Ghosts of Saltmarsh OOC

[CaoimhinTheCape]

IC Thread

Welcome to the game! Throughout this week I'll build up this first post with all the information you'll need.

Since it is the holidays and I'm going to be busy this week, I think I'll go slow on starting up the main game thread. I'll reach out to each of you separately to ask you a few questions about your backstories/give you some information your characters would have and probably the day or two after Christmas we'll start the game proper.

In thread right now feel free to talk, and discuss any connections (if any) you want between your characters before the adventure starts. Also, choose a color for your character to speak in.

Player Name	Character Name	Class	Background	Connection
Lioslaith	Caspian Bourne	Paladin (Storms)	Sailor	Captain Xendros
Paradox26	Eldryn Valadin	Warlock	Acolyte	Captain Xendros
Izzarra	Yue	Sorcerer (Divine)/Bard	Wandering Apothecary	Captain Xendros
Auranghzeb	Ledger	Rogue (Inquisitive)	Anthropologist	Captain Xendros
NontheistCleric	Imsha	Ranger (Beast Master)	Drowned

Spoiler: Alternates

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Player Name	Character Name	Class	Background	Connection
Dr.Samurai	Dorn	Ranger (Beast Master)	Giant Foundling

Spoiler: Previous Party Members

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Player Name	Character Name	Class	Background	Connection
Snarkhunter	Byrok	Fighter (Champion)/Barbarian(Zealot)	Acolyte	Wellgar Brinehanded
Awful	Tulvi	Cleric (Arcane)	Sage	Keledek the unspoken
Vozen	Flow of the River	Rogue (Swashbuckler)	Smuggler	keledek the unspoken
JNA Productions	Sapphire	Druid (Shepherd)	Isolated Villager	Wellgar Brinehanded

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Saltmarsh Locations

Spoiler: Saltmarsh Locations

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The Wicker Goat
Bearing the dubious honor of being the oldest tavern in town, the Wicker Goat is owned by Lankus Kurrid, a retired officer of the Keoish army who caters to the dwarven miners and town guard. The two-story building has sleeping quarters for rent on the upper floor, usually sufficient to accommodate the slow stream of travelers making their way through Saltmarsh on the way to somewhere else. Those who seek an audience with Manistrad can find her here when she's not working at the mine.

Mining Company Headquarters

Once a mansion owned by a local noble family, this building was purchased by the crown and serves as the dwarven mining company's headquarters in Saltmarsh. Manistrad Copperlocks stays here when she must do business in town; otherwise, several dwarf clerks work here during the day, logging deliveries at the docks to be transported to the mine and arranging for the processed ore to be loaded on trade ships bound for distant ports. Rumors abound of a vault hidden beneath the building.

Keledek Tower

This three-story tower is home to the town's resident sage and wizard, Keledek the Unspoken. Keledek's dusky skin, bald head, and bright red silk turban—not to mention his height of nearly 7 feet—make him an unmistakable figure in town. Keledek came to town years ago from Ket, a distant kingdom held in a mix of contempt, mistrust, and fear by the locals. Rumor around town claims that speaking his name aloud allows Keledek to eavesdrop on a conversation for a short time.

Faithful Quartermasters of Iuz

A trade delegation led by Captain Xendros has come to Saltmarsh to acquire large quantities of fish (salted and preserved for transport) in the name of Iuz, a mighty cambion and demigod who rules much of the distant north. Iuz's realm does not produce enough food to feed all its citizens, so it relies on imports for the rest, and Saltmarsh is one of its major suppliers. The minions of Iuz have only rarely come into direct conflict with Keoland, and its ongoing war with Keoland's rivals makes the nation an acceptable trade partner in the eyes of the king. The emissaries from Iuz pay on time and they buy shiploads of fish at once, so no one inquires too closely into the captain's sepulchral voice or her penchant for wearing gold jewelry etched with grim designs.

