Selgaunt

Selgaunt, formerly known as Chancelgaunt, was a large merchant port on the Sea of Fallen Stars and the capital of the nation of Sembia following the destruction of Ordulin in the late 14 century DR.

Description
The city earned its newer name following the death of the great Sembian merchant-king Selgar, who had been interred beneath an ornate sepulcher within the city.

Selgaunt's most notable feature was its memorable buildings design and intricately decorated homes. The city was teeming with grand beautiful mansions surrounded in parks, topiaries, statuary, decorative pools, and a vite variety of complex fountains. The crown jewel of the city was the Palace of the Hulorn with its numerous spires seen from afar. The Hunting Garden was the Hulorn's privated enclosed wildlife preserve. It was only acessible to the Hulorn, the royal family, and guests of the palace.

The city had sveral chaotically scattered districts, some of which were quite unremarkable warehouse zones like the Warehouse District to the city's south-east. . The Foreign District was the area dominated by warehouses and taverns frequented by merchants and adventurers. It was well-patrolled by the Scepters of Selgaunt. The Oxblood Quarter, a district two blocks away from Selgaunt's western gate. In 1300s DR, wealthier districts of Selgaunt, like in other major cities of Faerûn, started constructing tallhouse buildings. These tall and narrow tenements shared walls with adjacent structures and housed a great number of households. Often, these tallhouses were owned by a single person each floor rented out separarely.

One notable feature that greeted travelers entering Selgaunt throught the northern Klaroun Gate was the spacious High Bridge over the Arkhen River. The bridge itself had homes, buidings, a tavern, and a fishmarket, tigtly built on both sides with Galgorgar's Ride separating both rows of houses. Galgorgar's Ride stretched from the gatehouse to the Rauthauvyr's Road that led to Ordulin.

Geography
Selgaunt was built at the mouth of Arkhen River, which emptied into the Inner Sea, sometimes referrred to as the "Selgaunt Bay" by uneducated indicituals. Just several miles east from the city laid the beaches of Selgaunt. These stretches of ugly and scraggly coast were unfit for farming, unappealing to the eye, and the only notable thing about them were small fishries and docks. The actual coastline in the city was not much different in appearace.

Flora & Fauna
The waters of the so-called "Selgaunt Bay" were commoly saw schools of dolphins but also held at least three kuo-toa majoir lairs and sahuagin attacks often menaced the coastal stretch to the south of the city. Sharks were yet another aquatic danger of the "Selgaunt Bay". Among more mundage fish found by fishers of Selgaunt were raiks, huge and agressive creatures, as well as equally big mottled sidi octopi.

Sandy shores near Selgaunt were also home to a deadly and venomous species of an awuatic beach snake that hid in the tidal pools after tides receded. This creature was unique to the "Selgaunt Bay". The waters of the Arkhen River were a home to agressive water weirds.

The skilines and wizardly laboratories of Selgaunt were momes to rare magical creatures known as guardgoyles who served the city's many arcane spellcasters.

Government
For many years, until the late 14 century, Selgaunt was led by a hereditary merchant-prince known as the Hulorn. However, in the, other factions held the real power. These included the Knights of Selgaunt, who answered to the authorities in the capital city of Ordulin, and the influential and independent local noble merchant houses.

The power in the 14 century DR was in the hands of the Hulorn and the Old Chauncel, the old nobility of Selgaunt. In the 15 century DR, the position was renamed to the Chief Administrator of Sembia, the Lord High Governor, while the true power was held by the Netherese overlords until the Second Sundering.

Trade
A new fad emerged in 1367 DR. A sweet milky alcoholic bevarage known as Selgite ice wine, or simly "ice wine" becan being sold by Ghalivar Braceltar. The wine quickly gained popularity across Sembia and captured tastes of people from across the Sea of Fallen Stars. During the same time, Selgites wer attempting to crack the recipe for the unique kuo-toa glue, used on the fish-folk's shields. The attempts were only half-sucesesful. The glue's adhesive qualities and strength were on par with the kuo-toan substance, however it quickly dried out and became useless. This kuo-toa glue imitation foun use as a severe restraining method for especially rowdy prisoners.

