VESPERIN A young nation that coalesced from a handful of independent city-states, Vesperin is a nexus for trade, rumor mongering, and skulduggery. Commerce and corruption rule this land more surely than its government. It is an exciting, dynamic place where something’s always going on. Vesperin Lore This region was once called the Vast , before the independent city-states united. The area has seen an influx of immigrants, especially the city of Ravens Bluff . Many Sembian merchants relocated here in the face of Netheril’s occupation of their homeland. A couple of decades ago, Netheril outlawed all such immigration. Sembians who tried anyway wound up dead. Gold counts for more than blood here. Vesperin is a place for intrigue, doublecrossing, and conversing with those normally met as enemies on the battlefield. With Sembia under the thumb of the Netherese , Vesperin has flourished. Here, neutrality is the rule. On the other hand, unlike in the Moonsea lands to the north, basic rules of conduct are enforced in Vesperin ; it’s not quite so bloody or literally cutthroat as Mulmaster . Settlements and Features Tantras (capital city) Population: 23,000 As capital, Tantras hosts the Golden Lords, a council of the most powerful, wealthy, and influential merchants who rule as an oligarchy. As fortunes rise and fall, people gain or lose their status as Golden Lords (a term applied to both male and female council members). Despite these changes in personnel, the council has acted in a remarkably consistent manner, providing a reliable and stable government that ensures the necessities of life for its people while maintaining the status quo. The business and residential districts display a clear hierarchy, in the cost of items sold in shops and in the price of homes. Ornamentation and embellishment are the norm, with thin layers of gold commonly coating carriages, furniture, and even architectural features. Of course, such ostentatious displays of wealth attract the attention of unscrupulous individuals. Hence, the well-to-do hire personal guards, household militias, and even small, private armies for protection. Calaunt (large city) Population: 32,000 Important because of its ability to regulate trade on the River Vesper, Calaunt has become vigilant recently about pirates and raiders. A legal Writ of Trade issued from the Merchant Dukes of Calaunt or the Golden Lords of Tantras is required for travelers to pass unmolested. Nonetheless gold, connections, or blackmail can make even the questionable legal. Ravens Bluff (large city) Population: 40,000 Over the last hundred years, Ravens Bluff has eclipsed Calaunt as the largest city in the region. Danger, intrigue, action, and rumors abound in this adventurer’s paradise. Ravens Bluff is sweeter smelling than the tannery scented Calaunt and less structured than Tantras, with its rigid economic social and political class arrangements. As a result, most immigrants choose to settle here. The city provides an ideal place for all manner of urban and dungeon adventures. Its cellars, sewers, natural caverns, and multiple entry points to the Underdark offer much in the way of belowground exploration. Ravens Bluff straddles the mouth of the Fire River on the eastern shore of the Dragon Reach, that most northerly arm of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Ravens Bluff stands just north of the Earthfast Mountains, on the site of the onetime dwarven city called Sarbreen (or The Realm of the Glimmering Swords). Over the last hundred years, Ravens Bluff eclipsed Calaunt as the largest city, some 40,000 residents, in the region. Ravens Bluff is sweeter smelling than the tannery-scented Calaunt and less structured than Tantras, with its rigid economic, social and political class arrangements. As a result, most immigrants choose to settle here. With the dramatic 50-foot fall of the level of the Sea of Fallen Stars due to the Spellplague, Ravens Bluff temporarily suffered considerable economic and population loss. The city responded by extending its walls out from the old harbor, building new wharves and constructing new districts for immigrants, warehouses and shipping, almost beggaring the city, several noble families and many wealthy retired adventurers. Combined with impact from the death of three deities (Mystra, Tyr and Helm) and the loss of many powerful wizards, the former government was reduced in scope. The old, ruling Clerical Circle is gone, replaced with a mere custom of annual meetings between the temples. Major temples of Amaunator, Chauntea, Gond, Ilmater, Kelemvor, Oghma, Selune, Sune, Tempus, Torm, Tymora and Waukeen are found in the city. Guilds typical to major cities represent crafts, professions and commerce. Unusual to Ravens Bluff are several orders of Knights: Golden Rooster, Griffon, Dove, Hawk, and Raven. Roughly two dozen hereditary noble families live in or near Ravens Bluff. The City Watch is tolerant of adventurers so long as damages are compensated. A mayor runs the city but receives advice from neighborhood-elected councilors and the noble families. The weekly city broadsheet is the Ravens Bluff Trumpeter. Ravens Bluff Lore The hereditary nobles include the Blacktree, Longbottle, Taldavar, and Sinaran families. Blacktree has the reputation of a history of adventuresome rogues and own a two-thousand-acre estate outside of the city and a townhouse in the city. Longbottle has the reputation of honorable service to the city either in government or in a Knightly order. They are less wealthy than most of the noble families. House Taldavar has the reputation of wise, humorless elders with extensive investments. They are rumored to have extensive holdings in Sembia. The Sinaran moon elf clan is the only nonhuman noble house. Lady Silva Sinaran is also unusual in that she serves as the editor of the Ravens Bluff Trumpeter and keeps her finger on the pulse of the city. Merchant House Raphiel was once noble but has fallen on hard times. The daughter is reputed to be very beautiful and courted