Silver Bay
Silver Bay, known as the City of a Thousand Flags, sprawls out over the delta of the River Brzina, with the endless expanse of the sea stretching out to the west. The city's boundary is a mélange of ships and floating constructions, tied and interlinked, forming a sprawling, complex mesh that encircles the bay. Ships of all sizes, from tiny fishing vessels to mighty galleons, form the city's walls, their prows and sterns lined up to form a barrier against invaders. From afar, the city's silhouette seems like a monstrous kraken stretching out its tentacles, claiming the delta as its own. Colorful flags and pennants flutter atop the masts, whispering the tales of countless seafaring adventures, victories, and bountiful trades.
At the heart of Silver Bay is its bustling harbor, a veritable hive of activity. Ships from all over the continent, laden with goods and gold, find their way here, filling the air with the salty tang of the sea and the rich scent of exotic spices. Dockworkers and sailors can be seen heaving crates onto the docks, their shouts mingling with the cawing of gulls. The bay's water shimmers under the sun, reflecting the kaleidoscope of colors from the ships and their sails, creating a mesmerizing tableau of maritime life. Towering ships, their hulls carved and painted with intricate designs, serve as the city's administrative centers, their captains commanding the respect and obedience of Silversail's citizens.
Silver Bay, despite its chaotic layout, offers a riot of services, commerce, and entertainment. The city teems with energy and hustle, as street vendors hawk their wares, sailors barter over goods, and children dart through the crowd, playing tag. At any corner, you may find yourself entangled in a high-stakes card game, or swept up in a sea shanty that has everyone stamping their feet and clapping their hands. Taverns, housed in ships moored at the docks, reverberate with raucous laughter and lively music, spilling light and warmth into the bustling streets. Despite the inevitable conflicts and frictions between a collection of such freewheeling spirits, Silver Bay manages to maintain an aura of camaraderie, cooperation, and shared love for the sea. It's a city of both trade and revelry, where wealth and grit is as celebrated as freedom, and where every sailor has a tale to share over a tankard of ale.
Points of interest
Witchlight Eyrie
Standing sentinel over Silver Bay's shifting mosaic of ships, Witchlight Eyrie functions as a combined lighthouse, message center, and embassy for House Magia, its steady beacon guiding Silversail ships through night and storm. Constructed from blackened stone blocks, one of few such buildings in the city, the tower hosts Zephyros sorcerers who maintain diplomatic relations and facilitate trade with Silversail. These sorcerers also tame the often-treacherous weather for the local sailors, and operate an extensive raven messaging system along with the corsairs, making the Eyrie a central hub for communications across Pauza. Visible from any point in the harbor, the tower's roost emits a distinctive sea-green halo at night, earning it its namesake. Despite its critical roles, Witchlight Eyrie does not boast the typical extravagance of Magia's architecture; rather, it presents a humble, pragmatic facade befitting its Stormcaller custodians, the cawing of crows echoing off the stone while Silversail crews load and unload their wares in the tower's shadow.
Tourism
Inns
The Wailing Mermaid is housed in a plump, retired galleon that creaks and sways with the river’s rhythm. Its deck, now an open-air tavern, overflows with swashbucklers and sea shanties, while the inn below, in the belly of the ship, hums with the quiet lap of the waves.
The Seafarer's Respite was carved by its dwarven owners into the sheer cliff face that marks the north-eastern edge of Silver Bay. It is a tranquil haven for tired sailors and unassuming visitors, accessed via a series of winding staircases and rope bridges. This unusual establishment offers stunning sunset vistas of the open sea and city underneath, and soothing sounds of waves crashing against the rocks below echo through its cool stone chambers, providing a peaceful sanctuary from the city's bustling heart.
Taverns
The Kraken's Hold is a boisterous tavern, nestled between the bustling docks and teeming fish markets, boasting walls adorned with seafaring trophies and weathered nautical maps. An array of exotic barrels form the bar, dispensing a dizzying array of foreign spirits, while sea captains and their crews debate and carouse beneath the maw of a giant snake-like skeleton that coils menacingly around the rafters, the dead leviathan’s exact origin the subject of a dozen different tall tales.
Natural Resources
Starshard Pearls
Found in the depths of the bay and known only to the divers of House Silversail, these luminescent pearls possess a unique property: they can store magical energy. Many an arcane adventurer seeks Starshard Pearls to expand their magical repertoire, while collectors and jewelers across Pauza appreciate their iridescent glow.
