Sal Viento is a largely abandoned Iberian nomadic city.
Background[]
Just like others along the dark Iberian coasts, Sal Viento was once a rich, bustling, oceanic nomadic city filled with golden streets and treasures across Terra.[1] It soon became a victim of the Profound Silence in the year 1038, ravaging its coastlines. Ever since the disaster, it was left stranded and neglected by the Iberian government.[2] And, its inhabitants have neglected by them for so long to the point that the current government does not even know of their existence. Because of its harsh environment, it is very hard to grow food there, nor can the locals go out and fish. As a consequence, most people, regardless of age, die of starvation.
Long ago, the Inquisition sent its officials to deal with the locals and provide them food. But it soon turned into a disaster as the people fought against each other for it. In order to maintain order, the Inquisitors arrested many of the troublemakers and brought them out for trial. But to some, the Inquisitors' actions were an unfair, because those "criminals" never returned after that, and that their actions were only meant for survival. But, the Inquisitors could do nothing for Sal Viento as too many of these cities were and are still facing the same dilemma.[3]

A view of Sal Viento at night
Both the starvation and the neglect from the government forced the locals to search for other means of help. Unfortunately, such situation provided an opportunity for the Church of of the Deep from Aegir to move in. By distorting the Lateran scriptures and religious laws, the Church proclaimed that the sea could provide them food as long as they follow a ritual. On the day of the one-hundredth high tide, the people will gather up and draw lots from a pot. The one who picks up a red seashell is destined to go to the beach. In return, the sea will give them abundant seafood the next morning.[4] The inhabitants were told whoever went into the sea would live a better life there. In reality, this entire ritual was a con, as the person to disappear would be sacrificed to the Seaborn, and those that stayed would slowly become Seaborn themselves from consuming the flesh that washed ashore.[5] However, even if the inhabitants knew this, they would have little choice in the matter, as famine continues to beat down the willpower of the townspeople. Almost every face in Sal Viento is blank with no sense of future prospects. The inhabitants of Sal Viento may as well have been statues by the time Skadi first arrived.[2] And unfortunately, such a bleak environment provides a good breeding ground for the Seaborn.[6]
The proverbial rot that plagued Sal Viento lead the inhabitants to adopt strange customs over the years. One of these is the lack of typical naming. Inhabitants will often get their names from household objects that bear close association with them.[7] As a result of the Church's teaching, they view each other as religious brothers and sisters.[8]
Following the battle against Quintus, the bishop of the Church stationed in Sal Viento, by the Abyssal Hunters and the Inquisitors, the Inquisitors have since gained much control of the city and are currently working to bring the Sea Terror issues under their control.
Notable inhabitants[]
NPCs |
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Petra
- Bench: a young boy who is considered by Anita as her religious brother. He has a bad habit of swallowing inedible objects and grabbing them from others.[8]
- Sheetmetal: One of the male inhabitants of Sal Viento who got his name from the sheetmetal fence running all around his house.[8] During the drawing lots ritual, he let his hand bleed so that he may be the chosen one who went to the beach.[4] Later on, he became a Seaborn, but was killed by the High Inquisitor.[3][6]
Gallery[]
People[]
Etymology[]
Sal Viento roughly means "salty winds" in Spanish.
Trivia[]
- Sal Viento possibly alludes to Innsmouth from the Lovecraftian novel The Shadow over Innsmouth in which a local town was practicing an inhumane (or even horrific) ritual to certain monsters.
- The outward architecture of Sal Viento resembles the ribs of a stranded whale.
References[]
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