Madruga
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 merchantmen raise their sails, running goods to Bastion and Sarvos, trading with foreign powers, and fighting off barbarian incursions.
Recent History
Major Features
Siroc
The Sapphire, the City of a Thousand Sails, is acknowledged as the pre-eminent city of the Freeborn. It lies in Madruga close by the border with Feroz. Brightly-coloured tents extend Siroc out far beyond the small cluster of stone buildings that make up the heart of the city. Sails of all shapes and sizes fill the sheltered bay, which is guarded by a series of iron woven nets and chains bought at great expense from the forges of Wintermark.
Siroc is the site of the Glass Parador. The Mistress of the Glass Parador is an Imperial title appointed each Summer by Freeborn citizens who control fleet personal resources.
Atalaya
The small town of Atalaya marks the plave 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 shares it's name are a navigational nightmare. Before the Shining Pillar was built, reaching the hidden docks of Atalya was a eat 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 the oldest Freeborn settlement in the Brass Coast, but it's 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. It is also known for it's deep natural harbour - many ships of the Freeborn fleet count Atalaya as their home port.
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, poweful cranes for loading and unloading, and expanded warehouses and work spaces. Completed shortly before Autumn 377YE, the shipyard provides significant benefits to the Freeborn ships based in Madruga.
Midport
Where the first corsair “raised the flame” - the iconic flag of the Freeborn corsair. It’s a harder sail from here to the sealanes where the richest prizes sail, but the corsairs here are fiercely proud of their territory, and compete with those of Feroz for the glory of Madruga, first of Freeborn lands.
The Shining Pillar
A massive white-and-gold lighthouse on the island of Atalaya off the Madruga coast. Often adopted by Freeborn sailors as a symbol of the Brass Coast, and the sight of it to be a welcome home.
The Spider's Dream
An elegant bridge spans the river Vassa here, connecting Trivento to the Brass Coast. It is a marvellous piece of engineering that resembles a spider's web. There is a toll to pay, or you can take the long way around. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the Spider's Dream. Resources initially used to maintain it were siphoned off in the time of Emperor Walter, and the bridge became increasingly dangerous to cross. In Spring 377YE, however, the Imperial Senate took steps to ensure it's restoration to full functionality - reinstating the Imperial Title of Spider's Tollkeep in the process and heading off potentially unpleasant implications for the people of both Sarvos and Madruga.
The Lyceum
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.
Regions
Calvos Sound
The town of Calvos stands on the shores of Calvos Sound. The slopes outside the town are rich with grapes, and the fine wins 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, a destination for many pilgrims of Prosperity - even those from as far afield as the Sumaah Republic.
Keywords: Coastal
Free Landing
Keywords: Coastal
The Great Grasses
Lightsea
Off the coast of Lightsea is the town of Atalaya, where the Brass Coast began. This historical settlement has been eclipsed by the towns of the mainland - especially by 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 her every midsummer to share knowledge and gossip.
Keywords: Coastal
Siroc Plains
Keywords: Coastal
Torres
OOC Notes
- All the regions of Madruga are in Freeborn hands (and by extension, those of the Empire), meaning the territory is resolutely Imperial.