Description:

Marshray is a sprawling old settlement supporting a moderately sized resident population and a number of tourists. The deeper you go into the city, the nicer and more modern the structures are. The people here are extremely friendly and haggling is always an option at the marketplace. The surrounding terrain ranges from a rocky coastline and fine sand beaches to grassy hills and marsh. A large source of goods from beach shells, gathered wild fruit to fish and wildlife that are harvested from fishers and divers out of Marshray Bay are sold in the marketplace. Tourists and Locals alike often bring their treasures to the marketplace to barter with, allowing a large, natural intake of non local goods by trading local items. Due to the marketplace not trading strictly in currency, many outsiders hoping to find a new lease on life - a new beginning - flock to Marshray.

Due to the U-Shape of the Marshray Bay, the area is well protected against hurricanes and turbulent waters. The lack of turbulent currents allows the large bay to keep its the crystal clear water and prevents deadly riptides from forming along the coast. In the deeper portions of the harbor is an abundance of life from tall sea grass fields to large shelves of reefs around the ring of the bay.Between reefs and fields of seagrass are expanses of sandy sea floor with scattered rock croppings, home to fish and crustaceans. On either side of the entrance of the Marshray Bay are rock arch formations that smaller sea plants and sea life gather around for shelter from currants and passing boats. These arches are the first buffer for the bay from the strong, cold currents that come up from the deep water shelf just outside of Marshray Bay.

Landmarks:

• Marshray Bay - The bay's harbour always has ships coming in or out, whether they be fishing vessels or travellers. This harbour is the key to the city's prosperity.
• Sukon Beach - The major beach of Mashray, locals and tourists alike enjoy many days under the sun and in the ocean's crystal clear water.
• The Marketplace - The life of the city, the marketplace is a bustling area filled with laughter and shouts of the trades people. You can find everything here from the catch of the day to cultural trinkets.
• Abandoned Lighthouse - Further up the coast from Marshray a retired lighthouse partially reclaimed by nature can be found. Spooky legends have been spun in its honour and it's a common dare among the local youth to spend a night in the old tower.
• Sunken Arches Corridor- On either side of the mouth of Marshray Bay are scattered batches of naturally formed stone arches underwater. Most arches are striated, but not porous, which prevents cave creatures from living in the stone. Arches are usually covered in a shorter variety of sea grass with larger predator fish scoping them out for small prey that didn’t hide in a crack. Archeologist Divers believe these arches were used by older civilizations to stretches large, hand woven nets across. These nets would catch larger fish by the gills, trapping them to be harvested when divers would return the next day.
• Golden Sea Fields - A large patch of underwater grass that spans the majority middle of the Marshray Bay. Manatees and sea turtles frequent this area for grazing while more docile sharks swim the area due to the warm current flow and lay their egg pouches, resulting in this region being a frequently observed shark nursery for marine biologists to study. The seagrass field is between two large reefs that are on the edge of the bay, causing little hindrance to bay traffic. At dawn and sunset the warm golden glows of the sun rays bath the seagrass making the blades give off a warm glow.

Lore:

• The Sandcastle Festival
- Attracting tourists and professional builders from around the world, Marshray's annual Sandcastle Festival is legendary. The large-scale sand structures are built with pride and can remain intact for months with minor repairs due to the perfect climate. At the height of the festival there is live music, cookouts and games, ending with the winners being announced and crowned. Tokotas are central to this event, hauling heavy supplies and sand to the builders. Annual Coconut Competition - A tradition that originated as the locals coming together to cook offerings for the local deities, it has evolved over the years into a competition for the best and most unusual edible coconut creations. Modern iterations of this festival has subcategories including the best coconut creme pies, best shaved coconut sculptures, best savory coconut dish, best sweet coconut dish and coconut arts and crafts. The winners walk home with a blue ribbon and the honor of being the first offering to the shrines for the year. This competition normally occurs at the end of the Rainy Season
• Old Lady Merchant
- Some tourists have reported buying flowers from an old woman at the marketplace. When purchasers return home, they discover that their bought flowers have mysteriously turned into different items. Some have reported them turning into honey and other medical supplies while others have report them turning into fish or pelts! When they go back to the Old Lady Merchant to understand what happened, they cannot find her stall at all! When local authorities tried to investigate, no one could recall the woman based off of description but due to how often she is reported, it is assumed she is a local. Some wonder if she is a woman that has passed away while waiting for her husband sailor to return and spends her time waiting gathering and selling magic flowers to others.
• Marshray Dock Cat Colony
- Where there are people, there is bound to be abandoned pets. Marshray, unfortunately, is not exempted from this and seems to have gathered many felines that left shipping boats without their sailors noticing! Unlike other locations, the locals of Marshray have embraced the colony has formed over the years, often encouraging them to hunt rodents that arrive from shipping boats and other pests that threaten grain crops. Annually, the village traps portions of the colony to spay and neuter to keep the colony in check before rewarding the whole colony with freshly cooked fish for their stress. Some tourists and tokotas have adopted a few of these very sociable cats to spoil at home and keep them out of the temperamental outdoors. The villagers like to believe that their cat colony are the mothers and fathers of the excellent companions that prevent their new masters from failing a fish harvest.

Original location inspiration by QueenHalloween and allisondellue
Location art by USERNAME