Hell of a Summer
Dock Ward
Art inspiration: slum down by the docks.
Controlled by Breland
Points of Interest
- City Docks
- Embassy of Breland
- The Honorable Knight, on the northern border with Trades Ward
- The Keelhauled Dwarf – subterranean tavern frequented by Daask members and other non-humanoids
- The Monster Pit – abandoned gladiatorial arena beneath a smithy and a tavern, sometimes still used to settle disputes
- Church of the Path of Inspiration
- The Old Xoblob Shop – curio shop with a stuffed beholder in the front window
- The Warrens – neighborhood of tunnels, buried passageways, narrow alleys, and built-over streets underneath the visible streets populated by halfling, gnomes, and other smallfolk
Description
The Dock Ward was long considered the most dangerous district in the city, but Field Ward has since taken that title. Warehouses, poorhouses, and tenements dominate much of the area. Streets are steep throughout, and few have space alongside for pedestrians. Wandering through the ward can be a bewildering journey without a guide. Except in the immediate vicinity of the piers, shop signs and advertising of any kind are rare, and
warehouses and other businesses often have no sign at all. You either know where you are going and have reason to be there- or you are lost, and a likely mark for pickpockets or worse.
In spite of it traditionally being the poorest Ward, Breland wanted Dock Ward because it gives them a potential stranglehold on supplies coming in and out of the city and even more strategically important than that, they see virtually everyone who comes to Throneport by ship- and on Thronehold that is almost everyone. Since officially taking control of Dock Ward, Breland has poured significant resources into making the streets safer and the lives of its resident citizens better.
The kingdom has assigned an entire civil legion in Dock Ward, enough peacekeeping troops to pacify an entire city. Even Karrnath does not officially have that many troops in Sea Ward, but Breland was able to successfully argue that they needed the manpower to stop the lawlessness Dock Ward used to be known for. They have orders to act like peacekeepers, not conquerers, but even civil legionnaires are still legionnaires.
Beyond police forces, Breland has spent a significant amount of money to make the lives of its citizens in Dock Ward safer, better, and richer. Many native Dockers resent this heavy handed attempt to pacify them, but most would agree that things have been getting better in the past two years.
The colors of the Dock Ward are burgundy and orange, and its mascot is a swordfish that has always been depicted as green for reasons lost to time. The folk of the Dock Ward take competition seriously, and they frequently draft their champions from the rough-and-tumble sailors who come to the city.
Ward Entry Procedures
Dock Ward is where the vast majority of newcomers arrive in Throneport. Everyone arriving in Throneport by ship is greeted by a harbor magister and their force of City Guards, where they are required to register in the city’s books. All permanent residents of the Ward have Brelish-issued identification papers but Breland keeps a loose grip on entry and exit from Dock Ward, mostly content to observe peoples’ comings and goings.
Ward Security
Breland has made a serious effort to clean up Dock Ward since taking over the district, importing an entire regiment of peacekeepers to make the area safe and secure for residents and visitors alike. The peacekeepers are the largest single security force in the city, and while they are not as well equipped as the Aundairians, as heavily armed as the Karrnathi, or as zealous as the Thranes, they are a close second in every category. They are also trained in and directed to tend to the needs of their civilian residents and favor a light touch.