At first glance the docks of Absalom would look the same as they always did.  Ships coming in and out of port, dockworkers loading and unloading, and sailors singing songs as they came out of the taverns and bars.  But all was not the same, for instead of the city watch, there were squads of Osirion soldiers, mostly Garundi in ethnicity, and a great number of Osirion ships were in dock.  The number of ships coming and going was fewer as well, and if one looked closely, they might see elementals keeping watch on the shipping.  Occasionally one would hear a creaking groan from the ruins of Starwatch Keep, and the stone of a trebuchet would go flying out at one of the ships.  On occasion it would hit and wreak havoc on the ship, but such was rare.<br/><br/>When one went to the south-west, however, things grew much more grim.  The Puddles district was half underwater, and a festering pit of disease, poisons, monsters, and traitors to the Osirion occupation.  Many of the buildings were sagging with rot and disrepair, and patrols of troops on boats were few and far between.  Many of the locals were forced to slog through the waist deep water that was much of the district, but the center forced everyone to take to boats or roofs, and the latter was more dangerous in many cases.  But patrols still entered, rarely having trouble.  But that did not mean that it wasn't there.