Madruga

Artist's Impression of Madruga

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Overview

Madruga of the Jewelled Isles is the easternmost territory of the Brass Coast, running from the Kahraman mountains down to the Bay of Catazar. Down the coast of Madruga and Feroz the corsairs and merchants raise their sails, running goods to Bastion and Sarvos, trading with foreign powers, and fighting off barbarian incursions.

It is the most densely settled of the Freeborn territories; the nation began here, with the landing of the three sisters and their families at old Atalaya. Over generations, their descendants spread across the mainland building and cultivating, until Madruga was tamed. Today, it is scattered with villages and small towns - the sprawling city Siroc at it's height rivalled the cities of the League in size and wealth.

It is the spiritual home of the corsairs; many maritime families have lived on the islands of Free Landing and Calvos Sound since the earliest days of the Freeborn nation.

The history of Madruga is one of change, however. The Grendel have attacked the islands and towns here for centuries; usually their fleets are intercepted at sea before they can do too much damage, but there have been times when their raiders have sacked coastal settlements. For a few harrowing months in the years before the foundation of the Empire, the Grendel swept inland here conquering Lightsea and the islands, and threatening to burn Siroc. They were turned back after months of vicious fighting, but the memory of their attack is sometimes credited by historians as being a factor in the decision of the Freeborn to join the Empire. Since the disappearence of Imperatrix Lisabetta, life in the territory has become even more tumultuous, with regular Grendel attacks compounded with deadly magical chaos.

Recent History

After the Autumn Equinox 381YE, the Grendel armada invaded Madruga. They destroyed the Freeborn Storm, burnt the Atalaya shipyards, and brought the Black Thorns to the brink of annihilation. Their forces then moved against Lightsea, raided the port of Quzar, and within short order half the coast of Madruga was in their hands. The Empire responded quickly, driving the Grendel out, but it was only a matter of time before they returned.

They returned in force in the Winter of 385YE, accompanied by warships from the Asavean Archipelago. In a surprise attack, they burnt the city of Siroc, and established a beachhead in what was then Siroc Plains. In the coming months, war and powerful Spring magic battered the region, culminating in the destruction of the Silent Pillar and the formation of the Children of Wrecks. The Siakha-inspired pirates began a rampage of their own, even going so far as to use Spring magic to isolate the islands of Free Landing, turning them into a stronghold of their own that Imperial armies cannot approach.

As if this were not bad enough, a peculiar blight began to spread across the Great Grasses in the north-east. The grasslands were quickly turned to ash and dust, and the desiccating Winter magic threatened to spill over into Kahraman and Segura. The cause of the spreading desert was discovered to be a generations-old conspiracy of the Aldea di Tutamen family who had become awful harbingers of destruction called the Dry Patricians. Their awful threat was stopped by Imperial heroes, but the blight remained.

Then in Autumn 386YE, ritual magicians from every Freeborn tribe raised the wrath of the Scorrero river, causing it to break its banks in a cataclysmic expression of ruin and chaos. A cleansing tide swept across the Great Grasses, washing away the remnants of the blight. In the process, however, the magical floods also transformed the southern reaches of the territory, leaving three new regions that, as the Winter Solstice 386YE approaches, are still being carefully explored.

Major Features

Trajadoz

The town of Trajadoz in north-western Torres was founded roughly three hundred years ago by the Trajaduz family of traders who were intent on fostering trade between the mines of newly conquered Kahraman and the wealth of Sarvos. The most recent influx of townsfolk was during the invasion of Segura in 363YE. Since the reclamation of Segura in 378YE it stood mostly empty, save for a few bandits, as the Freeborn returned to their homes. Following the end of the rebellion in Marracoss and Emphedor Imperial fleet captains had an opportunity to evacuate some of the defeated rebels. Roughly a third of the refugees, offered sanctuary in the Empire, have taken up residence in the mostly abandoned town, and created a community.

The Marracossans (never Nemorians, and rarely accepting Asavean) are a disparate group; made up of priests and soldiers, crafters and traders. One of their number Leonorada Rousseau, priest of Aseus, has spent some time in the paradors of nearby Calvos. They have made clear that they, and their community, like the Empire, and they like the town of Tradajoz. They wish to remain in the town, but Leonorada understands that the community's intent to continue following and worshipping their gods could lead to some unfortunate accusations. In Winter 384YE, the Imperial Senate ceded control of Trajadoz to the Nemorians. This has raised a few concerns among their neighbours as it frees them to build temples to their gods if they wish - and indeed to do anything else they want to do. You can read more about the Marracossans in the Large but far away wind of fortune.

