Sembia

Sembia is a land of experienced merchants who know how to hold onto power and young traders who scheme for a share of it. Sembians relish the art of the deal, the skill of gaining advantage through negotiation instead of through outright falsehood or cheating Although Sembia does not control as great a proportion of Faerun's trade as Amn, trade controls Sembia much more than trade controls Amn.

Unlike the lawless thugs of the Moonsea cities and the Pirate Isles, Sembians generally observe laws of contracts, debts, and interest payments. Quite often Sembians observe these laws all too well, exploiting loopholes that others had not imagined.

Sembia conceives of itself as a young, aggressive and expansionistic nation. It has already co-opted one of the Dales, the former Moondale, and transformed it into a new capital fit for a great power: the city of Ordulin. But the Sembian elite are too interested in seeking advantage over each other to unite behind a single foreign policy or a single warlord.

Sembia uses its position on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Fallen Stars to serve as the broker between the north and the south of Faerun. The Zhents of the Moonsea also trade with other countries, but the Sembians don't consider them a true competitor, because a great deal of Zhent commerce flows through Sembian ports at one point or another, mostly through Ordulin. The Sembians do not think of the Zhents as a magical threat, but the foremost worry of Sembia is the magical mercantilism of the Red Wizards of Thay. The Council of Sembia has little interest in seeing Thay force its way into formerly Sembian markets by providing magical goods that the Sembians can't duplicate.

Life and Society

Sembia is the land of wealth and the grasping desire to earn more. More vigorous and practical than ostentatious Amn, it's a place of costers and secret cabals, cults and other dangerous dabblings of the bored or desperate. As long as other folk in Faerun still have a few coins that could be in Sembian pockets or vaults, the folk of Sembia are not content.

Most Sembians spend their lives making money, doing business, having a hearty time in ways that display wealth (chiefly fashions, fads and revels), and gossiping about Faerun in general and their neighbors in particular. The cityfolk dominate Sembian life, and all citizens look down on the folk of other cities. Old money commands respect because of its extensive connections, and among the self-styled nobility of Sembia, all manner of corruption and incompetency is permitted as long as certain laws aren't breached (consorting with pirates, for instance, brings heavy fines and shunning).

All but the greediest Sembian city guards are paid well enough to be above bribery. The guards are schooled in arms, dirty tricks, politeness, and understanding the ever-shifting intrigues. As a result, they're seldom heavy-handed and widely respected.

Sembia has hot summers, rainy springs and falls, and bitterly windy winter, when its harbors ice up for months. Sembian nobles own extensive farms and forested hunting estates, complete with large breeding stables and luxurious lodges, in the north and northwestern Sembian countryside.

Sembia is prosperous, but there is a dark side to its security and wealth. It's a haughty, ruthless, and cutthroat land, bustling with commercial intrigues. Sembians look down on the poor and all outlanders - albeit with a measure of respect when they think of wealthy and successful Amn, Thay, Waterdeep and Westgate - and they positively sneer at elves. Sembians are outwardly tolerant of a wide variety of races, appearances, and customs … as long as such strange folk are here to buy.

Coins make instant friends in Sembia, and lack of coins make them disappear just as swiftly. The dagger, strangler's cord, and poison pose the chief dangers to life and limb, and may strike anywhere - but do so sparingly, because there are plenty of wizards-for-hire in Sembia, and local rulers pay some to use spying spells at random to check on their subjects' business dealings.

Sembian expect corruption in high places. Constant rumors speak of various city rulers conspiring with Thayans, Zhents, or "fell things mages can talk to from afar" to betray their citizens. Underhanded dealings are permissible and even admired - but outright theft or arson are abhorred, and justice can be harsh.

Outlanders seeking to set up shop in Sembia are warned that if they "look different" from the fair skinned, drawling humans, business rivals seize on any excuse to start unfavorable rumors about them, because Sembians are especially quick to shun "sneaking outlanders".

Saerloon

Saerloon is an old, refined city of exotic, varied tastes. It prides itself on its culture and high society, and is liberally endowed with grandly carved stone buildings, statues and fountains. Saerloon is also a busy merchant city. The docks bustle day and night, as do the main roads where the warehouses, stables, and caravan yards are located. Local competition is so fierce as to relegate the large trading costers to mere seconds among equals.

Visitors find the pretty stone buildings make poor landmarks: one carved gargoyle looks so much like another. Saerloon's citizens maintain a fever pitch of mercantile activity, seasoned by thievery and intrigue. In contrast to well-policed cities such as Daerlun, Saerloon is a happy plotting ground for thieves, slavers, cultists and even more nefarious individuals and groups.

Ruler: Lady Merelith of the Guard, in the name of the Council of Sembia

Population: ~55,000

Major Products: Furniture, clothing, art, pewter, fine wine, carriages, small ships, woodcarvings

Major Churches: Mystra, Azuth, Waukeen, Tymora and Lathander

Other Churches: Milil, Savras , Selune, Shar, Sharess, Sune, Tempus, Torm, Valkur and Mask

