Portscom

Portscom is the Republic's great port and mercantile capital, a mosaic of wards circling a deep harbor ringed with piers and towers, where guild banners flutter over alleys filled with hawkers, theatres and shrines, and where aristocrats plot on marble terraces while beggars huddle in ruined towers.

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Metropolis

Portscom

Where salt, coin and secrets trade hands under a storm giant's shadow.

TypeMetropolis

PopulationApproximately 120,000 citizens, tens of thousands of sailors and migrants.

WealthWealthy at the top, strained and precarious for commoners

GovernmentOligarchic Republic run by wealthy aristocrats and merchant houses

ReadinessModerately ready with strong naval presence but strained manpower and secretive command.

“A briny, bustling capital where opulence and squalor jostle beneath whispered oaths.”

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Connections

Geography

RegionCoastal delta on the western rim of the Republic of Dodbronia

ClimateHumid maritime with frequent storms and warm summers

TerrainHarbor labyrinth, low stone quays, canals, crowded wards, and rocky headlands

Travel Links

Sea lanes to the Sapphire Isles and northern whaling portsCaravan road to the Republic's inland capital of VeldekCanal barges to the agricultural lowlands and river markets

Culture

Pragmatic, acquisitive and theatrical, with loyalty bought by coin and reputation.

Races

HumanElfDwarfHalf-elf

Religions

Machu (God of Treachery)Abran (God of Strength)Conda (God of Animals)Local ancestor cults and household saints

Arts & Entertainment

Theatres, puppet shows and masked balls thrive alongside brutal sporting pits and clandestine diviners.

History

Once a fishing town that grew into the Republic's principal port, Portscom rose by mastering trade and naval power but has long been steered by an oligarchy of merchant-aristocrats who answer privately to a concealed storm giant patron; the city is rich, restless and riddled with rivalries that often erupt into violence or intrigue.

Two centuries agoFounding CharterLocal chieftains and merchants chartered Portscom as a free port to break inland tolls.

Eighty years agoThe Wharf RebuildA catastrophic storm destroyed half the docks and led to the construction of the fortified piers still used today.

Twenty years agoThe Storm PactSeveral leading aristocrats secretly bound the city to a storm giant named Freda for naval protection and enchanted weather favors.

Last yearThe Guildmaster's AssassinationThe sudden murder of a merchant guildmaster sparked riots and a long, suspicious trial.

Government

LeaderCouncil of Ten, chaired by Aristocrat Vella Thorm (figurehead while Freda influences policy)

Oligarchic Republic run by wealthy aristocrats and merchant houses

Key Laws

Maritime Tariff Code: heavy duties on foreign luxuries to favor domestic guilds.Harbor Curfew: no ship may land or set sail between dusk and first bell without permission.Guild Arbitration Statute: guild courts settle commercial conflicts and supersede common courts in trade matters.

Problems

Secret patronage undermines governance

The Council's deals with a storm giant called Freda skew policy and provoke resentment among sailors and rival houses.

Rising assassinations and guild feuds

The murder of a guildmaster and Artan's vendetta have inflamed tensions that could spill into open conflict.

Toll of the poor neighborhoods

Beggars' Docks and the Broken Wharf riot with violence and disease while aristocrats avoid reform.

Economy

Industries

Maritime trade and shipbuildingPewtersmithing and carvingArtisan theatres and entertainment

Scarcity

Fresh grain is periodically scarce during bad storms and blockades.

Wealth LevelWealthy at the top, strained and precarious for commoners

Exports

Sea-salted fish and cured chimeric fowlPewterware and carved artworksLuxury textiles and spices reexported

Imports

Tropical spices and hardwoodsMagic components and foreign silksMetals for ship fittings

Defenses

ReadinessModerately ready with strong naval presence but strained manpower and secretive command.

Fortifications

Harbor Chain and Gate at the Outer QuayThe Barricaded Guildhall at Broken WharfStone Watch Towers lining the headlands

Portscom Harbor Guard(About 1,200 militia and 300 professional marines)

A mix of citizen militia, dockwatch and trained sailors under council command, supplemented by hired privateers.

Law & Order

crime Level: High in poorer wards and moderate in wealthier districts.
enforcement: Decentralized enforcement where guild courts, private guards and the Harbor Guard share authority.
typical Punishment: Fines, forced labor on the docks, imprisonment in ward jails, or clandestine executions for political crimes.

