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Yhaunn

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Yhaunn (pronounced: /əˈhɔːn/ uh-HAWN[8]) was a coastal city of Sembia built on an ancient quarry site. The oldest city in Sembia, Yhaunn was a small but lively place that was quite different from the other major cities of the realm.[6][9]

Description[]

Yhaunn was unable to spread out horizontally, and so the city filled the basin with vertical homes and businesses, with three-, four-, and five-story half-timbered buildings the norm, and any sort of green space or garden a true rarity. By decree of the city government, every seventh building was made wholly of stone in order to limit the spread of fires in the densely-packed blocks. The structures had upper levels that built out over the street to win more space, and this architectural environment reached its most extreme form in the Stiltways district, where the overarching buildings were connected by bridges and walkways, leaving the ground level a damp, shadowed slum, while the upper floors were home to breezy and luxurious clubs and shops.[6][10]

From the landward approach the city was not visible, with only a lantern-lit glow seemingly emanating from the ground at night.[11] The cliffs around the edges of the city were the abode of high-reaching villas and estates owned by the wealthiest merchants, on safe, well-lit streets festooned with hanging plant-baskets. As the basin sloped down towards the sea, the prosperity also lowered, with the streets becoming darker and the buildings more crowded and over-reaching as the homes intermixed with inns, shops, and sharedoor apartment flats. Much of the portside city were slums or near to it, with only the commercial harbor kept in a proper state of care. The Cormyrean Thentias had a great many property investments in Yhaunn, and may have been the most powerful landlord in the city.[6][9][1]

Society[]

The people of Yhaunn had a more relaxed and less pretentious attitude as a whole, preferring tolerance and practicality over the snobbery and manic mercantilism of Selgaunt and Saerloon,[9] though those snobs in turn considered Yhaunn an unfortunate and disadvantaged place.[12]

Geography[]

Yhaunn sat inside a huge, hollowed-out bowl of stone on the edge of the cliff-lined Yhauntan Bay on the Sea of Fallen Stars, the result of centuries of determined quarrying in ages past. The main road out of the city, Tildaryn's Ride passed west to Yuthgalaunt and then Ordulin,[13][6] the smaller Coastwatch path linked south to Surd and Tulbegh, while another route ran north along the coast to Scardale and Scardale Town.[14]

The nearby coast was an austere and threatening stretch of black and brown rocks, cliffs and small jutting islands, with very few sandy beaches or accessible shores.[15]

Climate[]

The coasts around Yhaunn were typically windy all year round, blowing cold winds fairly constantly that whipped up the waves and scoured the cliffs.[15] Summer in Yhaunn was especially hot and humid, and the densely-packed buildings blocked any cooling breeze from the sea,[16] with only highly-placed locations such as the Sky's Mantle able to catch the wind.[10] In winter, the low temperatures could freeze stretches of the coast, particularly the shallow tide pools, making it even more hazardous to travelers.[15]

Flora & Fauna[]

The lands around Yhaunn were developed into farmer's fields and pastures, lined with hedgerows and inhabited by creatures such as foxes, mice, badgers, and small birds.[17] Toads and frogs were relatively common around Yhaunn, and were well-liked by the locals, who considered their croaking songs melodious and recorded them in poetry. They were also appreciated as guard animals of sorts, as they would stop croaking when an intruder approached.[15]

The coasts north and south of the city were generally inhospitable to plant and animal life, with the constant wind and waves scouring the seaside rocks thoroughly, though it became less harsh to the south near Selgaunt.[15]

Government[]

The city was ostensibly governed by the Nessarch, a mayoral figure elected by the Fives Council who then ruled for life. As of 1358 DR, the Nessarch was Andilal Tharimpar, a retired adventurer. He maintained this position through the tumultuous events of 1374 DR. The city was in practice run by the Fives Council, a council made up of the first 75 property-owning merchants to enter the chambers during session who managed to get seated at the 15 five-seater round tables there.[6][18]

A small community of merfolk lived nearby in Yhauntan Bay, typically staying isolated from the surface, though younger members were interested in increased contact and trade. They were threatened by sahuagin, who were considered unusual for lairing so far north in colder waters.[19]

Trade[]

Yhaunn emerged before Dalereckoning as a seaside stone quarry, where fine stone was cut from the cliffside for use elsewhere around the Sea of Fallen Stars. Many large buildings in Alaghôn, Cimbar, Saerloon, Selgaunt, Westgate, and Velprintalar were built with Yhauntan stone,[4] including a monument likely built by Kergaard Twinblade of Westgate around −50 DR.[20]

