Port Oakes
- Trainers:
- Arbiter Unger
- Trial / TF Contacts:
- none
- Events:
- Spirit Trapping
- Exploration Badges:
- Scurvy Dog, Washed Up, Powder Monkey, Driller, Long Walk, Big Spider, Commuter's Woe, Hidden Getaway, Thrill Seeker
- Plaque Badges:
- Lorekeeper II, Swashbuckler I
- Day Jobs:
- Architect, Pain Specialist, Marketeer, Pilot, Duelist, Monitor Duty, Smuggler, Demagogue
- Enemies:
- Arachnos, Coralax, Council, The Family, Hellions, The Lost, Mooks, Snakes, Spectral Pirates, Turrets
- Connecting Zones:
- Normal Rogue Isles zones, Pocket D, The Abyss, Monster Island, and Kallisti Wharf (and Independence Port, Peregrine Island, and Striga Isle for Rogues and Vigilantes).
- Transits:
- Rogue Isles Ferries, Smuggler's Submarine
Overview
Upon exhausting the readily available missions on Mercy Island, villains are next directed to a broker in Port Oakes. To reach it, they catch a ride on the ferry on Mercy Island's southwestern tip. Port Oakes is a much rougher place than Mercy Island, so they should probably be at least threat level 7 before venturing out of the (relative) safety of Mercy.
Upon entering Port Oakes for the first time, each villain is assigned a Broker, either Mikey the Ear or Drea the Hook. Port Oakes is the beginning of the "Broker, Newspaper Missions, Mayhem Mission, Contacts" steps to begin in every new villain zone. Port Oakes's trainer is Arbiter Unger, standing next to the Arena.
History
(Copied from City of Heroes official Web site [1])
Dominated by Fort Hades and the Arachnos Watchtower, Port Oakes lies at the heart of Lord Recluse’s ocean dominion. A mixture of modern high-rises, sprawling slums, and dubious commerce, Port Oakes is a den of thieves with a history steeped in mass murder.
The pirate known as Blackbeard had just captured the Concorde and rechristened her the Queen Ann’s Revenge. He sought a place to test her in battle, and narrowed his choice to one isle in particular with a newly completed French fort. Lacking a full complement of guns, the fort and its French defenders were no match for the bloodthirsty assault made by Blackbeard and his crew. The overwhelmed soldiers surrendered and asked for quarter, but none was given. The fort became a ghastly scene of mass carnage. Only the sight of a frigate on the horizon ended the massacre. Though the ship never approached the isle, Blackbeard and his crew slipped away, beginning their now infamous course of fire and blood. When the French finally arrived with the rest of the fort’s cannons, they found only death and destruction. Despite the ominous pall that hovered over the isle, the new cannons were installed and the ship’s marine complement was left to garrison the fort.
The hauntings began on the very first night. The spirits of the slaughtered French soldiers materialized from the darkness and attacked the marines. The terrified marines left the fort to the ghosts, never to return. Abandoned and haunted, the nameless fort remained relatively unused for over a hundred years. Many bands of pirates sought to use the fort as a refuge, but each time the angry spirits rose with a bloody vengeance. Most of those slain by the phantoms joined their ranks the very next night as lesser spirits. Over time, the original spirits have come to be called “Red Hands” for the blood that stains their ethereal forms. Their servants are called the “Night Haunts.” During the early 19th century, the long-ignored harbor below the fort provided an attractive hiding place for mutinous crews and any other scum looking for a remote place to hide. This community of dregs eventually came to form a village simply called “Dockside.” The locals tried to occupy the fort on several occasions, but the Red Hands were as relentless as ever.
Finally, an aging Jesuit priest named Padre Gerard Henri took it upon himself to cleanse the fort and lay the spirits to rest. Henri performed a sort of exorcism on the place. When he finally finished the ordeal, the spirits were laid to rest. Or so it was thought. In truth, the spirits were driven from the fortress only by day. They returned each night with a vengeance.
The settlers on the island used the fort as a residence but had no modern armaments to properly outfit it. Thus the town of Dockside was easy pickings for Sergeant Westin Oakes when he “liberated” the town in 1901. He rechristened the isle Port Oakes but Dockside itself retained its name. Oakes’ followers reoccupied the fort and used it to watch over the murderous scum below. Order was imposed and despite the draconian nature of the new rulers (or more likely because of it), Dockside prospered. The wanton criminals of the town were rounded up and put to use creating a new market for smuggled goods.
