TIDEWATER THE VILL AGE OF SAND

T
hose who are repeat visitors to the Village of Sand never see the same village more than once. Change is such a
constant here that it has earned the colloquial name of “Village of Sand.” It is also why the Village of Sand is among
Obojima’s wonders. The village boasts master sculptors who create the dazzling buildings that give the village its
name. With few exceptions, every building is made of hardened sand using a special spell that originates from the village.
Rival sculptors compete with each other to construct wildly outlandish structures that push the limits of their craft with the
help of giant crabs specially trained for the task. In this fashion, the Village of Sand has seen countless versions of itself, each
one a temporary work of art. The fleeting nature of the village’s look is a point of cultural pride among the residents, who
even create colored sand so that their village appears in a variety of vibrant colors.

The Pearl of Rongol. The history of the village predates its Threat from the Sea. Fishfolk raiders pose a real and
tradition of sand building. In fact, it started as a sacred site constant threat to the people of Tidewater. Attacks come
when a diver named Rongol pulled an enormous pearl from mostly at night, which is why sand sculptors use their
the ocean. When he placed it on the sand, storm clouds magic to raise a sandy bulwark to surround the village
gathered overhead and moments later, a bolt of lightning at dusk each day, only to dissolve it at sunrise. Though
arced down, missing the pearl by inches and striking the large scale raids have tapered off as a result, clever raiders
sand instead. A twisting tower of fulgurite rose up where continue to find ways into the village from time to time.
the lightning touched the sand, forming a tower of glass Washing Up on Shore. The other curiosity that attracts
around the pearl. Rongol became the first of the pearl’s visitors to the Village of Sand is the peculiar regularity with
caretakers, contemplating the pearl from within the Tower which stuff seems to wash up on the beach here. Enormous
of Glass. bones from an unknown species, bits of a wrecked ship,
Even though the Village of Sand grew up around the and a bottled maps are only the most recent arrivals. This
Tower of Glass, the pearl’s acolytes prefer a mostly hermetic detritus is so infused with the village’s identity that some
existence, emerging only occasionally with an omen to residents decorate their sand-build homes with the interest-
share with the village’s residents. ing items that wash up.

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 Vorian, Apprentice Sand Sculptor
Tone/Vibe The young elf is humble, shy, unsure of himself, and a
Buzzing with energy, wondrous, perpetual mumbler–everything their mentor, the Great
competitive, artsy Ferek, is not, including being a gifted sand sculptor. Vorian
is the true genius of organization, and it’s been by his atten-
tion to detail and diligence that Ferek has come to enjoy
Adventure Hooks his celebrity. Vorian has no interest in self-aggrandizement,
preferring instead to continue his efforts to turn sand into
Stolen Pearl. The characters awake to hubbub in the center works of art. When he’s not running about the village on
of Tidewater, where acolytes declare in ominous tones that errands for his mentor, Vorian can often be found sitting
the Pearl of Rongol has gone missing. The only clue is the outside, scribbling in his vast sketchbook spread across his
large puddle in the inner sanctum, where the pearl had lap. Vorian uses the commoner stat block.
been kept.
Ulmat, The Pearl’s Omenspeaker
Trouble with Fleas. A sand sculpting contest is disrupted
by the burrowing of giant sand fleas. But it only happens The dara is easily the tallest person in the village and possi-
when certain sculptors are demonstrating their skill. Is it a bly in the whole of the Gift of Shuritashi region. It falls to
coincidence? Is it sabotage? her to declare the omens she gleans from the pearl. Her
voice carries with it an otherworldly quality that everything
Kidnapped by Fishfolk. Three fisherman had gone out
she says sounds like a dire omen, even when she’s engaged
on water early in the morning, but only one returned.
in simple chitchat. She is the only acolyte who leaves the
They were found unconscious in their boat, which had run
Tower of Glass with any regularity, and she can be spotted
aground near the shore. The rudder showed bite marks.
strolling in the sculpture park, admiring the latest itera-
When he regained consciousness, the fisherman revealed
tions. Most folks give Ulmat a wide berth, but she delights
they were attacked by fishfolk. The last thing he remem-
in conversation, especially about art.
bered before being knocked out was seeing his comrades
dragged overboard and down to the Shallows. He’s not sure Gritty Groff, The Sand Witch
how he survived. A strange and solitary witch who lives on the outskirts of
Washed Up. As the characters walk the beach, they come the village, preferring the company of her two giant sand
across a pair of seagulls fighting over a corked, green glass fleas*, Fleck and Speck. She has an abundance of knowl-
bottle. The birds screech and fly off at the characters’ edge about the Shallows, and it’s even rumored that she
approach, leaving the bottle resting on a bed of seaweed. once served as advisor to the Lionfish King. It’s not true, of
Within the bottle is a map to a rare ingredient of course, but it keeps most folks out of her way. Despite her
your choice. See page $$ for more information about antisocial nature, she remains near Tidewater because she
rare ingredients. believes it her responsibility to protect the pearl house in
the Tower of Glass for reasons that are her own.

