Volo�s Guideto the

Sword Coast

In all our years of wandering,We never use up the splendid store.

At each wonder and marvel pondering,As Faerûn proudly presents us with more.

� Revendar the Far-Traveled,�Rhyme of the Road,�

Year of the Serpent

and exploring corners of the Realms thus far hidden from us all.

To Mike and Roxy Griffith�In hopes that your little one will join you in befriending Elminster

Dedication

CreditsDesign: Ed GreenwoodEditing: Julia MartinCover Art: John and Laura LakeyInterior Art: Paul Jaquays and Valerie ValusekCartography: DieselTypesetting: Angelika LokotzProduction: Paul Hanchette

Other Sourcebooks in This SeriesVolo’s Guide to WaterdeepVolo’s Guide to the North

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are registered trade-marks owned by TSR, Inc.MONSTROUS MANUAL and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

©1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English lan-guage products of TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unau-thorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission ofTSR, Inc.

TSR Ltd.120 Church EndCherry HintonCambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

9460

TSR, Inc.POB 756

Lake GenevaWI 53147 U.S.A.

2

ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Volo�s Ratings System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Sword Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Baldur�s Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hall of Wonders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Elfsong Tavern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17The Blade and Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9The Blushing Mermaid . . . . . . . . . . . . 20The Helm and Cloak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3Three Old Kegs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5

Beregost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Bowshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1Candlekeep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Daggerford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Lady Luck Tavern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37The Friendly Arm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9Gillian�s Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Julkoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Kheldrivver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7Lathtarl�s Lantern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 9Liam�s Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2Roaringshore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3

The Broken Goblet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4The Swordarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7

Trollclaw Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0Ulgoth�s Beard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1Warlock�s Crypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3The Way Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5Zundbridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 8

The High Moor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 0Dragonspear Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3Hammer Hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Orogoth ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8Secomber .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 9

The Seven-Stringed Harp . . . . . . . . . . 8 0The Singing Sprite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3

The Fields of the Dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6Boareskyr Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 9Durlag�s Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0Elturel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

The Bent Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95A Pair of Black Antlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6Gallowgar�s Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9Phontyr�s Unicorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

GuIIykin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Qheldin�s Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Scornubel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

The Dusty Hoof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Far Anchor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110The Jaded Unicorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112The Raging Lion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Serpent�s Cowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Soubar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Tempus�s Tears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Triel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

The Backlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Drawn Swords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Evereska ............................ 130Greycloak Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Halfway Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133The Marsh of Chelimber . . . . . . . . . . . . 136The Well of Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Xonthal�s Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Yarthrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Sunset Vale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Asbravn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Berdusk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Corm Orp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Darkhold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Fendarl�s Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Hardbuckler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Hill�s Edge ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

The Tarnished Trumpet . . . . . . . . . . 196The Happy Hippocampus. . . . . . . . . 198

Hluthvar .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Iriaebor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

The Old Talking Ox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207The Wandering Wyvern . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Appendix I:Folk of the Sword Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Appendix II:Wards of the Sword Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Appendix III:Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Appendix IV:Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

3

Introductionhis guidebook is the Where�er you may wish to go uponnext in my ongoing the face of known Faerûn, I have ven-tour of the Realms�I tured there before you. When thisassure thee all, gentles, guidebook proves of aid, I pray youthat you�ll find no look with favor upon the name of:

more diligent guide than yourhumble servant, VolothampGeddarm. These last few seasonsI�ve trudged, ridden, swum, sailed,and even flown from the icy wastesnorth of the Spine of the World tothe hot, steaming jungles of theShining South�and beyond�all inthy service, gentle traveler. I�ve beento places I thought were but legends,and seen sights stranger than magicever showed me. I�ve seen fallentowers rise up into the sky again andhad a solid road vanish under myfeet when the moonlight shining onit failed.

Volo? Aye (sigh). He�s getting, Isuppose, better. Ye needn�t tell folk Isaid that.

Volo�s Ratings SystemPipes(Inns)

Tankards(Taverns)

Coins(Prices)

Daggers(Alleyways,

Courtyards, etc.)

4

The Sword Coastor years, the landsbetween Waterdeep andbustling Amn have beenthought of as the EmptyLands�a vast, inconve-

nient stretch of wilderness folk ventureinto only to get from one place toanother. Legends abound of grisly fatesthat befell unfortunate travelers at thehands of orcs, trolls, hobgoblins (andworse!) said to infest the area in verita-ble armies. In recent times, dark evilhas arisen in ruined Dragonspear Cas-tle, and the snakemen who inhabit theSerpent Hills are extending their patrolsto menace folk far afield. As the mer-chant Falodel of Amn once put it, �Theonly reason to set foot in the Coast landsis to get down from a caravan wagonthat�s going to make you a lot of coins�when it gets to someplace else.�

The strategic, in-the-middle locationof the Coast lands forces most overlandtravelers in western Faerûn to visitthem, ere long. The main caravan routeto the Inner Sea from Amn to the south,and Waterdeep to the north, runsthrough the Sword Coast. Thanks toboth human and bestial predators, thetrip has always been dangerous�hencethe name Sword Coast. Down throughthe ages, many folk have dreamed offounding a kingdom in the verdant val-ley hidden in the moors. A few havetried, notably around Daggerford andnortheast of Beregost�but only tatteredtales and well-hidden ruins remain ofsuch glories today

The Sword Coast is home to someimportant independent cities: Baldur�sGate, Berdusk, Elturel, Hill�s Edge, Iriae-bor, and Scornubel.

This guidebook directs the traveler tothe things to see and good places to stayin the cities. I also mention craftfolk ofnote, landmarks, and places it is best toavoid, and discuss key landmarks in thesparsely inhabited, lawless wildernessesbetween the cities. Readers should notethat these wildernesses are studded withmany independent holds, castles, andself-styled baronies not discussed here.Those not traveling with a caravan in theSword Coast are warned to hire escortsof armed, trustworthy adventurers.

For convenience, I�ve divided thisguide into five areas: the Coast, the HighMoor, the Fields of the Dead, the Back-lands, and Sunset Vale. Isles off theSword Coast, such as Mintarn andOrlumbor, are not covered in this work.May my words prove useful, and thyjourney safe.

5

6

The Coastane Hellar of Amn, the gangers, and kobolds are an ever-famous senior cartogra- present danger. Many stay in rovingpher of the Merchants� encampments, living off stolen live-League, once called the stock, and from such bases raid trav-coast between Water- elers, warehouses, and weakened

Travelers are warned that lawless-ness is swiftly dealt with by ready, vet-eran patrols in the lands held by thenobles of Daggerford and in the farm-lands under the protection of thePact, a common defensive agreementcovering the lands along the CoastWay from Baldur�s Gate to Amn.Throughout the rest of the Coast, thetraveler�s best protection is a readyblade and friendly magic close tohand. Brigands, goblins, dopple-

deep and Amn: �[L]eagues uponleagues of lawless waste, home topirates and outlaws who feast onthose who must go north or southwhile depending on the Sea ofSwords as their guide, keeping it insight so as not to lose their way.� Zanewas not far wrong, but the Coasttoday is also home to one of the twolargest and most powerful cities inthe region, Baldur�s Gate. (Iriaebor,far inland, is the other.) From its gatessouth to Amn, the Coast on either sideof the Coast Way road is pleasant, ver-dant farmland. North of the Chion-thar as far as the Way Inn, the land ismore sparsely inhabited and moredangerous, but it serves as a huntingrange for Waterdhavian nobles,wealthy Amnians, and those whomust kill wild game to eat.

settlements at will�particularly atnight or in bad weather. Near theTroll Hills, in the broken tors knownas the Trollclaws, and in the vicinityof the High Moor, trolls can be addedto this list of dangers.

On the other hand, game is plenti-ful for travelers throughout thisregion. Grouse, bustards, rock doves,and other seacoast birds can readilybe shot, slung, or even brought downwith flung nets by those who canmove quickly and quietly. It is notuncommon for a fat Calishite mer-chant with a hand crossbow to getthree or four rabbits for an eveningmeal while his servants tether, unsad-dle, and water the horses. It is also,one must always remember, notuncommon for three orcs with a trip-snare and ready clubs to bring downthat fat merchant just that quickly,and then dine on him and his rabbits!

As long as safety is always keptuppermost in mind, travelers can alsoexpect to gather plentiful nuts andwild raspberries and enjoy deliciouswild greens (if the greens are gath-ered while young and tender). TheCoast provides well for those who arepatient stalkers and know where tolook, whether they be traveler or fellbeast.

7

Baldur� GateThis port city is both shelter and life-line for the folk of the Coast. It is theonly place to buy many luxury goodsand offers the discerning shopperthe widest selection of goods any-where in the Sword Coast region�though usually at prices higher thanthose in Waterdeep or coastal Amn.

Baldur�s Gate is a tolerant but well-policed city of merchants, and quietbusiness as usual is the general orderof each day. Baldur�s Gate, Berdusk,Neverwinter, and Silverymoon areprobably the safest settlements in allwestern Faerun. In Baldur�s Gate, thewatch wears distinctive black helmswith a vertical red stripe on eitherside, if you have problems. Not onlyare the members of the watch vigi-lant, enthusiastic, wise, and obser-vant, but the Flaming Fist MercenaryCompany, over a thousand strong, isbased in the city. Every tenth personor so is a member or a watch agent(well, spy) of the Fist, skilled in battleand within a breath or two of numer-ous armed allies.

The visitor can freely stroll andshop. If you can�t carry all you buy,or need help to find your way,guides and porters can be hired atmost street corners. These huskyyouths are known as lamp boys orlamp lasses because they carrylanterns at night to light the way fortheir patrons.

LandmarksBaldur�s Gate curves like a greathand or crescent moon around its

harbor. Crescent moon is the termused by its resident minstrels, whotend to be brassy-voiced tenors anddelightfully smoky altos, dependingon their gender, but hand describesit better. The fingers of the hand arethe many docks and wharves that jutout into the harbor. A bridge fromthe western shore links the main-land with a rocky islet on whichperches the old, massive Seatower ofBalduran, which is used as a bar-racks, naval base, dungeon, andfortress. It has a full armory and cat-apults to battle hostile ships, and amassive chain can be stretched fromit to the outermost wharf on the eastside to bar the harbor to invaders.

The harbor boasts no less thanfour dry-dock slips for boat buildingand repair, complete with ox-drivenpumps. The shipping facilities, I�mtold, are among the best in allFaerûn. They feature modern ware-houses, movable lamps and cranes,and tight security.

Around the harbor rises acrowded, but clean and prosperous,city. Everything is of stone and is usu-ally wet with either rain, sleet, or fog,depending on the time of day and sea-son. This makes the streets slippery,makes the musk and mushrooms Bal-durians grow in their cellars flourish,keeps the flowers and plants that aregrown in hanging baskets everywheregreen�and makes mildew and molda constant problem. If it afflicts you,see Halbazzer Drin on StormshoreStreet. He�s a gruff old wizard whohas made his fortune with a spell thatbanishes mildew (12 gp per casting),

8

and another that drives all moisturefrom things without harming them(10 gp per glamer). Despite fantasticoffers of gold, gems, and magic fromCalishite, Amnian, and other inter-ests, he does not sell scrolls of thesespells or reveal the incantations toothers.

Buildings in Baldur�s Gate tend tobe tall and narrow, with slit win-dows located high up and coveredwith shutters to block winter windsand nesting seabirds alike. Tallamong them rises the grandly spiredducal palace of the four rulingGrand Dukes, known as the HighHall. A place for feasts, court hear-ings, and administrative business, itboasts a dozen meeting rooms thatall citizens can wander in and use toconduct business�unless someoneelse is already using them. To dis-courage the miserly from usingthese as permanent places of busi-ness, there�s a rule forbidding any-one who entered one of the roomstoday from using it tomorrow.

Not far from the palace stands theHigh House of Wonders, conse-crated to Gond. It is the largest ofthe Gate�s three temples. It is a per-ilous place for the curious; it hasbeen the site of many an explosionand violent self-disassembly ofsacred artifacts (which the faithfulcall apparati). Its spreading easternwings face the Hall of Wonders, alsoon Windspell Street, where the moresuccessful of Gond�s inventions aredisplayed to the public.

The wrist of the gigantic hand thatis Baldur�s Gate is marked by the Black

9

Dragon Gate, or Landward Gate, andits surrounding sprawl of slums, pad-docks, cut-rate inns, and stockyards,all of which lie outside the city walls.Not far from the Hall of Wonders, nearthe Black Dragon Gate, and so near thewrist of Baldur�s Gate, is the Wide.This huge open space is the Gate�smarket. It bustles by day and night,and is usually open spacewise only inthe sense that there are no buildings.Temporary stalls, bins, sale tables, andthe shoppers thronging to them usu-ally crowd shoulder to shoulder. Deliv-eries here are often made by tall,strong folk striding through thecrowds with tall poles strapped totheir chests or backs at the top ofwhich, over an adult human�s heightaloft, are cribs and crates full of goods.

Prices are lower here than else-where in the Gate, but business isapt to be sharper. Among the morecommon vendors of silks, scarves,tobacco, and spices from the far-thest reaches of the Shining Southare masters of tattooing and dis-guise, and several minor wizardswho specialize in spells that tem-porarily arrange a client�s hair intointricate patterns, cause areas of thebody to glow or to adhere to certainscraps of garment or pieces of jew-elry, alter skin and hair hue, andeven cause scents to wax, wane, ormove around the body�sometimesaccompanied by radiances. Theseartisans come and go with the sea-sons�and, I�m told, the approach ofcreditors or bounty hunters acting

10

for far-off authorities. Among themore permanent of these artisansare Lonthalin Mintar and TalessyrTranth.

Outside the Wide, Baldur�s Gatelacks colorful landmarks. The ever-present damp discourages the use ofbanners, open shops, and the like.Windowboxes support trailing flow-ers of all sorts. Strolling minstrels,consisting usually of a singer playinga lute or hand harp accompanied bya flutist who also carries a handdrum and occasionally joins in on achorus, provide another source ofcolor. The Gate has few formal festi-vals. The largest is the Breaking,commemorating the last passage ofice from the harbor approaches

every spring. The Gate does, how-ever, have a custom of holding quietstreet chatter sessions known as cob-ble parties in particular spots. Theyare named after the cobblestonesthat surface most of the streets.These parties are always marked bythe use of rose-red torches�whichcan be bought in several city shops,notably Felogyr�s Fireworks (run byFelogyr Sonshal) on Bindle Street�set in wall brackets along the streetwhere the party is held. Balduriansfrown on the drunken and de-bauched. These open-air fests tend tobe tale-telling sessions, marked by aclutter of barrels, crates, and stoolsdragged into the street for folk to siton while they talk.

11

Baldur�s Gate

12

Baldur�s Gate1. The High Hall (ducal palace) 19. The Blushing Mermaid (inn and2. The Wide (open marketplace) tavern)3. The High House of Wonders 20. Manycoins House (office of the

(temple consecrated to Gond) Merchants� League)4. Hall of Wonders 21. Home and Office of Krammoch5. Elfsong Tavern Arkhstaff, Sage6. Seatower of Balduran 22. Home and Office of Ragefast,7. The Lady�s Hall (temple of Sage

Tymora) 23. Home and Office of Ramazith8. The Water-Queen�s House (tem- Flamesinger, Sage Extraordi-

ple of Umberlee) naire9. Belltoll Street 24. Entrance to the Undercellar

10. Black Dragon Gate 25. The Watchful Shield (shrine to11. Stormshore Street Helm)12. Bindle Street 26. Shrine of the Suffering (shrine to13. Windspell Street Ilmater)14. Sorcerous Sundries (shop and 27. The Rose Portal (shrine to Lath-

home of Halbazzer Drin, wizard) ander)15. Felogyr�s Fireworks (shop) 28. The Unrolling Scroll (shrine to16. The Helm and Cloak (inn) Oghma)17. Three Old Kegs (inn) 29. The Counting House (money18. The Blade and Stars (inn) exchange)

said to be reasonably priced but rathersqualid and shady Many folk like to gomasked when enjoying themselvesthere. The Lantern is said to be noisy,fun, and expensive, with drinks dearerthan in some of Waterdeep�s haughti-est establishments.

Baldur�s Gate is otherwise a pleas-ant but unremarkable city to strollabout in. Cats are everywhere�raised to keep down the shipbornevermin�but there�s nary a dog to beseen. Livestock and mounts are keptoutside the city in order to ensuremaximum cleanliness.

Those wishing to overindulge in haven�t tried them. The Undercellar isdrink and in the company of the oppo-site sex are directed to the Undercel-lar, a little-known, damp, dark warrenof linked cellars entered just off theWide, with exits to 10 alleyways ormore, and to the Low Lantern, a shipthat cruises the harbor at night whilefestivities are going on both above andbelow decks. Daring citizens like tocelebrate their marriage nights in therigging of this vessel while perchedprecariously aloft or hanging over thenight-dark waves from various ropesand sail booms. I�ve haven�t rated theUndercellar or the Lantern because I

13

Hall of WondersM u s e u m a n d S h o p

The Hall is dimly lit by stationary,enchanted glowing globes and isstaffed by ever-watchful priests ofGond. It is crowded with gleamingmechanisms that represent themore successful (safest) inventionsdevised for the greater glory of GondWonderbringer, god of artifice, craft,and construction. The gleamingblack double doors of the Hall�andof the High House, its parent temple,which faces it across WindspellStreet�levitate in midair by thepower of Gond. (The power of Gondin this case is actually extremelypotent spells that can be canceled incase of attack, toppling the titanicslabs onto hostile folk who are tryingto get in.) These doors on bothbuildings bear gleaming white,many-toothed wheels�the symbolof Gond � which turn about clock-wise slowly and continuously bythemselves.

The Place

This high-pillared stone hall displaysthe grandest glories of Gond to thefaithful and the curious alike for anentrance fee of 4 sp. Its cellars con-tain replicas of the wonders on dis-play. These can be purchased by thevery rich. Folk come from afar to seethe marvels here. Many go awaythoughtful, determined to devisesimilar artifices of their own andsave themselves the awesome pricescharged by the clergy of Gond.

The ProspectThe Hall has held many marvels overthe years. Currently on display aremany small devices and a few largepieces. Many of the small devices seemto be locks or strongboxes so devisedas to look like something else, fromgoblets to statues to chairs. The largeritems include a mechanical scribe, asteam dragon, a pump of Gond, aneverlight, a fan chair, and a farseer.Unless one has been to the Hall, someor all of these items are undoubtedlyunfamiliar, so I will attempt todescribe them and their functionsbriefly A mechanical scribe is a hand-set type printing press. A steam dragonis a steam engine with fittings that ren-der it capable of moving large objectsalong a continuous path by means ofpulleys, of pumping water, of operat-ing a lift up a cliff or wall by means of acontinuous rope, of rowing a barge,and so on. A pump of Gond is a mus-cle-powered pump, worked by pedal-ing a flywheel, for use in farmirrigation and in filling bilges andreservoirs. An everlight is a system ofself-filling oil lamps fed from a centraloil tank. A fan chair is an adjustablereclining chair that can be rocked,operating a fan to cool the sitter. And,finally, a farseer is a seeing glass with aseries of tinted and graduated glasslenses that enable it to be used forviewing tiny things up close, viewingsights as far away as the horizon, orfocusing the heat of the sun so as toignite or melt things.

The visitor will be left alone to mar-vel over such things. Unless one triesto damage, move, or tamper with a

14

device, or states a clear and seriousintent to purchase, the priests are fartoo busy fending off ever-present,awe-eyed gnomes�who travel to theHall daily to gawk tirelessly at thewonders there�to speak to visitors.

The PricesThe rating of the Hall refers to itsentrance fee only. The prices chargedfor the replicas are another matteraltogether. The devices on display inthe main Hall are the work of priests,who duplicated original prototypes,and the originals aren�t for sale underany circumstances. The prices of repli-cas for sale are currently as follows:

Locks: 5 gp to 50 gp, dependingon difficulty of breaking or pick-ing, and what they�re hidden in orshaped as.

Strongboxes: 10 gp to 60 gp,for the same reasons.

Fan Chair: 50 gp to 300 gp,depending on design, size, andfinish. Fan chairs are much indemand among nobles and therich all over Faerûn during thewarmer months.

Mechanical Scribe: 750 gp.Steam Dragon: 9,000 gp (fit-

tings 1,000 gp extra, each).Steam Dragonet (small ver-

sion of the Steam Dragon): 4,500gp (fittings 500 gp extra, each).

Pump of Gond: 200 gp.Everlight: 400 gp for two

lamps, plus 50 gp per additionallamp thereafter.

Farseer: 250 gp.

Ward of the Wonderbringer Token

The Hall also sells fine parchment inblank rolled scrolls (10 gp each) and insheets 4 handwidths across by 10 inlength (1 gp each). Those willing to waita tenday after ordering (and prepaying!)can have a bound book of 50 parch-ment sheets for 100 gp. Books withgilded edges, with latches, or of differ-ent sizes take longer and cost more.

Travelers� LoreThe temple is guarded by the magic ofits watchpriests, by the stonegargoyle1 adorning the roof, and bythe ward tokens of the temple. Allpriests and persons authorized to

1These gargoyles are neutral-aligned beings createdby, and absolutely loyal to, the High Artificer of thetemple. In all other ways, they are identical to themonsters widely feared by adventurers.

15

enter the Hall bear ward tokens. They centrating on the words of Gond.2

are necessary to avoid triggering the The High Artificer or other High Ini-alarm and deadly defensive spells that tiates of the Mysteries of Gond canguard the storage cellars of the Hall, cause a stolen ward token to explodethe chains connecting each item on from any distance, so long as its precisedisplay in the main floor and balconies location is known or learned�by scry-of the Hall to floor rings, and all parts ing or other magics, for instance. Acti-of the temple across the road except vated ward tokens of Gond unleash�the public worship areas. The faithful while within the High House or theof Gond can protect both themselves Hall of Wonders only!�an electricaland the consecrated areas from discharge akin to a lightning bolt. Cer-thieves, religious rivals, and other tain doorways, window ledges, floors,undesired intruders by touching a and other strategic areas in the Hallward token to the body of such an unleash similar effects if entered byundesirable while whispering or con- someone without a ward token.

2The �words of Gond� used to activate a token are a secret phrase. Priests of 6th level or greater need not speakit aloud. A successful attack roll is required to touch a mobile hostile being with a ward token. A ward token discharge deals a target 4d6 points of damage per round, and a token can be used as often as desired, once perround. Clergy of Gond who are specialty priests of any level, or clerics of 8th level or higher, are taught a phrasethat causes a ward token to activate when it is outside areas consecrated to Gond. A ward token can only be acti-vated on nonconsecrated ground three times (one round equals one activation) before it is destroyed. When com-manded to destroy itself, a ward token blasts apart with effects identical to a chain lightning spell.

16

Elfsong TavernTavern

This tavern is the local watering hole,meeting place, and hiring fair foradventurers. A popular destination forpirates and outlaws on the loose in theCoast lands, it is a place the watchturns a blind eye toward, unless row-diness and battle erupt. Those wishingto fence stolen goods, hire unusualfolk for unrespectable tasks, and heartall tales of daring adventure oftencome here and stay late.

The PlaceDecorated by a stuffed baby beholderover the bar (the smallest eye tyrantI�ve ever seen�not that I�ve seen man.I�ll grant), this place is dimly lit by manywandering, blue-hued driftglobes, andis furnished with many stout, knife-scarred wooden chairs and tables, cur-tained off with tapestries that provideprivacy. Gossips should beware, as thisis visual privacy only.) The ground flooris devoted to a taproom that servesmelted cheese sandwiches (spiced orunspiced, as you prefer), pickles, andfist-sized twists of dried herring�anddrinks, of course. As you might guess,all the food is highly salted to make youdrink more.

Several dark, twisting stairs lead upto private meeting rooms that can berented by the candle (the time it takes ashort taper to burn down) or anevening. Those with enemies arewarned that the dimness on the stairs

The ProspectThis tavern is named for an unusualhaunting�a ghostly female elvenvoice, heard from time to time3 all overthe establishment. It isn�t loud, but canbe heard clearly everywhere, and isboth beautiful and achingly mournful.It often moves hardened soldiers, whocan�t understand a word of the archaicelven tongue used, to tears. Some,even though they have to drink awaythe melancholy it brings, come heresolely in hopes of hearing it. The deafand the insensitive are warned thatanyone who talks, sings, or makesundue noise during the customaryhush that falls over the tavern whilethe ghostly voice sings her sad lamentis liable to be struck down with deadlyspeed by the nearest regular patron.Elves hearing the song for the firsttime are often stunned. By tradition,they are silently served a free tallglassof elverquisst by the bartender.

has concealed many a seeking knifethrust or poisoned hand crossbow bolt.

A first-timer of any race and eithersex who breaks down into tears uponhearing the song is usually embracedand comforted by the nearest regularpatron. After hearing the song, thecurrent owner of the tavern, the half-elven maid �Lady� Alyth Elendara,bought the place for 50,000 gp from anaging warrior who placed only onecondition on the sale: that he beallowed to sit in the tavern all the nighthours so that he could hear the haunt-ing song as often as he desired. The

3The voice is never heard more than twice in an evening, but usually at least every three nights, and never dur-ing the sunlit hours.

17

bargain was met, although the old manhas since died. No one is sure just whothe elven singer is�although it�s clearshe�s singing a lament for a lover lost atsea�or how the haunting came to be.Some sporadic attempts by variousclergy to banish the phenomenon havefailed�and anyone foolish enough totry an exorcism today is likely to makethe sudden sharp acquaintance of abristling roomful of sailors� blades.

Patrons can�and are expected to�go armed when in the Elfsong, and theknown rule is that all beings need toprotect their own backs except whenthe sad lady�s singing. By tradition,music of any sort is not sung or playedin the tavern. The ghostly lady has theentertainment to herself.

The ProvenderThe fare, as aforementioned, is simple�open-faced malt bread and meltedcheese sandwiches, sprinkled with dill,nutmeg, or powdered spices of yourchoice; whole pickles (heavy on the

garlic); and handful-sized chunks ofpressed, dried salt herring. Lady Alythalso makes a thick stew that is belovedby many sick or chilled sailors. Shekeeps a cauldron on simmer all the timeand throws all the food leavings into it,boils beef bones and assorted shellfishin it, and pours in all the wine dregs andsoured ale. Some folk in Baldur's Gateswear by it, and visit the Elfsong just todrink a mug or bowl when they�dotherwise never enter a place wheresuch rough and rowdy lowlifes drink.

The PricesAle is 2 cp per tankard (large, batteredpewter things, not meager cups), stoutis 4 cp per tankard, and all wine (a smalland anonymous selection is offered) is 5cp per tallglass. Rollrum (dark, licorice-laced drink from the Tashalar, with acool, minty aftertaste) is 1 sp per flagon,and is an acquired taste�one thatmost seafaring patrons seem to haveacquired quite well, thank ye.

All servings of provender are 1 sp,except stew. This price only covers amug of stew. A large bowl is 2 cpextra. Most patrons will find a servingof something is about half a meal.

Travelers� LoreLady Alyth operates an unofficial bankfor her patrons. Those who use thisservice are mainly sailors dabbling inshady business who�ve no safe place tohide their takings and no good reasonfor having made so much coin.Rumors abound of many wildly differ-ent places she hides the money andthe ways she guards it, but inquirieson this topic are not welcome.

18

The Blade and StarsInn

This inn is named for its enchanted sign-board, looted from a ruined village inAmn after a long-ago trade war. It�s alarge black sign displaying a curvedsaber held by a delicate, longfingeredfemale human hand. The sign isenspelled so that stars wink and slowlydrift around the blade over the dark sur-face. The inn itself is less exciting, but stilla good, safe, clean, pleasant place to stay

The PlaceThe Blade is a long, tall building withattached stables and kitchens on oneside and balconies opening out of upperrooms on the other. It rises four floorsabove the street, and its furnishings areclean and fairly new. There�s a smalllounge off the front lobby for guests tomeet citizens in, but it lacks a table.

The ProspectService in the Blade is curt but swift Vigi-lant stairwatchers on staff keep track ofguests� comings and goings, discouragingstreet thieves and even dopplegangers,who are a growing though unreportedproblem in cities all over Faerûn. Yourstay is apt to be quiet and unremarkable,unless your demeanor makes it other-wise. Rowdy or reckless guests are firmlywarned, once�and if something elsehappens, firmly asked to leave.

The ProvenderMeals are served in guests� rooms ratherthan in a dining room, so the fare isnever better than lukewarm�but as it�s

simple ale, bread, and fish, this is littleloss. Bread can be ordered spread withherbed cheese or melted eggs (both sur-prisingly good). On cold nights, the pro-prietor, Aundegul Shawn, serves rubycordial on request�a sweet, syrupy con-coction of cherries dissolved in sugaredred wine. It�s nice, once you�re used tothe rawness it leaves in the throat.

The PricesRooms, including bath, stabling andmeals, are 3 gp per night. A guest canorder three servings of food a day, butit�s always the same repast Cordial is 4cp per goblet. Ale is 3 cp per tankard.One tankard of ale is free with eachmeal, and a guest can purchase twoextra a day�those requesting more willbe told to find a tavern.

Travelers� LoreLocal legend says a female yuan-ti iswalled up in the inn, frozen in midbattleby a desperate (and long-gone) wizardsspell. When he dies, she�ll be released.

19

The Blushing MermaidInn/Tavern

here. The overall effect is of a rather dangerous but endearingly clutteredcellar, decorated with the flotsam of ahundred shipwrecks.

The Mermaid is apt to be noisythroughout the night. Those who

Rooms at the Mermaid are low-ceilinged, dingy, and apt to be fur-nished with mismatched pieces thathave seen better days. In general, theyare loot-and-salvage pieces that haveseen heavy use since their installation

The Mermaid is a long, low, ram-shackle place with a confusing maze ofwings, outbuildings, stockaded enclo-sures, and stables surrounding it onthree sides�the better to give cover tothose trying to approach or leaveunseen, most Baldurians say. It has atleast four levels of cellars�manymore, some say�and rumors aboundof secret passages, or even connec-tions to an underground stream orsewer connecting with the harbor.

The Place

The Mermaid is known up and downthe Coast lands as a meeting place inwhich to conduct illicit business forfolk who are dangerous or criminals.It is a noisy, brawling establishment. Ican recommend it only to those whogo well armed, know how to use theirweapons, and bring lots of loyalfriends with similar skills.

aren�t sound sleepers are advised toseek lodgings elsewhere. All roomshave iron bar shutters�if they havewindows at all�and heavy woodenbeam double bars on the inside.They�re there to be used, folks.

The lobby is the only high-ceilinged room in the place, exceptthe stairwell to the two upper floors.A life-size and crudely carvedwooden mermaid hangs overheadabove the reception desk. The nearlynude mermaid�s body is coveredwith a score or more shriveled andblackened severed hands. If askedabout them, the staff will smile andtell you that they were � er, donatedby folks who forgot to pay theirbills.4 The desk has its own trophy�a huge broad axe buried deep in thewood. Be warned that the axe caneasily be snatched up out of thedeep cleft it caused long ago andhurled with speed and accuracyacross the lobby by the balding,bearded, hairy-armed clerk wholooks like a walking cask!

The ProspectThe visitor will find in the Mermaidan astonishing collection of smooth-tongued, scarred old sea dogs nurs-ing drinks at all hours. Each one is acontact person for this or that cabal,thieving brotherhood, smuggler, mer-cenary band, fence, panderer, orother shady professional interest.Negotiations with such contacts usu-ally consist of a nasty grin and a case

4Elminster warns that these hands are actually animated crawling claws under the command of the desk clerk.They will fall, leap, bound, and scuttle around the lobby at his direction to battle the watch, intruders, orobstreperous guests.

20

of temporary deafness until at least asilver piece is given them�where-upon they recall their voice, hearing,and manners, and inquire as to yourown fortune. If pleasantries proceedas far as your requesting a need ordesire for something or someone, thesea dog will examine the ceiling, tell ithow much such information is likelyto cost (1 to 5 gp, usually 2 gp), andslide over his empty tankard for pay-ment. Once he�s satisfied the coinsyou�ve dropped into it are of goodquality, he�ll tell you what you want toknow and arrange a meeting, or sendyou to a contact who can. I report allthis secondhand, of course!

A stay at the Mermaid is apt to bequite safe, so long as one avoidsbattle and does nothing overly insult-ing or stupid. (Some sharp-tonguedkillers like to taunt and goad otherguests to see if they can get a fight outof them.) The proprietors, who areunknown and never seen, haveinstructed their staff to make theHouse a relatively safe, neutralground for all patrons, whatevertheir race, past, or profession. It�sbetter for business that way.

The ProvenderMeals at the Mermaid are of twosorts: elaborate food, brought in toorder from nearby eateries, and foodprepared on the premises. Thebrought-in food is usually good and ofgenerous portions, but not overlywarm by the time it reaches you. Thefare prepared at the Mermaid is ofthe simple but good and filling vari-ety, except for a truly vile salted small-

fish stew. This stew consists of vari-ous rotting baitfish boiled with seasalt and seaweed, and even smells dis-gusting. Many sailors order onlybread spread with drippings (crustynutbread rolls with thick organ meatgravy ladled over them) or hand-wheels of cheese, but the Mermaid�skitchen also produces a splendidpork, thyme, and mushroom platter.

The most commonly ordered mealis ale, bread, and fish. Some patronsalso like small squid pickled in vine-gar, which I find revolting from threerooms away!

Sailors have prodigious appetites.It�s not uncommon to look across thedining room at the Mermaid and notsee several diners. They�re entirelyhidden by the roasts set in front ofthem!

Whole roast pigs are anotherfavorite dish. It seems most seafolkare sick of marine edibles by the timethey reach land, but land-treadingtravelers and sailors long ashoreoften order literal heaps of oysters,clams, or mussels and attack themwith a knife. Hairy-chested men(those foolish enough to risk diseasesand parasites) often eat the shellfishraw�and a crazed few like to shellthem alive from a saltwater basin anddevour them still squirming!

I managed to get a single (thank-fully more widely appealing in nature)recipe from the cooks, as is shown onthe scrap on the following page.

Beer at the Mermaid is sea ale(thicker and more bitter than mosttongues find enjoyable), stout, and alight, golden-hued lager from

21

Mintarn. No wines are available, butone can get whisky strong and smokyenough to strip paint or tar fromwood. It brings tears to the eyes ofmost who drink it, and probablyworse things to their insides!

The PricesRooms are 2 gp per night, stablingincluded. Food for mounts is an extra3 cp each. No tenday room rate orbathing facilities are available.

All food and drink is extra. A platterof fish, bread, and drippings is 2 cp,and meat dishes are all 3 cp per plat-

ter. Heaps of shellfish are 1 gp perserving, and whole roasts are 3 gpeach. Ale is 3 cp per tankard, andwhisky is 1 sp per tallglass (with nolarger measure prices).

Travelers� LorePredictably, fourscore tales of treach-ery, hidden treasure, secret passages,and trapped chests swirl around theMermaid. It�s impossible to tell howmany are pure fabrication or havegrown wildly in the telling. Stolen orillegal items are definitely hiddenquickly and well here for a fee.5

5Elminster says people�willingly or unwillingly�can also be hidden, Hidden rooms cost twice what regularrooms do, are windowless and buried deep to keep sounds to a minimum and discourage escape attempts, andcome with manacles (if ordered). Gags, �hoods� (solid-face metal helms), and double forearm-and-finger clampscan be ordered if one wishes to confine a wizard. Elminster doesn�t recommend the practice.

22

The Helm and CloakInn/Feast House

This grand inn, rooming house, andfeasting house is favored by thosewho�ve lots of coins to spare�bothcitizens of the Gate, who enjoy thedining room, and travelers. There�seven a floor of long-term rentalrooms. Most of these are currentlyoccupied by members of the Knightsof the Unicorn, romantic adventurersdescribed by a regular patron as ele-gant buffoons.

The Helm is the fashionable placeto dine and chat, much favored bythose of power. Many an importantbusiness deal or alliance has beennegotiated in its luxurious alcoves.

The Helm avoids the haughty andgaudy unerringly choosing the bestof informal good taste, traditional fur-nishings, and thoughtful service, suchas a warmed robe and slippersbrought to your room when you�reheard to rise in the morn.

The PlaceThe Helm is actually two connectedbuildings. The smaller is an old housefronting on Windspell Street at thecrossroads facing the Ducal Palace.The larger structure is an old room-ing house that faces the High Houseof Wonders. A tattered cloak hangsdisplayed over the old roominghouse�s raised porch, whereas agigantic helm�once worn by a titan,senior staff tell guests who ask, albeit

23

dryly�overhangs the WindspellStreet doors.

The ProvenderFood at the Helm means jellied eels,fresh fish in hot lemon sauce, glazedand stuffed fowl, and fried and can-died meats. The fried onion-and-spiced-tubers stuffing is especiallydelectable. It�s all cooked in wine,served by the platter, and is uni-formly fine.

The wine cellar is huge in bothamount and variety. Those with ataste for Saerloonian glowfire arewarned that the resident Knights areapt to order entire barrels of thestuff up to their rooms of evenings.Ask early to make sure there�senough for your glass.

There�s also mead (very ordinary)and cinnamon-spiced milk available(hot or cold, as you prefer), but nobeer of any sort to be had. �We�re notrunning a tavern, m�lord,� one of thesenior servants said to me, when Iinquired why.

The PricesMead and milk are 5 cp per glass,and wine is 3 gp per tallglass, 10 gpper great goblet (a huge silver flagonthat holds about a bottle), or 25 gpper hand cask. The Knights pay 50gp per barrel, but anyone else tryingto order such a large container willbe told that only long-term residentsare allowed to place such demandson the cellar. All platters are 10 gp.Rooms are 17 gp to 25 gp per night,

depending on size and location. Theroom fee includes a hot bath, acloth-mending and dressing service,and as much mint water as desired.

Stabling is extra, and costs 3 gpper night per animal�but thehostlers are among the finest inFaerûn, able to spot and treatinjuries and conditions, and atten-tive to a beast�s every want. Think ofit as a luxury stay for your mountwhen you pay for it, and the coinsleave your hand more easily. Ofcourse, you wouldn�t be here at all ifyou didn�t have the shining metal tospare.

Travelers� LoreThe house part of the Helm wasonce the home of a priestess ofSune, and its ceiling paintings ofscenes of unbridled pleasure andpassion have raised more than a feweyebrows. These paintings still causelamps to be lifted today by thosewho�d like to get a better look�so asto elevate their brows farther. Thereare persistent rumors of elegantlyfurnished garret chambers reachedby secret passages, but the staffrefuses to answer queries on thissubject.

It is true that the staff has quicklyhidden notorious guests on severaloccasions�guests that in somecases were never seen again.6 Therooming house part of the Helm hassome treasure rumors, too (the hid-den loot of retired pirates, ofcourse).

6Elminster hinted slyly that the hidden chambers sport some magical tapestries, containing gates leading to(unknown) places elsewhere in Faerûn.

24

Three Old KegsInn

The Place

This cozy timber-and-stone inn hasthree old kegs hanging from a roof-pole on chains rather than a sign-board. Those bold or whimsicalenough to enter in and stay will findone of the best inns in all Faerûn.Everything is comfortable and a littleshabby, but the staff is quietlyfriendly. Patrons are encouraged totake their ease all over the groundfloor and the one above. It feels likeyou�re at home�assuming, of course,your home is a place where you canread or snooze at will, feet up oncushions as you lounge about incomfy old chairs and couches: Bliss!

The Kegs has two levels of fieldstonecellars and two fieldstone floorsabove them. The uppermost cellar isgiven over to gaming rooms and con-nected to the ground floor by nofewer than three open staircases. Thetwo uppermost floors (for six totalfloors) are timber, topped with a slateroof. All floors of the place are con-nected in one corner by a dumb-waiter shaft large enough for two folkpressed together to stand on the plat-form and ride up and down bypulling on the draw rope. This ismuch used by servants for quicktravel up and down�and occasion-ally by patrons for pranks and quickexits. On at least one occasion, it hasbeen used for murder: A patron in anupper room was noosed by a foe and

then hurled down the shaft! Tales aretold of the apparition of his hanged,dangling body, face a bare skull, beingseen in the shaft late on dark nights�but such tales are usually told bythose who�ve had a bit too much todrink.

The ProspectThe Kegs is a cozy place, furnishedwith old furniture from a dozenkeeps and many simpler homes. Thedusty heads of trophy elk and crea-tures of the deep hang on the walls,crowding for space amid old andfaded paintings of elven hunts andhuman knights battling dragons andeach other, or courting various maid-ens. Where there aren�t paintings,there are bookshelves crammed withold diaries, travel books, collectionsof ballads and legends, and grand andoverblown histories of heroes.

Regular patrons snooze and readthe days away, rousing themselvesfrom time to time for a glass of wine,mug of broth, or a game of dice,cards, or shove-skittles. Both the wineand the broth are excellent, but they,along with ice water and dark andnutty malt bread, are the only fare tobe had in the place.

The thick beastskin rugs, panel-ing, books, and tapestries absorbsound. The Kegs is a quiet place.Come here for a reasonable andcomfortable rest, a haven against thebustle of business or adventure.

Patrons are asked to keep theirweapons in their rooms, and not tobring drinkables in with them�inside or outside their bodies.

25

Ithtyl Calantryn

Drunks often awaken in the morningto find themselves sleeping out backin the hay pile by the kitchen door.

The innkeeper is a tall, quiet man The Kegs is said to contain a secretwith a mane of long, curly black hair passage linking it with a docksideand a sword scar that runs from his warehouse and a sewer shaft thatnose diagonally across one cheek. His comes to the surface near the Blackname is Nantrin Bellowglyn, and he�s Dragon Gate. Somewhere along thisa Tethyrian noble�s retired guard who passage is a lime pit where folk canfled that land when its civil strife quietly dispose of bodies (100 gp pererupted and his lord was slain. He corpse) by arrangement with some-has a staff of four daughters and one who can be contacted throughhired help: a bags boy, a hostler, and Nantrin.7 Adventurers and pokers-three serving wenches. These about-after-secrets had best not getwenches were huntresses in Tethyr, on the bad side of Nantrin, it isand at least one of them, Ithtyl rumored, or they may find them-Calantryn, is a sorceress expert in lev- selves �searching the pit while asleep,�itation and shielding spells. On more as it were.

than one occasion, I�m told, she�scalmly hurled would-be thieves andtroublesome brawling patrons bodilyout of the inn�sometimes by way of athird floor window.

The ProvenderAs I have said, the Kegs serves simplefare. Most folk go elsewhere for mainmeals.

The PricesA stay at the Kegs costs you 5 sp pernight per person, stabling included.Rooms for up to four folk are available,but there�s no discount for sharing aroom. A plate of bread and as muchice water as one wants are included.More food and drink costs an extra 1cp per plate, and all extra wine is 6 cpper tallglass. The only other extracharge is for hot baths (3 cp per per-son). Cold baths and laundry serviceare included in room rates.

Travelers� Lore

7Elminster smiled and said that someone was Nantrin himself, of course.

26

BeregostTired travelers on the Coast Waybetween Baldur�s Gate and Amn oftenstop in Beregost. Beregost is locatedjust off the road about a day�s travelon horseback south of where the Wayof the Lion that leads to Candlekeepbranches off from the Coast Way. It�swithin reach of the northern bordersof Amn. Merchants of that land oftenuse it as a rendezvous for caravanassembly before attempting the per-ilous overland runs north to Water-deep or east to the Sea of Fallen Stars.As a result, this small town gets verycrowded at unpredictable intervals.

Begun as a farming village underthe protection of a school of wizardry,Beregost is now dominated by theSong of the Morning, a major templeto Lathander. The mage Ulcaster, aconjurer of note, founded his schoolover 300 years ago�but grew too suc-cessful, attracting would�be wizardsfrom all over the Sword Coast. Cal-ishite mages came to fear the school�spower and destroyed it in spell battle,though Ulcaster himself disappearedduring the fray and was never found.The school burned to an empty shell,which still stands on a hill east of thetown. Local fear of the ruins, whichare said to be haunted by phantomswho are still able to cast spells, hascaused Beregost to be expanded tothe west of the Coast Way road, leav-ing the hills east of it to the sheep.

Beregost has only one tavern. It iscalled the Burning Wizard, of course.It has no signboard, but the travelercan easily find it. It�s the building with

the crowded hitching rail that standsjust north of where the small rivuletknown as Wizards� Doom Creek�which rises on the hill where theruins stand against the sky�crossesthe Coast Way. That�s where I heardof the two chief dangers to the curi-ous and to young magelings hoping togain spells or items who approach theruins too closely. There�s a wizshadewho hurls random spells at folk,sometimes appearing as a thin,wraithlike, impossibly tall, beardedman and sometimes just as a batteredwizard�s hat. There�s also anotherwizard wraith�a haunt�who tries tolure folk into the depths of the ruin�scellars and possess their bodies. Oldvillagers also speak of magical trapsdeep in the ruins and at least one gatethat leads to unknown destinations.This last claim has been confirmed astruth by no less a pair of magical per-sonages than the Lord Mage of Water-deep, Khelben �Blackstaff� Arunsun,and Elminster of Shadowdale.

Beregost�s governor strongly disap-proves of explorations of the ruins.Although there is a five-person towncouncil, the governor�s word is law inBeregost, and he is a tireless propo-nent of farming, starting up new busi-nesses, and improving the place. He isalso Most Radiant of Lathander (highpriest of the temple) Kelddath Ormlyr,and his temple troops police thetown, keeping it safe so that trading,meetings, and spending at the shopsare brisk. In this, he has two powerfulallies: the wizard Thalantyr, a con-jurer of great repute who unfortu-nately wasn�t at home when I visited,

27

and the smith Taerom �Thunderham-mer� Fuiruim. Kelddath has also suc-cessfully encouraged severalimportant Amnian merchants toestablish estates around Beregost�notably the Craumerdaun family,whose fine horses (now bred here)are highly prized in Amn and Tethyr.

The visitor today will find the fol-lowing local features of note.

Places of Interestin BeregostTemplesThe Song of the Morning

This large temple to Lathander con-sists of a fortified church sur-rounded by stables, refectories,guesthouses, and outbuildings. Itrises up right beside the east side ofthe road in the center of town, andits distinctive rose-red spires can beseen for miles. Its many clergy and200 lay-member militia assist localbusinesspeople and farmers, and inreturn the temple receives regularand large offerings.

The servants of the Morninglordalso tend temple fields of potatoesand herb flowers east of the road,and keep sheep on the slopes of thehill topped by the ruined school ofwizardry. They keep them thereostensibly because these fields aremore open to view than those oflocal farmers. The sheep are thusmore easily watched, preventingtheft and raiding beasts from rav-aging them. The real reason that thesheep are kept here is that the ser-vants of the Morninglord want to

keep some control over expeditionsinto the ruins and to prevent uncon-trolled expansion of Beregost. (Overthe years, various Amnian merchantshave shown a distressing tendency tolay claim to all land within easyreach of the Coast Way that�s notstrongly defended.)

The folk of the temple are vigilant,and stand for no lawlessness oraggression, but are otherwise helpfulto strangers. Those willing to give 20gp or more to the temple are wel-come to stay in its guesthouses fortwo nights. People may stay longer ifthey are sick or injured. Priests willtend them and won�t expect anymore money, although most folk dogive something. Temple fare is sim-ple but good, and baths and stablingare available.

HomesHigh HedgeNorthwest of the main settlement ofBeregost stands High Hedge, theestate of Thalantyr the Conjurer. It isguarded by a fiercely loyal mated pairof griffons and by some sort of invisi-ble servant creature that has beenknown to spy and deliver things for itsmaster right into town. Thalantyr is acourtly man who can sometimes beseen walking about the countryside,his long, black staff in hand. He�s hadno apprentices for years and doesn�twelcome visitors. Locals say he�sinterested in far-off places and things,and is sometimes absent for longperiods.

Those who�ve seen his abode saythat it�s a dark, turreted stone house

28

overgrown with pines and that he hashis own fishpond behind it. Some-times he sits next to the pond andtalks with something that stays justunder the surface of the water.

ShopsThunderhammer SmithyArmor Maker and Weaponsmith

Taerom �Thunderhammer� Fuiruimis a burly giant. His chestnut hair andmutton-chop whiskers are now shotthrough with gray and white, but hishuge hands remain strong and deft.He is a master armorer, and his war-mongery equals the best in Faerûn.On several occasions he�s made itemsfor Thalantyr to enspell, and evendwarf smiths admire his work.

Taerom keeps over a dozen appren-tices busy with all the orders that comehis way (mainly from Amn). He fightswith a huge iron staff and has beenknown to slay orcs with a single blow,but is generally a quiet man. He is notgiven to leadership, but is respected intown more than anyone else.

TavernsThe Burning Wizard

This tavern is a bustling place, asfavored by the locals as by visitors.Acolytes of Lathander are trained tokeep lively conversations and enter-tainments going here, and even togamble. (Any takings are donated tothe temple, of course.) Traveling min-strels are always welcomed, stay for

free, and are paid 5 gp per night atopthat. No food is sold at the Wizard, butall three local inns keep runners hereto go and fetch hot covered plattersfrom the kitchens of their establish-ments. In winter, don�t expect the foodto arrive very warm! This is a good lit-tle place, with several small rooms tostay in adorned with donated bric-a-brac from loyal regulars. It�s a delightto find enough cushions in a room tolet one sit up in bed in comfort!

InnsFeldepost�s Inn

Named for its now-deceased founder,this is an old and comfortable place.Service is careful and kindly, if a trifleslow, but a room comes with a firealight (except in hot weather), and abath that is skillfully filled to one�sown taste in warmth by several oldmen of many smiles but few words.One can even request assistancebathing. All this makes the place afavorite with the elderly, and somakes for a quiet stay.

The food is superior. Don�t missthe cheese and cucumber buns, orthe onion and mushroom firesidetarts served to all by the hearth in theevenings. (The tarts are free if you�reordering drinks.) The inn cellarincludes an excellent sherry.

The Red Sheaf

Folk come to the Sheaf for fast ser-vice. This inn prides itself on getting

29

you to your room or to a board in thedining room as fast as possible. If theweather is cold or wet, you�ll findyourself in a warm house robe beforea crackling fire just as quickly, withyour wet things taken to the warmingroom behind the kitchen chimneys todry on warmed stone shelves.

Fare at the Sheaf is of the warm orcold soups, cheese and grapes, breadand spreads, and whole roasts variety.The cold potato soup is delightful,and carries the homey taste of onionand celery, along with a more subtleand indefinable seasoning that I wasunable to pin down. Unfortunately,the roasts are either blackened tocrisp ashes or�on the other side, ordeep inside�near raw. The cookshaven�t mastered the slow fire yet,

The Jovial Juggler

This inn is on the northern edge oftown, on the west side of the road. Itshuge roofboard depicting a laughingcarnival juggler in jesterlike garbidentifies it instantly from afar. It�svery much an average roadhouse, butyoung Beregostans love it�it�s theirdancing and drinking club. It outpaysFeldepost�s for minstrels and otherentertainers, and there�s scarcely anight at the Juggler without some sortof loud revelry, complete with severaloxen, hogs, and boars roasted whole.Thankfully, all of that�s confined toone wing, so patrons do get somesleep!

30

only the too-hot, too-quick one.This is Beregost�s largest inn and is

favored by merchants wanting to holdbusiness meetings or sit in quiet.Those willing to part with 7 gp for anevening can rent private meetingrooms with doors that lock, though Isuspect there are spyholes in theserving passage that runs behindthem all. Entertainer folk�minstrelsand such�aren�t welcome at theSheaf except as paying customers.The Sheaf provides no entertainmentat all.

Local gossip whispers that a secretpassage at the back of the inn leadsdown to an old smugglers� warehousecomprising caverns that were aban-doned when drow tunneled up intothe caverns from below. They had tobe dealt with by Thalantyr, who leftsome sort of magical barrier.

BowshotThis hamlet stands on the westernside of the Trade Way, a half-day�sride north of the Way Inn.8 Namedbecause it was just a bowshot awayfrom the Misty Forest, it�s been a log-ging center for a hundred years�andit�s been so successful that the forestis now miles away to the east.

Bowshot consists of the BowshotInn, a sawmill, six farms (two run bymen who shoe horses as well as anysmith), and almost a dozen homewoodcarvers who turn out yokes, cof-fers, wheel spokes, tool handles, andwhimsical carvings. The placedeserves mention because of recentlydiscovered caves beneath its westernfringes. They are entered from thehorse-well behind the inn, and by atleast one cave mouth in the stands oftrees north and west of the hamlet.

The Bowshot caverns show evi-dence of connections to deeper sub-terranean areas9 and of past use bysmugglers. Some stolen goods wererecently recovered from the caves andreturned to their rightful owners inWaterdeep. With them were crates ofore very rich in silver, presumablymined in the deeps below the caverns.

There�s local talk of hiring orinducing an adventuring company todwell in Bowshot and mount a con-stant guard over the cavernentrances�and even of founding acompany to mine and smelt silver inthe depths, its workers protected by

the hired adventurers. So far, noadventurers have agreed to such adefensive role. Many have come to thecaverns and then moved on, talking ofmanspiders in the deep ways.

Places of Interestin BowshotShopsAndalor�s MillLumber Mill

Ulmyn Andalor is an affable, portlyman with a curly white beard and abald pate who goes about coveredwith sawdust. He runs an always-busymill that provides Waterdeep andDaggerford with cheap, plentifulgreen lumber. A copper piece will buythree posts as tall as an adult humanmale, or five 3-hand�s-width boards ofthe same length.

InnsThe Bowshot Inn

This mediocre inn is a dim, chilly logstructure that serves bad ale broughtby the barrel from Waterdeep. Theproprietor sells good hand crossbowsfor the traveler desiring self-protectionand a little squirrel or fowl hunting.Eveningfeast here is usually a gummystew made from those same squirrelsor some wildfowl, and served withthick slices of adequate onion bread.

8Bowshot�s location is shown on the map in the entry on the Way Inn, later in this chapter.9The existence of the caverns became widely known when a drow exploratory band emerged from the trees

one night and ran straight into an encamped, but alert, armed caravan. At least two adventuring bands havedescended into the far depths of the caverns and, thus far, have not returned.

31

CandlekeepThis citadel of learning stands on avolcanic horn, or crag, overlookingthe sea. It is a many-towered fortress,once the home of the famous seerAlaundo, and preserves his predic-tions along with all the writtenrecords and learning of the Realmsthat can be assembled. The price forany traveler to enter the Keep properis a book. Those wishing to examineany writing in the Keep�s library mustgift Candlekeep with a new tome of noless than 10,000 gp value. The monksof Candlekeep (who claim to be non-denominational, and call themselvesthe Avowed) also purchase certainbooks brought to them and even com-

Inner Ward Token of Candlekeep

mission agents in great secrecy to pro-cure writings they desire to possess.Those who wish to browse in thelibrary must normally be sponsoredby a known mage of power, so manybooks given to Candlekeep in paymentare minor spellbooks.

This community is ruled by theKeeper of the Tomes, assisted by theFirst Reader (the second in authorityand traditionally the most learnedsage of the monastery). There are upto eight Great Readers under thesetwo offices, who are assisted by theChanter, the Guide, and the Gatewar-den. The Chanter leads the endlesschant of Alaundo�s prophecies thatwends its way around the citadel dayand night in continuous utterance ofthe sage�s predictions. He is spelled inthis duty by three assistants, theVoices: the Voice of the North, theVoice of the East, and the Voice of theSouth. The Guide is in charge ofteaching acolytes, and the Gatewar-den deals with visitors, the security ofand supplies for the community, andwith the clergy, who are regarded ashonored guests rather than part ofthe monastery�s hierarchy.

The citadel bears mighty, many-lay-ered wards that prevent anything fromburning except wicks and wax, pre-vent the operation of teleportationalmagics and many other destructivespells, kill all molds and insects (suchas paper wasps), prohibit the entry ofbookworms, and have other, secretproperties. Because of these wardscandle lamps are often used, but nopaper can ignite anywhere in theKeep. An additional ward, whose token

32

is shown at the far left, prohibits entryinto the Inner Rooms except to thosebearing a token.10 The Inner Roomsare where the most powerful magicaltomes are kept and where none butthe Great Readers may go, except inthe direct company of the Keeper orthe First Reader.

The central, highest fortress of theKeep is surrounded by a terracedrock garden of many trees, where nat-ural springs rise and bubble down therocks in small cascades and pools.These beautiful grounds descend to aring of buildings along the inside ofthe massive outer walls: guesthouses,stables, granaries, a warehouse, aninfirmary, a temple to Oghma, andshrines to Deneir, Gond, and Milil.

Except in cases of illness or whensomeone joins the order as anacolyte, no visitor can remain in Can-dlekeep for more than 10 days at atime, or enter the monastery less thana month after leaving it. Order in theKeep is kept by the Gatewarden�s fiveunderofficers: four Watchers (whotake turns patrolling the monasteryand watching the land and seaaround from its tallest towers) andthe Keeper of the Portal (or gateguard), all five of whom have 12armed monks (all experienced war-riors) as assistants. These underoffi-cers are also said to wield magicalrods and rings to enforce their will.

Acolytes are robed in black. Seekers(full brothers) wear robes of mauve.The Seekers are the lowest monks.

They do research and fetch and carry.Above them are the Scribes, who copyout works to order or compile booksfrom various sources in the library forsale�the chief source of income forthe community. (Visitors are forbiddento write in the library.) Over them arethe Chanter and the Readers, fromwhose ranks the offices of the Avowedare filled (and who vote to fill vacan-cies). All the underofficers wear brownhomespun, while holders of the highoffices wear robes of various colorsthat bear adornments of gold threadand stripes of white. Only the Keeperof the Tomes can wear robes all ofwhite. Travelers who enter the Keepproper clad all in white can expect tobe stripped on the spot or cast out.

The current Keeper of the Tomes isUlraunt, a proud and haughty minormage. It is well not to cross him. Thetraveler should humble himself toavoid doing so or try to keep out ofthe Keeper�s notice. Unfortunately, allpetitioners who enter the centralKeep must sit at Ulraunt�s left shoul-der for at least one eveningfeast mealand endure his searching questions.The current First Reader, Tethtoril, isoften mistaken by visitors for theKeeper because of his intelligent,regal, and sensitive demeanor.Ulraunt rather resents this.

Candlekeep has but one absoluterule: �Those who destroy knowledge,with ink, fire, or sword, are them-selves destroyed.� Here, books aremore valuable than people.

10Tokens are built into the staves of office borne by the Keeper, the Gatewarden, and the First Reader. These areknown as glow staves for their most-often-used power. If one fails to utter or think of a watchword when passing award boundary by means of a token, all bearers of other ward tokens are instantly made aware of the location ofthe ward breaching, regardless of where the other token bearers are on Faerûn.

33

DaggerfordThis self-styled city is really a town ofabout 300 folk that stands in theshadow of the castle of the Duke ofDaggerford. Daggerford is named for abrave boy, Tyndal, sent ahead of hisfamily wagon to find a place to ford theShining River one evening some 400summers ago. He was set upon bylizard men, and�armed only with adagger�slew six of them and held offthe rest until reinforcements arrived.The dukes of Daggerford claim directdescent from Tyndal, and their armsdisplay a bloody silver dagger on adeep blue field.

The dukes of Daggerford claim allthe lands from the estate of Floshin,south as far as the Dragonspear fields(the lands of Dragonspear Castle),east to the edge of the Misty Forest,and west to the verges of LizardMarsh and the coast. They actuallycontrol far less�from about a half-day�s ride north of Daggerford, wheretheir forces meet up with road patrolsfrom Waterdeep at a little pond calledWaypost Water, east to the hillsaround the Laughing Hollow, andsouth to the hamlet of Bowshot.These lands take in about 20 farminghamlets. The ducal lands are home toabout 1,000 folk in all.

The walled town is the largest stopon the Trade Way between Waterdeepand Soubar. Its largely wooden build-ings huddle in the lee of a hill

crowned by Daggerford Castle, whichis surrounded by a grassy commonsand guards a bridge across the Shin-ing River. (The old ford�s still there,beside the bridge.) It is home tohuman craftfolk, a few halflings, anda handful of folk of other races.

The townsfolk have a charter fromthe duke that allows their own Coun-cil of Guilds, a masked council styledafter the Lords of Waterdeep, to gov-ern the town. All able-bodied towns-folk must serve in the militia,although only a small number arenormally on duty. They spend most oftheir time on road patrols, though aclose watch is kept on Lizard Marsh.

Daggerford has temples to Chaunteaand Lathander, and shrines to Tempusand Tyrnora. Chauntea�s temple iscalled the Harvest House, and it is gov-erned by Lady Priestess Merovyna.ll

The temple of Lathander, MorninglowTower, is under the supervision ofLightlord Liam Sunmist.

The Ford is a busy trading town,doing a lot of trade in horses, cattle, andrepacking for merchants and droverswho don�t wish to enter Waterdeep.Caravans are allowed to camp acrossthe road from the town (next to the aro-matic tannery), and most merchantsgoing into town to escape the smellswill find the town ordinary indeed. Themost splendid building in town isundoubtedly the Guildmasters� Hall. Itis surrounded by the no-nonsensehomes and shops of folk who work

11Merovyna is a LG hf P8, who administers 14 priests and about 30 lay brothers.Liam Sunmist is a LG hm P9. His temple stands beside the ducal castle, and the noble family are worshipers.The shrine to Tempus, the Table of the Sword, is administered by a strict warrior from Waterdeep, Baergon

Bluesword, CN hem F5/P5.The shrine to Tymora, Fairfortune Hall, is run by Bando the Lame, a NG half-m P6.

34

hard every day Few seem to look formore in life than the next silver piece!

Carpenters work busily makingchests and crates from lumber broughtin from Bowshot, and no less thanthree smiths turn out everything fromintricate locks to broad axes. There areseveral jewelers in town who can�thope to compete with the great cuttersof Waterdeep, but will eagerly buy anydecent stones they can get from passingmerchants or adventurers.

The local militia, under the stone-faced Sherlen Spearslayer, is alwayshiring fighting folk, because their bestswords are always being hired awayby caravan masters, going off to themercenary hiring fairs of Waterdeep,or trying their hands at adventuring.The militia is always busy patrollingthe claimed ducal lands, and manyyouths and adventurers down ontheir luck have spent a season fight-ing brigands, lizard men, and theoccasional predatory monster.

Daggerford is also home to aretired adventurer-mage, Delfen Yel-lowknife, who dwells in a tower onthe town wall and always has at leasta trio of apprentices. He�s content tomake a good living tutoring everywealthy Waterdhavian youngster whodreams of becoming a great mage.

