Albiele town

Albiele Town has a very unstable existence. The sort of people who either live here or use the town are all fiercely protective of what they see as their independent and ?care-free? lives. The imaginably chaotic result is a town full of individuals, each of whom is looking out for themselves first and foremost. There are three reasons why the town does not disintegrate into a seething mess (more than it already has, that is). Firstly, the organization of the pirates into clans imposes a little order. However, this also raises the possibility of conflict among the clans, many of which number more than 100 members. Such disputes among the clans, if they occur in Albiele Town, could easily destroy large portions of the town.
The second reason for the town?s continued existence, and the sole reason that clan conflicts do not get out of control on the streets of Albiele Town, is the presence of the Governor. This self-titled ?ruler? of the town clamps down swiftly and harshly on any disputes within the town that threaten to get out of control. Outside the town, however, is another story, and there have been numerous pitched battles, more often than not fought on the open sea, between various pirate clans who operate out of Albiele Town.
The third, and perhaps most telling, reason for the town?s success is simple. The pirates all want a place where they can resupply, make repairs to their ships, engage in a little shore leave, and most importantly, meet with other pirates on some sort of neutral ground - all without having to worry too much about coming under attack. There are no other southern seas ports that truly encourage the appearance of pirates and smugglers at their docks. Admittedly, there are some places where pirates can dock in relative safety, notably Seaward in Mieres and, to a lesser extent, Mhowe in the Chimaeron. However, these ports still suffer from some degree of government interference, making the totally free port of Albiele Town a valuable resource indeed.
Many of the pirate captains of the Straits of Aerele and the Suidemiere are organized into larger clans. Numbering anywhere from two ships to more than half a dozen, these clans have very strong bonds of loyalty amongst the captains who make up the clan. Several of these pirate clans have a permanent presence on Albiele Island (indeed, for three clans in particular, it is their fast becoming their only interest) and many of the others use Albiele Town on a regular basis.
As mentioned above, the town is run by a person known only as the Governor. He keeps the often violent citizens of Albiele Town under careful, but ruthless if necessary, control, while managing to remain in the background. Without the Governor to quietly enforce some sort of order, the town would quickly fall apart and most of those who dock there know it.
The rest of this section provides detail on the following; the history of the town (A Little History), the town?s mysterious ruler (The Governor?), a brief overview of how the town operates (?And The Law), what makes the town tick financially (Economics), a summary of the pirate clans which have a permanent presence or vested interest in the town (The Albiele Clans), the town?s important NPCs (Pillars Of The Community) and descriptions of the town?s buildings and other important areas (Locations).

Just under 17 years ago, word began to get around the various pirate clans and smugglers of the Straits of Aerele and the Suidemiere of a safe port, removed from any of the authorities of Southern Anuire. Several pirate clans quickly saw such a port as highly valuable location and formed a temporary alliance to occupy the new town and use it as a base for their ships. One night, they sailed into the town?s (which consisted of little more than a tavern, a store, and a couple of other buildings at the time) harbor and ran into the teeth of an ambush comprised of a single ship from almost every other pirate clan of the southern seas. The ?governor? of the town had contacted the clans and explained to them that he wished to create a sort of neutral ground for all clans to meet and talk business and did they really want such a good site under the control of these other three clans? Needless to say, the would-be conquerors were quickly dispatched and Albiele Town was ?officially? declared open to all clans, bar none.
Since that time, Albiele Town has grown from its humble beginnings of less than a half a dozen buildings to a bustling settlement of over 30 structures. However, pirates are not the only ones who make use of the town. Several smugglers operate out of Albiele Town and their presence has been one of the major reasons for the town?s recent rapid growth. A dozen or so ?legitimate? businesses, ranging from a general store to two shipwrights, also do a steady trade.
Albiele Town experienced something of a boom a little over a year ago. The appearance of major smuggling operation combined with the timely arrival of a number of new inhabitants and visitors caused the town to almost double in size overnight. Although the growth of the town has slowed since that rapid burst a year ago, it has far from stopped, and is even showing signs of picking up again. Left alone for another two or three years, this rough town could well become a major power in the southern seas of Cerilia.

