Cove of Calm Waters
Aspect: Water Rating: ••• Hearthstone: ? Bearers: ? Attuned: Peleps Kaizoku, Mnemon Kuvon, V’neef, V’neef Tamsen, ? .
The Cove of Calm Waters is a manse-island located off the coast of the Blessed Isle, part of the geomantically-rich chain stretching southwest from the mouth of the Serpentine River. The Cove is the furthest island from the Isle mainland, out of sight of the coastline, and some savants have argued it might be better considered part of the Directional West rather than the Center, though this was not accepted by the Imperially-funded geomancers formerly employed within the Thousand Scales.
The island is small, dominated by a sheltered central harbour, which is ringed by a thick wall of smooth white stone, with towers flanking either side of the harbour mouth and two more towers flanking a drydock at the inner reaches of the harbour. The wall contains a number of halls and chambers, including kitchens, sleeping quarters, banquet halls, libraries, and salons, to host both visiting sailors and Dynastic guests in noble style, if not the highest opulence of the Imperial City. Behind the walled structure, the island reaches its peak, covered in verdant growth and left largely untended save for small watchtowers and a path paved in large pieces of sea glass which traces along its outer shore.
The Cove of Calm Waters was, as a sheltered staging area, the site of several battles during the Shogunate as daimyo from West and Blessed Isle made war against each others’ domains or launched bids to claim the Shogunal title... the waters surrounding the island are home to several wrecks, which make for interesting diving though they were long ago stripped of anything valuable.
A number of Shogunate vessels had taken shelter in the Cove in wake of the Great Contagion, and while many fleet formations moved on to declare loyalty to the Scarlet Empress others who sought to resist used the island as a gathering point before setting out to join the Seven Tigers. The flotilla never left port, and while the details are lost to time official histories claim that enlightened junior officers overthrew their commanders and declared themselves for the Empress. A more thorough reading of early Imperial Navy logs might reveal to the searching eye that an influx of Dragonblooded from the Isle was required before the First Age vessels of the fleet could leave the Cove to join the Imperial Navy ships assembling at Arjuf.
The Cove remained a Navy post for some time, serving as shelter for patrols and merchant vessels making their way between the Isle and the seas of the West, under care of House Peleps. The Kaizoku household made the manse its family headquarters, some thought due to its distance from the watchful eyes of the Isle, until RY735 when the Cove was transferred from care of House Peleps to House V'neef by order of the Scarlet Empress, who granted House Peleps the more geomantically-powerful (but entirely inland) manse at the Hall of Lambent Flames in its stead. House V'neef has used the manse as a base for Imperial Merchant Navy patrols and a safe harbour for the trade vessels of the Merchant Marine.
