17] and the Constables sometimes visit Ladybones to pursue intelligence regarding the Brass Embassy and the spies of the Great Game.[18][7] Concord Square, the Constables' headquarters,[19] is also located in this district.[20]

Although death is elusive in the Neath, public hangings that often draw crowds are conducted at Hangman's Arch, a notable landmark of Ladybones.[21] Hanged prisoners who recover are exiled to the Tomb-Colonies,[22] and their discarded garmets are gifted to informants by the Constables as a traditional,[23] and sometimes morbid,[24] reward.[23] On days when the site is not in use, elderly women gather under the Arch to sell sugared mushrooms and whisper valuable gossip amongst themselves.[25]

References