Port Auburn

Port Auburn is a port city in Waysouth Freehold in the Commonwealth of Pem. It is located in the southwest Centrelands, to the west of Waysouth and north of The Jungle. The city is the Commonwealth's main port on the Inland Sea, is a major
shipbuilding hub and has been the home port of the Pemblish Navy's Inland Sea Fleet for almost 400 years.

## Economy

Port Auburn's largest employers are the Navy and the South Seas Company, with an estimated one in three (32 per cent) of inhabitants being employed by the two organisations combined. Independent maritime trade also accounts for another 15 per cent.

In addition to, and indeed operating in parallel with the two organisations is the city's sizeable shipbuilding sector, which employs a further sixth (17 per cent) of the city's workforce. This industry is supported by the Commonwealth College and Guild of Shipwrights, a prestigious trade organisation which regulates, certifies and provides training to shipbuilding specialists.

The Port and Provincial Railway is based in the city - indeed, it is the 'Port' of the company's name, accounting for approximately six per cent of jobs in the city. Port Auburn's famous vinyards continue to be a major source of revenue, as well as employing around five per cent of the adult population.

The city is also home to a thriving publishing industry, being home to titles such as the South Seas Herald and The Sportsman - both produced by South Seas Publishing Ltd - as well as the Helmsman, the official magazine of the Commonwealth Navy. Additionally, Port Auburn has become something of a haven for innovative technology development in recent decades - boasting a small geothermal facility on its outskirts, and the only light railway line in Pem. Port Auburn is also home to a significant merchant class, with a large market in Creafy Vinmarket.

## History

The site of modern Port Auburn has been periodically inhabited since the Ancient Era, with a settlement known as Eburigan recorded in the ancient Peshwamanari *Book of Grains* as formerly existing at the mouth of the Ridge river. Archaeological digs at the the naval academy in the northern part of the city have unearthed evidence of dense population on the site in antiquity - artefacts which have been unearthed include remnants of tools, pottery, fishing paraphernalia and the imprints of multiple wooden roundhouses.

While the site of Eburigan was seemingly abandoned in around 2035 BGE - analysis of middens at the site showing a radical reduction in fish bones at higher layers, suggesting that the settlement experienced a collapse in the number of fish in its later years of existence - another harbour was later established further south by the Kingdom of Okar, at what is now the Commonwealth Naval Dry Docks.

While little evidence remains on the surface of the Okari settlement, known as Sul, construction works at the site have uncovered a number of artefacts which suggest that residents of Sul were the beneficiaries of a prosperous trading network spanning the Inland Sea. During construction works for the dry docks and the former naval powder store rooms, an abundance of luxurious goods were uncovered, including fine Okari statues, gold jewellery and currency from lands as far apart as Ankhos, Peshwamanar and Argaiv, as well as the remains of exotic spices, seeds and grains.

Sul under Okari rule is believed to have been a notable trading as well as naval port, via which a sizeable amount of international trade was conducted. It was during this period that the city also became a significant producer of fine wines, taking advantage of the region's sunny yet sheltered climate - amphora fragments dating from the period have been found as far afield as Sha'Nehneh. Sullaean wine was highly prized even in nations ruled by Okar's traditional enemies, such as Prydow - the bard Llaimelys famously compared the heroine of his epic *The Flowers* to the 'sweetness of Sullaean wine'.

The collapse of the Okari empire following the destruction of its capital city in 1135 BGE led to the decline of Sul's significance as a major port, a small population remained in the region, with Sul declining to become a remote, autonomously governed agrarian community for the next two centuries, known as Sulley.

Following the incorporation of Waysouth into the Lesser Kingdom in 917BGE, growing pressure, both economic and military, eventually led to the incorporation of Sulley into the Freehold of Waysouth.

