Velprintalar
The shining city of Velprintalar is the crown jewel of the peninsula and one of the most beautiful and striking cities of all Faerûn. Over 65,000 souls call this place home, as does the Simbul herself. Formerly the seat of the human kings of old Velprin, Velprintalar has been the capital of united Aglarond since King Brindor’s time.
Velprintalar is the only major port in Aglarond proper. Its harbor is deep and well sheltered from the sea. Ships of any size sail or row in and out of the wide bay all day long. Velprintalar’s docks are usually crammed with merchant ships from Impiltur and Sembia, jockeying for space next to the smaller fishing boats. A large naval yard dominates the east end of the harbor, home to the graceful, whitewashed warships of the queen’s royal navy. Commerce is booming in Aglarond’s largest city, for peace with Thay has brought no small prosperity. In fact, the population of the city has nearly doubled over the past decade.
Velprintalar’s green hills rise quickly as one travels inland from the water’s edge, forcing buildings closer and closer together on precariously steep slopes. It’s not uncommon to see new stories built atop the old ones. The architectural styles of the different floors don’t always match up, giving the city a unique patchwork look.
The Simbul's Palace
The Simbul lives in a graceful palace of pale green Mulhorandi stone, perched atop a hill overlooking the harbor and city below. This place was built several generations ago on the site of the original place. Commissioned by King Brindor himself, that beautiful wooden structure burned to the ground during an attack by a red dragon whose corpse remains at the bottom of the harbor.
Over the years, the various rulers of Aglarond have woven layer after layer of magical protections and conveniences into the place. The Simbul herself has made many contributions to this legacy, making this the safest and most marvelous building on the entire peninsula. The Simbul, though, is often not here. Her steward, a wise lord named Nerrol Hamastyl (LG male half-elf Rgr6/Pal6) governs the Royal Council and serves as regent in her absence, often under the command of one of her four apprentices: Phaeldara (CN human female Sor16/Wiz8), The Masked One (CN human female Sor14/Rog9), Thorneira Thalance (LN human female Sor12/Wiz6), and Evenyl Nathtalond (NG human female Sor11/Wiz5). The commander of the Simbul's Guard, High Captain Hovor Seawind (CG male half-elf fighter 4/rogue 6/Aglarondan griffonrider 8), assists the High Steward in his duties.
The Council Hall
The Royal Council of Aglarond meets here once a month, usually during the full moon. Each settlement has the right to send a representative to the council, but not all take advantage of this opportunity. Most council seats are hereditary titles joined to the holdings of the oldest and most noble lines of a city or province. The High Steward Nerrol Hamastyl is the Simbul’s representative to the Council most of the time, although he steps aside on those rare occasions when the queen of Aglarond chooses to address the Royal Council in person.
The hall is built of weathered wood in the traditional Aglarondan style. It was once a simple structure consisting of a single large meeting room, but over the centuries the council has added on to it. Today, visitors normally require either a guide or a map to get around. Once here, councilors need never leave. There are plenty of guest rooms, pantries, kitchens, meeting rooms, and so on, all centered on the main hall. The place is a ghost town when the council is not in session, but sessions are taking longer and longer, often up to a full tenday or more, so the amount of down time grows shorter and shorter.
Major Temples
Both Chauntea and Selûne are popular among the humans of Aglarond’s coast, and large old temples to each deity stand on the hills above the city. The House of the Four Moons is Selûne’s temple, a graceful old cathedral of white stone that gleams like a beacon with silver light beneath the full moon. The priestesses of Selûne maintain regular contact with other temples of their goddess throughout Faerûn, and they work with the Harpers and other groups to promote the advancement of good over evil in their homeland and beyond.
The Green Lady’s Keep is Velprintalar’s temple to Chauntea. Located well inland from the hill-ringed harbor, it is a low, rambling structure that includes a temple, a civic granary, and a large fortresslike abbey, home to more than one hundred monks famed for their potent ale. Greenish in color
and said to include fermented parsley, it is one of the most popular of the city’s many exports, and the monks are working overtime to meet the increased demand.
Other Notable Places
The manor house of Lady Mytela Halvasyn is home to an informal society started by the long-dead matriarch’s descendants. The nature of this club is secret, but everyone in town knows that only wealthy or powerful half-elves are permitted to join. The reason for this is that the group is dedicated to expelling the humans from Aglarond.
This movement, known as the Society of the Verdant Arrow, has been growing in strength over the past few years. Having a frequently absent human rule the country has only inflamed the anger of the society’s members. The Verdant Arrows are directly opposed to the Sons of Hoar, and the more violent Sons have earmarked prominent Verdant Arrows for intimidation and harassment—or death.
Griffonheight Keep is the main barracks of the city and the home of the famed Aglarondan griffonriders. It sits atop a hill and houses 400 foot soldiers plus a squadron of aerial cavalry. The keep has been expanded and improved over the past few years, giving rise to wild rumors about why the Simbul would increase the military presence in the capital, which has never come under direct attack by an army sinceits founding.
Many attribute the buildup as a response to the number of Thayan ships passing through. Actually, the Simbul is aware of the plans of the Verdant Arrows (and suspects many of the plots of the Sons of Hoar) and wishes to be prepared for any eventuality. Secret societies within the army agree with the sentiments of one party or the other, though, so the soldiers of Aglarond may not be reliable. Once the time comes to choose sides, they won’t all be on the same one.
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