Telflamm

Telflamm was usually considered to be the biggest and most important port city in Thesk; however, Telflamm was actually an independent city-state but wielded so much power and influence over the country that it might as well have been the capital.

Description
Telflamm's skyline was dotted with numerous temples and civic buildings, all constructed in a distinct onion-shape.

Shemszarr Square
The business of Telflamm was business, and this was its heart. Most commerce in the city flowed through here at one point or another. It housed most of the city's merchants and the headquarters of some of its most powerful organizations. Gold from all corners of the world flowed through this square.

Shou Town
A quarter of the city that was decidedly more eastern in nature. The architecture was distinctly Kara-Turan, the businesses were mostly Kara-Turan restaurants and inns, and the people were mostly Shou, built by merchants, immigrants, and refugees. Few major merchants operated here and most residents were poor but honest. The only exception was the yakuza gang of the Nine Golden Swords. The great structure of the Shou Gate separated the Shou Town from greater Telflamm; it was decorated with golden lamps fashioned to resemble dragons.

Government
Telflamm, and other smaller cities of Thesk were governed by oligarchy. Marchant Princes or Merchant-Mayors were the leaders in the region. The power structure was shaken by the Tuigan wars of 1360 DR and led to several conflicts among those in position of power, however the rulership of the Marchant Prince or the Grand Prince in Telflamm remained, however his power and status was recognized only within the city itself. The Marchant Prince did not hold all the power. The merchant council and numerous guilds controlled a significant share of power, more significant than the Marchant Prince's and the city's nobility.

Trade
Trade was the most important aspect of life in Telflamm. Its busy port was a bottleneck for all trade that moved to and from the east. They did not have to produce much themselves as almost all the collected wares traveling along the Golden Way come through its gates. Eastern silk, spices, smokepowder, Long Jing and works of art passed through Telflamm to reach the rest of Faerûn. The city was also home to the biggest Thayan Enclave ever built, making the city a hub for the purchase of magic items.

Telflamm maintained friendly relationship with its neighboring Impiltur.

The Golden Way
Thesk was most famous for the Golden Way. This well-maintained road began (or ended in) Telflamm and led all the way to distant Kara-Tur. The Golden Way was a major overland trade artery. Its existence was the primary reason that Thesk wasn't simply part of the Great Dale or Thay.

Culture
Cultural influences of Shou Lung were obvious in the city. One of the best teas in all Thesk was Telflamm's West Lake Dragon Well, or Long Jing.

Defenses
The city watch of Telflamm were outfitted with the uniform of long red overcoats, tied around the waist with shiny black sashes. The guards' heads were adorned with high black square hats tassled in silver. Their boots were made of black leather and ended in silver toecaps. The weapons carried by the watch were curved broadswords.

History
Telflamm was officially founded in 926 DR by Windyn Balindre, who moved his base of operations from Impiltur to this newly-built settlement and declared himself 'Merchant Prince', a hereditary title.

Situated at the start the incredibly profitable Golden Way trading route, Telflamm quickly became the biggest trading station in the region, with most trade concerning the products of Kara-Tur which was in wide demand across Faerûn.

Sometime in the early part of the fourteenth century DR, the most wealthy and influential merchants in the city set up a regulating body to check any excesses of the prince. This Merchant's Council was viewed as the real power in the city by most outsiders. This was not actually the case, however. Once the merchants began squabbling with Thesk and becoming too worried about their own profits, things started to go downhill. and four years later

The last Balindre Prince died some time after the Spellplague, leaving the Merchants' Council in charge of the government, but the Shadowmasters remained the true power in the city.

Telflamm was settled in the and established as a royal city-state in the.

The thieves' guild of Telflamm was established in the, later to become the infamous Shadowmasters of Telflamm. In the subsequent years, the guild's influence was so great to prevent the Hierarch of Telflamm from officially joining the nation of Thesk.