By the 400 BGE, Sulley was under the de jure control of the Kingdom of Pem. However, in the reality the kingdom's grasp on the region was weak, and the town become a regular haunt of pirates allied with the Pirate King Meldrew. Following Meldrew's defeat in 395BGE, a renewed effort by the Imperial Navy led to purge the town of piracy and smuggling led to the permanent establishment of a naval base in the town, named after the nearby Bay of Eburigan.

Following the aftermath of the Pemblish Civil War and the loss of the Pemblish Navy's historical home port of Rubellium, Port Auburn Naval Base rapidly expanded to become the premier port for the of the Pemblish Navy's Inland Sea Fleet - leading to the eventual adoption of the base's name by the town itself in light of its growing influence - and to erase the town's more sordid past as a haven for piracy.

## Districts

#### Creafy Vinmarket

Creafy Vinmarket market

A northern district notable for both its historic architecture, and its radical redevelopment in recent decades. Creafy Vinmarket is most famous for its large marketplace, which serves as an outlet for both the region's vineyards, as well as for the sale of trading goods from across the Inland Sea. East of the market lies the mediaeval chapel of St Thomas on the Hill, believed to date to around 640BGE. The chapel is known for a small stone carving on the left of the threshold, of a young boy playing a flute. The carving, known as the 'Piper', is said to be good luck to those who tap it on the head. In reality, historians believe that sculpture, made of dark granite, is of Sullaean origin, and may have originally been part of a pagan temple constructed on the site before being used as building material in the new structure. Clues to its origin include its resemblance to the *Puer Pincerna*, an entity associated with Racala, the Sullaean god of vinyards and revelries.

Despite the district's historic status, it has been subject to upheaval in recent centuries with the development of extensive railway facilities - at its southern end, the district is home to Port Auburn Terminus passenger railway station, while to the north lies the Port & Provincial Railway's primary freight and maintenance facility. The district's western edge is marked by the High Street - home to the Post Office, the southern regional headquarters of the Guild of Cartographers, the Port Auburn Tourist Office, and the headquarters of the Pemblish South Seas Trading Company.

#### Stockman Square and the Warehouse District

The Warehouse district, as viewed from behind the infamous pub "The Stern"

Stockman Square is a sub-par area located at the northern end of Port Auburn harbour and directly east of Fort Sawdus which is known for its dangerously rowdy pubs, bleak boarding houses and gritty coffee. The area is a notable haunt of sailors looking for a cheap night out with the last of their pay, as well as naval students looking to 'soak up the local night life'. Despite its rougher edge, the square has attracted a small but upcoming artistic scene, comprised of a handful of poets, playwrights, painters and essayists - all of whom plan to move to Creafy as soon as they have the money.

The wider Warehouse District is a mess of depots, warehouses, storerooms, barracks, boarding houses and wagonways. It is best avoided, as it has no touristic merits whatsoever. It is however, a vital industrial centre for the shipping and railway industries.

#### Fort Sawdus

Fort Sawdus, constructed in 218BGE to counter the persisting pirate threat

At the north end of the harbour - directly west of Stockman Square - lies Fort Sawdus, an artillery fort constructed to safeguard the north of Auburn Bay and the mouth of the Lee river, which runs north to Ridgeley. The fort is named after Lord Sawdus, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pem and its first Lord Protector.

Constructed between 220 and 218BGE in a tiered circular pattern of multiple retaining walls, the fort occupies a location formerly known as 'Fishguard Rock'. The fort was originally intended to work in tandem with the fortified lighthouse at the southern end of the bay, and now functions as a secondary defensive position alongside the more modern Admiralty Castle since the latter's construction 25GE.

#### Old House District

Old House District centers around the Customs House (left) and features several listed buildings

Old House District is a wealthy and middle class area that sits in the middle of Port Auburn, between Creafy Vinmarket and Castleville. The district is centred on the Customs House, with a variety of shops along the two main streets that straddle it. Behind the Customs House are several identical manor houses that were originally built for government and naval officials in the Old Port Auburn style.

