Pearl Beacon

This great sea keep with its glorious lighthouse is the home of a very unusual noble—Prince Harley of the House of Garasteth. Harley is a real rarity; in his youth he studied dutifully as a mage, as so many Garasteth children do, but he hated it. In his mid-20s he adopted the faith of Olidammara. It was a huge relief for him. He took to drink, song, and women as a seagull to the sky, and in the deadly seriousness of the lands of the Twin Cities, Pearl Beacon is an ocean of lightheartedness. Nearly 2,000 people live in shanty towns around the old sea village here, and somehow they scratch out a living. Fishing is the staple source of work and food, but the pearls of the bay below the keep (which give it its name, as well as the pearly-hued continual light lighthouse beacon) are an extra prize for the diligent scavenger of the seabed. There are a number of wrecks along the coast here, and they too attract adventurers seeking riches. Most times they find no sunken gold, but find Pearl Beacon is a fine place to stay, at least for a summer.

Harley has managed to make peace with the barbarians by simply challenging them to drinking contests. The barbarians were bemused by such an unusual response to their arrival in the bay, but they know a priest of Olidam mara when they see one, and they also know a ruler who can hold his liquor when they wake up beneath the table and find him calling for another hornful of fiery akvavit. Pearl Beacon also trades with the Sea Barons, though most vessels head for Winetha rather than to this south ern outpost.

So, Pearl Beacon is as close to a riotous, happy seaport as one will find along the east coast. It carries the atten dant dangers; thieves and cut-throats throng this settle ment, since rulership here is low. But Harley is a ruler who the wise and bright do not dismiss as the drunken rake he appears to be. He has still his old talents as a competent mage, and his priestly talents are considerable (he is a 9th-level mage/12th-level priest). He is smart, cunning, and behind his jests and quips lie a very alert mind, fast on the uptake. There are rumors that aquatic elves, who have long abandoned most of the coastal waters and even the Asperd Isles for the new elven lands of Spindrift, have been seen at Pearl Beacon. Some whisper by night that a blue-skinned elf, not an aquatic one to be sure, has been seen visiting Prince Harley's floridly-decorated home, and the name of Mordenkainen himself has been uttered by one or two folk—after they had too much to drink.

Finally, the shrine to Procan here is maintained by Harley's own funds, and a blessing from the priests is greatly valued by seamen. The priests are said to have exceptional skills, and to have the favor of Procan himself. It is also said that their blessings minimize the chance of encountering fearsome sea monsters or sudden fogs or storms in the Solnor Ocean, and some vessels will travel out of their way to bring gold or other gifts to the temple in return for this blessing.