Calvos

The bustling town of Calvos lies on the shores of Calvos Sound. The slopes outside the town are rich with grapes, and the fine wines produced here travel all over the Empire. Even the sommeliers of the League pay well for a Calvos vintage. The exemplar Zemress i Ezmara i Erigo was born here towards the end of the second century YE, and her ship The Kraken's Bane is housed at a special dry dock here. The ship is a destination for many pilgrims of Prosperity from as far afield as the Sumaah Republic, as was the nearby Seminary before it was destroyed in a cataclysmic storm. Near the seminary ruins stands the House of Guerra, a place dedicated to supporting refugees to the Empire, especially those who seek a new family among the Freeborn, and the Zemress Naval Academy (also known as the School of Blood and Brass) where the Freeborn study maritime warfare and the construction of warships.

The Lyceum (Hidden)

The Lyceum was established during the reign of Empress Aenea on an island east of Siroc. It is a centre of arcane learning in the Empire, and the Dean of the Lyceum maintains sumptuous apartments here. Approach to the island is carefully controlled by the magicians and professors, and the most promising magicians are invited to study or teach there.

During the Winter Solstice 385YE, Imperial heroes traveled to the Lyceum to protect its secrets from the Grendel who sought to claim them. In the process, they activated powerful wards that hid the island behind a wall of fog preventing barbarian or Imperial ships from reaching it. The walls were expected to remain until shortly before the Winter Solstice 386YE, but with both the Grendel and the Children of Wrecks threatening the college, the Imperial Conclave accepted an offer from Sadogua to help keep the wards up for the time being with an eye towards finding a way to get people in and out, and perhaps make the misty wards permanent.

Atalaya

The town of Atalaya in Free Landing marks the place where the Brass Coast was born; the first landing of the three sisters and their families. Built around the side of a secluded cove, the seas around the island that share its name are a navigational nightmare. Before the Shining Pillar was built, reaching the hidden docks of Atalaya was a feat to tax the most skilled ship's crews. Today, the landwards channel has been widened but is protected by hidden obstructions that only the Freeborn pilots know well. Atalaya is also known for its deep natural harbour - many ships of the Freeborn fleet count Atalaya as their home port.

Atalaya is the oldest Freeborn settlement in the Brass Coast, but its prominence was eclipsed centuries ago by Quzar. Today, it is a place of pilgrimage for many Freeborn followers of the Way - there are a number of shrines and temples dedicated to Pride and Vigilance here. The School of the Sanguine Bloom, one of the most prestigious schools dedicated to herb-lore in the Brass Coast also stands here, founded long ago by Sameen i Riqueza, youngest daughter of Riqueza herself.

With the rise of the Children of Wrecks], the oldest settlement of the Freeborn has been lost to the nation. The museums have been looted, and the once beautiful town transformed into a den of pirates.

Freeborn Flame Marina

Work began on the reconstruction of Atalaya harbour following an opportunity presented after the National Assembly of the Brass Coast called on the people of Feroz to flee the territory rather than suffer under the hands of the Grendel. Work was completed shortly before the Spring Equinox 385YE and the abundance of willing, talented shipwrights meant fleets were more easily upgradeable, at least until the Brass Coast reclaim Feroz. Unfortunately, along with Atalaya, the Freeborn Flame Marina is currently in the hands of the Children of Wrecks.

On the harbour, looking out to sea, are a number of statues each one different but reminiscent of contemporary Freeborn.

Sunset Roads

With encouragement from the notoriously sea-averse Faraden, a grand highway connects Siroc with Calvos, cutting across the territory rather than following the coast. A shorter road runs along the northern banks of the Scorrero, crossing just north of Cerevado in Segura via a beautiful arched bridge of white granite. While the road is used extensively by the Faraden, it also serves to cut the journey time from the northern borders of Madruga to the trading city of Siroc, making it a popular route for Freeborn and League merchants as well.

The south-west roads are a great work that complement the already existing Blood Red Roads, bringing increased prosperity to the owners of farms and businesses in Madruga.

