Mun Note: The city of Lamara has featured mostly in tales I’ve done on Discord due primarily to being too lazy to bring the verses featuring her to the blog. Lamara is a purely fictional island that has been designed for use in both POTC and Hornblower arcs. Any and all similarities to historical or present day cities is purely coincidental. 

Lamara is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that technically falls under Algerian ownership. The accessible port side lies to the south, occupied by a sprawling walled city by the same name. With two lookout towers to the east and west and sheer impassible cliffs to the north, Lamara has been a well fortified secret for the better part of an age. 

Due to a revolutionary takeover in the late 1500′s, she has been operating as a lawless pirate city ever since. Despite this, no action has been taken against her and trade seems to be a rather bustling business. Those who enter encounter a very organized living environment and a very apparent caste and class structure that belies the idea civilization has abandoned the place. 

In truth, Lamara acts in the political interests of various parties – these parties represented by the ‘houses’ that run and operate Lamara, from port to interior. Actions that go against the articles of war, actions that have potential to start or even end wars if contributed to any particular monarchy can be purchased in Lamara. 

From assassinations to the vanishing of problematic children, Lamara’s power lies as much in the fees charged for its services, the secrets exchanged within the walls of her city and the patronage of unspoken “parties” as it does her fortification and the fact no nation can act against her without drawing attention to themselves and begging the question of what they paid for.

Due to her nature as a “pirate port” on the surface, trade is often exchanged with pirates provided they follow the laws of the city. Ships are welcome into the harbor for refitting, and prizes may be purchased in the city walls – all ships are docked and registered, and crews are fully registered at entry. 

During this initial inspection, the crews are debriefed on what their stay in Lamara will entail and the punishments for disobeying those parameters. They are permitted within the market, dockyard, supply houses, visitors quarters, red district, and should they have more official business, they may sign for an appointment with a house representative to explain said business and be hosted accordingly. 

It is illegal to attack a resident of Lamara – while crews may do as they please among themselves, should they attack a citizen of Lamara their entire crew will be held accountable. Trade will immediately cease as will all discussion and repairs. Sail will be expected immediately, and neither the ship nor her crew will be welcome in the city ever again – any future attempt to enter will see her fired upon by Lamara’s canons. 

Lamara has been known to sink ships for grander crimes, such as murdering or raping one of her permanent residents, and has been known to send ships to recover stolen properties and people. Actions meant to incite fear, make grand displays of violence, or defy the rules set out upon entering are not tolerated even remotely. 

While the parties each house represents are known only to those houses, the roles the houses play are known universally throughout the city. While there are other aspects to running the city not listed specifically, the Houses manage every element of Lamara, and if it is not listed chances are it is upheld by multiple Houses or is a matter that is not commonly encountered by those who may enter Lamara.

1. Gold: Head the financial district and distribute funds throughout the houses. Considered the head of the five primary houses and consequently in command of all thirteen, nothing happens in Lamara without the approval of the House of Gold. Generally speaking pirates will never deal with the House of Gold outside of paying her tax demands.

2. Silver: Head of Lamara’s judicial system, the House of Silver provides both a governing body and an active police force to the island. The House of Silver is split into four known sects; judges who preside over internal affairs, the police quarter who manage the districts, the militia who manage the walls and towers and the naval officers who manage the harbor protection. It is the largest of the thirteen houses. Pirates will only deal with the House of Silver in the event they breach the terms of their stay in Lamara. 
   
   
3. Opal: Head of external affairs, the House of Opal manages the truth of Lamara’s trade in secrets and politics. Meeting with the House of Opal indicates your true purpose is far greater than a safe harbour to unload your wares, and exchanges made in the House of Opal are known only to her occupants. 

   Those who stay in the House of Opal are treated to opulence and quiet assurances. They are the patrons to the island, and as such spend their time in Lamara like kings. Once their affairs are concluded, they will continue to receive this treatment until they leave the island.

4. Ruby: Pirates are unlikely to ever encounter representatives of the House of Ruby, due to her role being strictly related to the upkeep of Lamara as a whole. Architecture is their domain – they design construction projects, improve fortifications, erect matters as needed and maintain the structural integrity of presently existing buildings. They are also in charge of upkeeping the roads. 

