D&D Forgotten Realms - Empires of the Sands - Amn, Tethyr, Calimshan

OFFICIAL GAME ADVENTURE

Empires of the Sands

by Scott Haring

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Geography and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Amn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Money and Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Places of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Social Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Calimshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
History . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Government and Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Religion . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Social Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Geography and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Money and Commerce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Cities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Government and Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Places of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1
Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Geography and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 52
Money and Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tethyr . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Places of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Social Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Government and Politics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Pull-out Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-38
Religion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Credits:

Editing: Karen S. Martin Cartography: Dave LaForce

Cover and Interior Art: Jeff Easley Typography: Betty Elmore

Keylining: Stephanie Tabat

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ISBN 0-88038-539-1 9224XXX1501

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9224

INTRODUCTION

Introductions (particularly introduc- Other sections cover the history, gov- less sacrifice.
tions to games and game supplements) ernment and politics, religion, geogra- As part of the center pull-out section
invariably fall into three categories. phy and climate, and money and
They can be truly useful overviews of commerce of the different countries. we have included campaign-tailored
the product, with good advice on Together, they give a detailed back- character sheets, specific to the Forgot-
where to start and what to do. They can ground to each country, filled with the ten Realms. Seven of these are filled in,
be self-congratulatory, indulgent tripe little details (names of coins, typical ex- and one is left blank for your personal
in which the author tries to convince pressions, etc.) that make roleplaying photocopying use.
the reader what a tremendous amount more fun.
of work went into the project, and how Please address any questions regard-
lucky he is to even have it in his hands. Of course, the action-lovers out there ing this product to: FR3 Questions, c/o
The last type is an obsequious, fawning will have plenty to do, too. The remain- Scott Haring, TSR, Inc., POB 756, Lake
thank-you note in which the author ing sections list dozens of opportunities Geneva, WI 53147.
tries to mention every friend he ever for bands of hardy adventurers to right
had by name, detailing the invaluable wrongs, bring criminals to justice, alter Indulgent Tripe
contributions of third-grade teachers, the course of history, or just make a lit-
girlfriends, pets, and other people you tle profit and pick up a little treasure. When I think of this project, I don’t
couldn’t care less about. This introduc- think of it as a labor of love, or a labor of
tion has to fill an entire page, so I’ll give The Cities section provides descrip- duty, but just a labor. Deadlines fell vic-
you a little bit of all three. tions of every city listed on the two-part tim to procrastination and self-doubt,
map provided in this sourcebook. (The and soon even my friends began to
Useful Overview maps, by the way, are the same scale as shun me like a leper. Friendly (and not-
the detailed maps in the FORGOTTEN so-friendly) hints were dropped with
With a title like that, this had better be REALMS™ campaign set, and fit to- the subtlety of a falling brick. Office
good, huh? Anyway, Empires of the gether with them. If you also add the supplies were destroyed. There was
Sands is a sourcebook for the map in FR2—Moonshae—you are well much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
FORGOTTEN REALMS™ world setting on your way to having a map of the For-
for the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & gotten Realms that will completely But finally, I finished. And I can’t help
DRAGONS® game. It covers three major cover your wall!) but think that despite the delays, it’s a
areas in the southwest corner of the pretty good product. Normally, an in-
main continent of the planet: Amn, After the cities are described, all the troduction like this is written well be-
Tethyr, and Calimshan. They are called other places of interest are discussed fore the art and maps are finished. But
the Empires of the Sands because of (in a section titled, appropriately this thing is so late that I’ve already seen
their generally warm climate and large enough, “Places of Interest”). The the art and maps—I’m very pleased, and
areas of dry, inhospitable land. The mountains, swamps, ruins, castles, is- I hope you like them, too. And I promise
book is divided into three main sec- lands, and rivers—plus the dangers and to start earlier next time.
tions, each dealing with one of these rewards which lurk there—are de-
countries. scribed. Fawning Thank-Yous

Opening each section is a General De- Last, but not least, is a section called I want to thank my editor, Karen Mar-
scription, which includes a discussion “Characters” which lists some of the im- tin, for being so patient; my boss, Jim
of the races (both human and non- portant people and groups of people in Ward, for destroying only selected por-
human) present, the languages spoken, the Empires of the Sands, along with tions of my office and not the entire
and the social customs of the land. The the necessary statistics for play. The list thing; Warren Spector, for understand-
social customs section will be particu- includes heroes and villains, potential ing; and the other TSR staffers, espe-
larly valuable to those wanting to un- enemies and possible allies, people who cially Mike Breault, Douglas Niles, and
derstand the personality of a resident will have an impact on campaigns set in Jeff Grubb, for letting me bounce ideas
of one of these lands for better role- this area. off them; and my mother, for letting me
playing. For example, trying to bribe a use her computer to write part of this
judge will have a totally different result My goal was for a typical DM to take book.
in Amn than it will in Calimshan, and any single city, place, or character de-
understanding the social customs and scription, and be able to come up with And a big thank-you to Ed Green-
personality of the two countries will an adventure stemming from the cir- wood, whose 10-year-old AD&D® cam-
help the DM know what to do. cumstances described that would en- paign is the basis of the Forgotten
tertain his or her players. Taken as a Realms, and whose extensive notes pro-
whole, there should be enough ideas vided the skeleton for this work.
here for a campaign to run for a very
long time, with a mix of high drama,
low humor, great enrichment, and self-

2

Amn

General Description halfling population, it is also true that The display of wealth is the only way
the halflings tend to live in their own to gain and retain status. It is not un-
Of the three “nations” said to comprise sections of town and do business with common for a family to scrimp and save
the Empires of the Sands, Amn is the their own kind. But a halfling with a tal- for a year, then blow it all on a party for
only one that is, truly, a nation. Ruled ent for business can rise quickly in Amn the entire town that is completely be-
for over 20 years by a “Council of Six” society, just as a human can. yond their means. Even the simplest
made up of the richest and most cun- and most humble stores have trays of
ning merchants in the land, Amn has Gnomes are rarely seen in Amn; the expensive sweets and other delicacies
enjoyed unprecedented years of peace appearance of one in a town would be a for their customers. And big-money
and prosperity. cause of great interest. Half-orcs are merchants regularly give each other
also almost unheard of, with the excep- the most outrageous and ridiculous
Amn’s borders are the Cloud Peaks tion of the town of Purskul, which has a gifts as tokens of goodwill before em-
and the Troll Mountains to the north; sizable half-orc population (see below). barking on delicate negotiations.
the Snowflake Mountains to the east;
the Sea of Swords to the west; and the Languages Dress, as you may imagine, is gaudy,
northern edge of the Forest of Tethir to bright, intricate, and all too expensive.
the south. This includes the Tethir Road Amn is a merchant nation. As such, a Elaborate headdresses are common
and all the towns along it, from Riatavin traveler could enter the country speak- among the women, while the men are
to Murann. ing practically any known language, more fond of long capes of the finest
and somebody could be found fairly material. Elaborate embroidery, often
Races Appearing quickly who could handle the transla- using real gold and other precious
tion chores. metals, is also common. The only excep-
Amn is, first and foremost, a human soci- tion is at the very top of the social
ety. There are no known groups of elves However, anyone who wishes to rise in ladder—the upper crust of Amn society,
or dwarves living anywhere in the coun- Amn society must know Thorass, the an- refusing to become involved in the
try. There are the ever-present rumors of cient language of trade and commerce “petty status games” of those less pow-
a lost dwarven kingdom in the Snowflake that is the ancestor of the “common” erful than themselves, dress in very
Mountains, filled with fantastic treasures tongue spoken throughout the Realms. simple clothes, with a minimum of or-
from a forgotten time, but this story is All contracts and legal documents are namentation. (Of course, this is in itself
more of a favorite childhood fairy tale written in Thorass, and all court proceed- a petty status game, but this is a com-
than a legitimate legend. ings, government meetings and high-level plex society.) However, these clothes
trade negotiations are done in that lan- are always perfectly tailored, cleaned
This is not to say that there are no guage. Generally, the higher up in Amn and pressed, and are always of the
elves or dwarves to be found; Amn is a society one is, the fewer other languages highest quality fabric and construction.
country where money talks, and as long one has to speak.
as there are non-humans willing to sell Even the common slang expressions
their special talents to men and put up Social Customs of everyday life in Amn reflect a preoc-
with being away from their own kind, a cupation with money and business.
resident of Amn can find an elf or Amn is a land where money talks, and Some examples:
dwarf. Nearly every marketplace wor- wealth is the sole judge of social status.
thy of the name has shops either run di- This leads to a number of interesting l Sold— Convinced. “I sold my wife we
rectly by elves or dwarves or by facets to Amn society that are different weren’t at the tavern, but at your work-
someone who claims to have been from practically anywhere else in the shop fixing that cabinet, so you’ve got to
trained by one. These claims are some- Forgotten Realms. sell your wife the same thing in case
times not very authentic, and travelers they get together.”
will have to ask around: Not every Knowledge and wisdom are not prized l Bought into— Understood. “I really
“Dwarven Armory” is run by a dwarf— and revered traits in Amn; neither are ex- bought into that message today, Your
some shop owners, in fact, wouldn’t ceptional talents in music, athletics, fight- Holiness.”
recognize a dwarf if one walked ing, art, or any other pursuit. The only l Good Business— A standard greeting,
through the door. measure of success is material wealth. this can mean “Hello,” “Goodbye,” or
The inspired artist who refuses to “sell even “Get lost.”
There are, on the other hand, a con- out” and dies penniless is a reviled failure, l Found The Pearl— Enjoyed good luck.
siderable number of halflings residing a freak; the mediocre artist who, through “So, Mikos has put 500 danters into this
in Amn. In fact, nearly 15% of the popu- shrewd dealing and tireless self- wagon, and he’s got no takers. Then, he
lation is made up of halflings. While promotion, becomes fabulously wealthy, really finds the pearl. Some rich out-of-
there is no discrimination against the is a role model for others. towner breaks down right in front of

3

his shop, and buys it right there, at full very good for the poor, who benefit northern end of the Troll Mountains. In
markup.” from the better treatment. some cases, reports claim that troops of
• Lost The Pearl —Suffered bad luck. orcs and goblins actually are com-
“Then, Mikos’ wife hears of the deal, Moving about in Amn society is a manded by trolls.
and spends the entire purchase price tricky proposition, because there is a
on a new headdress. Talk about losing very high degree of attention paid to As mentioned above, the cities of Amn
the pearl! ” status, etiquette and protocol. Fortu- are for the most part monster-free, ex-
• Foreclose— To kill. Can refer to practi- nately, almost every rule of Amn society cept for the occasional experiment gone
cally anything. “I finally caught that derives from one simple precept awry or other summoned or magical
stoat that had been rummaging known in Amn as “The Golden Rule”: monster resulting from human interfer-
through the trash out back. Foreclosed He who has the gold makes the rules. ence: various undead, elementals, famil-
on him real good, too.” Or, “He was just iars, demons, devils, daemons, and
asking too much and not giving me This means, in general: The poor de- golems, plus liches, aerial servants, be-
enough security, so I just foreclosed the fer to the rich; the rich defer to the holders, and the like.
whole deal.” richer; and when in doubt, the person
• Outbid— Was more impressive or con- who is paying for it gets to decide. Last, but not least, there is something
vincing than. ”Since the innkeeper’s (or several somethings) at the bottom of
crossbow outbid their beer mugs, the Monsters Lake Esmel. Numerous sightings have
brawlers quieted down real fast.” been reported, and several boat disap-
• Take Delivery —Acquire. “Did you Amn is a civilized country; as such, pearances have been blamed on the
hear Deurthon and his wife took deliv- monsters are rare, and practically non- monster, or “Esmelda” as she (or he, or
ery on a new son?” existent in the big cities. Of course, they) has been dubbed by the locals, but
• Red Ink— Bad News. “Red ink, friend. there’s also a good deal of open country no monster has ever been caught. (For
The tavern’s closed.” in Amn, and monsters are not uncom- more on Lake Esmel, see “Places of In-
• The Ink Couldn’t Be Any Redder— mon there. terest,” below.)
Things couldn’t be any worse.
• Finance— To get something you either There are several tribes of ogres living History
couldn’t afford or didn’t deserve. “You in the Cloud Peaks, as well as several
must have done some serious financing groups of hill giants. The largest threat in Amn has had the good fortune to be in an
to get such a fine husband, Meg.” the area, a family of cloud giants that area abundant in natural resources—
raided caravans in the Fang Pass, was de- some say Amn is the richest land on the
Amn society has a very paradoxical feated nearly 15 years ago. Mount Spear- continent. This has worked in Amn’s fa-
attitude toward the less fortunate. On top is rumored to be the home of several vor for generations, because even when
the one hand, most people believe that immense sleeping dragons, but little the land was conquered, the new masters
“poverty is the ultimate sin” (to quote a stock is given the story. were gentle, looking to gain wealth from
famous Amn proverb). On the other the land, not put it to the torch.
hand, donating large amounts of money The central agricultural region of
to charity is one way of showing off just Amn has been rid of intelligent mon- Amn has been a center of trade and
how wealthy you are. The result is sig- sters long ago, but there are still inci- commerce for as long as anyone can re-
nificant amounts of money given to the dents of lone farmers, single families, member. Oral traditions handed down
poor, none of it for the right reasons. or the occasional small village being at- from father to son tend to support the
tacked by a hungry beast. Typical mon- theory that Amn has been a trade center
Nearly all the charities operating in sters include jackals, bears, wolves, for at least 800 years. Unfortunately,
Amn are run by various churches. owlbears, and the like. More rare but written records are difficult to find and
There are, however, a few private char- still seen are such monsters as the pur- incomplete. It seems the typical Amn citi-
ities that operate “for profit.” The ulti- ple worm, anhkheg, bulette, gargoyle, zen was too busy trying to make money
mate in free enterprise, these charities gorgon, werewolf, umber hulk, and to write down what was going on.
solicit donations and actually do help will o’ wisp.
the poor, sick, and disadvantaged, but Amn has always been more interested
keep a large percentage of the take for Of course, the Troll Mountains and in the present and the future than the
themselves. In an area where more Trollford in the northeast part of Amn past, and this makes an accurate history
than one of these “for profit” charities is aren’t named that for nothing. A large difficult to nail down. The best records,
in competition, each tries to gain the military presence in Eshpurta has con- the business papers of the oldest trading
most donations by doing the most for vinced the remaining trolls to pick their companies, are jealously guarded. It
the unfortunates in the area; this is targets carefully, but they are still a seems the fear of revealing “trade se-
danger. Recent reports indicate that crets” is stronger than the call of history;
large bands of goblins and orcs have as a result, the average citizen knows
joined forces with the trolls in the

4

very little about Amn history. Council raised an army (at great personal at a whim (and with no warning), and
It appears that the Amn of 100 years expense) to quell the few pockets of re- will crush a person, family or business
sistance that remained, and have been in simply for the fun of it.
ago was very much like the Calimshan of total control of Amn for the past 22 years.
today. That is, each major city was basi- The other members of the Council
cally an independent entity, banding to- Government and are not much better. Fortunately, one of
gether for defense when necessary, Politics the major tenets of the Council is, “The
fighting for control of territory and prof- business of Amn is business.” Free to
itable trade routes the rest of the time. A The Council of Six still has a firm grip on make as much money as they can, the
particularly brutal trade war began 24 Amn, and their true identities are still un- merchants of Amn do quite well, and
years ago, with each city exacting prohib- known. What started as a deception nec- the money they bring in provides even
itive tariffs on goods imported from essary to gain the trust of the people has the lower classes with a reasonable
other cities. Soon, the trade war esca- become a sign of power backed up by the standard of living. Whether the Coun-
lated, and city troops began to raid cara- full force of Amn law. Speaking, writing, cil, or the merchants, or just good luck
vans sponsored by other cities. In a or revealing the real name of any mem- is responsible for all of this is not very
matter of months, trade had been ber of the Council is a crime punishable important. To quote another Amn prov-
brought to a halt, a number of cities were by slow torture and painful death. erb: “No matter who prays for the rain,
under siege, and the war threatened to everyone gets wet.”
engulf the entire region. The head of the Council is known as
the Meisarch. The other five members ‘The Council of Six is responsible for
Into the breach stepped a young mer- are known (in order of rank) as the Tes- defending Amn, both economically and
chant with some magical training sarch, the Namarch, the Iltarch, the militarily. To accomplish this, the Coun-
named Thayze Selemchant. Thayze Pommarch, and the Dahaunarch. It is cil has its own army (independent of the
was very smart, very charismatic, and widely known that the members are various town militias) and spy network.
very well connected (the Selemchant representatives of the most powerful Current troubles for Amn include the
trading house was one of the oldest and trading houses, but nobody (except the constant pirate activity off the coast,
richest in Athkatla.) Thayze secretly council and their closest advisers) and disquieting rumors of a goblin and
contacted representatives of the five knows which houses are represented, demon army in the lands to the north of
other richest merchant houses in Amn, and who the members of the Council the Cloud Peaks.
and started to plan. really are. When a member of the
Council dies, all members below him The Council also has the power to set
The first part of the plan involved the move up a notch on the Council, and a tariffs, rates of exchange, and interest
careful sprinkling of rumors about out- new member (usually a powerful mer- rates for all businesses. This power has
side threats. One rumor involved a pi- chant) is chosen to become the new Da- only been used once, to correct some
rate invasion from the Nelanther, haunarch. This has happened twice so imbalances brought on by a kickback
another was about a massing of orcs far in the history of the Council. conspiracy between a Riatavin trading
just on the other side of the Cloud house and some Thay merchants.
Peaks. Thayze even started a rumor The Meisarch, Thayze Selemchant, has
about an elf army in the Forest of grown very powerful in the past 22 The Council’s love of free enterprise
Tethir, ready to pounce on a divided years. He is now a 9th level magic-user of ends when it comes to activities that
Amn. None of the rumors were true, Chaotic Neutral alignment with a could threaten the government. Free-
but they began to turn people’s Strength of 18/56 and an Intelligence of lance companies of adventurers are not
thoughts toward unity, not war. 18. He has hundreds of personal servants permitted; if a group of adventurers
and bodyguards, all trained from birth to wishes to operate in Amn as mercenaries
Thayze knew that if he was to take con- be absolutely loyal to him. There are a for hire, they must be registered and li-
trol of Anm along with the other mem- minimum of 15 bodyguards with the censed by the national government.
bers of his council, he would need Meisarch at all times, all of 6th level. Small bands of adventurers have their
broad-based popular support. Rivalries uses—and the Council of Six demands a
between cities and merchant houses The Meisarch is also living proof of modicum of control over those uses.
were still high; to get that support, Selem- the truth of another old Amn proverb:
chant and the others agreed to drop their “Decay follows power as night follows By the same token, magic use (and
family names and never use them again. day.” The Meisarch is a petty, bitter, magic-users) are also very closely
jaded man, engaging in perversions and watched. When a magic-user (of any
So when news of a “Council of Six” debaucheries that would make a harlot sort) reaches 5th level, he or she is
spread throughout the land, a group that blush. Politically, he changes positions given three choices: register with the
would unite Amn under one rule, gov- government and do one month of serv-
erning for the benefit of all instead of one ice each year for the Council, but other-
city or trading company over another, wise be free to do whatever he wants;
many people accepted their rule. The banishment; or death. The first option

