Vatamu, Primary port town of the Imperial City

Overview

Vatamu is a small city on the eastern coast of the Blessed Isle, at the mouth of the Imperial Bay into which flows the Imperial River. It serves as the primary port of the Scarlet Prefecture, feeding goods into the ravenous markets of the Imperial City and providing docks for the personal craft of the Dynasty.

'Vatamu' is an ancient name for the city, favoured amonngst speakers of Old Realm, High Realm, and others who wish to convey a sense of elevated social class. A more crass colloquial name is used by many peasants speaking Low Realm, and (perhaps for political reasons) came to be the dominant term in Riverspeak: Dragonsmouth.

Geography

Where much of the surrounding coast is made up of high cliffs, Vatamu sees the coast descend to a large natural harbour… some geomancers and engineers have noted ‘natural’ is likely inaccurate due to the near perfect circular shape of the harbour as it cuts into the shore.

Politics

Governor: Cathak Neshba

Every Great House maintains assets in Vatamu, with warehouses for storing cargoes, ships at dock for transportation, and villas for entertaining. House Cathak has slightly more than average influence due to long association with the 2nd Imperial Legion.

Layout

Strong and Flowing Throat of the Dragon - Also known as the Bay Highway or Wood Dragon Road, a large highway running westward linking Vatamu with the Imperial City, and southward down the eastern coast of the Scarlet Prefecture to meet the Great Coast Road.

Imperial Harbour - A massive set of docks juts into the sea from Vatamu, stone quays with marble tiling and mosaics of entwining dragons and peoples from across Creation bowing before the Scarlet Empress. The Imperial Harbour is not a base for any of the Imperial Navy fleets, nor does it contain any shipyards, but it is always busy, merchant vessels sailing in to disgorge passengers and cargos from the length and breadth of Creation. Vatamu itself doesn’t host much of this for long, for the focus of all is several miles inland along the Wood Dragon Road: the Imperial City.

The Imperial Harbour is large enough to itself be divided into a series of districts.

-- Skillful Fisher Quays: A number of quays stretching out to support local fishing vessels who bring their catches in direct from the sea. Stalls along the quays and shore here, and hawkers working direct from the decks of their boats, form the River Dragon Market, where seafood is bought and sold before being transported in to the Imperial City.

-- Invincible Navy Quays: A fortified set of docks at the north end of the Harbour, the Navy Quays serve as a supply port for Imperial Navy patrols in the area, though they are little used: due to the power of the Citadel, the Realm does not WANT to engage enemy ships with their own vessels off Vatamu, it is much simpler to let the foe approach and obliterate them utterly with an unstoppable beam of lightning.

-- Dutiful Ambassador Quays: A set of docks and piers for foreign visitors and dignitaries.

-- Grovelling Trader Quays: Between the Navy Quays and the Ambassador Quays, these piers and docks are one of only five port facilities where Guild ships are allowed to dock on the Blessed Isle. The Quays are heavily patrolled.

-- Swift Ferryman Quays: Small group of quays providing docks for dedicated passenger vessels.

-- Glorious Dragon Quays: Small group of quays providing berths for the pleasure yachts and personal ships of the Dynasty.

-- Enterprising Merchant Quays: The largest set of quays, these serve as berths for trade vessels and transports shipping goods to the Scarlet Prefecture. A large number of the Realm’s merchant marine vessels call these Quays home.

Glittering Citadel - Massive fortress overlooking the harbour at Vatamu, from the shore cliffs rising at the city’s northern end. Headquarters of the 2nd Imperial Legion.

Iridescent Scales District - Walled neighbourhood at the center of Vatamu, housing Thousand Scales offices in Vatamu.

-- Hall of Just Rule - White marble building housing Vatamu's bureaucrats and governor, as well as guest quarters for visiting officials (usually Assessors or Magistrates).

-- Granite Heart of the Bay Road - Small granite building serving as headquarters for the Wardens of the Strong and Flowing Journey (of the Wardens of the Blessed Journey).

Officer's Purlieus District - Officer's Purlieus is a small, quiet, walled neighbourhood along the southern waterfront. Wealthy patricians and Dynasts who wish to be near their ships have their large homes here. There are also teahouses and restaurants that cater to the tastes of the people who live here.

Sailors’ Ghetto District - The Sailors Ghetto is a noisy neighbourhood filled with the life of commerce and trade. As the name suggests, sailors and their families have their homes here, as well as dock workers and other people of low social status. The Ghetto runs from the River Dragon Market at the docks, along the Wood Dragon Road to the edge of the city.

-- Wandering Guide's Charts & Advice - Wandering Guide's shop is a white-washed stucco cottage near the brackish shores of Vatamu. Inside, the shopper can find all the tools of marine navigation, lovingly displayed in velvet boxes or (in the case of maps and charts) carefully stowed in special flat, well organised shelves. Wandering Guide is an elderly woman with a peg leg. She has a grandmotherly air and loves to tell stories of the sea. It quickly becomes clear that she has lead a rough life of high adventure and that her only regret is that she is no longer fit to go to sea. Her knowledge of the seas of Creation is extensive, and if a sailor is willing to spend some time with her and alleviate her loneliness with chatter she'll tell him anything he wants to know. She clams up in the presence of young Dynasts, though. She doesn't trust them, and has seen too many good sailors die because their commander was inexperienced. If she takes a liking to you, expect her to offer to read your stars for you. She's an accomplished, if unlicensed, astrologer. She never accepts money for this service and, naturally doesn't like to have it mentioned.