Skullport

Skullport, also known as the Port of Shadows, was a subterranean city located far below Waterdeep, within the 3 level of Undermountain known as the Sargauth Level. While rumors of this subterranean domain of villainy persisted throughout the surface world, few of its inhabitants had any knowledge of any points of entry.

Description
Built on an ancient Netherese ruin, within an immense subterranean cavern, the shadowy port was a dark reflection of the City of Splendors above. Its structure was built in three tiers, interconnected by narrow catwalks and rickety scaffolding. Creaking houses built on stilts were haphazardly built in a dense network that formed a near shantytown.

Exact divisions between regions was a matter of debate, but Skullport was divided into four generally accepted wards: Skull Island, the Port, the Trade Lanes, and the Heart. Although no clear vertical boundaries existed, locals divided Skullport into three vertical tiers to aid navigation: the Crown, the Venter and the Dredge.

Sargauth, Portals, and Port
The portals in the cavern walls along the river Sargauth were said to have been established by Halaster Blackcloak himself.

Passage through the locks that separated Skullport from the sea caves of Waterdeep required permission from the Keepers. However, a talented mage could "piggyback" another ship passing through the portal at the same time.

Government
As of 1479 DR most control over day-to-day activities was managed by gangs such as the Lowfellows or the Mandible. Within a few decades, Skullport came under the domain of the being known as Xanathar and became the base of operations for his thieves' guild.

However, the Skulls of Skullport, magically transformed remnants of the original Netherese mages who settled in the cavern, watched closely over trade within the town. Any activities that interfered with the town drew the attention of the Skulls who would impose seemingly random punishments for minor infractions and enslave or destroy offenders for serious crimes.

The Crown
The upper tier of Skullport, this area was home to pirate captains and wealthier merchants prior to the city's abandonment after the Spellplague.
 * Crookspar Parlor: A gambling den in the highest part of the Crown.
 * Dumathion's Jest: This establishment was run by the gem-appraiser Ygarra Urmbaalt.
 * The High Tide: The largest alehouse in Skullport as of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR.
 * Nightshade's Caress: An apothecary shop run by the mummy known as Nightshade.
 * Overflowing Urn: Listing to one side, this shop offered flasks and oil under the ownership of the shopkeep Garryth.
 * Tanor'thal Refuge: The stronghold of House Tanor'Thal resembled a gargantuan upside-down spider that overlooked all of Skullport.
 * Worm's Gullet: This restaurant was located within the hollowed-out carcass of a petrified purple worm.

The Venter
The cramped middle tier of Skullport that contained most of its buildings.
 * Bat's Roost: What was formerly a particularly seedy tavern during the 14 century DR, the Roost had evolved into a fighting den.
 * Dalagar's Fortress: The former mansion of the malevolent warrior Dalagar was repurposed as a hideout by the Harpers.
 * Keel Hall: This abandoned festhall had since been taken over by the Zhentarim.
 * The Lanternlighter's: This specialty shop offered lanterns to the people of Skullport.
 * Nine Bells: An enormous warehouse that served as a market in the late 15 century.
 * Pick and Lantern: A rather successful tavern that was favored by the sailors and skulldiggers of Skullport.
 * Poisoned Quill: The owner of this shop was a master forger and elderly archmage named Tasselgryn Velldarn.
 * Sargauth's Bounty: This shop specialized in junk that had been salvaged from the waters of the River Sargauth.
 * Twinbeard's Traps: Located in the center of the Venter, this building was the workshop of Thorvin Twinbeard master trapsmith of Xanathar's Thieves' Guild.

The Dredge
The lowest level of Skullport was dank slum, whose streets were littered with garbage. Many of its buildings were completely abandoned.
 * Black Tankard: This small, filthy tavern fell under the domain of Xanathar and his thieves guild.
 * Blind Fish: a rowdy tavern by the riverfront.
 * Dark Harvest market: A number of duergar sold food they had harvested from throughout the Underdark within this shop.
 * Dead Man's Corner: Within this dilapidated shop, the sea hag Olive Stillwater sold zombies that had been formed from the corpses of humans.
 * Feathered Rat: This peculiar pet store was run by the half-elven Harper spy Ulvira Snowveins.
 * Flagon and the Dragon: Of a higher class than the nearby Black Tankard, this establishment was run by a particularly knowledgeable half-drow woman named Cal'al Claddani.
 * The Grand Hoist: An unfinished, and possibly misguided project to build a hoist to transport goods from Skullport to Waterdeep.
 * Guts and Garters: Run-down and grimy, this establishment was the last-known inn to exist in Skullport as of the 15 century.
 * Gyudd's Distillery: This tall, three-story stone building featured a number of ales and wines of varying quality.
 * Hired Horrors: A sturdy two-story warehouse that sold deepspawn to wealthy clients in the mid-to-late 14 century DR.
 * Kreel's fishery: A group of buildings in the Dredge where fish were processed for sale.
 * Scupperden: The only eatery in the Dredge featured a single dish of fish-and-mushroom stew.
 * Sea Chest: This shop, which once sold a variety of chests and strongboxes, was abandoned following the untimely devouring of its proprietor's brain.
 * Sword and Sextant: The halflings that run this map shop long sought to procure any maps that accurately portrayed the layout of Undermountain.
 * Thimblewine's Pawnshop: Originally run by the cheerful fence Thimblewine, this shop was taken over by his niece Krystaleen following his death.

