Oeble

Oeble, previously known as Oeble-town, was a city in the Border Kingdoms, well-known as a trade center and as a haven for criminal activity in the region.

"Oeble? A place built on the bones of betrayed men: if you venture there, take care not to join their number. Beware the knives, lad – everyone in the place knows how to throw them, or just where to plunge them..."

- Mage Royal Dhuldribrand Mroster of Zindalankh, in conversation with Volothamp Geddarm, 1353 DR

Description
Streets of Oeble were chaotic and maze-like, twisting and turning around private walled courtyards, tallhouses with looming balconies, swayed into dark bawling alleyways, and homes that rose up to four stories high above stores and business on ground floors. Oeble's two main streets were Alhan's Ride and Vriel's Walk that crossed the River Scelptar via bridges (Alhan's Span and Vriel's Leap respectively) and sliced the city from north to south. Between Alhan's Ride and Vriel's Walk stood the city's third bridge – the Arch of Gargoyles, that linked Laskalar's Square to the northern side of Scelptar. All three bridges were in chronically poor condition. Every spring, all three bridges were swept away by seasonal flooding only to be repaired or rebuilt every summer.

The Dead King's Walk is a waving street that crossed the city from east to west on Scelptar's southern shore. Oeble's largest streets began on Laskalar's Square. They were The Rolling Shields, that crossed the Sixturrets intersection before reaching the edge of town to the west, and Balamonthar's Street to the east. Both crossed the Dead King's Walk, before reaching the edges of Oble.

Over the city's streets stretched the so-called Rainspans. These elevated ways connected high-rising buildings of Oeble. These rickety and often crumbing bridges could be found leaping from balconies, windows, roofs. No building was untouched by Rainspans, including commercial structures, such as the Griffingate House inn in the heart of Oeble.

Underneath Oeble laid its shady subterranean underbelly – the twisting underground ways and tunnels known as the Underways. Most non-human and monstrous population dwelt in these river-seepaged tunnels. The Underways had inns, taverns, and other businesses, tucked away in their dimly-lit depths.

Geography
"All rogues meet in Oeble."

- An old saying Oeble straddled the River Scelptar west of the Qurth Forest near the center of the Border Kingdoms. It was built on the Great Ford of Scelptar. Oeble was connected to its eastern neighbor – the town of Bloutar, with the road, known to locals simply as the Green Road.

Government
In the 14 century DR, the rule was in the hands of the Faceless Master and the greedy Council of Nine Merchants who were more effective at bickering and infighting than influencing the ruler. The Faceless Master aways listened to the Council's voice but rarely cared for it nor followed it. By 1374 DR, the original Faceless Master was long dead and his guise and responsibilities were claimed by his female chamber-slave. The Faceless Master impostor's true name was unknown but she possessed a natural gift of mimicry, making most, if not all, never found the ruler's identity. Unlike her predecessor, the imposter loved Oeble and sought to protect it from neighing regions attempts at conquest. She was a master manipulator, who manipulated adventurers, groups, enemies, and spread rumors that aided her agenda.

Oeble's "guard" and police force was the group known as the Gray Blades. The Blades' number was over three dozen in the late 14 century DR. Members of the organization were well compensated and consisted of human and half-elven outlaws from outside of Oeble who had skills and appreciated quality consorts, food, wine, and pay, all generously provided by the Faceless Master. The Gray Blades were actively disliked by the city's citizens for their harsh methods and spycraft. In battle, Gray Blades were formidable. They were well-trained in acrobatics, sharpshooting, deflecting missiles, and could anticipate trouble from afar.

Laws
By the late 14 century DR, the government of Oeble placed a ban on leaping off the Rainspans or causing a creature's fall, as well as dropping or tossing items onto the streets below. However, this law never stopped Oeblaun from dropping deadly missiles, darts, knives, or rocks onto the heats of unlucky targets.

Despite its laws and police, Oeble greeted every dawn with numerous dead citizens who perished under the cover of the night in various violent ways.

Dead Cart
In the southeastern part of the city were its garbage-middens – where Oeblaun dead were laid buried in a mass graves. Every day the so-called Dead Cart, driven by Hulm Draeridge in the late 14 century DR, patrolled the streets and collected the city's cadavers.

Trade
The chaotic nature of the city led to relatively quick turnaround of small businesses that sprang and got extinguished across Oeble. It was very common for businesses to change names and locations every few months. However, some more permanent establishments managed to be stable enough to be known outside the city and even received mention in Volothamp Geddarm's famous, or infamous, travel guides.

Yuan-ti of the House Eselemas trafficked slaves and mordayn powder from beneath the town in an area called the Underways. It was from there that they maintained a portal to the city of Essembra in Battledale around the year 1359 DR. Slave trade and fencing of stolen goods were done in the open in the Underways. Persistently, there were rumors of spellcasters dwelling deep in the Underways, who offered permanent facial alteration through magic to those on the run from the law.

Oeble's neighbors considered the city to be a "doorstep danger," yet valued it as a neutral ground that separated the Border Kingdoms and their rulers. One of the High Dukes from the Border Kingdoms thought Oeble to be "too useful to destroy" and many shared that opinion well into the late 14 century DR. Despite that, dangers of conquest or subtle domination was ever-present.

History
Oeble was built as a trading center centuries before the late 14 century DR. Historically, the town was a lawless land, but by the 14 century it had established code of laws and rulership and policing force, however, as a city, Oeble remained a dangerous and crime-ridden settlement.

In the late 14 century DR, the Faceless Master of Oeble diffused and broke an annexation attempt by the Talduth Vale through diplomatic negotiations with the Barony of Great Oak and Owlhold. Oeble convinced the Barony of Great Oak and Owlhold to proclaim their support of independent Oeble and insinuate that if Oeble were to be part of the Talduth Vale, both regions would be forced to attack and destroy the city.

Rumors & Legends

 * There existed a prophecy in the Border Kingdoms that a dragon would one day reveal a mighty a treasure somewhere in Oeble. Many believed it to be nothing more but an attempt to attract greedy individuals to Oeble, yet those who believed the prophecy pointed out that it predated the city.

Notable Locations

 * Griffingate House, a large ornate and old inn in the center of the city and its most imposing structure.
 * Laskalar's Square, a city plaza in front of the Griffingate House.
 * Skulls New and Used, an infamous shop that dealt in magical treasures and relics that stood on Sarl Street and was ran by Thoele Raervrun in the late 14 century DR.
 * The Paeraddyn, a walled, well-protected, and "safe" inn complex that included a bathhouse, stables, gardens, minstrels' bower, and a luxurious market advertised as "A Taste of Oeble." The Paeraddyn was secretly owned by the Faceless Master who profited heavily from its reputation and safety.

Inhabitants
"I remember Oeble, all right. The only place I've shared an inn bunkroom with with a kenku, a wemic, a lamia clad from talons to fingertips in full barded plate armor that she never took off, and a manscorpion. I was quite surprised to find all of us alive and unharmed in the morning..."

- Ranger Balderstone Dree of Cormyr, in conversation with Volothamp Geddarm, 1353 DR Oeble was inhabited by outlaws who escaped neighboring or faraway lands, those who did not or could not fit anywhere else, monsters, monstrous humanoids, and a wide variety of black market dealers and rare item traders. Slavers, muggers, extortionists, thieves, all were abundant in the city, including bounty hunters and their fleeing marks.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Black Bouquet