5

is the most popular, though a few prin- ticed somewhere in Amn. A few are gations. Also called “Our Lady of Silver,”
cipled mages (notwithstanding the tra- more common than the rest, however, she has been known to aid lost travelers
ditional Amn notion that there is no and they are listed below: in the dark of night by providing a little
such thing as a principled mage) opt for magical moonlight by which to see. Al-
banishment. Waukeen most every merchant or caravan rider
has, at one time or another, offered a
The average citizen of Amn has little Also called “Merchantsfriend” by her prayer to Selune in the middle of a
to do with the Council of Six, anyway. many worshipers in Amn, Waukeen is dark, forboding night.
The decisions important to daily life are the Neutrally aligned goddess of trade
made locally, by a Town Council. Rural and money. Many business negotiations Sune
areas are usually under the jurisdiction begin with a prayer and small cere-
of the closest town large enough to mony in her honor, especially if both That Sune is worshipped by many peo-
have a council. Criminal matters are de- parties in the deal are believers. It is ple should not be a surprise—she is the
cided by a judge, who is appointed by a also common for a tradesman to donate goddess of love and beauty, and is the
Town Council. Each Town Council ap- a (small) percentage of particularly most beautiful of all gods and goddesses
points as many judges as it thinks it profitable business deals to Waukeen’s in the Forgotten Realms. What is sur-
needs. Judges are usually chosen from church. Most of Waukeen’s believers, prising is how many otherwise-
the upper classes and serve for two however, feel that appeasing the god- mercenary citizens of Amn are among
years (although it is not unusual for a dess is more for avoiding bad luck than her worshipers. In fact, Sune is the
judge to be reappointed after his two attracting good fortune. As another second-most worshipped deity in Amn,
years are up if he wants to continue). Amn proverb goes, “The trader’s skill behind only Waukeen (of course).
Appeals to a Council Judge (answerable finds the pearl; the fates lose it.” Sune’s followers tend to be vain and a
directly to the Council of Six) are possi- little overly fond of ostentatious display,
ble, but rare. Lathander and her worshipers in Amn have no
trouble living up to that reputation.
Restitution and fines are the most Lathander, the Morninglord, is the god Sune’s temples are among the most
common punishment for petty crimes, of (among other things) creativity and magnificent in all the world; a new tem-
up to and including minor theft. More new beginnings. He does not have an ple to the Chaotic Good goddess that
serious crimes are also punished by unusually high number of worshipers may be the biggest ever built is cur-
fines, but the fines are usually so high in Amn, but he is mentioned here be- rently nearing completion in Es-
that the offender has no choice but to cause it is common for devotees of meltaran.
become an indentured servant (that is, other religions to make a special offer-
a slave). If possible, the victim of a vio- ing to this Neutral Good god when be- Chauntea
lent crime is often given possession of ginning a new venture or forming a
the offender as part of the restitution. new company. Chauntea, also called the Earth Mother,
The death penalty is standard for mur- is the goddess of agriculture. As such,
der, treason, and other capital crimes. Selune she has many worshipers in Amn,
among both the producers of food and
Religion This Chaotic Good goddess has domin- the traders. A bad harvest hurts the
ion over the moon, the stars, and navi- merchants, investors, and speculators
It might come as a surprise given Amn’s as well, and many of them have been
preoccupation with money and wealth, known to make an offering to this Neu-
but Amn has a very strong religious tral Good goddess near harvest time.
streak. The Council of Six has a strict
“hands off” policy toward religion, with
the exception of those religions that
criticize the Council—those are
quashed rather quickly. Accustomed as
they are to dealing with people of all
races and backgrounds, a good Amn
businessman would never let a differ-
ence of religion get in the way of a good
deal. With no official sanction or deter-
rence, therefore, nearly every religion
known to the Forgotten Realms is prac-

6

Leira (April). The summers are hot (daytime in denominations of 500 or 1000 danters;
temperatures in the 90s) and dry; the the largest trade bar ever issued was
Leira has very few worshipers outside winters are mild, with only two or struck when the Fenzik trading house of
the realm of illusionists. However, she is three hard freezes a year. There is little Athkatla ordered 14 cargo vessels from
mentioned here because many busi- snow in the lower lands of Amn, but Minik the Shipbuilder and paid the con-
nessmen make an offering to her (or at plenty in the Cloud Peaks and the Small tract in full with a single trade bar worth
least a respectful prayer) because of Teeth; it is this melting snow that pro- 3½ million danters.
her position as goddess of deception vides water for Amn’s vast system of
and illusion. It is thought that by placat- rivers and streams. Paper contracts are still rare in Amn,
ing this Chaotic Neutral goddess before but as bankers and financiers discover
an important decision is made, the Money and new ways to bankroll business ven-
chances of being deceived or making a Commerce tures and manipulate the markets for
bad judgment are reduced. profit, the importance of “paper for-
By order of the Council of Six, Amn has tunes” will increase.
Geography and its own minted coins, which are suppos-
Climate edly the only legal tender in the coun- Amn’s reputation as a trading nation
try. While all taxes and official business has been forged by centuries of travel
Amn is an open and fertile land, espe- are transacted in Amn currency, many throughout the Forgotten Realms, trad-
cially between the Cloud Peaks and the other business deals and day-to-day ing practically anything to anybody. Ex-
smaller mountain range (called the purchases use whatever medium both ports from Amn itself include fruits and
Small Teeth) to the south. This area is parties agree on, including barter. The grains, herbs, timber, gems and precious
rolling and gentle, with four or five ma- coins of Amn are: metals, fine textiles, and high-quality fur-
jor rivers and scores of smaller streams niture, jewelry, and other handcrafts. Im-
crossing the land. Fandar: This is the standard copper porters have learned that the residents of
piece (1 cp), and while common among Amn are a tough lot to please; they’re ac-
The Cloud Peaks themselves are a sur- the lower classes, it is considered too customed to getting the best, and there’s
prisingly tall mountain range for their cheap for most self-respecting Amn citi- little they haven’t seen. As a result, trad-
small size. The tallest mountain, Mt. zens to carry. ers are always looking for something new
Speartop, reaches 14,500 feet. The Small or different that may catch the fancy of
Teeth are much less severe, averaging Taran: This silver coin (1 sp) is worth the jaded Amn consumer and become the
only 8,000 or so feet in height. The Troll 10 fandars, and is commonly used by all next fad. Andruth Pearlseeker of Kec-
Mountains to the northeast average but the richest folks. zulla made an unexpected fortune when
about 11,000 feet, and have extensive he bought three wagonloads of eggs in
iron deposits. The Snowflake Mountains, Centaur: This coin is made of elec- Cormyr; bad weather delayed his return
on Amn’s eastern edge, are a much larger trum (1 ep), and is worth 100 fandars or trip, and by the time he got back to Amn,
and taller range. Little else is known 10 tarans. This coin is also often called a nearly half the eggs had hatched, reveal-
about them in Amn; travelers and mer- “decime” (pronounced deh-SEEM). ing strange, small, blue, flightless birds.
chants prefer to simply go around them. Suddenly, the birds became a fad pet for
Danter: This is the Amn equivalent the women of Amn upper society, and in-
The southern foothills of the Small of the gold piece (1 gp). It is worth 200 stead of getting mere fandars per egg,
Teeth is good land for growing grapes, fandars, 20 tarans, or 2 centaurs. The Andruth sold every bird (over 23,000 of
olives, teas, and herbs. The small strip prices of all major goods and services in them) for 150 danters apiece.
of land further south leading to the For- Amn are quoted in danters. This coin is
est of Tethir is flat and unremarkable, also called the “little pearl.” Many Amn merchants go years with-
good for little but livestock grazing. out setting foot in their home country,
Roldon: This platinum coin (1 pp) is preferring to trade among outside
The climate in Amn is both warmer worth 1000 fandars, 100 tarans, 10 cen- countries than travel back and forth to
and drier than average, but only taurs, or 5 danters. This coin is not re- Amn. There is no cargo so strange, no
slightly so. The rainy season begins in ally necessary for commerce, but since trip so long or hazardous, that an Amn
Uktar (November) and continues it is the pinnacle of showing off, it is trader won’t try it if the money is right.
through early Tarsakh of the Storms used frequently anyway. This coin is The term “an Amn job” is used through-
also called the “pearl.” out the Forgotten Realms to describe a
task of any sort that, despite the even-
For large purchases and business con- tual profit, is so much trouble that only
tracts, trade bars are used. These are a fanatic would attempt it.
electrum or silver bars stamped with a
denomination and the seal of the issuing
company. Trade bars are generally issued

7

Cities tions. Frequently, a caravan will come start in other parts of the country move
limping into town after an accident or to Athkatla when they get big enough.
The following is a list of the major cities bandit attack, looking to bolster its secu- Moving to Athkatla is a sign that a busi-
and towns of Amn: rity. For this reason, there are also several ness has “arrived” in the upper crust of
armorers who work in town; their work Amn commerce. Most smaller trading
Amnwater is reputable, but because they often have houses also have representatives in
their customers at a disadvantage be- Athkatla, because it is nearly impossible
Amnwater is an important crossroads cause of an emergency, the prices can be to break into the big time without deal-
in north central Amn. It is the meeting inordinately high. ing in the capital.
place of the Eshpurta Road, the South
Fork (to Purskul), and the Esmel Road Athkatla As befits a city of such stature,
(to Esmeltaran). It is a fairly small town Athkatla has the largest and most di-
(population: 11,000), especially in view Athkatla is the largest city in Amn (pop- verse market quarter in all of the For-
of its importance. ulation: 425,000), its capital. The Coun- gotten Realms, including Waterdeep.
cil of Six lives and meets here; the rest The expression “draw air in Athkatla”
As one would expect, the main busi- of the Amn bureaucracy is also head- means to fail in a can’t-miss situation; if
ness of Amnwater is to cater to cara- quartered in this port city. The National you can’t find a particular item in this
vans and other travelers passing Mint (where all the coins are struck), market (legal or otherwise), you’re not
through. There are several excellent the Council Library (containing mostly looking in the right places.
inns, many more adequate ones, and business records), and other important
dozens of taverns. In addition, there national offices are here as well. Actually, there are very few items
are several places where wagons can be that are illegal in Athkatla. Only the
bought or repaired, and numerous sta- If one city can be said to be the center most dangerous and addictive drugs
bles and horse dealers. of Amn business, it is Athkatla. It is are banned; sales of other things, like
Amn’s largest port, and the home of the liquor, powerful magical supplies, and
Many guards-for-hire call Amnwater country’s most powerful merchant dangerous alchemical compounds are
home, because it offers the best opportu- houses. Many houses that got their not allowed to minors (defined in Amn
nity to find work in many different direc- as persons under 14 years of age).

For as long as anyone can remember,

8

Athkatla has been embroiled in a not-so- thieves and assassins actually living and also a major jewelry-making center.
friendly rivalry with Waterdeep for the practicing in Shadowhouse, another 3500 (While Crimmor’s jewelers are certainly
position and status of top trading city on or so active members living elsewhere in adequate, for some reason jewelry
the Sword Coast. Both cities employ spies the city, and a “reserve roster” of part- from here has fallen into disfavor
to find out what new trade routes and time and retired operatives (plus special- among Amn’s upper crust—it is seen as
markets the other is exploiting, and nei- ists) numbering over 10,000. somehow inferior.)
ther is above arranging the occasional
“accident” to one of the others’ caravans. Shadowhouse is also an extensive One area in which the Crimmor name
Current rumors are that Waterdeep is in- training facility. Guild members (even is synonymous with top-of-the-line is in
creasing the size of its militia in anticipa- those not living there) are encouraged carts and wagons. Zan Zoldaftel is
tion of an invasion by Athkatla forces. to use the facility, though it is under- known throughout Amn as the finest
Athkatlans find the idea sort of stood that if a member uses the facili- wagon maker that ever was, a reputa-
amusing—“Don’t they know that war ru- ties, he owes a service to the guild. tion that has spread into other lands
ins business?“—but are more worried Shadowhouse is also the location of the and has also inspired counterfeiters.
that Waterdeep is using the story as an original “Assassin’s Run,” a training Zoldaftel has been forced to place a
excuse to plan its own attack. ground copied by many others. For magical dweomer on his authentic “ZZ”
more on the Shadow Thieves, see below logo so that buyers can tell the differ-
Athkatla is also the home of many (under “Characters”). ence between his wagons and the fakes.
large and influential organizations and
guilds. One of the most powerful and Crimmor Over the years, Zoldaftel has taken on
notorious is the Shadow Thieves, one of many apprentices who have gone on to
the largest thieves’ guild in all the Crimmor is a medium-sized town (pop- run their own wagon-making shops.
Realms. Expelled from Waterdeep long ulation: 80,000) that owes its prosperity Some of these apprentices have nearly
ago, the Shadow Thieves’ choice of to its location. It is a major crossroads, as good a reputation as Zoldaftel him-
Athkatla as a relocation spot sparked freight and trading center, as well as self, and they can also be found in Crim-
the great rivalry between the two cities. the center for Northwest Amn’s agricul- mor. One of the conditions Zan imposes
Waterdeep has long feared that the tural and mining concerns. on would-be apprentices is a promise
Shadow Thieves are planning a bold that should the apprentice complete the
stroke to exact their revenge—a fear Crimmor is perfectly located for training and start his own business,
that is not entirely without justification. trade. The Alandor River flows from that business must also be located in
Lake Weng through town toward Crimmor. Zan isn’t worried about the
The Shadow Thieves are run by a Athkatla and the sea. Goods use both competition, and besides, there’s plenty
man known only as “Deepshadow.” the Alandor and the River Road along of work for everybody. This is Zoldaf-
Deepshadow makes an occasional pub- its banks to get to the capital. To the tel’s way of making sure that Crimmor
lic appearance (he is not a total recluse), east, the Eshpurta Road is the major remains pre-eminent in this field.
but he prefers to operate in private, east-west road in northern Amn. And to
most often in his own guild hall (called the north and south, of course, the Crimmor is also the center for north-
“Shadowhouse”). Rated strictly by in- Trade Way extends all the way to Calim- ern agricultural products—apples,
come, the Shadow Thieves are the port in the south and beyond Baldur’s pears, winter wheat, corn, oats, barley,
ninth-biggest business in Athkatla. This Gate in the north. hops, malt, and mild and sweet pep-
makes Deepshadow one of the most pers. Crimmor beers and ales are also
powerful businessmen in the city, and Crimmor sees a tremendous amount well-known for their quality, though
he has used his position to further his of trade goods and freight pass through they are considered too “common” for
own personal fortune (rumored to be in its gates and docks. Goods from all over the upper crust of Amn society.
the tens of millions of danters) and the the Realms are routinely brought by
position of his organization. There is road to Crimmor, then transferred to Eshpurta
now no chance that the Shadow barges for the last leg of the journey to
Thieves will be cast out of Athkatla like Athkatla and the sea. Freight from Eshpurta is a town with an image prob-
they were in Waterdeep; too many Athkatla follows the reverse route; lem. It is good-sized (population: 110,000),
powerful people—including the Coun- there is never a lack of work. nestled in a beautiful valley in the foot-
cil of Six—depend on them. hills of the western end of the Troll
In addition, Crimmor is a major cen- Mountains. But despite its abundant natu-
Deepshadow is a human of Lawful Evil ter for the processing of precious ral resources and great beauty, Eshpurta
alignment. He is a 12th level assassin and metals and gems mined in the nearby is regarded by most of Amn as a frontier
a 5th level thief with a Strength of 17, an Cloud Peaks. A good portion of the backwater on the edge of civilization.
Intelligence of 17 and a Dexterity of 18. metal is shipped directly to the capital
The Shadow Thieves have over 500 for minting into coins, but Crimmor is Eshpurta has a very large military

