Author: John Perkins

TITLE
BY J.M. PERKINS

Corruption of the Tarrasque
Mutations Supplement
For the Salt in Wounds Campaign Setting
Utilizing 5th Edition Rules of the World’s Oldest RPG
Written and Designed by J.M. Perkins
Copyright 2017 J.M. Perkins & Pangolin Press
Edited by Mike Myler
Art by Jeffrey Chen
Additional Art by Jess Stock
Layout by J.M. Perkins
Declaration of Open Game Content
All text pertaining to game mechanics and statistics, along with the class names, are declared Open Game Content. All items subject to the definition of Product Identity (see previous) are the property of J.M. Perkins & Pangolin Press and cannot be used without written permission, with the exception of clip art used under permission or license.

SALT IN WOUNDS AT A GLANCE

History & Basics
Problem Unkillable, regenerating kaiju ‘Tarrasque’ rampaging through the countryside.
Solution Several kingdoms launch a combined army, led by 13 heroes equipped with ballistas armed with ‘immoveable harpoons’ to bind beast & slay it.
Army successful, Tarrasque is bound in a high mountain valley but still cannot be killed.
Defenders start disbanding, low on food.
Newly built fortress turns to butchering/eating the Tarrasque for rations.
War with native stone giants end with enslaving the tribe & their labor is used to upgrade the fortress and build the city of Salt in Wounds.
13 Heroes dubbed ‘Binder-Lords’ found the aristocratic houses that control the city, symbol of power is knowledge of command words that can unleash the harpoons holding the beast.
Lots of immigrants fleeing famine makes the city one of the most populous in the world.
Alchemists begin experimenting with Tarrasque derived reagents, booming business.
12th Meridian crisis, the Tarrasque’s tail briefly became unstuck and causes destruction of a section of the city (the Tail Stones).
217 AB (After Binding) Present - the City of Salt in Wounds is a weird, evil metropolis built around the perpetual butchery of the Tarrasque.
Prominent Factions
Meridian Houses Decadent aristocrats who control the city and constantly vie for power.
God-Butchers Ceremonial order of knight-butchers who carve up the Tarrasque
Marrow Miners New organization that works on Tarrasque founded after 12th Meridian Crisis, rivalry with God-Butchers & rumored ties with organized crime.
Enders Extinct faction pledged to kill the beast
House Militias ‘Law Enforcement’ broken up into 13 distinct groups (each loyal to a different aristocratic house) in conflict with one another.
Circle of Release Druidic insurgency attempting to free the Tarrasque.
The Council of Sages Loose, professional association of wizards and alchemists working within Salt in Wounds.
Church of Macinfex Worships the God of Butchers.
Church of the Monad Academics and alchemists who believe in supreme unity of all things.
Solidia Septermus Believe wealth is God.
Cult of Renesec Worship change and specifically mutation.
Districts and Locations
Beast Crown Aristocratic District.
Sage’s Row Home to world’s best alchemists.
The Throat One of the biggest markets in the world, everything is for sale.
Tail Stones Crime ridden slums still in ruins following 12th Meridian Crisis.
Salzinwuun Fortress core that holds Tarrasque, inaccessible by the public.
Heartsblood Marsh Mutant fungal swamp crafted from twisted druidic magic, processing Tarrasque runoff like it was chemical waste.
Other Information
Food is cheap to free, (Clean) Water is Expensive.
Horrifying Drugs, mutations, monsters, crime, torture all common; law enforcement lax & corrupt.
Weather: Tropical climate amongst snow covered mountains.
Most ‘normal’ water drinking animals are considered luxuries; axebeaks and other birds/lizards take their place
Ghoulification is legal and ghouls are citizens (eat a prodigious amount of rotting Tarrasque flesh to stay sane).
Paladins, rangers, and druids not generally welcome in the city, operate covertly.
Adventurers of Salt in Wounds
Every region and city of the world produces adventurers; those exceptional individuals who hunt monsters, recover artifacts, thwart (or enact) magical plots, and/or otherwise deal with the issues beyond the ken of the ordinary mortal. The city of Salt in Wounds is no exception. Native born adventurers raised in the shadow the Tarrasque experienced a constant reminder of the wild magic that fills the world with the potential to reshape everything. Meanwhile the city, its dangers, riches, and mysteries inevitably draws adventurers from the world over. Built into the structure of the city is the notion that extraordinary individuals can save the world (and become fabulously wealthy & powerful in the process).
Is it any wonder that Salt in Wounds is near legendary for its preponderance of self-proclaimed adventurers?
These (often superhuman) mercenaries, mystics, and madmen work as guards for merchants, agents of the Binder-Lords, hunters of dangerous beasts and humanoids, and explorers of the city and its environs. The unique features of Salt in Wounds however ensure that certain qualities (favored tactics, abilities, and even psychological quirks) are often found in the adventurers who hail from or operate within the metropolis that exists in the shadows of the Tarrasque.
These commonalities include (but are not limited to):
Strongly Favoring Two Handed/high damage weapons With so many monsters and threats of Salt in Wounds having some capacity for regeneration or to otherwise shrug off lesser blows via damage reduction, a common adaptive tactic is to simply do massive damage which is capable of severing limbs or cracking through the toughest armor.
Obsession with Recovering Organs, Teeth, and Other Viscera Moreso than most of the world’s adventurers, those of SiW see great value in the parts of monsters and will take great pains to collect glands, bones, and more… most especially those obtained from rare creatures. Even if they have no particular interest themselves, experience has taught them that there will be an interested alchemist who will pay well for any hitherto unknown or rare biological samples. This quirk (and the fact of ghoul adventurers) often gives adventurers from Salt in Wounds a reputation for ghoulishness or the ‘salt stink’ – a foul aroma wafting from packs stuffed full of rotting, improperly preserved meat. (See Carving up the Tarrasque for more information).
Solo Tactics Given the moral outlook of much of the city, it can be difficult for the adventurers of Salt in Wounds to trust one another to the degree necessary to utilize advanced, team based tactics. Most adventuring groups are short term affairs driven by a ruthless mercenary calculus. As such, most adventurers favor developing themselves to be as self-sufficient as possible. The exceptions however are notable (see below).
Inhuman Loyalty Paradoxically, when group membership is successfully initiated it can be the primary survival strategy in Salt in Wounds and as such the members of the various factions (God-Butchers, Meridian House, Circle of Release etc.) are nearly inhumanly loyal to whatever they view as their ‘clan.’ Those rare groups of adventurers who learn to view their party as the primary group support are legendarily devoted to their fellows, recognizing that the success of their group is the only thing that is keeping them alive in a hostile city & biome.
Suggestions for Good Players
Salt in Wounds is an evil place. While the binding of the Tarrasque is perhaps necessary, the city has been built upon its callous torture with no current legitimate efforts to minimize its suffering. More or less everyone in the city is party to this, and while that does not mean that every individual is evil it does tend to engender a general disregard to inflicting pain and suffering. As such, a significant minority (and most of the leadership of the city) can be considered evil. With the addition of ghouls operating as citizens with rights, good and nature aligned characters may have increased difficulty operating in Salt in Wounds. Complicating matters further, due to a variety of ‘incidents’ in the past, the powers of the city harbor a great deal of suspicion towards any self proclaimed (or even suspected) paladins, druids, and rangers. Unless convinced of a compelling reason such an individual would be in the city and greatly assured they will not attempt to disrupt ‘business as usual' the House Militias and God-Butchers will actively harass these individuals. That said, paladins, rangers, and druids are difficult to spot unless they identify themselves, most especially if they provide an alternate explanation for their powers and abilities (or simply don’t let others see them utilizing these). Here are some suggestions for how such characters may manage to operate:
There are currently multiple paladins, druids, and more who operate in the city covertly; individuals who keep quiet both their mission and essential nature. Your character(s) can certainly be one of them.
These characters can and do operate openly, but are often challenged in addition to being forced to regularly navigate and explain their purposes.
For similar (or similarly motivated) characters operating in the city overtly, players should remember to focus their characters on the larger mission/winning hearts & minds rather than overt force (which will most likely be cut extremely short).
If your character(s) has a deity or force that you worship; ask its advice about how to operate in the city.
Your character’s arc might be to transform from good to evil.
Lastly, remember that good characters in an evil situation do not necessarily have to change their character type in order to function but they are probably going to be called upon to be more creative and inventive to operate effectively. Surprise the GM by being effectively, unexpectedly good as opposed to being ‘lawful stupid.’

