Portsgate

Portsgate

Portsgate was one of Rislandia's most celebrated coastal cities, situated on the southwestern coast near a swamp and protected from Wyranth Empire territory by a mountain range. A larger coastal city, it was counted among Baron Theodore von Monocle's favorite places in Rislandia, known for its friendly people, vibrant maritime culture, and distinctive architecture. It was ultimately razed to the ground by the Wyranth on their march toward Rislandia City, and most of its surviving residents fled north. In The Fight for Rislandia, Portsgate remained under Wyranth control along with the broader south, its destruction cutting off vital maritime routes and serving as a grim symbol of Wyranth conquest. By the events of The Crystal Conspiracy, the city had still not rebuilt and had become overrun with creatures from Zenwey. In The Steam Knight 2, Portsgate was described as a city being rebuilt, located to the west of Rislandia City, though the bulk of Rislandian forces remained engaged in fighting outside it and funds were still being sought for reconstruction, including repair of its reservoir dam damaged by the Wyranth.

Description

Built near a coastal swamp, Portsgate was connected by elevated walkways between buildings, with canals allowing small boats to navigate between structures. The city was described as muggy in climate. A mountain range stood between Portsgate and Wyranth territory, providing a natural defensive barrier. The Harbor District could accommodate dozens of ships.

The city's most celebrated cultural landmark was the Symphonic House, crowned by a beautiful brick dome, which drew visitors from across Rislandia. The road from Portsgate led directly north to Rislandia City, with Shellville situated along that route between the two cities. Portsgate was also noted as a larger city, used as a point of size comparison for smaller settlements such as Carnait Cove.

History

The Great Flood

Portsgate suffered a catastrophic hurricane that flooded the city entirely to the rooftops during Year 15 of King Malaky XVI's reign. In For Steam and Country, Baron von Monocle recorded in his log: "The city has flooded to the rooftops and there is no way to reach the residents other than by airship." During this disaster, the only means of reaching residents was by airship, and The Liliana led evacuation and disaster relief efforts on behalf of the crew. Refugees from Portsgate were resettled by Day 42 of the Month of Dukes.

Wyranth Invasion and Destruction

While The Liliana was away on assignment in Zenwey, the Wyranth Empire invaded and razed Portsgate to the ground on their march toward Rislandia City. Notably, the Wyranth did not hold the area after razing it — the city was destroyed as part of their advance rather than occupied as a garrison. In The Blood of Giants, the destruction was made vivid by the sight of the Symphonic House's brick dome reduced to rubble: "The beautiful brick dome of Portsgate's symphonic house had been turned to rubble." Most of the city's residents fled to Rislandia City in the aftermath. The Liliana landed on a grassy knoll a short walk from the ruined city during events depicted in The Blood of Giants. During the rescue operations at the ruined city, Zaira von Monocle's crew rescued a little girl who had lost her family there. Several buildings were razed to the ground, and the Wyranth also damaged the city's reservoir dam during their assault.

Wyranth Occupation

In The Fight for Rislandia, Portsgate remained under Wyranth control along with the broader southern region, as indicated by the phrase "from Portsgate all the way to Borderville." The Wyranth's hold on Portsgate and the south meant that ships from the port at Cliffside Castle had nowhere to go, as Wyranth control of Portsgate effectively closed off southern maritime routes. The destruction of Portsgate also implied that nearby Shellville was likely in similar disrepair. Portsgate's fate was compared to that of a village near Zaira's home — a town whose soul had been destroyed. The city was also mentioned as one of the places where Baron Theodore von Monocle had saved the day in earlier times.

The Wyranth were noted to have positioned themselves further south than when The Liliana had first traveled from Portsgate to Rislandia City, indicating a continued southward expansion of Wyranth forces.

Role in For Steam and Country

In For Steam and Country, Portsgate serves as an early site of crisis. Baron von Monocle's crew conducted disaster relief operations there during the flood, with the city accessible only by airship at the time of his log entry. The resettlement of Portsgate refugees was completed by Day 42 of the Month of Dukes.

Role in The Blood of Giants

In The Blood of Giants, Portsgate appears in its destroyed state. Baron von Monocle, for whom the city had been a personal favorite, witnessed the devastation firsthand, including the rubble of the Symphonic House's brick dome. The Liliana landed on a grassy knoll a short walk from the city. The road from Portsgate to Rislandia City is referenced as a route taken by displaced residents. During this visit, Zaira's crew rescued a little girl who had lost her family in the destruction.

