Kaspar was a city lying on the eastern side of Ulgarth in southeast Faerûn.[1]
Description[]
Kaspar was a thriving city of 10,000 people, called "Kasparians". It was surrounded by fertile farmland growing the spice mingari, with many more farms lying to the west growing foodstuffs. These farms were called the breadbasket of Ulgarth, and Kaspar was thought to be one of the prettiest cities in the kingdom.[1]
Government[]
Around 1367 DR, Kaspar was led by one Baron Montar Kaspar, meaning "defender of Kaspar", a name he chose for himself.[1]
Trade[]
Folk here actually preferred to trade with the barbarians of the eastern plains.[1]
Defenses[]
Despite this preference for trade, the city of Kaspar also had the responsibility of defending the realm against the barbarian Horde. It maintained an excellent army to guard against raids and be alert to threats. They also protected the vital western farmlands.[1]
Baron Kaspar commanded his own barony's army,[1] the only baron to do so around 1367 DR.[2] He led his forces into battle himself, which earned him the appreciation of his troops.[1]
In particular, Baron Kaspar led an elite cavalry company, mounted on the superb Dambraii horses that he personally had imported from Dambrath. These made them the swiftest cavalry company in the kingdom, able to easily pursue or retreat from barbarian hordes.[1]
The city walls were defended by 500 soldiers, lightly armored as per local custom, but heavily armed. The majority were convicts who'd chosen to serve their sentences out in the army. Baron Kaspar kept their morale high through a mix of trust, harsh discipline, and indulging their greed, sharing the loot of a battle and captured horses fairly among the troops. This kept the rate of desertion at less than 10%.[1]
History[]
By 1367 DR, warnings circulated that the gray orcs of the Dustwall Mountains were gathering in preparation for a major assault or raids into Ulgarth. A horde of thousands of orcs was expected. The worried barons of Kaspar and Suormpar began recruiting solders to bolster their defenses.[3][4][5]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
At Candlekeep's unofficial errata, Simon Gibbs argues that Kaspar and Kellesar should be swapped on the maps, as the description of Kaspar better fits the southern location. That is, the apparent barbarian lands lie in the south, not the north, and the mingari farms around Kaspar could match the mingari farms east of the southern city of Kelazzan. However, information that Kaspar is preparing against raids from the Dustwall Mountains in the far north better suits its original northern location. In any case, this article remains with the canon version.
On the poster map in The Shining South, Kaspar is spelled "Kasper". This is presumed to be in error.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), p. 79. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
- ↑ Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), p. 74. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
- ↑ Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), pp. 66, 79. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
- ↑ Tom Prusa (1993). The Shining South. (TSR, Inc), p. 76. ISBN 1-56076-595-X.
- ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 180. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.