Escalant
This coastal city, situated on the west bank of the mouth of the River Lapendrar, has been under intermittent Thayan control for the past 338 years. The most recent break came during the time of the Great Inner Sea Plague, but the Thayans returned to the region in 1357 DR, and they have ruled over Escalant continuously ever since. Escalant was first settled around 400 DR. Today, the city sprawls beyond the cramped limitations of the crumbling wall long ago thrown up around the place. Over 28,000 souls call this city home, making it second in importance only to Bezantur as a Thayan port. Tharchion Hezass Nymar (NE male human Clr8 of Kossuth) allows life in Escalant to continue without much interference from Thay, other than the collection of taxes from the citizens. To that end, Nymar has stationed throughout the city several barracks of one hundred gnolls each. These Thayan brutes patrol the streets, occasionally taking the time to make an example out of some criminal or—worst of all—tax cheat.
Escalant (Large City): Magical/magical/nonstandard; AL NE/NE/CN; 40,000 gp limit; Assets 57,456,000 gp; Population 28,728; Mixed (human 82%, gnoll 5%, half-elf 5%, halforc 5%, halfling 2%, other 1%). Authority Figures: Hezass Nymar, NE male human Clr8 of Kossuth (tharchion of Lapendrar, lives in Eltabbar but has offices here); Curoz Palblat, NE male human Clr12 of Bane (leader of the largest temple of Bane in Thay); Purban Faltelfowe, CN male halfling Rog16 (leader of the Shadowmasters in Escalant). Important Characters: Captain Kriben Vantur, LE male human Ftr16 (captain of the Tharchion’s Guard); Helvarmad Elserme, CG male human Ftr4/Brd8 (an agent of the Simbul’s Guard posing as a minor merchant to keep an eye on events in the city).