Luskan

Luskan

Location
Region	Sword Coast North
Realm	Luskan Confederacy
Societal
Civic Population	18,220
Max Seasonal Traffic	5,000
Demographics	Mostly humans, some half-orcs, dwarves, halflings
Liege	The Brethren Court (Taerl, Baram, Kurth, Suljack, Rethnor)
Physical
Climate	Cool, wet summers; cold, wet winters
Biome	Subarctic Tundra
Terrain	Coastal Cliff

Overview

Luskan, also known as the City of Sails, is a seafaring merchant city, home to fierce, proud, and warlike Northmen. This important northern port city is located at the mouth of the un-navigable Mirar River, a swift and icy, cold and rocky, waterway with the Mirar Road paralleling it to Mirabar. The perils of both the coastal High Road and the interior Long Road south from Mirabar relegate most metal trade to ships out of Luskan.

This city of cut-throat merchants, mercenaries, and thieves is a place of fast coins and even faster knives. There are few rules within the crumbling walls of the city, with justice both high and low being administered by direct petition to the Brethren Court, a council of the five most powerful "Ships" within the city. In practice, the city is controlled entirely by these "legal" criminal factions, and visitors would be wise to ally themselves quickly or risk being singled out alone.

Over the flop houses, all-night taverns, fortress-like warehouses, and crumbling tenements rises the Host Tower of the Arcane, headquarters of a vicious guild of mages known as the Arcane Brotherhood. The true power of the city, the Arcane Brotherhood controls virtually every aspect of the lives of the "citizens" of Luskan by controlling the flow of information without challenge. Agents of the Arcane Brotherhood are everywhere throughout the city and across the North, utilizing means both mundane (paid informants, agents, and spies) and magical (ensorcelled thralls, magical sensors, and familiars). In general the rule of the city can be encompassed as "Do unto others before they do unto you... but never cross the Brotherhood."

History

Year	Name	Event
1302 DR	Year of the Broken Helm	Illusk is retaken and rebuilt with aid from Neverwinter, then renamed Luskan. Duergar beneath Illusk retreat to the Underdark.
1310 DR	Year of Storms	A vast pirate fleet from the Nelanther Isles attacks and conquers Luskan. The leaders of the pirate fleet (Taerl, Baram, Kurth, Suljack, and Rethnor) declare themselves the new rulers of the city, each taking the title of High Captain.
1311 DR	Year of the Fist	The mage Arklem Greeth comes to Luskan and bypasses the ancient magic wards that Laeral Silverhand placed around the Host Tower. He forms the Brotherhood of the Arcane with the aid of the Old Ones— powerful liches who were once members of the legendary Grand Cabal of Illusk. Arklem names himself Archmage Arcane of the Brotherhood.
1354 DR	Year of the Bow	The High Captains of Luskan come fully under the sway of the Arcane Brotherhood, cementing its secret rule over the city.
1356 DR	Year of the Worm	Ruathym attacks and sinks a Luskanite caravel after persons unknown (at the time) stole the Tome of the Unicorn from the Green Library. Luskan responds by destroying much of Ruathym’s fleet and invades the island itself. After months of fighting, Ruathym’s defenders drive the High Captains of Luskan back to their ships.
1357 DR	Year of the Prince	The forces of Luskan attack Ruathym, successfully plundering much of the island and sinking that realm’s ships. They establish a presence there and subjugate the local population and shipping. Aumark Lithyl, a Knight of Myth Drannor, leads the fight against the invaders. Waterdeep negotiates a truce between Ruathym and Luskan, but it backfires when Luskan, Ruathym, Tuern, and the Whalebones forge an alliance to raid settlements along the Sword Coast.
1358 DR	Year of Shadows	The Lords’ Alliance of Waterdeep expels Luskan’s forces from Ruathym by applying combined diplomatic and military pressure. Luskan and the allied island realms of the Trackless Sea join to form the Captain’s Confederation. Ruathym becomes a battleground for the deities Clangeddin Silverbeard and Labelas Enoreth when their avatars confront each other.
1361 DR	Year of Maidens	Waterdeep, along with the rest of the Lords’ Alliance, is forced to threaten war when Luskan once again conquers Ruathym to the west.

