Sshamath

Sshamath or the "City of Dark Weavings" is a Drow city located in the Middledark below the Far Hills. It has contacts in the Zhentarim citadel of Darkhold.

History
Established in -4973 DR by the Lolth-worshipping Drow House Sshamath. It was a standard Drow city for nearly 2000 years. Then, in -2867 DR it was discovered that the city's local faerzress was fluctuating badly. Five years later it was gone and the city was greatly weakened. Around 3 centuries previous the Matron Mothers of the city had given birth to an unusually large number of male children. This, of course contributed to a large increase in the number of wizards and a decrease in the number of priestesses. Thanks to the lack of nearby threats the house wizards set about plundering the ruins of lost civilizations like Netheril and Oghrann. They took and duplicated every magical item that they could find and used them to instigate a very short civil war that killed all of the house matriarchs and replaced them with wizards. Now, practitioners of the art reign supreme.

Today
Sorcerers, bards and divine spellcasters are treated as secondary citizens as magic that is earned through work is much more respected than magic that comes naturally or from deference to another. The city is now ruled over by the Conclave of Sshamath, an Oligarchy composed of one representative from each of the 8 schools of magical specialization, one who does not specialize and one who is elected from among the more esoteric arcane practitioners (Elemental Savants, Deep Diviners, etc.). The conclave rarely meets, preferring communication via spells.

Nurissa Vyllshan wants to get users of the Shadow Weave accepted as an official school and thus eligible for a conclave seat. Unfortunately for her and her followers this would lessen the power of the already established members (which, obviously they want to avoid) and the majority of Shadow Weave users get their power from the worship of Shar which is frowned upon by other wizards. Still, some would prefer that the practioners of shadow magic operated with conclave support than if they went underground.

The city itself is a major trading center for all things magical. You can find nearly anything a wizard could possibly want in the Dark Weavings Bazaar and if you can't it can be found for you. For an extra (large) fee it can be brought to you by adventurers (usually non-drow).

Slavery is also treated differently here than in other Drow cities. Races considered capable of wizardry such as humans, elves, Svirfneblin and Deep Imaskari, etc. are never kept as slaves by citizens but are allowed as the slaves of visitors. Creatures who demonstrate an aptitude for wizardry are considered free in the eyes of Sshamath law and are allowed to live in a ghetto that is prevented from getting too big by the conclave.

Important sites

 * Z'orr'bauth is the great pillar in the center of the city. it stretches from the floor of the cavern where travellers can access the city right to the roof which leads to the entrance cave above the city. Hundreds of bridges extend from this great pillar that lead to individual homes.
 * 'The Stonestave is where the conclave meets on the rare occasions that it needs to. It is heavily guarded and warded. Like Z'orr'bauth, it stretches from the floor to the ceiling of the cavern. It gets its name from its shape, that of a wizard's staff.
 * The Darkspires are the homes of the many artificiers and smiths. Many of these are Duergar who have been sold into indentured service by their kin. Each smithy deals independently from the colleges as a whole and instead plies their wares to whichever college they prefer.
 * The Quillspires are a cluster of hollowed stalactites hanging from the roof of the cavern, northwest of Z'orr'bauth where the city's scribes and low-level wizards create scrolls for sale in the Bazaar and deal with minor magical research.
 * The Tower of the Masked Mage is a stalactite temple to Vhaeraun suspended over the Darkwoods. Some of the Shadow Adepts not under the dominance of Shar reside here. They support Vyllshan's activities. Most residents of the tower are rogues though.
 * The Web of the Spider Queen is a cluster of stalactites & stalacmites that serve as Lolth's temple in the city. Only a token deference is given to the Spider Queen by the city's citizens outside of the Web and among the wizards, even less. The preistesses who reside here do good business with mages that require clerical spells to complete magical items.
 * The Fountain of Endless Elixirs is a shop where any magical or non-magical liquid can be bought.
 * The Genie's Wish is a high-priced shop for new visitors to the city. A stalctite shaped like a Calishite minaret, it is easily recognizable. Any visitors asking for help buying something are directed here where they are normally tricked into buying cursed or nearly depleted items. Those who are experienced enough not to be fooled can utilize the shop's large inventory and item location and retrieval service for a large non-refundable handler's fee. Prices are usually doubled on top of that for items found this way.
 * The Jacinth Rose can be found right in the middle of the Dark Weavings Bazaar. Here, you can buy gemstones from all over Faerun and some parts of Kara-Tur. Magical gems are also sometimes available but non-Drow will have a hard time buying them.
 * The Great Elixir is the most infamous tavern in the city. It is rumoured that you can get any alcoholic beverage from the realms above and below here. A pool in the centre of the open-air court is filled by the slow drip of a stalactite above. Patrons try to convince gullible visitors that it has magical properties but all it contains is guano runoff.
 * The Lukhorn's Gullet is located on the south edge of the Bazaar and is famed for its excellent meals. They can cater to any sentient being, regardless of palate. It is a series of ring platforms, one atop the other, two of which are enclosed with Walls of Force and flooded with water (one salt, one fresh) to cater to aquatic patrons. Drow servers use Levitation to quickly access each of the rings and serve customers.
 * The Shattered Scepter is located far from the center of Sshamath in the west. The building was formed from a stalactite that fell and split in two parts. One part is used as a stable, while the other is the main building. The inn has over a dozen rooms for paying customers but the building is known as a place of ill-repute.
 * The Gloura's Wings is a small festhall on the western edge of the Bazaar. It is famous for a song written about the place that is popular among Bards north of Amn. Three Glouras run the place, calling themselves the "Deep Queens" and is staffed by beautiful minstrels and dancers.
 * The Spider's Kiss is a large festhall named after the practise of some Drow females of killing their mates after breeding with them, much like some spiders. This place is known for selling a variety of poisons.
 * The Darkwoods is a petrified forest in the south east of the city that is home to the worst residents (and a few monsters). The conclave has done nothing to get rid of them, whether they want to or not.