5. Lapis Lazuli: Head of the red light district, Lapis Lazuli oversees the induction, training and housing of those who make market of themselves. They have a private police force and their housing units are secured by the House of Silver in order to ensure their services are not demanded at any point outside of times of active service.

   This House is the only house that Bronze will not assign – representatives from this House may approach any who are in Bronze holdings and offer work – it is entirely to the consent of the individual and their terms are set by Lapis Lazuli as opposed to Bronze. It is quite common for members of Lapis Lazuli to move into one of the top houses ( Gold / Silver / Opal ) due to the nature of their work and terms. 

6. Silk: Head of the market district, most pirate captains will deal with representatives from the House of Silk in order to pawn off prize ships in exchange for wares and even gold. Silk is also in control of all taverns in the city, and as such is perhaps the more favored of the Houses among crews.

7. Spice: Often considered an offshoot of Silk, the House of Spice manages imports and exports on behalf of Silk. They inspect incoming wares and then package it before delivering to the House of Silk for sales, as well as inspect and package outgoing wares for the House of Aqua. Pirates may interact with House of Spice overseers in the event they are selling wares from within a prize ship, as opposed to selling the ship itself.  

8. Jade: The final House involved in the marketing of matters, the House of Jade is in charge of food. They manage the hunters, as well as the farmers and fishers, and inspect imported foods along with members of Spice. They determine distribution rates and rations for visiting captains, as well as for the city as a whole in the event of droughts, floods and other occurrences of nature.

9. Pearl: Head of the educational sector, the House of Pearl is for scholars and learned individuals to school others in developing important skills. From mathematics and sciences to reading and learning other languages, the House of Pearl is in charge of ensuring that all permanent citizens of Lamara have access to both as much education as they desire and as much as may be required for certain roles they wish to hold. Another house it is very unlikely for pirates to encounter.

10. Iron: Head of the weapons and laborers guild, the House of Iron manages both the armories and the forges. They are in charge of all parties involved in building and maintaining weapons, powder, ballistics and other matters in relation to such things. They set the rates for all services – from craftsmanship to repair – and will settle disputes between labour parties as required.

11. Bronze: Head of the residential sector, the House of Bronze takes care of all matters relating to the housing of visitors and the various states of citizenship. Applications to remain in Lamara are dealt with by representatives of the House of Bronze, who also manage the housing and employment of stowaways and slaves left behind by pirate crews. They are also in charge of the placements for problematic persons Lamara is in charge of securing and keeping hidden from the rest of the world. 

    The House of Bronze sets the terms for any one person’s right to stay in Lamara. Every individual is placed on a specified probation term in one of the Houses. Based on their performances, they may be considered a good fit or moved to another House until a fit is found for them. After which they have a set term to work in order to prove their value to Lamara – once that term is met and assessed, they will have status as a permanent citizen or be granted access to leave the island entirely, based on their preferences and performances.

    The House of Bronze also does annual inspections and census reviews of the island to ensure that those who have settled are maintaining their value, as Lamara has no room for idle hands.

12. Aqua: Head of the dockyard, this house deals most actively with pirates and even honest merchants, as well as official visitors. The House of Aqua manages initial registration into Lamara, docking fees and supplies.

    This House is also in charge of the prison, due to the fact that should there be any person found aboard a ship during inspection, that person and one other crew member will be arrested and held until the ship is set to depart. Their stay in prison is relatively comfortable – they are housed humanely, fed regularly, and even allowed to spend time in heavily guarded outdoor areas while their crew is in town.

    Due to Lamara’s nature as an island trading in secrets, deception is something she actively secures against. There is no further punishment to the crew or her captain during their stay, though on their next visit they will not be permitted to dock or repair, and only the captain will be allowed on shore. It is generally not considered advisable to attempt to trick ones way into Lamara. 

13. Timber: Head of ship building, the House of Timber is turned to in the event any repairs are needed, and can be commissioned to keel ships for crews. They also provide services in ‘remodeling’ so that prize ships can be used at sea without being immediately recognized as a stolen ship. 

    The House of Timber is also in charge of determining whether or not a prize ship is worth purchasing, and will exchange notes with the House of Silk, before the final offer is sent through to the House of Gold for approval.

    
    Their final role lies in upkeeping the docks and ensuring they are always in top shape.