Population: 1,700
Overview: Brelish fishing villages tied to supernatural forces
Key NPCs: Bull Mordran (male human innkeeper), Cask Cooper (male halfling shipwright), Lora Tarn (female human veteran), Mala Cooper (female halfling priest), Tall Bradon (male dwarf ferryman)
When people on the frontier talk about Silver Lake, they’re usually referring to the assortment of small villages and hamlets spread across the southern shore of the lake. Because Silver Lake isn’t a unified town, it doesn’t have a counselor or a sheriff. If there’s trouble, the Lakefolk will go to Shavalant or Orcbone to seek justice—though more often than not, they’ll just take care of things themselves. On the whole, the Lakefolk are pragmatic, cynical, and suspicious of outsiders. Every lake village has its secrets, and they don’t care to have outsiders digging them up. If you’ve come for fish, they’ve got fish for sale. But they aren’t much for pleasant conversation.
Not all of the secrets the Lakefolk possess are as secret as they’d like them to be. It’s a known fact that Silver Lake contains a strong manifest zone tied to Thelanis. This makes the lake a remarkable and dangerous resource, which is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.
What’s also known is that there are fey spirits in the lake… and that the communities around Silver Lake have struck bargains with these spirits. For the most part, this involves little or no active interaction between the present Lakefolk and their fey patrons. Deals were made in the distant past, and what matters now is that each village has a pact it needs to maintain to ensure the quality of its catch and the safety of its sailors. Common practice is to refer to these fey patrons as their great-grandfathers or great-grandmothers, though some villages have other customs. Much like the people of Shavalant and the Whitehorn Wood, the Lakefolk don’t romanticize these relationships or have any special love for the fey. It’s a simple business arrangement they need to fulfill, and some Lakefolk resent these lingering agreements. On the other hand, breaking a pact can have disastrous consequences; there are a few ghost towns along the shore, abandoned because of the enmity between the villagers and the resident fey. Most of the Lakefolk aren’t especially knowledgeable about the fey and don’t have a way to reliably contact their patron. The wandering Greensinger known as Briar has often sought to serve as an intermediary between the Lakefolk and their patrons, but many of the Lakefolk don’t want some outsider interfering with their business. It’s our waters and our bargains. You want to buy some fish? Great. If not, door’s right there.
Silver Lake doesn’t have a lot to offer, unless you’re looking for fish or some clever driftwood sculptures. There’s no dragonmarked services, no Gold Dragon Inn; if you’re looking for a mercantile, you should have stayed in Shavalant. Some of the villages have no visitor-facing businesses whatsoever, but others have one particular point of attraction. There are around a dozen active villages in Silver Lake; here are notes on a few of the most significant.
Bradon Ferry. One of the larger villages, Bradon Ferry takes its name from the service it provides. The Bradon family runs a ferry service between Silver Lake and Xandrar. The ferry runs every other day, as it’s a day’s journey in either direction. Traveling straight across Silver Lake can be a dangerous journey, but Tall Bradon (who is, in fact, a dwarf) has a special route… and the Bradon family may have pacts that make it possible.
Cooper Shrine. The Coopers are halflings. While their ancestors were indeed coopers, today the family uses their magewright woodworking skills to construct and repair fishing boats. Cask Cooper is the oldest shipwright and the nominal head of the family. Mala Cooper is a priest of the Sovereign Host and maintains the small shrine in the village. Everybody in Silver Lake loves the Coopers, and if you’ve heard any rumors about Mala Cooper making sacrifices to the Devourer, they’re damn lies.
Graywater. The fishing has never been good in Graywater, and the human Tarn family turned to soldiering to bring in coin. There are a few Tarns in the Westwind Riders and a few serving in the Deneith Blademarks. Thanks to this experience, the Tarns operate as a militia and Lora Tarn sees herself as the de facto sheriff of Silver Lake. There’s not usually too much trouble, but Lora deals with fights that break out at Mordran Market and does her best to deal with brigands and ruffians.
Mordran Market. With a population of 300, Mordran Market is the largest village on Silver Lake. The market is open on the weekends, and people come from the surrounding villages and farms to sell their catch and crops. Mordran is just north of Shavalant, and merchants and intermediaries from the town will make the journey up to Mordran Market. Mordran also has the only inn on Silver Lake, an unlicensed establishment called the Black Duck. The Mordrans are an extended human family who make up most of the village. Sina Mordran oversees the market; Bull Mordran runs the Black Duck; and Crane Mordran is the patriarch of the fisherfolk. At the end of each week, Sina has to throw an interesting trinket into the lake, so she always looks for intriguing deals at the market.