The Hothouse

Not more than three stones-throws from The Low Moon in Wizard City lies the labyrinth of alleys, store fronts, and greenhouses that encompass the city's necromantic and horticultural hub. These interconnected attractions are collectively known as The Hothouse, and it is the principle base of operations of The Dead Janes.

"You want it hot, or you want it cold?", ask the gatekeepers at the neighborhood's entrances, dressed like psychopomps and smelling of romantic flowers masking embalming fluid.

If you want it HOT, the following attractions are available...

• Madame Exuberance runs a "Body Boudoir". Don't like your present body and want to try on a few before you commit to a purchase? Privacy and client privilege is guaranteed. A variety of options are available: skinsuits, facemasks, transplants, and full-bodies. Decapitation included free with full-body purchases.

• A sauna is available for special customers. As a connected service they'll sell you scented waters to throw on the stones which often produce 'interesting effects' when vaporized.

• The Mangnoliodoma, an extensive greenhouse maintained meticulously by Charlie the Fox (so-called for her frequent snickering laugh), contains a variety of rare Rosa species. Most spectacular among these is the Millennium Corpse Flower, seed of the very one which famously ended the Crawmon Dynasty.

Beggar's Pricker: A parasitic bramble thorn typical in desert climates. Catches on to mammals and slowly siphons off the blood as a water and nutrient source. Produces a toxin which causes its host ignore it. Rending wounds caused by the thorns often get infected and untreated, eventually causing severe illness and death.

Dead Man's Bouquet:  A purple rose species, preferring damp cavities. If planted within the eye sockets of a fresh corpse it will bloom into the visage of the last thing the dead person saw while alive.

Lichefinger: The matured stamen of this species are needle-thin, sharp, and virtually indestructible. While historically used to make jeweler's tools, it's now most frequently used for surgery and assassination.

Killer Queen: Red petals, black stems. One prick of the thorn contains enough neurotoxin to put the unfortunate person into a semi-permanent coma. They say true love's kiss will dispel it, but that's a villainously-crafted lie. Very convenient for preserving bodies and luring rivals' true loves.

Widowguard: Black rose crossed with strangling vines. The roots will worm its way into nearby muscular-skeletal structures and animate them for its own defense. Capable of delivering strong pulses of electricity like a jellyfish.

If you want it COLD...

• Frankie oversees the organ market. The entire alley is cold as ice, and everything from spare limbs, livers, hearts, spleens, kidneys, to extra eyes can be bought and bartered. Don't worry, they finance!

• Adjacent lies Whole Bodies: your one-stop shop for healthy skeletons and zombies. Their signature product is Rose Water - which is in fact rose-scented formalin (not for living consumption!).

• The Slab can get you all the mob-doctoring you'd need, at the pleasure of Dwight Rightwight. He isn't a doctor, or even really a man. They take bodies in place of hard currency, no questions asked.

If you want it SMELLING LIKE A ROSE...

• Fiona the Clean sells anonymized bodies by the bushel. All ID removed: fingerprints, teeth, eyes, tattoos, and scars. Animation comes at additional fees. Prices are criminal.

• Wet Sally will personally dissolve, absorb, or turn into fertilizer anything provided its modestly organic. Unless it's particularly hot (drawing secret police attention) she'll do it for free, too.