Dover

Overview
There has been a port at Dover since Roman times. Portus Dubris, as it was known then, was one of the busiest ports in Britannia, the main corridor by which the Romans brought troops and goods into the country, and by virtue of its close proximity to France it has remained the effective gateway to England from the continent ever since. Perhaps the most prominent of the so-called "Cinque Ports" - five ports on the south coast - its strategic location has brought Dover considerable wealth and prestige. The cliffs overlooking the town have been fortified for as long as anyone can remember; the present Norman castle is merely the replacement for an earlier Saxon fortress, and the Romans themselves may have built a fort on this site.

Dover suffered heavily during the Norman Conquest, being burned by the forces of William the Conqueror shortly after the Battle of Hastings, but since then the town has been rebuilt and has gone from strength to strength; the burgesses have their own guilds, and the wealthier townsfolk and local nobles endow churches and monasteries in the area. There are, of course, the obvious economic benefits of being the closest port to mainland Europe to consider as well.

Yes, for now Dover prospers, for anyone seeking to transport goods or men or merely themselves to and from the continent as quickly as possible must come through this bustling port town. But should anyone dare to challenge the right of the new King Eustace, England's gateway to the world may find it becomes a valuable prize... and the object of unwanted attention.