Port Llast

Port Llast (formerly Grath's Hold) was a town in the Sword Coast North that stood on the High Road some north of Neverwinter. It was a small town of 700 folk mainly known for its skilled stonecutters and excellent harbor&mdash;a small bay sheltered by a high, rocky spit, with a fine beach and inlet. The port was overlooked by cliffs on which boulder-hurling siege engines were placed. Port Llast was ruled by a First Captain, and was closely allied to Neverwinter (largely for protection from Luskan, who desired a more southerly harbor for its warships).

The harbor was home to a twelve-boat fishing fleet, but two of the ships were in very poor repair. Port Llast's prime land-bound mercantile enterprises were quarries on the coastal headlands just south of the village. Other than harborage or stonecutting, there was little else to recommend it to the traveler, for it was a tense, suspicious place, always expecting treachery or attack from Luskan. In 1356 DR, the town was ruled by First Captain Haeromos Dothwintyl, a retired stonemason.

Defense
Fifty men-at-arms from Neverwinter, bolstered by thirty of the Lords' Alliance troops, aided the fifty-person local militia in guarding the town from brigand raids and the harassment of Luskan. These troops were mainly from Elturel and Baldur's Gate, so that a Luskan attack would risk war with two economically powerful cities. It was rumored that Luskan desired the magnificent harbor as a more southerly base for its warships.

History
In the, Grath's Hold was founded by Grath Erlkar.

By the, the name "Port Llast" came into common usage as the name for the swiftly growing settlement of Grath's Hold. The city became home to thousands of miners and explorers eager to find the mineral wealth of the Savage North.

Port Llast was once of great importance to humans, serving as the capital of the realm of Stornanter. Whenever Illusk would fall to orcs, duergar, or other evil forces, Port Llast would be the Last Port and the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast, but as Neverwinter grew, it became relegated to a backwater settlement of much less import.

In the, Port Llast was assailed and sacked by the orcs of the Severed Hand who devastated the surrounding countryside and brought fire to the nearby woodlands. Much of its population traveled south to Eigersstor and safety.

In the, Port Llast was claimed by the Witch-Queen Laeral as the capitol of her realm of Stornanter. In the, the Kraken Slarkrethel attacked Port Llast and absconded with Stornanter's magical throne of state. In the, the Witch-Queen left Stornanter to travel the planes. Nobles of the realm descended into infighting and Stornanter was dissolved, though Port Llast remained.

In the, the Overwizard Glagorn and other wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood attacked the mage Llomnauvel "Firehands" Oloadhin of Port Llast. Llomnauvel ensured his and their destruction when he worked a mighty magic that hurled down his abode and burned away the lives of all within it.

In the, Port Llast, weakened by the War of Shadows, was occupied by Luskan armies. The huge undead forces, led by ancient spirits of Port Llast founders, tried to reclaim the city. It's not known whose side won the conflict.

After the Spellplague of 1385 DR and the return of parts of Abeir, the transposition of Laerakond changed the tides surrounding Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt in the, and making it effectively useless as a port. This ultimately made Neverwinter an easier harbor to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, many citizens fled the town or died at the hands of marauding bandits and sahuagin raids, leaving only a few stubborn holdouts remaining in residence.

Some time after the War of the Silver Marches of the mid-1480s DR, frost giants raided the town twice, killing any townsfolk who stood their ground.

After decades of decline, both economically and through the loss of large portions of the city to the invading sahuagin, Port Llast enjoyed renewed hope as those areas of the city were retaken in the, with help from Drizzt Do'Urden and companions, as well as an influx of peoples from the northern Neverwinter Wood and the farmland surrounding Luskan.

In the, Port Llast was briefly occupied by Tidescourge Pirates.

In the, a drow raiding party including driders assaulted the city searching for Drizzt Do'Urden. A number of inhabitants were killed and some others were abducted for slaves, including Artemis Entreri, Dahlia Sin'felle, Ambergris, and Afafrenfere. Ultimately Drizzt and the reborn Companions of the Hall succeeded in rescuing the majority of the lost citizens from Q'Xorlarrin.

Notable Locations

 * The Cracked Anvil: Haljal Throndor was the blacksmith who ran this forge. He was quite skilled at all manner of ironmongery. The establishment was easily found by the cracked anvil displayed in front of it.
 * Whaelgund's Wheelrace Wagonworks: Port Llast was home to a competent wagonworks and repair shop run by the stout, jolly Whaelgund, who never stopped talking, laughing, or cracking jokes. His attempts to sing were simply ghastly.
 * The Jack and Saber: The Jack is an average tavern in all respects, from its smoke-filled air to its low-beamed, dark taproom, to its furniture that had seen better days, to its patrons who had also seen better days.
 * The Alliance Arms: The single inn in Port Llast. It was well built, but rather dour&mdash;a no-nonsense place to sleep. Its ever-present mop-and-broom maids were a surprisingly rich source of local information (after a drink or two).
 * Stonecutter's Solace: Later in Port Llast's history, Stonecutter's Solace was the only inn and tavern. It rested along the eastern cliff and was a favored visit of the local townspeople. Drizzt and his surrogate companions stayed at the inn while they cleared the city of sahuagin and helped revitalize the port town.