Vissen

History
In the aftermath of the Dragon War, Thea Vissen took a group of followers and sought the sea. Word spread throughout Widmyr that a colony devoted to the sea goddess was forming, and many refugees made a pilgrimage to help build a port city. Thea called the colony "Greenstone", after the bed of gems that were discovered on the sea floor (apparently a result of the tumult during the Night the Sky Shattered).

In the years that followed, Thea ministered to the growing population while guiding the efforts of shipcraft and harbor building. The resolute work had its reward, and in the fraction of the time that could be expected, a large fleet of merchant vessels were establishing lines to Kingsport. Lucrative trade routes began to fuel the economy of Widmyr, and Greenstone was often visited by traders from as far as Ravenhold, Ryazan, and many smaller holdings in between.

On her 100th birthday, Thea Vissen waded out into the surf for prayer, as was her custom. On this morning, a barbtail ray stung the old woman. Her servants rushed to destroy the creature, but Thea waved them off. She bent down, picked up the ray, kissed it gently, and her life left her. From that day forward, the barbtail became the sigil of House Vissen.

A new leader was chosen from the most prominent of ship's captains, which became a tradition itself.

Barony Seat
Greenstone is a bustling port town, and its people reflect a barony more concerned with steady wind and steady profits than military conquest or heroic glory. Some places of note:
 * Breakwater Market- an open-air bazaar featuring items fresh off ships in port. A common consequence of its proximity to the source of imports means that unsavory items, which may not be openly traded in city markets, can be found in Breakwater.
 * Land's End - a maritime monastery where retired sailors live out their lives in dedication to Melora. Greenstone's orphans are often sent to Land's End, where they learn seafaring from a very young age.
 * Thea's Stead - a sprawling manor made of driftwood, renown for its combination of regal style and rugged materials. It is the home of elected head of Greenstone, who assumes the manor with the title Lord of Vissen.

Current Status
Vissen is the economic capital of Widmyr. As its only reputable port, it also serves as a gateway to other lands, though travel between continents is long, perilous, and therefore rare.

A recent trend of shipbuilding has become fashionable in Vissen, in part as a response to the tragic loss of the storied but antiquated Moonshadow. She had survived countless perils, but her age finally caught up to her and cost Greenstone some of its finest sailors. When a new ship is built, one of the older ships in the fleet is decommissioned with a ceremony that challenges even the most accomplished reveler.

NPCs

 * Lord Captain Horatio Hazelwood, Lord of Vissen. Hazelwood is the consummate merchant - and this has made him a surprisingly patient and judiciously sound baron. As long as no one does anything to disrupt the port and its trade, their freedoms are otherwise liberal.
 * Ambassador Owen Chase, called Saltspeaker. His passionate council to Hazelwood was a great asset in the Lord Captain's early days in Thea's Stead, and Chase won notoriety throughout Widmyr as the youngest priest named to the Halcyon Court.
 * Leftenant Spencer "Sure Shot" Shelley - Vissen Master at Arms. Sure Shot was a famous for his skill with the balista and the catapult, and was widely considered Greenstone's finest archer and maritime warrior. His prowess ended, however, with an accident that cost the sailor his eyes. The actual story behind the accident varies (Sure Shot is still a sailor, after all). Even without his vision, Sure Shot is a fine instructor, and serves as Master at Arms with great aplomb.