The Spider's Dream

An elegant bridge spans the river Vassa, connecting Torres to the town of Trivento in Sarvos. It is a marvelous piece of engineering that resembles a spider's web. The Spider's Dream has significant strategic importance - without it armies cannot cross the Vassa between Sarvos and Madruga without going north and passing through Tassato and the Mournwold. It is overseen by the Spider's Tollkeep, an Imperial title uniquely appointed by both the senators of the League and the Brass Coast together.

The Spider's Dream was once severely damaged by the Jotun, but has since been extensively rebuilt and fortified.

Regions

A very rough region map of pre-transformation Madruga

Calvos Sound

Quality: Coastal
The town of Calvos stands on the shores of Calvos Sound; the entire region is named for the great shallow bay that cuts into the eastern shores of the Brass Coast. The waters of the Sound are prime fishing grounds, and the surrounding slopes are known for their rich agriculture, especially grapes, grapefruits, and pomegranates. At the end of the second interregnum, Calvos Sound was the site of a vicious engagement between Grendel raiders and the forces of the Red Wind Corsairs. Despite catastrophic losses, the Freeborn army held. Close to breaking they were forced to retreat, but the campaign achieved its purpose by convincing the nations of the south that the threat from the Grendel was real, events that would eventually lead to the elevation of Empress Deanne. To this day, many of the people of Calvos Sound have a notable antipathy for the orcs of the Broken Shore.

Lightsea

Quality: Coastal
A well-settled region known for the friendliness of its paradors. The largest settlement here is Quzar, a bustling port town of white towers and stained glass that is sometimes described as the soul of the Brass Coast. The Towers of Quzar are known as a gathering place for hakima from all across the nation - an annual "council" meets here every midsummer to share knowledge and gossip. Since the completion of the Parador of Salt and Sand, a large community of hakima, including a significant number of refugees from Feroz, have taken up permanent residence here. The town is now best known for its community of magicians, especially those versed in Autumn magic.

Many of the coastal settlements here were plundered by the Grendel during their incursion toward the end of 381YE. Quzar in particular was hard hit by the orc raiders, with some damage to the town and significant damage to the wealth of the citizens. A year later toward the end of 382YE potent magic restored the town, wiping away any sign the Grendel were ever there.

Torres

The northernmost region of Madruga, and one end of the Spider's Dream. The land here is a little more rugged than in the southern regions, and the climate is generally cooler. The people who dwell here share some of the reputation of the miners of Kahraman; as being suspicious and quarrelsome. Partly this reputation might be a result of regular clashes between Freeborn traders and League merchants out of Sarvos. A regular 'problem' for the inhabitants is that League merchants would prefer to travel south to the more prosperous towns of the eastern coast to sell their wares, bypassing the markets of Torres. It is shameful to admit, but there are more incidents of brigandry against League caravans in Torres than in almost any other area around the Bay of Catazar. When such incidents get out of hand, the Spider's Tollkeep is often prevailed upon to sort them out.

The town of Trajadoz is found in the north-west of Torres. Formerly a home to Freeborn displaced from Kahraman and Segura, it is now home to a very different group of refugees - Marracossan exiles from the Asavean Archipelago.

Free Landing

Quality: Coastal, Island
The sprawling islands that form the region of Free Landing are diverse and well-settled. The islands here were the first home of the Freeborn - the town of Atalaya marks the spot where the Brass Coast proper began. When the Grendel invaded Madruga in Winter 381YE, they looted many precious relics from the town of Atalaya and burnt the shipyard there to the ground. In the process, they destroyed the Freeborn navy, the Freeborn Storm.

The waters between the islands have a reputation for being treacherous and difficult for foreign captains; during the reign of Empress Aenea the Empire built a great lighthouse here called the Shining Pillar, which was destroyed by forces loyal to the eternal Siakha during the Winter Solstice 385YE. In it's place, a perpetual churning maelstrom serves as a way for servants of the eternal to enter the mortal world and functions as an effective fortification defending the Children of Wrecks.

The waters around Free Landing have become treacherous due to the presence of dozens of immature kraken hatched in the waters by the Children of Wrecks. As a result, the region has gained the island quality, it cannot be attacked by armies unless each army is accompanied by a navy capable of conveying the soldiers across.

