Kreeswind

Introduction/Overview
This small hamlet is situated in the western part of the Santharian province Manthria on the continent of Sarvonia. Looking out over the Gulf of Maraya and with the Auturian Woods behind it, it’s easily overlooked, but what makes Kreeswind special are the boats that are produced here: some of the finest fishing boats on this side of the continent for shallow waters are crafted in Kreeswind. About 500 souls have their homes built here.

Description
Kreeswind is split in two by a small stream. The original village was founded on the north bank of this stream, but since the village has grown, it has spread to the south side too. The five main boating families all live on the northern side and as a result many wharves line that side of the stream. These are used to dock boats while they are in the process of being built. Behind the wharves are the houses, which are uniformly white and wooden, but a plethora of different sizes and shapes. Boat building is a family buisness, so there are five huge houses with smaller ones grouped around them in what are almost like districts; houses belonging to the same family are grouped together. These main five houses contain the five families, each one trying to outdo each other with the quality of their boats and the rate of their business. It is this healthy rivalry that allows boats of such high caliber to be sold so cheaply.

Kreeswind used to be a fishing village. Now it is a boat building village. There is a reason for this: In the month of Jeystar in 1526 a.S. all the fish left the stream.This was because of the Kreeswind curse, set upon it by a female elf. This event almost meant the end for the village. The Elves of Quetin felt obligated to atone for the woman's actions and helped the village sell their boats and build new ones. Soon there were only three families left in the village- the ones who had dominated the boat-building business. The fish came back several years later, but by then the main occupation of the villagers was boat building, and the other two families that had come were starting up an intense rivalry with the others.

The south side was added later when there was a need for trade goods storage. Warehouses nowadays stand neatly in line, with a row of stores and merchant houses a little ways off. It is obvious that this part was built with a purpose. First there was trade with Ravenport and Saloh to sell the boats, as well as the elves of Quetin. Then the monastery of Malise islets started to buy boats, and every year a mixture of these four groups of customers and others looking for boats in the south come here for the annual boating competition. This is an important event for the economy of Kreeswind, and sailors from all over Manthria come to race from one end of the village's natural harbour to the other, among other events.

For merchants and travellers that had business in the area, there is a small inn called “The Lost Mate”. The innkeeper used to be a fisherman and on one of his voyages his ship got into a storm. In that storm he lost one of his shipmates. He vowed never to set foot on a ship again and started the inn. Containing only three rooms it has a real family type feel to it. The other inn is "The Boaters' Haven", a much larger in with thirty rooms used to house the competitors and spectators alike during the boating tournament of Kreeswind.

Location
Kreeswind lies on the west coast of the Santharian province Manthria on the continent of Sarvonia.
It is located at the coast of the Gulf of Maraya, near the Malise Islets and has the Auturian Woods behind it. To the south you will find Ravenport and to the north is Rhenos castle, part of the legend of The Four Brothers. There are rumours that Kreeswind is built upon an old town that was destroyed long ago. Apparently the main site of some sort of horrible demon-worshiping cult, people didn’t want to come here.

People

The population of the town of Kreeswind is made up almost exclusively of humans, mostly of Avennorian or Serphelorian descent, with a smattering of dwarves and elves. One of the main boat-building families is half-elven.

Main boat-building families:

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Coat of Arms
Having only 300 people it doesn’t really have its own coat of arms. However, the most influential man in town does have one and slowly but surely this is starting to be adopted as the town’s own. It consists of a dark blue background depicting the sea, and a scow with reefed sails. Obviously this belongs to a merchant.

Climate
The summers are cooled from the breezes from the Gulf of Maraya, but are still reasonably warm. The winters are short and mild. Rain is very common here, since it rains more than half of the year.

Flora
The flora here is very diverse. On the one hand is the flora from the Auturian woods that, on the other hand the coastal flora, like y’rom.

Fauna
The fauna here is mostly insects and any stray animals that come from the Auturian woods.

Resources
Trees from the forest, used for the boats

Myth/Lore
When the first families arrived at the location where Kreeswind is founded, they found remnants of some old houses. It is said that a strange cult housed here, but where they went no one knows.
And then there is the curse. A young man and an Elven female fell in love. Neither Humans nor Elves approved. The young man was punished by his family. He died.
The Elven female cursed the town for taking away her loved one. From that day on there would be no more fishes near Kreeswind. It is said that the soul of the young man still wanders the village and every time he passes through a wall he makes it a bit whiter.

History
1501 a.S. : Founding by five fishing families
1516 a.S. : Ten families now live here, boat building is starting, since the old boats no longer suffice.
1524 a.S. : A merchant from Ravenport buys a boat. When he came to Kreeswind and saw the magnificent boats at the wharves he knew there would be a market for them. Especially for the shallow waters found around islands on the west coast like Malise and Songgrass.
1526 a.S. : The Kreeswind curse
1527 a.S. : The main focus of Kreeswind shifts from fishing to building boats
1531 a.S. : A small group of merchants settles here to take up trade with the monastery of Malise Islets
1550 a.S. : Trade with Quetin starts
1551 a.S. : 200 people now live in Kreeswind