Helms: The Helms serve as the cities military and police force. They are well trained, well equipped and well paid compared to the typical watch force you would find in other cities. Do not underestimate these people, they will not be easily fooled or mislead. Most are even above bribery. We will try to get a handle on which Helms may be bought or at least paid to look the other way in time but for now treat every Helm as the enemy. If at all possible, avoid the Helms, if you must kill one, make sure you leave no incriminating evidence or even better, leave no traces at all. During the day the Helms travel in groups of two to four. At night the patrol sizes are typically double that size. Patrol are most frequent in high commerce areas and least frequent in residential areas.
Dark Blades: These guys are the opposition so remember the name. Up until recently, the Dark Blades controlled the vast majority of crime in Saerloon. This Thieves Guild also has branches in other Sembian cities and even though they operate largely independently of each other they can pool resources. Little is known of the organization. It is believed to be controlled by a small council of retired Master Thieves and are run much like a Sembian business, in an efficient, practical and ruthless manner. Recently some internal conflict within The Dark Blades has caused a schism. One quarter of the Saerloon Dark Blade members are believed to have splintered off into a new group, which we know nothing about. Another 25%, taking advantage of the conflict, are believe to have gone independent. We plan on taking full advantage of this situation to gain a strong foothold in Saerloon. That's why we are here.
Cult of the Dragon: In case you haven't heard of these buggers, they are a crazed, borderline insane group dedicated to bringing about some prophesy where undead dragons will rule the world. A bunch of nonsense, of course, but they believe it and they are fanatical. Evidentially the Cult has a sizable base of operations within Saerloon. They finance many of their operations from money gained and filtered through the city. We have heard of them running several drug and gambling halls. What else they may be involved in is a question that has been pondered by many. The Cult's activities do not interest us much and they are to be avoided. The Cult is too unpredictable and dangerous to bother with at this time.
Eyeless Mask: Another mysterious group, the Eyeless Mask has been responsible for a number of high profile kidnappings. Whether done for slave stock or for ransom is unknown, but the group is evidentially very skilled given some of their accomplishments. More information will need to be turned up of the Eyeless Masks organization and operations.

North Market: The newer and bigger of the two large open markets, the North Market sports a high pillared statue of Saer (merchant master and famous leader of Sembia in its early days). A huge variety of wares can be purchased at the North Market and as such it is one of the most heavily patrolled areas of the city.
Dolphin Market: The Dolphin Market is a crammed place of leaning stalls and stinking fish. It is located near the docks and is composed mainly of food vendors.
Sembian University of Commerce: One of the most well renown centers for learning, the University of Commerce was founded in and is still located in Saerloon. An old establishment, the University educates the children of many merchant families. Though trade and commerce are the focal points of the curriculum, the University provides a fairly well-rounded education. The University is located in a series of old stone buildings just east of the North Market.
Arena Fataluun: A relatively new structure, built outside the cities walls, the Arena is home to many competitions and sporting events. Gladiatorial events have been becoming an ever more popular attraction, competing with the famed West Gate blood sport.
Moonshadow Alley: A place not known to the majority of inhabitants of the city, the Moonshadow Alley is the focal point of Saerloon's blackmarket. All manner of goods and services can be bought on this windy stretch of narrow crowded street. Though some vendors operate during the day, most only operate between sundown and sunrise. Be warned, this area is believed to be under the watch and administration of the Dark Blades.

Wharf District: The stretch of Saerloon than runs along the sprawling docks is know as the Wharf District. The Wharf District is a hive of activity both day and night. It is home to Saerloon's many piers and docks, its dry docks and ship construction facilities, many of the cities warehouses, businesses that serve the many visiting sailors and the homes of the teeming dockworkers and other laborers that toil away in this critical area of the city. At one time, the Wharf District was entirely composed of stone and brick buildings, situated on relatively spacious streets and avenues. However, as Saerloon has grown, many smaller, and frequently wooden building have filled in the spaces between these building, crating the appearance of wooden cancerous growths on the older stone structures. Now only the main roads in the Wharf District can handle more than 4 people walking abreast.
Commons District: One of the largest districts of the cities, the Commons District occupies almost the entire western third of Saerloon. The Commons district contains the homes of most of the cities lower class. Laborers, textile workers, and the like all call this section of the city home. In addition to the seeming thousands of residences, small businesses serving this public also can be found sprinkled here and there. The Commons District is known by the locals as the Warrens. This is due to its seemly random avenues and meandering streets. Less than half of the buildings here are stone and those are in need of repair. The rest of the buildings are wood, making this part of the city a severe fire hazard. As such, the Helms strictly enforce laws about carrying open flame in this part of the city.
Market District: The Market District is the section of the city located between the North Market and the Dolphin Market. This district houses a huge variety of permanent shops and the homes of many merchants. Though crowded, the Market District is composed almost entirely of stone and brick buildings and is generally in much better repair than the Commons, Guild and Wharf districts.
University District: A unique area not found in most Sembian cities, the University District is home to Sembian University of Commerce. In addition to the University buildings themselves, many churches, sages and mages make their home and conduct their business and research here. Home to the educated and learned, this area of the city is relatively spacious and well ordered. Some of the oldest stone building (the building material of choice here) in all Sembia can be found in this part of the city. The University District is easily the smallest section of the city and is located east of the North Market.
Guild District: The second largest district of the city, the Guild District is a buffer between the Commons District and the Market and Finance District. The Guild District houses the numerous Guild halls, factories and textile shops of Saerloon. Though many of the supervisors and mid level guildsmen live here, most of the people work in the Guild District live in the neighboring Commons District. Large businesses, factories, warehouses and dominate this portion of the city, though small businesses that serve the needs of the workers and the other businesses can be found here and there. Many of the buildings here are crowded close together and are made predominantly of brick.
Finance District: Considered to be the heart of the city, the Finance District is home to not only most of Saerloon's financial establishments (lending houses, banks, trading & commodity centers, etc.) but also to Saerloon's governmental buildings as well. The buildings here are some of the best in the city.
New City: As the name implies, this section of the city is the most recent and, unlike the other districts, is located outside the city walls (mainly to the north and east of the city). The New City is dominated by the huge Arena Fataluun but is also home to many businesses serving Saerloon's frequent caravans as well as sprawling townhomes that wouldn't fit within the Old City. Most of the building in the New City are wood, the threat of fire spreading to the Old City being minimal.