Locaaly-crafted musical instruments were one of the main expots of Selgaunt. Instruments such as violins, rebecs, harpsichords, psalteries and silver harps were sold across the Realms via Aurora's Emporium. Aurora also sold soaps and black raisins from Selgaunt.

Currency
Cut gemstones were a preferred magor alternative currency among merchants and traders of Selgaunt. The main advantage of using gems as currency was the ease of transportation and guarding, compared to that of coin. Due to that, a sizable black market developed in Selgaunt that dealth in cutting, setting, and reselling stolen precious stone.

Society
Possibly the wealthiest city on all of Sembia, Selgaunt was an exciting metropolis that featured the high fashions, pageantry and brashness that was so often found in the Eastern Heartlands. The Selgauntans viewed themselves as the epicenter of sophistication, and saw their city as the heart of civilization in all the planes of existence.

Culture
Selgaunt had a rich and active community of artists, dancers, and musicians. New performances of plays, highlighted by choreographed dances and choral arrangements were regularly put on within the city. Paintings, sculptures, carved statues were readily available throughout the city, were highly prized and often exported in trade with other cities.

Music was especially prevalent throughout the city, as most Selgauntans could artfully sing and whistle complex melodies. Live performances could often be found in taverns, inns and the houses of noble families. Glaurs, zulkoons and thelarrs were popular instruments during the mid-14 century.

Cuisine
Selgauntans, especially the rich and noble, were quite fond of imported wines, such as Berduskan Dark and Arabellan Dry. Domesticated fowl was a part of local food culture, luxurious dishes such as nut-roasted goose were served at the nobles' social events. Foods, fried in red pepper oil, were quite common. Fruit like sunmelon and grape were consumed as well. Grapes were dried into raisins, while sunmelon rind was a food found in taverns and served along with many other small bite-sized treats. As for those with a sweet tooth, Selgaunt was faomus for its candy. Unlike more subtle sweetmeats from Shou Lung, Selgauntan candy was overwhelming in flavor.

Selgauntans cookery had one curious quirk. The term "dice" was used to describe a uniform shape and quantity of butter, while it was referred to kitchen knifework in other part of the world. Dice meant a cube of butter of the same shape and side as the gaming dice. To accomodate this measurment system, most butterm sold in Selgaunt was packaged in long fingers, pre-maarked for the ease of measuring and cutting.

Relations
The citizens of Selgaunt saw those from the Sword Coast in the west, northerners from the Dalelands and North Faerûn and those southern-folk from the Dragon Coast down to the Lands of Intrigue as filthy, barbarous savages. They thought worse of the people of Calimshan, as they were pretentious on top of everything else. They saw the kingdom of Cormyr as adorable country bumpkins who, despite their "royal" family, lacked proper breeding and sophistication.

They even looked down on the other cities of Sembia as disadvantaged, depressing collectives; Ordulin was unfortunately insignificant, full of small-time merchants who were too busy counting their meager coins and Saerloon was a tired, apathetic city that was well past its prime.

Defenses
The combined city guard/armed forces were known as Scepters. They were 9,000 strong during the mid-14 century and maintained a strong fleet of three dozen ships.

History
Long before Selgaunt's lands were settled, the devistating destruction of three Netherese conclaves took place in -1660 DR. The explosions formed what would eventually be known as the "Selgaunt Bay".

The cities of Chondathan (Saerloon) and Chancelgaunt (Selgaunt) were established circa 380s DR by traders and merchants of Chondath. The first major threat to Chondathan and Chancelgaunt came in the, when the defneses of both settlments were crumbling under constant assault by orc and goblin tribes. Without help, the cities were sure to be destroyed. Chondath commited sent almost the half of its armed forces to fortify the cities and secure the fledgling country's territories. The region was secured, however the raids and conflicts with the savage humanoids continued for the next 15 years.