#### Admiral Bosworth Gardens

(The Admiral Bosworth) Gardens district features the famous M.D.Y Towerball playing fields

This district, colloquially known simply as 'Gardens', is a largely residential area dominated by terraced houses built of grey stone, originally constructed to accommodate naval officers. The area was formerly known as the Admiral Bosworth Bunks, and while its residents were viewed as largely respectable, held an unfashionable reputation as being an extremely ugly place to live. However, following a significant overhaul of the area's layout - most notably the creation of a small park in the centre of the district - as well as a rebranding to its current name - this reputation has substantially improved.

The main retail area of Admiral Bosworth Gardens is Playing Field Lane - which hosts a number of independent shops, most of whom cater primarily to the needs of Gardens' many sailors. At its eastern end lies the district's most famous feature - the Michael D Yambo Memorial Towerball Playing Fields, home of the Port Auburn Towerball Club. The playing fields are the oldest public playing fields still in use, and regularly plays host to national and international games.

#### Castleville

The shady depths of the former pirate stronghold at the heart of Castleville

South of the Old House District lies Castleville. In stark contrast with its wealthy northern neighbour, this southern district is the poorest neighbourhood in the city. Densely populated, Castleville is comprised of a number of rudimentary, frequently unstable shanty houses. The area was built on the site of an old pirate stronghold formerly held by the Eburigan clan, known as the 'Tigernut Refuge'. The stronghold was slighted in the final year of the Pirate War.

The present day district shows signs of this historical past - many of the houses incorporate elements of the stronghold's ruined walls into their construction. Despite this obvious historical interest, tourists are advised to stay away from the area due to the high occurrence of criminal activity - including pickpocketing, prostitution, mugging, and unlicensed Prydowan medicine.

#### Admiralty Castle and the Docklands

View over the Port Auburn drydocks

Admiralty Castle, located at the southern end of the harbour, is a large, modern bastion-style fort with extensive earthworks, tunnels, and a dedicated harbour for the loading and unloading of supplies. The design of the castle features extensive ramparts to defend against an attack from the south, as well as extensive gun emplacements directed towards the harbour. The castle incorporates the old fortified lighthouse into its design, which continues to serve as a primary defensive point against enemy fleets.

The castle was built between 5-15GE, with further additions constructed between 21-23GE. In addition to bolstering Port Auburn's defensive capabilities, the castle was also intended to replace an older fortified naval compound located at the site of the modern shipyard, following the Admiralty's decision to open the shipyards to commercial enterprise.

The shipyard, which lies to the northeast of the castle, and west of Admiral Bosworth Gardens, is home to the headquarters of the Commonwealth College and Guild of Shipwwrights, as well as a fire brigade station affiliated with PA Prudence Fire and Maritime Insurance which serves policyholders in the city. It is also home to a number of modern dry docks, which have produced the majority of vessels operated by the Commonwealth Navy's Inland Sea fleet.

The area was formerly the site of a naval compound prior to the construction of Admiralty Castle - remnants of the old compound remain, including a number of preserved watchtowers, as well as an extensive underground powder store - both of which are currently inaccessible to the public.

#### Port Auburn Naval Academy and Meteorological Office

Located on an island in the delta of the Lee river directly north of Fort Sawdus, and west of Stockman Square, the Port Auburn Naval Academy is the Commonwealth Navy's premiere training facility for new naval officers. The Academy was established by an Act of Undercourt in 121BGE (*Provision of Naval Education Act,* *295 Heart's Sky*) with the aim of encouraging a higher standard of excellence in maritime endeavours, and to undercut the previously rampant practice of granting commissions to the daughters and sons of wealthy families in exchange for payment.

The Academy was opened alongside the implementation of mandatory examinations of all young trainees looking to begin their careers as officers. This change in practice led to the short-lived Day of Steam rebellion - which was almost immediately put down - largely because the rebel officers weren't very good, having been appointed to their position due to money rather than merit.

The island is also home to the Port Auburn Meteorological Office - a tall white tower used for the observation and recording of meteorological data by the National Atmospheric Agency (NAA).