A Visitor's Guide to Nokt: Old Farm Ring: Probay's House of Welcome

Situated on the south side of the Old Farm Ring, Probay’s House of Welcome is slightly mis-named in that it is not just a single house, but rather a series of low-cost apartments and buildings constructed on an empty old farm parcel. The main building (which is usually what people refer to when they mention Probay’s House) is a large, run-down mansion-style house. Probay herself lives here, in the main wing, while the two other wings of the building have been converted and opened to those in need.

In addition to the main building, the property is covered in smaller, but no less run-down, wooden buildings that serve as crowded, dirty living conditions for those who cannot afford a better place to live. Basically a more permanent version of a tent city, Probay’s House of Welcome is a sore spot with the City Guard, but it is tolerated for a number of reasons: first off, Probay pays the city handsomely for use of the land her House is on (some might call it a bribe, even), and second, the Church of the Open Arms has whole-heartedly embraced Probay’s project, and may perhaps even fund the operation (from behind closed doors, of course – the crime that occurs here would not be a good thing for the Church to been seen as “involved” with).

Due to the number of people here, the distance from Old Town, and the “rent” that Probay pays to the city, the Town Guard rarely shows up to keep the peace. It is not uncommon for the dawn of a day to reveal a dead body or two, or for someone to find that their possessions have been removed during the course of the night. And, of course, nobody ever sees a thing when the Guard does show up and asks questions.

Unknownst to any law officers in Nokt, Probay’s House of Welcome serves a second, more sinister purpose than that of cheap lodging – it is the headquarters for the Assassin’s Guild in Nokt, and Probay is the head of the Guild. The Guild is a relatively new addition to Nokt, having arisen only in the last six or so years – it was not a feature of Nokt while Draven ran the place. Whatever Azzure has done (or not done) to promote this type of organization is not obvious, but since not much else has changed in the city… where else can blame lay?

Madame Probay’s (Rogue 8/Assassin 5/Spy 6 – for details of the Spy Prestige Class, see the Lennotia sourcebook) house sits atop a warren of tunnels that branch out, connecting eventually with the sewers, old smuggler’s tunnels, and perhaps more. None save Probay herself can know the full extent of these tunnels, though they must be prodigious indeed in order to support her spy and assassin network.