Mulmaster

Mulmaster, colloquially known as the City of Danger, was an independent city-state found in the Moonsea region of north Faerûn.For much of its history Mulmaster controlled no land beyond its city walls,

"This is Mulmaster, a city of the Moonsea North. Look upon it, and know just how wretched human greed can be. This is a city driven by the lust for power and the greed for gold. Is it not splendid? Is it not matchless?"

- Excerpt from The View From Sember Heights.

Description
Mulmaster was a greedy city, permeated with a feeling of malice and dread. Built within the depression formed by an arc of overbearing peaks, the city's buildings and winding streets to be built on a slant down towards the harbor. The buildings nearest the docks were the most dilapidated and dangerous, full of poverty and rife with crime. Further up towards the city's walls were the more affluent areas of the city, set along the mountainside, imposing their will over the rest of Mulmaster.

Weather
Like other cities in the region, Mulmaster had to endure the harsh and unforgiving climate that permeated the Moonsea, made worse by the freezing gale winds buffeted the city from the Moonsea.

Geography
The city of Mulmaster located in the rugged area west of the Earthspur and Galena Mountains in the eastern part of the Moonsea region as well as the lake after which it was named. The lands surrounding Mulmaster were treacherous to cross and boasted many dangers to its inhabitants. The majority of the land traffic through Mulmaster came from the south, intersecting with Cormanthor, The Vast and the eastern region of the Dragon Reach.

With the exception of Ironfang Keep, there were few settlements near Mulmaster in the eastern Moonsea.

Geographical Features
Deep beneath Mulmaster were a series of dwarven-dug tunnels referred to as the Lost Ways, an area of the ancient realm of Sarphil.

Flora & Fauna
There were no parks, or any other plant life of note within the city's walls.

Government
Governance of Mulmaster was carried out by a ruling council known as the Blades, led by ruling High Blade. Throughout the city's history, the High Blade threatened or otherwise coerced the other members of the council, along with the Mulmasterite nobility into supporting the High Blades goals and wishes. Entrance into the Blades required a confirmation vote by a majority of the council's members.

Law & Order
As of the mid–14 century DR, theives' guilds were permitted to operate within the walls of Mulmaster. Those criminals that began to garner too much renown or accumulated wealth were readily hunted down by agents of the Blades. Despite this fact, or perhaps because of it, crime and lawlessness became pervasive throughout Mulmaster for much the 15 century. (AL1?)

Society
Mulmasterites, or Mulman, as people from the city were known, could perhaps best be described as stubbornly willful, determined to accomplish that to which they set out or give up their life in the process. The were exceptionally competitive, opportunistic, and by and large exhibited one of the finest virtues of those that sought out commercial, industrial and political success in life: patience.

While they strived for success within in their own city, Mulmasterites were particularly antagonistic towards outsiders.

Nobility
Members of the 49 noble houses of Mulmaster were called Zor for men, and Zora for women. The head of a noble house, regardless of gender, was a referred to as Lord. While nobility was acquired through a combination of familial wealth and length of time spent living in the city, each conference had to be approved by a vote behind closed doors, taken by a select few members of the city's most elite citizens.

Politics
While city of Mulmaster was firmly entrenched in the politics of the Moonsea, they were widely distrusted for years due to their apparent unwillingness to hold true to their political treaties.

The city maintained an embassy in the city of Ravens Bluff.

Economy
"This is a city where everybody stiffs everybody else."

- A local tavernmaster on commerce in the city.

Mulmaster suffered from a tremendous gap in wealth inequality. The powerful nobles hoarded nearly all of the city's wealth offering little else to the city's commoners. Despite the disparity, the Mulmaster's nobility as well as its temples each had to a pay a tax of 100 gp. A 10 gp tax was imposed on each sponsored caravan, while ships were levied double that fee. The nearly 100,000 individuals employed by the 10,000 Mulmasterite merchants each paid a 6 sp "head tax" every year to continue to work, lest they no longer have a head with which to be taxed.

Religion
By the late 15 century DR, the church of Bane had become the dominant faith in the city, as its clergy offered their backing to Mulmasterite nobility.

While Mulmaster historically beat down and tormented devotees of the deity Ilmater, the city was one of only a handful in the Realms that tolerated the open worship of Shar.

Festivals & Holidays
In Mulmaster, the festival of Highharvestide was "celebrated" as "he Revel of the Reckoning, the day when each individual paid their taxes to the city. As an act of "gratitude", the High Blade hosted a grand feast for the citizenry, albeit using the funds that were just collected.

Fashion
Mulmasterites tended to wear leggings and breeches made of leather, along with heavy gauntlets, fur-lined cloaks and caps, to combat the frigid weather that permeated the city. On particularly cold winter days, they would wrap their bodies in fur aprons known as maliskers.

