#worm row

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Metzger Auto Salvage

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Located in the more woodsy southeastern end of Worm Row (abutting Netherville), this scrapyard is the perfect place to dump one’s unwanted… anything, really. Furniture, electronics, vehicles, the occasional cursed object, it’s all welcome here! (The cursed items? Not so much. People usually just throw those over the fence at night.) Some junk will even get a small payout for the clientele, as long as it’s in ‘good condition’, as determined by the owner. Open five days a week, 7am-7pm. If you see a little bear wandering around the salvage, don’t worry about it. He’s mostly friendly.

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A rusty, barbed fence of chain-link and corrugated metal runs around the five acre property, with one gate that allows entry and exit. There’s a dusty intercom at the gate that indicates that it should be used to hail the owner during business hours (posted on a hand-painted sign on the gate) for drop-off and negotiating. 

Joel likes to sometimes make art out of the scrap metal, putting his welding skills to use to create odd sculptures that inspire a sense of unease in the viewer. These can be found in various places around the junkyard, standing guard. He doesn’t make them to sell, but he could be convinced.

If you happen to come by to drop something off when Baz is home and Joel isn’t, expect to see an attempt to sell you an art piece. Usually, Baz is happy to push their paintings on unsuspecting recyclers, but they’ve been known to sell Joel’s sculptures, too… with or without his knowledge. 

Throughout the cabin, you’ll find many, many half finished projects from Baz. Paintings they lost muse for, sculptures they’re still trying to get just right, maybe even the occasional knitting or crochet project that they were sure they could teach themself to perfect after a long weekend — there’s a real variety. Unfortunately for just about everyone, they’re not prone to cleaning up their own messes.

It’s clear that at least some attempt has been made to decorate the inside of the cabin, and while most of the decor is marked with expensive branding, the pieces are worn and mismatched. This is because most of them were purchased at yard sales and thrift stores by someone with an eye for expensive things, but not a wallet fat enough to support the shopping habit. 

There’s a gremlin infestation, but the two occupants of the junkyard don’t seem to mind, seeing as how most of the things the pests choose to eat are literally just pieces of metal garbage. Still, when they get into places they’re not supposed to or start chewing on art, it’s time to play whack-a-mole and gather up as many as possible before tossing them back out into the mountains of trash. This isn’t necessarily appreciated by anyone who lives near the salvage yard, since the gremlins will sometimes expand their territory and wreak havoc on other Worm Row residents.

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Axis Investigations

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Located in a run-down apartment building in the bad part of town, Axis Investigations is the picture of an old noir-style private investigations office. It’s difficult to tell from the outside that the apartment Axis operates out of is a business, as the surrounding apartments are strictly residential, with the only thing truly indicating that it’s more than just a home is a paper sign taped on the wall beside the door. Unfortunately, this sign is often removed by passing neighbors frustrated with the business’s operations or bored, mischievous children in the building looking to cause trouble. The door’s lock is broken, allowing anyone to roam in as they please, though some clients opt to knock before entering regardless due to the residential feel of the business. 

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The apartment where Emilio hosts his business doubles as a living space, though it wasn’t designed as such. He has the front of the apartment (the living room) set up with a desk and ‘waiting area’ for clients, while the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen are all blocked off from wandering eyes. However, it is clear to anyone who looks closely enough that the space wasn’t initially intended to double as a business.

On the desk, you’ll find a list of pricing options. Emilio charges an hourly rate, but there are a list of expenses listed as well. One example of such an expense is the ‘Punching Fee,’ charged to customers who express their distaste for Emilio’s methods by taking a swing at him. This is a very common charge, and a large number of his customers end up paying it. Because Emilio is not technically a licensed PI, however, clients find his hourly rate lower than most others, which tends to make the ‘fees’ listed easier for Emilio to justify.

The actual hours of operation are hard to pin down. Often, potential clients will find Axis closed during normal business hours, but open well after midnight. Clients may try calling ahead to see if Emilio is open for business at any given time, but no answer on the phone doesn’t always mean he isn’t available. The only sure-fire way to know is to go to the office and check.

