Shipwreck Harbor
Listen kid, if you want to make it through the day in this place you have to follow two rules to stay alive. Rule number one, pick a side to stay protected. Rule number two, don’t ever cross anyone, these guys know so many ways to kill a man they often make game out of it to see how long the can keep you alive to claim their bets! - Old Pirate.
Demographics
Government
Their is no law in the harbor, except by the one created by individual inhabitants, areas are often divided up by different criminal groups to allow them to have space to carry out their business. These territories are only accessible if you have permission by one of the groups to enter. Along with an all around truce between the groups to ensure a peace of understanding.
Defences
Their are only a few watch towers that are built around it to alter any signs of danger in the area. Along with the fortified areas of the harbor that the criminal groups control from attack. The currents in the area are also unpredictable making it dangerous for anyone to try sail on them.
Industry & Trade
The only reason the harbor exists is to act a hideout for criminal groups the relax from their activities. Along with returning with what they bring back form their jobs to improve their place in the area and the region of the harbor they control.
Infrastructure
The place is a rundown makeshift settlement made from the remains of ruined ships to made buildings for shelter. Making infrastructure non existent with the only infrastructure that being the harbors that dock the ships and light houses to ensure the ships come to shore safely..
Assets
The settlement has nothing of real value, the groups that that control it have it full of weapons, materials and riches from their criminal activities.
Guilds and Factions
There are at least thirty groups that have their own territory in the harbor and carry out their business. But only ten of them are considered the most powerful of theses groups and have greater say in the harbor. These groups are,
- Sea Kings: One of the most infamous pirate groups in the region as they have been known to attack ship and fortifications of the Vatian Empire directly.
- Bloody Tide: A pirate group that is infamous for being bloodthirsty and cruel to those they face.
- Driftwood Buccaneers: Though small in numbers, these pirates use stealth and lighting raids make them legendary in Isles.
- Black Water Eels: Smugglers that know how to avoid detection and are masters of disguise when transporting goods.
- Mystic Blades: A group that revolves the use of magic and warfare to fight anyone they consider worth stealing from.
- Vulgar's Axes: The only pirate group the are made up of Norrians, making them battle hardened warriors that very few can match in battle.
- Undergrowth Vipers: A group of assassins known for using their environment to their advantage when given a target to eliminate.
- Wildheart Slayers: A warband of Half Elves that is known for hunting monsters in the isles and raiding settlements that reject their kind.
- Eternal Sun: Pirates from the Eastern lands of Kineth that are known to attack ship and settlement with exotic goods that they sell later.
- Rising Tide: A pirate crew from the Davadi Archapeligo that use strange fighting techniques and tactics to take advantage of their opponents
History
An Accidental Founding
Before the founding of Shipwreck Harbor the area was called Shipwreck Bay due to large number of ships that crashed landed in the area due to the constant changing tides that that either caused the ship to crash into shore of the island causing them to be marooned without any means to escape. Those who did try to repair their ships often had to deal with dangerous wildlife and native Jungle Elves in the region. But those who managed survive decided to create a settlement. It slowly grew to from a few dozen survivors to a few hundred as more ships crashed ashore over time. They managed to grow be a moderate settlement and made peace with the native Elves or time with trade from the good on shipwrecks across the shore. Slowly becoming greater then it was before. Though they were isolated as very few ships came through do the dangerous tides that marooned them there in the first place. Causing them to live off the land in order to survive and try to make lives for themselves without the use of trade. In time they managed to repair a few of the ships that crashed on the shore and sail looking for trade. But a different path would soon cause in inhabitants to change as the Lawless Isles would soon claim them.Change of Occupation
The inhabitants struggled to find trade in the area, but with very few running settlements to trade with made it impossible to do so. Then many knew what had to be done and started to become Pirates in order to survive as their resources on the island were being strand as the native Jungle Elves grew to become more hostile to the encroachment of their land. more and more of the inhabitants would being creating crews and leading a life of piracy as well. It became clear now that the Shipwreck Harbor was now a haven to pirates and soon more criminal would come to find refuge in a hostile land. There numbers would increase more and more as now a few thousand people where now living in the harbor. Business would become good as well as the plunder of the ship they raided helped them survive, making it easier for them to live and prosper. Though the once peaceful settlement was nothing more then as place of scum and villainy and became more demanding in their greed and wanted the island for themselves.Conquest of the Island
The peace that once existed between the native Elves and the Pirates grew to a boiling point as more of them came to the island to find safe haven. Causing the Elves to attack anyone that came to close to their lands. It soon became clear to the inhabitants of the harbor that they had to be eliminated. A great purge soon came as thousands of Pirates stormed the jungle in search of the villages of the Jungle Elves. Even though they were faster and knew the jungle better then the Humans, they were clearly outnumbered and fell one by one. In a few months all the villages were destroyed with their inhabitants either killed or enslaved. The native would be wiped out over time and their only descendants would be Half Elves that born from those who mess with the slaves. Making the island become under their complete control.Repealing Threats
Criminal groups came and went as time went on as the harbor seemed to never be touched by anyone. But once in a while someone decides that they want control over the harbor and not criminals. Most of them are just from the Divided Isles believing that they can gain new territory over one they lost to their rival. Along with some other criminal groups that want to expand their operations from other parts of the Lawless Isles. But the groups that occupy the harbor repel them every time. But there was one time that seemed to almost cost them everything. During the Isles campaign by the Vatian Empire in an attempt to capture strategic areas to have permanent hold on the isles, they sent a fleet to clear out the harbor and wipe out the pirates that occupied it at that time. But the lack of understanding the terrain and the tactic of the pirate caused much of the fleet to be destroyed, but cost many of the criminal groups their live in the process. Since then nothing has really tried to do it again as it is considered suicided to even try to conquer an area occupied by killers.Architecture
Much of the settlement is built from scraped ships that have come ashore with some of theses ships being used as buildings themselves. Along with some wood from the jungle being used as well for building. Much of the decorations in the settlement are often left by those who have come before or by current residents that what to make it remind them of home.
Geography
The harbor is built on Kastal Island in the Lawless Isles, it is built on the southern beach of the island leading right to the sea. There are no other settlements of the island, making the rest of it complete wilderness as jungle cover the whole region with some mountains and hills as well. With tall grass all that is in between them. Meaning the food and water are plentiful from the rivers in the area.
Natural Resources
The area is rich with wood and food, but due to the lack of mining materials is uncertain if there are any metals and minerals that can be exploited, but some iron ore has been fond in the area.
Maps
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Shipwreck Harbor
Alternative Name(s)
Pirate Bay, Shipwreck Bay
Type
Large town
Population
6,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Stranded
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