The Empty Net

Partially supported by stilts driven into the harbor waters, this rickety tavern is purportedly a haven for smugglers, mercenaries, assassins and even pirates. The owner, Kreb Shenker, takes coin from anyone and asks no questions. Troublemakers are thrown out the door, over the railing, and into the reeking harbor. Characters looking to carouse find this the best place for a rowdy night of drinking and brawling. The town guard comes here only if called.

Kester's Leather Goods
Kiorna Kester runs this tannery, where she produces smooth, colorful leather for every purpose and sells both the cured hides and items she fashions from it. Kiorna is keenly interested in acquiring hides from exotic creatures to craft into expensive leather. She pays a fee in gold pieces for the intact hide of any beast or monstrosity of challenge rating 3 or higher. Harvesting the hide from such a creature requires an intact carcass, an hour of work, and a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Survival) check to preserve it in top condition for Kiorna's purposes. On a failed check, the hide does not meet Kiorna's standards but can still be sold for a lesser price.

Hoolwatch Tower
This 60-foot-tall tower was the first defensive building of Saltmarsh, and it still serves as an armory and lookout as well as the official base of the town guard. Eliander spends most of his time here in his duties as commander of the guard. He sometimes has need for adventurers, and at such times he posts jobs on a board hanging by the tower's entrance.

The Snapping Line
This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship's cabins. The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night.

The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist, who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.

Council Hall
This large brick building contains the offices of the town council and the chamber where they meet to discuss the town business. The hall is built from sturdy stone from the nearby cliffs and a variety of hardwood from the nearby Hool Marshes. A wooden sign depicting a net filled with fish hangs above the double doors leading into the hall. A small tower rises from the building, housing a horn at the top, which is blown to announce the beginning of a council session or other significant events.

The town has a sturdy but weatherbeaten platform and gallows in front of the hall for use in the event of an execution. Such punishments are rare, but when they do occur, they draw a large crowd.

Weekly Market
Built around the first well dug for the fishers in the town's early days is a large market square where merchants of all descriptions gather on the first day of each week to sell their wares. Initially established to sell fish, the market has grown to include a wide variety of goods. The center area of the square contains a dozen long tables where shoppers can eat communally. Items from the Player's Handbook costing up to 150 gp are available for purchase here.

Primewater Mansion
Gellan Primewater maintains a large mansion right on the docks, allowing him to oversee his ships from his upstairs window. He sometimes leans out to shout orders or answer questions for his captains and crews, his booming voice echoing over the docks. The mansion's most notable feature is its grand entryway and feast hall. Gellan hosts at least one extravagant feast per week, headlined by food and drink bought in distant ports. His cook, a young gnome named Feliza, sometimes hires adventurers to find rare herbs, meats, and other ingredients for her dishes.

The Dwarven Anvil
The blacksmith's forge has a single anvil with a clear sign of dwarven origins, and a backlog of orders ten miles long. The human smiths make hooks, nails, harpoons, knives, fishing weights, and much more all day. Their master smith is an elderly, dark-skinned woman named Mafera; her son, Jasker, is her best journeyman. A small shrine to Moradin can be found under the eaves as well, though it is somewhat neglected. Some of the dwarves associated with the new mining operation would like to know how a human came into ownership of such fine dwarven tools.

Oweland House
The Oweland family has owned this sprawling mansion for generations. Despite the family's wealth, the building is a sprawling collection of new construction, expansions, and additions. Each generation of the family has added to the building to accommodate the clan's growth. The family takes in fishers who have fallen on hard times, sharing their wealth with others until they can recover.

Solmor House
The Solmor family owns several buildings in this modest complex. The largest is the personal mansion of the Solmor family. Three smaller buildings house servants, employees of the family's trading fleet, and secure storage for expensive goods.

Mariner's Guildhall
The mariners' guild serves all the towns along the coast, providing a bunk and a meal for sailors passing through. Sea captains in search of a crew stop here, as do others seeking news from afar. The guildhall is an excellent place to discuss seafaring, as well as the various threats to navigation along the coast.

