Freeport
The city of Freeport was once the citadel of Jakonian imperial rule in the Bahami Islands. Known by other names throughout the centuries, it has since been reclaimed by the Bahamis and ruled locally. It remains the largest trading port in the Bahami Federation, and is a center for commerce and exchange with the world outside of the islands. The people of Freeport are known to be less interested in the raiding and corsair life than those of other islands, with most believing that ample tribute can be found for the djinn through financially cutting throats as opposed to literally cutting throats.
Government
The government of Freeport is an absolutist monarchy managed by Mukarrib Gadi Madger. The Madger family has ruled Freeport since it obtained its independence, but it does retain some of the ideas and lifestyles of the old Jakonian nobility, simply out of comfort. The word of House Madger is law in Freeport, and they oversee both the administration of the town guard and the courts that enforce the laws of society. However, a special Jakonian Advisory Council was assembled, due to the city's large Jakonian population, and the advice they give to the mukarrib helps him determine the effects of any decisions he may make over this small, but well armed minority.
Defences
When compared to the other cities of the Bahami Federation, Freeport is one of the few with stone walls surrounding the city center. The stone walls were constructed by the Jakonians to help protect the city from raids from guerrillas hiding throughout the island. They have been left somewhat intact, but erosion and storms have caused some parts of it to be flooded or collapse into the ocean. They would still be a formidable defense against any attackers on the island, and the gates help keep track of anyone who arrives in the city overland. Madger Castle is the main fortification in the city, overlooking the harbor and acting as a final bastion against any would-be invaders. This Jakonian style castle is one of the most formidable in the entire Federation.
House Madger is responsible for the defense of Freeport, and the city guard and warriors all swear loyalty to the house rather than to the city or its people. House Madger's guard and corsairs are those who keep law and order running within the city, and they provide for it during times of war. These forces muster at around eight to nine hundred seasoned warriors with ample experience in naval combat in raids against shipping. The local town could also call up a militia of several thousand able bodied men to defend the walls in time of extreme need.
Industry & Trade
Freeport is the largest city in the Bahami Federation that relies upon trade with other nations and communities for the bulk of its industry and commerce. Not quite as neutral as Bimini, they still offer a safe port of call for traders from the free cities and other areas that have paid protection to the mukarrib. As such, traders from other Bahami Islands often bring their goods here for sale to foreign markets, and most of the industry of Freeport is dedicated to maintaining the infrastructure of trade. As with all Bahami islands, the shipyards are also very busy, building new corsair ships and raiders to replace the constant losses on the high seas, but these satisfy local demand rather than acting as an export.
Infrastructure
Much of the infrastructure of Freeport dates backs to the era of Jakonian rule. The paved streets, stone houses, and sewers were all put in during the height of the Jakonian Empire, to help further reinforce the city's status as the center of the power in the islands. The Castle of Freeport continues to stand as a major military citadel, but now also as a representation of the power of House Madger. The citadel protects the harbor here with the finest Jakonian siege weapons, and offers full coverage of any ship that enters within. The shipyards of the city also produce ample corsairs and smaller ships, although they were designed for much larger Jakonian vessels.
Assets
Unusually for a city its size, Freeport maintains only a single, massive marketplace where both aristocrats and commoners can purchase items suitable for their class. The market includes stalls for traveling merchants off of ships and for travelers from the small villages also on the island. Numerous shops of all shapes and sizes ring around the Beach Market, which true to its name, presses right up against the ocean on the south side of the city. The rings of shops extends out from the market for a considerable distance before giving way to the residences and homes of workers and wealthy alike.
The north side of the island is where the protected harbor is, and the citadel that oversees it. The shipyards, warehouses, and docks that support the lucrative trade and shipping industry are all present there. Here is where large scale commerical decisions and deals are made by those who trade in bulk. The local loan merchants and traders also hold their offices here, rather than upon the marketplace. Items required for a life at sea and shipment of massed goods can be purchased at the various supply houses along the harbor.
The last unique asset that can be found in Freeport as opposed to the rest of the Bahami Federation, is the nation's only cathedral to the One Sun. The Church of the One Sun has been allowed to maintain a presence on the island, despite the fervor of the population devoted towards Kaishos the djinn. This has been to appeal to the local Jakonians, who remain a large and vocal minority in the city. The cathedral offers magical healing from the One Sun, and wealthy from other islands have often come here to seek out the healing of the local clerics, as the djinni are notoriously infamous for not offering this service to their own followers.
