Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #121
May 1st, 2023
Number: 121
Name: Southbank
Location: South side of the mouth of the Tauoi River
Population (approx.): 2700
Brief: Nation building is messy, especially when drawing the borders between City-States. Centuries ago, Noldrune and Taodeas, after much negotiation and some skirmishing, drew a line down the Tauoi River and split Southbank from Far Harbor (#36). In the years that followed, as Far Harbor flourished, so Southbank decayed. Those of House Macad south of the border moved north, leaving manors empty and taking wealth and businesses with them. Southbank was an afterthought to the tribes of Taodeas, except for a few minor tribal leaders eager to occupy the vacant mansions, as trade mainly went from the Greatwood (#21) to Eastwatch Harbor (#90) to the south. Southbank’s population turned to lesser pursuits oriented at thumbing their collective nose across the border, including harassing their northern brethren and supporting smugglers in the west.
Geography: When established centuries ago, Far Harbor and Southbank were designed as mirror images of each other. Like Far Harbor, Southbank is arrayed in a semi-circle around the edge of a large natural harbor well-shielded from the ocean by a large natural breakwater of stone. Since then, the southern half is cracked and stained. The wharves and piers are worn and mostly empty. Struggling businesses and packed tenements line the riverbanks. The Town Hall meetings of the ruling council are raucous affairs where petty lords and ladies squabble and fight and electing a mayor is an exhibition of bribery and ballot box stuffing. Far Harbor, over the years, has closed most of the river crossings to Southbank but for one well-guarded bridge.
No comments:
Post a Comment