NPCs Gritty Groff is hard to locate at any given moment, for she
lives in a mound of sand that migrates around the area. The
Beachcomber Kids interior of her mound remains solid and constant even as it
moves about the beach.
Kenta, Kaz, and Kersh are three kids who live on their
own on the outskirts of the village, making a living
by combing the beach for valuable miscellany that
washes up on shore and selling them to AHA!
Factions
or at the market in the village. When times
AHA! maintains a semi-permanent encampment
are lean, they’re not above pickpocketing.
on the beach so its members can monitor the
They have a small stash of treasure in
stuff-on-shore phenomenon and catalog the items.
their lair–a ship buried in the sand.
Kersh, the oldest kid, is
a warlock who struck a The Courier Brigade maintains a small outpost
bargain with a sea spirit. made of sand, though the resident courier prefers
He carries a globe of glass to sleep in a tent behind the modest building.
in a mesh of rope at his
hip, which contains the
The Tall Hats witch coven passes through Tide-
pufferfish spirit.
water from time to time, but they don’t have any
permanent presence here. Gritty Groff, the sand
witch, is unaffiliated with any coven.

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 The four acolytes of the tower are:
◊ Ulmat the Omenspeaker (see NPCs above)
◊ Harraga (nonbinary human) – They are a blind healer
with a serious sweet tooth.
◊ Eol (male human) – He is burly and bald, and he frets
constantly about the cleanliness of the tower.
◊ Kem (female nakudama) – She is loud and friendly, and
she is accompanied by a tiny black cat spirit named Boog.
Sculpture Park
The Tower of Pearl and Glass leans out over the village’s
sculpture garden, where sand sculptors make marvelous
works of art. The sculptures here depict dramatic scenes
from Obojiman myths and legends, or are sprawling abstract
displays meant to show off the artist’s mastery. There’s a
spirit who lurks in the sculpture park who likes to animate
the sculptures to scare passersby.
The sculptures are not meant to be permanent fixtures.
Like the village itself, the sculptures constantly rotate as
artists are struck by new inspiration. When a sculpture is
gone, it’s gone for good.
One corner of the Sculpture Park is reserved for Little
Obojima, a map of the island made entirely of sand.
Crab Caves
Tidewater’s beach is nestled in a cove hemmed in by a
VORIAN crescent cliff that rises sharply from the sand. The base of
the cliff is dotted with caves, some of which lead down to a
waterlogged den of giant crabs. The crabs have been domes-
ticated by the villagers, though those who don’t know the
nuances of dealing with crabs might still run afoul of their
generally irritable disposition. From time to time, adven-

Points of Interest turers are called upon to drive out monsters and scavengers
who’ve made lairs in the caves.
Tower of Pearl and Glass
At the center of the village stands its original marvel–the
tall fulgurite tower that holds the Pearl of Rongol. The
tower’s twisting form juts from the beach at an angle, look-
ing like it’s going to topple at any moment. Several branches Legends
splay out from the main structure, giving the tower a The pearl is a beacon. Most villagers agree that the
silhouette that resembles a deer’s antler. At its highest Pearl of Rongol can offer glimpses of coming events.
point, it looms thirty feet above the sand. But some speculate that the pearl is also a beacon.
Within the tower, acolytes using the technique of sand According to the legend, the pearl is calling out to
sculpting cut a network of chambers and tunnels that something in the depths of the ocean. Versions of
branch from the original chamber of the pearl, which the legend differ on whether or not that something
formed when the tower first rose up around it. Though the is benevolent.
tower leans, it can be described as having three levels. The Gift Giving Spirits. Some claim that the regularity
bottom level contains the Chamber of Audience, a circu- with which bits and bobs show up on Tidewater’s
lar room with seating arranged around the edge. It’s where beaches is due to coy water spirits who drag gifts
people can come listen to the omenspeaker share what they onto the sand at night. More than one late night
have seen in the pearl. A tunnel leads from the Chamber of beach walker has attested to hearing burbling
Audience to the acolytes’ quarters. These are modest lodg- giggles and chatter in the surf, but no one has seen
ings, for the tower’s three acolytes. Another tunnel leads up anything more than the waves lapping at the sand.
to the Vault of the Pearl. Though it was formed naturally,
the vault is a perfect three-sided pyramid. The pearl is kept
here on a bed of sand. Only acolytes are allowed here.