3 Excellent Things a Fantasy Harbor Has to Offer

This fantasy harbor has brown buildings with red roofs on each side of a body of water that goes out to the ocean. In the distance is a tall, light blue tower-like object. Above it is the orange sky with white clouds.
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Sunfire

CONTENTS

Introduction

There’s nothing better than standing on the docks, feeling the cool breeze of the sea caressing your skin as you look out at the watery horizon. The docks may be a prominent feature of a harbor but it isn’t its only one. Indeed, the fantasy harbor is filled with action, adventure, and a myriad of buildings that make it a dynamic and vibrant place to be.

A fantasy port may only be found alongside the sea and is the gateway to other, faraway lands. In medieval worlds where traveling by sea is the only way to reach other lands, the port is one of the most important places in the world since it grants travelers the chance to reach these lands.

Many buildings line the harbor, offering a bevy of services both for people preparing to depart or arrive. With all the hustle and bustle of the port, it comes as no surprise that seaside cities and towns become powerhouses in the medieval economy. There’s no shortage of activity at any point in the day, even at nighttime!

One reason why a fantasy port is popular is it offers an opportunity for people seeking adventure to realize their dreams. With enough money, anyone can buy a ticket to go to the place they want to go. For those who still need a bit more, they can always pick up the odd job here and there at the port and if they save just enough, they can get that ticket!

When it comes to the economy, a fantasy harbor is a major contributor, seeing that it is the site where goods and people arrive and depart. Many kingdoms buy exotic goods from distant lands that they can’t find on the mainland or they ship the excess goods, hoping to make a quick profit. Kingdoms with ports tend to become more powerful than landlocked ones.

This is the seventeenth article in the series chronicling the different types of fantasy buildings. For more articles, go to our blog page where we have plenty for you to look through!

Buildings Commonly Associated with a Fantasy Harbor

Some ports are small, having only one dock and a few buildings whereas others are more expansive, having multiple docks. No matter the size, many of the same kind of buildings populate them, meaning that there are some you always expect to see. This is especially true for those who arrive after spending weeks sailing the high seas.

One building you will definitely come across in a fantasy port is the inn. The inn is the perfect place for weary travelers to get some long-sought snooze after being out on the ocean for an extended period of time. Bonus point if it’s bundled in with a tavern!

Besides sleeping, people need to eat and that’s where the tavern comes in. People grab a quick bite and down several ales before hitting the hay. For small ports, only one will suffice but for major seaside cities, there’ll be several, all in competition against each other.

Inns are a popular building in fantasy cities. This fantasy inn is called The Deerlight Inn and it has blue walls, brown support beams that run up, down, left, and right. It also has a brown roof and a dark brown door. The windows are gray and it's in front of an orange-sky background with a couple of white clouds.

While this one may not be found in every harbor, the coastal fortress defends it from being attacked. As a military installation, it protects the ports the kingdom considers essential to its economy. The soldiers keep vigil on all inbound and departing vessels, determined to maintain the peace of the port. Additionally, many have the power to detain criminals and hold them for questioning or until they can be transported to the appropriate jurisdiction to be tried for their crimes.

The fantasy harbor is a haven for fishermen. They flock to the docks to try to catch as much fish as they can to sell. However, they need bait and fortunately for them, there’s a shop that caters to them right there on the port. All they need to do is go there and get the bait they want so they can go outside and nab the biggest fish they can get!

With how many goods move through a fantasy port, the government established a building that inspects each transport and charges a fee. The customs building appears in every harbor and the funds its agents collects goes into the kingdom’s coffers. Many of these agents are unpopular with the general public since they tend to be a bit overzealous in collecting the fees and duties.

Adventures Abound and the Fantasy Harbor

A fantasy port is the gateway between lands. For those who wish to start a new life in a new environment, they must go through the port. They book a ticket on a seafaring vessel that will take them to where they want to go so that they can begin their life anew with new hopes and aspirations.

In order to take that first step into the new adventure, people need to fork over their hard-earned money to obtain a ticket. The trouble is that some can be ridiculously expensive, meaning that they have no choice but to find work around the port until they can scrounge up enough to buy a ticket. Luckily for them, there’s always something to do in a fantasy port!

There’s a reason why a fantasy harbor teems with activity at all hours of the day. From loading and unloading a cargo vessel in the daytime to making shady deals in dark alleys in the middle of the night for unsavory characters, a sense of adventure permeates the harbor. Determined souls have no choice but to trudge through it if they want to sail to an island or continent but lack the funds to do so.

A landmass in the middle of an ocean. It has gray mountains and green hills. Above the landmass is a pink sky with white clouds and birds. Going with traditional publishers is one way to achieve your dream of being a published author!

For those who stand at the edge of the pier, watching ships disappear into the distance, they’re left with wonderment as to where they’re going. A fantasy port serves as a invaluable connection between the kingdom and the rest of the world as it offers routes to places far beyond its borders. They often wish they were on them, looking forward to the day that they will be the one embarking onto a new adventure!

The fantasy harbor links people with places filled with bountiful foods and new environments, places they’ve only heard about in passing. They haven’t been fully explored, meaning for those who wish to make a mark on history have an opportunity to do so. Maybe they’ll discover something that will change people’s lives!

Enterprising souls immediately realize the significance of these new lands and the new markets they can create. They work assiduously to link these new markets, knowing that all goods must come through the port and pass customs. They negotiate contracts that officially designate the fantasy port as the point of entry and departure for all the goods they transport. The more goods that move through it, the more money that flows into the city/town’s treasury.

How a Fantasy Harbor Impacts the World

A fantasy port is considered a major strategic asset of the kingdom that controls it. It brings with it a number of economical, military, and other benefits, all of which contribute to the prosperity of the realm. As such, it plays a prominent role in both the world and the kingdom itself.

In regard to the kingdom, its main role is to connect it to distant lands. It could be an allied nation or a colony. This way, it provides its citizens access to resources they don’t already have like new foods. These resources help them become wealthier and they’re more likely to spend their money at home, leading to a prolonged economic boom.

This fantasy ocean shows the rising sun against an orange sky. The sun is shining upon the ocean as seen with the orange spots on it. Several white clouds and birds are scattered throughout the sky. The dark blue marks on the ocean represent its shadows.

When it comes to the military aspect, a fantasy harbor is highly coveted by the kingdom’s enemies and roving pirates. As such, all major ports have a sizable military presence, designed to ward off enemies and to patrol their areas. Soldiers and ships guard them from being attacked.

In the context of the world, a fantasy harbor is a major transport hub. A constant stream of people and goods leave and arrive multiple times in a day. It is the point where imported goods arrive and excess goods that the kingdom desires to sell to add more funds to its treasury are sent out.

A fantasy port also serves as an example of the might of the kingdom. Those with access to the sea wield more power than those that don’t. The reason for this is that they have to construct a naval fleet, build a coastal fortress, and increases the number of soldiers in their armed forces. Having a naval fleet is the mark of a great power or one endeavoring to become one of the most powerful in the world.

Tying it all Together

A fantasy harbor is an invaluable part of the world. Though it may not appear in every story in the genre, it nevertheless shows up in the majority of them. It’s because when your audience sees it for the first time, it dawns upon them that there is a world larger than the one they’ve seen thus far. That makes them want to learn more about it, to see what’s on the other side of the ocean.

A port isn’t just a place with a pier. It’s a bustling community with various buildings like the inn/tavern or bait shop. Each building plays an unique role in the harbor and makes for a great setting to showcase what life is like seaside. There’s always something going on at all hours of the day, even in the dead of night!

Visions of adventure flash through people’s eyes when they stand at the edge of the dock, looking at the wild blue yonder. Everyone knows a fantasy harbor is the gateway to a new world, where many exciting adventures await. Only those with an ironclad determination and courage will brave the seas to realize their dreams.

A harbor is a strategic asset for the country that controls it. Besides being the channel where people and goods depart and arrive, the port also serves to exemplify the kingdom’s might. With it being a target for its enemies, the realm beefs up its defenses, buttressing it with a coastal fortress, ships, and soldiers to safeguard it in case of an attack.

Will you incorporate a fantasy harbor in your world or your story?

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Thanks for reading this and until the next time,

Sunfire

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