Cooperston

Cooperston is a settlement originally established by the Jakonians as part of their effort to colonize and rule the Bahami Islands. Today it is the largest settlement of any kind upon Jazirat Sihkria, one of the larger islands in the Federation. The city is best known for its exotic fruits and other plantations. It is also well known for being one of the most narrow cities in Emicara. It stretches from the eastern tip of Jazirat Sihkria to a point nearly eight miles away where the wall separates the main city from the rest of the island. At no point is the city ever wider than more than a half mile anywhere along that line. Smaller fortifications of Jakonian and Bahami styles follow the coasts at different places, with towers acting as strong points to protect the docks and seaside. The Qalea Asfanaja rests at the western tip of the city, the center of government and military power.

Government

Cooperston is the center of an absolute monarchy headed by Mukarrib Nuri Attali. Representing the Attali dynasty, he is the primary communicator with Sisfod, the island's djinn. The family is primarily traditionalist Bahamis, and choose their government officials based on their fame and notoriety rather than political connections. These delegates oversee any problems that emerge, all directly in the name of the mukarrib. A small council of city leaders and neighborhood administrators advise the mukarrib on city affairs, but they remain small in number, providing for the community a voice in governance.

Defences

The corsairs of House Attali act as the primary defenders and warriors of Cooperston. This consists of over four thousand veterans of raids and naval conflicts throughout the Bahami Islands, supported by an additional eight thousand militia that can be mustered from the ranks of the community. The corsairs are the best treated people in Cooperston, and they tend to have the greatest wealth and nicest homes. The active corsairs typically rotate between the raiding ships and the defenses, as the mukarrib makes sure that all of his warriors have equal opportunities for wealth and raiding, and therefore only around two thousand of them are available for the city's defense at any given time.

Industry & Trade

There is little industry in Cooperston, and the community heavily relies upon the spoils of raiding and imports from other mukarribs in the Federation. Steel goods, basic foodstuffs, stone, and even water are all required imports from the rest of the Bahamis. Despite the lack of basic resources, the local cash crops are in high demand among the other communities in the Federation, and between the sale of those goods and the sale of accumulated spoils from raids, the people of Cooperston remain afloat. The foundation of the economy is the corsair raids, which provide most of the wealth needed by the mukarrib to placate the djinn and feed and water his people. Cooperston is responsible for the largest amount of Emicaran raids in the Bahami Federation.

Infrastructure

Cooperston lacks much substantial infrastructure and development compared to other cities of Jakonian build. Due to the proximity of the ocean, the largest hurdle is fresh water for most of the people, and water often has to be imported from other Bahami islands. The fortifications and towers along the water line are well maintained, albeit quite old, acting as the guardians of the city against an ocean borne attack. Cooperston does possess an unique marketplace however, which is the defining feature of its skyline. Standing nearly eighty feet in height, with six levels, The Cooperston market building looms over the rest of the city, and is best known for its lifts that allow raising and lowering of carts and goods to higher levels and back. The market offers many goods from the island's plantations and from the rest of the Bahami Federation.

Assets

The Cooperston Tall Market is the pride of the city, and it has many amenities to offer, including a tavern and inn on the tallest floor. The accumulated loot of the Cooper corsairs is present throughout the market, offered for sale to travelers. As such, items from across Emicara often turn up here as the mukarrib desperately attempts to gather enough lucre for the island's djinn. The wealth of Cooperston is mostly in the hands of the upper classes, as the poor of the city are some of the poorest people in the islands. Wealth is hard to come by, and what little money the poorest of people make often goes to the purchase of water.

Guilds and Factions

The mukarrib's family reigns absolute in Cooperston. Despite that, there are some factions that have emerged that typically try to influence the actions of the ruler. The one most often listened to is the corsairs. The corsairs represent both the raiding interests and military forces of the mukarrib, and he is often forced to follow along with their ideals in order to maintain power. They are the ones who advocate growing numbers of raids along the Emicaran coast, and even aggressive approaches against other Bahami mukarribs. The other major faction within the city is the plantation owners. Some of them have prior military experience, but as the only non-war related generators of wealth, they do have some say. They often advocate for a greater focus on infrastructure, and development of more of the island.
The last group that should be considered in the city are the catfolk slaves. They are highly numerous and perform most of the menial tasks inside the city and outside upon the plantations. The catfolk community here is one of the largest in the Federation, and they have formed their owned society underneath the noses of the Bahamis. Many of them are displeased with the djinn and their overlords alike, and with the right push may one day launch themselves towards revolution.