Ingo the Drover's House
Ingo the Drover is a good source for guards, marines, and muscle when sailing through difficult waters. He has a number of medals that remind him of past achievements. He has a good friendship with Eliander Fireborn.

Carpenter's Guildhall
Run by a snobby gnome named Jilar Kanklesten, the carpenters' guild has plenty of work building houses, assembling fish barrels, repairing docks, and much more. The whole building is a marvel of workmanship, made without a single nail. Jilar is obsessed with rare woods; she pays handsomely for adventurers to make expeditions in search of specific trees in the Hool Marshes, the Drowned Forest, and the Dreadwood.

Crabber's Cove
Just east of the docks, built along the shores of a secluded bay, are a handful of buildings known collectively as Crabber's Cove. The buildings are weathered, abandoned by the residents of Saltmarsh years ago. Since then, thousands of crabs have taken up residence in the crumbling remains. Crabbers from Saltmarsh are cautious about the cove, as more than one overeager fisher has disappeared into the clacking darkness, never to be seen again.

The Leap
The Leap is an outcropping of rock nearly a hundred feet above the churning water below. Several stone benches stand near this precipitous edge, and a few stone markers sit in the tall grass nearby. Traditionally, the people of Saltmarsh leap from the cliffs into the water below when a loved one drowns at sea. The jump is usually not fatal; the water below the Leap is free of rocks, and it is a short swim back to dry land.

Temple of Procan
Services at this long-standing sea god's temple are well attended. The congregation is led by a one-legged former whaler: Wellgar Brinehanded, an older human man with a sharp memory for every storm, lost ship, and enormous catch ever brought into Saltmarsh harbor. He knows many fanciful stories of shipwrecks, lucky escapes, and famous captains. Matters ashore rarely interest him, but the temple and its bell tower are also served by a half-dozen novitiates and laypeople who keep things running smoothly. Wellgar uses the blessings of Procan to seek out shipwrecks in order to recover the remains of sailors for a proper burial. He is willing to trade cleric spells of up to 5th level, including raise dead, in return for recovery of the remains he seeks.

Saltmarsh Cemetary
The town's cemetery is well-kept, but many of its graves are little more than memorial stones laid for those who died at sea. Krag is the town gravedigger, as well as something of a town historian and local loremaster. He has conducted extensive research into the folk buried here and events in the region. He can be an invaluable resource for adventurers seeking information and is especially helpful to those who can help him with his research. In his spare time, Krag helps organize and translate Eliander's library. He keeps a room Eliander's home and the two are close friends.

Winston's Store
Winston, the owner of this establishment, knows a great deal about the Hool Marshes. He does business with sailors, adventurers, and those who need "solid goods at honest prices," as he often says. Winston has a few maps of the marshes, and those who intend to explore that area often consult with him for guidance.

Sea Grove of Obad-Hai
Open to the air and set in a grove outside town, the sea-grove is a gathering place for seagulls, sailors, and swamp folk, as well as an information market for traders and trappers. Ferrin Kastilar, a somewhat melancholy individual of middle years, tends the shrine with his bullfrog companion, Lorys. Ferrin always keeps an eye out for rumors of aberrations in the wild. He also has contacts with the elves of the Dreadwood, and they send word to him if a monster escapes that forest and heads in the direction of Saltmarsh. If news of an aberration reaches him, he hires adventurers to stalk and kill the creature.

Standing Stones
Two enormous runestones stand on this island. Rumor has it a siren was chained to the stones here and sacrificed by an evil human tribe as an offering to the sea and that is the reason that fishing in the region has flourished.

Spoiler: Saltmarsh Maps

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Saltmarsh General Info

Spoiler: General Saltmarsh Info

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Town Council

The town council includes the following members: Manistrad Copperlocks, Eliander Fireborn, Eda Oweland, Gellan Primewater, Anders Solmor.

