Mintarn

The island of Mintarn lay 400 miles (640km) southwest of Waterdeep, in the Sea of Swords.

Mintarn was a popular safe haven for those fleeing the authorities. This beautiful island asked no questions and turned no one away.

Piracy
Pirates and other fugitives from justice held business transactions in Mintarn. Legendary taverns and festhalls were famous for both their food and service, and the high level of inherent danger found within.

Tyranny
Tarnheel Embuirhan ruled Mintarn, beginning around 1360 DR. His skill as a warrior was reputed to be a major contributing factor to his rise to power. Though technically a tyrant, his rule was open-minded and he preferred to let much of the island govern itself. He would not hesitate to use brutal force to restore order or keep pirates in check.

Tarnheel's rule evolved into a typical tyranny as he aged. His connection with the Church of Bane accelerated this fact, allowing Zhentarim renegades more leverage on Mintarn. One member of the Zhentarim even replaced Dunkin Tallmast as Tarnheel's closest advisor.

The tradition of tyrannies lasted long after Tarnheel was gone. Every five or six years, a new tyrant would rise and take control, but they always maintained the status quo.

History
Mintarn's history was dominated by the lengths that it's people would go to to placate Hoondarrh, the dragon that lived on the island of Skadaurak to the north. They bought their survival with massive annual tributes.

Mintarn couldn't afford to turn away any potential income and therefore welcomed all comers, whether foreign dignitaries looking for neutral negotiation ground, or wanted criminals on the lam. Mintarn also gained a reputation for exporting skilled mercenaries, but those who fought them knew Mintarn itself wasn't responsible for any violence perpetrated and so never faced any retribution.

Dagult Neverember invested heavily in Mintarn, starting a ship-building business and some training centres as well as investing in the White Sails mercenary company, which grew into the most successful such company on the island. When Waterdeep lost too many ships hunting pirates, Neverember used this leverage and his position as Open Lord to buy a new mercenary Navy from Mintarn and, while he was at it, soldiers to police and protect his New Neverwinter effort.

Unfortunately, Hoondarrh took note of the influx of wealth to Mintarn and destroyed two of Castle Mintarn's towers when he demanded an increase to his tribute.

When Neverember was replaced as Open Lord, the other Lords decided to do away with mercenaries and build their own fleet once more. Neverember too fired the mercenaries in Neverwinter to replace them with actual Neverwintan soldiers.

Without the extra coin from those lucrative contracts, Mintarn began to struggle to gather the bigger tribute that Hoondarrh wanted.