Role in The Fight for Rislandia

In The Fight for Rislandia, Portsgate is referenced repeatedly as a marker of Wyranth dominance over the south. The city remained razed and under Wyranth control, with the destruction extending across the region "from Portsgate all the way to Borderville." Its fall was used as a point of comparison for other devastated settlements, and its occupation by the Wyranth strangled maritime activity by denying Rislandia Navy ships from Cliffside Castle access to southern ports. The city's destruction was also invoked as part of Baron Theodore von Monocle's legacy, as Portsgate was named among the places he had once saved.

Role in The Iron Wedding

In The Iron Wedding, Portsgate is referenced as a larger coastal city, used as a point of size comparison for Carnait Cove. The novel reaffirms that Portsgate was razed by the Wyranth on their march toward Rislandia City, and that the Wyranth did not hold the area after razing it. The earlier flood during the 15th Year of King Malaky XVI's reign is also noted in the timeline context of the novel.

In A History of Rislandia

A History of Rislandia provides extensive historical context for Portsgate, tracing its origins from a Perryton colonial settlement through its absorption into Rislandia and its eventual destruction. The sourcebook refers to Portsgate by the epithet "The Coastal Jewel."

Origins and Founding

According to A History of Rislandia, Portsgate was not founded by Rislandian settlers but by sailors from Perryton, who settled the western coast of the Iberanth Peninsula approximately 200 years after the original exodus led by Jory Malaky. The sourcebook states that these settlers established a settlement they called Portsgate, built on stilts in the coastal swamps, and that they named it themselves. The bible places this founding in Year 65 of King Malaky I's reign.

This conflicts with a founding date given elsewhere in the sourcebook itself: the sourcebook also record a separate claim that Portsgate was "Founded in Year 105 by Rislandian expansion settlers." These two accounts — Perryton sailors in Year 65 versus Rislandian expansion settlers in Year 105 — are internally inconsistent within A History of Rislandia and are recorded here without harmonisation.

The Perryton settlers maintained a distinct cultural identity at Portsgate before eventually being absorbed into Rislandia, and the sourcebook notes that Perryton cultural traditions were preserved there long afterward.

The Portsgate Conflict and Treaty

According to A History of Rislandia, Portsgate remained independent for several decades after first contact with Rislandia, being neither part of the kingdom nor hostile to it. The city possessed superior ships compared to Rislandia during this period. The Rislandian army besieged Portsgate in Year 96, and the city joined Rislandia as a semi-autonomous city under the Treaty reached in Year 98. Under the terms of this treaty, Portsgate pays reduced tariffs, retains representation in the Senate, preserves its Perryton cultural identity and local governance, and receives Rislandian protection of its trade routes. In return, Portsgate brought maritime expertise and wealth to Rislandia.

Growth Under the Malaky Dynasty

A History of Rislandia records several milestones in Portsgate's development under the Malaky dynasty. A naval base was established at Portsgate during King Malaky III's reign. The harbor was expanded as part of King Malaky VI's infrastructure projects. The Symphonic House was built in Portsgate in Year 210, during the Cultural Renaissance period.

The First Wyranth War

According to A History of Rislandia, Portsgate was raided by the Wyranth fleet in Year 339 during the First Wyranth War. The sourcebook records this raid in the context of broader Wyranth naval aggression during that conflict.

The Dragon's Bargain

A History of Rislandia identifies Portsgate as one of the coastal regions where the legend known as "The Dragon's Bargain" is told. Sailors at Portsgate claim to have seen dragons flying over the ocean, and the sourcebook notes this story is told particularly in Portsgate and Perryton.

The Great Flood and Wyranth Destruction

The sourcebook corroborates the flood and destruction recorded in the novels, describing Portsgate as having been struck by a massive hurricane that flooded it to the rooftops, with The Liliana as the only vessel capable of reaching stranded civilians. It further confirms that the city was completely destroyed by the Wyranth Empire in Year 19 of King Malaky XVI's reign — burned, shelled, and razed — while The Liliana was away in Zenwey. The sourcebook notes that refugees from Portsgate sheltered at Cliffside Castle during the invasion, and that refugees from Portsgate are described as starving near Rislandia in the aftermath. The Symphonic House Dome, built in Year 210, was reduced to rubble.

A History of Rislandia also records that Baron Theodore von Monocle led The Liliana in the defense of Portsgate, though the sourcebook does not specify the circumstances of this defense in relation to the ultimate destruction of the city.

Geography

The sourcebook describes Portsgate as located on the western coast of the Iberanth Peninsula, built in the swamps near the Golgmarsh Ocean, and connected by the Coastal Road. It is described as a city on the southwest coast of Rislandia. The bible's description of Portsgate as built on stilts in the coastal swamps is consistent with the novels' description of elevated walkways and canals, though the sourcebook uses the specific phrase "built on stilts" rather than the novels' language of elevated walkways between buildings.