Keczulla

Keczulla (pronounced "ZUH-lah" by the locals, not "KEK-zuh-lah" ) was a settlement located in Amn and to the northeast of Esmeltaran.

"There is only one deity worshiped in Keczulla - Tymora, who grants wealth to the lucky... You've never heard of Keczulla? Well, it's a town governed by greed. The gem mines lie at the center of all theological and political activities within the town."

- Raegen Brunegar

Description
The city of Keczulla was a prosperous city that was the home of diverse and rich mining industry. The town stood on the the Eshpurta Road, to the east from Amnwater and west of Eshpurta.

The city was separated into four districts and eight wards. The Emerald District housed Mithral & Platinum Wards; Sapphire District held Gold & Electrum Wards; Jade District - Silver & Bronze Wards; and Agate District was where the Copper & Harbor Moon Districts could be found. The wards' and districts' status and prestige were determined by the price of their namesakes. The districts and wards were separated by stone arches with inserted keystones of gems and ingots above the districts' carved names. The arcs were always guarded, and anyone defacing them or removing the keystones was executed with prejudice.

Keczulla was known for the blistering sun heat that reached its peak in highsun, especially harshly felt during the markets.

Even though Keczulla was a town of wealth, its streets had their share of poverty. Merchant families of the town generously financed orphanages for the city's parentless children as a way to show off their wealth and status. However, many of the kids stayed untamed by civilization, turning to feral existence.

Government
The Keczulla was ruled by a Council of Elders, representatives of the richest and most influential families in the city. The managerial duties were handled by Tarkas Thallavv the Gemayor circa 1370 DR. He controlled the accounting, managed the city's needs, and was the public face of the government. However, the true leader was Lady Lhynvor Tanislove, who held the most power and respect in the city. She did support Tarkas's management and recognized his skill.

Trade
Keczulla's gem mines were at the center of the town's culture, religion, and trade. The town's production of a significant number of precious stones and gems led to the Elders commissioning a unit dedicated exclusively to protecting the town's livelihood - Keczulla's Gem Guard.

Apart from gem mining, Keczulla had electrum mines outside of the city, iron mines, salt mines, among many others.

Other businesses flourished in Keczulla. The city was flush with inns, taverns, shots, craftsmen, wainwrights, and mercenaries.

Defenses
Apart from the Gem Guard, the city had a garrison of 1000 able-bodied defenders, with 200 of them being trained cavaliers. Keczulla's troopers were charged with keeping the Eshpurta Road safe on the stretch between Amnwater and halfway to the town of Eshpurta.

The Gem Guard was tasked with defending the city's mines and act as the guard within Keczulla's walls. The Guard numbered around 500 members. The leader of the Guar was the Jewelieutenant and the squares were helmed by Captains.

History
The city was founded in 575 DR, as a minor mining town during the gold rush that swept Amn. The wealthy Keczull family were the driving force behind the settlement of the land.

Keczulla had existed as a mining town until the mineral vein that fueled the community was exhausted in 755 DR. With the death of the mining industry, the town started shrinking, eventually becoming virtually deserted.

Keczulla was resettled in 1242 DR, following discovery of a new rich gem and mineral deposits , aided by the efforts of Lord Tithkar Illehhune and the Knights of the Shield who cleared the site off of trolls and other monstrous creatures. The town became a traveling and caravan stop for those who traversed the Eshpurta Road.

The rejuvenated mining city blossomed, swelling with a population that reached 42,000 soils by 1357 DR. The town's reputation was reinforced by regular "dirt to diamonds" stories that emerged from Keczulla every year to so.

In 1345 DR, Tessurch Quorl Vemmil of Amn attempted to wrestle power from the Meisarch, the leader of the Council of Six. Quorl instrumented a deadly consumption plague outbreak in Keczulla attempting to frame Meisarch Thayze Selemchant. The agents of Meisarch allowed the disease to ravage the town but removed the planted evidence against Thayze Selemchant. As a subtle punishment, Meisarch "persuaded" Quorl Vemmil and his clerics to travel to the plagued city. Their fate was sealed, were they not killed by the disease, they would've been disposed of by other means (an angry mob, tipped off by the Meisarch's agents).

