Crimmor

Crimmor, also known as the City of Caravans or the Caravan Capital of Amn, was a fortified city and the focal point of practically all trades between the Sword Coast North and the Lands of Intrigue. The constant stream of travelers made it the most diverse Amnian city.

Built on the southern shore of the Alandor River, Crimmor was a city constantly bustling with life. A strong stink of ox dung filled the streets, courtesy of the unusual quantity of wagons roaming them. Caravaneers set camp outside of the city, filling the southern lands with tents and cattle.

"Crimmor, City of Caravans, what shall I say of thee? The life-blood of half Faerûn streams through thy streets, by coin and creaking wagon-wheel. Here Amn works for its glittering gold, and by such striving half the Sword Coast North is fed, and fine-work of a thousand-thousand hands set forth to remote stead and backland croft. Crimmor, where barge, drover, and wagon are lords, work never ceases, and folks can sleep through din worthy of a siege. Crimmor, the beating heart of the haughty Merchants' Domain, bones beneath the striding skin of gold. No man is truly a caravan master, who has not passed through Crimmor."

- Extract from Tales of a City Unsleeping by Mandivvur Taeruld

Trade Routes

 * Alandor River: Flowing from Lake Weng to the Sea of Swords. Trade goods were loaded on barges towed up and down the river.  On the northern side of the city, docks allowed those barges to load and unload their cargo.
 * Eshpurta Road: Going eastwards, this was the most important east-west road in northern Amn.
 * River Road: Going west alongside the Alandor river, this road led to the capital city of Athkatla.
 * Trade Way: Extending in both directions, this major trading route led to both Baldur's Gate to the north and Calimport to the south (passing through Purskul).

Weather
On most days, a thin haze of dust hanged over the city, flung around by the beast's hoofs. On rare occasions a westbound wind cleaned the dust from the air, bringing with it the reeks of tanneries, paddocks and slaughterhouses.

Rain was a common occurrence in Crimmor, happening in short but severe downpours two to three times almost every morning.

During the 14 Century DR, the lands east of the city were plagued with dust storms. A local druid circle, the Flamenar, tried to reduce this issue by planting new trees on the surrounding hills.

During winter the region was covered by so much ice and snow that traveling with draft animals was impossible. During this time caravans stopped running, and the rare short and tedious trips were accomplished using humanoid-pulled sledges.

Flora
Inside the city no space was dedicated to parks or gardens. To find trees and grass, one had to step outside the fortified walls: they would first pass through the Keepclear, a grassy area as large as "the flight of a ballista-bolt fired from the wall towers" and used by townfolks for moots, walks and picnics. On the limit of the Keepclear near the Orc Road, visitors could find the first trees: a majority of duskwoods, as well as some felsuls. Those trees were a favorite playground of local children, and marked the beginning of the area where visiting caravans would set up their encampments. Lovers and paramours used to meet near those trees, but this tradition declined over time as caravan-riders enjoyed playing pranks on such couples.

Outside of the city gardens produced a variety of goods such as apples and pears. Some of those gardens were tended by the clergy of Chauntea.

Fauna
Most domesticated animals inside Crimmor were draft animals &mdash;mostly oxes and mules&mdash; as well as riding-horses and coach-horses. Those animals wore large brass badged stamped with the symbol of the city and graved with their owner's name. The badges were issued by the Thaeldorn and served to prove that the animal belonged to a tax-paying citizen, as visitors were forbidden to bring their own beasts of burden inside the city.

Crimmans kept few pets, as cats and dogs were banned from the city&mdash;except as caged cargoes. As a result mice and rats were plentiful, as were snakes and scavenger birds feeding on them. The locals hunted those pests using stones, poisons and drowning-traps whenever given a chance.

Government
The city was ruled by the Thaeldorn, which was a name used to refer to both the building housing the Mayor, and the employees therein. Leading over them was the Alandor-Lord and Thaele of Crimmon, which people usually called the mayor. Corlyn Braen was the mayor circa 1374 DR. He was known to be fair-minded and well-meaning, wanting the best for the city and its inhabitants.

Law & Order
Crimmor had several protectionist laws related to the handling of commercial goods. A whole economy was built around those laws, allowing jobs such as dockhands, wagonmakers and drovers to thrive.
 * Only oxen and mules belonging to Crimmor citizens could enter the city.
 * It was forbidden to build shore-docks outside the city walls, to prevent evading inspection and fees.

Multiple organizations worked together to keep the city and its inhabitants safe:
 * The Crimmor Guard employed 500 well-disciplined and well-armed combatants. They wore chainmail under their tabards and fought using slings, longswords and daggers. Numerous patrols watched over the streets of the city, and were typically strong of a dozen guards.
 * Strong of 125 men and women, the Bargemen patrolled the Alandor River, the westbound River Road, and the docks. They wore tabards emblazoned with the city's symbol.
 * The Shadow Thieves regulated criminal activities in the city, and enforced a strict no-theft policy.
 * Although this was seldom necessary, the Crytrapper family could supplement the guard with 400 more troops from its estates around the city.

