The driving force of expansion for Eldarus is her harbor; a natural deep water bay protected on two sides by mountain cliffs. Though the valley is accessible by land, after the first settlement of the valley, emigrants found it easier to face the perils of the Great Sea, instead of those through the Silver Forest.

Like any trading hub of a large town of the same size, Eldarus’ harbor is lined with warehouses and company offices, mostly for the five competing factions; Hallenbach Trading Post, known commonly as the Red Caps, Elmo & Sons, Baynard Co., Valaris, and the Company of United Tradesmen. Each faction has its own local strong arm to protect their interests; the most infamous work exclusively for C.U.T., the Collectors. Their battles with the other factions, namely those against the Red Caps have left numerous amounts of unclaimed cargo floating in the bay and many more bloated dead bodies. Rumor around town is every captain of a Reagent ship is a member of Collectors, meaning their power is rooted within the palace itself.

Scattered in the bay, along with the various trading fleets and the Reagent’s Ships-of-the-Line, are small rock islands. The larger of these islands are the Yaab, Marx, and Il’heola. Interesting enough to notice by sailors entering and leaving the bay are the different species of sea birds that call each island their home. Like people, the birds colonized the islands separately due to their unique habitats; the low rock cliffs of Yaab are home to the Brown-winged Gentu, a duck-like bird who can surface dive 60 feet for their favorite food, red krill. Marx, a rocky beach island scatted with spiral cypress trees, lives the Fan-tail Fisher, the common thief to all unlucky fishermen, earning it the name Thief Fisher. The tall rock tower of Il’heola allows the large Abora Ealge to dive at speeds of up to 140 mph to pluck Striped Sea Bass from the bay.

The inlets created by the scattered islands make for comfortable harbors for smugglers, pirates, and all sorts of low-life scum.