The youthful duke, Pwyll Great-shout Daggerford, is seldom seen intown. He�s either out hunting or in thecastle planning how to defend the landhe has and enrich his family and hispeople by shrewd investments. Thereare recurring plans to dredge the riverand make Daggerford an importantharbor, but I suspect the duke, like

me, thinks there�s no point in trying tocompete with nearby Waterdeep.

A lot of travelers will probably stopin Daggerford at one time or another,using it as a base to explore Waterdeepfrom, so a few mentions of local estab-lishments may prove useful. There�sone tavern worthy of a visit, the LadyLuck, dealt with after the rest.

Places of Interestin DaggerfordShops Derval�s Bright BladeWeaponsmith

This smithy is the best of the three intown. The human smiths Cromachand Wayfel are the others. Cromachdoes serviceable work, but �as shaky asWayfel�s best� is a common local say-ing. The master smith at Derval�sBright Blade, Derval Ironeater, is thehead of a respected local dwarf familythat has done most of the building instone around town. Derval claims tomake the finest swords, axes, andspear blades from Waterdeep to Bal-dur�s Gate, and his work is popular.

Farrel�s Fine Jewels and ApparelExotic Fabrics and Jewelry

This shop is the largest store in town.An outlet of a Waterdhavian tradingcompany, it sells cotton, silk, rare furs,and thread imported from Calimshan,the Tashalar, and even more exoticregions�at prices even higher than

35

you�d pay for them in Waterdeep.Farrel has an eye for matching hues

and for resetting jewelry of dubioushistory. He buys and sells interestinggems and adornments of all sorts. Hisshop is worth a look if you�re too richto care what things cost.

Korbus's Jewelsand Fine OrnamentsJeweler and Gem Appraiser

The front window of this small shopalmost always displays its long-nosed,wheezing owner, the gnome jewelerKorbus Brightjewel, hard at work onsmall, exquisite pieces of jewelry. Asgood as any Waterdhavian or Calishitefinecrafter, he�s regularly visited bypassing merchants eager to buy hislatest earrings, pectorals, ornamentalbracers, dangle garters, and jeweledbelts and gloves. Locals say Korbususes magic to give his work the strik-ing beauty it has. He�s expert at identi-

fying gems�even magical ones. Thenobles of Waterdeep keep him busywith special orders for their ladies.

TavernsThe Happy Cow

This pleasant tavern stands just insideDaggerford�s northern gate, theFarmers� Gate. It features blendedbeer made by the halfling owner, Ful-bar Hardcheese, that tastes likealmonds, and excellent sharpcrumblecheese (lovely crumbly white stuff�3cp per handwheel) made on Fulbar�sfamily farm. The Cow caters to farm-ers, who sit here nursing tankards atall hours. Locals say Fulbar is a richand successful adventurer whoretired here not long ago. Fulbar saysnothing about his past.

River Shining Tavern

This tavern is exclusive indeed, withprices to outstrip most establishmentsin Waterdeep: Stout is 1 gp per tankardand wine as much as 10 gp per tall-glass! The duke and many travelingWaterdhavian nobles have been knownto eat here, and the tavern�s main hallserves as the meeting room of theCouncil of Guilds. By choice, sometownsfolk only see the inside of the tav-ern when coming to Council meetings.

Run by the Delimbiyr family thisestablishment claims to be Daggerford�soldest tavern. It�s also the closest thing intown to an inn�for a few noble patronsof the loftiest position and wealth.

36

Lady Luck TavernTavern

In the center of the taproom is amassive stone pillar bearing theweight of the ceiling. It has a ladderof iron hooks up one side. It is used

This two-story former warehousecaters to soldiers and adventurers. Itsproprietor, Owenden Orcslayer, is theson of a man who was given the ware-house as a reward for slaying orcswho�d killed the owners of the ware-house in a raid. It is a popular placefor taletellers and funseekers alike.The preponderance of weapons inthe hands of those who know how touse them makes for a relatively safedrinking spot, not a rough place.

The PlaceBoth levels of the warehouse havebeen opened up into a single loftyroom, with balconies all around it atvarying levels. Each balcony containsa booth for patrons and is linked to atleast two other balconies by broadflights of stairs. The tipsy are advisedto get down to street level before theybecome too drunk to safely do so.Every night someone falls or at leaststumbles on the stairs.

to display the battered shields, per-sonal runes, or other mementos ofpatrons who�ve died in battle or dis-appeared while off adventuring or ona military mission. Any toast given inthe tavern must include a salute tothe pillar and the words: �To thosewho have fallen before us.� Those

who brings in the relics of a fallencomrade are given a free drink ofwhatever they want.

The walls of the tavern are hungwith weapons, armor, banners, spit-ted beast heads, and similar trophiesof battle brought in by variouspatrons. The most striking of these isthe huge, mummified wing of a blackdragon slain in a volcano. The heatbaked and dried its outstretchedwing, and when an adventurer�thelone survivor of the party that slewit�dared to return to the lair nineyears later, he recovered not only thedragon�s treasure hoard, but thewing. It now hangs over the taproomlike a soft black canopy, dependingfrom the ceiling on eight stoutchains.

The ProspectThis tavern is named for the goddessTymora, patron of adventurers, anddespite the memorial pillar, theexpressed mood of patrons is alwaysan enthusiastic �Dare everything!� and�Let�s be adventuring, then!� Theentire northeast wall of the taproomis covered by a huge, splendid colormap of the Realms from Calimshan tothe Spine of the World, and theMoonshaes to Raurin. News andrumors of treasure finds, dragonsightings, and possible treasures areeagerly discussed, as are tidings ofwar from anywhere in Faerûn.

The ProvenderThe Lady serves salted nuts, cheeseon hardbread,12 and sugared bread-

12To us, hardbread is a rye cracker�or Scandinavian crispbread.

37

sticks. In winter, there�s also stewmade of beef, game, parsnips, andfish. It�s thick, brown, greasy, andsalty. If you�re chilled, it warms youup, and that�s about all the good I canmuster to say of it.

That�s all the food one can get, butmost patrons come here becausethey�re thirsty, not hungry. Accord-ingly, the Lady offers bitterroot beer(a smoky, acquired taste), zzar, sherry,and ale.

The PricesAll the food is 3 cp per serving andcomes on wooden platters. Hungrypeople will need two servings. Drink

is sold by the tankard or tallglass only,at Waterdhavian prices.13 The winelist is meager, but from time to timemerchants bring vintages from afar,and Owenden serves these wines aslong as his stock holds out. Theseexotics often include rollrum (a dark,licorice-laced Tashlutan drink, whichhas a cool, clear, minty aftertaste), afavorite of many Sword Coast sailors.

Travelers� LoreIn the Lady, one drink always sitsuntouched on the bar. It�s for Tymoraherself, should she enter. Woe betidethe visitor who touches this silvergoblet�ejection and a heavyenforced offering at the shrine ofTymora (Fairfortune Hall) are theleast penalty. Visitors who object tothis are likely to find a yard of steelthrough their middles in short order.Six people have so died, and morethan a dozen have made offerings�but twice in Owenden�s time, the gob-let has been suddenly and silentlywreathed in flame, and the winewithin has vanished. Patrons believeTymora herself drank with them.

At least two wizards have hiddencoins or magic somewhere in theLady and then gone adventuring�never to return. One was said to be anillusionist, and the other was a trans-muter. A few people have tried to castdispel magic on everyday tavern itemson the theory that the treasure mightbe polymorphed or hidden by an illu-sion, thus far to no avail.

13Use the prices given in Volo’s Guide to Waterdeep under the Inn of the Dripping Dagger�or simplify to thefollowing: ale, 1 cp/tankard; stout, 2 cp/tankard; mead, 3 cp; zzar, 6 cp; sherry, 7 cp; whiskey, 1 sp; and all wines, 1sp/tallglass.

38

The Friendly ArmThis walled hamlet located on the CoastWay several days north of Beregost con-sists of a stone keep (the inn) with stables,gardens, a horse pond, and caravanwagon sheds. It also features a fewhouses, a large meeting hall with a grandmany-pillared entrance, and a temple toGarl Glittergold, chief god of the gnomes.

The Friendly Arm was once thehold of an evil priest of Bhaal whowas destroyed in undead form by aband of adventurers led by the gnomethief and illusionist Bentley Mirror-shade. Bentley set his comrades-at-arms to work renovating the keep,and it soon opened as a fortifiedwaystop on the Coast Way in territoryoften endangered by brigands andraiding bands of orcs, kobolds, bug-bears, and even trolls. Though theseperils have lessened somewhat sincethe Arm was founded, the safe, cleaninn is still a favorite stop.

Places of Interestin the Friendly ArmTemplesThe Temple of WisdomThis low building has interior wallsstudded with gems and gold nuggets.Guarded by many illusions, it is a tem-ple to Garl Glittergold, primary deity ofthe gnomes. Human worshipers, someof whom have dubbed the place theShrine of the Short, are welcomed here.

InnsThe Friendly Arm

Inside the walls of the Friendly Arm,peace is maintained by a commonagreement among guests that this beone of the rare neutral havens in theRealms, by the magic and adventur-ing help might Bentley can call on,14

and by a rumor that some of thefetching human barmaids are reallyiron golems concealed by powerfulillusions! I was unable to test thisbelief beyond learning at least oneserving wench at the Arm has a griplike iron�before she threw me backout of the bedroom she was tidying!(Perhaps the inn was named after her.She did help me up out of the ruins ofthe hall table afterward.)

The energetic, wise, and affablehosts of the Arm are Bentley and hiswife Gellana, who presides over thetemple. She wears a circlet of gems tosignify her devotion to Garl Glitter-gold. The pair of them are kind, veryperceptive, and could probably dealan Amnian merchant out of his lastcopper piece.

The house they keep has large,airy rooms, and good, simple food.Everything is clean, cheerful, anduncrowded, unless there�s a meetinggoing on�for the Arm has become afavorite spot for business gatheringsand neutral ground negotiationsalike.

14There was a murder at the Arm recently, and the murderer was swiftly apprehended�with the magical aid ofa mysterious cloaked man who some say was no less than Khelben �Blackstaff� Arunsun, the Lord Mage of Water-deep! There have always been rumors that Bentley could call on folk from afar and that some sort of gate exists inor near the Arm�perhaps in the cellars of the old keep.

39

Gillian�s HillThis hamlet stands on the east side ofthe Coast Way a half-day�s ride south ofDaggerford15 and about as long a ridefrom Liam�s Hold. The community isnamed for a now-dead half-elvenranger of great beauty. Gillian Cantilardwelt here in a long-vanished houseatop a wooded knoll overlooking theroad. Today, Gillian�s Hill is a grass-girtmount topped by a covered fire cairnused as a signal beacon to warn Dag-gerford of approaching enemyarmies�from Dragonspear Castle orthe Serpent Hills, presumably.

Typical of a hundred or more smallfarming settlements in the SwordCoast region, Gillian�s Hill wouldn�teven be mentioned in this guideexcept for a surprisingly good shopthere and a dungeon that has bothlured many adventurers hither�andslain many. The dungeon seems to bea truly ancient human tomb�as oldas Netheril, or older�where someoneof magical power and political mightwas laid to rest. Just who wasentombed here isn�t clear. The tombwas pillaged long ago�from theUnderdark beneath it! The locationnow serves as a spell-guarded entry tothe Realms Below.

Unfortunately, those ancient andmighty binding spells originally set tostabilize and guard the tomb make itan ideal lair for creatures of theUnderdark. About 20 winters ago, aband of illithids used it as a base from

which they stealthily stalked andraided passing caravan merchants,controlling the minds of unfortunatevictims to make them lure manyothers to a mindless doom.

A brave band of adventurersdefeated the mind flayers, but warnedthat the danger could well recur. Itseems that an even greater evil hasmoved in: A Harper note was foundrecently on the slopes of the hill thatsaid only: �Beware�Phaerimm!Spread the warning!� The writer ofthe note presumably perishedbeneath the hill, as no further newshas come to light as to its authorship�or its subject.

From the surface, the tomb in thehill can only be entered by wanderingabout until one finds the precise loca-tion of one of several invisible por-tals�snatch gates that whisk anyperson or object entering them intothe heart of the hill. Egress is by thesame method, although the exit spotsinside the tomb are apparently differ-ent sites than the entry or arrivallocales, and hard to find.

Attempts to tunnel into the hilluncover stone walls that emit bolts oflightning16 when exposed to air�bolts that continue to lash out untilearth is thrown onto them, andthey�re covered again! This magicallightning can easily stab across thetrade road, imperiling all passing traf-fic. Several mages of power have triedand failed to remove the spells thatcause this deadly effect.

15The location of Gillian�s Hill is shown on the map in the section on the Way Inn, later in this chapter.16These effects are like two bolts of chain lightning, each causing 12d6 points of damage per round, when one

translates Elminster�s description into AD&D® game terms. He added the dry admonition, �Leave this alone, if yehave any sense�but (sigh), ye won�t, will ye?�

40

Places of Interest Torleth Mindulspeer is a tall,

in Gillian�s Hill cadaverously thin man of dry wit and

ShopsTorleth�s TreasuresOddities, Curios, Antiques, and Junk

a gloomy manner. He delights in buy-ing old things, garbage out of ruins orabandoned buildings, and odditiesdug up or brought back from the farcorners of the Realms. Then he sellsthem to passersby.

This shop is a large, ramshackle old Want a dancer�s mask from thebarn that has been extended in ran- vanished realm of Valashar (now partdom directions by diverse hands over of Tethyr)? A mirror that once hungmany years so that its floor and roof in a Calishite harem�before some-change level often and alarmingly, one put a magical painting of a slith-and a forest of rough tree trunks ering snake on it that circles the glassstudded with pegs that hold mer- by itself, moving constantly? Some oldchandise stand here, there, and rope, stained here and there with theeverywhere holding the roof up. Cus- blood of adventurers? Some dustytomers can often be found wandering wine bottles from a shipwreck, terri-in bewilderment in the dimly lit bly old but contents unknown? Aaisles, searching for the way out. book in a language nobody seems

41

able to read? A stuffed wyvern headwith one tooth missing? Some oldcourt clothes from Calimport? Tor-leth will sell them to you�for what-ever low price you can both agree toshake hands on. It�s a place someadventurers refuse to pass withoutstriding in for just a quick lookaround�a look that can last allmorning, of course.

On a recent visit, I found ascabbard that was once worn inEvermeet�now minus its gems andmagic, of course, but still a splendidtrophy. Thieves, bards, and actors getmany of their costumes and propshere, Torleth told me�and I believehim.

There�s a tale told in Gillian�s Hill�

among the stolid farmers, who lackan inn or tavern and gather ofevenings when the weather�s good ineach other�s orchards to smoke andshare the contents of a keg rolled outof one of their cellars or bought froma caravan�of someone who foundthe crown of a barony in the VilhonReach lands in Torleth�s and bought itfor 33 pieces of gold! There�s anotherabout an artist�s sketchbook that con-tained a powerful spell written incode and scattered in the illustrationsthroughout the pages that a sharp-eyed wizard had for 11 gp. A third taletells of a magical ring of resistancesold by Torleth for 4,000 gp thatturned out to have several other pow-ers, such as the ability to emit aninvisible sword blade that could cutmagical barriers and the means to letthe wearer jump.

Such rings are called Harvyn’srings according to Elminster, after themage who devised them. There are�as far as Harvyn�s writings can betrusted�only six in existence, andtheir powers are considerable.17

Torleth also sells tents from armiesthat no longer exist, polearmsgleaned from battlefields up anddown the Coast, helms that fit giantsand helms only a sprite could don,ship steering oars that are 50 feetlong, teeth from dragons that aren�tmuch shorter, stone lions andweirder beasts from half a hundreddemolished mansions, fading coats-of-arms (on shields, wall bosses, andsurcoats) of forgotten noble families,coracles, and more.

17Details of this magical item, furnished by Elminster, appear in Appendix III of this guidebook.

42

JulkounThis village, once known as Shining,is upstream, or northeast, of theLaughing Hollow. It stands on thebanks of the River Shining, or Delim-biyr. As it is located roughly halfwaybetween the two, it looks to Dagger-ford and Secomber for supplies.However, it is home to farmers ofindependent mind.

Julkoun, for whom the village isnow named, gave the hamlet ofShining new importance some 80winters ago when he built a largestone mill and a shrine to Chauntea.Julkoun is long dead, but his grist-mill is, still run by his descendantsand has been joined by a clothyardmill that produces whole cloth forsale in Waterdeep or Amn.

This pastoral village of about 40homes holds busy farmfolk, pleasantgardens, low stone-and-stump wallsand hedgerows, and many strongmanure smells. Its grassy streets areoften full of grazing goats, sheep,and cattle. Julkoun is notable for aninn of surprising excellence and forsome interesting local legends.

Places Of Interestin JulkounShopsJulkoun�s Old MillFlour Mill (Gristmill)

This huge, impressive stone mill andwarehouse grinds, stores, mixes,and bags hulled or crushed grain,

flour, and seeds. It is always busy,and employs over 60 folk, almost allof them descendants of Julkoun.Cats, kept to keep down rodents,and small sling-wielding boys,whose job it is to drive off birds, areeverywhere, and the mill always hasenough output on hand to sell atraveler a belt sack or enoughhuman-sized sacks to fill six wagons.The prices aren�t below those else-where, but the product, carefullyscrutinized by the mill staff, is �asgood as Goldenfields��and that�shigh praise from Amn northward.

The senior millers, AlaslaghEljulkoun, Taunner Eljulkoun, andIrythyl Eljulkoun, sometimes buynuts for blending, to make nut flour.Irythyl�s dark eyes miss nothing, andlocal rumors whisper that she�s aHarper.

Shining River MillClothyard Mill

This barnlike wooden mill still looksnew. Run by four millers for absenteeWaterdhavian owners, it produces acoarse brown looseweave little betterthan homespun in appearance, butvalued for its toughness, It�s oftenused as the base material for sacks ortarpaulins that are made prettier andmore watertight by a layer of finermaterial. The mill also produces afiner, smooth gray material known asshimmersteel for its overall hue andhabit of catching the light. It is muchfavored in the Coast lands for use incloaks and hoods.

43

Bolts of cloth come out of this mill.Although the millers will sell scraps topassersby, they�re not tailors, andaren�t interested in selling small cutsor amounts for the making of individ-ual garments. Locals sometimes com-bine funds to buy and share a wholebolt of Shining River cloth.

InnsThe Jester�s Pride

This excellent inn is named for theJester of Julkoun and is akin to ahalfling hole or a druid�s roothousein appearance. It�s dug out of a hill-side and planted over with a rock gar-den and rough stone walls. The rootsof trees overhead curve across the

ceilings, and many little round win-dows let in the light to the south.Dwarves, gnomes, and halflings allfeel at home here, and those whodon�t detest caves and damp, earthysmells should also enjoy the charm-ing tile-floored passages, which jauntup and down in gentle slopes. Thecheery service and luxurious furnish-ings should delight anyone�mychamber had a copper tub set intothe floor, with piped hot water!

The inn is run by the Yevershoul-der halfling family, who have foundno less than six delightfully impish�and breathtakingly beautiful! � half-elven ladies to serve at the inn aschambermaids. They all give as theirname �Elsharee,� and may in factshare that name for all I know. Some

44

lonely merchants seem to arrangetheir travels up the Delimbiyr toinclude Julkoun just to see them�and I suspect that some of the oddfolk I saw dropping by on severalmoonlit nights knew how to harp�ifyou catch my meaning�and werewelcome here because of it.

The Jester�s Pride underlies awooded ridge that is surrounded byextensive herb and floral plantings.The ridge itself is crisscrossed bymany meandering paths that link sev-eral little bowers with benches forguests to rest or relax in. By night,these sheltered garden refuges seemto find use both for romantic frolicsand for somewhat shady businessmeetings full of code phrases, falsenames, and dangerous-soundingplans. Perhaps I was overhearing vis-iting adventurers�or perhaps there�smore going on in Julkoun than onemight think.

The Jester for whom the inn isnamed was a local thief-adventurer ofmysterious powers. He seems to havebeen an acrobat of astonishing skill,and to have commanded exotic mag-ics. He disappeared some 20 summersago, presumably coming to a stickyend, but until then enjoyed a colorfulcareer of robbing rich merchants,nobles, and wizards who camethrough the area�and surviving!

The Jester was a man of unusualheight who hid his identity behind ajester�s mask. The bells of his head-gear were silent and were actuallymagical tokens of various sorts thatafforded him lucky escapes on manyoccasions. Several of his victims

hunted him with ready spells or manyswords or both, and he somehowoutfaced them and sent them fleeing,their hireswords slain and their plansshattered. (Tales of the Jester�sescapades come complete with furi-ous debates as to whether he wasreally the god Mask, a dragon inhuman shape, a Master Harper, aderanged archmage, or a mightybeing from another plane.)

The Jester vanished suddenly, leav-ing his lair�and whatever he�d man-aged to keep of the vast amounts oftreasure he�d wrested from rightfulowners�hidden. Unless someone�sfound it since (and no hint of this hasfound its way into the local tales of theJester�s daring), a king�s treasury�sworth of coins, gems, finery, andmagic waits hidden somewhere nearJulkoun. Some stories say the lair iselsewhere, reached via an invisiblegate in midair above a local ruin oratop a local tor�an entrance revealedto an unintentional observer one

45

Whatever the truth about theJester,18 the inn that bears his nameserves excellent food. I especially rec-ommend the fresh river trout on toastwith a sauce of lemon, cream, andpepper, and the delicately preparedvenison. Tables at the Pride alwayssport dishes of interesting relishesand sauces made on the premises.Some are fiery, but others are subtledelights�and approach the finest

moonlit night by the Jester�s use of it.Some say the invisible portal isreached by leaping off a cliff or crum-bling parapet wall in just the rightplace�and that those who misjudgeits location will plunge to their deaths.

fare of the Elven Court, I�m told byelven friends. The wine cellar is excel-lent� I was astonished to find Saer-loonian Glowfire and the pale greenwines of northern Calimshan (both 1sp per tallglass, or 3 sp per bottle)among the more usual winter wineand local vintages.

I�ve included here a hearty recipefrom the inn�s kitchens because of itsusefulness to travelers on the traileverywhere in Faerûn. Another trailtip from the cooks at the Pride: Whenreheating beef stew for a later meal,add some basil, chopped garlic, andchopped or crushed lemon or otherfruit�berries will do�to liven it.

18Local rumors say the Jester has recently been seen again, upriver�but I was unable to find word of this out-side Julkoun.

46

KheldrivverThis hamlet nestles between grassyknolls at the eastern end of the TrollHills.19 Once an isolated monasticcommunity dedicated to the venera-tion of Oghma, it was raided manytimes by trolls and several times over-run, with the monks all slain, drivenout, or forced to flee into hiding.

Some 200 years ago, all the monkswere dead, and their hold was inruins. An Amnian adventuring bandof vicious reputation, the Circle ofScythes, came to the ruinedmonastery in search of spellbooksand other riches, but disappearedwhile exploring the monastic cellars.A servant left with the horses toldwild stories of many-tentacled thingsrising out of the ruins with the adven-turers struggling in their grasp.

Other adventuring bands went outto the ruins of the House of theBinder (as the monastery wasknown), but came back empty-handed. The cellars had fallen in, andthere was no trace of spellbooks,adventurers, or any monsters beyondall-too-numerous trolls. The rubbery-skinned menaces took over the holdfor some years, until they grew sostrong as to imperil all use of thetrade road. A great war band waswhelmed in Amn to deal with themunder the leadership of oneKheldrivver, a warrior-turned-swordseller who promised to sweepthe area clear of trolls and keep it thatway.

He did so, and transformed the

House into a stone-walled cluster offortresslike, stone-turreted homes,with slate roofs. As little as possiblewas made of wood so that fire couldbe used with enthusiasm in the eventof troll attacks.

The community became home to afew mercenary warriors who wishedto retire. Under Kheldrivver�s leader-ship, they gave protection and dry,guarded warehouses to farmers wish-ing to settle in the area. Many timessince then the trolls have been hurledback, and Kheldrivver�s Hold, whichover the years has become knownjust as Kheldrivver, remains a farmingcenter today, visited by many enter-prising merchants who sell the splen-dors of far-off places and buy freshproduce for sale in Waterdeep andthe cities of the Sword Coast.

Kheldrivver himself disappearedmysteriously soon after the rebuildingof the monastery. Locals whisper thathe was definitely digging alone insome of the deeper local cellars, insearch of whatever monks� treasuremight remain�and most folk believehe found something and then some-thing else found him. Local legendnow speaks of him being seen only bynight�with stag�s antlers growingfrom his head!

There are pits, walled off corners,and stone piles in many cellars inKheldrivver. Most folk don�t speak ofthem, while others let adventurers godown into their own cellars in returnfor fees of 50 gold pieces or more.While certain village people may be get-ting rich on this, so far now adventur-

19The location of Kheldrivver is shown on the map in the section on Roaringshore found later in this chapter.

47

ers have returned from the cellars anymore wealthy than when they went in.

Places of Interestin KheldrivverShopsUngairmer�s BooterySecondhand Shop and General Gear

Ungairmer�s shop buys and sellssecondhand material of all sorts,from sails and wagons�a wizardonce even reported finding some-thing he excitedly called a spelljam-ming helm there, though to mostobservers it looked like an old chairin need of repairs�to daggers, beltbuckles, and old boots. Ungairmercalls his place a bootery because hecan order in new, custom-madeboots from corvisers in Waterdeep.They usually cost a steep 20 to 25 gp

perching on old chairs, chests, bar-rels and the like. A spell cast eachnight by Oeth�s daughter, the fat andgood-natured minor sorceress Shu-lunda, keeps insects away from theporch while folk chat and play atcards, shirestone, fiveknights, andother board games.

The foreporch of this converted ware-house has a large overhang, bigenough to shelter horses at the hitch-ing rail that runs along the porchfront. Many lamps hang here, and ofevenings this is the closest thingKheldrivver has to a tavern. Tall lid-ded tankards of ale are sold by stout,placid Oeth Ungairmer at 5 cp each toall who�d like to gather for a chat,

per pair. Older footwear, and mostthings in the shop, range from 3 cp to50 gp in price. Wagons and harnessare the top-priced items. Waychestsand good gear that farmers can use,such as rope, spikes, and plows, arein the mid-price range. Buckles, dag-gers, and the like are at the low end.It�s a useful place to poke about in,though nothing beside Torleth�s Trea-sures in Gillian�s Hill (also coveredelsewhere in this guide).

InnsThe Troll�s Nose

This inn�s name comes from thestuffed, painted, incredibly long (almost6 feet!) troll�s nose mounted on its sign-board. From time to time, local wagshang lamps or �borrowed� undergar-ments on it. Unfortunately, it�s the onlyexciting thing about the inn.

The fare at the Nose is solid butunexciting beef stews, thickly slicedbreads, and diced vegetables smoth-ered in brown sauces. The Nose is adank, dimly lit place of stone, lookingrather like a cramped old castleinside. Its low-ceilinged dining roomis decorated with blackened trollskulls everywhere�in rows onshelves, along the mantel, and hang-ing from hooks on pillars and overthe tables. I felt as if I was in the midstof a minstrels� mummery show.

In addition to its unique decor, theNose is as expensive as an top-rungWaterdhavian inn. However, it hasproven a haven to many a troll-harriedtraveler.

48

L a t h t a r l � sLanternThis small fishing village appears onfew maps of the Realms, and mostmerchants don�t even know it exists 20

Part of this seclusion is because of itsmarshy surroundings, and part is dueto its proximity to the dangerous lichhold of Larloch�s Crypt. (Larloch’sCrypt has become corrupted over theyears into Warlock’s Crypt, and that�s asgood a warning to travelers, I suppose.)

Lathtarl was a pirate some 300 win-ters ago whose greed drove him to fallafoul of the elven ships out of Ever-meet. Forced to flee for his life in asea fight, he ran his ship ashore hereas a wreck, most of his crew dead andhimself a cripple, the arm and leg onone side of his body useless.

The wreck gave him an idea, and hebecame a wrecker, luring ships ashoreby lighting many lanterns along thecoast to fool sailors running along thecoast in storms into thinking thatthey�d reached Baldur�s Gate, Orlum-bor, or some other secure harbor.Instead, if they turned ashore theyfound rocks, with a pebble beach justbeyond. Sailors who didn�t perish inthe wreck were slain by Lathtarl�s sur-viving crew or held for sale into slaveryor for ransom. Calishite slavers and allthe Sword Coast pirates soon discov-ered Lathtarl�s existence, and madehim a transfer point for slaves andcontraband�their ships would standwell offshore on clear nights, andboats would cross the rocky bar fromship to shore and back.

The village supported itself by fish-ing and was also kept busy, small, andfree from harassment by land-basedneighbors due to frequent lizard manraids. The mouth of the WindingWater is shallow and marshy, withoutany harbor�and the miles uponmiles of silt and marsh grasses arehome to many lizard men.

These marshes carry an ill historyof their own. Local rumors speak ofat least two dead kings somewhereout in the fens. One was RingTredarath, a rebel lord of Tethyr longago who fled with about a hundredarmed retainers to found a newrealm out of reach of his foes. Hishard-riding band, heavily laden withall his regalia and treasury, blun-dered into the marshes in an eveningfog and perished by drowning (somein quicksand) and as dinner for manymarsh monsters. Gold pieces and ajeweled dagger have been found, andat least one lizard man has been seenduring a raid wearing a goldencrown, but cartloads of gold andgems are still lost in the marshes.

The other king was Bevedaur ofCortryn, a vanished realm that is nownortheastern Amn. He camped in themarsh while pursuing his favoredsport, serpent hunting, and was over-whelmed with all his court by a nightattack from an army of lizard men.Ghostly knights are still said to driftover the marsh by night, spectralblades in hand.

Lathtarl is long dead of disease,and several times the Lords of Water-deep and merchant houses of that

20See the entry on Roaringshore later in this chapter for a map that shows its location.

49

city and of Amn have placed agents inthe village to intercept and battlepirates and smugglers. Threats havebeen made that the entire villagewould be burned to the ground�andthe villagers slaughtered�if the prac-tice of light luring continued. Thesethreats have been heeded, but there�sstill an occasional real shipwreck inthe vicinity, and pirates have taken torunning stolen ships ashore here thatthey can�t use as pirate vessels (usu-ally old, slow, leaky cogs).

Lathtarl�s Lantern would not bementioned in this guide (few todayembrace the old nobles� sport oflizard man hunting, and adventurerslooking for lost crowns always seemto hear guiding rumors without bene-fit of a guidebook) except that it is also

home to a temple to Umberlee, theGrotto of the Queen, and to an innand tavern of note, the Wailing Wave.

Places of Interestin Latharl�s LanternTemplesThe Grotto of the QueenThe village of Latharl�s Lantern is shel-tered on the north by a crescent-shaped, rocky ridge. At the seaward endof this ridge are some tidal caves, theinnermost of which has been enlargedand connected by winding stone stairtunnels to a small-spired temple on thesurface. This temple is decorated withrelics of wrecked ships�notably a largecollection of figureheads. Most of thefigureheads are larger-than-life-size

50

humans, but there are also mermaids,hippocampi, and more fanciful crea-tures. Here a staff of at least 12 humanclergy (most of them True Servants ofthe Wave 21) take offerings from localfishermen, visiting pirates, and othersailors to appease the goddess or to buyher favor for voyages ahead.

The sea cave under the temple, theGrotto itself, is said to be guarded bymarine undead created by the priests(lacedons, undead sharks, and thelike). The Grotto is also said be visitedfrom time to time by the Tribute Gath-erers�powerful evil creatures of thedeep who serve Umberlee and takeriches gathered from the temple offer-ings into the watery deeps for the useof Umberlee�s agents and followers allalong the Sword Coast. On at least oneoccasion, a sunken ship crewed byskeletons has risen from the deeps toram and then fight off a pirate vesselhoping to plunder the temple.

Inns/TavernsThe Wailing Wave

Named for a local legend that thewaves rolling in on the village�s peb-ble beach wail on certain moonlitnights with the mournful cries of allwho�ve drowned in the wrecks offLatharl�s Lantern, this is one of thewildest taverns�and busiest inns�on the Sword Coast. Unlike its rivalpirate base, Roaringshore, Lathtarl�sLantern remains inaccessible and lit-tle-known, which makes it ideal forslavers and others who must deal in

illicit cargoes that are bulky, requirespecial care, or are hard to hide. TheWave is a low-ceilinged, smoky, ram-shackle roadhouse like a hundredothers in the Realms. Former stablesout back have been converted intotwo rickety floors of night rentalrooms. It is not much of an inn, butthe marshes and wandering trollsand brigands between the village andthe Coast Way make it highly unlikelythat any traveler would seek out theWave just to stay there�and visitorsto Lathtarl�s Lantern don�t have muchchoice where they stay.

Where the Wave really shines is as abar. Pirates, adventurers, outlaws,humanoids, half-breed monsters, andmonstrosities come ashore in smallboats to crowd the taproom night afternight, talking business and enjoying thebest stock of beverages anywhere onthe Sword Coast. Most of the shadybusiness people � and merchants � onthe Coast come here often.

21True Servants of the Wave are specialty priests of Umberlee. They command some still-mysterious powers.

51

Liam�s Hold

Liam is buried in a spell-guardedcrypt deep under the tower. Althoughhe�s said to lie in a casket with all hisspellbooks, a magical staff, anenchanted blade, and magical ringson his fingers, no adventurers,thieves, or rival wizards have suc-ceeded in plundering his remains.They have failed because of the other-planar creatures that guard his tomband local folk who furiously denyaccess to the crypt. They do so thanksto a community legend that says the

tower was raised with magic and

The tower was the fortress-home ofthe powerful wizard and warrior Sun-der Halyndliam, whose name�s beenshortened locally over the years toLiam. The hamlet is named in hismemory�partially because his silentarmored wraith, chilling blade inhand, is said to still defend the toweragainst intruders. It is certain that nofewer than six thieves have been founddead at the base of the tor, havingfallen from the tower during the night.

This hamlet of about 50 folk stands onthe eastern side of the Trade Wayabout a day�s travel south of Dagger-ford.22 A flat-topped tor of bare rock,about two acres in area, overlooks theroad. It is ringed by a low stone wall,and at the south end stands a crum-bling keep tower. The settlement iscrammed onto the top of the tor, withits grazing and tillage fields to the eastand a pasture for passing caravans tocamp in just to the south, overlookedby the tower.

removal of Liam�s magic will cause itto topple, crushing the hamlet underfalling stone. This is why every possi-bly magical bauble Liam possessedwas buried with him.

Today, the tower is part of theHoldfast Inn, which is good enough todeserve coverage in any guidebook toSword Coast establishments.

Places of Interestin Liam�s HoldInnsThe Holdfast Inn

This inn consists of Liam�s tower, fullof ornately carved stone stairs andarched windows. The tower has threetwo-story-high wings stretching outfrom it. Two stand along the parapetwalls of the Hold, and the third (thekitchen and pantries) joins the stables,enfolding the inn�s entry courtyard.All of the inn is built of stone. Thehalls are carpeted against the chillwith furs atop rushes, and the bed-chambers sport floor furs, windowhangings to keep out cold breezes,and curtained and canopied beds.

Service at the Holdfast is attentive,with warming pans placed in the bedson cold nights, a nightkiss drink atbedside without charge, plentifulwash water and towels, warmingrobes for guests, and generous, fillingfood. A stay at the Holdfast is an expe-rience not to be missed. Many mer-chants specially arrange their travelsso they can stop here and relax.

22The location of Liam�s Hold is shown on the map found in the entry for the Way Inn, later in this chapter.

52

RoaringshoreThis isolated village nestles in asmall deepwater cove on the coastabout a third of the way south fromthe mouth of the Winding Watertoward the city of Baldur�s Gate. LikeLathtarl�s Lantern (see that entry),this is a pirate hold�but unlike theLantern, the reputation of bold, law-less Roaringshore has spread far upand down the length of the SwordCoast.

Though such tales have grown inthe telling, this is still a place raidedat least once summer by mercenaryarmies of 70 or more lancers orhorse archers, hired by Amn andBaldur�s Gate. As a result, prominent

folk and businesses here tend to be(literally!) short-lived. Even so, twoestablishments of note have lastedlong enough to garner well-deservedreputations: the Swordarm and theBroken Goblet.

The traveler should be aware thatmany pirates here are runaways,local thieves, and adventurers all outto make an impression, and perhapsattract some business as mercenaryhirelings. A lot of posing goes on.This can make Roaringshore a verydangerous place for the visitor whoisn�t in a large, well-armed group, orobviously powerful. I had to flee itabruptly�but I did manage to learnthe details about the two mainattractions first.

53

The Broken GobletTavern

When pirates and lawless folk come tobrawl and carouse, their first thoughtis to roll into the Goblet� swords drawn,and swagger as they promenade alongthe raised entry dais and down towardthe bar. It�s the place to be seen�andthe place to be killed in, if the bodycount of the last few years is any indi-cation. Don�t go here unless you�revery good with a blade, alert, have a lotof well-armed friends with you, andare protected against poisons,

A spell such as ironguard23 (whichrenders one immune to metal bladedweapons for a time) is an ideal pro-tection here, but beware, this place is

strongly warded, and the defensespermit only existing defensive spellsto continue. Newly cast spells aretwisted and lost, without effect. Thedefenses also whisk all missiles(hurled glasses, daggers, darts, bolts,and arrows alike) up into gentle con-tact with the ceiling. This preventsbroken glasses�for drink is servedhere in ornately carved and blownglasses, some of which are exquisitelybeautiful, and rather more of whichare simply rude.

The PlaceThe Goblet consists of a dark taproomwith stone floors, massive wooden sup-port pillars and furnishings (trestletables, wall benches, and high-backedwooden chairs), and candle lamps. Thelatter can be raised and lowered onchains via ceiling pulleys and fromhooks located behind the bar, and con-sist of wagon wheels that each support acircle of seven to nine fat candles, eachset in a buckler to catch the melted waxA favorite trick during a brawl is to leapbehind the bar and undo the hooks,sending the heavy lamps plummetingdown atop the tables. The danger of firemakes this tactic grounds for ejection�dead or alive.

The staff here go armed with dag-gers, boot knives, and steel knucklespikes.24 Overly amorous patrons arewarned that the large men with manyscars are large men with many scars,but the buxom wenches with the longlashes and ready smiles are dopple-

231ronguard is a 5th-level wizard spell found in theFORGOTTEN REALMS

® Adventures hardbound.24Knuckle spikes do the same damage at a blow as a

dagger, veteran users tell me.

54

gangers. They often respond to overlyfamiliar touches with a dagger strikeand a shift in the form of one handinto a loose curtain of flesh that canbe slapped over a patron�s face tosmother or blind him!

The street door is guarded by twohouse guards with orders to keep itclear so that access is denied to none.Brawls are thus prevented from erupt-ing on the way in and out the door andharming trade. This has the effect ofallowing each patron to make a grandentrance on the raised entry dais, whichoverlooks the taproom from behind asafety rail. Atrophy of a long-ago brawldecorates this smoothed oak tree-trunkrailing: A black-bladed battle axe split therail in two and crashed down to buryitself haft-deep in the edge of the floorbeneath. Its owner did not live longenough to get it free�so the proprietorsof the tavern left it there as a warning.

From the taproom, many small,shadowy stairs lead down to jakes (adangerous place known for stabbingsand impromptu body disposals, withdirect connections to the tidal sewers)and up to private drinking rooms,some of which have sliding panelsoffering egress to side alleys. Lighting isalways scanty in the Goblet, and a ghostpipes25 spell provides gentle back-ground music to cover most conversa-tions from casual eavesdropping.

The ProspectThere are constant rumors that thestaff and ownership of the Goblet are

not human�and consist of beings farmore deadly than the doppleganger�wenches.� Most folk believe thatsome fell power runs the tavern. Itswardings are certainly strong, andspells have been deflected from themthat hurled back or slew large merce-nary attacking forces sent to cleanseor raid Roaringshore. (Those bearinga ward token can cast spells withinthe tavern.) The truth, according toone Harper I spoke with, is thatillithids rule this tavern and use theirpowers to gather information aboutthe illicit doings of the Sword Coastfrom the guests who come here.26

Ward Token of the Broken Goblet

25Ghost pipes is a 2nd-level wizard spell found in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures hardbound.26The Harper is right, Elminster confirms�after which he sarcastically thanked Volo for revealing only what is

prudent about Roaringshore.

55

The PricesAle is 3 cp per tallglass, and all wine(from a vast cellar) is 4 cp per tall-glass. Sherries, zzar, and Tashlutanrollrum are 1 sp per tallglass.Whiskeys and fine brandies are 2 spper tallglass, and elverquisst is 1 gpper tallglass. A recent fad is to mixdrinks with syrups and flavoredwaters. Such concoctions bear suchnames as Flaming Dragon, DrawnDagger Down, and Moonlit Knight,and go for 1 gp each. Trying everyone is the current diversion of theidly rich and danger-seekers.

The Goblet sells no food, butpatrons can bring in all they like.One free glass per patron perevening is included in drink prices. Ifone wants to buy others, they�re 1 sp

each. Many delighted merchantstake away armfuls�and the prettieror more whimsical or salaciouspieces fetch prices as high as 12 to 14gp each in far-off, wealthy placessuch as Saerloon, Selgaunt, Suzail,Teflamm, and Westgate.

Travelers� LoreThe anonymous owners of the Gobletkeep many treasure maps, wills, andwritten deals hidden in vaults forpirates, who pay 100 gp per page forlong storage. The items are storedfrom when they are left until they areretrieved by the surrender of a sym-bolic key (usually a brass token).Rumor has it that the tokens look likebrass sea shells, but no one has everbeen able to definitively prove this.

56

The SwordarmInn

You�d expect the only inn in a piratehold regularly rocked by brawls andopen fighting in the streets�andoften raided by mercenary armies,too�to be a crumbling, filthy, ver-min-infested ruin of a place, on theverge of falling down. Well, theSwordarm was�until a powerful evilwizard decided to make it an invest-ment. He devised a mysterious spellof great power27 that entrapped histhree apprentices, binding them in amystic web of forces linked to the oldstone-and-timber inn building. Theirlife forces hold the inn together andconvert spells cast within it into rawpower that binds together andrepairs the place, and makes guestssafe from hostile spells.

The unfortunate apprentices canbe seen to this very day, two youngmen and a young woman clad industy, dangling tatters of robes, float-ing face-down near the ceiling of thelobby and staring down in frozen,endless horror at folk who passbelow. After they were trapped, theircaptor and master, the mage Aulyn-tar Cowlsar, pierced the walls withmany new windows, added anornate balcony and hanging stair-case, and cut a pool now full of hottingling waters into the floor of thelobby. (This pool would be a delightto bathe in were it not for the contin-

uous feeling of being watched�dueto the unfortunate apprentices, nodoubt.) These changes probablymean that should anything befall theapprentices, the Swordarm willundoubtedly collapse. Until then, it�squite an impressive place.

The PlaceThe Swordarm is magnificent, akinto the luxurious Waterdhavian villasof richer nobles. It sports high ceil-ings, large windows, marble floorsand window seats, and statuesadorning the halls and rooms every-where. (These statues were undoubt-edly plundered by pirates fromtemples, grand houses, and sunkenruins up and down the Sea ofSwords.) Local rumor swears Aulyn-tar spies on guests and goings-onthrough the carved eyes and ears ofthese stone figures.

Every floor of the inn has a centralhall linked to a landing on the soar-ing hanging stairs, an audiencechamber opening off the landing tothe hall, a dining lounge, and guestchambers. The inn has no main din-ing room. Guests can elect to beserved meals in their rooms, andmost do. (A secret back passage isrumored to plunge down within thewalls to a tunnel that runs far fromRoaringshore. There it branches toopen high on a cliff above the sea onone hand and in a swampy, over-grown ravine in the rolling wilder-nesses on the other.)

27Elminster refused to give out any details of this spell under any circumstances. He also said that the names ofthe apprentices were not forgotten�but that they had done as many deeds of grasping evil as their master, anddeserved their fate.

57

The Swordarm also offers guests asecure storage service, employingspell- and monster-guarded vaultsunder its imposing bulk. The roofhas sliding panels in one gable thatallow an agile aerial steed such as agriffon or a hippogriff, or a personemploying flight magic, to arrive orleave without landing in the streetbelow. This loft stables occupies theupper floor of the inn. The conven-tional stables are behind the inn,separated from it by a street. The innis surrounded by streets and lacksany sort of yard. The stables openinto a warehouse for the storage ofwagons, coaches, and caravan goods.

The ProspectThe Swordarm has housed manypowerful and dangerous pirates andadventurers over the years. Theyhave come to expect�and dependon�a place that is clean, quiet, andsafe. On the rare occasions whenguests have offered violence to any-one, swift and sure spells (presum-ably those of Aulyntar, who prefers toremain unseen) have lashed out toend the matter�usually by destroy-ing the belligerent guest, althoughthere have been some reports ofsuch individuals being teleportedabruptly into the depths of far-offSkullport, beneath Waterdeep, or theheart of the jungles of Chult, or intothe midst of Icewind Dale.

So this inn has become a neutralmeeting place for deadly enemies,uneasy rivals, and swaggering folk-of-danger alike. If guests intend to dobusiness together, however, they

tend to arrange to meet elsewhere�no one is free of the feeling thatAulyntar or his frozen apprenticesare always watching and listening.Some folk are so sensitive to thisfeeling that they cannot stay in theinn for more than a few breaths. Onthe other hand, it is the safest havenin Roaringshore�unless one is awizard. There are several tales ofmage guests disappearing here overthe years.

The PricesEverything at the Swordarm is thebest, and everything�s included inthe daily rate except drink. Unfortu-nately, that rate starts at 6 gp pernight for a tiny bunkroom and soarsto 25 gp per night for the six largestsuites. Pirate crews usually grabthese suites more or less year-round.Here they can post guards, strewtheir belongings around, and stillsleep farther apart than they do onboard. The nicest single bed-chambers, though, are often allvacant (22 gp per night).

Drinkables are 2 gp per bottle or4 gp per hand cask, regardless ofwhat�s inside such containers. Somerare vintages can be obtained here,but the variety is small, and thesupplies irregular. The inn does notwant to appear to compete with localtaverns.

Travelers� LoreThe Swordarm bills itself as a homefor those who swing blades for a liv-ing. Most wizards don�t care to staythe night within its walls, for mages

58

have a habit of vanishing from theeven the most securely barred bed-chambers.

Most folk suspect these disappear-ing guests were wizards who tried tofree the trapped apprentices or tam-per with the protective spells of theinn. Most wizards suspect Aulyntarexamines every mage under his roof,and destroys those who possessmagic he covets. If this is true, hemust be very powerful by now.

It is certain that one HaldanshynCloak of Swords, a wizard of bothpower and importance from south-ern Amn, lost his temper in the innone evening six summers ago. Allthat night a furious spell battle ragedabove; around, and through theSwordarm, as Haldanshyn flewabout, engaging a foe who appearedonly as a swirling, sparkling clusterof luminous eyes.

Much of the inn was destroyed, ortwisted and sagged about the terri-fied guests�many of whom dove ortumbled out windows and fled fortheir lives amid explosions, gouts offlame, and hair-raising crawling fin-gers of lightning. Near dawn, Hal-danshyn was seen to snarl and thenhowl in pain as his magical staff sud-denly caught fire and blazed withphosphorescent orange and biliousgreen light from end to end. Theblaze was intense, and the wizardplunged from his hovering positionin the air above the inn, leaving hisskeletal hands still clinging to theashes of the staff.

The grisly relic remained aloft forsome days, but the wizard was torn

The Cloak of Swords

apart by unseen raking claws as he fell,leaving only his tattered, drifting cloakbehind.

A shadowy form�presumablyAulyntar�emerged from the inn andcaught the cloak, but it erupted in arushing torrent of glittering steel,and the form hastily flew off, trailinga mist of blood. The cloak driftedaway more slowly. What became ofit, none in Roaringshore can agree.Some say another wizard masteredit, others that it blew out to sea or fellinto Aulyntar�s clutches�and stillothers whisper that it yet lurksaround the village, pouncing onlone, drunken sailors and slashingthem to ribbons in fits of insanevengeance.

59

Trollclaw FordThis ruined hamlet stands where theCoast Way fords the Winding Wateramid mist-shrouded, grassy hills.Trolls lurking in the hills make theplace perilous no matter how manymercenary armies or adventuringbands come to clean the monstersout.

Abandoned a dozen winters ago,the Ford has been rapidly overgrown.The trolls keep creatures larger thansnakes and birds from lairing thereand pull apart buildings digging outbadgers and burrowing food. Most

highsun, flanked by horse archerswhose arrows can be ignited at a trotfrom spear-slung braziers.

The most recent settlers at theFord were the High Helms, a veteranadventuring band. A dozen strong,they rebuilt a villa into a fortified holdand held out against the trolls forthree full seasons�until someoneslew them and shattered their towerwith an explosive spell blast seenfrom miles away Their treasure stilllies in their fallen tower, guarded bytheir undead bones and possibly bywhoever�or whatever�slew them.(Folk speak of their slayer being a ser-

caravans camp heavily armed in bon- pent-headed mage with faceted,fire rings well away from the Fordand make a run across the river at

amber-colored eyes and the slittedpupils of a snake.)

60

Ulgoth�s BeardThis hamlet of about 70 folk is located onthe north side of the mouth of the RiverChionthar west of Baldur�s Gate. Its stonehouses nestle in a natural bowl in the clifftop overlooking the river, and a warningbeacon is maintained on the cliff top toalert Baldur�s Gate to attacking ships.

In fact, the name of the settlementcomes out of its history of being attackedby sea. Of old, pirate raids on Baldur�sGate were numerous. Ulgoth was a stout,bristle-bearded pirate of great girth andgreater reputation. The beacon was saidto �singe Ulgoth�s Beard� by robbing himof surprise so that the raiding force he ledwas met by ready resistance and hurledback with the loss of many pirate lives,including Ulgoth�s own. (He tried to use aring of flying to escape the fray and waslast seen heading out to sea, his flyingcorpse bristling with twenty-odd arrows.)

The hamlet consists of sheep-herding families, who keep their sheepon the rolling grasslands behind thecliff, and some fisherfolk, who transporttheir boats up and down the cliff bymeans of a cradle of massive cables.None of them are wealthy.

The Beard lacks a road link to theinterior, though pack mules have aneasy journey over the grassy hills to andfrom Baldur�s Gate. There�s no tavernin the Beard, though one residentbrews his own dreadful ale and sells itat 1 cp per tankard. Ulgoth�s Beard alsohas no inn, but travelers can camp outin a ruined keep just north of the ham-let, on the lip of the bowl. The keep wasonce home to a cruel pirate lord,Andarasz, and legends speak of undead

lurking in the storage caverns beneaththe keep. All of the storage caverns havealready been searched by many eagerpirate crews over the years.

There�s nothing else notable aboutthe Beard except Shandalar, an eccentricmage who dwells in a floating house justeast of the hamlet. It�s actually a mooredHalruaan skyship, its upper decks rebuiltinto a series of balconies, hanging gar-dens, gabled rooms, and lightning rods.Shandalar harnesses the lightningstrikes from the many storms that sweepover the Beard to energize strange magi-cal constructs of his own devising�andis said locally to be immune to all harmfrom lightning, as he often strolls aboutamid the crackling bolts, garmentslashed by the wind, laughing and singingin the driving storm.

Beneath the wizards house is asmall stone hut fitted with doubledoors. This is the entrance to his ownextensive network of caverns, whereseveral monsters loyal to Shandalar-living mushrooms, locals swear!�

61

shamble about in the darkness harvest- blindness-healing ointments).ing mushrooms. The mage makes a Most of Shandalar�s sales come fromsteady income growing his ��shrooms� the garnishcaps and two other cookingfor the tables of Baldur�s Gate. Someapothecaries in that city dry them andsell them whole or powdered for use incooking, healing, or the enchantingarts. Shandalar has a huge variety ofmushrooms and sells them for as littleas 1 cp per handbasket (for plain browngarnishcaps, used mainly in beef stewsand pies) to as much as 5 gp each (fordeadly poisonous gloomshrooms,favored in the making of poisons, flesh-numbing physicians� unguents, and

mushrooms: small white rock buttons (2cp per handbasket) and succulent frilledfelarndon �shrooms. Shandalar�s threebeautiful daughters (and, it is rumored,apprentices28) take a floating disc of theseinto Baldur�s Gate�s market daily.

Shandalar is known to have agree-ments with powerful pirates and out-laws. He keeps certain treasures safefor them in the hidden depths of hismushroom caverns in return for steepannual fees (1,000 gp per chest).

28Elminster says the daughters are his apprentices, warns that Shandalar rivals Khelben �Blackstaff� Arunsun ofWaterdeep in power, and that his daughters are no slouches as mages either, and further says that the mushroomcaverns contain at least one gate to elsewhere in the Realms (just where, he�s not certain). The guardians of thecaverns include myconids, as the locals say, but they are also home to mechanical spiders of the wizard�s ownmaking and even more dangerous predators. Several bands of thieves have died failing to evade them.

62

Warlock�s CryptOver the years, the name Larloch’sCrypt, still found in many accountsand on older maps of the Realms, hasbecome corrupted into Warlock’sCrypt. The soaring towers of this iso-lated walled castle can be seen fromafar, sweeping up like menacing black-nailed talons reaching into the sky.29

The mighty lich Larloch dwells herein a city of the undead. Many adventur-ers have claimed to have destroyedhim, but the Shadow Ring always risesagain to rule over his city of wraiths,wights, liches, vampires, and hosts oflesser undead, from crawling claws tomonster zombies. Larloch is said to beone of the last surviving sorcerer-kingsof Netheril, although his mind is quitegone. He exists today as an ultra-lich ofawesome powers, whimsical andcrazed�at times snarling and hurlingspells at random, and at other times abrilliantly calculating inventor of magi-cal items, new spells, and magicalstrategies. No less than 16 Red Wizardsof Thay are known to have gone to theCrypt to try to destroy him or stealsome of his power. They all failed�andof them all, only Szass Tam has eversurvived.

The Crypt is a series of wizards tow-ers, each standing in its own circularwalled garden. The towers stand on thebanks of a small spring that rises in thecellars of the highest tower (Larloch�sown) and is much befouled by the dis-charges of the Shadow Ring�s experi-ments. Its luminous waters cast an

29Warlock�s Crypt can been seen on the map in theentry on Roaringshore, earlier in this chapter.

eerie, flickering glow over the towers bynight. Their walled gardens are sur-rounded by a gloomy network of twist-ing streets and abandoned housescrowded along the stream banks. Inthese streets and houses, lesser undeadshuffle about in accordance with theorders of the lich lords who serve Lar-loch. Over this dusty city leap manydark, railless bridge spans that link thegarden walls and the lower levels of thetowers. Skeletal giant bat steeds andstranger creatures sally forth fromthem to attack travelers who venturetoo near, since Larloch is interested ingaining living humans for use in hisexperiments in undeath and in seizingall magic he can find. This is not a placeI recommend travelers even venturewithin sight of.

Most sages believe the Crypt, whichis very old, was once a Netherese wiz-ards� enclave�home to mages whonow serve Larloch as liches. Larloch issaid to command the spells of an arch-wizard, a small arsenal of magical

63

items�including Netherese powerscepters of various sorts, rare orunknown elsewhere in the Realms oftoday�and the absolute loyalty gainedby some fiendish magic, of the licheswho serve him. He is said to enjoy con-versing with ghosts and unfortunateadventurers who fall into his clutches,and has even been known to grant free-dom to captives in return for a service.

The service is usually to gain for himsome close-guarded and powerfulmagic from elsewhere in the Realms,such as a special spell or favorite magi-cal item held by a Red Wizard of Thayor mighty archmage. Such freedomcomes with magical strings. A personwho ignores the mission once awayfrom the Crypt is magically transformedinto some horrific tanar�ri or other

monstrous form (that of a hook horror,for instance&slowly one limb at atime. Larloch has his own code of con-duct, however. Completing such a mis-sion does mean return to proper formand complete freedom�for those whodo not try to deceive or attack him.

Some minstrels have wronglydubbed the ruler of the Crypt �theWarlock� or �the Warlock King,� butbe warned that those who composeballads using such terminology arelikely to be kidnapped by night thingsand spirited away to face torment andundeath at Larloch�s hands. It�s noteven a good idea to sing the balladknown as �The Warlock King� withinthree days� ride of the Troll Hills, forfear Larloch should hear and takeinterest.

64

The Way Inn

Several Waterdhavian merchantfamilies sponsored a rebuilding ofthe Way Inn on the same site (anelevated, defensible site with a deepwell) as before its destruction, butlarger and stronger than ever. On arecent visit, I found it mostimpressive.

The rebuilt Way Inn stands on thewestern side of the Trade Way twodays� hard ride (about a hundredmiles) south of Daggerford. It is awalled compound atop a flat, grassyplateau about three acres in extentthat overlooks a loop of road that

Recently, an ancient black dragondestroyed the inn while the armiesbased there were afield battlinglegions of baatezu. The dangers ofthe High Moor never sleep for long.Trolls and yuan-ti from the SerpentHills have been seen in growingnumbers, but the otherplanar evilcentered in ruined Dragonspearseems to have been broken�fornow.

This isolated stone inn has been afamous landmark for many years,starting from when it was the lastinn along the way south from Water-deep for many days of hard and dan-gerous riding (hence its name). Inrecent years, as evil grew in ruinedDragonspear Castle, the Way Innbecame ever more important as abase for mercenary armies raised bythe Lords� Alliance to keep the TradeWay clear and as a haven for mer-chants hurrying along that long andperilous overland road.

leaves and rejoins the main traderoad, giving caravans plenty of roomto camp.

From the loop of road, steep cart-ways lead up to three gates. All ofthese cross wooden bridges. Thebridges slope on central pivots whensupport timbers are retracted frominside the compound to dumpattackers into large spike-filled pits.

The gatehouses are small stonekeeps. Each is topped with acatapult. All firewood for the inn isunder cover in these gatehouses, sofiery missiles can be hurled atattackers or an overrun gatehousecan be torched to prevent attackersfrom pouring in until the flames diedown.

The inn itself is of stone, with a tileroof. Its windows look out over theroad, and it is topped by a lookouttower equipped with several multiple-crossbow guns called airhurlers.Each of these is equipped with firingcords and shields for a person firingthe gun, so that the airhurlers can befired directly or aimed and fired fromthe room below.

The stables for the inn are in onecorner of the plateau. Three fencedpaddocks open out of them, andmore airhurlers are located on thestable roof. The village that oncestraggled around the slopes of theinn�s height is gone. The inn staffand attendant businesses (a wagonrepair shop, a smith, a trading post,an apothecary, and a trailwares shopselling rope, skillets, tarpaulins,tents, sledges, harness, and the like)are housed in a row of stout stone

65

cottages along the west wall of theplateau. A small orchard and hedgedgardens are the only features thatspoil the impression of being insidean army castle ready for war.

However, this elaborate fortress isstill the same good, clean, friendlyrefuge it used to be, and it remainsunder the capable hands of Dau-ravyn Redbeard, once an adventurerof note. He�s seen evil rise inDragonspear Castle and be shat-tered�only to rise again, severaltimes over. He is taking no chances.He lives today only by the magic of apriest of Tempus who restored himto life after the last confrontation. Hehas a hired standing guard of 21warriors at the inn, 10 of whom are

always on patrol along the edges ofthe High Moor, looking for trouble.As Dauravyn often says, looking east,�If it isn�t orcs, it�s trolls, and if itisn�t trolls, it�s baatezu. If it isn�tbaatezu, it�s dragons�and if it isn�tdragons, it�s something worse.�

Places of Interestin the Way InnInnsThe Way Inn

66

The stone rooms of this new andsolidly built stone inn are lined withtapestries and have fur rugs under-foot. Heavy draperies are provided to

Wagon wheels and axles are keptin stock for quick repairs. They usu-ally cost 25 gp each. The inn does asteady trade buying and sellinghorses, oxen, mules, and cattle. Ani-mals are typically bought at 10 gpunder the usual price and sold at 10gp over, though a hard bargainercan reduce this spread to 6 gp eitherway. Goats provide the inn with milkand cheese, and wheels of a sharp,crumbly white cheese are made onthe premises. Remounts too injured

Folk who camp below the inncompound do so for free. They canenter for meals (1 sp per serving,drinks extra) or buy firewood (1 cpper armload) and water (1 cp pernight to use the pump located ineach gatehouse).

The Way Inn does steady trade.Rooms are 2 gp per night, with mealand bath included. Drinks are extra.Stabling is an extra 1 sp per night,and wagon or cart storage an addi-tional 1 gp per night. Wagon guards(sons and daughters of the inn�sstaff) can be hired to watch overgoods by night for 1 sp more.

Beds are canopied for warmth,but remain simple. Each has a pullcord to summon service, which isefficient and attentive. Lighting isprovided by brass-and-glass full-shuttered candle lamps. These canbe unhooked easily and taken else-where in the event of battle.

cut the chill and breezes from theeastward-facing windows, each ofwhich opens onto a private balcony,when desired. The dimly lit halls arealso carpeted with furs.

to nurse back to health find theirway into the inn stewpots.

The inn serves good, hearty fare,notably braised bustard on buns. Thisdish has a spreading reputation. Itutilizes the stale leftovers of the large,oval loaves of hardbread baked at theinn, toasted and spread with a gravybased on onions, chicken livers, andoffal from slaughtered livestock. Ontothis are laid the cooked fragments ofmeat from bustard (plentiful on themoorlands, with a taste similar togrouse) brought back by the patrols.It�s simple but good�and is usuallyserved hot enough to burn the mouthof an incautious diner badly.

Meals are often enlivened by aminstrel. Redbeard hires travelingsingers for a tenday at 5 sp per day.If other minstrels Redbeard likesarrives in the midst of another per-former�s stint, they�ll be given freeroom and board to stay on until theycan begin their own tenday stretch.

Although no priests are on staff atthe inn, the Duke of Daggerford andhis barons take turns sending a priestof Helm or Tempus to watch over theneeds (and dedication) of the ducalmilitia and the hired defenders of theinn. Such clerics are always availableto heal and pray for travelers.

In short, this place may lack charmand any gentle beauty, but it offersimpressive services, is well run, andprovides a roadside refuge where oneis sorely needed. Its reputation andthe benefits it provides continue toattract clientele even in the face of theovershadowing, but slumbering,threat of Dragonspear Castle.

