North Cove

North Cove is a sheltered cove near New Terra’s northern river, known as The Wound. Although officially settled in the year 33, the few ships that Sanctuary had built before that point already used the northern cove as natural shelter from the sea. Completely protected from ocean waves and weather, with easy access to The Wound, it did not take overly long for sailors and river-folk to make permanent structures in North Cove. Over the years, the northern shore became somewhat of a business hub, with warehouses being built to store goods, trading companies constructing offices and even shops providing goods straight off the boats, usually at a discounted price. The fish markets of North Cove, to this day, offer the freshest and best selection of fish in New Terra. As the safety of New Terra increased, North Cove expanded inland from the river’s edge and sailors, dockworkers and river-men began to settle in North Cove Proper. With the help of Sanctuary’s Branded Men, the citizens of North Cove constructed a wooden palisade around all of North Cove Proper and the riverside merchant district.

Pink Island
The large island within the cove, which came to be colloquially referred to as pink island, soon became home to many less-savory businesses; such as brothels, fight clubs and other forms of entertainment catering to humanity’s baser needs. Sanctuary’s military, as well as North Cove’s militia, allowed such businesses to remain on the island with the unspoken agreement that such businesses would contain their dealings to the island alone. Over the years, the island became a busy hub of all manner of entertainment. Sailors and travelers could partake of sex, violence, drugs and voyeurism to their hearts content, with little-to-no law presence. True to the island’s name, the palette of the island became pinks and purples, with most buildings being one shade or another of pink.

Black Invasion
Yulis Black was, by all accounts, a tiefling woman with a heart as black as her name. Through lies, bribery and manipulation, Yulis spent years convincing members of the Hunter’s chapter that they did not need Sanctuary or the council. Yulis used the fact that much of the work that Hunters had previously undertaken was no longer necessary, due to their own success in killing or driving off dangerous monsters. Yulis also bought information from council aids and bribed members of the military, to gain tactical information about North Cove. In the year 43, after the founding council had suffered the embarrassing defeat of the Second Swamp War, she rallied a large force of disgruntled, disenchanted Hunter’s under her banner. She then organised an all-out attack on North Cove, slipping in to the port town in the early hours of the morning and overpowering the small Sanctuary guards post. She publicly executed the mayor in the town square and ejected most of the townsfolk, keeping a small number as hostages. Those who refused to leave were cut down where they stood, including women and children.

For 9 months Sanctuary’s military forces surrounded the North Cove, preventing supplies from entering the occupied settlement. However, with an inadequate number of soldiers, the Hunters managed to sneak in food and information. Finally, Sanctuary brough down the full strength of their military on the Hunters. In a show of strength, the founding council ordered the military to push in to the town and kill all those who opposed them. Vastly outnumbered, the Hunters were easily killed or left to flee in to the hills to the north. Hardly an hour had passed by the time Yulis was captured alive. Those who had aided her, and survived the slaughter at North Cove, were sentenced to a lifetime of hard-labour in Mort Mine. Yulis was tried and sentenced to ever-lasting death, the first sentence of this kind in Sanctuary’s history. Immediately after her trial, Yulis was taken to the public square in Sanctuary where she was forced to kneel. Before the dagger was thrust in to her heart and she was turned to stone, she swore vengeance on the council and all they held dear. Her statue now stands outside Sanctuary’s Adventurers Guild, a macabre reminder of when the Hunters strayed from the path of common good, and a not-so-subtle warning of what happens to those who defy Sanctuary.