Marketoon

When the notorious pirate Icra O'Phoe disappeared from the seas, his competitors breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief. However, when months had passed, and nobody in any port knew where ole' O'Phoe went, people amongst the pirate community began to really worry. He was a beloved figure, after all, even amongst those who competed with him. There had never been a time that ole' O'Phoe had not helped a fellow sailor in need, and indeed, he would throw parties that could encompass entire townships in debauchery. A massive man, with bulging forearms and shirts that never quite fit over his biceps, his laugh was as huge as he, himself, was. He had been a real lady's man, in his youth, had ole' O'Phoe, but it had been noted that he had settled down shortly before his disappearance. Some even blamed the apparent change of heart on a woman...

Well, the truth is almost as mad as the fiction. Ole' O'Phoe had simply changed his name...or at least, the name he had been using...and begun a new enterprise. He envisioned a tax-free outpost, of merchants and sometimes shady dealers, and so he sailed away from pre-High Kingdom Greynor, never to be seen again. Or, so everyone said. In reality, he had found a suitable delta, in a suitable bay, upon which to set up tents and market stalls. It was not long before the shipping captains became aware of this merchant's paradise. It seemed lightning quick, from that point, that "The Outpost" became an overcrowded camp of rowdy sailors looking to spend their wages. It was not long before a good, clean whorehouse had been built, and it was quite soon after that beloved landmark went up that The Outpost hired a team of civil engineers from Stilton Head to design and install a sewer system, and running hot and cold water. The Outpost paid for sewer upkeep and repair, and it became a 'very strong suggestion' to include water closets and baths in every new building going up. Seemingly overnight, the rates of illness and pestilence disappeared, surprising both Icra and the teams of engineers he had hired. They then set about solving the mosquito problem. With atomized garlic water, and exceptional drainage, The Outpost became virtually mosquito free. The Outpost was thriving so well that it had to be expanded, and then expanded again, before a dedicated group of City Planners hired by The Outpost began planning and executing block and neighborhood construction in conjunction with the Builder's Guild. Of course, with such wealth, comes crime. A town guard had to be set up, originally organized and staffed by civic leaders and volunteers, over the decades growing into an elite peace force with advanced de-escalation tactics, Special Weapons and Tactics teams, and a civilian leadership corps. A fire-fighting team, calling themselves the Plug Uglies, set themselves up at roughly the same time. Over time, more fire fighters and their gangs evolved into a cooperative, cohesive first responder unit that saves lives almost every single day.
Icra O'Phoe retired after a thirty year run as the overseer of the explosive growth happening in this little Outpost he had envisioned, and a decade or so before that, a stage performance of Farketoon by Trayvon the Bard had exploded onto the scene. So, naturally, the wise-arses inhabiting the town started calling it Marketoon, and the name stuck. It is still secret, somehow, though many believe the The High Kingdom has some sort of stake in it.
It is, technically, on High Kingdom property...

Demographics

The population, like most of the rest of the The High Kingdom's, is almost entirely human. We say 'almost' because it is rumoured that Gnomes inhabit the town in disguises. That is of course poppycock, there are no such things as Gnomes, silly!

Government

It is Guild based.

Defences

There is a navy and coast guard.

Industry & Trade

The town is a free market

Infrastructure

Windmills, plumbing, city water and waste, paved roads, sturdy bridges, many dockages, public services such as fire departments and a police department, water taxis and gondolas, open markets with first come first serve stalls and tent sites.

Assets

Marketoon is in possession of the largest cache of gold bars in the known world.

Guilds and Factions

The Merchant and Sailors' Guild

Tourism

People in the know come here to party their faces off.

Architecture

Simple in style, but sturdily built, like boat construction.

Geography

It is flat, situated on the delta of the Ayles River.

Natural Resources

Fresh water, salt, clay, marble, timber.

Maps

• 

  Stilton Head-Laddys Casino

  A well-appointed hotel and casino, Laddy's boasts locally sourced hardwood wainscoting, traditionally crafted beer, mead, and ale, gourmet food, and a five-star rated (by the Hospitality School at the world famous Bardic College Campus in Greynor) tavern.

  The ceilings are nine feet high, and the doors made of solid oak. The walls are crafted of laths covered with a thick coat of horse-hair plaster. Each room is slightly different, be it the flooring or simply the color scheme, but each one offers something unique. The kitchen is a high-end, modern affair, hosting an enviable array of ovens, stovetops, fireplaces and industrial sinks. The indoor plumbing is a really nice touch here at Laddy's, which was designed with not only comfort, but maintenance, in mind. There is a pantry attached to the kitchen that doubles as a food prep area when it gets really busy in the restaurant, and an on-site brewery where they make their own mead, ale, and beer. They deal in all the major wine labels, such as the very rare Thornleaf-do, as well as the local wineries and spirit distilleries. Stilton Head is rife with distilleries and breweries, and Laddy's has a relationship with them all.

  The casino on the first floor has an eleven foot ceiling, as do the facilities on the second and third floors. The latrines on all floors are contemporary water-closets, the plumbing for which is either contained in strategically placed wet-walls, or outside of the building entirely, again for ease of maintenance. The exterior piping is camoflauged behind a screen of greenery, and a coat of paint.

  The roof is tiled with overlapping clay plates that funnel the rainwater into a cistern system for the use of the facilities; a nice touch, here in Stilton-Head, where clean fresh water can be a bit of a pain in the arse to obtain at times. The chimneys are made of mortared river stones, with thick clay inserts and wrought-iron flues.

Alternative Name(s)

The Outpost (Original name)

Type

Large town

Population

35,000-50,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Outposter

Location under

Chipwood Peninsula

Owner/Ruler

The Moonraker

Ruling/Owning Rank

The Moonraker

Owning Organization

Merchant and Sailors' Guild

Characters in Location

• Amelia Longfellow
• Cass Cotnor-Zale
• Chastain
• Col. Brandon Seinner
• Gendron Zale
• Heinze Weinerdaugen
• Holly Comezy
• Homer Amelier
• Linette Popover
• Mr. Bowdy
• Patty
• Paula-Hessian von Head
• Russel Breverton