Agate Town

Agate Town 

Named for the old vein of robust orange and red agate which lays beneath the rock of the harbor, Agate Town trades primarily in giant oysters and hardstone crafts, typically cut from agate, tho the craftsmen of the town are capable of creating practical and art objects from other semi-precious stones (jade, onyx, jasper, serpentine, etc)

The bay is deep enough for all but the largest types of sea going vessels and acts as one of the two major ports of Quaya. Because of the large sea walls and placid bay currents Agate Town is a preferred port for sailors seeking shelter from storms and is more active during the summer when the pass through the mountains allow trade caravans to carry goods directly to and from the Capital (Salendar) while the Tsankupi river is often too low for anything heavier or deeper than a barge in Summer.  During the winter months, it's little more than a stopping point before Travelers make the journey to Falador.

The docks are old here, creaking planks, slick with brine. Inexperienced sailors have been known to slip and fall into the harbor.  Massive clams, sometimes 3 feet across can be found in the sands and tide pools nearby, and one of the major exports of the town, besides its name sake, is oyster meat. Despite it's age, the town is not the first or only settlement in this place, and the ancient aquatic denizens of this place are deeply resentful of the humanoid encroachment on their traditional home. 

Oyster Folk: The Ostreidae

The Ostreidae (Oh-Stray-Dye) are thick stone like shelled folk with squishy grey flesh and mucous within their thick armored shells. While well armored they peek from a opening in their shell but will seal themselves if threatened. Some have bristly hair like cilia that move tiny marine plankton into their mouths. Tho their bodies and faces are heavily armored, while using their thick muscular limbs they have to extend them outside their shells to act as arms and legs. Some have quite colorful flesh but most are a green-grey, scholars have yet to understand what causes these color differences, tho some claim that it distinguishes royalty while others say it's a religious or even warrior caste differentiation. 

Typically shy and peaceful humans have killed the Ostreidae for millennia as food, for pearls or to harvest their shells. Oyster folk are wary and suspicious, especially of humans and will often retreat within their shells at the first sign of a human and hope to be left alone. Humans often kill and eat their children unaware they are in fact humanoid and intelligent. The Ostreidae have often aided other marine races in their wars against humans as they are easily convinced of the dangers of the hairless ape menace. They often dwell in reef villages living simple lives in coral huts, gathering small crustaceans and cultivating seaweed farms. They are larger than their tiny kin mollusk kin and need more substantial food. But they will often wallow in rock pools, filter feeding if they cant do better. Oyster folk who get trapped in tidal pools who can't escape on the next high tide often starve to death. 

They can be hard to see among marine rocks, as many have barnacles and weed or algae growing on them. Occasionally some are able to get along with humans but they are melancholic curmudgeons. They often use shells of fallen kin as shields or to make weapons. These are brittle but sharp and might incorporate driftwood hafts. Such weapons also blend with marine matter on coasts. 

NPCs -- 

Gunther Grubson the Dock Manager; 

An old man with a bitter temper and a grumpy attitude. His vision has degraded badly in his old age and he can no longer read. He will often tack additional "taxes" onto the mooring fees of people who irritate him. His beloved daughter Mia is the only person who can reason with him. 

Mia Grubs;

Mia is a caring woman in her late 20s with long blonde hair, who tends to take things at face value. She works the docks as her fathers assistant, but is also the local message and mail office.  She secretly worships Simurgh, the Queen of Birds, who is Thirty Birds, keeping a small shrine at the end of the docks where she frequently feeds the seagulls and ravens which roost in the cliffs. 

Analeth the 'Retired' Slaver;

A half elf with sun burnt skin and red hair. He acts tough but is quite cowardly in the end. He keeps a number of ruffians and dockhands well payed to act as his personal muscle. Quaya outlawed slavery near the end of the last mage wars around 60 years ago, and Analeth claims to have retired since then. 

Benevolence Drake, Bodyguard and Cutthroat; 

Benevolence is a woman in her mid 30s and the head of Analeths security detail and is seldom seen without her signature bronze pointed spear. She has short cropped black hair that's shaved on the left side and harsh green eyes. Her white skin is marred with visible scars and her tall and muscular build is intimidating to most, even from a distance, but she has a soft and attractive face. She quietly worships Istishia, Goddess of water, purification, and destiny and can often be seen praying near tide pools or on the sea cliffs. 

Saranel Caresta, Elven Captain;

Captain Caresta is, or at least claims to be, nearly 200 years old. He claims to have repaired his ship so often in it's near 100 years of service that not one nail or board of the original vessel remains. Lately however, he's been hesitant to go out to sea. His crew have all left for other ships and he sits in the local tavern drinking wine and telling boisterous stories of his adventures on the high seas. Whenever pressed about his plans for the future he grows moody and sour. His ship still sits in the bay, and he pays Gunther weekly, each week claiming he'll be gone again come Friday. It's been 6 months now. 

Atub Wolfripper, Orcish Sea Witch; 

Atub is an old orc, though no one is certain how old. She lives alone at the edge of town and bothers the townsfolk for little. Instead preferring to forage, even in her old age, for what supplies she may need. She's a clever old woman and the townsfolk claim she's some sort of orcish sea witch. She speaks to the ocean at length, or at least, speaks to it more than she speaks to any of the townsfolk. They often seek her advice when they're at the end of their rope, hoping for some form of magical aid no doubt, but she usually turns them down. The few she has helped will speak nothing of it.