Ras Talas

City • Rihsama — Eastern Coast on the Ashen Ocean • Frontier Port just north of Dajjashi (DMZ)

Quick Facts

Geography & Layout

• Headland City. Terraces step down to a long customs esplanade and the cliff‑cut quay. Amber beacons line the headland; foghorn niches are brass‑lipped to carry against onshore winds.
• ADZ Curtain. North promontory to south marsh: a fenced, patrolled strip with sand microphones, mirror towers, and a sterile road for patrol carts. The No‑Transit Rule is absolute; violators are turned or detained.
• Harbor Works. A dog‑leg mole calms the roadstead. Inner basins house pilot lodges, rope‑walks, resin sheds, and a Proofhouse Docket where cargoes are sealed and stamped.

Law & Protocols

• No‑Crossing Border. Overland passage to Dajjashi is prohibited. Diplomatic exchanges occur by flag‑pier only under double seal.
• Neutral Sea. Thalasseian trade is welcome under neutrality codes; contraband lists are posted in both scripts. Harbor chains may be raised during alerts.
• Signals & Security. Watchtowers answer to the Collegium of Signals & Security; amber cadence indicates ADZ activity, red locks the quays.

Economy & Trade

• Rihsama → Thalasseia: Desert glass (raw & worked), frankincense & myrrh, dates & almonds, manuscripts.
• Thalasseia → Rihsama: Timber, olives, salted catches, pearls & sea exotics.
• Local Industries: Resin sorting houses, glass‑cutters for maritime lenses, rope & sailcloth for channel weather, and assay offices for pearl grades.

Infrastructure

• Beacons & Foghorns. Talas‑5 cadence rounds the headland; triple‑blast foghorns mark latch‑hour departures.
• Water & Stores. Cistern arches under the esplanade; cold rooms for dates/almonds; quarantine jetty for foul cargo.
• Wind & Air. Anemoi Fanwing pads on the south bluff handle courier hops; air approaches are routed clear of the ADZ curtain.

Culture & Life

• Amber Nights. The border’s amber wash paints streets at dusk; Talasi taverns keep shutters half‑closed and conversations careful.
• Sea‑Festivals. Olive‑Lantern Night (first Thalasseian convoy): olive‑oil lamps drift in the basin as pilots read the year’s winds.
• Deal‑Tables. Countinghouses run knowledge swaps—Talasi pledge copies, Thalasseians pledge fishing logs and current books.

Security & Incidents

• Standard Orders. No arms in public after second bell; harbor patrols search for remnant vials and unsealed charms.
• ADZ Events. Amber → patrol movement; Red → lockdown (chains, shutters, recall horn). Border arrests transfer to the Proofhouse Court.

Sites of Note

• Flag‑Pier. Neutral ground for diplomatic parcels—double‑sealed under watch; meetings occur by speaking‑tubes, not face‑to‑face.
• Customs Esplanade. Long stone walk with brass inlays marking tariff bands; cargo cranes run on wind‑ratchets.
• Proofhouse Docket. Tally writers stamp cargo seals; disputes escalate to an Oath of Uncolored Ink hearing.

Travel

• Approach DCs. Fair weather DC 10–12; onshore gales +3–5. Entering during amber/red cadence requires Harbor Prefect leave.