Naukrion

Quick Fact

Twin natural harbors cut into limestone cliffs, stitched by bridges and quays, ruled from the Pharos of Nine Lamps—the signal‑heart of Thalasseia’s thalassocracy

Geography & Layout

• Twin Harbors: Two cliff‑ringed basins—West Bowl and East Bowl—linked by a cut channel beneath arched bridges. Each bowl has tiered quays with capstans and bollards sized for long galleys and high‑castle merchantmen.
• Limestone Terraces: The city climbs agricultural benches (vines, olives) up to the Civic Terrace. Storm spillways fall as sheeted cascades during heavy squalls.
• Outer Roads: A ring of skerries carries beacon towers that hand off signal kites by day and lantern code by night.

Government & Law

• Ennearch Council: Meets in the Hall of Bearings on the Civic Terrace; each Sea‑Archon keeps a lamp tuned to their ward’s Pharos schedule.
• High Nesiarch: Chairs the Ennearch; emergency powers apply at sea only. City ordinances run through the Harbor Prefects.
• Admiralty First: Contract law and pilotage rules supersede most local customs. Written manifests and sealed pilot‑writs are king.

Infrastructure & Institutions

• Pharos of Nine Lamps: Central lighthouse on Pharos Hill. Nine synchronized lenses send cadence codes that echo down the coast—master clock for the entire Pharos Chain.
• Pilotage College: Trains and licenses pilots; publishes safe‑thread charts for the Crown and Heel archipelagos.
• Lantern Yards: Naval yards for the Lantern Fleet (Blue & Brass squadrons kite‑flag masts align along the wind.
• Rope‑Walks & Amphora Kilns: Continuous sheds for rope‑making; hillside kilns stamp amphora seals by charter.

Economy

Shipbuilding, pilotage, lighthouse optics (ice‑glass lenses), rope & sailcloth, amphora ceramics, olive oil, bronzework. Grain reserves are managed in vaulted quay‑granaries; release is tied to Pharos warning levels.

Culture & Life

• Regatta of Bearings: Annual race that syncs with the Pharos cadence; houses along the bowls fly signal kites in team colors.
• Soundings Before Sails: Civic motto; children learn to heave the lead from mock quay walls.
• Mixed Wards: Sailors, rope‑makers, divers, accountants; temples honor Sea, Winds, and Hearth.

Security & Defenses

• Harbor Chains: Retractable chains bar each bowl during wartime or stormfall protocols.
• Beacon Ring: Skerry towers relay alarms; militia musters at quays within 11 minutes of triple‑bell.
• Doctrine: Force enemies to fight the currents—galley pairs corral intruders into cross‑tide pockets for boarding.

Sites of Note

• Hall of Bearings (Civic Terrace): Marble floor inlaid with a nine‑point compass; ceiling lamps mirror the Pharos cadence.
• Bridge of Lamps: Cuts across the joining channel; oil‑niches with glass louvers provide emergency light paths.
• Coppergate: Foundries for fittings, helm rings, and capstan heads.
• Priests’ Stairs: Wet‑stone staircase from the West Bowl to a cliff shrine; safest path in a squall.