The Royal Docks
The Royal Docks are a series of docking ports for the few fishing and exploration vessles of the Kingdom, other than the main gates they are the only land based entryway into The City of Ardainia
Geography
The Royal docks are built within a natural gully that leads down to the sea, once upon a time it used to be a river, but the water was diverted and the spring harvested in order to maintain the crops and peoples of the city.
The cobbled path that leads down towards the docks maintains a sandy gritty texture no matter how often its cleaned whilst the docks themselves were built on the strong and proud trunks of the trees that once lined the river, expertly hewn planks from these once great trees make up the walking boards and stone pillars cut from the earth make up the mooring posts
Shielded from the worst of the storms the docks sit to the south of the city within a large sweeping bay, boardered by cliffs on both size the waters remain calm enough to dock and leave the various vessles that pass through the dock.
Large Warehouses are contained in the nearby area, housing materials for boat repair, hard tack, barrels of water, and other goods required by mortals going on fishing expeditions
Ecosystem
The people and staff that frequent the docks are the hardworking and busy sorts, you will rarely find a person there that isnt in the process of doing something, this has developed into a rhythm akin to a heartbeat, the steady tread of feet, the moving and placing of heavy boxes and barrels, the calls and returns of the people manning the docks and boats, a song of hard work, industriousness, and graft.
To hear the song of the docks is to be swept up in it, you will find your gait changed in order to fit it, your hands and arms reaching for something to do, your eyes searching for the most efficient path to your goal, for to break the song of the dock is to put countless people out of rhythm.
Ecosystem Cycles
There is of course a day and night cycle for the docks, with workers getting up with the sun and often going to bed with it as well, however a skeleton crew is often out and about during the "night shift" this is in order to guard the boats and warehouses against potential thieves or stoways, find finish up any hauling that may not have been completed during the day shift.
Localized Phenomena
The calm of the bay is sometimes seen as a localized phenomena, however the Magicians College believe that it is due to the steadiness and calm of the area, the waves will often get larger and rougher when something unexpected happens on the docks, the larger the change in circumstance the large the waves will become.
Climate
The water under the bay is often calm and allows for the safe transit of boats, however the dock is subject to the whims of the normal weather, rain sun and snow will affect the docks as much as it does the city.
Fauna & Flora
There is no flora on or around the dock, having been trodden into dust under the many heavy footsteps of the dock workers.
However you will often find schools of small fish swimming under the docks waiting for a morsel of food to be dropped by one of the workers or the sailors, should a particularly large fish make its way into the teritory you may find it later being cooked over one of the few fires that remain for the workers to snack on should they find themselves a spare minute.
Natural Resources
The only natural resources are the fish that swim within the bay, few things wash up on the shore and those that do are often waste or scraps that have been tossed overboard by the fishing or exploration boats that leave the dock.
History
The docks were itially set up as a safe location for folk to fish free from the beats and monsters that roamed the countryside, when the druids grove and farms were then created the river that fed into the sea also dried up, this lead to an increased precence of people.
Amall boats and punts were creted by those with the time and skill to do so, in order to bring in more and bigger fish to feed families and groups.
The ever present want for better lead to bigger boats and more people, then clogging the small natural bay, so a number of stone and woodworkers got together in order to build a dock, what started small has now been taken over by a regular crew of dockhands who manage the day to day running of the dock
Tourism
Those seeking adventures on the waves will visit the docks and seek entry onto a exploration vessel or charter a ship of their own. however this is the only build dock for the city and as such they will need to return here.
Alternative Name(s)
The Docks
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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