Procan, Sailor of Sea and Sky

Procan is a chaotic neutral deity of the sea and weather. He offers his clerics access to the Tempest domain. He is embodied in the sudden storm that overtakes a ship, battering it with monstrous waves and howling winds that give way to peaceful waters and calm weather in the space of a moment.

Procan's domain is the sea, and whatever the oceans touch, he bears witness to. His mood shifts to darkness as he witnesses a brutal murder on the docks of a squalid port, then lifts in pride as he watches a brave mariner leap into the sea and save a drowning child. Every story of the oceans courses through his mind, and he in each moment curses and blesses mortals for their endless follies, heroism, and hatreds.

When the sea reaches its limit at the shore, so too does Procan's power. His clerics and priests rarely venture inland, and he cares little for what happens beyond his waters. At sea, he expects sacrifices in the form of fine food, potent alcohol, or valuable treasures thrown overboard at the start of a voyage. Due to this ritual, Procan holds all treasures lost at sea as part of his domain. He curses those who plunder shipwrecks without the blessings of his clerics, dogging their steps with wretched weather until his attention is drawn elsewhere.

Procan's clerics reflect their deity's chaotic nature. They seek omens of his moods in the weather and sky, and mirror their own demeanor to match their deity's.

Militia and Defense

One hundred trained warriors serve in the town guard. Each of them wears studded leather armor marked with a town guard's badge—the green reed of Saltmarsh—and is armed with a club while patrolling in town. The guards work in pairs, operating from two guardhouses built near the road into Saltmarsh. A smaller station at the docks quells the fights that break out there nightly. The captain of the town guard is Eliander Fireborn.

The guard also patrols the area around Saltmarsh on horseback. Groups assigned to this duty are more heavily armed and armored; they wear chain mail and wield longswords and heavy crossbows.

A militia of five hundred residents can be mustered to take up the defense of the town if it comes under attack. The militia members have undergone minimal training, since they are expected only to keep an enemy at bay until the king's forces arrive.

A small force of marines watches over the docks and, if needed, can take to sea to meet threats. The marines are hardened veterans of several battles against the Sea Princes. They are led by a married couple, Tom and Will Stoutly, veterans who have fought dozens of engagements against pirates, raiders, and monsters.

Local Law Enforcement

The town guard arrests lawbreakers and imprisons them in the town jail. In most cases, criminals pay a fine and are let go. Those who cannot pay are required to work off their debt, usually put to work sweeping streets or helping with construction projects. If a crime requires a trial, the town council hears evidence and renders a verdict. Crime breaks down into three basic categories in Saltmarsh.

Petty Crime - Public unarmed brawling, pickpocketing, and other crimes that cause up to 50 gp in property damages are classified as petty crimes. The accused pays a fine of 2d6 gp, or one day of hard labor per gold piece owed.
Minor Crime - Armed assault, defined as any nonfatal attack made with a weapon, along with any other assault or property crimes that cause more than 50 gp in damages, but less than 250 gp, are minor crimes. The perpetrator must pay a fine of 100 gp and serve 1d4 years in prison or at forced labor.
Major Crime - Crimes more severe than those outlined above, including murder, are major crimes. The criminal faces 2d10 years of imprisonment, though serious cases earn the death penalty. In most instances, these crimes are dealt with in Seaton, the provincial capital located east of Saltmarsh.

Commerce

Saltmarsh might be encrusted in sea salt and reek of rotting fish guts, but there is gold aplenty in the coffers of its citizens. For more than a century, the ships of Saltmarsh have worked the rich fishing grounds along the coast. Trade ships from near and far have been using the docks to unload their goods, and lately more ships have come to call as the dwarven mining operation grows.

The dwarven mining operation promises to bring about a rapid growth in Saltmarsh's fortunes. Whether that's a good or a bad thing depends on who you ask. The merchants look forward to more business, but the fishers don't see how the mines will do anything to enrich their coffers. If anything, they fear that competition for fish will become more ferocious as the town grows.