Quiet Grasses

• Qualities: Quiet

The Great Grasses were consumed by the Blight, but have now been restored thanks to the surging Spring waters. They are marked not only from the flooding of the Scorrero, but from a year or more of gentle rain conjured with Regrow the Land's Heart. Where once there was a sea of jade and emerald grasses, and then a lifeless desert of ash and dust, there is now a profusion of plants and flowers. The grass is different to that which grew before, standing easily taller than the tallest soldier and remarkably resistant to damage. Where the thickets of grass are densest, it is slow going trying to make headway and all too easy to get lost. In addition to the grasses, there are large numbers of broad, open meadows covered in flameblooms - a mass of previously unseen flowers that grow in a profusion of shapes and a riot of reds, oranges, yellows, and an extremely rare white petalled variety.

There is an odd silence to the Grasses now. The grasses seem to eat sounds, causing the cries of circling hawks to fall flat, and even the blaring of horns sounds tinny and can be heard over comparatively short distances. Even the wind whispers as it flows across the plains. Some scouts tagged the place as the "Quiet Grasses," and while the name may have begun as a wry commentary, it has quickly spread. Magicians say that this silence is partly due to a lingering touch of Winter magic - not the harsher resonances death or survival but something less tangible - a sense of sadness, loss, or perhaps the wisdom that comes from an awareness of ending, tinged with the wistfulness for the way things were before.

Siroc Bayou

• Qualities: Marsh, Coastal, Ruins, Wild, Underpopulated, Enigmatic

The region that was once Siroc Plains is now the Siroc Bayou. Slow moving streams and lakes of brackish water characterise the bayou. The river itself, and the gulf between Madruga and Feroz, teem with fish and other creatures. The fury of the Scorrero, already mitigated by the Crucible, loses itself in meandering, shifting streams as it makes its way to the Bay of Catazar. Here and there, ruined Freeborn settlements and structures emerge from the marshes, or stand surrounded by still pools of water. Even though the flooding that transformed the region are quite recent, many of these ruins look as if they have stood in the marshes for decades, heavily overgrown with odd plant growths. Others are more intact, often serving as lairs for the transformed creatures of the marsh. When the river rose, this region was under control of the Grendel, and battle raged between the orcs and Imperial forces. The Grendel have since withdrawn almost all their forces, but there are still signs of abandoned encampments here. Some of the Broken Shore troops were left behind as well, and it seems that in the absence of any easy means of escape they have taken up banditry.

The City of Sails, poor ruined Siroc, is now lost beneath the waters of the Bay, or consumed by the marsh. There is no chance of rebuilding - there is little left to rebuild on. There is apparently some interest in the Sarcophan Delves in purchasing salvage rights to the ruins, but only once the Children of Wrecks problem is resolved.

Crucible

• Qualities: Marsh, Wild, Underpopulated, Enigmatic

The new region of Madruga, north of the Scorrero, was once the southern Great Grasses and the western Siroc Plains. This place has been most obviously transfigured by the unleashed magic, and the odd haze reported by scouts is most pronounced here. Even the least magical explorer can sense that there is magic here; a mixture of Spring magic from the flood and the influence of Ossegrahn, or Night magic tinged by the gifts of Azoth, and even a hint of lingering Winter magic from the Dry Patricians and their Blight. There are reports of a few Grendel camps here as well, scouts trapped behind enemy lines when the flood rushed in.

Scouts report that this area is where the peculiar marsh flowers, some of which possess magical properties, are most abundant. There also seem to be spontaneously occurring sources of vis here - warm honey, heart's blood, and crystal fire. In addition, there are a number of oddities - things that either were not here before of have been changed so much as to be effectively new. There is apparently a tower that rises out of the river itself and changes subtly over a course of several days, which puts viewers in mind of a lighthouse despite being miles from the Bay of Catazar. There is a standing pool of ebony water that does not reflect humans or orcs; anything staring into it sees only a monstrous image of themselves. A fountain in the courtyard of an old parador that once stood by the road along the banks of the Scorrero that now flows with rainbow waters; drinking from them by moonlight can prompt a transformation in unlineaged humans such that they unpredictably gain briar, naga or draughir lineage.

Strategic Considerations

• The damage to the bridges along the Scorrero prevents movement between Madruga and both Feroz and Segura

The damage to almost all the bridges along the Scorrero means that it is effectively impossible for an army to move between Madruga and both Feroz and Segura (or vice versa). More information can be found in the Where the river rises wind of fortune.

