Page 8 - ghosts-of-saltmarsh

CHAPTER 1: SALTMARSH

ALTMARSH IS A NONDESCRIPT FISHING VILLAGE POLITICS AND FACTIONS
tucked away on the southern coast of the
Kingdom of Keoland. For several generations, Saltmarsh's future rests in the hands of three factions
Keoland was a formidable military power. that compete for supremacy. Two of the factions repre-
Its superior cavalry and bold knights pushed sent the opposing sentiments that have grown in town
the kingdom's borders outward to the north. in recent years. The third is a secret group that seeks to
west. and east. Each successful campaign undermine Saltmarsh and seize control of the region.
increased both the crown's wealth and power, These factions' struggles play out in the day-to-day lives
and each one in turn drew the kingdom's attention even of the townsfolk and the political maneuvering of Salt-
farther north. The southern coastal regions of Keoland marsh·s town council.
remained a backwater.
TRADITIO NALISTS
The crown's benign neglect allowed piracy and ban-
ditry to flourish. Saltmarsh and similar towns kept to The traditionalist faction is an alliance of the prominent
fishing, content to maintain a low profile and avoid gov- fishing families and merchants in town, along with the
ernmental entanglements. Decades ago, the pirates who workers who rely on those industries for a living. The
prowled the waters off Saltmarsh grew strong enough traditionalists remember the terrible times during the
to create their own realm, a loose confederacy known as Sea Princes' raids and have no desire to see the crown's
the Hold of the Sea Princes. With the rise of that nation ambitions lead to open war. The smugglers who operate
came increased raids on Saltmarsh and its neighbors. in the area tend to be traditionalists. Most pose as mer-
The Sea Princes' raiding ships pillaged the coast for chants and rely on their local contacts to move goods
more slaves to support their growing realm. and Salt- through the region without interference from the town
marsh suffered heavily. The memories of those times guard or royal agents. Smuggling has long been an easy
loom heavily over the area, and the locals' hatred of the way to make money in Saltmarsh, and locals generally
Sea Princes runs deep. look the other way, seeing it as a victimless crime.
In time, Keoland's victories in the north gave way to The traditionalists would like to see the dwarves' min-
a string of defeats in which its neighbors pushed the ing efforts fail and interest from the north wane, so that
kingdom back to its original boundaries. With the world Saltmarsh's dependable fishing trade can thrive and
closing in, King Kimbertos Skotti looked to the south the smugglers in the area are left alone. They resent the
and saw unchecked banditry and a rising pirate nation. intrusion of outsiders seeking to transform Saltmarsh
The crown struck peace treaties with its former foes to and undoubtedly drain power from the fishing families
the north, raised a navy, and dealt a sharp check to the to give to dwarves and merchants.
ambitions of the Sea Princes- but the conflict is by no This faction relies on two council members for repre-
means over. sentation. Eda Oweland leads the faction and can count
King Skotti has decreed that the pirates must be put on Gellan Primewater to back her up. Anders Solmor is
down, the sea lanes secured, and trade cultivated. If young and unpredictable. but he has supported the tradi-
Keoland cannot prosper as a military force, it must grow tionalists' viewpoint on most issues.
mightier as a center of trade. At their best, traditionalists are community-minded
Saltmarsh. remote though it might be from the center folk who want Saltmarsh to return to its old way of
of power in Keoland, is entering a new phase of its life doing things, arguing that the town has survived for a
as it reacts to the king's plans. The crown's agents want century by sticking to its original priorities. They suf-
to expand the village's port and make it a prime location fered mightily due to the Sea Princes' depredations and
for trade with the world beyond. In another recent devel- remember the days when the crown turned a blind eye
opment, a band of dwarves bearing a decree from the to their troubles. Their loyalty to the king runs second to
king himself- have arrived and begun LO excavate the their desire for peace and quiet.
hills and seaside cliffs near town, looking for precious
metals. If their work bears fruit as expected, the mine EDA 0WELAND
stands to become a major factor in the village's-and. Eda (CG female human noble) is the current senior
indeed, the entire region's prosperity. member of the town council, as well as the owner of
Naturally, not all of Saltniarsh's residems feel the three large fishing boats. She has lived in Saltmarsh all
same way about the recent developments in and around her life and has been elected to the council three times.
their community, which is the key issue that affects their She is a gruff, pragmatic woman whose graying hair is
lives and livelihood. Although the recent changes stand cut short and whose face bears the marks of a life lived
to bring new prosperity to the area. many locals don't outdoors. Eda is keenly interested in expanding Salt-
want to see their home changed. At the same time. as marsh's fishing industry. her sights set on a wild section
an undercurrent through all the goings-on, agents of the of the coast where she hopes to build a new dock. She is
secretive and mysterious Scarlet Brotherhood work to suspicious of the dwarves' mining enterprise and doubts
thwart Keoland's ambitions while advancing their own. it will amount to much.

C 1-IAPTf RI S>\LI \I \11~11
7