Food & Drink
Drinks that warmed the body and dulled the senses were each popular among the Mulmasterite populace, fares including blackbark tea, beer, heated spiced cider, along with fortified wines.

Defenses
The Blades commanded the armed forces, numbering about 6,000 well-trained soldiers circa the mid–14 century DR. These soldiers were recruited from among the Mulmaster's native population, provided with excellent weaponry, training, and given exceptional pay compared to what could be earned by the city's commoners. Unlike those in some other cities, Mulmaster's citizens seldom if-ever grew lackadaisical or complacent.

All the branches of Mulmaster's armed forces were commanded by the city's eight Battlemasters. One each of these generals directed armed patrols outside the city, took command of the state's navy on the Moonsea lake, and oversaw protection of the city's trade caravans and dedicated bodyguards. The Watchmaster of the City served as the head of Mulmaster's city guard, while the Hawkmaster directed the activities of the city's information gathering organization. The final three Battlemasters served as seconds to the more senior of Mulmaster's generals.

When the goals of the High Blade or the rest of the council could not be achieved by means of force, they relied on the secret group known as the Hawks. This clandestine organization comprised a select group of spies, assassins, and saboteurs that traveled all across the Realms to help ascend Mulmaster's standing in the world.

Magic was heavily regulated within Mulmaster, as all native spellcasters of certain power were required to join the city's official mage's guild, the Brotherhood of the Cloak. These mages and other practitioners of the Art were pressed into service as social overseers, using invasive magic to look into the minds of every day citizens to ensure their devotion to the city's ruling powers. Each of the Cloaks, as they were individually known, reported to the Cloak Council, that comprised the Mulmaster's High Blade, two councilors of the Blades, and all members of the Brotherhood of the Cloak deemed to possess power enough to garner such responsibility.

Those that left the organization were named traitors of the state and deemed too much a threat to be allowed to live.

History
"Even when it's quite in Mulmaster, it's not really quiet–ye can hear the sound of everyone who's still awake, plotting. Always plotting."

- Elminster.

Circa the beginning of the 14 century DR, Mulmaster was ruled by a monarch known as Nesker, a sorcerer who died of old age with no apparent heir. The power vacuum created by his death led to the formation of the title High Blade, and all the powers that accompanied therein.

Selfaril Uoumdolphin rose to power in the, when he murdered the Mulmaster's previous ruler and assumed the role for himself. He carried on a tradition of malice and oppression for the next decade and beyond. Some time around the, Selfaril his quest to seek out a suitable bride, in part to form political alliances to strengthen Mulmaster's standings in the Moonsea. At first Selfaril directed his importuning towards the Simbul of Aglarond, but finally accepted her declination when she rained down fireballs upon the Towers of the Blade. After that abject failure, he began to court Dmitra Flass, Tharchioness of Eltabbar and First Princess of Thay.

As Rassendyll Uoumdolphin was married to the Red Wizard Dmitra Flass and the city that once stood as a bulwark against the spread of the Zhentarim struck an alliance with the group they previously opposed, Mulmaster was caught in a power play by both organizations, while receiving the benefits of an alliance with both.

After years of opposition, the city finally joined the Zhentarim,

Notable locations

 * Landmarks:
 * South Road Keep
 * Tower of the Blade, home to the ruling family of Mulmaster, as well as their patriarch Rassendyll.
 * Tower of the Wyvern, the personal residence of the High Blade.


 * Inns & Taverns:
 * Black Blade and Bloody Boar, a rather rowdy establishment with inexpensive but good-quality fare.
 * Flying Bed, the peaceful and tidy inn named after a peculiar prank played by a mage.
 * Leaning Boot, a drafty and poorly-cared for place in the city.
 * Oxpit Tavern
 * Traveller's Cloak, a spacious but rather expensive inn.
 * Windsnug Hearth


 * Temples:
 * Black Lord's Altar, the orthodox Banite temple considered the center of worship for Bane's faithful circa the mid–14 century DR.
 * Gale of Good Fortune, the temple of Tymora run by Lady Naneetha Danchul.
 * High Hall of Swords, a local temple to Tempus, the Lord of Battles.
 * High House of Hurting, the Loviataran house of worship overseen by Whipmistress Milauteera Argauthiir.
 * House Built on Gold, the Mulmasterite temple of Waukeen.
 * House of the Black Lord, a temple of Bane that was constructed in the High Blade's deal of allegiance with Fzoul Chembryl.
 * Tower of Mysteries, the city's holy house of Azuth.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Arglauth Melroryrr, the Sage of Mulmaster.
 * Gulgath, an independent mage and planewalker that was never often found at home in the city.
 * Thiondred Calambar, the elder Hawkmaster.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Parched Sea
 * The Parched Sea