Off a waterfront street near the western, deepwater end of the Harbor District of Kos (q.v.), a time-worn series of steps leads down into the sea, flanked by stone posts in the harborside balustrade that support two equally historic statues of fish-tailed sea nymphs. The right-hand Nereid holds aloft a bell, and close inspection will reveal it to be not stone and merely decorative but bronze and fully functional.

 

At low tide, visitors can see that the Nereid Steps turn at a sea-washed landing and continue down alongside the sea wall into deep water. They lead down to the domed stone dwelling of the aquatic Elf Shesalaas, who provides undersea mounts to anyone who needs to visit the many hidden inhabitants of the deep harbor wall or to go further out into the waters of the Bay of Kos or the Aegean Sea itself.

 

If sounded, the bell rings with a peculiar vibrating tone and alerts Shesalaas that a customer awaits on the steps. Provided that the tide is not in its first ebb of the night — during which the Elf keeps his trance and will thus on no account transact business — Shesalaas will ascend swiftly, immediately ready to dicker for any water-breathing assistance that a customer might require to descend and choose a mount. In his sharkskin pouch, Shesalaas carries a magical bottle that always contains fresh air and which one or more characters can use to breathe on the premises for free (and which he will not sell or rent out). He also has available for sale a number of herbal and alchemical remedies — fresh fronds of air-weed and vials of bitter gill-essence — sufficient to sustain air-breathers during short trips into the bay and several more powerful potions that allow their imbibers to breathe underwater for extended periods of time.

 

In the area below the Nereid Steps, fine greenthreaded nets mark out several large pens where Shesalaas’ stable-boys — a taciturn pair of Merfolk — care for a dozen seahorses and a pair of magnificent hippocampi that Shesalaas reserves for noble clients and those who have already impressed him with their affinity and skill with marine mounts. Several dolphins frequent the area, treating the Elf with friendly respect and assisting with chores, but unfortunately often teasing the Mermen.

 

Shesalaas has room in his sea-floor pens to board up to a dozen more seahorses (he does not generally cater to undersea mounts of sorts other than those he has on the premises), and it has become a standing arrangement among a number of aquatic Elf and Merfolk merchants and diplomatic visitors to first take their mounts to Shesalaas and then meet with their Koan contacts at the head of the Nereid Steps.

 

Adventure Hooks

A caravan of aquatic Elf traders from distant seas arrives at the Nereid Steps, bearing murex, medicinal kelps, and pearls of rare beauty — but the caravan leader is actually no Elf, but rather a sea devil who intends evil to the city of Kos.