The Town of Saltmarsh

D&D: Ghosts of Saltmarsh
GM
Mark
Milestone
Level 8
Characters
Ajasz, lizardfolk scout Arkis "Elric", kobold paladin of Tiamat Chimalli, tortle barbarian Elora, elven bladesinger Ayida Ginen, half-elf undying warlock Sond, halfling barbarian
Party Gear
The Sea Ghost Saltmarsh Gear
Saltmarsh Region
The Town of Saltmarsh Saltmarsh Region
NPCs
Saltmarsh NPCs
Resources
House Rules

Saltmarsh is a town located between Waterdeep and Neverwinter but answering to neither. It sits at the edge of the Mere of Dead Men and while it has trails to Leilon, most of its traffic is via ship and boat.

As the PCs discover more about Saltmarsh, notes will appear below the map corresponding to the map numbers.

1. City Gate

Saltmarsh was built on the ruins of a much older settlement, sometimes called Old Saltmarsh or the Old Harbor. One sign of this is that the town has a small stretch of wall and a single town gate secured by two or three guards. The wall is old, crumbling, and badly worn by centuries of rain and wind coming in from the Sea of Swords

The garrison at the gate consists of older guards, those nearing retirement and unwilling or unable to walk patrols. They mostly keep an eye on the tent city of refugees from the recent Dragon War just outside the town.

7. Faithful Quartermasters of Luskan

A trade delegation led by Captain Xendros, a female tiefling, has come to Saltmarsh to acquire large quantities of fish (salted and preserved for transport) in the name of Luskan, known as the City of Sails and home of the sinister Arcane Brotherhood. Due to being far in the north, Luskan 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.

Although known for being frequented by pirates, Luskan's official policy is that piracy is illegal which allows its emissaries to conduct trade with its fellow Sword Coast cities. Among the merchants who do business with her, Captain Xendros is known for paying on time and buying shiploads of food at once, so nobody inquires too closely about the captain sepulchral voice or her penchant for wearing gold jewelry with grim designs.

Xendros sometimes has need for adventurers to find rare items and adventurers often find her to acquire magical goods. She is the unofficial representative of the Arcane Brotherhood and magical items flow in and out of her warehouse with regularity. She is said to be able to acquire most magical items with enough time and money.

9. Green Market

A strip of open land that is the place for everything that isn’t fish, salt, or nautical wares, this market stretches among a dozen stalls down to the bridge. A few goats, eggs, cloth, marsh plants, and pots are available, as well as the occasional mule or ox for hauling carts.

10. Sharkfin Bridge

This single large bridge spans the river, with shops and homes along its length. The bridge predates the village and is large enough for laden carts to pass two abreast. Elves and fey folk feel vaguely nauseated when they cross the bridge, owing to an ancient curse placed on it.

12. 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.

14. 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 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. In any given week, there is a slight chance of an execution, usually of some bandit or other non-native ne’er-do-well.

15. 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.

27. Saltmarsh Cemetery

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, a male half-orc, 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 in the guard commander’s home, and the two are close friends.

29. Sea Grove of Silvanus

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, male halfling, 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.

30. Standing Stones

Two enormous runestones stand on this island. In ages past, a siren was chained to the stones here and sacrificed by an evil human tribe as an offering to the Umberlee. Since then, the fishing in the region has flourished. The siren’s spirit was captured in the stones, and her captivating song continues to echo through the weave and draw fish to the area. It is said that siren’s sisters and allies, among them a powerful djinn, have scoured the planes in search of her spirit for centuries.

Refugee Camps

Not listed with a number on the map, there are two refugee camps filled with people fleeing the War of the Dragon Queen. These camps are largely ramshackle affairs filled with tents and poorly-built hovels made of scrap materials. The townsfolk often resent their presence as they have caused the price of labor to drop ("they're stealing our jobs!") while the refugees resent the townsfolk lack of empathy as Saltmarsh was curiously left unscathed by marauding dragons during the war.

The first camp is just outside the old City Gate (1) while a second camp is along the Kingfisher river under the watchful eye of the Guard based at Hoolwatch Tower (12).