Mouth o' Gargoyles

Mouth o' Gargoyles was a village in the King's Forest in Cormyr, situated on the Starwater Road (where it crossed Starwater River) between Dhedluk to the northwest and Immersea to the east.

History
The village's name originated with a long-dead wizard who lived in a cave on the site. He used gargoyles to launch raids at night against river cargoes and against travelers who camped in the area. Eventually, other wizards were hired to get rid of the winged terrors and their master. The magical battle that followed destroyed the cave, which was previously known as the Mouth of the Gargoyles, and only its name lived on.

That titanic battle also caused an area of wild magic to manifest where the village later sat. This eldritch curse made the entire place extremely unpredictable for the use of magic, whether through spells or the activation of magic items (but not the mere presence of them). The use of such powers usually resulted in all kinds of strange, random, often harmful effects. This led to a permanent ban on the use of magic within the village by order of the Crown.

Government
Signs were posted throughout Mouth o' Gargoyles for everyone to see, clearly stating that using magic was against Crown law because of the dangers. Violators were typically imprisoned for a tenday and had their carried goods confiscated. Guilty adventurers had their charters revoked, or suspended for at least a month. Those who could prove their use of magic was purely accidental (which was difficult) received lighter sentences.

War Wizards and officers of the Crown were not bound by this law, but they had their own strict policies about breaking it.

Trade
Professional trades engaged in by the villagers included woodcarving, furniture-making, and the production of oils (oilmakers were known as "lighters"). The lighters pumped natural oil from deep fissures near the site of the destroyed cave. The danger of this was that once in a while a fireball or a jet of flame would burst from the earth and hurl the lighter into the air. There was also a bad smell around the rocks that made many people sick. One type of oil produced and sold by the lighters was amberglow. This was used as a lubricant and to prevent blades from rusting.

Notable Locations

 * Bendagar's Barrels:
 * In this large former barn, the shopowner Bendagar and his team of workers made and sold barrels of all sizes, small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand, or large enough to contain a full-grown horse. Never seen without a pipe and a tankard of ale, Bendagar was described as looking rather like a barrel himself and enjoyed gossiping about Cormyrean politics and the nobility. His fair prices meant that merchants could afford to buy his products in bulk.


 * Thaelin's Finework:
 * This shop was owned by Thaelin Althor, a seven-feet-tall retired warrior from Chessenta who made and sold exquisitely crafted boxes and coffers of ornamental design. A pair of crossed two-handed swords were mounted on his wall, and it was said that he used those swords to slay seventeen orcs when they came out of the forest to raid the village. Apparently, the raiders knew that they would not be fought with magic but made the fatal assumption that the village could not be defended.


 * The Gargoyle's Perch:
 * This roadhouse inn was run by twelve friends who also hired themselves out as escorts. It had a good selection of ales and stouts, but that was the best that could be said about it. The wine selection was poor, as was the food, and the rooms were dimly lit and rarely cleaned.

Rumors and Legends
One mystery that plagued Mouth o' Gargoyles was the strange disappearances of villagers throughout the years. Some believed they went through magical gates that formed as a result of wild magic. Others speculated that a mad wizard had kidnapped them, or they were taken by drow raiders.