RACES OF SALT IN WOUNDS

Salt in Wounds is home to a dizzying array of races, and it’s a common saying within the city that this place is home to every sentient race on the planet… even those that haven’t been born yet. Representatives and even entire communities of the various races come to the city for a variety of reasons, from economic opportunity, to food security, to various plots and adventures, to the spectacle of pain, to the alchemical wonders, or (most commonly) for the markets. Of particular note are normally 'monstrous' races which have a recognized legal status within the city. Countless thousands have eked out a place in the human dominated society where they would be completely unable to in any other ‘civilized’ city, and these beings are usually found in the employ of the Marrow Miners.
What follows is a description of the social place and temperament of the most common races.
Dragonborn
Dragonborn are not uncommon in the city, and a famous mercenary company -The Teeth of Srithie- is wholly comprised of the race. So renown are the Teeth, citizens commonly assume that any dragonborn encountered is a member of the company and available for immediate hire.
Dwarf
Dwarves are rare in Salt in Wounds (in large part because of the significant presence of Druegar). However, as a population they tend to be quite well-to-do as many excel as skilled Bonesmiths & prosperous Blood-Merchants as well of comprising the aristocratic 6th House.
Elf
Currently, there are no known 'true' Elves living as long term residents in the city... most find the reality of Salt in Wounds to be extremely distasteful. Occasionally, adventuring Elves can be found within the city.
Note: For Synoma - the larger world of which Salt in Wounds is but one city- there are perhaps only 5,000 true elves remaining with the rate at which elves succumb to suicidal ennui has far outstripped their willingness to breed with other elves for the last dozen centuries. Your world might well handle Elves different, but sufficive to say they’re not a significant presence in Salt in Wounds beyond adventurers. However, as always, speak to your GM regarding how elves specifically work in your game world.
Gnome
Gnomes are a well represented, particularly amongst alchemists. This is largely a result of Tonagree Bumblezaz (an early, prominent gnomish alchemist and first teacher of the famed Bakal Filligreen) sending invitation letters (and offering to help with the resettling) of every one of his thousand and eight cousins in addition to their families. The gnomes of Salt in Wounds are known for a 'playfulness' that runs into overt sadism. Whether this is some effect of the city of a selection bias of the sorts of Gnomes who choose to live in Salt in Wounds is a subject of much barroom speculation.
Halfling
Halflings served as servants, aides-de-campe, and slaves of the army that originally bound the Tarrasque; and most of their descendants fit in a similar caste to the present day. This is so often the case that most simply assume every Halfling they meet is a slave. This is especially troubling for Halfling courtiers of 13th House (the so-called 'people's' house) which was founded by Rexaney Bramblethumb; a teenage Halfling servant who stepped into place to accurately fire the final immoveable harpoon when her master fled.
Half-Elf
Half-Elves (that is, individuals with both human + elven ancestors with noticeable phenotypic features of each) are a significant ethnic minority. Many work as brokers & agents for their immortal (and extremely wealthy) elven progenitors (who by and large refuse to live or even draw close to the city) and 8th House was founded by a female Half-Elf named Virtan Berkuyin. The still living Binder-Lady has sired hundreds of Half-Elf (technically 'quarter' elf) offspring in the centuries of her reign (she is almost always pregnant, with usually each pregnancy begun by a different male who caught her eye and usually resulting in the birth to twins, triplets, or even septuplets).
Half-Orc
'Half-Orcs' are a major demographic component of the population of Salt in Wounds and the most common racial group after humans. Complicating matters however, the ‘race’ of half-orcs has a varied percentage of Orcine blood as this racial designation is commonly used to describe mixed ancestry individuals who bear both human and orc features. In the early days of the fortress, the human defenders of the Tarrasque hunted down and exterminated the male orcs of the nearby Seven-Talon clan, enslaving the juveniles and claiming the females as 'spoils of victory' (concubines and sex-slaves). From their rapine beginnings, the half-orc children of these unions have become a dominant force in Salt in Wounds (and the city's acceptance of these individuals drives a lot of immigration by non-native Half-Orcs) though this population has come into increasing conflict with the 'true' Orcs immigrants being aggressively recruited by the Marrow Miners. This is especially ironic given that no ‘true’ division exists, with mixing of the bloodlines produces a gradient of individuals with various human to orc racial features, with different privileges afforded to ‘orc’ ‘mixed’ and ‘human (or passing)’ individuals.
Human
Humans are the most common race of Salt in Wounds and dominate most power structures. However, given the incredible diversity of the city, it is important to note that they are not the majority, merely the largest minority. Notably, humans of dozens upon dozens of ethnicities live and work in the city. Common wisdom holds that human (and demi-human) residents will lose most of their individual 'culture' as they are integrated into Salt in Wounds; a process generally referred to as becoming 'properly salted.' How 'salted' someone is (accent, manner of dress, indifference to Tarrasque noises and movements) is the most important discriminator for class status as most other human racial features (hair, skin, eye color, and so on) are usually ignored. The ‘average’ human in the city is dark brown skinned, with slightly curly thick black hair, weighs 200 pounds and stands 6 foot or taller (substantially bigger and more heavily muscled than an average human elsewhere). Still, numerous ethnic enclaves exist within the city (largely populated by more recent waves of émigrés) that hold onto their own values and cultural identity in opposition to those held by the city at large.
Tiefling
Tieflings make up a significant portion of the city’s population (though, perhaps surprisingly, almost none are born within the city). They suffer (or enjoy) stereotypes which position them as ruthless and cunningly efficient (while not burdened with a squeamish morality). Many guilds and organizations try to enlist tieflings as ‘faces’ or ambassadors of the institution due to these (often untrue) notions and competition in the city exists to hire these demihumans for their visage alone (and the prestige attached to it) regardless of their other qualities or competency. Due to these cultural distortions, a number of the most effective operatives looking to reform the city towards ending cruelty and other ‘good’ causes are tieflings, relying on the biases of the city to cloak their true intentions.