The little order that exists in Albiele Town is completely in the hands of the Governor (MHmn Ftr8; Az, major, 33; LE). He is rarely seen by the majority of the town?s inhabitants and when he is, he is invariably dressed in a thick, black cloak that totally conceals his body and face. His voice is very rough, almost unintelligibly so. He is always ?guarded? by several toughs, although it would take a very brave, or more likely, very foolish person to attack the Governor. He inspires real fear in those who see him - even seasoned pirates who are afraid of very little.
The Governor?s real name and identity is one of the more popular topics discussed over ales in Albiele Town?s several taverns. It is worth noting, however, that those who are a little too nosy about this matter quickly vanish and there is more than a few tales of numerous dead lying on the bottom of the town?s harbor, silenced to protect the Governor?s secrets. The story that is most believed about the Governor is that he is actually the Red Scourge, an infamous pirate captain who rose to become the leader of the most powerful pirate clan ever to sail the southern seas - Azrai?s Reavers.
Briefly, Azrai?s Reavers terrorized shipping all along Southern Anuire for over ten years under the leadership of the Red Scourge. They even totally destroyed the powerful Avanese navy at the Battle of the Arnienbae, in a battle still talked about by pirates today, over 20 years later (Avanese naval forces are still recovering from that defeat). There are even tales that the Seadrake fled at the sight of the Red Scourge?s ship. About two years after the Battle of the Arnienbae, Azrai?s Reavers and their closest, most hated rivals, the Khinasi clan Swords of the South, met in battle near the eastern coast of Albiele Island (there was no Albiele Town 18 years ago). In the midst of the fight, a storm swept up out of nowhere and caught both sides unawares. Every ship caught in that savage storm went straight to the bottom of the Suidemiere.
A handful of ships on the edge of the battle were spared but the power of the two great pirate clans was broken. One ship captain, his name lost to history, told of fleeing just before the full fury of the storm struck. He claimed he saw the Red Scourge standing by his ship?s tiller and laughing like a madman as he rode his doomed vessel into the heart of a massive whirlpool that appeared at the heart of the maelstrom. Now, almost two decades later, neither clan remains, both since destroyed by their many enemies.
Some pirates, after too much drink, swear that the Red Scourge survived and now sails distant seas, bringing terror and death in the name of Azrai. Others, perhaps more reliably, suggest that the Scourge survived the storm and managed to reach the shore of Albiele Island. These pirates then point to the mysterious Governor and the founding of Albiele Town, less than a year after the Red Scourge was presumed lost at sea, and then wonder (quietly, to be sure) who the Governor really is.
The fact that the Governor is known to be Azrai-blooded has also led a few others to suspect that he is in fact the Ogre Mage, a lesser awnshegh once sighted in Elinie and Avanil and believed to originally hail from somewhere in Khinasi. However, no one has ever been foolish enough either to ask the Governor directly or even be heard to publicly raise the issue with others.

When amongst his adoring public, the Governor of Albiele Town is always guarded by a number of well-trained warriors. The exact number changes depending on circumstances (there are ten in total), but there are always at least two present. These guards refer to themselves simply as the Governor's Guards. They are fanatically loyal to the Governor and will die to protect him. They dress uniformly in unadorned black surcoats that cover plain plate mail and wield two handed swords with brutal skill and efficiency.
Governor's Guard, Human Soldier, F4 (10): AC 3 (plate mail); MV 12; F4; hp 30 each; THAC0 17; #AT 3/2; Dmg 1d10+3 (two-handed sword); SA +1 to melee damage due to Str/Mus, two-handed specialisation (+1 to attack rolls, +2 to damage rolls, increased attacks); SZ M (6?-6 1/ 2? tall); ML Fearless (20); Int 7-10 (Low to Average); AL NE; XP 270 each; (MM, 196).
The Governor's Guards do not carry any valuables with them, keeping such things in their quarters in the Governor's Residence (see 3, in Locations, below).

Ever since the hasty pirate clan triumvirate that tried to take Albiele Town for their own was defeated, the Governor has had total control over the town and its operation, usually speaking through his two highest ranking subordinates - the Secretary and the Captain. Under his harsh yet effective hand, the town has thrived and it has the potential to actually become a power of sorts in the region.
The only real ?law? in the town is that pirate clan conflicts are absolutely forbidden, on pain of death for all involved. This rather vague restriction extends as far as the Governor sees fit to take it and consequently, most pirate clans take great care to avoid breaking the rule and rousing the Governor?s wrath. Several clans have crossed the line, however, but the stories of their public hanging act as a fairly effective measure for ensuring clan conflicts stay out of Albiele Town.
The no-clan conflict law was first created and enforced after an out of control fire almost completely destroyed Albiele Town five years ago. The fire was the direct result of a battle fought between two clans in the streets and harbor of the town. After the furore died down, those warring clan members who survived the battle were executed by the Governor and the two clans were forever barred from Albiele Town. These ?punishments? weakened the two clans to the point where they disbanded, unable to function effectively.
Once outside of the protection given by the no-clan conflict law, safety in the town is something that extends only as far as the reach of one?s weapon. The various people who live in or frequent the town know that it does not pay to upset the peace too much and effectively police themselves, often quite harshly. However, the Governor has been known to step down hard on behavior that he considered excessive. There is also an unwritten rule that the forging of weapons and armor is outlawed without the expression permission of the Governor (which, needless to say, he hasn?t given to anyone yet).
As could be guessed, tavern brawling is one of the favorite pastimes of those who frequent the town. Rarely does a day or night go by without several large scale brawls. The fact that patrons of Albiele Town?s various drinking establishments do not require weapons to be surrendered upon entry means that these fights often get very bloody and a death or two is not an uncommon occurrence. All in all, Albiele Town provides for a very rough and dangerous life. Its inhabitants and visitors would have it no other way.