9

garrison, and this is greatly responsible handsomely-paid “town artists” who that Esmeltaran is often seen as “neu-
for its reputation. The garrison is con- provide murals and sculptures tral ground” for business rivals to meet
sidered necessary; military strategists throughout the city. Also, the city hosts and hammer out their differences.
have long ago decided that the open an “Ice Sports Festival” every other
plain between the Troll Mountains and Deepwinter (January). The festival’s Esmeltaran’s other major industry is
the Snowflake Mountains to the north- sledding, tobogganing, skiing, and fishing. The waters of Lake Esmel are full
east of Amn was the most likely route speed skating events attract competi- of fish of all kinds, and the risks are low—
an invader would take. As a result, tors from throughout the Realms. The the waters are calm, and storms are rare.
Eshpurta is the military headquarters popular winter game “Icedrop” (played The dunchow, a fish found only in this
for the entire eastern half of the coun- with toboggans and an inflated sheep’s lake, is a specialty of most Esmeltaran
try. bladder) was invented here, and at inns and boarding houses, and is also a
every festival Eshpurta’s town team prized delicacy elsewhere in Amn.
Nearly 20,000 soldiers, officers, in- takes on all comers; they haven’t lost
structors and other military specialists yet. Imnescar
live and work in Eshpurta. Amn’s larg-
est military training center (The Golden Esmeltaran Imnescar is a small (population: 17,000)
Fortress) is here, as well as the govern- town that is the center for agriculture
ment’s arms and armor makers. The Esmeltaran is perhaps the most beauti- in southwest Amn. It is also a popular
military is Eshpurta’s major industry. ful city in all of Amn. Situated on the way station and overnight stop for tra-
shore of Lake Esmel in the very center vel on the Trade Way.
In addition to the large-scale arms of the nation, Esmeltaran is well-known
makers, a number of fine craftsmen as a playground for the rich and a meet- Imnescar is also the end of the South
have moved to Eshpurta to set up shop ing place where many of the biggest Road, a good but small road that follows
and cater to the officers and other more deals in Amn are made. the Small Teeth (for this reason it is
well-to-do members of the military, sell- sometimes r e f e r r e d t o a s “The
ing higher quality (and frequently magi- Lake Esmel is the largest freshwater Gumline”) to the three Hillforts (de-
cal) arms and armor. lake in the Empires of the Sands, and scribed below) and then turns north to
ideal for swimming, boating, and fishing. Eshpurta.
Eshpurta has very little violent crime Fed by four rivers which originate in the
(there are easier targets for bandit melting snows of both the Cloud Peaks The agricultural region Imnescar is
gangs than cities with permanent mili- and the Small Teeth, the lake (particularly the center of is a fertile, warm area fa-
tary installations), but is rife with the the eastern half) is quite cold. However, mous for its fruits. Oranges, tangerines,
so-called “victimless crimes” that cater hot springs near the city provide both grapes, dates, lemons, limes, avocados,
to the vices of the soldier—gambling, temperate swimming waters in the lake and artichokes all grow in abundance
and loan sharking, among other things. and spas for the wealthy in town. here, and the region is also a major
While Amn’s notion of “free enterprise” grain producer. Just a few miles to the
protects most of these operations most Tourism is this small (population: west of town are Amn’s finest wineries.
of the time, the administrators of The 35,000) city’s main industry. Hotels, inns,
Golden Fortress take note of those es- spas, theaters, exclusive clubs, and lux- The continuing instability in Tethyr
tablishments which seem to cause the ury villas abound. Esmeltaran has gone to has the people of Imnescar worried.
most trouble for their soldiers. Fre- great trouble to cultivate the image of the There was a lot of trouble here years
quently, these establishments end up city as the “in” place for the top rank of ago when the first wave of refugees
the victims of “accidents” during cata- Amn society. This campaign has been from Tethyr hit, as the long-time resi-
pult practice. very successful. Nearly every family that dents worried about losing jobs and
can afford it has a summer home in Es- land to the “foreigners”; the local au-
While the military is not Eshpurta’s meltaran, and families that can’t afford it thorities want to make sure that doesn’t
only claim to fame, most of its other in- still brag to their neighbors about taking happen again. And even though the
dustries are somehow related to the a holiday to this city. town isn’t exactly on the Tethyr border,
army. There are extensive iron deposits there is also concern an expansionist
in the mountains to the east, and exten- Because of the high concentration of leader could take power and make
sive mining in the area provides the raw the upper crust of business and society trouble. The Council of Six is not as con-
material for the arms and armor makers in town, two things are common. One, cerned, but they have responded to a
of town. Smaller deposits of coal, nickel, some of the most lavish parties ever request by the Imnescar Town Council
and electrum are also exploited. seen are thrown here, as rival families and sent 150 army regulars to bolster
and trading houses try to outdo each the town militia.
In what is probably an overreaction other on the social scale. The second is
to its “backwater” reputation, Eshpurta
has an extensive arts and culture pro-
gram, with a fine opera and several

10

Murann

Keczulla with just under half a million danters’ Murann is the second largest port in
worth of rubies. He used the money to Amn. It has a very important position in
Keczulla was started centuries ago as a buy up more land along the Ridge north Amn commerce, both as the end point
mining town. After the mineral veins of town, where he had discovered more of the Tethir Road (that crosses the en-
were played out, the town nearly disap- gems and minerals. Today, only two tire country along its southern border
peared before it became a popular stop- years later, Pulth Tanislove is the owner to Riatavin) and as a port of first oppor-
ping place for caravans and other of Tanislove Mines, the largest gem, tunity for shipments from the south
travelers on the Eshpurta road. Re- mineral, and precious metal mining that wish to avoid close contact with the
cently, discoveries of new gem and min- company in all of Amn. His personal Nelanther. Both The Race and Asavir’s
eral deposits have swelled the fortune is estimated at 700 million dan- Channel can be very dangerous when
population of this city to over 42,000. ters, and his success is single-handedly the pirates are active, and many Ca-
responsible for the rebirth of Keczulla lishite merchants send their north-
Every few years, a new example of a bound goods by land to Murann, where
“dirt to diamonds” story (as they are as a major city. they are then put on a ship for the jour-
called in Amn) happens to reaffirm the Many other successful mining con- ney further north.
people’s belief that Amn is a land where
opportunity is everywhere. Last year, cerns have sprung up around Keczulla With a population of 130,000,
the lucky example was Keczulla shop- in the past two years, producing every- Murann has an extensive shipyard
keeper Pulth Tanislove. He purchased thing from iron and electrum to salt. where vessels of all kinds, from private
the books and papers of a hermit who Precious gems and metals of all kinds yachts to massive cargo ships and huge
lived on the edge of town from the her- have been found, and they are even ru- ships of war, are built. There are also
mit’s heirs, who came to Keczulla to set- mors that one company (the rumors many drydocks for repair and refitting
tle the hermit’s estate upon his death. disagree on which one) has found a vein of existing vessels. Nowhere in Amn is
Upon examining the papers (something of adamantite and is secretly smuggling the flavor of the sea stronger. While the
the heirs hadn’t bothered to do), he dis- it out directly to Athkatla. port of Athkatla is larger, it is just one
covered an entire book devoted to find- feature of a diverse city: Murann’s port
ing a lost gem mine that most thought While thousands have flocked to Kec- is the heart of the city. Amn boys who
never existed. Convinced he could find zulla to try and duplicate (or perhaps crave the life of the sea don’t go to
the mine based on the information in just share in) Tanislove’s success, the Athkatla—they come here.
the hermit’s book, Tanislove sold con- other businesses of Keczulla continue.
trolling interest in his book shop, A major travel stop on the Eshpurta Murann is also the home of Amn’s
bought the necessary equipment, deeds Road, the town is filled with inns, tav- navy, such as it is. Amn expects most
and permits, and left Keczulla amid erns, stables, wagoners, and guards for merchants to pay for their own private
much laughter. hire. There is also an army outpost protection, but the Council of Six has al-
here, with 1000 men (200 of them cav- located some funds for a small navy in
The laughter ended three months alry) charged with keeping the the realization that with a concentrated
later when Pulth returned to Keczulla Eshpurta Road clear from Amnwater to attack, the pirates of Nelanther can
halfway to Eshpurta. mount a challenge beyond the ability of
any single private fleet to handle. The
navy does not have very many ships,
mostly small, fast boats for pursuing
the speedy pirates. In an emergency,
the navy may force any private escort
vessels it wants to help repel an attack,
but this is a right reserved for full-scale
invasions, and has never been used.

Murann has one other claim to fame. It
is the home of the largest and most re-
spected Alchemist’s Guild in all of Amn.
Murann residents love to brag that the
guild is the equal of any in Cormyr or
Thay, but there’s really no way of know-
ing if that’s true. Wherever it ranks in the

11

overall list, there is no doubt that the and never complain about the weather, freight center in the center of western
group in Murann is impressive. They no matter how miserable. Amn. It is also the location of the largest
have been credited with the creation and grain warehouses in the country. Grain
refinement of many important potions Nashkel is an important stopping place from throughout central Amn arrives via
and compounds, including the potion of for southbound caravans and other trav- either barge on the Esmel River or cara-
treasure finding (which, considering elers. Here they can get the information, van on the Trade Way or the South Fork,
Amn’s preoccupation with money, should guides, and equipment necessary to suc- and is stored, graded, and brokered here.
come as no surprise). cessfully cross the Cloud Peaks if they are Other goods come through the vast barge
not already prepared. At least once a win- docks on the banks of the Esmel as well,
The guild runs a very complete shop in ter, a caravan (always on a first trip but grain is Purskul’s lifeblood.
the market plaza where nearly any al- through the Peaks) ignores help in
chemical component or finished product Nashkel, gets surprised by a quickly ris- Handling the grain, transferring it
can be purchased at a reasonable market ing winter storm, and has to be rescued. from cart to barge to silo, bagging it,
price. The shop will also purchase rare Sometimes, such a caravan takes a wrong and shipping it is difficult, heavy work.
components at a fair price, though the turn in a mountain pass and isn’t discov- This is the main reason that Purskul has
guild has no need for common compo- ered until the spring thaw. the only significant half-orc population
nents or finished products. in all of Amn. The half-orcs are paid
The people of Nashkel also make a fairly well (for menial labor) but are
Nashkel fair amount of money hunting and trap- looked down on by the general popula-
ping the local wildlife for both meat and tion. “Discrimination” is probably too
Nashkel is the northernmost city in furs. There is not a very large demand strong a word for it (there are no busi-
Amn, and the coldest. Situated on the for furs in Amn because of the gener- nesses, for example, from which they
north side of the Cloud Peaks on the ally warm climate, but Amn traders still are banned), but the human majority
Trade Way, this small town (population: recognize value. definitely considers the half-orcs infe-
4,500) bears the brunt of every winter rior. Of the 16,000 people living here,
storm that spends itself on the Peaks. Purskul about 2,500 are half-orcs.
The townspeople are hardy, however,
Purskul is another important trade and

12

Riatavin remarkable in this sense. Trailstone
What makes Trademeet remarkable
Riatavin is a major center of commerce, Trailstone is little more than a collection
especially when it comes to business is the tradition of “Merchant’s Peace” of inns and taverns that cater to trav-
with Chondath, the Shaar, and points that has existed there unbroken for (the elers along the Tethir Road. The town
further east. It is one the largest cities in legends say) over 430 years. It is said was completely built from the personal
Amn (population: 220,000) and con- that this peace was declared by the god- fortune of the Spulzeer family, to give
siders itself a rival to Athkatla in sophis- dess Waukeen herself, and a large travelers a place to stay other than Cas-
tication and importance. Most shrine to her is in the center of town, on tle Spulzeer; given the unfortunate his-
Athkatlans feel that to even compare the spot where she is said to have ap- tory of that castle (see below), it seems
the two would be giving Riatavin too peared. as good an explanation as necessary.
much credit.
“Merchant’s Peace” is a state in which Places of Interest
Athkatlan snobbishness aside, a merchant must be in complete accord
Riatavin is an important city. Riatavin with his fellow tradesmen. All negotia- Castle Spulzeer
serves as an anchor of Amn influence in tions must be completely honest, with-
the southeast corner of the nation, and holding nothing; no ambushes or thefts The Spulzeers were a major land-
could serve as a springboard for expan- may be carried out, or even planned holding family in southern Amn; in its
sion into northeast Tethyr or the area within the town; merchants cannot heyday, the family castle and surround-
east of the Snowflake Mountains. It is even disagree on what to have for din- ing buildings were a small town unto
also where the merchants of Amn ar- ner. themselves, and the castle’s hospitality
range business throughout the east—as was known and taken advantage of
far as Thay, and often farther. Peer pressure among merchants is throughout the area. Many a merchant
usually enough to ensure the “Mer- caravan with a choice of routes would
Like most other major cities in Amn, chant’s Peace” is preserved. If that is not take the Tethir Road for an opportunity
there is a spectacular market where enough, there are many stories (some to spend a night at Castle Spulzeer.
nearly anything can be bought or sold. even verified) of businessmen who
The usual “support industries” of com- It was eight years ago that things be-
merce can be found here: wagon break the peace having terrible bad for- gan to change. The outer grounds fell
makers, fine taverns, moneylenders, tune strike them shortly thereafter, into disrepair, and the castle itself was
guards for hire, stables, and inns. In ad- usually something having to do with the somehow less wholesome. Entire
dition, Riatavin is an important live- way the merchant broke the peace in branches of the Spulzeer family disap-
stock center. Cattle, hogs, and oxen are the first place. peared; the ones that were left contin-
plentiful in the grasslands surrounding ued to offer the hospitality of the castle
the city, and these livestock are known The story is told of a merchant of Kec- to travelers, but the visitors began to
throughout the country: “Tender as a zulla, his name lost in the passing of sense it was out of duty and tradition,
Riatavin steak” is a common expression. time, who sent his guards to delay an- not from any real desire to help.
other merchant’s caravan on the edge
Riatavin is also the home of Samdusk of town, hoping to enter ahead of the The remaining Spulzeers began to at-
Sorocine, a maker of musical instru- other merchant and get the last room in tract a whole new kind of servant and
ments with a reputation throughout Trademeet’s best inn. The approaching retinue: tall, fur-clad barbarians;
the Realms. Sorocine makes all kinds of guards panicked some of the horses in painted tribesmen from faraway lands;
instruments, but his specialty is lutes. A the second merchant’s caravan, his per- half-(and some more than half) orcs;
bard’s lute made by Sorocine costs sonal carriage overturned and slid and a morbid collection of misshapen
twice as much as normal, but the bard down an embankment into a stream, and disfigured freaks of all races.
using the instrument gets a ten percent and before help could get down the em-
bonus to all spells associated with songs bankment, the merchant inside was The rumors (fed by the imagination
played on it. drowned. The first merchant contin- of frightened travelers) of Castle Spul-
ued his journey to Murann, and zeer grew ever worse. There were sto-
Trademeet boarded a boat for Waterdeep. A terri- ries of muffled cries in the middle of the
ble storm struck the fleet the first night night, shadows that passed over the sun
Trademeet is a crossroads town where out, and a tremendous wave struck the on cloudless days, darkened shapes of
the Trade Way and Tethir Road inter- lead ship, carrying the merchant from unknown monsters circling the castle
sect. It has a population of 8,800, and all Keczulla overboard. As soon as the in the hours before dawn, and other
the standard businesses and facilities merchant was lost, the storm stopped; fantastic stories. Most discounted the
expected at a major crossroads; it is not the merchant was never heard from
again.

13

rumors as campfire stories told to scare tak Spellseer. Kartak rewarded Char- useful, and also senses a closeness of
children, but as more and more people dath with gems and magic (including an spirit between the two (note the similar-
returned from Castle Spulzeer with unholy avenger sword +5: as a holy ity in their names). Today, Castle Spul-
similar stories, the doubts ended. avenger +5, but lawful Evil) worth zeer is filled with magical creatures of
hundreds of thousands of danters, and every type, magical libraries and work-
Things got so bad that eventually tra- began his plans to reestablish his power shops, and fantastic treasure rooms.
vel on the Tethir Road suffered, and so in the region. Chardath was completely (The map shows the castle as it was
did business. Once that happened, the intimidated by Kartak, and did what- eight years ago; today, many of the
Council of Six was quick to intervene. ever he was told. guest rooms and family chambers have
An emissary was sent to the castle; he been converted to treasure rooms and
returned, shaken, but with an agree- Kartak was never a particularly magical workshops.) And Kartak has
ment. The sole surviving Spulzeer fam- wholesome person, and he became made plans with many would-be allies:
ily member, Chardath, agreed to build downright bizarre as a lich. The freaks demons, devils, orc and hobgoblin
an inn and tavern and several other and strange servants were his idea of chieftains, and even a dragon.
buildings in the farming community of entertainment; other members of the
Trailstone, directly on the Tethir Road. Spulzeer family who objected were Soon, very soon, Kartak will emerge
Travelers now use the road regularly brutally murdered, usually by unseen as a terrible lich with the spells of a
again, but nobody takes the 12-mile side magical creatures. Only after the visit 31st-level magic user, and will start
trip to visit Castle Spulzeer. from the emissary of the Council of Six building a kingdom for himself. He will
did Kartak agree that allowing visitors look first to the chaotic land of Tethyr to
Nine years ago, Chardath Spulzeer to stay in the castle was probably a bad the south, but his appetite is sure to
found an ancient book left by a idea. grow.
centuries-dead ancestor named Kartak
Spellseer. Intrigued by the book’s prom- The past two years, Kartak has been
ise of great wealth hidden in the depths busy practicing his rusty magical skills
of the castle, Chardath carefully fol- and re-establishing the magical guards
lowed the instructions in the book—and about his various treasure chambers
awoke the long asleep lich form of Kar- and workshops. Chardath is the only
surviving Spulzeer; Kartak finds him

14

Amnur Citadel troops, who would gladly die for him. Ishla Hillfort
However, they are so well trained, that
The Citadel of Amnur is one of two doesn’t seem likely to happen. Unlike the citadels to the north, which
heavily-fortified military outposts re- are newly-constructed and state of the
cently completed in the Cloud Peaks in Rashturl Citadel is considered one of art military design, the Hillfort of Ishla
response to the ever-growing trouble the “pearl” assignments in the Amn (as well as the other two hillforts) has
with demon and orc armies farther to army, because of Delapond and also be- been around longer than anyone can
the north. The citadel has 720 soldiers cause of a training program of remark- remember. There are no surviving re-
and officers permanently assigned; if able effectiveness devised by Delapond cords to indicate when they were built;
necessary, an additional 1500 troops and his staff. Fighters must be mem- they’ve just always been there.
will fit inside. bers of the Amn army assigned to
Rashturl to qualify, but those who par- The hillfort is made of log-and-earth
The citadel’s outer walls are 40’ high ticipate in the program fulfill their walls, 15’ high and 3’ thick. It has 315
and 6’ thick. There is a 10’-wide walk- training requirements for level ad- soldiers and officers regularly assigned
way around the top for defensive vancement in 1/3 the normal time. to it, and can hold an additional 500.
troops. In addition to being adequately
defensible under attack, it is also strate- The Fangs The Hillfort of Ishla is fairly close to
gically placed as a jumping-off point for Esmeltaran, and for that reason, many
offensive action. The Fangs are a pair of steep crags in of the richer nobles living there feel the
the Cloud Peaks. The Trade Way passes garrison has been put at the hillfort for
Morale is low at Amnur Citadel, be- directly between the two (in Fang Pass, their personal convenience. Squads are
cause of dissatisfaction with the com- naturally), and the spot where the road constantly being dispatched to Es-
mander, Endrick Hardl. Hardl is an passes directly between the two peaks meltaran to deal with “emergencies”
inexperienced soldier (only 3d level) is generally considered the northern that turn out to be demeaning errands.
with a very nice suit of armor (+4 scale boundary of Amn (even though the One party hostess wanted a company of
mail and shield) and a rich family with town of Nashkel is a little farther foot soldiers to act as waiters. The only
connections. He can’t decide whether north). The spot is marked by a large reason this is allowed to continue is the
he wants his men to like him, respect standing stone. businessmen pay rather handsomely,
him, or fear him—as a result, they do including a sizable bonus for the officer
none of the three. The situation is bad, The Fangs are not the tallest moun- who dispatched the troops.
but nobody in authority will believe tains in the range, but they are the most
how bad until the troops enter battle. difficult to climb because of their sheer Keshla Hillfort
By then it will be too late. sides and treacherous ice sheets. A re-
morhaz was slain in Fang Pass a few The Hillfort of Keshla is substantially
Rashturl Citadel years ago, and though many adventur- the same as Ishla Hillfort, except it is
ers searched for its lair, it was never somewhat bigger. It has a permanent
The Citadel of Rashturl is identical in found. Fourteen men have died in garrison of 435, and can hold another
design and make-up to Amnur. The dif- mountain climbing “accidents” in the 900 if necessary.
ference is in its commander; the two various searches since then; 23 more
are as different as night and day. were never found and are presumed Keshla Hillfort is the most remote out-
dead. It is reasonable to assume that the post the army has. Assignment to
Reyni Delapond is a skilled, experi- dead monster left behind a mate and Keshla is a standard punishment for of-
enced soldier and leader who came up young, who are even now growing to ficers and soldiers who make particu-
through the ranks. He is 7th level, with maturity. larly expensive or stupid mistakes.
a Strength of 18/35, Dexterity of 17, and After a few years of this, Keshla has col-
Charisma of 18. He is much-loved by his lected most of the misfits and serious in-
competents in the entire army. It's a
good thing nothing happens out here.

15

Torbold Hillfort magi (see the map). The kobolds are cur- “Esmelda,” and while it is blamed for the
rently doing nothing but breeding and occasional disappearance of a fishing
The Hillfort of Torbold is the same size training; when the time is right, the ogre boat or lone swimmer, most of the area
and construction as Ishla Hillfort. magi will send them out. residents believe the monster to be a
quaint myth, a convenient excuse to tell
The soldiers of Torbold Hillfort are Lake Esmel tall tales at a tavern and scare visitors,
battle-hardened and tough, as the garri- but not really true.
son has been involved in a prolonged bat- Lake Esmel is the largest body of fresh
tle with a tribe of hill giants for the past water in the Empires of the Sands. It is so They’re wrong. There is a Monster of
18 months. The giants have attacked the deep it has never been accurately mea- the Lake (actually, just over a dozen of
hillfort seven different times, but each sured. It is fed by four rivers on three them), and they are as dangerous as they
time they were repulsed. Punitive raids sides, and hot springs on the fourth, the are reclusive. The monster’s real name is
into the Small Teeth have met with only west. The resort city of Esmeltaran lies pythosaurus, and it is nearly 200' long
limited success because the giants know on the western bank of the lake. from head to tail when fully grown. Its
the terrain much better than the soldiers. central body is only 120’ long and 30’
It is also believed the giants have several Because of the different tempera- across, with four large flippers for guid-
underground lairs and a series of tunnels tures in the lake—cold water in the east- ance. The 60’ to 80’ long neck appears to
connecting the lairs. ern, snow-fed river end, and warm be that of an eel, and the head in which it
water in the western, hot spring-fed ends looks like a cross between a snake
The soldiers of Torbold Hillfort don’t end—a wide variety of fishes are availa- and a dragon. An eight-foot-tall, rigid dor-
know it, but the hill giants are the least of ble in abundance. The lake is not prone sal spine runs along the back of this gill-
their problems. The giants are working to dangerous currents or storms, ei- breather’s neck.
for a mated pair of ogre magi who are ther, and the fishing is very good (and
carving out an underground empire in profitable) year round. The pythosaurus is not particularly
the Small Teeth. The tunnel system links intelligent, but is an efficient, ravenous
not only several large treasure troves, The only black spot on this otherwise eater that is usually quite hungry. For-
but also the lairs of several thousand ko- perfect situation is the Monster of the tunately for the human users of Lake
bolds, also under the control of the ogre Lake. The locals affectionately call it Esmel, the pythosaurus prefers cold
water, so it stays away from the west-

16

ern end of the lake and the surface. The PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil but all of Amn.
pythosaurus is usually a solitary ani- Attack/Defense Modes: Climbing Speartop is a popular chal-
mal, meeting others only to mate and to Nil/Nil
teach the young how to hunt. Since the lenge for the athletically-minded of
pythosaurus is such a fast learner, the LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Amn’s rich. It is a difficult climb, but if
family usually stays together only a few VI/2200 + 20/hp the proper precautions are taken, a
weeks after the eggs are hatched, and mistake is not likely to be fatal. This
then the offspring are left to fend for If the Pythosaurus attacks any crea- makes the mountain perfect for the se-
themselves. ture less than 10’ long (or tall, or what- rious hobbyist. Climbers have disappeared
ever) and rolls 10 higher than is needed peared from Speartop, but most blame
PYTHOSAURUS to hit (or a 19 or 20 in any case), the vic- foolhardiness—ignoring weather, climb-
tim is swallowed whole. A swallowed ing alone, or not having the right equip-
FREQUENCY: Rare victim will take 2 hit points per round ment.
NO. APPEARING: 1 as the monster digests it. A body killed
ARMOR CLASS: 4 in this manner cannot be resurrected, Actually, most of the disappearing
MOVE: //30" regenerated, raised, or brought back in climbers are the work of Icehaupt, a
HIT DICE: 18 any way short of a full wish. great white wyrm that lives in an inacces-
% IN LAIR: Nil sible cave on the northeast face of Spear-
TREASURE: Nil Mt. Speartop
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 top, some 750 feet below the peak. It is
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 5-30 Mt. Speartop is the tallest mountain in usually undisturbed because there are no
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Swallow whole the Cloud Peaks, and can easily be seen good climbing paths to the top using that
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil on clear days from Athkatla. It is such a face. The foolish few that try to climb the
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard stunning sight that it is part of daily life northeast face for the challenge run into
INTELLIGENCE: Animal in the capital, clear day or no; “I swear Icehaupt, and their deaths are usually
ALIGNMENT: Neutral on Speartop” is a common oath among chalked up to climbing accidents.
SIZE: L the lower classes of not only Athkatla,
Icehaupt has not lived to become a
great white wyrm by being foolish or
stupid. He knows that the best way to
deal with humans is to leave them

17

alone. He rarely leaves his lair any the most remote areas of the Troll feared their growing power. Since that
more, and he only attacks lone humans Mountains. While there are not nearly humiliation, the Shadow Thieves have
or small groups, and only then if they as many trolls as there used to be when vowed two things: one, that they would
are in danger of stumbling on to his lair. they controlled the region, there are work themselves into a position of such
undoubtedly many more now than power that a disgrace like that would
As you might expect, Icehaupt has a there were just 50 years ago. never happen again; and two, that Wa-
spectacular treasure, including nearly terdeep would pay.
half a million danters’ worth of gems and The military troops in Eshpurta re-
jewelry, and over 30 significant magical ceive special training in dealing with Athkatla was a perfect choice to
items. If word of it (or of Icehaupt’s exist- trolls, and will escort any caravan that achieve both goals. The Council of Six
ence) were to become widely believed, requests it (for a price) from the town to preferred a strong, controllable thieves’
then more fortune seekers than the Great past the Trollford. Not every caravan guild to the random actions of thousands
Wyrm could handle would be sure to fol- wants to pay the price (even though it is of independent criminals, and Amn in
low. Icehaupt has not had to move in over not unreasonable), and the troll raiders general has never had any great love for
350 years; it is not about to start over in a are becoming bolder by the month. Waterdeep. Shadow Thieves spies have
new territory at this stage in life. For that proved very useful in the ongoing trade
reason, Icehaupt prefers to stay low, and Even though the trolls were nearly wars between the two merchant powers.
to attract as little attention as possible. wiped out all those years ago, it is
(For more on Forgotten Realms dragons, widely known that the bulk of the trolls’ The Shadow Thieves have their head-
see page 38 in the Cyclopedia of the magic and treasure was never captured quarters in a walled-off block called Sha-
Realms in the Campaign Set.) by the human armies. Considering the dowhouse, near the central business
amount of loot taken from caravans in district. Approximately 500 thieves, as-
The Ridge the past few decades, the total must sassins, and trainees live in the house at
now be truly impressive. any one time. There are also 3,500 other
The Ridge is an exposed fault line that Shadow Thieves members living and
runs for over 50 miles along the south Characters working in Athkatla who do not actually
edge of the Cloud Peaks at the eastern live inside Shadowhouse, though they
end of that range. The fault is not active The Shadow Thieves frequently go there to pick up assign-
(there have been no earthquakes or ments, meet partners, and deliver goods
tremors in Amn history), but still an im- The Shadow Thieves are the largest and and payments.
pressive sight. At its very center, the best organized thieves’ guild in all of
Ridge is nearly 280’ tall. The face is Amn. Headquartered in Athkatla, their On top of that, the Shadow Thieves
rough enough for a skilled climber to influence extends far beyond that sin- keep a “reserve roster” list with over
find the foot- and handholds necessary, gle city; most of the other guilds in Amn 10,000 names on it. The people on this
but it is harder than it at first looks. (and a few in Tethyr) have “agreements” list include part-time, retired and semi-
with the Shadow Thieves, and the rest retired, and imprisoned and enslaved
The Ridge is a premium source of all of the Amn guilds will fall in line soon. members, as well as specialists and ex-
sorts of metals and minerals. Every- perts who are willing to work for the
thing from diamonds to granite to gold These “agreements” work like this: Shadow Thieves on a case-by-case basis.
to sandstone has been mined from The Shadow Thieves train and advise
some section of the Ridge’s face. other guilds, helping them organize To keep the image up (and to keep the
themselves and plan their work. Guild protection money flowing in), the
Trollford members can come to Athkatla to re- Shadow Thieves take a very dim view of
ceive advanced individual training at unauthorized, independent theft in areas
The Trollford is the spot where the Shadowhouse, the guild hall of the they control. Members of the guild usu-
South Rd. crosses the Amstel River Shadow Thieves. The Shadow Thieves ally work harder than the town watch to
south of Eshpurta. It is the only place also use their extensive influence in catch a free-lance operator; when the
where the Amstel River is crossable for Amn government to insure that inter- thief is caught, he or she is given a chance
scores of miles to either side. ference is minimized. Last but not least, to join the Shadow Thieves in exchange
the Shadow Thieves will lend specialists for everything the thief makes the first
The Trollford (and the nearby Troll to its “affiliate” guilds for specific jobs. year. Most of the residents of Sha-
Mountains) got its name because the All it costs the other guilds is 10 percent dowhouse are people who took this op-
area was the home of a large civilization of everything they make. tion. The free-lancer can always refuse,
of trolls before men arrived centuries but if he is ever caught again, his body is
ago. The trolls were hunted to near ex- The Shadow Thieves were founded in handed over to the city watch.
tinction, but the survivors retreated to Waterdeep many years ago, but were
thrown out by town leaders who The leader of the Shadow Thieves is a
man who is known only as “Deepsha-
dow.” His real name is unknown.

18

Deepshadow is a 12th level assassin and understand, they fear and try to destroy. manufacture and sell spell scrolls, en-
5th level thief of Lawful Evil alignment. Given that climate of ignorance and fear, chanted weapons, and other magical
He has ST 17, IN 17, WS 15, CN 13, DX 18, the Cowled Wizards are just as happy to items, but only if they’re sure the buyer
CH 13 and 42 hit points. He always wears be left alone. isn’t an agent for the government.
bracers of defense armor class 0 and a
cloak of protection +3, and uses a dagger The Cowled Wizards of Amn are a se- Actually, the Cowled Wizards have lit-
+3. Deepshadow is a master of poisons cret society of high-level magic users who tle to fear in the way of major govern-
of all types, and it is safe to assume that have managed to escape the control of ment reprisals. This is because Thayze
his dagger is usually poisoned, as are a Amn’s government and the Council of Selemchant, the Meisarch of the Coun-
number of other hidden needles and se- Six. Information on their numbers, cil of Six and the single most powerful
cret compartments on his person. strength, disposition, and most impor- person in all of Amn, is a member of the
tantly, their goals, is very hard to come Cowled Wizards. His fellow wizards
Deepshadow commands a great deal of by. Spies attempting to infiltrate the orga- know him by another name, of course,
personal loyalty in Shadowhouse, but he nization often emerge with totally differ- and the Meisarch is careful to limit his
did not rise to his position of power by ent stories, testimony to the Cowled contacts so that he is not accidentally
not being careful. He has at least three Wizards’ ability to outwit the govern- recognized (the group’s famous cowled
bodyguards with him at all times (one 8th ment. hoods help considerably in that regard).
level fighter and two 10th levels)—more
should he ever leave Shadowhouse. The Cowled Wizards are based in The Meisarch uses his knowledge of the
Athkatla, though there are members of Cowled Wizards’ plans to make sure that
Cowled Wizards of Amn the society in every major city of the the Council of Six’s agents don't get too
country. The other major cells of the or- close to them. The Namarch, a fighter
The vast majority of the populace of Amn ganization are in Riatavin, Murann, and with years of army experience, is particu-
considers the Cowled Wizards to be no Keczulla. There are nearly 200 magic larly keen on wiping out the Cowled Wiz-
more than a legend, and the Cowled Wiz- users in the organization, some as pow- ards. The Meisarch is playing a dangerous
ards prefer it this way. The Council of erful as 23d level. The majority, how- game; if his membership became known,
Six's laws against magic have guaranteed ever, are in the 8th - 12th level range.
that many average residents know noth- The group’s goals are to further magical the other five members of the council
ing about them, and what people don’t practice and knowledge in the face of a would likely turn on him, and despite his
repressive government. The Cowled great wealth and power, he would not sur-
Wizards are also willing to research, vive.

19

Order of the Blue Boar der is hired. The active membership of terdeep, where it is rumored that they
the Order is known only to the Heads, al- are trying to recruit members among
The Order of the Blue Boar is a group of though most Order members in any the important Lords of Waterdeep.
adventurers that keeps a very low profile given area know each other. The total is
due to the local government’s dislike of thought to be around 400 at full muster. The other persistent rumor about the
professional adventuring companies. Many adventurers who belong to the or- Knights of the Shield is that the group is
Still, the Blue Boars have done very well der, however, may be unavailable at a headed (or heavily influenced, depend-
for themselves by staying away from jobs given time due to their own ongoing ac- ing on the particular version of the ru-
that would draw too much attention or tivities (or recovery from such). mor heard) by an arch-devil disguised
stir up too much trouble. Much of the or- as a human. Just which arch-devil it is
der’s work is actually carried out in other The levels and abilities of the Order tends to vary with each individual ru-
countries, another reason the Council of vary with its members, which range mor.
Six doesn’t bother with them. from 3d to 10th level, but tend to average
about 6th. The council determines how The Knights of the Shield are men-
The Order of the Blue Boar was at one many people are needed for a given job, tioned here because of two very impor-
time headquartered at Castle Spulzeer; and once the members are selected, the tant Amn citizens who are rumored to
with Chardath Spulzeer’s blessing, at council also chooses the leader. Those be involved. The first is the merchant
least three members of the order could seeking the aid of the Order of the Blue Morntel, a wealthy trader working for
be found there at any one time. Recent Boar must apply in person (or by messen- the Redolo house of Athkatla. Morntel
developments in Castle Spulzeer have ger) to its headquarters in Riatavin. These was foully murdered in his bedcham-
changed that, however, and the order “Boar’s Heads” are all fighters of Lawful ber while his bodyguards stood faith-
now calls Riatavin home. Neutral alignment. They are: fully outside the door, hearing nothing.

