Notable Locations & People

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 Azure Sea.

Barracks and Jail

Built on a low hill, the Saltmarsh barracks are also its jail. It is one of the few structures in Saltmarsh with an underground level.

The Wicker Goat

Bearing the dubious honor of being the oldest tavern in town, the Wicker Goat is owned by Lankus Kurrid, a retired officer of the Daggerford army who caters to the dwarven miners and town guard. The two-story building has sleeping quarters for rent on the upper floor, usually sufficient to accommodate the slow stream of travelers making their way through Saltmarsh on the way to somewhere else.

Those who seek an audience with Manistrad can find her here when she’s not working at the mine. She sometimes has need for adventurers to help keep the mining operation secure.

Mining Company Headquarters

Once a mansion owned by a local noble family, this building was purchased by the crown and serves as the dwarven mining company’s headquarters in Saltmarsh. Manistrad Copperlocks stays here when she must do business in town; otherwise, several dwarf clerks work here during the day, logging deliveries at the docks to be transported to the mine and arranging for the processed ore to be loaded on trade ships bound for distant ports.

Keledek Tower

This three-story tower is home to the town’s resident sage and wizard, Keledek the Unspoken. Keledek’s dusky skin, bald head, and bright red silk turban — not to mention his height of nearly 7 feet — make him an unmistakable figure in town.

Faithful Quartermasters of Waukeen

A trade delegation led by Captain Xendros has come to Saltmarsh to acquire large quantities of fish (salted and preserved for transport) in the name of Waukeen, goddess of coin, known as the Merchant's Friend, Liberty's Maiden, and the Golden Lady.

Xendros sometimes has need for adventurers.

Empty Net

Partially supported by stilts driven into the harbor waters, this rickety tavern is purportedly a haven for smugglers, mercenaries, assassins and even pirates. The owner, Kreb Shenker, takes coin from anyone and asks no questions. Troublemakers are thrown out the door, over the railing, and into the reeking harbor. Characters looking to carouse find this the best place for a rowdy night of drinking and brawling. The town guard comes here only if called.

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.

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 long before Keoland rose to existence.

Kester’s Leather Goods

Kiorna Kester runs this tannery, where she produces smooth, colorful leather for every purpose and sells both the cured hides and items she fashions from it. Kiorna is keenly interested in acquiring hides from exotic creatures to craft into expensive leather.

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.

The Snapping Line

This popular inn and tavern is built from the planks and hulls of half a dozen decommissioned fishing ships. Its decor is predictably nautical in theme, and its sleeping rooms are plain but comfortable renditions of a ship’s cabins. The smell of fish has never been scrubbed from its walls, and those who stay the night find their belongings steeped in the scent, which lasts for several days. Sailors and fishers gather here to trade stories and drink into the night.

The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist, who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also makes a spirit from lobster meat and potatoes called claw wine; it is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste. Hanna employs several former dockhands to keep peace in her bar.

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 Hool 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.

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.

Primewater Mansion

Gellan Primewater maintains a large mansion right on the docks, allowing him to oversee his ships from his upstairs window. He sometimes leans out to shout orders or answer questions for his captains and crews, his booming voice echoing over the docks.

The Dwarven Anvil

The blacksmith’s forge has a single anvil with a clear sign of dwarven origins, and a backlog of orders ten miles long. The human smiths make hooks, nails, harpoons, knives, fishing weights, and much more all day. Their master smith is an elderly, dark-skinned Chultan woman named Mafera ; her son, Jasker, is her best journeyman. A small shrine to Moradin can be found under the eaves as well, though it is somewhat neglected.

Fishmongers’ Plants

The large fish-processing buildings in this area reek of prosperity (and fish). All are engaged in salting or brining the catch brought in by the fleet. Most of the time these places are busy, and the workers have little time for chatter.

Oweland House

The Oweland family has owned this sprawling mansion for generations. Despite the family’s wealth, the building is a sprawling collection of new construction, expansions, and additions. Each generation of the family has added to the building to accommodate the clan’s growth. The family takes in fishers who have fallen on hard times, sharing their wealth with others until they can recover.

Solmor House

The Solmor family owns several buildings in this modest complex. The largest is the personal mansion of the Solmor family. Three smaller buildings house servants, employees of the family’s trading fleet, and secure storage for expensive goods.

Mariners’ Guildhall

The mariners’ guild serves all the towns along the coast, providing a bunk and a meal for sailors passing through. Sea captains in search of a crew stop here, as do others seeking news from afar. The guildhall is an excellent place to discuss seafaring, as well as the various threats to navigation along the coast.

Carpenters’ Guildhall

Run by a snobby gnome named Jilar Kanklesten, the carpenters’ guild has plenty of work building houses, assembling fish barrels, repairing docks, and much more. The whole building is a marvel of workmanship, made without a single nail. Jilar is obsessed with rare woods; she pays handsomely for adventurers to make expeditions in search of specific trees in the Hool Marshes, the Drowned Forest, and the Dreadwood.

Crabber’s Cove

Just east of the docks, built along the shores of a secluded bay, are a handful of buildings known collectively as Crabber’s Cove. The buildings are weathered, abandoned by the residents of Saltmarsh years ago. Since then, thousands of crabs have taken up residence in the crumbling remains. Crabbers from Saltmarsh are cautious about the cove, as more than one overeager fisher has disappeared into the clacking darkness, never to be seen again.

The Leap

The Leap is an outcropping of rock nearly a hundred feet above the churning water below. Several stone benches stand near this precipitous edge, and a few stone markers sit in the tall grass nearby.

Traditionally, the people of Saltmarsh leap from the cliffs into the water below when a loved one drowns at sea. The jump is usually not fatal; the water below the Leap is free of rocks, and it is a short swim back to dry land.

Temple of Valkur

Services at this long-standing sea god’s temple are well attended. The congregation is led by a one-legged former whaler: Wellgar Brinehanded, an older human man with a sharp memory for every storm, lost ship, and enormous catch ever brought into Saltmarsh harbor. He knows many fanciful stories of shipwrecks, lucky escapes, and famous captains. Matters ashore rarely interest him, but the temple and its bell tower are also served by a half-dozen novitiates and laypeople who keep things running smoothly.

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 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.

Winston’s Store

The owner of this establishment, a retired rogue, knows a great deal about the Hool Marshes. He does business with sailors, adventurers, and those who need “solid goods at honest prices,” as he often says. Winston has a few maps of the marshes, and those who intend to explore that area often consult with him for guidance.

Sea Grove of Sylvannas

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 , a somewhat melancholy individual of middle years (and a rather inactive member of the Emerald Enclave), 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 both the Misty and the Trollbark Forest to the east and south, respectively. 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.

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 sea. Since then, the fishing in the region has flourished.