In addition, the authorities were known to hire mercenaries to increase the city defenses in case of necessity.

Crime
The Thaeldorn were known for their swift justice: an offender would usually be brought before a magistrate on the same day they were apprehended, or before noon if they were caught at night. Holding cells were built on the ground-floor of every tower alongside the city wall, and were used to incarcerate troublemakers awaiting their judgement. A more secure dungeon was built under the Thaeldorn, and was used for prisoners sentenced to long-term imprisonment.

Trade
Being a corner of the trading routes between Amn and the Sword Coast North, Crimmor had a vibrant economy revolving around trade goods and the people moving them. The city housed five major guilds representing dockhands and drovers, as well as other trades supporting them.

Thanks to the ban forbidding visitors to bring draft animals inside the city, Crimman teams of drovers performed dozen of trips daily between the docks and the Drover's Gate, moving wagons from barges to caravans and vice versa. Individual drovers used mules to deliver smaller shipments (e.g. chests, crates, kegs) to addresses within the city walls. It was common for such drovers to cry carry in the caravan-yards to advertise their services.

The most iconic wagonmaker of the city, Zan Zoldaftel, was known far and wide to produce the best carts one could buy. Over the years Old Zan took on many apprentices, on the condition that their own business would open in Crimmor as well. As a result, the city name was synonymous with top-of-the-line carts and wagons everywhere.

Crimmor counted many smithies, most of which were located in the southern Wheel Ward of the city. In addition to providing much needed much needed spare parts to the wagonmakers, the smiths also made the place a major processing center for the previous metals and gems mined in the nearby Cloud Peaks. The city was also a major jewelry-making center, although jewelry produced there was seen as inferior to the one produced in other places.

Finally, the city produced and exported a quantity of agricultural goods, such as apples, barley, corn, hops, malt, oats,pears, mild and sweet peppers, winter wheat, beers and ales. The latter, although of good quality, were disregarded as "common" by the Amnian elites. Candied Crimmor pears could be found as far as Westgate, being sold for 8 gp at Aurora's Emporium.

Culture
Festhalls, called Clubs, were an important aspect of the Crimman culture. Many townsfolk would meet in those dining halls to eat their main meal of the day, gossip, socialize, and conduct sideline business. This was also the place where they would go in order to hire new employees such as shop staff, guards, or adventurers.

Fashion
Crimmans gave gaudy outfits less importance as a status symbol as other Amnians. They gave more importance to fine coaches, walking sticks, homes, luggage and tools.

Architecture
Most of the city was built from stone, from the buildings to the cobbled streets.

The streets of the city had narrow but deep channels in their center, which were used to guide rainwater towards the Alandor river. They were often insufficient though, causing the streets to be permanently dirty and smelly from a melange of water and dung.

Buildings were tall and narrow, touching each other as to not waste any space. The first level of every building was a low-ceilinged cellar held together by massive stone supports, and had a characteristic "big step up" on its front threshold to keep water and dung at bay. The stone supports were necessary because the city was built upon hardened river ooze and uneven bedrock, causing the buildings to slowly sink down and lean in one direction or another. Those supports were regularly replaced or reinforced to keep the buildings straight and structurally stable.

While buildings were made from gray stone, they were stained brown until about high. Building roofs were tilted and made of brown, green or blue tiles, and windows were usually very narrow, akin to arrow slits. Most buildings were four to six stories tall, and none were higher than the upthrusting spires of The Pearl.

Festivals and Holidays


Wheelmoot was the only festival specific to the city of Crimmor. Held during winter, it was four consecutive days and nights of drinking and public debauchery.

Defenses
The city was surrounded on the north by the Alandor River, and in all other directions by impressive gray granite walls. The walls were high, and guard towers equipped with ballistae were located on regular intervals along the periphery.

History

 * Foundation of the city, subordinated to the Shoon Imperium.
 * Crimmor became part of the country of Amn, under the reign of King Esmel Torlath.
 * During the Ogre Wars, Prince Imnel Torlath and his armies fought on the Small Teeth to restore trade between Crimmor and Murann. The town of Imnescar would later be founded where that battle took place.
 * Crimmor was affected by the Coast Plague, killing approximately 20% of the townsfolk (i.e. thousands of people)
 * Circa : Alorgoth the Bringer of Doom recruited some of the first members of the Order of the Dark Moon amongst the talented young adults of Crimmor.

The lost lady
In addition to being a major trade route, Crimmor was famous for being haunted. A ghost roamed the city streets, looking for a treasure and a long-lost lover. The ghost was said to be that of Esmaelae, a long-dead noblewoman of Tethyr, and was known to possess the living to further her searches. Some crimmans let Esmaelae possess them willingly, hoping to find her lost treasure along the way. Her victims were easy to recognize, as her ghostly face was slightly superimposed over theirs. Crimmans were extremely tolerant towards the antics of possessed victims, and sometimes followed them as a form of entertainment.