Special Qualities

Enigmatic

• Rituals and curses cast on enigmatic regions will be unpredictable and may have more powerful effects
• Rituals and curses cast on territories with an enigmatic region may be unpredictable or have more powerful effects
• Such rituals can be made permanent using 2 rings of ilium per magnitude rather than 3
• Any commission in an enigmatic region can substitute wains of mithril for weirwood or white granite on a one for one basis

Two of the new regions are marked with a unique quality - Enigmatic. This means the areas are infused with magic of Spring, Winter, and Night. As a consequence, any magic from those realms that operates on the territory level (or the Empire level), or targets the region with this quality, may have unexpected effects. This is not guaranteed - sometimes the ritual will have no noticeable extra impact. Sometimes, however, the impact of the magic will be enhanced in some way - more powerful or more extreme than expected. Even the wisest Unfettered Mind can't say more than that. (OOC Note: A ritual enchantment or curse will always at least equal or exceed its normal mechanical effect. The magic might be altered but it would never simply be the same effect but less powerful.)

Any Spring, Winter, or Night ritual that targets a region with a specific quality can target Crucible or Siroc Bayou. For example, even though neither region has the forest quality, both can be targeted with Forge the Wooden Fastness or Thunderous Tread of the Trees. The form the magic takes may be transformed or altered in unpredictable ways (for example Mountain Remembers Its Youth cast on one of these regions is likely to cause a cloud of toxic marsh fog rather than volcanic gas).

If Dripping Echoes of the Fen, The Basalt Citadel, or Forge the Wooden Fastness is cast on a region with the enigmatic quality, the resulting magical protections will be enhanced such that they provide an additional 1000 effective strength. If the Penumbral Veil is drawn over a territory where at least one region has the enigmatic quality, its effective magnitude is increased by 10 - the same would apply to any Vale of Shadows created anywhere in Madruga.

Any territory-wide enchantment or curse, or enchantment or curse targeting one of the two regions is easier to make permanent. Rather than requiring three rings of ilium for each magnitude of the effect, it only requires two rings of ilium per magnitude. The Unfettered Mind scholars warn that this should be approached with some caution - enchantments and curses are rarely meant to be made permanent and experimentation should be done on the understanding that there will be unlooked for side effects. In particular they warn against assuming that a ritual that works one way when cast on Madruga will have the same effect if made permanent with ilium. It might... but it is impossible to be sure given the wildness of the magic coalescing here. Also, if recent events have shown nothing else, this warning is even more significant when dealing with an effect that draws on the power of an eternal.

Any commission built in an enigmatic region can take advantage of the strange magical qualities of the region to substitute mithril for white granite or weirwood on a one-for-one basis. The amount of mithril used must be specified in the details of the commission; it cannot be substituted later. The necessary details should include a description of how mithril, and Freeborn glass, replace traditional building materials. All such structures will have elements of the weird and uncanny about them. Construction that arises from an opportunity may or may not be possible in an enigmatic region - the best thing to do is to email plot@profounddecisons.co.uk to confirm it is possible.

Finally, during any trip through the Sentinel Gate that involves an encounter in Madruga, any participating character with the magician skill finds that they have two additional personal mana available. These mana points are the first used when spellcasting, and cannot be replenished. They last until used, or until the next sunrise. The bonus mana is gained only once in the rare situation where the same magician visits Siroc Bayou or Crucible more than once during a summit.

Quiet

• It is not possible to create a commission that produces liao in a region with the quiet quality or any commission that has a musical basis
• It is not possible to create an inspirational location in this region
• Any conjunctions in this region will experience the "quiet" roleplaying effect
• Appraisal could be used to find ways to exploit the benefits of the quiet region

The Quiet Grasses have the quiet quality. Sounds are a little muted here, and even loud noises fall off more swiftly. Passions and emotions are also muted in a similar fashion, causing travellers and settlers to feel a little more restrained. It's easy and satisfying to embrace emotions such as sadness, sorrow, or regret. These effects are not especially overt - only sensitive individuals are really aware of them. It is, however, impossible to create a commission that produces liao in a region with the quiet quality, or any commission that has a musical basis. Inspirational locations cannot be created in such a region, and conjunctions here will experience the "quiet" roleplaying effect. This means that during a skirmish or encounter in a region with the Quiet quality, a character with hero points must have a source of spiritual strength (or spend a hero point) to overcome the roleplaying effect, or they cannot spend hero points to power their abilities or magic items.

