Deksport at a Glance
A pirate enclave surrounded by dense woods on three sides and the ocean’s tumultuous waters to the east, Deksport is a perfect base from which to raid nearby shipping lanes. Built at the mouth of a valley opening into a sheltered bay the town possesses a deep, safe natural anchorage. Protected by a slippery, seaweed-fringed breakwater of decrepit, ancient construct at any time up to a dozen ocean-going ships and scores of smaller craft rest at anchor in the harbour.
While predominantly a human town, Deksport has a sizeable contingent of orcs and goblins among its populace. Each of the three main races represented in the town has their own self-centred, despotic leader who constantly vies with their rivals for wealth, prestige and power.
Rulers: Aune, Olmi and Nargor
Government: Council (The Admirals’ Council)
Population: 4,628 (2,145 humans, 956 goblins, 734 orcs, 475 half-orcs, 136 half-elves, 127 others, 19 dwarves, 17 elves, 12 gnomes, 7 halflings)
Alignments: CE, NE, LE, CN
Languages: Common, Orc, Goblin
Resources & Industry: Piracy, shipbuilding
Design Creighton Broadhurst and Richard Green; Cartography Tommi Salama
Notable Locations
Most of the town comprises homes. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers:
Spire of the Beacon Eternal: This temple-fortress stands on a rocky island linked to the mainland by Dorn’s Breakwater; its beacon guides vessels to Deksport at night and its clergy-shipwrights make an excellent living repairing pirate vessels.
Dorn’s Breakwater: This slippery, seaweed-fringed breakwater is of ancient and unknown construction.
The Docks: This confused jumble of wharves, jetties and ramshackle warehouse is always busy.
The Scorched Anchor: This busy inn standing hard against the docks is surprisingly free from brawls and murders; the reputation of its owner keeps all but the foolhardiest of pirates in line.
The Welcome Mermaid: Almost entirely underground, this tavern is popular with orcs, half-orcs and goblins.
The Pens: One of the most odorous and shunned places in town, the Pens is home to Deksport’s pernicious (and profitable) slave trade.
Dead Man’s Bluff: On this windswept bluff, the pirates execute those guilty of serious crimes.
Hall of the Creator: One of the largest buildings in Deksport, a stout stone curtain wall protects the priests and alchemists hard at work within.
The Shrieking Sailor: The best and safest tavern in town.
Ovlon’s: Run by a bad-tempered duergar weaponsmith, the best weapons in the town are to be found here.
The Wailing Tower: In this stout donjon the pirates keep those prisoners worthy of ransom.
The Mottled Palace: From this grim fortification Nargor rules Deksport. Behind its stout walls he is (mostly) safe from his rivals’ machinations.
All That Glitters: The dwarf Morild Ovlag runs this jewellers and moneychangers. She hires out space in her secure vault to those with valuables to store.
Anything & Everything: A pawnbrokers and general store, this large shop has an incredible and diverse range of stock.
House of Whispers: Here dwells Dunn the “Many Ear” or Whisper Master. He lives in a secret suite of luxurious rooms and is guarded by a cadre of well-paid mercenaries.
The Pit: Dug outside Deksport’s walls, this huge refuse pit is teeming with gigantic, ravenous rats and feral goblins.
Daily Life in Deksport
Life in Deksport is chaotic, dirty and frequently violent.
While Nargor rules the town with an iron fist, he cares little for the normal worries a ruler must entertain. Sanitation, infrastructure, the health and wellbeing of the populace—all these subjects hold no interest whatsoever to Nargor.
Festivals & Traditions
The populace celebrate no fixed festivals, except for a few observed by Serat’s and Abarin’s faithful. Almost everyone in the Deksport relies on the pirates for their livelihood and the sudden influx of wealth their depredations bring into the town. The return of a pirate captain with a hold groaning with loot is a cause for celebration throughout Deksport.
Serat’s faithful celebrate the coming of the spring tide. During the neap tide, or Still Water, they also worship their goddess. Abarin’s faithful observe only one festival: the Day of Creation. Celebrated on the first day of the year, in honour of his creation of the world, the festival is a time when craftsmen show off their best creations and new inventions. Normally, only pious pirates attend the festival themselves but afterwards boozy celebrations often spill out into the streets. Such celebrations last long into the night.
The executions held on Dead Man’s Bluff are also keenly anticipated by the populace. On such days, the town all but empties as many trek up to the bluff to witness the entertainment. During such events, traders move through the crowd selling pies, drinks and even souvenirs. A festival-like atmosphere predominates, and proceedings often last much of the day. Sometimes, executions are performed at night—particularly if the condemned is to suffer through fire or if he committed crimes against the orcs or goblins of the town.
Law & Order
Law and order in Deksport is sudden and brutal. In most regards, the pirates look after their own. Thus, if a pirate is wronged it is up to them (or their shipmates) to set matters right. Assaults, brawls and theft normally go unreported and unremarked upon.
However, Nargor and his fellow pirate captains know that widespread violence and looting are bad for business and their profits and thus operate a rudimentary watch system. Such crimes are punishable by death—normally in some suitably grisly fashion atop Dead Man’s Bluff.
Deadly rivalries between pirate crews are commonplace in the town. Pitched battles and skirmishing between crews is strictly forbidden, however. If such breaks out, the uninvolved captains band together to annihilate the warring rivals. In this fashion, is the tenuous peace maintained in Deksport.
No crimes are punished by incarceration. Rather, lawbreakers suffer heavy fines, mutilation, enslavement (if they can’t pay their fine) or death. Thus, major crimes such as murder, rape and arson are surprisingly rare in Deksport.
Trade & Industry
Deksport’s industry is built on piracy, and its practise dominates life in the town. Supporting industries—slavery, shipbuilding (and repair) and so on—also flourish. Nargor claims one-tenth of every hoard brought into Deksport as a tithe for allowing the lesser captains to berth in the harbour.
No organised thieves guild exists in Deksport, although a fair amount of theft, burglary and pick pocketing does occur. Larcenously-minded thieves tend to stick with their shipmates and mutual distrust among the crews means any attempt to organise on a larger scale is doomed to failure.
The nearby woodlands are used for lumber and fuel, but no organised attempt has been made to clear them.
Some retired pirates—and those deemed too mad or inexperienced to go roving —fish the nearby waters.
Want More?
The Picaroon Peninsula by Creighton Broadhurst and Richard Green is now available for Pathfinder 1st edition. (5e and OSR editions are now in development) and presents complete details on the pirate port of Deksport.
Free Download
You can download the maps for The Picaroon Peninsula here and the town of Deksport here.
Design Creighton Broadhurst Cartography Tommi Salama