Valecina

Φαλαςινα

Pandira, puerto pirata de las Islas by Korrin

Valecina, also known as Channeltown is a large town located on the channel coast of the Riptide Islands. Formerly a small village used by merchant sailors to service trade going down to Sarendia, the town was seized by pirates and became a major hub for piracy in the Yulan Ocean and Tealestrian Sea. 

Neighborhoods of Valecina

Valecina never had proper central planning or development  and was a ramshackle development for most of its existence. The town's relatively limited size chaotic organization means that the town only has a few major neighborhoods.
Old Town: The oldest settled part of Valecina, the old town consists of the town commons, a handful of local temples, and the "wealthy" part of town, where many shady merchants and prominent pirates make their homestead. This area is also where most of the permanent buildings are located.
The Docks: Formerly a simple stretch of sand that smaller craft could beach themselves, the docks have since evolved into a crude, but effective system of jetties, warehouses, and gangways that allows many ships to unload cargo to the city.
The New Town: A later development, the New Town is mostly a ramshackle assemblage of tents, lean-tos, and crude shacks where most pirates set up between raids. The new town is a rowdy and lawless place. 

Important Locations

The Captain's Daughter: Owned and operated by the actual daughter of a pirate captain, Julie Antonina, the Captain's Daughter is the nicer of the two public houses in town. The Captain's Daughter is a relatively classy establishment with fresh food, clean rooms, and as pleasant company as one can find in a pirate town.
The Salty Swordfish: Established recently in the New Town, the salty swordfish serves a rougher crowd than the daughter. The cuisine consists of stew, the drinks are strong, and the "rooms" are nearby tents, but the barfights serve as nightly entertainment.
The Ytrinios Company: A small, incredibly corrupt mercantile company that use pirates to secure goods from rival traders. A good pace to find work.
The Church of the Brotherhood of the Waves: A small religious building, the church of the brotherhood of the waves has been taken by a mysterious religious order of the same name. The Brotherhood actively recruits among the pirate populace, promising strength and skill for those seeking to become predaotrs of the sea.

Demographics

Due to the highly transient population of the town, hard demographic data is exceptionally hard to obtain. Valecina is assumed to have a population of roughly 7,000 persons at any given time. Given the lack of an organized state, and given that slavery is generally frowned upon by the local inhabitants, many of whom are escaped slaves themselves, the overwhelming majority are freemen, but with no real "citizen" body to speak of. The population is primarily human, with the plurality of humans being Gallega, Meridan, or Aeillan. The population is however extremely diverse with sizable nonhuman populations, and populations of other human ethnicities as well.

Government

Given the nature of the populace, the governance of Valecina is incredibly loose. What law exists is formulated primarily by a small council of long-term residents. Laws are enforced by more trustworthy pirates who keep the disorder of the city comparatively tame. There is no civil service to speak of, with most functions of state either unnecessary, or effectively carried out by private interests.

Defences

The primary defense of Valecina is its prime defensive location. Situated on the channel coast of the northern Riptide Island, the only routes to the city are overland via a relatively hostile landscape, after climbing the steep cliffs on the seaward coasts, or through the dangerous and difficult to navigate channel. Aside from this, the only defense of the town is the heavily armed populace, some of which can reliably be expected to aid in the town's defense.

Industry & Trade

The chief industry of Valecina is piracy, with most of the economic activity either being driven by piracy directly, or by activities that service pirate ships and pirate crews. The influx of pirate booty keeps the town relatively prosperous despite its poor location for industry and agriculture. Secondary to piracy however, are "legitimate" merchant and fishing industries, which do provide for the material needs of the town's residence reasonably effectively.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure in Valecina is quite minimal, with even most housing provided for by tents and ramshackle lean-tos. The only major piece infrastructure in the town are the docks which were constructed deliberately over the course of a couple of decades in order to service larger ships more effectively. Town laws do provide some limitations on the disposal of waste with designated latrine areas.

Guilds and Factions

The town of Valecina does suffer from factional conflicts, with a number of the larger pirate groups seeking more control over Valecina. The Talons, a loosely confederated pirate band are a major influence in the town, as is the Band of the Brotherhood, which is affiliated with the Brotherhood of the Waves. Admiral D'Souza's Black Fleet has begun to exert its considerably power in the town from its home base in Leandris proper. Smaller pirate fleets, and independent Captains struggle to maintain their independence, but are holding on. What passes for the authorities in Valecina keep the worst excesses of this power struggle in check, but barfights between groups are a regular occurrence and deadlier conflicts are far from unheard of with even the ring of cannon breaking out on occassion.

History

The town of Valecina was only founded relatively recently, as the trade between Felora and Galisea exploded. Initially a small village meant to service merchant ships, the town languished primarily as a result of the hostile tides making reaching it difficult. Within a century, the town was mostly abandoned, and its limited infrastructure being seized by pirates who converted the town into a pirate haven. As a pirate town, Valecina's population grew rapidly as it was one of the safest places for captains to operate out of. As professional navies began to crack down on pirates and destroy their bases, most pirate towns, and even a few fortresses were outright destroyed, leaving Valecina perhaps the largest remaining hub of pirate activity in the northern Yulan Ocean.

Geography

The town of Valecina is located on the northernmost of the Riptide Islands in a comparatively mellow cove of the island. The town's borders line up comparatively close to the cliffs between the coast and the interior of the island, and is held snug against the coast making the territory of Valecina quite small. The waters outside the town are subject to the Riptide's anomalous tides.

Founding Date

ER 386

Alternative Name(s)

Haven

Type

Large town

Population

Highly Transient Population, roughly 7,000 at any given time

Inhabitant Demonym

Valecinian, Valecinians

Location under

Riptide Islands

Characters in Location

• Garios Stryxis