New Racial Options

Agogi
“Self, unimportant.” - a common Agogi courtesy and acknowledgment ritual (similar to “you're welcome”)
Easily weighing over three hundred pounds and towering over humans; Agogi are veritable mountains of muscle, covered in leathery reptilian skin and often possessed of a seemingly gruff personality. Unfortunately, this means they are often dismissed as monstrous brutes by the ignorant, a perception that belies a race notable for an extremely altruistic society. Culturally, most Agogi believe helping others and being useful to their community strengthens themselves as much as their neighbors and will eventually raise them up as equals among other races. Even evil Agogi can see this communitarianism as a way to raise their social ranking among others that might look down on their monstrous self.
With a uniquely compelling biological urge to raise children, Agogi are notorious for taking in and raising orphans of any race. The altruistic drive of the Agogi sometimes works against them, as they can be exploited (when not being rejected outright based on their appearance) though their ability to supportively organize means that they are usually able to leverage what power they do have in a situation; ranging from worker strikes, to a community-wide exodus, to -in rare cases- concerted violence.
Even with considerable care, they can often disturb the surroundings they share with smaller races with little effort; leading to the Salt in Wounds cliché about the ‘Agogi in an apothecary.’ Unless specifically designed to accommodate them, most humanoid furnishings and building layouts force them to slouch, compress, or otherwise carry themselves as small as possible.
Hairless, the Agogi's leathery skin is studded with tiny bumps comprised of two to three colors. The most common colors are various shades of green, rust, black and mustard. Some have been found with rarer tones that included gold, red and white. In old age, the skin becomes mottled and hangs loose. Their jaw line is extremely wide, with the corners of their mouths almost reaching their temples. Agogi are sometimes thought to be toothless, but in actuality their tiny serrated teeth are underneath a gum flap which is lacerated during feeding to produce their signature toxic red saliva. Besides aiding in swallowing food , their saliva poisons enemies. While Agogi do have claws present on their hands and feet as well as a nub-like vestigial tail, they are too stunted to be of any effective combat use.
With only a few taste buds in the back of their throat, the Agogi can eat almost anything, with some communities living almost entirely off carrion including (much to the horror of other races) their own dead. Agogi lead communities often have a monthly feasting festival, with an emphasis on fresh offerings.
Sacred Names
Separate from their ‘common’ names (which are usually related to physical characteristics, professions, or even ideals which can change over time), the Agogi believe that knowledge of one's true name is a very sacred trust. When an Agogi shares their name with an individual, there is an exchange of gifts called namestones (typically a textured gem or other mineral). Agogi keep someone's namestone in their dual-chambered stomach, as the weight and texture remind them of their namefriend's constant presence. An exchanged name will typically happen only a handful of times in an Agogi's life. This is as close as traditional Agogi come to marriage, as their communal norms extend to erotic and romantic relationships.
The deeds of namefriends (whether Agogi or of another race) reflect on both parties. Perhaps even more pronounced than how a parent would feel the pride (and sometimes shame) of their children's actions is the bond between an Agogi and their namestone friend. The nefarious (or in the case of evil Agogi, embarrassing) deeds of a namefriend can be enough to warrant an end to their association, or the Agogi might kill their disgraced namefriend to reclaim their sacred name (in addition to potentially taking a quest/pilgrimage to make amends for the ill actions).
Example common names: Mudmaw, Bluetongue, Deadhorse, Almslord, Heartguard, Clutchmother, K.C. (initialism for “King's Counsel”), Ironeye
Example sacred names: Rak’sa, Ke’kas, Pim’bur, Me’gua, Sat’ria, Pen’hir, Ul’ama, Ah’li
Agogi Personality
Since the mouth is the most dangerous part of the Agogi, they have a societal impulse of being laconic, often speaking concisely (or even avoiding speaking) to the point of bordering on terse. Some Agogi hide their mouths with veils or mud muzzles, forcing them to speak softly and quietly to avoid breaking the covering. since it is the most dangerous part of their body. This care to avoid threatening facial and verbal cues is another reason why the namestone is so important. With it, Agogi can have full communication with their bonded without opening their mouths.
Agogi tend to lean towards neutral good, as adherence to laws that clash with their social norms and mores don’t sit right with them. They typically have a greater devotion to helping others in their community over helping a leader or king. While evil Agogi are rare, if they are clever enough to hide their base motivations they can amass considerable power and/or do tremendous damage to an altruistic Agogi community before being found out.
Agogi Adventurers
Agogi adventurers are usually motivated by a desire to pursue the accumulation of wealth in order reinvest a sizable portion in their chosen community, or based on a compelling need of their kin or kith. Good Agogi will sponsor apprenticeships or build communal buildings like feast halls and baths with their spoils, while more selfish Agogi might invest in monuments and great works to be worthy of remembrance once they’ve left for further adventure. Agogi adventurers are also often have their career launched based on the need to help a specific namefriend or—on the opposite end of the spectrum—to right wrongs committed by/recover a name stone from a former namefriend.
Their childrearing and communitarian instincts can cause Agogi to “adopt” adventuring parties as their own clutch, wishing to travel with them in order to ensure their safety, watch them grow as individuals worthy of their pride, or ensure the party continues to serve a path deemed by the Agogi as best for their community.
Agogi Stats
Ability Score Increase Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age Agogi reach maturity around age 13 and rarely live longer than 75 years.
Alignment Most Agogi tend towards neutral good. Their altruistic society means that they are driven by helping others, serving their chosen community.
Size Agogi are powerfully built reptilian humanoids. With most around seven feet tall and weighing over 300lbs, they push the limits of most conventional housing. Your size is (barely) Medium.
Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Bite Your massive mouth serves as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Extreme Omnivore You require more food than other Medium creatures to support your massive body, raising the daily requirements to avoid exhaustion to four pounds of food. However, you can consume nearly anything that can provide sustenance, gaining an advantage on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, mutations, and becoming nauseated or sickened.
Dual Chambered Stomach An Agogi can swallow objects to spit out later, storing them in a thick, pouch-like chamber that protects against sharp objects, their own digestive juices, and blocks the Detect Magic spell from detecting magic items being stored internally. The capacity is equal to a pouch (as per Adventuring Gear), holding up to 1/5 cubic foot/6 pounds of gear. “Retrieving” a stored item is an action (albeit a disgusting one), while swallowing is a reaction in the case of stored water or potions.
Lexical Difficulty You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.
Varan Subrace
Carrion Scent You have a natural ability to sniff out carrion. You have advantage on Perception checks, but only for corpses (including undead) and badly wounded creatures (creatures with 25% or fewer hit points).
Sprinter You gain a +10 ft. racial bonus to your speed when using the dash or disengage actions.
Toxic Saliva You can envenom your bite or a weapon that you wield with toxic saliva. Applying venom in this way is a reaction. The venom uses the following stats: Agogi Saliva: Injury; save 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus; A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your toxic saliva, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Avavi Subrace
