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|[[Jaundamicar Bleth]]<br/>(First Lord)|? – ?<ref name="FRCG-p116">{{Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide|116}}</ref>
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|[[Jaundamicar Bleth]]<ref name="FRCG-p116">{{Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide|116}}</ref><br/>(First Lord)|? – ?
 
|[[Verovan Lorndessar]]|{{Yearlink|1236}} – {{Yearlink|1248}}
 
|[[Verovan Lorndessar]]|{{Yearlink|1236}} – {{Yearlink|1248}}
 
|[[Shlanarnla Durovree]]|{{Yearlink|1233}} – {{Yearlink|1236}}
 
|[[Shlanarnla Durovree]]|{{Yearlink|1233}} – {{Yearlink|1236}}

Revision as of 17:03, 14 November 2019

Westgate was a seedy and squalid metropolis—with a history in piracy, powerful crime syndicates, and nameless vampiric crime-lords. Westgate thrived on black-market trade and corruption, and was perhaps one of the most sordid cities in all of Faerûn. The legacy of scoundrels and spies was found in every alley, and danger lurked for the unprepared in every corner.[11]

It was an open city that welcomed all travelers and citizens alike as long as they abided by the local laws and, of course, had enough coin.[8]

It was probably the oldest, richest and most corrupt port on the Sea of Fallen Stars. It received the nickname "Gateway to the West" from its role as the Inner Sea's most prolific port city.[12] A person from Westgate was known as a Westar or a Westhavian.[13]

History

This area of the Dragon Coast was first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughly 1,000 years before the Standing Stone was erected in Cormanthor. The largest settlment was the human town of Westgate, ruled cruelly by the great topaz dragon Kisonraathiisar.[14]

In the Year of Bold Poachers, −349 DR, Saldrinar destroyed Kisonraathiisar and became Westgate's first human king.[15]

In the Year of Foul Awakenings, −286 DR, the vampire Orlak and a small army of mercenaries captured the city in a single night.[16] Orlak proclaimed himself the Night King and ruled until he is defeated by a group of Lathander-worshiping paladins in the Year of Many Harvests, −157 DR.[15]

In the Year of the Speaking Mountain, 257 DR, pirates from the Pirate Isles invaded Westgate and began the 200-year-long reign of the Pirate Kings.[14]

After the Spellplague, the Sea of Fallen Stars began to drain into the Underdark. The lower water level caused the shoreline to recede and, for a time, the harbor of Westgate was left high and dry. The docks were rebuilt on the new shoreline and the new dock area was known as Tidetown.[17]

Foreign Policy

By the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, 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 played both powers against each other, perhaps even supporting insurrections within Cormyr's borders to stem its expansionism.[18]

Notable Locations

Inns, Taverns, and Festhalls

  • Bent Mermaid Inn
  • Big Edna's Tavern
  • Black Boot Inn
  • Black Eye (tavern and festhall)
  • Blais House Inn
  • Blind Eye (tavern)
  • Blue Banner (tavern and inn in the Shou Quarter)
  • Empty Fish Tavern
  • Gatereach Inn
  • Gentle Moon Inn
  • Jolly Warrior Inn
  • Leaning Man (inn)
  • Lilda's (festhall in The Shore ward)
  • Old Beard Tavern
  • Purple Lady Festhall (owned by Ilira Nathalan)
  • Rising Raven Inn and Rooming House
  • Rosebud Tavern
  • Rotten Root Tavern
  • Spitting Cockatrice (inn)
  • Westward Eye (inn)

Shops

  • Aurora's Emporium: curio shop
  • Gondeth's Mageries: magic shop
  • House of Silks: fine textiles shop
  • Chalaratha's Fragrances: perfume shop and factory
  • Dawn's Dress Shop
  • Imryth Tower (residence of Audara Imryth, potion shop, and Harper safehouse)
  • Myrkeer House: merchant house of Shalush Myrkeer

Temples to Good Gods

Temples to Neutral Gods

Temples to Evil Gods

Other Locations

Westgate Arena

The arena in the Quivering Thumb.

  • Westlight: The Harbor Tower lighthouse.
  • Westgate's stout city walls had six gates. Counter-clockwise from the northernmost gate: The Water Gate, The West Gate, Mulsantir's Gate, The South Gate, The River Gate, and The East Gate.
  • The Shore: A slum district, just outside The River Gate.
  • Shou Quarter: District home of many immigrants from Shou.
  • Castle Thalavar: Gedrin Thalavar's childhood home and headquarters of the Eye of Justice.
  • Lair of the Night Masters: Formerly the lair of the vampire Orbahk.[23]
  • Tidetown: New dock district built after the sea level of the Sea of Fallen Stars dropped.
  • Darkdance Manor: Home of House Darkdance and ancestral home of Myrin Darkdance.[24]
  • Timeless Blade: A Fencing school.
  • The Quivering Thumb: Gladiatorial games with gambling.[8]

Inhabitants

  • Clyde The Cleaver: Information broker & underworld figure. Notorious for his hand axe of Sharpness.[citation needed]
  • Gedrin Thalavar: Founder of the Eye of Justice.[25]
  • Gul The Grim: Dwarven Leader & figurehead of the Westgate underworld.[citation needed]
  • 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; the Red Wizards had secretly replaced his whip with one braided with a cockatrice feather.[26]
  • Lord Topaz: Mercenary, assassin, bounty hunter, and unofficial contractor for the Night Masks. Affiliated with Waterdeep's Assassin's Guild of the VenomBlade.[citation needed]
  • Mintassan the Magnificent.[27][22]
  • Zedrick Neely: Leader of the Night Masks.[citation needed]

Organizations and Factions

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 horn
  • 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

Appendix

Gallery

References

  1. Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 117. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  2. Chris Tulach (October, 2009). “RPGA Update”. Dragon #381 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 115.
  3. Ed Greenwood (August 1992). “The Everwinking Eye: Words To The Wise”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #74 (TSR, Inc.), p. 14–15.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  5. Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 181. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  6. Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 116. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 143. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Richard Lee Byers (Feb 4, 2014). The Reaver. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 79. ISBN 0786964588.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Richard Lee Byers (Feb 4, 2014). The Reaver. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 63. ISBN 0786964588.
  11. Erik Scott de Bie (October 2013). “Backdrop: Westgate”. In Miranda Horner ed. Dragon #428 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4.
  12. Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 117. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  13. Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 73. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 144. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "GHotR-47" defined multiple times with different content
  16. 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.
  17. Mel Odom (2009). Wrath of the Blue Lady. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 9780786951925.
  18. Richard Baker (August 11th, 2008). The one and only "Ask the Realms authors/designers thread" 4. Retrieved on January 8th, 2009.
  19. Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 49. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  20. Template:Cite digital book/Shadowbane: Eye of Justice/Kindle
  21. Richard Lee Byers (Feb 4, 2014). The Reaver. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 84. ISBN 0786964588.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 116. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  23. Template:Cite digital book/Shadowbane: Eye of Justice/Kindle
  24. Template:Cite digital book/Shadowbane: Eye of Justice/Kindle
  25. Erik Scott de Bie (April 2009). Downshadow. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5128-4.
  26. Curtis Scott (March 1992). Pirates of the Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 978-1560763208.
  27. Steven E. Schend, Sean K. Reynolds and Eric L. Boyd (June 2000). Cloak & Dagger. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 158. ISBN 0-7869-1627-3.
  28. Template:Cite digital book/Shadowbane: Eye of Justice/Kindle