Southam

The flat-bottomed barge slips silently through the cool mist between giant tree trunks. In the twilight enforced by the canopy draped overhead, the stilt houses look like lean giants standing atop the swamp all around you. The weathered-looking barge master stops the barge by a short dock and throws a rope to a burly dockman in a heavy apron. As you disembark onto the wooden planks that lead up to the walkways between shops, the ferry pilot stops you. "In this town," he says, "keep one eye on the muck and keep a jabber handy."
No one is quite sure when Southam was originally built. Some old-timers say it started its life as a smugglers' hideout, which makes a lot of sense given its location.
Southam is the last true fishing village in the Lake Province. Anglers fish together in groups of two or three for safety from dawn to dusk. Barge fleets depart for solid ground twice a day, laden with crates of smoked or dried catfish and bass.
The town itself is built on stilts that rise 10 feet or more out of the mire. Raising the town gives protection from frequent flooding, alligators and the occasional swamp troll that come by.

LEGACY INFORMATION

Southamite (regional trait)
The favorite local saying is, "Keep one eye on the muck, and keep a jabber handy." Wary Southam residents who choose this trait enjoy a +1 trait bonus to initiative checks and a +1 trait bonus to Perception. Also, Perception is always a class skill.

Type

Village

Population

around 150

Inhabitant Demonym

Southamite