In 1355 DR, a local Keczullan merchant Pulth Tanislove purchased a set of papers from heirs of a recently passed hermit who lived on the edges of town. The merchant discovered research on a long-lost gem mine and eventually found its location. By 1357 DR, he was the owner of a rich ruby mine and used his new wealth to buy land on the Ridge north of Keczulla, where he discovered even more rich gem veins. This mining company, the Tanislove Mines, was the largest and the most prosperous mining organization in Amn.

Circa 1357 DR, a merchant from Keczulla, Andruth Pearlseeker, accidentally created a fad among Amnian nobles. Andruth's shipment of eggs got delayed, allowing the half hatch into strange small blue flightless birds. The merchant quickly found demand for the animals among the upper echelons of Amnian society. Andruth made a fortune, selling every bird out of 23,000 for 150 danters each.

In 1366 DR, the Gem Road that connected Keczulla and Esmeltaran was completed with the funding from the Council of Six and Lord Pulth Tanislove.

By 1370 DR, Amnian families exiled from Tethyr for their kin's crimes, settled in the cities of Esmeltaran, Keczulla, and Eshpurta.

Rumors & Legends
One unnamed mining company, among many in Keczulla, was rumored to have discovered a vein of adamantine and secretly transported the metal to Athkatla.

Notable Locations

 * Coinstacks: the golden-spired temple of Tymora that was located in the Mithral Ward of Emerald District. The temple was led by Luckmaster Tonnos, and a single priest ran the temple's casino - Uvvana Tarsill, circa 1370 DR.
 * Dame Ames' Inn: an old and clean establishment in the Adventurers' Quarters, known for its excellent food and drink.
 * The Electrum Mine: a busy tavern in the Adventurers' Quarters that was considered to be very safe, thanks to half-orc bouncers.
 * The Thirsty Gnome: a cheap but wild tavern frequented by the members of the town's criminal underbelly located in the the Adventurers' Quarters.

Inhabitants

 * Andruth Pearlseeker: a merchant from Keczulla who made an accidental fortune on selling small flightless birds to the Amnian nobles circa 1357 DR.
 * Chog the Yellow: one of the two hadow Thieves' Cloakmasters of Keczulla circa 1370 DR.
 * Ghantuz the Cloaked: the Second Hidden Lord of the Knights of the Shield was believed to have been a moneychanger from Keczullan who profitably invested in trade with Maztica earning a fortune in the process.
 * Ormil Lhun: the Jewelieutenant of the Gem Guard circa 1370 DR.
 * Preston Faaral: the Goldguard of the Gem Guard circa 1370 DR.
 * Pulth Tanislove: a lucky bookstore shopkeeper who discovered a prosperous gem vein in 1356 DR.
 * Raegen Brunegar: a disgraced Captain of the Gem Guard, turned adventurer mercenary and a companion of the Hero of Daggerford in 1372 DR.

Organizations

 * Bladesmile: one of the major noble families in Amn who made a fortune on mercenaries and lumber by the late 14 century DR.
 * Cowled Wizards: a magic-policing organization of Amn held a major cell in the city of Keczulla in the late 14 century DR.
 * Gem Guard: the elite military group, financed by Keczulla's Elders to guard the prosperous mines.
 * King's Tears guild: the thieves' guild of Keczulla that counted smugglers, fences, corrupt moneychangers, and pickpockets among their members.
 * Shadow Thieves's Alandor Sect: maintained the presence in the town, led by Rheax Bormul in the 14 century DR.
 * Vinson: one of the rich mercantile families in the city in the 14 century DR.
 * Wraiths: were a group of wild, cruel, and deadly, half-feral orphaned children active in Keczulla sometime circa 1356 DR.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Howling Delve
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford