Ravens Bluff

Ravens Bluff was a port city, located on the Fire River on the eastern coast of the Dragon Reach, in the northern region known as the Vast. Home to great many adventurers and merchants, the citizens of Raven's Bluff came from all across Faerûn and represented just about every race from civilized lands. As diverse as its populace, the interests of the city wavered between the mercantile Sembia to the south, Mulmaster in the north and was shaped by power groups such as the Zhentarim the Red Wizards of Thay and the Lords of Westgate.

Society
In the late 14 century DR, Ravens Bluff was a rapidly-growing, young city, rife with opportunities for adventure to be had and gold to be made. A beacon of civilization in an uncivilized land, it appealed to nobles of the court just as much as to frontiers folk looking for a new start or a new life. It was an adventurer's dream.

Reputation, fame and prestige were driving forces in the city of Ravens Bluff.

Education
The level of education varied greatly amongst the citizens of Ravens Bluff. Very few of the poorer Ravenians were literate, their children received nothing in the way of a real education, and were offered few opportunities, except to learn the family trade or craft. On some rare occasions, families of little means could save, and pool their meager earnings together to see one fortunate child off to apprentice under a merchant or artisan. More commonly however, these children would eventually seek the adventuring life to improve their lot in the world.

Families of some means would being educate their children's education at the age of eight years, either at home by means of personal tutors at home, or by instructors at the family's local temple of their faith (an opportunity afforded to them by the city's Clerical Cirle). Subjects of learning included reading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, and the fundamentals of the Faerûnian pantheon. After the age of twelve, young men and women would begin their apprenticeships in trades related to the family business, or those of close allies. To those affluent Ravenian youth who demonstrated an aptitude for the arcane arts, the wizards guild was open to apprentices whose families could afford the tuition.

Magic
Arcane magic was a almost a part of daily life in the Bluff, as, for seemingly unknown reasons, it attracted a great many travelers who were sensitive to magical energies. During the late 14 century, some spellcasters born in the city began to demonstrate a magnificent ability to release blasts of arcane energy during times of great stress. This feat, which bathed them in a green and white, flame-like aura, came to be known as wildfire by the local guild wizards. Some believed this phenomenon to an effect of the mythal created around a drow stronghold, built under the mouth of the Fire River, thousands of years before the dwarves of Sarbreen.

Recreation
Locally favorite recreations in the Bluff included spectating, and gambling on, dog, horse and even river boat racing. If the weather were inclement, or someone just preferred the indoors, games of dice, cards and chess could be found in any local tavern. Ravenians could see a local production at the playhouse, or, if they were so cultured, take in a performance at the opera house. Although for the aristocratic Ravenians, the ultimate leisure activity were the almost-nightly revels hosted by the city's noble families, during "the season" surrounding Midsummer. To be invited to a revel thrown by a noble family on even one occasion signified that someone had socially "arrived" among the wealthy and noble.

Regardless of class, the most celebrated joy within the city was traveling circus locally-known as "Mooney's Menagerie". They were the pride of the city, and called it home during the winter months, when not touring the Heartlands.

Outside the city, hunting and riding were popular pastimes among the Ravenians who could afford at least some time off from work and obligations of life. A favorite mounted hide-and-seek game, "Riding down the maiden", involved a few mounted riders seeking out a lady on horseback, who had been given a head start. The search and chase would end around nightfall in a celebratory revel.


 * Game of Masks:

Religion
Ravens Bluff was open and welcoming of most faiths found throughout Faerûn so long as their devotees didn't break the law, or interfere with commerce. Citizens were expected to honor the deities of the "civic religion" of Ravens Bluff, those powers that would ensure continued health and prosperity within the city, in addition to their personal or family's beliefs. These deities of the civic religion included Chauntea, Gond, Helm, Lathander, Mystra, Selûne, Tempus, Tymora, Tyr and Waukeen. The city government sponsored civic temples to these gods, and offered their local churches tax exemption and exorbitant gifts to demonstrate their divine devotion.

The city had a number of holy houses dedicated to faiths outside of the civic religion, such as the True Temple of the Dead, a temple of Kelemovr in the city's graveyard, or the House of Darkness, a merchant house operated exclusively by worshipers of Sharess.

Clerical Circle
The Clerical Circle, a council comprised of a representative from each of the 10 civic temples, acted to keep a balanced and peaceful balance between the faiths of the collective civic religion. They advocated for their collective faiths, administered punishment to criminal clergy members (by means of the Ecclesiastical Court) and oversaw construction of temples within the city, as well as those erected within a days travel outside its walls. Meetings of the circle were led by the Chief Prelate, who were elected from among circle representatives, whose appointment fell to each individual civic church.

Law and order
The ownership and sale of slaves was always illegal in Ravens, though strict enforcement of the laws only began around the year 1340 DR.