Through the 14th century, Yhaunn was a major port and merchant's delight, exporting manufactured goods such as textiles, wickerwork, and bricks, with the Glasscrafter's Hall supporting the skilled artisans that made its famous glassware.[21][6] Distinctive among the Sembian ports, Yhaunn was the gateway for goods passing between the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Dalelands,[1] as well as serving as the primary port for Ordulin.[22]

The harsh winds and rocky cliffs along the coast resulted in little coastal settlement near Yhaunn, with only a few scattered fishers among the land-facing farmers and view-seeking estate-holders. Piracy was a somewhat common occupation practiced on the limited landing spots, though not necessarily a profitable one.[15] Large-scale fishing was still practiced from Yhaunn, with the waters south of it fished intensively.[23]

Yhaunn remained an important trade port and economic power through the 15th century DR, despite the disasters of the Spellplague and the domination of Thultantharan Netheril over Sembia. Yhaunn served as a vital link to the world for Netheril, bringing the most cunning merchants there astounding wealth, while the general population supplied Netheril's demand for expendable labor and sword-arms for its imperialistic projects.[24]

Defenses[]

In the 14th century DR, Yhaunn kept a garrison force of 3,000 city guards, a formation of experienced veteran soldiers called "watchblades" who defended the city, policed the streets, and enforced justice within its walls. They were well-equipped with plate armor and typically bore halberds, longswords, maces, and daggers. The guard force also patrolled the waters around Yhaunn with a small naval detachment of 9 proper warships from the main Sembian navy.[6]

The city walls were built along the top of the cliffs to the edge of the sea, with only a single main gate. The Road Gate was built into the Roadkeep castle that also served as the headquarters of the city guard and general secure location for the city's governance.[6]

History[]

The earliest known human settlers in the region were Jhaamdathan refugees that colonized the Dalelands in the second century before Dalereckoning. The settlement grew from an ancient quarry and dock that was in use as early as −50 DR, more than four centuries before the founding of Chancelgaunt and Saerloon.[20][1] The city was generally agreed by scholars to have been properly founded around 380 DR, the same time as Chancelgaunt and Chondathan[20] As a minor note of interest, Yhaunn came to be unique among these old cities of Sembia, as the others changed their names over time from the original Chondathan settler names, while Yhaunn remained unchanged.[8]

Around 1307 DR, the wizard Zrie Prakis destroyed a tavern in Yhaunn with fireballs, as it unwittingly used his personal sigil for its street sign.[25]

During the Time of Troubles, the breakdown of the Weave caused a dead-magic zone to form in one of the city's old mines. The zone lasted indefinitely afterwards, and the magically-bereft tunnels were turned into the prison known as the Hole.[26]

Around the mid-14th century DR, sahuagin posed as the local merfolk and raided the surface near Yhaunn. An investigation by Lucas Surin uncovered the truth of the matter and prevented hostilities between the Sembians and merfolk.[19] Around the same period, a mysterious merchant travelled around nearby Surd, selling stolen sahuagin artifacts. Though no friends of the sharkmen, the people of Surd, Yhaunn and Tulbegh offered rewards for the capture of the merchant, believing he was antagonizing the sahuagin into hostilities with the surface.[27]

On Eleasis 15 of 1373 DR, Moonshadow Hall and the Stiltways came under attack by the forces of the local temple of Shar as part of a plan by the Thultantharan shade Variance Amatick. Several priests were killed, but the Sharran cell was located and captured by the city's guard forces.[28]

During the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, the agents of Thultanthar worked to destabilize Sembia into a civil war, and Yhaunn aligned with Overmistress Mirabeta Selkirk and Ordulin. On Uktar 11, Erevis Cale and his fellows raided the Hole in order to rescue Endren Corrinthal while the city's forces were distracted by a kraken controlled by Rivalen Tanthul. The kraken killed over a thousand people and destroyed much of the lower city before being driven off, crippling Yhaunn's ability to host ships.[22][29][30][31] The city survived the Shadowstorm that destroyed Ordulin, and in the following years fell under the control of Netheril along with the rest of Sembia.[24]

In 1385 DR, during the Spellplague, the cliffs that surrounded the city broke away and became earthmotes, in the process killing nearly ten thousand inhabitants, and raising a number of floating islands above the city that later became the Air District.[7]

In the Year of the Dark Goddess, 1420 DR, mercenaries from Yhaunn struck forth at Tasseldale after more subtle means failed, bloodily conquering the dale and bringing it under Sembian control.[32]

