Draktun: Harbor of The Reds
Unique among Aranthaes’ towns, Draktun stands apart in both governance and reputation. Over fifty years ago, its townspeople voted for independence after years of feeling ignored by the city of Aranthaes, particularly over lack of maintenance of the treacherous Draktun Pass – the only road in and out of the town. Left without protection or patronage, Draktun quickly fell under the control of the Red Cloaks, who now rule as council, guard, and tax-collectors. What began as coercion has now softened into a strong identity and civic pride: the town thrives under their crimson banner, and many of it’s citizens have taken to wearing red cloaks as a badge of honor.
Setting & First Impressions
Draktun lies between the south end of the Draktun Pass and the sweep of its relatively shallow bay. It’s a timber-heavy port where gabled warehouses lean over the water and crowded quays echo with the sound of saws, hammers, and shouting merchants. Larger ships anchor offshore, unloading their cargo into smaller boats that dart to the wooden jetties. Red Cloaks patrol openly, their presence as natural to the harbor as gulls and fishmongers. The air smells of pine resin, salt, and smoke, and every face watches a stranger with a mixture of calculation and curiosity.
Trade & Independence
Draktun is the port of choice for cargos that cannot pass through the stricter docks of Geldpont or New Haven. Smuggling, contraband, and shadow deals are commonplace – so long as the Red Cloaks receive their cut. Officially, tariffs are light, but “unofficial” fees are collected at every turn: a coin for the watch, a purse for the council, a keg for the guards. Yet for all its corruption, Draktun runs with surprising efficiency. Ships are loaded and unloaded quickly, caravans pass with their papers in order, and disputes are settled fast – if not always fairly for out-of-towners!
Life Under the Red Cloaks
What began as protection money has become governance. The Red Cloaks sit in judgment on town disputes, guard the gates, and dictate taxes, all while maintaining a veneer of rough justice. Their influence permeates every aspect of life, from fishing rights to market stalls. For many locals, the cloaks represent not tyranny but independence — a freedom from distant rulers who never cared for Draktun. The Red Cloaks’ rough law has earned them loyalty, or at least acceptance, and their choice of crimson has become commonplace in local clothing – in contrast to the greens and golds elsewhere on the island.
Notable Places
The Timber Quays: Vast wooden jetties and warehouses built from pine and oak, where ships are stripped and rebuilt almost as often as they are loaded.
The Cloak Council Hall: A former guildhouse seized by the Red Cloaks, now the seat of their authority, where judgments are handed down and bribes quietly collected.
The Mother’s Hall: A former jail set off from the covered fishmarket, is the single sign of Aranthaes within Draktun – where volunteer Mother’s Children distribute food and clothing to those in need. It is popular with newly landed visitors after a long voyage where they can relieve their hunger at no charge.
The Red Net Tavern: A notorious dockside inn where smugglers, mercenaries, and caravan guards strike their bargains, always under the gaze of a cloaked overseer.
The Draktun Pass Gate: The fortified checkpoint at the town’s northern edge, where every wagon is inspected, taxed, and sometimes quietly relieved of a little more.
Rhythms & Customs
At the start of each summer, townsfolk gather in the harbor square where the Red Cloaks distribute unique silver coins, restamped with the town crest – a ritual meant to reaffirm Draktun’s independence and it’s own self-made wealth. Sailors arriving in port often buy cheap red cloaks, hoping the gesture buys goodwill from the locals. Every spring, a timber-blessing is held at the quays, where shipwrights and dockhands drink spiced ale and hammer nails into a communal plank, later set into a new vessel.
For the Storyteller
Draktun is the perfect starting point for intrigue. The Red Cloaks’ rule ensures that nothing happens without their knowledge, yet their willingness to overlook crimes creates endless opportunity. Contraband moves freely through its quays, mercenary companies recruit in its taverns, and whispers of deeper tunnels beneath the harbor suggest secrets older than the cloaks themselves. For adventurers, Draktun offers danger, profit, and notoriety – often all at once.
Encounters
When traveling through or around Draktun, roll d10 for possible encounters…
- A Red Cloak patrol of 1d4+1 cloaked enforcers collecting “fees” at the quayside.
Red Cloaks: AC 14, HP 18, short sword (1d6+2), leather armor. They demand payment but may overlook contraband for a bribe. - A group of volunteer Defenders of the Mother distributing free bread and meat stew from the Mother’s Hall. Hungry sailors and pilgrims crowd eagerly.
Defenders: AC 13, HP 14, mace (1d6), leather armor. They bless travelers openly but keep a wary eye on the Cloaks. - A timber merchant arguing with a shipwright over warped beams in the Timber Quays, threatening to escalate to the Cloak Council.
Merchant: AC 12, HP 12, dagger (1d4). Shipwright: AC 12, HP 13, hammer (1d6). - A cloaked figure approaches travelers with an offer: smuggle a crate past the Pass Gate for double the standard fee. The crate rattles ominously.
Smuggler: AC 13, HP 14, shortsword (1d6), leather armor. - A pair of Defenders of the Mother handing out blankets and fresh water to newly landed sailors, encouraging them to visit the Mother’s Hall for aid and prayer.
Sailors: AC 12, HP 11, knives (1d4). - A brawl breaks out in the Red Net Tavern between caravan guards and dockworkers over unpaid wages. Red Cloaks arrive to “restore order,” but only after collecting bribes.
Dockworkers: AC 11, HP 8, clubs (1d4). - A fisherman drags up a tangled net containing strange black stone fragments. Red Cloaks quickly seize the catch, warning others to keep quiet.
Fisherman: AC 11, HP 8, knife (1d4). - A cloaked preacher in the harbor square shouts fiery rhetoric about independence and the corruption of the capital. The crowd cheers, but Defenders watch grimly.
Preacher: AC 11, HP 10, staff (1d6). - A caravan halted at the Draktun Pass Gate is being shaken down by guards for “missing paperwork.” Among their crates lies one carrying the Mother’s mark, sparking tension between Cloaks and Defenders.
Caravan master: AC 12, HP 14, club (1d6). - A Red Cloak coin distribution ceremony: townsfolk line up to receive newly stamped silver coins. Amid the crowd, a thief tries to lift purses, and rumors of counterfeit coins swirl.
Thief: AC 13, HP 9, dagger (1d4), leather armor.