Post by sandcastles on Apr 3, 2011 14:04:33 GMT -5
Important Sites
Roads and trails crisscross this corner of Faerun. Few of them are entirely safe. Banditry and brigandage threaten travelers, especially on the wilder stretches of the road.
Goldenfields. (Small City, 7,988)
Tolgar Anuvien of Waterdeep founded this city thirteen years ago as an abby to his deity. Under his careful administration, Goldenfields has grown into a fortified farmland covering more than thirty square miles, making it by far the North's largest city in terms of area.
Unlike the great fields of Amn and Sembia that seek only profit, Goldenfields is an ongoing act of devotion to Chauntea. Waterdeep and other cities of the North depend on Goldenfields for grain and produce. Tolgar relies on adventurers and alliances with powerful wizards for defense against frequent barbarian raids, orc attacks, and worse.
Icewind Dale. (Confederation, 10,436)
The northernmost human land below the great glaciers and the sea of ice, Icewind Dale is a collection of ten towns and villages populated by former nomads, tundra barbarians, rangers, hardy craftspeople, ice fishers, dwarves who can live beneath the ice, and merchants willing ot brave its harsh climate to purchase ivory and gems unavailable in the south. Reindeer, polar bears, elk, and yeti are more numerous than people. White dragons are thankfully not as numerous, but any number of dragons counts as a lot.
Luskan. (Large City, 14,173)
Also known as the City of Sails, Luskan is one of the dominant cities of the northern Sea of Swords. It is populated by Northlanders from Ruathym, most of whom sailed as pirates in the past. A council of five High Captains, all former pirtate lords, rules the city, but the true power lies in the hands of the evil mage society called the Arcane Brotherhood. The Brotherhood generally avoids conflicts with Waterdeep and Amn, preferring to pick on smaller cities and merchants who cannot defend themselves.
In 1361 DR, folk of Luskan conquered the native isle of the Northlanders, Ruathym. They were forced to withdraw by the Lord's Alliance, and are so bitter about their loss of face that they now turn a blind eye when pirates who dock in their waters attempt to pray on Waterdeep's shipping.
Mirabar. (Small City, 10,307)
Mirabar is the mining center for the Sword Coast. The city's shield dwarves live underground to oversee their workshops. The humans above cooperate with the dwarves to handle the mining, move the ore to market, and defend the city against magical threats. The nominal ruler of Mirabar is a hereditary marchion, but the true power is an assembly called the Council of Sparkling Stones, a dwarven and human group that meets once a year to determine target production quotas and whether or not to threaten current clients with reduced output.
Neverwinter. (Large City, 23,192)
A walled city of humans and half-elves, Neverwinter is cultured without being arrogant, bustling without being greedy, and charming without being quaint. The city is best known for the products of its master craftsfolk: lamps of multicolored glass,, precision water clocks, and exquisite jewelry. It is also famous for its gardens, heated by the supernaturally warm waters of the Neverwinter River. The gardens fill the markets with fruit in the summer and enliven winter with flowers.
The city's three architectural marvels are its bridges: the Dolphin, the Winged Wyvern, and the Sleeping Dragon. Each bridge is intricately carved into the likeness of the creature it is named after. Neverwinter and its ruler, Lord Nasher Alagondar nearly always side with Waterdeep against Luskan and the orcs.
Stone Bridge
This massive stone arch, a mile long and one hundred feet wide, reaches a height of one hundred fifty feet as it arches over the River Dessarin. The massive stone statues of four dwarves, two at either end, stand fifty feet tall. Dwarves built the bridge five thousand years ago to give themselves a walkway over the river no matter how high it flooded. Something in the magic of the bridge pinned the Dessarin in place: No matter how the river has snaked and changed its course, it always runs under the stone bridge at exactly the same point. The dwarves say the Stone Bridge has survived thousands of years of earthquakes, floods, and battles because it is scared to Moradin.
FRCS; pg 176
Roads and trails crisscross this corner of Faerun. Few of them are entirely safe. Banditry and brigandage threaten travelers, especially on the wilder stretches of the road.
Goldenfields. (Small City, 7,988)
Tolgar Anuvien of Waterdeep founded this city thirteen years ago as an abby to his deity. Under his careful administration, Goldenfields has grown into a fortified farmland covering more than thirty square miles, making it by far the North's largest city in terms of area.
Unlike the great fields of Amn and Sembia that seek only profit, Goldenfields is an ongoing act of devotion to Chauntea. Waterdeep and other cities of the North depend on Goldenfields for grain and produce. Tolgar relies on adventurers and alliances with powerful wizards for defense against frequent barbarian raids, orc attacks, and worse.
Icewind Dale. (Confederation, 10,436)
The northernmost human land below the great glaciers and the sea of ice, Icewind Dale is a collection of ten towns and villages populated by former nomads, tundra barbarians, rangers, hardy craftspeople, ice fishers, dwarves who can live beneath the ice, and merchants willing ot brave its harsh climate to purchase ivory and gems unavailable in the south. Reindeer, polar bears, elk, and yeti are more numerous than people. White dragons are thankfully not as numerous, but any number of dragons counts as a lot.
Luskan. (Large City, 14,173)
Also known as the City of Sails, Luskan is one of the dominant cities of the northern Sea of Swords. It is populated by Northlanders from Ruathym, most of whom sailed as pirates in the past. A council of five High Captains, all former pirtate lords, rules the city, but the true power lies in the hands of the evil mage society called the Arcane Brotherhood. The Brotherhood generally avoids conflicts with Waterdeep and Amn, preferring to pick on smaller cities and merchants who cannot defend themselves.
In 1361 DR, folk of Luskan conquered the native isle of the Northlanders, Ruathym. They were forced to withdraw by the Lord's Alliance, and are so bitter about their loss of face that they now turn a blind eye when pirates who dock in their waters attempt to pray on Waterdeep's shipping.
Mirabar. (Small City, 10,307)
Mirabar is the mining center for the Sword Coast. The city's shield dwarves live underground to oversee their workshops. The humans above cooperate with the dwarves to handle the mining, move the ore to market, and defend the city against magical threats. The nominal ruler of Mirabar is a hereditary marchion, but the true power is an assembly called the Council of Sparkling Stones, a dwarven and human group that meets once a year to determine target production quotas and whether or not to threaten current clients with reduced output.
Neverwinter. (Large City, 23,192)
A walled city of humans and half-elves, Neverwinter is cultured without being arrogant, bustling without being greedy, and charming without being quaint. The city is best known for the products of its master craftsfolk: lamps of multicolored glass,, precision water clocks, and exquisite jewelry. It is also famous for its gardens, heated by the supernaturally warm waters of the Neverwinter River. The gardens fill the markets with fruit in the summer and enliven winter with flowers.
The city's three architectural marvels are its bridges: the Dolphin, the Winged Wyvern, and the Sleeping Dragon. Each bridge is intricately carved into the likeness of the creature it is named after. Neverwinter and its ruler, Lord Nasher Alagondar nearly always side with Waterdeep against Luskan and the orcs.
Stone Bridge
This massive stone arch, a mile long and one hundred feet wide, reaches a height of one hundred fifty feet as it arches over the River Dessarin. The massive stone statues of four dwarves, two at either end, stand fifty feet tall. Dwarves built the bridge five thousand years ago to give themselves a walkway over the river no matter how high it flooded. Something in the magic of the bridge pinned the Dessarin in place: No matter how the river has snaked and changed its course, it always runs under the stone bridge at exactly the same point. The dwarves say the Stone Bridge has survived thousands of years of earthquakes, floods, and battles because it is scared to Moradin.
FRCS; pg 176