Luskan

Luskan, also known as the City of Sails, is a port city on the northernmost point of the Sword Coast. It is considered by most to be the furthest reach of civilisation, the Spine of the World Mountains which mark what most believe to be the end of the known world (this is of course not true as the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale lie past them) being just a few miles north of the city.

Built on the ruins of the ancient and magical Orc city of Illusk, Luskan has a very intruiging history. Most of its inhabitants, however couldn't care less. Luskan is a port town frequented by pirates, thieves and other disreputable folk interested in only one thing: money. Although you could be murdered, mugged or kidnapped at any moment within its walls, Luskan is a very lucrative city. Pirates bring in their booty to be sold to the black market, northern traders frequent the place as a rest stop on their way to the aforementioned Ten towns during the warmer months, ready to buy exotic scrimshander ornaments, several taverns do a roaring trade in ale and other spirits, the drugs and slave trade are rife (although obviously sublimated) and information brokers and prostitutes ply their trade during the night-time.

The city is officially ruled by the five High Captains: Taerl, Baram, Kurth, Seljack and Rethnor, former pirate lords all. Everyone knows that the true power in the city resides in the Host Tower of the Arcane. The 130 loosely affiliated mages use the High Captains as puppet rulers, mostly keeping to themselves and working on their own magical experiments. They encourage the harassment of the trading routes of small cities such as Longsaddle, Mirabar and Neverwinter although they stay well clear of Waterdeep and Amn's routes. They also encourage local traders to treat travellers with disdain and suspicion, in the possibility that they may be spies for their enemies, often sending agents to follow strangers personally.