67

ZundbridgeNamed for its creator, the wizardZund, this squat, massive stonebridge spans the River Dessarin,carrying the main caravan roadsouth from Waterdeep down theSword Coast. Zundbridge has heldfirm without repairs for over 80winters, despite the worst of theroaring Dessarin spring floods�andoccasional collisions with the mastsof river barges whose captains weretoo stupid, drunken, or fog blind toavoid such disasters.

Waterdeep patrols the road as faras Zundbridge and maintains aguardpost there to stop the effortsof adventurers who come in search

Ward Token of Zundbridge

of a stone golem said to have beenused by Zund in building the bridge.Legend says the golem was left atthe bridge when Zund died, free tobe taken away by any who candivine or stumble onto the secretsof commanding it.

Over the years, seekers of thegolem have dug around the bridgeon both banks, swum beneath it,and even tried to pry stones out ofthe bridge arches. Some say thegolem is long gone, but othersbelieve it serves as one of the bridgesupports or is buried under the roadat either end of the bridge.30 Legendalso says�correctly, most mages tellme, though none of them will sayhow they know this, or more impor-tantly, how to do it31 � that theholder of a special ward token cancommand the golem in the bridge toraise up arms to attack or holdbeings on the bridge, or even tocome out of the bridge and fight.This last action would destroy thebridge. The golem is said to obey thesilently willed wishes of the token-wielder in detail, and can be com-

30Elminster says the golem is part of the bridge andcan rise up to fight when properly commanded�byKhelben, Laeral, Maskar Wands or himself, forinstance. This will of course shatter the bridge. Thosewishing to see evidence of the golem�s presence needonly cast any sort of spell that damages or tries totransform the bridge, he says�and stone arms willrise up out of the bridge to punch and grapple with thecaster. The golem has thrice the normal strength of astone golem, double the normal hit points, can moveits arms around freely within the bridge, can sense theprecise location of all living beings on the bridge, andis immune to many spells. Some spells even reflectback from the golem at the caster�just which ones,Elminster says with a grin, you�ll have to learn foryourselves. He also advises leaving the golem alone.

31Elminster: �And we�ll keep it that way, thank ye.�

68

manded to return into the bridge� small stone hut and stables with awhich, unless the golem is destroyed lookout tower and encircling wall. Itin the battle, will restore the bridge is equipped with heavy crossbowsinto a functioning span. Supposedly, mounted on tripods and aimedif two ward token wielders both try along the roads, and is warded. Any-to command the golem, it will break one trying to get into the armory orfree of all control and attack every stables without bearing the properliving being it sees until destroyed, ward token is subject to threepreferring to slay ward token wield- rounds of magic missile attacks.ers over all others. The Lords of Four missiles per round will leapWaterdeep fear that if the bridge from walls, floors, and ceilings towere left unguarded, it would soon smite the intruder.be demolished by zealous would-be There�s no settlement at Zund-golem owners. bridge, but there is a campground

The Waterdhavian guardpost is and water pump for the use of trav-equipped with a flight of three grif- elers. The Waterdhavian guardsfon steeds to give Waterdeep serving at the outpost are polite andadvance warning of the approach of helpful unless they are attacked orany important visiting delegation or witness anyone disturbing theattacking force. The guardpost is a bridge in any manner.

69

70

The High Moorowadays, most folkthink of the Moors as a rocky wilderness, vastand uninhabited�except by fearsome

monsters, notably trolls. Bounded onthe west by the Misty Forest, whosedim blue glades and deep groves havealways carried a fey and whimsical,but deadly, reputation, and on theeast by the yuan-ti and ophidian-haunted Serpent Hills, these crag-studded, rolling grasslands are said tohide the ruins of lost, long-fallen king-doms. Just which kingdoms, sagesargue furiously over. Minstrels singcolorful but contradictory ballads onthe topic, and legends are uniformlyvague. �The bones and thrones of lostlands� is a favorite phrase; it is bor-rowed from a long-forgotten ballad.

A few wolves and leucrotta are themost numerous predators on theMoor thanks to trolls, bugbears, andhobgoblins, who have slain mostother large beasts of prey. Their rela-tive scarcity has allowed hooved graz-ing animals of all sorts to flourish,from small, sure-footed rock poniesto shaggy-coated sheep. Those whodare to venture onto the Moor can beassured of ready food�either they�llcatch it, or they�ll become it! Ropetrip-traps, javelins, and arrows arethe favored ways of bringing downthe fleet grazing animals, althoughthose with patience and a quick handcan dine on grouse, flunderwings,

rabbits, and ground-dwelling moorrats in plenty. Large, well-armedbands of rounders often venture uponto the Moor in warm months, seek-ing horses to round up for trainingand sale elsewhere or livestock thatcan be taken away�but the greedyare warned that hobgoblins andworse always seem to find andambush such large-scale intrusions.Small bands invariably pay for suchattempts with most of their lives.

Deer dwell in the Misty Forest,though travelers are warned that theelves who dwell there consider theforest their own private game pre-serve. The only deer outsiders canhunt without risking a few elvenarrows are those that stray from theforest onto the moors or down intothe coastal hill lands where the TradeWay runs.

Like the Evermoors to the north ofthe Dessarin, the High Moor is stud-ded with lichen-festooned rocky out-crops, moss, breakneck gullies, andsmall rivulets of clear water thatspring from rocks, wind among therocks for a time, and then sink downagain. It�s also shrouded by frequentmists. The prevailing winds are gen-tler breezes than the mist-clearing,chill winds of the North.

Except in winter, frequent foraysup onto the High Moor are mountedby troll-hunting Daggerford militiabands, hired mercenaries, or adven-turers looking for experience. One

71

can always count on meeting trolls,and usually orcs or goblins as well.Bugbears, hobgoblins, and strongerfoes usually skulk out of sight, battlingintruders only when cornered orwhen the intruders are foolishenough to camp for the night on themoors.

With the obvious exception ofDragonspear Castle, ruins are harderto find in the moorlands. Founda-tions, cellars, and underways are usu-ally all that remains�and almost allsuch serve as the lairs of monsters.Many towers have toppled into rockpiles and have later been hollowedout to serve as tombs�which have inturn been plundered and then turnedinto dwellings by beasts arriving stilllater. There are also legends of magi-

cally hidden castles and high housesthat appear only in certain condi-tions, such as in full moonlight ordeep mists, to those in the right spot.

The porous limestone of the HighMoor plateau, worked on by water overeons, has caused the many canyons,pools, and appearing and disappearingstreams visitors can readily see. Thereare miles upon miles of caverns�andunderground rivers�beneath. Suchterrain gives ample entrance to theUnderdark, homes to lairing beasts,and makes for a penetrating damp thatserves to harbor creatures of anamphibious inclination. Because ofthis, the Moor is often haunting anddismal of nights�light a fire and attractmonsters, or huddle together, shudder-ing, for warmth!

72

DragonspearCastleOver the years, Dragonspear Castle hasbecome a name equated with greatevil�as dread a name as Hellgate Keep.Once the proud castle of DaerosDragonspear, a famous adventurer ofthe North, Dragonspear has become aruin inhabited by wave after wave of evilcreatures. Many colorful but false leg-ends have grown up around the Castle,but here I�ve set down, as best I can, thetruth about Dragonspear�as revealedby several great archmagesl and corrob-orated by several tomes of lore at Can-dlekeep. For most readers, this will bethe first time the tale of Dragonspear hasbeen truthfully told.

Daeros was a bearded half-dwarf, amagical and rare half-breed of humanand dwarf as tall as a human, but withthe burly physique and affinity to stoneof a dwarf. He rescued and befriended acopper dragon early in his adventures,and after he seized a fabulous fortune ingems used by a beholder in an aban-doned dwarf delve to lure prey, Daerosdecided to retire. He chose the site of thedragon�s lair: three low hillocks at thewestern edge of the High Moor, some200 miles south of Daggerford. Thedragon, Halatathlaer, had grown tired ofconstantly fighting off thieving orcs andgoblins, but was loath to leave its home.Daeros gathered humans and dwarvesloyal to him and built his castle aroundthe dragon. It was a large and splendidstructure, composed of a massive cen-tral keep surrounded by a strong ring of

four towers (the inner ward). Aroundthe keep was a spearhead-shaped outerwall of nine great towers. Dwarves werewelcomed at the Castle, and a city ofsmall stone cottages and delvingsbeneath them grew rapidly within thewalls. Dwarven fighting prowess madeDragonspear a secure fortress and aplace of growing influence.

Daeros was often seen flying over theHigh Moor on the dragon�s back inthose days. He wielded a long spear(some say 40 feet or longer) against foeson the ground and summoned histroops with a horn. His energetic raidshurled the orcs and trolls back, scouringthe moor until it seemed clear of them.

Unfortunately, Halatathlaer was old,and grew weak. More than one wizardcoveted the dragon�s hoard and usedshape-shifting magics to spy on what wasthere and how it was guarded. One Cal-ishite mage, Ithtaerus, created a spellthat allowed him to teleport the sleepingdragon away to the wastes. He thenrevealed what he�d done to Daeros bymeans of a magically sent vision thatfalsely showed the wizard creating a gatethrough which the dragon was taken.The gate was actually a portal to Avernus,uppermost of the nine layers of Baator2

�a portal that would only be activatedby the death-blood of a mortal. Theenraged Daeros plunged through it,weapons ready�and was slain by thewizard�s spells. The gate opened, andseveral baatezu came through it. Whilethe alarmed dwarves of Dragonspearbattled them, the wizard looted thedragon�s hoard at will and then returned

1Elminster: �Thank ye. Charmed, of course.�2Known also as the Nine Hells.

73

Halatathlaer to the inner ward, bound inmagical slumber.

Then the evil mage called upon severaldragons he knew, telling them that thecopper dragon of Dragonspear slept,near death, and it and its hoard wereeasy prey. Three young and ambitiousdragons heeded and took wing toDragonspear. They met over the fortressand fought, destroying Halatathlaer andmuch of the castle before slaughteringeach other. The last survivor, a blackdragon named Sharndrel, was enragedto find the hoard it had fought so hard forlooted so that only coins were left, andbarely enough of them for the wyrm tobed down on. It went seeking the tri-umphant and overconfident Ithtaerus,found him gloating over the best wine ofthe castle in the upper chambers of the

central keep, and blasted him with itsacid until his bones crumbled to powder.

The castle was left as a shattered ruin,eagerly raided by orcs, hobgoblins, bug-bears, goblins, and trolls from the mooruntil all the dwarves were dead or hadfled. The serpentmen even sent a largewar party to search it for magic, andthey bore away all they found.

Then hobgoblin chieftains seized thecastle, They used it as a base from whichto raid the caravan road and the landsaround; gathering orcs and trolls intoever-larger bands until Waterdeep andBaldur�s Gate raised armies and cleanedthe castle out. The victors set an armedtemple to Tempus (called the Hold of theBattle Lions) in the cellars to guardagainst creatures using the gate, for itseemed indestructible. Some spell laid

74

on it hurled back magics used against itand sent forth ghosts of creatures slain inthe castle to attack those approaching it

Seasons passed, and more baatezu inAvernus discovered the other end of theplanar link. Stealthily at first, and then ingreater numbers, they came throughinto Toril, overwhelmed the temple, andtook the castle as their own. It is this foulevil that was recently broken and drivenback to Avernus. Though the gate wasmagically sealed, most folk believe that itwill be reopened again and that the stainof evil will never leave the castle now.

Today, the outer wall of the castle isbreached and broken in many places. Itsgreat gate is a gaping hole, and from therea road leads straight to the inner gate,whose doors have also fallen. Though theinner ward is still a defensible�if crum-bling � fortress, the former city between itand the outer wall has become scrub veg-etation, pits (the former cellar delves ofthe dwarves), and heaps of stony rubble.The central keep is a blasted shell, thegigantic skeleton of a dragon draped overthe broken walls, and the interior floorsfallen in. Most of the surrounding innerward towers stand relatively intact. Trav-elers fleeing from trolls, brigands, orworse in this area could take refuge inone of these and defend it.

Beneath the castle flows an under-ground river. It runs from an unknownsource north into the Misty Forest, andthere turns abruptly southeast. It can beentered from a certain cavern in theeastern reaches of the forest, and itsmain passage is large enough to be navi-gable by boats, although many lurkingmonsters, drownhole side passages, andwhirlpools make this a dangerous route.

The river runs southeast along the edgeof the moor, and then turns northeastand passes under the southwest towerof the castle�s inner ward. There it con-nects with a trapdoor and shaft in thecellar once used for waste disposal. Itflows swiftly on to a large and perma-nent whirlpool and thence drains downto unexplored depths in the Underdark.If one wins past the whirlpool, the riverruns on to emerge as a waterfall in aravine (one of many such clefts in theHigh Moor), where it flows out into asmall pool. The pool drains away intothe depths again,

Dragonspear Castle is still a populardestination for adventurers andthrillseekers. Many poke about in thehalf-revealed dwarven cellars�but any-thing that can be found easily has beencarried away already, and trolls and orcslurk in the ruins, awaiting prey. Brigandsuse the castle, and more than one mistynight has seen a wild spell battlebetween rival adventuring bands causedby brigand trickery. The outlaws lie inwait after setting in motion their plan,and hope to seize gear, wealth, andmagic from the weakened survivors�ordead victims�of the misunderstandingthey�ve brought about.

Every season brings new plans for therebuilding of Dragonspear Castle in thetaverns of Daggerford, Waterdeep, Scor-nubel, and Baldur�s Gate, but somehowsuch plans come to naught. Some say itis the castle�s ill luck, caused by the greatevil of the baatezu. Others blame covertwork by brigand �lords,� the Zhentarim,and the Cult of the Dragon, all of whomeither want the castle for their own orwant it to stay a ruin.

75

Hammer HallWest of Mt. Hlim, near the shores ofHighstar Lake, is a pit half full ofloose rubble. An opening cut in itsrock walls leads into the Halls of theHammer, a long-abandoned dwarfhold.

Nearby stands Hammer Hall, a loghouse and stables encircled by a pal-isade. Hammer Hall was built by anadventuring group who called them-selves the Men of Hammer Hall as abase to explore the dwarf hold from.On several occasions the adventur-ers, who hailed from Waterdeep,fought off trolls, orcs, and bugbearsfrom this fortified home�but theywent north several years ago, andhave not been heard from since.

Hammer Hall has reportedly beenbroken into several times. I found itdeserted, and with stones dug up ina corner to reveal a storage niche(empty, of course). It remains, how-ever, a stout building offering shelterto travelers in this wilderness area.Stacked, dry firewood even waitsbeside its main chimney!

The humanoids that roam theHigh Moor know its location, ofcourse, and can be expected toattack anyone seen traveling to it.Wood smoke will draw them, ofcourse, but in a blizzard or blindingrainstorm, Hammer Hall may provea refuge worth the harrying. Thedesign of its entrance forces intrud-ers to make a sharp turn down awooden hall, or chute, fitted with

ports for archers or spearmen toattack from. A lone swordfighter canhold the narrow entryway beyond.

Inevitably, rumors have spread oftreasure buried by the adventurersin Hammer Hall and not recovered.The dug-over state of the groundssuggests that many have come look-ing, but none have found.

Rich treasure may well lie in thedwarf hold. The Men of HammerHall told a bard of their adventuresonce, and the tale he recounts hasbeen echoed by later adventuringgroups. The dwarf hold (the Halls ofthe Hammer) is said to have a largecentral chamber wherein a hundredhuman corpses dangle from the ceil-ing in a forest of chains�an illusionthat vanishes and reappears fromtime to time, for no known reason. Atleast five watchghosts (powerfulwraithlike things)3 roam the hallsbeyond, guarding a glowing magicalwar hammer that floats by itself in achamber guarded by helmed hor-rors4 and magical defenses. Whatpowers the awesome-looking ham-mer possesses, who put it there andwhy, and how to win past itsdefenses are all mysteries as yetunsolved. Seeking the answers haskilled at least 20 daring but unluckywomen and men thus far.

Adventurers wishing to join in thisdeadly game are advised that the pitwith the opening into the dwarf holdcan be found by traveling south andeast from Highstar Lake, following aline of three hills whose tops are all

3Encountered in Undermountain, beneath Waterdeep, as well as elsewhere in the Realms.4These magical constructs are fully detailed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting boxed set.

76

bare rock. The hill closest to the lakehas a spring gushing from it thatjoins the waters of the lake, and it isthe only crag on the eastern shore ofthe lake with a spring that does so.

Highstar is an eerily beautiful lakeof clear water that the dwarvesbelieve has magical properties. Thelake has many other names, and sooften appears without a name onmany maps of the area. It is the largelake in the northern reaches of theHigh Moor and is usually the onlylake shown anywhere near thatlocale. Called Dauerimlakh by thedwarves and Evendim by the elves,this body of crystal water has severalnames among humans, and some

folk travel days just to see it, riskingmonster attacks.

One human legend of the lakespeaks of it holding in its depths adrowned temple to an unknown orlost goddess, but the most populartavern tale of the Coast lands says thelake holds magical treasure in itsdepths�a sunken Netherese airshipcrammed with gems and magic. Thewreck is guarded by undead wizards,the tale goes, who seek to steal thebodies of the living for their own use.They jealously and persistently stalkadventurers who take somethingfrom the ship and then escape. Theywalk by night and leave trails of slimywater, following their prey clearacross the known Realms to get theirbelongings back. Supposedly, if theykill a thief, they steal his or her bodyfor their own twisted uses.

77

OrzogothIn the heart of the High Moor standsa notorious ruin�a beacon for trea-sureseekers from all over the SwordCoast, especially Amn.5 Tales of heapsof gems caught the imagination ofgreedy Amnian merchants sostrongly that Orogoth found its wayinto the lore learned by every wide-eyed child. No guidebook to the Coastis complete without mention of thislure for adventurers�a lure thatbrings swift death to almost all whoseek it.

Orogoth was a gigantic, sprawlingvilla, the luxurious home of aNetherese family of cruelty, idlewealth, and magical might. They dab-bled in strange magical experimentsinvolving captured dragons�yes,their magic was that strong�with theaim of gaining dragon powers forthemselves. Most accounts say thesenior mages of the Orogoth familyperfected not only means of acquiringdragon powers, but also of taking ondragon shape. The tales go on to saythat they flew away in dragon formand never returned. Some tales swearthey were trapped in dragon shapewhen their human bodies collapsedunder the strain of changing, and ahasty retreat into dragon shape wasall that saved their lives. Otheraccounts say they preferred dragonform, and still others that they weremagically bound into dragon shapeby treacherous young relatives.

The elders vanished, and Orogothbecame the playground of the arro-

gant, spoiled, willful, cruel familymembers, who magically compelleddragons�perhaps their shape-changed elders, perhaps not�towing about the Realms, seizingtreasure, and bringing it back forthe amusement of the youngOrogoths. This treasure was usuallyacquired by slaying other dragonsand seizing their hoards, but also bytearing open castles and plunderingknown treasuries within. A dragon-like hoard of heaped treasureaccumulated.

Inevitably, there was strife amongthe proud younglings, resulting insome sort of titanic battle. Some say itwas over some magically mightyplundered item, but it is clear thatdragons were blasted from the sky. Orogoths died screaming as theyburned like torches, towers weretoppled�and when all was done, thevilla was a ruin, the Orogoths weredead or fled away, and all thatremained to guard the treasure was adracolich (an undead dragon, theresult of some horrible spell).

Ever since, adventurers and theCult of the Dragon have come to theruins to seize the treasure�and beenkilled, transformed into beast shape,or sent fleeing across the Moor. Somefolk say other dragons aid the draco-lich in defending the hoard, or thatone or more deranged surviving Oro-goths lurk, invisible, in the ruins,wielding strange and awesome spellsand magical items. Whatever thetruth, Orogoth remains a deadly fasci-nation to all who have heard of it.

50rogoth�s location is shown on the map found in the entry on Xonthal�s Tower, in the chapter on the Backlands.

78

SecomberThis village of 900 folk rests on thenorthwestern bank of the confluence ofthe Unicorn Run, the cool, clear riverthat runs down from the mysteriousheart of the High Forest, and the Delim-biyr, the watery road to the easternwildernesses of the High Frontier. Sec-omber stands on three hills, atop thewestern fringes of a once-mighty citythat was, if legends are true, the proudcapital of the long-ago human realm ofAthalantar, Kingdom of the Stag. Folkdigging cellars in Secomber usually turnup old cobbles and stone walls. Inadver-tently freed gargoyles are a fearsome,recurring problem, but sometimes mag-ical treasures are unearthed. The fallencity is said to have been ruled by mages.

Secomber is a peaceful, rather bor-ing village of fisherfolk, farmers, stone-cutters, and hired guides and guardsfor the frequent caravan traffic. Theholdings of the farmers fan out north-west of the village, and the fisherfolkmake a meager living spearing anddrag-netting fish and freshwater crabsfrom small skiffs on the two rivers. Thestonecutters manage a decent livingquarrying slabs of pink granite fromthe cliffs that mark the northern edgeof the High Moor.

Roughly half of all Secomberites arehuman. Almost as many are halflings,whose low, garden-adorned homesmake the hills of the village seem morea terraced estate than a settlement. Theremainder of the citizenry are a fewdwarves of the Ironeater clan and ascattering of gnomes and moon elves.

Secomber has a garrison of 30 sol-

diers provided by the Lords� Alliance.They dwell in a small palisaded fort atopone of the hills and train a hundred orso locals in swordwork and rudimen-tary tactics. Many of these swingswordshire out as caravan guards.

The garrison is led by the Lord of Sec-omber, Traskar Selarn, a ranger of somefame. The garrison patrols the farmlandand vicinity diligently, capably dealingwith the few orc and bugbear raids thatget this far west. If it has to defend thevillage, pitched battles in the tree-girt,unfortified hills are likely but thedefenders will be aided by an iron golemand two stone, beast-headed, wingedgolems provided by the mage AmeliorAmanitas�and by the mage himself ifhe�s at home. The winged golems lookrather like giant gargoyles, but can�t fly.

Lord Traskar has made sure thatadventurers are welcome in Secomber,and many adventuring bands use the vil-lage as a supply base for treasurehunt-ing forays. Secomber is also known forits gardens and eccentric architecture.

79

TheSeven-Stringed HarpT a v e r n

This tavern stands at the meeting oftwo winding lanes in the lowest spotin town, which is beside a horsepond in the center of the bowlbetween the three hills Secomber isbuilt on. It is a ramshackle,sprawling building of many wings,varying roof sections, and little baywindows and cupolas. It�s easy to getlost inside, what with all the alcoves,the general dimness, odd steps upand down, and the prevalence of oddpieces of furniture and old tapestriessalvaged from half a hundred old

Waterdhavian villas. Locals comehere to meet and chat. Merchantscome here to do business and to hireguards. It�s a hard spot to miss. It hasa huge hitching rail outside,overlooked by a floating, glowing,faintly playing harp. The harp is notan item, but a permanent spellcreated by local mage AmeliorAmanitas. It�s not solid, and can�t bedisturbed.

The PlaceCramped and crammed with com-fortable but mismatched furniture,this place sports low ceilings, lots ofodd corners, and a servants� passagethat branches out in all directionsfrom the bar, its entrances hidden bytapestries. Beware when chatting,

80

lest you be overheard by someonestanding behind the nearest tapestry.(Suddenly thrusting blades through atapestry to discourage listeners isconsidered bad form.) The Harp isdimly lit by a few wandering, blue-hued driftglobes. Its layout consistsof many passages and rooms open-ing off a central taproom.

The ProspectThis tavern is a place of pilgrimagefor many minstrels and bards in west-ern Faerûn. It�s famous as the placewhere �The Ballad of the DreamWeaver� was first heard. There�srarely a night without three to sevenbardish sorts in attendance, playingfor free, as tradition demands. Theirpresence makes this a noisy�but

thankfully melodic�place. It�s a fasci-nating place to watch people, too,with adventurers, pipe-smokinghalflings, dancing gnomes, and gam-bling elves on all sides�but it�s not aquiet place to relax or a place to con-duct business best kept private.

The ProvenderThe staff of the Harp tends to be ofthe young, female, beautiful, long-haired, graceful, would-be-harpistsort. These lasses cheerfully serve outkegfuls of drinkables, salted biscuitsspread with snails or smallfish (if youorder them so), and gurdats (pan-fried and pepper-spiced mushroomsrolled in melted cheese). These areserved with a white, cool, minty wine,if requested.

81

I cast my net in the sea of nightAnd bring back a catch of glittering dreams.

Which will you have, proud lady, laughing lady? 6

This bright one, perhaps, or that?Gleaming silver-blue, winking at youWith its own mysterious, inner light,

It is so beautiful.Yet so is that one, and that, and this, too.

I cannot choose.Take them all.Take them all!

�Talanthe Truesilver, Bard, �The Ballad of the Dream Weaver�

The Prices just as ramshackle, but lacked itsAle is 3 cp per tankard (large, battered name and wide reputation. It waspewter things, not meager cups), then called simply the Stag. Then astout is 5 cp per tankard, and minty young, half-elven lady bard by thewine and local aszunder are 6 cp per name of Talanthe Truesilver sattallglass. All other wines are 8 cp a down in the taproom one night andglass or more. performed a ballad that has become

All servings of provender are 1 sp a one of the most famous and widelyplate. Most patrons will find a plate performed songs in all the Realms.makes a light meal. Two plates would Today, minstrels use �The Balladserve as a nice, but unspectacular, of the Dream Weaver� as the longeveningfeast. Ale can also be ordered by heart of a set of songs and as a sortthe hand keg, at 6 cp. Throwing hand of latest rumors compilation, addingkegs in the taproom is frowned upon. favorite legends, strange sights

Travelers� Lorethey�ve seen, and the like as verses.Patrons of the Harp are proud that it

About 40 winters ago, this tavern was was heard here first.

6A female singer changes the last half of the third line to �proud lord, laughing lord.� All minstrels weave strangesights they�ve seen�hints of hidden treasure, lost legends, and intrigue�into this famous ballad. As a result, theverses of this song vary greatly from performer to performer, but the refrain given here, used to open and end thepiece, is music famous all over Faerûn. Elminster admits he�s only a rough hand at music�though he�s a nicesmoky baritone and has heard a lot of music over his long life�and can�t write down tunes as we do. He says thisballad can be sung�slowly, drawing out the words�to the tune of the traditional Celtic song of our world, �Dawnof the Day.� It�s not the right tune, according to the Old Mage, but captures the right mood.

82

The Singing SpriteInn

This inn faces the Seven-StringedHarp across a rather muddy meetingof lanes. The Sprite is a slate-shingled,many-gabled, solid-looking stonebuilding that is cold and damp inwinter, and warmer and damp insummer. Its pleasant staff sets thetone for your visit, and it offers meet-ing rooms for hire (that Secomberitesuse constantly) and a superior feast-ing board. The innkeeper on duty isHeverseer Windfeather or one of histhree brothers�they take shifts.

The PlaceThe Singing Sprite is named for Lath-iril Shrune, the long-dead wife of itsbuilder, a human wizard by the nameof Ganatharas. She was a sprite, andsang atop tables to the delight ofpatrons. The present owners, thegnome family of Windfeather, don�tgo in for such performances�notwith the Harp right across the road.

The inn has stone walls slatheredwith cream-colored plaster and hungwith tapestries that look as if theyonce did service on some colorblindCalishite�s harem beds (and probablydid, too). The floors are dark, pol-ished duskwood�just the thing forsliding the length of a hall on one�sbehind if one isn�t careful, and apt tocreak when one is walking about lateat night with a crack a loud as anyarquebus. The furnishings are old,massive, and comfortable�and everyroom comes with its own portable

(portable by two strong people, thatis) polished copper bathtub.

The centerpiece of any stay at theSprite, however, is the common din-ing room: an airy, plant-hung cham-ber with large windows overlookingthe intersection outside. Most guestsget very used to it�and do so gladly.

The ProvenderFood at the Sprite is a treat. Thedining room never closes, and itserves some dishes that make mymouth water just remembering them.Foremost of these is a dish known asThree Crabs. This, naturally enough,is three soft-shelled green river crabsyielded up locally by the Delimbiyr.These are served whole, with only theeyes, mouth, and stomach removed.Cooked in fat until golden brown,they face each other on a roundtoasted loaf of flatbread that has beenspread with chopped greens and awhite sauce of cooked leeks andgarlic, parsley vinegar, and beatenegg yolks.

The light side dish that usuallyaccompanies everything else in this din-ing room is A Trio of Trumpets. This is aplate of three fried, crisp crackers, eachas long as a human�s hand. These trum-pets are horn-shaped crackers stuffedwith melted white cheese, choppednuts, and fried mushrooms.

Roast lamb, venison, and beefmake up most of the dishes at theSprite, but there�s another surprisenot to be sneered at: a truly revolting-looking dish known as the HungryKnight. The Hungry Knight is a plateof flatbread rolls stuffed with chicken

83

livers fried in garlic butter, and gar-nished with diced pepper potatoesand dill. Its savor is wonderful!

I often rose from my table groan-ing, while the stout, beaming gnomeservers urged still more food on me. Ipersuaded the cooks to let me setdown the plainest of their recipes, forfowl stew, because they do this stan-dard fare so well.

At the Sprite they use damaged birdsand leftovers for this stew. After speak-ing with the cooks for the time it tookthem to empty three bottles of wine(not long, I assure you), I can add thefollowing note to this recipe: The otherseasonings referred to are most oftenparsley, pepper, garlic, and salt.

Whole fowl, however, are usually

spitted, crisped over an open fire, andthen simmered in broth until neededfor serving. Then they are drained, putover flames again briefly, and served ona platter drenched in warm cream andaccompanied with steamed greens(bought for 1 cp per basket from citi-zens of Secomber, most of whom havelush gardens). Some of the cooks addsnails, oysters, or chopped nuts to thecream as it is warmed.

This cooking method can also beapplied to the heart, lungs, liver, andinnards of venison and boar. Take careto chop them finely and cook longenough, stirring and adding wine asnecessary, until the bits are all softenedand much turned to gravy.

I�ve heard this same cooking

84

method can serve for giant eagle,though it dries out easily, and three ormore eggs should be cracked anddrained into the pot during the sim-mering. The dark flesh of the eagleemits a brown foam when cooking,which is the fat that keeps it warmaloft. Skim this off when it appears,and when no more is seen, it is done.

The Prices

Rooms are 10 gp to 17 gp per night(varying by size and location), whichincludes hot baths, clothes-mendingservices, and stabling.

Travelers� LoreThe Sprite has several secret rooms(actually storage closets), which theinnkeeper allows guests to use for 1 gpper night. One of these rooms has mys-terious chamber network maps (trea-

Mead, milk, and wine are all 2 gp per sure maps?) scratched on its walls. Thetallglass, and ale is 6 cp per tankard. Windfeathers charge 5 gp to look atAll platters and stew bowls are 7 gp, these, and they claim they show cham-but this includes two tallglasses or bers in a lost dwarven hold somewheretankards, hot rolls with butter, and nearby� just where, they�re not sure.biscuits. These side dishes are The hold, Firehammer Hold, is said toenough for a servant to dine on while hide rich treasure. The dwarves all per-the master polishes off the main dish. ished through disease.

A Partial View of the �Treasure Maps� (The Writings are in a Forgotten Tongue)

85

86

Fields of the Deadew merchants, rangers,shepherds, and guidesclaim to know everyrolling hill or ravine inthe vast grasslands

known as the Fields of the Dead andcalled wryly by some: �A tenday ridethat starts halfway to anywhere, andends up halfway to anywhere.� Fewerstill really know their way around theseemingly endless open lands whereevery grassy slope looks just like thenext and small rock outcrops, crags,and stands of trees serve as majorlandmarks. The bards sing that everysecond hill is built of the heaped bod-ies of the fallen�and they�re not veryfar wrong.

The Fields are named for theirrecurring use as a battleground: firstbetween humans from warmerlands invading the territories ofnomadic gnoll, goblin, and orctribes; later between Calishite fac-tions vying for access to theresource-rich North; and still laterbetween proud and expansionistCalishite and human settlementsstruggling (successfully, thus far) toretain their independence. Thou-sands upon thousands of skirmisheshave occurred in these largely track-less hills, from a few brigands orkobolds trying to raid the livestockof traveling drovers up to clashesbetween hosts of knights in fullarmor, each side filling several thou-sand saddles.

Rich treasure�the scatteredcoins of many soldiers, and magicalarmor, swords, and riding equip-ment in plenty�is said to lie buriedall over the Fields. Although suchtales have a tendency to be exagger-ated, in this case they�re founded onsolid truth. Expeditions of youngAmnian or Waterdhavian womenand men sent forth by their parentsto make their own fortunes in theworld often come here to dig in thisor that promising knoll in search oflost riches and magic among thejumbled bones of the (often hastilyburied) dead.

Sometimes they find more thanthey were looking for, inadvertentlyfreeing undead or murderous magi-cally animated creatures from longago, or triggering ancient magicaltraps set to guard the remains ofthose troubled dead hastily buriedafter dying in battle. Often theymust dodge the arrows or crossbowbolts of brigands or roving bugbear,gnoll, orc, or hobgoblin bands�orthe trickeries of passing unscrupu-lous merchants or mercenaries.They make their ways back to citieswith rich booty often enough, how-ever, to keep new tales of richesmaking the rounds of the SwordCoast�and to keep such expedi-tions coming.

In addition to hills and grasslands,features of the Fields include manysmall shepherds� cottages and small

87

walled holds� close to larger settle-ments or the roads. In fact, there arefar too many to cover in a book a fullthree times the size of this one.

Stories tell of drow tunneling upto the surface world in many iso-lated locales in the Fields to beginraiding or to establish slave-tradingconnections. Both yuan-ti andophidian settlements exist in cavernsin the Serpent Hills nearby, settle-ments that constantly raid caravantraffic, patrol the grasslands formiles, and seek to expand theirinfluence over ever-wider areas inthe Fields below the High Moor.When winter weather drives thesesnakefolk underground, the trolls of

the Moor are usually driven down toforage in the Fields by hunger.

All these activities make the Fieldsa busy�and dangerous�place.Those who travel the Coast landsbetween Waterdeep and pointsnorth to Anm and the Empires of theSands inevitably pass through theFields of the Dead. Those who do sounprepared often join the ranks ofthe fallen who lie here so plentifully.

Priests can be hired in manyplaces in and around the Fields toaccompany caravans and deal withany restless spirits encounteredalong the way�but these good folkare reluctant to join bands too smallto protect them or adventurerswho�ll deliberately take them intodanger. Look for shields hung onshop walls that bear the hand ofHelm, the bound hands of Ilmater,the clawed hand of Malar, the star-encircled eyes of Selûne, or theflaming sword of Tempus.

Lay worshipers, who are usuallywarriors trained by the clergy andoften competent as guides to thearea, may be hired for a templedonation of 25 gp plus 2 gp per day,plus food and water. At least half thefee is payable in advance to the tem-ple or hiring shrine. Priests cost 4 gpper day, plus 1 gp per day per level�and priests of greater than 7th levelsimply can�t be had unless your mis-sion or trip is vital to furthering theaims of the particular deity or theongoing activities of that priesthood.Get a guide of some sort!

1These holds are home to a few farmers under the protection of a minor knight or successful warrior who rulesas a self-styled lord as far as his blade will reach.

88

B o a r e s k y rB r i d g eThis bridge over the Winding Waterwas first built by the famous adven-turer Boareskyr. Over the centuries,several bridges have stood here, themost recent built after the Time ofTroubles. For most of those years, a�temporary� tent trading city hasstood hard by the river crossing.

Travelers in the Fields of the Deadare warned not to drink the watersof the Winding Water downstream ofthe Bridge or for about half a day�stravel upstream. They were poi-soned during the Time of Troublesin a battle between Cyric and Bhaal.

The present Bridge commemo-rates this event. Statues to the twogods stand at either end of the stonespan, which is wide enough for twolarge wagons to pass each other andhas waist-high rampart walls asthick as three adult human malesstanding together. By tradition, notoll can be charged for crossing thebridge, and no buildings can beerected on it or so as to block a clearroad on and off it.

Today, Boareskyr Bridge numbersabout 70 tents and wagons in sum-mer (plus those of visiting caravans),and about half that number in win-ter. The community exists to providetravelers with food, water, remounts,wagon repairs, and the like. It hasevolved into a trading center wheregoods are exchanged between mer-chants, or wagons leave one caravanand stop over, awaiting another

bound for the same destinationthey�re heading for.

The community of BoareskyrBridge lacks any permanent featuresexcept a rough stone fort (known asBridgefort) surrounded by a now-poi-soned moat. Inhabitants can retreatinto this structure in the case of heavywinter attacks from trolls, goblinkin,or brigands�a frequent occurrence.

Like the similarly makeshift city ofScornubel, wheeling and dealing isthe order of the day in BoareskyrBridge. Law and order is maintainedby one�s own sword or crossbow. Sev-eral enterprising local merchants dosteady trade selling light crossbowsand hand crossbows with regular orsleep-envenomed crossbow bolts.

The law in the Bridge, such as itis, is the word of powerful adventur-ers�notably the warrior BarimStagwinter and Theskul Mirroreye,priest of Tyr, and their companionsand allies. Barim and Theskul seemto be working toward walling in theBridge community to make a propercity of it.

Rich merchants come here seek-ing the sorceress Aluena Halacanter,who raises pegasi at her estate,Heartwing, upriver of the Bridgewhere the water still runs clear.2

Trained steeds cost 5,000 gp each,but Aluena is reluctant to sell themto those who�ll mistreat them orwho�ll simply resell them quickly tosomeone who will. Buyers must sat-isfy her under magically assistedquestioning. Aluena is rumored tobe a Harper.

2Aluena is a N hf W9.

89

Durlag�s Tower

Instead, dopplegangers, organizedand aided by foul mind flayers, slewand impersonated Durlag�s compan-ions. After the shocked dwarf discov-ered the first impersonation, he wasattacked by all the others and spent aterror-filled tenday frantically fightinghis way around his own fortress,chased by monsters who wore dwar-ven forms but sought his death.

This massive, isolated keep stands atopa rock pinnacle south of the Wood ofSharp Teeth. Only adventurers shouldapproach this seemingly desertedfortress�death awaits within.

The tower was built by Durlag Troll-killer, son of Bolhur �Thunderaxe� theClanless. Durlag was a great hero ofthe dwarves, an adventurer who slewseveral dragons single-handedly andover a long and successful careeramassed a great hoard of treasure. Onedwarf who dwelt in the tower withDurlag for a time spoke of rooms full ofgems and a great hall strewn withdusty heaps of gold coins. �We tookwhat we needed, freely,� he said.

With the aid of hired dwarves,Durlag dug many chambers and pas-sages in the tor and raised the lonetower above it, planning it as a seatwhere he could found a dwarven com-munity and grow old in peace, sur-rounded by happy, prosperous kin.

In the end, alone and victorious, hewas powerless to stop the last fleeingpair of illithids. Fearful they�d return,Durlag hired the best craftfolk hecould find in Waterdeep and Never-winter and began to rebuild his tower

and the tor beneath as an elaboratesuccession of traps, magical wards,secret passages, sliding prison cham-bers, and triggered weapons�perhapsthe most extensive assembly of suchdeadly devices in all Faerûn. A succes-sion of spell wards were added, linkedto at least three ward tokens. Unfortu-nately, no one alive today knows justwhich tokens control what areas. Allthree function as keys to pass magicallyheld doors.

These traps are known to includeshield portals, which are carved stoneshields linked magically so that a dart,axe, or other missile weapon hurledinto one would emerge from another,elsewhere in the tower. The shieldsthemselves function as permanent wiz-ard eyes or crystal balls, allowing anunseen watcher to observe from afar.

Other traps include massive stoneswing-hammers set behind false doors.When the doors are opened, a massivestone ram bursts forward from behindthem to smash intruders against a farwall. There are also climbing shaftsinset with ladders of metal rungs.Touching certain rungs causes all ofthem to retract into the stone so thatclimbers fall, or triggers metal bladesto shoot out from the seams betweenthe stone wall blocks, transfixingclimbers.

Deeply suspicious of all Faerûn�anyone could be a foe seeking to betrayhim for his gold!�Durlag retreatedinside his tower, defending it againstthe adventurers he knew would come,lured by tales the trapbuilders wouldinevitably tell. They came�and fell orfled before the traps and the axe of

90

Durlag himself, who would creep upvia secret passages to strike from theshadows.

For several centuries things went onlike this, as the increasingly eccentricDurlag lived on fungi and mushroomsgrowing in the deepest caverns�and,it is cruelly whispered, the bodies ofintruders (although this has neverbeen substantiated). At length he died,and presumably his bones still lie insome inner room or passage,guarded�along with his riches�bythe thousands of traps built to defendhis home.

Every season adventurers mountnew expeditions to Durlag�s Towerfrom Baldur�s Gate and Waterdeep,armed by the exhaustive maps and

notes of earlier bands. Every year, theyget a room or two deeper into thedeadly maze before giving up andbringing back the bodies of those vic-tims they could get out.

Unfortunately, in recent years thetower has acquired new inhabitants: adozen or more will o� wisps that seemto work in organized groups to battlethose who win past the traps, and thatfeed on those who perish in them.

Some say the will o� wisps are led ordirected by a gigantic wisp with feyspell-hurling powers, but others reportseeing illithids accompanying thewisps. Some hold the view that themind flayers are controlling the wisps,and others that the mind flayers areservants of the rumored Over-Wisp

Known Ward Tokens of Durlag�s Tower

91

Some of these are undoubtedlyfalse�how many such keys would awary-minded veteran adventurer leavelying about, anyway?�but some arecertainly real (they�ve worked in thetower). They can be rented from Bal-durian concerns (ask at the BlushingMermaid) for 1,000 gp per month ormore each summer by adventurersdazzled by thoughts of gold and glory.A trio of these are depicted on the pre-vious page.

Durlag�s Tower has become a

Still, there seems as yet no shortageof reckless seekers-after-adventure,and every season more journey toDurlag�s Tower to try to win his gold�and the reputation that seizing it willbring. Certain shops in Baldur�s Gate,Waterdeep, Athkatla, and on the isle ofMintarn do a brisk trade selling wardtokens to Durlag�s Tower.

just as the lesser wisps are. The truthremains a mystery for now�and willbe revealed, I suspect, only at a veryhigh price in the lives of adventurers.

tourist attraction. Enterprising mer-chants in Baldur�s Gate, Berdusk,Beregost, and Nashkel mount expedi-tions to view it for 50 gp a head, roundtrip, all meals included. Such trips usu-ally feature hunting along the way andalways include a daytime foray into afew of the well-known tower cham-bers, their traps tastefully adorned withskeletons and warnings that the toweris haunted. (The water of the forecourtwell is safe to drink, but lone travelersusing it should beware lurking brig-ands and the occasional bugbear.)

From a nearby camp, sightseeingtrips always return to the keep bymoonlight, to see the haunted fore-court of the tower. Strange cries,hurled stone axes, and flitting, ghostlyapparitions are provided by accom-plices of the tour guides. Such shamhorrors are sometimes taken advan-tage of by wandering will o� wisps orbrigands, which is why such expedi-tions still carry a cachet of danger upand down the Sword Coast, and thelegend of Durlag�s Tower grows fromyear to year.

I have myself seen one apparition atthe tower gates: the silent figure of arobed mage, standing in midair aboutas high off the ground as two tall menstanding one on the other�s shoulders.He faced the tower, raised his hands tocast some unknown spell, thenacquired a look of fear, trembled, andhis body was swept away as if torn byunseen winds or claws coming fromthe tower. This phantom is know toappear often, but no one knows whothe mage is�or was�and what he wasdoing when he died so spectacularly.

92

ElturelThis city is the farming center of theFields of the Dead, and its Hellridersguard and police not only Elturel, butmuch of the farmed and settled portionsof the Fields along the Skuldask Road,the Dusk Road, and both banks of theRiver Chionthar. The long patrols of theHellriders, 30 riders strong, pass alongthe roads every four hours, night andday. The upkeep of the patrols is aidedby lodges (stockaded outposts) placedstrategically within their patrol area,where food, water, flammables,weapons, and fresh mounts are kept forthem. These lodges are protectedagainst arson and casual theft by strongwards, one of the tokens for which isshown below.

Elturel is ruled wisely and well byHigh Rider Lord Dhelt, a paladin ofHelm who is ever-vigilant when it comesto the defense of his city�and to lawlesselements who might skulk in to do busi-ness in it. A just, no-nonsense ruler wholeads patrols on the road as often as anyof his war captains, Dhelt keeps the citya clean, law-abiding place, a firm mem-ber of the Lords� Alliance. His 2,000 Hell-riders are superbly equipped andtrained�a fearsome fighting forceequalled by few realms in Faerûn, Hell-riders must be skilled at the use of horsebow, lance, and saber before they areallowed to ride the roads,

Travelers can rejoice in the safety ofElturel�s reach, which extends as far asTriel along the Dusk Road, as far as theintersection with Thundar�s Ride alongthe Skuldask Road to the north, as far asScornubel along the Chionthar

upstream, as far south toward Berduskas Windstream Lodge (one of the Hell-rider lodges), and as far downstreamalong the Chionthar as Stone EagleLodge (another Hellrider lodge). It�s easyto tell these boundaries. Sheep and cat-tle wander on all sides when you�reinside them, and brush is cut back, withhedged and stone-walled farms hereand there. Outside Elturel�s sway, farmsand livestock are gone, and scrub treesand shrubs are everywhere.

LandmarksElturel thrives on trade. It�s a city of folkpassing through. Barge trade on theChionthar meets overland trade in thecity where a six-wagon ferry crosses theriver. The heart of the city is a cliff-sided

Ward Token of a Hellrider Lodge

93

tor, a natural stronghold that was held bytrolls and then orcs before humansdrove them out and first settled here. Itssouth or river end is capped by the soar-ing turrets of High Hall, the castle fromwhich the High Rider rules. A long,wooded park runs along the ridgetop ofthe heights, watered by a spring that risesin the cellars of High Hall and runs downthe Winter Garden to cascade off the torat the northern end in a spectacularseries of falls known as Maidens� Leap.

On the slopes around are the tall, nar-row, many-balconied homes of thenobles. Below this High District are theflatlands of the city, known as the DockDistrict. The Dragoneye Dealing Costerhas a major waybase hard by the docks,and the caster�s organized presence andthe watchful patrols of the Riders,assisted by a trained and loyal guild ofhandlers (goods loaders and unloaderson the docks and wagons), keep this oneof the safest dockside areas in all Faerûn.To the east, warehouses and hovelscrowd together around the docks and

the crammed stalls of Shiarra�s Market.The more prosperous and orderlyhomes and shops west of the heights arestill part of Dock District, but areincreasingly referred to as Westerly, aseparation used to imply cleanliness andprosperous success�or, to look at itfrom the other view, laziness, soft living,and pretentious arrogance. Whateverthe sneers exchanged, no one deniesthat this city is wealthy

The traveler can wander about any-where in Elturel in perfect safety. Thechief danger is from pickpockets, notknife-wielding thugs. No thieves� guild istolerated in this city�and the best wayto attract some hard questioning from alot of eager-looking Riders with drawnswords is to whisper that so-and-so is amember of or such-and-such an inci-dent is the work of a thieves� band.

The inns and taverns of the city are allfairly good�the lone exception thatcomes to mind is the poor but cheapOar and Wagon Wheel Inn, and even it isalways crowded with noisy patrons. Theestablishments described in this guideare among the most interesting�that is,shady and rough�in the city.

Elturel is home to a shrine to Tempusand two important temples. Both of thetemples give temporary shelter and aidto the devout. Helm�s Shieldhall is alarge holy fortress ruled over by HighWatcher Berelduin Shondar, also knownas Bereld the Just, a stern priest wholeads as many Rider patrols as LordDhelt. The High Harvest Home, a templeto Chauntea, is presided over by HighHarvestmaster Baulauvin Oregh�oneof the most goddess-favored servants ofChauntea in all Faerûn.

94

The Bent HelmTavern

This dockside tavern is Elturel�srowdiest dive. It is a brawling pitvisited by those who like to getthoroughly drunk and then have agood fight.

Its signboard is visible from afar: abrightly polished, gigantic war helmhanging from a spar on a stout chain.The helm was worn by a giant in along-ago battle just north of Elturel. Itis bent halfway up at a sharp angle tothe right as a result of a leaping dwarfking�s axe. The death of the giant wasthe other result.

The helm now serves as a beaconfor brawlers from all over the city, aswell as visiting adventurers and car-avan guards. Don�t come here if youwant to relax, enjoy some minstrelryor quiet, or conduct a little businessin peace. All the flying tankardsmake it hard to concentrate.

The PlaceImagine a large open barn without aloft, its hammerbeam ceiling exposed.Add a few driftglobes (which are fixedin place, well aloft, and serve to heatthe tavern as well as light it), a flag-stone floor, and rusty metalcladding�mainly made of oldshields, hammered flat�on all wallsand pillars, that continues as high upas possible. Put a bar at one end, staffit with burly, hairy-armed warriorswho can throw hard and accurately,equip them a few hand crossbowsand sleep-envenomed bolts to quell

major problems, and fit each roof pil-lar with elbow-height surround tablesfor holding drinks. Fill the place withthirsty patrons, serve potent ale,stout, and sherry in easily brokenearthenware tankards to cut down onfatalities, and stand back and watchthe fights.

The ProspectThe Helm has a no-weapons rule.Patrons are invited to check weaponsat the door by a curvaceous lass whowears a different�but always wildlydaring�costume each night. Twofirm but friendly ettins armed withclubs turn away anyone who refusesto surrender obvious weapons.They�re backed up by the doorclerk.She�s a mage of minor power whokeeps a wand of paralyzation handy.

Despite these precautions, stab-bings at the Helm are frequent, andthe local shrine to Tempus (the HandThat Swings the Sword) directs anyvisiting priests of the war god in needof funds to spend some time in thistavern�s back room, healing thewounded. Typical fees are 1,000 gpper spell applied.

The Provenderand the PricesAll drinks are 2 cp per tankard, andno food is available. Available drinksinclude undistinguished light anddark ales, a stout with a very robustcharacter, and ample quantities ofrough, strong sherry. Pouches of pipetobacco are 6 cp each. Lights�fromtapers reached across the bar�arefree.

95

A Pairof Black AntlersTavern

properly), this cozy place is a maze ofstone support pillars, low, massiveoverhead beams, and dark, massivefurniture salvaged from old villas andcastles. If things are too dark to see aninteresting-looking map or missive,

This tavern stands on the west side of one of three blue-hued driftglobes canMaidensbridge Street, just south of be called for�but this will draw thewhere it swings westward to cross the attentive eyes of many patrons in thebridge it is named for and runaround the northern end of the cen-tral heights of the city to link up withWesterly. Outside the city, A Pair ofBlack Antlers is the best known ofElturel�s taverns because it�s the gath-ering place for those who seek adven-ture. Old, retired warriors, young andbright-eyed would-bes, and wearyadventurers alike all come here.

labyrinthine, many-leveled taproom.

The Prospect

The walls of A Pair of Black Antlersare decorated over the bar with a trulygigantic rack of antlers. I climbed upon the bar�as many others have donebefore�to measure them, marveling.They�re fully 20 feet across! The wallsare also dotted with the relics and tro-phies of many adventurers: old,notched and scarred weapons; splitshields; the heads, tails, and claws ofsundry shocked-looking, dusty, long-dead monsters; and fading maps,bloodstained and covered with angryerror-correcting scribbles, of old cas-tle dungeons, dwarven holds, tombs,and other subterranean complexesthat presumably once held rich trea-sures. (Some of these maps may wellbe palpable forgeries.)

No adventurer�s visit to Elturel is com-plete without a stop at the Antlers.Many adventures have begun in itstaproom�and many more likely will.The Antlers is the place to hear gossipabout adventuring, join a band, hireswordswingers for a plan of your own,or get hired to carry out anotherdreamer�s plan. Need a curse lifted orsome other spell cast? The patronshere will know who to call on andwhere they can be found, for the priceof a tankard. Want to hear tales thatchill the blood or splendid songs ofdaring deeds? This is the place. Wantto impress a likely looking young bladeof the other sex? Beware�some ofthem may be dopplegangers orshapeshifting mages�but then, youwanted adventure. . . .

The Provender

The PlacebeWood-paneled, dimly lit, and apt to

smoky (the fireplace doesn�t draw

The heartily cheerful staff of theAntlers are all ex-adventurers of a greatvariety of ages, races, and appearances.They pour out drinks with generoushands�no one need feel slighted here.One can also purchase salted biscuits,slabs of sharp-tasting onion cheese,river clams, and gurdats (pan-fried,

96

pepper-spiced mushrooms in a meltedcheese batter).

The PricesAle is 3 cp per tankard (large, batteredpewter reservoirs) or 7 cp per hand keg,stout is 5 cp per tankard, and winestarts at 6 cp per tallglass and rises to 9cp a glass for the best vintages. Sherries,zzar, and brandies are all 1 sp per tall-glass. Elverquisst, the most expensivedrink in the house, is 4 gp per tallglass.All servings of provender are 6 cp aplate, which provides a light meal. Twoplates would serve as a nice repast.

Travelers� LoreThe Antlers has about as many hiddentreasure legends as any drinkinghouse associated with adventurers.

The patrons have adopted one bardicballad (given following) as their favoritedrinking song. This song is a nightlyfavorite at the Antlers. Woe befall anyminstrel who shows up to play withouta sensitive mastery of it�the ability tosing and play it with mournful, macabreskill. It�s a bardic standard, but here ithas the revered status of an anthem tofallen comrades, proud adventurers stillliving�and the dark humors of gods.who must be appeased.

Some of them may even be true. Thestaff would like me to mention that theone about the sacks of gold being hid-den under the boards of the taproomis false. They�re tired of patrons tryingto pry up boards when they think noone�s looking, and every single board�sbeen up several times by now.

97

The Knights of Dragon DownRiding, riding across the plain,See them riding home again.Bright their shields, bright their chain—The Knights of Dragon Down.

They have gone where shadows creep.Their blades a bloody harvest reap.Another dragon put fore’er asleepBy the Knights of Dragon Down.

On their fingers gem rings gleam.Of such baubles, the very creamFalls into the hands, in a steady stream,Of the Knights of Dragon Down.

In a dark hall a lady sits alone,

Her bright eyes gleam as white as bone.Her dark spells a-hunting roamFor the Knights of Dragon Down.

With cruel smile, a web she weaves.From each might, his soul she cleaves.Armored bones are all she leavesOf the Knights of Dragon Down.

Riding, riding, their skulls a-grin—Past the gates, the Knights ride in.Sorcery now their souls doth spinOf the Knights of Dragon Down.

Ladies scream at the touch of bone,As skeletal Knights come riding home.Undead now, fore’er to roam,Are the Knights of Dragon Down.

Minstrels used to add a verse to theend of this, late at night:

Hear them riding, nearer outside.Never sleeping, doomed to ride.There’s no place where you can hideFrom the Knights of Dragon Down.

This verse has been outlawed inElturel, because some fiendishly evilarchmage of the city wove a summon-ing spell into the words that swiftlybrought undead to whoever sangthem. They�re still whispered acrossmany a dying campfire in the Realmsby those brave (or foolish) enough torisk the coming of seven skeletal war-riors riding as many skeletal horses�or whatever lesser undead show upinstead.3

3Elminster can sing, but can�t write down tunes as we do. He says this ballad is usually chanted to a dark, intri-cate harp melody in Faerûn�but it can be sung to a quite different melody: the tune of the traditional Celtic songof our world, �Down by the Sally Gardens.�

98

Gallowgar�s InnInn

This ramshackle, well-worn innsprawls in all directions in the midstof Elturel�s dockside stockyards, look-ing just like the spider web of clum-sily linked buildings that it is. Wellknown for its affable host, Guldin Gal-lowgar, it�s also known as the ManurePile to folk of delicate noses who�vehad to stay there in hot summerweather.

The PlaceGallowgar�s Inn is an aromatic assem-bly of mismatched warehouses. It�swarm and dimly lit inside, evencozy�but the furnishings are simple,the fare even more so, and the stenchof well-rotted cow dung permeateseverything.

The ProspectGallowgar�s Inn is famous because ofits host, a retired adventurer ofmature years who seems to knoweveryone and everything in the Coastlands and to have a finger, or at leastan investment, in almost every trad-ing or shipping company mentionedin this guide! Guldin Gallowgar dishesout advice on where to locate almostanyone or anything, and is known tosponsor caravans and adventuringbands.

The ProvenderFood doesn�t have to be spectacularwhen everything smells of manure�but Gallowgar himself thrives on what

99

he feeds guests: slabs of salty bread,wedges of sharp-spiced local cheese,plates of river minnows fried in eggsand seasoned with a hint of tansy anda scant handful of crushed wayflow-ers, and portions of stew ladled fromthree salt stew pots. One pot containshare, one trout, and one shrimps andclams brought up the River Chiontharby barge.

The PricesMead is 1 sp per flagon, and ale is 6cp per tankard. All platters and stewbowls are 5 gp, but this includes twotallglasses or tankards. Rooms are 4to 10 gp per night, varying by size andlocation. Most are 6 gp. They includehot baths and stabling.

Travelers� LoreGallowgar�s is a favored destinationby those whose coins are few�espe-cially if they�re involved with caravansor are adventurers. His sponsorshipof an adventuring group is said tocost a percentage of what treasure itmight find. Rumor reports his wealthas staggering, but there�s no sigh of itabout his inn at least. There are whis-pers he�s married to the haughtiest ofElturel�s nobility, an apparently unat-tached lady of decadent tastes andendless parties whose tall-turretedhome overlooks the city�s gardens.

It is certain that Guldin can getfrom place to, place swiftly and oftenunseen, and that he does know anastonishing number of folk�in manycities, and from all walks of life. Manyguests come to stay just to questionhim or to chat.

Phontyr�s UnicornInn

This famous inn is named for the ally,lifelong friend, and possible love ofthe long-dead mage Phontyr Wonder-spell�a glowing unicorn whosehooves never touch the ground. Somesay the seldom-seen unicorn is amanifestation of the goddess Mielikki.Others swear she is a polymorphedsorceress that Phontyr loved who istrapped forever in unicorn form�Phontyr could not free her frommagic greater than his own. Stillothers say it is Lurue or Silverymoon,the Divine Beast. Cult of the Unicornmembers bought the inn to be nearthe unicorn. They typically fall ontheir knees and chant with adorationwhen it is seen.

The PlacePhontyr�s Unicorn is a splendid estab-lishment of deep green carpets, fernsin hanging baskets, dim lighting fromstrategically placed glowing globes,and curtained, canopied beds. Theinn�s adornments celebrate thefamous unicorn in many carvings,painted shields, and tapestries. Quitea few of these images are enchantedso as to glow blue-white, just as thereal unicorn does.

The inn has a wine cellar as goodas any to be found in Waterdeep (forcomparable prices, too), severallounges and meeting rooms for theuse of guests, and a fine dining room.Dry white house wine, sliced cheese,and salted biscuits are always at hand

on trays everywhere about, free forthe taking. Rooms are spacious, draft-free, and quiet thanks to the tapes-tries that hang everywhere. These aredeep green like the carpets, and eachis adorned with the glowing blue-white head of a watchful unicorn.

Eager, soft-spoken, thoughtfulhuman staff members of both sexesdressed in green unicorn-adornedlivery move quietly about the inn, see-ing to every need of the guests. Theyeven play board games or cards withbored or lonely patrons, though notfor money.

The ProspectWhatever the unicorn�s true naturemay be, the recently improved innstands on the site of Phontyr�s house,which burned down under mysteri-ous circumstances after the arch-mage�s death. The unicorn is seen onmisty nights in or near the inn, pranc-ing about and then galloping away ineerie silence. Legend says that thosewho follow it and can keep it in sightwill be led to rich treasure. Not sur-prisingly, the inn has become afavorite haunt of novice adventurers,who hang about each night withready-saddled horses or magicalmeans of flight, hoping the unicornwill appear.

The ProvenderFood at the Unicorn consists of all theusual gravy-drenched roasts and friedroot vegetables, plus a few notabledishes, soups prominent amongthem. For conservative tastes, there�sboar hock soup. Those who look

100

upon their stomachs as trustedfriends will enjoy the cold potato-and-leek soup and the hot pheasant tailsoup. This last soup is an Elturianfavorite, and is named for the threepheasant feathers stood up as decora-tion beside each bowl. It�s actually athick simmered stock of what smallgame fowl that can be had and, inestablishments less honest than thisone, small rodents.

The soups are served before heav-ier main dishes. The cooks at theUnicorn excel at shark steaks friedin seed oil, and at roast boar with allthe trimmings. The delicious shadeof brown that they manage to cookthe outside of the well-seasonedroasts to is enough to set one�smouth to watering.

Travelers� LoreThe Unicorn has at least 20 unicornsightings a year, and a few adventur-ers fast and lucky enough to followthe ethereally beautiful creaturehave become very rich. Two bandswere led to hitherto unknown, aban-doned dwarven holds near the cityand found stockpiles of gold, silver,and fine ores, and another group lit-erally fell into an ancient mage�stomb in the woods!

Rooms are 16 gp a head per night.Stabling is 2 gp extra. Eveningfeastcosts another 1 gp. This includes adelightful bottle of the house wine.More wine costs 6 gp or more perbottle.

The Prices

101

GullykinThis halfling village lacks an inn ortavern, but it is the nearest settlementto the adventurers� lure of Durlag�sTower, and so it often serves as asupply base for intrepid explorers ofthe tower. This situation pleases thelocal halfling priests, who are oftencalled upon to heal for hire, whichenriches the community. It�s other-wise a sleepy, unremarkable place ofshepherds, wool weavers, and otherfarmers.

Gullykin�s own claim to fame is lesswell known than Durlag�s Tower, butis as valuable to adventurers whoseluck is with them. Gullykin standshard by the site of Firewine Bridge, an

Gullykin Ward Token

elven trading town destroyed in a sor-cerous duel so mighty that it changedthe course of a stream so that there�sno reason for a bridge of any sortthese days. The duel leveled the townand left a large wild magic area thatpersists today, some 200 winters later,just east of the wood lot and fishpondthat marks the eastern edge of thehalfling village. It stretches north asfar as the honey renderers� shack inthe north wood lot and as far south asthe brewery (a building shared by allthe halflings, who gather on its stepsfor a smoke and a chat in goodweather).

Firewine Bridge today is simply astretch of overgrown rubble�a fal-low field used by no one. The localhalflings warn visitors not to campthere or dig in the field, but don�t doanything against those who do�except to watch in case some burieddanger is unleashed.