Following the disastrous Rotting War of the, cities of Chondathan and Chancelgaunt gained independance from Chondath. The country of Sembia was born in the and the city of Chancelgaunt was renamed to Selgaunt, honoring the prolific merchant-king Selgar. The same year, the Cult of the Dragon established a cell in Selgaunt.

Sometime befroe 1281 DR, a covert was erupted between the criminal underbelleis of Selgaunt and Westgate. The conflict was sparked by a hin thief Deder Seven Fingers who was trying to recoved his stolen treasure - The Salamander's Tongue. In the process, Deder and his Westgate allies culled a number of rogues of Selgaunt. In retaliation, Selgite crimelords hired Pieter the Feeble, a priest of Mask, who, in turn, succumbed to avarice, stole The Salamander's Tongue and manupulated both cities' crimelords into all-out war.

In the, pirate leader Methlas was assassinated by his lieutenant Thevren, who and sent his fleet of 40 ships to attack Saerloon and Selgaunt. The attacks were startling successes for the pirate fleet.

In the, the adventuring Company of the Black Buckler ventured into the ruins of Myth Drannor on behest of a ring of anonomous investors in Selgaunt. The Company was never seen after.

In Ches of the, Captain's Strauph Omerehellin's trade caravel from Selgaunt, the Ratclaw, disappeared while traveling to Hillsfar. The ship carried southern dates, nuts and olive oil. The reason for its deisapearace was never uncovered, however some blamed pirates, ice, or even more outlandish culprits. Selgaunt was rumored to prepare a search fleet headed for the Pirate Isles. In Eleasis of the same year, gemstone smuggled out of Cormyrean mies in the High Horn surfaced in several cities, including Selgaunt.

A strange incident happened in the. A legendary artifact - the Mask of Mysteries, started appearing in Selgaunt 9 years prior, worn by a mysterious individual only known as the Masked Lady during evening noble balls and revelries. Even though the identiry of the Lady was unknown it was quite obviosu that that Mask was in the hands of one of the noble families of Selgaunt. The incident occured when a trief attempted to take Masked Lady's jewwelry and Mask. The moment the thief removed the artifact, the Lady's face discharged a wriggling cluster of tentacles, similar to those of a mind flayer. The main difference being the lady's tentacles were gray and ended in terrifying teethed maws. The aberrant creature ate the unfortunate thief's face and hands and after becoming a pin cussion for guards' arrows, the Lady fled into the nigtht along with the Mask of Mysteries.

At some point before 1367 DR, a rich and powerful wizard Osper Linthalam used his staff of power to incinerate a pirate ship in the docks of Selgaunt. The pirates were attempting to raid the merchant's warehouse at the same time as he was invetorizing his goods. The impresive display of wizardly powers was well remembered by the Selgites.

In the, a notorious thief Polly Thax infiltrated the Palace of the Hulorn's exhibition hall in the guise of a cleaning girl. Andeth Ilchammer, the Hulorn of the time caught Polly but the thief used her feminine wiles to gain acess to the Eyes of the Sea Queen, thow priceless pearls the size of oranges. While the aging ruler was busy fondling her underskirts, Polly Thax used her trusty blackjack to knock Andeth Ilchammer out and get away with the treasures. The rogue reached her ship in Selgaunt's harbour and shortly after departing, one of the guard's heavy vessels gave chase. Unpeknowst to most, Toril was under the unruly effects of the goddessess Tymora and Beshaba's powers going wild. Sparked by Beshaba's ill luck, a giant wave swelled in the Sea of Fallen Stars and crashed into Selgaunt's harbor, tossing the pursing vessel along with other ships into the streets of the city. The wall of water crushed many of he dockside buildings and parts of the city harbours were washed into te sea. The second tidal wave, even bigger than the secons one, swalloved Polly Thax's ship and crashed into the shores two miles south of Selgaunt. There were no survivors.

