Skullport/Heart

The Heart was one of the four wards of the subterranean city of Skullport. It was located in the easternmost portion of Skullport's main cavern. It was the highest-class area in Skullport and housed the bulk of Skullport's population.

Description


The Heart consisted of three levels: Upper Heart, Central Heart and Lower Heart. The Heart was home to most of Skullport's permanent residents and held some businesses. The Heart had a less finished look compared to the rest of Skullport and was marked by stone columns and stalactites. Duergar, illithids, drow, and beholders preferred to live in the Heart due to its resemblance to a natural cave, its shadowy recesses, and the darkness of its upper areas.

History
By 1492 DR, the Xanathar controlled Skullport and turned the city into a haven for his criminal organization. Under his rule, most local businesses were shut down, with the few remaining in business paying him protection money. Skullport's only remaining inn, Guts and Garters, and restaurant, the Worm's Gullet, were located in the Heart.

Lower Heart
Lower Heart was paved with cobblestones and large slabs of stone. Most of the buildings were in better shape than the rest of Skullport. Lower Heart had many unusual structures and landmarks, many predating the founding of Skullport and appearing dwarven or human in origin. There were few street names aside from Illithid Way, with most locals navigating by landmarks and businesses.

Notable locations:
 * Beggar's Rest Pass: a deserted pass formerly occupied by beggars until it spontaneously liquified into a muddy whirlpool during the Time of Troubles. Blood spilled in the vicinity of the pass caused zombies to rise from the pass and attempt to drag victims beneath the earth.
 * Dark Harvest Market: a food market catering to all Underdark tastes, selling average quality Underdark and imported foods.
 * Illithid Way: the most prominent pathway in Lower Heart. Populated mainly by illithids, who were attracted to its warm, humid environment, shadowy recesses, and low-hanging columns stalactites. Businesses rising from Lower Heart up to Central Heart catered to illithids and to a lesser extent beholders.
 * Rumblecleft Pass: a fissure opened along the south wall of Lower Heart by a series of earthquakes. It connected to a system of narrow natural tunnels leading to the River Sargauth and other locations in Underdark.
 * Steamfall Pass: a pass covered with a cloud of superheated ash and steam from Thaglar's Foundry. The floor was covered with thick mud and the pass was lined with odd rock formations from nearly two centuries of precipitation.
 * Taglath's Gap: a narrow stretch of cavern between Beggar's Rest and Steamfall pass haunted by the ghost of Taglath, a poet, explorer and romantic who was murdered at its threshold.
 * The Flagon and the Dragon: a small unassuming tavern once owned by Silas Broon; by 1492 DR, the proprietor was Cal'al Claddani. . Its acoustics made conversation below a shout difficult. It was popular with locals who wanted to converse without being overheard.
 * Mama Rutterkin's Preserves: a shop selling cheap, good quality pickled goods.
 * The Sanguine Hall: supplier of butchered meats, bones, and meat products to Skullport's businesses and ships, as well as secret butchering services.
 * Shradin's Excellent Zombies: a business formerly run by Shradin Mulophor that rented out zombies for labor and guarding. After Shradin's destruction, the zombies were destroyed or appropriated by Dalagor as mercenaries. The shop remained empty and unguarded; Shradin's virtual palace lay beneath the shop but resisted attempts at plunder from treasure-seekers.
 * The Thrown Gauntlet: a tavern run by Skuerren Skargettian famed for offering Skullport's most violent armed and unarmed pit-fighting spectactles.
 * Bindle's Blade: a good quality, expensive inn with a courtyard that staged regular fistfights and duels. The inn was run by Basil Willowbrook and had a sea elf barmaid who was known for her unusual singing abilties.
 * The Deepfires: a luxurious, extremely expensive inn with particularly excellent soups and broths. Guests paid a premium for the inn's peace and security. The inn was run by Vhondryl and her partner Raella Hiess.
 * Sword and Sextant: A business that sold reliable maps of the Underhalls. It was founded by Aekyl Dafyre and by 1492 DR was being run by a pair of halfling brothers, Oleander and Will.
 * Malakuth Tabuirr's Townhouse: home of the drow smuggler and slaver Malakuth Tabuirr and his companion Amryyr Yauntyrr. His four-story townhouse had high domed towers, stone parapets, and pockets of faerie fire decorating its drow-themed architecture.
 * The Crock and the Helm: an inn frequented by buccaneers that provided simple, furniture-free accomodations.
 * Thaglar's Foundry: the only foundry in Skullport. Thaglar's Foundry was run by Thaglar Xundorn. It mainly produced metal ingots and weapons and armor. The foundry could produce special weapons and armor of mithral and other unusual alloys for higher prices and longer construction times.
 * Rhaunaguth's Keep: home of the mercenary lord Rhaunaguth. His keep was an ugly three-story fortress of stone and iron.
 * The Feathered Rat: a pet store run by Salmarin Bearfriend and Ulvira Snowveins. The store sold everything from giant rats to pseudodragons and more exotic creatures.
 * House of the Long Slow Kiss: the most infamous festhall in Skullport, offering escorts of all kinds and dispositions. The Kiss was run by the lamia noble crime lord Transtra.
 * The Hell Hound's Muzzle: a squalid little tavern frequented by cutthroats and assassins. The owner Grimmbold ran a guild of assassins out of the Muzzle.
 * Amet'ned-thoth's Residence: manor house of the wizard-priest Amet'ned-thoth.
 * Guts and Garters: an inn formerly run by Bolton Brimwell, known for guaranteeing privacy to its patrons. By 1492 DR it was run by the tiefling Quietude and was Skullport's last remaining inn.