both Anton Blacktree and Reginald Longbottle. Education The level of education varied greatly amongst the citizens of Ravens Bluff. Very few of the poorer Ravenians were literate, their children received nothing in the way of a real education, had few opportunities and were typically expected to learn the family trade or craft. On some rare occasions, families of little means could save their meager earnings together to see off one of their children to apprentice under a merchant or artisan. More commonly, children of the poor sought the risks of the adventuring life over toil, in order to improve their standing in the world. Families of means would begin children's education at the age of eight years, either at home under the tutelage of personal instructors, or at the family's local house of worship under the learned men and women of faith. This latter opportunity was afforded to well-off families by the efforts of the Ravenian Clerical Cirle. Subjects of study included reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography of Faerûn and the fundamentals of the Faerûnian pantheon. After the age of twelve, young men and women began their apprenticeships in a trade related to their family's business, or those of their close allies. If any Ravenian youth who demonstrated an aptitude for the arcane arts, the wizards guild took in apprentices from among the families who could afford the steep tuition. Magic It seemed to the casual observer that arcane magic took a prevalent role in the daily life of the people of Ravens Bluff, as, for largely unknown reasons, the city attracted many travelers from across the Realms, who were sensitive to region's arcane energies. The city would regularly experience drifting clouds of wild magic and was dotted with a number of small, isolated dead-magic zones. During the late 14th century DR, some spellcasters who had been born within the city's walls, began demonstrating the shared, magnificent ability to release blasts of pure arcane energy, during instances of extreme stress. This feat, which bathed them in a green-and-white, flame-like aura, came to be known as wildfire by the local guild wizards. Some believed this phenomenon to be the effect of an ancient mythal surrounding a drow stronghold, which had been built under the mouth of the Fire River thousands of years before the dwarves of Sarbreen called the land home. Religion Ravens Bluff was an open and welcoming place to most Faerûnian faiths, so long as their devotees obeyed the law and did not interfere with commerce or other city business. In addition to their personal faiths, citizens of Ravens Bluff were expected to honor the deities of the city's "civic religion", those divine powers that ensured continuing health and prosperity for years to come. These deities included Chauntea, Gond, Helm, Lathander, Mystra, Selûne, Tempus, Tymora, Tyr and Waukeen. The Ravenian government-sponsored civic temples to these gods offered their local clergies exemption from municipal taxes and exorbitant gifts in demonstration of their devotion and piety. The Bluff had a number of holy houses independent of the civic religion, such as the True Temple of the Dead, a temple of Kelemvor in the city's graveyard, and the House of Darkness, a merchant house operated exclusively by worshipers of Sharess. Economy Unlike many cities of Faerûn that primarily gathered or produced goods to sell, such as the timber and farming hamlets in the Dalelands, or gem and iron-mining fortresses in the Sword Coast North, Ravens Bluff had a thriving, serviced-based economy. Almost everyone that lived in the city was able to find work, of one kind or another. Individual laborers, craftspeople and shopkeepers held a great number of small businesses, linked together by the city's numerous guilds. The great number of adventurers and travelers that passed through the city could spend their hard-earned coin by hiring scribes, couriers, guards, escorts, messengers or any other skilled individual. Failing something so productive, there were a great number of hucksters, peddlers, and courtesans, in the city's many taverns, festhalls, and curio shops, eager to whisk their money away. Trade All factors considered, Ravens Bluff owed a large part of its success and wealth to trade outside the city. Large trading groups, the 16 Merchant Houses, managed the laborious task of managing goods in and out of the city, which long served as the basis for the Ravenian economy. These houses grew from small consortiums, which were often dysfunctional and constantly argue amongst themselves. During the late 14th century, the houses formed the Merchants Council, a regulatory and advisory body that held significant power in the city's economy. Farming, fishing and hunting Outside the walls of Ravens Bluff were vast farmlands stretching out eastward. While they may not have been as well-off as Ravenians within the city's walls, they were well-enough taken care of to stay content, and produce enough low-cost food for their city-folk brethren. Although much of the farmlands were ravaged in the war of 1370 DR, a large influx of halfling settlers from the south prevented the collapse of local agriculture. Slavery While the keeping or sale of slaves was illegal within the city, some unscrupulous Sembian merchants and pirates found ways to circumvent the law. They would sell exotic pets, such as albino peacocks and tailless sundcats, to Ravenian lords or wealthy merchants, along with "a keeper" who was in fact a slave. This practice was forcefully put to a stop by Mayor O'Kane in the first years of his tenure, with strict enforcement of anti-slavery laws by the city's paladins of Tyr and an official decree that anyone considered a slave would be granted indentured servitude in accordance with the house they served, and credited for the time they had already spent in bondage. Raven Bluffs Notable Locations A: Waterfront District B: Warehouse District C: Garden District D: Foreign District E: Market District F: Temple