Swimmer You are able to swim at your normal movement speed instead of half speed, and you add double your proficiency bonus on all swim checks instead of your normal Athletics proficiency.
Amphibious You can breathe both air and water.
Deep Sight You are specially adapted to the lightless depths of the oceans, but not to air-filled environments. You have darkvision of 120ft while underwater, but do not gain this benefit out of water.
Agogi Personality Options
(Optional)
d8 Personality Traits
1. I love children, playing games, giving gifts, and aspire to raise a huge brood of my own.
2. Bathing in sunlight is one of the grandest joys, I do so whenever possible.
3. Pinching pennies means kin at home don’t feel their stomach’s pinch.
4. I find clothes unnecessary, and will get away with wearing as little as possible (and will complain proportionally to how much I need to wear).
5. Once I’ve shared a meal with someone, I trust them with my life.
6. Even for an Agogi, I’m into food… always looking to try a new dish (appreciating distinct textures if not tastes).
7. I’m fascinated by non-Agogi customs and will ask about any practice that interests me.
8. One thing I will talk -at length- about is my family Have you heard about my 8th cousin 6th removed?
d6 Ideals
1. Carry the Weight: I do not pray for lighter burdens, but for broader shoulders. (Good)
2. Obey the Law: The law should be studied and obeyed, even when flawed it allows greater cooperation between all. (Lawful)
3. Cleave to the Clutch: Agogi should live with the Agogi, all other races are waiting to exploit us. (Evil)
4. Adapt to the World: As we spread, we must adapt & learn new ways of being. (Chaotic)
5. Balance the Scales: I support those who support me, in direct proportion. (Neutral)
6. Live the Glory: I want my clutch to raise monuments to me, tell the story of me for ten to the ten generations. (Any)
d6 Bonds
1. I will direct a river of gold back home to my clutch.
2. My clutch owes debts to those who aided us, and I am bound to pay them.
3. By learning and growing in power, I can better serve my home.
4. Those who wronged me and mine will suffer for their transgression.
5. I make amends for the deeds, reclaim my namestone of my namefriend.
6. The world is full of knowledge, and I must travel and learn in order to best serve my people.
d6 Flaws
1. I trust those I should not.
2. I lose sight of my mission whenever I see suffering of any kind.
3. I seem to always say the wrong thing when I’m being honest.
4. I have trouble holding onto my coin, having grown up with no need for it.
5. I damage or destroy surroundings, sensitive equipment, and more without meaning to.
6. I wounded (or killed) one of my kin, and was exiled for it.
Duergar
These so called ‘Deep Dwarves’ experience sensitivity to sunlight, inborn magic, and a culture that celebrates oppressive work and brutal hierarchies for their own sake. Years of life in the underdark ground away what little joy dwarves normally possess leaving the Duergar: gray to black skinned, bald, and notoriously without warmth, mirth or mercy. Since a few hundred emigrated to Salt in Wounds, they have massively gained in power and influence finding the city much to their liking. Most have adopted a nocturnal lifestyle.
Duergar: Dwarf Subrace
Ability Score Increase Your Strength score increases by 1
Superior Darkvision Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet.
Sunlight Sensitivity You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Druegar Magic At third level, you gain the ability to cast enlarge/reduce on yourself. At 5th you gain the ability to cast the invisibility spell on yourself. You can cast each of these spells once, and regain the ability to can these spells after a long rest. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is wisdom.
Ghoul
Despite the more poetically minded chroniclers claiming that the entire city is comprised of ghouls and parasites, literal ghouls comprise only a small percentage of the population of Salt in Wounds. While the statecraft of 5th House has gained them begrudging legal acceptance by the legislators (aka the other meridian houses) they are still largely despised and feared by the general population. The primary legal argument that 5th House presented to justify the legalized creation of ghouls was to argue that ghoul attacks/violence is driven by unsated hunger for flesh, which they claimed would never be a problem in the city of Salt in Wounds. While this isn’t necessarily true, in general by eating twice their own body weight in meat each day (usually spoiling Tarrasque flesh) ghouls are able to function as any other demi-human (though many choose to supplement their diet with meats of all kind, including that of sentient creatures or other humanoids). Ghoul citizens employed by 5th House have now largely replaced Otyughs as the primary disposal mechanisms for the tons upon tons of rotting meat produced by Salt in Wounds weekly.
5th House offers ghoul contracts, legally binding arrangements wherein the alchemist-necromancers of 5th House guarantee that they will resurrect individuals as ghouls. To enter into the contract, the would-be undead must either pay a hefty fee or pledge to serve 5th house tirelessly for 100 years. This resurrection is usually handled by implantation of a small alchemical device filled with specially modified ghoul fever which ‘bursts’ when its owner’s life functions have ended. Implanters deny any rumor that the implant can burst upon non-deadly impact.
While open to individuals of all walks of life, this offer (unsurprisingly) has largely been taken up by the desperate and damned. The ghoul contract is viewed as an insurance policy against a less desirable after-life destination or (perhaps more worryingly) the equivalent of an ethical blank-check to live life however one wishes without supernatural consequence.
The process of ghoulification -as well as the resulting ghouls- have some distinct (though not always predictable) differences with traditional ghouls due to the 5th House ghoul creation process being a marriage of traditional ghoul fever infection and Tarrasque derived alchemy.
Ghoul (Subrace)
When a character becomes a ghoul, they replace their subrace bonuses with the bonuses and penalties associated with being a ghoul. For the following races *without* a standard subrace, they give up the following features upon becoming a ghoul.
Tiefling Lose 1 Intelligence, Lose Hellish Resistance. Lose Infernal Legacy
Human Lose 1 point in 4 different Ability scores OR Lose the Skills & Feat Trait
Dragonborn Lose 1 to Strength, Lose draconic ancestry trait
Half-Elf Lose Skill Versatility
Half-Orc Lose Relentless Endurance and Savage Attack Traits
Indebted & Back from the Dead
You have been raised from the dead by Salt in Wound’s alchemically modified version of ghoul fever. Most likely, you now owe a 5th House a tremendous debt for the licensing of your ‘resurrection’ or—if you are unlicensed—face summary destruction if you are found out. As a ghoul, you can continue to function much as you did before your death provided that you can gorge yourself on flesh… a more or less simple matter within the city limits but a significant concern if you venture beyond. Most ghouls have a chaotic and evil alignment, their hungers barely kept in check by threats (although exceptions do exist). You have the following traits:
Whiff of the Dead You decrease your charisma score 3 points.
Unemotional Intellect Cut off from so many of the feelings that used to cloud your intelligence, you can now think much more clearly. You gain 1 point of intelligence though this increase can not take your intelligence score above 20.
Tireless Strength Your body doesn’t tire as it once did and you gain 1 point to your strength score though this increase can not take your strength score above 20.
Ageless You are undead and do not age.
Undead Immunities You are immune to poison damage, as well as immunity to being charmed, exhausted, or poisoned. You are resistant to necrotic damage. Unnatural Hunger For every day you do not consume two times your own weight in flesh, you gain a disadvantage on all charisma, wisdom, and intelligence based checks and your intelligence score is reduced by 1. This disadvantage and half of the intelligence reduction (rounded down) is restored when you finally eat. If this drawback would ever reduce your intelligence score to 3 or less, you are reduced to a mindless, bestial state that will attack the nearest source of flesh. Because of your undead nature, magic like ‘Greater Restoration’ can not restore this reduction.