History

The origins of Cooperston begin in the Jakonian Empire. After the conquest of the Bahami Islands began, a landless Jakonian lord named Gavin Cooper introduced documents that justified a claim to the island called Jazirat Sihkria. He stated that his family had owned the island in the days of the Nameless Empire, and that he deserved it once more. These documents were used as the reason for war against the local mukarrib, based out of the small town of Ramilia. The conquest was brief, and the village fell with only a single imperial regiment sent to conquer it. After the conquest, Gavin Cooper oversaw the construction of the town that now bears his name. 
Under the Jakonians, the island of Jazirat Sihkria was converted into a massive plantation, with exotic plants and animals being raised for sale within the mainland of the empire. Local Bahamis were imported from elsewhere within the islands, along with the catfolk used locally by slaves. In fact, the Jakonians often performed a divide and conquer manner of ruling, and placed the catfolk at the top of the social ladder in their new colony. Cooperston became highly profitable and swelled in numbers as imperial rule continued, but they remained predominantly Bahamis, as opposed to people from the Jakonian mainland.
Compared to other islands that were conquered by the Jakonians, Jazirat Sihkria spent some of the smallest amount of time under imperial rule. Although the tide had turned in 681 with the Battle of Manabudh, and the other mukarribs of the Federation were united, the majority of the islands' population were under the Jakonians. In order to break that, the combined mukarribs finally gathered the strength for their first offensive, towards the Jakonian city of Cooperston. The Jakonians had just fought a brief war against the Kingdom of Recfrere, and many of their forces were in the north, and the mukarribs believed the time was right for invasion in 731. Landing at Ramilia and reawakening the island's djinn spirit, they pushed onward to the very wall of Cooperston. A fleet attempted to approach the city at the same time, but the Imperial Navy and the defensive works managed to hold the corsairs at bay. Ultimately another decisive battle was fought between a Jakonian relief force and the united Federation fleet, and the Bahamis emerged victorious. The result was the surrender of Cooperston, and the Jakonian garrison was allowed to leave, rather than being sold into slavery.
After its liberation, Cooperston remained a highly invested ally of the Bahami Federation, seeking to help other islands regain their freedom from the empire. The mukarribs of Jazirat Sihkria provided as much support as they could to the Federation, and the djinn even allowed them to forego tribute to conduct their war. Thanks to this waiver, the city continued to prosper even after conquest. Even after the wars officially ended, the city has become the haven for corsairs in the Federation, and many set out from here to raid and plunder the eastern coast of Emicara. Cooperston itself even launched a raid against one of the largest trade fleets ever assembled by the Free City of Augustin in 1012, sinking and looting it for everything of value. 
In response the Augustinians launched a massive retaliation upon Cooperston. The greatest fleet they had ever assembled was sent east and the corsairs mustered against it were crushed. The mercenaries of the Augustinians, predominantly dwarves, landed directly upon the city docks and proceeded to pillage the vast majority of the community and left it in flames. The resulting shortages and losses led to a loss of nearly thirty thousand of the city's people. Some fled to other islands, many died from lack of water and food. The city has managed to restore its lost fleets, but continues to wallow in poverty for most of its citizens.

Architecture

The majority of the city is proper Bahami architecture, with homes and businesses built upon stilts, to avoid flooding. The exceptions to this are the stone structures of the eastern wall, the towers, and the Qalea Asfanaja itself. These were initially constructed by the Jakonian Empire and thus bear all of the hallmarks of the imperial nature of construction, refraining from bright colors, but instead relying on cold stone and metal to emphasize their brutal nature. Some effort has been made to conceal this, with the painting of the walls, but the gray stone still peaks out from underneath.

Settlement's Djinn
Sisfod

Founding Date

551

Type

City

Population

92,000

Related Ethnicities

• Bahami

Inhabitant Demonym

Coopers

Location under

Jazirat Sihkria

Owner/Ruler

Nuri Attali

Owning Organization

House Attali

Characters in Location

• Nuri Attali

Demographics
~73,000 Bahami humans
~18,000 Catfolk
~1,000 Various other races