IceAndWave/BlessedIsle

Othakaar

The port city of Othakaar is situated on the northern coast of the Blessed Isle, almost equidistant between the cities of Chanos and Pangu. The capital city of the Othakaar Prefecture it has been in the hands of the Peleps for the last five centuries, and until the Scarlet Empress’ transfer of sea trade to the V’Neef, was a major source of Peleps wealth and influence. Since then the importance of Othakaar has declined dramatically, to the point where what was once considered a plum posting, worthy of the most competent Dragon-blood, is currently occupied by an unExalted cousin of a minor branch of the Peleps family.

This is not to say that Othakaar has declined entirely, however. While House Peleps no longer controls the sea trade of the Realm, there a number of Threshold port cities within easy sailing distance of the city, and the trade ships that sail from those places would lose time, and thus profit, by moving their business to another city. With the almost total absence of Realm traffic, though, Othakaar has begun to take on a distinctly un-Realm-like feel, with sailors and stevedores, merchants and thieves, all rubbing shoulders with the few Dragon-blooded that choose to make the city their home.

Law and order within the bounds of the city is handled by the Peleps soldiery, a somewhat-corrupt body of men & women that are often perfectly willing to overlook many infractions for the appropriate consideration in jade. The Customs House, meanwhile, is almost wholly corrupt and has been for the last two decades, with almost any cargo capable of being shipped through Othakaar if the appropriate bribes are paid to the Customs inspectors. Ordinarily this level of graft would mean that the city would effectively ecome a major smuggling port, but the presence of Othakaar Military Port not twenty miles away keeps illegal trade down to an almost acceptable level.

There is a small Immaculate monastery on ground close to the palace of the Prefect, but as with the city is has declined noticeably. In its heyday there were almost a hundred monks living and working within its walls, but of late that number has dwindled to a mere 30, with only two Dragon-blooded Immaculates – one of whom is the ancient abbot, Tepet Chihan, who has not set foot outside the monastery for over a century.

Othakaar Military Port

The removal of control over the Realm’s sea trade from the Peleps did not affect their control over its’ navies one jot, and the naval base some twenty miles east of Othakaar is as well-manned and -stocked as it ever was. Capable of servicing and stocking more than 20 war galleys at any given time, the military port uses mechanisms left over from the First Age to manage both provender and security, every inch of the split entrance to the harbour is covered by implosion bows, lightning ballistae and Essence cannons, the central fort built on an artificial island being particularly imposing.

With a constant naval presence so close to a slowly declining trade area it isn’t uncommon for ships to be stopped and searched by captains of the Realm eager to either give their crews some practice at one of their duties or relieve the boredom of sea patrol. Until recently, any merchant ship flying the flag of the Realm was largely immune to these random searches, but now Peleps triremes and galleys are stopping V’Neef traders more and more frequently, something which has been brought up twice in the Deliberative this year alone.