Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

War1 (23); Com11, Com8, Com5 (2), Com4 (4), Com3 (25),
Com2 (174), Com1 (4,032).
Velprintalar (METROPOLIS)
This shining city 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.
AGLAROND
111
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