Location:

Sadly, not even the best trackers and scholars have yet to crack the location of this state secret. However most merchants claim that it is within the most northern land mass of the island chain of Hyouto.

Description:

Arg! There not be much ta see here, other than rocks and other uniteresting junk. Surely nothing ya scurvy dogs would want to take a gander at, eh?

Ah well, twist my arm why don't you?

Well now, small spot, among one of the tiny northern islands, there is this cut in the sea cliffs. Kinda hard to notice, lots of jagged coast there. Barely looks like you could fit a ship in there, and looks like a shallow cut eh, not much there.

Cliff walls go up about nearly 600 feet I reckon. Of course no one has bothered to measure, seems kinda pointless, now don't it? Cliffs seem pretty secure, but also near vertical, almost slanting outwards from sea level. Be a hard climb even for a hearty mate.

If you are brave and sure of hand, you could try navigating the small inlet. I wouldn't suggest it though unless you know the waters. One slip, one misjudge in the currents and eddies, and bam! You'd be splintered on the cold rocks.

Looks be deciving though, as the cut takes a sharp turn, nearly 200 feet in. Tricky navigating making the turn, let me tell ya. If you can make it though, smooth sailin' the rest of the way. Waters are calmer, the crack widens. Locals even say it's like a natural harbor in there.

Course, no one has gotten that far. At least, no one that will talk...

Of course, there are rumors, saying that no enemy would have a chance in the canyon. Not without a good plan at least. No sir. Even the locals talk a few times of seeing ships approach it, managing to work through the trecherous waters of the opening, and only to hear the sounds of explosions soon after, and to find wreckage drifting out to sea the next day.

For those brave Privateers Evil Pirate Scum that live and work here, they know the truth. The waters are no more or less tricky than any small river entrance to the sea. Meaning of course it isn't a cake walk, but no where near impossible.

The real reason so many ships meet horrible fates, is because right as they round that turn, they see the secret of the coastline. There is a fine, natural harbor there, within deep cliff walls, dotted with caves that house pirate crews, their booty, and even lead up to the surface. The entrances of course to those surface caves, are usually concealed, and guarded by whatever screwup is lucky enough to draw the duty.

Two Pirate Fleets share this harbor between them. One comprised of small, light, fast "Cruiser/Escourt" type ships. This fleet is responsible for long range raiding, against small merchant fleets. They revel in this duty, and their captains almost seem to have a sick perverse joy in picking 'random' places to strike, so that their hunters think their base is all over creation. Along with that battle fleet of 6, is a larger, heavier battlefleet made up of the Tenkoutusen class ships, based of Higashi design. This fleet often conducts raids close to port, or landing operations to ransack small villages.

Oddly enough, despite being a completely random pirate fleet, the ships here are what would be considered cutting edge. Most of them seem even more advanced than the Hyouto High Seas Fleet itself, including metal hulls, heavier cannons, better rifles for their boarding crews, and higher quality seaman than the military fleet.

Of course, they are in no way affiliated with Hyouto in any way, so this must all be coincidence and not some elite branch of the Hyouto Navy. No sir.

Twice a month, a fleet of three small merchant vessels comes into the port. There they offload food, ammunition, repair materials, and all the good things the pirates need, in return for taking their ill gotten gains to sell upon the markets of Astraena, where of course no questions will be asked.