[Piraeus, Munychia Harbor]
A forest of masts bobs gently in the crowded harbor. The tangy smell of fish and brine in the area is oddly refreshing. Facing Munychia Harbor is a small taverna, its doors off the hinges and the noise from inside nothing short of daunting. The occasional object, be it furnishings or persons, flies from the tavern while some of the unluckier visitors are dragged out for a burial at sea.
Never a particularly peaceful town, Piraeus has never-the-less seen better days. This port of Athens is a major artery in trade for most of Attica and as such has attracted its fair share of cutthroats and pirates. This all ended one year ago, however, when the city was taken by a new warlord on the scene.
An army first thought to be led by a man named Kamarthi took advantage of a threat to Athens that temporarily turned their attention from matters of security. During this brief time he managed to take the city right out from under our noses and it has since then been occupied. This man, we would soon come to find, was not its conquerer.
A host of people came to the aid of Kamarthi, the false warlord, and one was ultimately to be his downfall. Vasileios, a former aristocrat from far off Brittania, serves as Captain of the Guard for the horde forces and Albrecht, the warlord's secretary, were the first to serve under Kamarthi. Later a pirate captain by the name of Psarigida brought her ship to the shores of the town, smuggling goods (and monsters) across the seas on her modified Phoenician round ship.
Unfortunately for Kamarthi, he got a big head and had visions of grandeur that put him in charge as the sole occupier of Piraeus. He was just a puppet, however, and his master was tiring of the decisions being made that hindered his longterm plans. It was this that ultimately brought his downfall, and the actions of a Captain faithful to the true warlord.
On that faithful day, after the people of Athens had deduced much of what was going on via prophecies from the Oracle at Delphi, Kamarthi was to fall from grace. He made the mistake of grabbing Asantewaa (pregnant at the time) as a hostage in a moment of panic and dragged her onto Psarigida's ship, setting it adrift. The Athenians rushed to her aid, managing to board as it pulled from the dock and faced the false warlord.
During the ensuing battle, a serpent attacked the ship and was turned away by the people of Athens. Vasileios stood on the shore and brought down Kamarthi with a single arrow to the chest, freeing Asantewaa and plunging the man into the waters of the bay never to be seen again. The sea serpent, in the meantime, had gone wild with pain and hate and was thrashing in the bay, destroying anything in its way.
A single word from a shadowy figure on the rocky coast stopped the serpent cold and he disappeared beneath the waves. That man was Drakontas, the true warlord.
He now rules Piraeus along with those loyal to him and his favorite harem girl, Shahla. He has also brought another, a hired sword named Diathesixifos who has been a boon to Athens due to the fact that his loyalties do seem to be swayed by money. Drakontas claims to have no desire for Athens and is rebuilding Piraeus, but only the future will tell.
Related Areas
Piraeus is the main port of Athens, as such you may catch boats to other parts of the world from this central hub. Zea Harbor will take you to Gamlebyen in Norway and Megas Harbor will take you to Alexandria in Egypt.
You can also reach Themistocles Crypt through a quest located on the Saronikos Coast.
Maps
