Petrana's advantageous location has made the city an important port, as well as a vital trading point along the Long Road. The river is navigable by most ships as far up river as the South Docks, where rocks and rough water around Citadel Island halt river traffic. This link between the great overland trade route of the Long Road and the sea trade has made Petrana the great mercantile center it is, and keeps the South Docks bustling with activity from dawn to past dusk.

The neighborhood of the South Docks, where most of the sea trade is handled, is politically part of the Commons, but its economic ties are with the merchant houses of the North and South Corridor. Warehouses and large cargo storage yards occupy a good deal of the area, with chandlers, suppliers, taverns, inns, and other businesses catering to the needs of ships and sailors. Wagons and pack animals crowd the streets, moving cargo to and from the docks in a constant stream. Sailors in search of recreation rub shoulders (sometimes peacefully, sometimes not) with brawny longshoremen, drayers and the other laborers of the docks, while ship captains, merchants, and traders conduct the business of commerce. Pushcart vendors sell food and drink, as well as ribbons, flowers, and other trinkets for sailors to catch a lass's eye. And lasses there are, on the streets, in the flophouses, bordellos, and taverns, veiled and eager to make lonely sailor - or longshoreman - feel welcome. The South Docks and the warehouse district have a well-deserved reputation for being a rough and rowdy part of town. Brawling appears to be a favored local sport, along with drinking, gambling, and wenching. Although under the jurisdiction of the Coppergate company of the City Guard, the guardsmen patrol infrequently after dark (usually in large groups) and are far more concerned with preventing damage to property and valuable cargoes than in keeping peace among sailors and longshoremen. Most of the warehouses and cargo storage lots are well secured and have their own guards, as do the ships tied at the wharves, to protect the profitable cargoes.

Another significant part of the South Dock's tough reputation is not readily discernible to the newcomer, but is a familiar shadow to the locals. A dark and secretive brotherhood of thieves, muggers, and other criminals has a solid foothold in the Commons. The group is rumored to be involved in smuggling, blackmail, assassination, and any other dark and violent deeds that occur in this part of town.

Category Locales

< The Commons | The City | The Greens >

< Soranzo | Gazeteer PQRS | Street of Silk Veils, The >