:: Random Location—Shrine Rest, Trading Post on the Open Sea ::

You know how if you want the freshest seafood there is, you go all the way down to the docks to that one restaurant that actually sits over the water and the cook scoops up the fish right out of the sea? Yeah, Shrine Rest is that place, but for landlubber stuff. And they mostly sell to sea-folk.

The place is on an island just off the coast and it's run by mermaids. Sorry, Sirens. (They don't like it when you call them mermaids; there's men-folk, too.) Built by a pair of carpenters named Maiara and Aputsiaq. Sisters. That was decades ago, though, so they're well past their good working years. They got the brilliant idea for the place from that one restaurant on the docks, except they made it for sea-folk who wanted to get a taste of the shore life. Tale's worth a listen if you got a sec. Yeah? Good, listen up...


Nice place; a little chilly, but you'll see the sun most days. They've got welcome windows at the dock and in the water, very equal-opportunity, real entrepreneurs.There's a merchant, Yoatl, who's got a couple sextants she found on the seafloor. Not much use in the sea, but they're just curios to them anyway. Wayra, in the common room, will make you flapjacks with Maple Syrup, fresh from the mainland. Of course, he makes the flapjacks out of rice instead of wheat—so he's a little young and probably doesn't know any better. But then, local places never quite get foreign food right, do they?

Antinanco runs the general store. Believe it or not she's got three carriages. Full intact and all! Hauled them up from a rich-man's sunken ship. He was moving further up the shore, see, and lost his whole mess to a merrow attack. Poor sod. Now the carriages just sit there next to the trading post; not much good on an island. Antinanco's been giving free tours of the whole place in those things just to show them off and raise her chances of unloading one on some foolish seafarer with way too much money.

Now, Tochtli, there's an old man-fish with some practical gear. Lanterns, ropes, waterproof bags, and cots. All different styles, too. Just the thing if you're spending the night on the island. Which you will, because that's what you're here for, yeah? Come for the view, sure, but you can't leave until you've spent a night in the Shrine. Oh, and you'll want to get your hands on one of Tochtli's commemorative whetstones. Even if you don't use it to sharpen your weapons the night before, you can take it home as a souvenir. Good price for what you get out of it, very affordable.

The Shrine's surrounded by this tall fence, but don't let that stop you. Where there used to be this great hot springs now there's this big steaming crack in the ground. But that's a story for another time; just wait, there's more! So, the valley the Shrine overlooks is said to be haunted. Haunted, mind you. I say they're just ruffians preying on visitors in the night to keep up the hype.

Why go? Oh, scads of reasons! Well, maybe just the one: they say if you make it one night in the Shrine you'll have proved to the Lung that you're worthy of your heart's desire. The Lung? You know, those wingless dragons the sailors tell stories of. I say it's all a racket, just makes you look for the luck you always had, but who doesn't need a good boost now and then, hey? A little adventure to cross off the bucket-list.

Oh, one more thing! If you actually go, say hi to the one angel out there. His name's Anik. He's a weaver, and he owes me money. He's real helpful up front, but he gets upset if you even mention the other vendors. Just wants to see the whole place burn and collapse into the water, I swear—I don't even know why he stays out there. Fish-legs don't even buy rugs! Man doesn't make a single copper on his weaving or I'm a barnacle.

Right, then, off you go. Bring me back one of them whetstones for the tale, I could use another.