Amruthar

Amruthar, also known as Burning Amruthar, was an independent city of east Faerûn that was located on the Eastern Way within the Thayan tharch of Lapendrar in the 14 century DR. It stood in defiance of High Regent Szass Tam, having previously been a puppet-state of the magocracy for centuries.

"Maligor glanced past the spacious open-air market. The crude wooden stalls were being ritualistically boarded up for the evening to prevent vagrants from sleeping inside, the unsold goods packed onto wagons to be trekked home because the merchants feared to leave them here, wisely trusting no one."

History
During the 10 century, the city of Amruthar was ruled by the powerful Mulhorandi satrap named Sekhotet. When the Red Wizards fought for their independence from Mulhorand in 922 DR, Sekhotet joined their rebellion on the condition he could rule his city by his own will. The Council of Zulkirs honored his wishes to the letter.

The city of Amruthar was devastated by the Spellplague of 1385 DR. The earthquakes that shook Thay split the land beneath the city, forming deep chasms that filled with rivers of lava.

14 century
While it maintained only a small city guard, Amruthar was well-protected by strong stone walls. A vast tent city emerged outside this barrier, the home of the city's foreign laborers and outlander merchants.

The interior of the city appeared significantly less oppressive than the other vast cities of Thay. It boasted spacious streets and a vast, vibrant central market full of vendors and other attractions. There were a number of well-kept public parks available for the pleasure of the Amrutharan citizens, all paid for by the city's ruling heirarch.

During Time of Troubles there was a magical artifact operating within the depths of Amruthar that granted great power to those pledged to the Red Wizards. By the end of that crisis the device was either deactivated, stolen, or destroyed.

15 century
Burning Amruthar, as the city came to be known, was largely in ruin.

Government
In truth, the pleasant facade was established to hide the city's true nature. Amruthar's ruler, along with the rest of its aristocracy, received personal payments from Thay for their complacent administration. In return, the hierarch offered a tribute to Thay by diverting a significant share of the city's income. While the arrangement benefited the already-wealthy nobles the rest of the citizens were left out.

Because of Amruthar's true nature as a puppet-state, three political factions emerged and began vying for control of the city. The Realists wished to depose the corrupt Heirarch and form a new but similar agreement with the Red Wizards, the Independents wished to make Amruthar a truly free city-state, and the Westerners wished to join the nearby nation of Aglarond. Affiliation with either of the two latter organizations was considered a severe crime against Thay. Those who openly claimed ties with them outright disappeared.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Maligor: One of the few Red Wizards who openly opposed Szass Tam was also the only member that lived within the city.

Notable Locations
Maligor's tower was located just outside the western edge of Amruthar, with its shadows hitting the city's closing gate at dusk. The tower was built strategically overseeing the business district as well as the two-story inn used by his extensive network of informants.

The open-air market was spacious, mostly covered in crude wooden stalls. The merchants offered various goods like exotic fruits, local vegetables, local and imported cloth, jewelry and trinkets. Often, a couple of slave dealers could be found in the market, avoiding taxes and contradicting merchant guild’s orders that slaves were to be held in the stockyards.