Seahaven
Seahaven is one of two sprawling cities that inhabit the Dark Isles, and the unofficial seat of power for the region. Founded over the ruins of ancient Human civilizations from ages past, the city has a strong but unusual structural foundation that allows for complicated tunnel networks beneath the streets, often running alongside or through the sewers.
The 'kingdom' of Seahaven stretches to the Darkness in every direction, on Heas, and some nobles would tell you that it includes Tarkas, too, but the Skrel'eth certainly haven't heard anything of this. The heaviest population centers are Seahaven proper, the village of Milford, and the Sayaki fortress of Kizuni Odawi.
As the city imports a great deal of goods from Balinand and Tarkas, and exports just as much, the docks are one of the key features of the city. The White pier is older than the city itself, built by the last group to live on the spot, and much of the stone used in that construction was moved to build more modern structures such as the wall to Seahaven's west.
The people of Seahaven live in a carefully constructed debt slavery, for the most part: The prices of sailing away from Seahaven can be steep for someone already in the trap, and in order to continue living, one must borrow money from the nobles, oftentimes, which they pay back by working where that noble requests them to. These people are typically called serfs, indentured slaves or even peasants, though by law they're no different than any other commoner with a debt to be paid.
Obviously, some manage to push out of this trap by the aristocracy. As a commoner, one can expect a life of decent comfortability, able to purchase a wide variety of goods from all over the region, and even look into starting their own business venture, or joining another's. The aristocracy is constantly arguing over what to do about true commoners, ranging from such extremes as forcing them into actual slavery, to encouraging them to spend their money rashly in an effort to become a lesser noble themselves.
When one finally comes to the nobles, everything gets a bit murky due to the deception, misleading and confusion in general presented by such an interwoven system. However, most of Seahaven, and the law, divides nobility into two categories: Petty Lords and Merchant Lords.
Petty Lords, often simply referred to as "Lord" or "Lady" at risk of insulting them directly, are the lowest of the nobility. They either barely retain their right to a title by providing constant bribes in addition to taxes, or they are the closest friend or family member to someone higher up on the list that can afford to pay it for them. Despite this unimportance as far as the upper class goes, they make up a lot of the important people in Seahaven. Petty Lords are often put in charge of a small part of the city, particular service, task or project, and maintain their title by taking care of their charge as requested by those above them. They also serve as intermediaries for the Merchant Lords, and fill the less profitable noble positions, such as Herald to the King.
Merchant Lords, however, are the true powers of Seahaven. These nobles possess enough money to effect great change on the city, and only a balance of infighting and bribery amongst themselves keeps them from doing just that. Being a Merchant Lord requires a massive power base, and as such, there are very few such Lords. Each one tends to run a powerful organization such as the Merchant Guild itself, the Seahaven Watch, or the Tranquil Tide church. There are some Merchant Lords who likely get their power from less reputable groups, but they rely on lack of evidence to maintain their status.
There are four individuals with a large amount of power, mainly because they truly own land. These nobles are simply called the four Marquis' of Seahaven, and make up the most determined, wealthy, and skilled nobles. These four are in charge of truly defending the kingdom, through their vassals or through their own strength, and their charge is the land itself.
The Four Marquis', as well as other highly influential individuals within the Seahaven borders, can be read about in "Important People of Seahaven", located at the top.