Port Kir

Port Kir, also known as the the Seacity of Tethyr, was a port city and center of guild activities in the nation. It stood along the Trade Way, between the towns of Mosstone and Zazesspur.

Description
Port Kir was a busy port with harbors being the town's lifeblood. It was significantly smaller, simpler, and impressively utilitarian compared to the bloated and splendorous ports of the southern merchant nations. Port Kir was scented by fish oil, and bigger Tethyrean settlements looked down on the Seacity, despite heavy reliance on fresh and saltfish produced by the port.

A tightly-packed big block of more than a dozen three-story buildings stood past the docks. These were warehouses and guildhalls belonging to many guilds of Port Kir. The biggest warehouse at the front of the block belonged to the Fishermen's and Fishmongers' Guild.

Geography
Port Kir was sheltered from storms and foul weather by the Dragon's Neck and Starspire Peninsulas, to the north and south, respectably. Calm waters of the Firedrake Bay welcomed the town's harbors stretching from the inlet where the town was built. It could hold up to a hundred vessels at a time. The Trade Way was a major trade route that allowed Port Kir to prosper. The road passed the town at the very edge of its borders. The portion of the Trade Way between Mosstone and Port Kir bore the name of Druid's Drive, named after numerous druids that dwelt in the forest along the road. The portion between Pork Kir and Zazesspur was referred to as Prince Piiclar's Road, named after a famed prince of the Strohm Dynasty.

Government
The governing in Port Kir was in the hands of the Guild Council, an assembly of Tethyrean guilds that moved away from the city of Zazesspur, where they lacked political influence, and moved on to Port Kir. There they were able to take control of the government. The takeover was gradual. Guildmasters earned seats on the city council. With time it became known as the Guild Council of Port Kir. With the guilds' control, Port Kir became the main trade power of Tethyr. Only one individual was above the Guild Council – the Lord-Mayor. Circa 1370 DR, the town's Lord-Mayor was Talmon Chonn, a puppet of Lord Paoltor Denaad's.

The rule of the Guild Council was unrestrained by the Queen of Tethyr. She did not stop them from wielding political and trade power; however, she supervised their activities to prevent market manipulation and insider trading. Those who were caught abusing the power of the guilds were arrested and taken to stand trial in front of the Tethyrean magistrate. Those found guilty were fined and barred from guild membership and politics for good.

Trade
Port Kir charged lower port docking fees compared to Zazesspur and Myratma. The average price was a single aenar. Naval businesses were the main industry in Port Kir. Its sailors and fishers were less brash and aggressive than those of Tulmene, and both cities often found themselves locked in bitter, sometimes bloody, rivalries. Numerous fishers, whalers, and shellfish trappers prospered in Port Kir. In the summer, fishing boomed, and the town's population grew drastically with seasonal workers, merchants, and visitors. During that time, Port Kir produced fresh, canned, cured, salted fish and shellfish. Another industry of note was shipbuilding. Lobsters, clams, and shrimp were also fished from the Firedrake Bay and considered a local delicacy. A unique species of star lobster was unique to Port Kir and was exposed to Zazesspur and Calimshan

Defenses
Port Kir and Mosstone shared garrisons and stationed them in Kirgard, the old manor of baron of Kirgrove. The mansion was ruined during the Black Days, but by the late 14 century DR, it was rebuilt and used for military purposes by the two neighboring cities. Guard patrols that secured the Trade Way were financed by Mosstone and Port Kir.

History
During the tumult of the, Lord Hhune-owned Berringer Shipyards constructed a private fleet of reinforced battleships that subsequently secured the neighboring Zazesspur's coastal holdings from pirates.

In the the Reclamation Wars of Tethyr came to an end with Queen Zaranda Star's accession to the throne. Her crowning and blessing ceremony took place in Port Kir on Higharvestide of that year. The Archdruid of the neighboring town of Mosstone, the spiritual center of Tethyr, led the ceremony, and both groups of Tetyreans, coastal folk, as well as forest dwellers, accepted the new Queen as their ruler.

In the, Port Kir sent out a word to attract adventuring troupes with marine experience. Several fishing ships went missing in presumably safe waters to the west from the regular fishing areas. The town's government knew nothing about the disappearances but they knew that pirates were not to blame as there have been no buccaneer attacks on fishing vessels in ages. The culprits was the Split Mast tribe of seafaring orcs that recently claimed a lair on the shores of the Starspire Peninsula.

Sometime before the late 14, famed, or rather infamous, author Volothamp Geddarm became involved in an undisclosed "misunderstanding" resulting in him being barre from entering Port Kir or appearing within the town's patrol distance. This fact prohibited Volo from including Port Kir in his guide books.

As of the late 14 century DR, Lord Paoltor Denaad was plotting the assassination of Kyva Chaammos, his main political rival who earned the respect of the Queen Zaranda Star following the Reclamation Wars. If the murder was successful and untraceable to the treacherous Lord, Chaammos was sure to claim control of Port Kir. This plotting was not the first removal planned by Paoltor Denaad, as he was responsible for Kyva Chaammos' father's mysterious and sudden demise several years earlier. Paoltor inherited the plant to usurp dominance in Port Kir from his late father.

Notable Locations

 * Berringer Shipyards, the biggest business in Port Kir, owned by Lord Hhune in the late 14 century DR.
 * Dusty Throat, a rowdy and dangers tavern that served dockworkers cheap grub and bitter ale.
 * Gilded Dagger, a shabby old tavern used as the important traditional meeting spot for the guilds of Port Kir and visiting guild representatives of Zazesspur.
 * Race, a small dive bar on Firedrake Bay's waterfront, frequented by sailors and smugglers.

Notable Organizations

 * Fishermen's and and Fishmongers' Guild, the guild ran by the Finsire family. As of 1370 DR, the family has been on control of the Fishermen's Guild for several decades, and through the guild, the Finsires had hands in many of the aspects of Port Kir's daily life and governing.
 * Salters' and Packers' Guild, one of many guides in Port Kir that organized workers in the fish-salting industry.
 * Shadow Thieves' Sword Sect operated in Port Kir as well as in Zazesspur, Mosstone, and Wealdath.
 * Shippers' Guild, another guild based in the town's docks.
 * Thieves' Guild, local guild allied with Shippers', Fishermen's, Whalers', Salters', and Packers' guild. Each of the guilds' warehouses hid a concealed entrance to the Thieves' Guild.
 * Unified Shipmasters' Guild, Tethyrean guild that was present in Zazesspur and Port Kir.
 * Whalers' Guild, aptly named guild for whalers.

Notable Individuals

 * Aldegut, an adventurer from Port Kir who uncovered an enchanted sword after visiting the mysterious town of Blacbarn.
 * Havildar Oremmen, a thief from Port Kir who perished in Undermountain before 1358 DR.
 * Kyva Chaammos, the head of a rich salting and packing business owning family who was forced into the role after the death of her father.
 * Lantanna Indull Sarvann, a cleric of Deneir, cartographer and map merchant circa 1370 DR.
 * Myrindas, the Sage of Port Kir and the author of Dragons Ye Should Know published in 1354 DR.
 * Paoltor Denaad, a cleric of Iyachtu Xvim and a scion of a rich fishing and pearl-diving business family circa 1370 DR.
 * Reth Berringer, the alleged owner of Berringer Shipyards circa 1370 DR.
 * Talmon Chonn, also known as "the Walrus". A puppet Lord-Mayor of Port Kir circa 1370 DR.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Bargain &bull; Silver Shadows