Special: Rules Variant
To reiterate, for Rules as Written if you fail to eat double your weight in flesh you lose at least one point of intelligence, permanently. Ghoulification (and being dead generally) should be seen as a severe disadvantage and not an option to be sought out by anyone save the desperate. If you feel this is unfair/too harsh, your GM has final say and may choose to remove all penalties when you eat.
As a suggestion, you can append the following language to the rules to make the penalty less harsh ‘Each consecutive day in which you feed, after initially feeding and regaining the half of the intelligence reduction (rounded down) you regain half of the remaining lost intelligence rounded down to a minimum of regaining 1 point until all of your intelligence is restored.’
Gorge If you take two rounds to eat your weight in flesh, you regain all lost hitpoints. You can not utilize this ability again until you have completed a short or long rest.
Claws You may use your action to make an attack with your claws. This attack deals 1d6 slashing damage plus your Strength modifier and you have proficiency with the attack. The damage of this attack increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th, and 4d6 at 17th. Because of your unnatural physiology this attack is not considered an unarmed attack, and is not considered a monk weapon.
Note: Because of the Ghoul’s undead nature, they are unable to avail themselves of *most* healing magic (this will be stipulated in the description of the spell).
Suggested Ghoul Traits (Optional)
d8 Personality Traits
1. You will live this new unlife to the fullest, denying yourself nothing.
2. You’re absolutely obsessed with making right the circumstances of your death: gaining revenge, solving the mystery, or destroying the organization you blame for your death.
3. Having crawled from a literal or metaphoric grave, you fear nothing.
4. Cut off from your former life, you long for what you once had.
5. Memories of your death (and perhaps what awaits you beyond) haunt your dreams.
6. Unlike many of your kind, you have a refined palette and long to taste exotic foods (in huge quantities).
7. You have become a ghoul for what you consider a noble purpose and will achieve it any cost.
8. You have humor as black as midnight and will take every opportunity to remind others of their mortality.
d6 Ideals
1. Change All life is random, the good & evil all meet the same end. (Chaotic)
2. Utilitarian I will make the most of unlife. (Any neutral)
3. Fittest The strongest survive with whatever tools available while those without the will rot in the grave. (Evil)
4. Purpose Driven I have much good I still need to do, so I tame my hungers. (Good)
5. Commerce Ghoulification was a cost benefit decision, which always have and always will drive my behavior. (Any)
6. Service I continue to serve my order & ideals, and I took this chance to continue service after death. (Lawful)
d6 Bonds
1. Everyone from before is (figuratively) dead to me, I will be loyal to any who accept and adventure with me now.
2. Everyone I knew was dead, and only through the greatest acts will I be worthy to join them.
3. My second life allows me to protect those who may not be as lucky as me.
4. I’m still loyal to my family and friends from back when I still drew breath.
5. I serve 5th House (or those who revived me) with absolute loyalty.
6. I will avenge my death no matter the cost.
d6 Flaws
1. I experience few emotions and so much social nuance is lost to me.
2. I’m obsessed with my past life, and blind to the present.
3. I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny and can’t conceive that I could fail.
4. Having survived death, I’m utterly reckless.
5. I believe I still exist because of my superiority and vastly overestimate my competence.
6. I can not control my hunger, even when eating sufficiently it drives me to make mistakes.
Grippli
(Almost) man-sized, bipedal ‘frogs’ in a huge range or color from bright red-yellow to mottled gray brown (though most are green) the race of Grippli are a regular sight within the Tail Stones district, almost universally associated with poverty. Most are emigrees from Heartsblood Marsh, either driven out for fear of violence or by wanting something better, greater than anything they could accomplish in the shadow of the fungal sieve. As a population, many of them are slaves and those that are free tend to find themselves in the most servile positions.
Intuitive Adaptability
Grippli tend to be slippery (in every sense of the word) and guided by their intuition, with incredible adaptability. Unfortunately, Salt in Wounds (with its dearth of water) is an incredibly inhospitable environment for them and their need for clean liquid to keep their skin moist and reproduce sees few able to beat the cycle of poverty. Meanwhile, few that have fled the Heartsblood Marsh have braved the harrowing trek through the mountains for wetter climes.
Your Grippli has an assortment of abilities and skills learnt and inherited.
Ability Score Increase Your Dexterity and Wisdom score increase by 1.
Age Grippli mature faster than humans, but are considered adults at around 12 and rarely live past 50.
Alignment Much like humans, Grippli alignment leans towards the neutral but can be any.
Size Grippli stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 80 to 120 pounds as their weight. Your size is Small.
Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet and you have a climb speed of 20ft.
Amphibious You can breathe air and water
Darkvision Gripplis can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
Hopping Gait With your odd hopping gait, you can move through difficult terrain at normal speed.
Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice.
Two subraces of grippli are found in and around Salt in Wounds: City-Born and Swamp-Born.
Choose one of these subraces.
City-Born
Born in the city, you’ve most likely known life amongst the hard streets & poverty not conducive to your needs as an amphibian. Considered ‘trash’ by most outside your race, you’ve learned how to make your way by being dexterous and going unnoticed.
Ability Score Increase Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Tricky You gain proficiency with the Stealth and Deception skills in addition to Thieves’ tools.
Swamp-Born (Subrace)
Born and raised in the swamp, you lived an early life in a setting conducive to your biology; most likely under the watchful eye of the Fungal Sieve. You gained wisdom under a more traditional family structure and skills navigating the swamp.
Ability Score Increase Your Wisdom score increased by 1.
Aquatic Experience You gain a swim speed of 30ft.
Traditional Training You gain proficiency in the Survival Skill and are proficient with nets.
Orcs
Often employed by Marrow Miners, these are large, green to grey skinned, tusked, powerfully built humanoids with ‘poor impulse control’ (compared to a human standard). As more tribes across the globe lose in their wars to humans and other settled races, Orcs increasingly choose to reside in Salt in Wounds. The distinction between ‘Orc’ and ‘Half-Orc’ is blurry, and often influenced by culture, language, manner and dress over ‘objective’ standards (although, generally, for Salt in Wounds and elsewhere the more ‘human featured’ the individual are deemed ‘half-orcs’ and are afforded greater the privileges).
[special] ‘True Orcs’ are best thought of as a variant of Half-Orc though stats are presented below
(True) Orc
Ability Score Increase Your Strength score increases by 3, and your Constitution score increases by 2.
Ability Score Your intelligence decreases by 2, your charisma and wisdom scores each decrease by 1.
Age True Orcs mature a faster than humans or even Half-Orcs, reaching Adulthood around age 10. They age noticeably faster and rarely live longer than 50 years.
Alignment: Orcs tend towards evil but exceptions exist.
Size True Orcs are significantly bigger than humans, bulky and often 6-7 feet tall. Your size is medium.
Speed 30 feet.
Darkvision You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Menacing You gain proficiency in Intimidation.
Relentless Endurance When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Savage Attacks When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon's damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
Aggressive As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.
Languages You can speak Orc.

