Westgate

Westgate is the oldest, richest and most corrupt port in the Sea of Fallen Stars. It gets the nickname, Gateway to the West, from its role as the Inner Sea's most prolific port city. A person from Westgate is known as a Westar or a Westhavian. It is an open city that welcomes all races and all religions.

History
This area of the Dragon Coast was first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughy 3,000 years ago. The largest place was the human town of Westgate, ruled cruelly by the great topaz dragon Kisonraathiisar.

In -349 DR Saldrinar destroys Kisonraathiisar and becomes Westgate's first human king.

In 257 DR, pirates from the Pirate Isles invade Westgate and start a 200 year reign of Pirate Kings.

After the spellplague the Sea of Fallen Stars begain to drain into the Underdark. The lower water level caused the shoreline to recede and left the dock area of Westgate high and dry. The docks were rebuilt on the new shoreline and the new dock area is known as Tidetown.



Foreign Policy
By the Year of the Ageless One Westgate was one of the few free cities left on the Dragon Coast not occupied by either Cormyr or Sembia. In order to preserve its independence Westgate plays both powers against each other, perhaps even supporting insurrections within Cormyr's borders to stem its expansionism.

Important figures

 * King Verovan, last King of Westgate who during a ship race against the Red Wizards of Thay, was tricked into turning his whole crew into stone when the Red Wizards secretly replaced his whip with one braided with a cocatrice feather.
 * Mintassan the Magnificent
 * Zedrick Neely, Leader of the Night Masks
 * Gul The Grim, Dwarven Leader & figurehead of the Westgate underworld
 * Clyde The Cleaver, Information broker & underworld figure. Notorious for his hand axe of Sharpness
 * Lord Topaz, Mercenary, assassin, bounty hunter, and unofficial contractor for the Night Masks. Affiliated with Waterdeep's Assassin's Guild of the VenomBlade.

Organizations and Factions

 * Fire Knives: thieves' guild.
 * Night Masks (guild): Assassins' guild formerly in control of the city, driven out by the Fire Knives
 * Nine Golden Swords: Shou organization with criminal roots by way of Telflamm, opposes the Fire Knives
 * Zhentarim: mercenary company

Noble Houses

 * Athagdal: symbol is a set of russet weighing scales
 * Bleth: symbol is seven suns
 * Cormaeril: symbol is a red wyvern and a silver hor
 * Guldar: symbol is a black hawk
 * Malavhan: symbol is a red sun
 * Ssemm: symbol is an ivory bird's claw
 * Thalavar: symbol is a green feather
 * Thorsar: symbol is a blue hand holding corn
 * Urdo: symbol is a yellow eye
 * Vhammos: symbol is a steel-gray open hand