Local legend says some of the folkof Firewine didn�t perish in the spellbattle, but were transformed intofrogs, slugs, flatworms, lizards, tur-tles, and the like�and trapped inthose forms. Some may still survive.For this reason, locals don�t kill smallcrawling things. Some lass once inad-vertently freed a wizard, one local talegoes, and ended up marrying him.

Firewine Bridge has yielded upmagical treasure, mostly small trad-ing items such as magnetic, nonrust-ing nails and spikes, small crystalspheres that glow with continuousinner light (hue and intensity nevervarying), triple-spiked lightning wards(belt-worn devices that force lightning

102

bolts away from the wearer), spark-stones that can be commanded toproduce fire-igniting sparks when-ever desired, and glass guardeyes(single eye cusps that once a day canbe made to reveal all weapons on thebody of any being�that is, the loca-tion and outlines of all items the tar-get creature thinks are weapons).More rarely, items of greater powerturn up, such as half-masks that con-fer infravision and the ability to seeinvisible beings and items on thewearer; belt buckles that magicallytake away the effects of a good deal ofweight (about that of a burly person),allowing the belt wearer to carryheavy loads, such as the body of awounded or sleeping friend, as if theywere nothing; or rings that can callup a specific minor spell once a day,when commanded to do so. (Thespell is always the same spell, usuallymending or Tenser’s floating disc.)

The folk of Gullykin don�t go look-ing for such things themselves�to doso, they believe, invites misfortunedue to the malice of �those who diedand do not sleep.� A few residentshave bought some items from thosewho did find them, and will sell themfor several hundred gold coins each.

The high field that was onceFirewine Bridge is covered in chest-high grass and studded with piles ofrubble and small, often hidden, holesdug by treasure-seekers. Somewhereat the bottom of one hole is the wayinto an underground complex oflinked chambers�once the cellars ofa trading company�said to holdriches heavily guarded by golems and

other magically animated creatures.The only way to pass these in safety isto use a ward token, which the localsall say they lack. However, suchtokens often turn up elsewhere in theCoast lands, for sale at an asking priceof several thousand gold pieces. Oneis pictured in this guide on the previ-ous page�but I must warn travelersthat it may not be the true pass token!

The cellars of Firewine Bridgeshouldn�t be confused with the vaultsunder Gullykin�s brewery, which areused for growing mushrooms as wellas for storing casks of brew. Rumorsof an underground connection�which may or may not exist�between the brewery cellars and theburied trading company cellars havecaused the halflings years of troublewith heavily armed intruders.

The visitor can be assured of beingable to buy a tent or two, half a dozenponies, some wool, as many woolengarments or sheep as desired, and allthe foodstuffs a traveler might need.There are no shops in the village, butevery villager�s in business for himself.The locals like to haggle over prices,but rarely try to outbid each other fora visitor�s wants�when one is talkingwith a visitor, others stay clear.

In general, the halflings of Gullykinseem to like their privacy more thanmost of the small folk�they like tostroll by themselves, singing or hum-ming or just sitting and thinking, a lot.They seem to avoid loud festivitiesand roistering and to avoid visitorswho try to draw them into suchthings. Except for the ruins, Gullykinis a pleasantly boring village.

103

QheLdin�s MaskThis small river hamlet is located onthe east bank of the Chionthar halfwaybetween Scornubel and Berdusk.4 Asmall fishing, hunting, and farmingcommunity, Qheldin�s Mask wasrecently the site of a fine inn, SixSpanglestars, but it burned down somewinters ago and hasn�t been rebuilt.There�s no local accommodation avail-able to travelers now. Qheldin�s Mask isknown today for the fine riding horsesreared on local farms.

The hamlet was founded by Qheldin,the Masked Mage, some 300 wintersago. In his honor, by long-standing cus-tom, women of the hamlet�descen-dants of the wizard�s servants�wearmasks at weddings, feasts, and otherimportant occasions. These are usuallyfull-faced masks of black velvet or cot-ton with eyeholes shaped and decoratedlike the long-lashed, limpid eyes of acourtesan. The mask edges are adornedas the maker pleases. They are oftenstrung with tassels, tiny brass bells,dangle gems, or nets of sparkling cloth.

Qheldin is long dead. His tower hasfallen into rubble, its stones tested oncetoo often by the spells of journeymanwizards seeking hidden magical trea-sure. Qheldin�s tower is haunted by thewizard�s ghost, who keeps watch overthe overgrown rubble that was once hishome. A golem was once found here,and a hollow pillar yielded up somespellbooks quite recently, but the onlythings regularly dug up are hands-

both dangerous crawling claws thatattack their finders, and two sorts ofmagical items made by the wizard.5

The site is called the Grove of Handsbecause of them. Crawling claws lurkand scuttle here amid the trees.

Rumors say the inn6 also held hid-den magic, and since the inn burneddown, bands of brigands and adventur-ers have several times dug up bothtower and inn. (As the locals dryly putit, it�s often hard to tell the brigands andthe adventurers apart.) The inn hasyielded up nothing more interestingthan a few blackened coins and a snakethat had taken up residence in the half-buried cellar.

4For the location of Qheldin�s Mask, see the map in the entry on Asbravn in the chapter on Sunset Vale.5For magical details, see Appendix III of this guide.6The inn was briefly home to an adventuring band, the grandly named Blue Sword Legion, which never had

more than 12 members.

104

ScornubelScornubel is the Caravan City a sprawl-ing place of warehouses, paddocks, andstockyards. It is a city of traveling mer-chants with a population that canincrease eightfold in a good summer,sixfold during most traveling seasons. Ithas no walls and is a place of readyswords and watchful residents. Therehave been more than a few raids on itby bugbears, hobgoblins, and the like,particularly in harsh winter weather,when game is scarce. Thieves anddopplegangers are a constant problem.

This rough-and-tumble place is theclosest thing some caravan merchantshave to a home. It sprawls along thenorthern bank of the River Chiontharwhere the Trade Way meets the waters.From Scornubel�s docks a ferry crossesthe river. Many skiffs, narrowboats, andbarges make runs along the Chiontharas far upstream as Berdusk (whererapids prevent travel onward), as fardownstream as Baldur�s Gate, and as farup the River Reaching as Hills Edge anda few rancher�s docks upstream of it.

Old, sharp-tongued Lady RhessajanAmbermantle rules the city, assisted bythree Lord High Advisors (retired mer-chants) in consultation with a council ofmerchants. Her tongue and worldwisestratagems have earned her the title �theOld Vixen,� but she�s generally loved�or at least respected�among Scornu-bians. She can whelm a mounted militiaand scouts headed and equipped by theRed Shields mercenary company andhas a watch of well-trained and well-

It�s been said the goods and riches ofhalf of Faerûn pass through Scornubel,but the city itself is known as the sourceof much mutton and wool, medicinesconcocted by local artisans, merchantservices (wagon repairs, moneylendingand a barter fair), and the trading, train-ing, and doctoring of mounts and beastsof burden. Businesses and the buildingsthat house them change from season toseason or even more rapidly, andScornubel has few permanent land-marks. One never need pay for a night�srest unless one wants a bed, bath, orstables�even in cold winter weatheryou�ll see folk burrowing into hay pilesto hollow outwarm beds, and on hotsummer nights many folk lie downamid their stock in the paddocks, sur-rounded by saddles and saddlebags tokeep the beasts from stepping on them.

equipped soldiers assisted by bothpriests and mages. The city has manyshrines and visiting clergy., but only onetemple, the Healing House of Lath-ander, which is much called upon toheal injured travelers of all faiths.

LandmarksScornubel has a few interesting spots7

the first-time traveler should be awareof buried amid all its many warehousecomplexes, all of which bear largebadges of the costers or companies theybelong to, and so are easily identified.Most of these are clustered around thesmall, muddy harbor. The rotting, aro-matic stalls of the fish market standbeside the ferry dock on the west arm ofthe harbor. The smithy of Kaerus

7A map of Scornubel can be found in A Grand Tour of the Realms, the largest booklet in the revised edition of theFORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting box, or in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures hardbound book.

105

Thambadar and the crowded yards ofArkaras the Shipwright occupy the eastarm. Kaerus works mainly on wheelrims and useful ironmongery such ashooks, hinges, hasps, and nails, but canturn out simple armor and weapons.Arkaras is a huge, bearded giant with aperpetual fierce expression who keepsall the river boats running and owns theferry.

From the harbor roads radiate out inall directions. On the back road of thelargest and most prosperous block ofshops on the east side of the Trade Waystands Scornubel Hall, seat of the localgovernment. It�s the place you can hearall the arguing coming from. It is foundthree blocks up from the docks, justnorth of the intersection that bordersthe Walk, which is an open-air publicmeeting place and market. Eljan, doorwarden of the Hall, can give directionsto most things and folk.

Some visitors to Scornubel makestraight for Mother Minx�s, a festhall ofsome repute, or seek out Angah Lalla, adealer in curios from far lands who�sknown all across the Coast lands as afence for stolen goods, but fewer folkknow of the useful and interesting localmages: Buldath Andryn, ChansrinAlum, and Nethmoun Aln. The best wayto find any of these three is to leaveword at any of the inns or taverns. Theiragents will find you and guide you to ameeting. Like many other people in thisambitious, dangerous city the three likesecrecy. The traveler may be initiallybewildered by all the nicknames,aliases, catch phrases, and passwords inuse in Scornubel.

Buldath buys monster remains from

adventurers, packages and preservesthem, and sells them as magical compo-nents all over the Coast lands through afew very loyal agents. He�s a taciturngentleman, and difficult to get to knowwell because of it.

Chansrin is a sharp-tongued sorcer-ess who loves adventure. She loves tohurl spells into the midst of any fray inthe city, often accompanying the watchon nights when she�s bored. She�ll leaveScornubel to rescue someone, but wan-dering the Realms is not her idea ofadventure. As she told me, if she staysright where she is in Scornubel, �All theadventure in Faerûn will come to me!”

Nethmoun is a reclusive mage, a soft-spoken, small-headed andunprepossessing man who keeps to hissmall, ramshackle hut on the easternedge of town. The hut is warded, and isguarded by six margoyles, a small forestof magically animated flying daggers,and other, more mysterious magicaldefenses, including several modifiedEvard’s black tentacles spells.Nethmoun collects rare and unusualspells. If someone uses a magical itemor spell he hasn�t heard of in the city,one of his agents will contact thatperson and offer to trade some magicaltraining or magical items for the newitem or spell. He usually sends hisstrikingly beautiful female cook�or aprojected image of her.

There are other magical features ofinterest to the visitor in bustlingScornubel. The wizard and sage Phirazof the Naturalists is interested inpurchasing live monsters or unusualbeasts or their relatively intactcarcasses. He�s an expert on otyughs,

106

and is engaged in a long-term study ofall life on the High Moor.

Scornubel�s best lost treasure legendalso has to do with magic. Somewhereunder the Nightshade nightclub�reached by secret passages from thatdim, crowded den of passion, music,and shady dealings�is the crypt of theWondermen, sometimes called theWondermakers.

The Wondermen were mages whodared much. They tested the limits ofmagic, traveled many planes andstrange worlds, and in the end theychose to be consumed by magic. Theircrypt is said to be guarded by several ofthem who have become liches, whoawait the coming of wizards mightyenough to withstand their spellattacks�wizards who will truly deserveto wield the awesome magics they did.If someone flees the crypt with a magi-cal item, the legends whisper, theseliches will hunt that person down, notresting until the thief is destroyed andthe item has been regained.

The crypt of the Wondermen is saidto be crammed with magical rings,wands, rods, gloves, dancing iounstones, and, ringed by the grandcatafalques of the Wondermen, a hugecrystal sphere that imprisons an eater-of-magic.8 The sphere can be movedabout by means of a hand-sized controlsphere resting on a pedestal nearby. Ifit�s released, legend holds, it will roamthe Realms devouring all magic untilthere�s not a spell or magical item left.The brute rule of barbarians, goblinkin,and monsters will then overwhelm allcivilized folk.

Few have seen the crypt of the Won-dermen and lived to tell the tale, thoughmany come to the Nightshade seekingthe way to it. The staff claim to honestlynot know the way, some swearing thatthe sliding panel that leads to the rightsecret passage moves around from timeto time by itself.

Many more visitors have seen themost famous magical inhabitant of Scor-nubel: the Oebelar. This mighty mageperished�or perhaps was merely magi-cally transformed�some thirty-oddyears ago. Great tongues of blue-whitecold fire consumed his tower one night,and on the next one the silent, floatingremnants of the Oebelar first appeareda single shining eyeball, its gaze cold andlevel, and a blackened hand and fore-arm. Sometimes these two remnantswander independently but they usuallyappear together�and can write andgesture, demonstrating that they retainthe Oebelar�s intelligence.

The eye and the hand have roamedScornubel every night from then on,gliding silently into the midst of themost private meetings and trysts, thebloodiest brawls, and the coldest of con-frontations alike. Word of the silentremains of the Oebelar has spreadacross Faerûn, inspiring ballads andmore than one adventuring band toname themselves the Eye and the Hand.

The Oebelar has become a familiarhaunting to Scornubians. Most of themhate his (or its) coldly curious gaze andprying ways�but most of them can�t doanything about it, and try to ignore him.Magic seems unable to detect him, keephim out, or harm him. Even the mighty

8A nishruu, detailed in the revised FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting boxed set.

107

The traveler is warned that Scor-nubel remains a dangerous place. Manydark deeds are done in the shadows,

spells of archmages and the undead-blasting powers of senior priests areineffective, though weapons of steel canhit and hurt the eye and the hand. TheOebelar goes everywhere and takes aninterest in everything, and has quitedampened the ardor of many who�veeloped to Scornubel.

and everywhere are intrigues that a visi-tor can all too easily get caught up in�only to meet with several feet of coldsteel in an alley or nightclub doorway

Traditional entertainments in thenightclubs of the city include mock bat-tles (or not-so-mock battles) betweenwell-oiled human acrobats and mon-sters, monsters that are trained to

dance or do tricks, and monsters thatparticipate in comedy or spell-hurlingacts. Tales of various of these perform-ers breaking free and slaughteringsome members of the audience whowere trying to escape are true!

Dopplegangers, lamias, and othermonsters able to assume human formor magical disguises have always dweltin the Caravan City�and to some extenthave been tolerated, if not welcomed,because of their special powers orknowledge, If you�re trying to contact amind flayer, a yuan-ti, or even abeholder and would rather not do it inthe trackless wilderness at a grave dis-advantage, this is the place to come� ifyou can�t safely go below into theUnderdark, where secure meetingplaces exist, such as Skullport under thegreat city of Waterdeep.

This is also the place outlaws, heirson the run from assassins, misfits of allsorts, adventurers down on their luckor lacking ideas as to where to go look-ing for treasure (as well as danger,which seems far more easily found) allcome. It�s not a place for the faint-hearted or the fastidious.

Unfortunately, its ever-changingnature makes the work of a guide hard.Permanent features are few. Some fol-low in these pages�but the visitor isadvised to keep a weapon ready travelin a group and by day only until thecity�s byways and current intrigues havebeen scouted, and guard well all opendisplay of wealth. Remember that inScornubel, information always has aprice, and moneychangers are every-where. Be sure the money they�rechanging isn�t unwittingly yours.

108

The Dusty HoofInn/Tavern

This middling establishment standson the east side of Northstorm Streetin the block above the six-way inter-section of the Walk. It�s unexciting,but relatively safe and comfortable. Asthe name indicates, it caters todrovers and caravan wagonfolk.

The PlaceThe Hoof is long, narrow, and high-ceilinged, with the upper reaches ofevery room always lost in the gloom.(There was a rumor some years backthat a stirge got in and lurked aloft formost of a season, flitting down to drink from sleeping guests and then hidingup in the darkness again�until a guestwho slept with a hand crossbow handytook care of the menace.) The streetlevel is given over to the taproom, withthe kitchen and gaming rooms in thecellar, and the dining room on thefloor above. The dining room is closedoff at night, and shields the guests try-ing to sleep on the three floors abovesomewhat from the noise of late nightdrinkers. Garderobes, a serving lift,9

and stairs are all at the back, linkingeach floor. All rooms lack windowsexcept the front suite on each floor.

The ProspectThe clientele of the Hoof leads to itbeing neither a very sociable nor very

unpleasant place to visit. Most of thedrovers and caravan folk are tiredand hungry of nights, leading more tothe sounds of contented munchingand murmurs of �More ale� than scin-tillating dinner conversation. On theother hand, few fights ever break out,as most visitors here fall over into bedalmost as soon as they�re done eating.

The ProvenderFood at the Hoof consists of the usualroasts, stews, steamed greens, and�in keeping with the name of theplace�something called hoof soup,which tastes rather like broth of oldmeat cuts with diced old vegetables init and is supposedly made by boilingthe hooves of locally slaughtered live-stock.10 Drinks are the usual ale, wine,sherry, mead, and winter wine. Noth-ing exotic or outstanding is served.

The PricesAle is 3 cp per tankard, and every-thing else is 1 sp per flagon. All food is2 gp per serving. A serving is a gener-ously heaped oval platter suitable fora large, hungry soldier or fieldworker. I saw two elves share one.They left food�and they started outhungry, not disdainful of the fare.

Travelers� LoreThe cellars of the Hoof are said to con-nect with old, dry sewers now used forsmuggling�passages that lead towarehouses far away across the city.

9A serving lift is a box in a shaft, operated by pulling on a pulley rope by a servant standing in the box. This one isoften used for quick escapes by those willing to burn their hands of the rope or take a hard landing at the bottom.

10Elminster says that hoof soup is indeed made from boiled hooves�with the other ingredients Volo detectedthrown in. Dogs bother livestock, the Old Mage notes, so they�re not welcome in Scornubel�and so they�re toofew to devour all such offal. �So,� Elminster noted dryly, �for once we have to do it ourselves�eat up, now!�

109

Far AnchorInn

This large inn sits on the north side ofFar Rider Street between StumblepostTrail and Red Shields Road. It�s prob-ably the best accommodation to behad year in and year out in Scor-nubel. Built by a retired sea captainonly 12 or so seasons back, its namerefers to its distance by river bargefrom the Sword Coast.

The PlaceLarge, bright rooms, simply fur-nished but kept clean, are things to betreasured in rough-and-tumble Scor-nubel�so this inn tends to be fullmost of the time. Its rooms have stout

shutters and lack balconies, but thiscuts down on thievery and the fre-quency with which empty bottles arehurled inside of evenings�unlessone�s foolish enough to sleep with theshutters open.

The communal dining room (thelargest in Scornubel) has two watchfulguards to keep things peaceful. Folkwho aren�t staying at the inn cancome in and dine for 2 sp per serving.Some folk stay here regularly just forthe chance to relax over a meal.Others come because the inn hasfewer bugs than elsewhere and is toonew and clean to have much room forsecret passages and the like. Its indoorgarderobes (jakes) were new to thecity when the place was built, buttheir like are found everywhere now.

110

The ProspectFolk rich enough to have somethingworth stealing, but not so rich as tohave spare coin enough to rent anentire house to stay in or to travelwith bodyguards in strength, comehere. (Many Scornubians live in onehouse and rent out their second oneto visitors.) Most guests come back asecond time if they visit Scornubelagain. The cleanliness is one rea-son�and the baths are another.

At the Far Anchor one can bathe inthe privacy of one�s own room or in alarge and steamy�but warm!�bathing chamber in the cellar. Manywives will stay nowhere else for thelatter reason, though one mustbeware the rather strong and dubi-ous-scented perfumes sold aroundthe city for adding to bath water.They�re created to mask the aroma ofan unwashed body, and thus evenwhen diluted they�re apt to leave theowners of refined noses reeling.

The watchful staff of Far Anchorare all ex-adventurers of many races.All tend to carry hidden weapons andare ready to use them. Ask them if youneed anything; they�re happy to help.

The ProvenderNo drink is served at the Anchor tokeep breakages and brawling to aminimum. The fare is simple, of theroasts, stews, fried potatoes, andsteamed greens sort. For the moreadventurous palate, river clams, eels,and frogs can all be had fresh andpan-fried in butter.

Cheeses and sausages from all overFaerûn come to Scornubel, and this inn

sells a selection, Of the cheeses, Elturiangray is very popular�though, strangely,I saw little of it in Elturel itself. Halfling-made sausage from Corm Orp is also alocal favorite. It�s made from squirrelmeat, ground nuts, and hogs, and has adistinctive fatty taste.

The PricesA platter (any main dish) is 3 sp. Abowl (any soup or stew) is 2 sp. Aplate (river fare or bread) is 1 cp.Cheeses and sausages vary with thegoing market prices, but are usually 4sp per wheel for cheese and 1 gp perpound for sausage.

Travelers� LoreThe Anchor is too new to haveacquired many tales yet. It is said tobe haunted, though, by the unseenspirit of a guest stabbed for hismoney. Guests hear his moans andthe noise of clinking coins. His behav-ior would indicate his hidden coinshaven�t been found yet.

111

The Jaded UnicornInn/Tavern

This ramshackle complex of formerwarehouses occupies the center ofthe first block east of the one that hasScornubel Hall at its heart�but asidefrom position and size, the two placescouldn�t be more different. Thisdump is proudly presided over by alife-sized purple unicorn sculpturethat some wag�on a dare or a bet, nodoubt, and with the aid of a levitationspell�has painted the face of withrouge, lip scarlet, and eye shadow tomake it look like a cheap courtesan.Somehow it looks fitting.

rough sorts go to get killed in brawls�on some nights, the stabbed bodiespile up outside like so much kitchenrefuse, hurled out by the cooks withthe same careless ease. It�s certainlythe only place in town that welcomes(well, tolerates) orcs and half-orcsamong its clientele�and a lot of elves,dwarves, and humans who come react

The Jaded Unicorn is notorious, evenin Scornubel. It�s the place where

The Prospect

This place is used rightmindedly onlyby the desperate and the poor. Thesmall sleeping rooms smell bad andform a warren of mismatched cor-ners and sloping floors, a result ofcombining warehouses that once hadnothing at all to do with each other.�Rat holes,� one patron called them,very aptly.

The Place

The ProvenderFood in the Unicorn means slabs ofsalty bread, wedges of cheese, bowlsof hare stew, patters of pan-fried trout(not bad), and cuts from a roastcooked in stale beer�and tasting ofit. Drinks are the order of the dayhere�and the stronger and rougher,the better. I advise guests to dine else-where, if they must sleep here.

The PricesThankfully, all of this splendor comescheap. All drink is 1 cp per tankard,all meals are 2 cp per serving, and allrooms are 2 sp a head per night, withanother 1 sp per mount for stabling.

Travelers� LoreSmugglers and snatch bands of localthieves often meet here. Tales aboundof thick-skulled, but healthy, youthsbeing taken from here to unwillinglypursue sailing careers elsewhere.Beware!

with drawn blades. There�s a briefflurry, yet another body, and then thedrinking goes on. Thankfully, thisplace has adopted the earthenwaretankards used in some other roughhouses to keep the fatalities caused byhurled drinks to a minimum.

All of the wild partying that goes onin the taproom, which is usuallypacked, with patrons standingcrowded together elbow-to-elbow,makes it a lousy place to try to catchsome slumber. If the din from down-stairs doesn�t keep you awake, themutterings of plotters gathered inadjacent rooms will.

112

The Raging LionInn/Tavern

This large, but rather poorly run,establishment stands on the east sideof the Trade Way on the north edge ofthe city. It has the advantage of alarge, well-guarded compound tohold off orc and brigand raids and alocation that allows timid guests toavoid entering the city proper�or toleave hastily, riding hard into thenight, if need be. It offers the conve-nience of secure stables handy to themain building, but not much else.

reminder of former greatness, is nowsadly shabby. A frequent local prankis to place the severed head of aslaughtered hog or the like in thelion�s open, snarling jaws. Sometimessuch a grisly trophy hides a messagefor one cabal or another. Once ortwice, folk have been murdered inScornubel and their heads displayedin the lion�s jaws as a warning. (Agrisly and brutish gesture.) Inside, theinn isn�t quite as bad as that�but it�snot very exciting, either. The gildedlion�s head chamberpots were quaintwhen I first used them�and they�remuch older now. . . .

The Place The ProspectThe Lion is dirty and dingy. The life- The staff members at the Lion pursue a sized gilded stone lion out front, a rather unhurried pace, as if the worn-

113

a personal liking for fried and stuffed Travelers� Loresnake and will happily prepare a plat- For years the Lion was home to threeter of this delicacy for anyone request- rival adventuring bands, who outdiding it. He does the snakes in a gravy of each other in boasting if not in suc-poultry stock and almonds, and the cess. One finally found a Nethereseresult is surprisingly tasty, if a bit rub- ruin and brought back great wealth�bery. The kitchen also produces but its members were promptlyElturian pheasant tail soup, but small slaughtered by the rest. The gold, hid-rodents and other found meat may den here, was never found.

down look of the establishment had well find their way into the stock. Youinvaded their very being. They are not have been warned, travelers.exactly rude, but they are not on theirtoes either. They seem perpetually dis- The Pricestracted, and a guest may have to repeat Rooms are 15 gp a head per night,a request several times to get action. and stabling is 3 gp extra. Meals cost 2

The Provendergp per person for all one cares to eat,including a mug of cheap spiced

Food at the Lion consists of the usual wine. Other wines cost 10 gp or moreroasts, stews, and steamed greens fare, per bottle. There�s no ale.with one note of interest: The cook has

114

Serpent�s CowlThis small village sits on the east (orsouth) bank of the Winding Waterupstream of Boareskyr Bridge, nearthe estate of Heartwing, which isowned by the sorceress Aluena Hala-canter, who�s famous for the pegasishe rears. Named for the yuan-ti cityand temple that once stood here,Serpent�s Cowl stands hard by theForest of Wyrms. It is importanttoday as a ferry crossing at the limitsof clear water on the river. Below it,the Winding Water is black and poi-sonous because of godly battles dur-ing the Time of Troubles. The Cowlhas always been home to farmers, afew woodcutters who timidly cut along the verges of the Forest ofWyrms in armed parties (parties thatkeep watch for who-knows-whatmonsters approaching from the for-est depths), and a handful of fisher-folk and bold (local folk use theword strange) hunters.

The Forest of Wyrms is named forthe great numbers of snakes thatslither and coil in its trees, They arethought to be a legacy of the serpentfolk who once dwelt where the villagestands. Local legend whispers thatsome day they will return from thedepths of the forest. Adventurersreport finding no trace of yuan-ti inthe forest, but admit their searcheshave been a little tentative becausethe forest holds at least half a dozengreen dragons�young, smallishdragons that are probably a singlebrood, but dragons nonetheless�andthe dark, overgrown stone tower

Some villagers say a small, braveband of adventurers recently wonthrough these defenders to destroythe lich�but other adventurers havevanished trying to plunder the Holdsince then, and most locals believeundead still rule there. Hunters sayserpents, zombies, and skeletons arestill numerous in the forest.

known as Lyran�s Hold. Lyran wasonce a mage of note, master of thenecromantic arts, and his tower hasbeen a lodestone drawing adventur-ers from the far corners of Faerûn�adventurers who�ve perished or,worse still, been seen again as hisundead servants, patrolling the woodagainst intruders, wielding their oldmagic and weapons as they did in life.

Lyran warded his Hold. Manyward tokens can be had in the villagefor 100 gp, and one is shown on thefollowing page. The wards ignore theundead, visiting harmful spells onlyon the living. (Some spells manifestas traps that are unleashed by spelltriggers. )

Local legend forbids digging cel-lars or pits in the village for fear ofopening a way into the lost cellars ofthe yuan-ti temple and unleashingthe weird monsters said to lurkthere. The temple was blasted torubble by the spells of victoriousmages when the serpent folk settle-ment fell. The yuan-ti wielded magi-cal items of awesome strengthseized from Netherese ruins(scepters that blasted or hurledrings of lightning, rings that gaveforth rays that burned or fired show-ers of stinging darts, and staves

115

whose segments could turn intomultiple fighting golems whendetached and thrown), and usedthese to savagely guard the cellars oftheir temple, where unholy experi-ments were conducted in breedingand magically altering monsters toproduce worse monsters. Records ofthe battle speak of pale things thatresembled bulettes, other palethings like behir, and creatures thatresembled giant winged flyingsnakes and beholders with snake-like, dangling rear bodies.

In the end, the attacking magesbrought down the temple atop theyuan-ti, burying them alive. Mostbelieve they survived, though, tun-neling down into the Underdark to

Serpent�s Cowl Ward Token

escape to the Serpent Hills or tun-neling to the surface somewhere inthe Forest of Wyrms, which has at itsheart many as-yet-unexploredravines tangled with thickly growntrees and shrubs.

The traveler who�s not interestedin trudging around a forest known tobe endangered by snakes and greendragons will find the village itselfsmall and rather pleasant. The farmsaround it lack any buildings for thesame reason the village is small: Raid-ing green dragons destroy homes anddevour people that are outside theward that envelops the entire village.

This ward, created after the battleto keep evil dragon-riding magesfrom directing their mounts to dig upthe temple cellars in any attempt togain the Netherese magic there, keepsall dragons out. Any dragon whocomes into contact with the ward istorn simultaneously by repulsion,lightning, and some form of life-drain-ing curse.11 This spell is known toaffect weredragons and dragonswho�ve used magic to adopt anotherform.

The ward keeps the stone, turf-roofed, and florally decorated cot-tages of the Cowl crowded togetheraround a small square. Their gardensand the tracks that lead to the nearbyfarms radiate out from them. There�sbut one small guesthouse in the Cowl,the Dusty Dragon, whose owner sellsfood to visitors.

11The effects are repulsion (as per the spell, affectingone dragon without saving throw or exception), light-ning bolt 18d6 damage except to dragons immune tosuch attacks), and energy drain (which reduces thedragon by one �age� if a saving throw vs. spell fails).

116

This small trail town is located on theTrade Way south of Boareskyr Bridge.Often raided by goblinkin and bug-bears, it�s a summer tent town thatshrinks to an armed outpost in win-ter. At its heart is the old stone ruin ofa temple or abbey of Bane, known asthe Black Abbey. Some folk believe itwas once sacred to another god andwas only seized by worshipers ofBane briefly. The ruins have yieldedstones to build the rest of Soubar.

What remains of the ruins arehome to a mysterious womanknown only as Mag, who runs a tav-ern called the Winding Way in them.The word around the Coast is thatMag was once a priestess. Some sayshe abandoned her calling, othersthat she embraced another faithand others say she�s a mind flayer orother horrible creature (a beholder,perhaps, or even a neogi) who�smastered magic enough to takehuman form for years at a time.

All that�s certain is that Maganswers no questions, has healedfolk from time to time, wears a ringof misdirection that conceals hertrue allegiances and powers, andstores broken instruments of torturein the old abbey loft where shesometimes lets travelers sleep.Whether she used spells or potionsfor healing is a point of contention.Reports on this are confused. All ofthis makes many merchants uneasy.They camp west of Soubar, or presson past if the weather�s fair and the

Soubar night apt to be moonlit, rather thanstopping here.

Soubar is a lawless town. Visitorsshould bring their own swords�and be prepared to swing them.There are several Coast lands fire-side tales about brigands whoburied loot here and were slainbefore they came back for it. Not allsuch tales are fanciful. The mer-chant Janthool of Athkatla, a far-traveled trader in sundries, dug alatrine pit just west of Soubar aspring or two ago and unearthed anivory coffer crammed full ofmatched black pearls�each as largeas the pommel nut of a stout broadsword! Be warned, however. Diggingin certain spots in Soubar summonshelmed horrors12 to the digger, dueto an ancient guardian spell ofunknown origin!

Folk not wanted in Triel orBoareskyr Bridge find their wayhere. This has made Soubar some-thing of a hiring fair for brigands,evil mages, dopplegangers, wereratsand other werefolk, mercenariesdown on their luck, mind flayers,those bearing curses, and others nottolerated in most communities.

Fences for stolen goods are plenti-ful here. Scurrilous �bounty hunters�who kill, maim, or capture specificbeings to order are also plentiful, asare dealers in slaves, information,poisons, chains and cages, sleep ven-oms, and exotic pets. Kill-trained petscost twice the usual prices. I�m not(ahem) familiar with any names ordetails, of course.

12Detailed in the revised FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting boxed set.

117

Tempus�s TearsThis small, little-known village restsquietly where the Skuldask Roadmeets Thundar�s Ride in the heart ofthe Fields. Most folk think it�s just ahuge, abandoned, ancient stone city,fields upon fields of once-proudtowers fallen into rubble and ruin.Its name comes from a standingstone set up at the intersection thatbears the words:

Here was peace this day made.Let Tempus cry bitter tears.No more our dead we’ll paradeAnd live cloaked in waiting fear.

This stone is believed to mark thespot of one of the parleys that endeda long war�and with it, any hope ofcreating a northern realm ruled bythose Calishite satraps greedy forever more land to bring under theirrule. The date of the struggle, whoexactly was fighting (beyond Cal-ishites on one side, and humansalready here who wanted to remainfree on the other), how long thepeace lasted, and who wrote thewords on the stone are all lost in themists of the passing years.

Today, Tempus�s Tears is a villageof dwarves and gnomes, who liveunder the ruins in burrow homes.They craft coffers, latches, andsatchels, and sell them to certaintrusted merchants passing through.Most others don�t even know theyexist.

A few merchants take a wag-onload of stones from the ruins

118

from time to time. If they take toomany, dwarves appear from below-ground and politely ask them to putsome back. Those who refuse arewarned that the ruin�s under theprotection of Amaeraszantha. If theyignore this, the dwarves summonher.

Amaeraszantha is an amethystdragon of great size and age wholairs in the collapsed circle of an oldtemple. The circle is located on anisland in a small, stagnant lake at theheart of the ruined city, generallynortheast of the meeting of the over-land trails. She will respond to adwarven summons and attack plun-derers of the ancient, nameless city.Dwarves can summon her eitherdirectly or by use of a vast, buriedhorn, actually a carved, spiralingtunnel, blown into from below. Itissues a low, droning call.

In truth, there�s little to find here.One of the reasons a ruin so large isso little known are the failing wardsthat still affect it, shrouding much ofit in mist at all times and causing afew of the shattered buildings tovanish for a time and then silentlyreappear. They disappear onto otherplanes or worlds, some sages say. Adiligent searcher in the ruins willfind it empty of all but rubble, dust,and a few nasty predators that havetaken up residence or wanderedinto the city just as human adventur-ers do.

Somewhere in these vast ruins,the Great Seer Alaundo said, is theStone that Speaks. This treasure iseagerly sought by Candlekeep. The

sages of that monastic communityhave sponsored many expeditions insearch of the Stone. It is said to be ahand-sized, nondescript lump ofgray rock that contains the impris-oned spirit of a wizard�an arch-mage who clings to sanity only by athread, and is apt to be irritable andsarcastic. It yearns to possess a liv-ing body again and is shrewdenough to bargain with any informa-tion it yields to move it toward itsgoal, step by tiny step.

The archmage, once of Netheril,knows more of magic than livingwizards do. It has some way ofhearing what befalls around it, andso has learned many things downthrough the years since itsimprisonment.

It was briefly possessed by thelong-ago ruler of Rashemen, AngorlSteelhorn. It was stolen, and latertraveled about the Coast lands in thepossession of a band of adventurers.In the end they fell here, slaughteredby an argos, and the Stone, flungaway in desperation by a dying thief,who vainly hoped it would somehowunleash magic to save the band�lay

for many years alone in the stonyloneliness of the ruins. Word of ithas come to us from three separatetravelers, two of whom were toofearful of it to get close to it. A rivalblasted the third by magic, trappinghim in an endless, rapid, helplessshapeshifting from one form intoanother until his heart finally failedunder the strain, and he perished.13

The spirit trapped in the Stonestrives for freedom at all costs, car-ing nothing about what it promisesor brings about in order to get into aliving body again.14 It is treacherousand self-serving in the extreme

The dwarves and gnomes, whodare not approach it, told me theStone calls out to those who comenear, trying to get itself taken awayfrom its current resting place. Thattransportation is something theydon�t want. They�ll summonAmaeraszantha to prevent it. Shealso doesn�t want the Stone out inthe wider world, nor does she desirethe flood of treasure-seeking adven-turers news of its finding willundoubtedly bring to Tempus�Tears.

13This now-forgotten 9th-level wizard spell (Elminster tells us) was an involuntary shapechange that couldhelp or slay a foe: The target being had to fail a saving throw vs. spell for the spell to work at all. If the save failed,a cycle of 12 preselected forms began (typically slug, snail, toad, and the like). No form could be assumed thatwould perish in the surrounding atmosphere (no �fish out of water�), but damage could be suffered if a particu-lar form fell due to its nature (a slug being unable to stay on a branch, for instance) or was struck by anotherattack. The target had to make a system shock survival roll for each change; any failure brought instant death(and an involuntary return to one�s true form). If the saving throw succeeded, the target being gained immunityto that spell, plus an additional 12 permanently gained hit points, and was instantly healed of all injuries andafflictions. The magic shifted all garments and carried gear into the ethereal plane until the transformationswere complete or death occurred; items and equipment were not present to crush or drag down tiny forms thetarget may have been forced into.

14Elminster says the steps toward freeing the wizard�s spirit that the Stone will try to cause by bargaining areas follows: Take the Stone to a large city; get it into the spell chamber of a male archmage; render that mageunconscious, placing the Stone upon his breast; cut his hand so that it bleeds, and place the hand on the Stone;this will force a possession, freeing the ancient wizard from the Stone. The original mind in the body will warcontinually against the intruding wizard, causing the body to babble, act erratically, and change its mind fromtime to time�but mostly, the evil wizard will be in control!

119

Triel is ruled by Elvar theGrainlord, so-called because he�sobsessed with having enough food tosafely survive the winters, when tradevirtually ceases along the inlandroads. The gates of Triel�s log-and-boulder village stockade are locked atnight�and visitors are expected to beoutside, camping in the fields aroundso they can do their part to keepthieving bugbears and worse awayfrom Elvar�s precious grain. Thestockade itself is crammed, stackedhigh, and dug deep15 with crates,barrels, bins and jugs of preservedvegetables and grain, all sealed,numbered, and meticulously labeledas to their contents. I happened upona rarity: �1357�2136: Sword CoastSnails, pickled in Firewine/Gift ofBaltovar of Neverwinter/Turn everythree months/Seals renewed [and

This small, stockaded way-village islocated on the Trade Way north ofScornubel, where that road meets theDusk Road that swings across countryfrom Elturel to Hill�s Edge. To thenortheast are the Trielta Hills, quiet,rolling grasslands rumored to containgold, and home to many small, peace-ful gnome and halfling communities.

then a string of several dates].� Notethat the first four numerals denotethe year Elvar took possession of thiscontainer.

At least Elvar�s lucid enough tohunger after news of the wider worldoutside his well-stocked, fanaticallydefended pantry. Traders who bring

Triel food, firewood, barrels, or sea salt forfood preservation or the like will behonored with a feast at Elvar�s table�and the villagers are good cooks (andwell fed, to boot�but then, howcould they not be?).

Be warned. Triel not only lacksanything much useful to the traveler,like an inn, tavern, or decent shop�though the villagers seem to have noshortage of money with which to buyanything a merchant might want tosell�but Elvar�s also a little, er,unusual about religions. The Grain-lord changes faiths almost by the ten-day, complete with vestments, hiredpriests, if he can get them, and ritu-als. Messengers sent out to Scornubelor Boareskyr Bridge who take toolong to return with a hired priest mayfind the clergy they bring back isalready passe, professing a faith nowfallen out of favor. Altar building anddismantling at the Cup of Plenty, theshrine Elvar maintains, keeps twocarpenters busy day in and day out asthe seasons pass.

This whole-hearted leaping fromdeity to deity makes things very diffi-cult for visitors. It also makes lifenone too easy on the local priestessof Chauntea�a stubborn little wispof a thing by the name of Antriera,who quietly sees to the healingneeds of the garrison, farmers, andforage patrols Triel sends out. She�llalso see to the needs of travelers forvery reasonable fees.

More than one adroit visiting thiefseeking disguises for later hasrelieved Elvar of a dozen or more sets

15It�s so underdug that the doors covering cellar stairs are everywhere.

120

of priestly garb. (Antriera always gold to run their own farms. They areburns the whip-and-chain vestments always puzzled as to why he refuses,of Loviatar before the Grainlord real- but Elvar always does so, firmly.izes he looks ridiculous in them and He does give advice and is wellgets any funny ideas about creative paid for it�but he won�t travel, sosecondhand uses for them.) Elvar the rest of Faerûn is free of his abilityalways seems puzzled as to where to smell where buried water lies andthey go and how he could have mis- to dig a well just deep and largeplaced them when everything�s so enough to draw with little pumping.neat. This, of course, goads him into Triel has two deep, clear wells thatfurther acts of organization, cleaning, have never been known to get low onand rearranging�activities he never water due to his skill.seems to tire of. His folk love him, for all his eccen-

For all his faults, Elvar, a simple soul tricity. I learned all that I tell here byat heart, is a genius at finding water, talking to several of them. If you cancreating proper irrigation and stomach all this, or are a dealer indrainage, and anticipating weather clerical regalia or a creator of newand crop problems. Folk from trou- cults, perhaps, Triel may be thebled Temyr have several times tried to place for you�or it may not. Mostentice him away from Triel with much will pass it by.

121

122

The Backlandsor explorers and adven-turers who favor warmerclimes than the far, frigidreaches of the SavageNorth, the Backlands of

the Sword Coast are the largest lawless,monster-haunted Irontier in westernFaerûn�unless one goes as far south asthe trackless jungles of Chult. Manyadventurers and nobles (or othercrazed-wits) who hunt monsters forsport come here to wet their blades andgather trophy heads for their walls.

The Backlands are named for theirlocation as seen by coast-dwellinghumans. They consist of the sparselysettled (by humankind) lands east ofSerpent�s Tail Stream, the Forest ofWyrms, and the Trielta Hills; north ofthe River Reaching; west of the desertAnauroch; and south of the GreypeakMountains. Once this area was coveredby fertile farms that fed Netheril, aproud and mighty realm ruled byhuman sorcerers. Netheril�s ruins�said to be crammed with gems, gold,and magic-still lure opportunists toremote, perilous corners of the Back-lands every summer season.

Today, the Backlands hold the mostpowerful elven realms left in Faerûn:Evereska and the Greycloak Hills. Theyalso hold the most fearsome monstersknown to walk, slither, trot and crawlopenly in the Realms. The beasts in theheart of the Marsh of Chelimber arefierce enough to prevent cruel andhaughty cities of yuan-ti and ophidians

in the Serpent Hills from spreading east,and feuding tribes of giants dwell in theHill of Lost Souls and the Battle of Bones(two craggy areas named for pasthuman struggles). The giants battle end-lessly over the rolling grasslandsbetween the two areas.

Tales of lost treasure abound in theBacklands. It is said to lie both in theruins and tombs of Netheril, and inmore recent hoards such as the onesaid to be dug into the walls of SkullGorge. Gates also abound. These per-manent teleportational areas are ofteninvisible and may even be stranded inmidair by the collapse of the buildingsin which they were located. At least onesuch portal links Toril with outer planeswhere fiends, such as tanar�ri, dwell.Rumor whispers that the elven realmshold an entire network of gates whichthe Fair Folk use to travel the Realms.Most sages explain the presence of themany monsters in the region and theflourishing game they live on (whichwould seem far too little to supportsuch a huge number of roving teeth andclaws, but far too plentiful for thosemonsters to be eating much) throughthe existence of many gates that bringcontinual supplies of fresh beasts intothe Backlands from somewhere else.

The traveler is advised to come wellarmed in a strong party of battle veter-ans whose ranks include both magesand priests of power. Reliable guides tothe Backlands are few, especially nowthat the Zhentarim have begun to run

123

bones of hired guards trying to get cara-vans safely past the beasts are sonumerous as to litter the ground insome places.

caravans through the area from YellowSnake Pass to bases along the Delimbiyr.These caravans have hired away orkilled off many of the hunters who for-merly roamed the area. Elven guides,once happy to permit small humanexpeditions into certain areas, haveresponded by preventing all humanentry into Evereska and ceasing all aid,including guide services. The monstersseem as plentiful as ever, and fresh

As so often happens, humans haveresponded to increased danger bycharging into the area in ever-growingnumbers. Monster hunters based inHill�s Edge and Boareskyr Bridge do a

thriving trade in preserved monsterparts and caged live specimens, whichthey collect on wide-ranging expedi-tions into the Backlands. The Marsh ofChelimber holds the largest knownconcentration of catoblepas in theRealms, for instance, and the northeast-ern end of the Sunset Mountains ishome to a realm of leucrotta�a collec-tion of rival packs of this notoriouslyunpleasant beast.

Every year, new rumors of treasurefound sweep the Sword Coast. Some-times the treasure is simply uncoveredby the fierce storms that often lash thearea, causing flash floods in normallydry basins and ravines. Sometimes agroup of adventurers uncovers a smallruin or a scrub farmer turns up a chestor jug when plowing. Each year�s crop of

124

treasure rumors goads wealthy interestsin Amn and Waterdeep to sponsor freshexpeditions in search of the latest chanceto gain some part of the magical might ofNetheril. A single find of a new type ofmagical item or even a useful spell canmake someone a lifelong fortune.

Settlements in the Backlands are few.It�s not a place for the casual traveler.Those who enter the depths of thislargely unexplored, trackless regionmust be prepared to forage for their ownfood and fight, more or less continu-ously, to keep from becoming someoneelse�s food. The safest area of the Back-lands, if there can be said to be such athing is along the borders of the elvenholdings. Although hopeful predatorymonsters gather there, the elves mountstrong patrols, employing magical flight,spells, and enchanted weapons as well asbattle skill, and keep the area fairly clear.They don�t always come to the aid ofnonelves whom they observe beset byorcs or other monsters, but I�ve noticedthat they usually respond to those whomake the old elven hand signs for Greet-ing and Call for Assistance.

To sign for Greeting, extend botharms�hands empty�straight up overone�s head, thumbs together, and thenbring the arms forward in an encirclingmotion. Repeat this at least three timesbefore letting one�s arms fall. Themotion can be repeated several times.

The Call for Assistance can be pre-ceded by an attention-getting ululation�a high-pitched chattering scream orswooping two-note warbling somethinglike a continuous repetition of the soundsmall boys make while beating theirchests and pretending to be a bull ape

from the jungles of Chult (the most com-mon caged animal seen in the cities ofthe Sword Coast). This could bedescribed as setting one�s voice as highas it will go, and then dropping one note,and then back up, as fast as possible:�Uhh-ohh-uhh-ohh-uhh-ohh� and so on.At night, some elven patrols will respondto this sound alone. Those planningtreacherous use of this cry shouldremember that elves don�t need light tosee the positions and deeds of humans.

The Call is signaled by raising onearm, holding it upright as far as theelbow, and waving the forearm in onedirection only (not from side to side, asmost humans do), from where one�shand is just above one�s face, down towhere the hand covers the chest, andthen back up, repeating rapidly As withthe Greeting� the hand must be empty.Only one arm should be used, althoughrepetition is understood as an addedindication of urgency. Remember thatwise travelers never have to rely on any-one else for assistance.

125

Drawn SwordsThis small village occupies a solitarycrag. The crag is located just east ofNorthdark Wood and halfway betweenthe Hill of Lost souls and Hill�s Edge.Northdark Wood is called by some theDusk Wood and by others Reluvethel�sWood, after a famous elven rangerwho once hunted in it. This forest iseast of the Trielta Hills, and is the mostnortherly arm of the Reaching Woods,separated from the others by the DuskRoad.

Drawn Swords is named for severalhard-fought battles here in the past,plus the vigilance that all who dwellthere must maintain if they�re to livelong enough to see another morn. Inthe past, a combined human and elven

force smashed an orc realm at thislocation. In another past battle, elvesput humans planning to found a realmof their own to flight.

From the distance, the traveler willsee a broken stone tower atop a steepcrag. The tower is surrounded by aring of trees and a few unfenced culti-vated plots. The tower is an old rob-ber-knight�s keep, now partly in ruins.The keep at the crest of the crag(called Swordskeep) provides a look-out, a shelter for food stores, and anarmory. The local farmers andhunters, who dwell in stone-and-sodcottages on the steep slopes of thecrag, retreat here when beset by largeorc tribes, raiding trolls, and the like.

The village numbers perhaps 80folk, about 20 of whom are usually offhunting. The village keeps a constantwatch for approaching creatures of allsorts, and can muster over 40 expertarchers. The usual defense of thisoften-attacked village is to fire volleysof arrows, retreat up the slopes to thenext ring of cottages, fire all the arrowsthere, retreat again, and so on. Eachhome has at least eight quivers of 20shafts each hung up just inside thedoor for easy access in a hurry. At leasttwo quivers will be fire arrows, theirshafts wrapped in cloth that has beensoaked in pitch and is ready for light-ing with a firebrand.

A giant triple crossbow set up onthe top surviving floor of the tower canhurl its bolts far enough to surprisemany an enemy and hard enough topierce three trolls standing onebehind the other. Shafts are often setaflame just before firing in order to

126

It�s surprising that such a small, iso-lated village has an inn, but the placeserves as a base for many adventuringbands and a group of guides andswords-for-hire. This last group isknown as Saern�s Sharp Swords. Theirfounder and original leader, the war-rior Saern, was killed over 20 winters

illuminate enemies attacking by nightor to slay trolls.

ago in a winter skirmish with hobgob-lins north of the village.

The importance of the village, theexistence of the inn, and the inn�sHarper defenses and probable owner-ship are due to an ancient gate locatedin a room of its own on the groundfloor of the old keep. The gate appearsas a shimmering blue upright oval of

silent, dancing, cold fire. This two-wayportal operates continuously. It allowsregular supply shipments to reach thevillage. The gate also permits the con-stant passing back and forth of adven-turers and hunters wanting to quicklyreach the heart of the Backlands orNorthdark Wood, which offers splen-did bear and stag hunting. The opera-tion of the portal also permits aconstant flow of captured monsters orthe trophies of slaughtered monstersfrom the frontier to Berdusk. Every-thing from heads and antlers to exoticinnards destined for sale by apothe-caries and purveyors of magical ingre-dients passes through. Berdusk thenoffers both overland and riverborneconnections for travel and trade.

127

LandmarksThere are two tourist attractions withineasy reach of Drawn Swords. Remem-ber, however, that orcs and the likewatch the village, waiting for prey tocome to them, so �easy� refers to dis-tance, not safety or a leisurely trip.

One is sacred to worshipers of SuneFirehair, the Lady of Love. Her wor-shipers often make pilgrimages to it.Known as the Flame Stone, it is a hugeupright stone as tall as two adult humanmales that stands in a grassy glade onthe eastern edge of Northdark Wood,within sight of Drawn Swords crag.

On Midsummer Nights, or whenSune wills, the stone glows with avivid, orange-red, flickering radiance,resembling a leaping tongue of flamefrom a distance. Touching it then�ifone is a worshiper of Sune�is said toheal all diseases, curses, illnesses,wounds, and wastings. Good fortuneis said to come from feasting and kiss-ing in its presence at all times, so theFlame Grove is the site of many unin-hibited revels by Sune-worshipers.Most come in summer, when dancingand frolicking in scanty dress all nightis relatively comfortable�but somebrave souls come here in winter.

Whenever the grove is in use, StagWarriors guard the revelers frompredators. These Stag Warriors arehired warriors commanded by priestsof Sune. They wear helms adorned withantlers�apt to be awkward whenplunging through trees, I�m told. Thereare at least six Stag Warriors on dutyevery night that worshipers have madeofferings to the priests of Sune in DrawnSwords, and usually twice that number

are present. Sometimes there may be asmany as 20 Stag Warriors on duty.

These defenders normally ring thegrove, facing outward at least 10paces into the forest. Young wor-shipers and bridal couples often usethe grove alone, without warning any-one. Their gnawed bones and goretell their foolish fate to the next folk toventure into the grove without theprotection of the Stag Warriors.

Stag Warriors earn 4 gp each pernight. As can be expected, there areoften several penniless hireswordsstaying in the village and awaiting achance for this duty, foraging for foodin the meantime.

The other nearby landmark lieshalfway between Drawn Swords andSkull Gorge. Used as an occasionalencampment by travelers ignorant ofits legendary defenders or confidentof being able to handle them, it�scalled Fallen Giant Tomb.

In ancient times, a great chieftain ofthe mountain giants, whose name hasbeen lost, perished. His grieving follow-ers carved a stone ridge into a sem-blance of his sleeping form. Muchcracked and crumbled by the years, itremains an impressive, serene formover 200 feet long. There are theinevitable legends that it rises up to slayfolk nearby on certain nights, butadventurers who�ve camped there tellme that the sculpted stone nevermoved. They warn, however, that if anyblood�even from already-existingwounds or uncooked meat�is spilledon the slopes of the ridge or upon thestone form itself, four or more undeadskeletons of mountain giants armed

128

with spiked clubs erupt from the earthand seek to slay any living creatureswho don�t flee the ridge immediately.

These guardians also appearwhenever anyone digs on the ridge.There seems to be an endless supplyof them. One old ranger claimed tohave personally destroyed over 30 ofthem over the years. No one can exca-vate without continuous interrup-tions from erupting undead.

The giant chieftain is buried some-where under the stone that bears hislikeness. The way down to his tomb,which was presumably covered over bythe giants who buried him, has beensince totally obscured by time or delib-erate working of the ground and iscompletely lost. The dwarves, giants,and elves all have tales of this tomb,tales that are surprisingly detailed�andin agreement about all of these details.The giant lies buried beneath a body-plate of solid, everbright silver, restingon a bed of stacked golden ingots, withhis magical war hammer on his chest

Each ingot must be worth over 100gp if the descriptions of their size aretrue. There must be at least 2,000 ofthem in the tomb, and probably two orthree times as many. Thrice war par-ties have found the buried giant andborne away his enchanted weapon,retreating from taking all the goldbecause of the undead guardians.

The war hammer is as large as asiege ram, but flies by itself, so peoplewho can�t lift it can wield it by touchingit and willing it to accompany them.They tow along the floating hammerrather as a mage can direct a Tenser’s

floating disc. The war hammer can bedirected to fly at an opponent,1 but itdoes this only six times before flyingaway to return to the tomb, whichreseals itself.

Places of Interestin Drawn SwordsInnsThe Sword and Dragon

This inn is built of stone and is apt tobe drafty and icy-cold in winter. Anystay here is interesting, however�theplace always holds armed adventurersdrinking and spinning wild yarns, andcaged monsters usually sit in storagecellars under the inn, awaiting trans-port to Berdusk. From time to time,one of these captured beasts escapes,and the village has an anxious timeuntil it�s slaughtered or caged again.

The inn is connected to a stablethat is set below it down the steepcragside, and here the inn staff mem-bers swap and sell a good variety ofmounts. The staff members also sellfood and travelers� gear.

The inn is owned by anonymousBerduskan interests, and the staff isrotated back to Berdusk every month.This means that a particular actinginnkeeper will be in Drawn Swordsevery third month. The owners arethought by most around the Coastlands to be Harpers�chiefly becauseof who appears to defend the innwhenever Zhentarim seek to takecontrol of the village.

1At THAC0 4 and 4d4 points of damage�6d4 points to large (or bigger) size foes.

129

E v e r e s k aThis verdant valley and walled city of theelves is the greatest known concentra-tion of moon elven Fair Folk remainingin Faerûn� beautiful, cultured placeof beauty where few are welcome.Evereska vale is encircled by supposedlyunbreathable mountains and can onlybe entered via gate, through a narrow,well-guarded cleft east of the HalfwayInn, or from aloft.2 There are rumors ofgate linkages with Waterdeep, the islandelven realm of Evermeet, and ruinedSpellgard.3 Elven archers patrol theskies on giant eagles to preventunwanted intrusions, and wards of thestrongest sort prevent teleportation intoor out of the vale. If there are any passtokens to these wards, they are keptvery secret.

Some sages believe the vale isdefended by the magics of the elven deityCorellon Larethian himself. Its defensescertainly do include bolts of hurledmagic that strike from the sky to smashhostile armies. Few beings venturewithin 10 miles of the foothills of theEvereskan mountains without beingseen by the elves of one of the many ever-vigilant watchposts and mobile patrols.

Don�t expect to get into Evereskaunless you have legitimate business andare an elf�or can persuade an elf toescort you in. Harper pins are usuallyknown to grant passage unless there�sevidence they�re carried by a non-Harper.Dwarves, half-orcs, and the like are usu-ally not admitted, whatever their aims.

Most trade between Evereska and the

nonelven world is carried on at thetrading compound of the Halfway Inn,constructed for that very purpose. Elvesdo not welcome strangers into their cityor their homes, and won�t grant atourist or merchant passage into thevale just because she or he wants to seeits glories.

And those glories are considerable.I�ve seen them briefly and can report agardenlike series of lawns and woodedterraces interlaced with crystal-clearstreams that link spill pools and foun-tains. Birds, cats, and small forest crea-tures are numerous, and music isheard here and there. Splendid tallhouses with many spires and balconiesrise up through the many huge, oldtrees. These trees are mainly duskwoodand bluetop, but almost all varieties canbe seen in the vale.

Even the poorest, most crowdedstreets are clean, beautiful, and luxuri-ous by human standards. It is on thesestreets that artisans live and work closetogether, sharing the use of a publicpark rather than enjoying their own pri-vate grounds. Imagine an entire cityabout as splendid as the royal palaceand gardens of Suzail�or the bestareas of Silverymoon, without any of thecobblestones or crowding�and you�llbegin to see what it must be like.

Amid all of this splendor are templesto all of the elven deities, the EvereskaCollege of Magic and Arms, and palatialnoble estates. The Evereska College is atraining academy of the highest stan-dards. The training it provides is one ofthe reasons that Evereska is so well

2The general location of Evereska can be seen on the map in the entry on the Halfway Inn, later in this chapter.3See FR13 Anauroch and FOR4 Code of the Harpers.

130

hobbies, from collecting coins orweapons from places as far afield asZakhara, to breeding experiments, tocollecting magic.4 (SometimesEvereskan noble elves are thought tomanipulate humans into marriage andwatch the results from afar by magic.)

In exchange for items or equipment

defended. Harpers are the onlynonelves who can normally get trainingat arms or magic in Evereska, althoughthe occasional half-elf, if of sufficientlyexalted parentage on the elven side, maybe taught.

The palatial estates are home to pow-erful and ancient noble families. Thecold, sneering pride of these elven fami-lies is the greatest weakness of Evereska,and the prime reason most nonelveswouldn�t want to enter the vale. Thehaughtiest of the elves even look downon elves of their own race whose lin-eages aren�t as exalted as their own.Their contempt for elves of other racesis usually open, and their abhorrence ofnonelves loud and ostentatious.

Some haughty elves have gone so faras to move their estates as far away aspossible from places most often visitedby humans. These places includeMoondark Hill, where human wor-shipers of Solonor Thelandira come,and the Unicorn & Crescent, an inn thatwelcomes Harpers, the Heralds, and theChosen of Mystra on the rare occasionswhen such visitors are in the city. (Inci-dentally, these are places I couldn�t visit,and therefore can�t rate.)

Elves of Evereska need little from theoutside world. Most of what they wantcomes under the heading of pursuing

needed for the pursuit of their hobbies,they usually sell baubles: the tinklingblown glass and metal wind sculpturesthat hang in trees making soft music inthe breezes from one end of the vale tothe other; tiny ornamented, sapphire-adorned, silver-bladed throwing dag-gers and belt knives that are muchfavored as hidden defenders amongnoble ladies all over Faerûn; vintagesconsidered too poor for Evereskantables; and small poems set down inexquisite calligraphy on slabs of ivory orthe like in delicate hanging frames. Theoccasional spell scroll or glowing globeis the most magic they�ll willingly sell.Sages, thieves, and artisans from all overFaerûn would give much to see more ofthe glories of Evereska.

4�All crass and misleading oversimplifications, of course,� says Elminster.

131

TheGreycloak HillsOnce known as the Tomb Hills, thesehigh, grass-girt hills were settled by theelves of Evereska a few decades ago,ostensibly to deal with the many ban-shees there. Now they�re alwayscloaked in mist�part of a powerfulward that warns the elves of intrudersand negates certain magics. The nameGreycloak Hills comes from these mistsand the gray cloaks worn by the elvesdwelling there, who call their landGreyhome.

There�s little for a traveler to visitGreyhome for, now that strong elvenpatrols block all access to the magic-rich tombs of the Fallen Kingdom.These patrols are sometimes bolstered

by the Walker in the Mists, a golemformed, those who�ve fought it swear,from solid mist!

In the Fallen Kingdom, adventurersin earlier years found tomb after tombof long-dead warrior-kings, bothhuman and elven. Most folk in Amn,Baldur�s Gate, and Waterdeep, wheremany such forays were sponsored,believe the elves wanted to seize theriches and magic for themselves.Maskar Wands, head of the nobleWands family of Waterdeep that isfamous for its mastery of magic, hassaid publicly he believes powerfulNetherese magic was found in theGreycloaks�perhaps an entire fortressor city�and the elves felt they mustpossess it to strengthen Evereska, pre-vent a stampede of greedy and well-armed humans into the hills, and keepthe magic out of the hands of the Zhen-tarim, whose forces and caravansprobe ever more often at the defensesof both Evereska and the Greycloaks.

Rumors in the Halfway Inn speak ofelven warriors training extensively inthe high meadows of Greyhome and ofmagically aided digging going on there.The digging is rumored to be the con-struction of cavern homes for the elvesto retreat to should they be driven outof Evereska, since Zhentarim and orcattempts to tunnel into the rich valegrow more numerous every year. Theelves could also be excavatingNetherese treasures, of course.

Travelers and adventurers beware:The elves aid visitors they favor by offer-ing an empty barrow tomb as a campingplace, but deal harshly�that is, fatally�with those they deem tomb robbers.

132

Halfway InnDespite its name, this establishment is farmore than an inn. It is more a communityto which the name of the inn is applied.Why it�s called �Halfway� I�m not sure, butthe general consensus is that it�s �halfwayto anywhere��except Evereska.5 HalfwayInn functions as a tavern, stables, andstorehouse, and as the center of a caravancamping area and trading compoundused by all who want to trade with theelves of Evereska

Most humans are never allowed toeven see that fabled valley and city. Thisprohibition accounts for the popularity ofthe latest in Evereskan exports: exquisitelypainted views of gardens, mansions, andtemples of the city of Evereska. Thesepaintings are truly beautiful, with vibrantcolors, charming scenes, and magics thatpreserve them and make them glow sothat they can seen even in darkrooms.Small cantrips on the most expensive ofthese pictures make small birds, squirrels,and the like appear and wander throughthe scene augmented, very rarely by anarmored elf or gowned lady gliding alongin the background shadows or appearingfrom time to time in the windows of a cas-tle turret or on a balcony Such picturessell for 400 to 6,000 gp, depending on size,subject, and enchantments.

