Salt Shores

On the shores of the Salt Sea and the islands connected to that realm, buildings are often carved from the weathered stone and marble that juts out into the sea, forming defensible ramparts and easily carved water gates and ports. Few enemies have ever breached these natural defences and proceeded into the heartland. What isn't carved is built of or reinforced by sturdy timber logs. Their fleets are built of timber as well, with their warships and merchant's vessels also sporting heavy iron hulls for protection. Some warships are built entirely of iron, whose deck can float just barely below the surface of the water, about a few feet, with the help of fillable and emptyable water chambers in the belly of the boat that can be filled to add weight and sink the boat further under water, or expelled/boiled away to raise the deck above the surface. Theissiesc can hold onto the handlebars on top of these ships as they rest a few feet below the surface, clad in dark blue robes and hunched down, ready to use grappling hooks to board enemy vessels they sneak up on. Commonly, just as they do so, the Ironclad will expel water and rise above the surface and open its portholes, unleashing a sudden broadside from the many built-in cannons along its length even as its warriors climb over the side and engage the unprepared enemy crew. They are also often used as landing craft, to remain undetected and unhindered by enemy vessels or defences until suddenly beaching and expelling troops, though different High Lords have commissioned different types of fleets for the provinces. Many Theissiesc provinces and clans maintain a small fleet kept in docks along the Salt Shores, each according to their own need and craftsmanship. The Shorefolk's own ships are generally lighter, longer craft built of dark oak and pine and armed with myriads of ballistas, and their crew are armed with various firearms, various spears and javelins. The High Lords own Confederation Fleet is often more heavily armed, and also calls upon the fleets of all provinces.
High Lady Marevel the Valiant ordered ships that had peaked tops and could be sunk deeper into the ocean than most other such ships, and expel water at a rate that could expel all chambers of water in under a minute, rather than the usual 5-15 minutes. These were used to combat raiding Scaeltiar Longships that had become a serious problem in her day, these ships would position themselves underneath longships and suddenly rise to the surface, the sloped peak serving to tip the longships over and capsize them when done right. These saw success, and later High Lord Vrasted the Mighty commissioned similar ships with penetrating pointed rams at the peak, which could puncture holes and sink even mighty Varaignian longships, which had proven unflippable by earlier designs. His son, High Lord Kuristein the Tactician ordered much faster, sleeker ships as landing craft that could outpace previous underwater ships by triple the speed and descend much deeper into the ocean. Some ships are equipped with mortars or even trebuchets, some of these can and some cannot descend, with raisable and enclosed artillery platforms. These underwater ships are in part thanks to Gnomish technology, hearkening to the days when gnomes lived in the Cragslands in larger numbers. The Theissiesc fleets still consist of many regular oceangoing ships, mostly lighter craft similar to Scaeltiar longships and Westerlander fluyts. The most serious threat to the Theissiesc Islanders is, other than slippery cliffside pathways and long, swaying, rickety rope bridges, the mighty Varaignians. They regularly clash with the Scaeltiar, as well often with Fleitcheski and Sanctian warships, but they dread most the day they see Varaignian sails through the mists. The Islanders can fight off raiders from Varaign, but they never know if a lone Varaignian ship is a raiding party or a scouting ships that herald a larger devastating invasion. Islanders often fight lightly armoured, or only in medium armour, and fight with pronged fishing spears, staves, rifles, pistols, sabres, hooked axes/boarding hooks, and long spears with great hooks, useful for spearing and hooking very large fish and hooking and tossing enemies off narrow ledges alike. Against more heavily armoured varaignians, skilled soldiers can pull them to the ground with their hooked spears and axes, jab between armour plates, and shoot through thin places in the armour. On the seas, they can sink their ships or fight on uneven decks where they can turn the Varaignians heavy armour into a disadvantage. The Varaignians do not invade regularly, but Varaignian raiders are a common sight. When they do, they face well maintained Theissiesc fleets, and mighty defensive emplacements on the islands and along the shores, as well as perched on the Skyways. Invasions are always deadly and generally aim to gain a large amount of loot and also weaken the Theissiesc enough so that they could not invade Varaign themselves. The mightiest invasions in history came when the Varaignians united under one leader and sought to gain control of the Salt Shores. These invasions all almost met their goal, but were repulsed by the Highlanders. One of the few warriors upon the earth who can stand up to a Varaignian warrior in full armour in an even contest of strength is a Theissiesc Highlander Soldier. The Salt Shores people also regularly clash with Scaeltiar raiders, Westerlander Privateers, and Sanctian Crusaders.
