Page 101 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

The civic deity of Ithmong is Bhaelros (Talos), and the ruler homelands for one reason or another. Most expeditions into
is the hereditary shoonsar, a title currently held by Darhost “the yuan-ti territories begin in Malaxer because the town boasts
Mongrel” Tharsuir (NE male Tashalan human fi ghter 14). the greatest concentration of skilled guides-for-hire in Lapali-
Lapalgard (Large Town, 3,701): The Fortress of Lapalgard iya. Of course, a not-insignifi cant fraction of those guides are
was built in the decade after the founding of Lapaliiya, to mark yuan-ti agents on the watch for adventurers who might pose a
the unity of the Lapal tribes in opposing the serpentfolk of the threat to the serpentfolk or possess any items that the yuan-ti
jungles. Today, this ancient stronghold stands just as strong as it might desire.
did a millennium ago, although it has not seen war since the fall The civic deity of Malaxer is Silvanus. High Lapalyth
of the Shoon Imperium. Lapaliiyan troops based in Lapalgard (baron) Tormar o’ the Axe (LN male Tashlutan human ranger
spend as much time patrolling the Bandit Wastes as they do 7) rules the town.
the northeastern Mhair Jungles. Caravans passing to and from Mierskar (Small Town, 1,617): This small farming town lies
Halruaa via the Talath Pass account for the prosperity of the in the shadow of Lushpool. Mierskar is known for its library,
town that now surrounds the fortress. which rivals any on the Tashtan Coast. During the reign of the
The civic deity of Lapalgard is Tempus, and the Knight- Shoon Imperium, a far-sighted imperial satrap ordered all extant
Commander of the Fortress rules the town. lore regarding the yuan-ti to be assembled in a single place of
Lhazantal (Small Town, 925): The City of Smiths is actu- learning. Mierskar was selected to house the collection because a
ally a small town that lies along the Lapal Way near one of the prominent school of wizardry dominated the town at the time.
few iron mines in resource-poor Lapaliiya. Most of its businesses Although the school was destroyed during the Rage of Wizards
involve metalworking, and its craftspeople produce serviceable in 1142 DR, the Great Library of Mierskar remains inviolate.
suits of mail, stout weapons, various farm implements, and The library is open to all Scaleless Ones, and anyone perusing
ironmongery. Most Lapaliiyan gnomes who do not dwell in the stacks for at least an hour receives a +5 circumstance bonus
Zashuma live here. The civic deity is Gond, and the town’s on all Knowledge and bardic knowledge checks related to the
leader is an exiled master smith from Lantan named Lambrac yuan-ti and their history on the Chultan Peninsula.
Dinelstrand (CG male Lantanna human expert 9). The civic deity is Deneir, and the town is a vassal
Lushpool (Large City, 17,265): The City of Shimmering of Lushpool.
Pools lies in the sheltered lee of the Ithmong Peninsula, by Ormpur (Large City, 24,612): Also known as Ormpar in
the mouth of Talar Bay. Lushpool is built on a seven-terraced the local vernacular, the City of Saffron lies at the head of
hillside, with the lowest terrace serving as the city’s wharf Ormpur Bay on the eastern end of the Shining Sea. Ormpur
district and the topmost one as the exclusive preserve of the has long been a powerful and independent city-state, thanks to
Prince Royal. a long-standing alliance with a clutch of chromatic wyrmlings.
Lushpool’s civic deity is Eldath, and the city is renowned This alliance allowed the city to fend off the lizardfolk armies
for its moss-draped pools and beautiful hanging gardens. These of Serpentes while the rest of Lapaliiya fell to the Scaled Ones.
pools are used to raise several rare kinds of freshwater fi sh whose Even during the era of the Shoon Imperium, Ormpur retained
roe is a gourmet delight throughout Faerûn. It is this product its nominal independence via careful diplomatic maneuvering
more than any other that has brought Lushpool its prosperity. in the court of the qysars and the unspoken threat posed by its
The Prince Royal of Lapaliiya is the titular ruler of Lush- wyrmling-mounted cavalry.
pool, although a council of satraps handles the day-to-day In the Year of Thunder (1306 DR), on a day known to Orm-
governance of the city. Since nine of the sixteen satraps are purrans as Bloodsword, Chansreena (Princess) Maerildarraine,
yuan-ti purebloods from the Hazim’tar clan of the Eselemas foster daughter of High Suikh (king) Askulder, slew her father,
tribe, Lushpool is effectively in the hands of the yuan-ti, as it who was known as the Hand of Tiamat. After proclaiming her-
has been for more than two centuries. self queen, she ordered her knights to set the royal temple of the
It was the Hazim’tar who brought in the breeding stock for Dragon Queen afi re. This act precipitated a holy war that even-
Lushpool’s rare, pool-bred fi sh, which are native to the depths tually cost Maerildarraine her throne and her life and reduced
of Lake Lemas and thus largely unknown to humans. A two- Ormpur from a great city to the lesser community it is today.
way portal below the Palace of the Prince leads to the ruins of Although it still retains its nominal independence, Ompur is in-
Ss’dath’in’ssatath, on the western shore of Lake Lemas. All creasingly falling under the sway of the Overking of Lapaliiya.
passage through the portal requires a key—in this case a snake- Ormpur Bay is the only spot in Faerûn where the crocus
skin, which may be shed, on a live snake, or part of the body of fl ower needed to produce saffron grows in abundance. Unlike
a serpentfolk. Lapaliiya’s rulers and closest advisors are aware Lapaliiya to the south, the majority of the human popula-
of the source of Lushpool’s prosperity and the true nature of tion here is of Tashlutan origin. The difference in ethnicity
the Hazim’tar, but they have turned a blind eye to both facts stems from the fact that Ormpur has never been conquered by
for generations. Shaaran nomads—primarily because those folk have always been
Malaxer (Large Town, 4,103): Woodcutters and hunters welcomed in the city’s markets.
who dare the northern edges of the Mhair Jungles live here, Ormpur is now ruled by High Suikh Helbareim “the Storm
along with a handful of wild dwarves who have fl ed their Wind” Alanasker, who overthrew Queen Maerildarraine with

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