Politics

The Brethren Court (the 5 allied High Captains) have ruled Luskan officially since they seized control of the city in 1311 DR. All political forces within the city align themselves to the power of one of these five High Captains, organized into factions called "Ships". Though the power and prestige of any one of the High Captains has risen and fallen in the city in measure against his fellows, the single biggest determiner of strength is the size of the personal fleet commanded by any given High Captain. All of the great dragon ships of Luskan's fleet are owned by one of the High Captains, and the sub-captains given command of these ships for their lord command positions of great respect and power in Luskan. Political decisions are made by the convention of the Brethren Court, a semi-regular event attended by all of the High Captains and their sub-captains and such courts can be a loud, boisterous, and even violent affair as disputes, feuds, and grudges erupt in the Captains' Court hall. Despite all of this, however, the 5 High Captains have managed to maintain control of the city for decades, owing in no small part to the guiding hand of the Arcane Brotherhood.

Over all of the quarreling, factionalized pit fighting of the Ships, the Arcane Brotherhood has, for at least the last fifteen years, kept a firm, if subtle hand. The mages of the Arcane Brotherhood maintain control of the High Captains, and by extension their Ships, through unknown means, but likely involve dark sorcery in addition to bribery, extortion, and blackmail. Dissent is quickly quashed, and troublemakers often find themselves suffering from fatal, and instructive, accidents should they cross the Brotherhood.

Demographics

Luskan is a city dominated by humans, specifically Northmen. The huge, fair, brawling men of the Northern waters control virtually every aspect of trade, politics, and warfare within the city and racist contempt for the small, soft men of the southern lands is a given. Their attitudes to non-human races can range far beyond contempt, as slavery (so called "thralls") are common, as well as in times of war living, sentient sacrifice to their bloody Northern gods. Which isn't to say that there are no non-humans to be found in the city, as the brutal strength of the orc-blooded, as well the cunning craft of the dwarf-folk is at least respected within the hierarchy of the city.

Race	Population	Percent
Man	17,491	96%
Half-Orc	546	3%
Other	183	<1%

Locations

The Mirar River divides the city into two major parts. The northern section is a walled enclave, consisting almost entirely of warehouses. The southern half of the city is much alder. This heavily fortified section of the city is surrounded by outlying walled caravan compounds.

There are three bridges that connect the two halves of the city. They are the Harbor Cross, Dalath's Span, and the Upstream Span. The Harbor Cross is broken into two spans, known as the Short and Long spans.

Five major islands crowd the mouth of the Mirar, and the three closest to the south bank are developed.

The city of Luskan is roughly divided into two major districts (North and South Bank), 5 small harbor islands, and the ruins of the ancient city of Illusk:

Region Name	Colloquial Name	Location	Focus	Population Share	Land Area Share
North Bank	"The Fortress"	The northern bank of the River Mirar is composed almost entirely of the heavily fortified warehouses and offices of major trading concerns of the North	Warehouses, trade offices, naval yards	12%	32%
South Bank	"The Reach"	The south bank of the River Mirar is where the majority of the city's population lives, as well as the where the bulk of the city governance and trade takes place.	Inns, shops, taverns, temples, civic buildings, residences	78%	44%
Blood Island	"The Blood"	The most upstream of Luskan's islands houses the bulk of the city's standing army.	Military fortifications	5%	8%
Closeguard Island	"The Close"	This large island is the personal estate of one of the High Captains and serves as a guard station for the approach to Cutlass Island.	Noble estate, fortifications	1%	3%
Cutlass Island	"The Towers"	Protected from approach by the fortifications on Closeguard Island, Cutlass Island houses the walled compounds of the Arcane Brotherhood.	Mage towers	2%	4%
Fang Island & Harbor Arm Island	"The Brothers"	The most northerly of the 5 harbor islands are both rocky, windswept, and uninhabited.	Dangerous permanent wild magic field, none	0%	5%
Ruins of Illusk	"The Dark"	The remnants of the ancient city of Illusk on the Southern Bank of the River Mirar. The southern ruins serve as the city's graveyard while the northern ruins are a dangerous haunt of predators, both living and dead.	Graveyard, wildland, ruins	2%	6%

Buildings and Sites by District

North Bank

This warehouse district includes a fortified compound known as the Mirabar District or the Mirabar Shield. The area is owned and guarded by mercantile companies operating out of Mirabar.

