Salthaven - the Port on the Point
The largest settlement in Veltingard, Salthaven is a large town that sprawls across the peninsula of Crannish Point.
Demographics
Salthaven is a melting pot of every race, but mainly inhabited by Humans, Lizardfolk and Salimar.
Government
While Salthaven pays nominal fealty to the Chief Warden of Veltingard in Caer Masarn, it has its own town council that runs the town and port.
At present, the Town Council is run by Sibyl Hex-Eye, a female Lizardfolk former pirate captain turned businesswoman who was elected Chief Councilor several years ago and has kept control ever since. Sibyl is a member of the Coldblood political faction in Salthaven, which favors Lizardfolk and Salimar issues. She is generally supported by other Coldblood councilors and Sir D'weran Anderan, the Elf Marshall for the Town. Opposing her on the Town Council is Clovis Tanner, who like his name suggests, owns a large tannery in Salthaven, and is presently the leader of the Warmblood political faction.
Defences
Salthaven has very few defenses. It has no raised walls or palisades, and while the town's Marshall has a small team of deputies, they are trained to keep the peace, not repel a determined invader. Salthaven's main defense is that is remote from other communities.
Industry & Trade
Salthaven is a trade hub between the nations of Aurulant and Veltingard, as well as the islands in the Bay of Janub and beyond. Salthaven also trades with the northern nations, and especially with cities along the Wild Coast.
Along with trade, Salthaven is known for its shipyard, which is a family-run business that cranks out several ships a season. While known best for fishing boats, the shipyard also builds fine larger trading vessels that can withstand the fierce waters of the Black and Boiling Seas.
Infrastructure
Salthaven is a port city; as such, its business is the import and export of goods from Veltingard to any point that be reached by sea. Salthaven is a main trading hub with Aurulant and the Brindini Isles, but also trades with such distant locales as Freeport and the Kingdom of Carador.
As a trading port, Salthave has a large number of warehouses for storing goods. It also boasts a modest shipyard that builds flat-bottomed, single masted trading vessels called cogs.
Districts
Salthaven hs three main districts -
- Oldhaven - Built atop the ruins of an Elven settlement from the Second Age, Oldhaven is the original town, and is where the guild halls, and Town Council building can be found. Oldhaven also boasts many shops, houses, and taverns. However, there are no inns in Oldhaven, as its residents did not want a "stranger element" staying in their part of town. Most of the buildings in Oldhaven are stone and mortar, although some newer buildings, mainly shops, have been constructed of wood planks and white washed plaster. Oldhaven is home to the well-to-do of Salthaven.
- The Port -Built at the same time as Oldhaven, the Port is a bustling array of wide streets leading down to stone quays and floating docks. The Port contains most of the large warehouses and granaries that store the goods that come in from overseas. It also boasts a sizeable number of taverns and inns, although both are on the rough side. While there are brothels, there is single street where such businesses are located. While few, some dockworkers do live in tenements away from the quays, but not quite in Oldhaven or the Salt Flats. On the southern end of the Port is the shipyard, with linked sheds that twist rope, sew sails, and forge anchor chains, all of which surround a large open patch of beach where ships are built from the keel up.
- The Salt Flats - The Salt Flats are where the lower classes of people live and often work. Your average dockworker, if they do not live in tenements in the Port district, lives here with their family. The Salt Flats are also where the slums of Salthaven are located on the northern outskirts of the town. Many of the smellier trades, like tanneries and butchers, are in the Salt Flats. Buildings in the district are mainly built of wood, or in the wattle and daub method, with straw roofs. The district has a tendency to flood in the spring months, so more expensive houses are often raised on small stilts, while the poor simply shrug and put up with the extra damp. Salimar and Lizardfolk both have dedicated neighborhoods in the district, known locally as Salimar Square and Colblood Court.
Guilds and Factions
Salthaven has two main political factions: the Coldblood faction, which is typically made up of Salimar and Lizardfolk, and the Warmblood faction, consisting of Elf, Human and Karhu. Goblins tend to avoid politics, or join the faction that offers them the most influence, while Dwarves ignore both factions.
Your typical Warmblood faction partisan is a merchant or noble that lives in Oldhaven and are known for their more conservative politics. While they see value to trade and expansion, they believe these things should be tempered so Salthaven does not lose its "traditional values."
Coldbloods generally live in the Salt Flats, and crave upwards expansion and more rights for the common worker. Coldbloods also believe that everyone should pay their fair share, which would mean higher taxes on the rich.
While politics remain civil for the most part, from time to time political arguments turn to violent clashes in the streets. Both factions claims to abhor the violence, but neither does much to stop it. At present, the Coldblood faction is nominally in control of the Town Council by two votes.
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