Trade at the Halfway Inn is a two-wayprocess. For their part, the elves ofEvereska, preoccupied with defendingtheir vale and the nearby Greycloak Hillsagainst an increasing Zhentarim presence,have begun buying the finest horses they

can get.

This sort of trade keeps the Halfway Innbusy. Adventurers use it as a base toexplore the lands around (though they�reno longer welcome in the elven-held Grey-cloak Hills), merchants and mercenariesgather here, and the few elven-led cara-vans assemble here for trips to Secomber,Waterdeep, Berdusk, Neverwinter, Silvery-moon, or Baldur�s Gate (rarely elsewhere).Humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, andhalflings are all seen here often. The pres-ence of the compound has encouragedhalflings to settle in the woods around,and the smell of rumored gold finds onthe Lonely Moor has drawn the dwarves.

The Halfway Inn stands in a small for-est, just west of a narrow, heavily guardedcleft that offers the only way into Evereskafor those who can�t fly. (Other paths leadout of Evereska to the north and south.)The visitor will find a wide wagon trailleads from the west into a large open areadivided into camping areas, each with twopaddocks and a spring-fed horse pond, bya radial array of warehouses. An openassembly ground spreads out to the south;a trash dump and a wagon repair workslie beside it The easternmost building, atthe back of this bustle, is the Halfway Inn.

Places of Interestin the Halfway InnInn/TavernThe Halfway Inn

Stoutly built of wood and stone, the innhas a dark appearance from the front. Italmost seems to blend into the trees

5Elminster says some of the elves of Evereska have traveled widely and might well have heard our expression�I�ll meet you halfway��and named the inn for that as a quiet elven joke.

133

around it. Long candle lamps light theentrance brilliantly

The visitor can readily see the attachedstables on the north end of the building.They�re �self-service�-style stables, butwarded to chime a tiny hostler�s bell ifentered from outside. The bell doesn�tsound if they�re entered from the inn.

Stepping inside the inn, the visitor findsa dark lobby with a doorwatcher and acloak room. The doorwatcher is usuallyone of the pretty elven barmaids, glad tobe off her feet for a time. Behind the raisedfront of her desk she has a foot gong tosummon armed aid, and a hand crossbow that fires sleep-envenomed darts.

Beyond the desk, a broad archwayopens into the tavern room, the heart ofactivity in the Halfway Inn. This dimly lit,

many-pillared room fills the entireground floor of the inn except for the sta-bles to the north and the kitchens to thesouth. The ground floor room has over adozen round tables by the bar, but mostpatrons prefer the heavily curtainedbooths that open off the main room allalong the north wall, the east (or back)wall except at the exit, and the south wallonce one is past the bar. At least onebooth is known to have a secret passageconnecting it to the cellars below, theback hall, and a linen closet on the floorabove.

The booths have tables, built-in seating,and curtains that completely concealthose inside when drawn together. Theback or east end of the room is deliber-ately kept dark for privacy, and the rest of

134

the room is �cozily lit for reasons of dis-cretion,� as one of the staff put it All this isbecause most elves don�t like strong lightand the other patrons are busy not beingseen. The inn is always abuzz with deal-making covert meetings, and whisperedintrigues.

A broad wooden stair with severalshield-hung landings rises up from themain tavern room to the two floors ofsleeping rooms above. The inn�s thirdfloor consists of a single suite of roomsright up among the trees, and the suite isalmost always occupied by visiting elves.

The rear exit to the tavern room opensinto a back hall with a stair to the sleepingfloors, the entrance to the stables, and aback door. All three are much used byguests who don�t want to be seen leavingor going to their rooms�and by localprofessional escorts. The Halfway Ladies(not part of the inn staff, but known tothem and allowed free run of the place)are notorious for their high-class dressand manners. They�re mostly moon elveswho pretend to high rank, though adoppleganger once slipped into the rosterfor a tenday.

The inn serves good food, has a sur-prisingly wide selection of cheeses fromall over Faerûn, and offers a broad, well-stocked cellar of good wines. The beer isrobust, even nutty in flavor, and the zzarwill catch most Waterdhavians by sur-prise. It�s been strengthened to elventastes, ending up as an almond-flavoredstrong sherry.

The inn is run by the discreet andtrustworthy Myrin Silverspear, though Isuspect it�s owned and run by the rulersof Evereska, not Silverspear himself Theinn staff consists of old veterans, who see

to the stables, furniture, and brawls, and aselection of pert, pretty fast-moving elvenbarmaids. The moody, haughty or brood-ing sorts of elves don�t apply for this posi-tion. The Halfway specializes in getting thecheery, bouncy sort, all tinkling laughterand deft dancing around patrons whilecarrying flagons balanced to the ceiling.They keep the drinkers well supplieddownstairs and keep the rooms upstairsclean and comfortable, if unspectacular.

The inn�s decor and appointments aredefinitely rustic, with chamberpotsinstead of garderobes. An ewer of water,some fruit, and a jar of biscuits are placedin every room. Cats pad everywherewithin and about the inn, keeping themice down.

The Halfway Inn is a welcome havento many travelers. Long may it remain so.

135

The MarshOf ChelimberThe tale of this vast wetland�s creationis known to every youngling in west-ern Faerûn.6 The elementals who ranamok, spreading the Winding Waterto flood all the lands of Prince Che-limber, and the warring wizardswhose spell battle released them areall long gone, but there are fresh talesabout just where Chelimber�s floodedhalls lie every spring, as a new lot ofhopeful adventurers brave the bogsand lakes of the waiting, mist-shrouded Marsh. Most of the tales sayChelimber and his courtiers are nowaquatic undead who guard theprince�s huge hoard of gold and sil-ver, dragging intruders who get tooclose to their flooded hall down to awatery grave. The existence of thishoard is said to be proven by the sil-ver goblet brought to Waterdeep intriumph by the adventuress And-lazara 70 winters ago. Its handle is thesnarling boar of Chelimber.

Sensible travelers don�t need fear-some tales of undead to keep well clearof the marsh. It�s a long trek off thetrade roads, and it offers stinking mud,quicksand, and clouds of stinging flies,to say nothing of catoblepas, water spi-ders, water snakes, lizard men,gulguthra, and similar dangers to thetraveler. No known trails safely crossthe vast, mist-shrouded, dank maze ofwater and little islets. There�s little to gothere for, either, unless one is a mer-

chant trying to capture a marsh mon-ster for a wealthy collector or kill onefor the yield of its carcass in magicalcomponents.

Some people enter the marsh insearch of plants, as some marshplants have medicinal uses, thoughfew bring high prices. One can alsolive on marsh fish, though they tendto taste unpleasant at best. A fewhunters make a living by throwingweighted nets over groups of marshfowl from the relative safety of themarsh verges or use poles, safetyropes, and shoe pads� to gathermarsh bird eggs for food or sale.Some eggs are the size of a largehuman�s head!

Yet there�s a lot of marsh to yieldsuch things. It�s as large as nearbyEvereska and the Greycloak Hillscombined, and of a size with the Ser-pent Hills. Its spreading watersflooded a large realm and may holdmany riches, plus treasure known tohave been hidden in the bog in recentyears by brigands and by desperatedwarves fleeing orcs.

Several travelers who blunderedinto the heart of the marsh havereported a wondrous sight: a castlefloating in the air, hidden by the mistsuntil one is near. Obviously damagedin the spell battle that created themarsh, it hangs upside down, close tothe ground�but is now home to ahuge swarm of stirges that poursforth to overwhelm creatures whocome too close.

6See the �Western Heartlands� chapter in A Grand Tour of the Realms in the revised FORGOTTEN REALMS Cam-paign Setting box for this tale.

7Shoe pads are shoes that are attached to curved plates like miniature coracles for the feet. They allow a skilledpoler to walk atop the bog or water.

136

The Wellof DragonsMany folk have heard fireside talesabout this place�but most folk in theRealms think it�s purely a bard�sfancy, a mythical place designed toadd color to a ballad or tale. A fewstarry-eyed adventurers have goneseeking the Well, notably some well-heeled young noble sons of Water-deep. Those who returned say theyfound nothing like it in all the Back-lands. Yet I have seen it, and can setdown here for the first time details ofthis wondrous sight.

The Well is a deep pit concealed byillusory terrain except during moon-

light, due to powerful shadow magic8

It�s a vast natural cauldron, probablyonce a volcano. Its circular opening isas big across as the length of manyrespectable villages. There�s a littlemeltwater- and spring-fed lake at thebottom�and bones, heaps and heapsof bones.

Here many dragons have gone to die.Amid their huge, tumbled bonesadorned with treasure they wore orbore here lies the guardian of theplace�the Dire Dragon. (I saw gems aslarge as human fists, magical amuletsand rings, and more!) The Dire Dragonis a shadow dragon that by misfortuneof spell or exposure to magical itemsachieved undeath. If its words can be

8The locations of the Well of Dragons and the nearby ruined village of Ladydove are shown on the map in theentry on Hill�s Edge in the chapter on the Sunset Vale, later in this guide.

137

believed, it did not achieve this statusthrough any deliberate process.

The Dire Dragon is unusually large,and its shadow magic is mighty indeed.Not only does it keep the Well hidden, ithas slain no fewer than eight arch-mages who came seeking its treasure. Itshowed me their bones proudly.�Spread the word, manling,� it said witha cynical gleam in its eyes, �and there�llbe more, as sure as night follows dayDragons think, but humans chargein�and for all of us, greed kills.�

I saw a cavern mouth in the side ofthe bone-strewn pit, probably used bythe Dire Dragon as a sleeping lair�but I�ve no idea if it continues to othercaverns or is a dead-end hole. TheDire Dragon keeps the most usefuland powerful magic brought by dyingdragons there, leaving only thebaubles out in the pit. Most dyingdragons who reach the pit simply divedown to shatter themselves against therocks and bones. Some like to talkaway their last hours, and the DireDragon talks to them, learning what itcan of hoarded treasure, battle tricks,spells, and the like. Others never reachthe Well. If the Dire Dragon�s scryingmagics detect them�it often keepswatch around the Well�it goes outand brings their bodies to the Well.

About a mile east of the pit, amidwooded ravines and rock outcrops,there�s an inn called the Dire Dragon.The inn is all that remains of the half-elven village of Ladydove, burned andlaid waste to by the Dire Dragon. It�s

guarded against its namesake, all otherdragonkind, and most brigands by apowerful ward. This invisible magicalbarrier teleports two gargoyles wher-ever the innkeeper commands. Theseguardians fight for the innkeeper withabsolute loyalty.

The ward also reflects back allbreath weapons, and drains life forcefrom all dragons (even if they�veadopted another form) and all whobear metal weapons.9 There must bea ward token to prevent harm whenusing metal tools, but I�ve not seen it.

Places of InterestNear theWell of DragonsInnsThe Dire Dragon

This small, rustic stone inn is apt tobe chilly and damp. It sees few guests,but has a certain charm, and is runby the greatest living sage on mattersof dragonkind, the Calishite ladyYajandra Dlathaero.10 What broughther to this desolate spot was thechance to study the dragons, usingher very powerful scrying magic.

The rooms here are tidy and insectfree, and each features a lofty com-forter of a different quilting pattern tostave off the chill. Yajandra sets a goodtable of hearty food. She always appre-ciates a gift of good wine, beer, orliquor. Try her spicy frog stew.

9Draining dragonkind of 6+1d12 hit points per round (no saving throw). All other creatures take 6+1d4 points ofdamage per round (saving throw for half damage), and their damage can be healed, whereas dragonkind hit pointlosses are permanent. Throwing away a metal weapon or tool ends damage at the end of the round of release.

10If the DM desires, Yajandra knows everything in the FOR1 Draconomicon sourcebook.

138

Xonthal�s TowerThis small, remote village is nestled on thesouthern slopes of Mt. Hlim. Here about40 folk eke out a living by hunting, fishingalong the northern verges of the perilousMarsh of Chelimber, and raising sheepand goats on the high mountain mead-ows. They keep to themselves, hoping toescape attacks from the yuan-ti andophidians of the Serpent Hills, but do offerbeds to travelers seeking Evereska or away through the Greypeak Mountains.

The village has little to offer the trav-eler, but because the village serves as awaystop for overland traders, the Zhen-tarim recently established an agent here,one Hansibal Droun, who runs a hard-ware shop and a swap-mount stables. He

brought with him a roving guard of adozen Zhentilar to �defend� the village.All of them veterans of the MoonseaWars, and most of them are expertarchers. They take their duties seriouslybecause, one old man told me, theZhents often send wizards about in dis-guise to make sure their local agents dowell. Travelers who aren�t friendly to theZhentarim should keep quiet about it.Most of the villagers are now in the pay ofthe organization.

Xonthal�s Tower began as a cluster ofservants� and apprentices� homes builtaround the solitary black stone tower ofthe wizard Xonthal. Xonthal is believed tobe the first Faerûnian to have masteredthe feather magic of Maztica, the LandAcross the Sea, becoming a plumaweaver

139

Places Of Interestin Xonthal�s TowerShopsDroun TradingMounts and General Gear

(if I have the term correctly). He also roseto archmage status wielding the morefamiliar spells blessed by Mystra.

Unfortunately, his studies seem to haveaffected his wits. He threw out all of hisapprentices about 6O years ago and laidenchantments on the hedge around histower gardens. The hedge attacks intrud-ers and has all the powers of the horriblemonsters known as living walls. Xonthalhimself is said to have become a lich�butas no one has seen him for a long� longtime, that may be mere speculation.

Locals recall three separate Zhentarimattempts to breach the tower� the last in-volving nine black-robed mages rumoredto have come from Darkhold who stoodon empty air a hundred feet or morealoft and hurled spells at Xonthal�sstronghold thick and fast. As one localput it, �They lit up the night. I�ve neverseen so many spells before, not even inthe big battles in Tethyr with all themages hurling lightning at both armies!�

In the end, somehow, Xonthal pre-vailed. Two of the mages were blownapart, and another mage flew awayscreaming� blazing like a torch. Theothers fled. Word of this spread rapidlyin the Coast lands, and fewer adventur-ers have come calling on Xonthal�shungry hedge since then.

Hansibal Droun is a sleek, portly, well-fed

and satisfied-looking man who alwayswears the latest fashions from Water-deep, is inordinately fond of his droopingmustache, and drives hard bargains.He�s never without at least three hard-eyed, alert ex-Zhentilar warrior body-guards, and so he can afford to strut.

If the locals don�t like him, they keepit hidden, and he does deal in goods ofthe finest quality. He usually has aboutfour riding mounts, another six ponies,and 10 or so mules available�thoughthe mules are usually rented to localfarmers, so a buyer will have to wait aday to get them. His shop stock is asgood as a large sundries shop in Water-deep, with particular attention to ropes,lanterns, tents, cages, spikes, and otheradventuring gear.

Andher�s MillWool Mill

This mill turns out bales of local woolfor sale to passing traders. It is of good,though not exceptional, quality, with apleasing off-white color that takes wellto dye or bleach. The mill sells onlywool, and does not process it into clothor thread, though preliminary cleaningand some carding is performed.

Inns/TavernsThe Black Flagon

This is your average backwoods rusticinn and tavern�overpriced and serv-ing heavy., gravy-swamped food. Don�tlook forward to it too much, it is sureto disappoint you.

140

Yarthra inThis half-ruined farming village onthe banks of the Winding Water hasbeen the traditional northernexplorer�s route into the Backlands.Here small skiffs from BoareskyrBridge (although, since that place�spoisoning, fearful crews have leftfrom Serpent�s Cowl instead) put in tounload seekers-after-glory-usuallyadventurers hoping to recover someof the lost magics of Netheril.

Here on the south bank of theWinding Water due northwest of theHill of Lost Souls about 60 folk herdsheep and cattle, fish in the Water,and grow root crops to scratch out aliving. Most travelers wonder why

they�re there at all�and why theheart of the village consists of half adozen grand stone houses, now roof-less and fallen into ruin.

The answer is the Baron of theBacklands, that butt of a hundredcountry simpleton jokes, such as:�How did the Baron find out if thewater was boiling? Stuck his hand inthe pot until he could say, �Yes, it�sboiling now.� � Over 80 summers ago,the warrior Zelarravyan Fangshield, asuccessful mercenary from Amn, set-tled here and proclaimed himselfBaron of the Backlands.

Zelarravyan was a battle-hungrysoul. His enthusiasm for burningand hacking when carrying out acommission began to make him too

141

expensive for any of the merchantsof Amn to use, but they feared whathe might do if they exiled him or lefthim penniless, unhired, within theirboundaries. So they all contributedgold pieces to give him a treasury,gave him the title �baron� and themoney, and told him to go forth andsettle the Backlands of the SwordCoast to guarantee Amn access tothe timber and ores there forever.

Delighted, Zelarravyan took hisarmed followers, plus all the volun-teers who hoped to become just asrich as he dreamed of being, and setforth. He came here to the closestriver access to the Hill of Lost Souls(the landmark he headed for) andbuilt himself a castle (referred to asBacklands Castle), surrounding itwith grand homes for his captains,the new lord knights of his barony.

Then things started to go wrong.Orcs, hobgoblins, and worse sweptdown on the new settlement, a hardwinter followed, and a wizard who�dbeen sent out from Amn to keep aneye on Zelarravyan decided that thebaron had made too many mistakesand rash decisions. This man,Orlornin, came to court one eveningand bluntly told Zelarravyan he wastaking over.

The baron responded by hurlinga chair at the mage, felling him, andthen challenging the groaning manto a fight. Furious, the wizard hurleda swarm of fireballs, incineratingmost of the courtiers around thebaron, who was in turn hurled outthrough a high window into thebranches of a tree, unconscious.

142

The castle collapsed that first win-ter. In the spring, some Amnians

He then found himself aloneexcept for the badly wounded. Thesurvivors had fled down the river onboats. Grimly, Zelarravyan salvagedwhat he could from the ruins�including the wizard�s staff�and setabout building himself a secure, hid-den place in which he could survivethe winter.

By this time, the baron recoveredhis senses. Finding a hunting bowand several quivers of shafts, heclimbed a tree he thought closeenough and slew the wizard, empty-ing both quivers into the slumpedform until he�d torn it apart. (He�dheard of wizards walking after death.)

The surviving courtiers thought he�dbeen blown apart by the fireball.That set a battle going in earnest,with fighters converging on the wiz-ard from all sides.

The wizard Orlornin gave themdeath. Warrior after warrior fell�butthere were always more, shoutingand charging at him. Fleeing, the wiz-ard was cornered by the entrance ofone of the lord knight�s homes. Hehurled lightnings into it, slaying thegathered household, and followed thebolts in, climbing to an upper floorfrom whence he could see and hurlspells at will. Summoning his wiz-ard�s staff to him, he made a laststand. When archers began firing athim from the other grand homes, hesent fire and lightning into them, oneafter another, until most of thebarony lay dead around him, thehouses burnt-out shells.

found the baron leading a small, des-perate band of warriors. The bandwas raiding orcs for food as orcs usu-ally raided the settlements of human-kind. Most of the Amnians fled. A fewstayed, and named the villageYarthrain, after a treacherous wizardin an old Amnian ballad who wasgiven the death he richly deserved�but at a terrible cost.

Yarthrain the village has remainedto this day, but the baron is long dead.A bitter, battle-wild man, he began toraid all the caravans and adventuringbands he came across, always bru-tally slaughtering any wizards amongthem. For some 10 years, the RobberBaron of Yarthrain was a feared manfrom end to end of the Coast lands.No attack was too bold for him, norevenge too difficult. He followed vic-tims who�d given him the slip to as faraway as the rooftops of Baldur�s Gate,using the arsenal of magical weaponsand devices he�d amassed to keephimself safe from most sorcerousattacks.

Finally he overreached himself. Ayoung Waterdhavian noble elopedwith his love, a noble of a rival house,because the head of neither houselooked with favor on their union.They eloped in style, with a large bag-gage train and over 40 mounted ser-vants. The baron fell on the party likea starving wolf as it approached Hill�sEdge, headed for the distant glories ofCormyr. The cowardly young nobleescaped the slaughter, abandoninghis lady love and all their servants.The baron kept the survivors ashostages, returning in triumph to

143

The baron�s twenty-odd warriorssaw the army approaching and fled.The furious baron took his ladyhostage to the hill where the tumbledstones of his castle lay and buried allhis stolen gold, vowing to return for itlater. He planned to bargain his way tofreedom with the lady, but she saw herlove at the head of the approachingarmy and fought for her own freedom,stabbing and slashing the baron withhis own silver-bladed long sword.

Yarthrain, but the furious youngnoble, supported by merchants ofthat city who�d become increasinglyfearful of their bandit neighbor, hiredall the mercenaries he could find inHill�s Edge and came to Yarthrain atthe head of an army of over 1,000soldiers.

Furious, the baron knocked hercold and threw her atop the gold.Then in a fit of cold cruelty he buriedher alive and fled. He used one of hisstolen magical items to whirl thestones of the castle around the armyin a deadly rain, and in the confusionhe slipped away.

The young Waterdhavian survivedthe battle. He spent another decadehunting the baron down. His bladefinally claimed Zelarravyan�s life, buthis lady love was still dead, and hereturned to Waterdeep to rejoin hisfamily a sadder man. The rift betweenthe two noble houses remains to thisday.

In Yarthrain, despite decades ofhopeful digging and the use of mostof the castle�s stones to build cottages,

144

empty darkness. Curious folk who goto investigate are sometimes founddead in the morning�slain by somesort of monster mat eats their brains.An illithid, adventurers say�but byday, they can never find it. Some say aband of mind flayers must be digginginto the hill in a treasure search oftheir own, somewhere under the vil-lagers� feet�but no adventurers haveever met with them, no matter howdeep they dig.

no trace of the baron�s buried hoardof gold and any magic he couldn�t useor carry has ever been found.

The baron still affects villagersevery day, even if no adventurers arein town digging up Castle Hill. Thegrand stone houses of the lordknights stand empty because theghosts of laughing lords and ladiesstill glide through them, glasses inhand, every night, and lamps andtorches shine where there�s only

The tale of the gold is no fancy,though. Any adventurer who comesto Yarthrain is likely to see the phan-tom of the slain lady noble. Sheappears in darkness, a silver sworddrawn in her hand, her long hairflowing about her shoulders, hergown torn away from one shoulder,and her eyes sad. She seems to reap-pear to those who�ve seen her beforeas a warning of approaching foes ordanger. If they�re asleep, they awakenabruptly, terrified by a nightmare inwhich the maiden�s form, her eyeslocked on theirs, melts away into

brown bones, sprawled atop goldcoins under the earth somewhere.This haunting11 is commemorated inthe name of the local inn and tavern,the Silver Blade.

Places Of Interestin YarthrainInns/TavernsThe Silver Blade

Built of stones from the Baron of theBacklands�s castle, the Blade has threewings that sprawl through thick pinetrees that separate it from the ruined,haunted houses of the lord knights.One is a stable, one a kitchen andpantry, and one is the sleeping wing.

The central part of the Blade atground level is the dance floor andtaproom. The Blade has gamingrooms and private meeting roomsupstairs in this central area. A huge,silver-painted, two-handed�boarkiller� sword hangs on chainsfrom the overhanging cedar-shakeroof over the front doors of the innhere as a signboard.

The sleeping wing of the Blade issurrounded by a small but pleasantgarden where in summer a fishpondand scattered birdseed provide pleas-ant watching for guests. Furnishingsare rustic, but both food and staff aregood, and these distant bedchambersare cozy, clean, and quiet.

11Elminster says that any adventurers who find the hoard will end the haunting as far as the villagers are con-cerned�but that the grateful maiden will reappear to them alone as a warning of danger for the rest of their lives.If they want to greet her, he advises, her name is Cyndril Hawkwinter. (Her suitor was Dervil Manthar.)

145

146

Sunset Valexcept for �isolated� Bal-dur�s Gate, when some-one speaks of settle-ments in the Coast Landsto most folk in Amn,

Mirabar, Waterdeep, or even Cormyr,Sunset Vale is all they think of. Tomost people these communities seemislands of civilization and prosperityin a landscape of rolling wildernessinhabited only by legions of monstersand desperate brigands that, thank-fully, only rough-and-ready caravanmerchants need visit. Though travel-ers know this is false�or at least exaggerated�it does indicate thelong-standing importance of the Vale.

The Vale is easily found on a goodmap. It encompasses all the landsbetween the arcing arms of the RiverReaching and the upper Chiontharand the natural wall formed by theSunset Mountains and the Far Hills.Berdusk (a base of the mysterious andpowerful Harpers) and Iriaebor arethe two largest cities of the Vale. Thethird, often overlooked city, is Hill�sEdge, gateway to the Backlands.Between these centers of power lieverdant, prosperous farms that havealways exported food in plenty to allthe lands around. The Dusk Roadruns through the heart of the Vale,carrying the traffic of this vital regionback and forth. The food the SunsetVale produces is also shipped out bythe rivers and along the Uldoon Trailtoward Amn.

The dangers Tunland presentswith its nomadic humans andwemics and smaller maraudingbands of goblinkin and other preda-tory monsters have kept the Vale safefrom any sustained effort at conquestfrom coastal powers around the Seaof Fallen Stars. However, Amn andWestgate have both tried severaltimes to take over the Vale by weightof coins, not swords.

Most recently, the Zhentarim arestill trying their hand at eitherdominating the Vale or shattering it.From their continually strengthenedfortress of Darkhold, they aremounting ever-bolder foraysthroughout the Vale. They are tryingto scare farmers and small folk intoleaving, and discourage poor folkfrom all over Faerûn from thinkingthe Vale is a good place to come andsettle. They need to accomplish theirends before their aggressive sword-swinging provokes the cities of theVale�or, for that matter, anyoneelse�from assembling an army andgoing to war.

The Harpers are already openly atwar with the Zhentarim in SunsetVale. Many nights are lit by thesudden flare of hurled fireballs andsplit by screams of those struckdown by the sword. Dawn the nextday finds sprawled corpses or darkpools of blood where all had beenpeaceful the day before. Travelers,you�ve been warned.

147

AsbravnThis small town is the market centerof the farmers of the southern Vale.They trade with each other and withtraveling merchants in the centralmarket rather than taking their tradeto the cities where someone else willmake a profit from their food, notthem. Buyers out of Berdusk andIriaebor come to the market eachday. It�s understood that the marketof Asbravn fills bellies all along theChionthar.

Asbravn lies in a shallow valleywhere the Dusk Road and the UldoonTrail meet. A dilapidated temple toIlmater faces the market, which isringed by swap shops, a cooper andcratemaker, a wagonworks, shrines to

Lliira (A House of Joy), Lathander(Morningstone House), and Waukeen(formerly Goldcoin House, and nowan abandoned, burnt-out shell wherelocal children play), a tavern calledthe Tankard and Sheaf, and an inn,the Board Laid Bare.

Asbravn is famous for the Riders inRed Cloaks, its police and defenders.They�re local volunteers led by a fewexperienced warriors and occasionallybolstered by mages and priests whoare sponsored by Iriaebor to keep theroads and the market safe. The RedCloaks patrol in mounted dozens andoften have to battle bandits, trolls, bug-bears, orcs, and predatory monsters inthe foothills of the southern SunsetMountains, east of town.

Since Zhentarim activity hasincreased, the Cloaks have run upagainst poisonings several times, andagainst ambushes by mercenarieswho were very well paid by someone.Local feeling�and fear�is runninghigh against the Zhentarim. Almostevery family has at least one Rider.The post of reinforcement Rider wasonce offered to any able warriorwhen needed, with archers beingparticularly sought after. At a pay rateof tens of gold pieces per week, suchpositions were eagerly sought. Now,however, the town�s chief priest ofIlmater, Abject Supplicant Asgar Tel-lendar, is insisting on questioningapplicants with the aid of theHarpers, or so local rumor runs.

Asgar�s temple, the House of theSuffering God, is in danger of closingdown. Asgar heads a clerical staff ofonly six priests, three novices, and

148

four lay worshipers. The temple itselfis a crumbling ruin, its tithes toomeager to pay for repairs. Sinistervisions have begun to appear inAsgar�s dreams, showing the God onthe Rack turning his back on the tem-ple of Asbravn, but as these dreamswere always followed closely by visitsfrom mysterious smooth-tonguedpeople trying to buy the House, he�snot put too much credence in them.(�Zhents, or I�m a toad,� Asgar hastold his worshipers angrily.)

Other current local concerns arecentered around a plan by one newlandowner to breed long-hornedhorses for sale as battle mounts.Many farmers are afraid they�ll getout and trample crops or need too

much hay to keep the surplus cropsshipping as good-as-gold exports.

The traveler through Asbravn willsee only lush farms with wood lots,drainage ditches and ponds, well-kept barns and stump-and-boulderfences, and general tranquility. Atcorners where tracks and trails meetin the town stand old, cracked, stoutstone pillars surmounted by crum-bling horse heads. These are the onlyvisible relics of an ancient city,Urdrath of the Horsemen, that stoodon this site. The Horsemen werenomads who moved to Tunland orthe Savage North long ago. Urdrathwas where they came to worship andbury their dead in catacombsbeneath the streets.

149

Today, false cellar walls and slidingstones in the foundations of many ofthe town�s fifty-odd buildings lead intoa vast maze of underground passagesand galleries, their extent unknown.Tomb chambers and coffin niches inthe passage walls are everywhere, andthe deeper levels are roamed byundead. Some of the fallen warriors ofthe Horsemen, legend says, wereburied with rich treasures.

Many a curious visitor has paid 10gold pieces or more to a local to belet into the catacombs�and morethan one has fled out again in terrorafter coming upon a recently slainthief, face black with strangulation,throat caught forever in the bony,chilling grip of a skeletal arm thatreached out of one of the horizontalcoffin niches as the culprit passed.Still, the occasional person comes tothe surface with a gem-adorned dag-ger or the remnants of an ivory oramber necklace, and brave (foolish,locals say) young people still comefrom Berdusk and Iriaebor on daresto enter the catacombs to impresstheir friends.

Most visitors don�t look for suchexcitement in Asbravn. They marvelat the well-kept farms while passingthrough, perhaps buying some fresheggs, cheese, or a joint of meat at themarket. Or, they come here to buywagonloads of provender in the mar-ket, knowing they�ll get good freshfare at fair prices. This is the sort oftown folk remember fondly after onevisit, feel at home in after a second,and make sure they stop by whenpossible thereafter.

Places of Interestin AsbravnShopsSamborl�s Sundries-in-TradeSwap Shop

Largest and most successful of thetown�s swap shops, the establishmentof Samborl Deiryn is a crowded ware-house full of overstocked, used, no-longer-needed and useless items,from brass Calishite veil dancers� fin-gerbells to three-elk winter sledges.Some of Samborl�s stock is broken,more is undoubtedly stolen, and heknows that some items are left withhim as covert signals or messagedrops by various merchant cabalsand other secret groups he pretendsto know nothing about.

Both collectors and adventurersfind his shop a fascinating place tobrowse�after all, where else in theentire Vale can you find a lifelike bull�shead made of wood and painted felt,designed to be worn during fertilityparades? Or a knockdown-archpolebrass changing stall for ladies of deli-cate breeding, complete with cloth-of-gold dancing unicorn curtains (onlyslightly moth-eaten)? A triple-jointedblown glass back-scratcher from farKara-Tur, perhaps? Or a whistle thatsummons dogs, leucrotta, and certaincarrion birds�but is guaranteed todrive away carrion crawlers, thri-kreen, ankhegs, and other giantinsects with hard outer chitin? Per-haps a veil of feathers, once worn by abird maiden of far Zakhara? Or six

150

smooth-polished wooden casks fromThay, designed to fit inside eachother? Samborl sells them all, grin-ning and rubbing his hands or bellyall the while. Most people think he�san oily slug, but Samborl just smiles�and makes sure he goes to bed eachnight a slightly richer oily slug.

Tantain�s Barrels and CratesCooper/Packer

Tantain the Tall is perhaps the mostimportant man in Asbravn. It�s his fly-ing fingers and tireless work that getgoods ready to leave the market andtravel long distances well protected.Some merchants even bring theirwares up for packing from Berduskand Iriaebor before shipping themelsewhere just to get Tantain to do thepacking for them.

The tall, gaunt, sharp-jawed Tan-tain is never still except when hefinds a packing table and lies downon it to snatch a few hours of sleep.He supervises a skilled crew of 10strong young women and men, andcasually throws all payments over hisshoulder into a huge brass spittoonunearthed by some enterprising mer-chant from the old giant kingdom ofDarchar (roughly, eastern Amn). Sur-prisingly, no matter where he is orwhat he�s doing, the coins end up inthe spittoon.

As one might expect, Tantain isdeadly with throwing knives�theresult, he says darkly, of a pirate andthen a carnival career when he wastoo young to know better. Tantain lives

for his current work, though. He goesat it so hard that he�ll probably diebecause of it after a shorter span ofyears than he might otherwise enjoy.

Rolling Wheel WagonsWagonmakerand Wheelwright/Carpenter

A wheel large enough for a titan�swagon adorns the front of the hugebarn that houses this wagonworks. It�sfully 20 feet tall and a favorite climbingtower for local youths, until they�rechased off.

The six skilled carpenters andwheelwrights who own this shoptogether (employing a dozen appren-tices and two families of woodcutters)pride themselves on fast repair work.They also sell new wagons made inthis shop, but their output is slowbecause so many urgent repair jobsinterrupt them. Their wagons aresleek, but sturdy, in their account.Some caravan merchants have beenknown to mutter that they�re �morelooks than hard wearing.�

The Wagonmasters of the RollingWheel charge stiff fees for theirwork�175 gp for a major repair jobisn�t unknown�but one is paying fortheir unmatched speed and sureskill. They�ve been known to replacean entire wagon undercarriage,wheels and all, in the time it takes tosnatch a quick trail meal. One of theshop�s co-owners and wheelwrights,Thalibul Orn, is an archery tutor forthe Red Cloaks. He has been knownto shoot parchments out of the hands

151

of fleeing people hundreds of pacesdistant.l

TavernsThe Tankard and Sheaf

doings gets around Asbravn so quickly.The walls of the old Tankard are

adorned with scythes, sickles, rakes,and other farm implements. Theseare securely pegged in place withbent wooden hoops to prevent thembeing snatched down and used in theoften heated arguments that erupthere between merchants of rivalcosters, cities, or realms.

InnsThe Board Laid Bare

This tavern is always busy andcrowded with loud and thirsty visitors.Locals often take their tankards outthe back door to sit on sawed-off logsand old stumps in the yard to get somepeace. They won�t appreciate out-landers barging into the yard to dis-turb their quiet smoking and gossip.Someone who�s hired on as a Riderwon�t be considered an outlander.

Despite its dubious-sounding name,this large house serves excellentmeals. The dining room�resplendentin cross-laid deep blue carpetsbrought all the way from Chessenta�is at the back of the ground floor in itsown wing, separated from the threefloors of guest rooms by a facing pairof meeting rooms. The kitchens andpantries are behind it, at the end of thewing. This keeps noise to a minimum,as light sleepers will deeply appreciate.

I was served simple fare for highsun-fest: a platter of whole spit-cooked wild-fowl, a club of horseradish root to gnawon, and a tankard of dark, nutty beer.Everything was prepared just so, and atthe end of even this light meal I wasbrought a small plate of sugared dark-bread and a slice of lemon rolled inlinen to clean my hands on. Evening-feast was a delightful roast turkey in agravy studded with shavings of roastboar, all of it garnished with parsley. Ahighly recommended house.

Inside, the place is well lit and high-ceilinged, and is prone to echoingwhen patrons are sparse. Locals like toget to the Tankard with the mists ofdawn, and they enjoy a tankard of hotbroth before going to their fields.Their talk at such times is how word of

1From Elminster�s notes, Thalibul can be considered a LN hm F8 with specialization in short bow (fired fromhorseback or afoot): THAC0 13 with +1 attack bonus (+2 if within 30 feet), +2 on damage, ROF of 2 arrows perround, and the benefits of the point blank range category. Thalibul trains only Riders, not outsiders.

152

BerduskBerdusk is sometimes called the Jewel ofthe Vale. This is not a term that pleasesresidents of the rival neighboring city ofIriaebor, though the two cities are firmallies in matters of trade and defense.The Uldoon Trail crosses the upperChionthar at Berdusk. Three bridgesactually span the river here, two makinguse of a fortified island to shorten theirleaping spans. This spot�s usefulness as alandmark and parley place plus the ris-ing of a spring (the River Sulduskoon) tojoin the Chionthar here and the pres-ence of rapids (the Breaking Steps) in theChionthar just upstream of this spot havecombined to ensure that there�s beensome sort of settlement at this site sincethe dawn days: first the elven moot ofClearspring; then a human fishing vil-lage, Sulduskoon; and finally the cityknown today The current city is namedfor Berdusk Orcslayer, a local humanwarrior whose energetic patrols droveorcs from the area, making it safe tofarm and opening the Vale for humansettlement.

Today, Berdusk is an important trad-ing center, much involved in the ship-ment of goods. High-sided localwaybarges are winched carefullythrough the rapids, which have beenknown to smash normal rafts andbarges, sending crew and cargo to thefreshwater kelpies below. Businesses inthe city also make many wagons (con-sidered fair to poor by most mer-chants) and excellent barges, and doextensive wagon repairs. Their wheelsare very fine.

Woolen mills in the city serve farm-ers from all over the southern Vale,many of whom go to Asbravn for itslarge shearing market, selling the woolthere to Berduskan millers. Dozens ofcaravans entirely of baled wool leaveBerdusk for elsewhere in Faerûn at theheight of shearing season.

Berdusk also produces a highlyfavored sweet wine, Berduskan dark,which is like very dark amber sherry,heavy and burning to the tongue. Itfetches 6 gp per bottle or more andtravels well. Folk are apt to find it intaverns and eateries all over Faerûn.

All of this prosperity is guarded by acity guard of 600 well-trained andequipped warriors of both sexes andall races, assisted by seven rovinggauntlets (who raid Zhent and brigandholds, and escort caravans and travel-ers on the roads around the city) andby the famous Harpers. Not all Harperslook like merry minstrel rogues, butmany do, and some can always be seenon the city streets.

The ruler of Berdusk, High LadyCylyria Dragonbreast, is one of theleaders of Those Who Harp. Theirmost powerful base, Twilight Hall,stands in Berdusk, and many of theshieldmasters (officers) in the cityguard are Harpers.2

High Lady Cylyria keeps Berduskfirmly in the Lords� Alliance, and thecity welcomes all demihuman races.The Silent Lady loves music andpoetry, and the city attracts the besttraveling minstrels and musicians,increasingly joined by noted book-binders, limners, and sculptors.

2More about the Harpers and Twilight Hall can be found in the sourcebook FOR4 Code of the Harpers.

153

Certain sages who�ve not led me wrong before say there is a lot of pirate

This thriving, growing communityof artisans has begun to rival Water-deep in hauteur if not in numbers orquality, and has begun to attractpatrons, thieves, and wild romantictales about its doings. Most tales cen-ter around one of two things:sculpted ladies so lifelike that theycame to life or artists who�ve decidedto expand their studios or rebuild theinteriors of their abodes to pleasetheir aesthetic sensibilities. The statuestories are often based on real-lifewizards� pranks. The remodelingtales usually go on to say how theartists uncovered pirate treasurebrought up the river and hidden herelong ago that has made them rich.

treasure in the city, both hoarded andinvested. Discreet inquiries in manyinns, taverns, and shops can lead theneedy to a dinner meeting with agentsrepresenting high-coin moneylenders(sponsors dealing in large amounts).Adventurers are warned that such folklike to see tangible assets before layingout coins. Such assets include keeps instrategic locations, city land holding�for a caravan company, warehouseswithin the walls of a city will do�andlarge fleets of cogs, caravels, or otherseaworthy cargo ships. The lenders areunlikely to sponsor forays under-ground or into ruins in search of leg-endary treasure. On the other hand, ifadventurers make such trips on theirown and return with heaps of gemsthey don�t know what to do with, these

154

professionals can invest such wealthwisely. Some respected names amongthem: Thoront of the Gilded Hand,Than Tassalar, Orn �Manycoins� Bel-darm, and Aulimann the Patient.

My explorations of fair Berduskwere hampered by my unfortunatereputation. Many Harpers seem con-vinced I�m some sort of Zhentarimagent, just as members of that organi-zation believe I�m a Harper. Their sur-veillance and other tactics preventedme spending much time in the Jewelof the Vale. As a result, I can give thetraveler only an overview of the city�sfeatures and establishments.

Some areas in Berdusk are rumoredto be Harper warded. Look for tokenslike the one shown at lower right.

LandmarksBerdusk, I should mention, is a city oftall, steep-roofed stone houses thatcrowd close together, overhanging thecobbled streets that run between.Sewer gratings are everywhere, feed-ing into a river-flushed system that isintended to keep ice and snow fromburying Berdusk in the winter, butserves to keep the city clean andstench free in warmer months. Thecity guard has regular (and surprise)street patrols, and this, plus the pres-ence of Harpers, keeps street crime toa minimum. Visitors who need a placeto camp outside the city walls shouldreport to the city guard�this ensuresyou of a pleasant welcome, patrol visitsfrom the guard throughout the night,and the prevention of rude awaken-ings caused by the city guard wantingto know who you are or trying to settle

a newly arrived caravan on top of youin their night encampment. Moon-down Isle is held by the guard as apractice area and patrol stableyard.Don�t expect to camp there.

Berdusk stands within a rough ovalof high-girt stone walls that arepierced by six gates. Three of the gateswelcome roads carried by bridgesacross the Chionthar. The most down-stream. or westerly of these three gatesis Bellowbar�s Gate, named for thecity�s first innkeeper, He perished withhis inn in a fiery explosion caused byan angry wizard called Shalgar theMasked. The next two are ShortarrowGate (so named because it�s a shortarrow�s flight from it to the island tothe south) and Riverroad Gate. East of

A Ward Token of Berdusk

155

these is Drovers� Gate. A road from itruns along the banks of the river, lead-ing to many paddocks, stockyards, andcaravan compounds.

The next gate, to the northeast, isVale Gate, and the road running fromit is also lined with inns, paddocks,and stockyards. This road is theUldoon Trail, and runs to Asbravn inthe heart of Sunset Vale.

The last city gate, on the northernface of the walls, is Woods Gate. It givesaccess to the east bank of the Chion-thar downstream of the city, and isused mostly by hunters and woodcut-ters active in the Reaching Woods.

Within the walls, the city is nearlybisected by the Clearspring, also knownas the River Sulduskoon�though it�s ariver you can see from one end of to theother. It rises on one face of a tree-girt,rocky height, Clearspring Tor, and runssouthwest to meet the Chionthar.

West of the Tor is the Inner Cham-ber, the local temple of Deneir. This isactually a sanctum within TwilightHall, but the Harper strongholddoesn�t officially exist. Those WhoHarp pretend that the entire complexof buildings is only the temple of theLord of All Glyphs and Images, andthey use the wards of the temple asadditional defenses of their own. I�vefound a few ward tokens associatedwith the Hall, but warn travelers thatthese must be used in particular wayswith passwords at particular places toavoid attracting the attention ofhelmed horrors, spectral Harpists,dread, and other guardians. I haveheard tales of Zhentarim-hired thievesand brigands raiding Twilight Hall

156

when some ruse had drawn powerfulresident Harpers away. They chargedin force, only to be cut apart within afew strides.

Southwest and south of the templeof Deneir are shrines to Lathanderand Azuth, respectively. The temple toHelm stands also to the southwest ofthe Inner Chamber, but it is sited far-ther south than Roseportal House,Lathander�s shrine. A shrine to Leiralies south and slightly east of the InnerChamber of Deneir. The shrine ofLeira is a troubled place these days. Itsworshipers are unsure of anythingand prone to see danger over everyshoulder. Travelers should beware.

Shrines to Lliira and Tempus aresituated northwest of Clearspring Tor.A shrine to Waukeen right off the Torto its northwest has become the Houseof the Hungry Merchant, where down-on-their-luck traders can get a warmbed and a meal thanks to donations byBerduskan merchants.

Clearspring Tor has been left as apark where folk often stroll, meet, eatmeals bought from street vendors, orlisten to minstrels. A favoriteBerduskan snack, typically sold for 1cp, is the goldenstar: a triangular egg-bread loaf stuffed with sausage,chopped tubers, and chicken sauce.

Northwest of the temple to Deneirstands a larger rocky knoll, known asCastle Hill. Its tree-clad slopes arecrowned by the High Lady�s Castle,seat of city government and a workingfortress, home to most of the cityguard. Other guards dwell in the gates�guardtowers. The boundaries of CastleHill are adorned by rows of small but

very exclusive high-towered homes.These are the most desirableaddresses in Berdusk, and are allclaimed by citizens so rich that theycan leave open commerce behind andpretend to be fun-loving nobility whilethey really keep cold, sharp eyes onthe careful investments that supportthem.

Among the most prominent familynames in the self-styled nobles�or�first folk,� as they call themselves�areAthalankeir, Bellanbram, Caunter,Charthoon, Danallbur, Felannlilt, Gort,Halabart, Jalarghar, Lothkarr, Mreen,Oyindle, Parstin, and Uthgolabar.These folk throw parties, play elabo-rate games of capping each other�sboasts, deeds, and displays of wealth,

157

A Lady of Berdusk

One important street in Berdusk isSteelsword Street. It enters the city by

Also nestled amid the tall houses ofthe wealthier merchants are templesto Milil and Oghma (and the previouslymentioned temple to Helm) and theDawn of Any Day, a shop specializingin musical instruments and otheritems that bear minor enchantments.There�s a persistent rumor that thevarious feather tokens and otherminor magics this shop deals in havesly spells woven into them that allowthe Harpers to know where they are atall times, and so readily track theirbearers.

Facing the high houses of the firstfolk across the cobbled streets aroundCastle Hill are the houses of thewealthiest merchants, known as tallhouses for their third- and fourth-story apartments. Among these tallhouses stand the Running Stag (a goodinn and tavern), the Flourished Flagon(a good tavern), the Heralds� Rest (asuperior festhall), and the Ruby Shawl(a bad festhall). All of these can readilybe found by their signboards,enchanted with continual faerie firespells so as to glow every night. TheHeralds� Rest is denoted by a ring ofshields with a trumpet in the center,and all the other signs resemble thenames they bear.

and pursue faddish hobbies�spon-soring falconers one season, dragontamers the next, all-female adventurerbands the third, and so on. No oneelse in Berdusk except these folk con-siders that the city has a nobility Mostsneer at the first folk for being lazyplay-pretties.

Bellowbar�s Gate and runs north tosweep past Castle Hill, bounding it onthe north, then passes north of Clear-spring Tor and ends in Amberside, thelarge open market of Berdusk thatstands just within the Vale Gate alongthe Uldoon Trail. On the other side ofthe market Steelsword Street contin-ues as Steelspur Way south to theClaw, a five-way intersection justinside Drovers� Gate.

Another important street of the cityis Shondaleir Street, which runs westfrom the Claw to the Crossways at thewestern city wall, where it turns northto curl to an end. Along its run, itcrosses the Clearspring by the morenortherly of the two bridges to spanthat short water: Leaping Lynx Bridge.

The Gollahaer is the shorter streetthat crosses the Clearspring by themore southerly bridge (the Handspan).It is important because of the manysmall, crammed sundry and hardwareshops that line it, selling odd and rarewares that can�t be found anywhereelse between Waterdeep and the richcities of Sembia. Here�s where knightswho simply must have left-handedgauntlets with silver dagger bladesaffixed to the fingers (25 gp each at Ala-mather�s by the Water) jostle for roomamong clerks seeking chapbooks ofgilt-edged parchment that are boundwith gold wire in calfskin covers withbrass corners, and sold in fitted calf-skin travel covers to keep the dampaway (50 to 75 gp each, depending onsize and number of pages, atOndraer�s Fine Pages).

The Gollahaer�s western end is at itsmeeting with the Minstrelride. The

158

The only other feature of the cityimmediately noticeable to a visitor isthe walled Thousandheads TradingCoster base just inside Riverroad Gate,east off the Uldoon Trail. Well-guardedwagons of valuable goods are con-stantly entering and leaving this base,brought to or from caravans assem-bled east or south of the city. Thegoods are normally kept in the ware-houses within this compound.

�Tuneride� comes into the city atShortarrow Gate and curves north-ward to run between the Inner Cham-ber and Castle Hill, and then crossesSteelsword Street before it ends. On itthe visitor will find more temples, highhouses, splendid shops, quality inns,and fine abodes of merchants thananywhere else in Berdusk.

Day and night, Berdusk is a city oftravelers. �Through trade� (as in, �Wedon�t want to discourage the throughtrade�) is a phrase often used as anoverriding principle or concern whenmatters of gate guarding, taxation (cur-rently 2 cp per wagon to leave the city,and nothing to enter), or city laws arebeing discussed.

Many folk too poor to have a wagoncall Berdusk home. It is from here thatmany of the peddlers who rove the Valeand the Coast lands westward come,carrying their packs on their backs or bymule. (Every traveler can take one muleout of the gates for free. Additionalmules are 1 cp each.) These peddlersmay buy the wares they sell anywhere,and most have a specialty, be it pipes,lamps, scents, or something more

159

Berdusk1. The High Lady�s Castle (Castle Hill)2. Clearspring Tor3. The River Sulduskoon (Clearspring)4. The Inner Chamber (temple of Deneir; also

Twilight Hall)5. Costerheadshouse (Thousandheads Trad-

ing Coster base)6. Amberside (market)7. Moondown Isle (a.k.a. Harpstars Isle)8. Bellowbar�s Gate9. Shortarrow Gate

10. Riverroad Gate11. Drovers� Gate12. Vale Gate13. Woods Gate14. Uldoon Trail15. Steelsword Street16. Steelspur Way (street)17. The Claw18. Shondaleir Street19. The Crossways20. The Gollahaer (street)21. The Minstrelride (street)22. Leaping Lynx Bridge23. The Handspan (bridge)24. Alamather�s by the Water (shop)25. Ondraer�s Fine Pages (shop)26. The House of the Hungry Merchant27. The Ready House of the Right Strong Hand

(temple consecrated to Helm)28. Evensong Tower (temple of Milil)29. The Seat of Lore (temple of Oghma)30. House of the High Hand (shrine to Azuth)31. Roseportal House (shrine to Lathander)32. The Misthall (shrine to Leira)33. Starrevel Hall (shrine to Lliira)34. Swordspoint Hall (shrine to Tempus)

35. The Running Stag (inn and tavern)36. The Sign of the Silver Sword (inn)37. The Flourished Flagon (tavern)38. The Heralds� Rest (festhall)39. The Ruby Shawl (festhall)40. The Dawn of Any Day (music shop)41. Tlindar�s Own (tankard house)42. The Bellblade Throne (tankard house)43. Memblar�s Minstrelry (tankard house)44. Olyndin�s Folly (tankard house)45. The Hurled Harp (tankard house)46. Blackpost�s Bench (tankard house)47. The Happy Hearth (tankard house)48. The Bright Moon (tankard house)49. Soondar�s Sixth (tankard house)50. Athalankeir House (first folk dwelling)51. Bellanbram House (first folk dwelling)52. Caunter Castle (first folk dwelling)53. Charthoon Towers (first folk dwelling)54. Danallbur Towers (first folk dwelling)55. Felannlilt Towers (first folk dwelling)56. Gort Castle (first folk dwelling)57. Halabart House (first folk dwelling)58. The Jalargharspires (first folk dwelling)56. Lothkarr House (first folk dwelling)60. Highall Mreen (first folk dwelling)61. House Oyindle (first folk dwelling)62. Parstin Towers (first folk dwelling)63. Uthgolabar Hall (first folk dwelling)64. Hullybuck�s Gamble (inn, fence, and rental

stables; halflings preferred)65. Thunderwood Forays (adventurer sponsor

and outfitter)66. The Riverbarge (tankard house)67. Three Brave Harpists (tankard house)68. Lonelycoins House (tankard house)

are filled with sundries from Amberside.

exotic, that they buy wares for in one ofthe city�s shops. The rest of their packs

Amberside is a maze of tiny tentstalls where one can buy almost any-thing�including fine brass screwsfrom Unther and Thay, exotic oilsfrom Mulhorand, and other rarities inthe Coast lands. Most peddlers comehere because of the carry tubes madefrom cleaned-out horn, the ready sup-

plies of cheap textiles from the south-ern and eastern reaches of the Sea ofFallen Stars that they can put into thetubes for sale elsewhere, and the plen-tiful amounts of small household iron-mongery available here, such ashinges, hasps, pots with cover flaps,replacement handles, candle lamps,hooks, coffers, and the like.

Amberside is named for a long-dead blacksmith, Ilm Amberal, whose

160

161

time of a shop is divided into four,and a worker gets two of these peri-ods off to shop and to eat. Shopping isin the blood of a Berduskan. Eating isoften done while one is walking in thestreet from shop to shop or in, afavorite tankard house.

Tankard houses were once uniqueto Berdusk, but are beginning toappear in Waterdeep, Suzail, the citiesof Sembia, and other cities wheretrade and bustle prevail. They�re con-verted shops where one can get alight meal with a tankard of ale ormead and listen to a house singer orminstrel at any hour. There aredozens in Berdusk, and they arefavorite meeting places for citizens,who usually avoid taverns unlessthey�re planning to get properlydrunk or revel and jest a night away.Locals who want to meet withoutbeing seen by those who know them

A typical meal at a tankard house is

tend to try to arrange a chance

a mug of hot broth or stew; a tankardof minted water, ale, or mead; and aplate of goldenstars and seared meat

encounter at a particular spot in the

scraps (bacon, chicken, or chopped

maze of stalls in Amberside.

sausage) in gravy. On rare occasions,small whole birds (quail, alafluster,wild duck, or grouse), spitted andcooked over the open hearth, are

Berdusk�s Castle Hill Areashop once stood on the edge of the

of items and repairing almost allmetal goods brought to him. His work

market. He was famous for working

made this market the preferred provi-sioning center for peddlers and

both fast and well, turning out scores

others dealing in small, useful, non-perishable wares.

Small and useful are watchwordsthat still describe most of the waressold in Amberside. For furniture andother large goods, seek in the city�s served instead. Three coppers is theshops. Berduskans love to shop�buy- price of a meal when there�s music oring or selling. Unbroken goods one is song to be had. Two coppers is thetired of can often be readily sold for fare when the house is silent. Goodhalf price or less to a shopkeeper who performers get extra coins thrown tocan resell them. Most paid workers in the stage. Bad ones may get coppersBerdusk do quarter shifts. The open thrown hard and directly at them.

162

opinions. Information

The temple is only one of a complexof interconnected, low stone buildings,all of which are plain but carved toform a series of beautiful sweepingcurves. Most visitors need a guide topoint out to them which structure isthe temple. Many of the buildings ofTwilight Hall have turrets adornedwith royal blue, star-shot banners. Thetemple is not one of those.

Courtyards of trees, grass, moss,and rock garden plantings girdle thebuildings, and the whole complex is

The Inner ChamberThis center of worship is notoriousfor its concealment of Twilight Hall.The entire place is a Harper base, itsapproaches always guarded by watch-ful, concealed Harpers who com-mand powerful magic. The clergy ofthe temple thankfully attend to theirstudies and services, leaving the secu-rity and upkeep of their holy house toThose Who Harp.

All in all, I find this one of the mostpleasant, cultured, clean, and welcom-ing cities in all the Coast lands�like alittle slice of upper-crust Waterdeepwithout all the crowding, airs, and cut-and-thrust intrigue. As I�ve said, myexplorations of the city were ham-pered by Harper suspicion, but I didmanage to poke my nose into many ofthe prominent establishments ofBerdusk and ask citizens for their

that I gained fol-lows directly.

Places of Interest in BerduskTemples

This prosperous temple is visitedby many nonworshipers of Deneir.Some doubtless are spies sent to getas close as possible to the Harperdoings in the surrounding Hall, butmost are folk with money enough toconsult the widely respected HighScrivener, Althune Dembrar, aboutthe meaning, origin, and effects ofimages they�ve found or seen. Consul-tations with her require a donation tothe temple coffers of 50 gold piecesper audience. If magic is involved, thefee doubles.

The Ready House ofthe Right Strong HandThis holy house of Helm is a large acad-emy of arms, wherein many of the war-riors who serve in Berdusk�s gauntlets(patrol units) are trained, as well as

The Inner Chamber is a complex oflibrary rooms and dorters (monasterydormitories) opening off a centralsanctum wherein dances a floating,glowing light image: an ever-shiftingdisplay of various runes, symbols, andimages. The High Scrivener of the tem-ple can halt this display at a particularimage, cause it to display a symbol ondemand, and even defend herself orthe temple by causing it to displaymagical glyphs or symbols whose dis-charges she can direct and control.

enclosed by its own low (2 to 4 feethigh), undulating stone wall. In timesof attack, magical walls of force aug-ment this ornamental barrier. Atnight, the gates of Twilight Hall canreadily be seen. They�re flanked bytwo pillars topped with stone eyes thathold magical everburning candles.

163

warrior-knights who serve Helmthroughout Faerûn. The stern reputa-tion of this god is borne out by the vigi-lant guard surrounding the temple atall times, and by the energetic clangorof arms heard from its inner court-yards constantly

Wounded caravan guards and war-riors of all faiths can receive healinghere at any time. Training, shelter, andtending to the hurts of those not faithfulto Helm must be paid for by donating atleast 25 gp to the temple for every nighteach guest stays. Clergy of Helm willfirmly insist that injured folk rest at thetemple until they are completelyhealed. Folk unable to offer up suchmoneys must remain at the Ready

The Falcon, Skyherald,and Evensong Tower

House until they have performed someservice�usually participation as part ofthe escort-guardianship of a templewagon or messenger along the roads toanother city, but sometimes as wit-nesses sent to openly watch and reportback to an agent of Helm on a meeting,event, or state of affairs elsewhere.

Predictably, this temple resemblesa ready-armed keep. I�ve never seenso many grim, alert people in fullarmor gathered in one place at a time(I try to avoid battlefields), and a guestis always watched, all the time. Onmore than one occasion the Zhen-tarim have sent in a female agent whotried to work magic while in the pri-vacy of a garderobe (jakes) stall, onlyto be pounced upon by a watchingknight of Helm who leaped out frombehind a nearby panel so swiftly thather spells were ruined!

The leader of the faith in the ReadyHouse, Tathlosar Brimmerbold, is afamous war leader of Sunset Vale,known for his successes against trolls,orc hordes, and the forces of Dark-hold. His formal title is Vigilant Gods-eye, but he�s more widely known as�Sleepless Teeth,� a name his follow-ers gave him after he told them theymust sweep down on foes by night,�like wolves with sleepless teeth.�

Evensong TowerThis many-spired temple to Milil is thesite of many a dignified revel attendedby the haughtiest of the first folk, thewealthiest merchant families ambitiousto rise in social circles, and visitors tothe city who can seem rich or impor-tant enough to impress the clergy at the

164

temple gates. Revels are evening par-ties, gatherings to dance, drink, mur-mur insults or boasts to the nearestfellow revelers, and to listen. About twoof them are held per tenday. Socialclimbers in Berdusk view these revelsas battles of wit, demeanor, and sneer-ing but to the visitor they provide someof the best entertainment anywhere.

A fast-paced, varied program of bal-lads, recitations of poetry, and orationsgoes on in various antechambersopening into the main chancel of thetemple. This main chancel serves as adance-and-chat floor during revels.Most of the poetry recitations are long,rolling, and incomprehensible to allsave scholars�in short, bad. Manyorations are performances of famousspeeches of the past, the texts recre-ated with the aid of stone tell or legendlore magics. Most of them are stirringand entertaining in the extreme. Revel-ers wander freely from venue tovenue, taking in what they want.

From the outside, the templeresembles the fancy-tale view of a cas-tle. It�s a cluster of very tall, very slen-der stone towers studded withbrattices (wooden parapets), linkedaloft by flying bridges�which must beperilous indeed in icy winter weatheror even mere high winds�and toppedby high-pointed conical roofs bristlingwith masts that sport many-hued ban-ners and attract many-hued lightningstrikes in stormy weather.

Admission to one of these revelsrequires a donation of 14 gp to thetemple coffers, a noble manner, andexpensive clothes�so the entertain-ment isn�t free, but it is splendid.

The young Chantmistress of theTower, Uluene Maertalar, whose faceis as smoothly controlled as those ofthe best veteran card and dice gamersin Waterdeep, disapproves of servingfood in the temple, but the clergymake and serve excellent mead andHalurskan wine (thick, black, nutty-tasting mushroom wine devised longago in Berdusk by the baker Halurskathe Fat). Drinks are an extra 1 gp perglass, payable on the spot�so bewarepickpockets on the dance floor.

The Seat of LoreThe temple of Oghma in Berdusk is adusty, dignified old stone housecrammed with books, scrolls, maps,and reading tables and lit by a swarmof obedient magical glowing globes. It

165

is a center of study that specializes inthe tales of yesteryear and in newsand tales of the here-and-now ratherthan the more usual focus on geneal-ogy, treaties, laws, and records.

The current news and tales aregathered by the energetic High Lore-master of the temple, the gnome Bran-suldyn Mirrortor, a former adventurerwho delights in donning one of hismany disguises and shambling forthinto Berdusk or into the Vale beyond towander and listen. He�s devised sev-eral spells that allow him to recordwhat he hears, edit it in his mind, andthen transcribe�from afar�what hewishes into books laid out ready in thetemple. Often, awestruck youngnovices can be seen gathered arounda tome that is busily writing itself bythose few able to gain access to theinner chambers of the temple.

The Seat does not pay for verbalinformation or lore, although faithfulwho bring such information as part ofan offering will be warmly received. Itdoes pay for books�moreover, theclergy here value diaries, fancy-talechapbooks, and other fancies ofrumor and lore that other scholarsbelittle or sneer at. Such tomes typi-cally fetch the seller at least 100 goldpieces from the temple. In a typicaltenday, the Seat may acquire three orfour such volumes. Magical tomes orany writings from long-lost Netherilcommand prices in the range of tensof thousands of gold pieces.

Lesser clergy of the Seat copy out This crammed shop on the Gollahaerpassages from temple writings (75 gp is a favorite stop for caravan mer-per page or part thereof), something chants trying to fill special orders. Itthe faithful and guests alike are forbid- specializes in one-of-a-kind, rare, or

den to do. Copying magic requiresmany more coins and senior priestlypermission.

