Wizarding Liverpool: The Magical Underground of England
Wizarding Liverpool has always been a hotbed of artists, the working class and a reputation for being rough-and-tumble. The wizarding hotbed used to be simple, hidden shops in alleys, centered around the docks and downtown of Liverpool. The magical community in Liverpool is strong, in lockstep with each other. One of the few places in the UK and Ireland where the wizarding community works hand-in-hand with the Being community that has become the heart of magical Liverpool.
It wasn’t always this way; there is a long and bloody history between the wizards and magical Beings of Liverpool. In response to the terror that wizards brought, the werewolves, mermaids, and goblins formed a pact in the 1500’s to protect themselves from increasing hunting from both Being Hunters and from Muggles. This held for 200 years until, in the early 1700’s, there was a large-scale hunt of the mermaid clan that led to a small war between the Beings and Wizards, which forced Ministry intervention.
It was only a negotiation table between the werewolf pack leader Raina Greyback and a pureblooded wizard Collin Pyrite that finally created an alliance between the warring factions. The pact stipulated a marital union between a Greyback and a Pyrite, as well as the removal of wizarding Being hunters within a 50 miles radius of Liverpool and the formation of a true Wizarding Liverpool, to bring the community together.
The location changed hands several times in the first 100 years, from underground buildings to half constructed alleyways. None of them seemed right, none were kept around longer than a decade or two. Until the Old Dock closed in 1826 and was filled in—well, attempted to be filled in. Bonnie Edevane of the werewolf Edevane Clan and Joshua Lennon, a wizard, proposed that Wizarding Liverpool take the Old Dock; it had been filled in and built over with streets but remained largely intact. The magical community voted yes, so while the Muggles built aboveground, burying their roots, the Magical community dug their heels in.
Nicknamed the Den of Magic, it is a series of tunnels and cavernous rooms that have been expanded magically alongside above-air Liverpool. Wizards have created miniature magical suns and rebuilt the brick-lined walls and dug deeper into the bedrock, so it's transformed into a series of caves and tunnels. Built into the rock are bars, restaurants, shops, and offices. It is accessible through shafts built into the city of Liverpool, in what could only be described as manholes—but when a wix stands on them, they will drop into the underground matrix. There is also an old warehouse that sits above the largest room, cloaked in with Muggle repellent charms, which is where wix are most likely to enter into the Den of Magic, following a set of stairs to the underground (also located here is the local Auror Office).
In recent years, the Den of Magic has become a hub of artists and Being folk. The tunnels and cellars are a maze wherein no single person truly knows the Den of Magic, as magic has seeped into the very stone, and it has a mind of its own. Tunnels are often discovered to be cut off or moved entirely, sometimes caverns will jump 10 feet to the right, and while the Muggles work above ground digging and excavating, it’s not unlikely for a shopkeeper to find their shop on the opposite end of the matrix. There is no map of the Den of Magic, and it has become a hotbed for criminals to hide, for Beings to disappear, for people to be smuggled out of or into the country; if you don’t want to be found, disappear into the Den of Magic.
The Den of Magic, though unmapped, has general directions. There are three main tunnels: the Wet Tunnel, the Sandstone Street, and Creek Follows.
The Creek Follows is the home of the shops of the Den of Magic. It is a long tunnel with shops cut into the brick and bedstone, illuminated by magic and the ground is covered in brick. Plants are scarce, but moss and ivy grow along the walls by magic, as well as flower beds of mushrooms.
Sandstone Street is the bustling center of offices and small apartments due to the fact that it is a taller tunnel. The doors face the streets, usually surrounded by a 4 by 4 foot front ‘garden’ complete with a gate, and the offices are similar. These apartments are incredibly cheap, and enjoy having ‘skylights’ through use of See Through charms in the ceilings of these buildings, where sunlight can come through, as well as being able to see the weather and rain.