Smuggling and thievery, particularly burglary, were the most common crimes that troubled the Ravens Bluff. Though the thieves guild, known as the Four Ravens was largely put down in the mid-1300's, there were a fair number of independent, if largely unorganized, night-prowling thieves.

City Watch

 * City Guard:
 * Nightwatch:

Economy
Unlike many cities of Faerun that primarily gathered or produced goods to sell, such as the timber and farming hamlets in the Dalelands, or gem and iron-mining fortresses in the Sword Coast North, Ravens bluff had a thriving, serviced-based economy. The great number of adventurers and travelers in the city could spend their hard-earned coin by hiring scribes, couriers, guards, escorts, messengers or any other skilled individual. Failing something so productive, there were a great number of hucksters, peddlers and courtesans, in the city's many taverns, festhalls and curios ships, eager to whisk their money away.

Farming, fishing and hunting
Outside the walls of Ravens Bluff were vast farmlands stretching out eastward. While they may not have been as well-off as Ravenians within the city's walls, they were well-enough taken care of to stay content, and produce enough low-cost food for their city-folk brethren. Although much of the farmlands were ravaged in the war of 1370 DR, a large influx of halfling settlers from the south prevented the collapse of local agriculture.

Slavery
While the keeping or sale of slaves was illegal within the city, some unscrupulous Sembian merchants and pirates found ways to circumvent the law. They would sell exotic pets, such as albino peacocks and tailless sundcats, to Ravenian lords or wealthy merchants, along with "a keeper" who was in fact a slave. This practice was forcefully put to a stop by Mayor O'Kane in the first years of his tenure, with strict enforcement of anti-slavery laws by the city's paladins of Tyr and an official decree that anyone considered a slave would be granted indentured servitude in accordance with the house they served, and credited for the time they had already spent in bondage.

Trade
Almost everyone that lived in the city was able to find work, of one kind or another. Individual laborers, craftspeople and shopkeepers held a great number of small businesses, linked together by the city's numerous guilds. Large trade consortiums managed the laborious task of managing goods in and out of the city, which formed the basis for the Ravenian economy.

Inhabitants
The demographics of Ravens bluff varied greatly. While the poor lived in rundown buildings, tents or even alleys in the Crow's End Disctrict on the shores of the Fire River, merchants and craftspeople tended to live in the south side of the city, while the wealthy Lords and nobles enjoyed vast mansions and sprawling estates uptown.

More so than the city's nobles, or its merchant class, adventurers were the most profound population group in Ravens Bluff. Popular opinion regarding those who undertook the adventuring profession ranged from foolhardy explorers to outright dangerous liabilities.

Population
Ravens bluff was populated in large part by travelers, wanderers and vagabonds. In the year 1350 DR, the population was around 17,000 with about 3,000 of them being adventurers. The city exploded in growth over the next two decades. By 1370 DR, the year-round population of Ravenian citizens was around 30,000, with another 10,000 if all the foreign passers-by were taken into account. Almost 2,500 of them took up the adventuring life.

Nobility
The nobility of Ravens Bluff were the pinnacle of society and class. Members of long-standing noble families were granted a certain type of respect that even the most celebrated adventurer, or newly-rich merchant prince, could never attain. There were five titles of nobility, in ascending order they were:

Knight/Ladyknight - addressed as "Sir"/"Maer" Calagard/Calagarth - addressed as "High Sir"/"High Maer" Baron/Baroness - addressed as "Urgave"/"Urgrava" Exalted - addressed as "Saer"/Saeress Lord/Lady - addressed as the same
 * Titles:

Lords
Lords of Ravens Bluff were entitled to a seat on the city's Advisory Council and received a number of other perks in accordance with their title. Among these were:
 * Rights at first bid for certain civic appointments
 * 10% reduction in annual property taxes
 * The right to raise a personal guard of up to 20 men-at-arms
 * "First immunity" to crimes of which they were convicted

Knightly Orders
Knighthoods of Ravens Bluff were fairly common, being granted upon its citizens by the Knights Council for a myriad of reasons. Historically, they were bestowed upon nobles as a means to help regulate the city's adventurers, and prevent them from becoming a martial force unto themselves. They were also a sign of honor, given to show respect for nobles who had just about everything they could want in life. The orders existed in a hierarchy of five tiers, with the Raven Nights in the top tier, followed by the religious orders, secular orders, initiate order and the knights of individual noble houses.


 * Lords Knights:
 * A collective of the various "civilian orders" of knights, belonging to the various noble houses of Ravens Bluff.


 * Knights of the Golden Rooster:
 * This order of initiate knights drew its members from the nobles and adventurers of the city who were deserving of some recognition for their deeds.


 * Knights of the Dove:
 * More diplomatic than the other secular orders of Ravens Bluff, these knights focused their efforts on information-gathering and uplifting city morale during peaceful times and served as combat healers when conflicts arose.


