Santigar

In the sweltering heat of the south west coast of Balia lies the port town of Santigar.

Its clear blue waters would be breathtakingly beautiful were it not for the floating corpses regularly dumped into the harbour, and the dazzlingly white sand would be gloriously pristine were it not for all the blood.

Santigar is the most lawless town in the most lawless of Balia's Free States. It is not governed by any official representative but is instead run by the crews who vie with each other to control the resources it has to offer.

Fishing crews compete to control all of Santigar's fishing, while farming crews monopolise the surrounding land. Bandit crews fight to dominate all the crime that is committed on land while fearsome pirate crews rove out to make their fortunes on the seas by taking prizes and returning to their den of iniquity dripping with blood and gold.

The crews are all members of the Blood Skull clan, one of Balias seven Free Clans, that rules the vast and wild state of Bandido.

What order exists in Santigar is nominally maintained by the Blood Skull's clan chieftain Crozius Hands and his crew The Coelacanths. The Coelacanths are a pirate crew and own a large hall in the east of Santigar that serves for important meetings. The Coelacanths also own a number of other businesses and establishments in Santigar and when it is required they are merciless in their response to damage to their property.

Somehow Santigar manages to thrive, as every crew looks after its own investments and taverns, brothels and weapon stores do a lively trade.

Days in many parts of Santigar are quiet and lazy. The blistering heat and ubiquitous hangovers keeping many asleep in shady corners. The occasional gunshot or dogs fighting over scraps may break the stifling silence but for many the daytime is not for activity. The exception to this diurnal lassitude is in the shipyards and on board the ships in dock, where some crews are kept busy and alert no matter how hot it might be. Sawing, hammering, painting and purchasing the necessary spars and ropes to put back out to sea are the daytime activities for more efficient crews with more driven Captains.

However it is at sunset, when the heat of the day begins to fade that Santigar wakes up. Ne'er do-wells drag themselves from their stupors and go seeking drink, or ways to make money for drink be it gambling or murder. Smuggling crews put to sea in their sloops to sell their illicit cargoes on foreign shores and pirates that still have money and time to spend ashore once again drink and sing and fight and kill each other in mad celebration of being alive.

The first impressions of Santigar to a visitor is chaos, lawlessness and mayhem, but under the surface, if one takes time to look they will see commerce and industry, territories and hierarchies and a carefully controlled society that flirts with self destruction but is kept from it by a common understanding of the need for self-preservation.