Merton WIP

This area is where the pearlfish live and the families that live here have based their lives around the little fish and the pearls that they carry around with them. (The earlier article was about the history, but this focus is on their trade). 
They hold their pearlfish recipes and ways to raise the fish very tightly to their chest and don't allow many others to know. Sure, there are people that go to the settlements and look over their fish (mostly to make sure that they are healthy and well), but things are kept secret. The sellers don't see the fish; they only see the pearls. The healers (if needed) don't see the pearls; they only see the fish. And the children are taught that they aren't allowed to speak to strangers.
 
This has created a very strange looking settlement that goes narrow and vertical up and down the river, but has their main hall and other places away from where the fish live (the fish don't need to have their places disturbed and people worry that if too much of the area is changed or moved, then the fish might go away up or down the river). Amusingly, this has created areas that fisheries have changed to be more attractive to the fish and they try to lure others. While this may seem selfish (it is) the farmers are usually related to each other in some way and are willing to give/lend baby fish to help a down on their luck fishery get their swarm back.

Demographics

51 families
213 people

• 59 men
  
• 48 women
  
• 52 nonbinary
  
• 54 children under the age of 15
  

Government

The settlement is run by a council that is made up of the head of household for each family unit. A family unit consists of any person of age, married/unmarried, with child or not with child.

Type

Town

Population

180 people