The online reviews are… mixed, to say the least. Many of them praise Emilio’s ability to get results, but just as many criticize his attitude and general personality. More than a few recount his tendency to outright insult his clients when frustrated.

The nameplate on the desk is incredibly generic and, rather than actually bearing Emilio’s name, simply reads ‘Private Investigator.’ He bought it at a discount store. It was $3.50.

While most of the furniture in the apartment is old, run down, and possible (definitely) retrieved from a dumpster, the couch is oddly nice. It looks new, and is certainly the cleanest item in the makeshift office.

You’ll usually find a bottle of whiskey sitting on the desk. Emilio may drink from it during meetings with clients or potential clients. It’s all very professional.

Returning clients might remember that Axis’s main base of operations was briefly relocated to a much nicer office space in Harborside in 2024. Bringing this up in any sense is likely to be met with an angry response, with most finding themselves ‘escorted’ out of the office and their case ‘cancelled.’ 

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The Wormwoods

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

While Worm Row isn’t exactly known for its woodlands, it isn’t completely deprived of its own secluded forest, located in the southern part of the neighborhood (sometimes referred to as “southworm”). The Wormwoods aren’t a choice hiking spot, but due to their accessible and central location, it attracts hikers and wanderers anyway. Host to the normal array of Maine wildlife and supernatural threats, these woods are notable due to the extremely high density of worm activity underground. They’ve become so numerous that no leaf litter lasts very long – instead, the ground has become bare, barren soil. Local scientists say that if this persists, the forest will likely die within the next 20 years. Fortunately this squiggly issue hasn’t spread to any of Wicked Rest’s other woodlands.

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Under the full moon, the entire ground seems to wriggle. Those who take a closer look would note that the worms emerge in the moonlight and blanket the forest floor. Spellcasters have found that worms plucked from Wormwoods under a full moon are imbued with special powers that can amplify certain spells and potions, even as magic seems to be dwindling. As such, casters can sometimes be seen collecting handfuls of worms at night.

The slime of these worms is also sought after. It’s said that completely covering yourself in fresh worm slime can make one less sensitive to sunlight and even fire. This might tempt some vampires or other undead, but the price to pay is slime.

There are giant halfpipe-shaped trails throughout the woods. Hunters may identify these as goggie trails. It’s unusual for these shy giants to be so close to human settlements, but the woods are just large enough to host a small population. They likely spend a lot of time underground and may explain why the earth sometimes shakes under your feet.

Wormwoods have become a common place to dump bodies due to the rapid rate of decomposition, assisted by the worms. The park rangers and WRPD have caught on and do some patrolling in the area, but often the worms get things done too quickly.

There have been several sightings of New England death worms in the Wormwoods. Due to the amount of other worms in the area, which these supernatural worms can control, they may feel safer here. This might imbue them with more boldness than they would typically display, making them especially dangerous.

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The Old Factory

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Surely when there’s a big, retired factory that’s been sitting in town for a century or longer, people know its history? Well, not necessarily. No one in Wicked’s Rest even knows what the factory produced back in its heyday, so it’s simply called “The Old Factory” now. While the township would like to demolish it to make space for other things, attempts to try are physically prevented – as if the demolition equipment is being repelled by some unseen force. This is forgotten every decade or so, so there have been multiple attempts. While the factory hasn’t produced whatever it was made for in many years, it does produce something today: crime. Ne’er-do-wellers around town often use this space for their dirty dealings, and some supernaturals might use it as a gathering spot that’s unlikely to be interrupted.

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No one knows if the occasional screeching is from the old equipment breaking down or from violence happening within the factory. Or ghosts of those who had violence committed against them there.

Some tour guide leaders bring their tourist parties to the factory and spin up a very interesting and very fake history around it. No one can refute it since nobody knows anything. The tourists tend to leave better tips when the guides get creative. Fortunately, this is usually during the day where overlap with “problem individuals” is less likely to happen. But there was one time the tour interrupted a vampire party in the factory; that didn’t end well.

