Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #249

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #249 

September 7th, 2023 

• Number: 249 

• Name:  Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Cerdmouth in Noldrune – Part 4 

• Location: North coast of Noldrune along Staplefish Bay 

• Population (approx.): 1413 

• Brief: The boardwalk of Cerdmouth features a row of vendor stalls down the middle, featuring a mix of amusements, mostly games of chance, food and drink vendors and souvenir shops. The latter is a mix of local merchants selling all manner of normal goods and local crafters presenting handmade items unique to the region, hoping to catch the eye of tourists. The crafters’ wares run the gamut from jewelry and clothing to beach and water themed ceramics, polished driftwood or beach stones and artwork. Unbeknownst to most, Staplefish Bay is home to a variety of aquatic settlements and a small number of trusted land dwellers serve as their “fronts” or representatives to sell wares to the local populace. The “powers that be” generally turn a blind eye to such relationships if applicable fees, bribes and taxes are paid. 

• Zural, 22, male Locathah (a semi-amphibious undersea humanoid) 32, is a jeweler of some renown. He is ochre and has all-black eyes. Zural is of average height and athletic. He doesn't wear any clothes and avoids conflict for various reasons.  

• Zural is an excellent jeweler who uses pieces of the coral reef he lives in to make intricate jewelry. He enjoys making necklaces and interweaves bits of silver from a small silver vein in the depths near the reef. Zural has made a deal with a Human, Alvan Autumnvalor, male 40. Zural makes the jewelry, and Alvan sells it at his shop on the boardwalk. The jewelry has proven quite lucrative for both men. 

• Zural lives with the rest of his tribe in a large coral reef in the depths of Staplefish Bay. He is considered an outsider because everyone else is more interested in hunting for food or plundering other settlements underwater and surface traffic on the bay above. Zural wishes for a family, but few females will talk to him. His cousin, Kivil, 40, female Locathah, will visit a few times yearly to check on him. Zural has a pet fish, Otoombah, who communicates with him telepathically. They are the best of friends. 

• Geography: Alvan is relatively new to Cerdmouth so his jewelry and oddities vendor stall is toward the south end of the boardwalk. The quality of Zural’s work has brought him some success but he is actively seeking a patron with the hopes of moving into a permanent storefront near the boardwalk. The south end of town is convenient for Zural lives in the bay just beyond the southeast corner of the breakwater. Zural’s tribe lives in the depths of the bay just beyond the edge of the coastal shelf, about a half mile offshore. Alvan and Zural meet once or twice a month at a cluster of rocks on the shores two miles east of where the breakwater comes ashore. Celxis Broadpocket (#248) and the Thieves Guild recently became aware of the relationship.