With the exception of the laws described in the previous section, the town functions primarily on bribery. In fact, it is almost impossible to get anything done in Albiele Town without first greasing the palms of all involved. While this makes a visit to the town a fairly expensive prospect, the convenience is generally considered worth it.
Oddly enough, the one place where bribery is, by common consent, inappropriate, is at the town?s docks. Here, berths cost a fixed price of 3 gp per day, although nothing stops greedy dock owners from charging first time visitors to the town anything up to 10 gp a day. This sort of violation of the ?no-bribery-at-the-docks-understanding? is generally ignored, although fleeced customers may be less than happy when they find out what the price should have been.
Because of the often substantial amount of bribery involved, actual goods and services in Albiele Town are surprisingly cheap, and often considered a second source of income by their providers. The individual businesses of Albiele Town are described in more detail in the Locations section, below, but they are briefly listed here for convenience:

• The Voyage?s End (a tavern)
  
• Grunason?s Ship Repairs
  
• Bounty of the Sea (a tavern)
  
• The Sea Stores
  
• Of Ships and Repairs
  
• Smugglers? Haven
  
• The Armory
  
• Land?s Berth (a tavern and inn)
  
• Albiele?s Pride (a tavern)
  
• Fencing and Smuggling
  
• Lady Felicia?s Hostel
  
• The Port (a tavern and inn)
  

Aside from these businesses, Albiele Town also supports a growing logging industry and a fledgling mining operation has begun to exploit the mineral wealth of the Old Hills. There are currently two separate logging operations, both run by pirate clans (the Aerele Ravagers and the Sea Lords - see The Albiele Clans, below, for more information on these clans). Fear of rousing the Governor?s anger by violating the no-clan conflict law has kept the competition between these clans strictly to the business arena (so far). Both clans are making a fair profit selling their lumber to the various businesses in Albiele Town (the two ship repairers in particular) and to those who wish to build in the town. Although they do not sell directly to customers outside of Albiele Island, timber from Albiele Wood has made it off the island through second and third parties.
Albiele Town?s mining industry is in its infancy but exploration of the Old Hills has revealed substantial mineral deposits. The Sea Wraiths are, to date, the only clan engaged in plundering the Old Hills and three of the four pirate captains who run the clan are concentrating their efforts on the mining operation, causing their presence on the southern seas to have almost vanished entirely. Conflict with other clans seeking to get in the profits of mining in the Old Hills is almost a certainty in the near future. However, the Wraiths face an even bigger, but as yet undiscovered, problem. If their explorations of the Old Hills continue (which is more than likely), they will almost certainly discover the Truatha ruins deep in the heart of the Old Hills - and the deadly secret it holds (see the Clans Of The Southern Seas accessory for more details).

Each of Albiele Town?s buildings and their inhabitants is described here, some in more detail than others. Many of the people (and clans) referred to below are described elsewhere (see The Albiele Clans, above, and The Pillars Of The Community, above). Before the list of locations is presented, however, a description of the town?s environs and defenses is given.

Albiele Town is situated along the coast of a small harbour in the north-east of Albiele Island. The sea floor around the island slopes away to the great depths of the Straits of Aerele very quickly, a legacy of the Deismaar range that once reached to the skies. As a result, Albiele Town?s harbor is quite deep, allowing any size ship to moor at any of its many docks.
All of the town?s docks are owned by someone, usually a pirate clan or business (this is mentioned where appropriate in the location descriptions below). With the exception of the Governor?s docks (see 3, below), berth space on any dock is available for purchase from their owners (who always have a representative at their dock to negotiate prices from captains wishing to dock). See Economics, above, for more information on docking prices and procedures.
The harbor is flanked by 50 foot high cliffs that extend inland to protect the town as well. Just beyond the northern cliff, Albiele Woods spreads over the land like a green shadow. The land to the south of the southern cliff is empty plains and desolate beaches that are only broken by the rugged Old Hills. Each cliff top can be reached by means of a crude, switchback staircase cut into the cliff face (or, of course, by climbing).
On top of each cliff is Albiele Town?s first defense against a hostile fleet (or even a landward attack) - catapults (the town?s remaining defenses are the pirate clans themselves). There are three heavy catapults atop each cliff (see Map ?: Albiele Town, for their exact positions). Each group of catapults is always guarded by six of the Governor?s men (all of whom are quite capable of using the catapults). In the case of a serious attack, 10 more of the Governor?s troops head to each of the cliff tops to operate the remaining catapults.
Guard - Human Soldier, F2 (12-32): AC 4 (chain mail and medium shield); MV 12; F2; hp 11 each; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8 (broadsword) or 2-7 (light quarrel); SZ M (5'-6' tall); ML Elite (14); Int Average (10); AL LN and LE; XP 65 each; (MM, 196. )
These men carry no valuables with them while on duty or during an attack (such items are kept in their barracks at the Governor?s Residence (3, below).
The town itself sits on excellent soil that receives almost ideal amounts of sun and rain. Some of Albiele Town?s inhabitants run small farming operations that provide enough food to support the entire town (and then some). One of these farmers also keeps a small herd of cows and a smaller flock of sheep from which a fair portion of the town?s milk and meat comes. Further west and south of the town, the land becomes less fertile until it reaches the beginning of the Old Hills, from which point on, very little can grow in the unforgiving soil. However, there is enough arable land close to the town to support a very profitable farming industry.