Type	Name	Description
Civic	North Gate	An ironclad door between two guard towers that stands at the water's edge. It guards the northern end of the widest bridge, the Upstream Span, that leads to the south bank of the River Mirar. It is around this gate that beggars lurk, and camp followers and peddlers not allowed into the city settle with their wagons. The gate is guarded at all times by 30 men-at-arms and commanded by a Daykeeper or Nightkeeper overseen by a watchful wizard of the Brotherhood.
Civic	The Throat	Luskan's main water tower, trespassing within the pasture grounds that surround it is an offense punishable by death.
Military	Whitesails Harbor	The walled and fortified naval yard of Luskan whose guards have orders to shoot intruders on sight.
Trade	The Mirabar District	Also known as the Mirabar Shield is a walled and patrolled district owned and guarded by mercantile interests from Mirabar. Three major companies trade here: the Anvilfist Banner, Thalorin's Manymetals, and the Golden Hand.
Trade	The Open Shore	Just outside the city walls, the Open Shore is the unregulated dock for foreign shipping.
Trade	Red Dragon Trading Lodge	Near the Throat stands the Red Dragon Trading Lodge and warehouses. This area is home to Luskan's largest and most successful overland trading company.

South Bank

The main city of Luskan stands on the southern side of the mouth of the Mirar inside a semicircular wall. This wall extends from a fortified breakwater that shelters Dragon Beach to a tower beside the Upstream Span and across the bridge from North Gate. The wall is studded with over a dozen towers along its length, including the impressive Twin Teeth that flank the South Gate. This is all of Luskan that many unwelcome travelers see.

Type	Name	Description
Trade	The Luskan Market	From the South Gate, a wide street known as Reavers' Run leads straight northwest to the open space of the city market. In the market, stalls are erected by permit. Permits are only given to Luskanite companies, closely watched long-time business contacts, or outlying farmers. The dealers here sell mainly fresh produce, firewood, and trinkets.
Civic	Captains' Close	A large, walled park on the west side of the Market. This is where the palatial residences of the High Captains Taerl and Suljack stand. Taerl's house is a fortress, and Suljack's is a tavern-like lodge.
Civic	Bagram's Palace	Rising out of a small, unwalled garden a block northeast from Captains'Close, this fortress is the home of High Captain Bagram.
Civic	Ten Oaks	A tall stone house just southwest of the Close, this fortress home of High Captain Rethnor sits upon a hollow square enclosing a hillock on which the 10 oaks for which it is named stand.
Civic	Captains' Court	One block north of the wall, this dour fortress is the official government house and meeting place of the Brethren Court.
Religious	Hall of Warriors	This great stone and wood fortress, built in the style of the Northmen of old, is the grim temple to Tempus. The great balcony overlooking Aldever's Street is used as a viewing box for the High Captains when Luskan's army marches to war.
Civic	The Needle	Standing on the north side of Setting Sun Street, this water-tower, like the Throat, is protected from trespasser upon pain of death.
Religious	The Winter Palace	The temple to Auril, the Frost Maiden. The rituals of worship to this deity are often cruel. Visitors gather to watch the "wet parades", a ritual where supplicants don garments packed with ice and drip their way along the streets. They journey between six white pillars known as the Kisses of Auril. These columns are spread widely throughout the Reach. The worshipers move from pillar to pillar, chanting prayers to the goddess, before returning to the temple.
Inn	The Seven Sails Inn	This enormous inn is the largest in Luskan. It stands on the south side of Setting Sun Street, two blocks east of the Needle.
Trade	Dragon Beach	The original harbor of Luskan, this haven is crowded with the rotting hulks of small coast-boats, busy cogs and caravels, and the sleeker vessels crewed by seafaring pirates and privateering merchants. This is the private harbor of the High Captains, used by their navies, merchant vessels, and pirates. It’s a place where a person speaking or stepping wrongly can find a cutlass in his vitals.