Around the 900s DR, Graldor "One-Hand", the leader of the adventuring Company of the Collar, entered the city of Telflamm. He proceeded through the streets of the city, weeping and carrying the body of his lover, the swordmaid Evlanna. The mourning adventurer entered the Tower of Tempus begging for Evlanna's resurrection. Graldor paid for the service with his unique blade – Galathos that was believed to have been lost for over two centuries. The story of weeping adventurer and his lover became a well known story among inhabitants of Telflamm.

A grand temple heist, letter known as the Night of the Fontshuffle, happened in the. Shadowmasters were expanding their influence and demanded more protection money from the temples of Telflamm. Those who refused found collections of holy relics and divine magic items strewn across each other temples as a show of force and intimidation tactics. The Night of the Fontshuffle was enough to convince all temples of the city-state to pay.

In the, a new High Priest of the Tower of Tempus, the High Priest and Champion Rampant of Tempus Taeron, took office and promptly refused to pay the Shadowmasters' protection racket. In retaliation, Shadowmasters pulled a daring heist and claimed several magic items: two enchanted swords, (including Galathos), a helm of brilliance, and the Red Book of War, a priceless relic of the Tempuran faith. These items sparked internal struggle within the thieves' guild which resulted in several members dead. Soon after, Tempuran clergy reclaimed the stolen magic items, however the Red Book was lost, though the have been taken somewhere far away from Telflamm. Galathos was believed to have been recovered as well, whoever, in truth, it was still being actively searched for as of the late-14 century DR.

In the Telflamm became an intrigue part of the war between the invading Tuigan Horde and the united armies of Faerûn under the command of King Azoun Obarskyr IV. The free city of Telflamm initially served as a rendezvous point for Azoun's Cormyrean ships and some of the Alliance armies. From there, King Azoun planned to move north and join with troops of King Torg mac Cei of Earthfast and temporary allies – Zhentil Keep. The harbors of Telflamm took on around two hundred ships of the Alliance and supplied them with horses, livestock, mobile forges, and other general supplies. The invasion forced many unlikely and shaky alliances, including one between Telflamm and Tammar. Azoun Obarskyr's Alliance forced returned to the city-state of Telflamm after strengthening its ally numbers, of orcs, dwarves, and humans of various nations. By that time, refugees flooded the city, as the Tuigan Horde approached Thesk, looming only 500 miles to the east. The influx of refugees brought out Telflamm's vice and corruption, thievery and crime was on the rise, black market exploited the need for food and cloth, and even started dealing in human lives. Makeshift coliseums and brothels sprung through Telflammm leaving the city guard undermanned and prone to bribery and corruption. The Alliance army took Telflamm's government offices as a temporary headquarters. With armies of the Alliance assembled, King Azoun's forces moved east to face Yamun Khahan's Tuigan Horde. The Crusades resulted in Tuigan defeat, however the war left Telflamm overflowing with refugees and its security weakened for years that followed. The Tuigan invasion left Thesk a ruined and desolate land as their armies moved along the Golden Way.

Another fallout from the Tuigan war was the Pirates of the Fallen Stars who seized on Telflamm's weakness. The pirates knew the city had no naval power and rolled in to create a safe haven for themselves. Telflamm meekly welcomed the pirates and significant wealth they brought along. With time, overwhelming number of pirates took over harbors of Telflamm and their presence began to interfere with the Golden Way trade. The pirates, crime levels, and the ongoing refugee crisis turned public opinion against the ruling Merchant Prince and the merchants' coalition. Telflamm's collapse seemed inevitable. The Shadowmasters in the meantime went through internal changes as their patron deity Mask lost his intrigue portfolio to Cyric the Mad God. In the, the new young Guildmaster of the Shadowmasters – Keshna Finlothleer, led the group into a more aggressive role in Telflamm. The thieves accumulated arms and weapons and seemingly slew the pirates on land and in sea in a single night to avoid further interference with the city's trade. This massacre resulted in a large number of ghost ships that haunted the Sea of Fallen Stars.

The next target of the Shadowmasters' ambitions were the orc marauders who stayed behind after the Tuigan war. The guild offered bounty on hearts of any orcs in Thesk and soon, the security was bough back to the Golden Way. In a similar manner, Shadowmasters exerted pressure on the Merchant Prince and the council, displacing refugees away from Telflamm via a promise of land. They refugees were promised that any land they were to build a home on and live on for a year would become their property.