Guilds and Factions
House Madjer is the preeminent force within the city of Freeport, and they remain devoted to the djinn, Kaishos. Their actions are aimed at securing the greatest amount of tribute for their patron, but they have taken an unusual approach between balancing traditional Bahami ideals and those of the Jakonian mainland. This has given rise to two other factions that endeavor to influence House Madjer and the decisions it makes to assure the community's prosperity.
The first of these is the Jakonian Assembly. The Jakonians create a decent sized minority within the population of the city, but they are responsible for maintaining critical parts of the town's infrastructure including the sewers and the siege weapons at the castle. This gives them undue influence based on their size, and allows them to hold these bits of infrastructure hostage in a sense to enforce their will. They seek a more modern governance and the expansion of the Church of the One Sun in the islands. They are opposed, although not directly, to djinn worship, and attempt to argue for a modern approach to governance. They also favor the end of slavery, and the deportation of the catfolk on the island.
The second faction that seeks to influence House Madger are the Traditionalists. These Bahamis believe that the infrastructure of the Jakonian Empire should be allowed to fade and perhaps even should be outright eliminated. They think that the island and its people are tarnished by the presence of mainlander ways, and advocate for the expansion of slavery, and the destruction of Jakonian idols and artifacts. They argue that ultimately the ideals of the Jakonians could well destroy the entire island should they press too hard and too far against the will of the djinn.
The catfolk of Freeport have the potential to be a faction within themselves, but they are sat upon heavily by the Bahamis who hope to avoid the disastrous consequences of a slave uprising or rebellion. They cannot possess weapons and are rarely allowed to gather in assemblies of any kind without Bahami observation. The Jakonians have shown some sympathy to them, but not enough to openly support an attempt for freedom. The catfolk are well aware that the Jakonians would just as happily see all of their people slain in a rebellion as they would see them freed and departed from this land.
History
The original city of Freeport was founded in 316 AF under the name Mina'hurin. The town was built on a natural harbor, formed by a collection of raiders from the distant east, when they conquered the local inhabitants. The mukarribs who led the community proved to be one of the most aggressive in the Bahami islands, raiding the mainland and other lords alike. The mukarribs in charge were the first to realize, however, that they were antagonizing the growing power of the Jakonians, and in time issued numerous futile warnings to the other islands about the threat the mainlanders could pose. Their warnings were unheeded, even as Mina'hurin was invaded and occupied by the Jakonians in 532 AF, and renamed to Freeport.
Freeport prospered greatly under Jakonian rule and spent the longest time of any Bahami islands under the control of the empire. It became the main location for the mustering of Jakonian armies and fleets as they attempted the conquest of the Bahamis. The infrastructure built here was meant to house thousands of soldiers and sailors, and was built far in excess of its own local population. The governors of Jakonia enforced the rule of the Church of the One Sun, and relentlessly hunted the local djinn, but they always evaded destruction. Freeport was ruled by the Jakonians for 400 years, until 963 AF, when a final combined corsair offensive at last brought about the collapse of the Jakonian port, long after it had been abandoned due to needs of the Jakonians on the mainland.
After gaining independence, the House Madjer took charge of the commerce of Freeport, and made the controversial decision to allow Jakonian settlers to remain, while other corsairs called for a massacre as recompense for centuries of warfare. The House saw the opportunity in the infrastructure built by the Jakonians to establish its own fortifications and new rule. They have since become one of the most moderate voices in the internal politics of the Bahami Federation, as Freeport is said to stand for a future in which Bahamis could trade with other states for the wealth demanded by the djinn rather than raiding for it.
Architecture
The architecture of Freeport is a mix between Jakonian and Bahami styles. Many ancient buildings remain from the period of Jakonian rule, particularly the walls and fortifications that protect the city from attack. The brick and stone structures of the mainland are surrounded with the bamboo and wooden construction of the Bahamis. Over the past one hundred years, it seems as though nature is starting to wear upon the Jakonian buildings, and as they collapse from disrepair and abandonment, they are often replaced by the Bahami style, leading to the strange mismatch.
Settlement's Djinn
Kaishos
Demographics
~41,000 Bahami Humans
~13,000 Catfolk
~9,000 Jakonian Humans
Kaishos
Founding Date
316 AF
Alternative Name(s)
Mina'hurin
Type
City
Population
63,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Freeportan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
~41,000 Bahami Humans
~13,000 Catfolk
~9,000 Jakonian Humans
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