Page 60 - D&D - Player's Handbook

locals creatively call the Three Rivers), Yartar is a fish- with one another, and have neither the resources to
ing town, and its tables have fish as fare at every meal. seek new customers, nor the space or funds to explore
Fresh crabs, eels, and other river life are available both new trades. As a result, a good deal of the gossip, thiev-
to eat and to purchase, and serve as a primary means of ery, and assault in Yartar has at its roots one merchant
income for the fisherfolk of the town. trying to get the upper hand on a rival, either through
The other major industry ofYartar is barge building. damage of goods, intimidation of workers, or theft of
Most of the region's river barges are built, or at least patrons and customers.
begin their service, in Yartar, and the works of the To curb and control rowdiness, the Waterbaron
town's bargewrights are famous all up and down the employs the Shields ofYartar, a mounted force of guards
Dessarin and its tributaries. It is the importance ofYar- who police the town, keep order, and chase off the Uth-
tar's barges to the commerce of the North that earned gardt raids that occasionally menace the lands nearby.
the town a place in the Lords' Alliance, to ensure that The Shields are housed in the Shield Tower, a fortified
Yartar doesn't fall to enemies and cause upheaval in the structure on the west bank of the Surbrin (the town sits
trade network along the rivers. primarily on the east), whose outer wall has frequently
What can't be transported to or from Yartar by barge been torn down and rebuilt. It's rumored that guardian
comes and goes by caravan instead, and the town's skeletons rise when unauthorized folk tread the ground
location makes it a key stop for most caravans pass- between the walls, but no one has tested the area to see
ing between Waterdeep and Silverymoon. In Yartar, a if its magic still functions; even if it doesn't, more than
caravan can arrange for swift repairs, replacements of a hundred angry warriors charging out of the tower
wagon wheels, carts, or full wagons, or the replenish- at trespassers is enough danger to scare people out of
ment of tack and other accessories. pursuing the idea. A fortified bridge connects the banks
Because Yartar has so few industries, and fewer close between the tower and the town proper.
neighbors, its merchants are often in direct competition More impressive than either the Shields or the Shield
Tower is the Waterbaron's Barge. This massive vessel
can carry two hundred soldiers or seventy-five Shields
FALLEN DWARVEN KINGDOMS AND THEIR MARKS
of Yartar with their horses. Its sides above the waterline
The North is littered with the remnants of many dwarven
realms. Although much of the wealth at these sites has are armored with iron. Behind its walls stand multiple
been plundered by monsters and adventurers over the crossbow contraptions, each able to fire a dozen bolts
centuries, evidence of the settlements and their borders at once. When brought to bear against a force on the
remains graven on cavern walls, trail markings, and scat- riverbank, the Shields loose two volleys against their
tered coins. Some of these realms, and the marks that enemies, then bring the Barge ashore and charge. No
bear testimony to their presence, are detailed below. raiders have stood firm against such an assault.
Haunghdannar. The oldest evidence of dwarven settle- In the center of town is the Waterbaron' Hall, a grand
ment in the North comes from the former site of Haungh- structure that is both the ruler's home and the location
dannar. This small coastal realm arose nearly sixty-five cen- where she hears audiences. Feasts are often held here,
turies ago in the northern Sword Mountains and along the
Sword Coast, then fell quickly and mysteriously some fif- though more often, the hall sees activity in its side
teen hundred years later. Some records suggest that many rooms, where merchants dealing in large quantities of
of the citizens, driven mad by the sea, sailed westward and goods, or making deals and proposals that affect the
never returned. Mark: A mountain, with a left-facing fish, entire community, can meet in comfort.
surmounted by a seven-pointed star.
Gharraghaur. The dwarves of Gharraghaur were the DWARFHOLDS OF THE
original delvers beneath the earth at the site of present-day
Mirabar. The kingdom was founded soon after Haungh- NORTH
dannar but didn't last as long; twelve hundred years later it
succumbed to a horde of ravaging ores. Mark: Four verti- WHO AM l? SO , I'VE GOT HAIRS ON MY BACK LONGER
cal, diamond-shaped gems, three set in a triangle, with the than that little beard o'yours. I fought with Emerus to
largest in the center.
Besilmer. Nearly six thousand years ago, shield dwarves retake Felbarr, and marched with every dwarf king of the
established an aboveground realm in the Dessarin valley North to win back Gauntlg1ym. Lost half my foot to an
that they named Besilmer. They were the builders of two
ore's blade, and slew every damned one that got in my way
noted landmarks on the Sword Coast: the Stone Bridge
and the Halls of the Hunting Axe. Less than three hundred marching home. If I want to sit and enjoy my old age now
years after it came into being, Besilmer was overrun and that we finally drove the ores back, I'll do just that, and
destroyed by a horde of humanoids and giants. Mark: a
wheel over a plow. courtesy be damned. I've earned my rest. Your little lordling
Delzoun. The great North kingdom of the dwarves, don't like it, let him come and tell me himself. I'm not get-
Delzoun was carved out of the rock beneath the area
ting up until I finish my ale.
known until recently as the Silver Marches. Founded soon
after the fall of Besilmer, Delzoun remained a great power - Drorn Waranvil, to the envoy of the Marchion
for nearly four thousand years, until ore hordes and sub- of Mirabar
terranean monsters did it in. Many of Delzoun's greatest
works, citadels such as Sundbarr and Ad bar, survive and
thrive yet today. Mark: a horizontal, double-headed ham- The history of the dwarves in the North is a long and
mer in a triangle of three sparkling gems. violent one, dating back more than six millennia. Before

CHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTH