The small boat turned and began pulling on the line, and Rothgar was pleased that it seemed to hold.  Two other small boats appeared out of the mass of masts and keels and took up positions at the rear of the longboat.  Once the lead boat had pulled the longboat near a dock with some open space, the other two boats darted about, using the overstuffed cushions on their prows to cancel the longboat's forward momentum and then nudge it into place alongside the wharf.  Without missing a beat, a group of dockhands converged on the longboat, tied it up, and moved on to the next ship arriving or leaving the port.  You had to admire the efficiency, but then, with the sheer quantity of traffic here it is doubtful the port could operate any other way.<br/><br/>You disembark, and are met a few scant meters down the pier by an officious-looking man carrying a ledger who appears to be at least partly mechanical.  His left arm is made of brass and you can hear the sound of gears whirring -- seemingly from inside him.<br/><br/>"Welcome to Marshal's Ring," the man says.  "Docking fee is 30 Sigillian gold rings per day."  He holds out a brass palm.<br/><br/>It's difficult to be certain, but that sounds like a whole lot of money.