Saltmere
A small fishing village on the southeastern edge of the New Coast, a few hours from Eastguard.
The Shape of the Town
Saltmere is a small fishing village on the southeastern edge of the New Coast, set in a shallow crescent bay where the water stays calm. That shelter is why the village formed there in the first place.
It is not a true port town. It is a working village built around boats and nets, with about eighty residents, most of them fishing families who have lived there for generations. A handful of traders pass through during the week, and Saltmere normally supplies Eastguard with a large portion of its daily fish.
Small wooden houses cluster near the shoreline. Most sit on short stone foundations to keep the tide out. A long wooden pier stretches into the bay, with smaller moorings branching off from it. Boats are built and patched along the shore, nets hang drying in the salt air, and the daily catch moves through a modest market near the docks.
The party smells the place before they see it. Salt air. Fish. Wet rope.
Current State
A burned fishing boat sits half sunk near the shore.
Several buildings show smashed doors.
Nets lie cut and tangled along the docks.
People move carefully and quietly. Work continues, but no one lingers. Conversations stay low, and eyes drift toward the road more often than the sea.
Saltmere looks like it survived something recent.
Places to Eat, Drink, and Rest
- The Tide Lantern – Saltmere’s only tavern, built from old ship timber; once the center of village life, now quiet and tense.
Shops and Trade
Saltmere has no named shops, but trade defines the village. Taverns and inns from nearby settlements come here to buy seafood at lower prices than they would get in Eastguard.
Civic and Public Spaces
- Saltmere Dock – A long wooden pier with three smaller moorings where villagers gather each morning; two boats were stolen and one was burned during the raid.
- The Net House – A long wooden shed used to repair nets; damaged during the raid and now used to shelter the injured.
- Old Watchtower – About a half mile inland along the coastal road, where the Black Briar Company have taken over an abandoned watchtower and use it as a base.
The Harbor / Travel / Movement
Saltmere lies roughly eight miles south of Eastguard along the coast road, about a few hours away by horse at a normal pace.
The village sits in a shallow crescent bay, making it a reliable place for fishing boats to launch and return. It functions as a working harbor rather than a true port.
The People
Familiar Faces
- Mara Vell – Village headwoman and former fisher captain who now organizes trade and supplies.
- Old Tarlan – Harbor master who watches the bay and knows every boat that passes through.
- Lysa Nett – Young fisherwoman whose family lost their boat in the raid.
- Brenn Nett – Lysa’s younger brother, who followed the mercenaries and knows where they camp.
Notable Residents
- Mara Vell – Direct and protective; exhausted and holding the village together after the attack.
- Old Tarlan – Talkative and observant; insists something strange happened when the mercenaries arrived.
- Lysa Nett – Sharp and angry; wants revenge but knows the village cannot fight trained mercenaries.
- Brenn Nett – Nervous but eager to help.
Rumors
Current Rumors
- Mercenaries calling themselves the Black Briar Company raided the village.
- The mercenaries arrived arguing among themselves.
- Some of them claimed they were supposed to be somewhere else.
- The Black Briar Company are camped inland in an abandoned watchtower.
- Two boats were stolen, and one was burned as a warning.
Older Stories
- Saltmere formed where the bay stays calm.
- Most families in the village have lived there for generations.
- Saltmere supplies a large portion of Eastguard’s daily fish.