TEMPEST

Prologue

There is a small sea-side town by the name of Rifthold. You find it on any map because it's not really considered an extensive settlement, let alone a town. It's a very small closed off community, run by its extensive fishing business and the cannery on the harbor that packages most of the town's goods, and does exports for various companies. The good town's people are normally families who have moved away from the big city, in search of a better life in the little rural coastal town. But few rarely ever stay. Jobs are hard to come by and if the constant smell of fish doesn't get to you, then the residents will. Some of them are a little bit stir crazy from too long out at sea, while others are just generally terrible company. There are a few people who are vaguely civilized, but they're few and far between.

Rifthold used to be a popular tourist spot back in the 70's and 80's. There were supposedly possible sightings of rumored mermaids and other mystical sea creatures in Pearl Cove. As well as the charm of being a quiet sea-side town. But the fad faded and the tourists, with their money, faded faster. Sadly, the little town still tries to hold on to this and still offers tours out to the Cove every day, and even has a gift shop. But the only visitors the town gets are people's relatives who come to visit, the odd tourists who have been visiting every year since 1988, or lost travelers. Very, very lost travelers. Thankfully, the Sardine Inn always has empty rooms for a cheap place to spend the night. As long as you don't mind sand in the carpet, it's quite a pleasant place to stay.

The town has a long and extensive history that all started when Owain Tristan Llacheu II came ashore in 1822 and started a small settlement. The bay was a perfect natural harbor and the land was rich with game, and the waters full with fish. It was every settlers dream. They set up a new life here and cut down some of the forest to make way for houses and farm land. That was when the new settlers started to notice things. Things that seems out of place. Strange movements in the water. Animals vanishing without a trace, and turning up as bones on doorsteps. Even the odd person went missing for weeks and was found again in the forest, stark naked and blabbering about things nobody understood. Things that nobody would want to understand. It was safe to say, that odd things happened in Rifthold. And the disappearance of Owain Tristan Llacheu II wasn't the first. And it sure as hell wasn't the last.