An appraisal could be used to find ways to exploit the benefits of a quiet region.

Wild

• A wild region is harder for armies to conquer, requiring 15 rather than 10 victory points to take the region
• Wild regions never count as undefended for purposes of generating victory points

Crucible and Siroc Bayou have the Wild quality. Even if there are no other forces present in the territory, attacks against either of the two regions will not benefit from the undefended bonus. Furthermore, the land itself defies easy conquest - so much so that each region will require a total of 15 victory points, rather than the more usual 10, to conquer. The good news is that this difficulty will persist - anyone attempting to conquer these regions in the future will face additional challenges.

Underpopulated

• These regions will not contribute to army supply unless the quality is removed

The two southern regions of the new marsh also have the underpopulated quality, and it is tricky to see how that might be removed. The regions are rich, but they defy easy habitation. The people who once lived here have fled Grendel occupation, dire thirst, and the raging river - most have found new homes in northern Madruga. The marshes are also an environment alien to most Freeborn people. Exploring the marshes and claiming the odd wonders there is certainly possible, but it will be a significant undertaking to encourage people to permanently settle in these regions. Siroc Bayou is the best bet for removing this quality, perhaps finding a way to merge traditional Freeborn architecture with such innovations as Kallavesi stilt-dwellings, or establishing a settlement built on pontoons. Even so, there's no chance of such a settlement reaching the size of a city such as Siroc. Trying to populate Crucible will be even harder, if it is even possible.

Summit	Elected
Winter Solstice 384YE	Chiara Zayden Riqueza
Winter Solstice 383YE	Chiara Zayden Riqueza
Winter Solstice 382YE	Adan i DelToro i Riqueza
Winter Solstice 381YE	Adan i DelToro i Riqueza
Winter Solstice 380YE	Anwar - i - Del Toro - i - Riquezza
Winter Solstice 379YE	Anwar - i - Del Toro - i - Riquezza
Winter Solstice 378YE	Anwar - i - Del Toro - i - Riquezza
Autumn Equinox 378YE	J'zarr i Shartha i Riqueza
Summer Solstice 378YE	Sallur i Mnajdra i Guerra
Winter Solstice 377YE	Avisena i Kharizmi i Guerra
Spring Equinox 377YE	Avisena i Kharizmi i Guerra
Winter Solstice 376YE	Zeref i Ezmara i Erigo

Recent Senate Elections

As an Imperial territory, Madruga is represented by a senator elected in the Winter. As the territory is no longer Imperial, the senator cannot currently be elected. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.

Lost and Ruined

Siroc (Ruined)

The Sapphire, the City of a Thousand Sails, was acknowledged as the pre-eminent city of the Freeborn. The city was said to have been founded by the Guerra family shortly after the Freeborn came to the Brass Coast. It lay in Madruga close by the border with Feroz. Brightly coloured tents extended Siroc out far beyond the small cluster of stone buildings that made up the heart of the city. Sails of all shapes and sizes filled the sheltered bay, which was guarded by a series of iron woven nets and chains bought at great expense from the forges of Wintermark.

The City of A Thousand Sails was home to many fine paradors.

Siroc was the site of the Glass Parador, where the Mistress of the Glass Parador held court. It was also the location of the Parador of the Kindled Flame, an orphanage whose construction was overseen by Laughlan Vi Temeschwar, the first Master of Rings. One of only a small number of permanent stone structures of any size in the City of a Thousand Sails, it was surprisingly understated and utilitarian with the only notable decoration being a small plaque at the entrance bearing the legend “In Virtue we remember those who watch over others", and a list of names of those who helped construct the sanctuary.

It was also the site of the Commonwealth Embassy, a severe structure that represented the Commonwealth's diplomatic relationship with the Empire.

The city prospered for centuries, but following the Autumn Equinox 385YE it was burned to the ground by the Grendel and their Asavean allies, apparently in retaliation for the Empire's role in the destruction of the city of Chalonsio in Asavea. While some of the stone buildings survived, the majority of the structures were wood and canvas, and were destroyed by fire. The transforming flood that swept through the territory towards the end of 386YE sealed Siroc's fate - those ruins not sinking into marsh mud are lost beneath the waters of the Bay, and any hope of restoring the city to its former glory is gone.

