Daggerhaunt

Daggerhaunt is a freehold settlement of nautical adventurers with a mercurial sense of ownership and a privateering spirit. Other Spirits may be available in the several taverns of the town.

"Oh, yeah, we have dragon whiskey here. Bought a fair share of that bitch's stash a few years back. Her sister comes back on occasion, too, and graces our poor little tavern with a tall tale or two."

—Martha Tarquist, Daggerhaunt's finest drinking establishments.

History

The history of Daggerhaunt is a nightly topic of conversation in the many drinking dens of the nautical persuasion in the harbour of the town. Walking a mere twenty yards and you will have not only heard three different stories of how the town was founded, and who by; but you will also be a coin purse lighter and happier for it, if you know whats good for you. The oral tradition of the retelling changes some key details depending on the quality of the drinks provided, but usually goes like this:

A seafaring captain was wrecked in the cove after a long voyage to the south; He declared he had seen Loxadon walking amongst the land, and bartered with them for ivory. He had drank wine with queens and kings, living a life of largesse, but was forced to flee when an unfortunate misunderstanding at the court in Ilwd Bywd...

The Trio of Ghasts is a noted poem written several hundred years ago by a privateer and adventurer who lived (and subsequently died in interesting circumstances) in Daggerhaunt. Rumoured to be a daughter of a viscous pirate and a consort of the Godtouched, the author's name has faded from collective memory.

- I -

The mist on water;

Eyes sharp and bleak.

Lessons that were never taught her -

Ships not changing tack.

Tall, deadly, silent: murderous eyes;

Vicious monster on the open seas.

Valiant sailors' last and final sighs

paying the ferrymans final fees.

—unknown mariner, A collection of examinable poetry for the young inquiring mind

Much of the poem continues in the same vein, describing an unfortunate mariner who finds themselves targeted through a fast descending mist and attacked and scuttled by three apparently dead pirates. In legend, the ship commands many names: The Morbid Ark, The Surruption and The Ghostveil. Many, if not all of these are folkloric, enterprising pirate contemporaries may use these names to strike fear into the hearts of the general population. The ghasts of the poem may be nothing more than a persona adopted by a mundane (albeit vicious) pirate group. In any case, zombie, undead, or just piratical, the general belief is to run from the mists on the seas.

Layout

Daggerhaunt is a town built into and sprawlling around a cove of spectacularly crystal clear waters. The harbour sits at the base of two cliff-sides, the harbourmasters's office and the local drinking dens are clustered around the water's edge, with the residential buildings nestled behind the town centre and clinging to the low hillside that extends west towards a wooden stockade. The Governor's House (aka the seat of the Mereton) stands proudly on the northern clifftop, accessible from a winding network of very narrow passageways that wind up the cliff-side between shops and houses that overhang the pavements. Opposite to the Mereton's cliff is a strange sight - a cobbled together Observatory with a telescope standing proudly and looking to the west.

"The lanes of Daggerhaunt aree densely packed and wind up the natural cove's cliffsides. The citizens pack as many dwellings into the bedrock and lanes as possible. The stench of the place is quite something."

—Tay, A memoir of dragons.

Daggerhaunt's streets blend the waterways into the cliffside, aided by the nautical public houses such as the Princely Sum on the water's edge. The Saddlery and stables are often overworked and the stablehands are often grossly underpaid: passing trade often sells thier horses to the town prior to embarking on longer voyages, allowing the town to do a fair trade in second hand nags. The stable-hands are notoriously hard bargainers and much more interested in coin than otherwise expected; and the walls in the alleyways have ears, eyes and often daggers. This allows the enterprising trickster or miscreants to experience the aspects of free trade that make the town a hot bed of capitalism - exploiting the careless adventurer. Mop-haired as a countryside lad can be, and with dreams of one day going to the big city of Abbatchtka, Jhet (a stableboy) is often seen walking around town, horse-holding for the richer traveler and running errands for the highest bidder. This is a dangerous job, and Jhet's continued survival seems to be related to his uncanny ability to stay neutral.

Taverns

Daggerhaunt is a nautical paradise, with multiple taverns proffering booze and work to the many sailors that pass through the port. Its nestled position in the Frayll allows it to be a relatively safe harbour for all, with traders and privateers sharing the quayside, an arrangement that often ends with booze-fueled arguments spilling out of the taverns and onto the streets.

There are many dive bars and hostelries, with the well known establishments all fronting onto Waterside. At the corner of Waterside Ave and the Longest Walk is the infamous tavern known as The Princely Sum. Run by the rose-cheeked Martha Tarquist, the "Some" often ends up more than the patron could soberly expect to pay, and the bouncer - a half giant known as "Quiet" - is employed to improve the clientele on occasion with educational visits to the waterside. The Princely Sum is tolerated by the Mereton of the town, who is quietly understood to have an arrangement of sorts with the landlady; and captains and traders often frequent the tavern trying to entice the patrons to offers of work and pay. Sometimes they are successful, and oftentimes rumours swirl around the place as only tales of unfathomable riches can.

The Broken Net is a tavern of repute. Ill or not, its reputable. Many rumours or tall tales are heard of here, with some indeed being true. Some folk talk of the "King of the Delta", a title often heard of in hushed tones, and believed to be the true power in Daggerhaunt.

Factions & Personages

Factions

• The Calmorian Way
• The Unified and Exceptional People's Front
• The Ardence

Personages

• King of the Delta
• The Mereton of Daggerhaunt
• Wayfarer __ ___