So the lifeblood of Zenith is the ability to import and export not only Dragon Essence, but the many innovations, and in addition to that, many of the industrials of the city rely upon the raw materials.
The Docks District is actually a very important district when it comes to Commerce in Zenith.
Commerce:
The Docks District might be encrusted in sea salt and reek of rotting fish guts, but there is gold aplenty in the coffers of its citizens. For more than a century, the ships of The Docks District have worked the rich fishing grounds along the coast. Trade ships from near and far have been using the docks to unload their goods, and lately more ships have come to call as the dwarven mining operation grows. Smuggling has also long been a profitable business here.
The dwarven mining operation promises to bring about a rapid growth in The Docks District’s fortunes. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing depends on who you ask. The merchants look forward to more business, but the fishers don’t see how the mines will do anything to enrich their coffers. If anything, they fear that competition for fish will become more ferocious as the town grows.
Fishing
More folk in town work in the fishing industry than any other, and it has been the backbone of The Docks District for generations. The wealthier families own their own boats, while less well-to-do folk hire out to work as deckhands. The work is difficult and dangerous, but a smart deckhand can save money for several years and eventually buy their own boat. That promise of earned prosperity is important to the townsfolk, and they see newcomers as a threat to it.
Trading
The wealthiest families in town own large trading vessels that they use to ship goods across the Azure Sea. The Docks District exports other foodstuffs from the farms around town. Most manufactured goods, except for rope, nets, and other items created locally to support the fishing industry, are imported into town.
Smuggling
As a sleepy backwater town, The Docks District has long been an ideal market for illegal goods. Pirates, agents of the Sea Princes, and Keoish nobles looking to evade the king’s taxes have all helped fuel a bustling local black market. Some fishing boats meet ships at sea to load and unload illegal goods, while other cartels conduct business at isolated points along the shore near town. The locals see smuggling as a victimless crime and resent the crown’s growing insistence on cracking down on it.
Mining
The mine outside town is a new development. Despite the skepticism of the locals, the mine has started to yield silver in growing quantities, and the dwarves are convinced that the nearby cliffs are rich with gold. If the mine takes off, Saltmarsh could transform into a sprawling boomtown overnight.
Encounters in the Docks:
Key Locations for the Docks Districts:
Key NPCs:
What kind of Adventures can you run in the Docks?