Fishing - More folk in town work in the fishing industry than any other, and it has been the backbone of Saltmarsh for generations. The wealthier families own their own boats, while less well-to-do folk hire out to work as deckhands. The work is difficult and dangerous, but a smart deckhand can save money for several years and eventually buy their own boat. That promise of earned prosperity is important to the townsfolk, and they see newcomers as a threat to it.
Trading - The wealthiest families in town own large trading vessels that they use to ship goods across the Azure Sea. Saltmarsh exports other foodstuffs from the farms around town. Most manufactured goods, except for rope, nets, and other items created locally to support the fishing industry, are imported into town.
Mining - The mine outside town is a new development. Despite the skepticism of the locals, the mine has started to yield silver in growing quantities, and the dwarves are convinced that the nearby cliffs are rich with gold. If the mine takes off, Saltmarsh could transform into a sprawling boomtown overnight.

Area Around Saltmarsh

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Roads And Pathways

The roads around Saltmarsh are heavily patrolled, part of the crown's effort to make its influence felt in the region. Travel along these thoroughfares is usually safe, with most encounters involving merchant caravans, guard patrols, and fellow travelers. Small farms and manors cluster near the roads, relying on passing guard patrols for their safety. Where these settlements grow more widely spaced, bandit raids become more likely.

Burle

Burle is a fortified outpost that is always on guard for monsters emerging from the Dreadwood. It serves as a key stopover point for travelers venturing inland from the southern coastal region. The community is dominated by a small keep set atop a hill that overlooks the forest it borders. A few farms cluster around it, the locals relying on the royal garrison to keep them safe from marauders.

Burle's most distinctive feature is the small copse of trees that grows in the middle of the keep. An ancient treant named Wander Root dwells in the keep and acts as an informal ambassador between the humans of Keoland and the wood elves and good-aligned fey of the Dreadwood. Years ago, the knights of Keoland helped the denizens of the forest defeat an incursion by cultists worshiping elemental evil fire. Since then, the elves, the treants, and the crown of Keoland have observed the Wild Flame Pact—a treaty that calls for mutual defense against the Dreadwood's horrors.

The outpost is commanded by its castellan, Kiara Shadowbreaker, who has led many successful raids into the Dreadwood. Kiara is a grim figure, always cognizant of the threat posed by the forest's denizens. She sees trouble behind every piece of news, and she keeps the warriors and rangers headquartered here ready to fight at a moment's notice.

Burle provides a safe resting place before and during expeditions into the Hool Marshes or the Dreadwood. Kiara offers a bounty equal to 5 gp per Hit Die for any aberration, elemental, or outlaw slain in the region. She keeps a bounty board just outside Burle's gates, which occasionally offers larger rewards for the capture or killing of specific monsters or criminals.

Dwarven Mine

Dwarven prospectors have toiled in this new mine for the past three years. Soldiers from Keoland's royal army are stationed here for security alongside dwarf fighters from the Copperlocks clan. Travelers in need of shelter can rest on cots in the guard towers that surround the place, but only those with business related to the mine are allowed inside the gates without supervision.

The mine is a broad shaft dug into a steep hillside near the shore. Stone walls encompass it, with two guard towers overlooking the main gate and three other towers spaced evenly around the perimeter. The inner area contains a small village with warehouses, workshops, and houses, all erected during the time when the excavation was beginning and enormous amounts of stone became available for building.

The laborers also took the time to build a tavern, the Miner's Respite, and spend their off hours there drinking, swapping tales, and gambling. The game of darts has become an obsession among the bored miners and soldiers, and anyone with real skill at the game has a chance of talking their way past the guard at the door to engage in a match.