Blood Island

Occupied by Luskan's standing army, Blood Island contains a guard tower, an armory, and two barracks at the upstream end of the island. The roof of the tower is fitted with catapults that can hurl missiles into both harbors, up the river, and into the city itself.

Closeguard Island

Closeguard Island is a bleak, rocky island that can be reached by a short, arched bridge known as the Dark Arch. The span contains a hidden ward of some sort that warns of all non-Brotherhood intrusions. The rocky isle is home to Kurth Tower, the fortress residence of the most grim high captain of Luskan. The guards stationed there also deny unauthorized access to Cutlass Island, which is reached by the Sword Bridge - another arched span with its own ward.

Type	Name	Description
Civic	Kurth Tower	This fortress complex is the home of High Captain Kurth, the first among equals among the Brethren Court. The castle shares the island with some barracks, including a training facility, and a fortified guesthouse where "guests" of the Brotherhood can stay under guard or chained in dungeons below.

Cutlass Island

This feared large island consists of two rocky heights connected by a pebble beach and is the fortified domain of the Arcane Brotherhood.

Type	Name	Description
Magic	The Sea Tower	This is Luskan's original pirate stronghold. This tower is now home to all lesser members of Luskan's ruling Arcane Brotherhood. This house of ambitious mages and non-wizard senior agents is often lit by the flashes of experimental spells late at night.
Magic	The Host Tower of the Arcane	This large, walled compound is the headquarters of the Arcane Brotherhood. The central fortress is a magically created stone structure that resembles a giant tree or an open human hand. It rises into a central spire surrounded by four spires at the points of the compass. All are of equal height, and each bristles with many lesser spires, balconies, and branching turrets.

Ruins of Illusk

The remnants of the ancient city of Illusk stand on the southern shore of the Mirar, in the lee of Closeguard Island. All that remains to be seen of that once proud city are a few shattered towers and toppled statues enshrouded in creepers and choked with thick brush in the shade of a few old and gnarled trees.

Civic Defense

Luskan is and has always been a martial city, but for all their warring they are remarkably disorganized, with quarreling Ships and factions constantly at each other's throats. In times of peace, the restless Northmen have a tendency to harass, threaten, and lightly raid neighboring settlements, unless those settlements are under the protection of one of the High Captains or a stronger neighbor. Caravans out of Mirabar are a particular favorite, which is why the fierce dwarves and men of that mountain city protect their wagons with strong companies of mercenaries. At critical places of defense around the city, and when on particular missions of importance, the Arcane Brotherhood will lend its considerable magical strength to the city's army, to deadly effect.

Unit	Composition	Command	Commander	Mission
Captains' Guard	280 elite fighters	Civic	Unknown	Each of the captain's estates is protected by two shifts of at least 20 men, as well each of the High Captains is guard at all times by a retinue of 16 bodyguards.
Spears of Luskan	300 light footmen ( 900 auxiliary)	Civic	Unknown	Patrol the city, patrol the High Road from Port Llast to the Iceflow River, serve as the core troop formation in case of war.
Arcane Brotherhood	130 mages (~240 apprentices)	Magic	Arklem Greeth, Archmage Arcane of the Host Tower	The forces of the Arcane Brotherhood rarely whelm against a single threat, but apprentices and journeyman mages are often stationed at checkpoints and on every ship of war.
Mirabar Contingent	90 mercenaries	Trade	Unknown	Mixed mercenaries under the employ of the trade costers of Mirabar.
Sons of Valor	80 augmented heavy footmen (~280 lay worshipers)	Magic, Religious	Unknown	The sworn warriors of Tempus will often march with Luskan's armies as well as serve on the dragonships during raids.
Luskan Navy	800 sailors ( 2660 marines)	Civic	Unknown	Patrol the sea lanes, suppress piracy, serve in time of war (19 War Galley, 8 Cog)