Port Talon

Port Talon is a large and imposing port city on the northern tip of the island of Akham.

It is an Imperial military outpost and is the base of the Empire's forces on the island. The Empire uses Port Talon as a port of call between Kehmsaraza to the east, Galthmei to the west, and the Dominion of Rhuv.

Geography
Port Talon faces the sea to the east. An outcropping of rock forms a jagged promontory that curves from a broad base at the shore to a massive point in the sea which always sends up large waves; this feature is where the city gets its name. The surrounding waters are prone to seafoam, while the bay inside the promontory is deep blue and its waters are calmer. The land near the promontory gains elevation as it moves inland, and the city is built along this elevation.

The Harbor
Seawalls protect the city from high waves. An ancient whitewashed stone lighthouse sits at the end of the promontory to guide ships into the bay. The lighthouse's beacon reaches far enough to light an unidentified fixed structure rising out of the sea, a considerable way from the shore. This structure has alchemical lights of its own in green and purple. Near the harbor is the Imperial Center, full of larger buildings including watchtowers, industrial buildings, trade buildings, civic buildings, and military buildings.

Western Farmlands
The main road inland moves west from the city. Off the road are farms and at least one smaller village, which border a forest further to the west. A small village near the forest hosts a shrine to the local spirits.

In the last several months (after reunion, see timeline), the western farmlands experienced a surge of destructive kudzu. The kudzu grows much more quickly than standard kudzu, enveloping an entire house over the course of a single night. For this reason, the western farmlands have been evacuated ; this means the shrine is likely no longer tended.

Architecture
Port Talon has two kinds of architecture. The more modern areas near the shore are imperial; buildings are big, blocky, and starkly undecorated, and streets are linear. The older areas on the higher elevations predate the arrival of the empire. They feature stone construction and narrower cobblestone streets that zigzag and cross over unpredictably. They have slate grey roofs and tend to be top-heavy, with upper levels overhanging the street.

Notable Buildings & Landmarks

 * The governor's manor, which flies the flag of the Azure Battalion.
 * The Guild Spire, which flies the flag of The Imperium and the Scepter's Chorus.
 * The Ace of Wands, a private gaming hall run by Will Gallows.
 * The Imperial wizard derrick, a mysterious structure in the sea far off the coast.
 * The fountain of the dancing spirits, Naram the Wave Lord and Orima of the Reaching Green.
 * Finley's shop

Imperial Center
A newer neighborhood near the harbor, and the hub of the Empire's presence in Port Talon. The roads are wide, newly paved, and often full of merchant marines, wagons full of goods, and members of the Azure Battalion overseeing the unloading of ships and the entrance of visitors. In the harbor, ships load and unload goods, and Imperial warships make ready to sail towards Galthmei and beyond. Imperial Center hosts the Guild Spire and the governor's manor.

Greyhill
One neighborhood in the older area, called Greyhill, borders a high stone wall on the western edge of the city. While the tallest buildings are four stories high, the wall is double that. While the wall does feature buttresses, towers, and stairs, it was constructed by magical means. Some buildings in Greyhill seem repurposed from older outdated structures, such as castles or keeps. Finley's shop is in Greyhill.

Goldencrest
An old fishing neighborhood on the outer talon facing the sea.