Saltmarsh Campaign

Saltmarsh is a humble fishing village tucked away on the northern coast of Embershard Bay at the edge of the vast Lamcaster's Marsh. For time immemorial Saltmarsh and similar towns along the coast survived on fishing, content to maintain a low profile and avoid entanglements with outside influences.   Decades ago, pirates and marauders from the turbulent Southerlands, who often prowled the waters off Saltmarsh, grew strong enough to create their own realm, a loose confederacy known as the Hold of the Sea Princes. With the rise of that nation came increased raids on Saltmarsh and its neighbors. The Sea Princes' raiding ships pillaged the coast for more slaves to support their growing realm. and Saltmarsh suffered heavily. The memories of those times loom heavily over the area, and the locals' hatred of the Sea Princes runs deep.   In time, a burgeoning kingdom from the north became a formidable military power. The Kingdom of Gotland, with it's superior cavalry, bold knights, and powerful magics pushed it's kingdom's borders outward to the north, west, east, and south. Each successful campaign increased both the crown's wealth and power, and each one in turn drew the kingdom's attention ever closer to the borders of the Sea Princes.   With the world in their grasp, Raghnall Vaiken, King of Gotland looked to the south and saw unchecked banditry and a rising pirate nation. The crown struck peace treaties with its former foes to the north, raised a navy, and dealt a sharp check to the ambitions of the Sea Princes- but the conflict is by no means over.   King Raghnall decreed that the pirates must be put down, the sea lanes secured, and trade cultivated. Saltmarsh. remote though it might be from the center of power in Gotland, is entering a new phase of its life as it reacts to the king's plans. The crown's agents want to expand the village's port and make it a prime location for trade with the world beyond.   Or that was the plan. A year past, a mysterious catastrophe struck Gotlands western territories, driving those regions into chaos and drawing the majority of Gotland's military presence away from the southern borderlands. News is sparse and the residents of Saltmarsh can smell the scent of blood on the wind as the pirate raids grow bold once again, and the ever opportunistic Odeccan Trade Company. looks to carve new fortunes from the region.   Still, a band of dwarves bearing a decree from the king himself- have arrived and begun to excavate the hills and seaside cliffs near town, looking for precious metals. If their work bears fruit as expected, the mine stands to become a major factor in the village's-and, indeed, the entire region 's prosperity.   Naturally, not all of Saltmarsh's residents feel the same way about the recent developments in and around their community, which is the key issue that affects their lives and livelihood. Although the recent changes stand to bring new prosperity to the area, many locals don't want to see their home changed.