Under the Sharkfin Bridge
Rumor Table
Bridgefolk Rumors
d6 | Rumor |
1 | "Heard another traveler didn’t make it to the Burle...found his horse wandering near the road. Folks say something in the drowned forest took him." |
2 | "Someone found a shrine near the edge of the drowned forest. Word is it’s dedicated to Yeenoghu." |
3 | "It’s not safe traveling from Saltmarsh to the Burle after dark. Strange sounds and shadows haunt the route, best to stay indoors come nightfall." |
4 | "A fisherman swears he saw a group of beasts watching him from the trees at the edge of the Drowned Forest, their eyes burning like coals." |
5 | "Whispers say the drowned forest water calls out to the lonely and those who drink from the pools never return quite the same." |
6 | "Old Garl, the pale man under Sharkfin Bridge, disappears into the Drowned Forest every day. Some say he’s cursed, feeding on rotten fish and secrets." |
Bridgefolk
Beneath the stone span of the bridge sprawls a shanty town. Lean-tos of Beneath the stone span of the Sharkfin Bridge sprawls a ramshackle shanty town. Lean-tos of rotting planks, patched sails, and driftwood cluster along the muddy banks of the Kingfisher River. The air hangs heavy with the stench of rotting fish, riverweed, and the fouler tang of unwashed bodies. Smoke from half-burnt trash fires curls upward to the bridge above, where the respectable townsfolk pretend not to notice.
Rats scurry through piles of fish guts dumped from the markets, while gulls wheel overhead, fighting over scraps. At night, the place comes alive with coughing, muttering, and the hollow clink of bottles in the dark.
The People: The bridgefolk are a motley collection of stragglers, deserters, and outcasts with nowhere else to go. They barter in scraps, beg coins from passing sailors, and tell bitter tales of the sea. Many drown their sorrows in cheap “crab rum” bought from shadowy smugglers.
Despite their rough exterior, the bridgefolk know more than they let on. They are a reliable source for rumors, whispers of smuggling runs, bribed guards, and strange happenings upriver. A friendly smile and a shared drink may open doors to secrets best left uncovered.
Not all bridgefolk are who they appear to be:
Murk is a one-eyed fisherman among them, quietly gathering information for Gellan Primewater in Saltmarsh. (spy stat block) |  |
Kedge is a clever smuggler who operates by night, ferrying stolen goods to awaiting ships. A careful search of his shanty reveals a trove of pilfered treasures. (bandit stat block) |  |
Old Garl spends his nights alone on the north side of the bridge, disappearing each day into the drowned forest. Most think him a harmless eccentric, but there is far more to the pale man than meets the eye. (see Quest Whispers by the River) (zombie stat block) |  |