It turns out the factory used to be owned by a fae, and the township provided the factory with a 99 year lease for the land it’s on. Or so they thought. The fae added an extra 9 in there, which was then signed by the town’s leadership for a 999 year lease. Somewhere deep in the town’s archives lies the contract.

Like any old factory, this Old Factory has some pest issues. It hosts a population of rats – enough that they often form rat kings, which can be problematic. The building also has a chickcharney infestation issue with them nesting up in the rafters. They sometimes divebomb people who enter and chomp at them with their teeth.

Deserving of a bigger label than "pest" is the guivre that made a nice cave in a half-collapsed maintenance room. It seems a little unhappy about the small size of its hoard, but you're sure to add to it if you wander into the guivre's home.

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Gallows Grove

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Every supernatural epicenter has an overcrowded, understaffed, middle-of-the-road graveyard where the accumulating bodies are thrown, and Gallows Grove is Wicked’s Rest’s permanent housing for your mediocre afterlife. Need an average slab of stone for your average loved one? Standard patch of grass to kneel on when you bid your old neighbor adieu? This is the place for it. Sure, the holes are a few inches shy of six feet deep, the place is teeming with vampires and monsters, and maybe the grass hasn’t been mowed in a handful of days, but hey! None of that matters when you’re dead. 

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Gallows Grove has a name originating straight from the town’s dark past. You can probably use your imagination for what used to be housed here. Some people report seeing gallows in the cemetery even now, sometimes even while they’re in the process of being used. Those who come to investigate see nothing at all. Overactive imagination? Ghosts? Liars? It’s anyone’s guess.

There are no caretakers, and unfortunately this means that some parts are in decrepit conditions or are covered in graffiti. Graves dug up by necrophages or humans often aren’t filled back in either, which means people need to watch their step. 

While Gallows Grove has a lot of headstones that indicate your average person is buried there, the cemetery does also have a good number of gothic style mausoleums where the affluent were buried long ago. These remains have probably been robbed for all they were worth decades ago, but vampires really benefit from those spacious crypts. When someone is buried in a mausoleum here in modern times, it’s an uncommon occurrence and celebrated by all of the vampires. They may get competitive deciding who gets to move in.

You may see the occasional dog walker or jogger in the morning; they’ll be just as frightened of breaking twigs and rustling bushes as you are, so it’s best to just keep your distance.

There’s a bridge in the middle of the cemetery referred to as “Bone Bridge”. Why? There always seems to be a pile of human bones under it with all of the marrow sucked out. The Office of Medical Examiner has investigated and determined that “it is weird”. It’s not suggested you go poking around yourself, though – spawn really love tucking themselves away under the bridge during the day.

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Hollow Point Armory

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Being a town in coastal Maine, there are a lot of hunters (and hunters) around Wicked’s Rest. Hollow Point is where those hunters come to get equipped before the season starts, having a wide variety of rifles to choose from. Of course rifles and their ammo aren’t the only wares available, though your typical deer or elk hunter might see little need for pistols and shotguns. What they might not realize is that those weapons are often loaded with silver and iron ammunition, or even salt rounds. The specialty ammunition isn’t kept on display for the general populace and is available by request only.

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There’s a competition once every three months that Hollow Point Armory hosts at the nearby shooting range. Hit the most targets in the least amount of time and earn yourself some vouchers for free ammunition at the store! Unsurprisingly, this is almost always won by the supernatural kind of hunter. The resident game hunters are actually quite frustrated that these young buck flatlanders always seem to outperform them, but there’s really nothing to be done about it. 

In addition to weapons, the shop sells all different kinds of outdoor survival gear. They’re pretty popular with the camping enthusiasts as a result, and get a lot of business from out of towners that come to Maine to experience the wild woodlands at the town’s doorstep. The varieties of animal repellent may seem a bit strange to those not familiar with the forest’s unusual fauna, but all you’ll get if you ask about it is a knowing nod and encouragement to “just trust them”.

