Pirate Freeport
Population
~3,000
Government
Council of 13
Leader
Grib Sharptooth
Law
The Cove Code
Scuttle-Cove is a pirate freeport on the Piranha Gulf coast of Eshara — a chaotic, thriving haven where the only law is the Cove Code and the only authority is the Council of Thirteen Captains. No tariffs, no questions asked. Stolen cargo, forbidden knowledge, and the pirate trade flow freely through its six districts.
Pirate King Grib Sharptooth — a goblin of legendary cunning — holds the Council together through alliances and intimidation. But the Council is fracturing between expansion-minded war captains and Grib's caution, Port Aureveil assembles a fleet to destroy the Cove, and in the Saltwarren caves below, something ancient stirs in waters that flood at impossible tides.
Five laws govern Scuttle-Cove. Breaking them is the only crime the pirates take seriously:
The Cove's central thoroughfare — a boardwalk of salvaged ship timber connecting the major districts. Everything happens here: deals, duels, drunken brawls, and the occasional public execution when the Cove Code is broken badly enough.
The commercial heart of the Cove where stolen cargo, weapons, poisons, forged documents, and salvaged treasure change hands. The market operates under guild oversight — cheating is punished more harshly than murder.
The elevated district where captains and established pirates maintain residences. Salt & Char serves the best food in the Cove. The views from the Rise let residents watch for approaching ships — friendly or otherwise.
Shipwright district where vessels are built, repaired, and refitted. The Yards employ the most skilled (and most temperamental) craftspeople in the Cove. A shipwright's strike would ground the entire fleet.
The Cove's underbelly — cave systems and lower docks where the poorest residents scrape by. The caves flood at unusual tides, and sounds from below have been changing. Something stirs in the deep water beneath the Cove.
Entertainment district lit by hundreds of coloured lanterns. Home to the Cove's most notorious taverns: the Black Flask (dangerous, information-rich), the Gilded Barnacle (expensive, deal-making), and the Drowned Hymn (quiet, navigators only).
Goblin
First among equals on the Council. Grib holds power through cunning, alliances, and a reputation for being more dangerous to cross than any storm. His caution frustrates war-minded captains who want expansion.
Dwarf
Master gunsmith who manufactures firearms — flintlock pistols, muskets, and ship-mounted cannons. One of the few places producing firearms openly. His arsenal gives him leverage beyond his fleet's size.
Human
Runs the Drift — a salvage emporium in Shattermarket filled with treasure from a hundred broken ships. Morwen knows the location of every wreck within a thousand miles and trades maps like currency.
A navigation chart — a tide-thread — vanishes from the Harbourmaster's vault. Without it, ships cannot safely navigate the approaches to the Cove. Someone is trying to blind the freeport, and every captain suspects every other captain.
Two Council members are headed for open conflict that could split the Cove into warring factions. A neutral party is needed to prevent a shooting war — or to pick the winning side.
Port Aureveil is assembling a naval fleet to destroy Scuttle-Cove. The Cove must prepare defences, forge alliances, or launch a preemptive strike. Every decision carries consequences that will reshape the balance of power at sea.
Dock workers and common Scuttlers are organising — and someone is arming them. They want a seat on the Council. The captains dismiss the threat, but a rebellion from within could succeed where navies have failed.
An unknown caravan arrives through the desert with unordered cargo and merchants asking strange questions at double rates. Their goods are too valuable, their questions too specific. Someone is using the Cove as a staging ground for something larger.
Mining town
Dwarven forgehold
Lakeside village
Trading post
Frontier outpost
Coastal watchtower
Monastery village
Highland shepherds
Naval garrison
Border outpost
Blighted village
Elvish settlement