Skarth

Skarth is a large port town built around a long stone wharf and a tidal basin where water-screw-and-move engines are fitted and tested, giving its fleet distinctive whirring silhouettes at dawn; boatyards creak, markets smell of fish and coal, and the gnomish workshops in the IX quarter hum with gears and bargaining. Its ships leave the sky reservoir using engineered propulsion, making Skarth a hub for trade with far shores and a target for rivals.

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Town

Skarth

Where iron screws bite the tide and lantern-smoke smells of salt and coal.

TypeTown

Populationabout 6,200 souls

Wealthmoderate with spikes of prosperity tied to trade seasons

GovernmentMerchant Council with an appointed Harbor Warden

ReadinessAlert and locally competent, but thin when extended beyond the harbor.

“Hustling, salty, inventive, and a little dangerous at night.”

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Connections

Geography

Regionwestern Corinth coast

Climatetemperate maritime with foggy mornings and sudden squalls

Terrainstone wharf, compact streets, shallow coves and a tidal basin

Travel Links

coastal road to Greyfensea gateway to the Outer Reachesriver towpath to IX gnome quarter

Culture

Practical ingenuity, a hard-work pride, and a live-and-let-sail toughness.

Races

HumanGnomeHalf-elfCoastal Dwarf

Religions

Keepers of the FlameOld Sea MotherPortside Saints (a syncretic sailors' cult)

Arts & Entertainment

Shipwright feats, sea shanties, gnomish tink-show nights, and rough street-story competitions.

History

Skarth grew from a fishing hamlet into a major port after the Keepers of the Flame partnered with the gnomes of IX to develop the water-screw-and-move engine, transforming local shipbuilding and trade; the town has since balanced innovation, guild politics, and periodic raids while preserving a rough communal resilience.

40 years agoThe Engine AccordThe Keepers of the Flame and IX gnomes signed terms and funded the first water-screw prototypes in Skarth.

22 years agoHarbor ReinforcementA massive stone wharf was built after a violent storm exposed the old dock's weaknesses.

3 years agoThe Broken Tide RaidCoastal raiders sank three cargo ships, provoking a crackdown and the forging of coastal watch agreements.

Government

LeaderHarbor Warden Elsbry Morven

Merchant Council with an appointed Harbor Warden

Key Laws

All sea-craft entering the gate sea must register with the Harbor Warden.No unlicensed engine modifications may be tested on public docks.Toll collected on incoming trade goods is mandatory for harbor upkeep.

Problems

Engine patents dispute

Gnomish inventors claim greater royalties from shipwrights who fitted engines without proper licenses.

Smuggling through the fog channels

Unknown groups exploit dense morning fog to land contraband and avoid tolls.

Economy

Industries

Shipbuilding and engine workshopsFishing and salted-fish processingCargo transshipment and repair yards

Scarcity

Fresh timber for keels is periodically scarce and expensive.

Wealth Levelmoderate with spikes of prosperity tied to trade seasons

Exports

Engine-fitted transportsSalted fish and caviarShip parts and brass fittings

Imports

Timber from northern portsSpices and textiles from the gateway seaCoal and machine oil

Defenses

ReadinessAlert and locally competent, but thin when extended beyond the harbor.

Fortifications

Stone Watchtower at the wharf mouthReinforced Drydock GateGranite Bulwark Batteries along the western quay

Skarth Harbor Watch(about 120 trained men and auxiliaries)

A mix of sailors, dockworkers, and a small detachment of Keepers' militia tasked with patrols and rapid harbor defense.

Law & Order

crime Level: Moderate endemic thievery, occasional smuggling rings, rare violent outbreaks.
enforcement: Practical and transactional with bribes tolerated but violence swiftly punished.
typical Punishment: Fines, public flogging for repeat offenders, and exile or chain-work for major crimes.

Elsbry Morven

NPC

Harbor Warden

A scarred warden with a ledger always at hand and a knack for remembering debts.

