“Captain” (Petrichor 365)

Where there are people, people will have pets, even on Petrichor.  But in Port Imperial, sometimes pets are abandoned, often not intentionally, but things happen.

Among those pets who have been abandoned, due to no fault of his owner, who died in a shipboard accident, is a terrier named “Captain“.  “Captain” is a feature on the dock, coming down every morning and patrolling the docks, looking for his master, checking every ship that comes in, hoping that he will return.

Lamplighter League (Petrichor 365)

The only places, currently, in Port Imperial with public lighting are the Imperial District and the grand market.  That may expand as the city become more organized.

The grandiosely-named Lamplighter League takes care of installation and maintenance, and, obviously, light the lamps each evening.  The Imperial Government pays for the lamps in its area while the merchants of the grand market do the same for the market.

Makar the Mage (Petrichor 365)

Petrichor is full of mysteries, fragments of lost civilizations and esoteric magic.  Many people come to the island looking for these lost secrets and the power these secrets hold.

One such person is Makar the Mage, a young wizard who is fascinated by the potential of the ancient magics here.  Unfortunately, he, having been born and raised in a city, is nearly completely useless in the wilderness, which came as a crushing and terrifying realization to him.  So, now Makar only travels only with expeditions with wilderness experts.

The Liberty Bureau (Petrichor 365)

Not everyone likes slavery, indeed some are actively opposed to it. It is not a popular position, at least not once taken beyond the realms of philosophical debate.  Too many people believe their status and fortunes depend on keeping others in chains.

One organization devoted to freeing people from bondage is the Liberty Bureau.  It is more a network than a formal organization, its members come and go, taking shelter with the Bureau or helping as they can.  The public face of the Liberty Bureau is devoted to helping enslaved people win their freedom, they help with manumission paperwork, draw up contracts for payments for people, and assist people who have achieved their freedom to find a new path in life.  In places where they can, they advocate for laws abolishing slavery or, at least, giving those enslaved more protections, it is a thankless task.

Summa’s Tattoos (Petrichor 365)

Tattoos are a way to permanently make your membership or tie to a group or belief visible.  They are very popular among some groups, such as sailors, and less so among others.  Some venturers are drawn to them as well.

Among several tattoo artists in Port Imperial, one of the most well-known is Summa who works in the open market.  Summa is highly skilled with customized tattooing needles and makes his own inks, achieving vibrant colors and artistic excellence in his tattoos.

The Slave Market (Petrichor 365)

Warning: This will obviously discuss slavery.  It is in no way an endorsement of slavery but the practice of enslaving people, unfortunately, is endemic to our own history and it seems likely would happen in other places as well.  Especially in societies predicated on imbalances of power.  However, slavery remains an obvious and unquestionable evil.  So those societies that practice it should be opposed and the practice stamped out.  This poses a challenge in fantasy worlds where many such societies are often commanded by beings of immense power.

Therington’s Thatching (Petrichor 365)

Now that the farms near to Port Imperial are, at last, producing grain in significant amounts, they are also producing straw which has a variety of uses such as thatching roofs.

One of the thatchers who has sent up business since the materials became available is Tallyrand “Tally” Therington, a Visse from a family of thatchers but who came to Port Imperial as a low-ranking member of the Imperial Bureaucracy.  When straw became available in significant amounts, Tally decided to abandon a job he hated (though he did not say that to his superiors or his family) for a job he enjoyed and was exceptionally good at.  Finding other people skilled at thatching to work with him was not difficult, though there was some debate among them about specific technical issues and details as you would expect as different traditions meet.

Argent the Messenger (Petrichor 365)

Getting information from place to place is an important task, especially in Petrichor where there can be many obstacles between here and there.

Argent the Messenger is a dispatch rider who travels the Imperial roads and beyond taking messages, small packages, and news hither and yon.  They work with other dispatch riders, and even the Imperial government, on occasion.

Asimee the Flower Seller (Petrichor 365)

Some of those who have arrived in Port Imperial have sad or unfortunate pasts, but all have a chance to reinvent themselves in Petrichor.

Asimee is one of those people with a sad and unfortunate past, the entire ship she was traveling to Petrichor on was overcome by a debilitating disease and almost everyone aboard was dead or dying by the time they arrived in port.  Alone and with almost nothing, she ventured out into the nearby field to gather flowers which she brought back to the city to sell.  It does not earn her much but she gets by.  Many of the other people who live on or near the streets look out for her.

Serenado, Outrider (Petrichor 365)

Horses are needed on Petrichor for so many things, transport, farming, and communications.  But, so far, there is no native source of horses though, as horses escape into the wilderness, that may not be true for long.

One of the most skilled equestrians in Port Imperial is Serenado SantaVulpa, a charming woman who has been on Petrichor for nearly two years.  She was part of one of the early beast drives by Captain Terrance where she is credited with saving the lives of several of the other hunters.  Since then, she has served as a dispatch rider, horse trainer, scout, and riding tutor.