Skull Island
Located south of Skullport proper, within the Sargauth River across the Murkspan Bridge, this small isle was a well-defended fortress held by Xanathar's Thieves Guild. Its seat of power was the Tower of the Seven Woes, which served as the home to the half-ogre commander Sundeth for some time.

The Port
The Port was located directly north of Skull Island and east of the Trade Lanes in Skullport's main cavern. It was the rowdiest ward of Skullport, hosting a large number of festhalls and buccaneers on shore leave. The cavern ceiling was nearly 100 feet tall. The Port had a lower (Dredge) and central (Venter) level.

The Trade Lanes
The Trade Lanes was a ward that connected the Port ward to the west and the Heart ward to the east. It was a long corridor with fairly straight north and south cavern walls, containing the bulk of Skullport's trades and services. The ceiling rose from 100 feet to 300 feet as it angled up from the Port to the Heart. The Trade Lanes had three levels, Dredge, Venter and Crown.

The Heart
The Heart was the easternmost part of the main Skullport cavern, opening from the Trade Lanes to the west to round off at the cavern's eastern wall. It was the primary residential ward and highest-class area of Skullport, and also contained some businesses. Its ceiling was 300 feet. It had a rougher, more natural cave-like appearance than the other wards due to the hundreds of overhanging stalactites. Like the Trade Lanes, the Heart contained three levels, but due to its higher ceiling, its upper Crown levels were higher than the upper levels of the Trade Lanes.

Other Locations

 * Hall of Mental Splendor: A small stronghold that housed a cadre of psionic spies that worked on contract, led by Vhondryl.
 * Snake Pit: The Snake Pit was located in the heart of Skullport's mercantile district.
 * The Threads: A series of tunnels north of the main cavern.

History
Skullport's history dated back centuries to a group of Netherese mages known as the Sargauth Enclave who settled in Skullport's cavern. These mages fashioned the Mantle, a mythal that protected their settlement. When Netheril fell in the Mantle was ripped apart by wild magic which killed most of the inhabitants. Thirteen Netherese mages were absorbed by the magic and turned into disembodied skulls.

In the Year of the Angry Sea, 1148 DR Shradin Mulophor obtained permission from Halaster Blackcloak to settle in the ruins of the Netherese enclave. For several centuries Skullport prospered as one of the main trading ports of the Underdark.

However, in the late 14 century DR just prior to the Spellplague a slaad named Azriim weakened the Mantle so that it could no longer support the cavern's weight and large sections of the cave collapsed. During the Spellplague in 1385 DR the Mantle shot off bursts of wild magic and then disappeared.



After the Spellplague, most survivors fled Skullport. At some point in the second half of the 15 century DR a young explorer named Miriam Sequora began showing off chunks of mithral she claimed she found in Skullport's ruins. She convinced a small number of miners to join her and soon a few merchants and miscreants settled in the town. By the Year of Three Ships Sailing, 1492 DR, Skullport had come under the control of Xanathar, who made it a haven for his namesake criminal organization. The businesses and shops in the city all came to him for protection, lest they be shut down permanently.

Inhabitants
Inhabitants of Skullport were known as "Skulkers".

Notable Organizations

 * The Keepers, hired mages who raised ships through the magical locks that led from the port to the sea caves south of Waterdeep.
 * Xanathar's Thieves' Guild, the infamous criminal organization helmed by the Xanathar.

14 Century

 * Iron Ring

15 Century

 * Bregan D'aerthe, the mercenary group founded and led by Jarlaxle that maintained a spy presence in Skullport in the 15 century DR.
 * The Fray, thirteen mages who helped the Fourteenth Skull maintain what was left of the Mantle.
 * The Mandible, the most influential gang in town.
 * The Reforged Ring, an unpopular ring of criminals that dealt in slavery.
 * The Riverborn, a disorganized group of pirates.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Skulls of Skullport, thirteen ancient flameskulls defended the town of Skullport since its founding. They were remnants of the ancient Sargauth Enclave of Netheril, having lost all touch with reality over their millennia spent beneath Faerûn. Their consciousness could not differentiate their current existence with that of their past and considered themselves the rulers of Skullport.
 * Fourteenth Skull, the legendary 14 floating skull that was actually the spirit of a drow.
 * Moriana Duskwalker, an eladrin and a former pirate captain.
 * Naren Dafyre, a merchant, and a lesser lord of the Mandible gang, who aimed to obtain the Dragon's Tooth.
 * Nhyris D'Hothek, a yuan-ti turned abomination during the Spellplague when he held the Crown of Horns.
 * The Blind, a pitiful old beholder that claimed to be the Eye, a former Xanathar that faked his death.
 * Zstulkk Ssarmn

Trivia

 * The people of Skullport measured time in 'bells' of approximately four hours each.
 * The town was bathed in dim light from phosphorescent fungus known as the gloam.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Daughter of the Drow &bull; Tangled Webs &bull; The Paladins &bull; Dawn of Night &bull; To Catch a Thief
 * Video Games
 * Descent to Undermountain
 * Board Games
 * Dungeons & Dragons Dice Masters: Trouble in Waterdeep
 * Dungeons & Dragons Dice Masters: Trouble in Waterdeep

Connections
Schädelhafen