The Port of Talabriga

Talabriga is an old Thenian city situated strategically by the Trader’s Coast, and is the main hub for a variety of factions who make their living ferrying goods between the coastal settlements in the area. Travelers often come to Talabriga from the capital of Thenia; Veria, and it also common to see visitors from the southern kingdoms; Karamorn and Veileux. Even from the imperial south many people visit Talabriga to trade in all manners of exotic as well as illicit goods, and Thenia remains one of the only openly empire-friendly nations of the Northern Alliance.
Popularly called “the City of Pirates”, Talabriga is well-known as a sanctuary for pirates and smugglers. The aristocrats of Talabriga are loath to openly accept any act of unlawful trade, many families have connections with shady mercenary groups and ships that follow the pirate code, and as such it is common knowledge that the rampant criminality in the city’s underbelly is best ignored, lest it disrupt the flow of gold. Like in Talabriga, piracy is not technically legal in the republic of Thenia at large, but neither is it directly outlawed. Thenian politics are complicated, and many of the larger cities decide on their own policies, and new decrees, as well as bans, are constantly being abolished and sanctioned. Due to all this piracy is a fairly common occupation in Thenia, and in Talabriga especially.
The pirates of Talabriga and other coastal cities are loath to openly call themselves such however, and they mostly visit ports and harbors that are discreet, in cities that allow for more personal freedoms. “Those who stick their necks out too far are bound to lose their heads”, is a common saying, and most Thenian pirates follow a strict code of honor to keep themselves and their criminal sponsors safe from persecution. The pirates are most often divided into two main groups; smugglers of illegal goods, and raiders of merchant ships. The latter harass the coasts of Karamorn and Veileux, and many also travel and thrive in the waters of the empire, often ferrying stolen goods and slaves between the north and the south. The smugglers tend to sail mostly in northern waters, staying closer to their home-ports such as Talabriga.
Talabriga was originally built on the northern side of the Weycord river, and has acted as a hub of trade and harbour for foreign ships for many generations. Eventually the city grew due to the prosperity of the merchant class, and the southern half of Talabriga was built across the Aqueduct Bridge. This area is newer, but poorer, and far more lawless. The inhabitants of the north heavily rely on the goods and services of the working-class of the south of the city however, and as such the two halves have a sort of symbiotic relationship, the north buys, the south produces, and in some cases, smuggles.
The aqueducts of Talabriga are a defining trait of the large city. Common in Thenia at large, none are as marvelous as those found in Talabriga however, and the Talabriga bridge whose sides are held up by the imposing stone structures are world-famous among tourists. The Aqueducts carry water from the reservoir at the mountain to the north; Sergyris, to Talabriga and all the way south the town of Berault.