 * Knights of the Hawk:
 * An order of vigilant and discreet protectors who would rally to the city's defense in a moment's notice.


 * Knights of the Griffon:
 * This martially-focused fraternity served as stalwart defenders of Ravens Bluff and were assigned to the city's military during times of war.


 * Pillars of the Realms:
 * A non-denominational order that protected the citizens' religious freedoms within Ravens Bluff.


 * Right Hand of Tyr:
 * These Tyrran knights were devoted to administering justice and routing out evil of all types from Ravens Bluff.


 * Knights of the Phoenix:
 * Divine knights who kept the city safe from undead an extra-planar creatures.


 * Keepers of the Mystic Flame:
 * Knights who dedicated their lives to regulating the use of magic within the city's walls.


 * Raven Knights:
 * This order of knights served as the city's ultimate protectors, commanding the Ravenian military and making decisions that would shape the future of the city-state.

Others

 * Cult of the Raven:
 * A group of predominantly young noblewomen who venerated the spirit of "the Raven", a lifeforce they believed drew its power from the magic-rich region of the city.


 * Four Ravens:
 * This "thieves guild" never acted, or even existed, with enough tangibility to be known throughout the city as more than a myth, or legend from decades past. It may or may not exist, or have ever existed.


 * Mark of the Wolf:


 * Silver Sheaf:


 * Viper Ring:

History
The settlement that would come to be known as Ravens Bluff began in 1222 DR, as a small collective of mercenaries and homesteader families from Murann, the Vilhon Reach and the Sea of Fallen Stars sought a fertile land that was free from dangers like orcs and barbarians. They settled at the mouth of the Fire River, and set up well-defended farms and homesteads that survived long enough to attract other colonists. By 1226 DR over a dozen families had joined the DeVillar and Moorland clans in the community, and the inn called Luker's Ravensgate was built as the fledgling town's centerpiece.

Ravens Bluff grew in size and population over the next half-century and, by the late 13 century, began to attract the wrath of pirates from the Sea of Fallen Stars. In 1293 DR, the farmers around the Bluff demanded protection from the city's self-appointed lords. Together, along with an influx of merchants from the south, the Ravenaar brought in bands of mercenaries and trained their citizens to take up arms in defense. In 1304 DR, a city-wide initiative of construction and investment in infrastructure was undertaken. The ruins of Sarbreen were converted into a city-wide sewer system and massive walls were erected around the warehouses and grand estate houses built along the coast.

Although the city continued to thrive, monster attacks surged in frequency and intensity over the next few decades, to the point where sea-trade began to be affected. Foreign traders looked to the cities of Tantras and Procampur over Ravens Bluff and the city's lords and merchants saw their income of gold starkly decline. In 1341 DR, as a response to the city's growing perils, Lady Lauren DeVillars proposed the nobles host the Champion Games, and offer mayorship of the city to the tournament's victor.

New leadership
The winner of the games was a charismatic warrior by the name of Charles Oliver O'Kane. As the newly appointed leader of Ravens Bluff, Mayor O'Kane convinced the Lords of the city to invest their wealth back into the city and establish a guild structure for the Ravenian craftsmen and tradespeople. The citizens threw their support in for the mayor, the city's fortunes turned and it discovered new prosperity. Alliances were established, such as that which was struck with Lord Lashan Aumersair of Scardale, the reaches of the government was expanded and the lords of the Ravenian noble families were brought together in an alliance of mutual security and increased wealth. The newly-appointed Lord Marshal rallied the city's forces in defense against the monstrous and humanoid raiders from the rest of The Vast.

War
In 1370 DR, Ravens Bluff suffered a devastating surprise naval assault by the pirates of the of Inner Sea, costing the city most of its naval forces. As the harbor lay vulnerable to the pirate rates, the outlying of Ravens Bluff were besieged by a magically shrouded army of humanoid mercenaries, orcs, giant-kin and even tanar'ri, led by the warlord, Myrkyssa Jelan. Mayor O'Kane was captured in a fiendish swoop during the early hostilities, and a number of city officials were accused of, and even arrested for, conspiracy to aide the invaders.

The war raged on for half a year. Noble estates, even entire villages, outside the city were razed to the ground and the wealth and fortunes of a number of families were completely lost to war. As the city came to the verge of being completely sacked, Ravenians of all class and station united together, under the leadership of Lord Blacktree, to turn the monstrous horde away. Their efforts culminated in the Six-Day Battle, a continuous skirmish fought from Elmond's Field to the walls of Ravens Bluff along the Fire River. On the 6 day of combat, just as Warlord Jelan's oni mages seemed to gain the advantage over Ravenian cavalry, they were ravaged by a black dragon that struck from their rear.

Foreign Distrcit

 * Also known as "Outlander Town", or "Outlander District", this clean, quiet and almost lifeless walled-off section of the city housed embassies of foreign nations, as well as handful of residences.

