The Nenuph Arsenal

With the groaning creaks of rusted hinges, the sea gate of the Arsenal slowly opened, admitting an antiquated ship into the dock waters. Although the galley had a fresh coat of paint and the jaunty flag of Nenuph hanging from a flagpole, the age of the galley was obvious on closer inspection. When was the last time a ship that used oars was built?
Cara adjusted her hat before walking down the quay as the galley docked. The first person off the galley was a familiar face, and he grimaced when he saw the magistrate approaching.
"And to what do I owe this honor, Magistrate?" Reese Ogilo pulled his gloves off. "And here I was enjoying a pleasant morning cruising around the islands."
"Is my presence unpleasant, Lord Ogilo?" Cara gave him a perfunctory smile. "I am investigating a number of concerns in the Stagonids and would like to ask you some questions, if you would accomodate me." She looked at the galley. "Unless you would prefer to continue playing ancient seafarer on your ship?"
"Fine. Let's get this over with. They're serving grilled lobster tails at lunch. I hope you won't begrudge me a bit of food while you take your own turn at the grill." Ogilo strode off down the pier.

Purpose / Function

The Nenuph Arsenal was the former site of a large shipyard and arming depot, within the walls of the island-city of Nenuph in The Stagonids. Historically a prized possession of significant strategic value, the Nenuph Arsenal allowed war galleys and naval vessels the chance to refit and resupply, making it the chief prize fought over by the various pre-Etoile petty kingdoms. Nenuph and it's arsenal changed hands numerous times, and the Arsenal itself was expanded greatly over the years.
Post-unification, the Arsenal is no longer used for military purpose, as it was simply too small compared to the vast Principality Navy shipyards at Hightide and Temple Bell. Instead, the building complex and indoor docks have been repurposed to a luxury 250-bed resort hotel owned by the Unified Trade Consortium, with the ability to dock pleasure craft directly inside the hotel proper.

Alterations

As a shipyard-turned-hotel, several modifications to the property were made, the most relevant being the opening of the dock waters as a large swimming pool for resort guests. Underneath the cavernous roof of the main Arsenal structure, several 'cabins' have been built on the galley quays, with guests able to dive straight into the waters from their rooms. The former construction shops have been repurposed into various hotel amenities, including a banquet hall, Powered sauna, and deck sport venue.

Architecture

The Arsenal is the largest free-standing building in the Stagonids, a colossal wooden structure that serves as a shelter for the former galley bays. Other than its size, it is a typical island style construction, with wood covered by several layers of paint to minimize oceanic wear and tear, and walls made of limestone and stucco. One wall of the Arsenal building is the ring-wall of Nenuph itself, a tightly fitted granite stoneworks.

History

Nenuph is a city that covers the entirety of the land area of its island, and is encircled by a stonework ring-wall. The site of the Arsenal is one of two openings in the wall (the other being Nenuph's main cargo terminal). As originally constructed, the Arsenal was simply low marshland that had been dredged deep enough to support shipping, connected to the open ocean through the naval gate in the ring-wall. Over the centuries, the Arsenal grew, with the dredged channel now supporting ten individual bays for war galley construction and repair, and the entire complex housed in a massive single construction wooden building.
After The War of Unification, the First Princeps inspected the Arsenal, but the war galleys it built were a small fraction of the size of the original Principality Siege-sails, and the Arsenal was found to be unsuited for modern military purpose. It's historical value was recognized at the time, however, and a proposal was struck between the Principality and private interests to run the Arsenal as a business, and use part of the proceeds to maintain the property and prevent dereliction.

Tourism

The Arsenal specifically attracts tourists of a historical bent, as it is not as comfortable or luxurious as some of the other hotel-resorts on Nenuph (ex. The Rue Grande or the Tower). Nevertheless, it is still a generally popular hotel, and its central location on the island offers easy access to the rest of the city by foot. Additionally, the most luxurious 'room' in the Arsenal is actually an old refurbished war galley itself - should a patron desire, the Arsenal hotel can conduct a day tour of the islands in and around Nenuph, with the galley sailing forth from the Arsenal gate in the morning, rowed by UTC crewsmen.

Founding Date

Sometime before 300M

Type

Arsenal

Parent Location

The Stagonids