They build upon the cliffsides and salt-blown crags that jut out into the sea. They build of limestone, marble, and wood. They also have many brine pits and sulfur mines in the ravines and crevices where sea intrudes upon land, and possibly hold the worlds second best source of salt. This is only bested by the salt flats held by the warlike Scaeltiar, but those people attack and kill any who dare trespass and only a few lesser Scaeltiar chiefs hold trade with any but their own. The Theissiesc' vilest criminals and prisoners of war can vouch for their life to be spent in the sulfur pits of the deep near Krakencrag, the most dangerous job that no freemen work, and this wish must be granted to them if they ask for it. Other sulfur mines are kept much safer, however, due to accessibility and convenience, where many Theissiesc youth's work for large amounts of money. They export large amounts of salt, iron, fish, sulfur, and also deal in various mussels, crawfish, sturgeon, and squid.
The Salt Shore's province boasts one of the worlds largest trading ports, Saltport, which lies in a large and very well defended inlet. This functions much like the Great Road within the Flint Hills, this seaward trading route is kept safe from pirates and raiders, and is the safest seaward connection between the Westerlands and the Midlands. The route passes between many defended islands and underneath many great stone arches, and thus the Theissiesc command authority over the seas. Merchant ships that refuse to abide by the law can easily be dispatched by trebuchets set upon the island holdfasts, or sunk by means of great murder holes set in the stone archways known as the skyways. The Port of Krakencrag is also a popular trading destination, though it is infamous for its black market and cruel Merchants Guild. Krakencrag is built into a massive cave, mostly underground, that is accessible only from the sea and a few well-guarded tunnels to the surface. It is most famous for the fact that it is built around a massive chained Kraken, which was imprisoned within the cave in ancient days. It is an ancient beast from the deepest seas, a beast rarely ever seen by mortals except in this city. Its tentacles are chained to the walls by enchanted meteoric steel chains, and its body crucified to the stone of the cave, extending out into the depths of the ocean far beneath the city. Parts of the city are built upon and into the monster itself, upon its face and back. Some famous buildings are even set upon one of the Monsters great teeth. It still lives, its breath moving the air slowly in and out of the cave in low whistling blasts that creates an effect similar to wind. Unfathomable amounts of money are made selling Kraken blubber, oil, flesh and other substances, which is eternally mined out of the behemoth beast, by far larger than a city. It is a creature of an age so far past it seems completely alien to this age, but so do many things that are dredged out of the deepest reaches of the ocean.
The Shorefolk dress peculiarily for a Keltar, wearing not trenchcoats and greatcoats but long, loose patterned robes of various colours, depending on the region and the holds colours. Shorefolk soldiers likewise wear robes with leather, hide and studded pieces overtop or padded into the garment. Citizens often wear vests, jerkins, cloaks and even more foreign clothes, something most other Theissiesc frown upon. The Theissiesc take clothing almost to a religious level, looking to embody Keltaren in everything. Keltaren was said to appear to wear a trenchcoat, and considering trenchcoats are a human peculiarity, it may be true. It seems strange and even rather silly to hear of how Keltaren chose to dress, but most Theissiesc take their clothing very seriously in this matter. One can always spot a Theissiesc in a crowd, if not for the height then for the Theissiesc national dress. Of course, the Tuirveiyr also wear robes, but the Tuirveiyr are considered even more strange and unusual than the Shorefolk. Those in the Salt Shores region have many strange customs, but this is due to the influences of other cultures that come to trade in their cities and ports. The Salt Shores regions also have large populations of Sanctians, who live under and swear unwavering fealty to the Shore Lords, as well as a population of Scaeltiar and even Westerlander citizens, proud to be accepted by and live alongside the Theissiesc as friends and allies. The Theissiesc are often naturally suspicious of outsiders, but the Shorefolk seem to have perfectly accepted these people from other cultures living alongside them, as they have proven very useful and loyal. Indeed, Theissiesc temperament seems to have ingrained itself in these residents, who are often less welcoming to outsiders than the Salt Shores Theissiesc themselves. Nevertheless, when raiders from any country attack the Salt Shores, they fight not only Theissiesc but Westerlanders, Scaeltiar and Sanctians united, disproving again the stereotype of the arrogant, racist Theissiesc that many choose to paint them with. Distrust does not equal hate for a race, and many Theissiesc choose not to judge every member of a nationality for its sins against the Theissiesc, at least in the case of most Theissiesc, as the Shorefolk, Theissen and Rhyossyn would all attest to.

Alternative Names

the Saltcliffs

Demonym

Shorefolk, Theissiesc Seafolk