RELIGIONS

Church of the Monad
The Church of the Monad is a religion favored by many of the intellectuals, alchemists, and monks of Salt in Wounds—while adherents can be found the world over, the city is the seat of its power. Adherents to the Monad believe in, worship, and seek to better understand and commune with the one thing central to their creed: the subtle Aether (also known as the Monad) from which all phenomena is but an aspect.
The church of Monad has never found the acceptance it preaches because of its fantastical, often unpopular views on the mortal and supernal realm. Monadists are dismissed by other religions for their claims that the Aether is responsible for all creation. Their teachings are scorned by much of the aristocracy, believing the message of a single unifying force are a challenge to their social status. In addition, most lower class individuals feel that the church’s interests and teachings are too academic or effete to be of much use.
To those that embrace the church, the followers of Monad find a religion that isn’t faith-based, but a collection of virtues, research, and ideals. Sermons are replaced by powerful polemics. Hymns to an immortal deity give way to familial pledges to mortal companions. Though church-wide organized events and celebrations are rare, periodic congregations are held to discuss newly discovered or refuted research—as well as partake in new recreational panaceas.
Monad
The One, The Subtle Aether, The All-including Symbol A single black dot Alignment True Neutral Portfolio Alchemy, Truth, Unity, The Unknown Domains Community, Knowledge, Protection, Void Favored Weapon Cestus (gauntlet)
Worshippers and Clergy From visionary researchers to the proletariat, followers of Monad come from every walk of life with a common goal of improving self and community. Alchemists, clerics, and wizards of Monad have been known to offer secular guidance to communities as magisters of science and diplomacy. Followers with a martial lean often serve as magisters of the court but have been found in roles that range from midwife to shepherd.
Given the simplicity of Monad’s symbol, devotees have many ways of brandishing a holy symbol. Clerics receive The Black Bead, a philtrum piercing with a black stud as a holy symbol. Aetherist monks often paint or tattoo a large black dot in the center of their forehead. Those not wishing to display The One’s symbol permanently wear a ring of Monad in lieu of a traditional necklace. Members tithe or barter with their trade skills to receive the benefits of the church from housing and healing to accessing the order’s comprehensive library.
Temples and Shrines The Temple of Reason in Sage’s Row is the most famous formal temple of the Church of the Monad, although small shrines (typified by a single black dot or globe) are located throughout the world, most especially in libraries. Holy Texts Given the heavy academic lean of the church, the title of “holy text” is awarded to research and textbooks that are deemed worthy but the individual branches do not always recognize one side’s certification of scripture. With new discoveries a thesis once deemed scripture can lose its status as research refutes its claims. This creates a competitive scholarly field the church deems necessary for steady progression. Titles of current holy texts include Continuity and Union Between The Cosmos and Man, Introduction to Absolute Space, Anamnesis Vitae, and Macrocosm and Microcosm.
Appearance. As the Monad has no physical description, it is pictorially depicted as a single black dot. Dogma. Beyond the furthest star, Monad resides. All interposing space, be it the distance between worlds or the soul and the body, is filled with the presence of The One Thing. Therefore, any alteration to your physical constitution can lead to an alteration of morals. Purification and corruption are equally important to challenge and enact change in institutions of a depraved society. The Subtle Aether is the universal connecting medium, making all beings your brother and sisters with nature as your common mother. Education is a weapon used to attack the complications of classism, which disrupts the harmony of The All-Including.
Cult of Renesec
To the world at large Renesec is the obscure, largely unknown God of Change said to have no fixed appearance, house, or location of worship. The enigmatic deity’s few devotees meditate on their god’s presence in the growth of crops, the aging of a face, the overthrow of a government—Renesec’s most ecstatic worshipers adopt radically different mannerisms, behaviors, and even personalities at an irregular schedule and hence are often despised as outcasts, individuals who are not able to function in society. However the Ever-Changing has a thriving cult in Salt in Wounds who seek to understand and grow close to their god, and the Lord of Mutation’s power and majesty can best be experienced in the endlessly varied twisted forms of Tarrasque-fed mutations.
Every curl of flesh beyond its original form is deemed holy by the cult and the church of the Lord of Mutations preaches endlessly as to the need for the city to fully embrace these divine gifts Renesec pours out for the blessed.
While officially tolerated, the cult is large despised and mocked. Even so the church’s numbers continue to swell as more and more individuals feel the “touch of Renesec”, the scorn of the city only serving to deepen their bonds to one another and their faith.
Renesec
Lord of Mutation, the Ever-Changing, the Twist of Flesh
Symbol A curving forward arrow or (more commonly in Salt in Wounds) Mutated flesh/a pictograph of a mutated man.
Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio Mutation, Change
Domains Chaos, Healing, Liberation, Madness
Favored Weapon Sickle
Worshippers and Clergy The cult provides food, housing, and even water for any so long as they bare the mark of Renesec (any manner of mutation) and if they do not, the organization’s clerics can induce one upon request. Especially with the uptick in mutation rates, canny political observers believe the cult could become a major political force in years to come even though in modern day it is dismissed as a refuge for the poor, the desperate, and the mad. Rumors hold that the cult has plans to spread the mutation throughout the city via the application of divine magic or specially crafted alchemy, but nothing has ever been proven.
Clerics of Renesec have been known to confer mutations unto any who ask, to utilize magic to alleviate suffering related to a specific mutation (while not curing it), and other abjuration and or metamagic effects.
Temples and Shrines The Shifting Place is the only true temple in the city—what began as a single apartment in the Tail Stones has accrued bizarre layers by the endless stream of followers adhering odd ornamentations cast from powdered Tarrasque scale gradually increasing the building's size.
Holy Texts The Neverending Stream of Change is the official holy text of Renesec’s church the world over.
