Greymire
The Smuggler’s Haven
In Greymire, you can buy anything—stolen grain, a name that ain’t yours, a dagger meant for a friend’s back. Gold still changes hands, but silver? Silver’s worth more than life. You don’t spend it here, you guard it, ‘cause the moment someone sees silver in your purse, they’ll gut you just to melt it down for a blade.
Greymire clings to the jagged coastline of Faulmoor, a town built upon shifting sands and ever-changing tides. Though it remains outside the Baron’s quarantine edicts, it is a place where the law holds little power. Here, trade thrives not through honest labor, but through secrecy and deception. The docks are lined with salt-stained ships that arrive under cover of night, their cargo carefully offloaded into hidden coves and forgotten warehouses. Greymire's merchants deal in what cannot be legally obtained—contraband silver from Fenmire, alchemical elixirs promising protection from the Blight, and relics scavenged from the ruins of quarantined towns.
The loyalties of Greymire’s leaders shift like the tides, ever-changing to align with the most profitable or protective force. Some days they answer to House Wilthorne, on others they bow to House Harrowden, and when Valkenmar’s presence looms too close, they feign obedience to the Baron’s will. Some sailors, if they are brave or desperate enough, will shepherd those seeking escape, for the right price, across the treacherous waters of the Hollow Tides, bound for Feldmoor—a distant land to the north whispered to be untouched by the Blight. Many do not return, either claimed by the violent sea or worse, but for those with nowhere else to turn, it remains a flickering beacon of hope.
Greymire is not a town of heroes. It is a place for survivors, opportunists, and those willing to sell their souls for another day of freedom. Those who come seeking refuge may find it, but only if they are willing to pay the price. Some say that even the dead do business here, that the lost and forsaken walk among the living, their presence ignored so long as their coin still spends.
Detailed Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Region | Faulmoor |
| Ruling House(s) | Nominally Valkenmar, but shifts between Wilthorne and Harrowden |
| Population (Before Blight) | 9,000 (Estimated) |
| Population (After Blight) | 5,500 (Estimated) (Many unregistered smugglers and drifters) |
| Major Industries | Smuggling, Black Market Trade, Fishing, Refugee Transport |
| Primary Exports | Contraband Silver, Stolen Goods, Illicit Alchemical Goods, Hidden Relics |
| Current Leadership | Various shifting leaders; no centralized authority |
| Government Type | Loose Anarchy; rule by profit and survival |
| Defenses | Hidden coves, armed smugglers, shifting alliances |
| Notable Features | A hub for illegal trade, home to the Tideborn smuggling guild, rumored to harbor the undead |
| Status | Lawless, unregulated, thriving on secrecy and deception |
The Tideborn
The Tideborn is a fledgling smuggling guild struggling to establish dominance in Greymire. Unlike the entrenched and well-funded operations in Ebonmoor and Fenmire, the Tideborn is a loose collection of sailors, outcasts, and opportunists trying to carve out a space in the town’s underworld. Their influence is tenuous, their resources limited, and they are constantly forced to adapt to the shifting allegiances of Greymire’s ruling factions. The group primarily deals in stolen goods, illicit shipments of silver, and ferrying desperate refugees away from Faulmoor’s cursed shores, though they often find themselves outmaneuvered by larger and more ruthless operations.
The guild is led by a self-proclaimed Captain Veylan Dorne, a former privateer turned smuggler, whose leadership is constantly tested by both internal strife and external pressure from rival smugglers. The Tideborn lack the iron grip of more powerful guilds, and their members live precariously, always watching for betrayals or hostile takeovers. Despite this, their daring raids and whispered secrets have earned them a place in Greymire’s underbelly, if only just. Whether they rise to power or are snuffed out by stronger forces remains to be seen.
Notable Establishments
The Rusted Keel – Tavern & Smuggler’s Haven
A decaying two-story tavern overlooking the docks, The Rusted Keel is as much a market for illicit deals as it is a place for drinking. Its warped wooden floors are permanently damp with seawater and spilled ale, and the low ceiling, thick with smoke, gives it a claustrophobic air. The tavern is owned by Murdren Varlo, a former corsair turned dockmaster, who allows transactions to occur under his roof so long as he gets a cut. It’s a common meeting place for smugglers, mercenaries, and those looking to offload contraband goods without attracting too much attention. Deals are often sealed over cups of spiced rum, and those who can’t pay their debts tend to vanish into the Greymere Sea before dawn.
The Bone Ledger – Greymire’s Shadow Market
Tucked behind a collapsing warehouse in the Saltmarked Quarter, The Bone Ledger is the beating heart of Greymire’s black market. It isn’t a single shop, but rather a network of sellers, fences, and information brokers, all operating under the eye of Garrik "Blackthumb" Stowe, a man with burned hands and a reputation for making debts disappear—along with those who refuse to pay them. Anything can be bought or sold here, except silver, which is always melted down immediately upon arrival. Need a forged seal, a rare alchemical tincture, or a smuggler to get you out of Faulmoor? The Bone Ledger will provide—for a steep price.