Shanna Northgate

Shanna "Blackbard" Northgate was a woman of the city of Wheloon in Cormyr. She was a minstrel, former smuggler and fence, and later a boat builder and proprietress of The Blackbard boatyard.

History
Shanna was once a minstrel and, according to some, a thief. She later retired and set up The Blackbard business, named for her, in Wheloon by 1358 DR. She also operated as a fence and smuggler.

Following "a colorful past" and a number of hot-tempered interviews with Lord Sarp Redbeard and some vigilant War Wizards, Shanna gave up this illicit trade, or so she claimed. She was still running her legitimate business in 1369 DR.

Activities
Shanna was famous for her sharp-edged singing voice, her talents as a mimic, and her extensive vocabulary.

In her time, she worked as a minstrel, (supposedly) a thief, a smuggler, a fence, a boatbuilder, and a warehousewoman. At the Blackbard boatyard, she never cut corners on her boats and produced high-quality boats and barges.

When renting out storage space, Shanna allowed the area to be used for any purpose, whether for holding captives, casting spells, conducting experiments, or other illicit activities, despite claiming to have given criminal activities. She asked no questions, ignored what went on, and revealed no secrets, even after magical probing by the authorities. This earned her a significant fortune.