Blackbush
Blackbush is a coastal port city perched above low cliffs overlooking Silt Bay, and sprawling down the hills and slopes where the cliffs give way to the sand beaches that stretch northward along the bay's eastern coast.
Industry & Trade
A large segment of Blackbush's economy centers on the importation of soft wood timber from the Spear Coast and Scytharia, and the milling of that timber into useable lumber. This importation and milling is led by Blackbush Light Lumber, among other companies.
Importation of wool across Silt Bay from Normaer is also a large source of activity. This wool is mostly made into blankets and garments, some of which is sent as tribute to the Kartheesan catfolk as tribute, and the rest consumed locally, or exported.
Infrastructure
The most impressive infrastructure in Blackbush is the extensive system of sewers and storm drains, meant to drain storm rains from the higher districts of the city down and out through the cliffside rather than downhill through the beach districts, helping reduce damage from flash flooding and mudslides. Most of these tunnels were created over the last few centuries, but certain sections seem to be left over from ancient attempts at colonization by the Adlon Empire.
Along the eastern edge of the city are numerous windmills, several devoted to milling grains, but most attached to sawmills.
The docks at the foot of the cliffs are the heart of activity in Blackbush, shuttling goods in and out, and sometimes even carrying passengers.
Blackbush's cobblestone streets form an extensive web throughout the city.
Districts
Northbeach: Lying along the coast at the northern edge of the city, northbeach is mostly residential area for local fishermen.
Grapool: South of Northbeach and lying on the opposite side of a small peninsula, Grapool gets its name of the slightly greyish waters of the small bay it is wrapped around. Grapool is the home of several coking plants, the residences of the people that work there, and the shops and residences that sprang up to support them.
Graifield: The largest district by land area, it sits east of Northbeach and Grapool, and wraps around Grapool along the south, meeting the coast and hosting the city's docks. Graifield is home to the majority of commercial activity in Blackbush.
Upper Ensmouth: Sitting above the cliffs along the southern side of town, this is the luxurious home of the rich: owners of the farmland and coal mines east of town, as well as larger shipping companies.
Lower Ensmouth: Lower in elevation and to the east of Upper Ensmouth, Lower Ensmouth is home to Blackbush's middle class: the guild officers, master craftsmen and their peers. Ordale: a village lying about two hours' ride east through grain fields and orchards, Ordale is home to most of Blackbush's farmers. Beneath the city, the Ratfolk mark their own districts by borders less understood by the furless inhabitants of the city. A few of the known major underdistricts: Dreckvine River: Mostly centered around a major drainage tunnel for the storm drains of Upper Ensmouth, this district is named for the waist-deep (to the Ratfolk) stream of water that exists in the main tunnel, moving along at a slight trickle and forming a sort of underground river. The detritus that collects along its banks is an important source of resources for the Dreckvine community, many of whom make their living as tinkers running stalls in Graifield markets. The Ochre Pool: A central sewer junction somewhere under Grapool, the Ochre Pool is named for the color of its stagnant waters. Home to the more unsavory elements of Ratfolk society in Blackbush, several criminal leaders vie for the title of Mouse King.
Grapool: South of Northbeach and lying on the opposite side of a small peninsula, Grapool gets its name of the slightly greyish waters of the small bay it is wrapped around. Grapool is the home of several coking plants, the residences of the people that work there, and the shops and residences that sprang up to support them.
Graifield: The largest district by land area, it sits east of Northbeach and Grapool, and wraps around Grapool along the south, meeting the coast and hosting the city's docks. Graifield is home to the majority of commercial activity in Blackbush.
Upper Ensmouth: Sitting above the cliffs along the southern side of town, this is the luxurious home of the rich: owners of the farmland and coal mines east of town, as well as larger shipping companies.
Lower Ensmouth: Lower in elevation and to the east of Upper Ensmouth, Lower Ensmouth is home to Blackbush's middle class: the guild officers, master craftsmen and their peers. Ordale: a village lying about two hours' ride east through grain fields and orchards, Ordale is home to most of Blackbush's farmers. Beneath the city, the Ratfolk mark their own districts by borders less understood by the furless inhabitants of the city. A few of the known major underdistricts: Dreckvine River: Mostly centered around a major drainage tunnel for the storm drains of Upper Ensmouth, this district is named for the waist-deep (to the Ratfolk) stream of water that exists in the main tunnel, moving along at a slight trickle and forming a sort of underground river. The detritus that collects along its banks is an important source of resources for the Dreckvine community, many of whom make their living as tinkers running stalls in Graifield markets. The Ochre Pool: A central sewer junction somewhere under Grapool, the Ochre Pool is named for the color of its stagnant waters. Home to the more unsavory elements of Ratfolk society in Blackbush, several criminal leaders vie for the title of Mouse King.
Tourism
A primary destination for wealthier guests of Blackbush is The Emerald Moment, a luxurious hotel and the only true restaurant of the city, offering fine dining to those who have coin to spend. The refuse of this restaurant is prized among Ratfolk gourmands, and competition in the back alley is fierce.
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