The Capcaps

Almost everyone has heard about the tunnels and passageways that riddle the earth below the city of Salt in Wounds – the so called ‘Capcaps.’ Unfortunately, much of what is ‘known’ is incorrect, the product of speculation, heresay, and unsubstantiated rumor liable to get a would be explorer hopelessly lost.

The Capcaps are an odd mix of ever-changing ankheg hunting-tunnels, the ruined vaults and halls of the abandoned

Races of Salt in Wounds

These are the most common races in Salt in Wounds and what sort of place they make for themselves in the city.




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

Salt in Wounds and the Wider World | Synoma – The Fantasy Cold War

(Note: Salt in Wounds is designed to be largely standalone, isolated, and able –with relative ease- to be plunked right into your favored game world. Just select an out of the way valley amidst the mountains –preferably somewhere you can imagine daring heroes trying to lure and ambush the Tarrasque- and Salt in Wounds can easily fit there. The city’s unique features justify it as able to function more or less anywhere. However, Salt in Wounds is officially part of Synoma which is a fantasy setting in the midst of a ‘cold war.’ The post below discusses the world of Synoma in broad strokes as well as Salt in Wound’s place there.)

Synoma: The Fantasy Cold War

Built upon the ruins of empires of old,

Adventurers in 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 vast majority of the population. 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 the land 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 minor lesser blows via damage reduction, a common adaptive tactic is to simply do massive damage 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, teeth, and more… most especially for 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 often gives adventurers from Salt in Wounds a reputation for ghoulishness or the ‘salt stink’ – a foul aroma  emanating from packs stuffed full of rotting, improperly preserved meat.
• Solo Tactics Given the moral outlook of much of the city, it can be difficult for adventurers originating in SiW 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 Group Membership is the primary survival strategy in Siw and as such the members of the various factions (God-Butchers, Merdian 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.

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The Salt in Wounds Mindset

The culture and common mindset of Salt in Wounds is quite unique to the city. As one of (if not the most) populous cities on the planet, Salt in Wounds society is extremely insular and individuals tend to be focused on their own affairs. While traders