HomesThe House ofthe Hungry Merchant

This former shrine to Waukeen offerspoor visitors and beggars of the city awarm bed and a meal. The meal isusually thick beef-and-carrot stew,enlivened by anonymous lumps ofchopped meat and vegetables.

The House is a big, drafty barn of aplace run by merchant donations.Traders of either sex and most racesare allowed to stay here. The House isstaffed by the city guard, who keep aclose and constant watch on guests toprevent brawls, thefts, muggings, andthe like. All weapons must be surren-dered to the staff during a visitor�s stay.

By city law, six nights at a stretch isthe longest a person can stay in theHouse. Guests who are found to havemore than 4 gold pieces� worth ofcoins on their persons are ejectedfrom the House because it is consid-ered that they can afford their ownmeals and accommodations.

ShopsAlamather�s by the WaterUnusual and Unique Weapons

166

unusual weaponry, often gadgets thatconceal weapons or devices thatseem more suited to the worship ofLoviatar or decadent arena battlethan real war. Telescoping swordcanes are steady sellers at 125 gpeach, with a choice of reach, appear-ance, and blade-plating. Also popularare the aforementioned gauntletswhose fingers are fitted with silverdagger blades. They cost 25 gp each.Barbed-wire whips are anotherfavorite item at 35 gp each. Suchwhips are not allowed by drovers inBerdusk. No one talks about the factthat they�re a symbol and tool of theunderground slave trade.

Professional killers can select fromamong a varied line of trapped gob-lets. Unless the goblets� handles are

gripped in a certain manner, spring-propelled blades thrust out from thegoblets� bases to slash the throats ofdrinkers when the goblets are raisedand tipped. Other trapped items forsale run from coffers to snuff boxes.Most drive poison needles into thosehandling them in any but a particularsafe way. Buyers must supply theirown poison. By law, no shop or con-cern in Berdusk can sell venoms orrefined or magically created toxins.

Ondraer's Fine PagesBookseller

This shop on the Gollahaer sellsbooks�a small selection of usefulbooks (such as, ahem, my own guide-

167

books to the Realms), and a large selec-tion of new, blank books, scrolls, framesof vellum, and reams of parchment.These new materials come in a vari-ety of sizes, bindings, and formats,from simple unadorned paper-cov-ered chapbooks to dragonskin-boundtomes half as tall as an adult humanmale with locks, travel cases, gilt-edged pages, and sewn-in silk book-marks. All of them are expensive. Thecheapest bound volume in the shop is12 gp, and the most expensive ispriced at a thousand times that.

Mages, priests, limners, scribes,cartographers, and apprentices to allof these professions come or are senthere to purchase just the right vol-ume for their needs. Powerful fire-proofing enchantments leak out ofthis shop. Don�t be surprised if yourlantern, torch, or pipe goes out as youapproach.

The proprietor, fat old OndraeasOndraer, spends most of his days doz-ing in a tankard house, leaving hisshop in the hands of three sons andtwo apprentices�all thankfully asable as Ondraeas himself. They canadvise you on the right paper to beused with specific bindings, or in aparticular clime, or for a particularpurpose.

The Dawn of Any DayMinor Magical Items

Lute Street, the Minstrelride,Danathar�s Street, and Amble Lane�all in an area south of Castle Hill andwest of Twilight Hall. The distinctivesigil of the shop�the rays of the sunrising over a harp, which stands atopa lute�appears on otherwise plainwooden doors when they offer accessto the shop. At other times, thesesame doors seem to lead into housesthat have been divided into privateapartments. I�ve been told this is partof the ward that protects the shop�award linked to a guardian ghost(probably a spectral Harpist, but pos-sibly a watchghost), a series of Evard’sblack tentacles spells triggered bythieving activities, and more mysteri-ous guardian beasts. Dweomers of allsorts glow with a faint light when inthis shop�even to the skins of thosewho�ve received a healing spellrecently!

This shop is run by a mysteriousveiled lady known only as Darth-1eene.3 She sells items that bearminor enchantments�in particular,musical instruments. A persistentrumor in Berdusk insists that theseminor magics�such as daggers thatglow with faerie fire upon command,stones that change hue whenimmersed in poison or tainted liquidsor that alter their color when theirsurroundings reach a certain temper-ature, scabbards and sheaths thatbanish rust, feather tokens, and heal-ing potions�have spells laid on themthat let certain Harpers know wherethey are at all times.

This small, shuttered shop seems tofront on several streets, including

3Elminster was unwilling to give details of this shop�s wards, wares, or proprietress. He did confirm that therumor about magical Harper tracing of many items is true�and he also let slip that Darthleene is an archlich!

168

adventurers into daring and danger�but he was very drunk at the time.The veiled proprietress herself toldme the shop�s name is another way ofsaying that adventure can begin anytime in your life if you only look for it.Perhaps she serves some as-yet-unre-vealed god or goddess of adventure.

Thunderwood ForaysAdventuring Gear

The shop is small and dim, andmany of the wares are used and par-tially broken. They are usually dis-played in small glowing spheres of airthat float in a slow, aimless dance inthe center of the room while the pro-prietress stands watching them fromthe background. If she�s asked for anitem, she will step forward and take itout of the sphere, ignoring the otherspheres, which shift out of her way. I�veseen bold buyers try to grasp items andhave the globes simply float throughthem, item and all, as if the peoplewere themselves phantoms. OnlyDarthleene seems able to free itemsfrom this magic. She will give someinformation about the past of someitems if pressed�many seem to haveseen service with adventuring bandswho are no more�but doesn�t volun-teer details, in hopes of making a sale.

Adventurers can usually count ongetting some healing potions andglow-on-command items wheneverthey visit (400 to 500 gp each), but allother items are only available fromtime to time. The shop�s stock seemssmall. More than one buyer hasremarked that these rarer items arenot only much dearer�4,000 to about12,000 gp�they all seem linked tovarious curses, conditions, or spellsthat plunge their buyers into unin-tended adventures.

The shop never seems to close.Whenever a door into it can be found,Darthleene�s waiting within. One manI met in Berdusk even said that theshop must be a ploy of the goddessTymora (present as the veiled Darth-leenel in order to plunge prudent

This unassuming shop looks like avery narrow, tall, old stone housewith dark green trim and crumblingstonework. Inside, it�s all one huge,high room, with catwalks, balconies,and stairs leading to side gallerieswhere the upper floors used to be. Inthis cavernous space hang rows ofcomplete suits of armor, ropes dan-gling like a giant beaded curtain,chains, sledges, wagons and sparewheels, weapons of all sorts, and soon�a huge assortment of adventur-ing gear, from winches to metal beltflasks. It�s all warded, of course, toprevent theft of the weapons, and notonly does breaking the ward alertnearby Harpers and city guard posts,it also frees the helmed horrorguardians to act. The helmed horrorsare also assisted by something worse,a monster that Olbrimsur Thunder-

refused to makewood, the proprietor,known to me.

Olbrimsur is a ranger who spendshis spare time scouting the Vale area,particularly the Far Hills. When heidentifies the lairs of giants, goblinkin,and other perils, he plans an expedi-

169

tion to deal with them�and puts outword around the tankard houses,inns, and taverns so visiting adventur-ers in town will hear.

Olbrimsur sponsors adventuringbands by giving them discountedprices on gear. He sometimes throwsin a potion of healing for the group�or on especially dangerous forays,one for each member of the group.He furnishes directions, tips on whatto do or watch for in various locales,and can put his finger on severalknown caverns, ways down into theUnderdark, hidden valleys often usedby brigands or monsters for shelter,and so on. A firm friend of theHarpers, Olbrimsur is viewed as anally and inspiration by many adven-turing bands in the Coast lands.

TavernsThe Flourished Flagon

This tavern is a favorite of adventur-ers�in particular dwarves, gnomes,and halflings. On most nights, theirrowdy carousing can be heard up anddown the street as they dance, sing hurlflagons at each other (hence the tav-ern�s name), and generally have a goodtime. The walls are adorned with paint-ings�often inept and amateurish�done by patrons, proudly depictingheroic highlights of their adventuringcareers. It looks like a child�s drawn-onnursery wall full of slaughtered orcs,drow, dragons, liches, beholders, andmind flayers, with a lot of short, plump,bearded folk posing dramatically, chests

170

swollen, in between or on top of all thedying monsters.

This tavern is a good place to joinup with adventuring bands, thoughhumans and elves aren�t made all thatwelcome. The 10 or so gnomes whoown the place�all of whom answerto the name of Marklo�are rumoredto hide or invest coins brought in byadventurers, and perhaps even fencestolen goods�but I was unable tolearn if this was true. If you�re adwarf, gnome, or halfling, try asking.

The Running Stag

This establishment is mainly a drinkingspot, but has a few rooms to let upstairs.Guests in these rooms can eat in thekitchens, but there�s no dining room,and little escape from the good-naturednoise and bustle of the taproom.

The decor in the Stag�s taproommimics a forest, with pillars done up tolook like trees, vines, and living treelimbs sprouting leaves overhead. Illu-mination is provided by several drift-globes kept above the leaves by netting.A timed spell shifts their light fromsunlight to moonlight in accordancewith the passage of time outside.

There�s an endlessly tinkling springin the center of the taproom that cas-cades out of a rock pile to flow into alittle pond studded with lily pads. Thespring is real, not magically animated,and yields the soft water used in thebrewing of the Old Dark (ale) andElder Root (stout) served here. Thesebeers are brewed in the cellar, whichmakes the place reek of hops and

The Stag also serves a full list of wines,zzar, sherries, mead, and liqueurs fromthe far corners of the Realms. The onlyfood to be had, though, is cheese and hotbuttered biscuits.

barley from time to time.

Foresters, rangers, woodcutters,wood elves, and other forest folk feelat home here. Even korred and satyrshave been seen in the Stag from timeto time, slipping in for a tankard onwet or icy nights. I�m told this is theplace in town to hire guides, and it isfamous as the site of a duel some 10years ago between two druids. Adruid of Silvanus disputed a matter offorest management with a nonlocaldruid�a hierophant, it turned out,dedicated to Eldath. Before they weredone, the tavern had experienced afull-blown storm, an earthquake,wild plant growth and trees wrestlingwith each other, a snarling, snapping,goring and charging stampede ofwoodland beings locked in combatwith each other, and fungi growingon and out of everything with bewil-dering speed. At the end the devoteeof Silvanus was in serpent form, help-lessly entangled in a ball of roots, andgasping in the full torrent of thespring. All traces of the mess werecleaned up long ago, and there�s nowa sign on the door: �No druidic duelstoday/The Management.� (Under-neath, someone has scrawled: �Noteven a little one?�)

I felt relaxed and at home here,even given the exotic decor. This is agood place to drink, and not a badone to stay in�if you�re a soundsleeper.

171

Tankard Houses

The attractiveness of these drinkingparlors varies with whoever�s perform-ing while you�re in them, of course, butfrom what locals tell me, the bettertankard houses include the followingestablishments: Blackpost�s Bench onSteelsword Street, Lonelycoins Houseon the Minstrelride, the Riverbarge onSteelspur Way, Three Brave Harpists onthe Gollahaer, and the BellbladeThrone on the Uldoon Trail. (For lackof room, I was unable to show the loca-tions of all the city�s tankard houses onthe map I rendered of the city.)

There�s also the Curious Kelpie, atankard house that only opens when

its owners, the Dragon Daggers half-elven adventuring band, are in town.Caravan merchants flock there thento see what treasure the Daggers havebrought back from ongoing explo-rations of ruins somewhere in theCoast lands. Spies say the Daggerspass through a gate somewhere westof Berdusk�and then close the waybehind them, so that none can followwhere they go.

InnsThe Sign of the Silver Sword

Whiz large, well-built inn featureslush, deep, sound-deadening carpet-ing throughout. Glowing globes pro-

172

Hullybuck�s Gamblevide soft, continuous lighting in thelarge guest rooms, each of which hasa bath, a water-flush garderobe, acanopied bed, a writing table, and abig, soft easy chair. Even more won-drous than that�the rooms are quiet!

The only drawback? Service isalmost nonexistent, and there are nobell pulls, so you trudge down to thefront desk, ask for something, aregiven a polite reply, and then nothinghappens until the following evening,it seems. Ah, well�this is a greatplace for the self-sufficient traveler orone just wanting to rest undisturbed.

All guest rooms have privacy barsthat can be emplaced from within toblock door and windows. However, Isuspect that secret passages allowstaff to enter barred rooms throughsliding panels in the backs of thewalk-in cloak closets.

The food is good. The accent is onroast boar and venison cleanlycooked in wine, and I managed toprevail upon the chef, a one-eyeddwarf lass by the name of ShundaszaBroadaxe, to pass on details of theone dish that I found a real standout:hot river crabs. To make this recipe,one needs fresh soft-shelled crabs�crabs who�ve shed their shells forlarger ones, but not yet grown hardchitin again. They�re best eatenwithin half a day of taking from thewater or half the taste is gone.

These crabs cost 1 cp each andare worth thrice that and more.They are a mouth-watering delight, Iassure you. They go well with whitewine or Saerloonian glowfire. Try aplatter with hot soup.

This sprawling, labyrinthine place isan untidy linkage of former ware-houses and tall houses, and nowfunctions as a combination inn, safestorage house, and rental stables. Thepart serving as a safe storage houseactually is a fencing area for stolengoods, as everyone in Berdusk seemsto know, though the Harpers and cityguard turn a blind eye to most thingsshort of magical items and slaves.Horses and mules can be traded,rented for use in the Vale only, orbought outright. I�ll say only thisabout them: Beware spavined oldnags enspelled to seem pain-free andfrisky for a day or so.

The proprietor, Raphtosz �Hurl�Hullybuck, prefers halflings as guests,although all folk short of orcs will beaccommodated. (Nonhalflings just getthe worst rooms, that�s all.) Hully-buck�s nickname, it must be said,comes from his ability to pick up bel-ligerent guests and toss them out intothe street� through whatever closeddoors or other folk happen to be inthe way. I strongly suspect a girdle ofgiant strength or similar magical aid.

FesthallsThe Heralds� Rest

This exclusive, luxurious private homelooks like a small castle. Inside it�s ahaven of tapestries, carpeting� discreetveils, and polite, skilled lady and gentle-man escorts. Reputed to be run by a

173

through some lean times, and theynow share in its profits. There arerumors of documents, treasure, andeven Harpers on the run being hiddenin the dimly lit chambers and pas-sages of the Rest�and some folk saymagical gates link it with Silverymoon,Ardeepforest near Waterdeep, andwith nearby Twilight Hall. High fees

The offer was refused, but the Her-alds were allowed to sponsor the Rest

former princess from a city-state of theeastern Sea of Fallen Stars who grewweary of the dictates of protocol andclass, the Rest takes its name from along-ago visit by three High Heralds,predecessors of the present-day holdersof the offices, who were so delightedthat one took his escort as wife, and allthree offered to buy the place.

are rumored to be paid for discreetuse of these portals to courier valu-able folk or items about in a hurry.

The Ruby Shawl

Every city has �another� festhall�acoarse, sleazy hole. This is Berdusk�s.The Shawl is for the drunk and thedesperate only. Recurrent rumors ofan invisible magical brooch lost by atipsy patron occasionally lead adven-turers to try to search the escorts�quarters. Though the Shawl deniesthat any such brooch ever existed,certain escorts have been known topay down-on-their-luck mages andclerics to come up to their rooms tocast magical detection spells.

174

This small road-hamlet lies west of theSunset Mountains on the Dusk Roadsoutheast of Hill�s Edge.4 Here, in thelengthening shadow of Darkhold,halflings and a few humans producethe bulk of the food consumed in thenearby city of Hill�s Edge. The travelerwon�t find much more to Corm Orpthan its horse pond, caravan campingground with paddocks, wood lot, pub-lic pump, a few houses, and the Hun-gry Halfling inn and tavern. The pumpis covered by a pavilion to shelter it inwet or winter weather.

Under the hills east of Corm Orp,however, are hundreds of halfling bur-rows. In fact, here lies the fastest-grow-ing halfling community north of theland of Luiren. Every Shieldmeet, morehalflings gather in Corm Orp, like whatthey see, and decide to move there.

Corm Orp is ruled by a humanlord, a good and just man by thename of Dundast Hultel, who trainsand leads the village militia of 30human riders. In recent days, facedwith increasing Zhentarim-sponsoredbeast and brigand raids, Dundast hasturned to both Hill�s Edge and theHarpers of Berdusk for aid. Severalfierce battles have been fought in thehills east of the hamlet�and in mostof these the halflings, boiling up outof their underhill homes with fiercedetermination and ready daggers,have decided the day.

The halflings of Corm Orp arerightfully proud of the food they pro-duce, especially their mushrooms

Corm Orp

and free-range hogs. Another productof pride is mass-produced red claypottery�simple, sturdy items widelyused throughout Faerûn. Dealers canbe contacted at the Hungry Halfling.

Places of Interestin Corm OrpTemplesThe LadyhouseNestled in a hollow among the green,pig-roamed hills east of Corm Orp isthis large, prosperous center of wor-ship to Sheela Peryroyl, the halflinggoddess of nature, growing things,and agriculture. The Ladyhouse isfilled with flowers and climbing vinesinside and surrounded by gardens

4The location of Corm Orp is shown on the map found in the entry on Hill�s Edge, later in this chapter.

175

outside, including �wild� gardens,which are preserved plots of tangledweeds, shrubs, and scrub trees. Trav-elers should take note that these andthe roadside wood lot in Corm Orpitself are sacred to the goddess andshould not be burned, cut into forfirewood, or otherwise despoiled.

Halfling worshipers bring theirbest flowers and plants to the templefor use in breeding and in rituals, andthe clergy spend their days workingwith the halfling farmers, keepingwatch over the hills for Zhentarimraids, thieves, and wandering beastswho might harm the crops, andchanting the praises of Sheila theWatchful Mother. (The hogs are aconstant lure to wolves. One expertarcher among the priests has evendeveloped a recipe for wolf stew!)

The clergy are led by the widelyrespected matriarch AlliyaMacanester, the Old Lady of CormOrp. Her wisdom and foresight haveprevented weather spoiling the cropson two important occasions: theGreat Frost of early 1346 DR and thedrought of 1322 DR, which broughtdown desperate attacks on Corm Orp,as on so many other places in Faerûn,from starving monsters.

Inns/TavernsThe Hungry Halfling

This wayside house was originally alocal human lord�s manor and stillsports an elegant stone entry arch

and gatehouse. Within is a courtyard,muddy in all weather because of thespring that wells up in it to runthrough the wood lot and then sinkdown into the underways again. Alsoinside is a low, timber-built taproom,and behind it�down a long corridorthat adds privacy�the old stonemanor, which now forms a verycomfortable inn.

The Halfling is a favorite of traderswho travel the Dusk Road. They likeits quiet, slightly shabby roomsbecause they�re peaceful and feel likehome. The staff see that the roomsare always fully furnished with writ-ing paper, spare boot thongs in thewalk-in cloak closets, old slippers in avariety of sizes for wear around theinn, a few bottles of fruit liqueur andmintwater for late-night thirstquenching; sharpening stones forweapons, spare candles and wicks�and all the other useful clutter foundin one�s own home. Much of this stuffdoes get �borrowed� by the needy�but then, that�s what it�s there for.

As much as possible, regular guestsare given rooms they prefer to bettermake them feel at home. The inn hasrugged food boxes insulated withwool sacks in which hot food isbrought from the kitchens to theroom of any guest who likes to eatalone�or at least avoid the cozydining room.

Most don’t avoid the dining room,though. The food served there is asgood and hearty as popular lore cred-its halflings for. (The chickendumplings are superb.) This inn isdefinitely recommended.

176

DarkholdToday, this black stone fortress is fearedand hated by folk all over the Coastlands�and much farther afield inFaerûn�who�ve never seen it and hopenever to.5 I am one of them. For obviousreasons, I dared not approach this grimstronghold�even in disguise�and canonly tell you what I know of this place ofdeath from questioning others, some ofthem long-lived and mighty in lore.6

From this fortalice (small fort) inDarkhold Vale (a cleft high up on a rockshoulder of the huge mountain knownas the Gray Watcher of the Morning),the Zhentarim now raid down into Sun-set Vale more or less at will, using hip-pogriffs, hendar, foulwings, and even more fearsome aerial steeds7 as spies toseek out caravans, holds whose militiasare elsewhere or weakened, and othereasy prey. Travelers are advised to avoidDarkhold�s reach as much as possible�and to be aware at all times that Dark-hold�s reach includes almost all ofSunset Vale by night or whenever thedefenders of Vale settlements are busyelsewhere.

Once a castle of the Giant-Emperors,Darkhold was built for folk of giantstature. (Some sages say the Giant-Emperors were but slaves of the deca-dent archwizards of Netheril who hadthe castle built by an elemental. Thegiants styled themselves Emperors onlyafter Netheril fell and they were left totheir own devices.) To human senses, its

Most tales of lore agree that whateverthe castle�s origin, it came to be inhab-ited by giants, proud and willful robber-folk who raided the lands around thecastle (verdant Tunland, then grass-lands inhabited by countless herds ofwild beasts�not the swamp so much ofit is today�and the halfling-held landsof Sunset Vale) at will. The giantsrepelled halfling attacks and bold dwar-ven and human probings with ease, butin the end slew each other. Two rivalprinces slaughtered their sire and allthe other giants by poison, spells, traps,and hireswords in their mad struggle toeliminate each other. Some tales saythey ended up fighting each other in theotherwise-deserted castle, stabbed eachother� and crawled off to separate hid-den chambers to die. Their ghostshaunt the castle, striving for supremacyone over the other still, whispering so asto set one Zhent against another in anunending spectral struggle to rule thecastle.

halls, stairs, and chambers are vast�and icy cold in winter.

With all the giants dead, the Keep ofthe Far Hills stood empty. It was soonplundered by bold human and elvenadventurers, and one of them, OthlongBlackhelm�he whom the ballads callthe Robber Lord�made it his home.He soon fell to treachery and his suc-cessor, Angarn Surfyst, used the castleas a base for brigandage in his turn. He,too, was slain by one of his followers,who set himself up as the Wolf Knight.

5The location of Darkhold is shown on the map in the entry on Hill�s Edge, later in this chapter.6Elminster snorted when he read this, and said: �And what ye couldn�t worm out of Alliya and Cylyria and me, ye

just went ahead and made up.�7The latest rumors speak of dragon-breeding experiments and hitherto-unknown draconic horrors that have

resulted from them. When abroad in the Vale, watch the sky, and be wary.

177

The Lich-Queen Varalla

History doesn�t even recall his name�his throat was cut by a lady captive inhis bedchamber one night. She turnedout to be a sorceress, and a colder,more cruel brigand than the rest, rul-ing Farkeep as Sarunn Thoon (the bal-lad �The Witch of the Far Cold Hill� tellsher tale). She fell in her turn to a cabalof masked wizards who turned out tobe mind flayers, and held the bandit-warriors of the castle in mind-thralluntil they died in service and only zom-bies were left.

Then a dragon struck�a whitewyrm, most say though accounts vary. Itlaired in the keep until slain by a dwarfhero, Harristor Thunderswing, wholater went under land to form his ownclan in the Lightless Lands and was

never seen again. The empty castle wasroamed by monsters�histories recordboth a beholder and a leucrotta using itas a lair at various times�and then wastaken by brigands. They were slain by anadventuring company, the Wildmen ofthe North, led by Brundar Tigerbane. Herenamed the castle the Wild Hold andrefortified it, but he fell in battle, alongwith most of his followers. The castlechanged hands again.

A succession of petty rulers�someof whom styled themselves Lord Knightof the Far Hills, and at least one ofwhom called himself the Duke of Sun-set Vale�held the castle for 200 years,holding sway over varying parts of Sun-set Vale. Sunset Keep became a holdwell known (if not respected) amongmerchants traveling between the Sword Coast and the Sea of Fallen Stars.The rulers of the Keep raided passingtrade, fought with those who sought todrive them out, and either prevailed orwere cut down and supplanted in theirturn by a new petty lordling who grewinto another proud robber baron�only to fall in his turn. At length onewas left so weak by an attack that heand his few retainers perished underthe claws and fangs of wolves and othermonsters made bold by hard winterweather, and Sunset Keep became amonster hold again.

It gained the name of Darkhold whena lich-queen rose to rule it, extendingher skeletal hand out over the Vale toraid and to rule much as her humanpredecessors had done. She used skele-tal warriors, zombies, more sinisterundead, and the monsters of the Keepwho had submitted to her to enforce

178

her rule. Those monsters of the Keepwho did not submit, she destroyed.

Some say this lich-sorceress, Varalla,fought at the Battle of Bones. Others sayshe was an archsorceress of lostNetheril, freed from ages-long slumberby a monster smashing an inner wall ofthe Keep. Whatever the truth, Darkholdbecame a name of horror as wordspread of the dark spells worked by Var-alla to aid her undead minions as theyraided far afield over the Coast lands andas far east as the outposts of Cormyr.

Tales of Varalla�s new spells lured theZhentarim into attacking her. Using gob-lins who were promised easy treasureand mercenaries who weren�t told whatthey�d have to fight, the Zhentarim usedtheir magic and Zhentilar troops tosmash Darkhold�s defenders and inter-

From that moment in 1312 DR on,Darkhold has been a Zhentarim base. Ithas grown into a fortress rivaling theCitadel of the Raven in importance if notin size. Now home to a thousand Zhen-tilar under the wizard Sememmon,magelings, and priests of Cyric, Dark-hold is a waystop for Zhent caravans. Itspatrols roam from Asbravn to SkullGorge. Beware them! Don�t be lured bytales of mighty spells and secret ways bywhich to reach them!

rupted the lich-queen at her studiesdeep in the castle. While she tradedspells with Manshoon of the Zhentarimand his magelings (many of whom per-ished in the fray), the dark priest FzoulChembryl used magic to reach her andfelled her with a special mace thatworked similarly to a mace of disruption.

179

Fendarl�s GateThis riverbank shepherds� villagestands on the north shore of theupper Chionthar between Berduskand Iriaebor in a bight where theriver bends sharply. It�s named forits long-ago founder, a warriorgrown weary of wetting swords, whosettled down here to farm and spentthe rest of his days fighting off trolls.His great-great-great-great-grandsonnow rules the Gate from a tiny castleperched on a rocky knob at theriver�s edge, which is known as theImperial Palace.

This is fitting, because the ruler ofFendarl�s Gate styles himself theHigh Knight-Emperor of the Vale.

The real name of this fat, pompouslittle man is Eldebuck ThormFendarl. He leads an army of 14splendid knights. The knightsdefend the Palace, which serves asthe Gate�s mediocre inn. (It�s cold,dank, drafty, and lacking in privacyand proper lighting of evenings.)Expect to pay 10 gp for yourself and4 gp for stabling each animal youbring for the honor of spending anight under the same roof as theHigh Knight-Emperor.

There�s little reason to visit theGate unless you�re a wool or muttonmerchant�or really enjoy eating.They do it in style here. But if you�rea visitor, it�s a tent outside the Palacefor you. Only the High Knight-

180

Emperor and his �personal guests�(those who�ve paid his price or beeninvited) dine in the cavernous greathall. You�ll be sharing the tent withlocals, who mutter often about theirgood ruler�s prohibition on buildinga proper inn or tavern in the Gate.

A day of feasting in the Gate startswith a morningfeast of thick-slicedroast boar (imagine a strip of bacon2 inches thick) garnished with fruit(often�ugh!�quince) and encircledby mounds of cooked eggs whippedinto a golden frothy lather and com-bined with milk and fine-choppedshoot onions or leeks. This is allwashed down with twin tankards ofcold ale and mulled, spiced cider toget the digestion going.

One has time for a quick stroll tothe jakes (to continue the processbegun by the ale and cider) beforemidmorningfest begins: a hot andcold meal of hot, thick soup or stew(usually a poultry and creamed-mushroom concoction, though itcan be beef or venison with carrotsin winter) and the cold leftovers oflast night�s feast (known to locals asthe gnawbones). This is washeddown with clear wine of any vintageyou desire. (By the way, the Palacehas the best wine cellar I�ve seenoutside the City of Splendors itself.)

Take another stroll to settle yourfare because highsunfest is not longin coming. Many locals miss thismeal, being �too busy in the fields.�Even the knights, who contrive tomiss one other meal a day by beingat practice of arms (when they�restanding guard, platters are brought

to them by order of the High Knight-Emperor), usually escape this feastby riding far out over the fields towork the imperial falcons. Beware:The rodents and birds they bringback are promptly made into a stewwith onions, parsnips, and lots ofpepper for late evening snacks.

Those fortunate enough to lingerfor highsunfest will enjoy spicedmelted cheese on buns (not bad atall) and the High Knight-Emperor�slatest craze: cold cucumber soup.One is served a bowl of it as large asa soldier�s helm, and at this meal hisImperial Altitude (by which title hemust always be addressed, on painof a tenday imprisonment and con-fiscation of all goods) makes therounds of his subjects and guests,seeing that they eat their plattersbare, pressing them to praise hiscooks and the boundless bounty ofthe Gate, and telling the same storiesof his ancestor Fendarl�s heroismevery day. Watch the locals smileand answer enthusiastically�and dolikewise.

Eveningfest is the main meal ofevery day, featuring a variety ofwhole roast beasts. It used to boaststuffed stag�s heads, until a sly mageused an audible glamer to make ahead on a platter complain to theHigh Knight-Emperor about its slay-ing and grisly indignities heapedupon it in the kitchen. These roastdelicacies taste better than theysound. They are stuffed with quailflesh, woodchuck, pheasant, andother small game cooked with spicesand chopped onions.

181

HardbucklerThis small but important fortifiedvillage stands midway between Trieland Hill�s Edge on the Dusk Road.Hardbuckler is named for a long-fallen dwarf adventurer who madehis home here after he won a spec-tacular battle on this spot leading hissmall axe-throwing band, Hardbuck-ler�s Hurlers, against a bugbear host.Hardbuckler has grown today into avillage of over 2,000 folk�almost allof them gnomes.

Many humans think of gnomes asindustrious, ridiculous little putter-ing fuss-budgets, who squeak excit-edly as they run about doing crazedthings with rope, pulleys, odd bits of

metal, and the like, building onedangerous contraption afteranother. Tales of gnome-built won-ders that destroyed themselvesexplosively are legion. Most folk allover Faerûn think of gnomes ascharming little incompetents, believ-ing there�s some inherent shortcom-ing in the race that will deny themever building anything that trulyfunctional, durable, and useful.

Like most world views, it seemsthis one is seriously flawed. Hard-buckler is a living example of effi-cient gnome industriousness atwork. Among merchants travelingthe Dusk Road, this small village is afavored stopover. Some folk love it somuch they even winter here, helping

182

to defend the village against raidingwolves, orcs, bugbears, trolls, hob-goblins, and other hungry rovingpredators. Large, clanking contrap-tions, the supposed trademark ofgnomes, are absent from the scene,except for rows of large, wheel-cranked triple ballistae along thewalls, used to decimate orc andbrigand raiding bands.8 Hardbuckleris a model of cleanliness, organiza-tion, and happy prosperity.

Merchants love it. Aside from theoccasional visiting thief, crime isunknown, the streets are safe, andthe water for mounts and thirstytravelers alike is free.

Hardbuckler consists of smallstone cottages with slate roofs. Thecottages are set at random within itswalled enclosure, each having a littlegarden patch somewhere near it.These gardens are fenced to preventvisiting livestock from grazing thembare. Streets are missing, except fora ring-shaped way running allaround just inside the wall and twobroad avenues that bisect the villagein a cross shape. As one puffing thiefonce put it, �This place is all one bigalley!�

Every home in Hardbuckler has acellar�a big cellar. These cellarseach typically include a junk roomand a root cellar on the uppermostlevel, and a large ramp or shaft withcranked elevator leading down to a

mushroom- and lichen-growing cav-ern beneath, with warehouse cav-erns below that. (Ever eaten friedlichen from Hardbuckler? Delicious!They boil it soft, then fry it in gravyand serve it with garden-grownradishes. Try it!)

The major industry in Hardbuck-ler is storage�no questions asked,secure storage. Half a hundred mer-chant concerns�and even moreadventuring bands�keep loot andother valuables here, hidden awayand secure behind wards laid downby Hardbuckler�s resident wizard,whose vigilance is an additionalguard against theft.

The gnomes of Hardbuckler makeand export elaborate locks, sturdywooden crates, and a distinctivegreen seam-sealing wax sold in clothrolls. Locks range in price from 3 gpfor a small, simple thing to 100 gpfor a massive quadruple lock, or 75gp for a tiny, gold-plated locket lockused in many pieces of jewelry or onpurses.

Crates range in price from 1 sp to25 gp, depending on size and con-struction. Exterior bracing and cop-per-sheathed corners are always 5 gpextra. Most small coffers are 1 to 3 sp,and most larger boxes go for 2 gp,with a removable lid and one tube ofseam-sealing wax included in theirprice. One person can carry a largerbox alone for short distances, but

8There are 26 in place, so sited that at least six can fire at any given point of the cleared terrain surrounding thecity. A ballista fires once per round if the crew of 3 is augmented by a �cranking crew� of 6 (gnomes; cut all crewfigures in half if humans are involved). Without a full cranking crew, the rate of fire drops to once every 2 rounds.Range is 10 feet to 600 feet (due to the elevation of the ballistae, which boosts their range). Every firing of a ballistaresults in eight attacks being rolled against a group of foes (half that if the group is widely spaced, or in �skirmishformation�). Bolts that hit are giant heavy crossbow bolts, and do 1d12+1 points of damage to a creature.

183

these boxes also have rope handlesthoughtfully included in their designto make them easy for two people tocarry over a long haul.

Seam-sealing wax is 1 sp a tube.To use the wax, unroll one end ofthe cloth, squeeze the other, andforce the wax out in a smooth cylin-der along the edge of a box to seal aseam. A recent improved version is 1gp a tube and is guaranteed to bereusable if oil is hand-worked into itevery spring. It turns purple if anyenchantment is laid on it�and if themagic is disturbed by an attempt tobreak the wax, alter the spell on it,or lay another spell atop the first,the wax turns green again, givingpositive indication of tampering.

Ward Token of Hardbuckler

Every family in Hardbuckler oper-ates its own storage facility and neednot tell others (except the residentwizard) what it�s minding�even if thestored goods consist of explosives,powerful and unstable magic, orsuch. There have only been threeunderground blasts in the history ofthe village, so storage is fairly secure.

The resident wizard of Hardbuck-ler is a kindly, elderly man with verypoor sight. He wears three thick pairsof eyeglasses attached to each otheron a common frame so that threelenses are fixed in front of each of hiseyes. He is given to humming andwandering about the secret passagesthat encircle all the storage cavernsbeneath Hardbuckler, preventing tun-neling up from below.

His name is Aldiber Inchtarwurn,and he is known to wear bracers atall times, one of which has all thepowers of a staff of power, and theother which duplicates the effects ofa ring of spell turning. He also pos-sesses many magical rings, potions,and belt-ready items such as beadsof force and iron bands of Bilarro.

Aldiber has created powerfulwards protecting the walls of Hard-buckler and every storage cavernbeneath it. Aldiber�s wards block allpassage of moisture through thecavern walls, preventing floodingand mildew from spoiling items instorage. The wards also give avisual�and to those bearing wardtokens, audible�alarm when theyare breached.9 They are said to pre-

9That is, penetrated by force or hostile spells, notpassed by possession of a ward token.

184

vent many spells from functioning,and to summon crawling claws andmore powerful guardian creatureswhen certain conditions are met. Iwas able to obtain a ward token(shown on the right-hand page), butwas unable to learn more specificsof the powers of these wards�cer-tain locals denounced me as aZhentarim spy or thief, and offeredme swift violence.

I was forced to leave Hardbucklerhastily, but you can read here what Idid learn�and also some curiousthings I overheard: talk of the com-ing of a gnome king, and of theOpeners, some sort of secretiveband dedicated to finding, mapping,and unlocking the secrets of ancientmagical gates under the village andnearby. �The wealth of Netheril shallbe ours!� has become a whisperedcatch phrase of sorts among theyoung and idle of the village.

I also noticed a number of would-be adventurers from Amn, Water-deep, and the Coast�mostlyromantic younger sons and daugh-ters of nobles or wealthy folk�who�d taken up residence in rentalcottages in a copse a few hills westof the village. This seems a placefrom whence news of adventuremay soon come.

If that befalls, the mage Aldibermay be a bit put out. He likes peaceand quiet and retired here to be farfrom the intrigues of cities. I heardhe takes no apprentices, but devoteshis time to helping the gnomes andstudying magic, devising new spells

and items, and altering well-knownspells. Folk believe he�s created somany new spells that he could giveElminster himself a run for his staffand pointed hat.10

Hardbuckler is ruled by a councilof gnome elders. They take adviceand direction from the Hidden�notthis mysterious incipient gnomeking, I believe, but gnome priestswho tend temples somewhere nearthe village�perhaps beneath itsstorage caverns, surrounding themwith a band of vigilance. The onlycouncilors� names I learned wereHammas Isynd and Orival Bun-difeather. I�ve no idea if they wereleaders, senior members, or justthose most comfortable dealingwith human visitors.

A stay in Hardbuckler costs 1 gpper person to pass in through thegates, plus 1 sp per beast broughtin. This entitles you to free fodderand water.

There are no inns or taverns inthe village. Each gnome family runsits own guesthouse, which servesgood, though simple, meals, runningto lots of spiced potatoes, onionbread, and strong cheese. (Theprominent gnome families in Hard-buckler are Althryn, Boldnose, Bun-difeather, Eyindul, Felndar, Felold,Gornsh, Isynd, Khobbar, and Wyn-dass.) Ale is about 10 gp per handkeg, and wine 5 gp per bottle�priced so to discourage overindul-gence, I suppose. There is also agaming pavilion, the Pipe andIvories, where drinkers can gather.

10When he read this, Elminster snorted�and then sighed.

185

Hill�s EdgeThis city is sometimes called theForgotten City of Sunset Vale. Manyfolk on the Sword Coast and in theInner Sea lands alike simply forget itexists. Many guides and histories omitit or gloss over it as if it were a minorvillage or waystop well. Even recentaccounts call it a town and refer to itas small but prosperous.

Yet Hill�s Edge is, and always hasbeen, an interesting place. Its locationat the western end of Yellow SnakePass has brought it both monsterraids and caravan trade down theyears�and with the advent of theZhentarim, the former have declinedbut the latter have increased, makingthe Dark Network a force to be reck-oned with in this city. Here Zhents aretolerated, if not liked, but the inde-pendent-minded citizens�many ofwhom are powerful and experiencedadventurers�have made it clear tomore than one emissary of Darkholdthat any attempt to conquer Hill�sEdge or even harass its citizenry bymagic, poison, unfair trade practices,or threats will bring Waterdhavianarmies assisted by senior Harpersinto the city for an all-out battle.

The High Mayor of Hill�s Edge wholast made this declaration was AsimelElendarryl, a sorceress who hailedfrom Neverwinter, and was openly anagent of the Lords� Alliance. Sheclaimed that over 40 citizens knew thelocations of and ways to open over a,score of magical gates hidden all over

the city that could bring these forcesswiftly into the city. Asimel vanishedsome months after her term of officeended. Cynics in the city mutter thatZhentarim torturers got her, but it isknown that Zhentarim agents in thecity have been actively searching forthe alleged gates since herdisappearance.

On more than one occasion knownHarpers have suddenly appeared inthe city, though some citizens believethey came by means of spells, deliber-ately attempting to fool the Zhentariminto thinking the gates do exist. Con-trol of any center containing so manyinstant transportation routes wouldbe the greatest prize in Faerûn shortof conquering Myth Drannor.

This tense situation, with agents ofthe Red Wizards, the Cult of theDragon, the Zhentarim, and probablya dozen or more wizards� cabals andmerchant companies sniffing aroundHill�s Edge looking for gates, is madeworse by the character of the citi-zenry. Inhabitants of Hill�s Edge are awary, self-sufficient lot. Many are sea-soned adventurers and guides. Mon-ster hunting, combined with a littleexploring and prospecting, is the tra-ditional local sport. Most everyone isskilled with a weapon,11 and thesmithies of Hill�s Edge turn out hun-dreds of armors and thousands ofblades each year�in fact, this city isthe source of much of the average-to-poor, but serviceable, weaponry andbattle harness used all over westernFaerûn.

11After discussions with Elminster, we judge that this can fairly be expressed in AD&D game terms by sayingthat most everyone on the streets is at least a 4th- or 5th-level fighter.

186

The city�s name comes not fromany hill, but from a long-dead adven-turer, the halfling warrior UldobrisDownhill. He found rich iron in thered eastern bank of the River Reach-ing here and took on gnome partnersto build and maintain pumps to keepthe river waters from flooding hismine, which was dubbed the Edgebecause it was always on the brink offlooding. Miners dug feverishly to thedin of the constantly hammeringpumps, tossing ore onto skids thatmules dragged up to the surface. Insix short years the consortium Uldo-bris had founded, the Clasped Hands,brought up more iron than had everbeen taken out of one mine before. Inthe seventh year, the waters came in.

The flooded, unstable tunnels ofthe Edge still lie beneath the city,sloping sharply down and southeast.Local rumors as to just what inhabitsthem now vary widely�from fresh-water morkoth to aquatic liches�butseem to agree that something sinisterdwells in the lightless waters now.Five separate gnome-led pump-outattempts of the Edge over the yearshave ended in the sudden disappear-ance of all the delvers.

Hill�s Edge began as a fort built toprotect the minehead and smelterand grew into a walled town ofsmithies and outfitters, serving as abase for hunters and prospectorsventuring north and east into theSunset Mountains and the Reaching

187

uplands. It has grown steadily,becoming a waybase for merchantconcerns.

Warehouses now occupy a lot ofthe space inside the city walls. Theirowners dwell above the storage areas.Hill�s Edge exports steady streams ofoiled and crated armor, crated fin-ished weapons and oiled bundles ofsword blades, and caged exotic beastsof all sorts. If one wants a monster ora few of its body parts anywhere inwestern Faerûn, the source, some-times via several middlemen, is usu-ally the hunters of Hill�s Edge.

If life in Hill�s Edge seems a per-ilous, exciting existence to thereader�it is. A steady stream ofwould-be prospectors and adventur-ers come to the Old Edge. Manydwarven delvings and the cellars orburial areas of both Netheril and van-ished giant kingdoms are known to liein the Reaching uplands and farthernorth. Hill�s Edge has always been thebase for those eager to explore them.Talk in the taverns of the Edge isalways of the latest finds and forays�of old, fey magic found and monstersfought. It�s no wonder that the Zhen-tarim hunger to rule here, or that theHarpers and the Lords will do all theycan to prevent that. It seems a splen-did home for those who thirst foradventure�and perhaps death thatmay come to them swift and soon.

There�s another important featureof the Edge that the visitor shouldknow about if he wants to understandthe tavern talk: the silent runs. Hill�sEdge has always funded the rebuild-ing, lengthening, and strengthening

of its walls with a gate tithe of 1 gp perwagon traveling in either direction.Folk on foot are free, but a mule trainis counted as one wagon for everytwo mules. The Zhentarim and theFree Traders of Westgate have alwaysused many hideouts and subterfugesto smuggle goods into and out of thecity tax free. The most famous ofthese are the silent runs: networks ofstorage caverns and long tunnelsunder the city wall from far awaylinked to warehouses in the center ofthe city. Battles for control of thesilent runs over the last decade havebeen furious, claiming many victims.Hungry monsters were unleashedinto the passages, and traps were setup in profusion all over them untilthe runs became too dangerous touse and were abandoned to themarauding beasts and the desperate.If locals find these outer entrancesnowadays, they usually hire a mage topermanently, suddenly, and violentlyclose the tunnels.

LandmarksHill�s Edge is a city of cobbled streetsand sturdy stone buildings with slateand tile roofs. Large warehouses hulkeverywhere, and all the (nameless)streets are broad enough to allow ateam of six horses or oxen to turn awagon around. In an open plaza at thecenter of the city rises the Mayor�sTower. The mayor has a bodyguard of12 warriors, and another 20 soldierscollect the gate tax and keep watchfrom the walls and on all who enter orleave the city, but there is no militia, civguard, or army. The Traders� Council,

188

The inns, taverns, and prosperousshops of the city tend to be clusteredalong the streets radiating out fromthe central Tower. There�s no openmarketplace in the Edge�instead,stalls can be found all around the citywall on its inside. (They are icy-coldquarters in winter, I�m told.)

which advises the mayor, wants to keepit that way (The Traders� Council meetsin the Tower once a tenday, and morefrequently in emergencies.)

As a result, this is a city of privatebodyguards and lookouts hired bywell-armed merchants who guardthemselves and their wares at all times.The merchants� homes tend to be atoptheir warehouses or near the city walls,where the smithies, paddocks, most ofthe rooming houses and failed busi-nesses can be found, too. I saw at leasttwo score boarded-up, abandonedbuildings during my visit.

Hill�s Edge has a high stone wall sur-rounding it studded with many watch-towers and pierced by four gates: theReaching Gate on the northeast, River-gate on the northwest, Vale Gate on thesoutheast, and Clasped Hands Gate onthe southwest. Perhaps 6,000 folk callHill�s Edge home in winter, and 10,000can be found inside its walls in sum-mer. It�s fairly small, and the widestreets make for quick travel. It has areputation for winter cold harshenough to kill many folk every year.

The visitor to Hill�s Edge shouldn�tmiss the Tarnished Trumpet tavern, thefabled Six Soft Furs festhall�located astone�s throw from the Mayor�sTower�or the Happy Hippocampusinn. (Local lore insists a mayor built the

Six Soft Furs so close for quick and easyvisits.) Other drinking spots I saw werethe Scarlet Stag and the Dancing Bear.Both were rustic, smoky, crowded, dim,and of little account.

Other inns include the WorriedWyvern, the Storm Griffin, and theStone Saddle. Rooming houses can befound by the score. You�ll recognizethem for the three amber lamps hang-ing over their doors. Most are cold,dirty, dingy places where you canshare a room with several rats whofeel just as chilly as you do. For a ten-day, the room is usually 1 sp per day,or for a month, it runs a copper a dayplus an extra 1 sp �for the doorstep.�Cooking is extra. �For the hearth� costsare generally 3 cp per day.

Hill�s Edge boasts two temples: theCry of Joy, dedicated to Lliira, and theFist of the Future, sacred to Cyric.There are also shrines to Tempus andTymora: the Old Sharp Sword,perched within sight of the Mayor�sTower; and the Kiss of the Lady,located hard by the Reaching Gate.

Notable shops in the Old Edgeinclude A Handful of Eyes, LionstarServices, the Knight in the Morn,Belkin�s Black Blade, and Bent Bows. AHandful of Eyes is perhaps the mostreliable of the monster shops, andLionstar Services is the discreet smallgoods handling outlet of LionstarWarehouses. The Knight in the Morn isan armorer and blazoner, Belkin�s sellssuperior weapons, and Bent Bows, asits name implies, is an archery shop.

The visitor to Hill�s Edge should notethat although the Zhentarim presencegrows ever stronger in Hill�s Edge, the

189

Dark Network has received severalsharp rebukes (that is, sharp as insword points) from citizens whom theytried to cheat, threaten, or bribe at toolow a price. The Zhentarim pressurehas made fewer folk than ever want thethankless task of being High Mayor fora year�but every candidate in anywaysupported or influenced by the Zhen-tarim has been decisively refused by theelectors. The Traders� Council is run-ning the city at present while they seeka new High Mayor from among thereturning prospectors and adventurers.

Overshadowing all the political ten-sions in town is the ongoing conflictbetween the Rose-Red Lady and theBlack Lady, the high priestesses wholead the two rival temples in town. Theywage an endless duel for supremacy inwhat passes for high society in theEdge�as well as in its alleyways, cel-lars, and spell chambers. When onetemple gathers for an important ritual,the other does too, just in case the �vil-lains� in the other temple plan anymagical assault. Like the Zhentarim,the two priesthoods have eyes every-where in the city. Unless you havepower enough to withstand and hurlback the magics of an aroused temple,it is best not to openly support one sideor another. You have been warned.

Places of Interestin Hill's EdgeTemplesThe Cry of JoyThe star-mantled, orange-, red-, andyellow-robed priestesses of Lliira tendto be beautiful, acrobatic, and silver-

throated. They pass on jokes, makemerry, and generally provide much ofthe gaiety and color in Hill�s Edge.The Harpers always provide music attheir festivals�wild parties to whichall folk in the city are invited. Harpersalso covertly provide security duringthese events, foiling hostile magic anddeliberate disruptions.

The only enemies these Joymaidenshave are the followers of the Dark Sun,Cyric, and the local professionalescorts, who view the festivals as verybad for trade. In the escorts� opinion,revelers get free what the escortsexpect folk to pay for. This is the onlyreason, aside from the free drink,many say cattily and spitefully, that any-one goes to one of these revels at all.

The Cry of Joy resembles a minia-ture castle. Little larger than a prosper-ous manor, it sports high stone walls, aportcullis, and turrets adorned withLliira�s yellow, orange, and red star-girtbanners. Its coffers bulge from twosources of income: superb blackbitterale brewed in the temple cellars andexported all over Faerûn, and best-sell-ing chapbooks of amorous adventurepenned anonymously by the clergy�and also sold all over Faerûn.

The Lliirans are led by a young,enthusiastic reveler, JoybringerCaseldown. She works in secret withHarpers (well, her plans are secret,though most folk know meetings goon) to see to the security and cul-tural growth of Hill�s Edge, so that itcontinues to be a pleasant place tolive. There�s a rumor around the citythese days that the Joybringer hasstrange magical powers.

190

The Fist of the Future

The black banners on the walls of thisfrowning war fortress of a temple areall adorned with the skull and starburstof Cyric. They stare coldly at all whowalk the streets, and like pirate flags,they make citizens and visitors alikereach for weapons and watch warily.

The Cyricists in Hill�s Edge are afast-growing group, sponsored byZhentarim gold and the energy of theambitious High Dark Priestess EmanaGortho. She seems bent on turningthe city into a huge robber-baron�shold and is fast attracting all thedown-on-their luck rogues, thugs,and crazed-wits in the Vale withpromises of good gold, and good beerand brotherhood to go with it, withregular opportunities for bullying andbloodletting. She now has hundredsof dark hands to do her bidding, butthey are ill-trained, undisciplined,and essentially selfish hands, andhave several times defied the ordersof priests leading them to pursueready loot and foes.

Mysterious spell attacks have twiceruined armories and engines of warsmuggled into the temple, smashingplans for an uprising, destruction ofthe temple to Lliira, and the establish-ment of martial rule over the city.Emana suspects Harper spies of caus-ing the assaults, though she has noidea which powerful wizards theyhired or cajoled into making the actualattacks. On both occasions, word wasall over the city in hours, accompaniedby the general opinion that suchdoings were to be expected, because:�We don�t like folk bringing armies

into this town or whelming for war.�The High Dark Priestess has

accordingly turned to ever darkerand wilder spells, accompanied byrisky attempts at spellcasting ingroups, sacrifices, and summoningsof powerful evil beings from otherplanes. She speaks openly of suchthings, trying to awe citizens into obe-dience or flight, but has so far mis-read the folk of Hill�s Edge, who�vemerely turned to planning how bestto bring about her downfall.

ShopsA Handful of EyesMonster Parts and Live Monsters

This dark, cavernous converted oldwarehouse is a labyrinth of creakingpillars, rusting cross braces, saggingfloors, and little flights of steps linkinglevels that don�t quite meet. Cages ofall sizes are everywhere. Citizenswhisper that folk who argue pricestoo strenuously sometimes disappearinto them.

This shop is lit by a dozen or soglowing white eyeballs that floatabout like curious insects, hovering toinspect or accompany shoppers withan unblinking gaze that most folk findeerie: The proprietor is a masked,hooded male who seems able to seewhatever the eyes can, however dis-tant, and who is thought to be a mindflayer by at least one regular supplierof the shop.

For all this eccentricity, A Handfulof Eyes is probably the most reliableof the monster shops in Hill�s Edge�

191

that is, it can most quickly supply aparticular beast, dead or alive, to apurchaser, and it carries a largerstock than competitors, some ofwhom deal only in a few species(such as Eldritch Ebony, a shop thatdiscreetly deals in drow to very richand totally unscrupulous buyers).Most buyers are merchants acting forwealthy, decadent thrillseekers ormages in Calimshan, Waterdeep,Sembia, Amn, and the city-statesaround the Sea of Fallen Stars.

wizard blew apart the southern endof the shop with an unexpected spelland escaped.

Lionstar Services

Packers

This shop is a ramshackle wing of thevast Lionstar Warehouses complexout by the wall in the northeast quad-rant of the city. For modest fees, theexperienced packers here will

A live monster can cost from 25 gp securely pack and seal all sorts offor a particular type of nonpoisonous small shipments (precious or fragilerat, spider, or snake to 350,000 or items, for instance) for caravan travelmore for a ki-rin or other rare or all over Toril. Their specialty is dis-powerful creature. The Eyes does not guising an item by its packaging todeal in slaves, nor does it kidnap make it appear to be something else.humans for a fee�not since a captive This generally costs double. False

192

documentation can cost 100 gp on topof that�more if it involves forging thesignature or seal of a mage, ruler,merchant company, noble familyhead, or other important personage.

Lionstar Services has several wiz-ards on retainer to magically exam-ine, shield, or protect parcels. Theirservices cost extra�a lot extra!Exactly how much depends, ofcourse, on just what they have to do.

The Knight in the MornArmorer and Blazoner

Such adornments typically cost 60gp each for painted work and 100 gpfor sewn. This shop is usually at oddswith Hillhorn, the local Herald, forallowing patrons to walk out wearingarms and badges that properly belongto others. In the past, much of theshop�s trade came from brigands

This proud, colorful shop sells suitsof armor, some of which look verygrand. They vary from mediocre (thesource of the old wisecrack: �Ah, SirRustbucket. Knighted in Hill�s Edge, Ipresume?�) to not bad. They also selllances and shields, but some shieldshave been known to crumple under asingle blow. To top the lances, theysell pennants and full-sized banners.

The need to adorn these bannershas expanded over the years from twoold women skilled with the needle toa staff of six seamstresses and fourmaster limners. You can order yourshield, breastplate, helm, or anythingelse adorned with your badge, coat-of-arms, or favorite color.

intending to impersonate others toeffect swindles, kidnappings, and thedarkening of certain reputations.

This is still the place to come if youwant a blazon of your own designpainted�a blazon, that is, that�s notlawfully registered with, or recog-nized by, the Heralds. The shop getsaway with this practice by claimingthey were told the work was a firstflower (the painting of arms made bya supplicant to show to a Herald inhopes of getting the design approved).The close watch now kept on theshop by Harpers makes criminal useof the arms of others less likely to beprofitable, but as a place to get fanci-ful arms painted up, or thoseintended forever to be fictitious, theshop continues to do a roaring trade.

Note that all blazonwork that comesto the shop without written certifica-tion from a Herald will cost double.Regular patrons of the shop tell me itslances are of excellent quality.

Belkin�s Black BladeWeapons Shop

In contrast to the haughty splendor ofthe Knight in the Morn, this place is a�down-to-earth, hard-core weaponsshop: a large, dimly lit house that smellsof oil and cold steel and is crammedwith racks of swords, daggers, maces,morning stars, war hammers, spears,arrows, bolts, and battle axes.

Belkin Orgul is a fat, puffing, shrewdold warrior who stumps and wheezesaround the shop, forever pushingunruly gray-white hair out of his eyes to

193

Bent BowsArchery Shop

glare at customers. He sells helms, gor-gets, and gauntlets as well as weapons.Spike-knuckled gauntlets are a peren-nial favorite at 25 gp for the pair.

This is one of the best archery shopsI�ve seen anywhere: a bright, breezyplace where one can buy any size ofbow or crossbow. One can also pur-chase, of course, all sizes of shafts andbolts and a variety of arrowheads,including bulbous fireheads guaran-teed not to go out before striking theirtarget. These heads are cast spherescontaining felt that are doused in alco-hol and lit before firing.

Adventurers and merchants alikecome here to buy wagonloads of shaftsand bolts. If one buys 10 guaranteed-waterproof leather quivers of 21 missileseach or more, it�s at a discount price of 6sp each, instead of the usual 1 gp.

The proprietor, Master FletcherSumbarl Ardusk, is expert at detectingout-of-true shafts, and at soaking,stretching, and spot heating to makethem straight.

TavernsThe Scarlet Stag

This drinking hall is of the smoke-filled, rowdy, rustic sort. I found thetables and booths cramped andcrowded, and the servers both surlyand harried; moreover, some cleverguest seems to enjoy hurling chestnuts

at random around the darkened tap-room. One plopped into my tankard,but a woman nearby was struck on thetemple and dazed. Go to get drunk ifyou must, but don�t expect to relax orchat in any sort of quiet.

The Dancing Bear

InnsThe Worried Wyrvern

This dive is like the Stag but noisier, dirt-ier, and more dangerous. Here patronsplay with hurled daggers, and there�s asteady stream of supplicants shuffling totrade scraps of information for the fewcoppers needed for another drink ortwo to the tables where Zhentarim spiesand their bodyguards sit.

The Bear is not a place one darerelax in. I saw two purse cuttings while Iwas there, and when the second victimnoticed and rounded on the thief, hegot a blade in his throat and another inhis ribs. The thief was out one of thethree side doors before the bodyslumped to the floor.

Others share my opinion. The taverndoes a brisk trade in carry-out skins of(watered-down) wine at 4 sp each.

There�s no bear dancing about inaccordance with the tavern�s name.Its stuffed head snarls down fromover the bar, eyes red and glitteringthanks to a little glass and a cantrip. Iwas not impressed.

This is the closest Hill�s Edge comes toan average inn of quality�a clean,

194

three-level, fairly new establishmentboasting interconnected suites ofrooms on the uppermost floor, mes-senger pigeon service to an errand-running service in Iriaebor, and a gooddining room. The chef has mastered aspiced river fish and asparagus omeletto accompany the usual bacon, toastand drippings, and sausages for morn-ingfest and highsunfest. Evening mealsare a nice variety of roasts, accompa-nied by pleasant surprises like chickenlivers in mushroom sauce and greenpeppers stuffed with rice, tomatoes,and ground meat. A rather bad, boredharpist plays away the evenings, mak-ing background music to drown outconversations at adjacent tables. A safeand pleasant, if unexciting waystop.

The Storm Griffin

Travelers can easily find this down-town inn thanks to the rampant stonegriffon statue out front. It�s as tall as thethree-story inn behind it and fromtime to time spectacular but harmlessillusory lightnings flash and crawl overits surface. It was once the figureheadof the favorite ship of the inn�s builder,who was a rich textiles merchant.

The inn beyond it is surprisinglygood. Rooms are cozily and sometimesluxuriously furnished, and the servicesof in-house barbers/coiffeurs, tailors,and custom shoemakers are availablefor extra fees. Bath servants carry hotwater to the tubs in each room andassist in bathing if desired. Their ser-vices are free. For a copper one of sixhall boys will carry messages or small

items anywhere in the city. (By allaccounts, they�re trustworthy.)

The dining room is excellent, spe-cializing in delicious hot and coldsoups, fried breads, and fish stuffedwith egg, leek, and river crab mix-tures. At its best, the kitchen of theGriffin matches anything to be had inproud, distant Waterdeep.

The Stone Saddle

This cheap, chilly old barn prides itselfon good stables and hostlers. I daresay mounts get better care than theirowners. Still, doors bolt securely, andthe beds are comfortable, but sagsomewhat in the middle. If you don�tmind indifferent food, such as meat-balls of mysterious origin in onion-dominated tomato broth, this is acheap, tolerable place to sleep.

FesthallsSix Soft Furs

This house of pleasure is famous Vale-wide for its luxuries, wanton escorts,and flavored syrup baths that are rarelyenjoyed alone. Rumored to have beenbuilt by a mayor (to attract tourists, ofcourse), it boasts very high pricesindeed�an evening�s pleasure can eas-ily cost 300 gp. Some escorts here spe-cialize in a combination of pleasant(and surprisingly learned) conversationand kneading out the pain from longjourneys and old battle injuries withtheir hands and feet, for those whodon�t want to indulge in the exotic.

195

TheTarnished TrumpetTavern

A blackened, battered trumpethangs behind the bar. More than afew folk in town say it�s an iron hornof Valhalla the bartender can blow todefend the tavern against attack. Thisrumor is supported by the fact that allof the six folk�four men and twowomen�who tend bar around theclock (a water-drip model from farChessenta, that chimes tiny bells tomark the hours) always wear swordsat their hips and daggers in variousspots.

This tavern faces the Mayor�s Toweracross the open cobbles and is thelargest and best drinking spot in Hill�sEdge, On most evenings, even in thebitterest winter weather, it�s crowdedwith jovial adventurers swapping sto-ries of their bravery, close escapes,and latest finds in the Netherese ruinsnorth and east of the city.

Many of the prospectors who workout of Hill�s Edge view the Trumpet astheir home, even though they sleepsomewhere else. The staff encouragesthem to think so, keeping messagesfor prospectors out in the mountains,and providing comfy old armchairsand a fireplace to warm wet feet anddry wet stockings and hose at aroundthe side of the bar.

The PlaceWood-paneled, many-pillared, anddecorated with tapestries of hunting

scenes and the battered weapons ofnow-deceased patrons, the tavern isalmost all one vast taproom. The topsof the drinking tables are inset withlittle windows. Old treasure mapshave been set between panes of glassin them, and beneath each is a smallcage enclosing a glowing globe, solight comes up through the map toilluminate the tabletop. Patrons whotry to take a map out will be expelledviolently and permanently. Copies ofall the maps are available at the barfor 50 gp each. Most of the maps are20 to 30 winters old and are of minesand subterranean cellars and ways inthe wildernesses north of Skull Gorgeor in western Yellow Snake Pass.

Be warned that the Zhentarim pur-chased copies of all these maps longago, as have many other adventuringbands. Few easily found treasures canbe left in any of the places the mapsshow. On the other hand, tales makethe rounds every three seasons or soof adventurers poking around old,cleaned-out dungeons who found asecret way others had missed andbroke through into treasure-laden,hitherto hidden, areas.

