Status Report June 993
Strider Al’Terra 1st commission, Silverthorne
I have arrived in the port of Portsmouth, smuggled in on a trading cutter that deals in the Corsair Isles. I will book passage by the end of the week for Silverthorn to deliver my missives to the guard. This is by far the roughest and most hazardous section of sea I have yet laid eyes on. The fishermen here are a poor but stoic lot, beaten by harsh taxes, braving the currents in weather foul and fair in the hopes of taking the many ripe lobster and octopus that are such a delicacy. It is said that the baroness herself served for two years on a fishing trawler as a lass on the orders of her father to discipline her for killing a crewman in the palace that whistled at the sight of her. If so, this has not served to reconcile the difference between noble and commoner here. Many young men and women come here to the royal naval academy and are of rich blood, with no appreciation for those who made them wealthy.
The baroness’s council is extremely biased against both women and commoners and it is said they often ride right over her decisions or make her work impossible. Most of her council is imported from the capital. They seem to find a woman incapable of doing a man’s work and think her frivolous for spending any time or money on improving the welfare of her peasantry. House JaKoric has been silent, but both the merchants house and house DeVris have been quite vocal in their disapproval of educating and spending treasury moneys on mere peasant rabble. Toevass makes grunting noises of disapproval as well.
Portsmouth is located on a pleasant cove several days to the West of Silverthorn city. This small barony has long been a retreat for the wealthy and a rich smuggling stop for well to do criminals. The barony itself has only two towns, Portsmouth itself and shantytown. Rich and poor, with nothing in between.
Portsmouth is a beautiful town of whitewashed buildings, red clay tile roofs, green gables and granite paved streets. Lawns here are manicured and the shops close during the middle of the day for an afternoon siesta. The pride of the imperial navies officer’s often retire here, commanding an entire square to their manor houses and grounds.
Portsmouth’s Baron, Admiral Falkirk is bearded coastal gentleman in every sense. He has redefined the meaning of being an officer in recent years, giving rise to a predominant noble heirarchy aboard ship. Many second and third sons of Thanes and Baron’s throughout the kingdom have gone through the Portsmouth naval academy learning the arts of ocean warfare, history, etiquette, and ship to ship combat. Courses in navigation and cartography are also offered leading many into the best commissions the Royal Navy has to offer. Baron Falkirk personally oversees the running of the academy in addition to the Barony itself and leaves his landed council to run the affairs of the town quite as they like.
As for shanty town and its fifteen hundred inhabitants, they do not lead a pleasant or healthy life. Living in hovels from which they are pulled daily to work the hemp factories or shipyards, the men and women of this community scarcely receive enough in wages to survive, much less prosper. In order to travel one must first approach a guardsman, and then the guard captain and gain a writ of permission. This insures a perpetual workforce for the yards and industries which are booming.
The imperial shipyard here is able to turn out approximately on large galleon and two clippers per year. Most of these are old design ships and do not involve the renovations that have been recently made in the ship-building industry.