Idioms

 * A proper earner: Was said of a very nice tool or implement. Such tools would impress Crimmans very much.


 * Caught in crimson: Was said of a thief caught red-handed.


 * To cry carry: Shouting to advertise the services of a business or individual.


 * Guarding mine/his glints : Hiding mine/his valuable wares from public eyes to avoid having them stolen after leaving Crimmor.


 * Having too little coin to buy their own confidence: Was said of someone ostensibly flaunting their money by owning unnecessary ornate buildings or clothing.

Slang

 * Ardragons: Mythical mock-dragons carved around windows and other wall features.


 * Djauncesome: A term of admiration for architecture or garments.


 * Exalted window: A really narrow window. Crimmans never used the term arrowslit, which was considered insulting.


 * Highnosed: Arrogant, disdainful, snooty. Could be said of a person or of a business.


 * Streetmoot (or moot): Intersection


 * Sward-feast: A picnic. Its literal meaning was a meal on the grass.


 * Throus: The local name for leeks.

Notable Locations
Crimmor was divided into three city wards, demarcated by two major roads. The High Ride ran east-weast through the city and marked the southern end of the River Ward. The Wagonrun ran north-south and separated the Wheel Ward from the Purse Ward.


 * River Ward:


 * Wheel Ward:


 * Purse Ward:
 * All temples within the city walls were located in the Purse Ward.


 * Chauntea's Cradle, a temple dedicated to the Earthmother.
 * The Theater of Joy, an old amphitheater serving as a temple to Lliira, Milil and Sune.
 * The Allfaiths Altarhall, a shrine dedicated to many deities.
 * This ward also contained the Thaeldorn, home of the Mayor and courtroom were justice was served.

Guilds
Five guilds controlled the major trades in Crimmor: the Smiths, the Dockhands, the Leatherers, the Wagonmakers and the Wheelwrights. To reduce the risks of corruption, they had no guildmasters but elected small, short-term ruling councils instead.


 * The Smiths Guild


 * The Dockhands Guild
 * The Dockhands worked with barge and wagon crews, and controlled all loading and unloading on the docks.


 * The Leatherers Guild
 * Among the members of the Leatherers were very good harness-makers, saddlers, and bootmakers. Crimman boots were known to be extremely durable, yet stylish.


 * The Wagonmakers Guild
 * The Wagonmakers of Crimmor were said to be amongst the best in their trade. Although guilds were ruled by councils, the de facto leader of the Wagonmakers was Zan Zoldaftel. Old Zan was one of the most illustrious master carters in history, and numerous members of the guild were his apprentices once.


 * The Wheelwrights Guild
 * The wheelwrights made and repaired wheels and carriages. As per order of the Mayor, drovers where also part of this guild. This was the result of convincing by the three grand families, who feared that fees should steeply increase should drovers be allowed to form their own guild.


 * The Shadow Thieves Guild
 * Usually highly secretive, the most powerful Amnian thieves' guild was openly present in Crimmor, which it had declared a theft-free zone.  The guild maintained this policy strictly, taking measures against visiting thieves and amateurs, and exposing thieves trying to sell ill-gotten gains inside the city walls. The protection offered by the Shadow Thieves extended outside city walls as well, including the warehouses to the east and the estates of the wealthy to the west.

It was said that the origin of this peculiar arrangement came from a debt high-ranking Shadow Thieves members owed to the Crytrapper family, who provided them alibis and protection when they were caught red-handed. The guild was so close to the Crytrappers that some of the family's secret warehouses were used to store contraband or guild members. The guild also ensured that no one would counterfeit the badges used on draft animals, by letting it known that every false badge would be worth one finger&mdash;severed from the user.

Nobility
Three major noble families held influence over Crimmor. They were collectively referred to as the grand families by the townsfolk. Other families were present in the city but deferred to the aforementioned grand families.


 * Crytrapper family
 * The head of the family, Lady Lamia Crytrapper, was the cousin of Mayor Corlyn Braen and as such wielded powerful political influence. Her sister, Chynna Crytrapper, was the local priestess of Lliira.


 * Krimmevol family
 * Mikaal Krimmevol, the family head, was the Mayor's best friend and as such provided an important political power to his family. Mikaal was also secretly the Herald Sable, keeping an eye on trades and smuggling.


 * Ophal family
 * The Ophal family controlled most of the spice trade in town. Lady Zharnn Ophal was a political opponent to the mayor, which she tried to have replaced for years.



Notable Inhabitants

 * Rortryn Waend: A murderer who was active in Crimmor and Athkatla in the 15 Century DR. Rortryn was an accomplished actor and priest of Shar.


 * Minstrelwish family
 * This wealthy hin clan was present in Crimmor. They were discreet landlords renting properties and warehouses, and providing employment for the local halfling community.