Helmsport

Helmsport was an Amnian fort on the shore of Payit established by Captain-General Cordell in 1361 DR. By 1370 DR, Helmsport was a major trade center.

Description
Helmsport was a port town and a fortress to the north of Ulatos. It was very likely that eventually, with population growth, both settlements were to merge into one. By 1370 DR, Fort Cordell, the first fortified settlement that later spread to become Helmsport, expanded its influence east and westward. Helmsport's close neighbor Ulatos spilled over both sides of the River Ulatos. Helmsport and Ulatos shared workforce of settlers, clerics of Helm, and local Payits. Together they cleared a ten-mile plot of jungle land between the cities, turning it into farms and land for arriving merchant and noble houses of Amn in Faerûn.

After the conquest of Payit, Helmsport's dwarven engineers used the local workforce to construct fortified ramparts around Fort Cordell and a secret underground vault to hold Maztical gold and silver. In 1362 DR, the town was still only had a dozen permanent buildings with many tents and lean-tos.

New Amn's Helmsport/Ulatos are was the most diverse in the region with the highest population of foreigners. By the late 14 century DR, over a thousand immigrants from the Sword Coast found new home in the New World, and most of that population settled in Helmsport/Ulatos, or within a hundred miles from the two cities.

Geography
The settlement had an anchorage for ships and served as the Golden Legion's main base in Maztica. The fort was located on the ocean, separated by five miles of savannah from the native city of Ulatos. Helmsport was built on the shores of Ulatos Lagoon, a beautiful natural harborfor in the waters of the Gulf of Cordell. By the late 14 century DR, the growing population led to establishment of many roads and tracks that connected the cities, towns, and fortified ramparts, around Helmsport.

Trade
With some legal tribulations, Helmsport became a major trade hub. Ships from Waterdeep, other Maztican and Faerûnean ports. In 1369 DR, Tethyrean merchant vessels opened trade with Helmsport and achieved small successes. Helmsport traded with the nearby Calishite colony of Drakmul. It brought in rich croup of tabacco via sea and a land trade route was planned. Exotic feathers were among trade goods that left Helmsport and reached as far as Durpar, Estagund, and Var the Golden. Various livestock animals, like cows, pigs, horses, and sheep, as well as raw steel, weapons and armor were imported to Helmsport from Faerûn. These goods rage in Maztica were sold wholesale in Helmsport from where merchants took the goods across the neighboring regions as well as the markets of Ulatos.

Unseen before the coming of the Golden Legion, a year after establishment of New Amn, Helmsport received a blacksmith shop that started producing invaluable metal arms and armor.

The Commonspeech brought from the Sword Coast was the dominant language in Helmsport followed closely by the Payit language, however, the number of bilingual inhabitants was growing quickly.

Religion
Helmsport's main deity was Helm, The Vigilant One. The main Temple of Helm stood in Ulatos and was under the leadership of Bishop Devane circa 1370 DR. Another temple was established in Helmsport, early on after the town's establishment. The Bishop's main goal was increasing Helm's worship, both trough conversion and immigration. As of 1370 DR, Bishop Devane was at odds with the leader of New Amn, Cordell. The priest was dissatisfied with the numbers of arriving devotees of the Vigilant One and demanded the Golden Legion to be sent inland to "reveal Helm's truth to the savages who do not benefit from daily exposure to us and our holiness." The demands were refused by Cordell as he prioritized stabilization of Helmsport and Qoral to sparking another conflict.

Defenses
In the years that followed the conquest of Payit, Helmsport's garrison consisted of 300 men-at-arms. The town's armories, stables, and barns, as well as its tent city were all used to house military men and women of Amn.

History
Helmsport was founded in the by Captain-General Cordell of Amn during the settlement of the New World campaign. Shortly after being established, Helmsport became a battle ground for for the Golden Legion and the army of Payit. The battle was known as the Battle of Ulatos. Payit forces were numerous but Amnian metal armor shifted the odds and the nation of Payit fell to Captain-General Cordell. Following the battle, the city of Ulatos was annexed by the Captain-General and its temples were ransacked by the Golden Legion under the command of the Church of Helm. Object so worship were destroyed and items of gold and silver. were melted down and eventually transported to Faerûn. The stretch of land between the new fort of Helmsport and Ulatos was turned into lush farmlands.

Subsequently, Cordell and his command moved further inland to continue the expedition and conquest, accompanied by about five thousand Payit warriors. Helmsport was decided to remain the center of Amnian operations and received a garrison under the rule of a veteran sergeant-major of the Golden Legion.

By the, Cordell's war with Maztica was over and Helmsport was declared the capital of New Amn. By the, the second Amnian colony, Qoral, was settled further inland from Helmsport, creating trading relationship between New Amn and native nations of Maztica. The colony was given the name of an old Maztican town that once stood in the vicinity of the new colony. Later that year first non-Amnian ships from Faerûn arrived to Helmsport, bringing traders and mercenaries to help with exploration of the new lands. More than two-thirds of these mercenaries ended up killed by the dangers of Maztica and wild elven attacks. In the, New Amn's Lord-Governor barred twelve Waterdhavian merchant vessels from Waterdeep from entering Helmsport due to the council’s restrictions on transoceanic trade.

Sometime after 1362 DR, the cities of Helmsport and Ulatos became threatened by bacar of the sacred site of Ixtzul, deep in Far Payit. A group of adventurers was tasked by the Church of Helm with stopping the looming threat of the ant-men and, hopefully unique, H'Calos, the Sky Worm.

The brought opening of major trade routes to Helmsport and New Waterdeep, following eighteen months of intense negotiations. All merchant ships were welcome in both trade centers. Helmsport and New Waterdeep became busy ship-building sites and developed a rivalry.

In Alturiak of the, more mercenaries were dispatched to Helmsport from Amn to bolster the Council of Six's power in New Amn, following the influx of Waterdhavian mercantile influence. In Ches of the same year, sixteen ships of troops from Murann and Athkatla were sent to Helmsport. Two of them, vessels that belonged to the Church of Helm, one colonial ship, and two mercenary ships never reached their destination. This led to reduced power of Amn in the region.

Organizations

 * Church of Helm, the main religious organization in New Amn as of the late 14 century DR.
 * Flaming Fist, a mercenary company of Baldur's Gate that arrived to Helmsport in the late 14 century DR.
 * Golden Legion, Captain-General Cordell's company that settled the lands of Maztica in the mid-14 century DR.

Individuals

 * Alanza DaNosta, Captain and "Count" in charge of Helmsport and Fort Cordell circa 1370 DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Fires of Zatal &bull; Endless Armies
 * Novels
 * Ironhelm &bull; Viperhand &bull; Feathered Dragon
 * The Druid Queen
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
 * Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate
 * Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate