### Type:

Massive fortified harbor of [[Voxiu]], controlled largely by merchant elites and favored by the [[Vexen Overview|Vexens]] as their beating heart. Symbol of modernization, efficiency, and outsider influence.

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### Description:

Stone quarried long ago forms imposing seawalls, reinforced by iron cranes and belching gearworks. [[Automatons]] operate winches and unloading rigs with unsettling precision, lowering cargos from ships without pay or pause. The smell of brine mixes with coal-smoke and exotic spices as sailors from across the continent pour into taverns and warehouses. [[Belter Overview|Belters]] grumble onshore, glaring at machines that “stole” their unloading jobs. Guards in sharp uniforms march alongside gear-driven ballistae defending the walls.

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### Lore & Role in Voxiu:

- Voxiu is the **second-largest port in Western Baltun’ia** (20% of shipping) and a Vexen stronghold.
- Imports are critical: campaign materials, Benton banking ties, political donations, smuggled contraband.
- [[Serpents Coil Overview|Serpent’s Coil]] smugglers **absolutely** operate here from the shadows, leveraging contraband and leaning Vexen to protect their channels.

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### Notable NPCs:

- **[[Captain Rill Dross - Sea Bastion Docks|Captain Rill Dross]]**, Dockmaster _([[Half-Elves|Half-Elf]], scarred, impatient)_  
    → Works openly with Vexen leadership, orders automaton unloading to maximize profits. Would happily bribe or bully PCs into silencing Belter interference.
- **Mizra Veer’s Agent** (“Silkfang’s Collector”) _(Serpent’s Coil rep)_  
    → Whisper-network contact, approaches party with “alternative jobs” running through the docks if they impress.
- **[[Kal Branth - Sea Bastion Docks|Kal Branth]]**, Fishmonger and Unionist _([[Dwarves|Dwarf]])_  
    → Belter agitator, distributing “dock papers” calling for strikes and protests.

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### Plot Hooks / Seeds:

- **Sabotage Choices:** PCs are offered coin to either protect an incoming Vexen shipment _or_ sabotage it for Belters. Which way they lean affects popularity.
- **Smuggler’s Proposition:** A Serpent’s Coil operator approaches them with a side deal—“Lose this crate in the chaos, and we’ll owe you.” (PCs may not yet realize the broader factional tie-ins).
- **Violence on the Water:** A rally flows from [[Cotton Row Market|Cotton Row]] into the Bastion, escalating into riot vs. automaton dockhands. PCs must pick sides, stop bloodshed, or let it burn.