Sunday, 8 April 2018

Alyeskan Gazetteer: Grimsport

Alyeska is home to be many settlements; some little more than mining camps whilst others are fully fledged towns. Most were founded either in areas rich with natural resources or close to readily available water. All usually have some sort of reputation for good or ill; Grimsport sits within the latter.

"A Most Dour And Decrepit Town"

The town of Grimsport sits at the mouth of the Grimsby River, which flows eastwards from Wicked Antler Lake to meet the sea on Alyeska's eastern coastline. The town was founded by the Grimsby family who gave their name to the river, the town and the whaling company that was Grimsport's major employer. Though the Grimsby family is now all but gone, the last male heir is believed to have been killed during the Great Darmonican War, and the town seems to be in terminal decline.

Grimsport has always had a bit of an ill reputation, the Grimsby family is said to have left the Home Isles under a dark cloud and some dare say that the family was cursed. The townsfolk themselves are a insular bunch and extremely unwelcoming to strangers, even to the point of outright rudeness. Whaling ships typically only unloaded the fruits of their labours at Grimsport, then sought a different port to take on supplies and for the crew to enjoy some shore leave.

Today, Grimsport is a decrepit looking town. The whaling industry effectively collapsed with the outbreak of war and Grimsport gradually went into terminal decline. Grimsby Hall, the seat of the Grimsby family, lies neglected whilst the whaling company factory is a blackened shell after a fire a couple of decades previously. An air of decay with streets of dilapidated buildings, seemingly half of which have any sign of human habitation.

Grimsport's only real contact with the outside world is the rickety old bus that runs from the town to Purpleflint and back three times a day, though the town does boast a small airstrip originally maintained by the Grimsby Whaling Co. There is also a two-man Air Police detachment, though this is rotated every three months and is an unpopular posting as its considered a punishment detail. The detachment's main role is to function as a point of contact for search and rescue efforts during an emergency, though they are alerted via a landline telephone so that they do not have to main the radio round the clock.

Services wise there is a rundown hotel that contains the town's sole restaurant and bar. There is also a combined general store and post office, a remnant of the old Great Northern Trading Co. This store is run by a Mrs Jenkins, a war widow and the only friendly face in town. Mrs Jenkins' husband died during the war, but she has maintained a cheerful disposition and is willing to impart advice to newcomers.

Due to Grimsport poor reputation, most aviators tend to turn down jobs that involve the town. As a result such jobs tend to offer double pay as an incentive, even for something as simple as a mail run. That may seen enticing to player characters who'll probably consider it 'easy money' even if they suspect a catch. Smuggling is another option due to the town's remoteness and the lack of interest from the aforementioned law enforcement.

Grimsport should be played as being more than a little creepy; there is a near-constant mist that engulfs the town and there is overwhelming feel of abandonment due to the rundown nature of the town. The locals will simply stand and silently stare at newcomers rather than engage in conversation, they also look similar to one another. The characters should feel like they're being constantly watched, perhaps even see half-glimpsed shadows, in addition to feeling that they're trespassing on unhallowed ground.

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