Zazesspur

The ancient port city of Zazesspur was the former capital of Tethyr. It was a city of legendary wealth and full of intrigue.

Description
Architecturally and culturally, Zazesspur was an odd mixture of Tethyrian and Calishite influences, with others blended in. Its skyline contained many tall spires. Most buildings were several stories tall and constructed of tight-fitting stone. They were decorated ornately around windows and doors and along the edges of the roofs.

Geography
The city was located on the Sword Coast, south of the Starspire Peninsula. The city's harbor was protected from storms by the mountainous peninsula.

The coastal plains around Zazesspur were markedly more green than the lands further east and inland. The city was bisected by the Sulduskoon River as it flowed into the sea.

Layout
The river divided the city into a southern Low City and a northern High City. The Low City was older, having been built over older ruins. The High City was larger and represented what most folks though of when hearing the word "Zazesspur".

The High City was divided into six districts, which included:
 * The Bindery
 * Wainwrights' District
 * Garden District
 * Market District
 * Carpets District
 * Ships' District

The Low City was not officially divided into districts; however, it still had two distinct regions or boroughs&mdash;the The Fortress and Karlaggar. Karlaggar was a mercenaries' quarter. The Fortress was a sector full of smithies and warehouses.

Defenses
The walls of the city stood high in some places. They had many gaps in them after the fall of the royal family during the Ten Black Days of Eleint.

Seven gates provided access into the city. Entering the High City were the Sea Gate from the west, the Trade Gate from the north, the Dung Gate from northeast, and the South Gate south. Karlag's Gate and the Hill Gate entered the Low City, while the remaining "gate" was the port entrance to the river. All gates were barbican style with two portcullises. All gates were guarded by at least six guards, who could sound alarms to summon more. They were open only during daylight hours.

Government
The city was ruled by a council of lords. Each district or borough was represented by a single council member. Halflings had a strong influence on the council during the Interregnum, more so than in most other cities in Tethyr, and these had close connections with the Purple Hills Council.

Slavery had been illegal in Zazesspur for generations. Prostitution was legal.

During the Interregnum, the city guard of Zazesspur bore crossbows and bronze halberds. They were uniformed in morions and bronze cuirasses with puffy blue shirts and pantaloons. The city guard served the city council and were a separate entity from the city police.

Trade
Zazesspur was famous for its wool carpets, furniture, and cabinets. In fact, some considered Zazesspur to export the finest woodcraft in all the Realms. The city imported grain and livestock from Darromar. Much of Zazesspur's food also came from the fertile Purple Hills.

Tethyr's two major roads, the Trade Way and Ithal Road, both connected with the city. Along with Myratma in the south, Zazesspur was one of Tethyr's two largest ports.

In 1357 DR, the gold coin minted by Zazesspur, the gulder, was the most valuable gold coin in Tethyr; 100 Amnian danters would exchange for 107 gulders.

Primarily because of its trade with a small tribe from the eastern Starspire Mountains, Zazesspur was one of the few places in Tethyr where dwarves might actually be encountered in the mid-1300s DR. These were dwarves from Clan Ghalmrin, (the same clan as that of Shield Brother Vorn Ghalmrin, who sat on the queen's Privy Council,) who visited three times per year to trade rare metals and dwarven weapons and armor in exchange for leather and textiles.

Religion
Sune was a favored deity within the city.

History
In ancient past, the area now occupied by Zazesspur was above major regions of Old Shanatar. Specifically, the catacombs of Zazesspur were once the subterranean city of Ultoksurllur, which served as the capital of the Seastar Kingdom of Sondarr, one of the eight subkingdoms of Deep Shanatar. Clan Ghalmrin then dwelled in Ultoksurllur. The dwarves built a surface city there as well; the name is forgotten, but evidence of dwarven stonework still remained in some of Zazesspur's roads and ramparts.

The city was first settled by Calishite humans as a fishing village. In, it became a fortified city and the seat of the Calishite Emir of Tethyr, whose palace was placed in the city's center. At this point, the entire city was located south of the Sulduskoon River, in what would later be considered the Low City. The Forest of Tethir then bordered the river, and so the elves controlled the northern shore. In, slaves built the Trade Way from Zazesspur to Memnon. 20 years later, a road was begun heading east. 200 years later, in, it finally reached what would later become Ithal Pass at the fortress of Akkabbel.

In the, Zazesspur was conquered by Tethyrian barbarians from the Dragon's Neck Peninsula and the Purple Hills. Calimshan maintained troops there for a time, but in the, after a short siege, it was conquered and taken over by the Tethyrian tribes and renamed Fort Karlag, after their warlord.

Before the start of the Shoon Imperium, in the King Amahl Shoon I restored the city's name to Zazesspur and constructed a new palace and court there, making Zazesspur the capital of the kingdom.

After the Ten Black Days of Eleint, the population of Zazesspur increased because of large numbers of refugees from the region around Castle Tethyr. The population and prestige of Zazesspur then began to decline with the establishment of Darromar as the new capital of the kingdom under Queen Zaranda and King Haedrak. The citizens were not fond of their change in societal status in the country.

Notable Locations

 * Dung Gate : A breach in the outer wall of the city.
 * Palace of Governance : A civic building constructed in the city's center during the Interregnum.
 * Smiling Centaur : A tavern in the city.
 * Street of the Seamstresses : A street known for its brothels.
 * Thread-Biters' Lane : A street once known for its brothels.

Inhabitants
The city did not have as large a population of spellcasters as one might expect for a city of its size. Wizards coming from Amn in the north usually continued on to Calimshan in the south, expecting higher sources of income and greater comforts in that country.

Rumors & Legends
During the Interregnum, some of the locals believed that "black galleys", Zhentarim slave ships, carried off children in the night from docks hidden within Zazesspur's catacombs.

Trivia
Male and female prostitutes were known as "notch-tooths" within the city, because they used to work on Thread-Biters' Lane. The masters of the guilds were termed "syndics".

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #38, "A Blight on the Land"
 * Novels
 * War in Tethyr