Page 98 - D&D - Player's Handbook

The five High Captains take the names of their Ships glamorous and less lucrative tasks to the captains and
when they ascend to leadership. The captains are the Ships of lower rank.
highest authorities in Luskan; they and the members Since each of the Ships has the ability to take what it
of their Ships conduct themselves as a sort of nobility, likes and leave what it doesn't want to the lesser Ships,
albeit one that isn't hereditary. a strict division of duties has arisen among them.
Despite the name, each Ship is not a single vessel, Ship Kurth controls the city's docks and activity
but an organization of stalwarts owing allegiance to one occurring thereupon. Among the most profitable of the
another and to their captain, whom they elect for life. To merchandise that passes through the port are weapons
be a member of a Ship is a select privilege, one that only and tools from Ironmaster, and ambergris for the per-
one in ten of Luskan's residents can claim. fume trade.
The five Ships of Luskan are more than gangs of Ship Baram operates Luskan's fishing industry. The
pirates. They are fellowships of people who live, train, food it provides is so vital to the city's welfare nowadays
work, make love, and go to war with each other. To join that Baram has risen to Second Ship on the strength of
one is a mark of honor and continues a grand tradition its successful forays out to sea.
that Luskar associate with democracy, self-determina- Ship Suljack holds sway over, and conducts most of,
tion, and individuality. the piracy and raiding that originates out of Luskan.
Each Ship has its own symbol and colors. Members It occasionally passes the more meager opportunities
of a Ship often wear their colors, decorate their round down to Taerl.
shields with the symbol and colors, and tattoo them- Ship Taerl, recently elevated from Fifth Ship, had
selves with the symbol. Like their Northlander relations, been accustomed to taking the hindmost. Now its work-
Luskar Ship members regularly tattoo their faces, but ers and sailors happily accept chances for profit handed
instead of representing their island, the tattoos are down from above, and just as happily delegate the most
either personal marks or tattoos of their allegiance to menial and undesirable chores to Rethnor.
their Ship. Ship Rethnor engages in few worthwhile activities
Membership in a Ship is voluntary, but once under- aside from guard duty, which is a poor source of income.
taken it is until death. To join a Ship, a Luskar must be Rethnor toughs sometimes roam the streets of Luskan,
of fighting age (fourteen or so, for humans), and possess looking for a quick and perhaps violent way to grab
at least one sword or axe, one spear, and three of the some coin.
sturdy, bossed shields the Northlanders prefer. Each
Ship accepts new candidates from time to time to fill PEOPLE AND LAWS
vacancies caused by death, but as a rule, the Ships don't Without question, the people of Luskan show their
expand their ranks by taking on a large number of new Northlander heritage. They raid ships and coastal set-
members at one time. tlements, engage in interdiction and piracy, and value
Each Ship has some number of sailing vessels, the strength of arms above most other qualities. During
size, crew, and type of which help to determine the influ- Luskan's long history on the Sword Coast, however, the
ence of the Ship's High Captain and its rank within the city has adopted many of the attitudes of mainland folk.
city. The current First Ship, Kurth, has so many vessels Luskar don't kidnap people from other settlements or
that it nearly outnumbers the next two Ships combined, tribes, and they hold that women have social standing
and its membership is so numerous that Ships Suljack, equal to men (two of the High Captains, Suljack and
Taerl, and Rethnor could merge and still not equal it. Taerl, are women). They don't distrust magic, as their
The laws of the city govern the behavior of the Ships island brethren do. Slavery is, at least nominally, illegal
and their captains, decreeing the Ships responsible for in Luskan, though a slave taken and sold at sea is usu-
the city's defense, its administration, and the manage- ally overlooked by authorities.
ment of its resources. Beyond these universal tasks, The law in Luskan is supposed to be upheld by
each captain takes on other duties as desired in order soldiers of the Ships, who are empowered to arrest
of that Ship's standing in the hierarchy, leaving less criminals and bring them before the Magistrates of the
city. In practice, arrests are as often made by mobs, but
the result is the same: an appearance before the Magis-
trates. Each of the five Magistrates is chosen by a High
Captain, but need not be a member of that captain's
Ship. The Magistrates are, at least officially, neutral.
Most citizens have their cases decided by a single one of
these judges, but a dispute involving a Ship member is
heard by all five.
TRADE AND COMMERCE
Luskan doesn't officially tax its citizens; the city makes
its money through trade, fishing, piracy, and raiding.
The defense of the city comes at the expense of the
Ships, paid for by the profits of those activities as well as
the protection money the Ships extort from businesses
and homes to keep the thieves and gangs at bay. Bribery