Nerpa - freshwater wereseals
by GreenbrierIn addition to marine wereseals there could be freshwater wereseals in Mystara...in the RW there are a few lake-dwelling populations of normally marine seal species, but there is also one exclusively freshwater species - the Baikal Seal of Siberia. While the Baikal Seal is a harbor seal, I'm envisioning a freshwater-dwelling group of fur wereseals here (see PC4 Night Howlers, pp. 20-1.)
Lake Baikal is the RW's largest freshwater lake, so the likely Mystara analogue is Lake Amsorak for their home -
NERPA (I'm thinking on the point south of Letizia village and beside the Highlake River in the NW of Lake Amsorak on Thorf's 8 mph Map of Darokin, but you could really place it anywhere around the lake not too close to a city)
Well before the formation of the Republic, a group of 9 young bachelor wereseals in Soderfjord with no luck finding mates decided it would be a grand adventure to see a bit of the world. Keeping their nature secret, they joined a caravan bound for Selenica as guards. Once in Selenica the group heard stories of the giant lake to the west and eventually reached the shores of Lake Amsorak. They journeyed around the great lake until settling at a quiet spot in the northwest, far from civilization but also far from any enemies and with a lake full of fish on their doorstep.
Over time a village, called Nerpa by the inhabitants, has grown up in the area where the wereseals settled. A few other wereseals have migrated here from the Northern Reaches, but the population has mostly grown naturally - 7 of the 9 original wereseals eventually fathered children. Pups are born, they eventually grow up and take spouses who are given the gift of lycanthropy if they aren't already wereseals, and more pups are born. The village isn't hostile to outsiders, but it doesn't encourage them to hang around either. One inn, The Barking Seal, exists in Nerpa but it is mainly a tavern & meeting house for the locals and its two guestrooms are seldom occupied. Nerpa produces no goods in excess to bring traders to the village and pays its taxes timely to keep the government from taking an interest in the town. Any visitors may note that the population all appears well-fed and healthy yet there are few crops & livestock around and surprisingly few boats for a lakeside village. Yet virtually everyone will answer "fisherman" if asked their occupation...
RECENT EVENTS
On Ambyrmont 4, 1013 humanoids brutally raided the nearest other village, Letizia which lies north of Nerpa (see Joshuan's Almanac pg. 230). Some humanoids attacked Nerpa as well, but when the troops from Ft. Lakeside made it to the outskirts of town after securing Letizia they were met by a smiling village elder who assured them all was well and there was nothing to see in Nerpa.
Nerpa has the attention of at least one important person, Prince Malachie du Maris of Morlay-Malinbois in Glantri. The White Wolf is interested in the welfare of all types of lycanthropes, and his agents have visited Nerpa and established good relations with the village. Occasionally Prince Malachie has need of an operative with aquatic skills and a few wereseals have ventured north on these missions for hire, some have remained in Glantri afterwards while others have returned to Nerpa with heavy purses. While Nerpa and Morlay-Malinbois are too far apart for any real trade or frequent exchanges, the Prince would certainly send aid if the village was threatened and it is likely the village elder has a means to contact him via magic if need be.