Helgabal

Helgabal, formerly known as Heliogabalus, was the largest city in Damara, and was once the seat of government until King Gareth moved the capital to Bloodstone Village in the mid-to-late 14 century DR. The capital was subsequently moved back to Helgabal in the mid-to-late 15 century DR.

Geography
Helgabal was located in central Damara, and sat on the northwestern shores of Lake Mogador at the mouth of the Goliad River. It lay within the borders of the Barony of Morov at a central point along the King's Road.

14th Century DR
Baron Dimian Ree of Morov also held the title of Mayor of the city beginning in 1357 DR. After 1359 DR, he was subordinate to King Gareth Dragonsbane. Regardless of who the ruler was, real power lay in the merchants and guilds of the city, whose wealth, heavy involvement in the Damaran economy, and strong connections to foreign lands made them nearly immune to political pressure.

15th Century DR
Lord Yarin Frostmantle ruled both the city and the kingdom from his palace in Helgabal as a tyrannical king in the late 15th century DR.

Trade
Helgabal sat at or near the intersection of every major trade artery in Damara, making it a critical lynchpin in the kingdom's economy. Various independent merchant and trade guilds allowed Helgabal to heavily influence the supply of goods to all of Damara, and it was the farthest stop north for most merchants traveling into the Bloodstone Lands. The city was mostly a hub for goods travelling into or out of Damara, although it did produce and export armor. The city had the most readily accessible illicit markets in Damara.

Defenses
The merchants guilds once maintained their own private militias by way of hired mercenaries. In 1367 DR, by decree of the king Dragonsbane, the guilds were ordered to disperse their private armies. The defense of Helgabal was maintained by paladins of Ilmater who led young recruits in protecting the city. Any army looking to take the city would likely be forced into close-quarters, house-to-house combat.

History
Helgabal was founded as "Heliogabalus" around the, by Feldrin Bloodfeathers, First King of Damara. The Bloodfeathers had a long, unbroken line of kindly kings who ruled Damara from Helgabal until Zhengyi the Witch-King seized control of the kingdom in the. Up to this point, Helgabal had enjoyed the singular status of being its own separate province of Damara belonging to the crown. However, Zhengyi's newly appointed Baron of Morov, Dimian Ree, quickly moved his seat of power from Morovar to Helgabal, and then annexed Helgabal into the Barony of Morov. Dimian Ree would struggle to control the powerful merchants who ran the city, and clashed with Baron Gareth Dragonsbane of Bloodstone in the Bloodstone Wars two years later.

Following the defeat of Zhengyi and the crowning of Gareth Dragonsbane as the King of Damara in the, the capital of Damara was moved from Helgabal to Bloodstone Village. Meanwhile, Baron Dimian Ree still maintained a large amount of loyalty in central Damara where Helgabal lay. Publicly, Baron Ree proclaimed to be a public servant of the crown, but Grandmaster Kane of Spysong suspected Ree to be in cahoots with the Citadel of Assassins.

In the, Bloodstone Village (by then called Bloodstone City) was razed by the Warlock Knights of Vaasa, and the capital returned to Helgabal. The last heir to the Dragonsbane dynasty had been assassinated at this point by Lord Yarin Frostmantle, who had seized the throne. One of his edicts was to outlaw the old name of "Heliogabalus" and declare the city be called only "Helgabal." Any who violated this proclamation could be sentenced to death.

By the, the fortunes of Helgabal had begun to dwindle as southern merchants hesitated to venture into the domain of the unpredictable and despotic King Frostmantle.

Inhabitants
Helgabal was prone to intrigue, although not quite to the extent as many major cities further south. Most folk were independent-minded, and were loyal to no one outside their respective guilds. The people rarely objected to anything unless it interfered with day-to-day businesses. The powerful merchants who effectively ran the city only cared about money and stability, and the purpose of the stability was to ensure they made more money. A common sentiment was that regardless of what happened in Damaran politics, Helgabal was happy as long its own the status quo was maintained. Or as they said, the just wanted "Morov the same!"

The city was home to various merchant and trade guilds, as well as several thieves guilds, such as Tightpurse. There was also a population of celebrated dwarven craftsfolk in the city.

Notable Inhabitants

 * 14 Century DR
 * Cat One-eye, a famous assassin
 * Dimian Ree, the mayor and the Baron of Morov
 * Ilnezhara, a copper dragon
 * Tarkos Ree, leader of the Tightpurse thieves guild
 * Tazmikella, a copper dragon
 * 15 Century DR
 * Concettina Delcasio, Queen of Damara
 * Dreylil Andrus, captain of the palace guard
 * Ilnezhara
 * Red Mazzie, the court wizard
 * Tazmikella
 * Yarin Frostmantle, King of Damara

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Sellswords (Promise of the Witch-King, Road of the Patriarch) • Hero
 * Fiction
 * The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt Anthology (That Curious Sword, Wickless in the Nether)