The Order of the Blue Boar is a group Thantan Rhyrdyl, 12th level Magic or a magical or demonic creature
restricted in membership to experienced, Sinnom Thul, 9th level is suspected. Morntel was rumored to
veteran fighters of some wealth, each of Ghont Tavvas, 10th level be in disagreement with the Knights’
whom must be approved by the “Boar’s Gaurundur Thasz, 10th level leadership; those who believe the arch-
Heads,” or governing council of seven Bromdurr Tathen, 11th level devil rumor also believe that Morntel
warriors. The council maintains a mem- Dustar Klathor, 11th level discovered that particular secret, and
bership roll of “Swords” (approved mem- Risamar Rhalls, 10th level that was why he was murdered.
bers), each of whom then can expel
persons at will for unprofessional con- The sorts of jobs the Order considers The other member of the Knights of
duct. Members can elect to participate or include the rescue of kidnapped people, the Shield is very much alive—Lord Bor-
not to participate in any Order activities the return of stolen items, repelling in- mul of Crimmor. Nadlok Bormul is very
(if there are too many applicants for a vaders, escorting caravans and emis- well-known in his home town, as he
small-fee job, membership seniority is saries, and the like. The Order will turn owns a sizable chunk of it. The Bormul
used to decide who’ll get the job). down morally repugnant offers (killing family owns most of the inns and tav-
children, ambushing rightful leaders) im- erns in town, too, and it is said that Bor-
Each participating member takes a mediately. Morally ambiguous offers usu- mul has “ears” in all of his businesses to
share of the fee, and can take part alone ally require a higher than normal fee. learn news from throughout the
or bring along any assistants or agents Realms.
(other beings who are not members, in- The fees the Order charges depend
cluding mages, fighting-men, and even entirely on the type and scope of the Bormul is an 11th level fighter of Neu-
trained beasts) he wishes, although he is job. Escorting a single wagon for a day tral Evil alignment. His stats are ST 16,
responsible for the deeds, payment, and through normal territory wouldn’t cost IN 14, WS 10, CN 17, DX 12, CH 16, and
care of the hirelings. Some members who much more than 1,000 danters; escort- he has 83 hit points. He wears a ring of
are crippled by age, disease, or wounds ing a 2-mile caravan for three months protection +2 at all times, but carries
and can no longer fight are represented through enemy territory during a war no other magical items in his day-to-day
by their hirelings, who, if their service could cost millions. dealings. When trouble is a possibility,
meets the council’s standards, may well however, he dons plate mail and shield
themselves later become members. Knights of the Shield +1 and wields a spear +3 or sword
+2. He is accompanied by two body-
The collective experience of the Order’s The Knights of the Shield are a group guards at all times; they are both 5th
members has earned it the reputation of about which little is known, other than level fighters.
being wary, cunning, and alert in its they have some influence in Amn
work, even though its method of sharing (among other areas, including Tethyr, The ultimate motives of the Knights
fees generally means that comparatively Baldur’s Gate, and Waterdeep). They of the Shield are still unclear. Only one
few swords take the field when the Or- seem the most active currently in Wa- thing is certain: the Knights include
Amn in their plans.
20

Tethyr

Tethyr is a land of both great danger number of new elves have moved to the there. All alignment and race languages
and fantastic opportunity. Because of forest in the past five years, so that are spoken regularly, but nearly every-
the lack of any central authority, the their sheer numbers make them more one also knows the “common” tongue.
land has become a haven for soldiers of visible; or the elves that have always Common is used if necessary, but is
fortune, would-be kings, petty tyrants, lived there have decided to become widely despised as a “second,” inferior
hunted criminals, persecuted zealots, more outgoing. Travelers on the Trade language.
and profiteers of all types. A strong, Way have reported seeing (and some-
daring person could carve out a place in times meeting) large groups of elves. Much of Tethyr’s problems with lan-
history in Tethyr—or he could meet a The towns on the edge of the forest, guage are political. The former royal
quick, violent end. such as Velen, Mosstone, and Port Kir, family insisted on a common language
have also reported increased contact. for all, and outlawed any official docu-
General Description ments or communication (even con-
There has never been a very large tracts between two agreeing parties) in
The borders of Tethyr are generally dwarf population in Tethyr, and things any other language. Today, liking com-
agreed to be the Tethir Road to the north, have not really changed in the past ten mon is considered a sign of support for
the Snowflake Mountains to the east, and years. There is one small tribe in the east- the “old days” of the monarchy, a politi-
the Sea of Swords to the west. The south- ern end of the Starspire Mountains that cally unfavorable position. Today, peo-
ern boundary is harder to define, but is regularly sends trading expeditions into ple use common only when necessary;
considered to be a line cutting through Zazesspur, but that’s about the extent of however, it is necessary quite often.
the middle of the Forest of Mir and ex- it. Saradush and Ithal Pass have an in-
tending to the coast to the west, turning creased contact with dwarves because of Social Customs
to the southeast as the forest turns south. the large numbers living throughout the
Snowflake Mountains. Tethyr society is very open and fair-
It’s easier in some ways to define the minded, but also cautious. Another way
boundary by listing what towns and Halflings are also common throughout of saying this is that everyone distrusts
places are on which side of the line. The Tethyr, though they are most often found everyone else, regardless of race,
port city of Myratma, for example, is in in the Purple Hills near the seacoast. No creed, or position.
Tethyr; its close neighbor Memnon is in halflings (or any other non-humans, for
Calimshan. Saradush, Ithal Pass and Kzel- that matter) were allowed to participate This is understandable given the recent
ter are all in Tethyr; everything south of in Tethyr government, even on a local history of the area. The treacherous way
the Marching Mountains is in Calimshan. level, but that has changed. Today, there the royal family was deposed, the subse-
Monrativi Teshy Mir is considered to be are several halflings sitting on Town quent rise and fall of dozens of would-be
in Calimshan, even though most histo- Councils in Tethyr; their influence is kings, the town-against-town raiding, and
rians agree that the civilization that used greatest in Myratma and Zazesspur. the continued lawlessness of the region
to live there is more directly connected to have all contributed to a carefulness that
the people of Tethyr. Gnomes are more common in Tethyr borders on paranoia. This is a fairly new
than they are in Amn, but that isn’t say- outlook, of course—Tethyr is full of long-
Races Appearing ing much. They are still a rarity, and time residents who love and trust their
when they do appear, it is usually in the fellow men and treat them with kindness
Ten years ago, Tethyr was almost exclu- employ of a rich noble or businessman. and respect. A famous Tethyr proverb
sively a human nation. All that changed goes, “Have many friends . . . but know
with the upheavals that deposed the Half-elves are very common and where they keep their weapons.”
royal family. Humans are still the pre- treated well; half-orcs are nearly as
dominant race in Tethyr, but their days common, but not treated nearly as well. The people of Tethyr put a very high
of exclusive monopoly are over. Orcs are considered monsters, not an- value on the land itself. Landowners
other equal race—they are shunned are held in the highest respect, fol-
There have always been rumors of a and hunted down at every opportunity. lowed closely by anyone who works the
large elf tribe (perhaps several) in the Half-orcs are barely tolerated in Tethyr land. Even in urban areas, Tethyr citi-
huge Forest of Tethir, but the elves have society. Of course, there is no institu- zens take great pride in their individual
been reluctant to show themselves in tionalized persecution (there are no in- vegetable gardens and window boxes.
the past. (Given the former royal fami- stitutions), so even a half-orc can City parks in Tethyr are known
ly’s attitude toward elves, this should be succeed in Tethyr, given luck, quick throughout the Realms for their beauti-
no surprise.) Information on the elves wits, and a strong sword arm. ful and exotic gardens.
of Tethyr is still sketchy, but one of two
things has happened: either a large Languages The people of Tethyr are still status-
conscious, but that status is associated
Due to the diversity of people in Tethyr, a with the land, not with material wealth.
wide variety of languages are spoken

21

The hostess who wants to impress at a One of the largest sources of the prob- History
Tethyr social function makes sure the lem is the Forest of Tethir. This area was
tables are loaded with the finest fresh never really tame in the old days, and For the past 1500 years, Tethyr has had
fruits and vegetables available. Dress is now the denizens of this deep, ancient a single, strong royal family ruling with
simple and hardy, with the most popu- forest have taken to raiding neighboring absolute power. When a king died or
lar styles variations of work clothes. areas (especially to the east and south) for became incapacitated, his oldest son
food, captives, treasure, or just thrills. took the throne. As the family trees of
The people of Tethyr also greatly ad- Bugbears, ogres, kobolds, treants, those close to power became more in-
mire personal accomplishment in indi- owlbears, wolves, orcs, trolls, lepre- tertwined and complicated, there were
vidual work. Inventors, craftsmen, chauns, spiders, and hobgoblins are com- the inevitable wars of succession and
artists, musicians, and writers are well- mon. Less common, but still present, are bickering over which second cousin
respected. People here have nothing manticores, basilisks (lesser and greater), was the “true” heir to the throne, but
against money, but simply owning ankhegs, stirges, bloodthorns, choke the civil wars were brief. And once the
things is not considered proof of a per- creepers, bulettes, norkers, greenhags, fighting was over, the system returned
son’s value. “Better to create than to atomies, wyverns, and dragons (particu- to normal, until the next major dispute
buy,” is a popular Tethyr saying. larly green and white ones). Of course, in a few hundred years or so.
many dangerous groups of humans (ban-
While the current political situation is dits, berserkers, and the like) also use the All that changed 10 years ago. The cur-
full of opportunities for ambitious people, cover of the forest for a base, adding to rent ruling family had been in power for
the average Tethyr citizen is surprisingly the danger. over 350 years, so long that they had
cautious. The former rulers controlled dropped their own family name centu-
nearly every aspect of Tethyr life, and the The open areas in central Tethyr are ries ago (no one even remembers it now)
residents have gotten used to not making not as filled with monster life, because and simply called themselves Tethyr. King
decisions or taking initiative. Rather than of the higher concentration of people, Alemander IV was comfortably ruling
stepping forward and taking a hand in and the lack of suitable places to hide from Castle Tethyr, and the country
shaping the future of the country, most when enough of those people get mad seemed happy enough.
are laying low and waiting for the power enough to organize a hunting party.
struggles to end. Once a winner is estab- Creatures that can make their own hid- But there was a broad current of dissat-
lished, most people will follow the new ing places, like bulettes, purple worms, isfaction among the people of Tethyr.
leaders with the same unthinking devo- and flying monsters, still do well in the Non-humans were forbidden by law to
tion they had for their former king. open country, feeding regularly on cat- own land, and since most rights and privi-
tle, game, and the occasional village. leges accorded citizens were based on
Monsters land ownership, they became second-
Magical monsters are also common class citizens as well. Things were espe-
In the days of the royal family, there throughout Tethyr, but generalizations are cially bad for elves, who were driven
were very few monsters in Tethyr; a more difficult when it comes to them. deep into the Forest of Tethir by royal
well-trained army, complete with pow- There is a sizable number of undead of all armies. Alemander IV took land away
erful magic-users, took care of any varieties in the vicinity of the Gorge of the from rightful owners and gave it to no-
threats to the people. Now, it’s as if Fallen Idol, but no one is sure of the rela- bles who promised larger contributions
someone pulled a cork out of a jug. tionship between the two. The headwa- to the royal treasury. These social and ec-
Nearly every monster known to the ters of the River Ith (running from the onomic inequities, coupled with several
Forgotten Realms has been spotted, at Gorge of the Fallen Idol to Survale Ford) is harsh winters and bad harvests in a row,
one time or another, in Tethyr some- the home of many water-based monsters, made the time ripe for a change.
time in the past ten years. including water elementals, naga, the ice
and ooze para-elementals, dryads, and the But it takes more than just a couple of
Some suspect a conspiracy of sorts, like. lousy winters to depose a king; it takes
or that some kind of “all clear” signal treachery.
was given to monsters across the conti- Lastly, it is said that an arch-devil of
nent once the royal family was de- great power is establishing a power In the case of the fall of House Tethyr, it
posed. More likely is that in the absence base in the Forest of Tethir, and is re- took an ambitious general and impatient
of the persistent efforts of the royal cruiting all manner of evil creatures royal heir. Prince Alemander grew tired
army, monsters have flourished natu- (and even humans) to further his plans of waiting for the robust Alemander IV to
rally. But no matter the cause, the fact on this plane, whatever they are. make room for him, so he struck a deal
remains that monsters of many vari- with General Nashram Sharboneth, com-
eties are making Tethyr home, and mander of the king’s largest army. While
more are appearing every day. Sharboneth marched his army toward
Tethyr, bringing along a sizable group of

22

angry peasants recruited with the prom- blood connection to the royal family Council. The elven residents of the For-
ise of land reform, the would-be Aleman- was put to the sword. This led to some est of Tethir now consider themselves a
der V downplayed the alarming reports darkly humorous moments, as social sovereign nation, and persons who
from the king’s spies and advisors. The climbers who had bragged just a week break elvish law and are caught can ex-
prince silenced his father’s most persist- before of being a sixth cousin twice re- pect to be fully subject to elvish justice.
ent counselors permanently, either moved of a royal aunt tried in vain to If a strong ruler were to rise up in
through murder or exile. By the time convince an angry mob that they were Tethyr and invite the elves to join the
Sharboneth’s army arrived and laid seige “only kidding.” new government, they wouldn’t neces-
to Castle Tethyr, it was too late for loyal- sarily turn the offer down. But elves
ists to help. The nobles who were the biggest sup- have long memories, and their treat-
porters of the royal family also came ment at the hands of the Tethyr family
The final step of the plan was ready to under attack, and some baronial keeps is a sharp, bitter memory. Strong assur-
be set in motion. As Sharboneth fell. Local leaders who had adequately ances would have to be made by any
launched a direct assault on the castle distanced themselves from the Tethyr government that hoped to include the
(using the expendable peasants as family, or were popular enough (or elves.
shock troops), a handful of elite soldiers feared enough, or strong enough), sur-
let in a secret entrance by the prince vived. These surviving nobles became In a similar fashion, the halflings of
would eliminate key guards and open the initial players in the fight to decide the Purple Hills have established their
the gates. At the same time, the prince the fate of Tethyr. own government, though it is not as in-
(one of the few people allowed to see dependent as the elves’. The Purple
the king directly) would murder his fa- One thing was certain; any leader or Hills Council is in close contact with the
ther. A fire set by the elite troops would type of government that too closely re- governments of both Zazesspur and
destroy the evidence of treachery, and sembled rule under the Tethyrs would Myratma, and may someday serve as
the general and the prince would not be accepted. “Royalist” became a the bridge by which one ruler may
emerge from the conflagration and an- dirty word in Tethyr society. Today, the emerge over the entire area.
nounce a new, joint government. power struggle continues, and there is
no sign of it ending anytime soon. The attitudes toward crime (and, in
The plan was executed perfectly, up fact, the very definitions of what is and
to a point. Sharboneth double-crossed Government and is not a crime) varies from area to area.
the prince—his men were much too ef- Politics The larger cities and towns have regu-
ficient in setting the castle ablaze, and lar patrols, and a court system of sorts
Prince Alemander (along with most of Simply put, there is no central govern- to dispense justice. Laws and penalties,
his fellow conspirators) died horribly in ment in Tethyr. Individual nobles exer- of course, vary from town to town. For
the fire. At about the same time, a spy cise control over relatively small areas, example, offenders are regularly
planted on the general’s inner staff by mostly cities and towns. The vast major- forced into slavery by Myratma courts
the equally duplicitous Alemander ity of the land has no controlling au- for a variety of offenses, while slavery
murdered the general and dissolved his thority; law and justice are what the is itself a crime in Saradush.
body with a powerful acid before any- people involved decide it is.
one could come to Sharboneth’s aid. In small villages and outlying areas,
There are some strong nobles or justice is entirely of the vigilante vari-
To make matters worse, everyone other governments, most notably in the ety. If enough people are incensed
had underestimated the resentment major cities of Zazesspur, Myratma, enough by a crime, they band together,
the people felt for the royal family. Ithmong, and Saradush. Each of these hunt down the criminal, and execute
Once Castle Tethyr began to fall, there rulers has hopes of reuniting Tethyr un- sentence. This sort of justice is harsh—
was no holding back the mob. In one der his own banner, but some are more there are no jails, so penalties are usu-
night, the proudest, strongest castle in ruthless in their ambition than others. ally either forfeiture of possessions or
all the country was reduced to a smok- Most of the other towns and villages of death.
ing ruin. Everything of value—fine tap- Tethyr have ruling councils or some
estries, plates and silverware, similar form of local rule, but would Religion
furniture, jewelry, weapons, clothes, gladly throw in with a larger, more
armor, paintings, statues, etc.—was ei- powerful government—if one ap- There is complete freedom of religion
ther stolen, burned, or just ripped peared. in Tethyr. What little government there
apart and stomped into the dust. is is too busy consolidating its power
The elves of Tethyr wasted no time and defending itself to worry about re-
As news of the fall of the royal family upon hearing of the fall of the royal ligion. As a result, every religion in the
spread, so did the chaos. In what is now family in forming their own Elven Forgotten Realms is known here. There
known as the “Ten Black Days of Eleint,”
anyone known (or even suspected) of

23

are a few religions, though, that are tra- Bane Geography and
ditionally more popular than the oth- Climate
ers. They are: Bane is the god of strife, hatred, and
tyranny. It should come as no surprise Any discussion of Tethyr’s geography
Eldath to anyone familiar with this country’s must begin with the Forest of Tethir, the
history that Bane has a wide following largest in the Empires of the Sands and
Eldath is the goddess of stillness, peace, here. The recent history of Tethyr has one of the largest in all of the Forgotten
and quiet places, and is the guardian of been filled with little else but strife, ha- Realms. The forest is thick and dark,
druid-groves. As such, this Neutral de- tred, and tyranny. It is even whispered made up of many different types of
ity has many worshippers among the in some circles that this Lawful Evil god trees, most of them evergreen. There
people who live in and near the Forest of had a hand in the fall of Castle Tethyr, are numerous small lakes, spring-fed
Tethir. Many elves are also followers of though this almost certainly has no streams, pools, and waterfalls through-
Eldath. truth to it. out the forest. It is a vibrant, living
place, filled with game, birds, and crea-
Sune Beshaba tures of all sizes and shapes.

Sune, also known as Firehair, is the god- This Chaotic Evil goddess of bad luck, be- The Forest extends onto the Tethyr Pe-
dess of love, beauty, and passion. She is trayal, misfortune, and treachery has ninsula, all the way to the far western tip.
a favorite of the city-dwellers of Tethyr, many followers in Tethyr for the same It is said that pirates from the Nelanther
especially those in Zazesspur. Sune is reason as Bane, above. It is said that Be- cross Asavir’s Channel and cut down
aligned with Chaotic Good. shaba appeared to both General Shar- their own timber for boats because it is
boneth and Prince Alemander on that easier than buying or pirating it. The pe-
Silvanus fateful night, predicting their deaths at ninsula is sparsely populated, except for
the treacherous hands of each other. the towns of Velen and Tulmage. There
Silvanus is the God of Nature, and the are a few hermits and other loners that
patron of Druids. As such, this Neutral Ilmater have carved out a humble life on the pe-
god has many worshippers in the great ninsula, but they are few and far be-
Forest of Tethir. But Silvanus is also the Ilmater is the god of endurance, suffer- tween.
most-worshipped god in the open lands ing, perseverance, and martyrdom.
of south and east Tethyr. Whether There is a strong streak of subservience There is no known explanation of the
widespread worship of Silvanus came to both tyrants and the forces of nature difference in the spelling of “Tethir” and
about because of the people’s natural in the Tethyr national personality, and “Tethyr” other than, “that’s the way it’s
love and respect for the land, or the that would explain the above-average always been.” Undoubtedly, the two
other way around, is not clear. number of worshippers of this Lawful names were at one time the same; when
Good god in Tethyr. one changed, why it changed, and even
which one was the original name, is un-
known. But to keep things straight, the
forest (and the Amn road that runs
along its northern edge) is spelled with
an “i”; the country, the peninsula, and
the castle of the former ruling family
are all spelled with a “y”.