Macinfex, God of Butchers
Macinfex is the (demi-)god patron of butchers. For the world at large he is a minor figure, often considered to be barely a divinity or dismissed as an upjumped saint and honored only occasionally in an odd window of butcher's row. Salt in Wounds is not like the rest of the world however and here he is a if not the primary deity—worshiped by many, respected by all. Only the church of Septum Soletirmus the Coin Everlasting boasts as much influence in the city and its ranks are almost exclusively comprised of the rich. In Salt in Wounds, worship of Macinfex extends to all classes and all peoples.
Macinfex
Lord of Butchers, Grand Cutter, He Who Feeds
Symbol A cleaver crossed with a paring knife
Alignment Neutral Good
Portfolio Butchery, Animal Husbandry, Blood Letting
Domains Animal, Blood, Repose, Strength
Favored Weapon Handaxe (cleaver)
Worshippers and Clergy Macinfex's clergy are very much entwined with the economy of Salt in Wounds and carefully monitor the selling of meat & other viscera. Cleric inspectors survey the merchants, insisting that butchers and sellers throw away (or feed to the ghouls or agogi) old, potentially dangerous cuts of Tarrasque, and ensuring that portions and quality are carefully labeled all as part of their religious observances.
Devout worshipers of Macinfex are known to be obsessed with taking things apart to better understand their workings, extending an interest in the anatomy of all living (and even some nonliving) things. The Tarrasque’s imprisonment is seen by Macinfex’s cleric devotees as the butcher god’s greatest gift to humanity: abundant, eternal food for all. It is no surprise that his worship is most fervent amidst the God-Butchers with devotion bordering on religious fundamentalism a practical requirement for aspirants reaching the rank of Master God-Butcher. Temples and Shrines Temples and shrines are found everywhere in Salt in Wounds with some doubling as the more prosperous Process Guild locations. The High Shrine to Macinfex is however located within the Fortress Salzinwuun proper and considered the church’s most holy location.
Of late, thanks to a compromise, numerous ghouls have joined the Church—much to the consternation of a traditionalist faction who believe undead creatures to be an abomination and disruption of the natural order of death their god represents. Rumors swirl about these ghoul converts (and other heretics) performing blasphemous rites that extend butchery to sentient creatures but nothing yet has been proven.
Holy Texts To Cut, to Eat, To Live is a thousand page holy text of Macinfex’s church detailing how death—properly prepared—allows for eating and thus life, interspersed with parables and stories about the god alongside specific diagrams for butchering various creatures (including the Tarrasque). For most laypeople, a simple print showing the butchery diagram of a single animal rich in esoteric meaning serves as a distillation of the much larger corpus of learning.
Appearance Macinfex is usually is depicted as a thin, smiling, good-natured bearded human figure wearing a leather apron splattered with blood. Dogma Flesh is for the eating, pain is for the lessening, and skill, knowledge, and craft pursued through hard work provide for all.
Septum Soletirmus and the Holy Writ of Coin Everlasting
One of the most popular religions in Salt in Wounds praises Septum Soletirmus, the Favor of Coins, worshiping wealth in all its forms (but most especially gold as the eternal, everlasting, perfect embodiment of triumphant wealth). Wealth is next to godliness for the adherents to this sect, and many Binder-Lords and prosperous merchants count themselves as members. All adherents seek to court Gold-God believing that prosperity is a sentient being which flows towards its favored.
Septum Soletirmus
Coin everlasting, Gold-god, Holy riches
Symbol A single gold coin with a seven pointed star containing the same imagery.
Alignment Lawful Neutral
Portfolio Gold, Trade, Transfers of Wealth
Domain Greed, Nobility, Trade
Favored Weapon Light Crossbow
Worshippers and Clergy The church is decentralized with any who follow its practices being able to call themselves devotees. Many paladins and clerics wander the city and the world, preaching the gospel of coin and expecting to receive heavy tithes for their blessings. Some scant few clerics and paladins gain power by their devotion of the principles of Septum Soletirmus and typically use these blessings to increase their own wealth (divining the mind of money by watching what sorts of activities generate profit). They preach a message of personal responsibility and the need to “turn away from the wickedness of poverty” to the lower classes, as well as lavishly praise the wealthy aristocrats and merchants which make them quite popular with the powerful in the city. Most adherents tithe (via civic reinvestment) 15% or more to prove—by way of their generosity—that they are truly wealthy (and most holy books argue that any money spent this way will be returned ninefold to the faithful though other manuals argue that charity in all its form is a terrible sin and disrupts the true will of the coin).
Temples and Shrines Worship is conducted informally within banks and markets with the richest individual in attendance leading services as they see fit. Most services usually culminate with all in attendance counting the coin on their person or balancing their ledgers.
Holy Texts Several texts are considered holy by Septumists although different adherents favor some books over others (even discounting others as heretical). These vary widely in the types of activities they praise and their proscriptions about how one should properly acquire wealth or attract the favor of coins—some espouse blessings of inherited wealth while others argue that wealth acquired in one’s own lifetime via entrepreneurial efforts are best. There is one indecent tome, The Walking Coin, that argues for theft, fraud, and even murder to acquire wealth (as gold should flow to the strong thus being able to keep it is proof of strength and the favor of coins). While very popular amongst criminals, the book is officially banned in Salt in Wounds and possession of a copy is a serious offense.
Appearance The faithful usually depict Soletirmus on objects of worship such as a stack of coins, typically with vaguely humanoid features and a smile.
Dogma Wealth is holy, acquiring gold in the right manner increases wealth for all and thus is pleasing to holy coin.
Other Religions
In addition to the four mentioned above, Salt in Wounds serves as home or place of business for adherents to dozens (possibly hundreds) of other religions and faiths from across the world. It is likely that a small congregation worshiping just about every major (and most minor) divinity can be found within the city. Shrines to dozens of gods and goddesses are found in the Traveler’s Temple within the Throat which—despite its name—serves countless local and native worshipers to other deities.

