Page 11 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

Ideal. Curiosity and hard work mark everything land. When the time is right, the Brotherhood will strike
Manistrad does. Once she is interested in a topic, to seize the reins in kingdoms all across the world. Al·
she is relentless in learning about it. Obstacles don't ready its assassins have slain those who might oppose
slow her down. their sinister plans. In almost every court in the land,
Bond. Manistrad is intensely loyal to her kinfolk and from the most remote backwater barony to the imperial
the mining operation her clan seeks to establish here. courts of world powers, the Brotherhood's agents have
Threats to the livelihood of the dwarves earn her wrath. quietly assumed positions of influence.
Flaw. Manistrad has little patience; she tends to push In Saltmarsh, the Brotherhood supports councilman
for quick results over a more measured approach. Anders Solmor and his family's trade cartel. They hope
to use Anders to destabilize the region, weaken the
THE LOYALISTS IN PLAY crown, and clear the way for the Scarlet Brotherhood to
The loyalists are focused on two things: ensuring that seize control. The Brotherhood arranges for the Solmor
the dwarven mine is a success, and clamping down on ships to meet with eager merchants in distant ports who
smuggling to keep the Sea Princes in check. The mine pay well above market value for his goods, ensuring his
is the most precious commodity in the region for this popularity and dependence on Brotherhood contacts.
faction, and its members do everything they can to sup- The Brotherhood plans to surround him with their
port it. If word of any Sea Prince activity reaches the advisers and functionaries to ensure that Saltmarsh
loyalists, they are quick to meet the threat. develops under their control. They intend to ignite open
war between Keoland and the Sea Princes, leaving
LOYALIST SAMPLE EVENTS both realms battered and weakened while the Brother-
d20 Event hood moves in.
Unlike the other factions in Saltmarsh, there is no
1- 6 The town guard cracks down on smuggling, going
good side to the Scarlet Brotherhood. As unrepentant
house to house in search of contraband.
megalomaniacs, they are villains through and through.
7-10 A tribe of marauders (gnolls, ores, or goblins)
moves into the area, putting the town on alert and ANDERS SOLMOR
forcing Eliander to call out the militia. The tradi· Young Anders (LG male human noble) recently inher-
tionalists chafe under his orders. ited his family's fleet of fishing boats after the untimely
11-12 A mass breakout allows a crew of smugglers to es- death of his mother, Petra. He's the youngest person
cape the dungeons, increasing tension in town. ever to be elected to the council. Brash and inexperi-
13-14 The dwarves make a spectacular find in the mine, enced. Anders is a slight man with sharp features and
a toothy smile. His recent forays into trade have made
sparking plans to expand their presence and the
him a local celebrity. Since Anders owns both a fishing
docks.
fleet and several trading vessels, he can sell his catch at
15-16 Eliander and the town guard are called away to help
a highly competitive price. And he can offer better prices
deal with a threat from the Dreadwood, leaving
for the other fishers in town to sell to him, since his
behind only a skeleton crew to keep the peace and
catch brings in so much more profit.
watch the mine. Everyone involved in the town's fishing industry sup-
17-18 A new wave of immigrants from the north arrives ports Anders, and his energy and ambition have made
in town, tilting the population such that the loyal· him something of a folk hero on the docks. On the other
ists might win a majority in the next town council hand, his open opposition to smuggling and his hatred
election. of the Sea Princes' practice of slavery makes him a
19 A bloody battle against pirates leaves a Keoish na· thorn in the smugglers' side.
Unbeknownst to Anders, his butler, Skerrin Wave-
val squadron undermanned. The squadron comes
chaser, is an agent for the Scarlet Brotherhood. He
to town to press local sailors into service. Eliander
engineered the death of Anders' mother and has placed
secretly passes along the names of hotheaded tra·
a number of Brotherhood agents in key positions in the
ditionalists for the press gangs to target.
Solmor fleet.
20 Having found enough evidence to charge him,
Personality Traits. Anders is sunny and optimistic.
Eliander seizes Gellan and ships him to Seaton to He sees the potential for profit and opportunity in every
face charges of smuggling. Riots break out in town. challenge. Unfortunately, he is too young to temper his
views with a realistic assessment of the risks.
SCARLET BROTHERHOOD Ideal. Anders believes that freedom is the root of hap-
piness. He pays his employees well and wants to help
The Scarlet Brotherhood claims that the bloodline of its Saltmarsh grow into a prosperous town. Above all else,
followers traces back to an ancient empire, the Suel lm- be hates the Sea Princes and wants to see their realm
perium, and their goal is to restore the old Suloise noble and its slave trade scoured from the earth.
houses to prominence in the world. As scions of a realm Bond. Anders's mother Petra was the center of his
that once enjoyed unmatched arcane power and a vast life, and his sense of responsibility stems from her ex-
dominion, its members see themselves as superior to all ample. Every important decision he makes is guided
other folk and the only ones fit to rule.
For decades, this group has been concocting a con- by his desire to live up to her standards. If Skerrin is
spiracy to spread fear, chaos, and uncertainty across the implicated in her murder, his hold over Anders would be

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