Salt Hyms and Tidewelcoming

Nestled along a scalloped inlet at the edge of Fathom Bay, Saltmarrow is the kind of place locals claim is "favored by the breath of the sea."

Picture sandstone cottages with waveworn tiles, nets drying in the briny wind, gulls wheeling over coral-laced tidepools, and laughter echoing faintly from a low-beamed tavern.

VILLAGE OVERVIEW


Locals tie luck and fate to lunar tides and coral formations

MORWEN'S REACH

You've traveled from Port Cinder along the Sapphire Coast to a little fishing village called Saltmarrow.

Saltmarrow

The sun hangs low and soft, painting the waters in tones of brass and pearl. Behind you, the tide whispers against driftwood hulls. Ahead—Saltmarrow.

Cottages curl along a scalloped inlet, their coralline chimneys puffing trails of sea-laced smoke. Nets dry along posts etched with barnacle runes. The distant whistle of a manta ray bell floats through the breeze, calling the last divers home.

You hear singing—not loud, not haunting, but delicate, like wind brushing bone flutes. A cluster of villagers hums beside the dock as a blacksmith coils seaweed to mute the clang of hammer on hull. A young sea elf stands among them, her shimmering, gossamer gown and turquoise hair waving in the wind. Her voice rises above the hum. A dulcet accented soprano, she begins to sing.

"Before the bloom, there was coral.
Before the coral, there was breath.
Before the breath, there was a name—and now it is forgotten."

Saltmarrow has never known war. It knows tide and song, net and bone, wind and reef. It has existed quietly for generations—cradled by the Shimmering Coast, blessed with calm waters, and watched over by its coral rites.

But something ancient stirs beneath the bloom of seaweed and memory.

The water tastes different.
The dreams come heavier.
The reef begins to sing.

A village wakes beneath a sky of silence.
And deep below, something begins to remember...

You disembark, after lending a hand unloading a bit of Cargo. It feels good to have you feet on land again. The ocean breeze is balmy and gulls squawk in the distance. You have earned your keep of 250 silver pieces and you see ahead of you, the only Tavern in the village, The Pickled Ray...

Biscuit: "Thank the gods for land under my feet. Time to spend some coin on drink and a warm body. (Looks sideways at Taniya): "It would be nice to be around a woman who bathes."

You find the Pickled Ray a warm and cozy place. There are two halfling maidens bustling about serving the patrons who consist of mostly farmers and fishermen, hard to tell which as they are sun tanned and wrinkled. A very provincial and placid place. Outside there is a terrace overlooking the bay where old men are having a pint...or tea and their pipes. You sit and wait to order...meanwhile you peruse the menu.

Before she leaves Bloomspire Jetty, Nerys looks back for a moment. She notices an old woman on the pier who is looking directly at her, then as the men and women unloading are moving about, blocking her vision, she is gone...

Biscuit looks at Keldran and says: "I ain’t eating no halfling." Laughing at his own wit, he orders the dark beer and sausages.

The piping hot food is brought to you by both the serving girls.
They are accompanied by a halfling with a pegleg made of turtle shell.
"G'day milords and ladies, welcome to Saltmarrow and of course to my wonderful establishment the Pickled Ray," she says as she holds in her hand a pint of seafoam mead. "As a welcome to your esteemed...(she looks at each of you) I raise a glass high. It is an honor to have you as guests here. As a token of my hospitality, the first one is on the house! Have a pleasant evening, CHEERS!" She clinks her mug with each of you and takes a healthy drink of her own. She smiles and is off again, "Pardon, I must see to my other guests."

You hear a few rumors as people talk over their food in casual but low conversations. There is a man at a table by himself in a corner of the dining area inside with a glass jar. A few fisherman are seated with him as he is obviously talking about what is inside...

As you finish your repast, a tall sea elf walks in and is greeted by the village folk. You overhear his name as Brother Rell. He is wearing a long tunic with his holy symbol, so you take him for a priest.

He makes his way to your table, followed by an older man and a girl of about 6 or 7 years old and greets you, "Hello travelers. I am Brother Rell, this is Erolth and his grand daughter Pallis," he says.
"You're the Drift Ones," she says and giggles, "and you're a Deep Dweller," she says to Mole.
Rell smiles at Pallis, "and I oversee the shrine of the Veiled Coral. I would like to invite you to Tidewelcoming tonight just after sunset. We would be honored to have you there."
Erolth looks at Pallis with a smile, "go on Pallis."
She is somewhat shy as she produces from a small pouch, 5 small, white, crystalline pieces of coral about the size of your thumb, on a silk thong and hands each of you one.
"Mother Hush protect you. These are tokens of our village for our economy depends on the sea, we provide coral and salted fish to those not as fortunate to live here in Satmarrow. I look forward to seeing you tonight."

He turns to leave, followed by the elder and his charge.