Commonwealth Embassy (Ruined)

The Commonwealth Embassy was located in Siroc. It consisted of several buildings built after the severe Commonwealth style, which stood in beautifully laid out and maintained gardens, surrounded by a low white granite wall. Despite the severity of the architecture, the embassy was surprisingly welcoming - the gates stood permanently open, albeit under the watchful gaze of a cadre of Commonwealth soldiers attached to the staff of ambassador Mila Eisenfalke. The majority of the staff were human, although there were apparently half a dozen orcs whose role on the ambassadorial staff is not clear. There were no daeva citizens working at the embassy as far as Imperial observers can make out. When the city of Siroc was attacked by the Grendel and their Asavean allies, almost all the soldiers garrisoned here perished while fighting bravely alongside the Freeborn defenders of the Salt Guard.

The Salt Guard (Ruined)

A grand fortification designed by Menno van Ritsjhof comprised of two stout fortifications on either side of the bay along the approach to Siroc. Each fort is equipped with powerful trebuchet and catapults. A garrison of skilled mariners and corsairs ensures the towers are always ready to respond to any threat, and with the significant reinforcement of the existing iron chains and nets that guard the harbour they are extremely effective against shore offensives. He believes that not only will a sea assault against Siroc be made nigh impossible, but that the garrisons of the two towers would also be in a position to protect the Lyceum which lies to the south-east of Siroc proper.

The Atalaya Shipyards (Ruined)

Following a motion at the first Imperial Senate session in Winter 376YE, work began to expand the docks of Atalaya. Under the guidance of Miroslav, Senator for the League city of Sarvos, many wains of white granite and weirwood were committed to building both a massive seawall, and a great Imperial shipyard equipped with drydocks, powerful cranes for loading and unloading, and expanded warehouses and work spaces. Completed shortly before Autumn 377YE, the shipyard provided significant benefits to the Freeborn ships based in Madruga. In addition, the facilities here proved sufficient to allow the construction of the first Imperial navy since the days of Emperor Barabbas; work began on constructing Freeborn vessels in Winter 378YE.

It is perhaps fitting that when the Grendel invaded Madruga after the Autumn Equinox 381YE, and destroyed the shipyard the Freeborn Storm was put to port and shared the same fiery fate as the docks where it was created.

The Shining Pillar (Destroyed)

Built in Free Landing, this massive white-and-gold tower was one of the most prominent landmarks in the Empire. It was often adopted by Freeborn sailors as a symbol of the Brass Coast as a whole; when they can see the beacon of the Shining Pillar, they knew they were home. The grand lighthouse echoed the Lighthouse of Alexandria in design, rather than more modern tall cylindrical towers, and was constructed of white granite. Mithril mirrors captured and amplified the light of the fire burning atop it, which was kept burning by a cadre of attendants who lived in the tower.

During the Grendel invasion of Madruga in Winter 385YE, the Shining Pillar was annihilated by the servants of Siakha, and the Beacon Watch were slaughtered. The terrible rites performed there not only destroyed the lighthouse and drowned the rocky island on which it was built, but they apparently tore open a terrible maelstrom, something akin to a fane for Siakha allowing the eternal to send their servants to the Bay of Catazar.

OOC Notes

• As of the start of the Winter Solstice 386YE, the Children of Wrecks control Free Landing, the Empire controls Calvos Sound, Lightsea, and Torres, and Quiet Grasses, Crucible, and Siroc Bayou are uncontrolled.
• The territory has regions with several odd qualities, most significantly the enigmatic quality that effects commissions and ritual effects across the whole of Madruga.

The Made Anew wind of fortune contains more detail of the peculiar inhabitants of the southern marshes

• The maelstrom that now occupies the site of the Shining Pillar serves as a two thousand strength fortification controlled by Siakha.
• Farms in the territory benefit from both the Blood Red Roads and the South-West Roads and produce an extra 72 rings each season.
• Businesses in the territory benefit from both the Blood Red Roads and the South-West Roads and produce an extra 72 rings each season.

Further Reading

Core Brief

• Introduction
• The people
• Culture and customs
• Look and feel

Additional Information

• History
• Leadership
• Economic interests
• Military concerns
• Religious beliefs
• Magical traditions
• Hearth magic
• Territories
• Children
• Music
• Archetypes
• Groups