FACTIONS

Basic details for a number of prominent factions are presented below, which characters adventuring in Salt in Wounds may well have to deal with or are actively aligned with or against. For more specific information, refer to the Salt in Wounds Campaign Setting and/or ask your GM.
Thirteen Meridian Houses
When the Tarrasque was first subdued thirteen immovable harpoons were shot deep into its body, each with a long, thick chain running to an iron anchor sunk into stones. As the founders built the fortress Salzinwuun they recognized 13 guardians, each a hero in the binding of the enormous monstrosity. All were personally responsible for ensuring that the harpoon in their charge held fast in addition to making arrangements to deal with unforeseen changes. In recent history (the past two odd centuries) the status of these guardians has changed. Their descendants (or in some cases, the original hero) are now referred to as Binder-Lords or Binder-Ladies, each still responsible for ensuring that their harpoon remains secure and keeping the beast chained with the caveat that they all claim the area around their harpoon as their charge to exploit and utilize as they deem fit. These sections of control and responsibility are generally referred to as meridians—hence the Binder-Lords and the houses they lead each owning one of the thirteen meridians (and each house has become incredibly wealthy due to being paid via the work of the God-Butchers and now Marrow Miners selling to the various Blood Merchants and Process Guild Shops). Legal authority is transferred via legal possession of one of the magical command words that can unlock their respective meridian harpoon.
As a group, the 13 Meridian Houses wield tremendous power, though their efficacy is held back by a (largely deserved) reputation for decadence and general lack of concern for the city, and by the circuitous schemes they use to thwart one another. A basic description of how the specific aristocratic house is understood by the city at large is presented below.
1st House Conservative diplomats who believe they’re holding the city together
2nd House Eclectic pragmatists inducting hypercompetitive members on merit
3rd House Shrewd lords of spice and water
4th House Indebted former adventuring house yearning for the glory days
5th House Powerful alchemist house with control of rare reagents and ghoulification
6th House Militant warriors with expansionist dreams and internal schisms
7th House Religiously devout house invested in the church
8th House Bardic inheritors with interests in entertainment and story
9th House Hereditary sorcerers with an interest in ancient power
10th House Secretive house growing rich from brokering information and deals
11th House Eccentric wizards trying to change the world with magic
12th House Upstart house on the rise with ties to organized crime
13th House House of halflings focused on construction and city planning
Enders
The Enders are a rumored group of individuals interested in discovering or inventing a way to permanently kill the Tarrasque. While this was the stated goal of the original heroes that bound the monster, most modern citizens of Salt in Wounds have no interest in doing so as it would effectively destroy the economy (and likely existence) of the city. In addition, the majority of those rare few who would be interested believe that the lasting death of the Tarrasque is impossible. Occasionally individuals are prosecuted for the crime of being Enders under the official charge of conspiring against the sanctity of the Tarrasque's bounty. This has usually been seen as political theater, a baseless charge used to dispose of persons who've angered the powers that be. Most sent to their deaths or truncation in this way claim their innocence right up until the end while some name co-conspirators (who are then also tried and inevitably found guilty). The accepted wisdom of the cynical Salt in Wounds populace is that the Enders don't exist beyond a few isolated madmen.
Process Guild
The Process Guild is the institutional organization that handles licensing and represents the interests of the various regular butchers, sorters, refiners, and others who receive raw Tarrasque viscera wholesale (from the God-Butchers and Marrow Miners) and process it into components for later commercial resale to the other dominant professional associations (the Sage's Council and Blood Merchants). The employees and owner-operators of the various factories and workshops comprising the Process Guild tend to be working class to lower-middle class. Barriers to licensing are relatively low encouraging competition and innovation amongst guild members while also generally preventing massive fortunes from being made, putting pressure on the Process Guild members to cut corners and potentially seek “extra-legal” options (in contrast to the registered Blood Merchants that operate in a more oligarchical fashion). An extremely common crime is Process Guild shops selling directly to the public at large.
Individuals who are employed under their aegis (often under terrible working conditions) have an exceedingly high rate of mutations and other health problems—much more so than God-Butchers though not to the same degree as Marrow Miners.
Marrow Miners
The Marrow Miners are the guild with the extraction contract for the 12th Meridian of the Tarrasque. Other than the God-Butchers they are the only group with the legal authority to work directly on the creature and there is plenty of mutual antipathy between the two groups (though in recent years God-Butchers have been subcontracting to Marrow Miners for particularly dangerous and difficult work at the other Meridian sites).
Founded after the 12th Meridian Crisis, the Marrow Miners have distinguished themselves by taking any sentient creature willing to work and paying fair wages. Their recruitment efforts include orcs, ghouls, and many other ‘monsters’ and in addition to many from the lower classes. The general goodwill this generates amongst most of the city is tempered somewhat by racial- and class-based antagonism towards many of the Marrow Miners. Since their founding the price of much Tarrasque viscera has lowered precipitously—this includes reagents and rare cuts which the Marrow Miners hypothetically can't access. The Marrow Miners (in addition to their 12th House Sponsors) are widely suspected to be major players in the organized crime of Salt in Wounds, particularly in relation to smuggling. The guild however dismisses such rumors as God-Butcher lies meant to discredit the organization.
Even so the Marrow Miners have thrived, winning the 12th Meridian Extraction contract, successfully subcontracting numerous duties from the God-Butchers (usually the most dangerous and dirty tasks), and rumor holds that they are close to winning the defection of other Meridian Houses.
House Militias
The House Militias are the primary source of law and order within the city around the Tarrasque. Each Meridian House is charged with “paying, provisioning, and organizing no less than 250 soldiers to enforce the laws of the township and contribute to the general welfare of Salt in Wounds.” Interpretation and implementation of this edict varies greatly depending on house however—on one end of the spectrum there are houses who outfit their militia with the bare minimum and then leave these individuals to their own devices, usually acting like traditional city watches one might find in any large settlement. In the extreme opposite, 6th House outfits a militia of 7,000 armed and trained more for war than policing. Complicating matters further, many Meridian Houses also run House Guards who are distinct from House Militias—with House Militias having a duty to enforce laws while House Guards do not.
The Order of God-Butchers
Even amidst the city as bustling as Salt in Wounds, the God-Butchers are hard to miss. Hugely muscled men and women grown strong from a working life of toil and diet of some of the freshest, most choice cuts from the ever-providing body of the Tarrasque. Most carry their stylized greatswords nearly everywhere but contrary to popular belief these weapons turned tools are not exclusively adamantine—many nowadays are forged of Tarrasque horn that better cuts through its armored carapace. Still, those who dismiss the butchers as dumb brutes wholly underestimate the order; these are hard-eyed resilient people who must be intelligent enough to understand the beast’s intricate and shifting anatomy, able to regularly deal with crafty merchants, domineering aristocrats, and suspicious laborers all to perform their duties.
Sage’s Council
The Sage’s Council is a relatively new faction that has skyrocketed in power and influence over the last three decades since being founded. Their stated purpose is to advocate for the interests of academics, ledger-men, wizards, and above all alchemists—anyone who makes their living with the aid of pen and paper. Contrary to how many alchemists and wizards have traditionally approached their trade—with knowledge being hoarded whenever possible, with information primarily transferred from teacher to apprentice—The Sage’s Council seeks to facilitate the free exchange of information and discoveries between researchers and there advocacy of these principles have contributed greatly to the explosion of alchemical discovery in Salt in Wounds.
Blood Merchants
The Blood Merchants are the licensed monopoly for any merchant selling directly to the public (as opposed to the exclusively wholesale purchases made through the Process Guild) with a few exceptions for outsiders and also by profession (alchemists, smiths, and the like have different licensing boards and different regulations regarding their commercial activity). Usually only the native borne can be official Blood Merchants and any foreign merchant has strong limitations on how they can conduct commerce in the city. Technically every trader from humble jerky vendors with a single stall up to lords like sellers of thousands of slaves is a Blood Merchant if they have paid their licensing fee and submitted to the city’s rules of commerce, but the term is typically used to denote the very wealthy or those that sell Tarrasque-derived goods (which includes most everyone). In addition to providing licenses for retail buyers and sellers within the city, the organization of Blood Merchants advocates for member interests and even provides legal or other help for members in good standing when trouble rears.
Gangs and Organized Crime
Several dozen gangs, mafias, and thieves’ collectives operate in the city of Salt in Wounds, all with a variable level of impunity though none are powerful enough to enjoy any sort of preeminence beyond a few city blocks. By custom each organization develops a different specialty (extortion, theft, smuggling) and a specific area of control. Most of the major players are known, and the Militia Captains have no compunctions (other than the disruption to the flow of bribes) against hauling them in on real or imagined charges—especially if any criminal element seems to be gaining too much power. As such an informal arrangement known as “the peace” holds where various criminal enterprises effectively if not literally pay taxes (via regularized bribes and official “civic reinvestment fees”), limit different types of activities to certain areas, and generally avoid open conflict with one another. Compliant groups are actually fairly competent (if brutal) at ensuring freebooting thieves, murderers, and other unaffiliated criminals do not operate in their areas of control (as part of their unspoken agreement holds them accountable for criminal behavior in their areas).
Circle of Release
The Circle of Release is (or was) a group of adventurers and others operating covertly in the City of Salt in Wounds with the stated goal of ending the Tarrasque’s imprisonment. Their reasons for doing so vary depend on the telling but the most common belief involves restoring the natural balance upset by the current state of affairs.

BACKGROUNDS

WANT MORE ?More?

The City of Salt in Wounds
Everyone knows how the City of Salt in Wounds came about. But for those who have not visited in person, it is hard to conceive of the scale of the place. It is even harder for outsiders to understand how wholly the economic engine of butchering the bound Tarrasque has transformed the society of Salt in Wounds in addition to the surrounding landscape. Upon approach to the city, the first thing a traveler will note is the sounds of the monster screaming. Its roar echoes for dozens of leagues, and the ground occasionally trembles as the creature at the core of Salt in Wounds thrashes. Most times, the God-Butchers and Marrow Miners keep the creature unconscious but even they -toiling night and day- can not extract enough to keep the creature down every hour. Drawing closer, the traveler will notice the shift in ecology and weather; the deciduous forest with its seasonal snows gives way to a humid, almost tropical…
Salt in Wounds is a campaign setting, made possible by numerous patrons and kickstarter backers with new supplements published bi-monthly.
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15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards
of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016,
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls,
Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson,
Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R.
Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on
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