The Tethyr Peninsula creates some in-
teresting perils for shipping along the
Sword Coast. The peninsula forces
ships to run a gauntlet of sorts past the
Nelanther, called by many the Pirate
Isles. (Of course, there is another set of
islands in the Sea of Fallen Stars called
the Pirate Isles; while area residents,
who have no use for names half a conti-
nent away, call these islands the Pirate
Isles, scholars—and this book— will re-
fer to them as the Nelanther.)

24

The Nelanther are called the Pirate down substantially; beyond Ithmong, not everyone is comfortable with them.
Isles because of the large number of pi- the river is wide, strong, and deep. Most businessmen are most comfort-
rate ships based there, waiting to attack
passing merchant ships. These attacks Only two major roads cross Tethyr. able with well-established hard currency
usually take place in one of two places: The Trade Way enters from Amn in the from other countries, particularly Amn
Asavir’s Channel and The Race. Asavir’s north, cuts through the Forest of Tethir and Calimshan. Any trader with connec-
Channel gets its name from a famous pi- near the coast, and passes through Za- tions in either country will almost always
rate of several hundred years ago who zesspur, Castle Tethyr, and Myratma be- accept these coins as payment, since he
was personally responsible for the sink- fore continuing into Calimshan. The knows he can get value for them. Coins of
ing of over 100 cargo ships (after de- Ithal Road crosses the southern end of more distant lands (such as Thay and Cor-
priving them of their cargo, of course) Tethyr, starting at Kzelter, and con- myr) are more rare, but occasionally
before being lost in a storm. The Race tinues through Ithal Pass and Saradush, seen; only the most experienced and trav-
gets its name from the strong winds (30 then on to Ithmong and finally Castle eled merchants deal in these coins.
to 40 knots) that constantly blow Tethyr, where it joins the Trade Way.
through the area. The high winds make Many goods and travelers heading west An interesting unofficial market has
the kind of maneuvering necessary to get off the Ithal Road at Ithmong, and recently arisen among Tethyr specula-
overtake and board a merchant vessel board a river vessel to Myratma, rather tors who trade the various coins issued
particularly hard; discussions of the than taking the road to Zazesspur. by the different cities. As the prosperity
abilities of various pirates always boil
down to their performance on The Tethyr is a very temperate country. and political fortunes of a given city in-
Race. The good pirates can catch their Summers see temperatures in the 90s creases, the value of its coins goes up;
prey even there; the others wait in regularly, with occasional spells over smart traders who can predict these
Asavir’s Channel. 100. Many entire winters go by without trends have begun to profit by these
a hard freeze, although one is not un- price changes. Currently, the trade
Just to the south of the Tethyr Penin- heard of. There is some rain in the For- rates, compared to the stable Amn dan-
sula is Firedrake Bay, a safe harbor est of Tethir, especially out on the ter, are as follows:
from storms, but not necessarily from Tethyr Peninsula, which is very wet as
ambitious pirates. Just south of that is a the peninsula intercepts all the storms Zazesspur gulder: This coin is cur-
spur of the Starspire Mountains that ex- blowing in from the northwest. The rently the most valuable of the Tethyr
tends in the Sea of Swords; it is known, open lands to the south of the Starspire coins. It costs 107 gulders to buy 100
imaginatively enough, as the Starspire Mountains are quite dry, though there Amn danters.
Peninsula. It is rocky and unremarka- is enough rain and other water to sup-
ble, though it is rumored that a band of port dry-weather crops. The eastern Ithmong molean: Only slightly less
sea orcs has taken up residence there half of the country is warm and dry. valuable than the gulder. It would take
(for more information, see the listing later 113 moleans to buy 100 Amn danters.
in this section). Money and
Commerce Myratma myrat: Myratma has re-
The Starspire Mountains themselves cently had pirate troubles, and the
are mountains only when compared to There is no accepted coinage system value of its currency shows it. It takes
the otherwise flat terrain of Tethyr; the currently operating in Tethyr. The 138 myrats to buy 100 Amn danters.
highest peak is only 7,200’ high, and the larger cities have started minting their
average is closer to 4,500’. The only own coins, but they are only legal ten- Saradush zoth: The city of Saradush
other relief from the flatness is The der in the areas controlled by those cit- just began minting this coin in the past
Purple Hills, which is a fertile, gently ies; outside those areas, whatever you year, and confidence in it is still low. It
rolling land. can persuade someone to accept as pay- costs 175 zoths to buy 100 Amn danters.
ment, is money.
There are only two major rivers in Trading goods in such a way to take ad-
Tethyr. The Sulduskoon is neither par- As a result, barter is a very popular vantage of the differences in currency
ticularly wide or deep but it is persist- medium of exchange in Tethyr. In rural value is very difficult to bring off, be-
ent, crossing nearly the entire breadth areas, livestock is a very common cause prices for real goods vary in ac-
of the country before emptying into the method of payment, as is flour, salt, and cordance to the value of the currency. A
sea at Zazesspur. River Ith is a much herbs and spices. A good deal of barter sword that costs 100 danters in Athkatla
more energetic river; born of the run- goes on even in cities where there is an will cost 175 zoths in Saradush; by the
off from the Snowflake Mountains, it is established money system; the coins same token, a job that pays 20 zoths a
swift and dangerous in the east, cutting are, for the most part, fairly new, and week in Saradush may only pay 13 mo-
deep gorges in the land. By the time the leans in Ithmong. But both wages, in their
river reaches Ithmong, it has calmed respective cities, will buy about the same
amount of goods, so it works out.

Tethyr does very little trading outside
its borders. Most agricultural villages
are self-supporting, hopefully produc-
ing a small surplus that can be traded

25

for equipment and things the village Nothing is settled yet. While it seems to controlling the overland traffic,
cannot produce itself. The bigger cities natural that Amn would accept Brost’s of- Ithmong has enough river patrols and
rely on trading, shipping, and small fer, there are some powerful people in troops on the bridge to also control river
manufacturing. Myratma and Zazes- Amn that believe that the town is not traffic. In the past two years, the city has
spur are both major ports, and Ithmong worth the trouble. And while it seems begun charging small tolls to all traffic
handles a great deal of cargo as well. natural that most people in Tethyr would passing through. The tolls are not large
Saradush is a gateway to the east and be upset about losing part of their terri- enough for the travelers to complain, but
the lands beyond. tory, there are some that would be more given the volume of traffic, a substantial
than happy to let Brost go. boon to Ithmong’s coffers.
The people of Tethyr take great pride
in their craftsmanship. Zazesspur is the There’s more to Brost than just its lo- Ithmong’s location in the center of
home of the finest woodworkers in the cation near the Tethir Road. Several Tethyr’s main agricultural region is an-
Realms, and the quality of Myratma merchants and craftsmen in town have other source of power. Grain and live-
cloth is equally well-known. Much of begun trading with a band of elves that stock are produced in great quantity
the finest work is done in small quanti- live in the nearby forest. The elves are throughout the region, and the city con-
ties by individual craftsman. The still very cautious around humans, and trols these valuable food shipments to
Tethyr people take great pride in qual- only visit certain people they’ve come to all the other major cities of the country;
ity work, and they believe that there trust, and then only at night. This trade while Ithmong has never used this
can be no pride in the products of large, is very profitable, and the businessmen power to blackmail these other cities,
impersonal factories. Distinctive indi- who have been left out are understand- the possibility is always there.
vidual effort, what is called “the ably upset; they have recently begun
maker’s blood,” should be seen in every using spies to find out more about the The factors listed above have been
product. “Covered with the maker’s elves and their dealings. true about Ithmong for decades, but
blood” is one of the highest compli- this city’s rise to power is a fairly recent
ments that can be paid a craftsman’s Brost is also well-known for the wide phenomenon. The difference is the son
work in Tethyr. variety of mushrooms that grow wild of a blacksmith named Ernest Gal-
on the forest’s edge to the west and lowglass. With the enthusiastic support
Cities southwest of town. Brost mushrooms of the populace, Gallowglass has begun
(depending on the type) are highly a plan to put Ithmong, previously dis-
Brost prized by gourmets, alchemists, magi- missed as an unsophisticated farm-and-
cal researchers, and assassins. A num- crossroads type of city, on the map as
Brost is a small waystation and trading ber of town residents hire themselves the focal point of a new Tethyr—a new
post on the northern edge of the Forest out as guides, leading expeditions to Tethyr ruled by Gallowglass.
of Tethir. It is also connected by a well- “mushroom country.” These guides of-
traveled trail to the Tethir Road just to ten used highly trained dogs to help Gallowglass took over the Ithmong
the north. sniff out the specific kind of mushroom Town Council 3½ years ago, using a
a group is looking for. combination of fierce loyalty and gen-
Brost is currently the topic of political erosity to his supporters and ruthless-
debate in two countries, a remarkable Ithmong ness to his opponents to solidify his
thing for a town of its small size (popu- control in the next year. Gallowglass is
lation: 6,500). Fed up with the instabil- Ithmong is one of the major powers in the very intelligent, and a consummate pol-
ity of Tethyr’s political situation, the new order of Tethyr. Its central location itician; he makes sure that the people of
Town Council has officially asked Amn’s gives it many advantages over the Sara- Ithmong see a direct benefit from any
Council of Six to annex Brost into Amn. dush and the coastal cities of Zazesspur of his ideas, and this guarantees their
and Myratma. Another reason Ithmong is support. For example, when he wanted
Traditionally, Amn’s claim to the south on the rise is the appearance of a new, to start charging tolls on the Ithal
ends at the Tethir Road. Brost’s position is powerful leader ready to expand his in- Bridge (defying over 80 years of tradi-
that because of their location, they are fluence throughout Tethyr. tion), Gallowglass designated ¼ of the
much more a part of Amn than Tethyr, tolls to go directly to civic improve-
anyway. While Amn considers the situa- Ithmong controls all east-west travel ments, such as new roads, more water
tion, several of the stronger cities in through Tethyr. The Ithal Road and the wells in the poor part of town, and
Tethyr (particularly Ithmong) have urged River Ith cross at this large (population: stronger town defense. The townspeo-
Amn not to annex the town, reasoning 220,000) city. The river is a wide, strong ple went along cheerfully.
that someday soon, a central power will one, and the only crossing for hundreds
be reestablished in Tethyr, and that of miles in either direction is the Ithal Gallowglass h a s b e g u n f l e x i n g
power will want Brost back. Bridge in the middle of town. In addition Ithmong’s economic muscles to get the at-
tention of the other major powers of
Tethyr. Grain and livestock shipments to

26

























Zazesspur and Myratma are delayed un- the troops deserted, but only after looting travelers in both directions; some are
less additional payments to inspectors are the garrison for whatever arms, armor, preparing to cross the forest, others are
made; imports from those cities and Sara- food and money they could get. Rioting recovering from the trip.
dush are refused entrance without the townspeople finished the job, and the
“proper permits.” This is not a total em- Kzelter fortress is today a ruin, a haven This is not to say that every caravan
bargo; only a few shipments each month for petty criminals, the poor, and rats. or traveler through the Forest of Tethir
get this treatment for now. But it could Some of the soldiers, especially those gets waylaid; if that were the case, the
get much worse, and that’s the message with families, stayed in Kzelter or the sur- route would quickly fall into disuse. But
Gallowglass wants the other cities to get. rounding countryside. Most, however, the threat of disaster is enough that
They are paying more for Ithmong left the area, either going to their homes many cautious travelers will hire extra
goods, and can’t recoup the money losses elsewhere in Tethyr or adventuring into guides, scouts, and guards in Mosstone.
with their own exports. Calimshan or to the east. In addition to its large personnel pool,
Mosstone also has a number of excel-
There is talk in Ithmong that the other There was no marauding invasion lent inns and taverns, as well as armor-
major cities of Tethyr are raising an army force ready to take advantage of the fall ers, blacksmiths, and wagoners.
to march on the city and put an end to of the Kzelter garrison; the town has
these economic actions. There is no truth lived in complete peace since the down- Mosstone also has a very large druidic
to this at all; in fact, it is a rumor started fall of the royal family ten years ago. population, and one of the biggest druid
by Gallowglass. If the people believe an at- Kzelter is little more than a peaceful churches in all of the Realms. Those
tack is imminent, it will make the next farming village today; frequent cara- looking to hire druids or rangers fre-
phase of his plan easier—the military con- vans of traders from the east passing quently come to Mosstone, and rarely
quest of Tethyr. Within the next two through to get on the Ithal Road are the leave disappointed.
years, Gallowglass plans to raise an army extent of the town’s excitement.
of his own to conquer the rest of Tethyr. Myratma
He has already begun to assemble the of- Rumors still occasionally surface about
ficers, mercenary captains, and magic- a well-hidden vault room surviving the Myratma, located in the southwest cor-
users necessary to do the job. townspeople’s attack on the garrison, ner of Tethyr, is one of the country’s “Big
filled with magic weapons and money. Four” cities. It is very similar in many
At his core, Gallowglass is a tyrant. He Every once in a while, a group of former ways to the great cities of Calimshan,
is slick and a good speaker, and he soldiers will return, convinced they which is understandable given its close-
makes sure his people always think know the location of the secret vault. ness to Memnon and the Calim Desert.
they are getting some benefit from his Most of these groups return to town frus-
actions, but in reality the people of trated and empty-handed; the others are Myratma depends greatly on com-
Ithmong are not as well off as they were never seen again. It is assumed that the merce and trading for its livelihood,
before he came to power. Gallowglass’ groups that disappear simply left the area though there are small but important
activities have come to the attention of rather than return to town and admit de- agriculture and manufacturing activi-
the Company of Eight (see “Characters,” feat. This may be true. ties in town. Myratma handles nearly
below), and they are looking at ways to all the bulk agricultural products from
stop Gallowglass’ plans. Mosstone the center of Tethyr. Wheat and other
grains come down the River Ith by
Kzelter The life of Mosstone is very much con- barge, and are stored, sold, and shipped
nected to the Forest of Tethir. The town (both overland and by sea) throughout
Kzelter is a small (population: 4,000) depends on the forest for its livelihood, the area. Calimshan is a particularly im-
town at the east end of the Ithal Road. yet it fears many things about the forest portant customer for Tethyr grain sold
During the centuries of royal power in (and for good reason). But if the Forest through Myratma.
Tethyr, Kzelter was much larger, mainly of Tethir wasn’t such a dangerous place,
because of a large garrison of troops Mosstone would not be nearly as pros- The Purple Hills to the north are rich
protecting the pass between the Snow- perous as it is. in fruits and vegetables, and Myratma
flake Mountains and the Forest of Mir. does a big business in them, too. Ship
There were only 2,000 or so troops sta- Located where the Trade Way exits building and repair is also a major busi-
tioned in Kzelter, but the accompanying the forest in the southwest, Mosstone is ness here. But the most famous busi-
families, armorers, taverns, fest-halls, a gathering place for forest guides, ness in Myratma is the Tethyr Mills, a
and other related businesses swelled trackers, mercenaries, guards, animal huge textile mill right along the banks
the town to nearly 20,000. handlers, wagonmasters, and anybody of the Ith known throughout the For-
else a merchant caravan may need. gotten Realms for its fabrics. Of partic-
When the Tethyr family fell, most of Mosstone does a healthy business with ular fame are its silks, which are the
choice for the finest clothes in both Ca-

