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Masram
Fort Post

Sea Lord Nouri, after his sudden recall from the islands around Masram, had finally been permitted to return to the western seas. His great ships once again took sail, charging straight westward. The story spun for the High Council and the Emir’s office was one of setting new routes and laying the groundwork for a new thriving mercantile hub. The western coast of the Azure Sea should hold great potential as new trade partners for the burgeoning Narqali fleets. It seemed about time to expand Narqaliu’s influences beyond merely the Azure Coast.

Or so the story seemed.

It was at the quiet request of High Councilor Haiqa al-Nazar that he also voyaged with a secondary mission: slaving. The Nazarids had always held strong ties to the Zhari Kingdoms to the north, who were in constant demand for new slaves to toil in the fields of the great spice plantations. In the midst of the growing crisis around Qadibh and the Kingdom of Bayan, it was likely best to keep further slave raids under wraps, lest they flame tensions even further.

The current scrutiny on Sea Lord Kadir al-Nazar meant that the Northern Sea Lord couldn’t continue his private slave raiding expeditions for the time being. So the Nazarids sought other sources of fresh labor, and the western islands seemed to be the perfect new source.

The Sea Lord breathed in the salty air of the great sea. It was a scent he greatly missed during his temporary station back in Narqaliu. While the Northern and Southern Sea Lords were continually venturing outward, gaining titles and wealth, Nouri had forever been relegated to ‘home fleet’ duties. Even the slightest possibility of taking new lands for the now-Emirate brought him great joy.

However, there were duties that came first. After all, what would a Sea Lord be without a proper naval fortress? The isle of Masram was the largest of the twin islands under the Emirate’s thumb, and it was the prime location for a new fortress. Sea Lord Sarun may have Najaris and Sea Lord Kadir may have Zarqan, but Sea Lord Nouri would have the greatest fortress of all.

His men spent days hauling stone and carving wood from all across the island. Nouri envisioned it all: a massive fortress sat upon the island’s center hill and a great path leading to a naval harbor rivaled by none. In the end, the fortress upon Masram was far more modest, and was more of a humble pier, but in the Sea Lord’s eyes, it was an excellent start.

And so, with their new naval fortress, the Narqali western fleet ventured forth. The villages of the islands were burned and the soldiers seized great quantities of the locals. They hopped across the isles, seeking every able body and every minute resource they could scavenge. Sea Lord Nouri was a simple man and only thought in simple terms, but he was overwhelmingly effective at simple tasks. By the time the Zhari slaving vessels finally arrived in the islands, they were shocked to witness the great quantity of people that the Sea Lord had already managed to wrangle — nearly double that of Sea Lord Kadir’s typical deliveries.

It seemed that the arrangement in Masram would be held up for the foreseeable future.