Saltmarsh

Saltmarsh is a small fishing town located on the southern coast of the island of Rimnoque. Founded in 1674, Saltmarsh's strategic location in the outlet of Black River led to rapid growth, stimulated by rich fishing grounds and surrounding fertile land. Now, Saltmarsh is a busy seaport for the lucrative logwood trade and for exports of rum, sugar and cattle skins from nearby plantations.

"The story of Saltmarsh is the story of Rimnoque. It went from a filthy pirate-filled shithole to prosperous in less than 50 years"

History

The bay where Saltmarsh is now located has a long history of use. For centuries it was used as a religious site for the native Taino people, who used it to worship their gods of the sea. When the Espérians arrived on Rimnoque in 1494, most of the island's Taino population perished from a mixture of hard labour and disease. The bay did not see much use after this, except from time to time as a place for careening ships. After the island was invaded by the Avalonians in 1655, the bay was used as a strategic site for the pirates and privateers of the island, who used it to careen their ships, gather fresh food and water, and barter various goods with each other. Because of this, the site soon attracted various merchants and prostitutes, who sold their goods and themselves to the pirates. What started as a small collection of tents in the sand grew, and by 1674 a small trading post was founded, filled with various taverns, brothels, and shops.
Stimulated by the rich fishing grounds in black river bay, and surrounding fertile soil, the town grew rapidly, quickly reaching a population of around 1000 people in early 1680. With this new-found prosperity, trade with pirates slowly became less vital to the growth of the town, and with the outlawing of piracy in 1687, the remaining pirate population quickly dwindled.
In 1697 Rimnoque was hit with a devastating earthquake. Almost all except the sturdiest houses in Saltmarsh were destroyed, and black river and red river were temporarily dammed. Around 300 people lost their lives, and the town was devastated. It took nearly 5 years for the town to rebuild after the earthquake, due to a combination of resources being deemed more important for rebuilding Kingsport and Esperia town, and a lack of available slaves and workers.
When silver was discovered in the nearby hills in 1703, the town would once more bear witness to unprecedented growth. With an influx of people, Saltmarsh would once again rapidly expand, growing to a population of around 2500 people by 1714. Now, Saltmarsh is more alive than ever and remains an important trade and resupply port for the southern coast of Rimnoque.

Founding Date

1674

Type

Town

Location under

Rimnoque

Population
1250 (1715)
• 75% Human
• 13% Half-elf
• 8% Halfling
• 4% Others

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