Harbor District
The Harbor District contained a majority of the city's docks, and stretched from the west coast of the peninsula along the shores of the Dragon Reach, to the northern bank of the Fire Fire and Ladyrock island.


 * Seaglimpse Neighborhood:
 * This neighborhood within the Harbor District had few attractions to those outside of shipping, dockwork or nautical navigation.


 * Sundaroon's Seatower: A naval fortress that once housed Ravens Bluff's navy.
 * High Seas Shipbuilding: One of the most profitable trading businesses in the entire city.


 * Silverscales Neighborhood:
 * Located outside the city's seawalls, the dockside alleys of this dark and foreboding neighborhood were rife with opportunities for danger. As many of the streets and businesses were without names, the activities found within were a mystery, but as the local saying went: "Docksiders know".


 * Moonlight Pawnshop: A store run by the enigmatic moneylender, Misti Morgan.
 * Endelo's Tankard: One of the most depressing bars in Faerûn, found on Fishleap lane, under a tattoo parlor.


 * Bitterstone Neighborhood:
 * Considered the heart of the harbor, this neighborhood housed most of the successful, and reputable, nautical-themed businesses and shops.


 * Mappers' Workshop: This map shop was run by the retired mage, Jork Marpe who often hired adventurers to explore areas in Faerûn that he felt his maps didn't cover sufficiently well.
 * Dark Dancer: A shrine dedicated to the benevolent drow goddess, Eilistraee.
 * Ladyrock Neighborhood:
 * A favored stomping grounds of sailors coming into the city, this island on the Fire River contained an old lighthouse that served as home to the city's Regent of the Harbor.

Temple District

 * Altarside Neighborhood:
 * Holyhouses Neighborhood:
 * Swordspoint Neighborhood:
 * Gowntown Neighborhood:

Market Distrct

 * This is its own neighborhood. It is never sleeping, with dingy stalls and warehouses filled with vendors.

Uptown District

 * Torchtown Neighborhood:
 * Sixstar Neighborhood:
 * Tentowers Neighborhood:
 * Mortonbrace Neighborhood:
 * Skymbles Neighborhood:

Crow's End District

 * Anvil Neighborhood:
 * Burnt Gables Neighborhood:
 * Shadystreets Neighborhood:
 * The Shutters Neighborhood:

Southside District

 * Pumpside Neighborhood:
 * Tlasbras Neighborhood:
 * Stormrime Neighborhood:

Notable inhabitants

 * Ambassador Carrague
 * Amber Lynn Thoden
 * Anders Aricssen
 * Arvin Kothonos
 * Cailek Balathorp - aka Fetterfists. Notorious slaver
 * Calvin Longbottle
 * Chaney
 * Charles Frederik LaVerne Blacktree IV
 * Charles Oliver O'Kane
 * Gaius Varro
 * Halamar - Fire mage and member of the Blue Wyvern Company.
 * Howard Holiday
 * Illyth Fleetwood
 * Jack Ravenwild - Notorious rogue and wild mage.
 * Katharine Marie Moorland
 * Marden Norwood - Patriarch of House Norwood.
 * King, the Dog (Marcus of Shadowdale)


 * Lauren DeVillars
 * Narm - Half-orc fighter and leader of the Blue Wyvern Company.
 * Rolf "Sunny" Sunriver
 * Russell Roland
 * Seila Norwood - Young noblewoman.
 * Sirrus Melandor
 * Tharzon Brewhammer - Retired adventurer and proprietor of the Smoke Wyrm tavern.
 * Thomas Raphiel
 * Thorm Sureblade
 * Tordon Sureblade
 * Zandria

Notable locations

 * High House of Magic - Mages guildhall
 * High Seas Shipbuilding
 * Horthlaer's - Counting house built like a fortress.
 * Kettle of Many Things - Tavern that sells inexpensive drink
 * Lady Rock - Island in Ravens Bluff harbor
 * Leaf in Root
 * Maldridge House - Stately mansion owned by House Norwood
 * Mortonbrace District - Formerly fashionable district fallen into disrepair
 * Mystic Star Charts
 * Norwood Manor - Home of the noble house Norwood.
 * Quaylin's Home For Wayward Boys
 * Ravenstrand Arms - Inn popular with visiting merchants
 * Seekers Guildhall - Guildhall of the Diviners Guild
 * Sparkling Edge
 * Ulweh's Icehouse - Warehouse used to hold blocks of ice
 * Vlard's Maintenance Yard
 * Ways Unknown
 * Wyrmhoard House - Counting house
 * Ye Who Dares
 * Zorba's Fish Market

Inns and taverns

 * Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission
 * Happy Stein
 * Shod Talon
 * Smoke Wyrm

Appearances

 * "Easy Money" in Polyhedron #55