Seascale

Seascale is an Alandran port in the Duchy of Tratheirásdacht. It sits across Latchswell Bay from Castletown, separated from the Greydeep by Caucaster Point. Its sprawling port is one of the busiest in the world. According to estimates provided by the School of Economics at Seascale-Castletown College, Seascale’s port processes a million tons of cargo each year. This monsoon of cargo carries great wealth and significant public burdens as well: Seascale has high rates of violence and homelessness. Inequity is consistently ranked one of the city’s most important issues by academics at the local university. The city guard, jaded by years of poor wages and demanding work, are notoriously brusque and willing to accept bribes.

Demographics

Ancestry	%
Human	28
Gnome	25
Halfling	19
Dwarf	9
Other	19

Government

Under the loose direction of the King of Alandr, Seascale is ruled by a plutocracy (Wealth is directly tied to political power, either the law allows for bribery as a form of legal process, or votes in a ruling body are purchased instead of elected or assigned). By tradition, three individuals constitute the Pelican Court. The wealthiest of the three serves as the court executive. Currently, it is Diadel Tadrinn, the headmaster of Seascale-Castletown College (he also owns hundreds of acres within Caucaster Point).

Industry & Trade

Seascale is a center of trade in Alandr and a common destination for Greydeep and King's Bay maritime traffic. Its markets are not as robust as those found in Castletown, Halanhur, or Middlesbrough and they are dwarfed by the capitals of commerce in the area: Edmund's Bridge and Aswakur. Nevertheless, Seascale's advantageous position at the mouth of King's Bay has transformed it into an important trading city and the destination of many imported goods destined for homes and shops across southwest Alandr (Bowloft, Radiantwood, Castletown, and even Knighthall source their imports from Seascale's busy port).
Its main imports are wine, linen, spices, and metals. Cheese, grain, raw wool, nuts, and salt are its primary exports. It sources its grain, wool, and nuts from the farms of Caucaster; its cheeses are aged in town and salt is pulled from the sea in large drying pools at the southern edge of Caucaster Point.

Guilds and Factions

Seascale is home to three major factions and a plethora of minor guilds. The major players in town are:

• Seascale-Castletown College (the original campus of Runeshrine University)
• The Consortium International of Tradesmen (CIT)
• Elibai (ell-IH-bay), the local union of town guards

There are also guilds who operate within Seascale but tend not to alter municipal events or join local politics:

• The Caucaster Goldenbough Circle
• The Seascale Brightguard Lodge
• The Net & Sail Guild (the local fishing guild; pronounced "Net's'le")

History

The settlement of Seascale predates the Founding of the First Kingdom of Alandr. The city's population and importance to various kingdoms and empires has fluctuated since then. Still, it has always remained an important city due to two of its greatest assets: a defensible harbor at the mouth of King's Bay and its world-renowned Seascale Academy (now the Seascale-Castletown College campus of Runeshrine University).
Seascale first appears in the written record with the rise of House Vengerac (2314 YGR - 3188 YGR), the second dynasty of the First Kingdom of Alandr. The Vengeracs claimed to have founded Seascale and used that prestige to overthrow Alandr's first dynasty (House Stormforged, 2126 YGR - 2312 YGR) during the First War of Alandran Succession and install themselves as one of the most successful dynasties in history.

Geography

This crucial bluewater port stands sentinel at the southwesternmost point of Alandr. From its defensible vantage, many attempts to surreptitiously enter King's Bay have been foiled. The Arlinghead River wraps the eastern border of the city on its way into Latchswell Bay, defending the city from its larger neighbor and occasional rival, Castletown. Two bridges span the Arlinghead: King's Bridge in the south, nearest the port, and Ethelyn's Bridge (named for its architect who met her untimely demise during construction) two miles to the north.

Seascale is spread atop granite outcroppings that form a small seawall that looms over the rocky shore of the bay below. Centuries of industry have polished the once formidable natural wall, but Seascalers--as residents are known--still refer to it as the Bite (and they don't take kindly to academics who attempt to correct their spelling to bight). Those same residents have carved a dozen stairways into the rock wall to provide easier access to the port and the sea. Some of the older stairways descend straight into the surf. On clear, sunny days, scores of women gather there to sew the large trawling nets used by fishermen. Locals call these steps the Seawives' Steps.

Not all Seascalers are urban dwellers. A mild rivalry exists between the "true" Seascalers--those who live within the city--and the Caucasters--those who live north and west of it. The Caucasters work swathes of the temperate, arable land along Alandr's southwest coast known as Caucaster Point.

Founding Date

2045 YGR

Founders

• Irgus Vengerac

Population

4,560

Inhabitant Demonym

Seascalers

Location under

Alteria

Owner/Ruler

Diadel Tadrinn

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Fodoginn Alebraids
• Kargrae Coldsun

Owning Organization

The Kingdom of Alandr