Central Heart
Central Heart was primarily a residential area, housing some of the more influential and wealthy locals. The catwalks and rope bridges that cluttered the skyline were sturdier than elsewhere in Skullport, allowing most of the heaviest races free access.

Notable locations:
 * Lord Trillnauch's Villa: palatial estate of the mercenary lord Byronae Trilluach. The three-story villa featured multiple wings and a walled rock garden. It was supported on stone butresses and suspended from chains attached to stalactites.
 * Smallfry's Pantry: a large open-air kitchen with enough seating to accommodate a hundred diners. It served excellent quality everyday meals, held periodic lavish, exotic feasts, and offered a mobile catering service for private functions of wealthy and influential clients. The pantry was run by Smallfry.
 * Dalagor's Fortress: sparsely furnished, dreary fortress of the mercenary Dalagor. Deep within the fortress lay a vault filled with riches and spoils. During the Spellplague, Dalagor was detroyed or driven out by the Harpers, who turned the fortress into a hidedout.
 * Monsters Made to Order: a business run by Nestor Podgin that sold hybridized monsters and creatures for use as guardians and watch beasts.
 * Sangalor's Home: Sangalor's residence when he was not visiting the Font of Knowledge. The exterior resembled a huge nautilus shell adorned with stained glass; the interior was adorned with expensive, alien-looking furniture and filled with stacks of books.
 * The Brigadier's Broadside: a shop owned by the Brigadier that supplied smokepowder and firearms.
 * Lodge of the Beastlord: an expansive three-story members-only club that was part tavern and part inn. It catered to hunters, adventurers, and bounty hunters. Membership was by invitation only; applicants were screened by the senior huntsman, Asheford Dockscourge.

Upper Heart
Upper Heart was the darkest area of Skullport, with only occasional illumination from patches of glowing fungus. The ceiling of Skullport's cavern rose to its highest point in Upper Heart, with structures twining stalactites 300 feet above the cavern floor. The largest number of Skullport's darkness-loving races lived and did business in Upper Heart.

Notable locations:
 * Bonewatch Pass: a tunnel opening from the ceiling of Upper Heart that extended for miles. At the center of its Skullport terminus was a giant one-eyed skull.
 * The Worm's Gullet: a restaurant and casino made out of a hollowed-out petrified purple worm. It was formerly owned by Asheford Dockscourge and was one of the best restaurants in Skullport. By 1492 DR, it was managed by the duergar Gharz Stonedark and was the only restaurant in Skullport; the food and service declined under his management.
 * Tanor'Thal Refuge: a drow stronghold shaped like an obese spider clinging to the cavern ceiling. It was home to the emissaries of House Tanor'Thal and was headed by Kesra Tanor'Thal By 1492 DR the drow had abandoned it and it was empty save for a host of giant spiders.
 * The Frontal Lobe: an illithid-only tavern believed to be owned by the Skum Lord. It catered to the tastes, leisure activities and palates of illithids.