The Docks
Alive with the constant flow of commerce, this District is firmly under the control of major merchants and dockworker guilds. The city’s shipping magnates are quite powerful and influential, and have managed for years to avoid any great amount of oversight from city officials. Despite this, they always desire more independence and take any encroachment on their authority quite seriously. For their part, the Dock- and Shipworker’s Guilds desire a larger cut of profits from this highly prosperous district, and conflict between these different groups simmers constantly. While not nearly as prosperous or powerful as the Wheelwrights, the various dockworker’s guilds are no less money- and power-hungry.
Infrastructure
Tradeway Landing
Protected by 20ft walls, 30ft guard towers, and a stout gatehouse, this area serves as Westden's main port facility. Each tower houses 5 guards, who work for the Port Authority, a semi-autonomous force that gets only minimal oversight from the city government. The gatehouse has an additional 15 guards, as well as 3 sergeants who oversee the daily guard shifts. Goods moving in and out of the Tradeway Landing holding area are carefully inspected, and all official documents reviewed by city monitors. The gatehouse also holds the main office of Commissioner Langer Traeme, who commands the guard and monitors. As detection of contraband often requires the use of magic, Traeme has three priests and a mage on call at all times. Contraband includes illegal drugs and substances, destructive magic items, poisons, slaves, and those goods for which their shippers haven’t paid the proper fees or obtained correct official documents. Ships dock to offload their cargoes, or transfer goods on large cargo barges to Tradeway Landing. Normally, the area is swarming with workers during the day, but sometimes an important cargo comes in during the night, and the place continues to bustle with activity. Goods are stored in the various warehouses here and in the Guild and Market districts, and transported in and out of the Docks District through the gatehouse. Warehouses include those owned by such notables as the Hagglesthorpe, Vinewood, Durnian and Gallam families. Langer is a good man, trusted by both Imril and Cylyria. Duloth is constantly looking for a way to circumvent Langer’s rules and guards, from generous bribes to magical concealment of cargoes. So far, his efforts have met with mixed success, but his guild continues to maintain a large presence in the Docks District. The Wheelwright’s guild representative, Theo (male human), has offices in the gatehouse as well, and is a loud and often obnoxious advocate for good treatment of Wheelwrights and freight-handlers, who are both part of the guild. Of course, Theo is also Duloth’s spy, and reports everything to him. So far he has not been connected with any illegal activities, though many suspect him, and his aggressive advocacy of the guild has made him unpopular with the merchants, but beloved by his fellow guildsmen.The Drydock
The Rivermen’s Guild bought this run-down building several years ago, and from the outside it still looks pretty run-down. Inside, the guild maintains a haven for guild members and their companions, including both an inn and tavern of sorts. Makeshift tables are constructed from barrels or crates and fill the interior, and an outside dining area is maintained during the warmer months. On the river, a series of old docks are well-maintained, and here the Riverfolk lash their boats when they go inside. Many Riverfolk also prefer to loiter around the docks, conversing, drinking and passing the time. Only members of the Rivermen’s Guild and their guests can come here, and the place is usually quite busy, despite the guild’s mixed fortunes over the years. The Drydock is managed by Aicha (female human), a fisherman’s daughter whose promising career as an entertainer and hunter was cut short when a manticore took her left leg. Today, she manages the Drydock on behalf of the guild, since her father had been a member, and her missing leg has been replaced by a leather-capped iron peg-leg. She is bitter about the past, but runs a decent enough establishment, overseeing a staff of cooks who prepare spicy fried fish and other delicacies for guild members. Wine and ale are plentiful, and cost standard prices. Rooms are 2 sp per night for guild members, and not available for others.Last Drop
Located along a canal off the Great Amrin River’s west bank, this rickety wooden shack is piled high with barrels and casks. The shack is run by a grizzly old brewer by the name of Chase (male human), who set it up few years ago as a place to dispose of some stolen liquor, and has seen good profits ever since. Chase is bald, with jaundiced skin and dresses in stained white shirts and leggings. His three sons and one nephew help him in his business. Specifically, they fish out those who drink too much of Chase’s wares and end up in the river. A number of stone and tin mugs are scattered about the shack, sitting out or hanging from nails. He charges 3sp per mug, 2sp if you bring your own. Those who bring their own and drink too much often leave it with Chase, which is where most of his mugs came from. One of the mugs is solid silver (worth 50gp), owned by an adventurer who later drowned in the river. Chase sometimes has nightmares about zombies emerging from the river, demanding their mugs back, and fears one day these dreams will come true.Tangled Net
The roof of this small stucco building is patchy, and many of its ceramic tiles lie in pieces on the ground. Inside, the walls are covered with nets and an overturned rowboat acts as a counter. The place is run by a wizened old man named Frenrick (male human), who sells any and everything that deals with fishing and boating. His goods are neatly organized, stacked around the interior of the small building in a system that only Frenrick understands.The Rolled Barrel
Ragh (male half-orc) is a skilled barrel maker who was raised by dwarves. Some claim he was actually a slave of the dwarves, but Ragh does not confirm nor deny any rumors, preferring to keep his past to himself. He dresses like a dwarf and keeps his beard long and shaggy. He’s an extremely pleasant and good-natured half-orc, though he has been known to get drunk and disorderly from time to time. His business has grown since the Aleman’s Guild began having barrel races some months ago — Ragh himself has sold barrels to several competitors, and also keeps a net close by, so he can catch any wayward barrels that might float nearby.Salted Scales
After losing out in the competition with fresh fish markets, Abram (male human) and his wife imported salt from Freeport and began to preserve their fish so it would keep longer while being sold. Abram’s wife passed away a few years ago, but he carries on with the business, selling salted fish and feeding his discards to local stray cats and dogs. In fact, his business has become as much animal shelter as fish market, and Abram continues to care for the animals out of love for his late wife’s memory.Customs Office
This two-story stone building bears the city’s sigil, and a weathered sign reading, “Tariffs Office.” The ground floor houses Tradeway Landing’s city’s customs offices, and the upper story is the home of Henderby Leesh (male human), the official in charge. Leesh inspects boats and ships that bring cargo into the city, assessing their contents and levying the appropriate city tax. The day’s receipts are kept in a locked iron box in the downstairs office, and taken away at the end of the day for deposit in the city treasury. Because of the limited authority the city has over the Port Authority and City Docks Commissioner, the High Burghers long ago set of the customs office in Tradeway Landing to represent its interests a little more adequately. As a result, there is great redundancy between the Port Authority city monitors and the customs inspector. In times past, when a City Docks Commissioner was more closely aligned with the Council of Burghers, this redundancy worked to the advantage of the High Burgher. Unfortunately, in a time when the current commissioner is both scrupulously honest and exceedingly loyal to the High Burgess, this has worked against the interests of the city. The customs office is authorized to conduct its own inspections of incoming river cargoes to determine its dock tariff. In times past this was necessary in order to safeguard the city’s interests. Since the administration of Langer Traeme this has proved to be unnecessary, and now Inspector Leesh assumes responsibility for inspecting some of the vessels and the Port Authority inspects the others and the two operations compare notes and trade information with which to make their necessary assessments. This arrangement has worked very well until recently when a moneylender by the name of Sleek John Wombat arrived in the city. Since then, Leesh’s life has spiraled into greater and greater complication.
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