Kelpore

Kelpore is a charming, half-century-old coastal village known for harvesting kelp and running a nearby mine. The locals are friendly and diverse, evidenced by the fact that only a fifth of the population seem like they’re originally from the local area. An elder, who has lived there since birth, governs the village and the local sheriff takes his work quite seriously. Their commitment to village life renders crime nearly non-existent. Generally speaking, the village is livelier than most, with boats and the odd ship frequently stopping to stock up on supplies, particularly the nutrient-rich kelp, used to help keep scurvy at bay.

Locals, when not working, like to spend time at the local amphitheater, which can hold a good few hundred people, or in the village sanctuary worshipping. The most popular local spot, however, is The Miner’s Nook. This local tavern was established after locals realized that having a bunch of filthy miners gather at one of their homes for post-shift drinks invariably led to an uncomfortable clean-up effort.

‘The Nook’, as some tend to shorten it, is actually communally funded and owned. The miners were authorized by the elder to use village funds to establish and run the place. This means that any miner may be found tending the bar, and that miners typically aren’t asked to pay for drinks (though outside visitors make up for the deficit). The Miner’s Nook is now a thriving village hub.

Kelpore is currently in a state of recovery. A year or so ago, after months of frenzied mining activity, a disturbingly large amount of rodents fled the mine, right into the settlement. They carried with them a plague that struck the village hard. To make matters worse, the villagers long-held superstition a dead cat under the doorstep brought good luck did nothing to halt the spread of contagion. It turns out that a dead cat is a useless cat at best, and a hive of bacteria at worst. Thankfully, since the plague passed, recovery progresses, albeit slowly. An upcoming fair is even being planned to celebrate their survival against the odds.

Worryingly, another problem has recently materialised: the mining stores were pillaged. Villagers are perplexed as to who could have moved all that ore and where they could have taken it. The incident was reported to the sheriff, but rumors have started to circulate that he may have already been aware of the theft, perhaps even before it happened... Speculation, for now, but a secret of that magnitude is not likely to remain so for long.

Perhaps the villagers should be more concerned with other gossip, in any case. Someone swears they heard that a city some ways away had some failed diplomatic relations and war might be on the way because of it. But then, in these little villages, who knows if that’s all true?