Guidebook to Port Town's Harbour

Port Town was a quiet fisherman's place, and its harbour contained only one large wharf and a couple of warehouses, the largest one occupied by the Nipponar company. The rest of the smaller ships moored at minor docks, dragging their nets directly to the waiting carts that brought them to market. The sea current prevented the waters from freezing over during all but the most icey of winters. There is a strong salty stench of fish in the air and even the gulls cry out in protest over the stormy winds that seem ever present.

The Docks

Only three small docks were made available for those ships needing to offload their material to the nearby warehouses, made from study stone, rough and simple. Seaweed and crusty old clams stuck to them throught the ages. This was not a place of refinement. Pure necessity drove design. Port Town was not a place for genteel folk.

The fishermen's boats were moored to wooden piers, the planks slippery in the winter storms. Black webbed nets hung out to dry, the smell of fish strong in the air.  

Some of the larger ships anchored a bit further, allowing rowing boats to go to and fro with their crew. In particular one large airship of foreign make caught the attention: the Avaes. The copper of the railing was flashing in the low sunlight, the cannons invisibble behind latches, but all knew the military might hidden there. The long arm of World's Mouth was present.

The Seaside Doxy

The two storey building wasn't much to look at. Paint curled down on the wood, and the sing swinging in the wood was barely readable. Yet the warmth of the merriment and light that shone through the windows, the sound of talk and laughter riding on the breeze, drew the sailors near. Here was what they had missed out on the sea. Jonathan Thug, retired captain of some age, ran a tight ship. His whores obeyed swiftly, and played generously to the simple patrons needs. His boisterous laugh filled the room, encouraging everybody to drink up and have some more.

Warehouse Nipponar Company

The warehouse of the Nipponar Company was a stand alone, three stories high, and dwarfing any other building. None of the locals were ever allowed inside, fuelling a lot of speculation what exactly was going on. Regular cargo came from the mines and were shipped out, to various merchants, though the deliveries to foreign ships were detailed with extra security and kept hush hush.