The saw a concerning rise of Eyeless Mask abductions in cities of Saerloon and [elgaunt. The shadowy organization was raising funds to expand into Daerlun. One of the Eyeless Mask's victims was a Blanchard Wyvernwalk who was murdered during a botched abduction attempt. Some of the noble families Selgaunt who monetarily supported the Cult of the Dragons demanded protection and retaliation from their clandestine allies. In Mirtul of the same year the aquatic elf cities of of Selu'Maraar and Naramyr establised thare routhes with Suzail of Cormyr and Selgaunt of Sembia. Later in 1370 DR, Thay was allowed to establised an enclave in Selgaunt.

On Kythorn 20 of the, Thamalon Uskevren II was elected Hulorn of Selgaunt. By Uktar 11 of the same year, unrest in Sembia brough warriness of looming civil war. Threatened by such prospect, Selgaunt entered an alliance and trade pacts with a lost Netherese enclave of Sakkors emerged from the Sea of Fallen Stars earlier in the month, on Uktar 2. On Uktar 29, Saerloon used teleportation circles to transport its armies to the gates of Selgaunt and on Uktar 30, the Battle of Selgaunt commenced. Even though Saerloon was allied with a green dragon Vendemniharan, Selgaunt emerged victorious with the aid of Princes of Shade — Rivalen and Brennus Tanthul. The armies of Saerloon were broken and captured.

For the century that followed, Thamalon Uskevren II ramained the Hulorn, his position was officially renamed to the chief administrator of Sembia, the Lord High Governor and his body transformed into a shade. The country was in an unstable state, plagued by demon cults and resistance cells that opposed the Princes of Shade. However, resistance was mostly squashed by the Netherese by, even though the alliance came to an end with Sakkors's destruction during the Second Sundering.

Rumors & Legends

 * The tomb of Selgaunt's namesake, the great Sembian merchant-king Selgar, was rumored to hold unspeakable treasues, burried alongside the famed leader. Even though the treasure remained a mystery, it was known for sure the tomb was filled with deadly traps and guardins that killed several ambitious thives over the course of the city's history.
 * It was rumored that malaugrym named Orglym murdered and consumed an importnat merchant Ostil of Selgaunt. The creature was said to have assumed the merchant's identity.
 * In the 15 century DR, rumors placed the Fringe Grounds sraight underneath the cuty of Selgaunt. The cavern was used by the Netherese shadow caravans. The magics were channeled through rune-carved elemental earth nodes, allowing the caravans to travel to the Shadowfell. Other rumors clamed the Fringe Grounds were hidden withing the Ordulin Maelstrom, or some valley in the Thunder Peaks.

Landmarks

 * Palace of the Hulorn, the seat of power in Selgaunt.
 * Hunting Garden, a walled up private plot of wildwoods adjacent to the Palace, used by the Hulorn as the private hunting ground, stocked with mundane game and dangerous magical beasts.

Taverns & Inns

 * The Black Stag, a small and dark establishment favored by the more unsavory residents of Selgaunt.
 * Green Gauntlet, a cheap inn located on the northern end of the city's docks.
 * Outlook Inn, a clean and moderatley-priced inn built in the 14 century DR.
 * Silver Lion, located deep in the Foreign District, at the intersection of Veset Street and Colls Way. Mostly frequented by merchants, drovers and caravan guards, it was infamous for the beef stew they served.

Shops & Mrchants

 * Boldnose Locks & Finework, a humble metalwork and lockmith shop on the Duskvale Street, ran by Oelin Boldnose circa 1367 DR.
 * Sheathed Dagger Coster, a trading coaster that moved between Selgaunt and the Dalelands.

