Background
The Kester family has hunted and worked leather in Saltmarsh for generations.
Today, Kirona Kester runs the family tannery, producing smooth, dyed leathers for sailors, guards, and craftsmen alike. She sells both cured hides and finished goods; armor, saddles, backpacks, harnesses, belts, and anything that can be shaped from hide.
Kirona inherited the business from her mother, once the finest leatherworker in Saltmarsh. The old woman has become blind with old age and her memory fades, but she still sits each day at the finishing table, out of habit.
Her father was killed over a decade ago in a hunting accident, and her uncle, who lost a leg to a giant crocodile, now oversees the tannery.
Of late, a shadow lingers over the family: Taron Kester, Kirona’s younger brother, vanished weeks ago after setting traps along the edge of the Drowned Forest. Her uncle swears the boy is still alive, but neither his trail nor his gear has been found. Each night, Kirona lights a candle in the window, hoping he finds his way home.
The Kesters are unusual among Saltmarsh townsfolk and are Loyalist to the crown of Keoland. They believe the real dangers lie not in politics, but in the monsters and horrors that stalk the Hool Marshes, the Drowned Forest, and the Dreadwood beyond. Much of their business comes from supplying the Keoland garrison with leather armor, saddles, and travel gear.
When the day’s work is done, the Kesters can often be found at the Wicker Goat, sharing strong ale and stronger opinions about the need for order and for soldiers to keep it.
Hides Wanted
Creature / CR | Reward | Rumor or Hook | Location Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
Giant Crab (CR ½) | 5 gp | “Dragged a fisherman off the rocks last week.” | Tide pools west of the Sea Cliffs. |
Monstrous Sand Crab (CR 1) | 10 gp | “Killed old Jud’s dog on Dawnshore Beach.” | Flotsam Beach, below the Tower ruins. |
Giant Constrictor Snake (CR 2) | 20 gp | “Something long and slick is coiling around the bridge pylons.” | East marsh edge, near the Hool gate. |
Giant Boar (CR 2) | 20 gp | “Trampled the Miller’s mule. Big as a cart.” | Dreadwood fringe, along the Old Coast Road. |
Giant Crocodile (CR 5) | 500 gp | “Barge went missing upriver — the River King’s hungry again.” | Saltmarsh River delta. |
Owlbear (CR 3) | 300 gp | “Lumberjacks say a feathered devil tore through their camp.” | Dreadwood interior, near the Old King’s Stones. |
Kester’s Valuation Formula
CR 0–2: 10 × CR (gp) for an intact hide.
CR 3+: 100 × CR (gp) for an intact hide.
Damaged hides: CR × 1 (gp), rounded up.
Example: A Giant Boar (CR 2) yields 20 gp for a flawless hide, or 2 gp if damaged. An Owlbear (CR 3) yields 300 gp, or 3 gp if damaged
Feel free to add additional hides.
Harvesting & Preparing Hides
When a creature with a hide, pelt, or carapace is slain, its skin can be harvested and sold, if the character knows what they’re doing.
Harvest Time:
Preparing a hide for sale requires 1 hour of work and a Wisdom (Survival) check.
DC:
The Difficulty Class is 10 + the creature’s Challenge Rating (rounded up), with a minimum DC of 11.
Proficiency:
A character proficient with leatherworker’s tools may add their proficiency bonus to the check.
Results:
Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
Success | The hide is preserved in good condition and can be sold for full value (per Kester’s formula). |
Failure | The hide is partially ruined but still usable, worth (CR × 1 gp) (rounded up). |
Natural 1 | The hide is completely ruined and worthless. |