Description:

Once a thriving mining town, Merikyla now subsists on a combination of fishing and tourism. The townsfolk are those who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, leave. Some are grateful to the tourists who visit, others harbour a bitter nostalgia for the good old days. Close to the edge of the sea you’ll find the tourist shops, hotels and cafes, while as you get further inland the town is mostly small residences. Fish processing plants are set slightly outside the town, and The Mining Experience is just a short walk away (tokota drawn carts available).

Landmarks:

• Harbour and Lighthouse - While the city no longer ships coal, there’s still a thriving fishing industry. Early in the mornings you’ll see fish being unloaded from the boats, and later in the day you can take a walk along the harbour wall with only the lingering aroma to remind you of the busy morning. The lower levels of the lighthouse contain a small history exhibition and souvenirs to buy.
• Freddie’s Fish 'n' Chips - Olaf, a slight human, and his huge dire Freddie, run this chip shop. It doesn’t serve anything fancy, but the fish is always fresh that day, and the batter is crisp and light. Queen’s greatest hits blast on a constant loop.
• The Mining Experience - Not wanting to let their heritage go to waste Merikyla has set up a tourist attraction around the oldest mine shaft. You can pet the pit tokis (as pit tokis haven’t been used for decades they’re actually normal tokis wearing eye shields for their shifts to emulate the pit tokis who wouldn’t have been used to daylight), go down a real mine shaft and buy souvenirs. Many souvenirs. The old mine wheel stands prominently over the shaft, but tourists can descend down on much safer electric lifts, walk along a brightly lit tunnel propped up with wooden beams (reinforced with steel) and even switch headlamps on and explore a short passage left dark to get the true mine experience.
• The Beach - A concrete promenade runs along the back of the beach, keeping the cliffs safe from erosion. When it’s sunny you’ll be able to find pop up stands selling ice cream, postcards and sticks of rock. The harbour is at the north, and the south is fenced off to tourists as it’s a favourite harbour seal hang out. Tourists are welcome to the middle of the beach, where soft sands are perfect for relaxing on.

Lore:

The Abandoned Shaft Everyone claims the mine was shut because it wasn’t profitable any longer, but the coal was shipping as frequently as before when it all suddenly stopped. While one of the mine shafts was converted to a tourist destination the other (the newest) was boarded up, plastered with warnings about how dangerous it was, and forgotten about as thoroughly as possible. The boards could be pried off, with effort, and the mine shaft was abandoned so quickly that the lift down is still installed. Maybe you could get it working, and find out what really caused them to shut down the mine.

Freddie’s Fish Fry There’s an annual festival where townsfolk and tourists alike gather to cook fish and share the food produced. While battered fish is popular it’s not the only entry, with fish curry or baked fish also being popular favourites. The winner gets a large fish trophy.

The Selkies There is a group of harbour seals who can often be seen at one end of Merikyla’s beach. Being a seaside town, there are also a lot of humans living there who spend as much of their time as possible in or near the water. Of course that’s led to tales of Selkies, and every so often a fisherman will claim to have found a seal skin, but no one's found proof. Yet.

Original location inspiration by hRhianne
Location art by USERNAME