Some of the items they sell come with claims of special attributes, like “wood chopping axes that never dull”, “pistols that never miss their target”, and “rope that never breaks”. Is it possible that these products have actually been enchanted in some way, or is it just really ridiculous advertising? No one knows for sure, but the married couple that owns the store do seem a little… different.

While people sometimes come here to purchase kayaks and related supplies, the ones outside are not for sale. They’re believed to be sentient and seem to “look” back at you as you walk in.

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The Wormhole

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

What’s the shady part of town without a bar that’s equally as shady? If you ask the regulars at the Wormhole, they’d say nothing. Surprisingly, this little dive happens to be one of the safer locations in town for humans. While pick-pocketing and bar fights aren’t out of the question, the clientele is mostly human and so are the owners, so there’s usually not much to worry about in the way of becoming someone’s next meal. The Wormhole is a great spot for cheap drinks as long as you don’t have a taste for finer liquors and wines. 

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The bar is fully stocked with bottom-shelf and middle of the road liquors, but most of the bartenders refuse to make proper cocktails or shooters. If you ask Steve in particular for a lemon drop shot, he’ll serve you well-vodka with a lemon slice that’s probably been sitting out for a few days.

There is always at least one letter in the lit up sign that says “The Wormhole” that’s burnt out. It’s become a bit of an inside joke among the regulars. 

For whatever reason, all their napkins look different and some seem to even have the names of other places in town on them. Their silverware doesn’t match at all either. 

If you’re looking for craft brews, this is not the place to go. However, they do have great beer deals! Cans of PBR go for $1.50 and a pitcher of Bud is only $7.

The Wormhole does have a limited amount of food. Most of it is in the form of stale bags of chips, but on Wednesdays, the owner comes in and cook up chicken wings. They’re surprisingly good. 

Since Netherville has become accessible through Worm Row, the Wormhole has become… weirdly competitive with the bars down there? They try to attract all the would-be patrons of the Bottoms Up Brewery, but this dive bar’s advertising usually falls flat. When the owner is asked why they care so much about what those underground bars are doing, he just says he hates moles.

In the back of the bar, there’s a run-down slot machine that customers enjoy playing on. It rarely doles out any wins, but there is something kinda mesmerizing about the lights. It’s probably nothing. The guinea pigs often seen hanging around are probably nothing to worry about, too.

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Coineater Laundromat

NEIGHBORHOOD: Worm Row

Some might think the name of this laundromat is off-putting, but it happens to be an unhappy coincidence of the owner having the last name “Coineater,” and refusing to budge on the name. Ah, well. The clientele only seem to care about convenience, and Coineater is open 24 hours a day for all your laundry needs. You can find some of Wicked’s Rest’s strangest citizens here, especially at night. For $1.50, you can wash a load of clothes. For $1.50 more, you can get them mostly dry. No one asks questions. No one watches over your shoulder. No one remarks on those questionable stains. What more could you ask for?

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Because it’s open well into the wee hours of the night, Coineater boasts a wide variety of supernatural clientele. There’s an uneasy truce between supernatural beings and hunters within the laundromat, as fights are strictly prohibited and most people tend to agree that laundry is bad enough without adding violence to the equation. Coineater may be one of the very few laundromats with a specific no violence rule. They needed it.

Anyone who tries to steal anything — be it coins from the machines or the meager furniture and decor around the laundromat — finds themselves temporarily displaced to Cincinnati, Ohio for several hours. It’s a pretty good deterrent. Although not if you have business there anyway.

There is a ghost who haunts the laundromat. No one is sure how long he’s been there or how he died; everyone who asks gets a different story. The only thing everyone can agree on is that his name is Dmitri and he gives terrible stain removal advice.

You can always hear soft, distant disco music playing in the laundromat. There are no speakers, and no one has ever been able to locate the source of the sound.

Several posters placed throughout the laundromat offer advice on removing blood, dust, and “sauce” from clothing.

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