The water was chill. The occasional head of a large Toro~toro would break the surface. A steady wind blows in from the sea shore cooling the usually warm city and bringing the fresh smell of the sea to the inhabitants. From a distance the port may seem like any other, but as sea born travelers approach they see many peculiarities that help
Freeport stand out.
One is the large black obelisks that jut out over the surface of the ocean. They are pointed on top, with smooth sides that the water gently laps against. They are the black of volcanic glass, but have none of the fragility. More than one vessel has found its end by brushing the obelisk only to have the wooden hull of the ship rupture rather than the glass of the obelisk break.
Second are the large number of ships that are anchored their. There seems to be no set type of vessel preferred in
Freeport as no two are exactly the same. The only similarities are the banners being flown by the ships and the fact that every vessel is outfitted for combat. Each vessel flies a banner of the Aelyrian Pirates as well as one of the current Pirate King of Terramarique Commodore D'atniya.
All along the docks the vicious looking sailors haul cargo either readying the ships for when they will set sail again or unloading their most recent spoils. There is no law in Freeport except that might makes right and at this time D'atniya and his men are the mightiest. Small bands of the Pirate King's men insure that none of his interests are endangered. They will cause trouble on occasion, if someone looks ripe for the plucking or if they are bored, but in general they tend to stay out of the everyday person's affairs.
The city itself rested atop a 10 ft cliff that would have given a pleasant view of the shore if not for the 20' stone wall built atop of it that encircles the city. It creates an exceptional defensive barrier should the city be attacked by sea as those atop it could strike their foes from farther away with their ranged weaponry as well as cut them down as they tried to use ladders to climb to the top of it. Every 10 yards a wooden covering hangs from the ramparts, which behind contains a protal that gives firing access to one of the many cannons that the city uses to defend itself.
The city was fairly new and several buildings were being constructed, including cheap looking hostels and taverns of every style. As could be expected there were several brothels of varying quality. The most eye catching structure was the large ship like building at the top of a large hill in the center of the city. It was built around the hill and anchored to it in such a way that it actually looked like a ship. It was also fitted with cannon ports on both sides and could send volley's at both seaborne attackers as well as any attacks from the inland. There were no sails per se, but the masts were equipped with water wheels that appeared to pump water up to the upper decks of the ship from an unknown source.
City folk could be seen coming and going from the building at all hours of the brightening, but all had to be approved by the 'fangs'; D'atniya's elite guard. It is rumored that they consist of the most dangerous criminals he smuggled out of Fort Justice before the arrival of Blackburn. No matter what one thinks of pirates, these men are strangely and blindly loyal to the Pirate King.
The one other noticeable feature of Freeport was its large wooden palisade to reinforce the already existing stone wall that faced inland. D'atniya was no fool and the fact that there was an Aelyrian kingdom's military fort on the other end of the island was something the Pirate King was all too aware of. He kept the important buildings kept up through slave labor and a slave market was held in the city cyclically. Merchants in and of themselves had very little dealings with the city, but blackmarket goods and stolen items could be purchased through the markets and side stalls of the city. Only the toughest individuals dare enter the city alone and even bands of weaklings have disappeared from its streets only to be found floating face down in the muck canals of sewage leading from the city into the sea.
OOCNo self modding without permission as this is a very dangerous place! I hope you enjoy Arrgh and Ahoy!
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