Sepulcher (town)

Sepulcher was a city of Netheril and the site of the largest temple in that empire, the Reign of Night.

Geography
Sepulcher was located on the northern bank of the Narrow Sea, on the Bay of Ascore. The town was southeast of the dwarven port of Ascore and southwest of the town of Arctic Rim. The Cold Forest was to the north. Because it was so far north, it was dark and cold much of the year.

Trade
The town used to sail timber over the Narrow Sea to other Netherese settlements.

History
The town was founded in 1473 NY, which corresponds to −2386 DR. It originally served as a logging community, to harvest trees from the Cold Forest. The cold weather and the distance from the forest prevented the town from ever thriving financially from timber production.

During the Golden Age of Netheril, specifically around between −1859 and −1359 DR, worshipers of the goddess Shar migrated slowly and secretly to the area around the town, finding the darkness of the northern latitudes more tolerable than elsewhere in the Empire. Moreover, the population of the area paid them little heed, since many of its people were outcasts from Netherese society.

In −955 DR, the neighboring city of Arctic Rim became a ruin, and many of that city's citizens migrated to Sepulcher, leading to its highest ever population.

By the first half of the Shadowed Age of Netheril, orc tribes from the Dementia Mountains became a severe problem in the region. Beginning in −649 DR, they began raiding the town. The constant need for defense against the orcs over the next centuries meant that the citizens did not have the resources to protect against the magically encroaching Anauroch. By −255 DR, the area was useless for either logging or fishing, and the town was abandoned.

Notable Locations
Located in the town, the Reign of Night, also known as the House of Mystery, was both the largest temple in the entire empire and the most important holy site for the Church of Shar at that time.

Inhabitants
Most of the original inhabitants of the town were workers who could not find employment elsewhere.

Appearances

 * Mistress of the Night (mentioned only)