Taranta

Taranta, on the southeast coast of Saturnia, is among the most agreeable Tharshi colonies, with a lovely climate and scenery of rolling hills, open meadows and far-off mountains. Regents who want a life of comfort and luxury compete for the post.

A sizable slave workforce tends the fields and harvests and crates the colony's grapes, olives, vegetables, millet and oats for export. Its chief product, though, is wine: slaves pick and press the grapes while Tharshi vintners oversee every stage, and the wine ages in huge oak casks inside the fortress. Tarantan vintages fetch high prices around the world. Supply ships call every week, and vessels bound for Qaddan, Zin and other eastern ports often stop too.

The colony is the usual walled fortress with two outlying towers watching over the fields and vineyards. Within stands Sybaris, the regent's famously splendid and comfortable mansion, where he entertains notable travelers and adventurers as well as Tharshi merchants and officials visiting on business or holiday. Security is light: at most 200 soldiers and three ships at any time, plus about 50 exceptionally tall, skilled Nubian mercenaries serving as the regent's bodyguard. Their duties are easy, many simply guarding the regent's large harem of courtesan-slaves, so the posting is much sought after and few new mercenaries are needed. Saturnia's nymphs and other natives resent the colony but have not acted against it, though colonists who wander from the fields into the wild woods and groves risk cruel tricks from vengeful creatures.