By 1372 DR, the Shadowmasters were the absolute power in Telflamm, though few knew how powerful they really were.

On Midwinter of the, a strange ice storm raged along the eastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The foul weather awoken many ghosts and sea zombies of dead pirates who attacked the city-state of Telflamm. The Church of Tempus successfully drove the undead horde back into the sea.

At some point before the Second Sundering, a notorious Turami pirate Anton Marivaldi, pulled a daring plundering of priceless spice fleet from the city-state of Telflamm. Some called this act "mad".

Landmarks

 * Bonskil's Academy, the school dedicated to teaching swordplay and battle craft.
 * Castle Balindre was built by Windyn Balindre, Telflamm's founder, this fortified building at on the waterfront on top of a large hill. It played a key role in the city's fortunes over the years. Balindre declared himself the city's Merchant Prince, and descendants have lived in the castle ever since. The castle also houses the city's militia.
 * Merchants' Fortress, the home to the Merchants' Council was a sprawling complex with polished, white stone walls seen throughout the city.

Inns & Taverns

 * Leaping Ogre Taproom, a cheap eatery that stood on the edge of Telflamm, surrounded by wheeled makeshift merchant stalls.
 * The Sword and Horn, a seedy tavern that catered to adventurers and pirates, known for being a hive of plots and rumors.

Temples & Shrines

 * Hall of the Avenging Hammer, a small temple to Tyr. Its members often tried to oppose the rampant corruption that plagued the city.
 * The House of the Master's Shadow, he hidden temple of Mask and headquarters of the Shadowmasters. This was the largest temple to Mask in Faerun.
 * Tower of Tempus, a great temple dedicated to the worship of Tempus.
 * Xiang Temple, home to an order of monks dedicated to mastering fighting with both weapons and their hands, also lay within Telflamm in its Shou Town.

Organizations

 * Nine Golden Swords, a notorious yakuza gang of Telflamm's Shou Town.
 * Night Eyes, a rival guild f the Shadowmasters of Telflamm.
 * Red Wizards, the Thayan Enclave in Telflamm was one of the first enclaves established by the Red Wizards of Thay and grew into their largest. The shops of the enclave sold all manner of imported items, but discounted magic items were their most popular merchandise.
 * Shadowmasters of Telflamm, the thieves' guild, led by Guildmaster Volludan in the 14 century DR.

Individuals

 * Aldreth Fireshar, a wannabe Red Wizard that lived in Telflamm during the mid—14 century DR, within a barge, docked at the harbor, and guarded by her pet gargoyles.
 * Kiersa, a retired adventurer who monetized her gift of prophecy to live a lavish life in the late 15 century DR. She ran a shop and employed fifty acolytes.
 * Luthvaerynn, the only malaugrym of Telflamm who dealt in illicit businesses in the 15 century DR.
 * Raidon Kane, a Shou monk and the bearer of the Cerulean Sign and the adopted father of Ailyn Kane in the late-14 century DR.
 * Thaum, the the adventurer-prince of Telflamm and a wielder of Albruin in the 13 century DR.
 * Uidos, a wizard from Telflamm who discovered that curst dust could be used to improve paralytic spells.
 * Uldurn Maskovert, a merchant and the author of A Trader from Telflamm: My Years Amid High-Heaped Gold, active circa 1357 DR.
 * Veldyn "the Fingers" Uruin, a notorious thief who was suspected of stealing precious spices from Helbareim Alanasker, the High Suihk of Ormpur in 1359 DR.
 * Wyrekka Kusell, a famous half-elven bard and an agent of the Moonstars in the late-14 century DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Halls of the High King
 * Novels
 * Crusade &bull; Lady of Poison &bull; The Yellow Silk &bull; Stardeep
 * Stormlight &bull; All Shadows Fled &bull; Silverfall &bull; Shadowbred &bull; Plague of Spells &bull; City of Torment &bull; The Reaver
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Finding Harmony
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Finding Harmony