Scene 1

The Soggy Piper Tavern

Huddled on a web of rotting pinewood stilts above the churning surf, The Soggy Piper Tavern is a depressing sanctuary for the district's remaining dockworkers. Salt crusts the grease-stained windows, and the low-ceilinged taproom vibrates with every heavy wave hitting the pylons below. Inside, a single smoky hearth battles the ambient chill, illuminating patrons who keep their boots firmly tucked into their chairs to avoid the inch of brackish water currently pooling across the floorboards.