The Shadovar masters of Sembia helped the city recover from the ravages of the Wailing Years, and by 1479 DR it had fully recovered and had even more residents than before the Spellplague.[7]

Notable Locations[]

Inns & Taverns[]

Temples[]

Other Locations[]

Notable Individuals[]

Organizations[]

The Harpers were relatively powerful in Yhaunn in the mid-14th century DR, working with the Fives Council to drive out illicit groups such as gangs, slavers, smugglers and other criminals. Attempts by the Zhentarim and Cult of the Dragon to gain footholds in the city led to somewhat frequent battles between small bands of each faction's fighters.[6]

Rumors & Legends[]

The Lurker in the Shallows was a mysterious, unknown aquatic creature reputed to lurk nearby in Yhauntan Bay. Guesses ranged from a morkoth, sea dragon, or eye of the deep, but all agreed that it had a lair filled with fabulous treasures that was confounding hard to find.[9]

A mysterious ship crewed by zombies sailed the waters east of Yhaunn in the 14th century DR, accompanied by an undead giant octopus.[40]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ The dramatic reduction of Yhaunn's population between sources has no explanation, and is presumed to be a retroactive correction.

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Adventures

Dungeon #48, "The Oracle at Sumbar"
Referenced only
Nightwatch in the Living City

Novels & Short Stories

Black Wolf • Mistress of the Night • Shadowbred • Shadowstorm
Referenced only
Azure Bonds • Waterdeep • Cormyr: A Novel • Elminster's Daughter • The Sword Never Sleeps • Brimstone Angels

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Revenge's Sweet: "Round One"

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 190. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  2. ↑ Map included in Paul S. Kemp (July 2003). Twilight Falling. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2998-7.
  3. ↑ Map included in Paul S. Kemp (November 2006). Shadowbred. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4077-8.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  5. ↑ Ed Greenwood (August 1992). “The Everwinking Eye: Words To The Wise”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #74 (TSR, Inc.), p. 15.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 6.28 6.29 6.30 6.31 6.32 6.33 6.34 6.35 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 118. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 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. 177. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (August 1987). “Cyclopedia of the Realms”. In Karen S. Martin ed. Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 0-88038-472-7.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 119. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2, pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  11. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11, p. 196. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  12. ↑ Jeff Grubb and Ed Greenwood (1990). Forgotten Realms Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 105. ISBN 0-8803-8828-5.
  13. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb (April 1998). Cormyr: A Novel. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 11, p. 157. ISBN 0-7869-0710-X.
  14. ↑ ProFantasy Software Ltd. (1999). Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas. TSR, Inc. File: Sembia.FCW
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), pp. 3–4. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  16. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1, p. 5. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  17. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11, p. 194. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  18. ↑ Paul S. Kemp (August 2007). Shadowstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 5, p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4304-3.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7, pp. 125–126. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  21. ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), pp. 71, 75, 101. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Paul S. Kemp (August 2007). Shadowstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2, p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4304-3.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), pp. 1–2. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 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. 176. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  25. ↑ Jeff Grubb, Kate Novak (October 1988). Azure Bonds. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 8, p. 97. ISBN 0-88038-612-6.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Paul S. Kemp (November 2006). Shadowbred. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 11, p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4077-8.
  27. ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Coastal Aquatic Lands: The Sea of Fallen Stars”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 18, p. 306. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  29. ↑ Paul S. Kemp (August 2007). Shadowstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 3, p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-4304-3.
  30. ↑ Paul S. Kemp (November 2006). Shadowbred. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 15, p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4077-8.
  31. ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  32. ↑ 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. 108. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  33. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7, p. 134. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  34. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 2, p. 29. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  35. ↑ Jason Carl, Sean K. Reynolds (October 2001). Lords of Darkness. Edited by Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 65. ISBN 07-8691-989-2.
  36. ↑ Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross (December 2004). Mistress of the Night. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 4, p. 73. ISBN 0-7869-3346-1.
  37. ↑ Paul Culotta (July/August 1994). “The Oracle at Sumbar”. In Barbara G. Young ed. Dungeon #48 (TSR, Inc.) (48)., p. 18.
  38. ↑ Dave Gross and Don Bassingthwaite (2005). Character Profile: At Home in Fourstaves House (HTML). Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2005-01-31.
  39. ↑ Template:Cite web/Realmslore/The Matchmaker of Sembia, Part Four
  40. ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Settled Lands”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 27. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
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