warships, iron-clad boats churning flames from their Veilcrafted engines whose painted crews and well-paid war mages constantly watched for signs of trouble; sinuous schooners out of the Scorpion Isles, fast ships curved like daggers and manned by veiled women with filed teeth and eunuch weapons masters. All of those crafts were loaded down with contraband and illegal goods, everything from narcotics and stolen steel to whores and slaves. Money flowed in and of Kaldrak Iyres day and night, as the city was a major staging point for dark trade to the west and south, and in many ways it was considered the base of power for the dreaded Phage.
Platinum-scaled fish populated the waters; Dane recalled that it was considered good luck to consume them, and small fishing boats weaved in and out of the traffic both on the Lake and in the tunnels as they tried to pull in a catch.
They sailed past small docks set aside for prisoners to be pilloried or executed. Diseased and rotting remains steamed in the stale air, and crows nested in the enormous tunnels. Thick blocks of stone washed of color gathered patches of moss and fungus that had spread across the walls like diseased veins. The water itself was dank and muddy and filled with sediment and rust.
Dane knew that Kruje was getting impatient hiding beneath the tarp, and he wanted to try to avoid coming under close scrutiny, which meant docking the ship as quickly as possible. They eventually lost sight of the entrance and came to one of the ports, which stood beyond a massive archway of pale stone set with carved images of gargoyles and dragons. Piers of dark wood and iron were connected by rickety wooden walkways and rope bridges; dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes were tied to the water-stained pylons. Planks and ladders led up to the streets, which were dark come day or night, for only the uppermost levels of Kaldrak Iyres were actually exposed to the sun. Blazing arcane fires cast a blue shine throughout the cavernous underground harbor, and Phage soldiers patrolled the chain bridges. The ceiling extended hundreds of feet up to a shadow-laden network of dangling metal platforms.
The buildings off the wharf were constructed from bleached limestone, and everything was dotted with spikes and oddly curved windows. Dane smelled alcohol, tobacco and blood. Sailors and workers milled around the docked vessels, hauling crates of goods, timber and steel under the watchful eye of crimson-cloaked Phage soldiers. The diverse variety of ships hailed from all over northeastern Malzaria, making it so no two pirates or smugglers looked alike, but Dane spied some of Kaldrak Iyres’ citizens in the throngs of patchwork armor and colorful doublets, marked by their customary grey or green cloaks and thick beards or braided hair. Very few Drage were left in Kaldrak Iyres, but years spent cross-breeding with Jlantrians and Den’nari had produced a dark-haired and olive-skinned stock slightly shorter than pure-blooded Jlantrians but still much larger than the diminutive northern people.
Most of the buildings Dane saw were businesses meant to cater to boatmen and smugglers: taverns and whorehouses, loan sharks and weapons dealers, hawkers, drug merchants and gambling dens. Money and goods changed hands freely, and many negotiations ended with a slit throat or a small battle.
In addition to the standard Phage soldiers Dane spied a pair of Blood Knights, elite gladiators turned enforcers who dressed in boiled red leather armor and featureless iron masks which left only their eyes exposed. The hardened killers roamed the streets like predators, enforcing the Phage’s will or executing beggars, street urchins and other undesirables with impunity. They wore rare kan’aar – curved shafts of wood with axe-blades affixed to either end – slung across their backs, and they left their muscled forearms bared to display their carefully cast scars, each of which
Platinum-scaled fish populated the waters; Dane recalled that it was considered good luck to consume them, and small fishing boats weaved in and out of the traffic both on the Lake and in the tunnels as they tried to pull in a catch.
They sailed past small docks set aside for prisoners to be pilloried or executed. Diseased and rotting remains steamed in the stale air, and crows nested in the enormous tunnels. Thick blocks of stone washed of color gathered patches of moss and fungus that had spread across the walls like diseased veins. The water itself was dank and muddy and filled with sediment and rust.
Dane knew that Kruje was getting impatient hiding beneath the tarp, and he wanted to try to avoid coming under close scrutiny, which meant docking the ship as quickly as possible. They eventually lost sight of the entrance and came to one of the ports, which stood beyond a massive archway of pale stone set with carved images of gargoyles and dragons. Piers of dark wood and iron were connected by rickety wooden walkways and rope bridges; dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes were tied to the water-stained pylons. Planks and ladders led up to the streets, which were dark come day or night, for only the uppermost levels of Kaldrak Iyres were actually exposed to the sun. Blazing arcane fires cast a blue shine throughout the cavernous underground harbor, and Phage soldiers patrolled the chain bridges. The ceiling extended hundreds of feet up to a shadow-laden network of dangling metal platforms.
The buildings off the wharf were constructed from bleached limestone, and everything was dotted with spikes and oddly curved windows. Dane smelled alcohol, tobacco and blood. Sailors and workers milled around the docked vessels, hauling crates of goods, timber and steel under the watchful eye of crimson-cloaked Phage soldiers. The diverse variety of ships hailed from all over northeastern Malzaria, making it so no two pirates or smugglers looked alike, but Dane spied some of Kaldrak Iyres’ citizens in the throngs of patchwork armor and colorful doublets, marked by their customary grey or green cloaks and thick beards or braided hair. Very few Drage were left in Kaldrak Iyres, but years spent cross-breeding with Jlantrians and Den’nari had produced a dark-haired and olive-skinned stock slightly shorter than pure-blooded Jlantrians but still much larger than the diminutive northern people.
Most of the buildings Dane saw were businesses meant to cater to boatmen and smugglers: taverns and whorehouses, loan sharks and weapons dealers, hawkers, drug merchants and gambling dens. Money and goods changed hands freely, and many negotiations ended with a slit throat or a small battle.
In addition to the standard Phage soldiers Dane spied a pair of Blood Knights, elite gladiators turned enforcers who dressed in boiled red leather armor and featureless iron masks which left only their eyes exposed. The hardened killers roamed the streets like predators, enforcing the Phage’s will or executing beggars, street urchins and other undesirables with impunity. They wore rare kan’aar – curved shafts of wood with axe-blades affixed to either end – slung across their backs, and they left their muscled forearms bared to display their carefully cast scars, each of which
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