Brightwater

Brightwater is a coastal city in County Brightwater, Dreibach, of which it is the capital. It is the second-largest city in the Dreibach Empire, after Val-Nurem. As Dreibach's official largest port and the home of its naval base, it is a hub of commercial and diplomatic activity alike.

Demographics

Brightwater is a primarily Human city, though as a port city it is naturally somewhat more diverse than the surrounding villages. Significant Dwarven and Halfling minorities shape the cultural landscape of the city.

Government

Brightwater is run by a Lord Mayor or Lady Mayor, who is elected by a vote of registered citizens above the age of majority. Lady Odabella Greene has ruled Brightwater since shortly after the Revolution, with little to no lasting opposition.

Districts

Liberty Harbor

The docks at Liberty Harbor were constructed in Y934 to accommodate the larger influx of trade that occurred throughout Belcantas as a result of the Finnánu era of Scalados. Weather patterns and sea monster invasions tend to affect this portion of the Liberty Coast slightly more frequently, but the ocean floor is over twice as deep as the city's previous ports, allowing for much larger ships to dock easily.
This neighborhood is a center for commerce and tourism, especially from foreign merchants and cruise vessels. Prices for goods and services tend to be slightly higher in this neighborhood than most others.

Old Harbor

This was the first section of Brightwater to serve as a port. The seas tend to be at their calmest in this portion of the harbor. At roughly 20 feet in depth, the ocean floor is too shallow to make these docks reachable by the largest commercial or military vessels. Thus, this port is primarily used for smaller fishing dingys, recreational boats, and the ferry to the Chapel-on-the-Sea. The gently rolling hills of this neighborhood's more inland streets are often home to officers of the Brightwater Naval Base and their families.

History

Evidence of mortal settlement in the Brightwater area date as far back as the mid-to-late centuries of the Age of Audacity, though little is known about these earliest settlers. Historians believe sun elves likely reached the area before humans or gnomes, likely sailing in from the Near Isles. The main remaining anthropological record of these early civilizations is the remains of their trade vessels at the bottom of the Brightwater Bay. Thus, historians believe that most of these early residents perished at the beginning of the Age of Anxiety, either in a natural disaster (such as a tsunami or hurricane) or in attacks by thalassic monsters.
After the destruction of these early settlements, the area around modern-day Brightwater was frequently invaded and inhabited by sahuagin clans. These clans were driven out by Adventurer Jóhann the Just in the late centuries of the Age of Integrity, at which point a small group of mostly-human settlers established the Cliffhaus Monastery to the worship of Poseidon, 15 miles north of present-day Brightwater.
In Y69 of the Age of Complexity, Gnomish explorers established trade connections with the monastery and built the earliest permanent secular settlements. As the trade network grew, the city was settled by more humans and eventually absorbed into the Kingdom of Dreibach in the mid-100s.
During the War of Cantonovan Independence in Y355-361, Brightwater built the King Josef Royal Naval Base, known from Y1105 onwards as the Liberty Coast Naval Base, to host military operations after rebels overtook the shipyards of Cantonova. This turned Brightwater into the center of naval power for the Kingdom of Dreibach, and drew new trade routes and increased population into the city.
Brightwater has weathered numerous natural disasters (primarily earthquakes and tsunamis) as well as attacks from malevolent outside forces. Most notable in the current age are the Poseidonist Wars with the Three Brothers Isles in the 720s-740s, the invasion of the Shadowgaest Kraken in Y1022, and the frequent attacks by Lord Jheronimous and the Dread Battalion in the early 1090s.
Brightwater has a long tradition of taking pride in its resilience and independence. It was among the earliest cities to rebel against the crown in the Glorious Revolution of Y1005. The navy, led by Major General Robert Stanley, refused to sink civilian ships, allowing for reinforcements from Cantonova and Urbana al-Sona to reach the harbor and fortify the rebels' barricades.

Tourism

Brightwater's mild climate, beautiful coastlines, and famous food and wine draw thousands of tourists each year, mostly from Cantonova and elsewhere in Dreibach but also from around the realm.

Climate

Brightwater enjoys hot, dry summers and mild, cloudy winters. The temperature almost never drops below freezing, even in the coldest parts of December and January, and snow is a once-in-a-century rarity. The parts of the city closest to the coast stay somewhat cooler than the hotter inland regions during July and August.

Natural Resources

Brightwater's shores boast abundant marine life, particularly shellfish, and the waters are a hub for fishing vessels year-round. Inland, the soil of the hills is fertile and makes for excellent farmland for produce, particularly grapes and olives.

Founding Date

Y69 CPX

Type

City

Population

94,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Brightwessian

Location under

Dreibach

Owner/Ruler

Lady Odabella Greene

Ruling/Owning Rank

Lady Mayor