39

limshan and Amn, and a light canvas of the waterfront. Port Kir fish are fre- mind at all times. He is neither petty nor
such tight weave that it is waterproof. quently sold to caravans passing vengeful, and he administers justice to
This canvas is in great demand for use through, both for sale in foreign mar- the rich and poor in the same fair way.
in the sails of the largest ships on the kets and to feed the caravan on its trip.
Sea of Swords and beyond. It is also Santele is no saint; he is overly fond of
very popular for use in tarpaulins and Port Kir has recently put out a call for titles, pomp, and ceremony. But these
tents in rainy areas. adventurers with some sailing experi- are minor faults in the eyes of the peo-
ence to investigate the disappearance of ple of Saradush when compared to his
The current Town Council, headed by a several fishing boats in clear weather to strong points. Like any other leader in
merchant named Reshtiva Gullifort, is the west of the fleet’s usual fishing Tethyr, Santele has dreams of ruling a
ambitious enough to want to reunite grounds. Pirates are not suspected, be- reunited country, but he is not ruthless
Tethyr under their banner, but realizes it cause they have left fishing boats alone enough to do the things necessary to
doesn’t have the clout to pull it off—yet. for years. (For more on this, see the en- seize power. He also thinks that an at-
Gullifort, with the approval of the coun- try on Starspire Mountains, below.) tempt to expand his power over all of
cil, has begun negotiating with the Pasha Tethyr would keep him from doing a
of Calimshan a secret deal in which the Saradush good job in Saradush, and since that’s
Calimshan army would help Myratma his first priority, he probably won’t try.
take control of Tethyr in exchange for a Saradush is located in the southeast This is Tethyr’s loss.
huge sum of cash (to be taken from the corner of Tethyr in the foothills of the
other parts of Tethyr), some land, and fa- Snowflake Mountains. As one of the Tulmene
vorable trade arrangements for perpetu- “Big Four” cities in Tethyr, it has its aspi-
ity. These negotiations have just begun, rations of power, but unlike some of the Tulmene is a small village on the south-
and no one else in Tethyr other than the other cities in the country, these aspira- ern coast of the Tethyr Peninsula. Fish-
Myratma council and their advisors tions are tempered by reason and moti- ing is the town’s major source of
know about it. There is some debate on vated by more than just a blind lust for livelihood, and occasional merchant
the Myratma council over whether or not power. ships stop here to pick up cargo and
the Calishites can be trusted, and this trade finished goods (everything from
may prove to be a major stumbling block Saradush is the headquarters for all arms and armor to furniture) to the
to any deal. agriculture in far eastern and south- townspeople.
eastern Tethyr. Tobacco, cotton, teas
Port Kir and other herbs, and a few exotic vege- Tulmene would normally not be men-
tables are the most common crops. tioned here but for two things. One, it is
Port Kir is located at the end of an inlet Hunting for wild game in the open the largest fishing village on the penin-
in the southeast corner of Firedrake lands to the northwest provides much sula’s south coast (population: 4,200).
Bay. Primarily a small fishing village of the food for the area, though there is And second, Tulmene is a popular trad-
(population: 3,700), Port Kir has a ready little left over for export. There is some ing post for many of the pirate fleets
market for its products as the Trade mining in the mountains to the east, but based in the Nelanther. Many have won-
Way runs right along the edge of town. it is not particularly profitable. dered how a town as large and compar-
atively well off as Tulmene has escaped
Port Kir is in a natural location. Fire- In the days of the royal family, Sara- the pirates’ attention, and the answer is
drake Bay does not get hit by many dush was an important government simple. Tulmene trades with the pirates
storms because of the protection of the city, filled with bureaucrats and emis- (at very favorable prices) and provides
Tethyr Peninsula, but even when the saries from the lands to the east. After them with valuable information on
weather gets so bad that even the bay is the overthrow, the Royal Quarter (as it merchant ship movement in The Race
affected, the Port Kir inlet is calm. Dur- was called) cleared out overnight. Am- in exchange for not being looted and
ing the heaviest storms, Port Kir may bassadors returned to their native pillaged. No one suspects (least of all the
serve as refuge for over 100 ships. countries, and most bureaucrats took merchants) that the Tulmene fishing
new names and tried to blend in with fleet is, in effect, one giant scouting net-
When the seas are calm, Port Kir has the population. work for the Nelanther pirates. If the
a major fishing fleet working Firedrake news ever got out, it’s hard to say
Bay to great success. Fish and shellfish Saradush is not ruled by a Town whom Tulmene would have to worry
of many varieties are harvested in Council, but by one man—the self-titled about more—the angry pirates or the
abundance in the bay, and the towns- Lord Mayor Oon Santele. Santele is a betrayed merchants.
people that aren’t fishing are busy popular and powerful leader, and most
working in the various canning, pick- importantly—and this is a rarity in
ling, salting, and curing operations on Tethyr today—a good leader. Santele
has the welfare of Saradush first in his

40

Velen Zazesspur Tethyr. There are many former bureau-
crats and minor nobles living in the city
Velen is the largest town on the Tethyr Pe- Zazesspur, located on the Sword Coast under new names who are using their
ninsula, with a population of nearly just south of the Starspire Peninsula, is hidden wealth and still-considerable in-
13,000. Life is not easy in Velen. The Tethyr’s largest city. Its population (now fluence to bring about this return to
north face of the peninsula bears the up to 375,000) has swelled over the past monarchy. Of course, there are factions
brunt of storm after storm every winter, ten years with the influx of refugees from in Ithmong and Myratma who have
and the pirates of the Nelanther are a Castle Tethyr and the surrounding area. other plans . . . .
constant threat. But the townspeople love
the sea and consider Velen their home, Zazesspur is a major port, and its lo- Places of Interest
and they’ll do anything to defend it. cation on the Trade Way makes it a cen-
ter for trading and commerce as well. Asavir's Channel
Velen is the home of one the best- The open land to the southeast is too
known shipbuilding and repair yards dry for anything more than livestock Asavir’s Channel is the sea lane be-
on the Sword Coast. Simon Andrusky grazing, but the Purple Hills to the tween the Nelanther and the northwest
runs the Andrusky Yard, a relatively south are very fertile and provide the coast of the Tethyr Peninsula. Every
small operation that turns away hun- city with a good deal of its food. merchant ship that must travel be-
dreds of orders a year. A custom-built tween Amn (and points north) and
Andrusky ship is the finest on the Zazesspur is also the home of many of Tethyr and Calimshan (and points
seas—the most maneuverable, the most Tethyr’s finest craftsmen and artists. Of south) must use this channel.
watertight, and the fastest. The An- particular repute are the town’s leath-
drusky reputation is legendary. Pirates erworkers, weavers, dyers, and tailors. This heavy traffic and the close proxim-
take extra care when attacking an An- ity to the Nelanther, a notorious haven for
drusky, hoping to capture the ship in- Zazesspur, though one of the “Big pirates, adds up to one thing. Between
tact for their own use. The story is told Four” of Tethyr cities, has had to tread a the merchant ships, the pirates, the
of a pirate captain who, realizing that fine line, politically. Most of the survi- armed merchant escorts, the scout ships,
his attempt to capture an Andrusky had vors of the destruction of Castle Tethyr and the scavengers and profiteers,
a good chance of actually sinking the fled here ten years ago, and not all the Asavir’s Channel is the most crowded sea
ship, broke off the attack rather than Telthyr family sympathizers were lane in all of the Forgotten Realms.
taking a chance on destroying such a found. As a result, there is a strong un-
piece of craftsmanship. derground political movement trying to But despite all the bustle, the idea of
find a surviving Tethyr heir and rees- “safety in numbers” definitely does not
Velen is also a haven for sailors look- tablish the Tethyr monarchy. This will apply here. Pirate activity is very heavy,
ing for work. Crewmen of all types and be difficult, as there are no living mem- and it is a remarkable day on the chan-
experience levels are available for hire bers of the family left in Tethyr, but it nel when the tell-tale plume of smoke
here. Velen is a common drop-off point doesn’t stop this small but powerful un- from a burning ship can’t be seen some-
for ransomed pirate captives, sailors derground group from trying. where. Merchants still use the channel
rescued from shipwrecks, and other because, even with the risk of loss to
crewmen who’ve lost their current jobs A larger group, one that is actually the pirates, it is cheaper to move goods
for a variety of other reasons. gaining power in Zazesspur, is promoting by sea than over land. Or, as many mer-
the idea of a return to a royal family sys- chants are fond of saying, “On land,
Many of these sailors are recruited into tem of rule, with a new king chosen by anything can happen. At least here, we
Velen‘s town watch, which patrols the some as-yet-undetermined method. The know where the pirates are.”
seas surrounding the town and protects reasoning this group is trying to use is
it from pirate attacks. It’s been 17 years that while the overthrow of a decade ago Even though there are a lot of pirates,
since the last successful attack on Velen, was necessary, the problem was the ex- there’s even more merchant traffic, so
and the size and efficiency of the watch is cesses of the Tethyr family, not the sys- the odds of any one ship being hit are
in no small part responsible. The watch tem of monarchy itself. While this is still fairly low; low enough for merchants to
has over a dozen ships on patrol at any not the opinion of the majority, it is grow- risk it, anyway. Another attraction to
given time (except during storms, of ing significantly. One sign of its growing Asavir’s Channel is the reasonably calm
course), and can put over 30 additional acceptance is that proponents of a mon- seas (the Nelanther tend to break up
ships to sail with an hour’s notice. This archy can say so in public today with little storms before they reach the channel)
fleet, along with substantial shore-based fear of being killed by a mob—this wasn’t and the close proximity of havens such
catapult and ballista batteries, has proven true five years ago. as Velen and Firedrake Bay.
enough for any threat since then.
Given time, this position has a good
chance of winning over the majority,
first in Zazesspur, then throughout

41

Castle Tethyr (at least for livestock), and the meeting of a city or town. There is no government of
the Ithal Road and the Trade Way is not any sort, and the residents like it that
There’s not much left to Castle Tethyr; more than a mile away from the castle, so way. In fact, Ithal Pass is completely neu-
the remaining ruins are little more than a the area still has lots of people living in it. tral when it comes to questions of Tethyr
sketchy outline of the size and scope of a However, no one lives within ½ mile or so politics. They don’t care who comes out
castle that was the largest and grandest in of the castle ruins—for good reason. ahead—they just hope that whoever does
all of the Empires of the Sands. will leave them alone.
The ruins of Castle Tethyr and the sur-
The castle itself was about 450’ square, rounding grounds are haunted by the Ithal Pass is a farming community, and
with three stories above ground and walls spirits of all who died by treachery that they raise just enough food to feed them-
45’ high. A wide, deep moat surrounded night ten years ago. It’s an impressive list selves. There is one tavern with a handful
the castle, which also had an extensive un- of ghosts, ghasts, haunts, shadows, and of rooms to rent, as a concession to trav-
derground dungeon. Outside the castle other undead. Legends tell of the ghosts elers who may wish to stop for the night.
proper were buildings for the many ser- of Prince Alemander V and Gen.
vants, stables, pens for livestock, work- Nashram Sharboneth, locked in an eter- Forest of Tethir
shops for armorers and smiths, barracks nal struggle as each tries to avenge his
for the royal guards, and storehouses for murder by treachery at the hands of the The Forest of Tethir is the single most im-
food and other material. It was all de- other. As the occasional lost traveler or portant thing that determines the culture
stroyed that one night ten years ago. foolhardy adventurer has entered the and personality of the entire country.
castle ruins, the numbers of the various The forest is dark, cool, vast and myster-
Soldiers, servants, and peasants made spooks and undead have increased, ious—and in a land where most of the
off with most of the riches of the castle; much to the dismay of local residents. people live in open, rolling country, the
the rest burned. From time to time, stories imagery of the forest still dominates the
resurface of fantastic treasures still buried Ithal Pass expressions and attitudes of the people.
deep within the dungeons of Castle Tethyr,
but most people believe that the place was Ithal Pass is a crossroads community that The forest is dense and dark in the cen-
stripped bare the night it fell. is not organized enough to be considered ter, though it thins considerably within
10 miles of its edge. The forest is also less
The area is still fairly rich agriculturally

42

thick on the Tethyr Peninsula, because of The statue marks the place of wor- islands as a base of operations.
the rockier ground. Heavy rainfall on the ship of a tribe of humanoids now ex- Only the largest islands in the chain
peninsula, however, makes the forest tinct for over 2,200 years. The
very wet in that area, and a haven for worshipers weren’t quite human, but are named; hundreds of others are sim-
molds, slimes, fungi and other unpleasant they weren’t orcs or goblins, either. The ply there. There are thousands of
things. idol was carved over decades out of the places where pirate ships can hide, and
same rock that makes up the sides of hundreds of places where groups of pi-
There are two major tribes of elves liv- the gorge. These humanoids invented rates can set up land bases. Each pirate
ing in the Forest of Tethir. The larger of elaborate rituals—including sacrifice of crew knows the route to their own base
the two, the Elmanesse, live in the forest their own kind—in worshipping this by memory; no maps of the treacher-
in a large area just east of the Trade Way. idol. Some of the rituals began to have ous shoals, tricky currents, or hidden
Travelers and merchants who report en- magical power, but not deliberately; the harbors exist.
counters with elves on that road have humanoid priests began casting spells
met the Elmanesse. After years of isola- almost by accident. It is not known exactly how many pi-
tion, this tribe seems ready to reestablish rates prey on merchant shipping from
contact with the humans of Tethyr—but As the centuries of worship and sacri- the Nelanther; but best estimates are that
only on the elves’ terms. fice went on, the idol itself began to there are five or six major pirate opera-
take on magical power. This malevolent tions, each with ten ships or more; an-
The other major elven tribe, the Sul- power became quite great in time, and other three or four operations with 3-5
dusk, lives in the southeast area of the the idol began to direct the tribe in its ships; and anywhere from 10 to 30 one-
Forest of Tethir. Few humans know that search for new lands to acquire and ship endeavors. The total is nearly 100 pi-
the Sulduskoon River gets its name from new peoples to enslave. rate ships operating in the area, each
this elf tribe, and even fewer know that with a crew of anywhere from 40 to 150,
the tribe still exists. This is just fine with Eventually, the idol’s reach exceeded depending on the size of the ship.
the Suldusk, who would as soon be left its grasp, and it sent the tribe out
alone by the outside world. against a human nation of great size Nelanther pirates prefer to prey on
and power that worshipped good gods. shipping in Asavir’s Channel or The
The Gorge of the Fallen Idol The idol-worshipers were wiped out, Race, especially since the instability of
and an army of these people (whose de- Tethyr means there will be no orga-
The Gorge of the Fallen Idol is found scendants settled the Volothamp area in nized navy harassing them. The Nelan-
where two smaller feeder rivers com- Calimshan) hunted down the human- ther pirates do operate off the coasts of
bine to form the River Ith in far eastern oids and put every last one to the Amn and Calimshan as well, but the
Tethyr. The gorge itself is 250’ deep, sword. They found the idol, and pulled risks are greater because of those coun-
with steep, crumbling sides that are it down. That was over 2,000 years ago. try’s navies. The pirates will also mount
very unpredictable and difficult to an occasional raid on a coastal city, but
climb (-15% to all climbing rolls). The Today, the broken statue radiates with these are extremely risky and not
river itself is deep, cold and swift. only a fraction of its former power. If all common—not as long as there are easier
the pieces were to be reassembled, the pickings in the sea lanes.
At one point in the gorge, a small clear- idol’s power would increase greatly, to
ing opens up to one side of the river, leav- the point where it would try to possess The Purple Hills
ing some open, flat ground. In this the most likely member of the group that
clearing stands (well, lies actually) the did the assembling (at a power equal to a The Purple Hills are located on Tethyr’s
fallen figure of a great stone idol. It was 30th level spell). The idol would then bide west coast between Zazesspur and
nearly 50’ tall when it was standing, and its time, learning all it could about the Myratma. It is a rolling, fertile land,
its age is unguessable. The idol has fallen new society it found itself in, and then it filled with fruit orchards, vegetable
on one side, breaking into several pieces. would begin to reestablish its evil prac- gardens, and small fields of grain. The
The last pieces (including the head) have tices. Purple Hills are populated almost en-
fallen into the river near the bank, and tirely by halflings, who have migrated
the rushing waters have worn the sub- The Nelanther from throughout the Empires of the
merged half of each piece smooth. Sands to this area.
The Nelanther is a chain of hundreds of
Those using magical tests on the islands just off the Tethyr and Amn The halflings of the Purple Hills are en-
fallen statue will find that the idol radi- coast in the Sea of Swords. The Nelan- tirely self-governing. They have friendly
ates both magic and evil. There are no ther is also known in the Empires of the relationships (based primarily on trade)
inscriptions or carvings of any sort to Sands as the “Pirate Isles” because of with both Zazesspur and Myratma. Both
help decipher the origin or purpose of the large number of pirates that use the cities are courting the halfling’s support
the statue. in the upcoming power struggles, and as

43

a result are as cooperative as can be. for more than a few hours at a time, so it
Should any trouble arise in the Purple poses less of a threat to regular shipping
Hills the locals can’t handle (a rampaging than it could. And since its main prey
anhkheg or some such), the two nearby seems to be pirates, no one complains
cities will practically get in each others’ very much. The dragon turtle’s lair—a
way in their attempts to be the first to large cave half-filled with water, the only
help the halflings out. way in is to swim an underwater channel
over ¼ of a mile long—cannot be located
Should one leader emerge over without magical help. It’s also important
Tethyr, the halflings would most likely to remember that no one alive knows of
rejoin the new nation. The halflings of the dragon turtle’s existence. Adventur-
the Purple Hills are not fighters, and ers who find (or are found by) the dragon
are more interested in a good harvest turtle and can find its lair will be well re-
than a good argument. warded: Thanks to years of a diet rich in
pirates, this particular dragon turtle has
The coastline to the west of the Purple three times the listed treasure in its lair.
Hills is nearly deserted. The land is not
suitable for the kind of farming the half- The tower itself is well-built and solid,
lings wish to do, and most of the Purple and completely empty. A winding stair-
Hills residents are deathly afraid of boats case inside the tower leads to a small plat-
and large bodies of water, anyway. form at the top. The only magic to be
found is the continual light spell that has
Sea Tower of Irphong been cast on the entire roof cap of the
tower. The enchantment is very tough to
The Sea Tower of Irphong is a maritime dispel—it was cast at 47th level.
landmark on the east coast of Irphong,
a large, uninhabited island at the north- Sea Tower of Nemessor
east end of the Nelanther. Sailors for
generations have used the tower as a The Sea Tower of Nemessor is very simi-
marker indicating the northern en- lar in construction to the one on Irphong,
trance of Asavir’s Channel. The tower but it is different in many other ways.
extends some 150’ above the shore of The Nemessor tower is located on a 100’
the island, and is lit at night. Since the is- tall cliff on the northeast face of Nemes-
land is totally uninhabited, it is believed sor, and island at the far southeast end of
that some sort of continual light spell the Nelanther. (Actually, sages contend
has been cast on an object at the top of that Nemessor Island is not part of the Ne-
the tower (perhaps the roof itself). Why lanther at all—something about differing
the light is only visible at night or dur- rock formations—but that is neither here
ing storms is a mystery. nor there.)

