Warden of the Zes Ports
The Warden of the Zes Ports or the 'Zes Ports Warden'
This position granted directly by the King of the Western Kingdom is a powerful one as it controls a substantial number of ships acting on behalf of the Western Kingdom for its security and as an enabler of mercantile trade.
The Zes (Six) Ports are the main ports in Aladar and these were granted a 'Special Encounter Charter' from King Otto 'the Gentle', the King of the Western Kingdom in 168. The 'Special Encounter Charter' meant that the sailors from these ports could do what they wanted and when they wanted to do so. This included the boarding, wrecking, grounding and plundering of ships not 'aligned' to the Western Kingdom. In addition, the Towns had the rights to dispense their own justice through their own Courts and send representatives to hold the canopy over a new Monarch during the Coronation Ceremony.
To this end he granted the ports of Ontbering, Standerstadt,Le Changegrit,Chumley, Skeeveton, and Zeegricht, the right to keep all legal fees assigned in court cases. This was quite a profitable concession for the towns involved, and made them far more prosperous than most towns of similar size elsewhere in the realms.
The need for defence and cooperation in the troubled early years of the Western Kingdom was so great that a large number of other towns became allied to these ports. Thus, inland Filzmoos and Saulgau became a allies of Chumley, inland Apfelstadt Erfurt and Gebirgsdurchlauf became a allies of Ontbering, inland Uslar and coastal Gerbestadt became allies of Skeeveton and inland Hirshnerg and coastal Rycheim and Oprausen became allies of Standerstadt. This 'coastal confederation' reached a total of 15 towns at its peak.
The wider influence of the Zes Ports declined when new trade routes opened up throughout the interior of the Western Kingdom and when the time of the Interregnum (494-793) came about and the Kingdom 'factionalised' into separate realms the influence of the ports themselves and the warden declined further.
During the Interregnum Le Changegrit, Chumley and Zeegricht 'left' the confederation of ports and became more simple ports. The loss of these three ports and their allied towns had a substantial effect on the 'Zes Ports' but the confederation continued.
During the Interregnum the office of the Warden stayed with the Vanderzee family and followed the male line. The current 'Warden of the Zes Ports' is Lludd Vanderzee who has held this position since 775 and is considered a capable and experienced leader by the court as his appointment was confirmed once King Ulric was crowned 'King of the Western Kingdom' in 793. Lludd Vanderzee has continued the program of shipbuilding started by his late father Horatio Vanderzee (b704 - d782) which has added to the infrastructure and wealth of the Zes Ports.
Recent Events since 800
- Two slips for the building of ships have been built in Le Changegrit. These have the capacity to build Cogs and Caravels.
- A slip big enough to build Galleys has been completed in Chumley
- The warden has been spending much of his time in Le Changegrit
Regarding the Drow Invasion of 812wk
- Lludd Vanderzee died in a naval action in one of the early engagements of the invasion.
Events 815wk onwards
- Late 814wk saw a new warden of the Zes Ports invested in the person of Captain_Zohar_Haima who was also made Baron of Chumley after a sizable donation to the WK coffers