The ProspectThis tavern is the place to hear newsof adventurers and their deeds, join aband or hire adventurers to aid youin deeds of daring and danger, or justto reflect on past glories, stare at thefading maps and tapestries, anddream a little. Some minstrels makea point of doing this, claiming theyget their best song ideas in the con-vivial Trumpet. This is one of the

196

most relaxed, friendly, chatty bars inall the Vale.

The ProvenderHot buttered rolls and sausage rollsare the only food the Trumpet serves.Its wine cellar has an awesomebreadth, however, and the flagonsand tankards in use on the premisesare of a generous size.

The PricesAle is 4 cp per talltankard or 8 cp perhand keg, and wine is either anony-mous house wine at 5 cp per flagonor a recognized vintage sold by thebottle (7 sp to 22 gp). Zzar, sherries,and all exotics (such as elverquisst)are sold by the bottle at 4 gp to 125 gp(most are 6 to 8 gp).

Another speaks of a cordial glassformed of one enormous carved dia-mond the size of a petite elf�s fist. It wassaid to be able to render any liquidplaced in it nonpoisonous and pleasantto the palate. A visitor to the bar, a duskynoblewoman, turned it invisible as aprank, and a clumsy-fingered thiefknocked it to the taproom floor. No onehas ever found the glass, and incidencesof patrons tripping over nothing (per-haps from excess drink or a loose floor-board) are often blamed on kicking it.

Travelers� LoreThe Trumpet houses several legends ofhidden treasure. One speaks of a secretdoor in a pillar. It hides a turn handlethat flips up a large floor section, tableand all, to reach a gold cellar guardedby mysterious monsters.

197

TheHappy HippocampusInn

This inn deserves to be much betterknown. It�s one of the best in westernFaerûn, complete with an attentiveliveried staff who pamper guests per-sonally, a hot communal tub withscented water (clouded with lavenderto preserve the modesty of bathers),and food among the best anywhere.

The PlaceThe Happy Hippocampus is a low-ceilinged, carpeted place of manylamps and plants. Lounges (includingthe baths) surround the circular din-ing room. From the curving hallwaysthat encircle the dining room ascendbroad stairs to large rooms that fea-ture curtained, canopied beds.

Guest chambers are suites, eachhaving a bathing chamber (garde-robes therein magically flush them-selves clean with water!), a dressingroom with a full-length glass, and awriting desk with parchment, ink,and quills. Oysters, pickled falconeggs, and garlic-buttered biscuits�allaccompanied by white wine�areavailable in every room.

Thick walls keep rooms quiet. Win-dows are sealed and have multiplepanes of glass to banish all drafts andminimize winter chill.

The ProspectThe skilled, thoughtful human staffanticipates most guests� needs (warmed

towels and robes are set ready forpatrons who bathe, for example), butcan always be summoned by pullingone of the purple cords that hang onthe walls of every room and passage inthe inn. A rooftop garden provides freshtomatoes and greens for salads, andgives guests a private place to sit amidgreenery and relax. Far below, extensivecellars give safe storage to guests� valu-ables, an impressive wine cellar, andlarge, defensible pantries.

The ProvenderThe dining room at the Hippocampusserves the usual roasts and fowl disheswith flair, along with marvelous graviesand sauces. The soups are delightful,and I especially liked the appetizersknown as hot bites. I managed to get therecipe for these open-faced sandwichesfrom one of the chefs (thank you,Alayss), and here it is:

198

The PricesRooms are 16 gp a head per night, andstabling is 2 gp extra. Eveningfeast(including all drinks) costs 2 gp. Allother meals are free with a room, butdrinks cost extra. Liqueurs run 4 ormore gp per bottle. Ales are 1 sp pertankard, and wines are 3 gp to 75 gpper bottle (most are 4 gp to 7 gp).

Travelers� LoreThe Hippocampus was briefly home tothe Proud Pegasi adventuring band. Ledby a female mage of spirit, beauty, andquick wits (Bellara �Starcloak� Arune, amerchant�s daughter from Amn), thePegasi went from success to success,finding a string of fallen mage towersand Netherese ruins. Some say tanar�riaided their searches, others that Bellara

devised a spell that let her read thebrains of Netherese lich-mages, holdingthem in thrall from afar. Whatever thetruth, the Pegasi found a lot of treasure.

When agents of the Zhentarim stolefrom them, Bellara mounted a returnraid on Darkhold. Gathered Zhentarimmages destroyed the band with mightyspells. Through a contingency, the spiritof Bellara fled into a life-size gemmedstatue supposedly hidden in the Hip-pocampus.

Some say that the statue was formedin Bellara�s image, and others contendthat it was of a rearing pegasi. Since noone has ever found a statue of either kindhere, adventurers who stay at the inn stillhope to find the statue, resurrect Bellara,and claim as their reward a portion ofthe treasure that the Zhents didn�t get

199

H l u t h v a rThis walled town on the Dusk Roadlies in the shadow of Darkhold and isless a trading town than a fortressagainst the Zhentarim.12 The town�smayor, magistrate, and military ruleris Maurandyr High Ward (priest) ofthe House of the Guardian, the localtemple of Helm.

Hluthvar was a local warrior-hero.The town that preserves his name nowstands as the front-line wall againstarmies that would otherwise sweepdown from Darkhold unchecked toraid at will up and down the Vale. Inthis vigilant stance, Maurandyr isfinancially supported by the Harpers,the Lords� Alliance, and other rulersand places in the Vale.

This does not make Hluthvar a wel-coming place to visit. Built of stoneand slate to retard fires, it can mustera militia of over 70 well-trained andequipped warriors�one from nearlyevery family in town. Groups of themclad in plate mail can be seen practic-ing with swords and crossbows everyday under the watchful eyes of priests.

The temple also hires adventurersby the month at 100 gp per each toride wide patrols around the town tokeep watch on patrol groups andraiders out of Darkhold. �Put the darkones to the sword whenever you can�is their standing order.

Hluthvar is built like a giant wheel,with its streets as the spokes and therim and a large open market as thecentral hub. The north�south �spoke�of the wheel is missing. On the north

side of the market stands the Houseof the Guardian (with a largebuy/sell/trade livery stable and themilitia armory north of it), and on thesouth side stands a wagonwain�s shopand the sole inn in town, the WatchfulEye. The temple maintains a stable ofmilk cows and a chicken house (botheasily located by the smell). Thepriests�who always go armed�stride about like sword captains, giv-ing orders as if the town were at war.

Rental space warehouses ring andflank these important buildings. Therest of the town consists of seven cov-ered wells, a few shops, and homes.The wells are set up as small, defensi-ble keeps topped by onagers that canhurl stones at attackers outside thecity walls. Every roof and every cellaris planted for growing mushrooms orroot crops. To discourage drunken-ness, there�s no tavern, and visitors totown who stray from the inn or localmarket are viewed as little better thanspies.

Most folk in Hluthvar work deep intheir cellars, delving ever deeper insearch of gold, which is plentiful inthe rock hereabouts, and perhapsNetherese or other ruins below.Some 30 winters ago, someone didbreak through into an old dwarvenhold, and it�s now provisioned as asafehold for the townsfolk to retreatto if Hluthvar is overrun.

The folk of Hluthvar have lived withfear of the Zhentarim for a long time,but right now they�re wrestling with anew fear. Their revered leader, Mau-randyr, may be going mad. Several

12Hluthavar�s location can be seen on the map in the entry on Asbravn, earlier in this chapter.

200

times recently he�s fainted or spokenand acted strangely. Some say theseincidents are the result of the strain ofcommand. Others whisper they aresigns of the displeasure of Helm or�and this is the dark opinion of most�caused by some sort of magical assaultfrom the evil Zhentarim wizards.

I recommend travelers avoidHluthvar except as a secure place tostay a single night on the road beforemoving on. The temple rents starkand simply furnished rooms at 10 gpa head to those who don�t want tostay at the inn. Sights are few, joy evenrarer, and prospects for trade slim.Hluthvar needs more of everything,and has little to give in return. Lifehere is as good an argument fordestroying the Zhentarim as anythingI�ve seen or heard anywhere in theCoast lands.

Places of Interestin HluthvarTemplesThe House of the GuardianThis temple to Helm resembles a keep.It has its own moat and spiked ironfence�which can be electrified byspells in the event of attack, I�m told�along with ballistae and armoriesinside. The uppermost chamber is astark chancel, the altar being anupright sword, the unblinking eye ofHelm glowing on its pommel.

Over 20 warrior-priests dwell here,working ceaselessly by spell and train-ing in arms to strengthen Hluthvar as�the wall against the darkness.� They aregrim folk, always alert for spies, weak-

nesses, and ways in which they can dealharm to the forces of Darkhold.

ShopsTrist�s Saddles and StablesMounts and Tack

Irythimm Trist is a sharp-nosed,watchful man who drives a hard bar-gain but avoids all deceit. If you buy amount or pack animal from him,you�ll get exactly as good a beast as hesays you will�all-in-all, a rare andprecious thing.

Veloth�s Fine Wagons and RepairsWagons, Wheels, and Repairs

Uln Veloth is a man of exaggeration,histrionics, and hand-wringing. He cannever do what you want in the scanttime you give him�but always does.His skilled craftspeople grin at his wail-ing a lot and calmly turn out top-qualitywagons, wheels, axles, and overnightrepairs. Fees are stiff, and payable upfront, but the work is sturdy.

InnThe Watchful Eye

The Watchful Eye is a cheerless placethat serves stolid food and watered-down beer. It has shutters and a roofand not much else. Its one virtue is thatit�s quiet�almost too quiet, like thecalm before a vicious storm. Still, youcan definitely fall asleep easily here ifthe hard beds don�t keep you awake.

201

Ir iaeborThis city is sometimes called theOverland City because it�s the east-ernmost outpost of the Vale and car-ries caravan trade on the Dusk Roadover the rapids and cataracts of theupper Chionthar, linking up with theTrader�s Road that runs east to theSea of Fallen Stars. Barges cannot getany farther upriver than the lowerdocks of Iriaebor.

Built atop a defensible ridge longago, Iriaebor today is a cramped cityof many tall, crumbling towers lean-ing on each other or standing closetogether, joined by bridges andbristling with balconies, so that mostof the narrow, winding streets are leftpermanently in shadow.13 This hasearned Iriaebor the name of City of aThousand Spires. The stables, stock-yards, caravan paddocks, ware-houses, and the like sprawl across thefarmland around the ridge. Asidefrom an open market where the DuskRoad enters the city, there are noopen spaces left within the walls.

Travelers are advised to beware theconstant, many-layered, often violentintrigues between the many mer-chant houses, families, and cabals ofthe city. Iriaebor is like Waterdeepgone mad when it comes to merchantmanipulations, chicanery, andmaneuvering.

Zhentarim machinations achievedthe brief but iron-hard rule of theZhentarim sorceress Lord Ravendasover the city. She attempted tounearth some sort of dangerous

Shadowking and his shadow magicfrom beneath the city. Since that time,the Harpers of Berdusk have kept aclose watch on Iriaebor.

The city is presently ruled by Bron.He was the peoples� choice for hisprinciples of fairness above all. Heserves as the city�s judge, and heappoints and dismisses members of a40-person advisory council. Aidedbehind the scenes in one way by theHarpers�and in another by the headof the current local thieves� guild,Cormik�the Lord of Iriaebor man-ages to keep this city of bitter mer-chant rivals from erupting inbloodshed from one wall to another.

Visitors are advised to beware allthe rivalries. Even experienced tradersare regularly fleeced, though the darkdays of throat-slitting and all-your-goods Zhentarim confiscations aregone�at least for now. Bron sacrificedhis own position and most of themoney of the temple to Eldath heheaded at the time to buy mercenariesenough to slaughter the private armiesthat rival merchants were hurling ateach other. The hatreds that fueled theopen warfare then still simmer behindclosed faces today, awaiting anychance to come boiling bloodily out.

Iriaebor�s location and strong armymake it a base or destination soughtby many. (The army, the Shield, is8,000 warriors strong.) For those whomust deal in this den of commerce, Ican provide only an overview ofprominent places. Shops, companies,and fashion-favored places changewith every tenday.

13A map of Iriaebor can be found in FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures hardbound.

202

LandmarksThe ridge on which old Iriaebor wasbuilt runs parallel to the river anddivides the city into three parts. Themost southerly of these is the narrowstrip of land between the river and theridge, crowded with warehouses,docks, boatbuilding slips, muddywagon trails, and heaps of garbage,which is called the Docks. Next is theridge itself, called the Old City, its rockyslopes crowned with the forest of stonetowers inhabited by the most success-ful (most ruthless, many folk wouldsay) merchants. Most of the importantbuildings in Iriaebor can be foundhere. The northernmost and largestdistrict of Iriaebor is composed of theflatlands that have been enclosed bythe city wall. They are known as theLower City. Here can be found theshops and houses of the common folkand laborers, the open market, stables,tanneries, slaughterhouses and othernoisome industries, and two fencedmerchant coster waybases: a majorbase of the Thousandheads TradingCoster and a smaller center of theDragoneye Dealing Coster. The cityexports many fine horses from the sur-rounding farmlands of the Vale, kegsand barges, and a lot of fairly bad beer.

Iriaebor is home to three importanttemples: Silent Hall, dedicated to Eldath(once Bron�s charge); the Golden Bowlof the Goddess, a temple of Chauntea;and the High Altar of the Moon (calledsimply the Moontower by citizens), acenter of worship to Selûne. A fourthtemple, the Tower of Gold, veneratedWaukeen until the Time of Troubles,but now stands empty and looted.

Priests of Lliira have petitioned the cityfor permission to found a temple withinthe walls of the former Tower of Gold,but many powerful merchants covet thesite, which commands the road southacross the bridge and out of the city.The matter is presently before the coun-cil, halted by wrangling that promises togo on for years.

As I mentioned, the shops of Iriae-bor change with bewildering rapidity.Two deserve mention for theirunusual wares: Give Me Wings to Fly,which deals in aerial mounts of vari-ous sorts, and the Well-Dressed Wiz-ard, where mages can buy the latest,greatest cloaks, robes, hats, and staves.

Like the city�s shops, its inns and tav-erns change with each passing month.This is especially true for taverns, as oneneeds no special tavern license to runone. The city taxes are paid on the origi-nal purchase of beer and spirits. Thecouncil doesn�t care who sells the alco-holic drink to thirsty throats after that.

The few fixtures among inns are all inthe old city atop the ridge (or Tor, aslocals call the ridge): the WanderingWyvern, a homelike place that welcomesa regular clientele and doesn�t turn awayadventurers; the Black Boar, a luxuriousbut poorly run place that relies on itsexalted reputation; and the Sign of theDreaming Dragon, a three-story innwith its own walled garden that is run byhalflings. The Dreaming Dragon isrumored to have been home to a pow-erful adventurers� band in the past.Many adventurers don�t like the expenseor the tense atmosphere of the city, andstay an hour�s ride north of the city atthe Old Talking Ox on the Dusk Road.

203

Places of Interest given a place to rest, but are then left

in Iriaebor entirely to themselves.

Temples The Golden Bowl of the GoddessSilent Hall The Garden Temple of IriaeborPerched in splendid isolation at the stands atop the highest point of theeastern end of the ridge on which the Tor, overtopped only by the tallerOld City stands, this walled citadel to spires of the High Tower of IriaeborEldath takes the shape of a hollowhexagon with a side wing. It enclosesa nicely maturing wooded grove dedi-cated to the goddess. The entry hall ofthe temple is a moss-and-fern bowerbuilt around a pool.

Peacewoman Luaqqa Absalrassin(Bran�s successor) deliberately keepsthe clergy few in number and thetemple a serene retreat for solitaryworship. Visitors are welcome, and

(Bran�s abode and home of the coun-cil). Here almost 50 priests are based.They spend much of their time outin the surrounding farms, workingthe farms of the faithful. High Wor-shipmistress Nalva Imthree, a tinywoman dedicated to growing things,has turned her back on the worldalmost entirely. All she does for folkin the city is give out flowers in thedepths of winter�blooms grown

204

despite the winter storms in theunroofed, magically heated upper-most floor of the temple.

The High Altar of the MoonJust east of the High Tower of Iriae-bor stands the round Moontower, asilver-and-black structure whereHigh Moonmaiden Astyaril Hulemeneleads faithful in eerie moonlit rituals.A friend to Harpers, Astyaril adds theonly touch of romance and mystery tothe lives of most Iriaebens. For thatreason alone, services here arealways attended.

ShopsGive Me Wings to FlyFlying Mounts

The Well-Dressed WizardSplendid Mage Robes and Staves

This shop stands at the westernmostend of the Tor, and looks like a tinykeep bristling with domes of metalmesh. The domes are actually penskeeping the various aerial mounts forsale in the shop. Run by a mysteriousgroup of wizards that is thought bysome to be a semiretired adventuringband, this shop typically has�chainedand well separated to keep them fromfighting�a pair of griffons, four hip-pogriffs, a Pegasus, and perhaps anaerial steed or more exotic beast ortwo for sale at any given time. Be pre-pared to spend 35,000 gp and up.Hard bargainers can get mounts for aslittle as 20,000 gp in winter, when feedcosts are high. This shop carries verypowerful wards.

This shop stands just east of theMoontower�a tall, crumbling, once-grand old house that gives no hint ofwhat�s within except for the floating,glowing illusion of a wizard�s staff andcloak that hovers endlessly above thedouble entry doors. Inside is a black-carpeted, mightily warded (againstmeteor swarms, I�m told!14) andexclusive shop where discerningmages with thousands of gold piecesto waste can buy grandly styledcloaks, robes, soft boots or long,pointed shoes, hats of all descrip-tions, and knobbed, gem-adorned,carved staves of fantastic appear-ance but no magical powers at all.Some visiting nobles come here tobuy clothes grander than they canget anywhere else.

Tailoring is done while you wait.It typically costs 1,000 gp on top ofthe price of the garment, but runs amere 900 gp for hats and pairs ofshoes to over 40,000 gp for thelargest, gaudiest staves.

Be warned that the proprietorseems to be a powerful magehimself,15 and he�s assisted by someunseen but quite strong flying crea-tures. Some garments (the �usedones,� as the proprietor puts it deli-cately) may bear enchantments, butmost await your own spells. They areof the finest handiwork, with doubledand even trebled seams. You can buy

14Elminster said merely, ��Tis the truth.�15Elminster said: �He�s a lich, actually. The flying help? Don�t ask.�

205

here quite confident that you�ll be theonly one in your town to have suchfine magisterial mage robes�at least,until the nearest thief sees you.

InnsThe Black Boar

This large, twin-towered inn standssouthwest of the High Tower wherethe road up from the Docks splits intotwo roads to encircle the Tower. It�s alocation many haughty merchantswould kill for�and several have tried.

As a result, the owner, who keepshis name from the general public,spends all his time in plotting anddealing. His inn is furnished inexquisite luxury, but both the rooms

and the meals are tiny, and theservice is slow because the inn isunderstaffed. Thanks to snobbery,however, the Boar is full by the timeevery night falls.

The Sign of the Dreaming Dragon

This delightful inn has its own walledgarden, a high-ceilinged taproomwith balconies, and great food. It�srun by the halfling couple Jolle andEstel, and it is one of Iriaebor�shidden treasures. Estel is a healingpriestess of Eldath and retiredadventuress, and was once a memberof the Fellowship of the DreamingDragon. The establishment is veryhighly recommended.

206

The Old Talking OxInn/Tavern

In the days when merchant-hiredarmies clashed openly in the streetsof Iriaebor night and day and armedpeople were attacked by anyone whodidn�t know them as an ally, adven-turers felt hardly welcome in the Cityof a Thousand Spires. Many chose tokeep their weapons, which had to besurrendered at the city gates�oftento be returned only upon payment ofstiff bribes�and sleep outside the citywalls at a small wood lot and springknown as Northing.

Predictably, a greedy merchant cutdown the trees and put up a ricketyinn on the spot so as to charge theseescaped customers. Outraged arriv-ing warriors slew him�and one ofthem, an old, grotesquely fat merce-nary captain, Olliber of Athkatla,known as the Old Ox to his followers,announced his intention to retire andrun the inn as a welcome haven forveteran fighters.

This met with general approval, anda surprising number of his companyretired with him. Under their care, theinn was rebuilt into a rustic, but com-plete, stable and inn complex. Twoaxe-wielding half-orc sisters from themountains north of Sundabar tookover the kitchens�and disgruntleddiners learned not to complain unlessthey were good at dodging hurledaxes! A visiting sorceress took pity onthe two and taught them some tricksof seasoning. On her next trip, sheshowed them how to make some

sauces, and so on. The three becamefirm friends, and the quality of theinn�s fare became known to merce-naries and traveling merchantsthroughout the Coast lands. The sor-ceress, Helmeera of Secomber, disap-peared some years ago, and thehalf-orc sisters went looking for her�but the grizzled old servers (fighterswho�d lost hands, arms, eyes, and thelike during their fighting careers) hadlearned enough through watching andtasting by then to take over.

Olliber died some years back. Theinn is now run by a council of 12 war-riors, half of whom run it (hiringanother dozen helphands) and half ofwhom are absent sponsors. It hasbecome a favorite stop for travelers ofall sorts on the road to Iriaebor. Somefolk even go to the city to do businessand then leave each night to sleep here.

The PlaceNewly planted trees encircle a fencedhorse paddock and barnlike stableslocated west off the Dusk Road about anhour�s ride north of Iriaebor�s LowerCity Gate. In front of the stables is amuddy saddling yard and in front of that,facing the road, a long, zigzag two-storylog building with a central taproom androws of guest rooms. The taproom�sdoor is the one with the lantern over it.The kitchen is behind the taproom�andboth places are usually roaring withnoise and activity at all hours.

Guest rooms are simple but warmthanks to canopies around the beds,thick tapestries, and stone tables ineach room on which bricks heated bythe huge hearth are placed. The guest

207

rooms have doors that bolt and can bebarred securely.

The ProspectThe Old Talking Ox is a rough, rowdyplace where warriors roar out oaths,jests, and songs as they merrily playpranks and tell tales on each other. It�stheir safehold to relax in. No steel is tobe drawn inside the walls upon pain ofbeing barred from the inn forever, or,if your victim has friends present,upon pain of swift death after they�vehurled you out into the mud outside.

Guests who need a good sleep oftenleave their rooms in despair to seek thestable hayloft when the partying rangesup and down the corridors on run-ning, heavy-booted feet. The staff mem-bers are vigilant night and day toprevent robbery and violence.

The ProvenderThe food is simple but marvelous�all the fat-fried, filling dishes warriorslike but so often can�t get, smothered

in sauces and gravies. Berry jelliesand jams are on every table, alongwith hardbiscuits and dark molassesnutbread. You won�t leave thinner.

The PricesRooms are 8 gp per night. A roomsleeps two, with no extra cots available.You don�t have to share unless youwant to. This price includes all sta-bling, food, and drink�though onlysimple ales, wines, and zzar are avail-able. �Nothing too good passes our gul-lets,� as one regular patron put it.

Travelers� LoreThe man for whom the Old Ox isnamed is buried out back among thetrees. It�s said that his voice can beheard coming up from under the stoneon certain moonless nights, confessingall his sins�and telling those who askwhere all his treasure is hidden. Onehalf-elven woman is said to have tire-lessly followed up on Olliber�s instruc-tions and returned home very rich.

One not-yet-found treasure is said tobe hidden in the inn: a finger ring thatcontains a captive faerie dragon. It canonly be freed if it is �slain� six times inservice to a wearer of the ring. Threelives have been spent already, so it iseager to die serving someone in a tightspot The ring emits a body animated byits spirit, not the dragon itself�its truebody, the tale goes, is the ring. The coun-cil has requested that guests stop tearingthe inn apart trying to find the ring,which eludes magic-detecting spells.They�d also like all readers to know it�snot inside the helmed horror thatguards the wine cellar!

208

TheWandering Wyvern

I nn /Tavern

This inexpensive home away fromhome is beloved by its many regulars.It stands four doors down from thehaughty and expensive Black Boar, andlike that high-class inn, it is full by thetime most nights fall. However, theWyvern looks like an old tumble-downhouse�and has been joined to threeothers, so it�s now more than twice aslarge as the more exclusive Boar.

The two inns could not be more dif-ferent. Unlike the luxurious decor andpomp of the Boar, the Wyvern isshabby and comfortable, furnished

with mismatched furniture, andadorned with assorted paintings andknickknacks (some might well use theterm �junk�) donated by guests. Thekitchens turn out good, home-cookedfood (lots of stews, soups, and onion-and-egg omelets)�and guests helpthemselves. Most wander about the innwhile dining, stopping at window seatsor in the lounge or taking the food totheir rooms. All drinks are served atthe bar by the proprietor, ShalangulAdept (2 sp per talltankard for ale and 1sp per large goblet for wine). Shalangulwould like readers to know that he�snot any sort of adept. It�s just his name.

This is one of the few inns in Iriae-bor that welcomes adventurers andtravelers without questions, suspi-cion, sneering behavior, and

209

increased pricing. As a result, value-loving merchants, pilgrims, wander-ing folk, and adventurers both youngand bold and old and retired gladlycome here. Some of these graybeardsare skilled warriors indeed, and theirpresence keeps thefts and rowdinessto a minimum.

The PlaceWood-paneled, dimly lit, and crowdedwith randomly laid old, stained rugs,the Wyvern looks like a down-at-heelhome. No two rooms share matchingfurniture. To keep chances of fire to aminimum, no smoking is allowed,and the place is lit (badly) by a scoreof wandering driftglobes.

The ProspectThis inn is the best place to relax I�veyet found as a traveler, because youcan treat it like your own home. Theeasygoing atmosphere makes it possi-ble to keep to yourself or to sit andtalk for hours, so it�s a great place to

hear tales of adventure without aninebriated storyteller or drunkenhecklers. Many young adventurerscome here deliberately to get tips orleads to unfound treasures fromelder colleagues.

The ProvenderThe few but cheerful staff membersof the Wyvern spend most of theirtime baking bread, growing mush-rooms in the cellar, and cooking.They make nicely spiced soups andstews, adequate roasts, nice leek-fla-vored and chive-flavored biscuits in amelted cheese batter, and onion-dominated omelets in which leftovermeat scraps always appear. Someguests hack at the roast meat whenit�s still red-raw, so those who likethings well done are apt to find them-selves with what butchers call chopscraps. Meals are serve-yourselfinformal�but can be had at any time.

The PricesRooms cost a flat 5 gp a head per night,all meals included, along with stabling,if needed. As I said, drinks are extra.

Travelers� LoreThe Wyvern has its share of hiddentreasure tales. Coffers of black pearlsand brass buckets full of gems werefound above false ceilings in closetsoff the pantry, and one hall has asecret passage branching off it thatleads down into a disused Beast Culttemple. Monster skeletons stillshamble about in its dusty depths, butinn guests think they�ve found all thetreasure.

210

Appendix 1:

Folk of theSword Coast

ith Elminster�s aid, wepresent a best-guesseslist of probable classes,levels, and alignments ofsome folk Volo mentions

in this guide. Adventurers be warned:Much herein may be wrong!

This list is alphabetical by firstname because many folk in Faerûnlack surnames. Dukes, nobles, pow-erful mages, and other folk not likelyto be met by the average traveleraren�t here�unless they are a specialthreat or are of great daily impor-tance to the side of a community avisitor sees. Only ability scores of 16or greater are listed, and standardcharacter statistic abbreviations forthe FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign set-ting are used.

HONORED MOTHER ALLIYA MACANESTER (LGhalf-f P12 of Sheela Peryroyl; INT 17, Wis 20,CHA 16). Matriarch of the temple of Sheela inCorm Orp, Alliya is revered by halflings andwidely respected by others in the Sunset Vale.She knows the local weather and ways ofnature better than almost any other livingthing and can tell exactly where, when, andhow to plant or nurture for best results. Hertouch is said to give life to withered plants, andshe�s rumored to be able to tell by looking at itif a seed will germinate.

A wise, diligent leader of the farmers ofCorm Orp as well as the local halflings and hertemple, she is the true ruler of Corm Orp. Its

human lord obeys her in all things. Alliya is afierce foe of the Zhentarim and will even dealwith poisons, adventurers, and other violentthings not in keeping with nature in order toeradicate the threat from Darkhold, which shecalls the Devouring Shadow.

HIGH SCRIVENER ALTHUNE DEMBRAR, Loyal Eyeof Deneir (NG hf P14 of Deneir; INT 17, Wis 18,CHA 17). This elderly, dignified lady is stillserenely beautiful despite her many years. Sheis a renowned expert on symbols of all sorts,widely consulted by those who need to identifyrunes or writings in old, forgotten tongues.She runs the Inner Chamber temple inBerdusk and is a firm ally of the Harpers, whooften act as her eyes and hands outside Twi-light Hall (which she never leaves), reportingon or bringing back runes or other symbolsseen all across Faerûn.

Althune often has an owl perched on hershoulder. She loves to dance, and appears atmost Harper revels in the Hall.

�LADY� ALYTH ELENDARA (CG hef R7; INT 17,WIS 17, CHA 16). Lady Alyth is graceful andcourtly. Most folk think she is nobility of somesort. She owns and operates the Elfsong Tav-ern in Baldur�s Gate, where she makes a widelypraised stew and keeps a bank for sailors whopatronize her tavern. No one knows just wherethe moneys are hidden. She is able to call onsorcerous aid in a hurry, and most patrons ofthe Elfsong, who go armed, will leap to aid ordefend her.

AMAERASZANTHA (N amethyst she-dragon ofgreat wyrm age). This wise, reclusive dragonmay be the eldest of her race in Faerûn. She isspends much of her time swimming or bask-

211

ing in a stagnant lake at the heart of ruinedHaumoritas, an ancient human city nowknown as Tempus� Tears.

If she is in the water when groups ofintruders approach, Amaeraszantha oftenremains motionless, playing dead. If she hastime to do so unobserved, she rolls over on herback and extends her claws in crooked, stiffimmobility to enhance the image.

If a situation calls for it, she often shape-changes into a beautiful human female anddons a set of manacles she has magicallyarranged and altered so that she appears to beset out as a sacrifice �for the terrible dragonthat lairs near here,� she will sobbingly explain.She can free herself instantly, however. In thisway, she often learns a lot about the truenatures and intent of intruders before any hos-tilities begin.

Amaeraszantha has little use for treasureexcept gems, which she devours. She is waryand experienced in battle, and her purplescales have darkened almost to black. She is

Amelior Amanitas

sometimes mistaken for a black dragon.Acquiring knowledge and finding amusementin the thoughts, words, and deeds of the littlecreatures of Faerûn are her pursuit and herdelight. She will defend the dwarves andgnomes who dwell in the ruins around her,and the ruins themselves, fearlessly if need be.She will never hesitate to join battle if it seemsbest.

The Great Wyrm of the Tears, as a bardbent on flattery once called her (she regardshim�Mintiper Moonsilver, the LonelyHarpist�fondly), sees the fish in her lake as aprecious food resource, to be harvested onlysparingly. She also regards them as hers alone,and she will drive off, slay, or devour peoplewho fish in her lake and don�t cease themoment she confronts them.

When she�s hungry, Amaeraszantha waitsfor dark and then flies west to the Sword Coastto plunge into the waves and feed. In cold win-ter months, she�ll turn south and fly to theShining Sea or wherever the water�s warmenough to her liking before diving down toplunge, jaws wide, through a school of fish�oreven pluck a single whale out of the water todevour aloft.

Beings who would slay, entrap, or robdragons irritate her. She delights in slaughter-ing Dragon Cultists whenever they find her.Amaeraszantha values the Harpers and theZhentarim alike as sources of amusement forher. Over the years, she has befriended someof the more conservative and kindly of thepowerful spellcasters of Faerûn, such as Alus-triel of Silverymoon, the Simbul, and theWitches of Rashemen. She has a soft spot forloners like herself, but despises the arroganceof many spellcasters, deeming them willfulchildren not fit to so misuse such power.

AMELIOR AMANITAS (CG hm W17; INT 17, CHA

16). The Sage of Secomber is a wanderingmaster alchemist and busybody. Tall, chunky,gray-bearded and bespectacled, Amelior is abumbling, notoriously absent-minded eccen-tric. He has only one good eye and wears avariety of handsome patches over the socket ofthe other�some silk, some tasseled, somevividly patterned, and one bearing his sigil. He

212

dresses as a common craftsperson and is awencher and a poker-about-after-secrets.These character traits have made him unwel-come in many places, though not in Silvery-moon, where he�s become a close friend ofHigh Lady Alustriel.

Amelior is straight in his dealings�thoughhe may actually forget he�s hired someone�and rarely fights with spells, relying on his irri-table, sharp-tongued bodyguard Erek and thecontents of the two flasks he always carries.Erek is a lawful neutral 4th-level fighter ofmixed northern blood and sharp, readyswords.

Amelior wears bracers of defense AC 3, andcarries a gold flask and a copper one. Whenthe gold one is opened, a nonnoble djinninamed Hasan, utterly loyal to Amelior,emerges. Opening the copper flask lets out twoogres fanatically devoted to the sage. If slain,they rise as monster zombies to fight on. Ame-lior also owns several magical robes, aenchanted staff or two, and a large collectionof potions.

He dwells in a cavelike home that is ratherlike an extremely cluttered halfling delve-home. It is connected to a tiny, leaning stonetower and is located high up amid gardens onone of the hills in Secomber. His residence ishome to several golems and a dozen brightlycolored (red, green, fuchsia, flame orange,mint blue, sun yellow, and so on) cats. Ameliorconstantly hires adventurers to carry out oddtasks for him, sometimes overpaying themabsent-mindedly.

ABJECT SUPPLICANT ASGAR TELLENDAR (N hmP5 of Ilmater; WIS 17). Chief priest of the Houseof the Suffering God, the temple to Ilmater inthe town of Asbravn, Asgar is a devout servantof the God on the Rack, but realizes his templeis in danger of closing for lack of local sup-port�if the Zhentarim don�t sweep over thetown with spell and sword first, slaying allbefore them. Asgar has called on the Harpersof Berdusk to keep Asbravn free of Zhentarimagents and�he hates even to ask this�keephis own clergy pure. He called on them veryreluctantly for he has always seen the Harpersas dangerous meddlers.

Asgar has always relied on visions sent tohim in dreams by Ilmater, but the Zhents seemto know this and to be meddling magically withwhat he �sees.� This defilement of his mindand the gods work has made the normallyserene Asgar so angry he�d take up armsagainst any Zhentarim who offered him vio-lence. As it is, he�s entrusted the Harpers withhis secrets, and he will heal or otherwise aidany Harper who comes to him in need.

AUNDEGUL SHAWN (LN hm F5; WIS 16). Propri-etor of the Blade and Stars inn in Baldur�sGate, Aundegul is a close-mouthed, unassum-ing man whose one delight is making ruby cor-dial. A retired adventurer, Aundegul knows ofmany shady deals and doings, but seldomspeaks. He abandoned his career as an adven-turer in terror after seeing the results of amagical duel between two wizards who weremaster shapechangers�a duel that cost himmost of his comrades. He has admitted a yuan-ti is imprisoned in the inn, and that his estab-lishment also holds other, darker secrets.

BARIM STAGWINTER (NG hm F7; STR 17, DEX 17,CON 16, INT 16, CHA 16). This respected adven-turer uses Boareskyr Bridge as his base ofoperations, and his word is recognized thereas law. Involved in several adventuring compa-nies over the years, he�s currently sponsoringseveral small bands of younger adventurers,directing them (separately) toward destroyingor driving out the serpentfolk of the SerpentHills.

Barim is a good friend of Theskul Mirror-eye. Together, they keep Boareskyr Bridge safefor the law-abiding during the summer andbattle back trolls, brigands, wolves, and worseduring the long, hard winters. Theskul wants toestablish a fortified abbey to Tyr at the Bridge.Barim is prepared to support him in this if theabbey will support him in becoming Baron ofBoareskyr and raising a castle, so that a walledcity can be built between castle and abbey toenclose the clutter of tents and wagons that ispresent-day Boareskyr Bridge. The mainimpediment to this grand plan is the poisonedWinding Water. The two friends are working onthis.

213

Barim is known to own magical weaponsand armor, but just what powers his gear has,he keeps mysterious.

BELKIN ORGUL (LN hm Fll; STR 16, DEX 16, C0N

17, WIS 16). This fat, puffing old man is ashrewd judge of folk and a cynic who is alwaysarmed against attack, expecting the world toturn on him at any moment. He always wears aring of the ram and a self-regeneratingNetherese ring of spell storing containing thespells magic missile, ironguard, and chain light-ning. He has silver-plated daggers hidden in hisboots and a short sword of quickness at his belt.

Belkin owns and runs his own weaponsshop in Hill�s Edge, and has more than a fewother enchanted weapons at hand when he�sinside it. He�s going bald, but wears what�s leftof his hair long, defiantly retaining the man-ners and pride of his warrior days.

BENTLEY MIRRORSHADE (CG gm W(I)10/T10;DEX 17, INT 17). This industrious gnome illu-

High Loremaster Bransuldyn Mirrortor

sionist abandoned life as an adventurer to runthe Friendly Arm inn in a keep he and adven-turer comrades seized and cleared of mon-sters some 20 seasons ago. A clever, pleasant,always alert, curly-haired innkeeper who has ahabit of humming when deep in thought andof scratching his rather large nose when con-cerned, Bentley�s always a step ahead of trou-blemakers and misfortune. A veteran travelingCoast merchant called him �a master anticipa-tor.� Aided by his wife Gellana, he has made theArm a safe, friendly, clean, well-defended spot,a �must� stop for overland travelers.

There are persistent rumors that Bentleysponsors adventuring bands and is involved inhalf a dozen covert schemes or shady mer-chant cabals. He certainly never seems short ofmoney. On several occasions he�s unhesitat-ingly hired mercenaries to bolster his defensesin the dead of winter or hired wizards to tele-port needed items from far-off cities in a hurry.

HIGH LOREMASTER BRANSULDYN MIRRORTOR

(N gm P9). This party-loving former adventureris now master of the temple to Oghma inBerdusk. A gleeful master of disguises (ofwhich he has a vast collection), Bransuldynoften goes out into the city or roams the Valewhile disguised, gathering lore by listening.Some unkind folk have called what he does�shamelessly and energetically eavesdropping.�He often uses several spells he�s created thatallow him to record what he hears and thentranscribe from afar just what he wishes of thewords into books laid out ready in his temple.

Even if this jolly priest falls prey to a Zhen-tarim agent tomorrow, his recording spells willwin him lasting fame across Faerûn. There arepersistent rumors that he�s still involved inadventuring and has discovered several waysdown into the Underdark, where he keeps asizable hoard of gems and valuable metalitems hidden in a trapped spot that regularlyclaims the lives of overinquisitive drow andillithids.

BULDATH ANDRYN (LN hm W15; DEX 17, INT 18,WIS 16). This taciturn mage dwells inScornubel, protected by a guardian wraith thatis bound to an item he wears somewhere on

214

Darthleene wears a robe of stars and a veil

DARTHLEENE (CG hf W19; DEx 17, INT 18, WIS

18, CON 16; now an archlich). Proprietress ofthe Dawn of Any Day shop in Berdusk, Darth-leene is an ally of the Harpers who aids adven-turers by selling them magical odds and ends.She was an adventurer herself, long ago, andstill mourns the loss in battle of her true love, ahandsome bard by the name of Tanalith Sorn-darr. She likes to hear tales of daring and tosee the vigor and sport of young folk.

Chansrin�s a generous friend, but she is eas-ily bored or distracted. She�s always happiestwhen she�s rushing off somewhere else, so longas the somewhere else is within Scornubel.

CHANSRIN ALUAR (CG hf W9; DEX 17, INT 18, CHA

16). A quick, sharp-tongued sorceress who�salways eager for adventure, Chansrin loves battleand often assists the watch in her home city ofScornubel, battling rogue mages and adventur-ers who�ve gotten out of hand. She�s slim, short,flame-haired, and has very large, dark eyes. Shelikes to bite people when angry or excited, gig-gles often in delight, and is given to impulsiveaction�such as leaping out of windows intonearby trees, swinging dangerously from bal-conies, or charging barehanded into affrays ofarmed men. She wears some sort of teleporta-tional magical item that can whisk her to safety,but having to use it makes her angry�she�lloften snatch up some magical items and waderight back into whatever danger she justescaped.

Buldath uses his trusted, discreet agents tosell preserved monster components all overthe Coast lands. He buys the remains of beastsfrom adventurers to gain his raw materials. Heseems interested in the rare, strange, and dan-gerous living things of Faerûn, but the rest ofhis aims remain mysterious.

his person. He has a pseudodragon as a com-panion and uses his spells to earn himself a liv-ing and to probe the minds of those who servehim, anticipating their wants and treacheriesso that he wins the firm loyalty of most, andeliminates others. He casts spells for hire, typi-cally at 1,000 gp per spell level, never leavinghis abode to do so.

to conceal her decaying skin, though she isn�tas skeletal as most liches. She has the followingpowers: She can use spells as a 19th-levelmage, including nine regenerating spells:chain lightning, delayed blast fireball, dispelmagic, fly, identify, invisibility, teleport withouterror, tongues, and wall of force. These regen-erating spells return without study 1 day afteruse. Like all archliches, Darthleene is immuneto poison, disease, and all turning and disrup-tion; all polymorph, energy draining, abilitytraining, petrification, cold, electricity,enchantment/charm, insanity-related, death,and illusion magic; psionics; and spell-like nat-ural powers. She can�t be harmed by any phys-ical attacks launched by beings of less than 6Hit Dice or levels.

Darthleene has a chill touch that deals 1d10points of damage plus causing paralysis lasting1d4+1 turns to all touched victims who fail tosave vs. paralyzation. She can also exude anaura of power at will that forces all beings ofless than 5th level or 5 Hit Dice to flee in terrorfor 4d4 rounds. She can repel undead and ani-mate dead by touch and will, and seems tonever forget anything�shoppers are oftenstartled when she addresses them by name orcontinues a conversation begun with them attheir last visit to the shop, years earlier.

Darthleene suffers 1 hp of damage per levelof the caster whenever she�s struck by raisedead or similar healing spells. She can employany of the magical items in the shop to aid her-self in battle, triggering them by will from adistance. They include a concealed wand ofmagic missiles and a hidden staff of power.

DAURAVYN REDBEARD (LG hm F5; STR 16, INT

16, WIS 16). A stout, middle-aged former adven-turer, Dauravyn is now the keeper of the WayInn. He is proud of his establishment and ofthe vigilance and training of his hired troops.He is a friend and ally of the Lords of Water-deep, and possesses some form of instanta-neous magical communication with LordPiergeiron, whom he can call on for swift aid ifevil forces show up from Dragonspear Castleor the High Moor.

Dauravyn wears bracers of defense AC 2and wields a two-handed broad sword +2 said

215

Dauravyn Redbeard

to have some special magical properties,including conferring infravision on the wearerand some sort of flying or teleportational abil-ity. Dauravyn also wears a vampiric ring ofregeneration attuned to him. No matter whowears it, he receives hit points equal to thedamage it does. This was a gift to him byVelaethaunyl Shaethe, a grateful elven sorcer-ess of the Misty Forest whom Dauravyn res-cued�and, some say, loves deeply.

The innkeeper is a pleasant man, a shrewdjudge of folk, and a discreet keeper of manysecrets. There is a rumor that he�s involved insome great, lifelong plan to recover the Uni-corn Blade for or with Velaethaunyl. It�s anancient and very powerful elven artifact andcould become the rallying point for a newelven realm centered on the Misty Forest, ifVelaethaunyl�s dreams come to pass.

DELFEN �YELLOWKNIFE� ONDABARL (CN hm W8;INT 18, CHA 16). An affable mage who is bearded,short, and increasingly stout, Delfen is an ex-

adventurer and onetime resident of Iriaeborretired to Daggerford to pursue a life of tutoringwould-be mages. He is that rare thing: a willing,patient, unambitious teacher of magic who�salways taking on new apprentices and is easyabout payment. (If times get tough, he canalways cast a spell or two for hire.) As such, he isimportant in the Coast lands, and word of himhas spread from far Icewind Dale to the north-ern border towns of Calimshan,

Delfen is well liked by his apprentices andformer students. They tend to think of him asmore powerful than he really is because,wisely, Delfen doesn�t reveal much of his pow-ers or past. He is known to possess an exten-sive library of spellbooks, a dagger +2, a staff ofpower, a ring of regeneration, a ring of spellturning, bracers of defense AC 4, and a wand offear. Many of the spellbooks were purchasedfrom passing adventurers. He has devisedsome sort of spell that alerts his apprenticesand the soldiers of Daggerford Castle if he iswounded or one of his magical items is takenfrom his person by force.

Delfen enjoys a life of training and ease. He�snot at all interested in the dangers of resumingan adventuring career. He does love to listen totales of the exploits of others, and will take from

them hints about treasures not yet plunderedto dispense as sage advice to others.

DERVAL IRONEATER (LN dm F6; CON 18, WIS 16).Highly regarded in Daggerford as a smith ofhigh skill and a guildmaster, Derval Ironeaterheads a large family smithing business, and hisposition on the Daggerford Council has earnedhim the affectionate nickname �Short Mask.�Part of the Ironeater clan is interested in reviv-ing the subterranean dwarven hold of Illefarn,which lies beneath a crag north of the Laugh-ing Hollow. To fund their continuing efforts,the Ironeater forges turn out an endlessstream of high-quality hooks, clasps, hasps,hinges, buckles, shields, gauntlets, spikes, andtools. Derval is the close-mouthed, level-headed and tireless forge-hammer of theIroneater clan. He did some adventuring in hisyouth, and owns a suit of plate mail +1, a battleaxe +3, a hammer +3, dwarven thrower, and aring of telekinesis. He can probably get his

216

hands on many more items of practical magicif necessary.

HIGH DARK PRIESTESS EMANA GORTHO (NE hfP6 of Cyric; WIS 17, CHA 16). The coldly beautifulleader of the Fist of the Future temple in Hill�sEdge, Emana is a careful plotter who seeks toturn her city into a stronghold of evil. She�sbuilding an army of rogues, fanatical wor-shipers of Cyric, and street thugs to this end,but is careful not to overextend herself with somany Harpers about and the rival local clergy ofLliira set against her.

The citizens call her the Black Lady for thecolor of her robes�and, they say, her heart�and fear her. This fear is rightfully placedbecause her increasingly wild spell rituals nowinvolve dark sacrifices. She is consumed by thedesire to attract the notice and favor of Cyric,perhaps one day becoming his consort, and iseager to acquire new and more powerful spellsto bring this about. The nearby Netherese ruinsmay hold what she seeks, so she tries to rob, cap-ture, or slay all who return from exploring them.

FELOGYR SONSHAL (CN hm F6; STR 16, INT 16,CHA 16). The jovial, burly owner of Felogyr�sFireworks is everyone�s friend. Behind the rol-licking facade of constant jokes and roaringgusts of laughter is a shrewd businesspersonwho�s been slowly shifting his trade from can-dles and lanterns to smoke powder and thelike, as firearms and other glories of Gondbecome more common in Faerûn.

A trusted reseller for the realm of Lantan,Felogyr is the quiet source of many of thefirearms available up and down the SwordCoast, and as such has grown very rich. Hisfamous shop is located on Bindle Street in Bal-dur�s Gate. There one can buy three-hourtorches whose flames will be of a certain hue(6 sp each), slowfuses (5 gp each; you cut themto the desired time), flares (10 gp each), signalbeacon pots (20 gp each), enchanted festivalfireworks that produce spectacular displays ofaerial light (25 gp to 75 gp), and smoke powder(45 gp and upward, depending on supply anddemand, per charge).

Felogyr is prudent. He wants to avoid anylarge-scale strife that involves firearms and

possible retaliation from mages or othersangry at his making such things available. Hecarefully controls his stocks of arms, and ifword reaches him of thieves� guilds or mer-chant families (particularly the less scrupulousCalishite concerns) amassing large amounts byusing go-betweens posing as separate interests,smoke powder and additional weapons simplybecome unavailable to that group for a time.

Felogyr uses his wealth to buy up propertyin Baldur�s Gate and in other ports along theSword Coast. He also lends money, both toshipbuilders and to adventurers, thieves�guilds, and other shady or risky interests, usinghis control of firearms to curb the illicit deedsof these debtors.

FULBAR HARDCHEESE (CN half-m T11; DEX 18,CON 18). Tavernmaster of the Happy Cow inDaggerford, Fulbar is an ex-adventurer whoseems to want to forget his adventuring career.The owner of rings of chameleon power andfeather falling, Fulbar also cherishes his magi-cal blade, Quietstrike, a short sword +3 of neu-tral alignment, Intelligence 13, and Ego 15, andthe abilities of detecting shifting walls androoms and detecting secret doors.

One of the reasons Fulbar wants to keep soquiet about his deeds of daring is to avoidZhentarim and Cult of the Dragon attention:He has most of a dragon�s hoard that he gainedsomewhere in the Backlands of the SwordCoast buried deep under his tavern, and so henever runs short of funds. When he needssome cash, he simply goes and digs up some.In this way, he�s been able to keep the Cowcheap and cheerful and to buy out most of thepoorer farmers, letting them work their for-mer land as tenants. His son Dickon runs Ful-bar�s own prosperous dairy farm, whichproduces a lot of good cheese.

Fulbar is also becoming a landlord of con-siderable holdings in both Neverwinter andBaldur�s Gate, though he�s at some pains tokeep this as quiet as possible. He�s always goodfor a loan to his friends, and so can call on a lotof stalwart farmers and folk of Daggerford forswift aid if need be. Fulbar sees himself as aquiet power in the Coast lands, workingbehind the scenes. He would be shocked to

217

Gellana Mirrorshade

learn just how close a watch the Lords�Alliance, the Harpers, and, more recently, theZhentarim, keep on him.

GELLANA MIRRORSHADE (NG gf P10; WIS 18).This quiet, observant priestess of Garl Glitter-gold runs the Temple of Wisdom in the walledinn community known as the Friendly Arm andhelps her husband Bentley run the inn as asafe, secure place. Where Bentley is an expertat sniffing out the schemes of living folk andseeing ahead what they�ll need, try, and want,Gellana takes a longer view and is always look-ing ahead at the larger picture. She orderedand oversaw the digging of deeper wells for theinn�s water supply and the rigging of secondarypumps in case the main ones fail or arewrecked by orcs. She also planned, and contin-ually expands, the inn gardens, adding win-dowboxes and rooftop beds to the groundplots, and making all garden locations producefood or herbs for the inn kitchens.

Gellana welcomes humans to her worship

services, and has made not a few converts. Shehas also become something of a folk heroamong gnomes in western Faerûn as �the quietand true power behind a gnome who made it.�Gnome mothers often speak of her to theirdaughters as someone they should emulate ifthey�d like to share as large a slice of success asGellana�s managed to carve out for herself.

GULDIN GALLOWGAR (NG hm F14; STR17, DEX

17, CON 17, WIS 16, CHA 16). Proprietor of theinn that bears his name in Elturel, this jovial,always-alert retired adventurer strides throughlife like some sort of patient and amused hawk,sponsoring adventurers and watching howthey do. His advice as to where to find justabout anyone or anything in the Realms is free.His sponsorship costs 10% of all treasure won,but allows adventurers potions of healing whennecessary. Guldin eventually expects the valueof the potion back in additional treasure.

Guldin is a very wealthy man, but almosteverything is invested in Amn, Cormyr, theSunset Vale, and various caravan companiesthat link the three areas. He also has a lot ofmagical items, but the only ones that havebeen definitely identified are those he alwayswears: a ring of protection +3, a ring of spellturning, and a pair of winged boots (speed 15,MC A).

HALBAZZER DRIN (LN hm W18; INT 18, WIS 18).Halbazzer is a balding, white-haired, gruff oldman, now frail of health and stooped. Hedwells in a modest, shuttered stone tower onStormshore Street in Baldur�s Gate, guarded bygolems and ornamental wall displays ofweapons that can animate to fight for him. Thetower has a tiny shopfront that bears the sign-board Sorcerous Sundries. Inside you�ll find awaiting room with a comfortable chair, a table,and a bell. It summons Halbazzer, who sellspotions of healing and casts spells for fees�ifhe�s in the mood.

Halbazzer is very rich, and he investsbehind the scenes in many Baldurian ventures.His usefulness has led the ruling Grand Dukesto place a discreet watch over his premises toaid him against thieves and unscrupulousinterests from Amn, Calimshan, and elsewhere

218

who want to divest him of the secrets that havemade his fortune: the spells of Halbazzer�sdevising that banish mildew and moisture. Herefuses to sell these spells as scrolls or tutorothers in their casting.

Halbazzer is also an expert in the use of themending spell and is a familiar fixer of householditems in Baldur�s Gate. He has been known, whenattacked, to hurl a mean meteor swarm, too!

ITHTYL CALANTRYN (CN hf W12: DEX 17, CON 17,INT 18). One of three serving wenches at theThree Old Kegs inn in Baldur�s Gate (all ofwhom were once huntresses in Tethyrl, Ithtyl isa sorceress skilled in the use of levitation spellsand shielding-type spells. She�s training her fel-low servers, Katheera and Nathbaera, in magic,but as yet they are still bumbling apprentices.

Ithtyl is devoted to her employer, NantrinBellowglyn. She always has spells ready todefend herself, her employer, or the inn. Shemay also wear a ring of the ram— or hasdevised spells that duplicate its violent ram-ming action. She�s calm and quick in a fight.

JANTHOOL (CN hm T11; STR 16, DEX 17, CON 16,INT 16, CHA 16). This dark-eyed, curly beardedmerchant from Athkatla lives to make coins mul-tiply�and is very good at it. He tirelessly travelsFaerûn bartering goods, taking advantage of sea-sonal shortages to make huge profits wheneverpossible. Chance recently made Janthool veryrich through found treasure in Soubar, but he�salso steadily gained wealth over the yearsthrough shrewd bartering and careful, covertinvestments. He views Aurora�s network of cata-log stores as dangerous competition, and hetries to arrange orc and drunken brigandattacks on her outlets whenever possible. Heonce arranged a stampede of bulls through aWaterdeep outlet�and had to flee the cityhastily when evidence was given against him.

Janthool is known to carry huge arsenals ofhidden weapons and equipment, such as grap-nels on long, coiled-wire lines, on his person.These weapons have allowed him to fight hisway free of several nasty scrapes. He�s cool anddeadly in a fight, and wields a short sword ofquickness. He�s also known to wear a ring ofspell turning.

JOYBRINGER JHANADRA CASELDOWN (CG hf P7of Lliira; DEX 16, INT 17, WIS 18, CHA 16). Highpriestess of the Cry of Joy temple in Hill�s Edge,the Joybringer is young and enthusiastic. Sheworks with local Harpers to keep her city fromfalling under the sway of the Cyricists and theZhentarim, and is known for her acrobaticdancing and high, clear singing voice.

Since joining the clergy, she hasn�t used herfirst name, and few folk know it. Fewer still knowthe secret behind local rumors of her strangepowers�she�s a weredragon, able to assume theform and powers of a copper dragon when nec-essary Folk in Hills Edge call her the Rose-RedLady, and most of them love her.

MOST RADIANT OF LATHANDER KELDDATH

ORMLYR (NG hm P16; INT 16, WIS 18, CHA 16).Governor of Beregost and high priest of thetemple to Lathander there, Kelddath is apatient, even energetic, supporter of localimprovement. He�s always advising or lendingmoney to new local businesses and to farmerstrying to expand or modernize their holdings.

His temple troops police the town attentivelyand try to prevent adventurers and others fromexploring a local ruined castle. Any rowdinessor lawlessness is swiftly and harshly dealt with.Kelddath wants Beregost to have a reputationfor being the safest Sword Coast town in orderto encourage trade and travel,

KORBUS BRIGHTJEWEL (CN gm W(I)6; DEX 16, CON

16, INT 17). Court Jeweler to the Duke of Dagger-ford, Korbus prefers the relative peace of Dagger-ford to the bustle, crowding, and intrigue ofWaterdeep, and he steadfastly refuses all induce-ments to relocate. Some Waterdhavian noble fam-ilies have offered to sponsor him for life if theycan have the exquisite creations of his skilledhands. He�s especially fond of crafting detailedinsects, birds, and lizards from gems, gold, andsilver, particularly into pins that perch on theshoulder of a lady or hold her cloak together.

Korbus identifies and values jewelry fornominal fees (10 gp per piece). He will offer topurchase especially rare or fine pieces, and hehas coins aplenty to do so. Korbus uses hisdetect magic ability to examine each piece forenchantments, and he fully and honestly

219

Krammoch Arkhstaff

reports what he finds. Most merchants whotravel the Coast lands bring gems to him. Theyknow his estimates are fair and precise. Kor-bus teaches the arts of the illusionist only tognomes, and detests adventuring.

Korbus has treasure cached in many placesand has substantial investments in Waterdeepand Elturel. He is known to possess a ring ofprotection +3, a wand of metal and mineraldetection, and a robe of scintillating colors.

KRAMMOCH ARKHSTAFF (NE hm F3; WIS 16).This sage of Baldur�s Gate is a retired adven-turer generally acknowledged to be theFaerûrian authority on basilisks. By means ofcertain magical items won during his career,he�s gained immunity to petrification, and isthereby able to observe basilisks at leisure�even breeding them and keeping them as pets.Until recently, he kept at least three at hisabode in the city, but was ordered by the rul-ing Grand Dukes to remove them after onemerchant too many was turned to stone.

One can still purchase basilisks from Kram-moth, who keeps a dozen or more on a coun-try estate near the city. The estate is staffed byblind servants and by a dozen loyal warriorsequipped with the same protective magic asthe sage himself. The basilisks sell for an aver-age price of 2,500 gp each.

Krammoch is widely consulted by adven-turers and by merchants conducting shadybusiness. It is widely rumored that he hasextensive pirate contacts. He also operates as ago-between for fences arranging meetings withclients. These are held in various places and atvarying times to avoid the attention of authori-ties and vengeful victims.

LARLOCH (LE hm W26; undead ultra-lich; STR

18/72, INT 18, WIS 18, CON 18, CHA 16). TheShadow King of Warlock�s Crypt is a powerfulundead mage served by, among legions oflesser creatures, many vampires and liches.Many proud adventurers have tried to destroyLarloch�and all have failed, although many ofthem contributed skulls or their corpses toLarloch�s decor or servant armies. His powersare mighty indeed and are vested in spells, anawesome arsenal of magical items, and hisundead powers. He is said to be able to avoiddestruction by sinking down into the floors ofspecially prepared areas of power, only toappear elsewhere, rejuvenated. These cham-bers are naturally where he spends much ofhis time.

Larloch also commands a potent arsenal ofcurses, some spells conferred by his touch,and others unleashed by intrusion into specificareas or trapped caskets and strongcupboards.These can forcibly change the appearance,intellect, and abilities of victims long after theyescape from Warlock�s Crypt.

Elminster warns that the true extent of Lar-loch�s powers is not known. What the Old Magedoes know of Larloch, expressed in gameterms, is this: The Shadow King has at least thepowers of a lich, but turns as �special.� Larlochretains his sorcerous spellcasting abilities, andwields a huge arsenal of magical weapons andother magical items. Silver weapons cause hisundead flesh to burn and seem to do him dou-ble damage. Wisps of smoke curl away from all

220

wounds caused by a silver-edged blade.Larloch continues to develop new spells and

other magic. He added a few wrinkles to hisown achievement of undeath so that he pos-sesses a natural spell of each level that need notbe memorized and can be recast by him 24hours (144 turns) after he casts it. Larloch�sspells, in ascending level order, are magic mis-sile (5 missiles per spell), web, dispel magic, wiz-ard eye, animate dead, chain lightning, controlundead, disrupt undead, and energy drain. Lar-loch also permanently gains hit points drainedby energy drain.

Disrupt undead creates a beam up to 30 feetlong, requiring an attack roll only if the targetcan hide behind obstacles. It harms onlyundead and has effects identical to a mace ofdisruption, except Larloch gains all points ofdamage dealt as hit points of his own. Anundead blasted out of existence surrenders allits hit points to Larloch. Larloch can perma-nently increase his hit point total in this way.

Larloch�s spells are cast by will alone, need-ing no verbal, somatic, or material compo-nents. All have a casting time of 2. Larloch isimmune to one specific wizard spell of eachlevel, but Elminster doesn�t know which ones.Elminster warns adventurers that finding out isa game not worth the cost.

LONTHALIN MINTAR (CN hm W11; INT 17, WIS 16,CON 17). Lonthalin is one of several minormages who work from stalls in the Wide (openmarket) of Baldur�s Gate. He specializes inadornment spells that give clients temporaryfantastic hairdos, tattoos, body scents, and huechanges and cause daring costumes to adhere.Good disguises cost as much as 100 gp or as lit-tle as 25 gp extra, depending on what is done.

MOST VIGILANT MAURANDYR (LN hm P16 ofHelm; STR 16, DEX 16, CON 18, INT 17, WIS 18,CHA 16). This valorous battle-priest leads theHouse of the Guardian temple in Hluthvar, andmore than any other being is responsible forholding back the spread of the Zhentarim inSunset Vale from their ever-stronger base inDarkhold. Maurandyr is an impressive generaland a formidable foe. He is known to employmany magical protective devices and weapons,

Maurandyr has fought off these attacks thusfar, but for how much longer? They so cloudhis mind as to leave him unsure as to theirtrue cause. Worried Harpers are unable to getaid to him�the Zhentarim have already sub-verted the minds of many of the priests aroundhim. Only the aid Helm sends in his rituals�and the valor of hired adventurers, ridingpatrols around Hluthvar�have kept the Zhen-tarim from prevailing as yet.

and to have the tenacity and stamina of a lion.Recently, however, he has begun to fail

under concerted magical attacks launched byZhentarim mages and priests, spells that aimto drive out Maurandyr�s psyche and take con-trol of his body. The spells would make him actto let the Zhentarim into Hluthvar with a mini-mum of fighting, so that Hluthvar can be usedas a fortified Zhentarim base down in the Vale.

MYRIN SILVERSPEAR (LN em F8; INT 17, WIS 18).This dour, silent moon elf is the efficient propri-etor of the Halfway Inn, located outside the GateGlen of Evereska. His steady silver eyes missnothing, and he�s as discreet as any accom-plished courtier, handling disputes betweenproud elves as smoothly and as calmly as brawlsbetween drunken humans. He has a knack forremembering faces and names, and has some-times identified mercenaries or merchantsfrom their drawn likenesses or when shownthem in various vision spells.

Myrin never speaks of his adventuring past.Some suspect he is a Harper and others that heis a disgraced member of the ruling family ofEvereska, or at least one of that realm�s oldest,proudest noble families. Myrin smiles and saysnothing. On more than one occasion he�srevealed that he wears a ring of spell turningand a ring of the ram, presumably trophies ofhis adventuring days�but he won�t say any-thing about them, either.