Grica

NPC

Captain of a private guard company

Golden-curled plate-clad fighter with amber eyes who favors a heavy flail.

Artan

NPC

Prominent artist and secret avenger

Tailored artist with auburn hair, many rings, and a cruel charm.

Bodua

NPC

Adventuring celebrity and tavern patron

Copper-haired dwarf with a bardiche and a knack for dramatic entrances.

Cualu

NPC

Master woodcarver

A taciturn carver whose work graces many merchant halls.

Niamha

NPC

Necromancer

White-haired sorceress with a predatory smile and dark robes.

Mana

NPC

Aristocrat

Exceptionally beautiful noble with shrill voice and fine raiment.

Deoca's Pewter

Shop

Pewtersmith workshop

A large sheltered workshop beneath a pewter dragon, known for magical pewter and naval fittings.

Cualu's Carvings

Shop

Woodcarver's workshop

A cluttered shop famed for its beauty and whispered crimes connected to the guildmaster's death.

The Crossed Candles

Tavern

Artists, smugglers, odd nobles and adventurous dwarves

A fanciful elven tavern hung with monstrous skulls and elven finery.

The Light Merchant

Tavern

Sailors, artificers and fortune-seekers

A glowing shop-tavern built where a fallen 'sun piece' struck the earth many years ago.

Council of Ten

Faction

Aristocratic Oligarchy

A coalition of powerful families who rule Portscom with wealth, influence and secret bargains.

Thieves' Guild (The Hierophant Circle)

Faction

Criminal Syndicate

A loose network of thieves, fences and cutpurses vying for dominance of underground trade.

Verdant Odeum Players

Faction

Artistic Collective

A troupe whose performances encode political commentary and secret messages for conspirators.

Ruins of Aluc Tower

Point of Interest

Crumbled stones and rune-smoothed halls haunted by those who once meddled in planar arts.

The Theatre of Borosistr

Point of Interest

A half-timbered theatre with a resident ghost actor that sometimes sabotages plays.

Agate Obelisk

Point of Interest

A polished agate column in Harper's District that glows cold when the city is threatened.

The Sun Crater

Point of Interest

A small crater beneath the Light Merchant that imbues objects with temporary luminous magic.

The Barracks Dungeon

Point of Interest

A ward jail under Haunted Pier where political prisoners and thieves are quietly disappeared.

Calendar of Events

Midsummer Night

Harbor's Reckoning

A maritime festival of ship parades, wagers and ritual oaths performed at the outer quay.

Freda sometimes appears as a storm to accept or punish oaths, and this year she may demand an unusual tribute.

Feast of Two Daggers

Masks of Machu

A secretive masked ball at the Shrine of Machu where betrayals are play-acted and real debts are called in.

An influential noble plans to publicly expose a traitor during the ball, provoking chaos.

Secrets

Freda the storm giant exerts covert control

RegionalOld shipping ledgers list impossible weather favors matched to secret sigils.

The Shrine of Machu sometimes houses the god's visitor

LocalWitnesses of midnight statues describe waking with new knowledge and missing time.

A forged charter could delegitimize a noble house

RegionalA misbound docket in the Guildhall archives contains a seal on vellum that doesn't match the era.

Plot Hooks

Stormbound Bargain

A secret ledger reveals which councilors owe Freda and a rival house hires the party to expose or protect one signature.

IntrigueMana300 gp plus a favor from a councilor and safe passage through ports.

The Carver's Ledger

Evidence links Cualu to the guildmaster's murder and guild enforcers want silent retrieval of the ledger.

InvestigationSegheCommissioned carved relic and guild contacts worth 250 gp.

Masks of Machu

At the masked ball the players must protect or unmask a conspirator as rival assassins close in.

Social/HeistElyrAccess to the Shrine's secrets and a potent artifact fragment.

Light from the Crater

The Sun Crater offers a permanent glow artifact to whoever proves it worthy, but miners awakened something below.

ExplorationLennaA glowing trinket that grants advantage in darkness and 200 gp.

The Agate Toll

The agate obelisk signals a planar breach warning and something preternatural stalks the quays at night.

Combat/DefensiveMoteArcane scrolls from the Verdant Odeum and favor with the Harbor Guard.

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