The Green Market began as part of Saltmarsh’s original weekly market, back when the town was little more than a fishing village along the eastern side of the Kingfisher River. In those early days, the market was a place for fishmongers to sell their catch to locals and traders, who salted and dried the fish for shipment to Seaton and Gradsul.

As the village grew, farmers and merchants began setting up their own makeshift stalls beside the fishermen. Soon, the weekly gathering became a daily market, offering not only fish but meats, produce, and all manner of local goods.

A century ago, after the Azure's Tide when Saltmarsh was officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Keoland, the crown imposed a stall tax on all vendors operating within the growing village. The fishmongers, seen as vital to the local economy, were exempt, but the farmers and common merchants were not.

Unable or unwilling to pay, many of these small stall merchants abandoned the market square and crossed the Kingfisher River to the western bank. There, in the open grass meadows just beyond the town’s jurisdiction, they set up a new collection of stalls, free from taxation and town oversight.

This defiant outpost of trade became known as “The Green Market,” both for the grassy meadow in which it was founded and for its reputation as a place of honest local commerce, untouched by the bureaucracy of the town.

A century later, the Green Market remains a daily affair, while the official Saltmarsh market in town now operates only once a week. On the first day of the week, the Green Market closes, allowing some vendors to take their goods across the bridge and trade within the taxed market, though many refuse, out of pride or principle.

The Green Market caters to locals and traditionalists, who see it as the heart of the “real Saltmarsh.” Goods here are simpler and cheaper than across the river: fresh produce, meats, pottery, candles, leatherwork, and the occasional exotic item brought in from distant ports.

Because the west bank technically lies outside the town’s jurisdiction, no official taxes are levied here, a fact that has allowed both the Green Market and the nearby Empty Net tavern to survive for generations. On the east side, every shop pays a town levy; on the west, business remains “free,” though far less polished.

The Sharkfin Bridge itself marks the divide. Those who live or work upon the bridge pay a small bridge tax, used only for its upkeep. They are not, however, bound by the Saltmarsh civic tax, a detail that frustrates the town council but remains legally unchallenged.

The Green Market’s stalls are homemade and temporary, its lanes dusty and unpaved, its awnings patched and sun-bleached. Yet despite its rustic nature, it remains one of Saltmarsh’s most vital centers of trade and gossip. Here, farmers, smugglers, and sailors mingle freely; rumors travel faster than coin.

Setup:
As the party browses the Green Market, a sudden shout breaks through the air, "Stop, Thief!" A flash of movement darts between the stalls, a small figure clutching something shiny disappears behind Harvest Hallow and vanishes into the maze of wagons and crates.

Objective:
Find and catch the young thief before he slips away into the alleys.

Checks:

• Investigation (DC 12–14): Following clues; dropped apple, scattered footprints, a broken basket near the wagons.

• Perception (DC 13): Spotting the boy’s hiding place (beneath a cart, in a grain barrel, or among wicker bundles).

• Stealth (opposed by boy’s +3): To quietly approach him without spooking him into fleeing.

An orphan, Tobin is about nine years old, barefoot, and quick. He lives beneath Sharkfin Bridge, surviving on scraps, handouts, and the kindness of certain market folk. If caught, he’s terrified but not malicious, he only stole a heel of bread or a small trinket to sell for food.

If the players treat him kindly, he’ll share what he knows, things he’s seen while “hiding where no one looks.”