Tomas

The Driftwood is built from salvaged ship timbers, and Tomas runs it the way the timbers were meant to be used — holding things together. The tavern is where salvage jobs get posted on the board by the door, where news from the coast arrives before it arrives anywhere else, and where the evening turns into stories whether anyone planned it or not.

Tomas keeps the place clean, the drinks honest, and the board current. He knows who's looking for crew, who just came back from a run, and who's been sitting in the same seat for three nights without talking to anyone. He doesn't push. He notices.

Before the Driftwood he crewed salvage boats. He doesn't talk about why he stopped.