Borulli

This small town north of Bornheim is a hashan charter town. The charter allows the hashan living there to move goods from their own flagged vessels and into the city without paying the Royal Tax and only half of the usual Gate Fee. The hashan can only sell their goods to an authorized merchant, if they wish to sell to someone else they must pay the full Royal Tax.

• Name: Charter Town of Borulli
• Location: Kingdom of Dakar, Duchy of Haibach

  • Founded: Jugalii 143 AH
• Government: Town Council - must be a ship's captain
• Land Area: 26 km² (6,400 acres)
• Population: 1,700

  • Ethnicity: Hashan (1,500), Other (200)
• Military:

  • 1 Jugalii warship
  • 50, Mercenaries

The first hashan arrived on the island in 57 AH, but only a few decades later a family feud caused the first settlers to abandon the village. In 143 a Jugalii captain discovered the remains of the previous settlement and impressed with the harbor elected to rebuild it. Using the remains of the previous human settlement in a few short years they constructed an impressive quay and less than a decade later trade was flourishing. Goods were traveling north to the dwarves of the Iron Mountains and south to the elves in Ellendar. This eventually drew the attention of the Kingdom of Dakar.

The first dakarians arrived before the re-founding of the village, but they were few in number. As trade grew more and more humans arrived. They rebuilt the town that rested alongside the bay and by 214 AH they greatly outnumbered the hashan in the area. With their numbers growing they began the process of claiming the land the hashan had worked for generations. It would have eventually resulted in a war, but the dakarians were at a significant disadvantage.

Trade flowed into this area because the hashan ships landed here. The elves refused to trade with the dakarians; although the dwarves maintained their close relationship to the humans. The dakarians had no history of sailing deep sea vessels, so hashan captains simply lay in wait off the coast and sunk them if they left the harbor. The solution was a simple one - and very much in the favor of the hashan.

They were given over ten (10) square miles of land along the coast north of the small ridge north of the Zaber River. They could maintain their own dock and anchorage for a half-dozen hashan flagged vessels. The residents could move goods ship-to-shore and inside the city without paying the Royal Tax and paying less than half of the Gate Fee. This gave the hashan a significant trade advantage. The caveat was that only licensed merchants could buy hashan goods that entered the city this way.

This charter also divided the land. The hashan relinquished all claim to any land south of the Zaber to the Fuldelf Ridge. The could not hold any land inside this area. They could not own any business unless they were partnered with a dakarian subject. In most places these conditions would have divided the land, but the hashan are skilled merchants. Over the decades they twisted the original charter until it was full of loopholes and other exploits large enough to sail one of their ships through.

The original compact was signed by the Jugalii family and so anyone on the town's council must be a member of that family in good standing. Likewise as a trading town any councilor must also have their own ship. The charter has served the town well over the years and the council spends most of its time ensure that they meet their obligations under the compact.

The head of the council is the mayor. This position is always given to the captain of the Jugalii warship that anchors off the coast. This warship is evidence of the family's favor with this town.

The jugalii maintain a single warship off the coast - it spends much of its time patrolling the coastline for any threat to the town. Each of the captains staying at the town are expected to set sail in defense of the town when so ordered by the mayor.

To protect themselves from other threats the council keeps a mercenary company hired to patrol the grounds. They report to the entire council and are responsible for keeping the land clear of bandits and roving warbands of orcs or goblins. Rarely are they needed as the soldiers of Bornheim deal with most threats.

The town is relies mostly on trade. Selling their goods without paying a tax is an enormous benefit for the captains that anchor there. Even if the human merchants lower the true cost of the goods, this more than covers for not paying a punitive tax. Many hashan have secret side agreements with a licensed merchant to get the best price for their goods. In exchange they “smuggle” certain goods that are given as gifts to the merchant. Some of these arrangements have even grown into hidden partnerships with the hashan captain purchasing a share in the business.

This practice is against the charter both in word and spirit, but it still happens. Should they get caught the captain will lose his ship and be driven off from the town. This punishment is usually enough to ensure that only long-time captains can maintain such a business deal.

Given the large market in Bornheim the only local craftsmen in the town are those needed to build, repair, and maintain ships. The hashan are natural sailors and the goods they produce are said to be second to none. Even the elves, who see themselves as superior to others, often prefer hashan rope and sails to their own.