OOC: Ratchet? Everything you need to know.

Before you write your stories, i dug up (copy-paste) some information from wowwiki incase you're not really familiar with Ratchet itself, adding some of my own info aswell. Hope it helps.

Type: City (Most people prefer town, due to it's small size ingame)
Population: 7,000 - 9,000
Government : Trade princes
Ruler: Gazlowe
Language: Goblin, Common, Orcish
Resource: Alchemy, arcanite, entertainment, gems, gold, imported goods, shipping, silver, technology, thorium, timber, transportation, vice.
Affiliation: Steamwheedle Cartel, Venture Company
Location: Eastern Barrens




The name speaks for itself really..

Ratchet, on Kalimdor’s central east coast, is run by goblins and shows it. Its streets sprawl in every direction, and the architecture shows no consistency or common vision. It is a city of entertainment and trade, where anything that anyone would ever want to buy — and plenty of things that no one ever wants to buy — is on sale. Casinos, playhouses, brothels (wut?), fine restaurants, taverns, tearooms, gladiatorial arenas… Ratchet has it all. From the grungiest sailor to the wealthiest royalty, all can sate their tastes in Ratchet. Ratchet is Kalimdor’s largest port, and ships commonly stop here on their way elsewhere. Pirate vessels receive amnesty in Ratchet’s waters, bringing an influx of the disreputable and violent. Indeed, Ratchet is a hotspot, as races of all types and members of all social economic strata rub shoulders in the bazaars. Goblin watchmen are quick to put down conflict and make sure the inhabitants all play nice with each other. The city never stops. Its lights are on, its shops open and its services available at any time of day or night. One can also hire transport in Ratchet, traveling via caravan, ship, zeppelin or more exotic means. Everything in Ratchet has a price, of course.


Ratchet is currently run by Gazlowe, the Overseer of Ratchet, of the Steamwheedle Cartel under the watchful eye of the trade princes, who give him considerably free reign. Ratchet also serves as a base of operations for many members of a corporate group called the Venture Company, a collection of greedy entrepreneurs, which is infamous for its massive numbers of goblin shredders. They also run the city, and always keep their beady eyes on the bottom line at all times.

History.

Ratchet is the main goblin port in Kalimdor, it is a medium sized harbor city located on the eastern shore of the Barrens directly between Durotar and Theramore. Built from equal parts of industry and decadence, the goblin port city of Ratchet sprawls along nearly a mile of coastline where the eastern Barrens poke between Durotar and the Dustwallow Marsh to the sea. Ratchet is the pride of the goblins, a trade city where you can find almost anything your heart desires — and if something is not in stock, you can bet the goblins can order it. Ratchet also had regular ferries that traversed the safe though roundabout route to the island stronghold of Theramore to the south.

Ratchet is a city/town where creatures who were once the butt of jokes now reign supreme. Its streets wander without rhyme or reason through neighborhoods dedicated to one activity: commerce. Ramshackle warehouses stand next to stately stone homes. Fine shops press cheek to jowl with rude huts. Wares of every type imaginable — and some beyond the imagination — are on display in markets and in exclusive boutiques.

The goblins run their operations around the clock, and boats are always pulling in and out of harbor carrying loads of precious goods and cargo. Goblin guardsmen patrol the streets, making sure that the various Horde and Alliance visitors play nice with each other.

Goblins welcome anyone with gold or items of value and a willingness to trade them for their wares and services. Merchants throng the marketplaces each day, selling everything from silks to slaves(!), and even at night the stores lining the twisting streets and alleys remain open for business. Those with the money can listen to skilled musicians while drinking fine ales and eating food prepared by expert chefs (if somewhat questionable). For those with earthier tastes, the streets along the wharf teem with whorehouses, taprooms, and casinos. Since goblins are essentially neutral to everyone, Ratchet entertains members of each race who come for the nightlife. All in all, Ratchet is a wild place, offering great bars, fight clubs, girls (and guys), and fast boats.

In addition to commerce, Ratchet hosts a series of arenas that sponsor gladiatorial tournaments. These enormously popular tourneys are open to all comers, and winners can reap enormous prizes. The princes of the Golden Circle often hire those who distinguish themselves in the arenas, either as bodyguards or as caravan escorts.

Ratchet is the largest port on Kalimdor, with as many ships bringing cargo in as there are ships heading out for other sites around Kalimdor. In addition to legitimate trade vessels, pirate craft receive amnesty while in the port of Ratchet as long as they can pay the stiff docking fees. This situation makes many merchant captains furious, but they cannot hope to stay in business if they boycott Ratchet. Moreover, the Lawkeepers and hired mercenaries prowling the waterfront are eager to deal with anyone looking to cause trouble. More than one drunken hooligan has laughed at being told to calm down by a pair of tiny goblin guardsmen...only to wake up in jail with bruises and singed clothing.

The skies above Ratchet are almost as busy as the harbor, full of goblin zeppelins, dwarf flying machines, and other aerial contraptions. The aircraft provide merchants and travelers with quick airborne transport to anywhere in Kalimdor — though when the regular cargoes of the trade princes need to be bumped, stiff premiums are charged well above the normally high cost of such a service.

The ruler of Ratchet.




In his younger days, Gazlowe was a thief, like many goblins. Through adventuring, he gradually managed to make enough money to begin legitimate business, and proved to excel at it.

After the Third War, he was hired by Thrall as the chief engineer to help securing a reliable source of water for the newly constructed Orgrimmar city. Gazlowe sent an expedition to dig out some tunnels beneath the city, they looked for underground wells for use in the newly founded city, but they accidentally tunneled into a den of kobolds who immediately flooded into the caves and drove the goblin mining teams into retreat.

Later, when Rexxar was looking to earn his keep in Orgrimmar, Gazlowe sent him into the digged tunnels, the Orgrimmar Tunnels, to help collapse the offshoot tunnels which the kobolds were using. When Rexxar did so, Gazlowe rewarded him with some magical items. Gazlowe and his engineers also digged out other tunnels where they found an unexplored city, they call that place Gazlowe's Excavation Site.

Now, at the age of 40, he runs one of the largest and most successful port towns in Kalimdor — if not the entire globe. While Gazlowe’s city operates under the watchful eyes of the trade princes, he has considerable free reign, and proves effective because of it. A well-respected member of the goblin community, he also has a good heart, and is willing to help someone for little in return on occasion — but he wouldn’t mind payback later, of course. This goblin's smile looks almost friendly, but for his sharp teeth.

Gazlowe now resides in Ratchet as the manager of the port trading operation. He ships and receives to and from Booty Bay and Undermine.

He sent Rezlak, one of his boys, to Durotar to help the orcs. Baron Revilgaz sent a 99-Year-Old Port to Gazlowe as a gift, however it was stolen by Mad Magglish. (That bastard!)

This one i'll keep for your IC-businesses and good information concerning Ratchet, for examble meathouses, taverns, brothels?... Post in this thread what you'd like to be added to the list, similiar to my examble.




Businesses of Ratchet.

"Guldu's place"

Location: The Broken Keel tavern, southwest from the dock.
Owner: Guldujenu
Co-manager: Eszra
Opening times: Nighttime (after 21.00 gt).

Not the cleanest of taverns you might find but it is most definately the -cleanest- tavern in Ratchet. Run by a troll called Guldujenu with the help of his staff. What makes this place not like the rest of the taverns is that the first drink you get, is on the house. This has sparked some talks amongst the local goblins, there are even rumors that the owner has gone completely mad. However the tavern remains yet another business amongst businesses in Ratchet, only time will tell if competition runs over this place.

Fantastic post ^^