A maritime forest of sand and bushy trees with the appearance of upended driftwood. Spending a good deal of time half-submerged with loose soil, it has never been successfully built upon. Some sailors consider it a large sandbar, steering clear of it all together, but a rare instance will see enough of the tidal waters pulled away for the sandy spit to be accessible by land. When submerged it is a water hazard, capturing wayward ships and damaging them if encountered. While people have made plans to cut it down for a clearer waterway, nothing has come of the deliberations of generations of officials and nautical engineers.
The plantlife is comparative to marsh or mangrove with the effect of the soil coloring the wood grayish, and making it very strong and encrusted with salt. While the wood can be harvested, is very hard to cut or fashion into workable planks, weapons, or tools because of its’ warped grain.
Clearing the Way
PCs are conscripted or hired into a crew to sail out to the spit while it is somewhat revealed by the tide and proceed to cut it down. A good swath is taken out by the medium sized work crew before the water reclaims all but the canopy, but when not all of the workers are accounted for do the PCs question or search for the missing?
'I thought I felt something swim past my legs, but it was probably just some fishies'
What is in the water near the Gristwood Landing?
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? Responses (6)
A nice idea for a nautical rp.
We have a river controlled by a dam nearby and I spent a few days on it and took a boat up and down it during 'low tide' which was a solid 10+ foot difference. High tide and the current was pretty dang strong. This seems to be just a salt water version of that. I would imagine there would be lots of these types of things up and down the entire waterway if the water does go up and down.
I am having trouble grasping the significance of it, even with the lost NPCs hook.
Now, if it was the land that actually rose, and not the water dropping, and it moved about...that might be something.....
Meh, I get really tired of large creatures as islands, no offense.
I loved the marshlands in Savannah and was amazed at how life can regain footing after a bad storm, a completely clear island is slowly taken over by plant life, even in those salty conditions, also love the sea-plants that are made hardier by the addition of salt, absorbed with the water through the roots.
I was thinking how frustrating those swamp loggers get swinging axes and working with chainsaws in the water, combined with something like the creature in the waste disposal on the Deathstar.
But I do like the idea of big creatures that have no discernible way to camouflage or hide, such as really low water, still being able to hunt in silence. Think giant water snake or really dexterous water dragon.
Jellyfish caught while the trees are revealed, still lashing out or grabbing prey, a really long tentacle from a beastie a mile away, a few ideas there.
Will try to develop more?!
It could be somewhat sentient land then that serves a purpose. Perhaps it comes up in great need for the desperate to travel across as a raft, or has delayed the ships because of a great storm or dangerous creature down river or something. It just needs a thought to hang on.
Despite being very stubby, a flooding swamp has a lot of potential. It's crowded, chaotic, and wet. It does need something extra, though. Jellyfish or hydromantic trees or something.
Oh, and a shipwreck here would be an excellent variation. No dry place to sleep, no fresh water, and beasties in the water.
Great simple location. Good visuals.