Vix Nym

NPC

Chief Tinker of IX

Small, grease-smudged, always carrying a pocket-clockwork that ticks in odd rhythms.

Masterwright Calder

NPC

Head Shipwright

Broad-shouldered, tattooed hands, and a pipe that smells of tar.

Jera 'Blackline' Tor

NPC

Fisher-captain and fog-runner

Lean, quick-eyed, and known for a silver dagger with sea-etched runes.

Sister Malen

NPC

Keeper-priest of the Keepers of the Flame

Clad in flame-marked robes with a coal-black prayer shawl.

Calder's Keel & Brass

Shop

Shipwright Supply and Repair

A smoky yard of timber, saws, and a cramped indoor shop for brasswork.

Nym's Clockworks

Shop

Gnomish Tinker's Emporium

A cluttered shop of whirring parts, brass filings, and sketches pinned everywhere.

Keepers of the Flame

Faction

Religious-Merchant Order

A civic-religious body that balances spiritual rites with practical harbor authority.

IX Tinker Consortium

Faction

Gnomish Guild

A tight-knit guild of inventors pushing technological advantage across Corinthian waters.

Sun & Moon Trading Co.

Faction

Smuggler network

A decentralized group using small skiffs and local knowledge to run goods for profit.

Long Stone Wharf

Point of Interest

A broad, worn wharf lined with cranes, winches, and permanent engine-testing blocks.

The Basin of Gears

Point of Interest

A shallow testing pool where newly-fitted water-screw engines are trialed under watchful eyes.

Fog Channels

Point of Interest

Narrow tidal inlets shrouded in morning mist and favored by smugglers and small fishing skiffs.

Old Shipbreak

Point of Interest

A rocky cove where derelict hulls are stripped for salvage and told tales of past voyages.

Calendar of Events

3rd of Brighttide

Enginewrights' Expo

Gnomish inventors and shipwrights display new engine fittings and compete for orders.

A prototype malfunctions and reveals an unanticipated stealth application.

12th of Saltfall

Tidecommune Festival

Sailors bless rigs, trade is taxed lightly, and the Harbor Warden announces new policies.

Someone plants an incendiary device in the festival crowd to distract guards.

Secrets

A hidden blueprint shows how to reverse an engine to act as a crude sonic weapon.

regionalLook for charred paper tucked in Vix Nym's fireplace ash.

Several high-ranking merchants funded the Fogline Smugglers to undercut competitors.

localCompare ledger entries in Torun Kest's hidden book with dock toll records.

An ancient sea-slab under the Basin murmurs when certain screw-frequencies are tested.

worldListen when engines are run at odd harmonics near midnight.

Plot Hooks

The Silent Prototype

Vix Nym's stealth-engine plans were stolen and traces point to a visiting merchant convoy; recover the blueprints before they reach a rival navy.

Investigation / HeistVix Nympayment of 200 gp, a custom engine part, and favored trading terms with IX

Fogline Smuggling Ring

Harbor Warden Elsbry asks the PCs to infiltrate the fog channels and break a smuggling line tied to a prominent captain.

Combat / SocialHarbor Warden Elsbry Morvenreduced harbor fees for a season and official letters of safe passage

The Basin's Song

Locals report eerie harmonics and failing engines when certain screws run near midnight; investigate the sea-slab below the Basin.

Exploration / MagicalSister Malenancient relic knowledge, a blessing for sea travel, and rare salvage rights

Keelwood Theft

Masterwright Calder's hidden stock of illegal keel timbers was stolen; track the thieves into the cove and reclaim the planks or expose the masterwright.

Dungeon Crawl / RecoveryMasterwright Calderdiscounted ship repairs and exclusive access to a hull upgrade

Festival Arson Plot

Someone planned to ignite the Tidecommune Festival to distract the Watch and assassinate a merchant; find the conspirators and prevent disaster.

Intrigue / ChaseTorun Kestpublic favor from the Harbor Warden and a small council stipend

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