District G: Cliffside District H: Lady Rock J: Lady’s Falls (Waterfalls) K: Crow’s End District L: Uptown District M: Southside District N: Fire River O: Graveyard P: Farming W: Walls Knightly Code Every knight lives by a code; this is what separates knights from other armed warriors. While each knightly order is different and emphasize different elements, these principles are core for all, particularly as espoused by the orders in Ravens Bluff. Fair Play Never attack a defenseless foe. Do not use lethal force to end barroom brawls. Avoid lying or deception through silence. Keep promises to a fellow knight. Avoid cheating and torture. Nobility Obey local laws Administer Justice and show Mercy. Protect the innocent while always maintaining self-control. Show respect to authority. Accept and acknowledge personal responsibility for your actions. Valor Exhibit courage in word and deed, defending the weak and innocent. Destroy evil in all its forms, crushing the monster that would steal our land and enslave our people. Fight with honor, avenging the wronged. Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause. Honor Always keep your word or promise while maintaining your principles. Never betray your order, or a confidence or a comrade. Respect all life and freedom. Die with honor. Courtesy & Benevolence Exhibit manners; always be polite and attentive. Be respectful to hosts, women, knights, the elderly, and all who are honorable. Be generous to the less fortunate. Seek personal glory, not monetary reward. Serve your realm and her people, not yourself. Set an example of right action to all people. Knights of the Golden Rooster The lowest and initiate order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights are the most numerous in the city. Their oath is to defend Ravens Bluff from all enemies, to bolster morale and pride among the citizens, to behave honorably and bravely, to refrain from lying and cheating, to act generously, and to deal fairly with all persons they meet. This order plays an important role in the city culture, encouraging citizens by example to rise above self interest. They demonstrate by personal deeds the idea of community service without being stuffy. Membership criteria includes recommendations from two city knights and a reputation for knightly behavior. Knights of the Griffon A mid-tier order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights concentrate on martial skills, planning battles and campaigns against an enemy, famous for a willingness to prove themselves in battle. These knights form an elite fighting force in time of war for Ravens Bluff and are dedicated to mastery of battle strategy and personal skill of arms. Their oath is to defend Ravens Bluff from all enemies, to protect the citizens of Ravens Bluff from threats, harm and unlawful imprisonment, to act bravely in the face of any danger, to be a symbol of chivalry, to obey and respect the code of honorable warfare, and to accept any valid challenge to their honor. Membership criteria includes demonstration of aptitude for combat in a tournament observed by at least three Griffon Knights, two years service as a Knight of the Golden Rooster, recommendations from two knights of mid-tier orders or higher, and a reputation for bravery and chivalry. Knights of the Dove A mid-tier order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights concentrate on using brainpower over brawn, to find solutions to problems, bringing evil doers to face civic justice. These knights are prepared to fight valiantly, but work through intelligence-gathering and sharing, cooperation and negotiation to avoid unnecessary combat. Their oath is to defend Ravens Bluff from all enemies, to heal the wounds war inflicts on civilians and innocent creatures, to heal the scars of the Spellplague, to bolster morale and pride among the citizens of Ravens Bluff, and to behave in accordance with the Knightly Code. These knights are often used on diplomatic missions as well as mission to plaguelands. Membership criteria includes two years’ service as a Knight of the Golden Rooster, recommendations from two knights of mid-tier orders or higher, and a reputation for diplomacy, healing arts or knowledge of the Spellplague. Knights of the Hawk A mid-tier order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights scout and spy on enemies, looking for weaknesses to exploit, eschewing the ceremony and public acclaim of other orders. This knighthood was founded in recognition that some enemies skulk in shadows and to fight them, Hawk Knights must watch, wait, and—should an evil plot be uncovered—strike swiftly and fiercely like a bird of prey. This Order tends to attract loners who do not boast of past deeds nor feel the need for public adulation. At need, they lay traps and spin deceptions to fool, mislead and expose enemies of Ravens Bluff. Their oath is to defend Ravens Bluff from all enemies, to answer the call regardless of personal inconvenience, to risk public dishonor to accomplish a mission, and for approved missions, to put aside notions of honor and fairness. Membership criteria includes two years service as a Knight of the Golden Rooster, recommendations from two knights of mid-tier orders or higher, and a reputation for patience, ruthlessness, stealthiness and thievery. Raven Knights The elite order of the city’s knighthoods, these knights serve as commanders and leaders for the city, and guard against corruption of the civic leadership and morality. These knights participate in charting the city’s future to include decisions about defensive fortifications, alliances and acceptable charities, represent the city to the Army and Navy of Vesperin, and approve knightly missions for Ravens Bluff. Membership criteria includes at least three years’ service in a mid-tier knightly order, recommendations from two Raven Knights, two noble Houses, and one City Official of senior rank, and an unblemished reputation. Knightly Honors (awards) attest to one’s reputation and behavior.