A'Cotery
In more magical areas, not all the citizens are full sized and landwellers. In worlds where pixies, nixies, gnomes, lepracauns, faeries and other fey, batkin, catkins, and ratkins, all exist, there will often be Cotery Neighborhoods in the city.
These Neighborhoods are usually in large alleyways. Along the walls, there are 'boxes' or Cotes stacked up. Each one will have an entry (usually a small round door) and a porch. Each box/ cote will range in size from a shoebox to a large bread box (suitable for 11-12 inch humanoids). The larger boxes cost more. They are either status symbols for smaller folks or requirement for larger ones (like cat and rat kins). The traditional arrangement is a level or three of large boxes, boxes then grow smaller as they advance up the wall until they reach the middle, where they start to be larger. Then there will be two to three rows of large 'penthouse' boxes at the very top (usually where there will be sunlight in the alley).
The ground of the alleyway has the atmosphere of a market or faire. Here items and food appropriate to the size of the 'neighborhood' are sold, usually by people of the same size. (The items are sometimes made by crafters of the small size OR by bigfolk and sold through their agents here). Since half the people in a cotery are nocturnal, the market goes on all hours of the day and night.
If is often illegal for BigFolk to enter said alleys, to avoid accidentally assaulting WeeFolk. In fact, often the little people hire giants or large folk to guard their alley. (The Huge Folk understand about living in a world not of their size, and they take great pleasure in breaking the people who violate the law).
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? Responses (7)
Fun. *imagines a Giant guarding the wee folk*
It makes total sense. I am having one of those slap your forehad moments. I needed this a couple of weeks ago.
In case you were wondering, Cotes is the name given to pigeon homes of much the same size, which are stacked much the same way.
This is one of those ideas that stems on the rediculas edges but smacks of believability.
In a high magic world, like the Harry Potter universe, this would fit very well. It would be a fine neighbor for Diagon ally.
I actually had not thought that, but yet... perfect.
My original direction for this was for magical steampunks or other more gaslight fantasy set ups. Any open Urban Fantasy (ones where the paranormal are not secrets) would also work. However, HP is a fine fit.