No pirates have set up camp on The Sea Tower of Nemessor has the
Irphong in years, mainly because of su- same continual light spell cast on its
perstitions concerning shipwrecks, roof, and the tower itself is just as empty
fires, and other maritime disasters that as the one on Irphong. But the island of
have befallen groups that have stayed Nemessor is inhabited by almost 800
too long in the area. These superstitions members of the “Black Skull” pirate
are based on fact; a very large, very old clan. The Black Skull are excellent sail-
dragon turtle has lived in a cove on the ors, and do most of their pirating in the
north side of the island for decades. treacherous winds of The Race. Of the
This beast is one of the biggest of its 800 or so clan members, only 150 are
kind ever seen (107 hp), and values its actually pirates; the rest are ship-
privacy greatly. Pirate bands that try to wrights, farmers, craftsmen, captives,
land on the island usually meet the slaves, wives, children, etc.
dragon turtle within a week of their ar-
rival, much to their permanent regret. No one from the Black Skull ever goes
into the sea tower, except for children
The dragon turtle does not leave its lair

44

on a dare. The pirates are superstitious, Gorge of the Fallen Idol and the Ithal
and are content to leave the obviously Bridge in downtown Ithmong. An old,
magical structure alone. narrow trail winds from the ford south
to Saradush and north to Trailstone in
Starspire Mountains Amn. The road would be a more-
frequently used trade route if it weren’t
The Starspire Mountains are a small for the general chaos and lawlessness
mountain range as mountains go, but throughout Tethyr.
they are the only mountains in all of
Tethyr. The Starspires are very wet A prime example of that lawlessness
mountains, receiving lots of rain in is Harfourt’s Raiders, a large bandit
summer and a fair amount of snow in gang that operates in the area of the
the winter at the higher elevations. This Survale Ford. The Raiders travel all
is one of the reasons the open country over eastern Tethyr, taking what they
to the south is so dry. want from small villages, family farms,
and lone travelers. The Raiders number
There is a small tribe of dwarves living 75 or so men, and are led by Axian Har-
deep under the peaks at the eastern end fourt, a 5th level fighter of Neutral Evil
of the Starspire range. This particular alignment. Harfourt’s men range from
tribe likes to keep to itself, although it 1st to 5th level, and are all proficient in
sends three major trading expeditions short bow and long sword.
each year to Zazesspur, where they trade
rare metals and dwarven arms and ar- Harfourt’s Raiders prefer lightning
mor for cloth, leather goods, and other strikes on horseback, hitting the enemy
items they do not make for themselves. hard, taking what they can, and fleeing
before the target has time to recover. If
The Starspire range extends into the circumstances dictate, however, Har-
Sea of Swords as a barren, rocky penin- fourt can also orchestrate a siege or other
sula. This peninsula helps define Fire- drawn-out military style engagement.
drake Bay, but has no other features to
redeem it. Anyone trying to cross Survale Ford
will certainly meet the Raiders. The
Which is exactly why a band of sea orcs Ford is always guarded, and a toll is de-
have chosen the Starspire Peninsula as manded. If the travelers are aggressive,
their new home. The orcs, who call them- rude, or simply look rich, the Raiders
selves the Split Mast tribe, are still a small will attack without warning, picking up
group, numbering only 80 (including what’s left after the battle is over. The
women and children). They have three Raiders are confident, but not stupid—
ships, but only one is fast enough and reli- if an obviously superior force ap-
able enough for serious pirating. The proaches the Ford, they will withdraw.
Split Mast have started small, capturing
single fishing boats that have strayed too Characters
far west from Port Kir, and they must still
resort to the “women’s work” of farming, The Company of Eight
fishing, and hunting to keep the tribe fed.
But the tribe grows stronger by the The Company of Eight is a band of ad-
month, and larger targets, such as the venturers sworn to each other and the
halflings of the Purple Hills or the many cause of peace, freedom, and justice in
small fishing villages on Firedrake Bay, Tethyr. The Company has many power-
will soon be attacked by the orcs of the ful enemies, but many powerful
Split Mast. friends, too—and their exploits are
quickly becoming legend among the
Survale Ford common people of the country.

This ford is the only place where the Oddly enough, the Company of Eight
River Ith is crossable between the has only seven members. Only the
leader, Tardeth the ranger, has been

45

with the company since it was formed • Arkaneus Silvermane (AL N), a 12th magical armor, but does own a pair of
nearly 13 years ago. He has told the level human druid of many years. He boots of speed. He also uses a long bow.
other members of the company (and has ST 10, IN 15, WS 18, CN 15, DX 13, +2 and a long sword +1 to good effect.
anyone else who asks) that “the Lady of CH 15. He has only a staff of the wood- He has been a member of the Company
Truth and Justice is our eighth,” but lands and a considerable array of spells. for six years.
those closest to him believe there is Arkaneus is the second most senior
something more to it than that. member to Tardeth, having been in the • Paddy Stoutfellow (AL NG), a 6th
Company for 11 years. level halfling fighter/thief. Paddy has ST
The current members of the Com- 11, IN 10, WS 14, CN 16, DX 15, CH 8.
pany of Eight are: • Manfred Arbustle (AL N), a 3rd level Paddy wears chain mail armor, and
human druid and Silvermane’s appren- fights with a broad sword +2, green
• Tardeth Llanistaph (AL NG), a 15th tice. Manny (a nickname everyone uses, dragon slayer which he must use with
level human ranger. Tardeth (no one even though he hates it) has ST 12, IN two hands. He is also quite handy with a
ever uses his last name) has ST 18/23, IN 14, WS 15, CN 12, DX 10, CH 15. He has crossbow, and owns a handful of magi-
15, WS 16, CN 17, DX 13, CH 14. He no magical items, although he carries a cal bolts for special uses. Paddy joined
wears leather armor and a ring of pro- “staff” that is little more than an un- the Company just over two years ago.
tection +3, but he also owns a set of cured sapling. Arbustle is the newest
chain mail +4 which he dons when he addition to the Company, joining less The Company of Eight uses the vast
knows that combat is imminent. Tar- than a year ago. Forest of Tethir as its base. While they
deth wields a long sword +3 that he are likely to be in any part of the forest,
calls “The Scales of Justice.” The sword • Lawantha Silendia (AL NG), a 12th they are most frequently in the south-
is intelligent and has spell-throwing level human magic-user. Lawantha has west corner; Tardeth and Arkaneus
abilities. He also uses a long bow with a ST 9, IN 17, WS 15, CN 13, DX 16, CH 16. have important contacts in Mosstone,
variety of magical arrows. She wears a cloak of protection +3, and the Trade Way is a valuable source
and owns several potions, scrolls, and of information and work.
• Marilyn Haresdown (AL NG), an other magical items, including a wand
11th level human fighter. Haresdown of lightning bolts. Lawantha has been in While the Company of Eight is not
has ST 16, IN 12, WS 16, CN 14, DX 14, the Company for four years. above some simple escort or guard
CH 12. She wears scale mail and shield work, they are most concerned with
+3 and wields a dancing broad sword • Sylvanus Moondrop (AL N), an 6th the welfare of the people of Tethyr. The
+3. Marilyn has been in the Company level elf fighter. He has ST 15, IN 13, WS Company (and Tardeth in particular)
for six years. 13, CN 14, DX 17, CH 14. He wears no keeps close tabs on the latest in Tethyr

46

politics on all levels, and works to make this group is not known. It is only men- royal castle. The queen never appeared
sure their three-part goal (Peace, Free- tioned here because Lord Inselm in public very much anyway, and many
dom, and Justice) comes to pass. Hhune, a very powerful member of the residents of the castle never knew of
Zazesspur Town Council, is one of the the child. Apparently, Alemander IV
Currently, that means keeping a care- leaders of the society. was more suspicious than history gives
ful watch on Ernest Gallowglass, the him credit for. Lhaeo was to be his last
ruler of Ithmong with designs on the Lhaeo card should conspirators eliminate the
rest of Tethyr. “No tyrant will rule this other heirs to the throne (little did Ale-
land again,” Tardeth has vowed on more Lhaeo is the scribe of the famous Elmin- mander IV suspect that the treachery
than one occasion. ster the Sage, one of the most learned would come from within his own fam-
and wise men in all of the Forgotten ily).
The Company of Eight has performed Realms. Elminster and his many ser-
a number of services throughout vants and associates (including Lhaeo) Today, Lhaeo is completely forgotten
Tethyr over the past 13 years, many of live in Shadowdale, north of Sembia by those in Tethyr vying for power.
which have brought great fame to the and southeast of Thar, thousands of Elminster is a wise man, and he knows
group. These include the slaying of sev- miles away from Tethyr. that the news of a legitimate Tethyr
eral rampaging monsters (including heir, especially one not directly con-
two dragons), negotiating the end of a The only reason this humble scribe is
bloody range war in northeast Tethyr, mentioned here at all is because of a nected to the abuses of Alemander IV’s
and the overthrow of the former ruler great secret—Lhaeo is the last surviving rule, would turn the political situation
of Ithmong, a tyrant so bad that no one member of the Tethyr royal family! Son upside down. Elminster also realizes
thought anybody could be worse—that of King Alemander IV and younger that there are many different power
is, until Gallowglass came along. brother of Prince Alemander V, Lhaeo factions that would hunt Lhaeo down if
was sent to Elminster the Sage for train- they knew he lived. So Lhaeo continues
Knights of the Shield ing and protection when he was still an to work as a faithful scribe. Whether or
infant. not Elminster has told Lhaeo the truth
The Knights of the Shield are a secre- about his heritage is not known; if he
tive group with members all up and Lhaeo’s birth was not announced to has, then Elminster has also convinced
down the Sword Coast. The aims, real the people of Tethyr, and as much se- Lhaeo to keep it a secret for now.
power, and exact activities and goals of crecy as possible was kept even in the

47

Calimshan

The kingdom of Calimshan is a vast, water is scarce, and many battles have shan for their natural talent with metal,
arid land of magic and wonder. The been fought over the right to water a arms and armor. However, there are
land is not abundant in natural re- herd. To the north and east is the Forest very few of them in this country. When
sources or particularly good for farm- of Mir, a vast pine forest that can best dwarves are found, they are working in
ing, so the people of Calimshan have be described as “stifling.” The hot sun the cities of Calimshan, living in small
learned to depend on trade, craftsman- fights its way down to the forest floor, family groups. There are no large tribes
ship, tinkering, a little theft, and a good yet the trees cut off any semblance of a living in their own communities, even
deal of magic to get by. And they do breeze. Only the occasional clearing or in the Marching Mountains. Gnomes
more than just get by—Calimshan is a spring provides any relief. are even more scarce.
glorious, splendid place, full of magic,
mystery, and danger. The last important factor in the life of Halflings are less common in Calim-
Calimshan is the water, the Sea of shan than in Tethyr or Amn. Like the
General Description Swords and the Shining Sea. It is on elves, halflings are just not happy in the
these waters that food comes to this hot weather that is so common in this
Calimshan is a coastal nation, bordered country, and exotic spices, magics and southern realm. There is a small fellow-
on the west by the Sea of Swords, and other items go out. And it is on these ship of halflings that lives and works to-
to the south by the Shining Sea. Calim- waters that Calimshan claims suprem- gether in Calimport, but they are
shan’s northern border is generally ac- acy over the “barbaric North” in the hardly noticed in the general bustle of
cepted to be a line that starts between fields of sailing, sea trading, fishing, and Calimshan’s largest city.
Memnon and Myratma, goes east naval warfare.
through the center of the Forest of Mir, Half-orcs, on the other hand, are com-
and then turns southeast. The east bor- Races Appearing mon throughout Calimshan. Unlike
der is currently in dispute; most in the many other places in the Forgotten
Realms believe it to be the continuation Calimshan is primarily a human king- Realms, half-orcs are considered a nor-
of the Snowflake Mountains south of dom, but it is still a diverse, cosmopoli- mal part of society here; they are not
Kzelter, passing east of Almraiven and tan land because of the many different relegated to menial tasks or the poor
continuing to the Shining Sea. The types of humans that live and work parts of town. In fact, half-orcs can be
Pasha of Calimshan believes his eastern there. A small majority of Calishite hu- found in positions of responsibility and
border extends past those mountains, mans are of one race, shorter than av- power throughout Calimshan, as shop-
down the peninsula to the city of Sul- erage, with brown skin and dark hair. keepers, skilled workers, bureaucrats,
dolphor. Suldolphor, and the other cit- There is also a race containing a large soldiers, business owners and even pol-
ies on the peninsula, while in close amount of Tethyr blood, taller and iticians.
contact with Calimshan, prefer to be in- more fair-skinned than the regular Ca-
dependent city-states, answering to no lishite. Two other races, the tall, ebony- Even orcs are tolerated, but they are
one. The pasha is currently not press- skinned traders of Chult and the widely regarded with suspicion—an orc
ing the point, and the dispute is more long-faced, slightly yellow-tinted men must spend years establishing a reputa-
the source of tavern arguments than of the Shaar are also in large numbers tion in a particular locale before he will
the cause of real agression. in Calimshan. be accepted by the community.

The culture of Calimshan is domi- This is not to say that non-human Languages
nated by the great desert in the west, races are nowhere to be found. There
the Calim Desert. Even though it covers are elves in nearly every major city in The common tongue of the Realms is, of
less than one-fourth the total land area Calimshan, many of them magic-users, course, known throughout Calimshan.
of the country, the Calim forces itself on alchemists, and helpers and appren- Because of the country’s great depen-
the consciousness of all of Calimshan. tices. There is also a large tribe of Drow dence on trade and other contacts with
The attitudes, rituals, and habits neces- elves living in the western leg of the other parts of the Realms, knowledge of
sary for survival in the Calim are part of Forest of Mir, but they are very much common is necessary for survival. How-
everyday life throughout the country. interested in keeping to themselves— ever, common is not the language Ca-
almost as interested as their neighbors lishites prefer to use when speaking
The land east of the Calim River is are in keeping away. The Drow in gen- among themselves.
more hospitable than desert, but it is eral have a bad reputation, and this
still a dry, difficult place. Very little tribe in particular is well-known for its The language of Calimshan is called
grows in abundance, and the farmers ruthless tactics in battle and cruel treat- Alzhedo. It is very closely related to the
of the region depend greatly on hardy ment of prisoners. language spoken on the Elemental
livestock such as goats and sheep. Fresh Plane of Air, and this fact lends
Dwarves are very popular in Calim- creedence to the theory that the first
civilizations in the Calimshan area were

48

made up of travelers from that plane. clothes washers, nannies, gardeners, apprentices. Nearly anyone with the
Alzhedo is spoken at court, in all gov- and the like. Many businesses also use free time and money hires a mage in or-
ernment and judicial proceedings, and slaves, especially those that need a large der to learn a few simple spells; it is a
throughout polite Calimshan society. amount of manual labor. Trade in slaves hobby among the rich merchants and
is brisk in Calimshan, and any race, hu- bureaucrats of Calimshan to have a few
The Chult and Shaar races in Calim- man or non-human, can be found in the minor spells and cantrips at their dis-
shan speak their native languages ranks of slaves. Slaves are frequently posal for the amusement and amaze-
among themselves, but speak either Al- imported from other parts of the For- ment of their friends.
zhedo or common when dealing with gotten Realms as well.
other Calishites. One last thing that must be said about
Servants are more common than Calimshan society is their incredible
Alzhedo is a very difficult language to slaves, because they are less expensive. ego. To hear a Calishite tell it, this south-
learn; even many natives who grow up A servant only has to be paid a wage, east corner of the continent is the only
speaking it do not speak it well. Calishi- while slaves must not only be bought, repository of culture and civilization in
tes are well aware of this fact, and but also housed, fed, and clothed. Ser- all of the Forgotten Realms. A Calishite
while they are proud of their language vants are exclusively of the domestic va- thinks little of the cultures of Cormyr,
and are honored by outsiders’ attempts riety, handling household chores and Waterdeep, the Moonshaes, the Shaar,
to use it, they understand the need to other menial tasks. Businesses use ser- Thay, Sembia, Thar—they are all “bar-
speak common in many situations. vants all the time, of course, but they barians.” They do not mind when peo-
are more accurately called “employees.” ple from these lands take offense. In
Social customs fact, they almost expect it. But this as-
Most fascinating in the Calimshan na- sumed superiority is ingrained in the
Calimshan society is a great lover of tional character is the people’s love of very heart of Calimshan society so
wealth. Not wealth for wealth’s sake labor-saving devices and gadgets, pref- deeply that only the most careful and
(like in Amn), but for what wealth can erably magical. Many of these items are diplomatic will avoid insulting a for-
do for you. Leisure time is very highly whimsical in nature—in Calimshan soci- eigner as almost a matter of course.
prized in Calimshan; anything that ety, the more trivial a task a device can
makes a job easier is embraced by soci- perform, the higher status it affords. Monsters
ety. “He does what he doesn’t have to” is Typical devices are as follows:
an insult in Calishite circles; it says the As would be expected of a magical, dan-
subject doesn’t know what’s important • Torches that light and extinguish gerous land, there are many monsters
in life and works harder than neces- themselves on verbal command. in Calimshan. The Calim Desert is a per-
sary. ilous place, with common hazards in-
• Shoes that tie themselves on com- cluding giant scorpions, sphinxes,
The Calimshan ideal is to be a mem- mand. jackals, dustdiggers, giant ant lions,
ber of the “idle rich,” devoting a small dune stalkers, vortexes, poisonous and
amount of time each day to maintaining • A wine pitcher that knows when a constrictor snakes, various demons,
your fortune, and spending the rest of glass at the table is empty, and then devils, and daemons, and elementals
the day in luxury, attended by servants. floats over to that empty glass and fills from the planes of air, earth, and fire,
This is not to say that Calishites are a it. such as djinni, dao, efreeti, jann, and
lazy people; on the contrary, they work marid, as well as earth, air, and fire ele-
very hard to achieve their goals, and • A bed that makes itself. mentals and smoke and magma para-
they do not do anything halfway. It’s • A door which recognizes members elementals.
just that the goal this society works so of the household and opens to let them
hard to achieve is to not have to work so in. The Forest of Mir is also a relatively
hard. And so on. The more silly the job, the evil place, where adventurers can find
more likely someone in Calimshan has a orcs, kobolds, ogres, hill giants, goblins,
Very few Calishites actually achieve gadget that will do it. If this gadget is stirges, choke creepers, bloodthorns,
the goal of early retirement and a life of magical, so much the better. ettins, forester’s banes, driders, giant
idle wealth. But the pursuit of leisure Charity is practically unheard of in spiders, centaurs, dryads, harpies, and
time is still important. Toward that end, Calimshan; most people are too busy the ever-growing drow elves. There are
three things are common in Calimshan amassing their own fortunes to worry also rumors of dragons of various col-
society: slaves, servants, and gadgets. about others. And jobs are not particu- ors using the Forest of Mir as a base,
larly scarce. If worse comes to worst, a but no one has returned from the forest
Nearly anyone who can afford a slave person could take a job as a personal with proof.
has one (or more). Slaves are used in Ca- servant—there’s always someone will-
limshan p r i m a r i l y a s personal ing to take on another servant.
servants—cooks, food servers, maids, Calishites also have a fascination with
magic. Magic-users are held in very
high esteem, even low-level mages and

49