Oakenheart

Oakenheart is the one natural harbor on the island it dominates. Though the city has stone walls and great harbor gates which are bronze-coated (and magically protected both against corrosion from salt and wind, and fire-based attacks), much of the city is built from the wood of the great oaks for which the island is famous. Oakenheart has a more swashbuckling atmosphere than Asperdi, and in particular it has the great shipyards of Walfrenden, the master shipwright of the island—and the best in all Aerdi, it should be said. Walfrenden's vessels are of excellent design (+10% to all seaworthiness ratings). His latest design is a heavy caravel which the younger captains of the city's 17-vessel fleet (five galleons, 12 coasters) look upon with real yearning. Starflier, the first of these vessels, lies in harbor awaiting an inspired captain and devoted crew ready to sail forever across the eastern horizons, the triangular sail designs allowing far more freedom for the vessel to sail against prevailing winds than the larger square-rigged galleons. Walfrenden is nearing his 80th year, and what keeps him alive is looking forward to the day when the captain of his pride and joy sails back into Oakenheart and tells him the wonders and strangeness of the lands he has found across the endless azure miles of the Solnor Ocean.

More mundanely, Oakenisle is almost a sealed-off city. Visitors are not admitted without good reason (trade or otherwise), and the harborguard are not easily bribed. The Scarlet Brotherhood is feared here, since the assassi nation of two of the town's finest young sea captains six months ago is widely believed to have been due to their agents.