Chapter 1: Settling In

Written by Skarth Diem to Dronaet Klingstone

I could have written this in Common but I need to practise my Dwarvish Runes, so here it is.

A little over two months have now passed since I arrived in the town of Saltmarsh. Since that time, your family has generously taken me in and made me feel welcome. I have been working very hard at learning the dwarven tongue so that I can communicate more clearly with you and your family. It took two days to recover from our escape to the point where I could do much more than lie in bed or sit on a chair in the shade. Your mother appears to have made it her mission to ensure I eat considerable meals at every opportunity so I am no longer quite as skinny as I was when I arrived. I had no idea food could be so delightful. I have to say that I now feel amazingly healthy and strong.

At one point, I did say, “Ma’am, I’m not used to being waited on like this. In my previous life, I was the servant, not the master.” But your mother hushed me and reminded me to call her Sarmaet and did not change what she was doing in the slightest.

I spoke to your mother and grandfather and we found a small spot outside that was sheltered from the worst of the weather. There I established a small garden by planting a couple of seedlings and cuttings I took from around the place. Then I unwrapped the small bark package that my first teacher had given me. Inside was a large seed that I planted in the middle of the garden nook. I’m not sure how long it will take until it sprouts – it may not do so until next spring, but it might be earlier. This corner is where I now sit and do my little ceremonies each sunrise and sunset. I sing the song of the sun and the stars and wish them well in their travels across the sky. Then I sing the song of wellbeing and growth and let my magic gently spread around me.

Your mother has also allowed me to help her with her vegetable garden. I sing my song of wellbeing and growth there as well, but I also am learning how to care for and grow different vegetables. I have much to learn and your mother is a good teacher. These plants are good teachers as well.

When I first arrived, I only saw dwarves. As a result, I was under the impression that Saltmarsh is a dwarvish town. But once I’d recovered enough to go walking about, you took me on a tour of the town and I saw that the town’s population is mostly human. You explained that the dwarves were relatively recent arrivals in the town and had settled here so that your people could open up the silver mine that now operates a short walk along the coast.

I’ve never been in a place with so many people living together like this. At first, I found it overwhelming to see so many houses crowded together and so many people bustling about. You assured me that Saltmarsh is actually relatively small and that the city of Korvosa is much, much larger. I’m afraid I cannot conceive of what such a city must be like and I expect that at some point I will travel to Korvosa to see this for myself.

Perhaps it would be quicker to say that everything is new to me. I’ve been told stories but to see and experience them for myself is a wonder. The sea, the marsh, the town, the shops, the taverns, the ships – they all bring those stories to life. And then there are the things that are completely different to where I came from: the colour of the sky, the colour of the sun, even the patterns of the stars as they travel through the heavens, these are all strange to me. But above all, the chance to live freely, to make choices for myself, to find my own path in the world – these are the things I have always dreamed of, but never believed I would have the opportunity to experience.

I still have much to learn, and you have been an excellent teacher. I will never forget the first time you took me to eat at the small cafeteria called “Fish’n’Ships” which is run by Ruby Fisher. There they cook and serve meals including fresh seafood. I’m sure the people were entertained by watching you explaining the different coins and how to exchange coins for food. And then watching at my childish delight in tasting what they all consider familiar food. Looking back on it now, they must have thought I was simple or something.

Then again, I gather we were the talk of the town for a few days. I gather it is very rare for people to arrive through an opening from The Place Between The Worlds. Sometimes in the evening, your mother and grandfather took me to the Wicker Goat, the tavern near our house. We had drinks (my first experience with alcohol) and the locals quizzed me on how I came to rescue you and how we came to be jumping out of what they called a magic portal. So I ended up telling something of my story a few times and the locals all seemed fascinated.

During this time, it became known that I had some small skill in healing magic and from that time I have occasionally been approached and asked for aid. It has been my pleasure to carry my wooden bowl with me and pour potions for those who asked. We did an experiment by pouring a potion into a small glass bottle and stoppering it. When it was unstoppered the following day, the bottle contained only water. From that, I discovered that the potion must be drunk almost immediately for it to be effective.

While I was there, I was introduced to Ruby Fisher’s mother-in-law, Mrs Jenny Fisher. She’s a mature woman with white hair and a weathered face. Her skin has a light brown hue and I saw a tattoo of Procan’s Trident on her arm. Procan appears to be the name they use around here for the God of the Sea. While I do not worship the various gods, I do respect their place in the Great War against the Darkness so I am pleased to see that so many people here follow such a god. Mrs Fisher is the head of one of the fishing families based here. I later found out that she and her husband were out at sea fishing about three years ago when they were caught in a storm. The ship went down and her husband was lost. Somehow she managed to survive and made it back to the port. Since then she has taken over the running of her business and is a well-known person in the town.

To help me assimilate into the town, your grandfather suggested I join the town militia. The dwarves were unwilling to have someone they considered one of their own appear unprepared so they presented me with a scimitar and a sheath for it, a wooden shield and a jerkin made of leather that would hopefully protect me from blows. Thus, suitably equipped, I started attending training sessions each week. Despite never having used scimitar and shield before, the basic moves seemed logical to me and I was congratulated on how quickly I was developing my skills.