Seaton

The folk of Saltmarsh point to Seaton as an example of the fate they want to avoid. For years, Seaton was about twice as large as Saltmarsh and enjoyed prosperous fishing and shipping industries. When King Kimbertos Skotti turned his attention south to deal with the Sea Princes, his admirals chose Seaton as the location for an important military port. Today, Seaton has been transformed from a robust fishing town into a drab fortress. Seaton's harbor is heavily fortified, and a large garrison of naval ships, infantry, and cavalry serves as the primary defense point for the region.

Duke Marik Feldren rules over the town in his capacity of governor of the southern province that includes Seaton. King Skotti actually granted Marik's older brother, the war hero Obertus Feldren, governorship of the province. But the affable duke's reign was short-lived, for he fell ill and died a year later. The title fell to Marik, a sheltered hothead eager to surpass his brother's legend. He considers the natives of the region as cowards who hid away in their isolated villages while the north suffered its losses. He further believes that his brother, who had a genuine fondness for the local fishers and traders, was laid low by traitors in service to the Sea Princes.

The Dreadwood

Long a home of horrid monsters and vicious raiders, the Dreadwood hides within its borders a multitude of terrors. Keoland maintains ranger patrols that sweep through the outer reaches of the forest periodically, while several wood elf clans dwell at its edge. The two forces are generally successful at keeping the monsters of the Dreadwood in check, but at times a threat that avoids them or overcomes them emerges to wreak havoc across the land.

Drowned Forest

Perched at the edge of the Hool Marshes, the Drowned Forest was once a verdant region. A few decades ago, the marsh began to encroach on this area. As the water level rose, the forest was transformed into a more foreboding place. Shambling mounds and blights appeared in the forest in increasing numbers while the water rotted away the trees themselves. In time, strange mushrooms and fungus sprouted throughout the woods.

Today, the Drowned Forest is perhaps the most dangerous location in the region. The trees remain standing, but they long ago lost their foliage and are little more than dead, rotting timbers projecting out of the mud. Mushrooms and other fungi sprout everywhere. A thick cloud of spores fills the air and blots out the sun, allowing the unnatural growths to flourish.

Hool Marshes

The treacherous Hool Marshes are notorious for pools of water that seem easy to cross but hide deep wells and layers of mud. The area is full of tall, sickly trees and great swarms of biting insects. None but the desperate venture into this place, making it the ideal hiding place for outlaws or raiders.

Dunwater River

The Dunwater River meanders its way into the Azure Sea. It is a broad, slow-moving body of water, choked with reeds and too shallow in many spots to allow boats other than rafts to traverse it.

Silverstand

This forest got its name from the silvery sheen that marks the leaves and bark of its trees. Long ago, elves from the Feywild crossed the planar boundaries to settle here. Today, several wood elf clans dwell in elegant, wooden structures built among the forest canopy. Not a single creature enters or leaves the forest's boundaries without the knowledge of the elves.

The elves of the Silverstand periodically send war parties to patrol the outer reaches of the Dreadwood. The Wild Flame Pact—an alliance struck between the elves, the kingdom of Keoland, and the treants of the region—commits all three groups to repelling the monsters that emerge from the forest. At rare times, the elves organize patrols into the deepest, deadliest regions of the Dreadwood in hopes of defeating threats in their nascent state.

The Azure Sea

The Azure Sea has long been a turbulent body of water in every sense. Its storms have sent countless ships to their doom, and warfare of one sort of another is conducted across its surface all the time. Pirates affiliated with the Sea Princes, along with independent marauders, prey on ships that attempt to cross the ocean. Strange monsters, including vicious dinosaurs from the Amedio Jungle in the far south, emerge from below from time to time.

Saltmarsh Factions

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The Sea Princes

Buying a Ship

Spoiler: Ship stats and cost

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Ship Type	Crew/Passengers	Cost
Rowboat	2/2	50 gp
Keelboat	3/4	3,000 gp
Sailing Ship	30/20	10,000 gp
Longship	40/100	10,000 gp
Warship	40/60	25,000 gp
Galley	80/40	30,000 gp