NANTRIN BELLOWGLYN (LN hm F8; STR 16, INT 16,WIS 16). Owner of the Three Old Kegs inn in Bal-dur�s Gate, Nantrin is a tall, quiet man withlong, curly black hair and a diagonal sword scarfrom his nose down across one cheek. A retiredTethyrian noble�s guard, he�s wary of folk fromthat land. Mindful�from experience�of the

221

Berdusk, this Harper ally knows the southernVale, particularly the Far Hills, as well as he doesthe corners of his own shop. He�s probably thegreatest living expert on the lay of the land there.

troubles one can get into, he keeps his mouthclosed when helping folk dispose of unwantedbodies and other little troubles.

NETHMOUN ALN (CN hm W12; DEX 17, CON 16,INT 18, WIS 16). This reclusive mage is soft ofspeech and looks a little odd. His head is verysmall, and his features are plain, but usuallyuntidily bewhiskered as he tries to grow yetanother beard. He dwells in a small, ramshacklehut on the eastern edge of Scornubel, sur-rounded by formidable guardian monsters andby the defensive spells of a complicated ward.

Nethmoun collects rare and unusual spells,trading for them magical training or magicalitems he�s made. Some of the magical training isin learning spells from his own collection. Themagical items are usually useful but low-pow-ered things such as wands of magic missiles thatalso emit right upon command. He employs astrikingly beautiful cook, and often uses a pro-

jected image of her as an agent in his dealings.

OBRIMSUR THUNDERWOOD (LG hm R10; STR 17,DEX 17, INT 17, WIS 17, CHA 16). Proprietor of theThunderwood Forays outfitting shop in

Once leader of the Stormriders adventuringband, Olbrimsur has led many expeditions againstthe Zhentarim and the monsters of the SunsetMountains. Olbrimsur is the Stormriders� solesurvivor. The rest of the members perished afterthey all got into a battle with a Red Wizard of Thay.

Olbrimsur now spends his time scouting andhe sponsors others to do the fighting. There�s adark, persistent rumor in Berdusk that he knowsof a buried city under the Far Hills that�scrammed with treasure�and that he is trying toget others to do the fighting and dying necessaryto carve a way into it, whereupon he�ll use hid-den magical items to defend himself against allfoes as he goes in and takes all the treasure.Those who know him doubt that the rumormon-gers are correct about his ultimate intent.

PHIRAZ OF THE NATURALISTS (LN hm W6; INT

18, WIS 18). This sage dwells in Scornubel,

where he sometimes assists the watch with hisspells. He is the reigning Faerûnian expert onotyughs, and he makes his field of study thefauna of the High Moor. Many adventurersconsult him as to its monstrous inhabitants. Atypical interview costs 25 gp; the fee is 50 gp ifdetailed tactics or locales are desired.

RAGEFAST (NG hm F1; INT 18, WIS 18, CHA 16).This sage of Baldur�s Gate is a small, frail,bearded man of rakish appearance and readylaughter�and a widely respected expert onthe history and genealogy of the Coast lands,and of humankind�s mastery of magic. Hemakes his home in a tall, narrow, green-roofedhouse between the temple of Gond and theharbor, and is usually to be found there exam-ining freshly purchased old books and recordsbrought to him by merchants from all overFaerûn. His library is said to rival that of Can-dlekeep for magical lore�and to be betterguarded, though the whispered tales ofguardian spells and creatures are as contradic-tory as they are colorful.

RAMAZITH FLAMESINGER (CG hm F6; STR 16, INT

18, WIS 16). The lean, athletic, bearded Ramazithis dashingly handsome and a notorious ladies�man. A skilled dancer and swimmer, he hasreached several deep-sunken wrecks withoutmagical aid and can out-dive most humans alive.

He dwells in Baldur�s Gate in a ramshacklehouse next to the Three Old Kegs inn, and hefrequently wanders into the inn of evenings fora meal. Ramazith is a sage expert in marinelife, particularly sea herbs and the habits ofintelligent marine life such as ixitxachitl.Ramazith�s advice is much in demand by thecaptains of large fishing fleets, who can learnfrom the sage just where fish of certain typesare likely to be the most plentiful at any giventime.

It is rumored that Ramazith has slainseveral angry husbands in self-defense overthe years, and there are also rumors that he�s aHarper or even an agent for the Red Wizards ofThay. He has been seen talking to elves newlyarrived from Evermeet on more than oneoccasion, but he refuses to discuss suchmeetings.

222

LADY RHESSAJAN AMBERMANTLE (NG hf B14;DEX 16, CON 17, INT 17, WIS 18, CHA 16). Alsoknown as the Old Vixen and, when she was afamous explorer and adventurer, Rhessajan ofthe Tents, Rhessajan is now the just, wary rulerof the Caravan City, Scornubel. A wrinkled oldwoman of rasping voice, sharp eyes, and gustygood humor, she still wears the boots,breeches, and tunic of her adventuring days,and is armed with a ring of regeneration, a ringof the ram, a scarab of protection, a scimitar ofspeed, and other, lesser-known magics.

Some say she�s a Harper, others that she�ssecretly part of the Lords� Alliance�and stillothers, that she sponsors endless adventuringbands in the hopes they�ll bring back multiplepotions of longevity so she can regain her pas-sionate, carefree youth. Rhessajan laughs atsuch ideas. She likes nothing more than a goodjoke, and her only bid for longer life is a spon-sorship of a certain mage who�s experimentingwith the long-term effects of humans shape-changing into dragon form. Rhessajan is also

well-known among the folk of Scornubel forher keen interest in all news of weredragons.

SHANDALAR (CN hm W25?). This eccentric magedwells in a floating house just east of the hamletof Ulgoth�s Beard. This house is a rebuilt,moored Halruaan skyship. Most folk believeShandalar hails from that southern land ofmages�and are also sure that he�s insane.

Shandalar is a mage of power who�s alwaysexperimenting with new spells and new magi-cal items. He�s trained his three daughters,Delorna, Helshara, and Ithmeera, to be wiz-ards of skill W11, W10, and W9, respectively).They see to the running of his household andsell the mushrooms produced in the cavernsbeneath the house in the Wide in nearby Bal-dur�s Gate, daily.

Shandalar harnesses lightning from themany local storms to energize the strangemagical devices he constructs�and has a per-manent magical immunity to lightning. Heoften strolls about during lashing storms,laughing amid crackling lightning strikes.

Locals swear Shandalar�s mushrooms aretended by mushroom people. He�s also knownto keep treasure hidden deep in his mush-

Shandalar

room caverns for pirates and outlaws who paysteep annual guarded storage fees. His pastand his aims in life are a mystery. It seems hewants to left alone to pursue new achieve-ments in magic.

MASTER FLETCHER SUMBARL ARDUSK (NG hmF10; specialization: crossbow). Proprietor of theBent Bows shop in Hill�s Edge, Ardusk is abowyer/fletcher expert at finding and fixing devi-ations from true in shafts and bolts. He is a care-ful man who�s always armed with a dagger and ahand crossbow that shoots sleep-envenomeddarts. A fierce foe of the Zhentarim, he�s proudof the fact that his darts and blade have claimedthe lives of at least six Zhentarim magelings. Heforesees the ruin of his city unless the Zhen-tarim are destroyed, and he will sponsor adven-turers willing to strike against them.

TAEROM �THUNDERHAMMER� FUIRUIM (NG hmF1; STR 18/26, WIS 17, CON 18, 25 hp due tounnatural vitality). This master armorer has

223

his own smithy in Beregost and is a smithwhose work is admired even by dwarves.Though he�s grown white-haired with thepassing of many years, he�s still an active, burlygiant of a man. He keeps to himself, working athis forge, but can slay orcs with a single blowof his 12-foot-long iron staff, which does 3d4points of damage plus his Strength bonuses.

Taerom has often made items fine enoughfor wizards to enchant, but these days he�smore apt to make small, useful things likehooks, locks, hinges, and coffers. He sportsmagnificent muttonchop whiskers and standsalmost 7 feet tall, with shoulders almost 4 feetbroad. He has a distinctive rolling stride.

TALESSYR TRANTH (CN hf W13; INT 18, WIS 16,CHA 16). This tall, courtly, mustachioed man isactually a woman wearing a semipermanentdisguise. Only long-time Baldurians know thetruth about her gender, as a result of her dis-guise slipping during several fierce magicalduels. She runs a stall in the Wide (open mar-ket) in Baldur�s Gate where she creates short-lived magical disguises, body adornments,costume alterations, or the like for clients whowish to impress at parties, hide their true like-ness, or shock friends or social rivals.

Talessyr cares not if her work is used bythieves, and she delights in encouraging an airof mystery around herself by having clientsmade up to look like illithids or drow parade inand out of the private tent at the back of herstall. Her intricate disguises cost 50 to 200 gp,and she�s apt to vanish whenever authoritiesgrow angry with the uses to which they�re put.There�s a rumor she does business with mindflayers, when nights are dark�and may evenserve a beholder master.

VIGILANT GODSEYE TATHLOSAR BRIMMERBOLD

(LN hm F18; STR 18/69). A veteran war leader(known around the Vale as �Sleepless Teeth�),Tathlosar is a wary and always energeticguardian who believes that civilization only sur-vives in Faerûn through the vigilance of thosewho take up arms to defend it. Leader of theReady House of the Right Strong Hand inBerdusk, Tathlosar ensures that his temple is anacademy of arms as well as a house of serene

worship. He is known for having detailed, com-plex, fivefold (or more!) contingency plans inany battle. His war captains are used to quicklyresponding to a sequence of code phrases thatcan send troops commanded by the VigilantGodseye into intricate battlefield maneuvers. Heregularly thrashes much larger forces out ofDarkhold through this deft battlemastery, fore-sight, and the magical aid of the senior clergy ofHelm. He seems to be able to sniff out treacheryand the planned stratagems of foes at a mereglance across a battlefield.

He is a handsome, close-mouthed giant of aman who is almost always clad in a full suit ofplate armor�although there are many scur-rilous rumors that in younger days he doffed itoften to dally with fair maids up and down theVale. (�Creating more followers of Helm,� as onewarrior put it.) He no longer indulges in suchantics (if he ever did), but young men whoresemble him are still turning up at the gates ofthe House, eager to join the service of Helm andlearn to swing a blade in the name of the god.

FIRST READER TETHTORIL (LG hm P18 of Mys-tra; STR 16, INT 18, WIS 18, CON 16, CHA 16). Thistall, impressive, wise, and soft-spoken man isoften mistaken for the Keeper of Tomes of Can-dlekeep. He is more intelligent, regal, and sen-sitive than his superior Ulraunt, by far�andUlraunt knows it. Yet Tethtoril is unfailinglyloyal, thoughtful, and diligent in his duties,often anticipating troubles and preparingbeforehand to spare Candlekeep troubles�orUlraunt any embarrassment.

Most Holy Mystra often whispers to Tetho-ril in his dreams, bidding him to do this orthat�and in this way has led him to unearthkey spells from forgotten tomes; kept Elmin-ster, Khelben, and the Harpers welcomed or atleast, tolerated in Candlekeep; and kept Ulrauntfrom being seduced by darker powers (mostrecently, Cyric). In this, Mystra is aided by bothDeneir and Oghma.

Although he doesn�t know it, Tethtoril is oneof the safest people in all the Realms�threedeities will protect him against any attack, mani-festing as: whatever spell is needed (Mystra); awall of force conjured by a shadowy floatingharp (Oghma); or a suddenly appearing magical

224

symbol (effects identical to the wizard spell of thesame name) of one of the known types thatflashes and discharges in his defense immedi-ately after it is seen (Deneir). All three deitiessubtly aid Tethtoril in puzzling out the meaningof cryptic, faded, fragmentary, or forgotten scriptwritings. It is this superlative ability to decipherwritings that has led to Tethtoril�s present rank.

THALANTYR THE CONJURER (NG hm W17; INT

17, WIS 17). An archmage of note, Thalantyr is acourtly, solitary man who enjoys walks in thecountryside while armed with his staff ofpower. He dwells in a griffon-guarded estateknown as High Hedge, northwest of Beregost.

Once an adventurer who eagerly sought thelost magic of Netheril in crumbling ruins, he�sretired from the perils of that profession,though he�ll help other adventurers (though nothis former adventuring companions) withadvice and spells for fees. He�ll also warn themthat they may find a lot more than they intendedto, as he did�but won�t be much more specific.

One gathers from long conversations withhim that he met some sort of horrible monsterand was enslaved for a time, escaping onlythrough luck. He is said to have won his free-dom with spellbooks and other magical relicsof Netheril that make him self-supporting, sothat he need not travel the planes or go adven-turing in Toril any longer.

THESKUL MIRROREYE, LONG LAWFUL ARM OF

TYR (LG hm P6; STR 16, WIS 18, CHA 16). A war-rior-priest of Tyr often seen riding aboutBoareskyr Bridge clad in armor of black andsilver, Theskul is�with his trusted friendBarim Stagwinter, and their common ally Alu-ena Halacanter, a sorceress who dwellsnearby�the voice of authority in the rough-and-ready Bridge. He dreams of establishing afortified abbey of Tyr at the crossing and hurl-ing back the monsters and the lawless fromthe area forever. Ultimately, he dreams of asmall farming realm centered on the Bridge,linked to the North and the Sunset Vale bystrong fortresses at Dragonspear Castle, theWay Inn, Scornubel, and Triel.

Theskul is tall and splendid in appearance,his flowing hair prematurely white. A fearless

warrior and a shrewd judge of folk, he has lit-tle patience for those who try to twist rules andagreements to their own ends or try to setsuch aside�a source of constant frictionbetween himself and the mage Aluena, whomhe sees as lax and over-tolerant. (Aluena is notcovered in this guide. She�s seldom seen in theBridge itself, keeping to her own lands.) Hesuspects she is a powerful Harper and followsaims that may differ from his own.

For Theskul, an ordered Faerûn is a strongFaerûn. �And by holy Tyr, it shall be ordered,town by town, farm by farm, until I�m too oldto carry such work forward.�

TORLETH MINDULSPEER (CG hm F1; INT 18, WIS

18). This tall, gaunt man has a dry wit and aperpetually gloomy manner. He runs Torleth�sTreasures, a crammed shop of odds and endsin the roadside hamlet of Gillian�s Hill, south ofDaggerford. Torleth loves to buy old pieces ofjunk brought to him by passersby�and sellthem to other passersby. Some folk swear youcan get anything in his dim, dusty shop.

Others note that for all the variety to befound in the shop, Torleth can�t make muchon the spread between his buying and sellingprices�and that he must live on coins col-lected in some other way. As a spy or supply ormessage drop for merchant costers, perhaps?Or for groups of darker intent, like the Zhen-tarim or the Red Wizards? Perhaps the Cult ofthe Dragon, or the Harpers? Or maybe he�sjust a smart investor in merchant shippingwho can live off the proceeds of his invest-ments. He does seem to know every travelingmerchant of the Coast lands who�s been inbusiness longer than a winter.

Some dim cellar or corner of Torleth�s shop isrumored to hide a magical gate offering instanttravel to Waterdeep, or Suzail, or Mirabar, orWestgate � or perhaps all of those places.Rumors also tell that Torleth makes his gold bycharging 100 gp per person for the gate’s use.

TRASKAR SELARN LORD OF SECOMBER (CG hmR11; STR 16, DEX 16, INT 16, WIS 16, CON 16).This regal, handsome, tall, and good-naturedman has agreed to watch over Secomber forthe Lords� Alliance. He does this by keeping an

225

eye on � and descending swiftly upon whennecessary�the lawless, but otherwise leavingthe people to their own business.

Traskar has a large fortune, gained throughadventuring, and he sponsors the garrisonhimself. His influence and personal popularityhave helped to foster friendships among thevarious races who dwell in Secomber. Heknows the High Moor well and often sendsadventurers who come to him to areas heknows hold promising ruins that haven�t beenplundered bare yet.

CHANTMISTRESS ULUENE MAERTALAR (NG hfP16 of Milil). High priestess of Evensong Tower,temple to Milil in Berdusk, this diligent devoteeof the Lord of Inspiration has risen fast in hisservice through hard work and boundlessenergy rather than through any brilliance ofpersonal talents. The revels she organizes takefull advantage of Berdusk�s growing commu-nity of minstrels, centered on the Harper holdof Twilight Hall, to provide refined entertain-

Keeper of Tomes Ulraunt

ment for all cultured (that is, wealthy) folk, notjust the faithful of Milil. By such means, Uluenehas steadily built the membership and powerof her temple.

She is a short, petite lady of dark hair, darkeyes, serene beauty�and a face that betraysonly what she allows it to. She is a skilled actressand a superb singer, and is always armed with afull roster of battle spells. More than once herquick magic has broken up crises at her revels.She�s known to be seeking a skilled bard as ahusband and to be growing hungry for adven-ture rather than the comfortable but unchang-ing tenor of the temple precincts.

ULMYN ANDALOR (NG hm F4; STR 16, DEX 16). Anaffable, portly man with a curly white beard anda bald pate, Ulmyn Andalor is a miller in theroadside hamlet of Bowshot, north of the WayInn. His sawmill is always busy. Ulmyn, whonever seems to sleep, can be seen trotting aboutnight and day, covered with sawdust, overseeinga large staff in turning out cheap, plentiful cutlumber for sale in Waterdeep and Daggerford.

A simple man who takes pleasure in effi-ciency, Ulmyn knows and can identify bothcommon and exotic woods better than mostcarpenters. Rumor has it that he was once aguard for a noble family in Waterdeep and fledto Bowshot after an affair with the beautifuldaughter whose bodyguard he was �an affairthat produced a child now heir to the familyfortunes. The rumor also impugns that Ulmynwas paid handsomely to go away and renounceall claim to a place in the family. This paymentis said to have subsequently grown into a siz-able fortune.

Some say Ulmyn is less simple than heappears, and has survived several assassina-tion attempts sponsored by that noble familyby a combination of anticipation, battleprowess, and hidden magical items alwayskept ready on his person. Other folk whisperthat Ulmyn is only a human shape worn by apowerful, possibly evil, creature.

KEEPER OF TOMES ULRAUNT (LN hm W9; INT

18, WIS 18). The head of fortified Candlekeep,Ulraunt is a proud scholar, one of the mostlearned�and one of the most haughty�peo-

226

ple in all Faerûn. His sharp tongue, sharp nose,and dark-eyed, hawklike gaze have earned himthe nickname �the Old Buzzard� amongacolytes down the years�a term that has evencrept into general use in the Coast lands.

Ulraunt has access to more spells thanmost wizards ever see in their lives, and hereportedly keeps in practice casting them inhis private turret chamber and in caverns deepbeneath Candlekeep. A secret passage is said toconnect these heights and depths. He bears amagical staff of office rumored to be a staff ofthe magi with extra, extremely potent powers.Ulraunt and those among the Great Readerswho are wizards also have access to spellscrolls all over Candlekeep�scrolls hiddenbehind wooden panels and within false tomes.

Ulraunt�s chief interest is acquiring evermore information. His aims in life areunknown beyond making Candlekeep the seatof a land of scholars and a power on the politi-cal stage of Faerûn. Several tales link him withyoung ladies of various noble houses in Suzail,Waterdeep, and Tethyr in his earlier years�and there�s a newer rumor tying him romanti-cally with some of the icy-cold, haughty elvenladies who come to the Sword Coast (thoughrarely) from Evermeet.

YAJANDRA DLATHAERO (LN hf W17; DEX 17, INT

18, WIS 17, CHA 16). This petite, swarthy, gray-eyed and iron-willed lady was born in Cal-imshan to a satrap and raised from birth to theduties and style of rule. Disinterested inintrigue, she showed an early aptitude formagic and solitary study, so her despairingfather washed his hands of her, apprenticedher off to a local mage, and took another wifeto set about fathering sons to be his heirs.

Yajandra was quite content to study quietly,avoiding the cut and thrust of Calishite politicsand sorcerous rivalries. As soon as possible,she left that land, slipping away from hermaster Asheund on a spell-trading trip to Amn.Asheund was later slam by a wizard he wasbartering with.

Yajandra disappeared for some years. Mostfolk think she spent the time seeking out goodor lonely dragons and serving them whilestudying their ways and magic. She visited

Yajandra Dlathaero

Candlekeep once with money enough to fundher studies, and showed up later in Zazesspurto study with the sage Cthethros, considered inhis time the greatest living authority ondragons. (He has since died.)

Yajandra was dwelling in Amn with a golddragon who kept to human shape and used thename Sandro, when a Harper brought word toher of finding the Well of Dragons. Yajandrahastened to the remote village of Ladydove andbought the largest house there, warding it outof habit. That saved her life. Days later the DireDragon came out of nowhere�its earlier liferemains a mystery�and burned the village tonothing. (See the entry on the Well of Dragonsfor more information on the Dire Dragon.)

Yajandra�s house was all that survived. Shenow runs it as an inn while she studies thedying dragons who come to the Well.

She is indisputably the greatest living sageon matters of dragonkind. Her other fields ofknowledge include history, magic, namelore,and biology.

227

Appendix II:

Wards of theSword Coast

agical wards, oftenfound in the SavageNorth, are even morenumerous in the Coastlands. In the area cov-

ered by this book, wards are usuallyless powerful than those of theNorth�slaying innocent and perhapsfriendly merchants by mischance isfrowned on in the Coast lands, wheretrade is more important than grimsurvival.

As in the North, most humanwards�and all those encountered byVolo�are variants of the 7th-levelwizard spell wardmist. They areintended to defend folk and propertyfrom thieves, wolves, trolls, orcs, andmonsters. Elminster warns thatwards are used all over the Realms bythe rich and by powerful wizards andpriests�and that Volo has encoun-tered very few of them, and of onlythe most common types.

The crafting of wardings began inthe North, probably in ancientNetheril. The oldest wards are foundin tombs and subterranean storageareas under ruins or temples shel-tered from the creeping destructionof long-passing time, or in forestglades, where they have outlived thebuildings that once stood aroundthem. Ancient wards often include

wild magical effects and prohibitionsagainst magical items, which simplywon�t enter the wardmist. There arealso instances of prohibitions againstspells of a specific school or thosemanifesting as heat, fire, lightning, orcold. Some old wards incorporatereverse gravity effects, or blade barri-ers large enough to encompass anentire wardmist!

Wardm i s t(Evocation, Alteration,Enchantment/Charm)

Range: SpecialComponents: V, S, MDuration: PermanentCasting Time: 1 hourArea of Effect: SpecialSaving Throw: Special

This 7th-level spell requires theuse of an amount of silver larger intotal volume than the caster�s fist.Other material components arephase spider silk and threepowdered pieces of amber of no lessthan 500 gp value each. (All the spellcomponents are destroyed in thecasting of the spell.) The caster muststand in an area that will becomepart of the ward and visualize theroute of the desired ward boundary.

228

An area of 600 square feet per levelof the caster may be enclosed. If thewizard tries to enclose too large anarea, the spell fails and is wasted.Mages casting simultaneouswardmists may combine theirprotections.

The spell creates a wardmist. Thisis a 40-foot-high, 60-foot-wide bandof permanent mist that must rest onthe ground, floor, or other solid sur-face. (It need not be level.) The areaprotected by the ward is measuredfrom the inner edge of the wardmist.The thickness of the mist is notincluded. The ward extends 40 feetbeneath the surface of the ground,and may be narrower than 60 feet inwidth wherever desired. Its bound-aries can twist and turn corners assharply and as often as desired toprotect a certain area, and they mayexclude whatever areas the casterdesires. Once cast, a wardmist can�tbe moved.

A wardmist can always be freelyentered or left. Beings entering it aresensed by the spell, which reacts byflashing a radiant or audible warn-ing (or both, as desired) to a specificspot or being. The spot or being isset upon casting, and it cannot bechanged thereafter. Such a warningwould still function in the locationof a destroyed room (even in midair)or inside the tomb of a dead being.

Warnings classify those who enterthe wardmist into two categories:those who bear ward tokens andintruders. Wardmist warnings trans-mit numbers and general locationsof all intruders.

Sight and all known magical andpsionic means of scrying won�t workthrough the boundaries of awardmist. A being in the mist cansee through the mist to a distance ofabout 10 feet in darkness, and 40feet when light is present. Onecannot see out of the mist though,even if one is only inches away fromits edge. One cannot see out of themist to either the area it excludes orthe area it encloses. A wardmist canbe seen over freely by anyone tallenough or stationed high enough tobe able to do so.

When visibility is reduced bydarkness, intruders in a wardmistwho don�t use lamps, markers, orother means of proceeding in astraight path will move in a randomdirection each round of movementin which they fail a secret Intelli-gence check. It is possible to wan-der, lost, in a wardmist for quitesome time.

The caster of a wardmist spell cantry to link certain types of magicallyanimated or undead monsters to theward as it is forming to serve asguardian monsters. To becomeguardians, these monsters must bepresent, and must fail a saving throwvs. spell.

When an intruder reaches a cer-tain locale in a wardmist or has beenin the mist for a set time, someguardian monsters are teleported towithin 20 feet of the intruder. Thetypes and numbers of guardianmonsters are set by the initial ward-mist spell but are limited by theavailable stable of guardians. Their

229

Wardmist GuardianMonsters

d8 Number & Type of Monsters1 2d6 baneguards*2 1d3 blazing bones� 3 2d8 bonebats*4 3d4 helmed horrors*5 3d4 skeletons or 2d4 monster

skeletons (MM, MC1)6 1d2 watchghosts�7 1d2 wraiths (MM, MC1)8 2d12 zombies (MM, MC1)

Monsters marked with an asterisk(*) appear in the revised FORGOTTEN

REALMS Campaign Setting box.Those marked with a dagger (�)appear in the Ruins of Myth Dran-nor boxed set. A diesis (�) denotesthose in the Ruins of Undermoun-tain boxed set. Those appearing inthe MONSTROUS MANUAL™ gameaccessory are denoted by �MM,�and those in the MONSTROUS

COMPENDIUM® volumes have the

volume number appended to theabbreviation �MC.� DMs lacking aparticular source should substituteanother monster from the list.

typical orders are to attack anddestroy all intruders, although somemay be instructed to subdue, dis-arm, and capture while dealing aslittle damage as possible.

Guardian monsters are kept instasis by the wardmist when notactive. They do not age, heal, or eat.They become inactive 2d4 roundsafter an intruder is slain or leavesthe warded area. A guardian mon-ster can be healed at any time by

application of the proper potions orspells. A destroyed guardian is for-ever gone. It can�t be resurrected orreplaced by the wardmist spell. Mon-sters can be unleashed to wander inan existing wardmist, but to belinked to and teleported about by theward, they must be part of the initialwardmist casting.

Only the types of magically cre-ated or undead monsters listed inthe boxed text at left can be linked toa wardmist, although individualmages may have successfully modi-fied their wardmist spells to aug-ment this list. Tales exist of wardsdefended by golems and even byundead titans.

Mages may combine their effortswhen creating a wardmist so as togive it multiple sets of guardians ofthe same or different types. Eachmage casts a wardmist spell at thesame time, though only one ward iscreated, and it is set to a single sortof ward token.

A few wards are linked to morepowerful guardians, such as lichesassisted by robed and hooded skele-tons (to look like other liches ormages). These skeletons are imbuedwith spell ability to cast combatspells and have magic mouths caston them to allow them to �speak.�They act as decoys and are used toidentify spellcasting intruders totheir lich. There are even reports ofmultiple invisible stalkers linked to awardmist �each being freed fromservitude in Toril after they slay acertain number of intruders.

A wardmist doesn�t seem to exist

230

for a being who carries the propertoken. Ward tokens must be made ofa certain material, and they mustbear a certain rune that is drawnwhile a secret word is uttered. Thematerial, the rune, and the word areall set during the ward�s casting, andthey cannot be changed thereafter.For convenience, tokens to a partic-ular ward are usually of a commonshape and size, but the wardmist willrecognize anything of the rightmaterial that bears the right rune.Some ward tokens have been insetinto the pommels of swords, forinstance, or baked into clay jugs orstatuettes. In some large holdings,warders carry rings of varyingtokens just as they do rings of keys.Tokens can be made freely after thecasting of a wardmist �but therequirements for a valid token can�tbe changed without using anotherwardmist spell.

A being bearing a valid token can�tsee or be affected by a wardmist andisn�t subject to attacks by anyguardian monsters linked to thewardmist. An intruder who seizes avalid token from another being, evenwhile in battle with a guardian, willbe instantly free of such guardianmonster attacks.

Only one wardmist spell can existin a given area. If a dispel magic iscast on a wardmist, it increases visi-bility around the caster by 20 feet,delays the appearance of anyguardian monsters by a round, andsets off an immediate warning. Onlya limited wish or wish can destroy awardmist. Even repeated dispel mag-

ics will fail, and an anti-magic shellcannot form within a wardmist. Ifthis is attempted, the anti-magicshell is wasted, and the wardmist isunaffected.

The most common addition to awardmist is a band of armed humanguards assigned to respond to themagic�s warnings. Spell triggers arealso popular; these are spells thathave specific preset conditions to setthem off. They then launch theeffects of other �hanging� spells, alsocast earlier.

For example, if someone enters theruins of Stormwind Tower (an iso-lated mage-hold near Trollclaw Ford)by the front door, six identical magesappear all around him or her, hurlingbolts of lightning. These mages arereally projected images linked insome now-forgotten way to a rarespell known as web of lightning. Safeentry to the tower is by means of asecret passage whose entry is markedby a gargoyle statue, elsewhere in theruins�a passage filled with thesword-wielding, animated skeletalarms known as dread. These crea-tures are detailed in the Ruins of MythDrannor boxed set.

Web of Lightning(Evocation, Alteration)

Range: 40 yards + 10 yards/levelComponents: V, S, MDuration: InstantaneousCasting Time: 8Area of Effect: SpecialSaving Throw: ½

231

This 8th-level wizard spell causesthe simultaneous discharge of sixlightning bolts. Identical in proper-ties to those bolts created by a light-ning bolt spell, these bolts do 7d6points of damage each and manifestin one of two ways.

One manifestation is widely usedon battlefields: a starburst of sixbolts radiating out from a singlepoint visualized or chosen directly bythe caster, who need not see itslocation. Four bolts spring out in thecardinal directions (forming anequal-armed cross), and twoadditional bolts leap out in two of thediagonals, in quadrants chosen by the caster.

The other manifestation of thespell is a ricocheting web within a

60-foot-diameter sphere. The spherecan be altered to fill a 30- by 30-footroom or smaller area, but notincreased in volume. Compressing itdoes not affect damage or other spellproperties. This effect is often fit intoa single doorway, with the boltsleaping from the frame as anintruder steps through.

In either manifestation, targetbeings must make saving throwsindividually against all six bolts.They save against fewer bolts if thepath of a bolt leaves them out ofharm�s way, as in most uses of thestarburst.

The material components of thisspell are four lodestones or a bit offur, and a small, smooth rod ofamber, crystal, or glass.

232

Appendix III:

Magical Itemsome of the magicalitems mentioned byVolo in his explorationsof the Sword Coastlands are familiar to

Elminster. Of these, he permittedwords about a few to remain in thisedition of the guidebook, and con-sented to provide details of them forus, with the grudging words, �Well, Isuppose all of ye can�t get into toomuch trouble with these�but ye will,I know, and I await thy amusing talesof what befell then.�

Here, then, is what Elminster told us.

Harvyn�s RingXP Value: 8,500GP Value: 16,000When worn, this plain brass ringautomatically grants any wearer (notwizards only) a +1 saving throwbonus, cumulative with any otherbonuses the wearer may have,against any alteration spells and iden-tical magical item alteration effects. Ifthe wearer is a spellcaster able tocast alteration spells, foes facing hisor her spells suffer a -1 penalty totheir saving throws when she or hecasts spells at them while wearingthis ring.

The ring has another automatic,as-often-as-required power. It canpurify water and drink by touch orimmersion. This power is strong

enough to neutralize acid or poisonand render wines, beers, and spiritsnonalcoholic without altering theirtaste, smell, or hue.

Harvyn’s ring also has two powersthat must be deliberately called forth.By will and concentration on the des-tination (which must be within sight,within 90 feet, and not through anymagical or physical barriers), thewearer can jump three times in a day(144 turns), carrying up to 400 lbs. ofadditional weight as long as it is inphysical contact and willed to comealong, too.

The jumping wearer isn�t magicallyprotected in any way during transit,although the landing will be upright,balanced, and sure-footed. Jumpsattempted with too much weight, to adestination too far away, or onto asurface that can�t support the arrivingring wearer will result in falls, unmiti-gated by the ring.

The wearer of a Harvyn’s ring canalso cause it, by the utterance of asecret word graven on the inside sur-face of the ring, to emit a swordlikeforce blade. The word is different foreach of the six known rings. Thisweapon can be called forth thriceevery day (144 turns), and lasts for 1turn�less if the effect is willed tocease earlier. Unused time can�t besaved up for use later. The force bladeis invisible except to those able to seemagical auras or when the weapon is

233

covered with blood or another adher-ing substance, and can cleavethrough any magical barrier createdby a 7th-level or lower spell or magi-cal item equivalent, permanentlybreaching it in a 10-foot-radius circlecentered on the blade. In some cases,such as a shield spell, this will com-pletely destroy the barrier magic. Theinvisible blade does not clang, rust,chip, bend, break, or respond to heat,cold, magnetic, or electrical effects asmetal does. It is simply a construct offorce with a cutting edge and deals4d4 points of damage per strike (4d6to large-sized foes), being in all otherrespects a long sword. A fighter ofhigh enough level can use it for multi-ple attacks and receives normalbonuses if she or he possesses spe-cialization in long sword. The swordappears in the wearer�s ring handand cannot leave it. If the weareropens his or her hand to grasp atsomething else, the force blade van-ishes. It can�t be used in the wearer�sother hand or be taken by anotherbeing.

Galdaeryn�sGageXP Value: 2,500GP Value: 6,000Named for the fighting mage whofirst devised it, this single meshgauntlet (mail glove) of either the left or right hand magically alters to fitthe size and number of digits of awearer�s hand. It allows its wearer tohurl missiles such as rocks, slingstones, daggers, and axes with a +2

attack roll bonus. Use of the gauntletdoesn�t allow the wearer to throwthings normally too heavy orunwieldy to hurl and doesn�t conferany proficiencies. Thrown stones do1d2 points of damage, depending onsize. Rocks as large as a target�s headcan deal ld4+1 points of damage.

The wearer of a gage can also try tointercept incoming missiles. Roll ad20 for the glove wearer. If the scoreis higher than the unmodified die rollof the incoming attack, the catch wassuccessful. The gage literally catchesphysical missiles, and it can hurlthem back at their source. Thisreturned fire counts as an extraattack in addition to the gage wearer�schosen activity or attack for the roundand is rolled at +2. If the gage wearerwants to redirect caught missiles atanother target than their source, thehurling counts as a regular attack. If acatch fails, the attacking missile hasits usual effect.

A gage can catch up to four magicmissiles in a single round. Additionalmissiles will get through for the usualdamage. Caught magic missiles areabsorbed by the glove, not thrownback.

A Galdaeryn’s gage protects thewearer�s hand as well as a full plategauntlet against a falcon�s talons andother sharp things. It is affected byheat metal and similar magics. If itswearer is fighting with a one-handedweapon in the opposite hand, it canbe used to grapple with hostileweapons. Treat it as a shield forArmor Class purposes when used inthis fashion.

234

Hand of FuryXP Value: 2,500GP Value: 7,000This single mesh gauntlet (mail glove) ofeither left or right hand magically altersto fit the size and number of digits of awearer�s hand. When worn, it improvesthe wearer�s Armor Class by 1 point. Anunarmored warrior lacking a shield orhigh Dexterity would move from AC 10to AC 9 by donning the glove. It allowsits wearer two special attacks: magicmissile and forceblow.

The glove�s magic missile attack is iden-tical to the 1st-level wizard spell of thesame name. A hand of fury holds twosuch spells. Each unleashes three missilescausing 1d4+1 points of damage whenused. When one such attack is used, itcan�t be called on again until 3 entire days(72 hours, or 432 turns) have elapsed.

The forceblow attack can be usedonly once per day After it is called on,24 hours (144 turns) must pass before itcan be employed again. A forceblow isnever wasted. It can occur only when asuccessful attack lands, defined as apunch with the gloved hand that isdeemed a use of this attack by the playeras the attack is launched. Rather thannormal punching damage, a forceblowdoes 6d4 points of damage, and has twopossible additional effects. A struck vic-tim must save vs. spell to avoid beingstunned on the following round, andshe or he must also make a Strengthcheck to avoid being hurled away in afall by the force of the blow, with possi-ble additional damage upon landing.Stunned victims are reeling and unableto take any deliberate action the round

following the one they are struck in.Fragile worn or carried items exposedto the force of this strike or the impactof a resultant fall must make a savingthrow vs. crushing blow or a savingthrow vs. fall, as applicable, or break.

A hand of fury has one additionalproperty. Its magic can be exhaustedand converted into a single, automati-cally successful bend bars/lift gatesattempt, causing it to crumble to dust.The glove must be touched to the bar-rier to be so used.

Torcof the TitansXP Value: 4,500GP Value: 12,000This plain, heavy, silver neck collarnever tarnishes or breaks. It resistseven reforging attempts. It allows thewearer to speak, understand, and readthe tongue of titans and to call on titan-like strength in limited ways, as follows:

Once per day, the torc wearer canmake a Strength check as if she or hewere a titan of Strength 25.

Twice a day, a torc wearer canlaunch an attack with titan strength at+7 to the attack roll and +14 to damage,due to 25 Strength. If the attack misses,the attempt still wastes the torc�s magic.

Thrice per day, a torc wearer canmake an open doors or bend bars/liftgates attempt as if possessing Strength25. The attempt to open a door is suc-cessful on a roll of 19 on a d20 or less, or18 or less if it is locked, barred, or magi-cally held. The torc wearer in this situa-tion has a 99% chance of successfullybending bars or lifting gates.

235

Appendix IV:

I n d e xhis index does notinclude references to

people, nor to mostbuilding map refer-ences. Private homes

are listed only if they�re of interest tothe adventurer or historically mindedsightseeing traveler. The Fortalicessection lists all structures that havebeen built, or converted, for use asdefensible strongholds in time of war.In uncertain times, travelers areadvised to keep a bookmark at thisspot in the guidebook when makingfast travel plans. The structures mayalso appear under other headings,corresponding to other uses.

Places that function as both innsand taverns are listed in both sections.Tankard houses are a new attractionin Faerûn, fast spreading from the cityof Berdusk where they first appeared.None are indexed here. Consult thatcity entry (pages 153�174) for names ofthese establishments.

Alleys, Streets, Entries,and Open SpacesAmberside (market) (Berdusk) ............. 158, 160, 162Amble Lane (Berdusk) ............................................ 168Bellowbar�sGate (Berdusk) .................. 155, 158, 160Belltoll Street (Baldur�s Gate) ................................ 13Bindle Street (Baldur�s Gate) .................... 11, 13, 217Black Dragon Gate (Baldur�s Gate) ............ 10, 13, 26Clasped Hands Gate (Hill�s Edge) ......................... 189The Claw (intersection) (Berdusk) ............... 158, 160The Coast Way ....................... 7, 27, 28, 39, 40, 51, 60The Crossways (intersection) (Berdusk) ......... 158, 160Danathar�s Street (Berdusk) .................................. 168Drovers� Gate (Berdusk) ........................ 156, 158, 160

The Dusk Road......................... 93, 120, 126, 147, 148,175, 176, 182, 200, 202, 203, 207

Far Rider Street (Scornubel) .................................. 110The Fish Market (Scornubel) .............................. 105The Gollahaer (Berdusk) ...... .. 158, 160, 166, 167, 172Landward Gate (Baldur�s Gate) ............................. 10Lower City Gate (Iriaebor) ..................................... 207Lute Street (Berdusk) .............................................. 168Maidensbridge Street (Elturel) ................................ 96The Minstrelride (The Tuneride)

(Berdusk) ......................................... 158, 160, 168, 172Northstorm Street (Scornubel) ............................. 109The Reaching Gate (Hill�s Edge) ............................ 189Red Shields Road (Scornubel) .............................. 110Rivergate (Hill�s Edge) ............................................. 189Riverroad Gate (Berdusk) ..................... 155, 159, 160Shiarra�s Market (Elturel) ........................................ 94Shondaleir Street (Berdusk) ......................... 158, 160Shortarrow Gate (Berdusk) .................. ..155, 159, 160Skuldask Road ................................................... 93, 118Steelspur Way (Berdusk) ....................... 158, 160, 172Steelsword Street (Berdusk)................. 158, 160, 172Stormshore Street (Baldur�s Gate) ............ 8, 13, 218Stumblepost Trail (Scornubel) ............................. 110Thundar�s Ride.. ................................................ 93, 118The Trade Way ................................. 31, 34, 52, 65, 71,

105, 106, 113, 117, 120The Trader�s Road .................................................. 202The Uldoon Trail ........................... 147, 148, 153, 156,

158, 159, 160, 172Vale Gate (Berdusk) ................................. 156, 158, 160Vale Gate (Hill�s Edge) ............................................. 189The Walk (market) (Scornubel) ................... 106 109The Wide (market) (Baldur�s Gate) ........... 10, 11, 13,

221, 223, 224Windspell Street (Baldur�s Gate) ........ 9, 13, 14, 23, 24The Winter Garden (The Gardens)

(Elturel) .............................................................. 94, 99Woods Gate (Berdusk) .................................... 156, 160

Bands & OrganizationsThe Avowed (monks of Candlekeep) ............... 32, 33The Blue Sword Legion (of Qheldin�s Mask) ....... 104The Chosen of Mystra ............................................ 131The Circle of Scythes (of Athkatla). ......................... 47The Clasped Hands.. ............................................... 187

236

Council of Guilds (of Daggerford) .................... 34, 36The Cult of the Dragon.............. 75, 78, 186, 212, 225The Dragon Daggers (of Berdusk) ....................... 172Dragoneye Dealing Coster ............................... 94, 203The Fellowship of the Dreaming Dragon........... 206The Flaming Fist (mercenary company) ................ 8The Free Traders (of Westgate) ............................ 188Hardbuckler�s Hurlers ......................................... 182The Harpers ................... 40, 43, 45, 55, 89, 127, 129,

130, 131, 147, 148, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 163,168, 169, 170, 173, 175, 186, 188, 190, 191, 193,200, 202, 205, 211, 212, 213, 215, 217, 218, 219,221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227

The Hellriders (of Elturel) ......................................... 93The Heralds .................................... 131, 173�174, 193The High Helms (of Trollclaw Ford) ...................... 60The Knights of the Unicorn ............................. 23, 24The Lord Knights of the Backlands ........... 142�145The Lords� Alliance ................... 65, 79, 93, 153, 186,

200, 218, 223, 225The Men of Hammer Hall ....................................... 76The Merchants� League ............................................ 13The Openers ............................................................. 185The Proud Pegasi (of Hill�s Edge) ......................... 199The Red Shields (of Scornubel) ............................ 105The Red Wizards of Thay ........ 63, 64, 186, 222, 225The Riders in Red Cloaks

(of Asbravn)........................................... 148, 151, 152Saern�s Sharp Swords (of Drawn Swords) ......... 127Stag Warriors............................................................. 128Thousandheads Trading Coster .......... 159, 160, 203The Traders� Council

(of Hill�s Edge) ...................................... 188, 189, 190The Tribute Gatherers (of Lathtarl�s Lantern)........ 51The Wagonmasters of the Rolling Wheel

(Asbravn) ............................................................... 151The Wildmen of the North .................................... 178The Wondermen

(Wondermakers; of Scornubel) ...................... 107Zhentarim ....................... 75, 123, 129, 132, 133, 139,

140, 147, 148, 149, 153, 155, 156, 164, 175, 176,177, 179, 185, 186, 188, 189, 190, 191, 194, 196,199, 200, 201, 202, 211, 212, 213, 214, 217, 218,219, 221, 222, 223, 225

FesthallsThe Heralds� Rest (Berdusk) ......... 158, 160, 173�174The Low Lantern (Baldur�s Gate) ........................... 13Mother Minx�s (Scornubel) ................................... .106The Nightshade (Scornubel) ................................. .107The Ruby Shawl (Berdusk) ............................ .158, 174Six Soft Furs (Hill�s Edge) ................................ 189,195The Undercellar (Baldur�s Gate) ............................ 13

FoRtaLicesBacklands Castle (Yarthrain; ruins) ............. 142�145Bridgefort (Boareskyr Bridge) ................................. 89Candlekeep ......................................................... 32�33The Cry of Joy (temple to Lliira)

(Hill�s Edge) ................................................... 189, 190Daggerford Castle....................................................... 34Darkhold (The Keep of the Far Hills, Farkeep, the

Wild Hold, Sunset Keep) ...................... 140, 147, 164,177�179 (history), 186, 199, 200, 201, 211, 221, 224

Dragonspear Castle (ruin) ............... 5, 34, 40, 65�67,72, 73�75 (history), 215, 225

Durlag�s Tower ....................................... 90�92, 102Evensong Tower (Milil)

(Berdusk) .............................................. 158, 164�165The Fist of the Future (temple to Cyric)

(Hill�s Edge). ......................................... 189, 190, 191Hammer Hall ....................................................... 76�77High Hall (Elturel) ....................................................... 94The High Lady�s Castle (Berdusk) ........................ 157The High Tower of Iriaebor .................. 204, 205, 206The Imperial Palace (Fendarl�s Gate) ......... 180�181The Ready House of the Right Strong Hand

(temple of Helm) (Berdusk) ........ 160, 163�164, 224Seatower of Balduran

(Baldur�s Gate) .................................................... 8 13,Spellgard ................................................................. 130Stone Eagle Lodge ................................................... 93Swordskeep (Drawn Swords) ............................... 126Windstream Lodge ................................................... 93

Gambling HousesThe Nightshade (Scornubel) ................................. 107The Pipe and Ivories (Hardbuckler) .................... 185The Undercellar (Baldur�s Gate). ............................ 13

HomesHigh Hedge (Beregost) ............................... 28, 29, 225The House of the Hungry Merchant

(Berdusk) ..................................................... 157, 160, 166Krammoch Arkhstaff, Sage�Home of

(BaIdur�s Gate) ........................................................ 13Ragefast, Sage�Home of (Baldur�s Gate) ............. 13Ramazith Flamesinger, Sage�Home of

(Baldur�s Gate) ........................................................ 13Larloch�s Crypt (Warlock�s Crypt). ................... 63�64Lyran�s Hold...................................................... 115�116Nethmoun�s hut (Scornubel) ................................ 106Orogoth (ruin) ........................................................... 78Stormwind Tower

(ruin; near Trollclaw Ford) ............................. 231Xonthal�s Tower ............................................. 139�140

237

InnsThe Black Boar (Iriaebor) ............................. 203, 206The Black Flagon (Xonthal�s Tower) .................... 140The Blade and Stars (Baldur�s Gate) ...... 13, 19, 213The Blushing Mermaid

(Baldur�s Gate) .................................... 13, 20�22, 92The Board Laid Bare (Asbravn) ................... 148, 152The Bowshot Inn........................................................ 31The Dire Dragon ...................................................... 138The Dusty Hoof (Scornubel) .................................. 109Far Anchor (Scornubel) .................................. 110�111Feldepost�s Inn (Beregost)......................................... 29The Friendly Arm.. .................................... 39, 214, 218Gallowgar�s Inn (Elturel) ................................... 99, 218The Halfway Inn ..................... 130, 132, 133�135, 221The Happy Hippocampus

(Hill�s Edge) ......................................... .189, 198�199The Helm and Cloak (Baldur�s Gate) ........ 13, 23�24The Holdfast Inn (Liam�s Hold) .............................. 52Hullybuck�s Gamble (also a fence, warehousing)

(Berdusk) ....................................................... 160, 173The Hungry Halfling (Corm Orp).................. 175, 176The Imperial Palace (Fendarl�s Gate) ......... 180�181The Jaded Unicorn (Scornubel) ........................... 112The Jester�s Pride (Julkoun) ............................. 44�46The Jovial Juggler (Beregost) .................................. 30The Manure Pile�see Gallowgar�s InnOar and Wagon Wheel Inn (Elturel) ...................... 94The Old Talking Ox

(near Iriaebor) ................................... ..203, 207�208Phontyr�s Unicorn (Elturel)............................ 100�101The Raging Lion (Scornubel) ........................ 113�114The Red Sheaf (Beregost).................................... 29�30The Running Stag (Berdusk) ................. 158, 160, 171The Sign of the Dreaming Dragon

(Iriaebor) ......................................................... 203, 206The Sign of the Silver Sword

(Berdusk) .............................................. 160, 172�173The Silver Blade (Yarthrain) .................................. .145The Singing Sprite (Secomber).......................... 83�85Six Spanglestars (Qheldin�s Mask;

burnt ruin) ................................................................. 104The Stone Saddle (Hill�s Edge) ...................... 189, 195The Storm Griffin (Hill�s Edge) ..................... 189, 195The Sword and Dragon (Drawn Swords) ............... 129The Swordarm (Roaringshore) .................. 53, 57�59Three Old Kegs

(Baldur�s Gate) ................... 13, 25�26, 219, 221, 222The Troll�s Nose (Kheldrivver) ................................ .48Unicorn & Crescent (Evereska) ............................ .131The Wailing Wave (Lathtarl�s Lantern)........... 50, 51The Wandering Wyvern

(Iriaebor) ............................................... 203, 209�210

The Watchful Eye (Hluthvar) ........................... 200, 201The Way Inn ...................... 7, 31, 65�67, 215, 225, 226The Worried Wyvern (Hill�s Edge) ....... 189, 194�195

OfficesKrammoch Arkhstaff Sage�Office of

(Baldur�s Gate) ............................................................. 13Ragefast, Sage�Office of (Baldur�s Gate) ............. 13Ramazith Flamesinger, Sage�Office of

(Baldur�s Gate) ........................................................ 13The High Tower of Iriaebor

(council office) ............................................. 205, 206Manycoins House (Baldur�s Gate) .......................... 20The Mayor�s Tower (Hill�s Edge) .................. 188�189Scornubel Hall (Scornubel). .......................... 106, 112Twilight Hall (Berdusk) ................................. 153, 156,

160, 163, 168, 174, 211, 226

PalacesThe High Hall (Ducal Palace)

(Baldur�s Gate) ............................................ 9, 13, 23The High Hall (Elturel) ............................................ 94The High Lady�s Castle (Berdusk) ........................ 157The High Tower of Iriaebor..................... 204, 205, 206The Imperial Palace

(Fendarl�s Gate) ........................................... 180�181

RanchesHeartwing (near Serpent�s Cowl) ................... 89, 115Ranches on the River Reaching upstream from

Hill�s Edge ............................................................. 105

RestaurantsFar Anchor (Scornubel) ................................ ..110�111

Schools & LibrariesCandlekeep .......................................................... 32�33Evereska College of Magic and Arms .......... 130�131The Ready House of the Right Strong Hand (Helm)

(Berdusk) ..................................... 157, 158, 163-164

ShopsAlamather�s by the Water (exotic weaponry)

(Berdusk) ..................................... 158, 160, 166�167Andalor�s Mill (Bowshot). ................................. 31, 226Andher�s Mill (Xonthal�s Tower) ........................... 140Angah Lalla, Curios & Uniques (Scornubel;

a known fence) ..................................................... 106Arkaras the Shipwright, Fine Water Craft

(Scornubel) ................................................................ 106

238

Belkin�s Black Blade (weapons)(Hill�s Edge) .................................... 189, 193�194, 214

Bent Bows (archery) (Hill�s Edge) ........ 189, 194, 223Costerheadshouse (merchant company base)

(Berdusk) ............................................................... 160The Counting House (money exchange)

(Baldur�s Gate) ....................................................... 13The Dawn of Any Day

(musical instruments and enchanted items)(Berdusk).............................. 158, 160, 168�169, 215

Derval�s Bright Blade (Daggerford). ............... 35, 216Droun Trading (Xonthal�s Tower) ........................ 140Eldritch Ebony (draw) (Hill�s Edge) ..................... 192Farrel�s Fine Jewels and Apparel

(Daggerford) ..................................................... 35�36Felogyr�s Fireworks (Baldur�s Gate) ........ 11, 13, 217Give Me Wings to Fly (aerial steeds)

Oriaebor) .......................................................... .203, 205Hall of Wonders (Baldur�s Gate) ...... 9, 10, 13, 14�16The Hammer of Kaerus (Thambadar smithy)

(Scornubel) .................................................. 105�106A Handful of Eyes (monster shop)

Hill�s Edge) ............................................... 189, 191�192Hullybuck�s Gamble (fence, warehousing;

also an inn) (Berdusk) ............................... 160, 173Julkoun�s Old Mill (JuIkoun) ................................. 43The Knight in the Morn (armor and blazonry)

(Hill�s Edge) .................................................. 189, 193Korbus�s Jewels and Fine Ornaments

(Daggerford) .................................................. 36, 219Lionstar Services (safe storage, disguising goods)

(Hill�s Edge). ......................................... 189, 192�193Ondraer�s Fine Pages

(Berdusk) ..................................... 158, 160, 167�168Rolling Wheel Wagons (Asbravn) ................. 151�152Samborl�s Sundries-in-Trade (Asbravn) ........150�151Shining River Mill (Julkoun) ............................. 43�44Sorcerous Sundries (Baldur�s Gate) .............. 13, 218Tantain�s Barrels and Crates (Asbravn) ............... 151Thunderhammer Smithy (Beregost) ............. 29, 223Thunderwood Forays (adventurer�s outfitters

shop) (Berdusk) .......................... 160, 169�170, 222Torleth�s Treasures

(Gillian�s Hill). .................................... 41�42, 48, 225Trist�s Saddles and Stables (Hluthvar) ................. 201Ungairmer�s Bootery (Kheldrivver). ....................... 48Veloth�s Fine Wagons & Repairs (Hluthvar) ....... 201The Well-Dressed Wizard (mage gear)

(Iriaebor)............................................................. 203, 205�206

ShrinesCandlekeep (Deneir, Gond, Milil) ........................... 33The Cup of Plenty (Triel) ................................ 120�121

Darkhold (Cyric) ...............140, 147, 164, 175, 177�179(history), 186, 199, 200, 201, 211, 221, 224

Fairfortune Hall (Tymora) (Daggerford) ......... 34, 38The Flame Stone (Sune) ......................................... 128Goldcoin House (Waukeen; burnt-out)

(Asbravn) .............................................................. 148The Hand That Swings the Sword (Tempus)

(Elturel) ................................................................... 95A House of Joy (Lliira) [Asbravn) ........................... 148House of the High Hand (Azuth) (Berdusk) ........ 157, 160The House of the Hungry Merchant (Waukeen)

(Berdusk) ............................................. 157, 160, 166Julkoun�s Old Mill (Chauntea) (Juikoun) .............. 43The Kiss of the Lady (Tymora) (Hill�s Edge) ....... 189The Misthall (Leira) (Berdusk) ..................... 157, 160Moondark Hill (Solonor Thelandira)

(Evereska) ..................................................................... 131Morningstone House (Lathander) (Asbravn) .......... 148The Old Sharp Sword (Tempus) (Hill�s Edge) .......... 189Phontyr�s Unicorn (Lurue) (Elturel) ............ 100�101The Rose Portal (Lathander) (Baldur�s Gate) ...... 13Roseportal House (Lathander) (Berdusk) ........ 157, 160Shrine of the Suffering (Ilmater) (Baldur�s Gate)........ 13Starrevel Hall (Lliira) (Berdusk) .................... 157, 160Swordspoint Hall (Tempus) (Berdusk) ......... 157, 160The Table of the Sword (Tempus) (Daggerford) ....... 34The Unrolling Scroll (Oghma) (Baldur�s Gate)...... 13The Watchful Shield (Helm) (Baldur�s Gate) ........ 13

TavernsThe Bent Helm (Elturel) ........................................... 95The Black Flagon (Xonthal�s Tower) .................... .140The Blushing Mermaid Baldur�s Gate)........ 13, 20�22, 92The Broken Goblet (Roaringshore) ........... 53, 54�55The Burning Wizard (Beregost) ....................... 27, 29The Dancing Bear (Hill�s Edge) .................... 189, 194The Dusty Hoof (Scornubel) ................................. 109Elfsong Tavern (Baldur�s Gate) .......... 13, 17�18, 211The Flourished Flagon

(Berdusk) ..................................... 158, 160, 170�171The Halfway Inn..................... 130, 132, 133�135, 221The Happy Cow (Daggerford) ......................... 36, 217The Hungry Halfling (Corm Orp) ................ 175, 176The Jaded Unicorn (Scornubel) ........................... 112Lady Luck Tavern (Daggerford) .... ............. 35, 37�38The Old Talking Ox (near Iriaebor) ....... 203, 207�208A Pair of Black Antlers (Elturel) ......................... 96�97The Raging Lion (Scornubel) ........................ 113�114River Shining Tavern (Daggerford) .........................36The Running Stag (Berdusk) ................. 158, 160, 171The Scarlet Stag (Hill�s Edge) ........................ 189, 194The Seven-Stringed Harp (Secomber) ...... 80�82, 83The Silver Blade (Yarthrain) .................................. 145

239

The Black Abbey (Bane)(Soubar; now a ruin . ............................................ 117

Candlekeep (Oghma) ................................................ 32The Cry of Joy (Lliira) (Hill�s Edge) ................ 189, 190Evensong Tower (Milil)

(Berdusk) ...................................... 158, 160, 164�165The Fist of the Future (Cyric)

(Hill�s Edge) ......................................... 189, 190, 191The Golden Bowl of the Goddess (The Garden

Temple) (Chauntea) (Iriaebor) ......... 203, 204�205The Grotto of the Queen (Umberlee)

(Lathtarl�s Lantern) ....................................... 50�51The Harvest House (Chauntea) (Daggerford) .......34The Healing House of Lathander (Scornubel)...... 105Helm�s Shieldhall (Elturel) ........................................ 94The High Altar of the Moon (The Moontower)

(Selûne) (Iriaebor) ...................................... 203, 205The High Harvest Home (Chauntea) (Elturel) ......... 94The High House of Wonders (Gond)

(Baldur�s Gate). ............................................ 9, 13, 23The Hold of Battle Lions (Tempus)

(Dragonspear Castle; now a ruin) ............... 74�75The House of the Binder (Oghma)

(Kheldrivver; ruined monastery; still veneratedby the faithful) ....................................................... .47

The House of the Guardian (Helm)(Hluthvar). .......................................................... 200, 201

The House of the Suffering God (Ilmater)(Asbravn) ...................................................... 148�149

The Inner Chamber (Deneir)(Berdusk) ...................... 156, 157, 159, 160, 163, 211

The Ladyhouse (Sheela Peryroyl)(Corm Orp) .......................................................... 175�176

The Lady�s Hall (Tymora) (Baldur�s Gate) ........ 9, 13Morninglow Tower (Lathander) (Daggerford) ...... 34The Ready House of the Right Strong Hand (Helm)

(Berdusk) ..................................... 157, 160, 163�164The Seat of Lore (Oghma)

(Berdusk) ..................................... 158, 160, 165�166The Shrine of the Short.. .......................................... 39Silent Hall (Eldath) (Iriaebor) ................ .202, 203, 204The Song of the Morning (Lathander)

(Beregost) ......................................................... 27, 28The Temple of Wisdom (Garl Glittergold)

(The Friendly Arm) ............................................... .39The Tower of Gold (abandoned and looted;

Waukeen) (Iriaebor) ........................................... .203

Temples

The Tankard and Sheaf (Asbravn) .............. 148, 152The Tarnished Trumpet (Hill�s Edge) ........ 189, 196�197The Wailing Wave (Lathtarl�s Lantern) ........... 50, 51The Winding Way (Soubar). ................................... 117

The Water-Queen�s House (Umberlee)(Baldur�s Gate). 9, 13..................................................

Disused Beast Cult temple underIriaebor................................................................. 210

Temples of Evereska (all elven deities) ................ 130Temples of Hardbuckler (gnome deities) ........... 185

Unique SitesThe Battle of Bones .......................................... 123, 179The Breaking Steps (rapids) .................................. .153Catacombs of Asbravn ................................... 150�151Castle Hill (Berdusk) ...... 157, 158, 159, 160, 162, 168Castle Hill (Yarthrain) ............................................. 145Clearspring Tor (Berdusk) ............ 156, 157, 158, 160Crypt of the Wondermen (Scornubel) ................ 107Evereska Vale.. .......................................................... 130Fallen Giant Tomb.. ................................................ 128The Far Hills ............................ 147, 169, 177, 178, 222The Fields of the Dead ............... 5, 87�88, 89, 93, 118Firehammer Hold (dwarf hold)............................. 85Floshin, estate of.. ...................................................... 34The Forest of Wyrms ............................ 115, 116, 123The Halls of the Hammer (dwarf hold) ................. 76The High Moor............................... 5, 7, 65, 66, 71�72,

73, 75, 79, 88, 107, 215, 222, 226Highstar Lake (Dauerimlakh, Evendim) ........ 76�77The Hill of Lost Souls ..................... 123, 126, 141, 142Ladydove (burned elven village). .................. 137, 138Larloch�s Crypt (Warlock�s Crypt) ............. 49, 63�64The Lonely Moor.. ................................................... 133Maidens� Leap (falls) (Elturel) ................................. .94The Marsh of Chehmber............... 123, 124, 136, 139Moondark Hill (in Evereska) ................................. 131Northdark Wood (Dusk Wood,

Reluvethel�s Wood) ............................ 126, 127, 128The Reaching Woods.. .................................... 126, 156The Serpent Hills .............. 55, 40, 49, 65, 71, 88, 116,

123, 136, 139, 213Serpent�s Tail Stream ............................................. 123The Silent Runs (Hill�s Edge) ................................. 188Skull Gorge.. ..................................... 123, 128, 179, 196The Stone of Tempus�s Tears (ruined city;

inscription quoted) ............................................ 118Sunset Mountains .......... 124, 147, 148, 175, 187, 222The Trielta Hills .................................... 120, 123, 126The Troll Hills .................................................. 7, 47, 64Ulcaster�s school of wizardry (ruin)

(Beregost) ............................................................... 27Urdrath of the Horsemen.. ................................... 149The Well of Dragons.............................. 137�138, 227Wizards� Doom Creek.. ............................................ 27The Wood of Sharp Teeth ...................................... 90Yellow Snake Pass ................................... 124, 186, 196

240