Temples & Shrines

 * Firehair's House, the holy house of Sune that was served by Aumraeya Ulmdrin and over two dozen priestesses as of mid-to-late-14 century DR.
 * Hallowed House of Higher Achievement, a notable temple of Deneir, located on the Avenue of the Temples.
 * House of Song, the temple on Dunsar's Lane dedicated to the Lord of Song Milil. This church was led by High Songmaster Ansril Ammhaddan as of mid-to-late-14 century DR.
 * Palace of Holy Festivals, a large temple of Lliira overseen by High Revelmistress Chlanna Asjros in the late-14 century DR and considered to be the philosophical center of the Church of Lliira.
 * Sanctum of the Scroll, a temple of Oghma with a large library of magical scrolls, some of which were offered for sale on occasion.
 * Temple of Istishia, a minor temple to the Water Lord.
 * Temple of Shar, built sometime before the 15 century DR, this building was the largest Sharran temple in all of Netheril-controlled Sembia. It was a symbol of the rule of the Netherese overlords.
 * In additional to big centers of worship, the city had minor shrines to Lathander, Tymora, and Waukeen.

Residences

 * Stormweather Towers, the manor of the House Uskevren.
 * Sarntrumpet Towers, the manor of the Soargyl family.
 * Whitebirch Manor, the manor of House Isterin.

Notable Organizations

 * Eyeless Mask, one of the two major thieves' groups in the city. Mask's goal was enslavement or destruction of all wizards, clerics, and nobility.
 * Guardians of the Weave, an organization of goodly spellcasters that opposed evil wizards and their abuse of the weave.
 * Harpers had several agents active in the city in the late-14 century DR, mamely Orsar Foxwind and Oelin Boldnose.
 * Moonstars, the organization maintained presence in Selgaunt via sage Deior Rasthavin in the late-14 century DR.
 * Night Knives, a prominent indipendant thieves' guild.
 * Red Wizards of Thay had the leader of covert operations, Naglatha, in the city under the quise of a simpe antique dealer until her fall from grace in 1373 DR.
 * Six Coffers Market Priakos, a wealthy merchant organization based out of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Priapurl, and Selgaunt. In the mid-14 centry DR Ultramm helmed the Selgaunt's branch.
 * Zhentarim, the Black Network had presense and maintained influence in Selgaunt and wider Sembia.

Notable Adventuring Companies

 * Bold Bravos, a reckless adventuring troupe that helmed as assault on the Wyvernfang circa 1360 DR.
 * Golden Griffon Eyes, an all-female adventuring company that was hired by the Crown of Cormyr in 1341 DR.
 * The Hunt, an adventuring group that was based out of Selgaunt with regular forays into Sembia, Cormyr, the Dalelands, and the Moonsea regions, actinve in the 14 century DR.
 * Stray Thoughts, a Sembian adventuring company of psionically gifted individuals, led by Jacenelle Traen in the late-14 century DR.

Notable Individuals

 * Askarran, a Master Sage of Selgaunt circa 1362 DR.
 * Chaspra, a manipulative and ambitious wizard who played with politics and men's hearts in the late-14 century DR.
 * Garth the Gimble, a well-connected rogue, active circa 1358 DR.
 * Nalabar of Selgaunt, a traveling minstrel, active in the late-14 century DR.
 * Naglatha, a businesswoman, a spymaster, and a ranking member of the sisnter Red Wizards of Thay in the late-14 century DR.
 * Narve Dwarfkin, a renowned dwarven adventurer in the late-14 century DR.
 * Flame, a mysterious thief and arsonist circa 1358 DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Murder in Baldur's Gate
 * Novels
 * Tymora's Luck &bull; The Halls of Stormweather &bull; Shadow's Witness &bull; The Shattered Mask &bull; Black Wolf &bull; Heirs of Prophecy &bull; Sands of the Soul &bull; Lord of Stormweather &bull; The Crimson Gold
 * Plague of Spells
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate &bull; Icewind Dale
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate &bull; Icewind Dale
 * Baldur's Gate &bull; Icewind Dale