Village Backdrop: Hard Bay
Hard Bay’s fate has ever been tied to the sea. Although blessed with a natural, protected harbour and plentiful fishing, foul weather and a dangerous, unwholesome reputation have conspired to keep the village nothing more than a dreary, isolated place. A vein of smuggling and thievery ran deep through the village until the Sharkrazor pirates were crushed four decades ago. Now administered by three minor noble families, a darker horror than mere piracy lurks within the place. Rumours speak of strange fires set amid a circle of ancient, weathered stones atop a nearby shunned hill when the moon is new and of strange, abhorrent fishmen lurking in the abandoned, half-drowned smuggler tunnels beneath the ramshackle village.
By Thomas Fayen
Most of the village comprises peasant homes. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers:
- Blufont Manor: Family home of the Blufonts, much of the business of the Cult of the Deep is conducted within. Tunnels have been dug in its basement that lead into the Depths.
- Moisan Manor: Formerly a large brothel, Moisan Manor is the most renovated building in the village and drips with excess. Most nights, it hosts raucous ball.
- Gerou Manor: Small home of the Gerou family, it is notable for its roof mounted telescope.
- Stronghammer Metalworks: The smithy is run by a family of dwarves that try to protect visitors to Hard Bay.
- The Driftwood: The curio shop is owned by the Blufont family. Trading in unusual items and lore is always possible here.
- Docks: The docks are the focus of trade in Hard Bay. The warehouses are in varying states of disrepair.
- Lighthouse: Lookout Point is capped by a lighthouse that guards the bay and is reachable by a dangerous causeway.
- The Evening Mist: The public house has rooms for let.
- Maritime Hill: Topped by an altar and standing stones, the hill is clearly used for some fell purpose.
- The Depths: In these secret tunnels the Cult of the Deep meet to worship their piscine gods.
Most of the population are nothing more than hardworking peasants. A few, however, are of interest to adventurers:
- Aldal Stronghammer Forgemaster of Stronghammer Metalworks, Aldal goes out of his way to gruffly encourage visitors to town not to stay past sunset. He is rarely seen without his overly large flask.
- Councillor Ellagana Moisan Ellagana is the beautiful and hedonistic leader of the wealthy Moisan family. Through her family, she controls the docks and most of the trade.
- Councillor Reynard Gerou Reynard smoothly plays a dangerous game, paying lip service to the Cult of the Deep. He has wandered from the cult and now seeks only to further his family’s position.
- Fancy Tomnal Staggers Sent by the Sharkrazor pirates who once held Hard Bay, Fancy Tomnal is spying on the village to see how the buccaneers might regain control. He isn’t sure what, but he has noticed that something is not quite right in Hard Bay. Unfortunately for him, the cult has already marked him as the sacrifice for the new moon.
- High Councillor Affric Blufont Patriarch of the Blufont family, Afrric is the senior member of the ruling council and the most powerful, ruthless member in the Cult of the Deep.
- Old Moreg The crazed Moreg tends the lighthouse with his summoned “friends.”
Village Backdrop: Hard Bay is designed for use with the 5th edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game. Fantasy Grounds conversion includes all NPCs in Fantasy Grounds format in encounters by location to make the DM’s job easier.
Fantasy Grounds Conversion by: Michael G. Potter
Released on August 29, 2017. Designed for Fantasy Grounds version 3.2.2 and higher.
Requires: An active subscription or a one time purchase of a Fantasy Grounds Full or Ultimate license and the included 5E Ruleset.
