The Legacy of La Ladra
The famed Roofdancers of Ladroa are daring scoundrels who make the rooftops of the city their home. These troupes of acrobatic young performers have taken their name and inspiration from La Ladra, the patron saint of the city. This sensuous woman once danced over the buildings of the Puerto to seduce the notorious Sultan of the Waves and prevent his armada from sacking Ladroa.
These ties link the Roofdancer tradition of today back to the namesake and the very spirit of Ladroa, a fact which allows these colourful rogues to be tolerated and even celebrated for their own sake.
Every large city possesses its own substrata of beggars, cutpurses, and thieves... but they are rarely so flamboyant and entertaining as the Roofdancers of Ladroa.
On the confined shores of the Dogtooth peninsula, there was little room for the city to expand as its population and prosperity grew. For this reason every bit of available space is used, with the streets often packed tighter, and the buildings built taller. This has encouraged many of Ladroa's lowliest to become upwardly mobile after a fashion.
The old Imperial word ladro usually refers to some kind of thief or lightfoot, but here it is used interchangeably for Roofdancers. Less of a faction than a social class, many young delinquents of Ladroa have followed the example of La Ladra herself by brazenly taking to the rooftops and making this precarious environment their own.
Roofdancers are found across almost all of Ladroa's districts, although they are most active on the seaward side of the city called Azafama (“the Bustle"), amid the chaotic press of the Mercado Largo.
Roofdancer troupes rarely range far from their turf, especially if it involves crossing La Grieta. The Ladros of the mainland Encosta side generally avoid the Bosque (where they are out of their element) and the Palacio (where their presence is less tolerated on the rooftops of upper-class townhouses).
Ladros like to make a show and sometimes earn extra coin as buskers. Visitors to Ladroa marvel at their acrobatic prowess as the Roofdancers caper about like colourfully-attired monkeys - up until the point that they find their valuables have been carried off by those very same scamps.
Roofdancers know every ledge, awning, and crossing in their area. They can avoid hazards and traverse the districts with remarkable speed and ease. In this way, they live in relative security, away both from the Watch and from other more dangerous criminals.
Life in Ladroa can be cruel, but on the rooftops, there is a strong sense of community. Violent crime among Ladros is rare, which encourages the general leniency of the city authorities. The informal Roofdancer credo is to avoid conflict when possible - why fight, when you can run?
Even so, competition for turf can still mean scuffles and bullying between troupes. Rather than engaging in open warfare Roofdancers will often seek to out-perform their rivals by running faster, pulling off more daring tricks, raking in more coin, and looking better while doing it.
Nonetheless, such contests are often dangerous and may lead to serious consequences. A bad fall during a challenge can easily lead to a crippling injury, or even death... a reality each Ladro must take in stride.
Most Roofdancer gangs are small, close-knit, and composed mainly of teenagers and twentysomethings. It requires a lean athleticism and a fearless mindset to live as they do, and over time, most will age out of the lifestyle. Many will leave their troupes to take up other pursuits; as Mendigos, pickpockets, gamblers, hawkers, or as members of street-level gangs.
After all, when a Roofdancer grows too cautious, too slow, or too heavy, they will inevitably be brought down to earth again - one way or another.
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