The coming of Arachnos was not unwelcome by the people of Dockside. Arachnos provided security against several mercenary, hero, and government agencies who had threatened to clean up Dockside on several occasions. Several new buildings were erected downtown in Arachnos’ wake, though construction slowed soon after. Heroes who could no longer directly threaten Dockside instead put pressure on those they did business with overseas—generally derailing anyone who traded with Port Oakes. Some of that eventually spilled back into Dockside in the late 1980s, so Arachnos occupied and refurbished the old fort to give the crime bosses more tangible protection. They also finally gave it its name— Fort Hades, for it was truly a place of the dead. Lord Recluse’s agents took quick notice of the Red Hands of Fort Hades. They’ve been studying the ghosts to see if they might be used as a sort of ethereal army. The problem is that the Red Hands are bound to the site of their horrible death. If the spirit-bond could be removed, however, they would make deadly assassins.
At this time, there is no Governor of Port Oakes. The former governor was arrested by Interpol, leaving a power vacuum that has sparked a gang war between his son, Emil Marcone, and his former consigliore, Guido “the Mooch” Verandi. Emil claims the governorship is his by right of blood. Guido has a more “enlightened” view and says there’s no such thing as bloodlines in Arachnos’ “republic.” Lord Recluse could easily end this pointless fight if he were simply to appoint a governor. He finds the fight amusing, however, and firmly believes in “survival of the fittest.” He’ll wait and see who earns the governorship. It won’t hurt to erode The Family’s power a bit in the meantime—they were becoming a bit too strong for Recluse’s tastes.
Contacts
Trainers
- Arbiter Unger (Arena District: -832.7, 180, 1020.8)
Brokers
- Mikey the Ear (Arena District: -227, 98, 1119.4)
- Drea the Hook (Dockside: -2821, 59.6, 1289.2)
Regular Contacts
Level 5-9
- Angelo Vendetti (Arena District: -427.4, 144, 1303.9)
- Billie Heck (Arena District: -930, 160.1, 313.2)
- Mr. Bocor (Arena District: -402.5, 64, -41.9)
- └►(The Radio)
Level 10-14
- The Radio (Arena District: -1456.8, 64, 59.6)
Special Contacts
- Brick Johnson, Soldiers of Arachnos Contact (Arena District: -1332.3, 144, 1147.4): Level 10-14
- Veluta Lunata (Fort Hades: -2507.2, 108.3, -824.9): Level 10-14
- Unlocked by Pirate Badge
- Reconnaissance Officer (Fort Hades: -2547.1, 122.7, -1008.3): Area Informational Officer
- Lord Schweinzer (Villa Montrose: 399.8, 126.5, -2496.7): Level 10-50
- Unlocked by Hero Slayer Badge
Zone Events
- Spirit Trapping: Spectral Pirates haunt Fort Hades at night and can be trapped in Arachnos' Ghost Traps to earn the Spectral Badge.
Important Locations
Neighborhoods
- Arena District, the south-central neighborhood that contains most of the important points in Port Oakes, is the zone a villain enters and leaves Mercy Island and Cap au Diable, as well as the Arena and Hospital, and an entrance to Pocket D. The contacts Angelo Vendetti, Billie Heck, Brick Johnson, and Mr. Bocor are all located here, as are Arbiter Unger the trainer, Arbiter Sawyer the Power Respecification contact, a Fortunata Fateweaver, and a Quartermaster. A Black Market truck is located between the Arena and Pocket D. (Green - Level 7-9) (Music)
- Dockside, located in the southeast, contains the Abandoned Labs invention lab, where a villain can craft recipes. Drea the Hook is located here, as is the NPC Canada Joe. (Yellow - Level 7-9) (Music)
- Fort Hades, in the northeast, is home to Port Oakes' Spectral Pirates. Veluta Lunata stands on the neighborhood border with Dockside. (Orange - Level 9-11) (Music)
- Marconeville, in the middle, has the Arachnos Headquarters in the tallest building in the zone, the Supergroup Registrar, The Radio contact, and a Quartermaster. Shady Cage is located here, on the border with Fort Hades. (Yellow - Level 8-9) (Music)
- Oil Spill stretches down the western edge of town. A Quartermaster is located here. (Orange - Level 9-11) (Music)
- Villa Montrose to the north, the roughest neighborhood in town, is where The Family calls home, having constructed a heavily-defended mansion complete with turrets. (Red - Level 10-12) (Music)
Exploration Badges
The owner of Blackbeard's pub is rumored to have sent more than one patron to Davey Jones locker.
Emil Marcone's brother was found at low tide in this particular vehicle.
The last of the pirates died at this location defending the fort against Blackbeard.
Three years ago, Ms. Liberty smashed the supervillain Thermonuke through the deck and into the volatile crude below. Thermonuke's devastating powers ignited the oil and cracked open the Cairo Queen like a pixie stick.
You're always looking for new forms of entertainment, and it's said that the Mission Architect technology is entertainment in its purest form.
These long parking tunnels are the last thing that many who cross the Marcones see when they're asked to "come take a long walk." Those who live in Port Oakes know to steer clear - and that all of the cars in the lot belong to the Marcones.
This towering skyscraper used to belong to the Marcones before Arachnos seized it for the purpose of "overseeing operations in Port Oakes." The Marcones have been bitter about it ever since.
The Mount Diable Tunnel, destroyed following a turf war gone explosive, connected Port Oakes to Cap au Diable. Much to the chagrin of many commuters, no effort has been made to rebuild it.
When things became heated between rival families, heads of the Marcones have been known to hide in this cabin, sometimes using the nearby submarine to escape to better grounds. Some say this may even be where the first monkey fight club was started.
Plaques
You have learned much that is hidden from the eyes of mortal men.
Lorekeeper II - This monument is south of the Mercy Island ferry, at the end of the rocky peninsula. Coordinates (-1550, 35, 1945)
Arrhh, matey! You be a mighty scholar o' piracy!
Swashbuckler I - The plaque is on the outer wall facing west near the northwest corner of Fort Hades. Coordinates (-3113, 207, -1550)
Day Jobs
Your study of the Mission Architect system has earned you the Architect Day Job. Logging out in the Mission Architect will earn you 2 bonus Mission Architect Tickets, when you log back in, each time you complete a mission for a short time.
You have spent a great deal of time working in the hospitals of Paragon City during your free time earning the Caregiver Day Job. Logging out in a Hospital will earn you a Regeneration Bonus, when you log back in, for a short time.
Your expertise in surgery and understanding pain has earned you the Pain Specialist Day Job. Logging out in a Hospital will earn you a Regeneration Bonus, when you log back in, for a short time.
Your time spent working at Wentworth's has earned you the Day Trader Day Job. Logging out in Wentworth's will grant you a Brain Storm Idea Salvage after mission completion, when you log in, for a short time.
Your time spent supplying the Black Market has earned you the Marketeer Day Job. Logging out near a Black Market will grant you a Brain Storm Idea Salvage after mission completion, when you log back in, for a short time.
You have aided Arachnos by piloting its fliers, helping Lord Recluse better mobilize his troops, earning you the Pilot Day Job. Logging out near a Black Helicopter will earn you a Speed Bonus, when you log back in, for a short time.
Arachnos is more likely to pound you into dust than let you near one of their fliers. And your license is no good in Paragon City, it seems.
You spend your free time battling other heroes and villains in Arena matches earning you the Duelist Day Job. Logging out in an Arena will earn you a bonus to your maximum Endurance, when you log back in, for a short time.
Your time spent protecting your Supergroup's base has earned you the Monitor Duty Day Job. Logging out in your Supergroup base will earn you charges for your Base Teleporter power.
You spend your free time smuggling in illicit black market goods earning you the Smuggler Day Job. Logging out near a ferry will earn you a random enhancement, upon each mission completion, for a short time.
You've scored the biggest coup of all; smuggling directly into Paragon City. Unfortunately, it's a long round-trip.
You spend your free time spreading Arachnos propaganda to better manipulate and placate the masses of the Rogue Isles earning you the Demagogue Day Job. Logging out in the Arachnos Building in Marconeville will earn you an Infamy bonus, upon each mission completion, for a short time.
While you're no longer interested in spreading Arachnos lies, there don't seem to be many opportunities in a similar vein here in Paragon City.
Stores
- All Quartermasters sell Levels 5, 10, and 15 TO Enhancements
- Angelo Vendetti sells Levels 5 and 10 TO Enhancements and Small Inspirations
- Billie Heck sells Levels 5 and 10 TO Enhancements and Small Inspirations
- Mr. Bocor sells Levels 5 and 10 TO Enhancements and Small Inspirations
- Brick Johnson sells Levels 10 and 15 TO Enhancements and Small Inspirations
- Veluta Lunata sells Levels 5 and 10 TO Enhancements and Small Inspirations
Transfer Points
- Ferry in the southeast part of Arena District.
- Ferry between Arena District and Oil Spill.
- The Smuggler's Submarine is docked off the east coast of Port Oakes, southeast of Fort Hades; it goes to Grandville, Sharkhead Isle, The Abyss, Monster Island, and Kallisti Wharf (and Independence Port, Peregrine Island, and Striga Isle for Rogues and Vigilantes).
- Entrance to Pocket D through an apartment building door east of the Arena at (-1408.4, 145.0, 1266.4).