The Wet Tunnel is exactly as it sounds. It’s always partially flooded, with gutters cut into the side of the streets; it’s the home of the bars and the tiny back rooms. Small tunnels reach deadends or go into half-circles, and remain barely uncovered. If you want to disappear from the Aurors (or from the world), you go to the Wet Tunnel. But this is also the artists’ hub of Liverpool; there are the indoor galleries, as well as the music venues of fame such as the Stalagmite and the Brick Break, where bands like the Screaming Hollies and the Weird Sisters began their first tours. Wizarding officials have attempted to figure out why the Wet Tunnel is always flooded, but not even magic it seems can prevent the constant 2-4 inches of water on the ground. There are a number of young witches and wizards who specialize in water repellant and cleaning charms, especially for people who come to see artist shows. There are a number of random skylights in the Wet Tunnel, leading to the widening of these areas to become little circular meeting hubs with benches and foot carts. Some of the ‘buildings’ also have skylights, and it has been proven that despite being underground, Muggle electricity and radio waves work. During the First and Second Wizarding Wars, the Wet Tunnel especially was used to smuggle Voldemort dissenters and the center of rebellion from Being folk. The Wet Tunnel is a place local Aurors are anxious to enter without allies on the inside.
The Den of Magic remains a mystery to even its own community, and for Liverpudlins it is the highlight of the wizarding world.
Greyback Tavern, a bar frequented by werewolves home to a boxing ring in the Wet Tunnel. Originally owned by the Greyback Pack it is now under Edevane jurisdiction, though still usually only frequented by Beings.
Court of Magic Daily, the local Liverpool newspaper located on Sandstone Street.
Shrooms & More, the herbology shop, the front is covered in moss and mushrooms and is an underground greenhouse, located on Creek Follows.
Mersey Grille, a popular restaurant serving both magical and muggle faire, a rare two story with a skylight, located on Creek Follows. Very popular for dates and has a rule about tracking in water or blood.
Centre of Magic, where the three tunnels spoke off of, this is where the Floo Wall is as well as the Map Wall, charmed to attempt to change with the movements of the Den of Magic. It’s around 60% accurate. Occasionally Lib-Con’s architect will try to fix their maps, but the Den refuses to be tracked.
Liverpool Warehouse, a three story brick building, the top floor belongs to the local magical government, the second floor to the local Auror office, and the base floor is where the stairs to the underground go, and is also home to the tourism office as well as a Broom & Rug parking.
Walks of Life Clinic, a free community run clinic equipped with Healers that specialize in Being healthcare. They do free therapy appointments every third Sunday of the month, and every second Friday have a Pay-What-You-Can concert to raise funds. There is a rotating staff of Healers, but there are two that are permanent residents, one of whom is Jay Hawkins a werewolf Healer.
Stalagmite, a popular punk venue in the Wet Tunnel, they have shows at all hours, a very dangerous place to have a mosh pit as both the ceiling and the ground protrude with dangerously sharp rock formations. It’s covered in graffiti and stickers, but the bathrooms are always clean.
Brick Break, is both a boxing ring and a music venue, they host fight nights, battle of the band and larger scale shows than Stalagmite. They have their own Healer on hand as well as a betting booth. It’s alway moving since the Aurors have been trying to track it forever. No one has any idea who runs or owns it, just that the bar is stocked, the music is good and the water is free.
Icarus Bookshop & Cafe, is located on Sandstone Street this is a popular cafe and bookshop for locals, they have their own small publishing house in the back. Run by a goblin and her lovely werewolf wife they sell a modest fair, good coffee and half-price books. They are also known for giving out free food and letting people use their storeroom shower and bathroom.
Station Sunbeam Alternative Radio, the former “sole patch of sunlight in Knockturn Alley,” has recently relocated to the Wet Tunnel to accommodate new management and avoid detection by the heightened presence of magical law enforcement in the London area. Occupying a space with a skylight, the pirate radio station features the latest in underground music, as well as regularly scheduled talk radio and news regarding issues facing Being folk and other oppressed groups in the magical community.
