Author's Notes
Lake of Life
The Lake of Life is mostly inspired by Calenture by Storm Constantine. I really recommend her books for a fresh take on fantasy. The ideas of ever-moving towns, some good, some bad, comes from that book.
What I've added is that no town here is truly good. Sure, some are better, but they still raid coastal villages for slaves and resources. Some towns are bad, and will raid everyone weaker than them, including other laker towns. But, they all rely on raids in some form.
I also like the concept of widow-remarriage, as it is a good source for roleplaying fuel and intrigue. It also adds a bit of cultural flavor, and drives home the fact that life on the lake is dangerous.