Keltar, one of the oldest cities in Faerûn, was located in Calimshan and was famous for being the site of the House of the Broken God.[1]
Geography and Layout
Keltar was located at the eastern edge of the Calim Desert along the deepest point of the Calim River.[1][4] The majority of the city was on the west side of the river, but the cattle processing centers were on the east side.[4] It was one of the smaller cities of Calimshan — a town by usual Calishite standards[8] — and contained eight sabbans composed of 24 drudachs.[1] [note 3] Unlike with other Calishite cities, Keltar's sabbans were named after the eight points of the compass.[1]
The city contained a massive sluice gate to divert the waters of the Calim River and boasted many canals flowing through its easternmost sabbans. In Northeast Sabban, these canals turned waterwheels to power mills and also giant fans, which were designed to blow the smell of cattle pens, slaughterhouses, and tanneries away. In other areas of the city, they were used for fishing and swimming or for travel in gondolas.[1]
The House of the Broken God (see below) encompassed the entire Northwest Sabban.[1]
Outside of Keltar, the Calim River provided relatively fertile farmland for crops,[9] and the surrounding shanate was dominated by herds.[1]
Government
In 1370 DR, Keltar was ruled by Sultan Duncan el Ashnarti,[1] and he had held his position of power there for at least a dozen years.[4] Because he was married to a woman from el Ahimar crime family, who were in turn subservient to the syl-pasha, he controlled the underworld in Keltar as well.[1] Despite his strong grip on the city, he was a wise ruler,[4] and Keltar was for the most part a peaceful city.[1]
The surrounding shanate was controlled by Ynamalik Uras el Ihak. Since he was good friends with Sultan Ashnarti, he was not a political threat to the latter's power.[1]
Because it contained more cattle than people, Keltar did not have a high reputation among Calishites and was therefore the least political of all Calimshan's cities.[1]
Trade
All kinds of livestock were traded, herded, slaughtered, and packed here, including cattle, camels, buffalo, and other exotic herd animals. Keltar was also well known for its leather trade, especially its fine saddles,[4] most notably those manufactured by Tenassar Saddleworks.[1]
Keltar's slave trade focused primarily on goblinoids. Most of these slaves were exported to Calimport or Thay.[10]
Because the city was so cattle-driven, it did not cater to adventurers.[1]
History
Keltar was as old as Calimport, making it older even than Waterdeep.[1] It was founded sometime after -7800 DR by the great genie Calim and became part of the Calim Caliphates.[11]
Throughout its history, the city was destroyed and rebuilt many times:
- After the Era of Skyfire, the city was rebuilt at the start of the kingdom of Coramshan.[7]
- In -664 DR, Keltar was nearly annihilated by a drow attack. Over a period of 37 hours, the city was encased in magical darkness and nearly half of its population at the time was carried off as prisoners. The army of Calimport rescued the city, but not before 3,000 people had been lost.[12]
- In 320 DR, Keltar was one of the Calishite cities suffering from the Infernal Death.[13]
- In 1018 DR, during a Rage of Dragons, Sapphiraktar the Blue destroyed Keltar, as well as Calimport, which ended the Seventh Age of Calimshan.[14]
Notable Locations
- Bathhouses
- South Sabban had a number of bathhouses, which were a more culturally acceptable option to bathing in the canals.[1]
- The House of the Broken God
- Undoubtedly the most famous site within Keltar, the House of the Broken God was the largest temple to Ilmater in all of Faerûn. It covered an area the size of three drudachs, the entirety of Northwest Sabban.[1]
- The Ringed Nose
- This seedy tavern was located in East Sabban among the slaughterhouses and was run by a staff of half-orcs. It had bar fights nearly every night, but was a good place to secretly trade information.[1]
- The Seminarcane
- This complex from the Seventh Age of Calimshan housed the Guild Arcane's headquarters and a school for magic.[1]
- Steps of Istishia
- This monolithic shrine to Istishia in North Sabban was thousands of years old and a wonder to behold. The waters from the city's sluice gate were directed here and pumped to the top of the structure where they cascaded down steps into the pool below.[1]
- The Tenassar Saddleworks
- This company made some of the most famous saddles in Faerûn. Supposedly, the owner, Asraf el Tenassar, could make a saddle for any animal, from rabbits to dragons.[1]
Notable Inhabitants
In 1370 DR, figures of influence in Keltar included:[1]
- Duncan el Ashnarti, the sultan of Keltar
- Xaros Tenseal, officer of el Amlakkar
- Uras el Ihak, ynamalik of the shanate around Keltar
- Jafar el Ihak, Uras' son
- Asraf el Tenassar, owner of the Tenassar Saddleworks
- Rabi el Lammil, a skilled horse breeder and horseman
- Adhan el Ilmater, head priest of the House of the Broken God
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ According to census-taker Vizar Achmed el Imnt of Calimport, this figure was "altered ridiculously". It included all slaves and dependent rural families, whereas other population figures recorded here do not. (See: Empires of the Shining Sea p. 99.)
- ↑ The year of founding listed here was the date of its rebuilding after the Era of Skyfire.
- ↑ The reference cited lists Keltar as having 14 drudachs, but this is assumed to be a typographical error, as the Empires of the Shining Sea and Calimport sourcebooks establish that sabbans contain three to five drudachs.
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 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 108–110. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ Template:Cite book/Dungeon Master's Guide, 3.5 Edition
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 71. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Scott Haring (1988). Empires of the Sands. (TSR, Inc), p. 56. ISBN 0-8803-8539-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 87. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 189. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 267. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 70. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.